Robodog: The incredibly funny new illustrated children’s book for 2023, from the multi-million bestselling author of SPACEBOY

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An alien on earth is news and the Spaceboy even makes it to The White House to meet a rotund President with an orange face who may or may not seem familiar to many readers. In the end the book is all about what makes news in power hungry nations and how children need loving families to help them realise their dreams. Walliams also points out that women and girls definitely have a role to play in the space race – something that was undreamt of in the ‘60’s. Adding to David Walliams’ wonderful story were captivating illustrations by Adam Stower. Not only did Adam Stower’s illustrations perfectly complimented the story they helped to elevate this book to a whole new level. It's not about the length of time it takes a child to finish a book, it's about consistency, and if a child reads frequently, daily, for about 10 minutes, that's all the difference it makes between developing reasoning skills, confidence, a great vocab and the hunger to learn more, to know more. The villains are properly villainous, a president is really familiar (but I can't quite put my finger on it - smirk) and a stereotypical military Major can hardly stand up with the weight of his medals and his strong chin.

Mom, I am finished. What a different take on space, and I learnt a couple of new words, you know!" DEFIANT was one of them, hopefully it will not be tested any time soon👀 I was glad to see the historical context of the book, a bit of history there for readers, and Walliams actually reins in some of the usual silliness with no Raj or disgusting lunch menus. At times I felt like I was reading Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, but Walliams definitely has his own signature on his work and Dahl, while clearly a strong influence, is not channelled. Writing about unique and empowering characters such as Dennis - a 12 year old football fan who wears a dress to school – and Mr Stink – a homeless man who is befriended by 12 year old Chloe - David has captured our kids’ imaginations in entirely new ways. Creating tender moments alongside laugh-out-loud comedy, David has allowed younger readers to explore completely original stories and meet characters unusual to children’s fiction.

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The characters from The World of Walliams have escaped their books and are running riot across games and puzzles. Board games, card games, jigsaw puzzles and more have been invaded by the likes of Mr Stink and Gangsta Granny. Can you help Grandpa escape the clutches of the evil Miss Swine? Perfect for getting every Walliams fan in the house together for games night! Ruth's terrible life is never to be the same as she struggles to hide the alien from her aunt, the sheriff, the FBI, the CIA, the scientific boffins and even the President of America. Thrown into a bouncing, flying, racing, falling, but fabulously fun adventure, Ruth does everything she can to keep her first real friend (besides Yuri) safe. The night sky is the only pleasure Ruth gets since she was left as an orphan on her evil aunt's steps. Aunt Dorothy makes Ruth work from dawn till dusk on her failing Ostrich farm, and also makes her share the minimal food she does get with her only friend - her dog Yuri. One night she spots a flying saucer blazing across the sky… before crash-landing in a field. When the spaceship opens and reveals a mysterious alien, all of Ruth’s dreams come true. Cally Poplak, executive publisher, said: “Hot off the heels of securing the bestselling children’s book of 2022 we couldn’t be more excited to publish David Walliams’ next adventure. David’s books bring joy and laughter to children and parents around the globe."

I had to look up other books by David Wallace, and next on our bookshelves is GANGSTA GRANNY and CODE NAME BANANAS. Space Boy is a non-stop fun-fest, with tons and tons of action, a courageous heroine, a funny furry friend at her side, and an alien with a very, very big secret. Spaceboy is written on a snippet of history that changed our world and allowed us to dream of bigger things. It introduces us to a daredevil girl who is a science nerd and not afraid to stand up for herself or her friends. David Walliams brings his signature writing style and pushes Ruth to break stereotypes. He also jabs a punch of humour on the state of society, government and politics which makes you double over with laughter.Lots of fun, it has a bit of a bonkers ending, but for goodness sake - it's a piece of fiction. I hope this gets children excited about space. to go up into space, and Ruth even named her three legged dog after him. It's the 1960's and space is a hot topic as the USA tries to copy their Russian rivals in the space race.