Hilda Hen's Scary Night

It's a delight to see the return of Hilda Hen. Mary Wormell's lino cuts and her use of colour are magic and match the atmosphere of this book perfectly. When Hilda Hen wakes up, after having fallen asleep on a hot, sunny day, she finds her normally safe garden turned into a world full of dangerous creatures. As darkness falls she uses her ingenuity to make the journey back to the hen house, proudly relating her skills to herself all the way. Children love to identify the everyday objects she meets as monsters. They show a lot of sympathy for Hilda Hen yet feel satisfyingly superior as they bring the knowledge they have, but which she hasn't, to shed light on her adventure.