I was always a big fan of the Lamonic Bibber/Mr Gum books, and eagerly read every one, even though I was definitely outside the target audience. In the extended wait for another full book, we had several years of deathly silence. Only for this to come along – a selection of the weirdest, funniest, broadly-styled short stories any young reader could wish for. So you have a caveman love saga, a Shakespearean play, a drama about how Lamonic Bibber was never in danger of a great fire, reports of miraculous mediaeval types, and so much more, before the world catches up with its destiny and invents the talking grape. I don't like the patently absurd and the silly for the sake of it, but I've always been right on the wavelength of this author, and his stupidly wonderful imagination is definitely one to engage with. With the variety and scope of this collection, there is no reason not to do so here. Meringue or no meringue, this is hilarious stuff.

Fans of Mr Gumm won't be disappointed by this tour through the history of Lamonic Bibber from earliest times to the distant future. There's a masterful blend of silliness, linguistic virtuosity and accomplished storytelling - some of the stories of the supernatural sent a chill down my neck.
This is one of those lovely books that makes you laugh aloud, and leaves you with something to think about, too, as history ends up repeating itself.