Seen and Not Heard - Softcover

Green, Katie May

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1406360996 ISBN 13: 9781406360998

Publisher: Walker Books Ltd, 2015

Synopsis

A truly original picture book full of atmosphere and magic that is perfect for children with wild imaginations and anarchic spirits! In a big old house, up creaky stairs, in a silent little nursery full of dolls and teddy bears, you'll find the children of Shiverhawk Hall. They're children in pictures on the wall - seen and not heard... Original, atmospheric and delightfully spooky, this is the story of dainty little Lily Pinksweet, the Plumseys, clever Billy Fitzbillian, kind Percy and the De Villechild twins (who are perfect angels)... They all look so sweet and good, just like children should, but when night-time comes and there's no one to see, the children climb out from the quiet of their picture frames and they run riot and they run free! Perfect for children with wild imaginations and anarchic spirits, this magical book is filled with unforgettable images and free-spirited joy.

About this title

About the Author

Katie May Green is a graduate from the Cambridge School of Art MA in Children's Book Illustration. She has created artwork for UK and US publishers including HarperCollins, Penguin and Oxford University Press. Seen and Not Heard is Katie's first picture book. She says, of the inspiration behind it, "I remember standing in front of an Elizabethan portrait of three children, wondering what these stiffly-clad, sombre-looking little people were really like. Were they, in their time, so very different from children today? My thoughts then became a little more abstract: what would it feel like to be trapped in a painting for four hundred years? Would there be any kind of release? Perhaps, with a little moonlight, a little magic..." Katie lives in Somerset. Visit Katie's website at www.katiemaygreen.co.uk and follow her on twitter @KatieMayGreen.

From School Library Journal

K-Gr 3—In this picture book, English children of Shiverhawk Hall scamper down from portrait frames at night and are quite naughty, except for two look-alike girls, who seem to be almost perfect. The youngsters, who vary in age and time period, stand perfectly still during the day, but when people are asleep they come out and on this particular night make a mess with "trifle" and "treacly goo." Reminiscent of the moving portraits in the Harry Potter movies, Green's digitally altered full-color pencil illustrations are similar in style to Maurice Sendak's In the Night Kitchen and add to the magical scene. Though not a typical picture book for an American audience, it would be fun to use to talk about portraits or imagination or to offer to readers who want something a bit spooky to read. VERDICT An additional purchase for larger picture book collections.—Jane Hebert, Glenside Public Library District, Glendale Heights, IL

About this edition

• Publisher: Walker Books Ltd
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1406360996
• ISBN 13: 9781406360998
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32