Grumble's Bridge by Greg MacLeod

Grumble the troll wants one thing only. Sleep. Long, peaceful, uninterrupted sleep. But living under a bridge means there is always someone clip-clopping, quack-quacking or squelch-squelching over his head. One by one, Grumble bans every noisy creature he meets and then decides to take himself off to find somewhere quieter. Just as he settles in to go to sleep, he finds it might not be the sanctuary he thought. 

Grumble's Bridge is a playful twist on the classic troll tale that had my littlest readers in stitches. Author Greg MacLeod's use of humour, both explicit and implied, makes this a really fun book to read aloud. It was a delight watching younger readers cotton on to certain aspects of the story.

MacLeod uses some lovely language within the story - from world building with wild tussock and mossy rocks, to alliteration like 'gobble up goats and terrify travellers'. There's a lot of onomatopoeia and space for adult readers to really throw themselves into the telling of the story with expression.

Illustrator Herb MacDonald creates a wonderful world for Grumble and the animals. The characters are also brilliant, full of expression and movement. I love that MacDonald added his own touches of humour to the artwork (spot the important 'duckuments'). Differing viewpoints and perspectives add to the story too. Every read of this book has us finding more and more tidbits MacDonald has hidden within the pages.

This is a fun and funny debut that will have even the most sleep-deprived of us in stitches.

Reviewer: Rebekah Lyell

Scholastic