Fairy Tales for Mr Barker

Even if Jessica were not the daughter of Janet and Allan, their influence would still be apparent. This “peep-through” story follows Lucy and her dog, Mr Barker, through five, or maybe six, fairy tales familiar to the youngest children.  Each fairy tale has one or two double page spreads in which Lucy and Mr Barker arrive at a moment of jeopardy for the protagonists and exit page right with the would-be victims, pursued by a growing queue of fairy tale villains: including a witch, a giant and a big bad wolf. This isn’t at all scary. The detailed spreads are in muted shades which tone down the drama and in which pastel pink, orange and green are strong presences. Lucy is always unflappably in charge and her smile never wavers. Even the villains look cuddly and the giant is sporting a fetching pair of rabbit slippers. And there’s a lot to look at and chuckle about in the pictures, including the giant’s recipe for “Bone Bread”. It’s a tale likely to send even the most timid child fast asleep with a face beaming with fun and reassurance.