My 12 in 12 in 2016...

As the end of my reading year approaches these are

my much anticipated

12 in 12

Twelve authors who were new to me:

1. Eve Chase - Black Rabbit Hall
2. David Hewson - Little Sister
3. Kate Ryder - The Forgotten Promise
4. Carys Bray - The Museum of You
5. Ariella Cohen - Sweet Breath of Memory
6. Tanya Bullock - Homecoming
7. Julie Haeberlin - Black Eyed Susans
8. Ros Rendle - Flowers of Flanders
9. Colette Dartford - Learning to speak American
10. Susie Steiner - Missing Presumed
11. Anna Mazzola - The Unseeing
12. Ada Bright and Cass Grafton - The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen

Twelve authors I have read before:

1. Susanna Kearsley - A Dangerous Fortune 
2. Lesley Pearse - Dead to Me 
3. Debbie Johnson - Summer at the Cupcake Cafe 
4. Giselle Green - Dear Dad 
5. Guy Fraser Sampson - Death in Profile 
6. Catherine Law - Map of Stars 
7. Elizabeth Harris -The Quiet Earth 
8. David Churchill - Leopards of Normandy :Duke 
9. Beatriz Williams -A Certain Age 
10. Salley Vickers - Cousins 
11. Tasmina Perry -The House on Sunset Lake 
12. Amy and Sarah Beeson - Our Country Nurse 

Twelve books from authors I know will never let me down:

1. Jan Ruth - Palomino Sky
2. Liza Perrat- Blood Rose Angel
3. Helen Hollick - On the Account
4. Susan Grossey -Worm in the Blossom
5. Kimberly Chambers -Tainted Love
6. Hannah Fielding - Legacy
7. Diana Gabaldon - Virgins
8. Hazel Gaynor - The Girl at the Savoy
9. Nora Roberts - The Obsession
10. Rosanna Ley -The Last Dance in Havana
11. M J Arlidge - Doll's House
12. Anne O'Brien - The Queen's Choice

Twelve books from debut authors:

1. Nicola Pryce - Pengelly's Daughter
2. Katy Hogan - Out of the Darkness 
3. Sara Bailey - Dark Water 
4. Holly Seddon - Try Not to Breathe 
5. Laura Wilkinson - Redemption Song 
6. GD Harper - Love's Long Road 
7. Deborah Bee - The Last Thing I Remember 
8. S E Lynes - Valentina 
9. Jacqueline Ward - Random Acts of Unkindness 
10. Learning to Fly - Jane Lambert 
11. My Sister's Bones - Nuala Ellwood 
12. Holding - Graham Norton

Twelve books that took me by the hand and led me into the past:

1. Cleopatra's Shadow - Emily Holeman 
2. Blood and Roses - Catherine Hokin 
3. The Butcher's Hook - Janet Ellis 
4. Charlatan -Kate Braithwaite 
5. Versailles -Elizabeth Massie 
6. The Constant Queen - Joanna Courtney 
7. The Plague Charmer - Karen Maitland 
8. The Shadow of the Storm - Anna Belfrage 
9. The Tudor Queens: Katherine of Aragon - Alison Weir 
10. The Sun Will Always Shine - John R. McKay 
11. 1066: What Fates Impose - GK Holloway 
12. First of the Tudors -Joanna Hickson

Twelve books that led me into the world of crime and psychological suspense:

1. Night Blind - Ragnar Jonasson 
2. Spare me the Truth- C J Carver 
3. In a Dark Dark Wood - Ruth Ware 
4. Willow Walk - S J I Holliday 
5. The Coffin Road - Peter May 
6. The Widow - Fiona Barton 
7. The Woman in Blue- Elly Griffiths 
8. The Good Mother - A L Bird 
9. Siren - Anne Marie Neary 
10. Fire Damage - Kate Medina 
11. Silent Scream - Angela Marsona 
12. After Anna - Alex Lake 

Twelve Books that surprised me.....in a good way:

1. All Things Cease to Appear - Elizabeth Brundage 
2. What a Way to Go - Julia Forster 
3. Viral - Helen Fitzgerald 
4. Sandands -Rosy Thornton 
5. Paradise Lodge-Nina Stibbe 
6. The Wonder - Emma Donoghue 
7. The Last of Us -Rob Ewing 
8. Hester and Harriet -Hilary Spiers 
9. The Chimes - Anna Smaill 
10. Girl Waits with Gun - Amy Stewart 
11. There is Always More to Say - Lynda Young Spiro 
12. Bertie's Gift - Hannah Coates

Twelve books from my Non-Fiction Shelf:

1. The Ultimate Hall of Fame - Classic Fm
2. The Ludicrous Laws of Old London -Nigel Cawthorne
3. Margaret Beaufort -Elizabeth Norton
4. Mozart - John Suchet
5. Foxes Unearthed - Lucy Jones
6. The Witches - Staci Schiff
7. The English Daughter - Maggie Wadey
8. Winter -edited Melissa Harrison
9. The Dark Side of East London - David Charnick
10. The Accidental Dictionary -Paul Anthony Jones
11. 1342 Facts to leave you flabbergasted - The QI Team
12. Oranges and Lemons - Karen Dolby

