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Frank Cottrell Boyce is on Desert Island Discs

Desert Island Discs is on now and you can listen again on Friday, the 26th March in the morning. You can also listen again on BBC Radio 4. If you loved Millions, the book or the film, listen to the author and be amazed. I always knew he was catholic, had seven children, wrote children's novels and screenplays, but listening to him tell his own story is amazing. He is just so cool. Frank Cottrell Boyce you are my favourite!

Judy Jackson and Free Children's Stories

I found out about Free Children's Stories from Judy Jackson's Tumblr site. Judy Jackson has recently published a charming book that invites children into the kitchen, for a change, and has them play with food. Lookit Cookit was a book inspired by a very picky grandchild, who needed to liven up her relationship with food. Jackson has produced a glossy book with some wild and amazing photographs taken by her. The projects are fun, sometimes tasty, always engaging.

Although, I wouldn't chase after free children's stories on a regular basis, it is a handy site for travel with small kids. Unless you have a Kindle or an Ipad, you won't be finding yourself in Tanzania or Budapest with a shelf full of English language stories. Free Children's Stories would be perfect for filling in the gap. Perhaps it is addictive. I just haven't had the opportunity to find out. 

Sorry Tony, we've both made mistakes

Crocodile Tears arrived and as soon as we started reading it, I realized that I made a mistake in my last post. Of course, it was not Ark Angel, the last Anthony Horowitz , it was Snakehead. Of course, one of the kids reminded me that we listened to that one in Italy too. It was a trip we took from Rome to Naples to Pompeii and back. It had the nastiest, scariest parts of any Horowitz yet and we loved it.

Crocodile Tears starts out with a classic, jump you right into the story sort of first chapter. But one thing bugged me. I am an American living in London, surrounded by people who can name King Henry VIII's wives in their sleep. So, that is why I feel a need to mention that although I revere Horowitz as a great children's writer, he has slipped up. Ravi, the main character of the first chapter, is an Indian Engineer who wants to take his children to Disneyland in Florida. But there is no Disneyland in Florida. There is a Disneyland in California, Tokyo, Paris but there isn't one in Florida. There is a Disney World in Florida. It is no big deal and a mistake anyone could make but one his editors should have noticed. If Dan Brown had made such a mistake about a French landmark, Europeans across the globe would have kicked up a front page fuss.

So those of you who have not started to read it yet, get over the mistake now. Then when it comes to the exciting beginning, you won't be bogged down with the detail.

Once again, happy Horowitz reading.

What was Chris Wormell Thinking!

Chris Wormell is a truly gifted artist, print maker, illustrator and even writer. He wrote a great book a few years back that (we reviewed) called George and the Dragon. The title was cute and even cuter when it turned out that George was a mouse. It was one of those books where the illustrations spoke volumes but the text remained spare, clean, crisp.
So what then was Christopher thinking when he wrote the same story but not half as good called George the Dragon and the Princess? I don't know what Red Fox, the publisher was thinking. I was excited by the sequel (not as much as I am about Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider sequel but anyway) which is why the disappointment was greater.  And greater still because he is an amazing illustrator. If any of our readers can illuminate us, we would appreciate it.

 

Robert Muchamore

Robert Muchamore hardly needs another review. His nine books have sold a million copies. He has a fan club, a few websites, t-shirts, dogtags, a limited edition short book called Dark Sun that was published in honor of World Book Day (celebrated this year on 6 March 2008).
Born in 1972, he worked for many years as private detective until he sold up and started writing books. He appears to have the knack of marketing. You can visit his Cherub Campus site or so a more personal look at him, his Facebook, Bibo or MySpace sites.
    When I asked my ten year old why he is bringing novels down to breakfast, not to mention dinner, he shows me another cover. That is his way of saying, I am reading another Muchamore, don't you understand? He hasn't emerged since he discovered them. And although he likes reading, he usually waits to get into bed at night. The closest thing he gets to an explanation about why he likes them (besides the warning on the cover "this is not suitable for younger readers"), is "they are really realistic. The characters need to find a toilet in the middle of the action. Alex Rider never goes to the loo. Hermoine does but Harry never does unless he is rescuing someone.
    What is Cherub, you may ask? In WW2, there was a resistance movement set up by French civilians. They recruited children of all ages because they thought they would go unnoticed. A British spy worked with these French spy children for three years. After the war, he brought the concept to England, where it still operates.
    From a skim through the books, I have noticed that this book does not inhabit the rarefied worlds of the young James Bond or Alex Rider. (Alex goes to state school but he is never there). There are drunken and obese parents to contend with, council estates and drugs. The crimes and criminals seem absolutely believable. The  dialog seems less so. I still back the Alex Rider series, if you are reading out loud to the kids. But if they want to wrap their hands around these books, then send them to the library. They won't ask to be reread.

