WARNING! This odd-couple is funny!
Mole & the Lumpy-Bumpy Thing © 2018 by Tim Warnes
There are particular books from my career (spanning 26 plus years now!) which I have a soft spot for.
Positioned firmly in that category, you will find Mole and the Lumpy-Bumpy Thing!
The odd-couple make their first appearance in DANGEROUS!, followed by a companion title a few years later: WARNING! This Book May Contain Rabbits! (Published as WARNING! Do Not Touch! in the U.S.)
And I love them!
In many ways, Mole and the Lumpy-Bumpy Thing are complete opposites - and that’s partly their appeal.
One is BIG, the other is small. Their personalities are very different, too. The Lumpy-Bumpy Thing is outgoing, approachable and - as we discover in WARNING! - rather cavalier in his behaviour. To me, he’s a bit of a Tigger!
In contrast, the diminutive Mole is cautious, verging on the timid (as many small creatures are). He is also a wordsmith, self-soothing with the vigorous and obsessive labelling of things.
These different personality traits create further conflict between them and drive the stories forward.
The books have been well received - but they have not been without criticism. Some people have knocked them for the labelling aspect.
Labels are hurtful, they say. Labels aren’t helpful.
From WARNING! This Book May Contain Rabbits! by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2016) | © 2016 by Tim Warnes
Yes, labels can be hurtful. That was the essence - ‘the hook’ - of the original story! But the story begins with Mole uses his senses to describe the unusual thing:
Lumpy.
Bumpy.
Because crocodiles are lumpy and bumpy! These are non-judgemental descriptions. (Admittedly, some of the adjectives - if applied to a human rather than a swamp-inhabiting crocodile - would be hurtful, even if accurate: e.g. warty, slimy, peculiar…)
But then Mole makes a judgement - ‘that thing looks dangerous’
That is the pivotal moment (or, in writer’s speak, the ‘inciting incident’.)
And I think it’s what makes him a believable character.
Mole makes a snap judgement based on first appearances. Haven’t we all done that before?
It could be argued that Mole was right to be cautious. He is, after all, a small prey animal. (What do we teach our kids?: Don’t talk to strangers.)
But Mole’s failing lies in the fact that he had a closed mind. He wasn’t open to learning more about the strange Lumpy-Bumpy Thing. He naturally sensed potential danger (the Lumpy-Bumpy Thing does have a terrifying yawn full of snippy-snappy teeth, after all!). But once it became clear that the Lumpy-Bumpy Thing posed no threat, Mole became disgruntled.
He was rude.
And unreceptive.
Mole was unwilling to be open to a new experience.
His ‘no brain’ was in control.
In my defence, it’s hard to convey the totality of a message within the confines of 32 pages! Sometimes the reader is left to do some of the work. (At the very end, in the endpaper illustration, we learn that Mole acknowledges his friend as kind and gentle - but only from ‘reading’ the new labels.)
The important thing is that Mole leads by example. He realises his mistake and is sorry.
He understands how hurtful he’s been.
He empathises with the Lumpy-Bumpy Thing.
And he recognises that the Lumpy-Bumpy Thing, rather than being dangerous, can be his friend.
Wouldn’t it be lovely if we all had open ‘yes brains’ like that?!
The story seed for WARNING! was a quick sketch beside a top hat labeled: WARNING!So I asked the question: What if?
What if the two friends found a hat labeled WARNING! Do not touch!? How would they react?
Mole would be cautious; the Lumpy-Bumpy Thing would mess about with it.
“Quick! Take it off!” cried Mole. “It could be dangerous.”
What if the magic started working?
What if white rabbits started appearing from the hat?
From WARNING! This Book May Contain Rabbits! by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2016) | © 2016 by Tim Warnes
“Holey Moley!” gasped Mole. “That hat’s magic!”
The bunny jumped down and gave Mole a great, big snuggle.
“I suppose it’s safe enough,” Mole grinned. “After all, they ARE just bunnies.”
From WARNING! This Book May Contain Rabbits! by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2016) | © 2016 by Tim Warnes
How would the characters react?
