Davide Cali‘s 10 Little Insects is witty, fast paced and riddled with clever one liners.
The premise is taken unashamedly from Agatha Christie’s 10 Little
Indians,
“Don’t worry, we’re not going to re-enact ’10 Little Indians.’ “
An odd assortment of insects find themselves brought together in a strange house on an isolated island. Each of them have been enticed to Tortoise Island under different pretences, and as such questions are beginning to be asked. It is not long before, one by one, they start to meet untimely ends in the most bizarre circumstances.
What is going on? Who is behind it? Why them?
As they start to drop like flies (a-hem!) suspicions are aroused, tempers flare and of course flashes of lightening illuminate the dark sky above the isolated house.
This is a graphic novel which surpassed all my expectations. Character, plot and intrigue are manipulated through witty dialogue and sharp illustrations in a mind bogglingly effortless manner. Genuis. Through these two mediums Davide Cali and Vincent Pianina bring to life a myriad of superb characters the kids will just get. From Gracey Gold, who’s outburst at Gafard is priceless to Johnny Nail whose not so fabulous impressions of a stick aren’t really perfected until it is too late … each one carries the reader through this rollicking great plot. Clever touches such as the use of red to convey a character’s anger will really help readers absorb the nuances of this book.
Full of hilarious hiccups (watch out for the dog’s nose) and clever twists (anyone for topperware?!), you’ll enjoy this one several times over.
10 Little Insects well and truly deserves a firm place in My Book Corner.
Find out more about Davide in his My Book Corner interview.
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