Book Info
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Paperback48 pages
Publisher
Templar PublishingSuitable for Ages
Featured Books for 5+ readersChildren's Book 'Must Reads'
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Publication date
23rd October 2009ISBN
9781840116106Publisher Profile
Templar publishes books that children love and that librarians and parents want to share with children. These are quality picture and novelty books which children treasure and want to read over and over again. From the amazing baby® range, to Maurice Pledger’s delightful Sounds of the Wild titles and, of course, the best-selling Ology series, which sees Vampirology just published – and look out for our tenth Ology title in autumn 2010. Templar has also launched a brand new fiction list featuring debut authors, Teresa Flavin with Blackhope Enigma and Stephanie Burgis with A Most Improper Magick for 9-10 year olds. Young teens should watch out for the extraordinary ‘The 10pm Question’ by New Zealand writer Kate de Goldi and the amazing World Shaker by Australian writer Richard Harland. Johnny O’Brien’s second Jack Christie adventure, Day of Deliverance is out in June. Ever popular Simon Bartram continues his lunar adventures with Bob and Barry – new titles this year include A Right Royal Disaster and The Heartless Robot. In 2009 look out for the second novel in the Dragonology Chronicles – The Dragon Diary by Dugald Steer: a debut novel by Johnny O’Brien – Day of the Assassins, and for the 5-8 year olds, The Lunar Adventures of Bob and Barry is a new series of early readers written by Simon Bartram.
Publisher's Website
www.templarco.co.uk/ 
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The Church Mouse
Graham Oakley
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Lovereading4kids Price: £5.24
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Julia Eccleshare's comment:
A brilliant picture book thankfully now back in print. The stunning, detailed and humorous illustrations tell the entertaining story of how Sampson the church cat and Arthur the church mouse take over the local church despite the reservations of the congregation! Every picture is stuffed full of tiny details to pore over. This is one of the Lovereading4kids ‘Must Read Essentials’. To view others in this category, then click here.
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Synopsis
The Church Mouse by Graham OakleyOpen this lavishly produced collector's item and rediscover the first heart-warming story in Graham Oakley's classic series, which won the New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book and was nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal.
When Arthur invites the other mice to live in the church, it doesn't take long for people to notice the rodent population explosion! It will take some very brave mice and one fairly courageous cat to persuade the townsfolk to welcome the new members of the congregation.
Reviews
“Sometimes a book arrives that transports you back to your childhood… Oakley’s glorious illustrations are packed so full of detail and humour that something new is discovered with each reading.” - The Bookseller
About The Author
Graham Oakley was born on the 27th of August 1929 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, son of Thomas and Flora (Madelay) Oakley. Between 1947-49, Graham Oakley served in the British Army. He attended the Warrington Art school in 1950, and then worked with London repertory companies as a scenic artist 1950-55. From 1955-57 he was a design assistant at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, worked at Crawford's Advertising Agency from 1960-62, and then as a set designer for films and series at BBC-TV 1962-67 (including How Green Was My Valley, Nicholas Nickleby, Treasure Island, and Softly, Softly).
"In my day we didn't have so much location work in costume drama, so it was my job to recreate the era of the dramatisation entirely within the studio. That can be quite a difficult task. We did a lot of Charles Dickens and Walter Scott dramatisations and often came across areas which we were unable to research. Of course audiences are always quick to pick out inaccuracies - I think they just liked to catch us out."
He had started illustrating books in the late 50s, and became a free-lance author and illustrator after his stint at the BBC. The Church Mouse was published in 1972.
Apparently, Graham Oakley originally planned Wortlethorpe to be the setting for a very different series of children's books:
"I was going to open with a high view on top of the town and a series of stories about each building, starting with the church and moving on to the library and the town hall, but the first book, The Church Mouse was so successful that I never got to the library."
These days Graham Oakley lives in Lyme Regis and is mostly retired. His current project is a version of Beauty and the Beast done with Pre-Rafaelite style illustrations.
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