Sulky Suzy/Jittery Jack
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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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Sulky Suzy/Jittery Jack
Illustrated by Jacqui Thomas
These two stories in the 'Flipper' series are ideal for younger and less able readers in terms of content and their level of difficulty. The very topical 'Sulky Suzy' deals with a girl who dreams of a lottery jackpot so that the family will not have to move house and she will no have to leave her friends behind. Suzy's family never win a penny on the lottery. Will the magic pen that Suzy sends away for change their luck? Jittery Jack' is the story of a new boy at school who does not seem to be able to settle in and be accepted by his peers. Discovering a previously hidden talent for vaulting changes everything and Jack jumps up the popularity table. Both stories have mainly three-quarter page black and white illustrations, some with additional speech bubbles. The intended reader is not, therefore, overfaced by the amount of text to read. I find the 'Flipper' format irritating (the reader has to flip the book upside down to read the second story). This gimmick works against everything young children are taught about how to turn the pages in a book from front to back.
