A joyful story where every reader will feel like a valued member of the happy, vibrant community.
Welcome to Egremont, the gurning capital of the world. For one tender-hearted boy and his ailing pup Rusty, Egremont’s gurning contest will change everything. But what is gurning, and why does it matter to the animals of Whispering Woods? Poor Rusty needs a vet, but the boy has no money for the bill and his pleas for help fall on deaf ears with family members. But not with Benny the Bunny and his kindhearted animal friends. Benny begins a campaign among the talented animals to raise money for the boy and his pup. Despite their best effort selling acorns and juggling tiny pebbles, they fail to fund Rusty’s treatment. But these clever animals haven’t tried everything yet. Ollie the Owl suggests something unusual. “Have any of you heard of gurning?” Intrigued, the animals plan for their own Whispering Woods gurning contest. They join in the tradition of over 700 years of silly face-making to earn enough money for poor little Rusty. Everyone puts on their best silly face hoping to impress the judges, but no one is more determined to win than Rocky Raccoon. His gurn is impressive, but Rocky has a problem when he glitches and can’t unfreeze his face. A solution is found, but not before the animal friends enjoy plenty of laughs and raise enough money to help Rusty the Puppy.
The Great Gurning Glitch is a larger-than-life story with a warmer-than-hot-cocoa message. A wacky addition to the Benny’s Brave Adventures series, this book will grab young readers’ attention with its hyperrealistic artwork, and will maintain it with a simple yet well-developed plot. The animals are charming, the little boy is sweet, and the contorted faces will encourage children to participate, bringing the adventure to life. For newly independent readers and young learners increasing their vocabulary, the story is divided into a few manageable sections that accommodate many reading levels. A few minor errors in prose are easily overlooked as the focus will be on the vivid images, silly scenes, and laugh-out-loud facemaking. Children will take away valuable lessons in teamwork, loyalty, and persistence, and they’re sure to have a little fun along the way! A whirlwind of color and motion, The Great Gurning Glitch is a joyful story where every reader will feel like a valued member of the happy, vibrant community.
