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WORK TITLE: HIDE AND SEEK
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PERSONAL
Female.
EDUCATION:Cambridge School of Art, M.A.
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CAREER
Illustrator and children’s book writer.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Polly Noakes is an illustrator and children’s book writer. She studied illustration at the Cambridge School of Art. Noakes’s artwork often centers on the emotional warmth that can be found in drawing children or animals.
Noakes discussed her career as an illustrator and her early motivation for pursuing this field in an interview in the Fishink blog. She recalled that “at 14, I knew I wanted to be a illustrator and luckily my mother encouraged me, she was always buying Arthur Rackham and Charles Keeping books for my birthday.” She then shared some of her favorite artists and illustrators, noting that “Brian Wildsmith has been a constant inspiration with exuberant colours and compositions, his work mesmerises me. Warwick Hutton for his use of colour and dramatic lighting which is simply remarkable. Helen Borten … always leaves me in awe.”
In the same interview, Noakes offered advice for aspiring illustrators and artists, directing them to “be open and embrace change, criticism and most of all, experiment a lot. Let go of goals and any pre-conceived ideas about where your work is going and allow it to unfold, you might just be surprised. What you put into it, you get back, so invest as much time physically, emotionally and creatively as you can. Don’t be scared, jump in and enjoy the experience and make the most of being a student. Mess up, get it wrong and don’t try and create perfection from the outset—that’s a creative killer.”
In 2017 Noakes published The Very Long Sleep. Bear, Chipmunk, Marmot, and Fox are close friends and build a large house so that they will always be able to have fun together. When the other three animals begin their winter hibernation, Fox gets bored. Fox becomes curious about the packages that the other three receive throughout the winter and decides to open them and check what they are. He sees that they are alarm clocks set to wake them up in the spring. While Fox is happy to have his friends awake come springtime, he also starts to interview for a fifth roommate—one who does not hibernate through the winter.
Reviewing the book in School Librarian, Sue Roe pointed out that the “appealing animal characters” are “drawn with great expression.” Roe admitted that it is a “gently witty picture book” that is also “humorous” and “warm.” Roe concluded that The Very Long Sleep “will be enjoyed by young readers and listeners.” Writing in School Library Journal, Lisa Kropp insisted that “expressive, friendly forest animals are always a welcome addition to a storytime.” Kropp observed that the color choices allows for that animals to “pop off of the page.”
Noakes published Hide and Seek in 2019. A child plays hide and seek with a bear, a raccoon, and a bunny in a flower-filled meadow. While the child counts, her animal friends hide. She begins looking for them, coming close but never quite seeing them in their hiding places that are obvious to readers. She can hear them and she can smell them, but she always come up short in actually finding them. What readers will notice, though, is that a naughty looking wolf has also been hiding and watching the girl as she plays with her friends. The girl grows tired of looking for her friends and decides to hide from them instead. When the friends can’t find her in turn, they notice the wolf and blame him for the girl’s disappearance. Luckily, though, the girl comes out from hiding and wolf gets what he wanted all the while: a chance to play with them.
A contributor to Kirkus Reviews observed that “the soft color palette minimizes the potential scariness of the wolf throughout the suspenseful drama.” The same reviewer found Hide and Seek to be “a visual romp.” A Publishers Weekly contributor noted that the illustrations are “layered with varied textures.” The critic also mentioned that “the page turns are well paced, and Noakes adds further interest with intriguing perspectives.” Writing in School Library Journal, Yelena Voysey stated: “Though told in short simple sentences, the narrative is enlivened by Noakes’s expansive illustrations.” Voysey called Hide and Seek “a delightful sunny tale.”
Noakes illustrated Lorna Gutierrez’s poetic picture book Dare in 2019. The account encourages young readers to be brave enough to embrace themselves and not be afraid to show their uniqueness to others. Through the poetic verses, readers learn to be comfortable with themselves and offer a sense of empowerment.
In an interview in Tiny Owl, Noakes explained her creation process when illustrating Dare. She recalled that, as with many of her other projects, she began “with a bit of limbering up, a brisk walk with Bertie my dog … putting the kettle on, reading and rereading the text. Then out came my cheap paper and I would start with loose scribbles which became ideas with no preciousness attached to them.” Noakes continued, saying that after she “had a concept I would draw my characters in pencil as a guide and then redraw them very loosely on a light box using a bamboo dip pen and ink.” Noakes admitted that “it was important to work loosely for this project, so i could inject the energy of children into the illustrations.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2019, review of Hide and Seek.
