The Giggler Treatment

I love this book. My eight year old daughter read this to me in one four hour setting - and we were rolling with laughter. This was the best mother daughter day ever!

Kids--this if a very short, humorous, and fun-to-read book about little creatures called Gigglers that get revenge on mean grown-ups by making the grown-ups step on poo. The noble dog Rover tries to keep his master from stepping on poo that the Gigglers have put in the master's path by mistake.There are a lot of good reasons to read this book:1) Poo is funny, and Rover is a funny dog. He even knows how to send e-mail.2) Poo is especially funny to YOU because your mom doesn't think it's that funny (unless she's like me).3) Even though the book is a chapter book, the chapters are extremely short and the story moves very quickly.4) The chapters have funny titles. One is named after the author's refrigerator!My own refrigerator is named Elvis (as of now). Enjoy!

With the wit and gleaming spirit one reputedly hears only in Irish pubs, Roddy Doyle (author of the Booker Prize winning Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha") has written the quintessential pub tale for kids. The book treads new ground in the annals of scatological literature. The Gigglers are resourceful little creatures who administer "dog poo" punishment to adults who are mean or unfair to kids. This time, however, the Gigglers make a mistake, and a variety of human and non-human characters attempt to rescue Mr. Mack from making an excremental next step. This book (much like the "Harry Potter" books) breaks many of the rules that often result in stiff, safe kids' fare. First, Doyle never talks down to his young audience, he takes them into his confidence like an old friend, and spins wild adventures and non sequiturs without condescension or apology. The book's sophistication is cinematic: Doyle cuts back and forth between the foot approaching the poo, the circumstances leading to this messy scene, and the history of the Gigglers. In addition, he tells the story from different points of view: As omnipresent narrator, as talking dog ( you didn't know dogs could talk and earn money from Gigglers for their "poo?") as the kids, even as the reader. He also plays with the usually staid format of children's books, for example, creatively numbering or non numbering the chapters ("This Chapter Is Named After My Mother Because She Said I Could Stay Up Late If I Named it After Her: Chapter Mammy Doyle") and providing an American-English/Irish glossary. Although dazzling in its execution, Doyle's playful spirit never obscures the general requisites of a clear (though slightly askew) story line or plausible motivation.In short, this is a hilarious book, one of my 7-year old's favorites (he even loaned it to his second/third grade teacher to read in school). The text is matched perfectly by the glorious black and white shadings of illustrator Brain Ajhar. The book is for adults and kids who enjoy their humor both intelligent and silly, and probably not for the traditionalist. It's simply one of the best of its kind. Very highly recommended!

On the recommendation of my friendly bookseller I bought this book, and I am so glad I did! I read it today, and it made me laugh as I read every page! The illustrations also are wonderful, I am considering buying a copy to frame the cover! This book is wonderful, lots of fun and laughs. I can't wait to give my nephew a copy for his birthday, but it won't be my own copy! Also I am calling my best friend in California and ordering her to get a copy tomorrow. Get this book - even if there are no kids in your life! I will now look into reading Roddy Doyle's adult novels! READ THIS!