Hide till Day-time by Joan Phipson

This book is very very old - first published in 1977. The library I visit each week still has/had a copy but it is in very poor shape and so sadly it will now be culled. Very old Puffin books always go yellow and the print size is too small and while I do like the internal illustrations by Mary Dinsdale, they would not appeal to a modern child.

BUT this is a terrific short story and it is not at all dated. If you have ever visited a large department store you will recognise the scenes and if you have been to our David Jones store in Sydney then the story will really come to life especially for adults with fond memories of the Food Hall in their old store. Sadly the food hall has been moved and it no longer has the charm or delights of the previous offering.

It has been a long shopping day. The children - Agatha aged nine and her little brother are tired. Their father is exasperated and feeling cross and their mother just wants to pick up something easy for dinner as they make their last shopping purchase for the day.

The David Jones Food Hall is full of people. It is nearly closing time (which in the olden days was 5.30pm) and Agatha and George are separated from their parents. Then there is a disaster. George knocks into a woman who is waiting for honey to be poured from a huge container and he falls to the floor covered in honey and flour. Agatha knows her parents will be so upset and she is sure all of this is her fault so she hustles George away and up the escalator and lift trying to find a bathroom where she can wash off all the sticky honey. All of this takes a long time and when Agatha eventually arrives back in the Food Hall everyone is gone including her parents. The store is closed and it seems the children will need to spend the night but why do they need to hide?

The next scenes will remind you of books like From the Mixed up files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler and the picture book Corduroy. Do you remember the scene in Corduroy when the night watchman is hunting through the store after hearing a loud crash. In Hide till Day-time Agatha rides a scooter and knocks over a display and the night watchman comes up with his torch so, just like Corduroy, she quickly adds herself to a store display beside a store dummy or mannequin. It is very funny.  

Hide till Day-time contains a delicious amount of tension. I do hope one day someone will reprint this book with a new cover (the old cover above from 1979 is actually okay) and new illustrations.

Here are some older covers - I was pleased to see this was published as an Antelope book they were always terrific. 

Joan Phipson was born in 1912. She died in 2003. Two of her novels, Good Luck to the Rider (1953) and The Family Conspiracy (1963), won the Australian Children's Book of the Year Award. Maurice Saxby, the children's literature expert, wrote: "More than any other writers, Eleanor Spence and Joan Phipson have perhaps helped guide the direction of Australian children's literature in the past 30 years. They have both expressed in their novels of family life not only social changes but the concerns and preoccupations of a growingly complex Australian society."

Here is her obituary by Julia Eccleshare.

I would like to discover more about Mary Disdale - her art style reminds me of the fine line work of Charles Keeping, Edward Ardizzone, and Noela Young. 

Corduroy by Don Freeman

Corduroy is one of my top five picture books and if you consider the hundreds and hundreds of picture books I have read over thirty three years as a Teacher-Librarian this is a fairly huge claim. There is an official Corduroy web site. Here is a wonderful set of discussion questions from the site Teaching Children Philosophy.

Why do I love Corduroy (1968) and the sequel A Pocket for Corduroy (1978)?

Corduroy
I love the eye contact between Lisa and Corduroy as she is led from the store by her mother. Kirkus call this poignant
I love the way Corduroy perseveres when he is looking for his missing button
I love the imagination of Corduroy - could the escalator be a mountain, could the furniture department be a palace
There is real tension when the night watchman discovers Corduroy hiding under the bed
I love that Lisa uses the money from her own piggy bank to pay for Corduroy
The final lines of the first book make me smile :

"You must be a friend,' said Corduroy. 'I've always wanted a friend.'
'Me too!' said Lisa, and she gave him a hug."

Corduroy the DVD/Video
There are so many joyous extras in the Western Woods film:
When Corduroy realises his button is missing he rubs the spot on his overalls just to check
Corduroy discovers a train in the toy department. He twists the 'button' and finds he is careering around the track at high speed
Up in the furniture department the night watchman nearly catches him. Luckily Corduroy places himself in a camping display complete with hat and fishing rod
Pulling off the mattress button the threads break one strand at a time creating wonderful anticipation
When Lisa sews on a new button she asks about his name and decides the name Corduroy will be perfect. Corduroy looks directly at the viewer and moves his head ever so slightly - a magic moment that always delights me.

A pocket for Corduroy
I love talking to the children about how laundromats work and linking this with another famous book Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
A random comment about checking pockets sets up a new mission for Corduroy to find one for himself
I love the way the artist customer rescues Corduroy and then he thoughtfully dries out his overalls. "He unbuttoned Corduroy's shoulder straps and put his overalls in the dryer ... Then he helped Corduroy put on his warm, dry overalls. ... Corduroy was gently placed on top of a washing machine."
I love the optimism of Corduroy when he is stranded in the laundromat
Again the final lines are to be treasured.
"Oh, Corduroy! Why didn't you tell me you wanted a pocket?' asked Lisa. ... (and) he and Lisa nuzzled noses."

