The Floods are here! And they’re as funny as fruit bats!

Seriously, this is a real laugh out loud series you just have to get your hands on!

To give you a quick overview, the Floods are a family of witches and wizards. There are seven children in the family, who were not created in the traditional way, but made in a cellar using incredible mystical powers and a set of very shiny Jamie Oliver saucepans.

The Flood Family

The Flood family can be rude, scary, brilliant, charming, mystical, magical, and always hilarious! Ideal for ages 8 and up.

The books have reached double figures in the series, but we’re going to look at book number 1, Neighbours. First, let’s quickly meet the family. These are some of the funniest and endearing characters I’ve ever read, and I find it difficult to have a favourite when I love them all so much for different reasons.

Dad: Nerlin. No, not Merlin, Nerlin! Wizard.
Mum: Mordonna. Beautiful and powerful. Witch.
Vella: Eldest child. Works at local blood bank. Wizard.
Satanella: was turned into a dog in an experiment gone wrong. Witch.
Merlin-Mary: Could be Witch or Wizard, too hairy to tell.
Winchflat: The family genius. Wizard.
Morbid and Silent: twins and mirror image of each other. Wizards.
Betty: made more in the traditional mould like you or I, but not really. Witch.

Book One: Neighbours

The Floods, book 1: Neighbours,
Written and Illustrated by Colin Thompson,
Published by Random House Australia, 2005, 176 pages. 

At first glance, as long as you are at least a hundred metres away and see them from the back on a dark Autumn evening when it’s raining, the Floods look like any other family.

At second glance, especially if you are less than a hundred metres away and see them from the front on a bright summer’s day, you’ll see they’re not a normal family and certainly not one to be messed with. So, if the Floods happen to move in next door to you, it would pay to be nice.

However, the Floods don’t have nice neighbours, they have the Dent family. And the Dents are about to find out what happens when you’re mean and horrible to your neighbours.

Meet the Floods

This is a fantastic way to meet the Floods and get a real feel for the way they act as a family unit. You will also meet a few of their relatives, some of which are buried in their backyard. You’ll also get a feel for Colin Thompson’s very quirky writing style along with his own black and white illustrations. A must see!

Of course, you don’t have to start at book one. If you manage to get a copy of a later book. I recommend you pick it up and read it. But if you’re heading out to your local bookstore, why not start at the beginning. You’ll soon want to collect the entire series anyway.

Another way of really enjoying these books is through Bolinda Audio. Simply because the narrator, Francis Greenslade, does such an amazing job at bringing the Floods to life.

You can check out Bolinda Audio for yourself here:https://www.bolinda.com/

And, for more on Colin Thompson, check out his website here:http://www.colinthompson.com/