A Good Read Kept – DJ Taylor
Billed as a Victorian Mystery, this novel by DJ Taylor is a true page turner in the style of Dickens, Wilkie Collins and the like. With multiple narratives and a range of perspectives, Taylor weaves a web of intrigue around the life and death of Mr Henry Ireland and his wife, which surprises and delights the reader.
The novel begins with an arresting episode in which two men find themselves by a Scottish loch undergoing a series of challenges to steal rare birds’ eggs. This links them to the strange but eminent naturalist James Dixey, who in turn becomes the guardian of a strangely disturbed young woman.
At times the narrative thread is truly puzzling, and the reader must
connect and theorize for themselves – but this is no bad thing, and at least we can read on at our own pace rather than having to wait, in the Victorian manner, for the next instalment. There are plenty of potential heroes and heroines, and a smattering of particularly villainous villains, for us to engage with too.
One for those dark winter nights in front of the fire – abandon the television and curl up with a good book instead. Although be warned – you may stay up later than you had intended, reading on to the finish!
Cars and Trucks and Things that Go! Millions of children have grown up with picture books written and illustrated by Richard Scarry. By the time he died in 1994 he’d sold more than 100 million copies around the world. One of the best known is Cars and Trucks and Things that Go!
To celebrate its 40th birthday recently, the Designer Paul Smith – a huge Scarry fan himself - was asked to redesign the work while retaining the charm of Scarry’s original drawings. There was also a boxed set which was limited to just 1000 copies and is already re-selling for hundreds of pounds a copy.
While most of us will never get the chance to own the boxed set, the new-look book is well worth seeking out. It has certainly impressed Scarry’s son Huck, also a children’s writer and illustrator, who said: “Paul Smith and his team have amazed me. It’s Richard Scarry seen with Paul Smith’s eyes.”
For those who don’t know the work, every manner of moving machinery is riotously depicted in a story which sees the pig family head to the beach for a picnic. On their journey they encounter every vehicle known, from the forklift to the locomotive, and many vehicles that are not known, from the pumpkin car to the broom-o-cycle. Each detailed spread provides the opportunity to make up stories and describe situations. Will Officer Flossy catch Dingo? Will Rollo Rabbit catch his runaway steamroller? And can you find the goldbug on every page?
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