SSSSYNOPSIS Every once in a blue moon... a HERO, a truly great character is born. Adventures of JAKE the SNAKE V.I.P.e.r. (Very Important Personality and Extraordinary Reptile) tells the story of just such an amazing Ssssuperstar! Jake fell to earth in an egg and the Goddess Reptia declared: Jake, Jake you re the Chosen Snake, do good on the Planet and all good shall come to you Jake set up life on Reptisland and somehow knew from an early age that it was his destiny to change the range of feelings by the human race about snakes, reversing the bad press they received ever since that Garden of Eden episode! Give a Snake a Break became his motto! Our Reptilian Righter of Wrongs leads the uncompromising campaign for justice and fair play across the world, spreading a green message to an effort to protect the planet. Assisting him are the RAKES: Tina Termite, tap dancing ex-Cuban gun moll, Merc Magpie former Middle Eastern mercenary, enigmatic computer hacking Oriental insect Loti Locust; whiz kid rodent, ex-leader of the Italian Bad Cheese Gang Marco Mortadella, and French spider extraordinaire Jacques Webb- an international band of unique creatures, that all had a shady past and unpopularity as disliked species - BUT- thanks to a break from Jake, they toe the line now with the Slithery Samaritan as their mentor. They Snake, Rattle n Roll in the amazing Viperwagen from the Equatree Control Tower on Reptisland, off to a different country in the past, present or future, wherever a call on the Viperline takes them, to solve any crooked crime in need of quashing. Viperjet, Vipervid, Snakeslide, Slither-Twitter, Snak-Book, Jake s got it all. This Scintillating Snake Charmer has just received the Nobel Peace Prize, thanks to his dedication as the Top Troubleshooter of the 21st century, but still blushes when trying to ignore the romantic advances of Anna Conda, the Sultry Snakey Pop Star Brazilian Bombshell, who took the world by storm with her international mega hit song Snake Eyes ! Every good hero deserves a bad villain. Jake s main mission is to curb the global misdeeds perpetrated by the murky Mongoose Militia, under the leadership of the Demented Duo: treacherous Mama Tallulah and her maniac son Toulouse Mongoose, with his Henchmen: stinky Skunko Punko, heavyweight Rock the Croc, and the insidious hyena Laughing Boy, who plan death and destruction to take over the world. Adventures of Jake the Snake V.I.P.e.r. gives the reader a chance to climb on board the Viperwagen and visit a vast array of countries across the globe with Jake and the Rakes pitted against the unsavoury plots of Mama Tallulah out to pancake the planet and determined to capture the Righteous Reptile! Facts about each country visited presented by Sir Skat Cat, the rapping professor, plus a useful SNAKE-EYE glossary, offer a chance to get sssmarter and sssmarter and even win prizes on www.jakethesnake.org.uk
Jake is a snake, to be sure, but he's also a massssster words ssssmith who knows how to entertain kids while ssssneakily (ssssnakily?) increasing their vocabulary as well as knowledge of the world around them.
Along with a huge casssst of friends, foes, and wanna-be girlfriends (Anna Conda, I'm looking at you), kids will travel the world. Our first stop in this volume is Paris, France, where Jake helps break up a smuggling operation. But just as soon as that's done, Jake learns they are needed in Africa, where the wild animals have had their mutual harmony disrupted. Can Jake and his friends help them get back to peaceful living? Eight more countries will be visited before the end of the book... and there will even be a trip to the moon.
The stories are written in a high-energy, pun-filled, silly manner, but with intent. Challenge words are asterisked so the kids can go check out their meaning, and plenty of fun facts about the world are included.
This is just one of many books about Jake the Snake and his adventures. If your child enjoys it, consider picking up the rest of the series. There's so much fun learning in store!
My thanks to the author for a review copy of this book, in return for a review. This review is my unbiased, honest opinion.