Twelve Books I borrowed from a library:

1. The Primrose Path -Rebecca Griffiths 
2. You and Me, Always - Jill Mansell 
3. The House on Belleview Gardens - Rachel Hore 
4. The Finding of Martha Lost - Caroline Wallace 
5. River of Souls -Kate Rhodes 
6. Forget Me Not - Luana Lewis 
7. The Anchoress- Robyn Cadwallader 
8. The Swimming Pool- Louise Candlish 
9. The Lie - CL Taylor 
10. Pretty Girls - Karin Slaughter 
11. Three Sisters, Three Queens -Philippa Gregory 
12. Ashes of London - Andrew Taylor

Twelve Books for Children and Young Adults:

1. The Fox and the Star - Coralie Bickford-Smith
2. Spirit of the Highway - Deborah Swift 
3. Children of the Chieftain : Banished - Michael Wills
4. The Bears Famous Invasion of Sicily - Dino Buzzati
5. The Story of the Seagull and the Cat who taught her to fly -Luis Sepúlveda
6. The Jungle Books - Rudyard Kipling
7. Belle and Sebastien - Cecile Aubrey
8. The Horror Handbook - Paul Van Loon and Axel Scheffler
9. Able SeaCat Simon - Lynne Barrett-Lee
10. The Tale of Kitty in Boots - Beatrix Potter
11. The Girl Who Saved Christmas - Matt Haig
12. What Katy Did - Susan Coolidge

Twelve books I would like to see made into a movie:

1. My Husband's Wife - Jane Corry
2. Carrying Albert Home - Homer Hickam
3. The Midnight Watch - David Dyer
4. Watching Edie - Camilla Way
5. Hope Farm - Peggy Frew
6. The Protector - Jodie Ellen Malpass
7. A Life Without You - Katie Marsh
8. Despite the Falling Snow -Shamim Sarif
9. The Missing -C L Taylor
10. Beneath the Surface -Heidi Perks
11. The Fire Child - S K Tremayne
12. The Last Continent -Midge Raymond

Twelve books already on the tbr which are to be published in 2017:

1. The House of New Beginnings - Lucy Diamond ( Macmillan)
2. The Great and The Good-Michel Deon (Gallic Books)
3. Corpus -Rory Clements (Zaffre)
4. Songs from the Violet Cafe - Fiona Kidman (Aardvark Bureau)
5. Relativity - Antonia Hayes (Corsair)
6. The Bone Field -Simon Kernick (Century)
7. The Watcher -Ross Armstrong (Harlequin Mira)
8. Deep Down Dead -Steph Broadhurst (Orenda)
9. Behind her Eyes- Sarah Pinborough (Harper)
10. The Keeper of Lost Things - Ruth Hogan (Two Roads)
11. The Witchfinder's Sister -Beth Underwood (Penguin Viking)
12. The Tudor Queens : Anne Boleyn - Alison Weir (Headline)

    

    

  

  

A MASSIVE BIG THANK YOU



 to all these talented authors for sharing the gift of their imagination with me. 


Your books have taken me on the most wonderful adventures in 2016


Come back tomorrow for my 12 favourite reads of the year ....and my 12 honourable mentions.

The author in my spotlight is .....Lynne Barrett-Lee

I am delighted to introduce to the blog 

Lynne Barrett-Lee

Today Lynne will be sharing her thoughts about her book Able Seacat Simon

Simon and Schuster

Hi and welcome to Jaffareadstoo, Lynne. Please tell us about yourself and how you became interested in writing.

I have wanted to be an author since I was still quite a little girl. I particularly remember reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder books (the first was Little House In The Big Woods) and as well as feeling bereft at having to say goodbye to Laura’s life and world, I also recall a sense of something like agitation; something I later identified as a constant bedfellow to the ‘I so enjoyed reading that’ feeling - the ‘oh, how I wish I’d written that!’ response. It’s never really gone away. It hit me hard, recently, reading Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch. 

I’ve been a committed writer since my teens, when I had a little flurry of confidence-building agent attention, but I was in my thirties, with three little ones, before the writing stars aligned for me and I was finally able to take the biggest step – to make it my priority, and give it my best shot to get published. I gave myself a year, and just sneaked in at the 11th hour, earning £90 for a piece in the Times Educational Supplement. It took me another nine months of slog to sell my next piece – a short story for The People’s Friend. For which I got £50. I was a very poor writer for a very long time… I feel very lucky to be well paid now for doing something (to loosely paraphrase Mark Twain) that I’d be doing anyway, for love.

Where did you get the first flash of inspiration for your novel, Able Seacat Simon?

I didn’t! I was approached by the publisher, with whom I’d already had a number of books published as a ghostwriter (including one about a very large dog) because they thought it might be the kind of project I’d enjoy. It came about because my editor also had a black and white cat called Simon, and her partner stumbled upon the story of the other, more famous, Simon – and duly rushed home to tell her all about it. I’d never heard of Simon, much less the story of the Yangtse Incident, but, being the owner of two RSPCA rescue cats, one of which looked just like him, it was as if the project was made for me. I said yes immediately, without really thinking about whether I could fit it in, let alone do it! But, of course, I just knew I could and would… 

What can you tell us about the story which will tempt the reader's interest?

It’s a factual piece of history, but it has everything a riveting story needs. It’s full of tension, excitement, drama, and heroism, and (if it doesn’t sound too cheesy) is also full of characters who embody both what’s finest about the human spirit and, of course, what’s finest and noblest about cats; animals which are often described as being aloof, solitary and selfish. It’s also perfect escapism. It takes the reader away to a time and place most won’t have been before; from Hong Kong, via the high seas, to the famous Yangste river. 

The story is inspired by real life events - when you were researching the story about Simon did you discover anything which surprised you?

I learned so much researching the book. I had to, in order to do the story justice – from learning the lingo of sailors, which is actually called ‘jackspeak’, to being able to describe all the parts of a ship and understand exactly what makes felines tick. In terms of surprises, no big ones, but lots of fascinating ones – such as the legend that, if crossed, cats could conjour terrible storms from magic stored in their tails. That’s why, to this day, a ship’s cat – even a stowaway like Simon – would never be thrown overboard. 

What were the challenges you faced in writing the book from a cat’s perspective?

Remarkably few, considering I'm not one! I’ve written a few short stories down the years from animals’ points of view, and always enjoyed it, which was one of the reasons I said yes to writing the book without hesitation. It’s great fun for an author to get inside the head of different characters, and ‘becoming’ Simon was no different. My first, and really only, challenge was to decide on how things would work logistically e.g. that Simon could understand every word the humans around him said, as Anna Sewell did with Black Beauty, and having him naïve initially about all the strange things humans did. For example, Christmas Crackers – why would humans rip something they’d made apart and make such horrible noises, for fun? And why would they cry when they were happy? I also had to give Simon a human-inspired personality, and, since he was orphaned so young, but had learned so much from his beloved mother, always saw him as a plucky survivor; a kind of mixture of Oliver Twist and The Artful Dodger.

What were the most rewarding aspects of bringing Simon’s story to a wider audience?

For me personally, the level of contact I’ve had from readers. I’ve had letters and postcards and emails - not to mention a couple of gifts - from people of all ages and from all walks of life. I had no idea so many people still remembered Simon’s story – a couple of people even wrote to tell me they had met him, when, in 1949, the Amethyst returned home to Plymouth after the Yangtse incident. Back then he really was something of a celebrity. And though it sounds a bit weird, I’ve been so moved to receive correspondence from retired naval men, to tell me they were physically moved to tears. For an author, that’s pretty special. So I suppose most rewarding is the knowledge that Simon’s story – and that of the heroic young men he served with – is being kept alive for another generation. 

You’ve recently published a special children’s adaptation of Able Sea Cat Simon, did preparing the book for children present any problems in terms of book content?

Simon and Schuster

Not for me, happily. The book was adapted by a professional abridger, who is experienced in creating narrative suited to a 7 years+ readership. Had it been left to me, I'm sure it would still be full of my favourite long words, and myriad (that’s one of them) complicated sentences… My role was actually rather simple. To read it through at each stage and check I was happy with the changes. And, apart from the odd tussle over a sentence or phrase I was determined to keep, I was. They did a wonderful job, I think. 

What is the main thing you want readers, young and old, to take away from your book?

Anything they want, because that’s not down to me, of course. Obviously, I hope everyone who reads it enjoys it, even if it does make them cry at the end. Though, if pushed, I suppose I’d like the young people to take away that important slice of naval history, which I hope has been delivered without sounding too much like homework… For the more mature readers, who might already know about the Amethyst and Simon, I’d like it if I gave them a few hours of escapism, back into a world they once knew. For all readers, well, that’s simple. A reminder that the relationship between humans and animals is very precious, and that we should always treat them well. ☺



More about Lynne can be found on her website by clicking here

Follow on Twitter @LynneBarrettLee

Amazon UK

Amazon UK (children's story) 7-9 yr old



My Thoughts..

I have been privileged to read Lynne's lovely story about Able Seacat Simon. At first I was drawn to the book cover as Simon looks exactly like a cat I once had called Sneeky-Peeky.

From the very first page I was completely enamoured with Simon, he's such a sweetie and oh so frightened to be left all alone on Stonecutters Island, Hong Kong. He's hungry and lost and never sure where he will be able to scavenge his next meal. So when he was picked up by Ordinary Seaman George Hickinbottom and smuggled on board HMS Amethyst and given a whole pilchard all to himself, well I just knew that this little kitten was going to have a grand adventure.

The adult version of Able Seacat Simon is certainly readable in few hours and I really enjoyed seeing how the story evolved. I must admit that I had never heard of the Yangtze Incident and Simon's story wasn't at all familiar but what's so special about this story is that it explains what happened to Simon and the crew of HMS Amethyst in an entirely readable way. I loved Simon, his voice is strong and unique, he was such a brave little fellow, full of valour and enthusiasm and I would image that he was a real joy to have on board ship especially as he had a special knack for catching rats!!

The children's version is equally enchanting it’s one of those special stories that would make perfect bedtime reading for a confident young reader.  The text is clear and concise, the font is a good size for comfortable reading and the added inclusion of a glossary at the end of the book is a really useful addition and explains words which young readers may not be familiar with

This little snippet caught my eye; it's a quote from Simon's mother to Simon when he was a kitten - a saying which, I think, will ring true for humans too.

"...Remember every day holds the capacity for adventure, kitten, but never forget that every day holds the capacity for misadventure too..."

Able Seacat Simon was awarded the Amethyst Campaign medal and is the only cat ever to be awarded the PDSA’s Dickin Medal. 

He was quite a hero - I'm sure that everyone will fall in love with Simon's story as much as I did.

Huge thanks to Lynne for spending time with us today and for sharing her wonderful story.

And also to Jade at Simon and Schuster for her help with the children's book image.

~***~

An interview with Paul Van Loon and Axel Scheffler....

To celebrate the release of The Horror Handbook, Alma Books caught up with the author, Paul van Loon, and the illustrator, Axel Scheffler.

A bit about Paul van Loon and Axel Scheffler

A highly successful children’s author from the Netherlands, Paul van Loon is best known in the English-speaking world for his Alfie the Werewolf series (published by Hodder in the UK). Originally an illustrator, Paul became a writer by accident when he could find no one to put into words a story he had thought of. He is never seen without his dark sunglasses, which has led to rumours that he is a vampire.

Axel Scheffler was born in Hamburg, Germany. He studied History of Art, before moving to the United Kingdom to study illustration at Bath Academy of Art in 1982. Since then he has worked as a freelance illustrator in London. He is best known for the children’s books he has illustrated through his partnership with author Julia Donaldson. Together they created The Gruffalo, which has sold over five million copies, in almost 50 countries throughout the world. He lives in London.

Paul van Loon

Q. How old were you when you first started writing?

I was 22 when I wrote my first story. I had made a drawing and I thought it needed a story. I didn’t have any writer friends at that time, so I wrote the story myself. And so I discovered that I really liked writing. ☺

Q. What was the inspiration behind The Horror Handbook?

I had written several books about vampires, werewolves and other grisly characters and I thought that my readers would like to learn more about all this horror stuff...

Q. Out of every book for children you’ve ever written, which was your favourite and why?

Ooh, that’s a tough one! I've written eight books about a ‘horror bus’ (De Griezelbus). Together they sold over a million books and made me famous in Holland and I love them. The same goes for the books about Alfie the werewolf. I've written 17 books about Alfie. I've lived with him for 20 years now and he just won’t get out of my head. He just sits there and waits for a new story, so I guess he's my favourite character.

Q. If you were to recommend one of your children’s books for a child to read, which would it be?

Again, it‘s Alfie, I think. He’s a loveable little werewolf.

Q. What was your favourite book growing up as a child?

It was a book about a little gnome who lived in the woods and his name was Paulus (Paulus de Boskabouter). He had my name and I loved the stories about Paulus and his friends and foes, particularly the witch Eucalypta.

Q. What is your favourite book now?

I love ‘Where the wild things’ are from Maurice Sendak. I read this book when I was 18 years and it showed me the beauty of children’s books again.

Q. If you could give one piece of advice to a young writer, what would it be?

Read, read, read. Write, rewrite, rewrite!

Q. Do you have a special place where you write?

I have my own room full of books, guitars, film props from films that are made of my books, puppets and secret cupboards. It’s a bit like a museum. Somewhere in there is also my computer and an old desk. There I write my books, mostly at night, when the moon is full.

Q. If you could organise a dinner party to be attended by characters from books, which three guests would be at the top of your list?

Of course my little friend Alfie the werewolf and I would like to see Winnie the Pooh. And Dracula... I think that would be an interesting and a little dangerous combination. ☺

Axel Scheffler

Q. How old were you when you first started illustrating?

I can't remember when I first drew something – as a small child. It depends what you mean by “illustrating”. But if you mean illustrating a text, it was a bit later than that… I’ve drawn since I was a child, and I’ve been illustrating professionally since 1986.

Q. What drew you to The Horror Handbook?

The Horror Handbook was published in Germany first – about twenty years ago. I thought the text had a nice humorous touch and I enjoyed illustrating it very much.

