The Roaring Reads gang are big fans of One Button Benny, so we were excited to learn that our favourite little robot was zing-zang-zooming back for another adventure.
One Button Benny and the Gigantic Catastrophe finds Benny faced with a new emergency – the disappearance of his cat, Sparky, and all their friends’ cats too. To make matters worse, their pets vanish on the night before the Cool Cat competition – an event they had all been busy polishing for.
It’s a situation that warrants pushing Benny’s ‘Only Press in an Emergency’ button, but this time the robots will need to use their own skills to deliver the solution the button provides.
All the elements that made the first Benny book such a hit are back; a loveable robot, catchy catchphrases, robotic speech bubbles, and a dash of cheeky humour, paired with Chloe Holwill-Hunter’s engaging, futuristic illustrations. We especially enjoyed the jelly-bean shaped aliens and the chore-busting Trojan cat.
In a sea of new picture books, Alan Windram’s stories stand out, with humour, characters and situations (who doesn’t hate chores!) that speak directly to the little readers they are meant for.
One Button Benny won the 2019 Bookbug Prize, earning the brave wee robot a place in the hearts of thousands of Scottish children, and we’re sure they will be as delighted with his quirky return as we are.
Will Benny be back for more adventures soon? We’ll be pressing a red button or two if he isn’t!
One Button Benny, by Alan Windram and Chloe Holwill-Hunter (Little Door Books)
Roaring Reads 