Blog Tour: Happy Millionth Birthday by R.W.R McDonald, illustrated by Alexandra Colombo

Title: Happy Millionth Birthday

Author: R.W.R McDonald, illustrated by Alexandra Colombo

Genre: Humour

Publisher: Larrikin House

Published: 1^st September 2024

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 24

Price: $24.99

Synopsis: Jack Wolf wants what EVERY child wants! More birthdays and even MORE presents!

Find out what happens when Jack’s wish comes true, and he celebrates a birthday every single day! Jack Wolf and his wacky friends will surprise you until the final page!

Will Jack Wolf learn his lesson, or will he think of a new way to have fun?

~*~

R.W.R McDonald is back – but this time, with a fantastic new picture book, which is a roping and delightful departure from his fun crime solving series The Nancys. In his debut picture book, quite perfectly published with fun publishers Larrikin House and everything they put out.

Meet Jack Wolf – it’s his fifth birthday, and he’s ready to make a wish when he blows out the candles – and because Jack Wolf loves his birthday and loves having a birthday party with cake and presents, and friends so much, well, he wants to have it happen every day! Jack’s wish comes true – and it only comes true because he doesn’t tell anyone. But his wish has unforeseen consequences – Jack might still feel like he is five, but he just keeps getting older and older – until his final birthday wish – and what a wish this one will be!

I love Rob’s writing, and his first children’s book is no exception. He has managed to take his trademark humour from The Nancys, and bring it into this book filled with love and humour, and funky animals brough to life by Alexandra Colombo’s fantastic illustrations. I came to this book knowing Rob’s adult writing, and was intrigued to see what he had come up with for children, and I found that I wasn’t disappointed. Ron has tapped into the heart of children and what they love – birthdays, cake, presents, friends, and having fun. Rob has brought this world of wonder to life through wishes and the magic of wishes. He examines what happens when their wishes all come true, and when the magic of them come to life, and child readers will adore being able to imagine what it would be like if their wishes come true.

Yet, the story for all it’s fun, delight, joy and humour does hint at a lesson – you can have too much of a good thing.  Sometimes, having something like a birthday to look forward to is a good thing, as it is all about the anticipation of a big event. Yet Jack’s joy shines through – it’s easy to see that at first, it sounds like a really good idea, and these things always do. Good ideas have to come from somewhere, even if their execution isn’t what we always hope or think it will be. Jack’s dream sounds totally awesome – who wouldn’t want to have birthday cake every day – of course, without the annoying aspect of getting older as Jack does in this book. Poor Jack – I don’t think he thought he would get older and grow every day when he made the wish – he just wanted the cake and the presents!

Learning that there can be too much of a good thing is a key aspect of this book – and as Jack ages everyday throughout the book, there are lessons to be learnt and consequences to face. Showing this through the impact of Jack’s wish is something that I found as key to this book – something that will help teach children about consequences and impacts that come with their choices, decisions and actions in a funny and vibrant style and story devoid of hefty consequences so younger children won’t be scared out of imagining all the magical things they want to – they’ll simply be able to learn that each choice we make in our lives can have consequences we don’t foresee. Aging as fast as Jack does is a great way to teach them about this, and to teach them that birthdays are special and that’s why they only celebrate them once a year.

I also loved that Rob has used animals to tell his story – and in doing so, it does feel like anyone can see themselves in Jack and his friends, because animals can be a great way to tell a story, and they make really fun characters for children – and adults – to read about. This is a book that anyone who has ever wished for something, for anyone who has wanted to find the fun in everything they do and the joy in life. It looks at what brings us joy, what makes us happy, and the wondrous world of wishes. Because wishes can take any shape, so this book is also a way to encourage readers to continue wishing and dreaming to find the magic in life that will bring a smile to our face.