“I’m going to tell you a joke,” exclaims my daughter. Cogs are whirring. She is starting to explore the concepts of creativity and invention; games with inexplicable rules that we have to try to follow are pouring out of her mind and into our quarantined afternoons.
And now, it seems, it’s humour’s turn.
“What do you call a grown-up with a tail?” There’s a pause for impact and then: “A dog!” Followed by squeaky gales of uproarious laughter.
It is with this alternative logic strand that I attempt to read Hoakes Island, written by father and daughter team Ian Friel and Helen Friel.
Hoakes Island is a puzzle book, more suited by older children, but reading through with our own father and daughter team, it transforms into a collaborative game, where I can help our kid solve its fiendish puzzles.
We begin our quest. “What does a cat say when it bumps into a tree? Ouch! Ha ha ha ha.” I consider quibbling, pontificating on the limitations of feline vocal cords, but let it pass. At least she’s on the right track.
This is such a beautiful book – a masterclass in game and puzzle design. You, the reader, have been assigned by a group of talking animals to solve the mystery of the disappearance of Henry Hoakes, in doing so keeping his theme-park Island out of the hands of greedy property developers. It’s your job to navigate your way through the park, with a magic lens and a map, solving the puzzles as you go.
E is tasked with finding objects with red lens and finding a path through the book’s several mazes, while I delve into the morse code and number puzzles. She loves discovering new forms of code-breaking, such as backwards writing.
The drawings, with a simple colour scheme of blue, white and red throughout, are packed with detail that warrant a second read through to explore.
We finish the book over three sessions, both of us enjoying the journey and a mind seemingly expanded. “I have another joke,” says E. “What do you call a sheep with no face? A monster! Ha ha ha ha.”
Can’t really argue with that one.
E’s review
What did you like best?
“I liked the mazes. It’s like magic that I can go into.”
Is it tricky?
“It’s *really* difficult!”
Marks out of 10
“22”
My review
Set-up time
It’s a book, innit. Less than a minute
Advised age range
6+, but younger readers will love it if they have a grown-up to help them
Practicality
It’s a slim book that’ll fit on your shelf and won’t take up an inordinate amount of space like most board games.
Fun for parents
You won’t find the puzzles brain-boggling, but they are absorbing. It’s a gorgeous, engaging inventive book, filled with detail.