My little Corduroy toy is also very precious to me.

How Winston delivered Christmas by Alex T Smith

Day 12
"Eventually Oliver found what he was looking for - an envelope. It wasn't too badly crumpled and he'd written the address on the front in his very best handwriting. He'd left it a bit late to send but he crossed his fingers and hoped it would get where it needed to go in time."

To Father Christmas

Mince Pie House

Just Past that Snowdrift

The North Pole

URGENT!

Oliver is distracted as he puts his Christmas letter in the tall red pillar box on a busy street in London. He has to rush to catch up with his mother and he doesn't see it tumble into the snow. Luckily for Oliver, his letter is found by Winston. Luckily for Oliver, Winston recognises this letter is important. Luckily for Oliver, Winston is a very determined mouse and he now has a mission. And what a mission it is. How will Winston find Father Christmas? It is so cold. It is snowing. The city streets are filled with busy shoppers and it is Christmas eve so he really only has one night to complete this task.

I have saved this new book (published in 2018) for my Christmas Day post because it is an Advent story in twenty-four-and-a-half chapters.  I have been reading one chapter each day this month so I only finished it today! Christmas Day is the day you read the last 1/2 chapter.  The chapters are all very short and each ends with a cliff hanger. I found myself wanting to read on several times. It actually took a lot of restraint not to 'cheat' because I was so anxious to make sure Winston was safe and that he still had a firm hold on that important letter. This would be a great book to own in a family so if you see it after Christmas (perhaps on sale) pick up a copy ready for December 2019!

You can see inside the book here.  The other bonus with this book are all the activities Alex T Smith has included. There are ideas for card making, cooking, puppets, decorations, a list of ideas for random acts of kindness and simple gifts to make. The whole book has a retro feel which seems perfect for a book that is sure to become a family favourite over many generations. The other delightful detail to notice are the stamps at the beginning of each chapter.

Take look here to see behind the scenes by Alex T Smith.

"It could be fun to read the story with a grown-up or even your whole family - get cosy and read your chapter together. Maybe have a biscuit at the same time. Books and biscuits go so nicely together, I think." Alex T Smith.


Alex has captured all the sights and smells of Christmas with the most delicious descriptions and sumptuous illustrations, the story is a feast for all senses.  Story Snug

The mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine

If you have watched the television series Mr Selfridge the you will immediately recognise the setting for this fast paced Victorian drama The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow.

"Through one archway was a rose-coloured room, in which elegant shop girls offered scent in pretty bottles. A display of coloured parasols dripped down from the ceiling like a waterfall of exotic hothouse flowers.  ...  There was so much to discover.  A pianist in a white waistcoat played a grand piano on the fourth floor landing ..."

Mr Sinclair sounds just like Mr Selfridge

"He was an American, a self-made man, renowned for this elegance, the single, perfect orchid he always worse in his buttonhole, for the ever-changing string of beautiful ladies on his arm and, most of all, for his wealth."

Sophie Taylor has moved from a life of privilege to that of a working girl employed by Sinclair's, a new and very grand department store which will open tomorrow.  Sophie's past life is only hinted at as we become swept up in the present and the major crime that occurs on the night before the store opening.  One part of the new store is a beautiful exhibition hall and Mr Sinclair has plans to display his collection of treasures including a jeweled clockwork sparrow "encrusted with pearls and pink, yellow and blue sapphires (and) each time it is wound it will play an entirely different song."

Sophie is one of the last people sighted in the store the night before this serious crime is committed and so suspicion falls on her.  What Sophie does not know is that this crime originates with one of the most notorious criminals living in London - the Baron. Sophie has been shunned by the other girls in the millinery department but she has found a true friend in Billy an apprentice porter.  Together with Lil (Lilian Rose) and Joe, a young man who is on the run from the Baron.  There are clues to unravel and codes to decipher.

Listen to the author talk about her inspiration for this book.  I think this is a book middle grade and upper primary students will really enjoy.  I would also suggest reading Withering-by-sea, The truth about Verity Sparks and Rooftoppers.  You will see Katherine Rundell (author of Rooftoppers) has endorsed The mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow on the back cover.  Click this quote below to read a review by Zoe at Playing by the Book.

Woodfine’s period drama is a perfectly paced, exciting read and when readers turn the final page, they’ll be delighted to see that further adventures in crime-solving await Sophie and her friends