Whispers in the Park by Emmanuel Olympitis Illustrated by Olympia Olympitis
When Emmanuel Olympitis decided to turn his pen to a series of children’s books, he didn’t need to look far for an illustrator.
Whispers in the Park is a book for all the family, by a father and daughter team.
Whispers in the Park is the first book of a series, which takes the reader on a rollicking adventure through the treetops and undergrowth of the magnificent St James’s Park, where the most ancient and prestigious school for squirrels resides. When young squirrels Shane and Sophie are given scholarships to St James’s, they are excited and nervous to enter the magical world of squirreldom’s most venerable institution. But as the school’s treasures start to go missing, they are swept up into a gripping detective story, the unravelling of which will require some outside assistance…
Meet squirrel headmaster Horatio Hoyland, Witgift the wise old owl, Boris the tough games master Badger and Sam the siamese cat sleuth, and enter the world of Whispers in the Park – a vivid and whimsical children’s tale in the vein of The Wind in the Willows.
Whispers in the Park is a showcase of imaginative writing by the critically acclaimed Emmanuel Olympitis and the extraordinary talent of the emerging illustrator Olympia Olympitis, in her debut children’s book.
My Review
A few years ago, we went to London and walked through St James Park. I’d never seen so many squirrels in one place and they were so tame, you could hand feed them. I’m told they will climb up your leg (this happened to me in our Parish Church grounds, though this particular creature looked me in the eye and realised my suede boots were not a tree and scurried away). Tourists love them. Some people just think they are tree rats and want to get rid of them. Not me.
None of the squirrels were wearing school uniform though, but you can use your imagination. In Whispers in the Park, not all the animals are squirrels. We have Witgift the owl, Warburton the hedgehog, Boris the badger, Veronica the water vole, Miriam the hare, and the dastardly Fabian the fox to name but a few. Plus Sam the Siamese cat, a master sleuth.
Then of course we have the founder of the school – a red squirrel called Rufus, who created the Five Rules. It is also said that if a red squirrel returns to the school after 300 years, a prophesy will be fulfilled. When the school is in mortal danger, a direct descendant of Rufus will come to save it.
But I’m jumping forward. The story starts with Shane and Sophie, two young squirrels who join the prestigious St James’s academy on scholarships. Little did they know that they would encounter such intrigue and adventure in the first few days of attendance.
While the book is a Wind in the Willows type of tale, there is a deeper message here. It’s all about friendship, respect, team spirit and diversity. They may just be squirrels and such, but they have important life messages to teach us. I’m looking forward to book two, when hopefully we’ll find out more about the prophecy. I’ll never be able to visit Brownsea Island again without thinking about it!
Many thanks to Grace Pilkington Publicity for inviting me to be part of the blog tour.
About the Author and Illustrator
Emmanuel Olympitis is a British businessman who has held many public company directorships during his career. He is also the author of critically acclaimed By Victories Undone and Marked Cards.
Olympia Olympitis is a full-time illustrator based between London and Wiltshire, having studied at City and Guilds of London Art School and The University of Edinburgh. Specialising in house portraiture, landscape illustration and bespoke wedding & event stationery, Whispers in the Park is her first book.
