Set in postwar Communist Warsaw, this perfectly crafted story is funny, touching and illuminating.
Grandpa Feliks is cross when his eight year old granddaughter Lucja laughs at his stories of the war and grumbles about the Germans and the Communists, but the difference in their viewpoints is clearer still with the arrival of a live carp. Grandpa Feliks has gone to a great deal of trouble to get it, determined it will form their Christmas Eve dinner, as carp did in the good old days. But the longer ‘Fishy’ lives in their bath, the greater the friendship between dinner and granddaughter; will Grandpa Feliks get his wish?
His capitulation is a comic as it is inevitable, and as Fishy swims happily on, readers have learned so much about life, love and family relationships. With delicate black and white illustrations by Peter Bailey and its Christmas setting, this would be a lovely book to find in a stocking, but it’s a delicious read for any day.
Little Lucja's Grandpa Feliks has seen off the German army, and the Communists, and now he is looking forward to a long and peaceful retirement. He plans to begin with a tasty Christmas Eve dinner of carp. But when the carp arrives alive and takes up residence in the bathtub and Lucja's heart, has Grandpa Feliks finally met his match?
Bringing a top-selling Little Gem to a new market in a standard paperback format, this new edition offers the same fantastic text and illustrations but in a format more appealing to older readers.
High-quality cream paper and a special easy-to-read font ensure a smooth read for all.Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 7+
Both Eoin Colfer’s parents were teachers and young Eoin was taught by his dad Billy at Wexford’s Christian Brothers primary. Eoin remembers his dad’s presence in school as “witty…[he] made school fun.” Colfer junior’s first attempt at serious writing came in the sixth grade. “I wrote a play for the class about Norse Gods. Everyone died in the end except me.”
Eoin followed in his parents’ footsteps and trained to be a teacher but his writing didn't stop and his first book, Benny and Omar, appeared in 1999 and instantly achieved bestselling status in Ireland. Then in 2001 the first Artemis Fowl book was published and he was able to resign from teaching and concentrate fully on writing.
Eoin Colfer was nominated for the 2012 Hans Christian Andersen Award.
picture copyright Michael Paynter.
Here's a hilarious clip from Eoin Colfer Virtually Live:
WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT EOIN COLFER... Praise for Artemis Fowl
“Wildly original… and you thought fairy stories were just for kids.” - T2 (The Telegraph)
“It’s a highly original adventure story with an action-packed plot which twists and turns right to the end – a kind of William Gibson meets the Hobbit/Irish Legends. It has all the right ingredients.” Marc Lambert, Children’s Programme Director at the Edinburgh Festival
“Make sure you buy it!” Denise Van Outen, Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast
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