Review: Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey by Alex Milway

Pigsticks is the last in a noble line of explorers, and he’s decided it’s time for him to follow in his forepigs’ footsteps — with an assistant to do the heavy lifting, of course. When his help-wanted ad draws a motley crew of candidates, he chooses a hapless delivery hamster named Harold. As the unlikely duo set off from Tuptown with plenty of tea cakes in tow, Pigsticks is breathless with excitement (and Harold is struggling for breath under all the gear). But after a long trek through jungles, over deserts, and up a giant ice-topped mountain, the last crumb of cake is stolen by a herd of thieving goats, and their goal is nowhere in sight. Will they ever discover the Ends of the Earth? Could it be in the last place they’d ever think to look?

These days I very rarely review picture books. As a secondary school teacher my experience of them is very limited, and so I prefer to focus my efforts on books for older readers. However, I have long been a fan of Alex Milway's brilliant Mythical 9th Division books and so I just couldn't resist his latest offering.

This first book in what I hope will be a series sees Pigsticks (a pig) longing to follow in the footsteps of his ancestors by doing something great. He decides that he will travel to the Ends of of Earth, but being a rather upper class pig he decides that things like cooking and bag carrying are below him, and therefore he advertises for an assistant. Harold (a hamster) somehow manages to stumble into the role without ever applying, and soon the pair are off on their adventure through jungle, desert and mountains on their quest for the Ends of the Earth.

Yet again, Alex Milway has produced a story that is exciting, charming and, very importantly, very funny. Children will have no problem in spotting Pigsticks' flaws, and some may question the way he treats poor Harold, who is possibly the most tolerant and forbearing hamster in the world... ever! It is a relationship that brought to my mind that of Sherlock Holmes and Watson as his long-suffering companion. Pigsticks is the confident one with a 'who dares wins' outlook on their adventure, whilst Harold is the quiet, worrying type. 

Alex Milway's artwork is the perfect accompaniment to his story. The characters are all portrayed with fairly broad line work, making them stand out clearly from their backgrounds, and it is amazing just how much expression Milway manages to give the faces of his two main characters with this fairly simple style. The layout of the illustrations will also keep young readers on their toes: some pages have a traditional picture book layout with full spread images and little text, other pages are more like early readers, with far more text and smaller images, and some pages have layouts more commonly in the graphic novel format. This all adds to the overall reading experience, and I'm sure young readers will go back to this book again and again, even if just to pore over the illustrations.

Illustration by Alex Milway (http://www.alexmilway.com)

Pigsticks and Harold is not quite a picture book, nor is it strictly an early reader. It sort of falls between the two, and thus it is great as a book to be read by a parent to a young child and also great for an older child who is more confident with their reading but still craves lots of colour illustrations of their pages. There is enough in the book to challenge these more confident readers, as there are a handful of more difficult words (e.g. evasive manoeuvres), and these may also lead to questioning and dialogue between the reader and their parent.

Illustration by Alex Milway (http://www.alexmilway.com)

Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey is already available to buy, and my thanks go to the lovely people at Walker Books for sending me a copy. 

The Mythical 9th Division books by Alex Milway

Some of my posts for Under 14s Only Month will be short reviews of recently published books that have not yet received a mention on The Book Zone. Some of my posts will be about books that have been around for a little or a lot longer, but are still in print and remain as personal favourites. This is one of those.

Back in November 2010 I wrote a review of the first two books in Alex Milway's brilliant Mythical 9th Division series, Operation Robot Storm and Terror of the Deep. Since then a further two books have been published in that series: The Magma Conspiracy and The Alien Moon. All four books follow the adventures of the members of the Mythical 9th Division, a team of three yetis that for the past 150 years have "existed as a top-secret branch of the British Armed Forces." The yetis Albrecht, Saar and Timonen make up just one of nine divisions of mythical creatures, tasked with keeping the world's population free from the forces of evil. As their various missions unfold, we get to meet mebers of these other divisions, including The Bigfoot (Mythical 6th), The Kitsune (Mythical 8th) and the Yowies (Mythical 4th). 

In my review of the first two books I did not hold back from shouting about how much I loved them, and the third and fourth books in the series are more of the same brilliance. Why do I love this series so much? Firstly, they are perfect for readers aged 7+, with their mix of text and illustrations. Every chapter starts with four pages of comic-style panels, which are as much about moving the story on as they are about entertaining the reader. These panels are a stroke of genius and have the same effect as cliffhangers at the end of chapters  - they make the reader want to continue turning pages to find out what happens next. Alex's illustrations are brilliant, and he spoils his readers as they do not just appear at the start of chapters as more illustrations are interspersed throughout the book.

However, although the illustrations are what first catch the eye, the books are made even more special by the quality of Alex Milway's story telling. These stories are packed full of wonderful silliness, fast-paced action and adventure, cool gadgets, nasty Bond-esque villains, and, of course, my personal favourite aspect, the yeti characters themselves. Back in November 2010 I described the three yetis as reminding me of a very hairy version of The A Team, as they bicker and argue their way through their missions, like a trio of brothers who on the face of it might seem to not get on, but deep down know that they would give their lives for each other. As readers we can laugh at their bickering and banter, whilst also appreciating the bond that exists between them.

