Street Lamps Casting Pools of light on an adventurous life

Street Lamps Casting Pools of light on an adventurous life is a book by Peter Cruttwell.

It isn't an autobiography, insists Mr Cruttwell, although it seems to me to be one of the most erudite and interesting autobiographies that I have read in recent times.

Mr Cruttwell seems to claim to be an ordinary person. Well, whilst that may be true, he has certainly lived through some extraordinary adventures.

He begins his book with an interesting diversion about his family tree and the origins of the name. Her seemed intrigued that, as well as an array of the professional classes, including academics, medical men, the clergy, lawyers, academics and publishers there were also several butchers down through the years.

His book is written in a highly engaging and humorous style. In fact the essential basic humour of Peter Cruttwell is never far away, even when he is describing events that are far from humorous. It is, I think, a good example of the British ability to take things seriously without necessarily treating them seriously.

A little bit like the adverts for the insurance company of several years ago who promised "not to make a drama out of a crisis." But I digress.

In his 452 page book he covers a bewildering array of topics, written in such a way that one seems to be peering over his shoulder as he writes a highly personal memoir.

Surviving the blitz, working as an intelligent agent in the USSR, buying a Boeing 737, becoming a miner in the Amazon, meeting a number of people who were minor or major celebrities, working as a tutor to Liza Minnelli, being accused of murder in Kosovo, the citizenship for becoming an American citizen and a brief and utterly bizarre meeting with Teddy Kennedy on a plane. And another meeting on a plane with a ruptured appendix. His own.

This book is published by Matador at £18.99. (£24.99 in hardback) You can, as ever with books that are reviewed here, buy it via our very own That's Books and Entertainment online bookshop.

I am asking you to please buy a copy of this book as it is the best autobiographical book I have read in, well, in forever!

Glory the Lion Cub and the Dunnos

Glory the Lion Cub and the Dunnos is a new book for children by author Marianne Parry and illustrated by Dave Hill.

The tells children the stories of Glory, who is a lion cub, Magnus who is an elephant and Benedict who is a bear.

Glory is a very inquisitive little lion cub. And he wants to know why he can't have patterned fur like the cheetahs, the zebras and the snakes who he knows?

He asks them there names and he is astonished to find out that they all have the same name! How can this be? Why are they all called "Dunno?"

His friend Magnus the young elephant has decided that he wants to pursue a career in medicine and wants to become Doctor Magnus.

Whenever he meets animals who are inured or sickly he attempts to help them as best he can by copying techniques that had observed other animals using, previously.

However, when he sees a young cow elephant, Magnus swiftly abandons his burgeoning career in medicine. He wants to become a grown up male elephant, instead!

Another of Glory's friends is an American Brown Bear, who is called Benedict. Benedict sees a telephone pole and and hears the humming of the wires. He mistakes this humming noise for the buzzing of bees, so quite naturally climbs up the pole in order to find the bees and eat some honey.

But he hears a voice from the wires. And he communicates with... but ot find out who he speaks to, you will have to read this very fun book.

It is published by Matador and is available for £6.99 from the That's Books and Entertainment online book shop, to be found to the right of this review, along with thousands of other books, DVDs, etc.

The Tinker Spy

The Tinker Spy is a new story written by Marianne Parry and with a cover illustration by Andy Unitt.

The story relates how Solo overhears two men who are planning a robbery. But not only are these two rogues planning a robbery, they are also planning on leaving a series of fake clues which would point toward a Gypsy called Silas to be unfairly and unjustly named as the robber.

Solo and his brother Jacko enlist the assistance of their father, Felice, who is, himself, of Gypsy blood, to track Silas down and to warn him to keep well away from the village.

Felice decides that he will don the disguise of a simple Tinker so that he can travel from village to village without raising any suspicions as to his true mission to find Silas and take the opportunity to warn him of the nefarious plans of the evil duo.

In the meantime Solo and Jacko are working together to discover the exact location of the house where it is intended the robbery will take place and, of equal importance, the exact time when  it is intended to take place.

But as they have the assistance of their friend a Police Constable called Pip, to help hem, so they'll be totally safe from the ruthless robbers. Well, they will be safe. Won't they?

To learn if the boys will be able to escape without injury and if Felice ever is able to race Silas, you will have to buy this delightful piece of juvenile crime fiction which is published by Matador at £8.99.

You'll be able to purchase it and thousands of books like it, plus DVDs, toys, etc., through the That's Books and Entertainment online bookshop, which you will find to the right hand side of this book review.

Sheepy and the Riddle of the Occurrence

Sheepy and the Riddle of the Occurrence is a new book for children -and their parents and grandparents!- which has been written by Henrietta Williams.

20 years ago Henrietta's eldest son was doodling. And one of the creatures he doodled was a sheep.

Almost immediately Henrietta's fertile imagination created the entire world that Sheepy inhabited.

Nothing happened with Sheepy for a couple of decades until Sheepy was being turned into some images by professional illustrator Richard Berner.

Henrietta was entranced by the illustrations that Richard was creating but she said: "I wanted to try and make Sheepy so much more than an image on a T-shirt! I never intended to write a book!"

She noticed that, as Richard's illustrations progressed, that a whole mysterious world was being created that featured Sheepy and his friends, so, eventually, the idea of a book was born.

And so we are introduced into the magical and mysterious world of Sheepy and his friends.

