Fans of British television will remember David Walliams as one half of the Little Britain comedy duo who had viewers in stitches in the early 2000s.
With Matt Lucas, Walliams parodied Britons from all walks of life through a series of unforgettable skits, winning global fame in the process.
However, it is as a children’s book author that he truly came into his own, with titles like The Boy in the Dress, Mr Stink, Awful Auntie and Ratburger selling tens of millions of copies around the world.
While there will ever only be one Roald Dahl given the late author’s ability to resonate with children like no other, Walliams is a worthy contender.
Like Dahl, he understands the frustrations children experience with adults who are too quick to dismiss their insights as folly.
Accordingly, he develops young protagonists who not only possess mischievous humour, but intelligence that shows up older generations time and time again.
It’s a winning recipe.
In 2011 Walliams published Gangsta Granny, a wonderful caper in which a little boy called Ben discovers that his grandmother, prone to board games and cabbage soup, is also an international jewel thief.
Gangsta Granny Strikes Again is a brilliant follow-up that is a must for any tween or young teen’s Christmas stocking.
The sequel contains many favourite characters, though the absence of Ben’s granny, who has died the year prior, does raise some eyebrows considering the book’s title.
Ben’s nemesis, the nosy Mr Parker who runs the local Neighbourhood Watch group, Lower Toddle branch, is again on the 12-year-old’s case, convinced that Ben is guilty of the attempted theft of the Queen’s crown jewels.
Ben’s Mum and Dad, the quirky blue-collar workers with an unhealthy fixation on ballroom dancing and particularly Flavio Flavioli, the star of the hit TV series Strictly Stars Dancing, present their own challenges to their son.
Then there is Ben’s friend, the lovable store owner Raj, infamous for selling out-of-date sweets at his shop, Raj’s News.
Even though Ben harbours ambitions of becoming the best plumber in the world, crime is never far away.
On this occasion rare items are being stolen all across London, including the Fifa World Cup trophy, the death mask of Egyptian King Titankhamun and even a wax model of the Queen from Madam Tussauds.
Curiously, clues in the form of Scrabble letters and the presence of a mysterious black cat occur at all the crime scenes.
For Ben, these clues remind him of someone he loved dearly — someone who was somewhat partial to cabbages.
Walliams has again collaborated with illustrator Tony Ross, whose creations are just as hilarious as the author’s descriptions.
His diagram of “How to Disguise Yourself as a Bin” is a standout, with instructions like “Give it a wipe”, “Give it another wipe” and “Give it one more wipe, just to be sure” exemplifying the type of humour found throughout the book.
Gangsta Granny Strikes Again is published by HarperCollins Children’s Books.
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