Whack! Bang! Crash!
Rhonda Ooi & Maria Kristjansdottir
Category: Children's Picture Book
Hardcover | 40 pages | 979-8-90115-041-2
Trim Size: 8.5” H x 10.3” W
Publication Date: June 2th, 2026
List Price: $18.99 USD
Publisher: Starfish Bay® Publishing
Genre: Realistic Fiction / Family Story
Reading Level: Grade 1-2
Interest Level: Grades PreK-3
Guided Reading Level: J
Lexile® Measure: 460L
Accelerated Reader® Level/Poin: 2.3/0.5

Ned and Sam enjoy building, and together they fill their home with creativity.

Ned loves building incredible depictions of cities with his wooden blocks, but they are often knocked down by his brother, Sam. When Sam rebuilds the blocks, Ned ponders on what the constructions are. When visiting the local park, Ned notices strange objects and finds that they are called sculptures. Ned then realizes how he and his brother can team up to build the perfect city together. Whack! Bang! Crash! is a joyous story about creativity, teamwork, and sibling bonds and features whimsical illustrations that reveal the joy of sharing ideas and playing with others. 

Rhonda Ooi is an author and primary school teacher with a Master of Gifted Education. She lives in Victoria, Australia, by the bay with her husband, son, cat, bird, and hundreds of children’s books. When she is not working out how to fit more picture books on her enormous bookshelf, she is imagining stories, inspired by the children in her life. 

Maria Kristjansdottir is an illustrator born and raised in Reykjavik, Iceland. She has a BA in architecture from Iceland University of the Arts, but her passion for creating children’s stories led her to change directions, and in 2018, she graduated from Cambridge School of Art with an MA in Children’s Book Illustration. She currently resides in Iceland with her partner and their daughter.

Key Features:
  • A delightful story about creativity and teamwork that encourages children to work and play together.
  • Demonstrates friendly behavior and sharing play ideas.
  • Whimsical illustrations that complement the joys of building and playing co-operatively.
Themes:
  • Collaboration and teamwork (primary theme)
  • Sibling relationships and acceptance
  • Creativity and artistic expression
  • Learning to see value in others' contributions
  • Different perspectives/ways of creating
  • Growth and change
  • Letting go of control
  • Finding beauty in unexpected places
  • Patience and understanding
  • The creative process
You may like