The Grunts celebrate Children's Book Week

The Grunts, illustrated by Axel Scheffler

Philip Ardagh's Mr and Mrs Grunt take over the Booktrust blog to explore this year's Children's Book Week theme of Heroes and Heroines

MR GRUNT: Oh, bin bags!
MRS GRUNT: What is it, husband?
MR GRUNT: I've been asked to write about one of my heroes and can't think of one.
MRS GRUNT: Can't write, more like!
MR GRUNT: Can!
MRS GRUNTS: Can't!
MR GRUNT: Tea bag!
MRS GRUNT: Toothbrush... I know who I'd write about.
MR GRUNT: Who?
MRS GRUNT: You. You're my hero.
MR GRUNT: I am?
MRS GRUNT: No you're not!
MR GRUNT: But you just said --
MRS GRUNT: I was lying --
MR GRUNT: And smelling. You were lying and smelling of old drains.
MRS GRUNT: S'not fair. Why can't I smell of new drains?
MR GRUNT: Can't afford 'em.
MRS GRUNT: Oh...
MR GRUNT: So who can I write about, then?
MRS GRUNT: Who invented dynamite? I like a good explosion.
MR GRUNT: (chuckles) You do, don't you?
MRS GRUNT: Or slippers? Who invented slippers?
MR GRUNT: They want heroes, not inventors. Or slippers, you numbskull!
MRS GRUNT: Egg plant!
MR GRUNT: Dumper truck! Oooo! Oooo! I know! What about that man who slayed that dragon?
MRS GRUNT: Saint George?
MR GRUNT: Yes. Him.
MRS GRUNT: He's made up.
MR GRUNT: How can a made-up man kill a dragon?
MRS GRUNT: 'Cos the dragon was made up too. You can't expect a made-up person to kill a real dragon now, can you?
MR GRUNT: Don't ask me.
MRS GRUNT: I didn't.
MR GRUNT: You just did.
MRS GRUNT: Didn't...
MR GRUNT: Did...

You can read more about  Mr & Mrs Grunt (and nothing about heroes) in the first book in their new series, The Grunts in Trouble, by Philip Ardagh, illustrated by Axel Scheffler.