The Faraway Truth by Janae Marks, review by Lynda Waterhouse

First things first; what a joy it was to walk into Foyles in the Royal Festival Hall, to browse and to select a book to review. [BTW Foyles also gives 15% discount to Society of Authors’ members.]

The Faraway Truth, originally published in the United States as From the Desk of Zoe Washington, is an amazing debut from Janae Marks. It hooked me from the first sentence,

The day I turned twelve, I was certain it’d be my favourite birthday yet, but then I got the letter.’

Zoe Washington is a Black girl who lives in Boston, USA, with her Mom, her white stepdad and her dog, Butternut. Her ex-best friend, Trevor, lives next door. Zoe’s passion is baking and her dream is to enter the Kid’s Bake Challenge on the Food Network. After having an amazing birthday party making cupcakes at Ari’s Cakes, she receives the letter.

The letter is from her father, Marcus Johnson, from Massachusetts State Penitentiary where he is serving a long sentence for murder. This is the first letter she has ever received. Zoe is confused, Marcus sounds so nice and is nothing like the bad person her Mom always made him out to be. Zoe, with the support of her Grandma, begins a secret correspondence with him.

This is a funny, exciting, heart-warming story that does not shy away from racism:

‘I had no idea where the idea of Black people as thieves came from, but it wasn’t the first time something like that had happened. In fourth grade, a girl told me that I wasn’t invited to her birthday party because her parents said Black people steal. I’d said her parents didn’t know what they were talking about. After I told my mom, she stopped herself from cursing out, and said she didn’t want me going to that racist family’s house anyway.’

And so begins Zoe’s journey to discover the faraway truths of life. Do innocent people really end up in prison particularly if they are Black? Her father, Marcus is a tall, strong, dark skinned man. Zoe only has one photograph of him. She learns that like her he is huge fan of Boston Celtics basketball team, that he loves Stevie Wonder and calls her Little Tomato. He also shares her interest in cooking. He tells her that he is innocent and that he has an alibi.

Zoe begins to do some research and discovers some hard truths about the justice system in America.  She and Trevor set out to find the truth and locate a possible alibi. Their breath-taking journey across Boston literally set my heart pounding.

The writing is sublime and the characters are so well drawn and human. Mom is stubborn and has hidden previous letters but she is also funny, smart and wise. Trevor has to learn the value of true friendship. There is a great playlist to accompany the story too. Although it is set in America the themes are equally relevant to the UK.

ISBN 978-1-912626-38-0

Chickenhousebooks.com

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‘Watts Gallery Bedtime Stories’ by Olivia Armstrong, review by Lynda Waterhouse

Following a postal glitch I am unable to review a ‘paper book’, so I’m seizing this opportunity to share with you ‘The Magical and Magnificent Pattle Sisters’, a story written and performed by Olivia Armstrong as part of a series called ‘Watts Gallery Bedtime Stories’.

The Magical and Magnificent Pattle Sisters

This story has all the classic ingredients of a good bedtime story. Instead of a picture book we have a wonderful painting by GF Watts to look at and Olivia’s soothing voice. She also takes us on a wonderful journey and encourages us to step into the painting and to dream. It also makes me long for an afternoon tea of strawberries and cream!

Hearing this story also makes me want to visit The Watts Gallery which is located in Surrey. Founded in 1904 as the only gallery in the UK devoted to a single artist, Watts Gallery and Artists' Village offers a unique insight into the life and work of 'England's Michelangelo', G F Watts, and his wife, the designer and artist Mary Watts. The Artists' Village carries on the Watts' legacy of 'Art for All' with its historic and contemporary galleries, working Artist in Residence and conservation studios, and an extensive learning programme.

Olivia has been telling stories all her life and professionally for over fourteen years. She has an extensive repertoire of traditional folk tales and historical stories. She is also frequently commissioned to devise and perform site specific original stories. Like all mistresses of their craft, Olivia makes the telling of a gripping story appear effortless. Last year, I listened to her tell a story about the life of the young Leonardo Da Vinci to an equally spellbound group including people from nine months to ninety years.

Check out Olivia’s website for further details.

https://oliviaarmstrongstoryteller.com/

https://www.wattsgallery.org.uk/learn/

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Wed Wabbit by Lissa Evans review by Lynda Waterhouse

 Hello! A small gap in Awfully Big Reviews has offered me chance to re-post Lynda Waterhouse's early review of Wed Wabbit.  As Lynda says, "The writing is sublime, the characters are believable and funny, and the jeopardy real. A delight from start to finish and a book to keep and read again and again."

Wed Wabbit is a classic adventure story about friendship, danger and the terror of never being able to go home again. It combines all these classic ingredients in a fresh and funny way. I read it in one gulp and I find myself talking about it to everyone and I can’t wait to read it to a child.  

The book starts with an illustrated map of Wimbley Land, including a large library and begins with the words, ‘It was such an ordinary evening, but every detail of it would matter; every detail would become vital.’

Fidge (full name Ifhigenia) is ten and a half and she lives with her mum and her four year old sister Minnie (Minerva). Her father, a fireman, died two years ago and her sister had acquired a the maroon velvet stuffed toy, Wed Wabbit, just a week after his death. To Fidge, ‘Wed Wabbit had a horribly smug expression, like a clever child who knows he’s the teacher’s favourite and never, ever gets told off.’

Minnie’s favourite book is The Land of Wimbley Woos and she demands it to be read to her over and over again. Much to the annoyance of Fidge who finds them ‘deeply soppy.’

Graham, her precocious and irritating  cousin, proclaims, ‘My mother says that your mother says that since your father died you won’t give anyone a hug, not even her, and she thinks you’ve become emotionally stunted.’

Fidge is mean to Wed Wabbit, using him to soak up an orange juice spill and more seriously kicking him in the street and so causing Minnie to run into the road with disastrous consequences.

Minnie heads off to hospital and Fidge is packed off to stay with her Aunt and Uncle and Graham.  In a fit of rage Fidge hurls her sister’s toys including Wed Wabbit, The Wimbley story book and Eleanor Elephant down some cellar steps adding for good measure Graham’s ‘transitional object’, a plastic carrot on wheels.

A power cut and a trip on the stairs during an electrical storm sends Fidge and Graham off to Wimbley Land where they have to work together to try save the land from an evil dictator (Wed Wabbit) who is sucking all the colour and joy out of the place. They are assisted by life coach Eleanor Elephant and Doctor Carrot. Will they succeed and find their way home?

The writing is sublime, the characters are believable and funny, and the jeopardy real. A delight from start to finish and a book to keep and read again and again.

ISBN 978-1-910989-43-2

www.davidficklingbooks.com

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Charles Keeping: Londoner and Illustrator – text by Geoffrey Beare, images courtesy of the estate of the late Charles Keeping - review by Lynda Waterhouse

For once I was organised and made my first visit to the Heath Robinson Museum in Pinner on 29^th February to see the Charles Keeping: Londoner and Illustrator exhibition. I am a huge admirer of Charles Keeping’s work and was surprised to learn that this was the first solo exhibition particularly when you consider he illustrated over a hundred books and won both the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway medals.  

In hindsight it was a good move as in the light of Covid-19 as the Heath Robinson museum is now closed. So I am reviewing the exhibition catalogue. It costs £4.95 and contains thirty of Keeping’s illustrations as well as an informative text by Geoffrey Beare so is the next best thing to seeing the exhibition. The money will also support the museum.

Charles Keeping (1924-1988) was born in Lambeth and his childhood home overlooked Vauxhall market and the Schweppes bottling yard which had cart horses.

‘When it comes to my own actual work, later in life, I tend to keep within what I could see as a child. That was mainly a small garden, a fence, and a large blank wall. Against that blank wall many things took place. It was a yard which had cart horses, and I could see the vast shapes of horses moving across this wall. These very simple images attracted me.’

After the deaths of his father and his grandfather in 1934 he was mainly brought up by his grannie, mother and aunts. He left school at thirteen and went to work for Clowes the printers. During the war he worked as a telegrapher on a frigate before, after several attempts, making it into Art College. His first children’s book illustrations were for the historical novels of Rosemary Sutcliffe and Henry Treece. His approach with double page spreads and fighting across pages was seen as radical at the time. 

In a discussion in 1970 Keeping had said,

‘Many people believe that an illustration should illustrate the story. This is something I don’t really believe. I’m sick to death of the illustration that just shows an incident. It bores one doing it. I would sooner make a drawing that has an evocative mood…It’s like two jazz musicians playing together – one plays piano, the other alto sax, or one drums and another trumpet. You play as a combination.’

I thoroughly recommend a visit to this small museum and its permanent exhibition about Heath Robinson. How could you not love a place that describes itself thus?

‘The Heath Robinson Museum is for students of illustration, lovers of landscape paintings, advertising enthusiasts and academics, dads building contraptions in sheds, believers in fairies, children with time to dream, couples stuck in tiny flats, people who put holes in cheese, artificial teeth testers and anyone who’s ever held something together with a bit of string.’

You can see also Charles’ and his wife Renate’s work at the Keeping Gallery at Shortlands in Kent. Contact thekeepinggallery@icloud.com

Heath Robinson Museum, Pinner Memorial Park, West End Lane, Pinner HA5 1AE, www.heathrobinsonmuseum.org

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The Umbrella Mouse by Anna Fargher, illustrated by Sam Usher, review by Lynda Waterhouse

I have often gazed in delight and wonder into the window of the fabulous James Smith & Sons Umbrella shop in London. I even own a painting of it, so imagine my delight to discover a story that begins inside the shop and is about Pip the mouse who lives there with her family snuggled up inside the beautiful Hanway umbrella.  Pip lives there with her parents unseen by the owners but Pip has met Peter their son and he will keep silent about their presence. One day Pip hopes to travel to Gignese in Italy, her mother’s home, and where the only umbrella museum in the world is to be found.

