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Twrch sydd â phroblem digon drewllyd!
A mole with a stinky problem!
Awdur gwreiddiol/Original author: Werner Holzwarth
Arlunydd/illustrator: Wolf Erlbruch
Gwerth addysgiadol/educational value: ◉◉◎◎◎
Negeseuon positif/positive messages: ◉◎◎◎◎
Themau trist,anodd/upsetting, tough themes: ◎◎◎◎◎
Trais, ofn/violence, scary: ◎◎◎◎◎
Iaith gref/language: ◎◎◎◎◎
Rhyw/sex: ◎◎◎◎◎
Hiwmor/humour: ◉◉◉◉◉
Her darllen/reading difficulty: ◉◉◎◎◎
Dyfarniad/Rating: ★★★★★
Y llynedd, fe ddathlodd y llyfr yma 30 mlynedd ers ei gyhoeddi’n wreiddiol yn yr Almaeneg! Mae’n wir dweud fod y llyfr yma wedi datblygu i fod yn ‘ffenomenon’ ryngwladol ers hynny ac mae’r ffaith ei fod wedi gwerthu dros 3 miliwn o gopïau mewn peth wmbredd o ieithoedd yn destament i’w lwyddiant! O’r diwedd felly, yn 2020, mae ’na fersiwn Cymraeg i blant (ac oedolion) Cymru ei fwynhau hefyd!
Os ydach chi’n meddwl eich bod chi’n cael diwrnod drwg, meddyliwch am Mr Twrch druan, prif gymeriad y llyfr, sy’n deffro’n ddiseremoni i ddarganfod fod rhywun wedi gwneud pŵ - ia PŴ - ar ei ben! Mae llun y ‘pwpsyn’ ei hun mor realistig a bydd y disgrifiad o’r ‘selsigen hir, brown’ yn gwneud i chi rolio chwerthin a chrychu trwyn ar yr un pryd! ‘Delightfully disgusting’ yw’r disgrifiad Saesneg o’r llyfr – dwi’n cytuno! Ond er fod y llyfr yn trafod baw, mae o'n ei wneud o mewn ffordd sydd bron yn 'fonheddig!' Mae lluniau pensil yr arlunydd, Wolf Erlbruch yn ychwanegu at yr hiwmor, ac mae maint y llyfr a’r ’sgwennu’n addas iawn ar gyfer darllen i gynulleidfa.
Pan oeddwn i’n dysgu, dwi’n cofio’r plant yn gwirioni’n lân efo un o lyfrau lleiaf adnabyddus Roald Dahl ‘The Vicar of Nibbleswicke’ oedd yn sôn am ficer dyslecsig yn ffeindio’i hun mewn trwbl gan ei fod yn dweud geiriau'r ffordd anghywir e.e. gweiddi ar y gynulleidfa i gymryd “SIP SIP!” ….get the picture?! Beth bynnag, roedd ’na hiwmor tounge-in-cheek yn perthyn i’r llyfr, ac roedd o’r math o lyfr fysa rhai oedolion (y pennaeth, debyg) ddim yn rhy hoff i’r plant fod yn ei ddarllen! Ond hwn oedd y llyfr roedden nhw’n gofyn am gael ei ddarllen fel trît! Y math o lyfr fyddai’n codi aeliau blaenoriaid! Wel - mae Bethan Gwanas wedi addasu llyfr tebyg. Llyfr cwbl ddiniwed ond un fydd plant yn meddwl sydd dipyn yn naughty, gan ei fod yn trafod un o’r tabŵs mawr, sef arferion toiled - dyma’r UNION fath o lyfr y bydd plant ifanc yn crefu i gael ei darllen!
Dw innau fel oedolyn call a chyfrifol (yn ôl y sôn) yn edrych ymlaen at y cyfle i roi test drive iawn iddo fel stori diwedd dydd y tro nesaf fydda i’n gwneud gwaith llanw. Mae’n debyg na fydd pob oedolyn yn cytuno, ond dwi’n jest gwybod y bysa’r plant yn mynd adre’n chwerthin ac yn cofio’r stori, ac ella, jest ella, yn gofyn am gael mynd i’r siop lyfrau Gymraeg ar y penwythnos…
Hanes Mr Twrch gawn ni yma, (o ia, does ’na ddim byd yn bod efo defnyddio’r gair ‘twrch’ Bethan – mae o’n siwtio’r stori dwi’n meddwl!) ac mae o reit cheesed off i ffeindio pwps ar ei ben! Dwi wrth fy modd gyda’i wyneb wrth iddo arsylwi ‘anrhegion’ yr anifeiliaid eraill! Mae’r dewis o eiriau ar gyfer ymateb Mr Twrch yn wych – “llawn edmygedd” wrth weld ymdrechion y ceffyl!
Mae’r llyfr yma’n tapio mewn i’r “toilet humour” sydd mor ddoniol ac apelgar i blant ifanc (ac oedolion ‘anaeddfed’) ac mae’r sylw manwl sy’n cael ei roi i’r pŵ yn siŵr o fod yn destun trafod mawr wrth ddarllen. Mae gan blant rhyw ddiddordeb naturiol mewn pŵ – I mean, come on, pwy sydd ddim wedi mynd â brigyn at sbloetsh o faw gwartheg pan oedden nhw’n iau?
