Timmy the ticked-off pony : The great escape fartist by Magda Szubanski. Illus. by Dean Rankine
This is the 3rd book in a series, following Timmy the ticked-off pony and the poo of excitement and Timmy the ticked-off pony: Bite me!
A short recap of events so far is included, so it works as a stand-alone book for those who haven’t read books 1 and 2.
For ‘crimes against poomanity’ (that is, an epic poo and vomit explosion earlier in the series) Timmy has been sentenced to life in ‘The Pits’ deep below the Earth’s surface. He is horrified to learn he doesn’t have phone reception, let alone access to his manager, fans or any special treatment.
Timmy is selfish, vain, thoughtless, rude and obsessed with farts and poo. His greatest fear is becoming unfamous as he believes he is special and deserves adoration.
The story follows Timmy as he tries to escape from The Pits. For readers 7+ it’s highly illustrated and packed full of silliness. There are a LOT of poo and fart references, including pictures!
But there are serious themes too, mostly to do with Timmy’s loyal sidekick aptly named Ol’ Faithful. Timmy does not appreciate him, but Ol’ Faithful is a gentle and wonderful character. It’s Ol’ Faithful who says “It’s kinda nice to not be noticed. To just be able to live out your days quietly without seeking approval. To feel good about yourself without the rollercoaster of ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’”. He also talks about loving ‘nobodies’ as they need love the most, and makes Timmy think about whether it’s possible for someone to love him just for who he is, rather than what they could get from him.
In the end we are left with a cliff-hanger – to be continued in the next instalment. The hilarious Magda Szubanski has done a great job weaving together ridiculous and thought-provoking content, including appealing to kids and adults. And the two-colour illustrations by Melburnian Dean Rankine are an absolute highlight.
Themes: Humour, Fame, Friends, Ponies, Adventure.
Kylie Grant
