Cover illustration by Sarah McIntyre

Fidge is due to go on the best family holiday, if only she can get Mum and little sister, Minnie, organised in time. But, as ever, their shopping trip doesn’t go to plan. Mum and Minnie seem to be buying anything that isn’t on Fidge’s list, taking so long that the shops close before her things can be bought. When Minnie drops Wed Wabbit, Fidge takes her anger out on the smug looking, stuffed rabbit with devastating consequences.

Stuck with her Aunty, Uncle and exceptionally irritating cousin, Graham, Fidge’s anger resurfaces when given a bag containing Minnie’s toys and listening to Graham’s imagined problems, and once again Web Wabbit is the target for her wrath, along with Graham’s transitional toy.

With a storm closing in, news comes from the hospital that calms Fidge, but it’s too little, too late, and as the lightening strikes, and Fidge finds herself trapped, all alone, in a world she’s read about 48million times. But something is very wrong. There’s a tyrant ruling, who Fidge must defeat if she is ever to find her way home to Minnie, and reunite her with her favourite teddy

Outrageously funny, Wed Wabbit is a feast for the imagination. A brilliant adventure, that will have you laughing out loud, gasping in shock, and desperate to read on, in a wonderfully crafted fantasy world that is reminiscent of any preschool tv show setting, whether it’s Toy Town, Tellytubbies or In The Night Garden. And it has a map!

Fidge and Graham are wonderful characters, each vulnerable in their own way, each as isolated from their family by the protective walls they have built for themselves, and each resilient, brave and supportive as they grow through their adventures. The cast of toys are brought hilariously to life – Ellie is kind, caring and supportive as she aides Fidge, while Dr Carrot is calm and firm as she facilitates Graham’s journey through the Land Of The Wimbly Woos. The Wimblies themselves are just brilliant – each colour with their own unique personalities and talents, that shine through their spoken verse and actions.

Beneath the humour, and amidst the action and adventure, it’s a story of grief and anxiety, and the isolation they can bring. The need to face our fears, with friends and family at our side, rather than shutting them out or hiding from the world.

This is one of the best read aloud chapter books I’ve come across for Key Stage 2. My Listen In The Library sessions have never been so full! So, teachers, grab yourself a copy, unleash your best character voices and give your classes an absolute treat.

Great for reading aloud, not so great for reading on a train if you aren’t prepared to have other travellers giving you strange glances for laughing out loud and gasping at regular intervals. If you loved Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, you have to read Wed Wabbit.