The story is set in 1944 during the Second World War and London is facing the Blitz. The shop is bombed and poor Pip is orphaned and made homeless in one cruel fell swoop. She is saved by the wonderful search and rescue terrier dog, Dickin. Pip’s first thought is to make her way to Gignese but she finds herself involved with Noah’s Ark , a secret gang of animal resistance fighters: ‘since the first wars were fought among men , animals have been secretly helping war efforts in ways humans would never believe, even if they saw it with their own eyes.’

What a wonderful premise this is because it allows the reader to experience war in all its pain and hope, cruelty and humanity through the prism of a mouse’s perspective. The animals explain things so well.  Hans the German rat speaks about how he realised his mistake in supporting the Nazis: ‘One night when I was taking potato peelings I had stolen from the camp kitchen to give to inmates … I found Herr General and two more Goliath Rats attacking a woman too weak to move from where she lay. A deadly fury stirred in my heart and a bitter fight broke out.’

Pip travels to France where she works alongside the animals fighting with the resistance and learns whom to trust and whom to fear. She meets old friends and makes new ones. The story is full of facts and information about the Second World War which will make it a useful addition to a classroom library. Anna Fargher writes so vividly that at no time do you feel that you are being ‘given facts.’ Sam Usher’s pen and ink illustrations add energy and pace to the story whenever they appear on the page.

A heartfelt story of courage, friendship and hope, I cannot wait to read the next instalment.

ISBN 13-926-1529003970

www.panmacmillan.com

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The Land of Roar by Jenny McLachlan, illustrated by Ben Mantle, review by Lynda Waterhouse

I discovered this book in WH Smith’s at Piccadilly Station in Manchester. First I had to wade through the shelves of David Walliams and Julia Donaldson, then I had a struggle to read the title because of the large ‘3for2’ sticker obscuring it. The tag line, ‘believing is just the beginning’, intrigued me; the illustrated map of Roar with its Bad Side and gentle puns such as  Archie Playgo made me smile.  The first sentence, ’There is a wizard in Grandad’s attic’, clinched the deal and with minutes to spare I bought the book and boarded the train.

The story is told by eleven year old Arthur Trout. It is the summer holidays and twins Arthur and Rose Trout are spending it with their Grandad before they start secondary school. Arthur and Rose used to be close but Rose is changing. She is looking for new friendships and seems more interested in hanging out with 13 year old Mazen Bailey, playing on the trampoline or going to Claire’s Accessories.

Grandad offers them the use of his attic to create their own space. Arthur and Rose jump at the chance until they discover that they have to empty it first. It is crammed with their old toys including Prosecco the rocking horse and the mouldy old Z-bed that used to be the portal to the imaginary land that they created and filled with all the things they loved like mermaids and ninja wizards and all the things that they are afraid of too.

When Grandad disappears through the Z-bed Arthur and Rose returns to the Land of Roar to rescue him, they face their own fears and rediscover the power of imagination and creativity.

This is a wonderful story.  It made me smile, laugh and cry. It also has truly scary moments with sinister scarecrows and a terrifying villain called Crowky (I shudder just mentioning his name). It has all the ingredients of a classic children’s book. I hope it becomes one. It is beautifully written with a light touch and warmth that only a skilful writer can create. Ben Mantle’s illustrations are both humorous and just the right amount of scary as they flow across the pages.

A perfect read for anyone but especially for Year 6 children who have been bludgeoned by SATS preparation and are facing secondary transfer.

ISBN 978-14052-9367-9

Egmont.co.uk

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Emily Lime Librarian Detective – The Book Case by Dave Shelton, review by Lynda Waterhouse

It was the title of the book that made me buy it – who can resist a story about a librarian detective called Emily Lime and a story called The Book Case?  It was Frugal Husband who pointed out that Emily Lime is actually a palindrome.

I was also familiar with the author Dave Sheldon from his hilarious comic strip Good Dog Bad Dog in the Phoenix.

The story begins with Daphne, a girl who is desperate for something new to read, being handed a book on a train station. Daphne, after an unfortunate incident in her previous school, is on her way to St Rita’s School for Spirited Girls where Mrs Crump, the headmistress, had offered her a scholarship in recognition of Daphne’s ‘skills and abilities that would be of great use in our library’.

 The period that this novel is set in is never explicitly stated but it feel like post Second World War with its steam train and use of language and is a clear homage to St Trinian’s and Ronald Searle’s St Custards. St Rita’s is falling apart and a place full of anarchy, danger and practical jokes.  Daphne teams up with the only boy in the school, George, and the irascible Emily Lime to solve the mysteries of the bank robbery in town and a break-in at the school and uncover the villains.

The writing is fast paced and full of slapstick, deadpan and laugh out loud humour, a scary smoking nun and a stash of hidden loot. The pages are filled with black and white drawings. The plot is full of cannon ball shaped holes but as Emily Lime says – ‘The answer to any problem is always in a book.’

www.davidficklingbooks.com

ISBN978 1 910989395

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Who was Leonardo da Vinci? by Roberta Edwards, illustrated by True Kelley, reviewed by Lynda Waterhouse.

