Abstract
Reviewed by: Thumb and the Bad Guy Deborah Stevenson Roberts, Ken. Thumb and the Bad Guy; illus. by Leanne Franson. Groundwood/House of Anansi, 2009 [120p]. ISBN 978-0-88899-916-0 $17.95 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 3–6 The little Canadian fishing village of New Auckland contains all of 143 people, and Thumb and his friend Susan, both twelve years old, sometimes wish it were a little more exciting. They begin to think they’ve found a bad guy in Kirk McKenna (“He spits a lot”), so they attempt to uncover what they’re sure will be his terrible secret. Meanwhile, a new teacher has arrived in the village, and she encourages her students into doing some uncovering of their own when she discovers a significant historical artifact in the mayor’s front yard. Though the mild mystery is entertaining, the real pleasure here is the depiction of everyday life in Thumb’s isolated and eccentric village. Roberts has a tone of matter-of-fact wonderment that recalls the writing of his countryman Brian Doyle (Uncle Ronald, BCCB 2/97), while his humor ranges from the broad to the dry. There are enough touches of characterization to make following Thumb and Susan worthwhile, and the mystery moves along briskly and accessibly. Light-hearted cartoonish illustrations appear occasionally, adding even more invitation to an already enjoyable and speedy read. Copyright © 2009 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
Published Version
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