The Great Castle of Marshmangle

An intriguing picture book about a boy who at the age of five meets his peculiar old grandaddy for the first time. His mum surrenders him to this gnomelike little harlequin, who takes him through a convoluted landscape to a twisty house where nothing is called what it seems to be. The old man speaks in allusive riddles that give a poetic twist to everyday objects, while the semi-surrealistic paintings that take up most of the book provide a similar twist to our perceptions of the story. In the middle of the night, when the boy has settled to sleep in his Fortwink Cockpit, a commotion below leads to a near disaster. This bare summary cannot convey the very idiosyncratic oddity of this brief, charming tale. If you love books (and the pictures within them) that look at life from a quirkily skewed angle, and if you love wordplay, then this is a book you will love sharing with children of all ages. Hickory Horseradish’s naming game is one that might well catch on in your home and classroom.