An inspiring tale from Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman celebrating the world's most iconic train, Flying Scotsman, and its greatest fan, a young girl named Iris. Iris knows everything there is to know about Flying Scotsman. Her dad is the famous train's driver, and every year her favourite birthday treat is a trip to see him at work.But each time Flying Scotsman pulls away, Iris wishes more than anything that she could be in the driver's cab, just like her dad. Then again, who's to stop her... Published in association with the National Railway Museum, York, Flying Scotsman and the Best Birthday Ever takes readers on a journey through the golden age of steam travel, paying tribute to the women who drove the trains and kept the railways running during the Second World War.With family at its heart, the story is warmly written and joyously illustrated by national treasures Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman.
An appreciation of the life and art of Tove Jansson, creator of the Moomin books, which are adored by children and adults across the globe. This book provides fresh insights and a deeper appreciation of the life and art of Tove Jansson (1914-2001), one of the most original, influential and perennially enjoyed illustrators of the 20th century. Jansson's flourishing Moomin books are examined in detail, as are her interpretations of such classics as Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and The Hunting of the Snark, and J.R.R.Tolkien's The Hobbit. Born in Helsinki among the Swedish-speaking Finnish minority, Jansson was brought up with a love for making art and stories in a supportive artistic family. Her first illustrated tales were published when she was fourteen years old.From a year later until 1953, she drew humorous and political cartoons as well as striking front covers for the satirical magazine Garm, responding to the Second World War and its aftermath as she developed
