BAD BAD BAD! Too Many B's! (Burglar Bill - Allan Ahlberg)

Member Name: sirg0508

Product:	Burglar Bill - Allan Ahlberg
Date:	08/11/04 (988 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good pictures, short story

Disadvantages: Too short, encourages bad behaviour!

WARNING: Highly critical review laden with personal opinion....

I am utterly shocked that there is only 1 other person who has written about this book. I'm sure there will be a lot of people who will have read this one in their childhood.

I was rather bored so decided to read the book again about 2am and write down on paper my thoughts.

Going back to reading it again, I came across a disadvantage - no page numbers but took the time (at 2:02am) to count them for you... 30 pages. That is only the pages with the story on them though.

Even to this day, I don't really get what the point of the book actually is. It was first written by Janet and Allan Ahlbery in 1977 and has been published several times since then to my 1990 edition. (Even printed in Musselburgh!).

The first thing that will grab a child about this book are the very detailed pictures. The review is set out so it has generous margins at the top, bottom and sides, a rather large picture and a very easy to read, large font. The pictures depict the things that are being talked about in the book and it reminds me of a comic strip. The pictures also take up more than half the pages which leaves only 4 or 5 lines of text. There are a few full pages pictures with a full page of text but even then that is still roughly 14-23 lines and not even full lines.

So what's the story?

PLOT

Burglar Bill is about a burglar... obviously! He steals everything and nothing actually belongs to him, not even his bed. Each night he goes out to steal more things. One night he steals a big brown box which he thinks could be useful and finishes his work at 5am to go home for breakfast. Suddenly he hears a police siren coming from the box... he stole a BABY! He looks after the fat baby, feeding it stolen beans and trying to keep it happy. He takes the baby on his night time 'job' as a lookout even though it is just learning to talk.

Back in bed, Burglar Bill hears a noise and discovers that he is in fact being burgled himself. He cathes the woman in the act. It's Burglar betty. They acquaint themselves and she is right in there asking if he is married because she sees all the baby clothes. He tells her how he came about getting the baby (finding it) and she relises it is hers that was stolen she she was robbing a house!

Burglar Bill discovers she doesn't have a husband and after the evenings antics they discover the error of their ways and decide to lead an honest life together. This only happens after they take back all the things they have stolen to their rightful owners. Burglar Bill becomes a baker! Burglar Betty sells her house and gives the money to the Police Benevolent fund and they get married leaving the church, walking down the street behind the police station.

OK, that's the story out the way so what's wrong with it? Quite frankly I don't see what's right with it. I'm not sure about back in the 70's but nowadays, this book could be seen to encourage kids to steal and even kidnap children! They show no remorse so why should others? Ok, they do eventually change.

If you took the font and reduced it to an adults sized book, you would only make a page or two so really you are paying for the pictures.

Another thing... Burglar Betty did not seem at all distraught that her child had gone missing, carrying on as normal!!

The grammar/language in the book isn't great either. Some examples I noted:

"I got a baby"
"I like a few beans meself"
"I thought the police had got him"
"I never knowed there was a baby"
to name a few.

The pictures are the only good thing I can see in the book. They are highly detailed and you do get a giggle at some things you find there...

"KO sauce"
"6 doz pkts hair nets"
"HMS Eagle" bed pan
"House of Lords" Tea pot/jug?
and the wee mouse under the bed.

Buglar Bill is depicted as a stereotypical burglar - striped top and a black mask. His Pyjamas are also striped but both of these are blue and white stripes. His cat also has black and white stripes!!

Book design - 5/5
Story line - 2/5

Amazon currently have my edition (or it looks the same) for £4.99! Mine was only £2.99! I don't actually think it is worth that much so you can get a few cheaper that are being sold previously used.

ISBN: 0749700238

I am not at all going to recommend this book even though it is so popular... I can't see why.

D :)

Summary: