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Archives for November 2006

Dust ‘n’ Bones

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Chris Mould

Hodder

0340893265

Oct 2006

‘In the daylight I was happy, but darkness seemed to pull a sinister cloak around my room and the uneasy feeling I had had in the beginning would not let go of me.’


Told in a frame-setting reminiscent of Chaucer’s ‘The Book of the Tales of Caunterbury’, the reader assumes the role of a stranger, lost amidst travels, aided by a black-clad figure who will tell tales to pass time along the voyage…
A decalog of ten deadly, dark ghost stories, in this volume Chris Mould has collected and retold ready for modern audiences, five tales of haunted happenings including Washington Irving’s ‘The Legend of Sleep Hollow’ and Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’, interspersed between these stories, readers are, at last, treated to five of Chris’ own chilling tales. Proving himself adeptly equal to the challenge of the chilling, readers find themselves gripped in the hands of suspense and uncertainty, unsure whether its vice-like clamp will be released or whether it will close in, ever tighter, until we are crushed to the constituents of dust and bones’
Exceptionally high production values, an astounding level of attention to detail and a beautiful lovingly packaged gift box including ghastly stickers and a gruesome skeleton to hang, make this a spook-tacularly special gift set to give to ghouls and boys aike…
Chris Mould extends the influence of his self-branded ‘consumer friendly, politically correct, grotesque’ and of things that fester and are feared in this marvellous anthology by the master of the macabre. A perfect book to read during long, cold, dark evenings’

Snail’s legs

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Damian Harvey, ill. Korky Paul

Frances Lincoln Publishers

1845071123

Sep 2006

Potential for animosity and rivalry is instantly outlined in ‘Snail’s Legs’ as Damian Harvey explains that whilst Snail was the fastest runner in the whole wood, Frog had been in his younger days’ Despite this, however, the two athletes are firm friends. Spirited, though good-humoured teasing is a benchmark of their supportive kinship.
This comfortable idyll, however, is shattered when the King’s Chef relays his need for an animal with very strong legs to help celebrate the King’s birthday. Competitive Frog is desperate to meet the King and it is agreed that a race should be held to discern the fastest runner. Subtle, analogous reference to Feudalism, power and class struggle, form the base to this competition.
In the course of the race, Snail remembers the friendship the two share and, conscious of Frog’s eagerness to meet the King, slows down allowing Frog to win. The King’s Chef escorts Frog to the palace, though Harvey describes with euphemistic abstraction how despite this visit, he never actually got to meet the King’
A heartbroken Snail resolves to wear his running hat on his back and hide his legs inside it by day. Early in the morning, however, one might just see a tiny trail left by the fastest snails as their feet polish the floor on moonlight runs.
A magical convergence, somewhere between a fable and a ‘just-so’ story, ‘Snail Legs’ is one of those rare books that leaves readers feeling privileged to have accessed a secret, hidden world of the ‘maybes’ of imagination.

Raffi’s Surprise

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Julia Hubery, ill. Mei Matsuoka

Simon and Schuster

1416903992

Sep 2006

Pastoral pleasures, long swishy grass, the sparkling stream and rustling, rippling trees are associated by Raffi racoon with his home. Out of all of these, his most treasured, and best loved surrounding is Old Father oak who emblemises the love and attachment Raffi feels for his homeland. It is amongst Old Father Oak’s branches that Raffi has learnt to climb and it is in the shade of his leaves that Raffi plays.
On the first day of Autumn Raffi awakes early to play but is distressed to see no leaves, only an ethereal, silver mist. On closer inspection he finds the leaves are still there, a single gold one drops and twirls away into the midst of the mists. Raffi chases this believing it to be a gift from Old Father Oak, but more and more begin to fall, causing Raffi concerns as to Old Father Oak’s well-being. Is he cold, or is he crying?
Raffi’s mother explains the leaves falling signals that Autumn has arrived and that winter will soon be coming. The holistic nature of the seasons for the animals is presented as leaves provide a blanket for sleep, nature’s bounty provides a feast to fatten ready for the winter sleep, acorns are hidden beneath the ground and Old Father Oak himself provides sanctuary from the snows and chills of winter, a place where the racoons are able to sleep. The racoons awake as the first tingle of spring, with all its vivid awakenings, stings through the air.
Movement and motion is beautifully realised through Mei Matsuoka’s distinctive, vivid illustrations. Old Father Oak presents as a paternalistic protector as a provider and godhead illustrated with emphatic, far-reaching scale and scope.