The Lumpy-Bumpy Thing just wants to play and make friends.
He’s in Bunny Heaven!
But a small mole would feel quickly overwhelmed and out of control.
Unsurprisingly then, it is Mole who shouts, “Make it STOP!”
From WARNING! This Book May Contain Rabbits! by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2016) | © 2016 by Tim Warnes
I recently recommended WARNING! to a friend who wanted a funny story for her nephew. I thought the anarchy of the snow bunny explosion and the energetic artwork (described by Kirkus Review as ‘Looney Tunes-esque’) might do the trick! It makes me laugh!
The Kirkus reviewer, however, wasn’t terribly enamoured with my book:
Responsibility for meddling with the off-limits hat is never acknowledged, sharing the garden bounty with the fluffle is never considered, learning from mistakes is skated over, squashing and scaring the bunnies is actively pursued.
And they’re right! All of those things are true - but as I said, it’s tough to cover everything (and keep my editor happy!)
If Mole had shared his garden bounty, the story would have fallen flat. There would have been no conflict, and the problem of the bunnies would not have been resolved.
And I’m ok with the active ‘squashing and scaring’ of the bunnies. Mole and the Lumpy-Bumpy Thing were desperately trying to defend themselves against the tide of bunnies, and it was deliberately done with humour. It’s the equivalent of swatting your hand at a pesky fly. The illustrations clearly show that the bunnies are totally unphased and continue with their antics. No harm is done.
From WARNING! This Book May Contain Rabbits! by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2016) | © 2016 by Tim Warnes
Learning from mistakes though - now that’s something that makes me question my ending. The Lumpy-Bumpy Thing notices something: a magic wand with a label, “Warning! Do not touch!” As Kirkus puts it: ‘Once bitten, twice not the least bit shy.’ The result is an influx of white doves - although I think it’s clear from the illustration: the Lumpy-Bumpy Thing finally learns his lesson!
From WARNING! This Book May Contain Rabbits! by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2016) | © 2016 by Tim Warnes
As Karen on Good Reads puts it:
This book was cute. And the moral of the story: Always read the labels. Mole didn’t do all that hard work just so you could ignore them. ;)
- Good Reads
From WARNING! This Book May Contain Rabbits! by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2016) | © 2016 by Tim Warnes
WHY DANGEROUS! AND WARNING! ARE GOOD TO READ
The adventures of Mole and the Lumpy-Bumpy Thing:
Are great fun to read aloud.
Will make kids laugh.
There’s plenty to discuss in the detailed illustrations.
They are a little subversive.
They’re jam-packed with labels to help improve your kid’s vocabulary
They help promote discussions about feelings, supporting the development of empathy and compassion (emotional literacy).
They are good transitions to chapter books for children starting to read independently.
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Please note: WARNING! Do Not Touch! is the US version of WARNING! This Book May Contain Rabbits! Same book, different covers.
Nominated - Kate Greenaway Medal 2015Finalist - Coventry Inspiration Book Awards 2016
“[As] well as a great story, DANGEROUS! provides a beautiful demonstration of nouns and adjectives in play.”
— ANGELA INNS, LIBRARIAN (READINGZONE.COM)Buy UK
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Shortlisted - Independent Bookshop Week Book Award 2016
"[T]he funny and entertaining sequel to the hugely popular Dangerous! … the perfect picture book for a young child just starting to read independently.”
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* I earn commission from these links #ADOther articles featuring Mole and the Lumpy-Bumpy Thing!SourcesDANGEROUS! BY TIM WARNES (LITTLE TIGER PRESS 2014)WARNING! This Book May Contain Rabbits! BY TIM WARNES (LITTLE TIGER PRESS 2016)WARNING! Do Not Touch! Review (Kirkus Review, January 15, 2016)© 2020 BY TIM WARNES(UNLESS OTHERWISE ATTRIBUTED)****USE OF THIRD PARTY COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL FALLS UNDER FAIR USE/FAIR DEALING PRACTICE.
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