My wife gave me this book for Christmas last year; and at the time, I thought it wasn’t quite up to the standard which author Walter R. Books set in his decades-long series featuring the highly-accomplished pig.
But I’m re-reading it now and loving it–just loving it. I must have had a cold or something, the first time I read it.
Written for children, the Freddy books delight me even more as an adult. Oh, I’ve been a fan all my life. But Brooks loaded these books with subtle wit that makes them a treasury of laughter for us older folks.
In this outing, Freddy goes on a rocket to Mars. At least, that was what was supposed to happen. Amusing mix-ups ensue. Not take-a-prat-fall-on-a-banana-peel humor, but rather the kind that makes you smile and chuckle a bit on every page. Whether it’s the dead-pan expressions of spiders, ducks hoarding jewelry, or a cow coming into the house to play cards, or the desperate need to get rid of freeloading family members without hurting their feelings, the reader is in for a treat. I mean, this stuff is funny! And it’s still funny when you think of it again, hours later.
There are a couple of dozen Freddy books out there, and it’ll do you good to read them.
Our family read ‘Freddy Goes to Florida’ many years ago and loved it; I tried to read it again some time later and couldn’t get through it. I don’t know where it went. Maybe I’ll order one of the books someday and try again 🙂
Freddy Goes to Florida was the first book of the series, and it all got better as it went on. The book originally had another title, which I don’t remember off-hand, which was changed years later after Freddy become popular. It took Walter R. Brooks a couple of books to really find his groove.
Finding ones “groove,” does take time! Sometimes it never gets found; you found yours!
Thank you, Dorothy. It took me about 40 years to find it, though. Can’t afford to lose it now!