Measle and the Slitherghoul

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Ian Ogilvy, ill. Chris Mould

Oxford University Press

0192726153

Sep 2006

‘It was a mass of shiny, brownish-yellowish-greenish substance,a bout the size of a coffee table. It was quivering slightly, like jelly on a palte ‘ and it was moving slowly towards him.’

A sneeze, and the substance thereof, starts the fourth story featuring the hapless Measle Stubbs. The bones of this story are set some eight-hundred years ago when a precocious young wizard, Sheepshank, whilst endeavouring to bring a dead spider back to life, sneezed, and inadvertently created a ravenous monster from his mucous.
Having been safely secured in the dungeons of the Wizards’ Guild building, the creature makes an unfortunate bid for freedom and sets off on a sticky rampage. Hungry for humans, and having devoured most of Measle’s entourage of enemies and assimilated their desires and aspirations, most especiall for Measle, will our hero escape the beast’s gluttonous clutches?
Measle’s fourth outing is a characteristically, disgustingly addictive adventure told with pace and panache by Ian Ogilvy. As ever a more perfect choice of illustrator than Chris Mould could not be found for this series, his sublimely subversive illustrations breathe life, atmopshere and infinite expression to the array of situations and character studies.
The return of old adversaries and accomplices makes this a tour-de-force for those infected by Measle!

Miss Fox

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Simon Puttock, ill. Holly Swain

Frances Lincoln Publishers

1845074750

Sep 2006

Niceville is a safe haven, an idyll of neat gardens, tree lined-roads and quiet streets’ that is, until Miss Fox, substitute teacher strolls into the comfortable complacency surrounding the conurbation . Miss Fox, carries the weight of self-recommendation, her easy-going approach to education ‘ treats, eats and lazy sleeps ‘ ensures instant popularity from all of her class bar the cross, annoying and nimble Lily Lamb.
Events reach a head when Miss Fox leads the class on an expedition to a high cliff-top, whipping a napkin from her handbag she asks who wants to be eaten first. Unexercised, tired and with tardy minds the class are oblivious to the gravity of their situation and giggle Assertive as ever, Lily Lamb offers herself up, mindful of the fact she will be no sacrificial lamb to the slaughter led’ Drawing on resources of cunning, guile (and a good hearty shove!), Lily is able to escape the peril of Miss Fox.
This deliciously dark tale, illustrated throughout with a warmth and good humour by Holly Swain, has a serious warning at its heart, it cautions against those we entrust with the education and welfare of our children. A more disturbing and brooding interpretation is possible when the desires of those who are entreated with the safety and well-being of children are recounted as dangerously as here’

Little Red Train Race to the Finish

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Benedict Blathwayt

Hutchinson

0091798620

Oct 2006

Benedict Blathwayt’s popular Little Red Train returns under full steam in this latest adventure which pits the loveable locomotive against one of the new Swish Trains. Elements of the story mirror Aesop’s fable of the Hare and the Tortoise won here by a determined, hard-working engine. Character and personality are juxtaposed with the bigger, the better, the faster and the now, now, now of change and technological progress.
Boundaries are established, yet at once are constantly being transgressed in Blathwayt’s incomparable illustrations. This allows a world of possibilities to be presented. Natural and human influences exerted upon the landscape Blathwayt portrays are shown as being at once in flux and in symbiotic harmony. Industrial and urban landscapes rocket into the rural and motifs make repeated self-reference to Blathwayt’s earlier works’.
Fans and followers will discern and unravel from the panoramic pictures echoes of the blue tractor, of Tig and Tag, of Kip, Bella, Pebble and Bramble all of which combine with symphonic magnitude to a most beautifully orchestrated, highly inspiring visual masterpiece that through careful perusal cannot fail to inspire a love of life, to engender a liking for lighting and that together instil a lasting sense of liberation.

