A Children's Treasury of Milligan: Classic Stories and Poems by Spike Milligan - Hardcover

Milligan, Spike

4.43

325 ratings by Goodreads

9781852278915: A Children's Treasury of Milligan: Classic Stories and Poems by Spike Milligan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1852278919 ISBN 13: 9781852278915

Publisher: Virgin Books, 2004

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This unique anthology of Spike's poems and stories for children presents his classic children's books in a way they have never been seen before. The large format gives ample scope to make the most of Spike's own illustrations, lovingly coloured especially for this book.

Spike did not regard children as small grown-ups, but as an entirely different species who live in a secret, magical world which very few adults understand. His poems were inspired by listening to his own children, and subsequently his grandchildren, and marvelling at the way they could invent
new words or incorporate sound effects into their everyday language. In 'borrowing' their language, Spike created a range of poems and stories which are a delight to read to younger children, for older children to read themselves, or for grown-ups recapture some of the magic.

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Review:

Children have "a secret world that only very perceptive adults have any real knowledge of. I have. Lucky me", writes Spike Milligan. In this beautifully illustrated volume, the perpetual eccentric displays his childlike empathy with the mysterious minds of kids. It brings together four of his collections of verse: Silly Verse For Kids, A Book of Milliganimals, Unspun Socks From A Chicken Laundry andStartling Verse For All The Family, along with two longer pieces of prose The Bald Twit Lion and Sir Nobonk and the terrible, awful, dreadful, naughty, nasty Dragon.

Spike is best known as a former Goon, and there is something of that spirit in these works. He demonstrates his versatility, however, in poems that range from the educational and irreverent (The ABC andMacDrown) to the satirical (Crocodile), darkly comic(Winds light to disastrous), linguistically inventive(Ipple-apple Tree) and downright weird (Fiddle faddle). There is much wisdom here, as well as intellectual allusions to keep the adults happy. An index would have helped, but for children from eight to one hundred and eight, this book is highly recommended. --Stephen Portlock

Review:

"A wonderful collection of Spike's stories and poetry for children. Some of them are funny, some of them downright strange, but they're all inventive, and imaginative" (Good Housekeeping)

"Spike's illustrated autobiography will delight his many fans. Happily, the Family Album is untrammeled Milligan. The temptation to be sensible is resisted" (Books Magazine)

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