The Humundo Sorterium

Humundo Sorterium is another rhyming adventure story by author Daniel Thompson and illustrated by the fabulous Connor Edwards.

"Humundo Sorterium is the perfect collaboration between words and images. Thompson and Edwards truly are a team to be noted and watched, and bought of course."

This book is meant as both a fun and entertaining story for children but also an opportunity to consider the importance of being your self in a world full of people feeling a need to fit in.

If you are wondering what the books about I think this review sums the book up perfectly.

"I was attracted to this book by the delightful cover and appealing blurb. I loved the idea of a youngster with an enquiring mind going on a mini adventure. I was even more delighted to find that the whole story is told in verse, and that the book is filled with colourful illustrations supporting the humorous poetry.

The story centres on a little boy called Buddy, who has set off to find the Humundo Sorterium, a place where babies are made, which his grand-pa has told him about. His grand-pa said that babies are made in a machine at the Humundo Sorterium, and Buddy wants to discover for himself whether this is really true. On his way there, he meets a stork called Handsome Henry who confirms that babies are indeed made in a machine at the Humundo Sorterium. Handsome Henry agrees to fly Buddy there to see for himself.

Along the way they meet Madame Megan and her clockwork crows who guard the route to the Humundo Sorterium. The crows will not let them pass. However, Madame Megan tells Buddy that there is a way to destroy the crows, and allow him and Handsome Henry to pass unobstructed.

Having succeeded in reaching the Humundo Sorterium, they find the machine. It is making identical babies from identical parts. Buddy presses all the buttons on the machine in the hope of producing unique individuals, rather then the uniform ones it is currently churning out. This brings Baroness Von Adlevine to confront the pair, and threaten Buddy with dismemberment.

How he escapes and wins the day is cleverly told in this fabulously entertaining rhyming story for young readers.

The verse flows well, and the inclusion of some whimsical fictitious words adds to the comedy value and quirkiness of the rhyme.

To my delight, there is even a puzzle to solve within the rhyme. Our intrepid explorer, Buddy, must find the answer to the puzzle, posed by Madame Megan, to be allowed to continue on his journey. He has three chances to get it right or be arrested and taken before the wicked Baroness Von Adlevine to decide his fate."

There is a moral to this story, and that is, that it matters not what or who we are, our abilities, talents or characteristics, we each bring something unique and special to the world in which we live. We are all wonderful and amazing individuals!

The Humundo Sorterium is...