10 Entertainment Don’t Put Away those Childish Things
73186 LORE OF THE PLAYGROUND: The
Children’s World - Then and
Now by Steve Roud We all remember our own childhood games with affection, but parents, journalists and even teachers seem convinced that today’s children are forgetting how to play. They assert that the rhymes that were chanted and the games that used to be
played are fast becoming obsolete. Here is an eye- opener of a book that traces traditions, debunks cherished myths and proves that all that has changed is the ‘bogeyman’ who is responsible for the perceived decline in children’s play. In 1903 it was assumed to be ‘modern developments’. By the 1920s and 1930s commentators were pointing the finger at the cinema’s baleful influence. TV was the main culprit in the 1950s and 1960s and, in the 1980s and 1990s, video games. Today it is sophisticated computer games. But, says the author, as he meticulously records pastimes that have proved to be remarkably resilient over the past 100 years, children’s games are still going strong, and he can prove it! A thick 560 paperback pages with b/ w illustrations.
£8.99 NOW £4.50
73169 YOU’RE IT! A Hop, Skip and Jump Through
Childhood Games by Katie Hewitt
Traditional childhood games epitomise all that is exciting about being young. In days gone by, these activities involved three things: imagination, inventiveness and, above all, an awful lot of
energy - of which children seem to have an endless supply. The ability of such simple, sometimes silly games to entertain children for hours on end - long after they have tired of the latest computer craze, which does not require the expenditure of any energy at all - is a feeling they will cherish as they grow up and, hopefully, pass on to their own children. Included here is all you need to play those wonderful, almost forgotten games of Hopscotch, Bulldog, Dodge Ball, Hide and Seek, What’s the Time Mr Wolf? Marbles, French Skipping, Rounders, and many more. Have fun! 127 pocket-sized pages illustrated in colour with Top Ten Playground Rhymes. £5.99 NOW £3
73398 POP GOES THE WEASEL: The Secret Meanings of Nursery Rhymes by Albert Jack
illustrated by Lara Carlini How many of us know the real meanings behind our most familiar verses? This book is a reminder of the riches below the surface of the playground rhyme, as well as traditional songs and anthems. The historic secrets behind these
seemingly innocent ditties are not only highly specific but often splendidly grim, vengeful, sometimes even deadly. You have probably heard that Ring-a-Ring-a- Roses is not about the plague at all, but what is it really about? Hot Cross Buns, Jack Sprat, Good King Arthur, Hector Protector, Bobby Shafto and 80 more plus Jerusalem, Swing Low, Sweet Chariot and other anthems. Once you learn that Little Bo Peep is connected with smuggling, that there really were Three Blind Mice, that Humpty Dumpty was not egg- shaped at all and how Lucy Locket lost a lot more than her pocket, your childhood songs will never sound the same again. 292 paperback pages with stylish mono artwork.
£9.99 NOW £4
72916 GRUFFALO RED NOSE DAY BOOK by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler Hold a Gruffalo party and make Warty Cupcakes with green icing and green jelly sweets, Swirly Snail Sandwiches with soft ham and cheese, Strawberry Mice with two chocolate buttons to make ears plus party activities, more recipes, fun games, drawing and colouring, jokes and even fund raising ideas. With over 250 stickers to put onto the scenes from a fold-out section to decorate a cake, make your very own monsters and much more fun. Big colourful softback. £2.99 NOW £1.75
72918 LEARN TO PLAY GUITAR: Box Set The pack comes with one white one black plectrum, a sturdy capo for easy key changes, a 3" wide black fabric handy guitar strap and a 64 page book with easy to follow tips and techniques. Master the basics of guitar playing quickly with this tailor-made starter kit and hit the right note every time. Ages 8+. £14.99 NOW £6.50
