Elsie Piddock Skips in Her Sleep

Elsie Piddock Skips in Her Sleep tells the tale of a little girl with a special talent -- she can outskip the fairies on Mount Kaburn--and is rewarded with a gift of rare and lasting value.

First published in 1937, this charming tale is reproduced in this stunning little book with classic illustrations, in a high-quality edition that makes it an ideal gift for young readers who enjoy magical stories that are perfect for sharing. (Age 7 and over) --Susan Harrison

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View books by Eleanor Farjeon.

An inspirational ramble of magical story (suits age 7-100) - Rated
This is my favourite story by Eleanor Farjeon (so far).

It tells the story of a little girl who loves skipping and skips better than anyone else - but it tells so much more.

In it there is the sense of magic and wonder, the fight of right against wrong, the weak but courageous triumphing over the powerful bullying, a picture of the English country life and history, the importance of rights of way and a conviction that "the good that men do lives after them". The story-telling has a rambling nature that reminds me of the endless yarns my loquatious daughter used to spin (minus the plot) when she was little. There is also a pleasure in the savouring of unusual words (like the "old skipping rhyme" in the story) that repeat and echo through the pages. Oh, and something in it that almost makes you want to cry!

I immensely enjoyed reading this to children and children are enchanted by it.

A very special book.

A story I remember with delight from my own childhood - Rated
As a little girl who lived, as Elsie herself did, in the village of Glynde under Mount Caburn, I was delighted by this old fashioned fairy story when I first encountered it in the 1960s at around the age of seven. It was a story in my favourite book, the original Puffin edition of, "Martin Pippin in the Daisy Field." I never managed to "skip as never so", but the story added to the enchantment of childhood and gave a deeper level of affection to the view of Mount Caburn from my home, and the pleasure of a walk home from school across the downs.

I was again delighted to discover that this new book has been published, (and will be buying it for my goddaughter.) I hope that the illustrations do justice to the little flint village itself, a real place, still unspoilt, a couple of miles from Glyndebourne.

For those who enjoy this book, particularly the "child who is Sussex born" I recommend that you seek out the two Martin Pippin books, - "in the Daisy Field" and "in the Apple Orchard." Martin Pippin tells stories to six little girls in the first, and their six mothers in the other, all relating to real places in Sussex. Another favourite was the one about the seven sisters and their adopted nephew, the dirty little chimney sweep who wanted to be the tallest man in the world like his white aunties. I am now the proud possessor of charming old hardback editions, since my old Puffin book fell to pieces long ago.

A vivid and enchanting fairy tale which just might be true. - Rated
This book is about Elsie, a little girl who is a 'born skipper', who is so good at skipping that the local fairies ask her to join in their skipping practices at new moon on Mount Caburn (a real place just outside Lewes in Sussex). She learns all different sorts of skipping steps and is soon better at skipping then the fairies.

As an old lady, Elsie ends up saving the day for the fairies and the local children who skip on Mount Caburn by agreeing with the wicked landowner that he will not build a factory there so long as someone can keep up a continuous skip on Mount Caburn. Mount Caburn is still factory free, so Elsie must still be skipping there.....

My 5 year old daughter loves this book so much that I have to read it to her while she skips herself.

It is beautifully illustrated and is certainly an heirloom book. We think it is the most charming and unusual childrens' book we have read in ages.