Tale of the Turnip, The

There is a parable of sorts in this entertaining story of a downtrodden old farmer living in a ramshackle cottage who grows ‘a right champion turnip’ of massive proportions. The farmer realises the likely benefit of taking his giant vegetable to the king who is so impressed that he gives him a cartload of gold. The village squire, arrogant and greedy, fumes at the farmer’s good fortune, but gets his comeuppance…

This picture book retelling of this traditional English tale is gently ironic, both verbally and visually. The series of double-page spreads, full of detail and visual jokes, have a lively air of burlesque. Each endpaper is part of the story, presenting us with a bucolic scene where all is right with the world, even if some live in a big house and others do not.