TIM AND CHARLOTTE

​

Edward Ardizzone

​

​

Ardizzone wrote a number of books involving Tim. In this one, Tim and his brother Ginger find a little girl washed up on the beach and take her home to their mother to look after.

The story has a lot of movement in it and addresses jealousy, teasing, loneliness and above all, friendship. There is the problem of class being dismissed by those too young to 'stick to the rules' of material privilege. It's nice the way Ardizzone uses the 'voice of babes' for social comment. I found it old-fashioned and solid in providing a story worth reading. In a way it came across as a much tamer, picture-book version of a Just William tale.

Ardizzone was an official artist for the Second Word War. His illustrations capture a lovely feeling of life. Polite review because it is a polite book, having been first published in 1951. I think it is an era book definitely worth having in your pile