L.H. Johnson's Blog, page 27

Things are going to be changing a little bit at Did You Ever Stop To Think towers

Things are going to be changing a little bit at Did You Ever Stop To Think ...

The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

The Snail and the Whale Festive Edition by Julia Donaldson My rating: 4 of 5 stars I like what Julia Donaldson does. Her partnership with Axel Scheffler has clearly been fulfilling for the two of them, though I wonder sometimes whether their other work has been consumed by The Monster We Must Not Name That […]

Snow Still by Holly Surplice

ow Still by Holly Surplice is a charming and cleanly told story, perfect for sharing on a wintery day.

Diamond Rock by J. MacDonald Oxley

I came across Diamond Rock a few weeks ago, in a pile of books simply labelled “Antique” in the corner of one of my favourite bookshops. As you might imagine, such a sign and such a pile is the literary equivalent of catnip to me and so I dived and I rummaged and I came […]

Plus+ : Style Inspiration for Everyone, edited by Bethany Rutter

Plus+ by Bethany Rutter My rating: 5 of 5 stars Every now and then I am reminded of an interview I read with Beth Ditto, back in the dawn of time when newspapers were still newspapers and still made of paper and print. The author wondered, in the way that was clearly his wont, at […]

Mischief at St Rollo’s by Enid Blyton

Mischief at St Rollo’s by Enid Blyton My rating: 3 of 5 stars Mischief at St Rollo’s is never going to change the world. It’s a typically Blytonian school story; new kids go to a school, thing happen, shenanigans, shenanigans, end of term, I can’t wait to go back! It’s not high literature nor is […]

We are all Greta : Be Inspired to Save the World by Valentina Giannella, illustrated by Maneula Marazzi

We Are All Greta by Valentina Giannella My rating: 3 of 5 stars We Are All Greta is interesting to me, as it touches on something incredibly potent and present within children’s books and yet a something that is, at present, somewhat under-explored. Some of this under-exploration can be perhaps ascribed to the nature of […]

Hansel and Gretel by Bethan Woollvin

Hansel and Gretel by Bethan Woollvin My rating: 4 of 5 stars Hansel and Gretel but not as you know it; the kids are horrible little things and the witch, Willow, is – well, not quite what you think. I’ve known of Bethan Woolvin’s stylish work for a while and so, when I received a […]

The Misadventures of Frederick by Ben Manley and Emma Chichester Clark

The Misadventures of Frederick by Ben Manley My rating: 5 of 5 stars There’s something to be said for subtle, soft strangeness in the world of picture books and The Misadventures of Frederick bathes in that with utter delight. Frederick is a boy who lives inside a mansion and very rarely goes out. He’s bored, […]

Julian Is A Mermaid by Jessica Love

Julian sees a mermaid at the pool, he wishes to be one, and I shall not spoil the payoff but I shall say that it is a payoff to hold to yourself like gold for a brief, beautiful moment, before sharing it with everybody that you know.