Meet Sheepy, Mouse, Sox, Bob and Martha. There's a mystery to be unravelled and riddles to be solved as this admittedly unlikely band of heroic figures work to solve the puzzling Riddle of the Occurrence.

There's a whole range of equally interesting creatures who our intrepid gang will meet. Such as Twewdle Twitchers, Wizzles and Tree Stompers. And Mr Shouty. And the Chief. And... Well, to find out more, you'll have to read the book.

Like most good books for children this is multi-levelled.

Yes, it's a fantastic adventure for children to read, but there's so much more to it than that.

Young readers will see and learn about a variety of important concepts and ideas such as friendship, teamwork and loyalty.

The story is Henrietta's début book. It is to be hoped this will be the first of many equally inspired books.

The illustrations by Richard Berner are evocative of the best d.rawings of the late 1960, but with a new contemporary millennial vibe to them.

It is published in hardback by Matador at £12.99 and will make a great book for children to share with the adults in their lives, should they wish to.

It is due for publication on March 28th and will be available through the That's Books and Entertainment bookshop, which you will find to the right-hand side of this book review, along with thousands of other books, DVDs, etc.

www.worldofsheepy.com.

Chuckle Verse. Poems by Lizzy Wade

Chuckle Verse is a collection of poems by Lizzy Wade.

Poetry can be difficult to write. And also sometimes difficult to read.

This judgement cannot be laid at the feet of Lizzy Wade.

The only thing that can be laid at the feet of poetess Lizzy Wade are a collection of accolades.

For Lizzy's poetry is always amusing and, if not merely amusing, downright bloody hilarious!

And often makes you, the lucky reader (trust me, if you take the time to purchase Lizzy's book you will be very lucky!) say: "Well blow me down! I thought that kind of stuff happened only to me?"

Such as this extract from one of her poems called Trying to see my GP

"I try to make an appointment
To see my own GP
But the battle-axe I encounter
Gives me the third degree"

She has a wit that shines a million candle power light into all sorts of nooks and crannies of everyday life.

From Doctor's receptionists to botox, from sexism to the problems of allowing men to barbecue, from from the confusion engendered by cricket to driving lessons, from boozing vicars to shopaholics and the problems of being a doctor to blind dates and the horrors of having a hot gran, all human life is here.

Each poem has a witty and pithy coloured illustration which perfectly matches the relevant poem.

If you spend your £7.99 on this excellent book of poems (it's from Matador) you will laugh and you'll live a little better, too, as these poems will remind you of truths you already knew or teach you things you should already have known but which you might have been away from school when that particular lesson was taught. (EDITOR: That's why I never came to grips with quadratic equations, apparently)

This book is promoted on the basis that all women will be able to relate to this book, in some way.

I have some hopefully welcome news for Lizzy and the staff at Matador. I think all men can relate to this book in some way, too!

Of course it is purchasable from the That's Books bookshop, which is to the righthand side of this book review, along with many other books of poems from Lord Byron to his newest and most distinguished rival, Lizzy Wade.

Bruno and the Little Donkey

Bruno and the Little Donkey is a story by Marianne Parry, which is illustrated  by Dave Hill.

It is a charming, well-illustrated tale of two friends, one a little boy called Bruno and the other, a little donkey who is called, Little Donkey.

Bruno and Little Donkey live and work on two different farms. Sad to relate, Bruno and Little Donkey are unhappy because they are both treated very badly on the farms.

When they meet at the market Bruno realises that Little Donkey is just as badly treated as he is. so, on impulse, he advises the donkey to escape.

A little while later Bruno follows his own advice and also runs away.

On the road from the village and the bustling, hustling market place, the two meet up again and they commence upon a journey away from their cruel, heartless masters they wander off together to face their new life as escapees from their previous cruel masters.

Life on the road was not easy for the two friends, for they meet characters who would wish them harm and ill fortune, but they face these and other troubles until, eventually, Bruno and Little Donkey manage to trudge their way to a new home which will be filled with much love and happiness.

This book is aimed at children -and their parents and grandparents!- from age six upwards.

It is published by Matador at £8.99 in paperback and is available from the That's Books and Entertainment bookshop, alog with thousands and thousands of other titles and DVDs, to the right of this book review.

Poetry for PSHE

Poetry for PSHE is a book by teacher and author Jay Clarke and if you are a teacher or a homeschooler who deals with children who are being taught at secondary school level, then this book is one that you must have.

And if you are the head of an English Department then you simply have got to buy multiple copes of this book for your department and/or the school library.

PSHE means Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education and the book is a collection of poems that are aimed at secondary school aged children.

It is a anthology of a variety of poems that cover a wide range of different subjects such as friendships, bullying, secrets, social media, families, ill health  and the like.

The subjects are covered in such a way that the pupils are, in general terms, enthused and wish to read the next poem.

They introduce the children to a variety of real life situations that they may already be facing (such as bullying) and provides them with potential ways to face up to the situations and to learn coping skills and to help others if required.

The positive impact of this book will remain with the children for years to come. Perhaps for the rest of their lives.

The book is short, but deals with the subjects in a highly effective way and is aimed at the modern curriculum.

At £11.99 this Matador textbook deserves a place on your book shelf and also in the resource library at your school.

It is available for purchase -as single or multiple copies- from the That's Books and Entertainment bookshop, which you will find at the right hand side of this book review.

You can also purchase all other textbooks through the bookshop, too.