Like many of Gleitzman’s tales, Childish is a collision of inane and razor-sharp intellect, resulting in an invitation to think deeper and go further.
Arkie and Dot are phenomenal kid heroes. Arkie is from the bush. Dot is city minded and part of her family’s dumpling dynasty located within the city burbs.
With
things going sour in the bush, Arkie is jettisoned to live with Nan in the city
until his parents can sell the family farm and join him.
Armed
with typical Aussie bush stoicism, Arkie’s straightforward integrity matches
Dot’s can-do, uncompromising disposition and grit beautifully. This is a merry
match despite its infancy and one that is a delight to follow as the friends try
their best shake local council and the utility companies into action.
For action is sorely needed. Following a shocking accident that renders Dot to rely on crutches and the superlative healing power of dumplings, Arkie embarks on a mission to get the gaping pot holes fixed in the surrounding infrastructure. Inciting adults to effect responsible road repair is no easy feat, made all the more challenging when his efforts are repeatedly dismissed as ‘childish’.
With
pluck, determination and the sort of crazy blind fortitude that accompanies the
very young and the very tenacious, Arkie and Dot cling feverishly to their
goal; to make a difference despite imminent separation.
It’s
a love story of less epic proportions than the Titanic but just as moving. Love
in the sense that these two never give up or abandon their friendship
connection and shared righteous dreams.
Few
others can weave a tale so full of laugh-out-loud wit sandwiched between
distress and frustration as deliciously and as efficiently as Gleitzman. Childish
is a pure joy to experience and one I highly recommend readers of 9+ get
their hands on quick smart. Because being childish is way more useful and fun
than the alternative …
Title: Childish
Author: Morris Gleitzman
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia, $16.99
Publication Date: 2 September 2025
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781761343759
For ages: 8 – 13
Type: Middle Grade Fiction
