The Park in the Dark by Martin Waddell illustrated by Barbara Firth

Tuesday Treasure

This is another of my Tuesday Treasures. Kindergarten children often ask to borrow a "scary" story. There are a couple of titles I like to recommend. The Flat Man by Rose Impey and The Park in the Dark.  With both, the key to success is reading aloud with a 'spooky' voice creating atmosphere and tension.

There might be
moon witches
or man-eating trees
or withers that wobble
or old Scrawny Shins
or hairy hobgobblins,
or black boggarts knees
in the trees,
or things we can't see,
me and Loopy
and Little Gee
all three.

With their human friend safely tucked up in bed the three toys - an elephant called Loopy, a puppy called Little Gee and a monkey - set off to the park. Their goal is an evening of games on the park play equipment. There are scary noises on the way to the park but the fun they have makes it all worthwhile until the THING arrives.

RUN RUN RUN
shouts Little Gee
to Loopy and me
and we
flee,
me and Loopy
and Little Gee
scared three.

I love to think about the process of illustrating this book. The way Barbara Firth interprets the text by Martin Waddell is fabulous. If you can find this book I think "the THING" will amaze you.  The final scene might remind of that other classic adventure, and slightly scary story - We're going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen.  (My photo is from the Bear Hunt pop-up book).

The Park in the Dark was awarded the Kurt Maschler prize in 1989. This award is for books of imagination where the text and illustrations "are integrated so each enhances and balances the other." Other prestigious titles to receive this award include Gorilla by Anthony Browne, The Jolly Postman by Janet and Allan Ahlberg, The Little Boat by Kathy Henderson and So Much by Trish Cooke. The last award was made in 1999.

Here is a video of our own Libby Gleeson reading this book. You may know the gentle illustrations of Barbara Firth from her Little Bear books.

It would be interesting to compare The Park in the Dark with Waiting by Kevin Henkes. My friend at Kinderbookswitheverything has an excellent Pinterest of other stories which feature toys.