The story of an English village

by John S. Goodall

This picturemac with a half-page that alters the scene, shows the changes in an English village as it develops from a clearing in medieval times to a modern town. The road becomes a street; a house is seen from the same viewpoint at intervals of a century; providing a wordless social history lesson. John Goodall's other picturemac editions include "Jacko", "Naughty Nancy the Bad Bridesmaid", "Paddy's Evening Out" and "The Suprise Picnic".

Genres: History, Picture Books, Childrens, British Literature, Historical

62 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

John S. Goodall (7 June 1908 – 2 June 1996) was a British author, watercolour painter and illustrator, best known for his wordless picture books such as The Adventures of Paddy Pork, although his output included more conventional pictures, and illustrations for a wide range of publications (including the Radio Times) and books by the "fictitious village schoolmistress Miss Read". Goodall became one of England's most beloved artists due to the subject matter of his works, the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful watercolour paintings show life in an English village from the 14th century to the 1970s. The story takes you inside people's houses, giving you an insight into their lives, meals and dress. We liked the dogs in this book and enjoyed spotting them and choosing our favourites.

[KC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author John Goodall helps us explore an English village spanning through the 14th century to present day. With detailed illustrations and no text, Goodall makes history interactive, interesting, and fun.

[Shiloah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and detailed illustrations. Wordless book. Loved it!

[Tiuri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Educational, historical, and wordless. This book is endlessly fascinating and filled with exquisite artwork and details. Children and adults will want to soak in all of the beautiful worlds within the pictures. My, how our world has changed! The village life looks so idyllic. I love how you can sense the bustle, and the…how shall I put it?…pulse of the times. Absolutely fantastic book, highly recommend.

*costume

[Gina House · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5🌟 Beautifully illustrated book! John S. Goodall is one of my favorite illustrators, especially his black and white drawings for the Miss Read books.

This lovely book shares a glimpse of a small English village as it grows and changes from the 16th century until today. You not only get to see the outdoors (including nature, buildings and vehicles), but the inside of one home as well (featuring home decor, clothing and cooking implements).

It was a truly fascinating journey through time. If you are a lover of history and the daily doings of an English village, you will love this book!

Many, many thanks to my dear friend Caro (@carosbookcase) for gifting me this wonderful book for Christmas. I am so grateful to have this book in my collection ❤️🥰

[Pink Leaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was really good and kind of shocking at the end. I love the wordless portrayal of history. :)

[Jennifer Rummel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic wordless book featuring one street in town and how it changes over centuries

[Lectora de la tierra media · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este es un libro con unas acuarelas retrata la evolución de un típico poblado inglés desde una pequeña zona rural medieval hasta su versión “moderna”.
A pesar de su falta de texto, podemos contemplar algunos aspectos como el vestuario, los casamientos, el chisme o la educación infantil de un pueblo.

Iniciamos con la vista de un hombre rural, aparentemente un jornalero que va a pie con su hijo llevando unos maderos, luego llega pero con un caballo, posteriormente con carreta y vemos la calle y el interior de la casa y sus cambios.

El libro evoca una sensación de nostalgia — de cómo las comunidades rurales cambian, y en cierto modo pierden parte de su carácter — sin necesidad de palabras. Ideal para quienes disfrutan de la historia visual, de la arquitectura y de contemplar el paso del tiempo en el paisaje inglés.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a cool concept! It is thousands of years of history in one place. I am trying to get a collection of these.

[DocNora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evocative and nostalgic. Adore these books by John S Goodwill. Perused these with my morning tea.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wordless picture history book. Development of a village from medieval times to nearly current...cool.

[Ammie · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE. I want to run back to her right now and peer through her pages again.