Owning the world is easy. Looking after it is the hard part.
Greyson Grim has the strangest job in the world — he owns it.
Whenever people are unkind, nasty clouds of dust and smoke called Thingamajigs appear… and Greyson must eat them to keep everything in balance.
But every bite comes at a cost.
His heart is slowly turning to stone.
Now, running out of time, Greyson must find someone with the purest heart to take over before it’s too late.
His best hope? Tobi Taddlewink
Owning the world is easy. Looking after it is the hard part.
Greyson Grim has the strangest job in the world — he owns it.
Whenever people are unkind, nasty clouds of dust and smoke called Thingamajigs appear… and Greyson must eat them to keep everything in balance.
But every bite comes at a cost.
His heart is slowly turning to stone.
Now, running out of time, Greyson must find someone with the purest heart to take over before it’s too late.
His best hope? Tobi Taddlewink
It was an ordinary day for Greyson. He woke up, made his bed, and headed down to the kitchen for breakfast. He poured himself a cup of RUDE TO MY SISTER coffee, adding two teaspoons of NOT VERY NICE sugar and a drop of BEING BAD milk.
This was an ordinary day for Greyson, but Greyson was no ordinary man. Greyson Grim had a very important job – one he had done for as long as he could remember. The world had been sold to him when he was just a boy, and before him, someone else had carried it too. That was how the world worked – someone always had to take care of it.
And now it was his turn. His job was to make sure there weren’t too many bad “Thingamajigs” in the world.
Well, how does he do that, you ask? I guess we first have to find out what a “Thingamajig” is …
Every time someone has an argument or they are not very nice, bad Thingamajigs start to appear like clouds of dust or smoke. We can’t see them, but they’re there – and they’re not good for us. They make us feel angry and grumpy.
According to The Great Big Book of Bad Thingamajigs ... and Stuff – An Owner’s Guide to How to Look After and Sell the World: the only way to get rid of the bad Thingamajigs is to eat them! Yes, that’s right – eat them!
It clearly says on page 702 that every person’s bad Thingamajigs have their own particular flavour.
This means that the owner of the world knows exactly which people are not being polite or kind to others.
You could say it was like eating Santa’s Naughty List! Of course, it was up to the owner of the world to decide how to eat them. But they have to go!
The book also recommends using lots of ketchup or chocolate spread as eating bad Thingamajigs is unpleasant. The naughtier you are, the more disgusting they taste. And worst of all, it comes at a huge cost. Each bite that the owner took made his or her heart grow a little heavier and a little harder, as it slowly turned to stone.
But someone had to do it.
In How to Sell the World by Matt van Rensburg, Greyson Grim has the extraordinary job of taking care of the world. The bad things people do turn into horrible clouds of dust and smoke called Thingamajigs that he must eat. But they slowly harden his heart. After filling this role since he was a boy, Greyson is ready to find a new caretaker. He meets the pure-hearted Tobi, and the two embark on an adventure that reminds Greyson his job isn’t just for one person and can be achieved in a better way than he ever imagined.
From the start Greyson’s character sparks intrigue. Children should be drawn to his seemingly mundane routines interspersed with mysterious things like drinking “RUDE TO MY SISTER coffee” and adding “a drop of BEING BAD milk”. These descriptions should make them think of their own actions and portray Greyson as relatable when he encounters the not so nice things that exist in the world just like they experience.
Tobi is a kind boy with a pure heart, the perfect candidate to take over Greyson's job. He’s also clever and fun-loving. His personality explodes off the pages during the duo’s three-day adventure and is a stark contrast to Greyson’s weary nature.
The author does a wonderful job of engaging young minds through rich descriptions. Children should be able to hear the bees that "were humming like a choir in church” and see Greyson's face "sour like he had just eaten a lemon". The book is a delight to the senses that is sure to appeal to the imagination.
The language is clear, easy to read and age appropriate. Even names like “Taddlewink” and “Chugwater” should be easy to pronounce. However, for struggling readers, they may enjoy having the story read aloud so they aren’t taken out of the adventure because of reading challenges.
The book has quirky pictures that match the tone and style of the writing. They do a lovely job of adding context to the story and help children follow the many actions that occur along the journey.
The author beautifully explores themes of Kindness and Responsibility. Young readers should be inspired to treat others well and help make the world a better place by their actions and words.
This book is definitely recommended for those children who love fantasy, adventure and stories about kindness and friendship.