Book Review - Binny for Short by Hilary McKay

Until 'Binny for Short', I had never read anything by Hilary McKay at all and had not imagined her stories would appeal to me. But the artwork on the cover of this, her latest book, assured me that it should be my cup of tea and I was not disappointed. I love this book , perhaps beyond all others I have ever read, and it has made me look again at her other titles in my hunger to immerse myself in her beautiful, clever writing again.

Reading this book has been a thorough joy. I raced through it over a weekend, grabbing chunks of it as and when. I have been tittering away merrily at it's quirky expressiveness and have fallen in love with the people within it. The kind of books that make me happy are those that touch your heart but inject a healthy dose of humour and charm. This book is a shining example of those qualities.

I do not feel I should tell you anything much about the story, as it unfolds to those who read it. The picture below will show you the blurb from the publisher and give you an idea of what the story contains. 

But I will tell you that it very cleverly and neatly uses flashback to lead the reader through a series of events. I hadn't even realised what Hilary was doing til I was nearly halfway through the book; all the goings-on washed over me so effortlessly. 

Put simply, this is a very special book. It is a piece of written art and genius. It is intriguing, delicious, hug-somebody-tight endearing, funny and just so jolly brilliant. 

The physical book itself is very gorgeous, airy and fresh like the seaside town the story is set in, and with an enticing set of endpapers that feature what all good books should have: a map! Although the book appears dense, the pages are generously thick and the type is spaciously laid out, making the reading experience comfortable and luxurious.

This story is pitched at pre-teens, and is a delightful level of storytelling. It is real, it has depth, but it is free from the rubbish you get in most adult and many teen novels.  It is complex enough to keep an adult enthralled yet safe enough for a child to enjoy. 

I am just so pleased that there are writers producing magic like this for me and others to enjoy. I hope you'll go in search of a copy of this book and experience it for yourself. 


 

Illustrator Alert - Sarah Warburton

I love finding brilliant books by super talented authors and illustrators that I've never heard of before. And new publishers too. 

This week I seem to have unearthed a wealth of scrumptious books at the library and just have to share the loveliness. However, there is far too much goodness to convey in just one blog post so I will be bringing you a plethora of

perfectly precious publications over the next few days and weeks. 


I must thank our stock managers in Library HQ office-land who have been distributing all these shiny new books to the libraries in Devon, and for the waves of fresh titles washing over me in our regular deliveries. 

Today I bring to you this delightful package of pinkness: The Princess and the Peas. 

Written by Caryl Hart. 
Illustrated by Sarah Warburton.
And published by Nosy Crow.

Nosy Crow are a young, smallish, independent Children's publishers. And one that is definitely moving with the times, developing their own range of apps for little kids, alongside their wide range of children's fiction. I discovered them somehow the other day and have since submitted a bunch of my own picture book stories to them. But that is by the by, the point is, HERE is a book worth looking at. 

It's gorgeous, long, and rhyming, with a sweet, funny story and so much to look at. The front cover is very gorgeous; barbie pink with lush green peas weaving their curly tendrils over the surface, embellished with shiny shiny metallic green leaf.  Beautiful, hand-drawn lettering and a cute little girly skipping merrily across, ready to dive into the book and draw you through it's story. 

 

The green endpapers covered in little white doodles and the publication page would almost be enough on their own but they are just a fraction of the brilliance of this generously illustrated book. 

I would like to coin some new words to describe how much I enjoy looking at a beautiful drawing, that fully expresses the gazing delight of it all. I know there are a lot of excellent words in the English language but many of them are just not the right ones. Basically, I really really like Sarah Warburton's drawings. I like the fresh, relaxed nature of them. The believability of the characters and the liveliness of lines; imperfect and scrawly, yet ever so correct.

I also really admire her use of strong colour. It is luminous and strong but never garish. 

The story of Lily-Rose-May is enhanced by the injection of a very succinct version of the fairy tale Princess and the Pea, depicted in almost monochrome greys and yellows. Caryl Hart's lively story rhymes with an easy flow, creating a jaunty ryhthm, moving you ever onwards through the book.