Publishers Weekly, April 1, 2019, review of Hide and Seek, p. 59.
School Librarian, June 22, 2018, Sue Roe, review of The Very Long Sleep, p. 96.
School Library Journal, March 1, 2018, Lisa Kropp, review of The Very Long Sleep, p. 89; May 1, 2019, Yelena Voysey, review of Hide and Seek, p. 86.
ONLINE
Elizabeth Roy Literary Agency website, https://elizabethroy.co.uk/ (May 14, 2019), author profile.
Fishink, https://fishinkblog.com/ (June 5, 2015), author interview.
Polly Noakes website, https://www.pollynoakesillustration.com (May 14, 2019).
Tiny Owl website, http://tinyowl.co.uk/ (May 14, 2019), author interview.
Polly grew up in a busy creative household in Cambridge. Her love of illustration started at Cambridge School of Art some years ago and recently she returned to study on the MA in Children Book Illustration. She lives in the New Forest with her family and rescued Romanian street dog Bertie.
Polly Noakes Children’s Illustrator
June 5, 2015
tags: Anglia Ruskin University, art, childrens books, Collage, drawing, Elizabeth Roy, fishink, illustration, illustrator, jungle animals, leaves, Little Red Riding Hood, MA Course in Childrens Illustration, mark making, Martin Salisbury, paint, Painting, Picture Books, Polly Noakes, texture, woods
Polly Noakes tells me that illustrating and storytelling are central in her life and what really makes her happy. I’ve known Polly (online) for sometime now and was interested to hear more about how her illustrative journey was progressing.
” I love to draw children and animals from observation or imagination and am forever scribbling in my sketchbook. Capturing those funny interactions between people or when the essence of an animal fascinates me. ”
I fired a few excited questions in Polly’s direction.
How did you first get interested in children’s illustration?
At 14, I knew I wanted to be a illustrator and luckily my mother encouraged me, she was always buying Arthur Rackham and Charles Keeping books for my birthday. I studied on the HND Illustration course at Cambridge School of Art years ago and was tutored by Martin Salisbury and Warwick Hutton, both were to be huge influences on my career. Children’s illustration wasn’t part of the course then, so when I graduated, my direction was uncertain. Warwick took me under his wing, I owe him so much as he encouraged me to illustrate fairy tales and I found my niche. From there, I started writing my own stories and in 1991 my first picture book was published with Orion. Through Martin Salisbury, whom I kept in touch with, I became represented by his, then agent, Linda Rogers who specialised in children’s books.
She creates work and textures by hand, colouring with inks and crayons. She then collages with glue or digitally, incorporating a loose and fluid line to add movement and spontaneity. Her lion (below) has strains of the work of Roger Duvoisin, such a lovely style.
What picture books have you recently seen that have inspired you and why ?
I tend to be attracted to books that display superb drawing skill, unusual composition, use of colour and light, for example the Selfish Giant by Alexis Deacon is a book I often refer to, he is a stunning draughtsman and his compositions are incredible. Alexis’s ability to convey so much in his line work is sheer magic. Lorenzo Mattotti’s illustrations for Hansel and Gretel are full of energy with a dynamic use of use of black and white that I’ve never seen before. ‘A First Book of Nature’ illustrated by Mark Hearld, is another firm favourite. His skill at combining collage, print and drawing is amazing. ‘I Cinque Malfatti’ and ‘Le merveilleux dodu velu petit’ by Beatrice Alemagna are visual feasts. I adore her quirky sense of colour, texture and pattern… it’s so original. There are many more I could mention, some not published yet !
Who would you say are your favourite artists/ illustrators ?
Brian Wildsmith has been a constant inspiration with exuberant colours and compositions, his work mesmerises me. Warwick Hutton for his use of colour and dramatic lighting which is simply remarkable. Helen Borten, (whom I discovered through your Fishink blog), always leaves me in awe. More contemporary illustrators – Komako Sakai with her unique use of media, creating depth to her images which are beautifully observed and tender. I admire MA graduate Melissa Castrillon’s work as it’s also so original and her use of colour and pattern is exquisite.
I love Polly’s rendition of this famous classic and particularly her textures, colouration, patterning and mark making.
” I work into an illustration with texture and pattern, all done by hand. I love the process of physically working on the rice paper and seeing the luminous colours build up slowly. Rice paper when wet is not the easiest medium to use but it seems to have chosen me and I am hooked! What I have learned these last few weeks is that instead of feeling the need to control the painting – let go and allow it to unfold. To relax and keep the fun and inspiration alive by pretending it’s a rough.
