Tales from the Shop that Never Shuts

Mrs McGlone's shop stands in the middle of a row of cottages, isolated on a lonely Irish coast which provides an adventure playground for young McGlone and her little gang. Five stories depicting the humble delights and tribulations of childhood are told through the gang's conversations and through illustrations which snuggle into the warm flow of the narrative. Although the author succeeds perhaps a little too well in conveying the atmosphere of a quiet place where little changes, this book should provide urban readers with a poignant glimpse of a different and more tranquil world.