"The delightful tale of a finickety, pernickety, time-travelling umbrella"
June 2025 Book of the Month
Only Sally Gardner could have conjured up Pernickety Boo, a wonderfully innocent, more than slightly magical talking umbrella with the ability to time travel, and a penchant for eating gloves; and aren’t we lucky she has!
Left behind on an underground train by his absent-minded owner, a sorcerer who has equally absent-mindedly brought him to life, Pernickety is sent from the Lost Property Office to a jumble sale where he is found by exactly the right person, a little girl named Sylvie Moonshine, someone who holds onto him, even when he’s soggy.
His adventures with Sylvie, and separately with her cat Jimjam, are full of charm, whether they are time-travelling or taking on nasty scoop-chasing journalist Ada Moore and Pernickety’s idiosyncratic understanding of the world brings a special degree of humour and unpredictability to every situation. Chris Mould’s illustrations are equal to the sparkling originality of the story, and this is a delight.
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Written by Carnegie and Costa Award-winning author Sally Gardner, beautifully illustrated throughout with stunning illustrations from Greenaway-shortlisted artist Chris Mould, and filled with heart, humour and imagination, Pernickety Boo is the unforgettable, magical story of a very unusual umbrella.
'Hello,' said the umbrella.
'Gosh,' said the boy. The umbrella's handle was carved in the shape of a dog's head, with a very long snout and a shiny nose and ears that flopped back. 'You can talk.'
'I suppose I can,' said the umbrella.
'Do you have a name?' asked the boy.
'No,' said the umbrella. 'Do I need a name?'
'Yes,' said the small boy. 'You need one for someone to let you in at the front door, and another name to be let out the back door.'
Brought to life by a careless sorcerer, Pernickety Boo is a well-educated umbrella with unexplored magical powers - and after he is left behind on the London Underground by his forgetful creator, Pernickety must find an owner: someone who will truly love him.
So when Pernickety meets young Sylvie Moonshine and is welcomed into her home, he thinks that all of his prayers have been answered. But there are plenty of other people who are also interested in the magical umbrella, and who threaten to separate Pernickety from his beloved Sylvie, unless he can find a way to stop them.
Perfect for fans of A Bear Called Paddington, The Velveteen Rabbit, and Winnie-the-Pooh, this instant classic is a book for the whole family to share.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Pernickety Boo and determined it is suitable for children aged 7-8 years old
Pernickety Boo features in the following genres: Featured Books for 7+ readers, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Star Books, Fantasy / Magical, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational
Pernickety Boo is available in Paperback, Hardback
Pernickety Boo was written by Sally Gardner and published by HarperCollins Children's Books an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Pernickety Boo has 203 pages
Yes it is part of Pernickety Boo series
£7.19