Whenever I start to dread working on a illustration, particularly a section of it, I have realised that actually it is because it is not working, either compositionally or the characters are not integrated into the composition. I now realise this is a flag to say , come on Pol, redo it ! You know in your heart, it’s not right ! Sometimes it really is good to sit back, take a break and start again. Learn from the mistake !”
You recently graduated from the MA Children’s Illustration course at Cambridge. Can you tell us how you found the experience?
It was fantastic, life changing I would say and great to be tutored by Martin again. I left illustration in 2001, disillusioned with the work I was doing and burnt out. I retrained in another career but missed being creative, so I arrived on the MA feeling very rusty but open to the challenges ahead. It was extremely hard work, fortunately the environment was supportive and my peer group brilliant. The tutors were amazing, their insights and comments were invaluable – I look back at it as an incredibly creative and intensive two and a half years that really fulfilled me.
Some of Polly’s beautiful work with textures and layering here.
How many people were on your course with you ? Did you study there everyday or meet for a couple of days a week ? How was the course structured ?
I did the part-time course and attended every Wednesday in Cambridge with 26 students. The course is extremely well structured. In the first semester, its back to basics with observational drawing. Students receive a one-to-one tutorial every week and group crits twice a semester. Time with tutors is precious, so producing enough work for them is essential. Each module feeds the next, so learning about sequencing, pacing and structure followed. This fed the next module, creating an actual book/project with an intended outcome. We had one written assignment each semester supported by lectures, often given by top illustrators discussing their work. The course is more practical and creative than academic, although students do write a dissertation.
What were the most memorable up’s and downs that you encountered ?
Ok let’s start with the downs first ! Personally it was the sheer physical energy needed to produce the work (on top of a weekly long commute). It can be relentless, one basically eats, breaths and sleeps the MA. But that’s not really a downer, as I loved it.
I remember the moment when I had to let go of all I had known in my previous career as an illustrator and felt totally de-constructed…it was unnerving. I didn’t know where my work was going, everything I did looked awful and I couldn’t see light at the end of tunnel. It was like jumping off the cliff edge and having to muster faith for a good landing ! For me, my landing was Pam Smy, our tutor flicking through my sketchbook and noticing scraps of textured, collaged paper. She nurtured this, whilst Martin encouraged me to incorporate my loose line work and somehow I found my ‘visual voice’. If anyone had told me I would be using texture, collage and pattern three years ago, I would have laughed ! Meeting my classmates has been incredibly positive and we all supported each other and continue to do so.
Do you feel the course has led you onto a more directed pathway forward ?
Most definitely, without the course I would have gone round in circles. It ignited my passion for illustration again and led to a totally new way of working. I would not have attained it without the MA, Martin and Pam.
Look at these beautiful illustrations, the hedgehog is such a warm favourite for me.
How much of the course is about illustration/ using materials/ writing/ the industry ?
Drawing from observation is the basis of the course and used as a springboard for creating images whether real or imaginary. Any medium is encouraged to be embraced, which is great. Students have the use of fantastic print making facilities, which is a much respected tradition at CSA. There is an expectation students will be familiar with various techniques prior to the MA, so they are not taught, but tutors always help. The emphasis of the MA is illustration and visual storytelling, not writing. Publishers and agents visit regularly, giving talks about the industry which is extremely helpful. Plus there is a strong link between the course and the industry, which exposes students to important eyes !
Without attending the MA where do you think you would be now ?
Not where I am now ! It’s a tough industry and the MA has facilitated my new work, catching the eye of agents, who approached me. On another level it lead me towards being fulfilled with my illustration again and I acquired a deeper understanding of my own needs as an illustrator.
If you have any thoughts, pointers or useful tips for people considering a similar course to the one you have done, what advice would you offer them ?
Be open and embrace change, criticism and most of all, experiment a lot.
Let go of goals and any pre-conceived ideas about where your work is going and allow it to unfold, you might just be surprised ! What you put into it, you get back, so invest as much time physically, emotionally and creatively as you can. Don’t be scared, jump in and enjoy the experience and make the most of being a student. Mess up, get it wrong and don’t try and create perfection from the outset- that’s a creative killer !
So Polly, where next ?
