*Scroll down for English*
Oed darllen/reading age: 11+
Oed diddordeb/interest age: 11+
★Cymraeg gwreiddiol / Welsh Original ★
Lluniau/illustrations: Huw Richards
Wedi mwynhau Brenin y Trenyrs 1?
Ffansi clywed mwy am un o gwmnïau chwaraeon mwya’r byd?
Am wybod sut gafodd BYT cheeky snog ar fws yn Nuremberg?
Os felly... darllenwch Kaiser y Trenyrs!
Ar ôl gorffen a mwynhau’r llyfr cyntaf yn y gyfres, Brenin y Trenyrs, roeddwn i’n meddwl fod stori’r bachgen wedi darfod, a nes i ddim rhagweld sequel i ddweud y gwir. Ond, wrth i’r ail gyfrol gael ei chyhoeddi, mi oeddwn i’n fwy na bodlon i fentro unwaith eto i fyd y boi sy’n caru trenyrs mwy nag unrhyw un arall ar y blaned!
O safbwynt athro, (boring, dwi'n gwbod) dwi’n falch o weld yr ail nofel yn cael ei chyhoeddi gan ei bod hi’r math o lyfr ysgafn fydd yn apelio at fechgyn yn yr arddegau cynnar – ystod oedran lle mae ’na fylchau mawr i fod yn onest. Dwi’n clywed dro ar ôl tro am bobl ifanc (ond yn enwedig hogia) sy’n rhoi’r gorau i ddarllen tua’r oedran lle maen nhw’n symud i’r ysgol uwchradd, felly mae’n HANFODOL ein bod ni’n cadw nhw’n darllen – ac yn gwneud hynny yn y Gymraeg.
Does ’na ddim penodau yn y llyfr yma fel y cyfryw, ond yn hytrach, mae’n cael ei rannu’n bytiau manageable o dan is-benawdau doniol. Mae hyn yn beth da, achos does ’na neb yn licio penodau gwirion o hir nagoes... ddim go iawn!
Un o fy hoff olygfeydd yn y llyfr ydi’r un yn y gym. Wrth ddarllen, mi ges i fy atgoffa’n syth o fy mhrofiadau cynnar anffodus wrth fentro mewn i un am y tro cyntaf!
Yn fy achos i, pan oeddwn i’n bymtheg oed, mi fentrais i ryw gym grotty lleol efo fy mêts, a dwi’n cofio’r perchennog - hen ddyn moel, blewog mewn vest chwyslyd, yn torri gwynt gan ddatgan yn falch: “Welcome to the gym lads.” Wrth ddarllen am brofiadau’r bechgyn, dwi’n gweld eu bod hwythau hefyd yn cael profiad digon embarrassing yn y gym wrth drio peidio gadael i’r ferch ddel sy’n gweithio yna wybod eu bod nhw’n hollol ddi-glem! ’Da ni gyd wedi bod yna, trystiwch fi!
Prif ddigwyddiad y stori yw bod ein prif gymeriad (does ganddo ddim enw, caiff ei ’nabod fel BYT yn unig) yn ennill tocyn arbennig i fynd ar drip once-in-a-lifetime i bencadlys Adidas yn yr Almaen! Dim yn rhy annhebyg i stori Wily Wonka, ond yn hytrach nac afonydd o siocled a fferins, rhesi ar resi o nwyddau a threnyrs sydd i’w gweld tro ’ma! Yn ogystal chael £1000 i wario yn y siop, mae BYT yn llwyddo i gael snog bach cheeky yng nghefn y bys hefyd – swnio i mi fel gwylia’ da iawn!
Dwi’m yn teimlo mod i wedi mwynhau hon cystal â’r nofel gyntaf (ella bod angen mwy o densiwn/ high stakes yn y plot) ond mi oedd hi’n ddiddorol dysgu mwy am hanes y cwmnïau. Er enghraifft, doedd gen i ddim syniad fod ’na gymaint o gysylltiad rhwng cwmni Adidas a Puma!
Mae ’na gymaint o straeon o gwmpas am hud, lledrith a ffantasi, weithiau mae’n braf cael stori fwy real, bywyd go iawn, a dwi’n siŵr y bydd hiwmor yr awdur, sy’n amlwg yn y ’sgwennu, yn apelio at yr arddegau cynnar (12-14 oed).
Wrth i mi ’sgwennu’r adolygiad ’ma, dwi wedi bod yn edrych ar sgidia mewn tab arall ar Nike.com - ’sa well mi ei gau i lawr reit handi neu mi fyddai wedi gwario fy nghyflog ar bâr arall o drenyrs!
Did you enjoy the first book, Brenin y Trenyrs?
Fancy hearing more about one of the world's biggest sports companies?
Want to know how our guy lands himself a cheeky snog on a bus in Nuremberg?
If so... read Kaiser y Trenyrs!
After finishing and enjoying the first installment, I honestly thought the boy's story was over, and I really hadn’t anticipated a sequel if I’m being honest. However, as this second book is published, and with a third on the way, I’m more than happy to venture once again into the life of a young lad who loves trainers more than anyone else on the planet!
From a teacher's point of view (yaawn), I’m pleased to see this second novel published as it’s the kind of light-hearted book that should appeal to boys in the early teen years where, frankly, there are some big gaps. I hear time and again about young people (especially boys) who stop reading around the age when they move to secondary school, so it’s ESSENTIAL that we keep them reading – and in Welsh too.
There aren’t any chapters as such in this book, but rather, it is divided into manageable chunks or sections with amusing subheadings. This is a good thing ‘cause let’s be honest, no one’s got time for loooong chapters, right?
One of my favourite scenes in the book is the one in the gym. I was immediately reminded of my early experiences of venturing into one for the first time.
In my case, when I was fifteen, I went along with my mates to a grotty local gym, and to this day, I remember the owner - a bald, hairy meathead of a man in a sweaty vest, farting and wafting it into my face as he proudly proclaimed: "Welcome to the gym lads.” I can see that the boys in the book are having an equally embarrassing first time in the gym as they try to look cool and not let the pretty girl working there know that they have absolutely no idea what they’re doing! We’ve all been there!
The main event of the story is that our main character (he has no name, he is known only as BYT) wins a special ticket to go on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Adidas HQ in Germany! Not too dissimilar to Wily Wonka's story, but instead of rivers of chocolate and sweets, there are rows upon rows of merchandise and trainers as far as the eye can see! As well as getting a £1000 of spending money, he even manages to get a cheeky snog whilst on a bus – sounds like a good holiday to me!
I didn’t feel as though I enjoyed this one as much as the first novel but it was interesting to learn more about the history of the companies. For example, I had no idea of the connection between Adidas and Puma!
There are so many stories about magic and fantasy, sometimes it’s nice to have books that are more grounded in reality. I’m sure the author’s sense of humour, which comes across in the writing, will appeal to the early teen years.
Now, as I was writing this review, I had another tab open on Nike.com – I’d better close it down or I'll have spent this month’s wages on more trainers that I really don't need!