A copy of this book literally fell into my hands whilst I was running a creative writing session at The Queen’s Gallery.  I had never heard of this hugely popular American series before; I usually get my fun facts via the fabulous Horrible Histories. I have not succumbed to Netflix so was also unaware of the Headquarters of History website and programmes, http://www.whowasbookseries.com/the-who-was-show-on-netflix/, so stumbling across this book was a discovery of a whole new series.

The book was published in 2005 but in this 500^th anniversary year of his death it felt like timely to read it. It is designed for middle grade readers which is around 8-12 years.  The book is divided into eight chapters and there are over eighty black and white illustrations drawn by True Kelley dotted throughout the book. It must have felt a wee bit daunting to recreate some of Leonardo’s drawings but Kelley has captured the energy and spirit of this phenomenal artist and scientist.

Leonardo was a complicated character and his life and works are still argued about and debated by scholars and art historians. It can be overwhelming trying to get a handle on the breadth and scale of his work and Roberta Edwards approaches the challenge with clarity and a light touch. In the introduction she says,

‘By his own standards, Leonardo was a disappointment. He never reached the goals he set for himself. His greatest works were left unfinished. Nevertheless, what he did achieve in sixty-seven years still sets the standard for human excellence. It is hard to imagine someone doing better.’

As well as eight chapters the book contains a bibliography and dotted around the book are further information about such things as parchment and paper, the renaissance, and cartoons of the 1500s. I particularly liked the timeline of Leornardo’s life in contrast with a timeline of what events were also happening at the same time such as developments in science and exploration.

Notably, chapter one, entitled An Unwanted Boy, is a simple and beautifully written account of his birth and difficult childhood: ‘No-one loved the little boy. The only person who showed interest in him was an uncle named Francesco.’  Roberta has a way of dealing head on with difficulties and disappointments but also adding an upbeat and poetic ending to each chapter. It would make an interesting non-fiction bedtime read.

The final two paragraphs of the book says, ‘And so Leonardo finished out his life in France. On May 2, 1519, he died. One story says that he died in the king’s arms. Another says that his last words were about his horse statue. If only he had been able to complete it. He was buried in a chapel in Amboise. It may not be a happy ending. But it isn’t a sad one either.’

This is a gem of a book.

Who was Leonardo da Vinci published by Penguin Workshop, www.whohq.com

ISBN 978 0 44844301

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Hotel Flamingo by Alex Milway, review by Lynda Waterhouse

This illustrated first chapter book is about a young girl, Anna Dupont, who inherits a dilapidated hotel from her aunt. The Flamingo Hotel is for animals and when Anna arrives it is being run on a shoestring by T. Bear and Lemmy the lemur. Anna is fearless and sets about trying to clean and tidy up the place and return it to its former glory as ‘the sunniest hotel in town.’  The Hotel Flamingo is a place where all kinds of animals are made welcome and treated with respect, cockroaches, warthogs and all!

They recruit some more staff including Sella the giraffe maintenance officer, Hilary Hippo a cleaner with a dust allergy and Madame le Pig, the terrifying but brilliant chef. Everyone must learn to co-operate and work together with good humour to make the hotel into a success. Mrs Fragantri’s flamingo theatrical troupe join for a working holiday. She charmingly articulates one of the themes of the story,

‘‘One thing I’ve always found in this business,’ said Mrs Fragranti, gesturing flamboyantly with a wing, ‘is that you need friends to succeed. Look after your friends, darling, and your friends will look after you.’’

The gentle jeopardy is provided by Ronald Ruffian the owner of the rival Glitz Hotel who tries and fails to belittle Anna as well as get the hotel closed down. There is an undercover visit from a hotel inspector to contend with.

The book is beautifully written with a rich vocabulary and a warm, humorous tone that is a delight for a child to read alone or to have read to them. The pink and grey illustrations by Alex Milway that appear on every page reflect the fun and energy of the text.

If you study the map (I’m a sucker for maps) of Animal Boulevard you can find the exact location of the hotel as well as other delights such as Port Whisker, Tusks Cinema and the rival Glitz Hotel. There are even twenty snails to discover as well as a recipe for lettuce soup.

A delight from start to finish with another book in the series coming soon.

ISBN 978-1-84812-775-3

Published by Piccadilly Press www.piccadillypress.co.uk

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A Drowned Maiden’s Hair by Laura Amy Schlitz review by Lynda Waterhouse

On the surface this novel is a classic gothic melodrama about an orphan child, Maud, who is adopted by the three elderly Hawthorne  sisters and promised a life filled with  happiness, pretty dresses and endless books but instead finds herself becoming a ‘secret child’ forced to take part in fake séances for the rich and heartbroken.

