Sunday 10 December 2006

Aristotle's Nostril, Morris Gleitzman, 2006


ARISTOTLE'S NOSTRIL Morris Gleitzman, Puffin, 119 pages, paperback, NZ$14.95.

ISBN 0-14-330197-7


Morris Gleitzman is a genius. Who else, on learning that germs multiply by dividing, would realise that all germs are twins and write a novel about brotherly love? In Aristotle’s Nostril Blob is a quiet conservative germ, happy to count things, like the 233,647 laws that govern germ life in the nostril.


Unfortunately Blob’s brother, Aristotle, has heard tales of life beyond the nostril and wants to introduce birthday cakes and bungee-jumping. When Aristotle accidentally discovers that there is more than one nostril, life changes forever for the citizens of the free and peace-loving nostril. War threatens. And Aristotle gets the blame.


Trevor Agnew

First published in The Press, Christchurch, New Zealand on May 13th 2006.

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