I Just Read About That…

SOUNDTRACK:  DUSTIN THE TURKEY-“Irelande Douze Pointe” (2008).

In 2008, Ireland nominated this song to the Eurovision contest.  Dustin, for those not in Europe, is a turkey puppet from a kids show (with a number of hit singles, apparently).

The title is a misspelling of the French for Ireland and Douze Pointe translates as 12 Points (because 12 is the highest result you can get in the contest).  The song begins as a wobbly sorta traditional-sounding Irish ballad about how he comes from a nation of great songwriters (Ireland has won Eurovision 7 times, although interestingly had not been doing so well in the years leading up to 2008).

Then it turns into a more suitably Eurovision song–a rollicking high energy dance, with flashing lights, sparkly costumes and a chorus that goes G-O-double B-L-E.

The reaction is pretty funny with lots of boos in the audience.  Shockingly, it did not come last that year, although it failed to make it into the finals.

Check it out in all of its absurd glory:

[READ: February 3, 2013] Rover Saves Christmas

The Giggler Treatment proved to be Part One of a trilogy (Doyle really has a thing for trilogies).  Rover Saves Christmas is the second in the series.  It doesn’t really follow as a part two or anything although the characters are all the same.

The title pretty much gives away the action here.  Rover, the dog from Giggler who sells his poo, is called upon by a Christmas elf to help save Christmas because Rudolph is under the weather (he’s taking his day off on the one day of the year when he works).  And so, they strap Rover into the sleigh and off they go.

And really that’s pretty much all of the book.  But the humor (and there’s a lot of humor) comes in the details.

Like that the book opens with a description of Dublin at Christmastime: “the lizards were wearing flip-flops and the cacti that line the streets of the city were gasping.”  Irish kids will find this hilarious.  American kids may not know that that’s not what Dublin is like, but that’s their own fault.  There’s also the funny repeated joke of the two toddlers knowing how to say only one thing “Who are you?” and “bum bum,” but those who know them well know what they mean each time they say it.  Which leads to very funny results.  And also leads the reader to be confused until he or she remembers that the baby saying “Who are you” means something else.

Doyle also has fun with the chapter names as well.  Like: “The Return of Chapter Four” and “Chapter Six-The Teenage Years” which I found very funny but wondered if younger kids would get it.  But I think we can all laugh at commercial interruptions that occur about half way through the book: A series of toothpaste manufacturers keep interrupting the book to tell us how much we need their product.

The end of the book shows exactly how Rover and the kids manage to help Santa and not get caught by their parents.  The story also has several endings so you can choose the one you like best.  And, just like in Giggler, there is a very helpful glossary which is every bit as funny as the rest of the book.

This is a good Christmastime book, although it does question the “reality” of Santa a little bit.  I imagine those who firmly believe will not have their faith shaken, but you’d want to make sure they still firmly believe before reading this one.

I’m looking forward to t he final art of the trilogy.  Who knew Doyle was so silly!