Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Claude on the Big Screen
Series
Peachtree Publishers, 2017 ISBN: 978-1682630099
One day, after he has done his chores, Claude the dog sets up his new trampoline in the garden. His friend, Sir Bobblysock, has no interest in getting on the trampoline, but Claude is happy to try it out. Up and up he bounces until he can see right over the garden fence. He sees Miss Highkick-Spin dancing in her studio, there is Mr. Lovelybuns the baker “sprucing up his baked goods, and there is a gorilla in a dressing gown drinking a cup of tea.
A gorilla? Claude stops bouncing and he goes to investigate. After all, Waggy Avenue is not the kind of place where one expects to find a posh looking gorilla. When he looks at the street Claude is astonished. The place is practically bristling with cameras, spotlights, and microphones. Someone is making a film in Claude’s neighborhood. Quite by accident Claude stumbles right in front of a camera while it is whirring away and the director is none too pleased. Thankfully, Claude didn’t interrupted a final take and soon he is being introduced to the leading man, the leading lady, and the Alan, the leading gorilla.
The leading lady, Gloria, then invites Claude and Sir Bobblysock to stay and watch so that they can see how a film is made. Happily the friends sit and watch as the actors do their thing, but when they take a break from filming Claude decides to snoop a little, which is when things go a little wrong. Claude trips over the clothesline of costumes that he happens to have on his person, and he falls into a box of wigs. Thankfully no harm is done and soon Claude is helping the actors get ready. Then, once again, Claude’s pesky clothesline gets loose from under his beret, and this time things go terribly wrong.
There is no doubt that Claude is one of the funniest chapter book characters out there. His stories are delightfully ridiculous, and readers never know what he is going to do next. One thing that you can be sure of is that Claude is going to have the time of his life, no matter what he does.