Mae adroddiad Rosser (2017) yn datgan fod angen mwy o hiwmor mewn llyfrau Cymraeg i blant. Hiwmor naturiol sydd ddim yn teimlo’n artiffisial neu’n ffals. Y plant eu hunain sy’n galw am hyn – a gwae i unrhyw awdur neu gyhoeddwr fyddai’n meiddio anwybyddu barn ein darllenwyr ifanc! Mae plant yn gwybod yn iawn beth sy’n gwneud stori dda, credwch chi fi!
Roedd hi mor refreshing darllen stori fer oedd yn stori ddoniol a syml. Rhywbeth ysgafn i’w fwynhau heb negeseuon moesol preachy, heb gwestiynau athronyddol dwys, jest hwyl a sbri wrth sôn am pw-pw’s! I unrhyw un sy’n anghytuno - mi fydd y plantos yn ddigon call i wybod nad ydi dial drwy wneud busnes am ben rhywun yn dderbyniol go iawn!
Dwi’n falch fod tipyn o hanes y llyfr yno hefyd; doedd dim rhaid ei gynnwys, ond mae’n ddiddorol tu hwnt. Diolch Bethan Gwanas a Gwasg Gomer am gyhoeddi’r stori yma. Mwy o straeon doniol, quirky gwreiddiol yn y Gymraeg plîs... (neu rhai diddorol o dramor!)
O.N.
Mae darllen y llyfr newydd fy atgoffa o’r ‘Caganer’ o Gatalonia, sef ffigwr bychan o ddyn ar ei gwrcwd, wrthi’n gwneud ei fusnes, sy’n addurn Nadolig traddodiadol yn yr ardal! Difyr ’te!
Last year, this book celebrated the 30th anniversary since its original publication in Germany! It is true to say that this book has since become an international phenomenon. The fact that it sold over 3 million copies in dozens of languages is testament to its success! So, finally, in 2020 we now have a Welsh language version for all to enjoy.
If you think you’re having a bad day, think of poor Mr Twrch, (Mr Mole) who is rudely awoken to discover that someone has taken a poo on his head! The poop itself is so realistic and it’s description as a long, brown sausage will have you rolling in laughter and scrunching your nose at the same time! 'Delightfully disgusting’ is the description given to this book on numerous sites, and I must agree! The artist, Wolf Erlbruch’s pencil drawings, add to the humour, and the book and text’s decent size make it well suited for reading aloud to an audience.
I remember when I was teaching, the kids were thrilled with one of Roald Dahl's lesser-known books 'The Vicar of Nibbleswicke' about a dyslexic vicar who finds himself in trouble because he blurts out words the wrong way round e.g. when he tells the congregation to “sip sip!! ".... Get the picture?! In any case, the humour of that book was risqué and tounge-in-cheek - just the kind of book some adults wouldn’t want the children to read! But it was the book they were begging for as a special treat! Well, one of our most well-known authors, Bethan Gwanas has adapted a similarly popular book that you can bet the children will be asking for again and again! A very innocent book really, but one that could be perceived as a little bit ‘naughty’ as it mentions the great taboo of poo!
Never mind the kids, I, myself as a sensible and responsible adult (supposedly) am looking forward for the opportunity to give this book a proper test drive as an end-of-day story next time I’m on a supply job! I doubt all adults would agree, but my intuition just tells me that the children will love it. I can see them now leaving the classroom in stitches. You never know, it may even inspire some of them to ask their parents to take them down to the Welsh bookshop on the weekend….
We get the story of Mr Twrch (and yes Bethan, I think the word ‘twrch’ works just fine – although, being a ‘Gog,’ I would say that!) and he’s a bit cheesed off to find someone has done their business on his head! I love the look of sheer admiration on his face as he observes the horse doing his business!
This book taps into the "toilet humour " which is so appealing to young children (and immature adults) and the close attention that is given to the poo itself is bound to be a big talking point. Children just have his innate fascination with poo – I mean, come on, who hasn’t taken a branch or a stick to a cow pat when they were younger?
The Rosser report (2017) states that more humour is needed in Welsh books for children. Natural humour that doesn't feel contrived or false. Its children themselves who are calling for this – and we mustn’t ignore our young readers! Children know very well what makes a good story, believe me!
There was something so refreshing about reading a short(ish) story, that was comical and simple and that’s it! No preachy moral messages, no profound or philosophical issues, a funny book about a mole who got pooed on! To anyone that disagrees- the little ones will surely understand that revenge via pooping on someone’s head is not really acceptable!
I'm glad that some of the book's background is included there too; it didn't have to be included, but it's interesting to read. Thank you, Bethan Gwanas and Gomer Press, publishing this story! We’d love some more original, quirky, funny stories please!!
P.S.
Reading this story just reminded me of the 'Caganer' from Catalonia, a small figure of a squatting man doing his business, which is a traditional Christmas decoration in the Catalan region! Love it!
Gwasg/publisher: Gomer
Rhyddhawyd/released: 2020
Pris: £6.99
Os wnaethoch chi fwynhau'r stori yma, dyma rhai eraill sy'n trafod 'pŵ'....
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