Product Description

Shirley Hughes' rich narrative paintings and finely observed line illustrations are interwoven with fascinating details, capturing the atmosphere of the era. Stunning double-page spreads offer poignant snapshots of life, from an elegant Edwardian picnic to afternoon tea in the trenches during the First World War. Each spread is followed by a 'scrapbook' of the times, featuring fascinating details about domestic life and the events and innovations that shaped the modern world. This is an intimate book of stories within stories, told from the author's own personal experience.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #191187 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 112 pages

From the Inside Flap
This beautiful book brings to life the history of ordinary people living through an extraordinary era.
Shirley hughes' richly detailed narrative paintings offer poignant snapshots of life; from an Edwardian family picnic to a mug of tea in the trenches, a whole variety of settings capture the atmosphere of the period. Colour spreads are interwoven with finely observed line illustrations, along with fascinating details about domestic life, and the events and innovations that shaped the modern world.
This is an intimate book of stories within stories from multi-award -winning author-illustrator Shirley Hughes.
‘Shirley Hughes . . . is an artist who represents ordinary life in a way that makes adults and children alike fall in love with it’ The Times

‘No one can match her in the simple mastery of both words and pictures’ Times Educational Supplement

From the Back Cover
"Shirley Hughes is a national treasure" Philip Pullman

About the Author
Shirley Hughes was born and grew up in West Kirby, near Liverpool. She studied at Liverpool Art School and at the Ruskin School of Art in Oxford, before embarking on a career as a freelance illustrator. At first she worked as an interpretive illustrator, but she began to write and design her own picture books when her children were very young. Her first book, Lucy and Tom's Day, was published in 1960. Now living in London's Notting Hill, Shirley Hughes has written and illustrated over two hundred children's books and is renowned as a champion of children's literature. She has been the recipient of the Other Award, the Kate Greenaway Medal and the prestigious Eleanor Farjeon Award.

Customer Reviews

A truly beautiful book!
I have just ordered this as a school prize for someone in my class. It is absolutely stunning! The scrapbook pages are a real insight into the era and the paintings are amazing.

For those who have lived through part of the era covered, it must bring back loads of memories. It would be an ideal coffee table book! For those of us who have heard about it, or have studied it, it is a delight!

Buy it, and enjoy.

(By the way - note added later - the youngsters who received it as a School prize have reported back that they loved it and spent a good deal of time perusing the fascinating pages!)

A nice cup of tea and a bun
This follows the history of the 20th century with wonderful illustrations of social life. Shirley's work centres on people and vividly conveys their feelings. Many of these focus on the meanings and feelings around meals - from a mug of tea in the trenches to Sunday lunch with the in-laws. Also specially interesting to people who know the area around Liverpool as Shirley is a daughter of T J Hughes of the department store and her work is coloured by knowing this coast.
A delight.