Krindlekrax facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Krindlekrax

Cover of 2001 edition, illustrated by Mark Longworth
Author	Philip Ridley
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Genre	Children's
Publication date	1991

Krindlekrax is an exciting children's novel written by Philip Ridley. It's a thrilling story that combines adventure with a touch of mystery.

The book was first published in 1991 by Jonathan Cape. It was later re-released by Red Fox in 1992 and then by Puffin Books in 2001. You can still find it in print today!

Krindlekrax has won some cool awards. In 1991, it won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize for the 9-11 age group. Kids even picked it as one of their all-time favorite books! It also won a WH Smith Mind-Boggling Book Award in 1993. Later, in 1994, it became a Tellastory Audio Cassette, read by the famous actor Rik Mayall.

To celebrate the new millennium in 2000, Hachette Children's Group published a special collection called Out of this World. This book featured parts from "the best in 20th century children's literature." Krindlekrax was included alongside other classic books like Roald Dahl's Matilda and J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

The Story of Krindlekrax

The story of Krindlekrax takes place on a street called Lizard Street. This street isn't perfect; it has cracked pavements and bumpy roads. The main character is a 9-year-old boy named Ruskin Splinter. He's small and thin, wears thick glasses, and has bright red frizzy hair. He also has knock-knees and a squeaky voice.

Ruskin's Dream and Challenges

Ruskin really wants to be the hero in his school play. But many people make fun of how he looks and sounds. Because of this, the main role goes to Elvis Cave instead. Elvis used to be Ruskin's friend, but now he's known for smashing windows.

Ruskin's special friend is Corky Pigeon, the school caretaker. Corky tells Ruskin about a scary monster that lives in the sewers under Lizard Street. This monster is a giant, fire-breathing crocodile named Krindlekrax.

The Secret of Krindlekrax

Later, Ruskin learns a big secret from his dad. Everyone on Lizard Street was actually responsible for Krindlekrax getting into the sewers in the first place. They also played a part in how it grew so big and scary.

Suddenly, Corky unexpectedly dies. Everyone thinks it was a heart attack. But Ruskin believes Krindlekrax was involved. He feels very angry at everyone on Lizard Street for letting this happen.

A Hero's Journey

Ruskin is so sad about Corky's death that he can't get out of bed. But then, many people bring him gifts. They also tell him the story of how Corky once saved Lizard Street and won a gold medal. Corky had given this medal to Ruskin as a special present.

After hearing these stories, Ruskin decides he must save the street from Krindlekrax once and for all. He feels it's his turn to be the hero.

Facing the Monster

One night, Ruskin bravely lures the monster out of the sewers. He manages to tame Krindlekrax by throwing Corky's medal into its mouth. This act banishes the monster back into the sewers forever.

Soon after, Elvis gets a terrible cold and can't perform in the school play. Ruskin takes his place, and the play goes wonderfully! Elvis isn't happy about this and starts smashing windows in a tantrum. Ruskin stops him by bursting his ball. After a long talk, Ruskin and Elvis become friends again.

The story ends with Ruskin realizing how much he truly loves his street.

Meet the Characters

Here are some of the main characters you'll meet in Krindlekrax:

• Ruskin Splinter: The main character. He might look small and a bit dorky, but he turns out to be a real hero.
• Krindlekrax: The scary monster living under Lizard Street. It started as a baby crocodile but grew into a fierce, fire-breathing beast.
• Wendy Splinter: Ruskin's mom. She loves toast and tea and often says "Polly Wolly Doodle all the Day!" when she gets flustered.
• Winston Splinter: Ruskin's dad. He used to be a zookeeper but was fired. He often complains and says things like "It's not my fault!" and "Don't interfere!"
• Elvis Cave: The big, loud school bully. He wears an American football outfit and breaks windows, even in his sleep! He was once Ruskin's friend but became jealous when Ruskin befriended Corky.
• Sparkey Walnut: A shy boy who wears a baseball player's outfit. He was Ruskin's friend but started following Elvis after Elvis grew taller. Sparkey always says "Yes Sir!" to Elvis.
• Corky Pigeon: An older man who used to work in the sewers. He later became the caretaker at St George's school. He loved chocolate biscuits and shared many interests with Ruskin, especially about plays.
• Mr. Lace: The school teacher. He enjoys sucking on pencils and gets very excited whenever William Shakespeare's name is mentioned.
• Dr. Flowers: A man who always has tissues in his pockets because of his hay-fever. This causes him to sneeze often.
• Mr. Flick: A smartly dressed man who owns the cinema on Lizard Street.
• Mrs. Walnut: Sparkey's mother. She owns the greengrocer's shop and always smells like potatoes.
• Mr. and Mrs. Cave: Elvis's parents. They own the Dragon and the Golden Penny pub and don't seem to do much about their son's window-smashing habit.

Stage Play Adaptation

In 2002, Philip Ridley, who is also a well-known playwright, adapted his book Krindlekrax into a stage play.

Premiere Performance

The play first opened on June 20, 2002, at The Birmingham Repertory Theatre in Birmingham. Anthony Clark directed the show.

Here were some of the actors in the original cast:

• Ruskin Splinter – Gregor Henderson-Begg
• Wendy Splinter – Maria Gough
• Winston Splinter – Jamie Newall
• Corky Pigeon – Alan Rothwell
• Elvis Cave – David Florez
• Mr Cave – Nick Stringer
• Mrs Cave – Joy Aldridge
• Sparkey Walnut – Sushil Chudasama
• Dr Flowers – John Flitcroft
• Mr Lace – David Kendall
• Mrs Walnut – Bharti Patel
• Mr Flick – Trevor Thomas

After its successful run in Birmingham, the play also moved to the Nottingham Playhouse.

Script Publication

The script for the play was published in the same year by Faber and Faber. For a while, the script was out of print. However, on September 23, 2016, Samuel French Ltd. announced that they had added 17 of Ridley's plays to their collection. This included Krindlekrax. The script has now been republished by Samuel French in an "acting edition," so it's available again for those who want to perform the play.