How to Be a Little Sod
Encyclopedia
How To Be A Little Sod, was written in 1991 by author Simon Brett
to show what a baby may think during his/her first year of development. The format is in a traditional diary
style, listing selected days and events. The main character's name is never actually revealed in the story, the child is always referred to as 'baby.' We also do not find out the gender
at any time, so readers can make up their own minds on these missing details. The book is written in the first person
, referring as 'I' and shows the baby through their first year of life. The other characters include the mother
, referred to as 'Her' and the father
, known as 'Him.' There are also the two sets of grandparents, whose awkward get-togethers leave a chill in the air. The book covers a range of traditional development techniques, including the advancement to solid foods, learning to crawl and saying the first word. However, the book is not intended to be a parents guide. It is a fictional book which uses realistic elements.
, wind, etc. And there's also 'The Great PlayPen
Escape,' in Month Nine. It's aimed at adults but can be read by a wide audience. It is published by Orion under the Humour category. The book is illustrated by Tony Ross
. It also briefly touches on potty training.
'Little Sod's Next Step,' the second book in the series, was originally known as 'Look Who's Walking: Further Diaries of a Little Sod.' It was later changed for the 2000 release, as the publishers hoped the new title would appeal to a wider audience and fit in with the other titles in the series.
TV release that consisted of 10 consecutive episodes which starred Rik Mayall
as the Little Sod, the main character. There wasn't a second series released but the animated series was nevertheless successful. The series was released on video cassette and received a broadcasting certificate of '15'. The books are also available on audio tape. A re-released version of the book was released too, with the number of the book (either book 1, book 2, or book 3, respectively,) written on the front cover. The size of the books themselves were also downsized a fraction, making them a little bit smaller than an A5 notebook.
Simon Brett
Simon Brett is a prolific writer of whodunnits. The son of a chartered surveyor, he was educated at Dulwich College and Wadham College, Oxford, where he got a first-class honours degree in English...
to show what a baby may think during his/her first year of development. The format is in a traditional diary
Diary
A diary is a record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. A personal diary may include a person's experiences, and/or thoughts or feelings, including comment on current events outside the writer's direct experience. Someone...
style, listing selected days and events. The main character's name is never actually revealed in the story, the child is always referred to as 'baby.' We also do not find out the gender
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
at any time, so readers can make up their own minds on these missing details. The book is written in the first person
First-person narrative
First-person point of view is a narrative mode where a story is narrated by one character at a time, speaking for and about themselves. First-person narrative may be singular, plural or multiple as well as being an authoritative, reliable or deceptive "voice" and represents point of view in the...
, referring as 'I' and shows the baby through their first year of life. The other characters include the mother
Mother
A mother, mum, mom, momma, or mama is a woman who has raised a child, given birth to a child, and/or supplied the ovum that grew into a child. Because of the complexity and differences of a mother's social, cultural, and religious definitions and roles, it is challenging to specify a universally...
, referred to as 'Her' and the father
Father
A father, Pop, Dad, or Papa, is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother...
, known as 'Him.' There are also the two sets of grandparents, whose awkward get-togethers leave a chill in the air. The book covers a range of traditional development techniques, including the advancement to solid foods, learning to crawl and saying the first word. However, the book is not intended to be a parents guide. It is a fictional book which uses realistic elements.
Contents
There are all kinds of things to read about, with it being a story, it still goes through baby's first year of advances, including the first word, the first smile, three month old colicBaby colic
Colic is a condition in which an otherwise healthy baby cries or displays symptoms of distress frequently and for extended periods, without any discernible reason...
, wind, etc. And there's also 'The Great PlayPen
Playpen
A playpen is a piece of furniture in which an infant or young toddler is placed to prevent self-harm when her/his parent or guardian is occupied or away. The earliest use of the word playpen cited in the Oxford English Dictionary is 1902...
Escape,' in Month Nine. It's aimed at adults but can be read by a wide audience. It is published by Orion under the Humour category. The book is illustrated by Tony Ross
Tony Ross
Tony Ross is a British illustrator and author for children.He is most noted for his work with Francesca Simon on the Horrid Henry books, and has also illustrated the Harry The Poisonous Centipede and Dr. Xargle series of books...
. It also briefly touches on potty training.
Series (Trilogy)
How To Be A Little Sod is the first in a trilogy of books, the second being Little Sod's Next Step',' and the third and final being Not Another Little Sod'.' Whilst no more were ever made, the three volumes are in diary format, showing developmental advances in a different way: looking from a different aspect. For example, 'Little Sod's Next Step' looks at walking, being potty trained, and also hints that a new baby could be on the way. The final book, 'Not Another Little Sod' includes the original child, now two and a half years old, and the newborn baby. The third book is the longest, with 143 pages, and involves sibling rivalry. The series was highly successful in the UK and spawned several reprints and an animated TV series. The books were originally published under 'Victor Gollancz,' and were later rebranded under 'Orion.''Little Sod's Next Step,' the second book in the series, was originally known as 'Look Who's Walking: Further Diaries of a Little Sod.' It was later changed for the 2000 release, as the publishers hoped the new title would appeal to a wider audience and fit in with the other titles in the series.
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
How To Be A Little Sod was written in 1991 and adapted into a BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
TV release that consisted of 10 consecutive episodes which starred Rik Mayall
Rik Mayall
Richard Michael "Rik" Mayall is an English comedian, writer, and actor. He is known for his comedy partnership with Ade Edmondson, his over-the-top, energetic portrayal of characters, and as a pioneer of alternative comedy in the early 1980s...
as the Little Sod, the main character. There wasn't a second series released but the animated series was nevertheless successful. The series was released on video cassette and received a broadcasting certificate of '15'. The books are also available on audio tape. A re-released version of the book was released too, with the number of the book (either book 1, book 2, or book 3, respectively,) written on the front cover. The size of the books themselves were also downsized a fraction, making them a little bit smaller than an A5 notebook.