There’s A Beast In The Basement by Pamela Butchart and illustrated by Thomas FlinthamPublished by Nosy Crow
PAMELA Butchart’s imaginative and bright storytelling alongside the illustrations of Thomas Flintham is back with a new, engaging tale for seven- to nine-year-olds.
Though this is one in a series of Izzy and her friends on their misadventures, it can be read on its own.
Together, this creative children’s author and illustrator duo have won the Blue Peter best story award for The Spy Who Loved School Dinners and reading There’s A Beast In The Basement, it becomes clear why.
We are introduced to a curious and witty group of friends who each come to have their own unique personalities and skills which shine through, with Izzy at the centre of it all.
When their headteacher starts to act strangely, it seems natural this group will be the ones to pick up on it and investigate. Mr Graves has been searching classroom cupboards, crying at assembly and even crawling on the floors like an animal.
It’s when Gary Petrie, frequent nemesis of the group’s dad appears at the school to do mysterious work in a secret basement that the story begins to unfold.
The gang are forced to team up with Gary to gain information about what may be in this basement, which Mr Graves seems to not to want anyone to know.
This unlikely partnership leads to them getting to know the secret beneath their school – as well as each other.
With the impression Mr Graves is looking for lost treasure stuck behind the boiler, they send Gary’s adventurous cat into the dark and ominous basement with a camera cleverly attached to her head – only to discover shining eyes instead of treasure.
In fear for the safety of their school and Mr Graves, they decide it’s up to them to investigate further and eliminate this beast once and for all.
Throughout this journey, the group is given clues as to what Mr Graves is looking for, and eventually, what is truly there is uncovered.
The story is exciting enough to hold the attention of young readers but it also opens readers to valuable lessons and themes.
The character of Gary, despite having been a source of annoyance to the group in the past, works hard to be helpful and kind, using his skills and sense of humour to both brighten and progress their mission.
Along the way, Izzy and her friends learn that initial impressions are not always indicative of who a person is, and that friendship can be found in the unlikeliest places.
This thread, running through every part of their alliance, is a deeply valuable and heartwarming one. Alongside the values of the content is the technique of some of the most important words placed in bold or with eye-catching illustrations around them which helps readers to understand the emphasis the same way they would hear in conversation.
