Fierce Bad Rabbits: The Tales Behind Children's Picture Books

304 pages. What is The Tiger Who Came to Tea really about?What has Meg and Mog got t o do with Polish embroidery?Why is death in picture books so often represent ed by being eaten?We've read Green Eggs and Ham, laughed at Mr Tickle and whetted our appetites with The Very Hungry Caterpillar. But what lies behind th e picture books that make up our childhood?Fierce Bad Rabbits takes us on an eye-opening journey in a pea-green boat through the history of picture books . From Edward Lear through to Beatrix Potter and contemporary picture books like Stick Man, Clare Pollard shines a light on some of our best-loved childhood sto ries, their histories and what they really mean. Because the best picture books are far more complex than they seem - and darker too. Monsters can gobble up chi ldren and go unnoticed, power is not always used wisely, and the wild things are closer than you think.Sparkling with wit, magic and nostalgia, Fierce Ba d Rabbits weaves in tales from Clare's own childhood, and her re-readings as a p arent, with fascinating facts and theories about the authors behind the books. I ntroducing you to new treasures while bringing your childhood favourites to vivi d life, it will make you see even stories you've read a hundred times afresh. …