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If you are looking for a fun, laugh out loud read for your kids, look no further! Fake Mustache was a joy to read and I’m sure you will be treated to many “You’ve got to listen to this bit!” moments.

The subtitle of this story by the author of the Origami Yoda series will give you some idea about how funny it is: ‘How Jodie O’Rodeo and her wonder horse (and some nerdy kid) saved the U.S presidential election from a mad genius criminal mastermind.’

Who knew a fake mustache could cause so much trouble? The power of suggestion, a fancy suit and an impressive mustache combine to cause a series of strange and unexplained things to unfold in the small town of Hairsprinkle. Lenny Flem Jr’s best friend Caspar buys the famous Heidelberg Handlebar Number Seven and soon large gangs of brainwashed accordion players and librarians are carrying out bank robberies, and huge piles of money turn up ion Caspar’s room. The sudden appearance of mysterious multi-billionaire Fako Mustacho has the town buzzing in excitement, however no one but Lenny notices that this new ‘man about town’ is really just a seventh grader in a joke store costume.

“And they showed a picture of Caspar wearing his mustache! Didn’t they notice that the picture looked exactly like the one of the bank robber they were just talking about? And that name: Fako Mustacho? He was practically spelling it out for them!”

Things become even weirder when Fako is suddenly made Governor and sets his sights firmly on the Oval Office. When his adoring public are determined to bring Lenny (aka The Evil One) in, help comes in the unexpected form of yodeling tween TV star, Jodie O’Rodeo; together, they uncover Fako’s plot to take over the world and return Caspar to his normal self.

The narration is shared by both Lenny and Jodie – Jodie picks up the tale to relate what happens when Lenny is trapped by Fako’s henchmen. Sprinkled throughout the story are lively illustrations that enhance the action, as well as a few different types of prose (eg: a small excerpt from a TV script, a newspaper report) and all these techniques work together to add to the overall reading experience, making it fun and engaging.

Full of puns and with a plot that has just the right amount of silly that kids love (ahem, ok, me too!), this story is so much fun to read; it will appeal to boys or girls around 9-12 years who enjoy a good joke.

There’s really only one question to ask: where can I get one of those mustaches?!

Find It in Your Library!

• Title: Fake Mustache
• Author: Tom Angleberger
• Illustrator: Jen Wang
• Published by Amulet Books, 2012
• ISBN: 978-1-4197-0194-8