There’s Something Weird About Lena
Illustrator: James Foley
Publisher: Walker Books
Genre: Children's
The author/ illustrator team who created the gleefully grotesque My Dead Bunny has returned with a second supernatural rhyming romp.
There is a new girl at school and not only is she weird, but she is mean and scary. After enduring her extensive repertoire of unpleasant pranks, tricks and jokes, Lena’s schoolmates decide to give her a taste of her own medicine. They get more than they bargained for when they discover the frightening reason for her ghastly behaviour and bloodcurdling laugh.
James Foley’s skilful illustrations cleverly use a combination of monochrome with pops of bold colour to highlight Lena’s – and a hyena’s – otherness. Keen-eyed fans will enjoy repeated readings to spot sneaky appearances by Bunny Brad from this team’s previous book. There’s Something Weird About Lena is a fun, spooky story, but it would also be useful for a lighthearted lead-in to a discussion about dealing with less beastly but similarly troublesome types: the everyday perpetrators of bullying and anti-social behaviours.