Maud is so beguiled by Hyacinth and the attention and ‘love’ which she gives to her that she is prepared to go along with their plans. After all she has never been the good or the pretty girl. There is a moving scene when her older brother comes to see her and we discover that she was left behind at the orphanage whilst he and her pretty younger sister were adopted by the same family,

‘Hyacinth Hawthorne- she’s the one who chose me – she wanted me. ‘She threw the word at him as if it could knock him flat.

They move to Cape Calypso to reel in the wealthy Mrs Lambert who has lost her daughter Caroline who drowned. It is a stifling existence being hidden away in the cottage with only Muffet, the deaf and mute servant for company. Their friendship develops as Maud begins to teach Muffet how to read and in doing so discovers her deep intelligence. Maud also realises how callously Hyacinth treats Muffet.

Maud takes nightly walks on the beach and rides on the carousel run by the fearsome Rory Hugelick. She meets Mrs Lambert and comes to know and like her. She begins to understand the guilt and pain that she feels, and feels a prickle of conscience as she starts to dream about Caroline.

The event of the séance and its aftermath are truly shocking as Maud discovers who values her life and who does not care if she lives or dies.

The novel is beautifully written in a fast-paced clear prose that has warmth, humour and an unlaboured lyrical quality. The characters are all three dimensional and have a moral ambiguity. There are reasons why people behave the way they do. There are characters who are kind and decent such as Rory and Mrs Lambert but you have to look beyond the surface. As my mother would say ‘handsome is as handsome does.’

This is a great read with psychological depth and one of the best depictions of grooming of a vulnerable child that I have read.

IBSN 978-1-4063-5416-4

Walker Books

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The Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith, illustrations by Katz Cowley, review by Lynda Waterhouse

I first came across this story via a YouTube video of a Scottish gran, Janice Clark, reading the book amid gales of uncontrollable laughter to her slightly bemused baby grandson. Her uncontrollable delight in the language and humour of the story is so infectious that I found myself cackling along too. The warm tone of her Scottish brogue added magic to the story of a journey where we are walking the road and meeting with Wonky Donkey and discovering various aspects of his character in a riot of delightful cumulative wordplay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbsZohEMn38

I am wary of so-called internet viral sensations but something about this clip was so authentic and enchanting that I found myself sharing it with friends and bought myself a copy of the book without any pretence that it was to share with children, teachers or to review. This video was not the product of an ‘influencer’ at work or a cynical ploy to create a buzz in the marketing of a celebrity author’s book. It was pleasing to note that The Wonky Donkey overtook ‘Fear: Trump in the White House’ on the Barnes and Noble bestseller list.

The Wonky Donkey is written by New Zealander Craig Smith and illustrated by Katz Cowley and it was first published in 2009 with a modest print run. Thanks to Janice’s rendition sales are going through the roof.

 In her dedication the illustrator, Katz Cowley says,

To my precious Mum, Dad and aunt Wren ... your love support and inspiration fuels my creative journey and makes all of me smile and sing. With big-fat gratitude for keeping me tuned to the magic and humour of life.

Sharing what delights you and makes you laugh is life enhancing and helps babies and children to tune into the magic and humour of life. It highlights the importance of sharing stories.

There is even a song!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDeQT9zCvi4

I have a cherished memory of being a six-year-old and, along with the rest of the class, being delighted by our teacher’s rendition of A.A. Milne’s poem, Furry Bear, particularly the lines,

For I’d have fur boots and a brown fur wrap

And brown fur knickers and a big fur cap

We would all crack up with gales of laughter to hear our teacher say the rude word - knickers. I can still recall the delight on her face too as we begged her time and time again to read the poem to us. That Christmas I asked for a book of A.A. Milne’s poetry for Christmas so I could read the poem by myself.

Here’s hoping that this book with its humour, ‘rude’ bits and wordplay will inspire more people of all ages to read aloud to children, share the humour and magic of life, visit their public libraries and to foster a lifelong love of reading.

Heee Haww!

ISBN 978-1 407195-57-5

Scholastic  www.scholastic.co.uk

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The Knight who said ‘No!’, text by Lucy Rowland, illustrations by Kate Hindley Review by Lynda Waterhouse

Ned is the one and only child in the village. He is a little knight who likes to say ‘Yes’ and to do what he is told straight away, be it washing up, picking up cabbages or obeying orders to go indoors when the dragon arrives.

Then Ned wakes up on the morning:

‘He felt quite odd: all hot inside,

And cross from top to toe.

He shook his head from side to side

And then Ned answered…NO’

This prickly feeling lasts all day with Ned testing out the power of ‘No’ well into the night when he refuses to go inside and hide from the dragon, with surprising results.  

His friendship with the dragon helps those angry, prickly, lonely feelings to disappear for the moment. The story is not preachy but Ned learns that there is a time for ‘Yes’ and a time for ’No’ and that it is OK to have those prickly cross feelings. I also like the hint at Ned’s developing empathy when he has an inkling that the dragon might be all alone like him.