 


This version of events tells of the effect of Lily-Rose May's Daddy giving her peas for dinner one day:

When Lily-Rose May found the peas on her plate

She worked herself into a terrible state.

"But, darling," said Dad, "can't you manage a few?

They're ever so tiny and so good for you."

When the Doctor is called he explains that with her prettiness and politeness, and her clear allergy for peas, she must be a Princess, as all princesses are allergic to peas. 

"With all things considered, I have to assess

This disease has no cure! The girl's a princess."

"You have to be joking!" her father explained.

"She's a princess all right," the doctor explained. 

And to prove it, he told them a terrible tale ... 

His prescribed treatment for Lily's intolerance of peas is to go and live the life of a princess, in the palace . Although this comes with the luxury of a huge princessy bedroom, a sparky tiara and an extensive wardrobe, it is accompanied by dull duties, such as hours of smiling and waving each day, and practising being very Royal. We soon see that Lily is prepared to compromise in order to live her normal life again. 

This is a fantastic story for ages 5 and up, nice and long for those wanting a classy bedtime story, and warrants many re-readings to appreciate the details in the pictures and the fullness of the words. 

PS: Now that I follow the link to read more about Caryl Hart, it is no surprise that I love her writing. She has also written Whiffy Wilson, a completely genius tale about the need to wash. I cannot praise this book enough. I do not believe myself to be exaggerating when I say EVERYONE will love it. It is that good. Personal Hygeine has never been so funny or so cleverly written about. And the drawings by Leonie Lord are scruffily delicious. This could go on forever though, following the bookish trail from one genius writer to another talented artist. Read them! Read them all. Even if you don't have kids. It's alright. 

   

The Children's Bookshow and Me

Through a series of unexpected and delightful developments I am thrilled to be volunteering with The Children's Bookshow.

This wonderful organisation recently allowed Cullompton Library to host a rather magnificent visit from renowned author and illustrator Alexis Deacon. There is so much I could tell you about the brilliance of this event but I will keep it simple. Lots and lots of kids from local primary schools. Packed in to our lovely library. Entertained and inspired by the hugely talented Alexis Deacon. Delighted by his books. Resounding success. Everyone happy. Big smiles on my face.

Basically, making kids happy with books is one of the most lovely things you could be paid to do. Encouraging their reading skills and confidence is so important, and how much easier is this when they have something tangible and fun to bring this process alive. 

Devon Libraries was superbly priveliged this spring to be one of only two areas in England who were given the opportunity to put on some free Author/Illustrator sessions for children.

 

This is a pilot scheme, in celebration with World Book Day, where the Children's Bookshow collaborated with Bounce to provide a tour showcasing the very best of children's writers and illustrators.  http://www.thechildrensbookshow.com/bounceintolibraries/index.html

My ears pricked up at this news, and positively flapped when I heard which author we were allocated. It was just such a gift. We are still reaping the rewards of such an extraordinary experience. Our relationship, as a library, with the local schools is being forged and nurtured to allow further cooperation in the future. We are merrily planning visits to schools, drawing competitions, class visits and a whole lot more in the pipeline. 

Alexis' visit really sparked something and I am thrilled to have been there when things ignited, and to be a part of keeping the fire alive within our precious community, under my role within the library. 

And now, as an amazing bonus, I will be helping out a little with the work of the Children's Bookshow. It is early days but I am so stoked to be involved. The organisation conceives and facilitates some very special events at Theatres around England, every autumn. Schools are invited to attend, and additional workshops are run within individual schools. The people behind the scenes are passionate about promoting the work of talented and unique storytellers and artists, and are devoted to introducing children to these inspiring people and their brilliant books. 

I am learning a huge deal about the many and varied organisations out there who do such a lot to get kids hooked on reading at an early age. 

Sarah Clarke and Alexis Deacon Cullompton Library, March 2013.

I believe every job in the world has bits about it that are irksome, even if you love your work and don't want to be doing anything else. I am so grateful that in my job I am able to link in passions of my own, that either encourage, inpsire, or facilitate a child to enjoy a good story. And in so doing, equip them for life, even if only in a very small and unquantifiable way that I may never see. 

 


Thank God for books, and for people who make brilliant ones.