Q. Out of every book you’ve ever illustrated, which was your favourite and why?

I don’t have one favourite book. I like some more than others – usually the more quirky ones like Highway Rat, Stick Man or The Smartest Giant in Town.

Q. You’ve illustrated books in many languages – do you have a favourite language to work with?

I’ve only illustrated books in three languages – German, French and English; although, of course, some are translated into many languages afterwards. I don’t really read French very well, so that’s a bit more difficult. To illustrate a text it doesn't matter to me which language the text is in – as long as I have some understanding – however, I think English is a great language for picture book texts.

Q. What was your favourite book growing up as a child?

I think my favourite was about a little bear called "Petzi" – it was originally a Danish comic strip (but without speech bubbles). The cover is on my new website – Petzi is a bear with red dungarees with white dots and has many adventures with his friends which include a penguin and a pelican. This would’ve been my favourite when I was five or six.

Q. What is your favourite book now?

I don’t have one favourite book but many. Nowadays I tend to read less fiction, more non-fiction, in German as well as in English.

Q. If you could give one piece of advice to a young artist, what would it be?

If you mean an illustrator – I feel it's a little self evident but: draw lots, go to museums, be curious, look at lots of (good) illustrations.

Q. Do you have a special place where you draw?

I work from home, in a studio at the top of the house: there is chaos, and I wish there was order. Every now and then I tidy my desk, but three days later it looks the same again. It used to be even smaller – I bought a bigger one, but the mess just grows with the table surface. I have given up hope that it'll ever be tidy.

Q. Your most well-known project to date is The Gruffalo – were you inspired by anyone in particular when creating it?

I wasn’t inspired by anything – it’s not based on somebody I know! The Gruffalo is just a furry monster… he’s sort of how I imagine monsters, living in deep, dark woods, with a name like that.

Q. If you could organise a dinner party to be attended by characters from books, which three guests would be at the top of your list?

I’ve got no idea! I think I’d probably invite the three little pigs, so they can shelter from the Big Bad Wolf.

Alma Books are really excited to be publishing The Horror Handbook

Alma Books
2016

and are running this fabulous monster story competition 

There's a fabulous chance to for children to write their own monster story, and for the five winners to have their story printed in a special book, signed by Axel Scheffler. If  you are interested, you can find more information on that by clicking here 

A bit about the book...

What happens to a vampire when he dies? How does somebody become a werewolf? How can you protect yourself from witches? All of these questions and more are answered in this book, which will finally give you all the information you ever wanted to know about ghosts, zombies, monsters and all kinds of creepy-crawly creatures that give us the heebie-jeebies.

Full of tips, anecdotes and trivia – and delightfully illustrated by Axel Scheffler – Paul van Loon’s The Horror Handbook is a fun and fascinating reference book for all fans of scary stories and things that go bump in the night.

Available from Alma Books and all good book stores

Huge thanks to William at Alma Books for the opportunity to feature this delightful book and to share not just the interview with this fascinating  author and illustrator, but also for the chance to feature some of the amazing drawings from The Horror Handbook.

~***~

Review ~ The Tale of Kitty-In-Boots by Beatrix Potter, Quentin Blake (Illustrator) (Audio)

September 2016
Warne
Puffin

"A serious, well-behaved young black cat, who leads a daring double life defeating vile villains."

When I was a little girl I had a much loved copy of The Tale of Peter Rabbit and I can remember the comforting feeling of snuggling under bed covers and having someone read the story to me. The comfort of listening to stories and particularly Beatrix Potter stories has not diminished over time and so when asked to listen and review The Tale of Kitty-In-Boots I jumped at the opportunity, as not only was this a chance to read a completely new story from a much loved author, but also an introduction to listening to stories via Audible.

The Tale of Kitty-In-Boots tells the story of Miss Katherine St Quentin, an intrepid black cat, known as Miss Kitty, who gets herself into all sorts of exciting situations. In a cunningly dangerous adventure she meets the notorious villain, Mr Todd, a foxy hunter with devilish charm and whose outward demeanour belies his deadly intent. Beautifully narrated by the actress, Helen Mirren, the story has an olde-worlde charm which is so reminiscent of Beatrix Potter and yet, there is freshness to the story which makes it feel surprisingly more modern than its more famous counterparts. Written in the years before 1914 it was never published, until now, and personally, I think that this story shows Beatrix Potter at her enigmatic best.

The narration of The Tale of Kitty in Boots lasts around 16 minutes which is a perfect length to listen to the story in one sitting and just enough time for even fidgety children to sit still. The rest of the narration which runs to over 56 minutes continues with the actress, Anna Friel reading five more classic Beatrix Potter tales and which need no introduction from me. 

They are :

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

The Tale of Jemima Puddleduck

The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle

The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin

The Tale of Jeremy Fisher

Whilst both narrators are unique in their style of delivery, each individual tale was read with just the right amount of fun and gravitas, all beautifully spoken in a narration which was clean and precise. I especially enjoyed listening to Anna Friel sing Squirrel Nutkin's riddles so beautifully.

