1. Adventure
2. Ambition
3. Art techniques
4. Bullying
5. Creativity
6. Fantasy
7. Humour
8. Intolerance
9. Literary techniques
10. Multimodal narratives
11. Music
12. Poetry
13. Science fiction
14. Stories in rhyme
15. Visual literacy

On Planet Blipp ,13-year-old Sprocc has music in his heart, but it is not the type of music allowed. Although music is celebrated, even venerated on Planet Blipp, only the ‘Ancient Songs of ages past’ are allowed and ‘no one is allowed to change a single notes or word.’ Despite knowing it is wrong, Sprocc could not contain the music in him and ‘took his trusty Splingtwanger’ ‘cranked the volume up to ten and played a Brand New Song.’

The Musical Inquisitor was ‘grobulous with rage’ and wants to banish Sprocc but the Eldest One prevents this quietly telling Sprocc about another like him, Skat, who impatient at the dullness of the music had left Planet Blipp. That night Sprocc, on an impulse, runs away from Planet Blipp and quickly falls into a terrifying and totally surprising adventure.

The book’s text is highly inventive rhyming verse with its own created language and musical rhythm, reminiscent of the nonsense verse of Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear. Base has created not just a funny adventure story but a whole new intergalactic world in keeping with the best sci-fi writers or the filmic universes of ‘Star Wars’ or ‘Star Trek’.

The artwork for this world is bold, vividly coloured with fluorescent inks and sharp angular shapes. The colours, limes and oranges clash and juxtapose against purples, blue and the dark colours of space. And the illustrations are as equally inventive as the book’s language. There are weird looking aliens, new-fangled vehicles, and impossible looking musical instruments. The front endpapers provide a three-dimensional style map of these worlds, and Base’s trademark intricate and eyepopping details fill out this invented universe.

The book is also an outlet for another of Base’s passions – music. Accompanying the book are nine original musical pieces composed and recorded by Graeme Base. The rear endpapers include the song’s lyrics the performance which won the 18th Annual Worst Band in the Universe competition. Several of the book’s editions included a CD of the music. The music is also available online.

The Worst Band in the Universe’ is a gloriously creative sci-fi adventure loudly and vividly presented in the best musical tradition of the universe.

1. Kids’ Book Review 18 July 2011. Megan Blandford reviews ‘The Worst Band in the Universe’ by Graeme Base http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2011/07/review-worst-band-in-universe.html
2. YouTube ‘The Worst Band in the Universe OST’ (Mesh – Worst Band in the Universe) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU2pSXxciQQ
3. Publishers Weekly. Review of ‘The Worst Band in the Universe’ by Graeme Base https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-8109-3998-1
4. Kirkus Reviews 1 November 1999. Review of ‘The Worst Band in the Universe’ by Graeme Base https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/graeme-base/the-worst-band-in-the-universe/
5. CNN Book News 1 September 1999. ‘Graeme Base adds music to his magical illustrations’ http://edition.cnn.com/books/news/9909/01/abrams.books/
6. Kids’ Book Review 8 October 2015. Susan Whelan. ‘Meet the illustrator: Graeme Base’ http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2015/10/meet-illustrator-graeme-base.html
7. YouTube, A Discussion With National Authors on Tour Episode #28 – 1992. ‘Graeme Base – An Illustrious Illustrator’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg5bRP_usWY