Illustrator Alert - Heath McKenzie

I have just found a scrumptious new illustrator, and wanted to share the excitement. The lovely thing about books is, you never know when a really enticing one is going to jump up and grab your nose, or rather catch your eye.

When you're in a bookshop you're fairly well guaranteed that a book will pop out at you, but you just don't know what.

This one popped out of a shelf in an excellent book store in St Ives, Cornwall. It was all fresh and beautiful and could not be ignored. I didn't know the book, or the people who had created it; written by Alison Reynolds and illustrated by Heath McKenzie. I bought it all up with my pocket money and thoroughly enjoyed gazing at the lovely pictures inside. It is a very sweet story of a girl who reluctantly agrees to look after a friend's cat. I love the simple bright colours that tell us the seasons, and the gorgeous black flowing lines that make up the shapes of the trees and surrounding objects. 

Beautiful.

Then the other day in the library when I was hunting through the shelves for a shy copy of 

Pippi Longstocking, out pops this little stunner. 

It is a perfect little package of brilliance. The design is delicious, the illustrations are inspired and the writing is wonderful. Simple but expressive, succinct yet quirky. I love the way it teaches a valuable lesson about life in the form of a fun story.  The chapters are bite-size, so perfect for building confidence in newly independent readers.

A prim little girl named Lily is in obvious need of letting her hair down. Literally as well as figuratively. 

When Pop Hooper's absurdly long truck and trailers pull up in Lily's town, full of all sorts of animals, Lily can't help but be drawn in by the hope it might contain an elusive 'perfect kitten'. 


Where did this mysterious Pop Hooper come from and where is he going next? Nobody knows, but he does promise to provide the perfect pet for everyone. However, what he has in mind for Lily certainly doesn't match her expectation. But the scruffy little moglet he asks her to babysit while he sources her perfect, pristine kitty is more suited to her than she could imagine. With her strict tidiness and ballet attitude she's in need of a bit of a mess-up. 

Clearly, this magical Pop Hooper knows best and has a perfect plan to help every child he meets to find a lovely animal companion, whilst also sorting out their life for them. Cunning and creative, he meets the needs of these little people with big problems. 

The other books in the series are: 

New Stockist - Hudson Art Gallery, St Ives.

I am thrilled to have discovered a rather marvellous gallery shop in the gorgeous St Ives in Cornwall, while we were on holiday in Mousehole in March.
I'm delighted that they are now stocking my animal cards which is wonderful, as they are my first venue in Cornwall.

hudsonart.co.uk

As you can gather from the photos above, it is a beautiful space filled with intriguing and delectable things, including crockery, decorations, bags, art, cards, knickknacks and more. I love the bright, airy feel and the view from the window to the turquoise ocean beyond. 

If you are ever passing this way, do pop in, not just for my cards, obviously, but for all that you will enjoy discovering.

Hudson Art Gallery is situated on the lovely, curving, sloping High Street in a very special town, in the cosy toe of the county, well worth the extra few miles to explore some truly exquisite places. As the county is so narrow at this point it doesn't take long to get from the south coast to the north, and flitting between the two is easy and rather fun. St Ives itself really requires at least a whole day to lap up its wonders, but preferably more if you don't want to hurry. I believe it contains every possible feature a seaside town requires, from rockpools and golden sandy beaches to rocky outcrops to scramble upon; a steep green windwsept hillside with a tiny chapel, a sprawling harbour wall to mosey along, seabirds to watch, superb food outlets, lovely independent shops and of course, the wide open ocean to gaze upon. Do go and discover it for yourself, preferably out of school holidays so you can see past all the Grockles and move freely. I can't believe I'd left it this long to pay it a proper visit. I had no idea it was as darling as all this.



View Greetings Card Map in a larger map

A New Leaf - Supporting our Independent Book Shops.

I know, you're already expecting me to climb on my high horse to deliver a bit of a preach, eh? Well you'd be right, although I am not going to rant. I would prefer to inspire you rather than tell you off. 

My thoughts and actions regarding buying books have been a bit mixed and unreliable in the last few years, I must admit. Obviously, I love to buy books. I love to buy as many as I am allowed. And yes, they are almost always children's books. Because most of the best books in the published world are aimed at children, IMHO. I buy picture books to gaze at the gorgeous and hugely varying artwork, and to be inspired by other artists' use of colour, shadow, perspective, characterisation, the lot. And I buy junior or teen fiction to enjoy the wonderful, absorbing stories that have been weaved together by rather inventive clever people.

And where do I buy these little gems. Well (GULP, blush) ... Amazon. Yes, I know. 

I am ashamed to confess how much I have relied upon the internet to provide me with my book choices. I have been completely swayed by the temptation of cheap, fast books. And sometimes, they are CRAZILY cheap. I think everyone knows that you rarely have to pay the RRP online. You feel you are almost getting something for nothing, especially with free postage. The discount is ridiculous. 

But, on a recent holiday, I was given a wakeup call. Not by anyone in particular, just my realisation of my own actions. 

We discovered the many delights of St Ives in Cornwall, and among the cobbled streets we found a truly delicious book shop. It is the St Ives Bookseller and is a very very good example of what a proper, independent bookshop should be. It is not huge but for its square footage it packs in an impressive array of books in all genres, displayed beautifully, clearly and enticingly.

Who wouldn't want to delve into this table top display?

None of the "stack 'em high" mentality of chain bookstores. I love the fact that in most cases, there was only one copy of each title on the shelves. A few bestsellers were piled with a face-out copy on top, but it was not overdone. It meant that each book looks special and rare; a treasure waiting to be discovered. 

The reward of visiting a real bookshop instead of clicking around on the internet, is that you will discover more intriguing books because they are all right there, literally at your fingertips. Although online it is easy to search by title and author if you are looking for something specific, you could never get a successful result by typing in, for example, "something whimsical and sweet" or "a new illustrator I've never yet encountered but who could be totally awesome."  But take a few moments to peruse the books on the shelves in a bookshop and you will be in constant delight at the discoveries you will make.

This visit reminded me of another holiday, a couple of years ago, in the Wye Valley, when we found a very lovely bookshop in Ross on Wye called Rossiter Books.

It was right in the centre of a gorgeous town, close to the old Corn Exchange, and the shop was filled with light and lined with beautiful books. I bought a brand new shiny book of poems and as I carried it along in its crisp paper bag I felt very rich. The time in the shop, browsing and picking up interesting possibilities, was both relaxing and riveting. You may think you are aware of all the lastest books but until you walk into a real, live shop you are living only a half-life in the world of books. Despite working in a library and having an avid interest in books I was ashamed at all I had missed by not going into bookshops often. Bookshops are still THE best place to discover new books. I know you can read books for free from a library, or you can download them cheaply onto ereaders and order them for a pittance to arrive at your door. But if this is all you ever do, you will be the poorer for it. When you are thinking of giving a book as a present, please rethink your habits and make the effort to go and buy one in a lovely bookshop. If you don't have one in your town, when you are off on an excursion or on holiday, consider buying something for a present later in the year. I love having gifts squirreled away.

You would be right to think I'm in Cloud Cuckoo Land if I was to suggest that everyone just ALWAYS buys ALL their books from bookshops instead of the internet. I don't think any of us have the budgets to buy full price books willy nillly, any day of the week. But I do believe we ALL have the responsibilty to keep shops open that we would be sorry to lose. Make a compromise, buy from an Indie shop every now and then, build it into your budget if it helps. I know I can't go and blow all our earnings on a hundred books every month but I do know that I can make a considered choice on a book or two every now and then. And although I may have a hefty wishlist on Amazon, perhaps I can just keep that as predominantly an online notebook, to remind me of what I'd like to buy when I can, from a bookshop. Perhaps I could ask family and friends, if they want to buy me a book for my birthday or for Christmas, that instead of buying me a whole heap cheaply, maybe one or two that are a bit more pricey. Because, to be frank, where did we all get this idea that we can have whatever we want, whenever we want it, at no price to ourselves. Yes, it costs to purchase things from an independent store. But if we don't buy there, the cost to the nation, the cost to our city or town, is that there is no bookshop there in the future. If regret it then and wish it was there, that'll be too late. The time to support them is now. Not on your own, obviously. Spread the word. Everyone can afford to buy independently, sometimes. Please, don't let them all disappear.

