Daft Bat

by
Jeanne Willis
Illustrator: Tony Ross

All the animals are excited when bat arrives and want to present her with a welcoming gift. But bat wants an umbrella to keep her feet dry, thinks clouds are in the sky beneath her, and that her ears may get wet if the river rises.

There's consternation. Surely she must be mad! Could she also be dangerous? It takes owl to sort things out, when he persuades the animals to hang upside down and take a look at things from bat's point of view!

Willis's witty, economical text is beautifully paced, and Ross's illustrations portray some (unintentionally) hilarious animals, puzzled by bat's topsy-turvey world-view; you even get to turn the book upside down. A gloriously silly story about a serious subject.

Publisher: Andersen Press

Tony Ross

Tony Ross is one of the best-known creators of picture books. He trained at the Liverpool School of Art before working as a cartoonist, a graphic designer, at an advertising agency and as a University lecturer. His most popular books include his interpretations of fairy tales, the Dr Xargle books and the much-loved Little Princess series, which has been turned into a highly successful animated television series. Tony Ross has also illustrated many children’s fiction titles and in his extremely prolific career he has illustrated more than 1200 books.
Jeanne Willis

Jeanne wrote her first book when she was five years old and hasn't stopped writing since. She now has over eighty titles to her name, including picture books, novels and television scripts. She has also won numerous awards, including the Children's Book Award, the Sheffield Children's Book Award and the Silver Smarties Prize. Her teen novel, Naked Without a Hat (Faber) was shortlisted for the Whitbread Award in 2004. She often takes inspiration from dreams and interesting conversations with strangers.

Jeanne Willis