"Every year, Blob has made this difficult journey. Every year, he has stood before the jury, hoping to win the famous contest. But so far he has come in only second or third."
"Blob, we are counting on you to represent the ugly animals of land, sea and sky with elegance and pride."
What is this contest? The answer lies in the sub title - the ugliest animal in the world.
Previous winners have been a frog from Lake Titicaca, a Kapapo parakeet, and a Sea Pig. This year Blob is announced as:
"Blob, the fish! Consider his slimy and stunning array of facial features, his sea monster allure, his faceless silhouette, his formidably formless physique, and his sad sheepish demeanour."
It would have been fun to share this book when we were exploring the 2020 CBCA Book Week slogan Curious Creatures Wild Minds. Some of the "unusual" animals mentioned in this book are:
- The Bald Uakari Monkey
- The Naked Mole Rat
- The Aye Aye Lemur
- The Star-nosed Mole
- The Proboscius Monkey
- The Axolotl
- The Vietnamese Leaf-nosed Bat
I read some less positive reviews of this book but I think this book is both funny and also an astute commentary on popularity. I am sure Blob will be appreciated by an older primary group and junior secondary students. This book is almost a graphic novel. In France it was first published with the title: Blob, l'animal le plus laid de monde.
Some funny parts of this story which could be used in a discussion with older students:
"... now great designers dress him, famous actresses pose with him, autograph collections hound him and fans beg to rub his slimy body for good luck" - How does this make you feel? How does this make Blob feel? Will his fame last? Why is this happening to Blob?
"Despite his baldness, Blob becomes the official spokesperson for the annual Global Hairstyling Conference." Why do you think this has happened? Discuss the idea of something being absurb.
Olivier Tallec includes a 'photo album' where we see Blob with Queen Elizabeth; The Dali Lama and others. Are there other famous people Blob could be photographed with? Why did you choose these people? Take a look here to see some illustrations from this book.
"Suddenly, he needs round the clock attention, caviar for breakfast, and of course a private jet. He fires his makeup artist without provocation and cancels appearances at the last minute. His tantrums are lengendy." This book was first published in 2015 - is that significant when considered in relation to the way Blob is behaving?
I would link this book with these. Sammy Streetsinger would make an excellent comparison text:
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