Lucy Rowland’s text is written in rhyme with a lively rhythm that children will enjoy listening to, anticipating the next line and joining in. The language is rich. This is a book to be read, re-read and enjoyed! Kate Hindley’s distinctive, colourful and bold illustrations have a vintage and folk art feel reminiscent of Pat Hutchins. They beautifully capture Ned’s world, his changing moods and his relationship with the dragon.

The book also has a QR code for a free audio reading.

Nosy Crow

ww.nosycrow.com

ISBN 978 1 78800 208 0

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Aunt Amelia by Rebecca Cobb review by Lynda Waterhouse

A few years ago I had really enjoyed reviewing Rebecca’s picture book, ‘The Something’. A heart-warming story about looking, thinking and asking questions. A book about being happy with not knowing all the answers but keeping watch anyway in the hope that something surprising will appear.

So imagine my delight when I picked up ‘Aunt Amelia’ from a bookshop located a very posh part of South London.

As soon as I walked in the shop I was greeted by the sight of a four year old who was demanding to be read a story from her parent and who was racing round the shop beside themselves with excitement. Aforementioned parent was in the phonics section selecting dreary educational books to be bought and kept for when they were on holiday.

If only I could have placed ‘Aunt Amelia’ in the little girls hands or at least read it aloud to her.

The story begins with two children who are in a bad mood because their parents are going away for a day and a night and leaving Aunt Amelia in charge. To add to their grumpiness they are told to be good. Mum and Dad leave a long list of instructions which Aunt Amelia thinks will be very useful.

 ‘Please tell the children to be careful if you go to the park.’

The rules and Aunt Amelia’s interpretation of them form the heart of the story. The list of instructions make up the text whilst the illustrations show Aunt Amelia’s anarchic response to them as she encourages the children to experiment , explore make a mess and be creative. Aunt Amelia even turns tidying up a fun game!

In a classroom context you could read the rules out without showing the children the illustrations asking them to describe what they think is happening before showing them what Aunt Amelia and the children get up to.

This is a joyful story about the importance of sometimes not playing by the rules. Definitely a must purchase for all those aunts out there.

And no-one seems to care or comment on the fact that Aunt Amelia is a crocodile!

ISBN 978 1-4472-4236-9

Macmillan Children’s Books

www.panmacmillan.com

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The Electrical Venus by Julie Mayhew; review by Lynda Waterhouse

I have not read any of Julie Mayhew’s work before and I selected this book as I was dashing to catch a train.

First of all, let me make clear that I really liked this novel. I was swept away by the muscular prose, the salty sensuality, the sharp dialogue, the clever characterisation and the philosophical exploration of the question of what love is. By nature I am a dour Northern lass not prone to gushing and have indeed, after a past review, been contacted by an author to ask me if I really liked their book because they weren’t sure. Generally if I post a review of a book it is because I like it.  

However, I have two quibbles about the Electrical Venus. The cover, which is beautifully illustrated by Suzanne Carpenter, may be too young for the content. Indeed I selected it from the 9-12 section where it had been misplaced. My second quibble is the over use of the ‘F word’ in the text. It was used too many times, was rather gratuitous and began to grate on me. The rest of the writing is sublime and I fear that this over use of one word will limit the marketing of this book which would be a shame.

The story is set in Georgian England where a group of characters are trying to scrape a living in a travelling side show. The story is told from the perspective of two characters, Mim and Alex. Their chapters are interspersed with advertising broadsides for the shows, a ballad and a newspaper article, all of which create the atmosphere of Georgian England with its preoccupation with natural philosophy and science.

Mim is the daughter of a highborn lady and a West African slave who was sold to the show as a baby. Her best friend is Alex, the one-armed boxing boy. Their lives are changed by the arrival of Dr Fox and his electrickery which transforms Mim into the star turn as the ‘Electric Venus’ where men jostle to pay a penny and receive an electrifying kiss from her lips.

But is Mim’s transformation a measure of her real worth? Is there a better future awaiting her if she can shape her own destiny?

ISBN 978-1-4714-0704-8

www.hotkeybooks.com

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Teacup House – Meet the Twitches by Hayley Scott illustrated by Pippa Curnick review by Lynda Waterhouse

As soon as I heard about the Teacup House series I was intrigued. As a child I never owned a dolls’ house but I spent all of my time creating small worlds and building Lego homes. My favourite possession was a Quality Street tin filled with miniature tea cups, food and various household items so the opportunity to meet the Twitches, four tiny toy rabbits who live inside a tea cup, was not to be missed.

The Teacup House is given to Stevie Gillespie by her Nanny Blue on the day that she is moving from her flat in a tower block to a cottage in the countryside miles away. The only good thing about moving would be that she would be living closer to her dad but Stevie is sad to leave her school, her friends and her room where she loved to watch the clouds and think.

Teacup House is not a doll’s house, rather it is home to a toy rabbit family. There is a father, mother, sister and brother rabbit, Gabriel, Bo, Silver and Fig. These toy rabbits have a secret. They come alive when Stevie isn’t looking. During the move Gabriel gets dropped in the garden and Silver has to find an ingenious way to rescue him and bring him back to Teacup House.

