BOOK REVIEW: The Life And Times Of His Lord And Ladyship

TITLE: The Life And Times Of His Lord And Ladyship
AUTHOR: Paul Birch
PUBLISHED BY: Olympia Publishing

This unusual quirky story about a boy who wouldn’t eat anything but chips had me laughing out loud; it is such a witty book, it will keep youngsters and adults amused and chuckling until the final pages. I loved it for its originality and very rare accomplishment of giving me a good old belly laugh at the antics of the unconventional characters in the story.

Timothy is the teenage son of VIP’s His Lord and Ladyship; he is a good boy except when it comes to mealtimes, he will only eat potato chips. Surprisingly, one day, after his mother warns him that he will turn into a chip, he does!

Remarkably, mum and dad feel so sorry for him that they buy an enormous potato which was the winner of the biggest potato competition at the local fete and they gorge themselves on it until they too, turn into chips.  

Timothy’s parents become different VIP’s - Very Important Potatoes since transforming into chips! Dad, once known as His Lordship and mum, Her Ladyship, are now His Lordchip and Her Ladychip; Timothy being young and not very tall, is re-christened Small Fry!  

Afraid of what the neighbours might think about them turning into chips, they decide to re-locate to Corfe Castle in Dorset. Once there they discover a miniature version of the castle housed in a full-scale reconstruction of the village, just the right size for three chips to live in. They fit out their new home with beautiful new furniture, Chippendale of course!

The book is full of mad-cap adventures and tells the tale of the family’s encounters with a strange-looking monk, Friar Chip, who only eats monkfish (of course!), Berni the dinosaur, ghosts, pirates and aliens plus a voyage into space.

It is a unique story which is equally witty, entertaining and educational, being filled with general knowledge facts and interesting details about Dorset and Corfe Castle which adults will find a joy to read to their children, whilst enjoying it themselves.

It is a page-turner with a difference and I found myself wanting to know more about the chip family and their exploits. It is certainly an adventure book with originality, ideal for pre-teens.

It is a fun read with quirkiness and surprises which readers will appreciate and want more of. I hope there are more extraordinary adventures of Lordchip, Ladychip and Small Fry to come.

Illustrated by Abby Salter.

Reviewer - Anne Pritchard