Templar Publishing ISBN 9781783700554 £12.99
When Mr Barleycorn brings home a green baby he finds in the hedgerow, Mrs Barleycorn is at first unimpressed and ultimately angry at having such a creature brought into her home. But as fruit and vegetables take over their living space, transport and means of communication, the Barleycorns come to appreciate this unique magic. Child and adult alike will find that, like the vines and magic fruit which pervade this whimsical yet powerful story, Greenling’s ancient magic will wrap itself around them, fuelling their imagination and sense of awe at the natural world. Accompanied by Pinfold’s stunning and sometimes surreal watercolour and gouache paintings, the reader is taken far away. Here is a truly talented author and illustrator, displaying once again his award-winning abilities. This is an exceptional book which could be used across all the primary years, addressing as it does the vital question: what right, if any, have we humans to control nature?
Rachel Cordon, key stage 2 teacher