72889 WHERE’S WALLY?
THE ANNIVERSARY ANNUAL With a dedication page, this Ladybird book celebrates Wally’s fantastic journeys across continents, through the ages, into space and back again. There are 25 special party guests to locate, plus a head spinning bounty of hidden kit to hunt for listed on pages 8, 20 and 61. In the centre pages there is a
jam-tastic scene. Take a look for Wally. Woof, Wenda’s camera, Wizard White Beard’s scroll and Odlaw’s binoculars, Woof’s bone and don’t forget about Wally’s lost key. Very large colourful pages with mazes and quizzes. 62pp. £7.99 NOW £3
72919 MAZE QUEST: Floor Pad by Andy Peters, Lisa Regan and Trudi Webb Extra large sized softback with tear out pages which can be folded and popped in a backpack for short spells of fun when out and about. Join intrepid explorers Max, Millie and Mojo the dog on their round the world maze adventure. Escape pesky pirates, climb the Statue of Liberty, paddle along the Amazon, walk the Great Wall of China and survive a safari in Africa. All in colour. £6.99 NOW £3
72923 ROOM ON THE BROOM COLOURING BOOK: Set of Two
by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler With a set of six small colouring pencils of different colours, the wonderful storyteller Julia Donaldson with her illustrator Axel Scheffler have produced two colouring books, The Room on the Broom and The Snail and the Whale from their popular stories, but here in large format softback activity books. Write the missing letters and colour the pictures of the fire breathing dragon chasing the witch. Use the number coding to colour in the picture of the witch and her cat on her broom and use the grid lines to copy the picture to the left. Join the dots, colour, draw and paint. The title page has ‘Coloured in by’. Two large softbacks. £7.98 NOW £3.75
72926 SONGBIRDS: My Cat and Other Stories by Julia Donaldson
Six stories in one by the former Children’s Laureate Julia Donaldson published by Oxford University Press, this is a Band 4 blue book, Key Stage 4 as used in 80% of primary schools to practise phonics. Fantastic breadth and variety of storylines, rhyme, rhythm and genres plus vibrant and humorous illustrations engage children and stimulate discussion. ‘The red man and the green man live inside the traffic lights. See them at the seaside, then back at their job keeping people safe. The illustrator changes with each story including the story of Jack the Pirate, digging for gold. 110 page large softback.
£9.99 NOW £4
71396 IMAGINE YOU’RE A KNIGHT by Peter Chrisp
Piece together 3D models of a fully armoured knight, his noble horse and a helmet that you can actually wear. Learn about the dubbing ceremony, castle life, faithful steeds, coats of arms, the knight’s code, arms and armour, tournaments and going into battle. On each double page spread there are not only fascinating facts but also small booklets and pamphlets to unfold as you lift the flaps, beautiful medieval illustrations in colour, specially commissioned artworks and full explanations of the chivalric code and protective layers of your armour in detailed diagrams and colour photos. Big 20 page board book. 8 to adult. $18.99 NOW £5.50
71740 HORRIBLE HISTORY OF BRITAIN AND IRELAND by Terry Deary
The Horrible Histories series is a collection of fearsome facts and gory tales about every part of the British Isles. If you have ever wanted to know why the English peasants were revolting, or how an army of Welsh mums fought off the French, here are your answers. There are cartoons and quizzes (with answers) and historical info from Prehistoric Britain to The Terrible 20th Century via the Rotten Romans, the Nasty Normans and many more. 96 pages 23.5cm x 29cm in colour with a Dreadful Putrid Door Poster. £12.99 NOW £4
71761 MOST EXPLOSIVE SCIENCE BOOK IN THE UNIVERSE
by Claire Watts and Lisa Burke What is science? What is the matter with dark matter? Why can no one hear you scream in space? How exactly do you split an atom? With this riotous book you must get set for an inventive investigation of the spectacular science that makes you, the world and the whole universe. Surf along on light, sound and heat waves, and plug into some shocking revelations about electricity. 62 pages 26cm x 31cm, colour. £12.99 NOW £4.75
71779 ALL ABOUT ME: Sticker Play by Parragon
Match the shapes, count the candles, colour in, write about your favourite pet, find out who lives in a castle and discover many things with your picture puzzles and activities together with 70 colour stickers and five coloured felt tip pens included in this bargain pack. Large softback.
£3.99 NOW £2
72049 IF YOU LOVE A MERMAID TALE illustrated by Susanna Lockheart Landscape format approximately 16" x 12", the oval cutaway on each page slides to reveal a new exciting picture in the tale of the pretty little mermaid, the youngest of six princesses. She sang so beautifully that the puffer fish puffed themselves up to listen, and even the secretive oysters opened their shells. See the handsome young man standing on the deck. Surely he is a prince? We go to an island in Japan where their lived a young boy named Yoshi who meets the daughter of the great Sea Dragon. ‘Pop-up’ treasury of two classic tales The Little Mermaid and The Magic Shell retold by Alice Peebles. Delicate watercolours. Ages 5+.
$18.99 NOW £4.50
72275 STORY FOR LITTLE ONES: Discover the Bible in Pictures
by Max Lucado, Randy Frazee and Josée Masse Perfect for helping young children to learn about God’s great love story. 31 Bible stories from the Old and New Testaments, including the Creation, Joseph and his many coloured coat, The Ten Commandments, David and Goliath and the birth of Jesus introduce children to some of the most pivotal events and characters of the Bible. Each story is presented with easy-to-read text and a simple recapitulation. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible New International Reader’s Version. Ages 4 and up. 143 pages 22cm x 28cm, dazzling colour paintings. £14.99 NOW £3.75
ENTERTAINMENT
After a fellow gets famous it doesn’t take long for someone to bob up that used to sit by him at school.
