Chicken Hill: Attack of the Zombie Cactus
Chicken Hill: Attack of the Zombie Cactus is a hilarious collection of three stories set in the eponymous small town, where every day seems to have something weird and new going on. With Blake’s vivid illustrations and plenty of delightfully wacky characters, readers will delight in the strange happenings and goings-on, and cheer when clever plans and teamwork win the day. Whether it’s defeating giant frogs or celebrating El Día De Los Muertos, the full-page spreads will get readers interested in exploring each short story.
The jokes feel modern and fresh, with the characters meeting a perfect balance between the fantastical and the real-life quirkiness of people that will be all too familiar to readers. There’s plenty of gross-out humour that will have even the most reluctant reader chuckling, but the story stays kind to everyone – the book isn’t concerned with showing ways to fix the strangeness of its locale but celebrating that strangeness instead.
In terms of artwork, the book is consistently vivid and fully detailed; each page can be poured over to find plenty of little hidden jokes, incidental characters, and details that will engross the slower reader. But for readers more concerned with plot, the action is rip-roaring and never lets up. And while the focus is always on the fun, there’s some lovely attention to detail when it comes to exploring the world of Chicken Hill.
Perfect for independent readers but could also be enjoyed as a read-along for younger readers.