New, never before published yeti artwork, courtesy of the supremely talented Alex Milway

There is a great deal to love about this series, and yet sadly it has probably gone unnoticed by too many aged 7+ readers, and that is why I wanted to bring it to your attention in my Under 14s Only month. I'm not sure whether the series ever got published in the US, but I have checked and all four books are currently available to buy from The Book Depository so they are well worth checking out, wherever you may live.

(edit: I have today been informed by Alex that the books have been published in the US this year by Kane Miller, so grab 'em while they're hot US readers).

Sadly, I do not believe there are any more Mythical 9th Division books scheduled for the future as a scan of Alex Milway's own website shows that he has been working on other projects, with Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey due to be published by Walker Books next year. However, you can still find out a little more about the yetis, as well as download a handy guide to all of the Mythical Divisions, over at http://www.mythical9th.com/

Review: The Mythical 9th Division series by Alex Milway

Operation Robot Storm

Something strange is happening in the Welsh mountains. It should be the middle of summer, but Snowdonia has been beseiged by blizzards and ice storms. A company of Arctic-trained soldiers sent to investigate has disappeared and the only remaining hope is a secret troop of yeti agents - the Mythical 9th Division.

Terror of the Deep

Long, long ago, an underwater archaeologist discovered an ancient and powerful jewel buried deep in the waters of the Pacific Ocean – the Stone of the Sea. Many years later, the same archaeologist, Christian Krall, has used the stone to bring every mythical sea creature on the planet under his control. Now he is plotting to destroy the world from his watery lair off the east coast of Australia. With the Mermen of the Mythical 3rd Division out of action, it falls to the Mythical 9th to stop Krall from creating the biggest tsunami the world has ever seen – a tsunami big enough to obliterate the Earth.

Fed up with vampires? Bored of werewolves? Have no fear, the yetis are here! It is such a great idea that I am a little surprised that no-one has come it with it before. Surprised and also very relieved as I am not sure anyone else could have done this in such a fun way as author and illustrator Alex Milway has. The premise is super cool - unbeknownst to the general public, following "the formation of the United Nations in 1945 it was decided that all of the mythical troops of the world should be ratified and united under one top-secret umbrella organisation: L.E.G.E.N.D.S. (League of Extraordinary and Genetically ENhanced Defence Squads)." The Yetis are the 9th Division of this covert organisation, with the likes of Norwegian Trolls, Mermen of Atlantis and Bigfoot of America making up some of the other elite fighting units.

The Mythical 9th is a Division of only three yetis, but they are no less formidable for this lack in numbers. Like all good crack commando units each member has a skill set and personality that makes them indispensable: first up there is Albrecht, leader of the unit and the most agile of the three; next there is Saar, vegetarian scarf wearer he is the oldest of the three and brings wisdom to the mix; and finally there is Timonen, a huge hulking brute with a yak-fixation who is very much the muscle of the team.

When reading these books I was very much reminded of The A Team, albeit an incredibly hairy version working on the side of the law. Not just because of the different skills each member brings, but also the friction occurs between them due to their differing personalities. Timonen shows disdain at Saar's wearing of a scarf ("I'm embarrassed to be seen with him"), whilst Saar despairs at Timonen's lack of manners and that has has "nothing but fur for brains". Albrecht finds himself constantly having to play the role of mediator between the two (just as Hannibal Smith did between BA and Murdoch). However, all petty squabbles are put aside when it really matters as the Mythical 9th are thrown into action against any egotistical would-be world dominating madman that decides to rear his head.

Alex Milway's writing is fast paced and laugh out loud funny and absolutely perfect for the 7+ age group. However, these are special for another reason - Alex Milway is also an very accomplished comic illustrator, and the illustrations that complement his anarchic action stories are an absolute delight. I found myself racing through the story to get to the next page with an image on it; and these pictures are not just there to accompany the text - they are also used to tell parts of the story. As a result of this these books are perfect for reluctant readers and also kids who struggle with page after page of seemingly endless words.

I read the first book in the series a few weeks ago, shortly after meeting Alex and the Crystal Palace Children's Book Festival (Alex was instrumental in the organisation of the festival) and I was hooked on the story after the first chapter (an inter-division race to the summit of Everest between Albrecht and a Bigfoot from the Mythical 6th Division). I was therefore really chuffed to receive a copy of the sequel from Walker Books, a book that I enjoyed even more than the first - slightly longer, more illustrations, and also the wonderful yowies of Australia. I think these books will grow and grow in popularity as more kids discover them and start raving about them in school playgrounds around the country. You can find out more about the Mythical 9th at their website; Operation Robot Storm is available to buy already and Terror of the Deep is scheduled for release on 6th December (and I can't think of a better stocking filler for a 7+ boy this Christmas).