One Mad Rooster


Children - Adventure
83 Pages
Reviewed on 08/10/2021
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Paul Bird is an independent Australian writer who lives in Sydney, Australia with his wife and four children. He was born and raised in Newcastle, Australia, where he studied nursing, then medicine and began his specialist training as a physician. When he is not writing, he works as a Rheumatologist, caring for people suffering from arthritis and joint diseases.
His first book, One Mad Rooster, a collection of adventure stories for children, was published in 2007. It was followed by My Aunt the Vampire and the Mistaken Monster
One Mad Rooster and the Mistaken Monster are written for early primary, My Aunt The Vampire for middle school readers.
This collection of short stories takes the reader on an entertaining ride through the memoirs of a kid growing up in the 1970’s and 80’s. Using Australian vernacular, the stories move at a fast pace, with a tiny lesson hidden in each story. Whether it’s looking after your mates, owning up before you’ve been caught, or not letting your imagination get away with you, each story spins a yarn that will enthral and entertain.

The Mistaken Monster is a wonderful adventure story set in Berry NSW. A thrilling tale with a strong message about friendship, trust and not judging by first appearances.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

One Mad Rooster is an adventure story for children penned by author Paul Bird. Life is full of stories, many of which are frequently shared with friends and loved ones alike, each engaging yarn improving substantially with each new telling. Growing up is an adventure in itself, and no matter where you grew up, there are unique tales that only you could have experienced. For one child growing up in Australia, there was nothing ordinary about his adventures even though he considered himself just a typical child. There was the killer snake in the backyard that his mother whacked into many pieces with a garden spade, all to protect her young ones who were frolicking in the yard, oblivious to the danger that slithered through the grass at their feet. The tall tower above the diving pool offered both a challenge and a threat: a fear to be overcome and safely endure. There were the classic bullies (we all have them), and then the bully was a mean old rooster - all in an ordinary day of this child.

Paul Bird’s One Mad Rooster is a collection of snapshots of his childhood. Told with care, precision, and the knowing art of a seasoned storyteller, this collection will warm the heart of all who read it and open doors to more stories about childhood romps. The stories are all told in the first-person narrative, complete with a beautifully orchestrated descriptive narrative that sets the stage for the reader to feel included in the story. There is plenty of dialogue, all succinctly presented to add greater depth and a personal touch to the story itself. As the author presents each memory, he allows the reader to grasp the challenge, the adventure, the fear, and the courage that intertwined to make this childhood memory so special, so unique. One Mad Rooster is a beautiful collection of memoirs and a real treasure.

Vincent Dublado

One Mad Rooster by Paul Bird is a children’s story that celebrates the joys and misadventures of childhood. Narrating the story is a daydreaming boy named Paul, where each chapter works as a stand-alone story. Together with his brothers Chris and Andrew, they navigate their way through life as if it is one giant playground. Each chapter is marked by experiences that lay the groundwork for learning essential life lessons as Paul gets into trouble. They take a snake (in pieces) to school, they have to harvest chicken eggs without drawing the attention of a large, wrathful rooster, and a bullrout sting threatens to hurt Paul for life. These are some of the misadventures that Paul and his brothers get into, and there are plenty more where those came from.

Reading One Mad Rooster reminded me of my own joys and pains in childhood, which were primarily colorful experiences, but challenging as I had to deal with my own antagonists. Paul Bird effectively depicts children in their innocent state, placing confidence in their movements in a world full of dangers and mishaps. The story is very involving, one that will make you look back at your own childhood and wonder if you’ve ever done anything equally as silly. I can personally identify with Paul as I grew up with two sisters who were equally inclined to make fun of my miseries as Paul’s brothers. Experts say that play promotes motor skills, which is necessary for creating well-adjusted children when they grow up. If this is the case, you should read this work and join Paul and his brothers in their lively exploration of how childhood makes us what we are today.

Kristen Van Kampen (Teen Reviewer)

One Mad Rooster by Paul Bird follows the main character Paul on seven different adventures. In one, Paul must brave the top tower diving platform so that he doesn’t seem scared in front of his friends. Can he make the long jump into the deep pool? Another story involves him taking a bet with his brother, climbing too high in a tree, and getting stuck as a result. Can he manage to get back down? A third adventure, the one for which the book is named, features him facing down an angry rooster after collecting eggs from the hen house. How will Paul escape the rooster’s sharp beak? Other stories include Paul being blackmailed by the school bully, Paul getting a bullrout sting, and his mother attacking a snake with a spade.

Fast-paced and fascinating, One Mad Rooster by Paul Bird is an entertaining read. The book is well written, and the descriptive narration style makes it easy to visualize what is happening. The stories are filled with exciting scenes that made me keep reading to discover what would happen next. The full-color illustrations at the start of each chapter are very well drawn and do a great job of depicting the story to follow. The book features many exciting and unique characters with well-developed personalities that make the stories more enjoyable. Readers will like the main character Paul, who gets himself into a lot of trouble, but always manages to get himself out of it once again. Because the book has various stories, I’m sure there is something to please everyone, so I would highly recommend this book to a wide variety of readers.