Dirty Dave - Hardcover

PreSchool-Grade 3-- The jacket copy chronicles Australian author Hilton's wish to "give the gentler men their place in history" by introducing a trio of desperadoes (Dave, sister Sue, and mother Maude). Father Dan prefers to stay home and sew. Tough, rough, and fierce though they may be, Dave, Sue, and Maude delight their victims with their well-tailored duds (compliments of Dan, of course) and end up more benignly employed. Hilton's tale is tersely and rhythmically told, with a restrained sense of humor that sets just the right tone for the riotous cartoons of watercolor washes over ink. In a scribbled, energetic style reminiscent of cartoonist Rowland Emmett's, Harvey litters his landscapes with cattle, kangaroos, and an occasional surprise certain to set readers poring over the pages in search of more buried gems. This rollicking tale is thoroughly entertaining, with a clear message to "follow your bliss." --Marcia Hupp, Mamaroneck Public Library, NY
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Dirty Dave, the terror of the Australian outback, has a scandalous secret: his father, Dan, likes to sew. One day, when Dave and his band (sister Sue and their mother, Maude) hold up a stagecoach, the beleaguered victims are struck by the outlaws' style and ask, "Who does your stitching? We'd pay a lot to know." Realizing that there's money to be made here, the gang forsakes highway robbery for high fashion, and soon people are flocking from near and far to purchase Dan's creative couture. Hilton's spare text is deliciously tongue-in-cheek, and the quirky, intricately detailed illustrations--at times reminiscent of Quentin Blake--are full of sly humor. Ages 3-6.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.