The Misadventures of Frederick

Description

A poetic and playful tale about the joys of going outside and having adventures - beautifully illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark, creator of Plumdog. In a mansion surrounded by lakes and forests, Frederick is very bored. He leads the most sheltered life imaginable: and when Emily invites him to play outside he has no choice but to refuse - what if he hurts himself? Much better to stay safely indoors. But Emily is not one to take no for an answer. A series of brilliantly funny and evocative letters between Frederick and Emily form the frame of this unique story which weaves together the colourful, adventurous world of Emily with Frederick's drab life of boredom and safety.

Emma Chichester Clark is one of Britain's best loved children's authors and illustrators. She is the author of the immensely popular Blue Kangaroo and Plumdog series and many other books, and has illustrated books by Roald Dahl, Kevin Crossley-Holland, Peter Dickinson, Michael Morpurgo and Quentin Blake. Ben Manley is a writer and designer. His writing is full of humour and heart with a touch of the gothic - as weird and wonderful as an atticful of vampire hamsters. He also works as a digital copywriter and web designer. Ben lives in Norwich with his wife and two children.

Manley's words are perfectly pitched, spare and funny; Chichester Clark, one of our finest writers and illustrators for very young children, pumps colour into Frederick's life in her exquisite illustrations. * The Times * Outdoor scenes full of birds and squirrels, lit by autumnal sunshine, and indoor scenes of dim splendour, into which nature progressively intrudes, make this picture book a gorgeous object that deserves sustained attention. * Sunday Times * The Edward Goreyesque tone of Frederick's correspondence and the vibrancy of Chichester Clark's images weave together in a tale of sly wit and sunlit joy. * Guardian * There's a lot to be said for a book that starts out with instructions on how to make a paper plane. It's even better, in Ben Manley's The Misadventures of Frederick, when most of the story revolves around paper planes sent from a little girl called Emily having adventures in the dangerous outdoors to a little boy called Frederick, stuck indoors in a mansion for health and safety reasons. Emma Chichester Clark's pictures are irresistible. * Evening Standard * The witty language from Ben Manley combines warmth with exquisite illustrations from Emma Chichester-Clark. -- Amanda Craig * The New Statesman * this evocative story highlights the importance of making friends and enjoying open space -- Emma Lee-Potter * The Express * A tale of sly wit and sunlit joy * The Guardian *