The story is beautifully written, well-plotted and is pitched perfectly for readers of six years upwards. The language is rich but accessible and has a lovely warmth and gentle humour that makes it ideal for reading aloud.

The author and illustrator are perfectly matched too. Hayley Scott loves tiny things and when she was little she used to make tiny furniture for fairy houses, and Pippa Curnick describes herself as a bookworm and bunny owner. Her delightful illustrations enliven every page of the book.  I loved looking at the titles of the Twitch-sized books.

I am looking forward to meeting the feisty Stevie again and seeing what adventures and scrapes she and the Twitches get into next!

ISBN 978-1-4749-2812-0

www.usborne.com/fiction

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Grandad's Secret Giant by David Litchfield review by Lynda Waterhouse

Billy is in a bit of pickle; he cannot reach to finish the mural AND he does not believe Grandad’s tall tales about the secret giant with ‘hands the size of tables, legs as long as drainpipes and feet as big as rowing boats.’  This giant is gentle, helpful and good and he spends his time helping the people of Gableview, ‘quietly and without making a fuss.’ He has even helped out Billy and Grandad as well as rescuing Murphy the dog when he got stuck on a roof.

Billy cannot understand why the giant wants to stay such a BIG secret so Grandad explains, ‘Because people are scared of things that are different….When people see the giant, they scream and run away. It makes him sad.’

When Billy does meet the giant his first reaction is to run away as fast as he can. His second reaction is not to be scared of things that are different and so he turns back. The giant is gone. Billy is sad but Grandad tells him that we all make mistakes and encourages Billy to think for himself of a way to make the giant feel better. Billy hatches a plan based on what he thinks we all need when we are upset. (You’ll have to read the story to find out the answer!).

There is a wonderful luminosity to David’s illustrations. Each page plays with light and shadow to create a magical effect. The smoke beams from chimneys like searchlights which are echoed in the shape of the giant’s feet. A giant wave rises up from a page like Hokusai’s. The town moves from a cool blue to a warm orange.

A wonderful understated story with a strong message about accepting people for who they are as well as accepting yourself.  This story explains empathy in a simple yet powerful way.

ISBN 978-1-84780-848-6

www.franceslincoln.com

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A Note Of Explanation by Vita Sackville–West illustrated by Kate Baylay. Review by Lynda Waterhouse

A Note of Explanation is being published by the Royal Collection Trust for the first time since its creation in the 1920’s in a 250 x175mm sized cloth bound edition with stunning illustrations by Kate Bayley.

The original miniature copy of this book is housed in the library of Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House at Windsor Castle. This Little Tale of Secrets and Enchantment was hand written by Vita Sackville-West and housed alongside works by Rudyard Kipling, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Joseph Conrad ,Edith Wharton and  numerous other authors in the dolls’ house library. The book plates were designed by Winnie the Pooh illustrator E.H Shepherd.

Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House is more an architectural model than child’s plaything. It was designed by the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens at the request of one of Queen Victoria’s granddaughter’s, Princess Marie Louise. She wanted to create a gift for her childhood friend Queen Mary. The house with all its miniature working models forms a perfect record of an Edwardian country house created in the aftermath of the First World War.

No dolls live inside its lavish interiors. There is a tiny doll in the nursery, a cat and a mouse in the kitchen and a snail and a bird’s nest in the garden. But in Vita Sackville-West’s story the house is inhabited by a lively inquisitive time travelling house sprite.

Prior to moving in she had waved Cinderella off to her ball and been present when the Prince kissed the Sleeping Beauty. One of her most treasured possessions was the pea which had given the Princess such a sleepless night. She has visited Scheherazade (whom she thought long-winded and a bore), Aladdin’s palace and travelled through the centuries always following the fashion of the country and the day.

Once installed in the house she makes full use of all the facilities in the house; riding up and down in the lift, bathing in the malachite bath, testing all the beds  and generally making a mess around the place.

The author Vita Sackville-West was a poet, novelist and garden designer, best known for designing the gardens of Sissinghurst Castle.  She is also known for her relationship with Virginia Woolf, and being the inspiration for her 1928 novel Orlando.  Dedicated to Sackville-West, Orlando tells the story of a fashion conscious, gender-fluid poet who lives for centuries, meeting famous historical figures along the way. Sounds familiar? Sackville-West created this story with its similar concept four years earlier.

 Kate Bayley’s beautiful art-deco style illustrations are perfect for this story reflecting the wit and playfulness of the text.

This would be a delightful story to read aloud. Children familiar with Downton Abbey or Agatha Christie dramas on television will relish the language.

ISBN 978 1 909741 52 2

Published by Royal Collection Trust

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I’m coming to Get You! By Tony Ross review by Lynda Waterhouse

After wreaking havoc on the planets of its own galaxy, a hungry monster sets off in its spaceship for a pretty blue planet called earth. A little boy called Tommy brown, who is particularly scared of monsters, is singled out for a visit………

This picture book first published in 1984 feels strangely relevant today as some of our current world leaders appear to have adopted the name calling rhetoric of the loathsome monster in the story. This monster spends his time hurtling towards tiny peaceful planets, calling out, “I’m coming to get you!” before gobbling up everything in its path and leaving planets looking like chewed up apple cores.

