Nursery World - The Mud Maid

This month's batch of books for review is child-tested by Alison Boyle to find out the secret of their appeal The Mud Maid

The Mud Maid

written by Sandra Horn and illustrated by Karen Popham

(Clucket Press - www.tattybogle.com, 4.99)

'Urble Gloop!' is the way the Mud Maid expresses her happiness in the wonderful Lost Gardens of Heligan, forgotten and then restored after the First World War. If you haven't visited the gardens, the note at the beginning of the book explains that there is a representation of the Mud Maid who sleeps in the Woodland Walk there. I asked my young book reviewer why this book was appealing. 'I think it's a very nice bit when she smells the flowers and is going to pick one for her hair.' This is an important, repeated, motif - when war comes, the Mud Maid forgets to pick a flower.

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