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Puffin Books
Puffin Books is a longstanding children's imprint of the British publishers Penguin Books. Since the 1960s, it has been among the largest publishers of children's books in the UK and much of the English-speaking world. The imprint now belongs to Penguin Random House, a subsidiary of the German media conglomerate Bertelsmann. History Four years after Penguin Books had been founded by Allen Lane, the idea for Puffin Books was hatched in 1939, when Noel Carrington, at the time an editor for ''Country Life (magazine), Country Life'' books, met him and proposed a series of children's non-fiction picture books, inspired by the brightly coloured lithographed books mass-produced at the time for Soviet children. Lane saw the potential, and the first of the picture book series were published the following year. The name "Puffin" was a natural companion to the existing "Penguin" and "Pelican Books, Pelican" books. Many continued to be reprinted right into the 1970s. A fiction list soon fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Puffin Books Logo
Puffins are any of three species of small alcids (auks) in the bird genus ''Fratercula''. These are pelagic zone, pelagic seabirds that feed primarily by diving in the water. They breed in large Bird colony, colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in crevices among rocks or in burrows in the soil. Two species, the tufted puffin and horned puffin, are found in the North Pacific Ocean, while the Atlantic puffin is found in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. All puffin species have predominantly black or black and white plumage, a stocky build, and large beaks that get brightly colored during the breeding season. They shed the colorful outer parts of their bills after the breeding season, leaving a smaller and duller beak. Their short wings are adapted for swimming with a flying technique underwater. In the air, they beat their wings rapidly (up to 400 times per minute) in swift flight, often flying low over the ocean's surface. Etymology The English name ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charlotte's Web
''Charlotte's Web'' is a book of children's literature by American author E. B. White and illustrated by Garth Williams. It was published on October 15, 1952, by Harper & Brothers. It tells the story of a livestock pig named Wilbur and his friendship with a barn spider named Charlotte. When Wilbur is in danger of being animal slaughter, slaughtered, Charlotte writes messages in her web praising him, such as "Some Pig", "Terrific", "Radiant", and "Humble", to persuade the farmer to spare his life. The book is considered a classic of children's literature, enjoyed by readers of all ages. The description of the experience of swinging on a rope swing at the farm is an often-cited example of rhythm in writing, as the pace of the sentences reflects the motion of the swing. In 2000, ''Publishers Weekly'' listed the book as the best-selling children's paperback of all time. The book was adapted into an Charlotte's Web (1973 film), animated feature film produced by Hanna-Barbera Product ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rosemary Sutcliff
Rosemary Sutcliff (14 December 1920 – 23 July 1992) was an English novelist best known for children's books, especially historical fiction and retellings of myths and legends. Although she was primarily a children's author, some of her novels were specifically written for adults. In a 1986 interview she said, "I would claim that my books are for children of all ages, from nine to ninety." For her contribution as a children's writer Sutcliff was a runner-up for the Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 1974. Biography Sutcliff was born 14 December 1920 to George Ernest Sutcliff and his wife Nessie Elizabeth, née Lawton, in East Clandon, Surrey. She spent her childhood in Malta and various naval bases where her father, a Royal Navy officer, was stationed. She was affected by Still's disease when she was very young, and used a wheelchair most of her life. Due to her chronic illness, Sutcliff spent most of her time with her mother from whom she learned many of the Celtic and Saxon ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Philippa Pearce
Ann Philippa Pearce OBE FRSL (22 January 1920 – 21 December 2006) was an English author of children's books. Best known of them is the time-slip novel '' Tom's Midnight Garden'', which won the 1958 Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, as the year's outstanding children's book by a British subject. Pearce was a commended runner-up for the Medal a further four times. Early life Ann Philippa Pearce was the youngest of four children of a flour miller and corn merchant, Ernest Alexander Pearce, and his wife Gertrude Alice ''née'' Ramsden, who lived at the Mill House by the River Cam in the village of Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire, where she was brought up. She started school only at the age of eight because of illness, then she went on to attend the Perse School for Girls in Cambridge and win a scholarship to Girton College, Cambridge to read English and History. After gaining her degree, Pearce moved to London, where she found work as a civil servant. Later she wro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kaye Webb
Kathleen ("Kaye") Webb (26 January 1914 – 16 January 1996), was a British editor and publisher. She has been called an "enormously influential children's editor" and "brilliant as an innovator of highly successful marketing strategies". She was awarded the Eleanor Farjeon Award in 1970. Early life and education Kathleen Webb was born in Chiswick, London, in 1914, the second of three children of Arthur Webb, a journalist, and Ann (née Stevens), a film and theatre critic. Her paternal great-great-grandfather was W. G. (William George) Webb, publisher of toy theatres in the Victorian era. Webb was educated first at a dame school, then at Hornsey High School, and then, in 1926, aged twelve, started boarding at Ashburton School, Ashburton, Devon, where her older brother was already a student. Webb herself described her time there as "bullied, miserable, had jaundice", but was inspired and encouraged by the teacher of English, Ben R. Gibbs, author of textbooks about liter ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ian Serraillier
