Katharine Quarmby's Blog
August 24, 2016
New books out
I've got two new picture books out with Child's Play International, both folk tales from the Romani and Traveller tradition, co-written with a Traveller story-teller, Richard O'Neill. One, Ossiri and the Bala Mengro, is illustrated by Hannah Tolson and the other, Yokki and the Parno Gry, by Marieke Nelissen - both are beautiful.
The first is about a Traveller girl who wants to be a musician but comes from a Traveller family which works mainly in scrap-dealing and a bit of horse-trading. She makes her own musical instrument, and when they travel to the north of England, charms a monster, with interesting results..
The second is about a hard-working Travelling family at the time of industrialisation and how they cope at that time. Yokki, the young-story-teller in the family, tells of the Parno Gry, a magic horse who will inspire them to find a way through - but will they?
The books have been positively reviewed by the Sunday Times, the Historical Novel Society, Travellers Times, Readitdaddy, and other outlets. Enjoy!
The first is about a Traveller girl who wants to be a musician but comes from a Traveller family which works mainly in scrap-dealing and a bit of horse-trading. She makes her own musical instrument, and when they travel to the north of England, charms a monster, with interesting results..
The second is about a hard-working Travelling family at the time of industrialisation and how they cope at that time. Yokki, the young-story-teller in the family, tells of the Parno Gry, a magic horse who will inspire them to find a way through - but will they?
The books have been positively reviewed by the Sunday Times, the Historical Novel Society, Travellers Times, Readitdaddy, and other outlets. Enjoy!
