My Thoughts:
I recently added Pratchett’s Discworld series books, or one of them, to my TBR. While I have heard of the books and the author, I had not read any of his books before. So this is my first Pratchett read, and based on the introduction to this book, this collection includes his earliest works. He wrote these while he was still a teenager, working as a junior reporter with a newspaper. In this publication of those short stories, he had, in his own words, ‘tinkered just a little with few fine details’. And I have to say that I loved that tinkering as much as the short stories themselves!

humor pratchett

While ‘The 59A Bus Goes Back In Time’ goes all DeLorean in a ‘vintage bus from a moorish quaint English town’ way, ‘The Great Speck’ reminded me of ‘Horton Hears the Who’ but they all have an uniqueness all their own. I looooved the Carpet People tales included in this book, and for those of you who have already read Pratchett’s ‘The Carpet People’ book, these stories were the origin of the novel. So go ahead, I know you are curious, get the book for yourself, and enjoy the reads. This is for all those who have not heard of or read any of his books too! It is worth it.

The word play, and the play on the words using fonts and font sizes, is AWESOME, just wonderful, TOTally enJOYable! And Mark Beech’s accompanying illustrations are quirky with that right touch of whimsy and comical making it perfect for the stories. They reminded me of Quentin Blake’s style in Roald Dahl’s books.

dragons crumbling castle

Rating: 5/5 or an A (hovering on the A+)
Reading Level: 10 – 12 years (all ages in my opinion!)
Reread Level: 4.5/5 – just for the wordplay

Disclaimer:
Since the eARC (Advance Review Copy) of the books from NetGalley expired a while ago, I acquired a copy of the book to read it again and review it well. Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with the initial eARC of this book and introducing me to the same.

"This never-before-published collection of fourteen funny and inventive tales by acclaimed author Sir Terry Pratchett features a memorable cast of inept wizards, sensible heroes, and unusually adventuresome tortoises.

Including more than one hundred black-and-white illustrations, the appealingly designed book celebrates Pratchett’s inimitable wordplay and irreverent approach to the conventions of storytelling.

These accessible and mischievous tales are an ideal introduction for young readers to this beloved author. Established fans of Pratchett’s work will savor the playful presentation of the themes and ideas that inform his best-selling novels."

Anybody else feel they're trying to make Terry Pratchett Roald Dahl?