Grandpa’s Great Escape: A book by David Walliams

So what did I think? Having read all of David Walliams' books for children, my expectations were high, especially as I'd bought it as a birthday gift for my eight year old son. Once we finally laid hands on our copy, I was struck by the satisfying weightiness of the hardback. Tony Ross' cover promises a rip-roaring adventure with Jack and his Grandpa gleefully flying through blue skies in a Spitfire, and the embossed, metallic title gives a lovely tactile feel. As with the other books there is an immediate joke on the front cover: SPITFIRE INCLUDED *Parachute not. To David Walliams fans these things are a big deal! An initial flick through reveals a generous portion of Tony Ross' illustrations-the perfect match for David's writing. As in the other stories, we are introduced to the cast of villains and heroes with Tony's portraits, which set your mind ticking, trying to guess what the story is all about. We also get a map and a prologue. As soon as the story starts we understand the special bond between Jack and his grandfather, and how Jack is the only one who can properly relate to the old man who is becoming more confused by the day. As this very British story progresses, we learn just how deep the bond between the two is. Jack shows us that Grandpa is still there behind the confusion, and we root for the pair of them when the vile Miss Verity attempts to humiliate them, or when Miss Swine tries to keep Grandpa locked up in Twilight Towers. The relationship between the two is very well developed and poignant, and reminds me of Michael Morpurgo's style. There's a tenderness that transcends the whole story, which makes it incredibly moving, especially at the end. Admittedly, with the story being set in 1983 it particularly resonates with me as I used to love my grandparents telling me all about their experiences of the second world war. But my eight year old seemed very interested in the historical side too, and he enjoyed asking questions about his great grandparents as we read the story. For me I think this is David's best written book yet, particularly with regard to the portrayal of Jack and his beloved grandfather. It's not as silly as some of the others, but there are plenty of funny moments and lots of adventuring capers. And Raj is in it!!! I'd definitely recommend this book to readers aged 8 to 12 to read independently or with parents, and I can see a sudden surge in trips to the Imperial War Museum! I'm wondering whether this will be a film or a BBC drama now...

I bought this book as at work(school) we were learning about WW2. I thought I'd order it to see what it was like. WOW what a great book. It is informative and very funny, I was getting funny looks from my husband as I was chuckling away. The characters were easy to understand, and the love between a Granddad and is grandson was endearing . Also how it affects the family when one member suffers with dementia. Which was sympathetically written for the audience. I loved all the havoc they created and the shop keeper was a hoot. The ending did shock me at first but in the end it played out better than I thought it was going too. Have recommended this to the class teacher to read too, with hopefully he will read this to the class. Love the added information about WW2 at the back of the book. What a brilliant read, I am now going to read other stories David Walliams has written. I loved this story and definitely recommend anyone to read.

Initially I had bought a few of the David Walliams books for my son as was recommended in the school read list. The David Williams books are exciting and engaging and never fails to impress with the brilliant content and illustrations. Subsequently, have bought most of the DW books for the kids and see them reading the books repeatedly, which has been a good diversion from being hooked onto gadgets. The books are certainly a good deal when bought at Amazon, good Vali for money and prompt delivery.

David Walliams’s series of children’s books keep growing and what I like about them is the focus on familial relationships in the midst of the madcap adventures and irreverent humour. The ones about grandparents are especially moving, and this one is in the vein of “Gangsta Granny”. A tad more serious and sobering than that story, we have 12-year-old Jack, grappling with his beloved grandpa’s developing dementia. A World War 2 fly ace with the RAF, Grandpa gets increasingly entrenched in the past, believing the war is still going on, and Jack plays along, to help him cope. Together they get into many (mis)adventures, and Jack fights against all obstacles to try to stop his Grandpa from being sent to an old folks’ home. While the plot may seem a trifle riotous and at times unbelievable, Jack’s love for his Grandpa shines through, and that relationship is central to the entire book. Characterisation is consistent and one of Walliams’s strong points as a writer is how he makes even the minor characters memorable, and you can imagine them being central characters of a spin-off story. A case in point is Raj, the gregarious corner store owner, who has appeared in all of the series so far, and wondrously funny.

Well I enjoyed it more than my child! Extremely entertaining and funny in places. I get annoyed when Walliams is compared to Roald Dahl (yet to read anything anywhere near as good as The BFG) but he’s still a brilliant writer. I actually cried at the end. It was a perfect read in my opinion: extremely entertaining and sentimental. Plus not cobbled together from lots of other stories like Harry Potter.

My son loves David Walliams books. This didn’t disappoint

I have ever single one of David Walliams books and every times he realeases a new book they seem to just get better and better. This book is a very emotinal book and a lovely story. I think that this book is the perfect length for a 9+ reader. But they are not to hard. There is a mixture of emotions throughout this book the was saddness anxiety anger happines fear. It has a lovely ending and I dont think that david walliams could hasve done any better!!!!!

Delivery was excellent - received it from Amazon on the day of launch. So pleased it came on a Thursday as I was able to have a read myself. I loved it. Now it's been passed on to its rightful recipient - my first year juniors granddaughter. She is loving it; but she is a David Walliams fan. She keeps sharing her favourite bits with me so I am so pleased I had the book all to myself for three days! We are both looking forwards to the next book.

Lo compré de segunda mano, y venía perfecto.

Es una más de las divertidas historias de David Walliams que tiene fascinado a mi hijo de 9 años. Adquirimos la versión en pasta dura pero creo que la de pasta blanda funciona igual pues la pasta dura no aporta ningún valor agregado ya que no es impresa, al menos no en la que adquirimos. La calidad del papel es buena y las ilustraciones también.

A mio figlio di 8 anni è piaciuto molto: dopo averne letti altri in italiano dello stesso autore ha provato questo in inglese...

David Walliams has done it again!! This is an adventurous funny book and like all his others you get stuck into it very quickly! It is a great book for children (7-9 years old) but even older children like me will really enjoy it as Well! I really liked the book and certainly recomend it to anyone who likes a good laugh!!!

Bought this as a book to share with my boys. It is a fun adventure book full of clever illustrations.