Reading Janet and Allan Ahlberg, It was a dark and stormy night & Jeremiah in the Dark Woods

Listening to Alison Goldfrapp, Silver Eye

I spent the weekend with family. I was reminded of a time, a few years ago, when I bought my sister a special edition of the Jolly Postman by the Ahlbergs. I also remember loving the book with it’s tiny illustrated envelopes and other bits and bobs. Many of the books I’ve been reading have been a mixture of text and illustration. Whether these are complex cityscapes or individual character shots the effect doesn’t seem to be lessened. Rather the style lends something to the storytelling that’s difficult to articulate. With Quentin Blake and Roald Dahl the illustrations add a jaunt and scribble that appeals to me unreservedly and often because of their comic quality.

So today, after a break from picture books, I decided to return to the Ahlberg’s. The illustrations carefully merge into the text, and what I really liked is how the creatures seem to pay attention to the action. Again, there’s that comic wink. It’s ridiculously charming. Imagine the the Ahlberg’s illustrated a book with Raymond Briggs (maybe they have, I didn’t research this!) ahhh.

Raymond Briggs received a lifetime achievement award recently; I watched a clip of when the award was given to him by Chris Riddell. Briggs was emotional as he related a story about his readers and their experience of reading his work with an elderly relative who suffered from dementia. It was a heartwarming tale of life, fringed with sadness. I’m lining up Ethel and Ernest next. For some reason it’s making me think about the film Anomalisa by Charlie Kaufman. Hey, why doesn’t he do books?

Over and out.