- Frank McKinney Hubbard
73119 ZIEGFELD: The Man Who Invented Show Business by Ethan Mordden
Chicago in the 1860s was a city of raw enterprise, and Florenz Ziegfeld Senior used his entrepreneurial skills to establish a music academy catering for the new middle classes who were eager to acquire culture. His son, Florenz Ziegfeld Junior, would become one of the biggest theatrical managers on Broadway in
the 1920s, honing his legendary talent for spotting a winner in his father’s music school. Edwardian Music Hall specialised in coy double meanings and innuendoes, but Ziegfeld Junior felt the world was ready for fuller exposure. His first success was the strong man Eugen Sandow, a baby-faced charmer with massive muscles who appealed to the ladies. Next on the list was Anna Held, rumoured to bathe in milk every day to preserve her legendary complexion, a myth exploited by Ziegfeld who paid a dairyman to pretend to be Held’s supplier. Ziegfeld and Held became partners but never married, so when Billie Burke came on the scene, captivating Ziegfeld with her red hair and comic talent, the way to the altar lay clear ahead. The wedding was notable for the fact that the minister got the couple’s names the wrong way round, assuming they were Billy and Florence. Each of Ziegfeld’s Broadway shows had to outdo the previous one, and Rio Rita, Showboat and Ziegfeld Follies were increasingly spectacular and also became highly successful films. 352pp, photos. £18.99 NOW £7.50
73236 PHANTOM OF THE OPERA: 25th Anniversary
Edition by Michael Heatley The Phantom of the Opera is a global phenomenon. Over 130,000,000 people have seen the stage show, in over 65,000 performances in 145 cities across 27 countries. It has won more than 60 major theatre awards. The original cast recording is the best-selling cast
album of all time, with over 40,000,000 copies sold. It is the longest running show on Broadway, and a landmark in London’s West End. This official anniversary edition celebrates its unparalleled success. In a uniquely detailed volume, the first story, the novel and the Phantom’s early incarnations are described. Readers are taken behind the scenes of the musical and the making of the film. The composer himself reveals the disappointments, the difficulties, the heartaches and the heady days of success. Reviews were unfavourable, but - like Cats a few years before - nothing any reviewer said could alter the fact that Phantom had chimed with the audience and was unstoppable. As Andrew Lloyd Webber, in his Foreword says: ‘Love, passion and live theatre are what Phantom is all about’. 160 pages 27cm x 19.5cm packed with beautiful photos in colour and b/w, libretto and Phantom Facts. £14.99 NOW £6.50
73291 PHALLIC FRENZY:
Ken Russell and his Films by Joseph Lanza
Henry Kenneth Alfred “Ken” Russell (1927-2011) made some of the most daring, disturbing, establishment- baiting and beautifully-shot films of all time. His films have been drawn from a wide range of historic, religious and literary references and have offered the viewer not just brazen sensationalism but also food
for thought - they horrify yet inspire. Deranged Ursuline nuns, the demons of Mary Shelley and Byron, the sexual angst of Tchaikovsky, Liszt and Mahler, Tommy the messianic pinball wizard, prostitutes, Lady Chatterleys, lesbian vampires and frightening sex toys, not to mention Alan Bates and Oliver Reed wrestling in the buff, the list of morally deleterious images to his credit kept Mary Whitehouse and friends in a state of constant outrage, but people kept on coming to his films in their droves. Throughout all this, Russell’s puckish and intellectual sense of humour was never far from view, and in this first full biography, far from being a dry film- by-film analysis, we see how Russell’s real life was often just as engaging and vibrant as the films he created. As you would expect, the list of characters here is a veritable Who’s Who of 20th century film. 378pp, with a wealth of b/w stills and other photos. £22.50 NOW £6
73639 CILLA BLACK: What’s
It All About? by Cilla Black Caught up in the incredible youth explosion of the 1960s, Cilla Black found herself managed by Brian Epstein, friends with The Beatles and selling 100,000 records a day. Over the years she has had hit records, presented iconic TV shows and also brought up three children with her husband Bobby. Yet how much do we really know about ‘The girl with the bright red hair and the
jet black voice?’ You will laugh and cry at this likable autobiography. ‘The miscarriage had been a terrible blow. I dragged myself back to work in Blackpool on the Monday, but however hard I worked, and however hard I tried, things never seemed to go right. During the remainder of my time in Blackpool, rumours began to fly around that I was about to bring out a recording of ‘I’ll
Still Love You’, a song written and produced for me by George Harrison, with Ringo on drums. Like most rumours, it was partly true. I had travelled to London one Sunday to record the song at Apple Studios in Saville Row, but I had been to the dentist in the morning and I was in pain, so I wasn’t in a fit condition to sing and the session didn’t come off… At the time the song sort of disappeared and never came out.’ From glamorous living, champagne to heartache, births, flowers and telegrams, Blind Date to Surprise Surprise, our Cilla is one of the most warm hearted, loveable scousers. Packed with star names, 406pp in paperback with illus.
