SOLVED. Children's Picture book. Monsters/ creatures/ goblins live on an island, have long noses and barnacles? on their backs. Grimble or Grumble? Cover: little creature under parasol on beach? Read in 1990s. [s]

[Laura]

Hello! I’m trying to track down the name of a book...it was about these gnarly looking creatures with long noses and what looked like barnacles on their backs - I think they lived on an island because there was a picture of a little creature under a parasol on a beach with a larger one on the cover I think. I have the words the grimbles or the grumbles in my head, not sure if that’s what they’re called or the author potentially?! Any ideas would be very much appreciated!! It was one I read when I was a child so I think it must be from the 80s or 90s. Thanks in advance! :) best wishes, Laura

[Kris]

Laura, would you call this a picture book (roughly 32-48 pages) or a chapter book/novel with illustrations?

Did you read this book in the 1980s or 1990s (or is that when you think it was published)?

Can you describe the illustrations - e.g., simple or detailed, realistic or cartoon-like, painted watercolors or bold graphics? Do they remind you of a similar illustrator or picture book author?

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[Laura]

Hi Kris, thanks for your message - I read it in the 90s. The illustrations are realistic, v detailed, in watercolour I think :)

[Laura]

But also sharply defined as a cartoon would be, can’t think of a similar illustrator. It was a thin book, about 30 pages probs

[Kris]

Thanks. I updated the header. Feel free to edit it.

[Rainbowheart]

I notice your profile says you're in the UK.

Do you think it was a British book?

[Laura]

It would’ve been bought in the UK, I think probably a uk writer, not sure though

[Rainbowheart]

I found Rotten Island and Monster Island, but they don't seem quite right.

Were your creatures human-like? I know you mentioned one of them had a parasol. Did they wear clothes and live in houses, or were they more wild?

[Laura]

Oh no, thanks for your efforts though! They look like goblins or something, I can only remember the cover really - they were just hanging out on the beach/under rocks I think. Illustrations were a little in the style of Maurice Sendak

[Laura]

Thanks Kris :)

[Kris]

Illustrator Maurice Sendak mentioned

[Michele]

Mercer Mayer, One Monster After Another?

[Rainbowheart]

One Monster After Another for Michele's suggestion.

[Laura]

Thanks Michele, unfortunately not that one - looks like a lovely book though!

[Laura]

They didn’t have fur and were sandy coloured ..such a mystery!

[Laura]

A bit like Arthur Rackham’s illustrations of dragons, this illustrators monsters were more quirky and cartoonish though, but a similar detailed, realistic style

[Kris]

Illustrator mentioned - Arthur Rackham

[Laura]

Mystery solved! It was called Gumbles in Summer by S A Wakefield, illustrated by Desmond Digby. Thanks for everyone’s help :)

[Kris]

Glad you found your book, Laura. Here's the link - Gumbles In Summer by S.A. Wakefield.

[Laura]

Great, thanks! :)

[Rainbowheart]

Awesome, glad you found it!

[Laura]

Thanks! 🤓