Picklewitch and Jack is the brilliant new series from Claire Barker and Teemu Juhani. This novel is SO funny.
Barker’s crisp, considered writing feels like a breath of fresh air and sits brilliantly well alongside other funny middle-grade series we’ve enjoyed over the year at My Book Corner – I’m thinking Alex Sparrow, Amelia Fang and The Nothing To See Here Hotel.
In her latest story, Claire introduces us to two characters who are completely different – and I love that. Jack is a wonderfully quiet, careful and sensible boy. He plans, thinks and knows exactly how he’d like things to be – he really is so endearing! Then the brilliantly vibrant, sassy and confident Picklewitch bounds into his life… or more accurately his tree/ garden/school.
Jack is just starting a new school – St Immaculate’s School for the Gifted, it’s a terribly posh school with lots of clever kids so Jack is super keen to make a strong and sensible first impression. But then Picklewitch appears in his classroom, and she is quite unlike anyone he has ever met before.
From the first day, Picklewitch associates herself with Jack, and that really infuriates him – she acts in a manner which is far from sensible, he just doesn’t understand her.
Picklewitch is the most intriguing character, I absolutely loved her. I love how Teemu Juhani’s illustrations convey her uniqueness and energy. She pushes Jack to think about things in a way he never has before and to think about what friendship really means.
Amidst plenty of laughter and mayhem, a friendship emerges – slowly. It’s not what either of them was really expecting but, it works.
Picklewitch and Jack is going to be a brilliant series, full of heart and giggles, I can not wait for book 2.
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