The Lying Carpet

by David Lucas

A statue of little girl, reading, stood in a room for many years. One day, she began to wonder how long she'd been there, then she heard a low voice: it was the tiger-skin rug on the floor.

The tiger told her that she was once a little girl, turned to stone by a spell, that he roamed jungles then was shot by a hunter. But she realised his stories were full of contradictions - had he made them all up? Was he a flying, or a lying carpet?

This witty, challenging exploration of our relationship with stories - true and false - is underscored by Lucas' stylish line drawings, their underlying darker note elegantly reflects the bitter-sweet tone of this strangely haunting fable.

Publisher: Andersen Press

David Lucas

David Lucas was born in Middlesbrough and grew up in Hackney, in east London. His stories are a mix of fairytale and autobiography, and his aim in all his work is to communicate his belief that the world is a magical place. As a child he enjoyed drawing and writing, and he went on to study at St Martin’s School of Art and then the Royal College of Art. He enjoys football, cooking and history.

In 2008 he was chosen as one of Booktrust's Best New Illustrators, as part of their Big Picture initiative. Halibut Jackson was 'favourite children's book of 2004' on Amazon.com, and picked as one of the top 10 children's books of that year (across all genres) by both Publisher's Weekly and Child magazine in the US. David currently lives in Lewes in East Sussex.

Read an interview with David.

http://www.davidlucas.org.uk/

David Lucas