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BfK No. 167 - November 2007

Cover Story
This issue’s cover illustration by Polly Dunbar is from David Almond’s My Dad’s a Birdman. David Almond writes about his new book. Thanks to Walker Books for their help with this November cover.

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Ninnyhammer

Dick King-Smith
 John Eastwood
(Doubleday Childrens)
96pp, 978-0385611879, RRP £7.99, Hardcover
8-10 Junior/Middle
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Ninnyhammer is the local village simpleton, but young Peter Frost suspects there’s more to him than that. Peter is right: Ninnyhammer is a magician and the white stick that Peter fishes out of the stream is the magic wand which the magician has lost. Ninnyhammer is so grateful that he starts to help Peter and his family with their struggling farm, magically making the cows, hens and pigs more productive. In return Peter’s family see Ninnyhammer in a new light and from being shunned by the local community, this simple, kindly man is now welcomed to stay at the Frost’s farm, to live.

Set precisely at the start of the twentieth century, though this is not particularly relevant, Ninnyhammer has a gentle feel to it. As a farmer for 20 years King-Smith is, once again, on familiar territory. The simple, understated line illustrations play their part in making this heart-warming story another guaranteed ‘hit’ to add to the King-Smith award-winning collection.

Reviewer: 
Andrew Kidd
5
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