Mister Spears and His Hairy Ears (Dawn McMillan, illus by Ross Kinnaird, Libro International, distributed by John Reed)

Kids will love this very silly picture book about out-of-control hair growth—in particular from the ear region. Poor Mister Spears, whose hairy ears have been growing unabated for years, is in a fix. Even his marmalade pet cat, Tiger, seems befuddled by the extent of his master’s hirsute condition (incidentally, both man and cat share the same orange fluff). Mister Spears tries various measures to combat his problem, including taking up the garden shears to do some personal grooming, stuffing cork in his ears and affixing sticking plasters to stop the hair from growing, but all to no avail. Dawn McMillan’s rhymes are very funny: ‘A sweat band, he thought. / That oughta do it! / But … the strong, hairy hair twisted right through it.’ Ross Kinnaird has fun with Mister Spears too, dressing him in colourfully loud gym gear at one stage. The book gradually builds suspense, leading readers to wonder exactly how the unfortunate Mister Spears can stop this anti-social ear-hair growth. Or is he destined to stay at home, friendless, except for his faithful moggie? The solution is totally unexpected and with the makeover transformation, he becomes a new man. New Zealanders McMillan and Kinnaird make a good team when it comes to absurd picture books (their previous efforts include Doctor Grundy’s Undies and I Need a New Bum!). This book will appeal to kids of all ages.

Thuy On is a reviewer and books editor of the Big Issue 

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Category: Reviews