Victor Ambrus III

This story By Victor Ambrus published in 1972 by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, is really a parable of our 'data centre' time. 

A selfish sultan greedily demands water for his daily bath, not realising the hardships this is causing.

If you have a baddy in a story better make him Bad!

Victor Ambrus II

 

The Little Cockerel' by Victor Ambrus published in 1966, is about a cockerel trying to regain his poor mistresses gold coin after a greedy sultan takes it for himself. In setting himself on this task the cockerel faces untold tortures and difficulties. 

I am most upset by this terrible woman smiling as she puts a live cockerel in the fire! But the loose wonderful drawings and incredible colour and story are just fabulous.

John Burningham VI

'Courtney' and 'Borka' have long been on my favourite children's book list. So I thought I would explore more of John Burningham's archive. 'The Extraordinary Tug of War' written by Letta Schaltz, illustrated by John Burningham published in 1968 by Follett publishing Co. This book has fabulous colour and vegetation effects as well as John's early chunkier style which I delight in. 

I love the arial views of what is really happening in the story.

Crispin Fisher

I was away in July and popped into Carlisle on my way home, where there is an incredible book shop. I emerged two hours later with many books. One on the top of the pile my daughter looked at and asked, 'Why did you buy that one?' looking puzzled. 

I said, 'sometimes it is just the end papers!' These are the scarlet endpapers of 'The Migration of Birds', written by ornithologist James Fisher and illustrated by his son Crispin Fisher (1949-1989). Published by 'The Bodley Head 1966. Then below are some of the delicate internal illustrations of birds, but oh! those endpapers!