Similon
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Cover Story
The cover of this issue is a design incorporating illustrations from four books illustrated by the subject of our Authorgraph, Ian Beck. The top left illustration is from Five Little Ducks (Orchard), the top right from Poppy and Pip's Picnic (to be published Autumn '97 by HarperCollins), the bottom left from The Owl and the Pussy-cat (Transworld) and the bottom right from Home Before Dark (to be published September '97 by Scholastic). Ian Beck's Picture Book (Hippo) is reviewed in this issue.
Beck talks to BfK's interviewer, Julia Eccleshare, also in this issue. His distinctive decorative style with its sensitive pen line and cross hatching has a nostalgic but sometimes also a surreal quality - he describes it as 'a look that is floating, strong and wistful all at the same time'.
Thanks to Orchard, HarperCollins, Transworld and Scholastic for their help in producing this composite cover.
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Similon
Thursday night and Alison's mother's lodger, Septimus Similon, completes his experiment to disprove the theorem, Logios 39. But despite being a qualified wizard (unknown to his landlady), Similon has made a mistake and suddenly their part of Middlesex is cut off from the present, confused with a parallel world. Alison and her school friend Kevin find themselves faced with the power struggles of this parallel world where they also have confusing parallel identities - Alison is the much feared desperado, Zelda. A funny, chaotic, wild novel in which the mix of comedy and fantasy is well done.