Young Dracula and Young Monsters

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Michael Lawrence

Barrington Stoke

184299445X

Sep 2006

A compendium volume of Michael Lawrence’s two books for Barrington Stoke; ‘Young Dracula’ and ‘Young Monsters’ the former of which was shot into the public consciousness as the inspiration for the series featured on Children’s BBC.
‘Young Dracula’ focuses on Wilfrid, son and heir to the infamous count himself. The story follows a ‘Prince and the Pauper’ styled mishap drawing question to the importance of child-rearing and nurture against genetic inheritance in a book that extends the Vampiric legends of Transylvania.
Expanding the above ideas of child-rearing and nurture to include formal education, ‘Young Monsters’ sees Lon packed off by his father to Dr Ffelix Ffurter’s School for Young Monsters. Lon’s unease about the institution is increased initially by the head, who quite literally is a disembodied head, and once again by the attempted application of a bolt through his neck! After successfully preventing this, Lon is befriended by another boltless pupil, Omar, together the two of them struggle to escape the notice of the pupils and teachers at Dr Ffelix Ffurter’s but for how long will they succeed and what other surprises lie in store when the school Spectre visits’?!
Characters and situations are depicted in dastardly detail by Chris Mould whose art always revels in the revolting with assured resplendence! Collaboration between Lawrence’s anarchic stories and Mould’s subversive illustrations guarantees readers fiendish fun!

The Three Legged Mummy

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Vivan French

Barrington Stoke

1842993895

Sept 2006

High-jinx immediately ensues in this story of Ancient Egypt. Attempting to evade a dare challenged to him by best friend, Bebi, Kenefer pours a horribly gelatinous medicinal compound from the roof, unfortunately saturating Nefret with said potion in so doing’
As an act of vengeance, Nefret herself sets the boys a dare, to visit the place of purification to go to Seneb’s tent and to bring back a charm of the dead. Whilst so doing, Kenefer comes across what appears to be a three legged mummy and is caught by Seneb, the austere embalmer’ Through a surprising and enlightening twist, Kenefer is able to make Seneb laugh and therefore is able to attain the charm of the dead he sough.
An addition to Barrington Stoke’s ‘FYI’ series, ‘The Three Legged Mummy’ provides insight and understanding about the culture, and sociology of Ancient Egypt. An invaluable aid to all with an interest in Ancient Egypt, particularly those studying the subject under the Key Stage Two National Curriculum.

Purple Class and the Flying Spider

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Sean Taylor

Frances Lincoln

1845076273

Oct 2006

A welcome return of the zealous and zany pupils that together constitute the chaos that is’ Purple Class! The four stories in this latest volume see the class battle against the eponymous flying spider, see Leon manage to misplace thirty violins (much to the consternation of Mrs Powell), sees the loss of the class guinea-pig and the discovery of suspected munitions in the class’s new vegetable patch!
Worthy of particular mention is ‘Goodbye Joyce’ where the escape of the class guinea-pig is sensitively and, in parts, hilariously juxtaposed with the decease of much loved dinnerlady Joyce. The story succeeds in embracing life ‘ and freedom! ‘ whilst at once grieving absence and loss.
Malapropisms and mishaps abound in these genuine, laugh-out-loud, short stories set in the modern multicultural classroom. Let’s hope another school outing is allowed for the irrepressible Purple Class!

Story Cat

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Julia Jarman

Educational Printing Services Ltd

1904904939

Sep 2006

Arthur the canine author is candid as to where his strengths and weaknesses as a writer lie. He has the ability to come up with beginnings but is unsure as to how best to develop these adequately in crafting a story to suspend the disbelief and make dance, the imagination of readers.
Arthur’s malaise is aided at midnight by the appearance of Story Cat, an intrepid feline with a feel for what works best in books and in stories. Conversation between Story Cat and Arthur outline the key factors in crafting a story; the plot, settings, suspense, characterisation whilst simultaneously applying these to the meta-narrative of Arthur’s own story.
This book is a powerful force against the paralysis blank pages can induce upon creativity. The story brilliantly architects the creative process that Julia Jarman here makes available to young readers and potential young writers… In all senses, an empowering book.