I know that there has been some debate around the Quentin Blake illustrations in The Tale of Kitty- In-Boots, which are so very different from Beatrix Potter’s more whimsical interpretation. Having 'listened' to the story I don't have a physical copy to look at, so I can't give an informed appraisal of the illustrations, except to say that what I have seen of the cover, I rather like Blake's depiction of Miss Kitty in her Boots.

Audible UK

Best Read with ...A glass of milk two chocolate digestive biscuits.

About the Author

Helen Beatrix Potter was an English author, illustrator and conservationist who was best known for her children's books, which featured animal characters such as Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin, Jeremy Fisher, et al.

My thanks to Audible.co.uk for the opportunity to listen to this book and also to Francesca at Midas for the invitation to get to know Miss Kitty-In-Boots. I think Jaffa is a little in love with Miss Kitty !

~***~

Monkfish Maggie and the Bungalow Stairs....

**Out Today **

Monkfish Maggie and the Bungalow Stairs

A CatchphraseDan Story

Ilustrated by Berg Norcross

When Maggie returns home from the market one spectacularly normal day, two things in particular strike her as strange.

found…

• Firstly, a rather peculiar set of stairs have sprouted from her otherwise stairless bungalow.

• Secondly, and probably most concerning of all, her husband Nesbitt is nowhere to be found…

Where is Nesbitt? Why have these extraordinary stairs appeared - and more importantly, what lies beyond them? Evil? Good? Monsters? Head lice?!

Join Maggie as she searches low, high and even higher for Nesbitt, in an intriguing debut adventure that will captivate children and adults alike.

Love stairs? This story is for you!

Hate stairs? It’s for you as well!

Don’t care either way? Me neither - have yourself a read!

Amazon

Amazon .co .uk

Written by CatchphraseDan and bursting with over 50 enchanting illustrations by the mystical Berg Norcross, Monkfish Maggie and the Bungalow Stairs will dunk you deep into a barrel of mystery and then wring you dry like a limp blue flannel. Sit yourself down and open your mind hole, because this story is coming at you…

…Now!

~***~

Review ~ The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily by Dino Buzzati

Alma Books
May 2016

Translated by Frances Lobb

Starving after a harsh winter, the bears descend from the mountains in search of food and invade the valley below, where they face fierce opposition from the army of the Grand Duke of Sicily. After many battles, scrapes and dangers, the bears’ reign is established over the land, but their victory comes at a price.

First published in Italian in 1945, this book has been recently reissued with a glorious cover, which seeks to reintroduce the story of The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily to a modern day readership. However, inside the book,  the story remains gloriously alive with Buzzati's original 1940s artwork, both in colour and black and white, which is quite stunning and very evocative of the era in which the book was published. The story was been beautifully translated into English in 1947 by Frances Lobb and there is a poignant letter from Dino Buzzati to Frances Lobb, dated December 1947 in which he says "Brava! Bravissima!" for her wonderful translation of his story, and I so agree with this sentiment.

I'm not going to tell you the story of the Bears of Sicily, as this book is best read in its entirety without spoilers from me, but what I will say is that from the moment you open the book, you begin to realise what a special book you hold in your hands. The words flow well, and interspersed with prose and verse what emerges is a story of true bravery in the face of cruel adversity. There are moments of violence and some younger readers may be put off by that, but probably no worse than they would find in modern day children's stories, and I suppose it's readership is aimed at maybe ten, eleven, twelve year olds who can immerse themselves in a story without adult interference. At the end of the book there's an extensive reader's companion by Lemony Snicket which is nicely informative and which offers a wonderful additional insight to the story.

The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily sits very comfortably as an ideal parent/child  'read it together at bed-time' sort of book. 

Best Read with...A Buzzati cocktail, spicy with ginger and a few roasted chestnuts...

About the Author

The novelist, journalist and painter Dino Buzzati is one of the most important voices of twentieth-century Italian literature. He is best remembered today for his novel The Tartar Steppe and the story The Bears’ Famous Invasion of Sicily, which he illustrated himself and has become a classic of Italian children’s literature.

About the Translator

Frances Lobb was the pen name of Leila Buckley (1917-2013), a linguist, poet and scholar who was educated in France, Germany and Italy. During the Second World War she worked in the Political Intelligence Department of the Foreign Office. Her other translations include poetry,politics, and philosophy and a number of children's books by Karl Bruckner and Michael Ende. She was also the author of three highly individual novels.

My thanks to Alma Books for my delightful copy of this classic children's story book

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Review ~ The Story of a Seagull and the Cat who taught her to fly by Luis Sepúlveda

Alma Books
17th March 2016

That only those who dare may fly..

