Stanley's stick by John Hegley illustrated by Neil Layton

A stick can be .... a whistle, a banana, a match, or even a stickosaurus. 

A stick can be a fishing rod to share with a friend - this is my favourite page.

We see Stanley enjoying his stick and all the games of his wonderful imagination but then something rather surprising happens. On the family holiday to the seaside Stanley walks down to the edge of the water.

"Maybe the boy thinks it is time for the stick to be taken for someone else to enjoy? 
Stanley hurls his stick into the wide tide.
Gosh.
What a tiny splosh for something that has been so big in Stanley's days."

Now Stanley is stickless but not for long. Stanley walks along the beach looking at the treasures that have washed up on the shoreline. He finds a different stick.

A stick can be a saxophone, a telescope, a fantastick!

The review from The Times is quoted on the cover: I agree with the reviewer who says this book is  "everything a picture book should be."

Stanley's stick was first published in 2012 but it is still available in paperback. Here is an excellent video of the whole book. Here are some other books illustrated by Neil Layton.

If you want a gorgeously delicious, funny and charming slice of inspiration then look no further than Stanley’s Stick by John Hegley,illustrated by Neal Layton. Playing by the Book

John Hegley is a poet and the language of this book certainly shows his love of words:

"And four times now he has used it to pick up slugs from the pathway, platform and pavement, thus saving them from a fate worse than feet."

Look at all these words that start with S

"So here is Stanley standing on the station taking his stick for a short stay at the side of the sea with his mum and dad. ... Down at the sea Stanley goes down to the side of the tide. His folks take stock of Stanley standing in the sand, stick in hand. What is he doing?"

"The sea picks up the stick and tucks it into itself."

Here are some other books about sticks and imaginative play: