Emil and the Detectives was one of my favourite childhood books. Erich Kastner’s story of young Emil Tischbein and his journey from his humdrum German hometown to the seething metropolis of 1920s Berlin captured my imagination from the start. So when the National Theatre announced that it had chosen the tale as its Christmas production this year I booked tickets straight away, even though it was the height of summer ...keep reading
Michael Morpurgo is one of the most prolific writers around. He began writing stories as a primary schoolteacher 40 years ago and has since written more than 120 books. I remember my two children excitedly discovering The Butterfly Lion, a tale that so enthralled them that they proceeded to whizz through every other Morpurgo book they could lay their hands on. Morpurgo, who was children’s laureate from 2003 to 2005, ...keep reading
For the first time in 18 years I haven’t got a clue when half term actually is. It might be this week but then again it could be next. In the past I’d be rushing out to get Halloween pumpkins and planning what to do on Bonfire Night – but now my son and daughter are at university I don’t have to do any of it (sob). But ironically I ...keep reading
My husband’s the only person I know who didn’t cry at War Horse. Everyone else wept buckets – during the play, during Steven Spielberg’s lavish, Oscar-nominated movie or (in my case) both. Actually, I think the Times reviewer who reported on the New York film premiere got it just about right when he said: “If you don’t cry in War Horse, it’s because you have no tear ducts.” But up ...keep reading
I’ve been a fan of artist Emma Chichester Clark for more years than I can remember. When we moved house this year (aaagh – I’m still recovering) I took stacks of children’s books to a local primary school but I couldn’t bear to part with my Chichester Clark collection. I bought some of them (below) before my daughter was born – I Never Saw a Purple Cow and Listen to ...keep reading