Recovering and getting a life ! No seriously, I have a wonderful new UK agent, Elizabeth Roy Literary Agency who saw my work on the MA. We are working on a couple of projects and fine tuning them. I am also about to start on a small commission for the House of Illustration in London, which will be fun. Editorial illustration is an interest and a completely different pace to children’s book publishing, so I am building my editorial portfolio. Occasionally I stop, relax and leave my studio, my favourite room…. and go out !
And what a beautiful room it is too !
Many, many thanks Polly for your honest insights and open thoughts on the MA Course at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. I’m also a big fan of Martin Salisbury’s Books, so I imagine any course he’s involved with, would be pretty amazing. Thanks also for sharing your beautiful work with us here today and I look forward to seeing your picture books in a bookshop near me, very soon !
My love of illustration began at Cambridge School of Art years ago and I returned to study on the highly regarded MA in Children's Book Illustration, graduating in 2015.
For children's books I am represented by The Elizabeth Roy Literary Agency.
For general illustration I am launching a new portfolio mid 2019 with Marie-Claire Westover of Lipstick Of London
Polly Noakes
My love of illustration started a long time ago at Cambridge School of Art and I returned to study on the MA in Children's Book Illustration, graduating in 2015. I write and illustrate my own picture books but have also enjoyed being matched to other authors texts. I enjoy creating lyrical illustrations with emotional warmth and humour, be they of chidren or animals.
Past and current clients
Child's Play Int.
HarperCollins.
Walker Books.
Bloomsbury Childrens Books.
Tiny Owl Publishing.
To see more of my work please go to my website.
pollynoakesillustration.com
It feels natural to draw children from different ethnic backgrounds – Polly Noakes
An interview with the illustrator of Dare
Buy Dare
Polly Noakes with Dare
We interviewed Polly Noakes, the fantastic illustrator of our new poetry book Dare! It was great to speak to this amazing artist about the meaning of the book, the inspiration behind it and the process of illustrating. Dare, written by Lorna Gutierrez, is a poetic picture book that encourages children to dare to be themselves.
What does the message of the book mean to you?
For me, the essence of Dare is – dare to be yourself, be your best, be courageous, authentic AND dare to anything you want to be! These are very much some of my guiding rules for life and how I brought my own children up, because it is how I was reared. I am eternally grateful to my mother for instilling this sense of ‘dare’ into my sisters and me. My mother was an advocate that everyone, no matter their background should be able to reach their potential, especially children whom she championed.
When I saw the text for Dare I was immediately drawn to it and of course it reminded me of my inspirational mother.
Polly Noakes with her dog Bertie
Can you tell us about the process of illustrating Dare? How did you translate each verse into an image?
My process always started with a bit of limbering up, a brisk walk with Bertie my dog (where a lot of my ideas start), putting the kettle on, reading and rereading the text. Then out came my cheap paper and I would start with loose scribbles which became ideas with no preciousness attached to them. I had a few brainstorming meetings at Tiny Owl, which I always valued, as it gave insight into how others translated the verses, offering ideas which I hadn’t considered. Although I did resist some of them, it was very much a team effort.
When I had a concept I would draw my characters in pencil as a guide and then redraw them very loosely on a light box using a bamboo dip pen and ink. I did loads, many not quite right, again using cheap paper, this stopped me tightening up for fear of wasting paper. My studio floor and walls were covered with kids! I then added colour separately, using gorgeous think textured watercolour paper and combined the line and colour digitally. Then I created texture from anything I found by using very fine paper and crayons and added this digitally onto the illustrations. It was important to work loosely for this project, so i could inject the energy of children into the illustrations. I love working like this too.
The children in the book are from a range of ethnic backgrounds. Why do you think this is important?
All children need and should be able to see themselves, their friends and classmates in their books. To truly reflect society and those living in it.
Lots of the characters in Dare are based on my friends when I was growing up in London and Cambridge. My best friend’s family were originally from Hong Kong and I formed a close friendship with two Vietnamese sisters who were refugees, although at the time I didn’t realise it. Later I went to school with children originating from Iran, France, Nigeria and South America. I loved it, all those wonderful cultures and customs, it was amazing. I feel lucky I was brought up in a culturally diverse environment, so it feels natural to draw children from different ethnic backgrounds.
One of the main characters in the book uses a hearing aid. Why did you choose to depict her this way?
Again it was based on experience, I know quite a few babies and toddlers with a hearing impairment and using aids. And at school I had a classmate who wore one. It was important that the focus isn’t on the character’s hearing aid but on what she is doing, creating a protest poster! It doesn’t define her, she just happens to wear one.
