FAMILIES ARE FUNNY!

By Sharon Giltrow

Families are HAHAHA! Take a look at your own family, and if they are anything like mine, you will capture some great ideas.

My funny family – and my inspiration for BEDTIME, DADDY!

Borrow ideas from real life. Talented Aussie Authorstrator Briony Stewart, did when she wrote, WE LOVE YOU, MAGOO. A book about her very funny, furry, family member – Fergus aka Magoo.

Funny, furry, Fergus aka Magoo and his family

I am very excited to feature WE LOVE YOU, MAGOO this month, and share with you Briony’s follow up book, WHERE ARE YOU MAGOO?

We Love you Magoo
Written and Illustrated by: Briony Stewart
Published by: Penguin Random House Australia, September 2020
US release: TBA
Magoo has his own ideas about what a dog should do – in the kitchen, in the car, at dinnertime and bedtime! But there are so many rules! So many things a dog can't do.

Where are you Magoo?
Available for pre-order now

I asked Briony to share two of her favourite, humorous pages from WE LOVE YOU MAGOO and why she chose them.

B - I based my whole illustration style for the book on this spread. The energetic lines and the texture help Magoo to represent the unbridled joy and cheekiness of toddler readers, (and paired with the text, also allows them to delight in that age old thing of being able to tell someone else off for being a little bit naughty!)

In this spread, Briony has used sound words to ramp up the humour – “squish, squash, wahoooooo!” Such great words for young children to say out loud.

B - Look at that little face! I wanted young readers to be able to both sympathise and giggle with Magoo as he learns the rules of the household. I think this also creates a gentle and funny parallel between the character and the parent-and-child readers of the story.  

Here Briony has used the power of surprise. The reader turns the page, and surprise Magoo is having a bath, and he is not too happy about it.
 
Funny Fact
Briony’s dog is actually called Fergus but Magoo is a much funnier and a super silly word to say aloud. When writing funny go for funny sounding words. Fergus not funny (well maybe a little) - Magoo super funny.
 
Well, that’s it from me this month, see you in April, with another great Aussie book.
 
Share a laugh and connect with someone today.

GIVEAWAY
For a chance to win either a copy of WE LOVE YOU MAGOO OR WHERE ARE YOU MAGOO?

1. Comment or share a picture of your funny, furry friend – in this blog post
2. Share this blog post on social media
3. Follow Sharon on twitter
4. The winner will be announced on twitter on Monday 5th April
   

BIO
Sharon Giltrow grew up in South Australia, the youngest of eight children, surrounded by pet sheep and fields of barley. She now lives in Perth, Western Australia with her husband, two children and a tiny dog. Sharon has taught for all of her career. Previously a teacher of children who are hearing impaired and Deaf-Blind, she now teaches young children with Developmental Language Disorder. Her humorous debut PB BEDTIME DADDY! released May 2020 through EK books. Sharon’s humorous follow up PB GET READY, MAMA! Is due to be released through EK books in 2022. Awarded the Paper Bird Fellowship for Writers in 2019. Sharon used this time to write her early middle grade book SAMARA RUBIN AND THE UTILITY BELT. To be released in 2021 through Clear Fork Publishing’s new imprint &MG. Sharon is also a Blogger for the Children’s Book Academy,