Shirley Hughes (1927–2022)

I'm fairly clued up about the Resistance in France in WWII, but far less so about the situation of the partisans in Italy, so I seized upon this story by Shirley Hughes - her first for older children. Its main characters are two teenage children in Florence left with their English mother as their partisan father is - who knows here? - involved in the anti-Fascist struggle. There's also 13 year old Paolo's dog, and even more crucially, his bicycle. Hughes paints a convincing picture of a life show more of privation and fear under occupation, and makes clear that it's far too simple to think of war as being Goodies versus Baddies. It's a story of love and fear that should provoke thought as well as excite the imagination of its target readership. It would make a cracking film, too. show less

The classic fairy-tale of Cinderella gets the Jazz-Age treatment in this Kate Greenaway Medal-winning picture book from celebrated English children's author and artist Shirley Hughes. The daughter of a successful dressmaker, Ella becomes a talented seamstress and dressmaker herself, living a happy life with her widowed father and her good friend Buttons, the shop boy in her father's establishment. But when her father remarries, and her new stepmother, Madame Renée, takes over, everything show more changes. Now Ella must wait on her vain and lazy stepsisters, Ruby and Pearl, and is reduced to a life of drudgery making all of the shop's clothing, but living in the basement. When the Duchess of Arc invites the family to a ball she is throwing for her son, Ella is not permitted to attend, until her umbrella-toting godmother shows up and provides her with the transport and clothing needed. Not surprisingly, Ella enchants the duke, who seeks her out when she flees at midnight, leaving behind her glass slipper. But is Ella in love with the duke? Or does she have someone else in mind...?

Awarded the 2003 Kate Greenaway Medal, the UK's most prestigious illustrator's award, Ella's Big Chance: A Jazz-Age Cinderella is an absolute delight, from an aesthetic perspective. I loved Hughes' artwork here, with the wonderful Jazz-Age clothing and settings, the delightfully expressive characters, and the overall composition on each page. Some of the artwork is in full color, but there are also charming little black and white illustrations throughout, in the vertical boxes containing the text on each page. I appreciated the fact that Ella's stepsisters are depicted as rail thin, whereas the more attractive and appealing Ella is more full-figured. Not plump, but not excessively slim either. The story itself was engaging, and felt like a real retelling, in another place and time, with details that were true to that time. I would consider this a fractured fairy-tale, as well as a transplanted one, because the ending has been changed, but even there I found myself pleased, despite not usually liking retellings that meddle too much with the story in question. Here I strongly felt from the beginning that Ella belonged with Buttons, who had been a faithful friend to her, so I was happy to see that ending come to be. All in all, a wonderful fractured/transplanted retelling of this tale type! The only similar retelling I can think of, that equals it in my estimation, is Nancy Willard and Barry Moser's Hudson Valley version of Beauty and the Beast. Recommended to young fairy-tale fans, particularly those who appreciate unconventional retellings, as well as to those who appreciate stories in which fashion, and the art of making clothing, is an important element. show less

Some books touch me more than others, this is one that is special. A little boy has a favorite stuffed animal he calls Dogger, and he took him every place he went. Making believe he was a real dog, he pulled Dogger along with a leash made of string. Dogger had a little blanket and slept in bed with little David. When Dogger was dirty from overuse, David's mother showed him how to wash Dogger. Dogger was hung by one ear on the clothesline.

David's older sister, Bella, had seven favorite show more stuffed animals she slept with every night. Only Dogger was the animal for David. One day when walking David to school with Dogger, his mother noted a school fair. David pushed Dogger against the fence to show him to school fair. Unfortunately, Dogger became lost.

At night, David cried when he learned that Dogger was missing. The next day the family went to the school fair and found a table where stuffed animals were sold. There David and his sister Bella found Dogger on sale for .50 cents. Bella won a large yellow teddy bear as a prize for winning a raffle.

The young girl who was selling Dogger would not accept the .10 cents that Davey had. And, in a true act of love, Bella gave her newly won yellow bear to the girl in exchange for Dogger.

This is a lovely tale of sharing and caring, loss and found. show less

A young boy named Alfie enjoys his family's Christmas celebrations in this lovely picture-book from celebrated English author and artist, Shirley Hughes. As he counts down the days until Christmas itself, Alfie helps make cookies (or biscuits, as this is the UK!) and decorate the tree. He writes to Father Christmas, and gets his presents ready, making some at Nursery School and buying others with the help of his Dad. Finally, on the day itself, Alfie enjoys his time with his family, show more including his grandmother and Great Uncle Bill, visiting from Australia...

Apparently the character of Alfie, along with his little sister Annie Rose, was first introduced in 1981, in Alfie Gets in First. Although long aware of the character, and of Shirley Hughes' status in the world of British children's literature, I had never happened to pick up any of her books devoted to this character, before Alfie's Christmas. I'm glad I changed that, as I found this a lovely tale - gentle and heartwarming, it depicts an ordinary but loving English family, going about their holiday preparations - and hope to track down more. Recommended to anyone looking for engaging "slice of life" Christmas stories for younger children. show less