Children's Literature: Niamh Sharkey finds some magic in picture books
My heart was won over by Malachy Doyle's When A Zeeder Met A Xyder (Doubleday, £10.99). The Xyderzee is tall, green and hairy; the Zeederzoo is small, bald and blue. Illustrator Joel Stewart delightfully captures this quirky tale of two lonely souls in search of a friend. Doyle's words dance and the story is a joy to read aloud. The rhythm is reminiscent of a Dr Seuss text. Stewart draws these eccentric creatures with a blurry black line coloured with mossy greens, lilacs and charcoal greys. They have a quality similar to a print or etching. I echo the Xyder's cry, "whoopy-dee!".
Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of Pinocchio (Jonathan Cape, £14.99) is an exquisite gift book. Stunningly illustrated by Italian Roberto Innocenti, this version will take your breath away. The book is clearly a labour of love for the self-taught artist. Collodi, an Italian journalist, originally published Pinocchio's adventures in 1881. The attention to detail, the depiction of village life and the earthy tones are reminiscent of the art of Brueghel. There is a dark, surreal edge to this tale of a puppet that wants to become a real boy, so I would recommend it for a slightly older child.
The Wizard, the Ugly and the Book Of Shame (Bloomsbury, £10.99) is written and illustrated by award-winning Argentinian artist Pablo Bernasconi. The powerful Wizard uses his Red Book of Spells to help everyone, except for his sad, blue, ugly assistant, Chancery, whom the villagers call "The Ugly". When Chancery decides to take matters into his own hands, he delves into the book of spells and wishes to be handsome. With this the magic book falls apart, and although Chancery tries to put the book back together, the Wizard's spells no longer work. It is only when Chancery attains his innermost wish without the use of magic that the Book of Spells can be repaired. The Wizard's face is composed from both photographic elements (a cheese grater, a carrot for a nose) and illustrative elements (spirals for a beard and painterly patchwork backgrounds). A most unusual picture book.
Chris Wormell's The Wild Girl (Jonathan Cape, £10.99) tells the story of a little wild girl and her dog, who live all alone in the wilderness. It is refreshing to have the girl in the lead role. The cover highlights the girl's isolation: she is painted tiny against a backdrop of blue-grey snow. Tracks in the snow lead to an unexpected meeting with a bear and its cub. Wormell's subdued tones in pencil and watercolour are printed on cream paper. He cleverly uses blank space to emphasise the loneliness of the girl.
Nick Butterworth is known for his Percy the Park Keeper, which has sold more than four million copies worldwide. His pen, ink and watercolour illustrations have a clarity and warmth that really appeal to toddlers and young children. Now, a paperback edition of Butterworth's Albert Le Blanc (Collins £5.99) comes with a CD version, read by David Jason. When Albert Le Blanc arrives at Mr Jolly's toyshop, the other toys think he looks so sad that they come up with a plan to make him smile. There are guest appearances by Kipper, Paddington, Bob the Builder and Noddy, all drawn in Butterworth's friendly style.
The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish (Bloomsbury, £7.99 paperback) is the comic and imaginative tale of a brother and sister trying to find their dad after he has been swapped not just once, but a number of times. Neil Gaiman's witty text is perfectly matched with Dave McKean's inventive blend of photography, collage, painting and drawing.
This is not your average picture book - I originally came across this visually arresting volume in 1997 and was really inspired by the artwork. Gaiman and McKean have worked together extensively on the adult graphic novels, The Sandman. I would strongly recommend The Day I Swapped My Dad for the slightly older child and I think even the most reluctant reader would find it really cool! It also comes with a CD recording, read by the author.
And so, this spring I sing along with the Xyder: "Jumping jumbucks!"
What wonderful books!
• Niamh Sharkey is a writer and illustrator of picture books. Her new book, I'm A Happy Hugglewug, is to be published by Walker Books in the autumn