Bernard LodgeRecensioni

Genre
Nursery rhymes
Poetry
Subject
Henry Benedict Stuart, Cardinal Duke of York, 1725-1807
Soldiers

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When things get out of control at her surprise birthday party, Mouldylocks, the witch, concocts just the right spell to restore order.

Feeling a little down because no one ever remembers her birthday, Mouldylocks the witch is surprised to receive a broomstick in the post, and to find herself carried off to a small party arranged by her friend, Wizard Twittle. Things proceed agreeably at first, as Mouldylocks is given a number of lovely gifts by her friends, but then the games begin and the magical competition gets a little out of hand. When Wizard Twittle is transformed into a grasshopper, Crabby Ann into a centipede, and Mama Kano into a snail, it falls to Mouldylocks, with the help of her new spell-book, to set things right.

Originally published in the UK, this witchy picture-book from author/illustrator Bernard Lodge was quite fun, with plenty of magical hi-jinks to keep young readers engaged, and appealing wood-block illustrations that capture the sense of humor in the story. I think my favorite scene, visually speaking, was the one in which Mouldylocks, surrounded by all of her friend's magical accoutrements, struggles to concoct the correct potion. Although I wouldn't describe Mouldylocks as a particularly outstanding example of the 'witchy' picture-book - an ongoing pet project of mine - the story is solidly engaging, and the artwork appealing. Then again, as someone who appreciates wood-block illustrations, I was bound to enjoy it.

A rhyming witch named Nell enjoys using her spells to play tricks on the unsuspecting in this British picture-book, credited first to Maureen Roffey, but with verse (according to the title page) by Bernard Lodge. Whether she's soaking a maid in her garden, by turning the flowers into showers, frightening two sleepy lords, by transforming their chairs into bears, or cheering up a schoolboy by making his books into rooks, Nell derives a great deal of satisfaction from her rhyming magic. But she soon discovers that it is possible to be "too clever by half," when her rhyming backfires, and it is she who is transformed...

Originally published in 1979, and very much out of print, Rhyming Nell is a book whose title I ran across quite by accident, while searching for witchy picture-books (a little pet project of mine), and, having never heard of it, or its creators, I promptly decided to track it down. The illustrations are cute, in a cartoonish way, and I appreciated the half-cut pages, which can be turned to reveal the result of Nell's spells. The text itself is quite fun to read, although a few of the scenes - the Indian snake-charmer, the whalers - feel a little dated. Still, for those who can access this at their library (there don't seem to be very many copies for sale, online), and who enjoy witchy picture-books, this might be an interesting vintage title to pick up!