Denys Watkins-Pitchford (1905–1990)

Well I'd love to give this 6 stars as the writing is so beautiful. Originally published in 1942 and very much a book for children of all ages. There's an obvious comparison to The Wind in the Willows but I think this is better. There is a single linear narrative along the Folly Brook, a variety of well drawn characters and although the loose ends are tied up cleverly at the end for an all round happy ending there are some sad moments in the story as well: it is realistic. The descriptions of show more the English countryside and nature are simply beautiful and are complememted by the author's distinctive woodcut illustrations. Highly recommended. show less

I started read The Little Grey Men when I was 10 or 11. I liked it very much but, for some forgotten reason, had to return it to the library before I finished it. It must have stuck in my mind though, because when I saw a reference to it the other week, I remembered it and decided to get it out and try again, this time from a library on the far side of the continent. Here's what I found.

It's glorious writing, beyond writing really, more of a window into a lost world, lost to me anyway -- how show more it would be to live in a hollow of an oak tree on the side of a creek in a woodland of the English Midlands in a long ago pre-suburbanized countryside.

He doesn't really give a child reader a break with his vocabulary and sentence structure, you got to stay with it, kids. He's just trying to get his vision out and at the same time tell a ripping story.

BB has illustrated the book with his own woodcuts and they are Arthur Rackham masterful.

Oh yeah, storyline: after living on the side of Folly Brook for several thousand years, three gnomes decide to venture upstream to find their lost brother Cloudberry, and what happened to them on the way.

This is not your ordinary kid's adventure fantasy. More like a hymn to nature that happens to include great gnome characters having ripping adventures. Recommended. show less

I had a Folio Society edition but gave it away because Slightly Foxed published the sequel and another BB book.
I just re-read The Little Grey Men and enjoyed exploring the banks and waters of the Folly stream with Sneezewort, Baldmoney and later the one-legged Dodder who set off to search for their brother Cloudberry who went walkabout a year earlier. We meet the forest friends, Squirrel, owls, rabbits, kingfisher and other birds, including the stuck-up pheasants and woodland enemies such as show more the stoat and fox, and an ogre in the form of a gamekeeper. I'm a bit sad about the fox because I am fond of foxes and not of fox-hunting. There is enjoyment of Nature, the trees, plants and flowers, a visit from Pan, a lot of kindness and some cruelty and sadness, but such is life. The gnomes are affable and resourceful little fellows and I can imagine them living among the roots of one of the trees along the stream that runs past the end of my road. Just one thing puzzled me, the miraculous appearance of a frying pan after everything had been lost in a storm.
Now looking forward to reading the others. show less

This novel is one of the all-time great river novels - 'Heart of Darkness' with little folk. A quest for their long-lost brother, Cloudberry, leads Dodder and his brothers on a journey of great bravery and excitement. Cloudberry travelled upstream years before to find the source of the Folly and never returned.

This is the first of what I am sure are going to be many indulgent purchases in the name of furnishing a library for my daughter - patently they're for me but I won't tell anyone if show more you don't. I read this a long, long time ago when my parents allowed me to borrow it from their shop as long as I read it without marking it so it could still be sold! I remember that first read, as a child of nine or ten, as captivating - I was loathed to return it but we didn't have enough spare money for me to keep it, so when I noticed The Folio Society were releasing an edition I was compelled to buy it.

This is a true children's classic. From the outset, B.B.'s familiarity and knowledge of the natural world is apparent - the book is steeped in nature. The fact that it is so evocative of the British countryside makes it believable. Anyone who has spent time poking about stream banks as a child or adult can imagine sitting very still and watching as the animals and gnomes come out of the cracks and crevices. The plausibility of these little folk appearing from the tree roots is what makes it so magical for children.

B.B.'s description of a cosy night by the fire in the oak home of the gnomes shows great skill in characterisation and creation of a world that comes alive in the pages. There is something melancholy about the atmosphere as they hunker down against the cold and wet. The reader is drawn quickly into this little world of the gnomes and the three brothers are so endearing that it is impossible not to be affected by the poignant departure of Baldmoney and Sneezewort. Adult and child alike will share in the horror of Crow Wood and the magic touches hearts of any age.

This book is evocative of a bygone age. The creatures he describes are often relics of the countryside of our grandfathers' time when the country was rich and replete with diverse and rare species that you see few of today. The language and writing is neither patronising nor childish. It's a delightful tale and one that is educational with B.B.'s descriptions of the natural world. For children, it is a source of inspiration, feeding their imagination and acting as a starting point for the development of a relationship of true love and affection for the countryside and creatures around us. It is as if the countryside is a character in itself.

I don't usually comment on editions but it would be remiss to finish this review without giving The Folio Society credit for the beautifully produced edition they have released. It certainly added to my enjoyment of the novel. It's wonderfully illustrated with D.J. Watkins-Pitchford's black and white woodcuts and beautifully complementary colour plates. In combination with the magical story, this makes this a wonderful 'read aloud' book for younger children and a treasure for older children to cherish. show less