What was it like working with author Lorna Gutierrez?
Sadly we haven’t met yet due to living in different countries. But we chat via Twitter post and hopefully one day we will meet. It would be great to illustrate another of Lorna’s books as we have a lovely connection now with Dare and probably have the same outlook on life.
Polly working on the illustrations for Dare
What is the most daring thing you did when you were a child?
Tough one as I was quietly feisty and very wilful. So, I did quite a few daring things but not to gain attention, just to express myself. Some I couldn’t repeat here, as it not setting a good example! However, at 7, I remember a girl being repeatedly bullied, so I told the teacher, and didn’t worry about the outcome for myself socially. We became good friends, I didn’t care that I was also excluded by playing with her. Later, as a adults she got in touch with me and told me how much my friendship meant, which was so lovely to know. Therefore, looking back I dared not to care what others thought of me, I liked her and disliked the way she was treated for being different. I dared not to run with the crowd and to stay authentic to myself, not try to fit in by compromising my beliefs.
How do you feel now the book is finished?
I feel really proud of my contribution to Dare. And being part of what Tiny Owl are doing in terms of being different, creating books and a list that is different. I also love the fact my illustrations from Dare are being used to head their campaign for Diversity Now.
Noakes, Polly: HIDE AND SEEK
Kirkus Reviews. (Mar. 15, 2019):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Noakes, Polly HIDE AND SEEK Child's Play (Children's Fiction) $16.99 5, 1 ISBN: 978-1-78628-182-1
A child and some animal friends play hide-and-seek in a vast meadow filled with wildflowers, where lurking danger becomes a new friend.
The child rides on the back of a large brown bear; their raccoon and rabbit friends run in front, each on their two hind legs. When the child faces a tree and counts to 10 for hide-and-seek, the three animal friends sneak away; readers see the back of a wolf's head up close, sharing its view of the scene. When the child turns around, calling "Coming...ready or not," the wolf peeks at them from nearby, while the bear, raccoon, and rabbit hide far away. The child approaches the hiding friends: "I can hear you!"; "I can smell you!" The child just misses spying them each time, always unaware of the nearby wolf, whose face becomes increasingly menacing. Finally, in the sunflower patch, the child gives up and declares that it's their turn. When the bear, raccoon, and rabbit begin searching, they instead find the wolf, who looks meek when they ask where their friend is. Contrary to readers' expectations, the group of friends ends up gaining one instead of losing one. Depicting the sole human character with brown skin and free, kinky hair, the illustrations make impressive use of texture and varied perspectives to create depth in the environment. The soft color palette minimizes the potential scariness of the wolf throughout the suspenseful drama.
A visual romp. (Picture book. 3-6)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Noakes, Polly: HIDE AND SEEK." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Mar. 2019. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A578090765/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=e566f270. Accessed 12 May 2019.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A578090765
Hide and Seek
Publishers Weekly. 266.13 (Apr. 1, 2019): p59.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Hide and Seek.
Polly Noakes. Child's Play, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-78628-182-1
An opening spread invites readers into this winning picture book's setting: a lush meadow where, as the pages turn, four friends--a bear, a raccoon, a bunny, and a brown-skinned child wearing orange boots--play a spirited round of hide and seek. Noakes (The Very Long Sleep) pitches the story to a preschool crowd with minimal phrases that invite children to look, point, and giggle: "Are you up here? Are you down here? Phew! I can smell you!" But the fun is in the tension between what the words say and the pictures show. The illustrations, layered with varied textures, fold in their own hide-and-seek game: a wolf, seen at first as a set of ominous gray ears, follows the oblivious friends, offering gently shivery suspense. (Spoiler: it just wants to join the fun.) The page turns are well paced, and Noakes adds further interest with intriguing perspectives, as in a spread that shows the friends in their reflections in water and in the story's bookend scenes, which follow the meadow as it shifts from foggy morning to glowing sunset. While this title may not break new ground, it's a study in how to design a beautiful book with a young child's sensibilities firmly in mind. Ages 2-6. (May)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Hide and Seek." Publishers Weekly, 1 Apr. 2019, p. 59. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A582056454/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=ea427080. Accessed 12 May 2019.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A582056454
NOAKES, Polly. Hide and Seek
Yelena Voysey
School Library Journal. 65.4 (May 2019): p86+.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
NOAKES, Polly. Hide and Seek. illus. by Polly Noakes. 32p. (Child's Play Library). Child's Play. May 2019. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781786281821; pap. $7.99. ISBN 9781786281814.
