A few weeks ago, I read a couple of books by this author about cane toads in Australia. They certainly have great titles: Toad Rage, Toad Away, and Toad Heaven. They are amusing enough that they would appeal to middle grade readers, especially boys, I think, but they really aren't great literature. Not everything has to be, but it is nice when popular appeal meshes with some sort of lasting value. I would put Don't Pat the Wombat (Elizabeth Honey and William Clarke) in the category of having popular appeal, but also having a bit more to say than just amusing the readers.
At any rate, the above toad books were amusing enough that I decided to try some of his titles that sounded a bit more like they might have some substance. This one, Adults Only, is about a kid whose parents operate an adults only resort hotel and the misadventures engendered by their son, who has no one to play with and who tries desperately to both help and amuse himself without being seen. This book is also pretty shallow. It is amusing, but I just couldn't get absorbed by it. A confession: in the end, I just resorted to skimming to find out what happens. Too bad, it was an interesting idea and he is an amusing writer. I am not sure why I seem to need more.
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