If you have an independent bookshop in your town, you are very blessed. Many towns do not. I don't have one nearby, so these holiday shopping sprees are even more special. 

This gorgeous shop in Grasmere is another example of perfection - Sam Read Books.

When you consider the price of a book and think it's not worth it, do think about what goes into each neat and perfectly trimmed book you see on the shelves. The time and efforts of the author and illustrator to create it in the first place, the countless hours of their editorial team to perfect it, the marketing team who work tirelessly to get the book known, not to mention the cost of their materials and advertising, the designers and printers, the distributors, and finally the brave and risk-taking bookseller who puts it on their shelf in the anticipation that someone is going to want to read it. Someone who is willing to pay a little more for a piece of art that will be theirs forever. Will that someone be you? I hope that, every now and then, it will be. 

Enjoy browsing. :)

Here are a few other lovely independent Bookshops I have come across in my travels. If you are ever pootling round England in need of a book, bear them in mind. 

http://www.yellow-lightedbookshop.co.uk/ in Tetbury, Cotswolds.

http://www.madhatterbooks.co.uk/ in Burford, Cotswolds.

http://samreadbooks.co.uk/ Grasmere, Cumbria.

Family Favourites

One thing I love about books is that they can be so personal, especially if you have known them all your life.

Those books that have been lovingly read to you, night after night, as you and your little wiggly toes grew. Those books that you greeted as old friends at bedtimes, that held a special place in your world, that you weren't even aware of. They were just there, always.

For me, one of these books is 'Susie at Home' by Joan G Robinson. It is a dear old friend.

 






Despite the fact it is about a little girl with the same name as me, and appealed more to me than my brother, and was read countless times to just me, I have never considered it MY book. It was part of home. It lived on a particular section of a white-painted bookcase at the top of our stairs, always there ready to slide out for story time. It was so much a part of the house I grew up in that I was delightfully and incredibly surprised when my darling Mum handed it to me the other day, and said, almost casually, "Oh, do you want this Susie?" It was like being given an incredibly precious piece of jewellery.

I almost couldn't believe it. But now, this wonderful, slim, little brown book sits upon my bookshelf. And I am so very glad to be able to see it whenever I like.

Susie at Home is a collection of a few short stories, a chapter for each little happening, about a sweet little Susie. She lives with her Mummy and her Daddy in a world that no longer exists, in the 1950s. Our copy is a first edition of 1953. Susie's dearest, most special, doll is named Semolina and she has a lovely collection of teddies and other baby dolls for whom she makes mud pie tea parties and takes them all out in her little hooded pram all at once. I love the fact that the old and worn Semolina steals Susie's heart, even over her posh, impressive doll Margaret, because she is soft and comfy.

It is hard to fully convey the charm that pervades all of these stories. They are full of goodness and every small thing is done just so; very properly, and with good manners, and   with pure delight.  From buying new shoes, to clearing out the attic and making a costume out of an old lampshade and a faded curtain, Susie has such fun and makes everything an adventure. One of my favourite stories is about Daddy being left in charge, which, in this era, is a far bigger deal than nowadays.

While her Mummy is out helping Granny put up new curtains, Susie spends the whole afternoon with her Daddy; painting a gate and picking and arranging flowers in vases. Daddy gives Susie her tea and, as a special surprise for Mummy, Susie has her bath early and gets into her pyjamas before Daddy buttons her clothes back on over the top. When Mummy returns home, tired, ready to put Susie to bed she is pleasantly surprised to find everything done, leaving time for a bit of quality cuddling and a puddingy treat she has brought home with her. 

The word "nice" does crop up very frequently but what's wrong with that, honestly? It's a lovely word!

The book contains some lovely line drawings, which are very similar in style to the current  Belle and Boo illustrations.  I love Susie's dinky little nose and hair-clip and big buckle-shoes. There is no colour but at some moment which I do not recall I seem to have amended this and coloured in several little details in bright red. I think it looks quite stylish.  Also, Susie spells her name the way I consider to be correct, like mine, with an "S-I-E", which as a child, always made me very glad.