What can I say about this delightful book that will do the story justice? Firstly, the cover, it makes me smile every time I look at it. The expression on both the seagull and the cat's face is just a real tonic for a gloomy day. The book is interspersed with beautiful black and white line drawings which really brings the story to life. And what of the story, well, I started this on a dark afternoon when the clouds were rollicking by at top speed and there was a distinct hint of rain in the air, but all that really didn't matter, as within minutes of picking up the book, I was immersed in a story of dedication, bravery and the heroism of keeping one’s word when all the odds are stacked against you.

Kengah is a seagull, who caught up in a dreadful oil spill, knows that she is dying but makes a mammoth effort to lay her one little blue-speckled white egg, in the hope that her chick, once hatched will have a chance of survival, and that's where Zorba, the big fat black cat from the port of Hamburg,  comes into the story, when Kengah, with all hope gone, begs Zorba to care for her, as yet unhatched, chick, imploring Zorba to teach it to fly.

“Then  Zorba knew that the poor gull was not just delirious: she was totally mad.”

What then follows is a story about a cast of intelligent and sensitive cats who learn that life can offer many challenges and none more so than the care of an orphaned seagull, but rise to the challenge they most certainly do. The cats are delightful, there's Segretario and Colonel who live at Cuneo’s Italian restaurant and eat Lasagne al Forno for breakfast, Einstein with his love of books and learning, who despairs when he can’t find the page he needs in his encyclopedia because the rats have eaten it, Seven Seas, an ocean-going cat who wears a made-to-measure oilskin, Angelina, the beautiful cat, and of course, there’s Zorba, the big fat black cat, who with poignant sensitivity sets out, with a little help from his friends, to teach a baby seagull, called Lucky, to fly.

My thoughts about this lovely story, well, it’s bright and beautiful, sad and funny, wonderful in its simplicity and alive with curiosity. Beautifully written, expertly translated from its original Spanish and charmingly illustrated. Without doubt, it’s  a special little book which will appeal to readers of all ages, not just for children, who I am sure will also love it, but also for adults who like escaping from the mayhem into the magical world of children’s stories.

Best Read with....a nice bowl of milk and a packet of Squid flavoured Dreamies ( Jaffa's suggestion)

About the Author

Born in Santiago, Chile, Luis Sepúlveda is the multi-award-winning author of many adult novels and stories for children. Politically and socially engaged, he was persecuted and jailed by the Pinochet regime and worked for years as a crew member on a Greenpeace ship. The Story ofa Seagull and The Cat Who Taught Her to Fly has been translated in over 40 countries with several film and theatre adaptations.

About the Illustrator

Satoshi Kitamura was born in Japan and has lived in the UK for many years, where his books have won many prizes, including the Mother Goose Award (for Angry Arthur) and the Smarties Prize (for Me and My Cat). Nowadays, Satoshi is back in Japan where he studies Spanish in his spare time, and is working his way through Sepulveda’s oeuvre in the original.

My thanks to the publishers Alma Books for my copy of this book to review.

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Review ~ The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson

Pushkin Children's Books
October 2015

There's something timeless and evocative about fairy stories. They're built into the fabric of our bones and gladden our heart and spirit with a joy that is simply not replicated anywhere else.

This edition of The Snow Queen encapsulates the story so beautifully that it is magical to read. First of all, it's a perfect size for little hands to hold. There's nothing remotely cumbersome about the presentation and the simplicity of the black and white line drawings capture the essence of the story in a realistic way. Some are a little bit scary, but beautifully descriptive and always entirely in keeping with the reality of the story unfolding.

The story is, as always , divided into its seven parts, all of which are a prefect fit for a bedtime story and there's enough of a cliff hanger to keep the suspense alive until the next read. Of course, being a greedy grown up, I read this wonderful story in one sitting and it brought back so many memories of my childhood, and of being transported to a magical land of ice and snow. And of course, I'm not going to tell you the story, as its one of those that must be read without preconceptions. My only advise is to have tissues handy..

The younger generation, who have been beguiled by the phenomenon that is Frozen might like to read this original story from which Frozen has gleaned most of its inspiration.

Isn't this just wonderful...

"She was exquisite but she was ice - dazzling, flashing ice- even though she was alive. Her eyes shone like two bright stars, but there was no peace or rest in them"...

It's written magic with a purity that is quite simply, stunning. So, if you're a grown up, with a tiny corner of your heart still believing in magic, then pop a copy of this little gem into your stocking this Christmas.

Best read..with a sleepy child, a tatty teddy and a whole packet of crunchy, chocolate animal biscuits.

The Snow Queen is published in this edition by Pushkin Children's Books and is translated by Misha Hoekstra and Illustrated by Lucie Arnoux.

About the Authors

Hans Christian Anderson 1805 - 1875

Translated by  Misha Hoekstra

Illustrated by Lucie Arnoux

Amazon UK

My thanks to Hayley at ED Public Relations and to Pushkin Children's Books for my copy of 

The Snow Queen

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Review ~ Catlantis by Anna Starobinets

Pushkin Children's Books
October 22

I have often heard Jaffa's plaintive cry when the post pops through the letterbox, ...