£7.99 NOW £3.50
73660 OUTSIDE BROADCASTER: An
Autobiography by Eric Robson
The author is a broadcaster and television documentary maker, but is probably best known as the chairman of one of the longest running programmes in the world - Gardeners’ Question Time on Radio 4. For more than 35 years, he has been one of the instantly recognisable voices of British
broadcasting, the commentator on some of the great events of state, such as Remembrance Sunday and Trooping the Colour. His documentaries range from Great Railway Journeys of the World to the classic BBC series with the fell walker Alfred Wainwright, and his long-running ITV programme Out of Town is cult viewing in the north of England. In this blunt, humorous and indiscreet memoir, he canters through the stupidities of broadcasting - which he still cannot bring himself to think of as a proper job - describing himself as the equivalent of a jobbing plumber. The only difference, he says, is that plumbers have to know two facts: water runs downhill and payday is Friday, whereas broadcasters only have to pretend they know what they are talking about! 215 pages with b/w photos. £12.99 NOW £5.50
73100 MERCURY: An Intimate Biography of
Freddie Mercury by Lesley-Ann Jones “Freddie Mercury was at least three different people.” Born in Zanzibar and educated in India, he was a Zoroastrian who changed his name after linking up with the student band Smile. Brian May and Roger Taylor were students at London University, and John
Deacon joined later. Mercury, an art student, was highly image-conscious and provided the band’s new name, logo and performing style. A critically acclaimed debut album was followed by “Night at the Opera” in 1975 which established Queen’s status in the British and American charts. This fascinating biography is written by a journalist who was on the road with the band and observed Mercury’s chequered life at close quarters, including not only his gay liaisons but also his relationships with the devoted women in his life, notably Mary Austin and Barbara Valentin. There are numerous interviews with people who were close to Mercury, such as publicist Mick Rock and Peter “Phoebe” Freestone, whom he met backstage at the Royal Opera House and who became his general factotum and nurse in his final illness. 350pp, chronology, discography, b/w and colour photos. Remainder mark. $26 NOW £6.50
73230 JOHN WAYNE: From Western Hero to Hollywood
Legend by Jessica Bailey Sex appeal, magnetism and a huge on-screen persona, John Wayne had it all. But despite the fact that his beginnings on the silver screen when ‘talkies’ began to oust the silent movie era were somewhat humble, he went on to hold the record for the most leading man roles - 142 - by an actor. He first
appeared in a film in 1926 in The Great K&A Train Robbery as an un-credited extra before his first big break in John Ford’s Stagecoach in 1939. With his well- practised swagger, calming drawl and strong persona, he was an all-American super hero. Famous also for his war movies, political beliefs, perceived racism and three marriages to Latin American women, this Hollywood A- lister remains a firm favourite for movie goers. With trivia and quotes, a plethora of colour and b/w photos, facts and biographical details, this is a very attractive new 64 page very large softback. £7.99 NOW £4.25
73402 STEVE McQUEEN: A
Biography by Marc Eliot Drawing on diaries in the private McQueen collection, and interviews with people who have never before spoken about him, this is the first biography to cover in detail every film the star made. It puts him squarely into the context of the movie business, revealing that he had problems trying to be a Method actor, and that - although he was at one time the highest-paid film star
in the world - he always struggled with his sense of himself, both on and off screen. The product of a solitary and largely unloved childhood, he could be difficult, unpredictable and controlling, and was not an easy or always likeable man to work with. He was also, as the women in his life - particularly Ali McGraw - were to find out, tricky to be married to. McQueen was that rare Hollywood combination, both a classic actor and an icon in the tradition of James Dean. He earned his status as ‘The King of Cool’ through his roles in films like The Magnificent Seven, Bullitt, The Thomas Crown Affair and The Great Escape in which his thrilling motor- bike getaway stole the film. But he also turned down as
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