Review

Podcast double- #DownTheRabbitHole & #WordMonkeys

| Peter Bunzl

 This week I appeared on two podcasts: the Down the Rabbit Hole Radio Show and the WordMonkeys Podcast 

 

Down the Rabbit Hole Radio Show

Here’s me chatting to Polly Ho-Yen, and Katherine Woodfine and Mellissa Cox about three new books, each with a connection to poetry and spoken word: You Can Do Anything: Hip and Hop written by Akala, illustrated by Sav Akyuz Overheard in a Tower Block written by Joseph Coelho, illustrated by Kate Milner and Indigo Donut by Patrice Lawrence…

WordMonkeys Podcast 

Here’s me chatting to Matt Brown over on his WordMonkeys Podcast this week — discussing writing Cogheart, Postman Pat, Children’s TV shows, and how I get mistaken for another 72YO Peter Bunzl — and if you like that, there are lots of previous episodes featuring Matt’s writer chats with the likes of Piers Torday, Holly Bourne, Robin Stephens, SF Said etc.

Cogheart in The Guardian September Children’s Book Roundup

| Peter Bunzl
The Guardian September Childrens Roundup

Last Saturday Cogheart featured in The Guardian’s September Children’s book roundup of the best new picture books and novels, along with some other stonkingly good sounding books.

You can read the entire article here…

But here’s what they had to say about the book:

“For readers of eight and above Peter Bunzl’s adventurous debut Cogheart(Usborne) is a steampunky tale of ambition, pursuit and revenge, featuring dirigibles, mechanimals and automated servants in a Victorian setting. When Lily’s father’s airship crashes, she leaves her stuffy boarding school and teams up with Robert, the son of a watchmaker, to search for him. But Malkin the mechanical fox has a message for her; she must be careful who she trusts …”

Fabulous Cogheart Review by Stephen Palmer

| Peter Bunzl

cropped-stevenewauthor

Really great review of Cogheart by Stephen Palmer, on his Science fiction blog, here’s a fabulous quote from the review, you  can read it all here…

This is a really good debut novel. The plot rarely lets up once it’s got going, and the steampunk tropes are light and well used. It’s aimed at readers around 9 to 12, but this shouldn’t stop you reading it if you like a page-turner.

 

Fab Cogheart review on Books-a-Go-Go blog

| Peter Bunzl

Check out this fab Cogheart review by Becca Judge on her children’s book blog Books-a-Go-Go.

Here’s a lovely quote from her about Cogheart….

…an ingenious and fresh take on adventuring in Victorian England. Readers should get ready for danger and imminent peril in a world of automatons and airships. Think Christmas Day Doctor Who special, only much, much better, as Bunzl’s beautiful writing is as soulful as it is thrilling.cogheart-done

Cogheart reviewed on Booklover Jo’s blog

| Peter Bunzl
jos-header-high-res
Check out this fantastic review of #Cogheart from Booklover Jo over on her blog….
This is my favourite bit!!
This compelling story will hold you tightly in its grasp until you turn over to the very last page and you can finally breathe again. It manages to feel contemporary and vibrant whilst capturing perfectly the Victorian spirt of invention and discovery with the possibility that anything can be achieved and that you are only limited by your imagination… An extraordinary story, exceptionally written it truly is a future classic which will be enjoyed by children and adults alike.
Jo has been an amazing supporter of the book over the last couple of months. Shs not only a book blogger but also a fabulous librarian, and it was so great getting to meet her and her Chatterbooks group at the end of the summer term, and chat with them all about the book.
With Jo Clarke's ChatterBooks Group
With Jo Clarke’s and her ChatterBooks Group

 

Cogheart reviewed in New Statesman

| Peter Bunzl

Cogheart has been given an excellent review in the New Statesman this week by Amanda Craig in her article on the best new children’s books for summer. You can see the Cogheart review below or read her whole article online here… There’s a lot of great sounding summer reads!

Cogheart in New Statesman

 

What if Earth were full of clockwork creatures instead of monsters? Cogheart by Peter Bunzl (Usborne, £6.99) goes beyond steam-punk to imagine a world as weirdly inventive as Philip Pullman’s Clockwork and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. Lily’s father has disappeared in an airship, and his talking clockwork fox, Malkin, becomes her first ally in a race against evil, silver-eyed kidnappers. Although it overdoes the “steam and steel” idea, this one is marvellous fun for nine-plus readers.