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The Little Gentleman

The Little Gentleman

by Philippa Pearce and Tom Pohrt
Hardback
Publication Date: 05/10/2004

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One day old Mr. Franklin asks Bet to go out to the field and read aloud from a book about earthworms. Why? Who is listening? Soon, Bet becomes the most trusted friend of her listener, who turns out to be a bewitched mole.

At first she and the mole simply sit together in their field, reading, talking, sharing hopes and fears. But soon Bet is helping the Little Gentleman unravel his long and legendary past -- a past that includes the death of a king and a pouch of magic herbs. Bet begins to believe the mole's powers are stronger than he knows. She thinks he can even shift her size and take her exploring in his tunnels if he tries. Nothing is impossible. When the mole finally reveals his deepest wish, Bet knows she can help him.

But will it change everything?

ISBN:
9780060731601
9780060731601
Category:
Fantasy & magical realism (Children's / Teenage)
Format:
Hardback
Publication Date:
05-10-2004
Publisher:
HarperCollins Publishers
Country of origin:
United States
Dimensions (mm):
190.5x152.4x19.56mm
Weight:
0.34kg
Philippa Pearce

Philippa Pearce and illustrator Helen Craig share two grandsons, Nat and Will, the sons of their children Sally and Ben. Philippa wrote A Finder's Magic for Helen to illustrate, and the name of the book's hero, "Tillawn" (Till), is an amalgam of the boys' names.

The peculiar relationship between the old and the very young is a constant theme in Philippa's writing and when, late in life, she had the "unexpected delight" of two small grandsons, it gave her a renewed burst of creative energy.

She called being a grandmother "a privilege, a rare, almost inexplicable pleasure - not just fun but something different, more." Philippa Pearce died in December 2006. The Philippa Pearce Memorial Lecture is held annually in September.

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