A Midsummer Foy – Janice Armstrong and Meilo So

Well I’m back from Shetland, much earlier than I would have liked, and back at work, also much earlier than I’d have liked but the bills keep on coming and something has to be done about it and no matter how hard I wish otherwise that never seems to change...

I have at least bought back as much of the North as I could fit in my suitcase (not as much as my sister who bought back two very large lumps of peat and a lot of knitwear. My loot is a little bit more book based although if I’d had more money about me I’d now be the owner of some fair isle socks, a scarf, and some wrist warmers and a lot more books...

‘A Midsummer Foy’ was a present from my father (he set a precedent with ‘The Grumpy Old Sailor’ which I’m willing to carry on). It’s a book that caught me totally by surprise because it’s unexpectedly personal to me, the story that Janice wrote and Meilo illustrated is something that most island children should have no trouble imagining – four children go out fishing and get caught in the fog and eventually land up on a mysterious shore. After a frankly terrifying journey through thick mist they find themselves in a grand hall where there’s an encounter with a suit of armour and the threat of being turned into sausages before it all ends happily with a banquet and dancing into the wee small hours.

For Shetland children there will be no trouble in identifying the Island as Vaila – which is where I lived. Back in my time there (mid seventies) there were four children - myself, my sister, Emily, and Olaf. I didn’t get lost in a boat with Olaf until I was in my teens (but I think it still counts) and our parents held banquets throughout the summer. Those banquets definitely form some of the most vivid childhood memories I have – the days of preparation beforehand and on the night itself we would go up to our room from where we could watch through a balcony. The local fiddle and accordion band proved a very effective barrier to our creeping downstairs to join in (a group of beered up and to us quite frightening old men) but someone would generally bring us a plate of chocolate éclairs as a reward for quiet good behaviour.

The very bedroom we slept in is illustrated albeit with a pink makeover that Kirsty, Emily, and I would have appreciated (although Olaf perhaps not so much). Vaila’s current owner is the inspiration and heroine of ‘A Midsummer Foy’ (she says she’s never been painted so often with her clothes on) and I can’t help feel that this is a fitting tribute to her personality and hospitality (both of which are extravagant, marvellous and memorable).

My own memories aside I think this is a brilliant book, the illustrations are every bit as good as you would expect of Meilo So, with just the right blend of actual and imagined and Janice’s story is equally magical if it describes your own experience or not (She looked most disbelieving when Kirsty and I told her it was all true). This is the second book in a planned sequence of four, but they need to make enough money to keep going so whilst I’ve done my bit (proud owner of one copy and purchaser of two more so far) if anyone reading this should be looking for a children’s book of exceptional quality and charm you couldn’t do much better than ‘A Midsummer Foy’.

The Grumpy Old Sailor

After being away for most the week (and wondering why I had no clean clothes for the rest of the week) my mood by Friday night was somewhat despondent. The Scottish one has been exceptionally busy recently as well; conflicting work patterns have stopped our paths crossing as much as they could. However he came up more than trumps by taking me out for dinner, and on Saturday morning after a very early visit from my mother (who wanted a signature for a shot gun licence – we’re trying not to argue with her) he said lets go to London.

London is an hour and a half and something over £50 pounds away by train, so it normally involves planning and budgeting for me, but as he was offering to cough for the fair I couldn’t say no, so off we went. The object of the visit was the Strawberry Hill exhibition at the V&A – which was excellent, and the V&A generally – I’ve not visited for years, and the Scottish one, quite unaccountably does not know it at all well. We loved the cast court, especially the life size cast of Trajan’s column in two bits, and he was hugely taken by some concrete (architect) stairs we walked up; all in all it was a grand day out topped off by a parcel from my dad when I got home.

What he’s sent me is a children’s book called ‘The Grumpy Old Sailor’ (which appealed to the Scottish one, who likes to sail) and appealed to me because it’s lavishly and beautifully illustrated. I wanted to write about it because it fits with the island reading I’ve done over the last few weeks, but I admit I have no idea how to write about a children’s book, partly because I have no idea what children enjoy but here goes anyway.

‘The Grumpy Old Sailor’ is written by Janice Armstrong and illustrated by Meilo So, it’s the first of four planned books from the duo who are both based in Shetland. It’s about four children and an old sailor (quite grumpy initially) and the relationship they build before he heads off on his final journey. The language is a mix of prose and poetry which sounds nice read aloud, but the story itself is quite poignant. I think books like this are meant to be read aloud to children, and looked at by them, rather than read by them. I’ve been drawn back to the book throughout the day to properly work out what’s happening – it’s still a bit mysterious, but if I wanted to explain death to a small child I think this would be a good place to start.

Despite how that sounds it’s not a depressing book, but it is affecting – which is no bad thing for children, the morals aren’t hammered home, and the pictures are wonderful. Strongly rooted in place I still think it’s a book that will travel well, and one I hope to give to quite a few families this year particularly because I really love the illustrations. There is a cat that keeps appearing that I had to go back and hunt out in every page and dozens of other details that I really enjoyed – so thank you dad, a great book for children from six to thirty six.