To spin a yarn and tell a tall tale is a skill that few possess. In Rock Mammoth by Eveline Payette and Guillaume Perreault, translated by Karen Simon, Louis spins a tale so wild he has his classmates wrapped, so much so they opt to skip recess!

Louis is giving his oral report to the class about his favourite pet, the Rock Mammoth. He enthusiastically teaches his classmates about the elusive Mammuthus and the researcher who discovered it, Voivoden Mamouten. Depictions of the rock mammoth can be found in caves and Louis hypotheses they are rock gods being chased all over the country for their autographs so they have had to go into hiding. You see the reason there are none to be found is they are playing a giant game of hide and go seek.

Everything about this story is hilarious, fun and engaging! From the exercise book design of the cover to the illustration, diagrams, and engaging content inside. The story is a true tall tale, getting more outrageous as the story goes on. While The Bear was reading it, I could hear giggles all the way through. When I asked him how he liked it a big smile spread across his face and he just giggled “Hide and seek...the reason mammoths are extinct is because of hide and seek!” He thought that was hilarious! After my read through I had to agree, this book had me laughing and remarking at how engaging and funny this story is. The illustrations by Guillaume Perrault are fantastic with lots of diagrams and lists to keep the reader fully engaged and hook those readers who may be turned off by pages and pages of text.

A book that fans of funny graphic novels will love, Rock Mammoth is a fantastic story and a true example of a “whopper” of a tale!