David Baddiel allows his imagination free-rein in his new novel for children, with hilarious results. Ellie is – understandably – upset when her video game controller gets stuck in the cheeks of her father’s Y-front-panted bottom. It no longer works properly, and anyway, she doesn’t want to touch it – would you? A weird online encounter with someone calling himself the Mystery Man results in the arrival of a brand new controller, and then things get very strange indeed. Kids who enjoy computer games will relish this nutty fantasy adventure. For all its zany plot and absurd situations, it’s firmly rooted in a sharply observed real world and this, combined with Baddiel’s ability to tell jokes really well, is what makes the humour so effective. ~ Andrea Reece
