How the Whale Became and Other Stories

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Great children's writing - clever, funny, thought provoking - Rated
I first read this book when I was 9 or 10 years old, in fact, I gave it to my twin brother for his birthday and have regretted not keeping it ever since! It is one of those books that I have remembered all my life, but until now have not been able to find it in print.

As a child I was completely enthralled by the epic stories conjuring up fantastical animals in God's brand new creation. I have never been able to see or hear about lions, whales or bees again without Ted Hughes' stories of their creation coming into my mind.

Rather like Aesop's Fables, but with less moral preaching and a lot more humour (sometimes very dark humour), these stories are charming and fantastical, and yet somehow very plausible. The idea of God creating the earth's creature's out of bits and pieces in his workshop - sometimes getting it right, sometimes getting it wrong - is a delightful premise for some wonderful stories. I defy anyone to read the story of 'how the bee became' without feeling incredibly sad and touched about so much tragedy in such a tiny creature.

25 years later, I can at last get a copy of my own - at a litle bit more than the 25p it cost me originally! I know I will enjoy reading it again as an adult every bit as much as I did as a child. That, for me, is the true test of great children's literature.