Pageboy Danny

A review of Pageboy Danny by Brianog Brady Dawson. Illustrated by Michael Connor. O'Brien Press €5.99

Alfie Green and the Bee-Bottle Gang by Joe O'Brien. Illustrated by Jean Texier. O'Brien Press €5.99

These two books, aimed at different age groups, have two things in common, which are pace and excellent illustrations.

Pageboy Danny is aimed at the 5+ aged group and particularly at boys. It might also be read with a degree of alarm by summer brides whose young brothers are to be pageboys, as Danny turns into the pageboy from hell. No one and nothing is safe, as he and Keeno, his dog, blunder from one disaster to another.

Young readers will love the easy-to-read text and the brilliant illustrations. It would make a nice present for pageboys but not to be handed over until after the big day.

Alfie Green and the Bee Bottle Gang, is the third in the series by Joe O'Brien and, once again, Alfie has a problem to solve. How can he stop Whacker and his gang from trapping bees in bottles and leaving them to die? With the help of a wise old plant, he consults his magic book and is off on a hair-raising trip on a talking broom to the Honeycomb Mountain.

Joe O'Brien's minimal style cuts to the chase without ever diluting the magic. The illustrations are full of delightful details. Great summer reading.