Diana and Her Rhinoceros

by Edward Ardizzone

When a very sensible English girl befriends an errant rhinoceros, the great beast becomes her lifelong companion.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Classics

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Edward Jeffrey Irving Ardizzone, CBE, RA was an English artist, writer and illustrator, chiefly of children's books.

For Tim All Alone (Oxford, 1956), which he wrote and illustrated, Ardizzone won the inaugural Kate Greenaway Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's best children's book illustration by a British subject.

For the 50th anniversary of the Medal (1955–2005) it was named one of the top ten winning works, selected by a panel to compose the ballot for a public election of the all-time favourite.

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

One winter evening a family in Richmond, Surrey are having tea in the sitting room and making hot buttered toast by the fire. An escaped rhinoceros from the zoo enters the house livening up tea time no end. Mother faints and father hides but luckily Diana who is a sensible child notices the poor thing has a cold ( due to the night air or damp feet no doubt) and administers some 1960s style cold treatment and lots of hot buttered toast.

This book has beautiful illustrations and the rest of the story follows Diana and her rhinoceros throughout their life together. One of our all time favourite childrens picture books, I would love to see it reprinted.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a rhinoceros with a dreadful head cold wanders into her sitting-room one winter evening, young Diana, "who was a sensible child," is not frightened like her parents. Understanding that the creature is sick, she feeds it medicine and buttered toast, defending it from the men with guns who arrive in search of it. So begins a lifelong friendship, as Diana and her rhinoceros live together for many years, eventually growing old together...

Originally published in 1964, and then reprinted in this 2008 edition, this delightfully quirky story from British author/illustrator Edward Ardizzone pairs a matter-of-factly magical tale with charming artwork. What could come across as silly and twee feels natural and engaging, thanks to Ardizzone's deft use of words and understated sense of humor. The artwork, which alternates between color painting (watercolor, perhaps?) and black and white drawings, is engaging and expressive. I love Ardizzone's use of hatching, in his black and white scenes, as well as his speech bubbles. All in all, an entertaining picture-book romp, one which I thank my goodreads friend Hilary for recommending it.

[Melinda Irvine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure how long this old book has been in the family, or how many times I've read it. But reading it again was a delight.

Diana and Her Rhinoceros is a children's picture book, first printed in 1964. It's a preposterous tale, of a white rhinoceros who turns up at No. 43 Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey, England (AKA the house of Diana Effingham-Jones) with a serious head cold.

Sensible little Diana marches her new friend off to the kitchen for some cough meds and asprin and then sets to work making hot buttered toast for him. Also chasing off the men from the zoo who come around to shoot him, and marching him out to the garden to live in the shed.

It's silly, it's fun, the drawings are cool. And the story's narration is enhanced by funny little dialogue bubbles scattered through the book (particularly related to the rhino's fondness for eating Mr Effingham-Jones's dahlias).

But the feminist in me was always a bit disappointed that self-sacrificing Diana would remain a devoted spinster to her male rhino for the rest of her life, curing all his man-flus and slaving over a hot fire to cook his hot buttered toast. And according to page 29 ... that's all you need to be content.

That said, I still give it 5 stars. Lots of fun.

[Checkthebook · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is okay, but not one of Ardizzone's best. I wish the character, Diana, had gotten married and had a family. It seems she fades away and becomes a ghost at the end.