Product Description

The first story about Arabel and her pet raven Mortimer. In Arabel's Raven, Mr Jones, while driving his taxi, notives something bedraggled in the road. He stops and discovers an injured raven. He takes it home and his four-year-old daughter Arabel falls in love at first sight. 'His name is Mortimer,' she announces and Mortimer has found a home. A series of thefts and a robber quarrel are only two of the dramas in this delightful tale in which Mortimer and Arabel find their ways straight to the reader's heart.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9323 in Books
• Published on: 2001-10-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 80 pages

About the Author
Joan Aiken, the daughter of the American poet and writer Conrad Aiken and Jessie Macdonald Aiken (also an author), was an immensely popular and prolific author who wrote almost a hundred novels for adults and children. The creator of the stories about Arabel and her pet raven Mortimer, which have been televised on the BBC, she wrote wonderful, quirky novels, full of humour and the unexpected, about alternative realities. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase won the 1965 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award and was made into a film. Joan Aiken died in 2004.

Quentin Blake is one of the best-known and best-loved illustrators of our time, and his books with a wide range of authors, including Joan Aiken, Russell Hoban, Michael Rosen and Roald Dahl, have been treasured by generations of children throughout the world. In 1999 he became the first Children's Laureate. In 2005 he was awarded a CBE.

To visit Quentin Blake's website click here

Customer Reviews

Very, very funny
I have extremely fond memories of listening to Bernard Cribbins reading Arabel's Raven on Jackanory when I was a child. I used to love these books and it's fantastic to find them back in print. This is a book with three of the stories in it, Arabel's Raven, The Bread Bin, and The Escaped Black Mamba and Other things.

I have just finished reading these to my own children and they absolutely love them. We were all laughing so much at the story of the Escaped Black Mamba that we could hardly finish it. Mortimer is so naughty that he delights the heart of my rather evil four year old, and Mrs Jones' ridiculous language makes my nine year old fall on the floor with laughing. I hope they reprint all the stories very soon.

Nostalgic Glow!
What a wonderful blast from the past. I was instantly transported back to the 70's; home from school, Crispy Pancakes for dinner and sitting reading Arabel and Mortimer books...happy days!

I bought this to read to my eight year old daughter, who although is a fantastic reader herself, adores listening to bedtime stories. This story kept her attention from the first page, made her giggle and laugh and constantly beg for me to carry on reading.

Both boys and girls alike would love to hear about Mortimer the Raven, and all the silly stuff he gets up to.

So if you are fed up with Fairies, Monsters and High School Musical then give Mortimer a go....you'll not regret it!

Super book
I have used this book in school (as a NQT) and the children always love the subject. A naughty raven who gets up to all sorts of tricks and the bestthing is that there are loads of books that the children can follow up with.
The artwork is enchanting as usual, again visually attractive this can also draw in the most reluctant of readers.