Darkness Slipped In - my favourite book- a review

"A book reads like the better which is our own, and has been so long known to us, that we know the topography of its blots, and dog's ears, and can trace the dirt in it to having read it at tea with buttered muffins."
                               ~ Charles Lamb, Last Essays of Elia, 1833


Title:  Darkness Slipped In
Author and Illustrator:  Ella Burfoot
Ages: 2-5

Recommended for children who might be afraid of the dark.  This fantastic little book stole my heart.  It is written in rhyme and is inventive and enchanting.  Daisy shows no fear when Darkness slips in through the window one evening.  Darkness is portrayed as friendly and welcoming to her.  Darkness is dressed in a wonderful, glossy, black patent-leather style that gradually fills the whole room.  He is funky and spunky and they both love to dance the night away and have great fun together.  The brilliant accent colours of lemon yellow and hot pink make this book visually striking.  If giving this book as a special gift think of including a nightlight with it too.  Other books by the author are:  Louie and the Monsters, Bear and Me and Betty and the Yeti.  It is one of my all time favourite books and I won't lend it to anyone because I love it so and read and hug it often.

About the author:

Born in rural Norfolk, I have been drawing and writing since I was a small child. Inspired by artists and storytellers like Edward Lear, Eric Carle and David Mckee, I produced many poems, stories and pictures, which I would turn into books.

​I now come up with most of my ideas for stories when out walking in the countryside, and, if I'm lucky, I have a pencil and paper with me at the time- I quite often find myself repeating certain words or rhymes over and over in my head until I get home!

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I studied at Falmouth College of Arts and earned my undergraduate degree in Illustration in 1999, followed by (a little while later) a distinction in my Masters Degree in Authorial illustration in 2005.

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I have written and illustrated several picture books, including ‘Betty and the Yeti’, and ‘Darkness Slipped In’, which was highly commended at the British book design and production awards in 2008 and nominated for the Kate Greenaway medal in 2009.
 

I have recently illustrated ‘Monsters Don’t Cry’ for Brett Mckee, and am currently working on my latest picture book ‘Recipe for a Story’ which is due to be published by Macmillan children’s books in 2014.

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I live in Deepest Darkest Dorset with my partner Sam, our two small children and Daisy the dog.

Book Review Rating:   9  (Close to perfection!)

Read on and read always!