Bookwitch

I don’t normally make comments about authors’ looks. But for some years I’ve had this vision of Francesca Simon. She’s in her midthirties and has long, blond hair. But when I watched the British Book Awards on television a month ago I found that’s not what Francesca looks like at all.

To go slightly off topic here, popular on blogs it seems, I also used to have a very definite vision of Adele Geras. Before I met her I “knew” she was 26 years old (I don’t know how I could be quite so exact) and had flowing shoulder length brown hair and wore a red sundress. It’s an odd idea, the sundress, for someone living in Manchester, but there you are.

Back to Francesca, who writes books about Horrid Henry. Daughter said she didn’t like them, but I can see why she wouldn’t exactly love a naughty little boy. Now that I’ve finally got round to being introduced to Henry, I find I like him quite a lot. The name is a bit wrong as he isn’t horrid at all. His parents are pretty awful and his brother Peter, well… Henry is an intelligent and resourceful boy, who just has a very interesting life. That’s what I think.

Veering off topic again. When I was a child I had a child’s savings account with a bank that produced a little magazine for children. They had a cartoon series featuring two girls called Spara and Slösa, or Save and Spend in English. Being a not very clued up child I believed all that rot about Spara’s virtues, putting all her money in the bank. And Slösa with all her sweets and ice cream was clearly very irresponsible. The cartoon ceased when it became clear to the bank that it was naughty Slösa the children liked.

I would like to think that Henry’s readers are somewhat less stupid, and can see Henry’s charm and Peter’s lack of the same. In fact, I’m amazed Henry turned out so well with parents like his.