What’s the best ice cream flavour?

The Shop of Impossible Ice Creams: Perilous Pineapple Plot

Author: Shane Hegarty @shanehegarty

Illustrated by: Jeff Crowther @jeffcrowther

Published by: Hodder Children’s Book @HodderFiction @Hachette Kids

Published on: 8th June 2023

Price: £6.99

First line: Limpet had a big, bushy beard and it was very, very itchy.

Genre: comedy, adventure

Age: 8+

ISBN: 978 1 444 96254 3

What’s it all about? This is the 3rd book in the series of The Shop of Impossible Ice Creams by Shane Hegarty and it follows along in laughter size and ice cream flavour randomness (prickly catcus, almond and anchovy). Limpet and his gang (his little sister, Eve (and Sparkles the doll); Amelia; and Norman (and Curtis the chicken) are trying again to defend Limpet and Eve’s mum’s ice cream shop in the seaside town of Splottpool. This time, their mortal enemy is an extension of Mr Fluffy’s family and their ‘healthy’ smoothies. Along with help from Mrs Cricket; roundabout fairies; and water guns, the gang try to save the town and the Splottpoolapalooza.

Why should I read it? This is an exciting, easy-to-read, rambling and inventive tale that takes the reader through some crazy situations, with some crazy, larger-than-life loveable characters and then throws in a few more curve balls to entertain you even more! Even if you haven’t read the first two books, this is a standalone story and you get to know the characters really quickly. I read the first book in this series to my Year 3 class last year and they really loved it! It could easily be used in class, with discussions about the key themes of friendship, jealousy, teamwork, responsibility and dealing with worries, big and small. I really like the idea that at the end of Chapter 6, you, the reader are given the opportunity to write down 5 of your own ideas for the story of the Worst Things That Could Happen While Looking After Mrs Cricket’s Magic Garden. I would like to hear more from Mrs Cricket in another story as she is such a funny character and only briefly drops into this story at the beginning and end.

Have you read any of this series or any other books by this author or illustrator?

Thanks to Toppsta @toppsta for the review copy.