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A review by mat_tobin
Benny's Brigade by Arthur Bradford, Lisa Hanawalt
3.0
One of the most nonsensical and oddest books that I have read. Two sisters, Elsie and Theo discover on their way to school a tiny walrus trapped in a walnut shell. Grateful for their help, Benny the walrus shares his desire to be back at sea and the girls do all that they can to ensure it happens.
The narrative itself is odd and spartan at times with a poem and storyline reminiscent of something Carrollesque and it seems that Bradford lets Hanawalt's illustrations do the talking instead. With a dust-jacket that folds out into a huge, bizzare epilogue to the story and a cover embossed with golden slugs this is not your average over-sized picturebook.
Yet the story of the children creating a vessel for Benny and the odd creatures which watch the proceedings are going to enthrall and entertain the child reader. As if in testament to this, my second hand copy has scrawled in pen on the endpapers 'tis is a fune storry'. Not only it is a funny story but is also refreshing having one in which girls clamber up trees, play with slugs and are most happy when they're down in the grass building, crafting and closely looking at all the little creatures around them.
The narrative itself is odd and spartan at times with a poem and storyline reminiscent of something Carrollesque and it seems that Bradford lets Hanawalt's illustrations do the talking instead. With a dust-jacket that folds out into a huge, bizzare epilogue to the story and a cover embossed with golden slugs this is not your average over-sized picturebook.
Yet the story of the children creating a vessel for Benny and the odd creatures which watch the proceedings are going to enthrall and entertain the child reader. As if in testament to this, my second hand copy has scrawled in pen on the endpapers 'tis is a fune storry'. Not only it is a funny story but is also refreshing having one in which girls clamber up trees, play with slugs and are most happy when they're down in the grass building, crafting and closely looking at all the little creatures around them.