Bigfoot and the Wild Boys by Jenny Pearson & Aleksei Bitskoff – The Strawberry Post
A book review of a fun middle grade children’s book about two boys who go into the woods to try and find a bigfoot, but living wild has some unexpected consequences.
About Bigfoot and the Wild Boys
Title: Bigfoot and the Wild Boys (Dyslexia-friendly)
Author: Jenny Pearson
Illustrator: Aleksei Bitskoff
Publisher: Barrington Stoke
Genre: Older children’s/middle grade fiction, Humour
Book format reviewed: Paperback
Sweet Strawberries: 
Description: Joe is tired of being called average and feeling completely forgettable at school. So when he hears that a Bigfoot-like beast has been spotted in some nearby woods, he senses an opportunity. Surely capturing Bigfoot will make him stand out from the crowd and bring him the popularity he longs for?
With no real plan or survival skills, Joe and his best friend Tiago set off on what turns out to be an unforgettably hilarious quest with some very unexpected results!
*Free copy provided by publisher for review…
My review and thoughts on Bigfoot and the Wild Boys
This is a great and fun story. Joe is fed up of being average, of being forgettable, unlike his friend Tiago who’s known for being a great goalkeeper and for speaking several languages. Spending the day with Tiago, Joe soon realises there’s a way for him to stop being average, to become famous for catching a bigfoot that’s rumoured to be wandering in a local wood.
I really like this story which is narrated by Joe who is always called Average Joe by the kids at school. I like what happens as he gets the idea to become a wildman, like his idol Wildman Mike, and wants to catch a bigfoot in the woods near his home. Getting his friend Tiago to come along with him the two boys begin walking through the woods armed with some supplies to catch the bigfoot as well as some food. As the story progresses though it turns out that spotting the bigfoot is harder than Joe thought and the wild woods are not so fun to be in.
The story is good with Joe and Tiago having more than one mishap along the way and I like what happens later on when it gets dark and the boys are forced to live more like wild men than they wanted to. There is a great ending and the whole story finishes well with a great message at the end for kids who worry about not being special or feeling average, like Joe does at first.
There are some great illustrations throughout the book on various pages taking up part of a page or a whole page. These pictures are all in black, white and grey and are brilliant and funny, really adding to the humour of the story. There are some images as chapter headers and the book is also an accessible read which means it’s especially made for dyslexic and reluctant readers. The pages of the book are thicker than usual with a yellow tint on them making it easier to read. A special dyslexia friendly font is used as well as the text being bigger in size and having separated paragraphs. The book is also only around 100 pages long making it a quicker and less daunting read.
Overall this is a great and funny story and one which I’m sure many kids will enjoy reading. It’s got some good humour, a great story and with a great message about not worrying what others think of you, it’s a good book for everyone to read.
Other humorous children’s middle grade books
-Read review – Bad Boy Wizard: The Acestral Gatecrashers by Anabelle Franklin (Bad Boy Wizard #1)
-Read review – Hog’s Head Stew by Janeen Bradley & Stuart Hale
-Read review – Finn and the Pen by David Lawrence, P. J. Reece & Cherie Dignam (The Pen series #3)
-Read review – Xander and the Pen by David Lawrence & Cherie Dignam (The Pen seires #2)
-Read review – Ruby and the Pen by David Lawrence & Cheri Dignam (The Pen series #1)
-Read review – Game On! Critters by Emily Snape (Game On! #3)
-Read review – Game On! Glitched by Emily Snape (Game On! #2)
-Read review – Game On! Shrinkle by Emily Snape (Game On! #1)
-Read review – Loki – A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good by Louie Stowell (Loki #1)
-Read review – Hetty and the Battle of the Books by Anna James & Jez Tuya(Dyslexia-friendly)
-Read review – Picture Perfect by Serena Patel & Louise Forshaw(Dyslexia-friendly)
-Read review – What’s New Harper Drew? by Kathy Weeks & Aleksei (Whatt’s New, Harper Drew? #1)
-Read review – Maddy Yip’s Guide to Holidays by Sue Cheung (Maddy Yip #2)
-Read review – Maddy Yip’s Guide to Life (Maddy Yip #1)
-Read review – Buck n’ Bronco Hit the Road! by Guy Bass & Steve May(Dyslexia-friendly)
-Read review – Goodfellows by Tom McLaughlin(Dyslexia-friendly)
-Read review – Queen of King Street by Tom McLaughlin(Dyslexia-friendly)
What do you think of this book? Would you like to take a trip walking in the woods or prefer to stay indoors? Let me kow what you think in the comments below 🙂
