Alan MacDonald

In this trio of troublesome tales, Bertie tries to get out of attending a pink party, struggles to be polite for an entire day, and puts his green thumb to the test in a flower-arranging competition.

Based on the dubious members of the Wart family tree, each book will focus on the adventurous life and turbulent times of a different 'Wart' from pirate to gladiator as he (or she) experiences the peculiar misfortunes which befall all Warts throughout the centuries. Book 1 is set in Roman times. Emperor Porcus Maximus is coming for dinner and so Ditherus and his faithful slave Punio are sent (by Ditherus's mother) to market for supplies. But Ditherus is tempted into buying a sword from a mysterious peddler. Searched by centurion Marcus Furius when he gets home, Ditherus is thrown into prison when the sword is discovered and sentenced to death as a traitorous thief (with Punio). At the last minute Gutsus the gladiator arrives, looking to buy new recruits. Ditherus and Punio are taken to Gladiator School where the motto is 'Death or Glory - but most likely Death'. If ever Ditherus needed a cunning plan, it's now... .

Iggy discovers a young member of the Henna tribe lost in the jungle (Henna, so-named for their fiery red hair and penchant for covering their faces in mud). The girl is wearing some rare and precious firestones, which mesmerise the Urks, especially Borg, who devises a new and devious plot to become Chief Urk. Iggy must embark on a dangerous journey to return the Henna girl safely to her tribe in the Cloud Mountains. But when he gets there, the welcome is not exactly what he had in mind. Time for a very cunning plan. Iggy discovers a young member of the Henna tribe lost in the jungle (Henna, so-named for their fiery red hair and penchant for covering their faces in mud). The girl is wearing some rare and precious firestones, which mesmerise the Urks, especially Borg, who devises a new and devious plot to become Chief Urk. Iggy must embark on a dangerous journey to return the Henna girl safely to her tribe in the Cloud Mountains. But when he gets there, the welcome is not exactly what he had in mind. Time for a very cunning plan.

<p>Old Grumbly, a massive volcano that looms over the Urk valley, has begun to rumble and many Urks fear The End of the World is nigh. They agree that the only way to avoid catastrophe is for someone to climb the volcano and make an offering to the ancestors. Preferably, this someone should be the Urk selected to succeed Chief Hammerhead at the momentous Anointing Ceremony . . . which just so happens to be Iggy. Now Borg can implement his latest plan to snatch control of the Urk tribe for himself, with the help of the Noneck tribe we met in the first book in the series, Oi, Caveboy!. It's time for Iggy to come up with a cunning plan.</p> Old Grumbly, a massive volcano that looms over the Urk valley, has begun to rumble and many Urks fear The End of the World is nigh. They agree that the only way to avoid catastrophe is for someone to climb the volcano and make an offering to the ancestors. Preferably, this someone should be the Urk selected to succeed Chief Hammerhead at the momentous Anointing Ceremony . . . which just so happens to be Iggy. Now Borg can implement his latest plan to snatch control of the Urk tribe for himself, with the help of the Noneck tribe we met in the first book in the series, <I>Oi, Caveboy!</I>.<I> </I>It's time for Iggy to come up with a cunning plan.

<p>Iggy is different from the rest of his tribe, the Urks. He isn't interested in the usual things such as flint tools, hunting or boulder-rolling. He's always daubing on the walls of his cave or coming up with infuriating new ideas. According to his dad: 'We don't need new ideas - we have plenty of old ones.'Iggy's latest invention is a primitive scootalong or Stone Age skateboard. His parents don't want him playing outside in case the neighbours complain. Besides, they have more important things to talk about: tomorrow is the Sons of Urk ceremony, when boys who come of age are accepted into the tribe as hunters. Iggy is eager to take part, but he'll have to pass the ritual initiation test, which means facing the one thing he dreads more than anything: snakes!</p> <p>Iggy is different from the rest of his tribe, the Urks. He isn't interested in the usual things such as flint tools, hunting or boulder-rolling. He's always daubing on the walls of his cave or coming up with infuriating new ideas. According to his dad: 'We don't need new ideas - we have plenty of old ones.' Iggy's latest invention is a primitive scootalong or Stone Age skateboard. His parents don't want him playing outside in case the neighbours complain. Besides, they have more important things to talk about: tomorrow is the Sons of Urk ceremony, when boys who come of age are accepted into the tribe as hunters. Iggy is eager to take part, but he'll have to pass the ritual initiation test, which means facing the one thing he dreads more than anything: snakes! Witty, well observed and very silly caveboy adventure with square format, generous extent, lovely large margins and illustrated as if by Iggy himself Alan MacDonald started working life in a travelling theatre company. In... <p>Iggy is different from the rest of his tribe, the Urks. He isn't interested in the usual things such as flint tools, hunting or boulder-rolling. He's always daubing on the walls of his cave or coming up with infuriating new ideas. According to his dad: 'We don't need new ideas - we have plenty of old ones.' Iggy's latest invention is a primitive scootalong or Stone Age skateboard. His parents don't want him playing outside in case the neighbours complain. Besides, they have more important things to talk about: tomorrow is the Sons of Urk ceremony, when boys who come of age are accepted into the tribe as hunters. Iggy is eager to take part, but he'll have to pass the ritual initiation test, which means facing the one thing he dreads more than anything: snakes! Witty, well observed and very silly caveboy adventure with square format, generous extent, lovely large margins and illustrated as if by Iggy himself Alan MacDonald started working life in a travelling theatre company. In...

Join Bertie as he finds himself in A&E after an accident with a door, forgets his swimming trunks on a visit to Splash City, and proves that Know-All Nick doesn't actually know everything at the Junior Quiz Challenge.

Dirty Bertie - the boy with nose-pickingly disgusting habits - is back for another helping of comic chaos! Join Bertie as he samples life as a swashbuckling pirate, cooks up a storm in the poshest restaurant in town, and teams up with Dad at the School Sports Day in an attempt to beat Royston Rich!

In this trio of troublesome tales, Bertie tries to get out of attending a pink party, struggles to be polite for an entire day, and puts his green thumb to the test in a flower-arranging competition.

Meet Dirty Bertie - a boy with nose-pickingly disgusting habits! He's full to bursting with madcap plans and crazy ideas, and if it's trouble you're after, look no further - Bertie's sure to be up to his neck in it. Bertie devises a new scheme for making filthy lucre, has a sickly time at the fairground and manages to teach a toddler her first word: Bum!