Children's Laureate 2001-2003
Carnegie Medal 1989, 1992
Whitbread Award 1993, 1996
Guardian Fiction Award 1990
When the rain threatens to ruin the fun at summer camp, Malik and his friends are tasked with inventing a pram that any baby would love.
But when ideas start flowing, tensions run high and it turns out that not everyone agrees on exactly what a baby would need.
Only the PramBusters can be sure to sort this out!
This is Anne Fine on great form: warm, witty and full of imagination. She has revised her earlier book, Design a Pram, and the result is particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 5+.
Prambusters! It's out now, looking fresh and different from any book of Anne's before it. But is it a new book?
"So hard to say," says Anne. "Way back in 1999 I published a book called Design a Pram, with the most wonderful illustrations by the brilliant Philippe Dupasquier. (If you have a copy, make sure you hang on to it.)
"A few years ago the book dropped out of print, as so many do. But the story seemed so good that when Barrington Stoke asked for a shorter, more simply written version of the tale for their own list, I jumped at the chance of adapting it.
"Barrington Stoke specialise in books for reluctant readers, and their publications are all 'dyslexia friendly'. The story, with bright new illustrations by Vicki Gausden, is simple enough. Two teams hold a competition to design a pram. One team designs the most cosy, warm, luxurious pram you can imagine. The other team takes quite a different tack with a pram that can travel at high speeds, is bullet proof, and heavily weaponised.
"The trouble is that both prams are equally good examples of design. So how would YOU go about picking a winner?
Review of Design a Pram:
"A delightful introduction to the pleasures of reading."
Junior Bookshelf
Design a Pram was first published in 1991, with illustrations by Philippe Dupasquier. It was reissued in 2002 as part of the Banana Books series for newly fluent readers. On 15th February 2018 it was reissued by Barrington Stoke as Prambusters!, with illustrations by Vicki Gausden
ISBN: 978-1-7811-2736-0