Eric Carle is Back

Picture this: Children's book art gains mainstream acclaim

         By     Stephanie Reitz   Associated Press Writer   /   February 21, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. -- They're not the Mona Lisa or Whistler's Mother, but images such as the Cat in the Hat, the Very Hungry Caterpillar and other icons of illustrated children's books are gaining respect in highbrow art circles.

Once seen as fun but forgettable, the genre is now being featured in mainstream museums and dissected in college art courses.

And as respect for children's book art grows, the money follows: Buyers are purchasing the illustrations as investments and philanthropists are stepping up, as in the case of the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, which recently received a $1 million gift, its largest donation since it opened in 2002.

Some experts say the reason is simple: More art lovers are recognizing that whimsy and significance aren't mutually exclusive.

"It's undervalued as an art form. The great children's book artists are drawing from art history and the trends of their times," said H. Nichols B. Clark, director of the Carle Museum, which features numerous artists and houses pieces from Carle's decades-long career, including his signature Hungry Caterpillar.

"What is especially wonderful about these illustrations is that in this art form, the playing field is leveled. Sometimes the child has more to say about the image than the adult," he said.

Money can be a touchy subject among art enthusiasts, some of whom question whether inspiration can be tarnished by commercialization.

But some experts say a sure sign of a genre's acceptance is when museums, collectors and philanthropists willingly open their wallets for it -- and that's increasingly the case with picture book art.

"You can quibble about the critical side of the art, but the market is bearing out that yes, original children's book artwork is getting out there and increasingly in demand," said Timothy Young, an author on the topic and curator of Yale's Betsy Beinecke Shirley Collection of American Children's Literature.

Illustrated children's books have long filled the bookshelves of American homes, ranging from Dorothy Kunhardt's simple "Pat the Bunny" touch-and-feel books to the "wild things" of Maurice Sendak's imagination or Leo Lionni's fanciful "Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse."

The advent of modernism in the early 1900s caused some to started viewing picture book illustrations as money-making frivolity, not serious art that could stir the soul. Art that was realistic became viewed as less important, Clark said.

Yet even as they were excluded from the mainstream, children's book illustrators often embraced the same trends as other artists, from art deco to surrealism to Warhol-style pop art.

"These artists were in touch with their peers and influenced by them, even if person 'A' was doing kids' books and person 'B' was doing adult stuff," said Young, the Yale curator. "You can often see the common influences if you compare pieces from the same period."

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Margaret Wise Brown

Margaret Wise Brown in that beautiful blonde that feature on the paper cover that wraps the hardcover version of Goodnight Moon. I pondered that photo for many years. Children's book writers never seem that glamorous. "Who could this chick be?" I wondered. I read an article about her and the information led me to a biography about her. She is fascinating. She has written far more than you can imagine. I am not going to spoil it for you here but have a dig into her website and let the journey begin there.
I bought The Important Book on a whim and was at first dismissive. But after the website's pep talk about how she is the inventor of the modern day children's book, I took another look at this zen like book. This is a book that is pointing out the main aspect of what matters in the importance of a thing. It starts with a spoon. "The importance of a spoon is that you eat with it." She then goes on to describe the spoon. But finished the description with her original point about eating with it. She treats all her subjects the same, from a daisy to the snow.
The illustration come from a different era, as the cover photo suggests. They are from a time, late 1940's when there was a colour budget. Leonard Weisgard and Margaret Wise Brown must have decided to trade some monotone pages for full on colour in others. The fonts are as inventive as any Lauren Child book of today. It won't be your child's favourite book but it should make an impression on them.