Ian Serraillier (24 September 1912 – 28 November 1994) was an English novelist and poet. He retold legends from England, Greece and Rome and was best known for his children's books, especially '' The Silver Sword'' (1956), a wartime adventure story that the BBC adapted for television in 1957 and again in 1971. Early life and education Serraillier, born in London on 24 September 1912, was the eldest of the four children of Lucien Serraillier (1886–1919) and Mary Kirkland Rodger (1883–1940). His father died in the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. Serraillier was educated at Brighton College, a public school, and at St Edmund Hall, Oxford. He then taught English at Wycliffe College, Gloucestershire in 1936–1939, Dudley Boys Grammar School, Worcestershire, in 1939–1946, and Midhurst Grammar School, West Sussex, in 1946–1961. Pacifism As a Quaker Serraillier was granted conscientious objector status in World War II, and served as an air raid warden during the conflict. He w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Silver Sword
''The Silver Sword'' is a children's novel written by Ian Serraillier, originally illustrated by C. Walter Hodges, published in the United Kingdom by Jonathan Cape in 1956 and then by Puffin Books in 1960. It has also been published in the United States under the title ''Escape From Warsaw''. The story is of a Polish family in the Second World War. It is based on fact, although fictional names are given to a few of the places mentioned. The account of the Red Army on the march is derived from eyewitness accounts in Jan Stransky's ''East Wind over Prague''. In an afterword to the 2003 edition Jane Serraillier Grossfeld, the author's daughter, identifies a ''Picture Post'' article about the Pestalozzi children's village as a source. ''The Silver Sword'' has been adapted for television and radio. Plot summary Joseph Balicki, the headmaster of a primary school in Warsaw, was arrested by German soldiers, a few months into the Second World War, and taken away to a prison camp. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barbara Sleigh
Barbara Grace de Riemer Sleigh (1906–1982) was an English children's writer and broadcaster. She is remembered most for her Carbonel series about a king of cats. Family and career Barbara Sleigh was born on 9 January 1906 in Birmingham, the daughter of an artist, Bernard Sleigh, and his wife Stella, née Phillp, who had married in 1901. Both parents came from a Methodist background, but she was brought up an Anglican. The family moved to Chesham for a time, then back to Birmingham. Their marriage broke up in about 1914. Her older brother, Brocas Linwood Sleigh (1902–1965), would also become a writer. Having attended art college and teachers' training college, Sleigh taught in various schools before joining the teacher training department at Goldsmiths College in London in 1929. She went to work for the BBC programme ''Children's Hour'' in 1932. There, in 1935, she married a colleague, David Davis (1908–1996) at Dunchurch, Warwickshire, but BBC house rules at the time wou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The King Of The Cats
The King of the Cats (or The King o' the Cats) is a folk tale from the British Isles. The earliest known example is found in '' Beware the Cat'', written by William Baldwin in 1553, though it is related to the first-century story of " The Death of Pan". Other notable versions include one in a letter written by Thomas Lyttelton, 2nd Baron Lyttelton, first published in 1782, M. G. Lewis told the story to Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1816, and a version was adapted by Joseph Jacobs from several sources, including one collected by Charlotte S. Burne. Walter Scott reported that it was a well known nursery tale in the Scottish Highlands in the eighteenth century. It can be categorised as a "death of an elf (or cat)" tale: Aarne–Thompson–Uther type 113A, or Christiansen migratory legend type 6070B.D. L. Ashliman,Death of an Underground Person: migratory legends of type 6070B Summary A man travelling alone sees a cat (or hears a voice), who speaks to him, saying to tell someone (often ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Noel Streatfeild
Mary Noel Streatfeild OBE (24 December 1895 – 11 September 1986) was an English author, best known for children's books including the "Shoes" books, which were not a series (though some books made references to others). Random House, the U.S. publisher of the 1936 novel '' Ballet Shoes'' (1936), published some of Streatfeild's subsequent children's books using the word "Shoes" in their titles, to capitalise on the popularity of ''Ballet Shoes''; thus ''Circus Shoes'' (originally called ''The Circus Is Coming''), ''Party Shoes'' (originally called ''Party Frock''), ''Skating Shoes'' (originally called '' White Boots'') and many more. She won the third annual Carnegie Medal for ''The Circus Is Coming''. Streatfeild also wrote 12 romance novels under the pen name Susan Scarlett. She was a member of the historic Streatfeild family. Several of her novels have been adapted for film or television. Biography Mary Noel Streatfeild was born in Frant, Sussex, the second of five survi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ballet Shoes (novel)
''Ballet Shoes: A Story of Three Children on the Stage'' is a children's novel by Noel Streatfeild, published by Dent in 1936. Her first book for children, it was illustrated by the author's sister, Ruth Gervis. ''Ballet Shoes'' was a runner up for the inaugural Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's best British children's book by a British subject. (Streatfeild won the award later for ''The Circus Is Coming''.) Plot summary The book concerns three adopted sisters, Pauline, Petrova and Posy Fossil. Each of the girls is discovered as a baby by Matthew Brown (Great-Uncle-Matthew, known as "Gum"), an elderly, absentminded palaeontologist and professor, during his world travels, and sent home to his practical great niece, Sylvia, and her childhood nanny Nana who live in London, England. Gum embarks upon an expedition of many years and arranges for money to support the family while he is gone. Gum does not return in the promised five years and the mo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Norman Hunter (author)
Norman George Lorimer Hunter (23 November 1899 – 23 February 1995) was a British writer of children's literature. He is particularly known for creating the Professor Branestawm book series. Early life Hunter was born in Sydenham, England, on 23 November 1899. He attended Beckenham County School for Boys (later known as Beckenham and Penge Grammar School and then Langley Park School for Boys). He had three siblings, Edith Mira Hunter, Gladys Minnie Hunter and Cyril Joseph Hunter. His father died when he was 9 and his brother, Cyril was killed in the First World War in Flanders, France. Hunter left school to volunteer for service in the London Irish Rifles in the First World War. He was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal for his service. Career After the First World War Hunter became an advertising copywriter. In the 1930s he performed as a stage magician in Bournemouth and in the London Magic Theatre of John Nevil Maskelyne and David Devant. He was also a mem ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
