Magrit
Publisher: Walker Books
Magrit lives in a cemetery with Master Puppet, a friend she built from bits she found: loose bones, a tin can and rotten twine. He is older and wiser but his advice isn't always to be trusted - and when a stork drops a helpless baby into their unusual home, Magrit disregards his advice and takes the baby into her care.
However, when the baby wanders to a place Magrit cannot follow, it brings up memories she cannot face.
Lee Battersby has created a strange tale of life and death in this odd little book. Walker Books have juxtaposed the macabre material with extremely pretty production. The purple sprayed pages and gorgeous illustrations on chapter headings make this an enticing object.
Older readers might see the twist in the tale before Magrit does, but there's plenty for younger readers to enjoy before they are ready for Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book, which deals in similar territory.