M. Sasek

Miroslav Sasek was ahead of his time. In the late 1950's when the sleepy world of children's books was  just about to wake up, Sasek cottoned on to the idea of writing guide books for children. Born in 1916, the author/illustrator, travelled the world, sketching and gathering. He began with This is Paris, then wrote This is London. He went on to write dozens of books in the series, covering major cities and countries around the world. 
    When the internet first became widely available, I rarely used it. One of the few things I was drawn to was used book sites. I went straight to www.Alibris.com because The New Yorker was advertising it and I bought two children's books. One was Play Street by Esther Wilkin (  1962 Golden Press) and the other one was This is London by M. Sasek. I have to admit that competition in those early days of the late 1990's was not fierce and I paid quite a lot for the Sasek classic. But it was worth it. My children loved it. I loved it and the funniest thing was that eventhough the book in nearly fifty years old, so much about London remains true.
    Universe Publishing is slowly re-releasing them. They have reprinted London, Ireland, Paris, New York, San Francisco and Venice. And I intend to collect the lot for a few reasons. They encapsulate a place. I read This is Paris before my recent two day trip there with my mother. I closed the book and thought, I must go to a bakery and see a dozen monuments. These books are not for young children. But for a nine year old, they would make a good quick read to help them decide what to do on vacation. For those less likely to roam, it will give them a true sense of what elements combine to create a unique location. And just like many family vacations, these books have their dry parts. It is not all jokes and fascinating facts. But while you are in This is Ireland and reading about yet, another church, the illustrations are there to peruse. He was an excellent artist. His cartoony people seem to have never left the 1950's. They have a signature style, full of expression. The books are generous in their large format, hardback state, true to the original design.

    Although I love This is London, as an ex-pat New Yorker, This is New York, is my all time favourite.

Author focus

Author Focus: Richard Scarry

ages: 1-5

Cars and Trucks and Things that Go

buy from: Amazon | Amazon UK

The Funniest Storybook Ever

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Little Counting Book

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What do People do All Day?

buy from: Amazon UK

If you didn't grow up with Richard Scarry you might not understand the Scarry power. His characters are vivid and true. Situations always go wrong and always resolve themselves somehow. Do the names Lowly worm, Huckle the cat, Sergeant Murphy, Pig Will and Pig Won't ring a bell? They are just some of the wild and crazy characters that make up the Scarry landscape.

Many of Richard Scarry's books often seem like a precursor to Dorling Kindersley photographic books that list and depicts item one after another. The difference being that the pictures are drawn and are often accompanied by an animal. In Cars and Trucks and Things that Go, alongside a station wagon and a breakdown truck is a pumpkin car and a mouse van. You will find a hammer car, a hot dog car and an ant van.

The Counting Book on the other hand has a storyline running through it and makes its way all the way to one hundred. What Do People Do All Day? spans subjects such as ordinary jobs, how is wood made, building roads, fighting fires and visiting hospitals. The subjects are discussed with accuracy, drama, trauma, character development and humour.

But to embrace the real essence of Scarry one must read his Funniest Storybook Ever. Classics such as the tale of the haunted bread, and Uncle Willie and the pirates are terrific. Children love all the adventure and misadventure.

Scarry, writing at the same time as Seuss and equally famous in the States, could not be a more different writer. They both mix fantasy with reality, Scarry nevertheless seems to take his plots from daily life. His animals are just regular folk who often experience the oddness of small town life.

Illustrator Focus: Emily Bolam

The Jumblies by Edward Lear illustrated by Emily Bolam Orchard

ages: 2-6

buy from: Amazon UK

The House that Jack Built illustrated by Emily Bolam

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Bearobics illustrated by Emily Bolam

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Creepy Crawly Caterpillar illustrated by Emily Bolam

buy from: Amazon

Far and few, far and few
Are the lands where the Jumblies live.
Their heads are green and their hands are blue
And they went to sea in a sieve.