SOLVED. Twins, possibly with magical powers, end up in a magical land populated by a giant dog-kangaroo thing, wizards, and people living out proverbs [s]

[Jemma]

Hi everyone,

I read a book when I was probably about 10-13 (somewhere between 1995 and 1998) which was about a pair of boy-girl twins, who both had black hair, that somehow got pulled into a strange world and they had to find their way out.

There was at least two books, one plus a sequel I think. I think that by the end of the book the boy twin had learnt magic powers and become a wizard. Can't remember if the girl twin did too.

It was young fiction, aimed about at the same level as Enid Blyton books. It was light-hearted and funny. It was illustrated (black and white I think) and a small format book (about "B" format size I think).

I can't remember exactly what order the following events happen, or which of the two (or more??) books they happen in, but hopefully it will jog someone's memory.

At one point (at the beginning of one of the books) they find a giant jumping dog-kangaroo thing that is really really stupid and has a very bad short term memory. They get it to agree to carry them in its pouch (which is all sticky and gooey with stuff in it) but it keeps forgetting that it's carrying them and where it's supposed to be taking them.

They have a pet dog who comes with them in one of the books, it's a shaggy sheepdog and a witch or wizard turns it green with purple polka-dots.

They go to this area where all these people are living out proverbs like "Too many cooks spoil the broth" where there's all these cooks chucking ingredients in a pot and yelling at each other etc, and "People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones" (there's a bunch of people throwing stones at each other while in glass houses) and "A rolling stone doesn't gather moss" (a guy's pushing a big rock up a hill and letting it roll down over and over), etc.

At one point they go to "The Almighty Bore" who has boogers coming from his nose and lives in a tall tower filled with books and the bodies of the people who he has bored to death with his boring talk. They go in to get something off this guy and have to fight against falling asleep and being bored to death. The girl almost is bored to death at this point I think.

I hope someone can help me! I've periodically tried searching online for this book but have never had any luck. Hopefully someone else remembers the name :)

Thanks!

[Sarah]

I remember this book! I can't think of the title though. I know that they told the cooks that the soup was okay, and the cooks all freaked out!

Could it have been After Hamelin? A jumping dragon is involved, but I don't remember it too well.

[Jemma]

Hi Seiren, yes I remember that part too!! No it's not After Hamelin though. It's a very light-hearted book. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Cheryl]

It sounds wonderful - I hope someone recognizes it and remembers the title or author!

[Andria]

Possibly the Wizard trilogy by Jean Ure.

I think The Wizard in the Woods is the first in the series. The twins are Joel and Gemma.

[Andria]

In the third book in the series, The Wizard and the Witch, the twins visit the silly Proverbial Village where people are always trying to prove proverbs right.

[Jemma]

Hey Andria I think you might be right! I don't recognise the cover but I might have had a different edition, but I recognise the twins' names! Thank you very much!!!