PreS-K--In a lush meadow, a small girl plays hide-and-seek with a bear, a raccoon, and a rabbit. As she counts to 10, her animal friends scamper for cover among the abundant blooms. While the child searches for the creatures in the tall grass, peeks under a little bridge, and checks a hole in a tree, a wolf creeps closer and closer to the quartet, with seemingly nefarious intentions. Frustrated that everyone keeps moving around, the girl demands to take a turn at hiding. When the friends can't find her, they notice and accuse the wolf. All is well when the little scamp reveals herself hanging upside down from the tree. The final wordless spread shows five friends walking through the sunset meadow holding hands (and paws). Though told in short simple sentences, the narrative is enlivened by Noakes's expansive illustrations, featuring verdant landscapes, cuddly playful animals, and a spunky heroine. Readers will enjoy spotting the hidden animals even while the child fails to find them. VERDICT A delightful sunny tale with the mildest bit of suspense and a satisfying resolution, a welcome addition to most collections.-Yelena Voysey, formerly at Pickering Educational Library, Boston University
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Voysey, Yelena. "NOAKES, Polly. Hide and Seek." School Library Journal, May 2019, p. 86+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A584328834/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=7c0494df. Accessed 12 May 2019.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A584328834
Noakes, Polly: The Very Long Sleep
Sue Roe
School Librarian. 66.2 (Summer 2018): p96.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 The School Library Association
http://www.sla.org.uk/school-librarian.php
Full Text:
Noakes, Polly
The Very Long Sleep
Child's Play, 2017, pp32, 5.99 [pounds sterling]
978 1 78628 128 9
Four forest friends, Bear, Chipmunk, Marmot and Fox, decide to build a home big enough for them all to share so they will never be lonely or bored. But then, to Fox's surprise, three of the friends begin their long, deep, winter sleep and poor Fox is soon both bored and lonely. Until, that is, the mysterious parcels begin to arrive for his friends, each parcel bigger than the last. Fox's curiosity gets the better of him and he decides to take a peek only to discover three clocks with very loud alarms which succeed in waking his friends up in time for Spring. The final, funny, double page spread shows Fox interviewing for another prospective housemate, one who will not hibernate.
This is a warm, humorous picture book with appealing animal characters drawn with great expression, particularly Fox, whose every emotion is skilfully and amusingly conveyed. The illustrator, who takes inspiration from her New Forest home, uses natural textures and colours very effectively in the forest setting of the story and the cover, with its raised, shiny snow and distinctive tree bark house, is particularly enticing.
This gently witty picture book about friendship will be enjoyed by young readers and listeners and will work well as a resource for topics on hibernation and the seasons.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Roe, Sue. "Noakes, Polly: The Very Long Sleep." School Librarian, Summer 2018, p. 96. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A544712553/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=546dd6c8. Accessed 12 May 2019.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A544712553
NOAKES, Polly. The Very Long Sleep
Lisa Kropp
School Library Journal. 64.3 (Mar. 2018): p89.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
NOAKES, Polly. The Very Long Sleep, illus. by Polly Noakes. 32p. Child's Play. Apr. 2018. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781786281272.
PreS-Gr 1--Good friends Fox, Chipmunk, Marmot, and Bear decide to build a home together in the forest. They love spending time together and all is cheery, except that Marmot, Chipmunk, and Bear forgot to mention that they like to sleep in the winter. A lot. Fox tries to wake his slumbering friends and cooks an abundance of food each night in case they wake up. But of course, his three friends continue to snooze. The arrival of three mysterious packages, delivered by a pigeon, and Fox's curiosity bring about a joyful surprise ending. Noakes's illustrations evoke the textures one would find on bark, leaves, moss, and other items found in the woods. The use of crisp white backgrounds on most pages allows the animals, particularly the auburn red Fox, to really pop off of the page. The story ends with Fox advertising for a new housemate to join the group of friends--one who does not hibernate. VERDICT Expressive, friendly forest animals are always a welcome addition to a storytime. The basic introduction to hibernation also makes this a STEAM crossover title for programming success.--Lisa Kropp, Lindenhurst Memorial Library, NY
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Kropp, Lisa. "NOAKES, Polly. The Very Long Sleep." School Library Journal, Mar. 2018, p. 89. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A529863499/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=967b1127. Accessed 12 May 2019.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A529863499