The Last Noo-Noo - Softcover

Jill Murphy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0744598354 ISBN 13: 9780744598353

Publisher: Walker Childrens Paperbacks, 2003

Synopsis

Winner of the 1995 Smarties Book prize (0-5 category), this picture book features Marlon, the monster, who loves his dummies, his "noo-noos". Marlon's granny says he's too old for a dummy, and all the other monsters tease him too. One day, Marlon's mum decides to take drastic action. She gathers up all the noo-noos she can find, and dumps them in the dustbin; but Marlon has secret supplies hidden all over the house, down the side of an armchair, at the back of the breadbin, in the toe of his wellington boot. Gradually his supply dwindles until Marlon has only one pink noo-noo left. Then he finds a blue one and plants it in the garden. The other monsters lie in wait for Marlon with a home-made noo-noo snatcher, and a fierce tug-of-war ensues. Neither side, it seems, is going to give way, when suddenly Marlon decides to let go, and all the other monsters fall backwards into the pond. "I've given up my noo-noo", Marlon tells his mum and granny, adding that he's planted one in the garden just in case he changes his mind. "Nonsense", says his granny. "Dummies don't grow on trees". The last picture in the book reveals she is quite wrong - for there is a flowering noo-noo tree! Jill Murphy has written and illustrated "The Worst Witch", "Geoffrey Strangeways", "Worlds Apart", "Five Minutes' Peace" (winner of the Best Books for Babies Award and shortlisted for the Children's Book Award}, "All in One Piece" (commended for the Kate Greenaway Medal), "A Piece of Cake" and "A Quiet Night In" (shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal).

About this title

About the Author

Jill Murphy is one of Britain's most treasured author-illustrators. She wrote and illustrated her first book, the bestselling The Worst Witch, while still only eighteen, and went on to create the award-winning Large family series, which has sold over five million copies worldwide and been adapted for television. Jill's other characters include a small monster called Marlon who starred in the acclaimed picture books The Last Noo-Noo and All For One. About The Last Noo-Noo, she says, "Planting noo-noos in the garden works wonders ... Trees take a long time to grow, and while children wait for their noo-noo trees, they tend to forget all about their noo-noos." Jill lives in Cornwall.

From Booklist

Ages 4^-6. Whether it's called a pacifier, a NUK, or a noo-noo, children have them, and they usually hate to give them up. Murphy, known for her funny animal takes on human family dynamics (Five Minutes Peace, A Quiet Night In), comes up with a solution to the familiar battle that possibly merits serious consideration. Granny monster thinks it's time for little Marlon to give up his noo-noo. Marlon's mom is less certain but eventually agrees. Marlon refuses to cooperate--until some bullying peers make him realize what he suspected for a while: the time is right. The solution he comes up with to soften the blow of losing his old "friend" is laugh-out-loud funny. As usual, Murphy's precise illustrations are decorated with myriad homey details and familiar objects, and the dialogue and situation are straight out of real life. Stephanie Zvirin

About this edition

• Publisher: Walker Childrens Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0744598354
• ISBN 13: 9780744598353
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 32