By Katie May Green (author) , Katie May Green (illustrator)
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There’s lots for children to think about in this unusual, original picture book, and it might change the way they regard visits to stately homes for ever. All is quiet as we enter Shiverhawk Hall, and the children in the portraits on the walls – as all good children should be – are there to be seen and not heard.
But when night falls, the children creep out of their pictures, and run riot! From that silent beginning, the noise rises to a crescendo as the children run through the corridors, raid the kitchen, play games on the stairs. Only as dawn approaches do they climb back into the frames and resume their poses.
This has a look and character all of its own; the illustrations, full of atmosphere, make the story both creepy and full of anarchic fun. ~ Andrea Reece
In a big old house, up creaky stairs, in a silent little nursery full of dolls and teddy bears, you'll find the children of Shiverhawk Hall. They're children in pictures on the wall - seen and not heard...Original, atmospheric and delightfully spooky, this is the story of dainty little Lily Pinksweet, the Plumseys, clever Billy Fitzbillian, kind Percy and the De Villechild twins (who are perfect angels)...They all look so sweet and good, just like children should, but when night-time comes and there's no one to see, the children climb out from the quiet of their picture frames and they run riot and they run free! Perfect for children with wild imaginations and anarchic spirits, this magical book is filled with unforgettable images and free-spirited joy.
Read the full description
Inspiration struck the author in a museum where she came across a portrait of four children, and began wondering what these stiffly-clad, sombre-looking little people were really like. Katie says, “My thoughts then became a little more abstract: what would it feel like to be trapped in a painting for four hundred years? Would there be any kind of release? Perhaps, with a little moonlight, a little magic . . .”
Katie May Green is a graduate from the Cambridge School of Art MA in Children's Book Illustration. She has created artwork for UK and US publishers including HarperCollins, Penguin and Oxford University Press.
Seen and Not Heard is Katie's first picture book. She says, of the inspiration behind it, I remember standing in front of an Elizabethan portrait of three children, wondering what these stiffly-clad, sombre-looking little people were really like. Were they, in their time, so very different from children today? My thoughts then became a little more abstract: what would it feel like to be trapped in a painting for four hundred years? Would there be any kind of release? Perhaps, with a little moonlight, a little magic...
Katie May lives in Somerset.
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In a big old house, up creaky stairs, in a silent little nursery full of dolls and teddy bears, you'll find the children of Shiverhawk Hall. They're children in pictures on the wall - seen and not heard...Original, atmospheric and delightfully spooky, this is the story of dainty little Lily Pinksweet, the Plumseys, clever Billy Fitzbillian, kind Percy and the De Villechild twins (who are perfect angels)...They all look so sweet and good, just like children should, but when night-time comes and there's no one to see, the children climb out from the quiet of their picture frames and they run riot and they run free!
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Seen and Not Heard and determined it is suitable for children aged 3-6 years old
Seen and Not Heard features in the following genres: Books Reviewed by our Reader Review Panels, Recommendations, Debuts of the Month, Featured Books for 5+ readers, Featured Books for 3+ readers
Paperback, Hardback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. Not Available.
Seen and Not Heard was written by Katie May Green and published by Walker Books Ltd
Seen and Not Heard has 32 pages
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. Not Available.
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