"Oh, noes...not another kilted highlander story or a grisly murder set in the suburbs of New York. When is the cat book going to arrive, when is the proper story of a heroic cat, to rival the saintly Bagpuss, going to grace our bookshelves..."

And then .... thanks to the kind folk at Pushkin, and lovely Sophie at ED PR, there came the arrival of Catlantis ....and Jaffa rightly claimed it as his own.

©Jaffareadstoo

So...what's it all about Jaffa...

Baguette is a pure ginger cat as orange as a carrot, who lives on the twelfth floor. He likes to lie in the window to watch his beloved Purriana on the street below. But in order to win the hand of the slender and striped Purriana, whose coat glistens like diamonds in the snow, Baguette must accomplish a heroic feat. He must find the magical, Catlantean white flower in order to save the nine lives of all cats before it is too late. This dangerous journey will take him beyond the ordinary and into the extraordinary world of Catlantis, there Baguette must meet with the beautiful and bold Catlanteans and learn the secrets of this ancient realm.

Told with impeccable style and littered with beautifully, simple but effective, line drawings, the story of Baguette's intrepid fearlessness combines myth, magic and legend. From beginning to end there is never a dull moment for Baguette,  who is a feisty, determined, and it must be said, very charismatic hero. He wears his coat, as orange as a carrot, with great panache and pride and his resolve to succeed knows no bounds.

Everything about the story just feels right, from the magnificence of Baguette on the front cover, to the orange as carrot endpapers.  The narrative is completely at ease with itself, it whirls and dances and the glorious poems which litter the text are like little pearls of wisdom, filling the story with a real sense of accomplishment.

If you like cats, if you like children, indeed if you like both cats and children, or even if you're a cat with a coat as orange as carrot, then you must add Catlantis to the top of your shopping list along with cheese dreamies and whiskas cat milk....

It's published today ..go buy ...

About the Author

Anna Starobinets is an acclaimed and award-winning Russian novelist, children’s author and journalist, whose dystopian and metaphysical novels have earned her the title of ‘the Russian Queen of Horror’. Catlantis is her second children’s book, and her first to be translated into English. Anna Starobinets lives in Moscow.

Translated by

Janet Bugaeva was born in Russia and emigrated with her family to the United States at the age of six. Although she grew up in the US she has forever remained a Russian child at heart and today translates children’s literature from the Russian. She lived in North Carolina with her husband and two cats.

About the Artist

Andrzej Klimowski studied at St Martin’s School of Art and the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts. A graphic novel writer, he is also a designer of film and theatre posters, and numerous book covers, including the entire Everyman Collection of P.G.Wodehouse and several editions of books by Milan Kundera. His works can be found in museums around the world. He is Professor of Illustration at the RCA.

Amazon

My thanks to Sophie GoodFellow at edpr and Puskin Children's Books

 for sending Jaffa this book to cherish

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Review ~ Children of the Chieftain : Betrayed by Michael E. Wills

Silverwood Books
2015

When the town of Birka is raided by the most fearsome of Vikings, the Jomsviking, many of the people are captured. A group of orphans are forced to take action and lead their friends in a desperate attempt to rescue the captives. But not all of their allies are as loyal as they should be. The brave children are betrayed and find themselves in grave danger of captivity and risk being sold into slavery.

I have a great passion for historical fiction and can remember quite clearly when I was an early reader at primary school racing through stories of great adventure and of the thrill of being transported back in time. I am sure that modern day children are no less excited by the tales of derring-do and that even in this computer age , the majority of kids can appreciate a good story when they see one.

When asked to read and review Children of the Chieftain: Betrayed, I agreed eagerly as I have already read the work of this fine author before and I knew that even though this story is distinctly targeted at the children’s market, it would appeal to my sense of fun and adventure.

The story is really well written with an entirely appropriate sense of adventure which neither patronises nor overly protects its young audience. There’s a definite sense of time and place and the palpable air of fear generated by the Viking raid is particularly well done. The young people, on whom the book focuses, are feisty and fearless and show remarkable fortitude in the presence of great danger.I think that this is something that would appeal to, maybe, eight to thirteen year olds who enjoy a rollicking good adventure, and it works equally well as an introduction to Scandinavian history.  The book is a perfect length, I read it quite comfortably in the space of an afternoon, but probably a child with rather more distractions may want to read it, either with an adult or curled up on a chair, over a  longer period of time. 

I am also reassured that there is to be a sequel - Children of the Chieftan : Banished, is expected sometime next year, so there’s plenty of adventure still to come, and in the hands of this fine writer, I am sure that it’s going to be something to really look forward to.

About the Author

Silverwood Books

Amazon UK

Twitter @MWillsofSarum

Children of the Chieftain: Betrayed is currently the HNS Editor's choice and has been longlisted for the HNS Indie Award 2016 - here

My thanks to Michael for sharing his book with me.

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