Grynbad and the Seven Soups

by David Hailwood

Pea soup pirates! Shoe obsessed mermaids! Cowpats large enough to sink a battleship! Dare you face the perils that lie within the Seven Soups?

Timmy Grynbad has bad teeth, and a big heart. So when his beloved grandpa's most magnificent false teeth get stolen by a great green Gribble Grobble, he responds in the same manner as any dutiful grandson would; he leaps headfirst into a barrel of custard and sets off after them.

Emerging in a strange land of liquid, Timmy soon discovers he must cross the Seven Soups and face its many hazards.

Along the way he will battle lolly-loving pirates, wrestle with mermaids, haggle with trolls, and learn to run on custard. But such tasks pale in comparison to the dangers that await him in the foul reeking depths of minestrone!

Will Timmy sink or swim? Find out inside this fully illustrated self-contained fantasy adventure, which is sure to appeal to fans of Roald Dahl, Dav Pilkey and the Mr Gum series.

103 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 10, 2018

About the author

David Hailwood used to write whilst hanging upside-down by his legs from a tree. Now he's an adult he's apparently not allowed to do that sort of thing any more, so instead he sits at home in his office, cackling manically at his computer (occasionally he remembers to switch it on).
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With over 20 years experience of working in the UK comics market, his brain-matter has leaked onto the pages of numerous comic anthologies, including Egmont's Toxic, Strip magazine, Bulletproof, Accent UK, Futurequake, Violent and Meanwhile.

He's had comedy material broadcast on ITV and E4, been shortlisted for several BBC sitcom competitions, writes children's novels and edits the ‘100% Biodegradable’ comics anthology.
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His debut children's novel 'The Last Of The Navel Navigators' was awarded a First as part of his Creative Writing MA at Chichester University.

Reviews

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Packed to the brim with silliness, adventure and imagination, this tale even manages to work in the wonderful love between a grandfather and his grandson.

Timmy thinks his grandfather's teeth are so cool—they might be fake but they are big, bad and can really chomp. When Timmy's visit to the dentist reveals anything but a perfect set of biters, things turn grim in the family. A next day visit to Grandpa in the retirement home results with a terrible event; Grandpa's teeth are missing! Timmy dives into the barrel of custard to search for his grandfather's chompers...a feat which lands him in the seas of Seven Soups and tons of adventure.

This is NOT a book to be read with a serious attitude. Timmy might be full of heart and ready to take on almost anything to get his grandfather's beloved teeth back, but it's a journey into fantasy pure. From pirates to mermaids, trolls and so much more, Timmy comes across the most amazing adventures as he travels through Minestrone, Tomato and many other soupy waters.

There is never a boring moment, not with countless amazing situations, quirky characters and adventures which hit the depths of imagination roll along at top speed. It makes for a very entertaining, quick read and unexpected twists on every page. Boys and reluctant readers will be lured in by this story. As for serious readers, they might shake their heads.

And there's Timmy's wonderful heart. Even with all of the nonsense, the sacrifice and effort Timmy puts forth is impossible to ignore. He loves his grandfather and gives his all to help him. Even when it comes to finding his teeth.

I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed it enough to want to leave my honest thoughts. I am giving this a 4.5 stars and rounding up.

[Linda Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wacky - Weird and one of the best children's books for 7-9 year olds I've read in a VERY long time.
David Hailwood has created a world of characters that jump out of the page at you. I'm not sure I'm ever going to eat custard again!!
With short chapters and an intriguing storyline that takes the reader through oceans of soup-ladled conundrums, there are a lot of laugh out loud moments....
From the dastardly Miss Skillet to the seriously gross Manotaur, baddies don't get much worse - and as for those pirates...
The author's ability to maintain the flow of the story keeps the reader turning pages.
There are simple but excellent illustrations throughout the book which just add another layer.

It is definitely a book I can recommend for any 7-9 year old and an excellent book to read a loud during the long school holidays!