Tony Ross wrote the story and illustrated the text with large ink and watercolour drawings of the monster who looms large and fills every page. The accompanying text is sparse with no more than two sentences on each page but the language is rich and resonant with touches of humour, ‘It chewed up the mountains, and drank the oceans. It had jellyfish for afters.’

The monster, who is never satisfied, sets out for a planet called Earth. The monster finds little Tommy Brown on its radar and sets out to ‘get’ him. Tommy and his ever present (and expressive) teddy bear check the house and listen out for any unusual noises whilst the monster hides behind a rock and waits for the dawn. The tension builds

As morning comes and Tommy sets out happily for school the monster pounces with a large wooden stick in hand. There are no words on the final double spread for the picture tells the whole story. The monster is miniscule and the stick a mere spent matchstick!

This is a wonderful story to read aloud. Children love to feel the tension of the monster coming and then laugh at the final image. It can be used in the classroom to cover themes about space, fears and monsters. It can just be read for fun!

Published by Anderson Press www.andersonpress.co.uk

ISBN 978-1-84270-743-2

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The Secret Diary of John Drawbridge by Philip Ardagh, illustrated by Jamie Littler – review by Lynda Waterhouse

I am always surprised by the many ways that books find you and lure you into their secret worlds. This beauty came into my hands after I had read about it in a National Trust magazine. My excuse for hunting it down was for ‘research purposes’ as I was preparing for some creative writing sessions at Windsor Castle and St George’s Chapel. I already had Ewart Oakeshott’s A Knight and his Castle and several academic tomes but what I needed was a book that combined historical facts, a great character, brilliant illustrations, a cracking storyline, pathos and humour. I needed to find the Secret Diary of John Drawbridge!

John has just moved to Widemoat Castle to begin his training to become a knight. He has to start at the bottom and on his bottom ‘because training to be a page one getteth knocked over quite a bit.’ Not many people could write at the time so John is composing this diary in his head and we are all invited to become mind readers which doesn’t happen every day.

Unfortunately John’s annoying big brother, Hubert, is also at the castle. There are two other pages in training, Martin and Cadwallon, and there is Doug who ‘smelleth much of dog’ as he lives in the kennels.

This books is full of fascinating facts about the life of a page in a castle. The diary format works well as does the use of footnotes. Jamie Littler’s illustrations are a delight.  

John’s life is in danger as he races to uncover a plot to attack the castle – if you want to solve the mystery as well as learn plenty of fascinating facts whilst having a good laugh then you need to read this book.

There is now a copy lurking on a bookshelf inside Windsor Castle and I am looking forward to reading the other books in the Secret Diary series.

ISBN 978-085763-901-1

Published by Nosy Crow in partnership with the National Trust

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Vincent’s Starry Night & Other Stories – by Michael Bird illustrated by Kate Evans reviewed by Lynda Waterhouse

I discovered this book in Dulwich Art Gallery bookshop. As soon as I picked it up and held this large book in my hands I was hooked. I had to own a copy. Here were two of my favourite things, art and storytelling woven together by Kate Evans’ beautiful illustrations.

Michael Bird explains in the preface which is entitled ‘part of the magic.’

‘I wanted to tell the history of art through a series of stories. A story, even if you’ve heard it before, takes place in the here-and–now of the imagination.’

The book covers the history of art from 40,000 BC to 2014. It tells the story chronologically and is clearly laid out under headings with intriguing titles such as ‘great ambitions’ (1425-1550), ‘seeing it differently’ (1860-1900) and ‘Where It’s At’ (1950 -2014).

The range of artists covered is diverse ranging from African artists to Ai Weiwei, Monet to Muybridge to Varvara Stepanova to Ibn al-Bawwab. The book is clearly laid out and easy to navigate making it perfect to dip into. There is a glossary, a list of artworks and where to find them. There are double page maps to give you a sense of place such as New York in the 1950’s or Amsterdam in the 1600’s.

The stories have beguiling titles such as ‘The Night is Young’ (Titian), ‘Pebbles and Bombs’ (Henty Moore) and ‘Bottletop Magic’ (El Anatsui). The stories are told with warmth, humour and they reveal Michael’s vast knowledge of art history with a light but powerful touch.

Kate Evans’ watercolour illustrations have a softness and warmth that unifies the book. The subtle palette of colours that she uses throughout complement both the stories and the vast range of art works.

This book is a keeper. It is perfect for a school library or classroom or presented as a gift to treasure. The stories would also make good bedtime reading.

As Michael says, ‘I never want art to lose its strangeness. It is part of the magic.’

ISBN 978-1-78067-614-2

Laurence King Publishing

www.laurenceking.com

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