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Matilda Jane
While visiting a seaside resort with her parents and her nanny, a little girl sees and experiences many extraordinary things.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published November 28, 1981
15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 29, 2023
'Beside the Sea' centres around a young Edwardian girl called Matilda Jane whose favourite phrase is 'It astonishes me'. Up to the time of featuring in this book she must have led a sheltered life for everything that she does, however seemingly ordinary, astonishes her - ah, the joy of innocence.
She is initially astonished by boarding the train when she was 'off to the sea, Mama and Papa, my nanny and me'. The noise the train made, 'the clack clickety clack sounds like a song', fascinates (and astonishes) her, as does the view from the window when she gazes at the cows. And then she is astonished at the journey's end that she has travelled so far in one day and she is impressed by the poshness of the place at which she and her family are going to stay.
Cake and jam and toasted bread is served for tea before the family go for a walk on the promenade until half-past eight, 'Matilda had never been up so late'! The next day it is to the beach and as she sits there looking out at the bay she wonders where the waves come from as they 'come rolling right up to the prom'. She finds it strange that the waves then all go away but she is also pleased as 'it's ever so grand for then we can play again on the sand' ... happy days!
Back at her lodgings she strokes Mrs Jones' big marmalade cat who purrs and rubs up against her until he has had enough and then he stalks down the hall and 'sits at the window and stares at the sky'.
Back to the beach the following day Matilda is, not surprisingly, astonished at how the grown-ups look when they enter the sea, 'trousers rolled up and their skirts held high'. Matilda has no such worries for she paddles her toes before she goes 'into the water right up to my chin'!
She watches fishermen bring in their catches of fish and wonders where they all come from - an old fisherman told her 'from China or even Peru' but she does not think that his stories are true. She listens to a band playing on the pier, 'trumpets, trombones, and drums and bassoons' to which her Papa taps his feet as he hums the tunes.
No wonder she is astonished when her Nanny tells her about mermaids living deep down in the sea and she wonders, 'we never can see them so how does she know?' After the pier she enjoys a tramcar ride. 'The car leans and lurches, and rumbles and whines. It sways round the corners, yet stays on the lines.' Then rain finally sends the family back indoors and Matilda has a read, all the time wishing the rain would stop so that she could go out again.
Then the holiday is over and Matilda is, again not surprisingly, astonished at how the time seemed to fly and it is goodbye to Mrs Jones and back to the train. She thought that she would be sad but deep down her view is 'travelling home, I'm really quite glad' (I know the feeling well). And at home she jumps into bed and looks out at the moon and for the final time she is astonished that it is 'the same moon that's shining right down on the sea'.
Her final comment is 'It was grand at the sea but I'm glad that I'm home'; yes, I know that feeling only too well also!
Jean Gerrard's light-hearted and amusing text is admirably complemented by Roy Gerrard's beautiful illustrations.
She is initially astonished by boarding the train when she was 'off to the sea, Mama and Papa, my nanny and me'. The noise the train made, 'the clack clickety clack sounds like a song', fascinates (and astonishes) her, as does the view from the window when she gazes at the cows. And then she is astonished at the journey's end that she has travelled so far in one day and she is impressed by the poshness of the place at which she and her family are going to stay.
Cake and jam and toasted bread is served for tea before the family go for a walk on the promenade until half-past eight, 'Matilda had never been up so late'! The next day it is to the beach and as she sits there looking out at the bay she wonders where the waves come from as they 'come rolling right up to the prom'. She finds it strange that the waves then all go away but she is also pleased as 'it's ever so grand for then we can play again on the sand' ... happy days!
Back at her lodgings she strokes Mrs Jones' big marmalade cat who purrs and rubs up against her until he has had enough and then he stalks down the hall and 'sits at the window and stares at the sky'.
Back to the beach the following day Matilda is, not surprisingly, astonished at how the grown-ups look when they enter the sea, 'trousers rolled up and their skirts held high'. Matilda has no such worries for she paddles her toes before she goes 'into the water right up to my chin'!
She watches fishermen bring in their catches of fish and wonders where they all come from - an old fisherman told her 'from China or even Peru' but she does not think that his stories are true. She listens to a band playing on the pier, 'trumpets, trombones, and drums and bassoons' to which her Papa taps his feet as he hums the tunes.
No wonder she is astonished when her Nanny tells her about mermaids living deep down in the sea and she wonders, 'we never can see them so how does she know?' After the pier she enjoys a tramcar ride. 'The car leans and lurches, and rumbles and whines. It sways round the corners, yet stays on the lines.' Then rain finally sends the family back indoors and Matilda has a read, all the time wishing the rain would stop so that she could go out again.
Then the holiday is over and Matilda is, again not surprisingly, astonished at how the time seemed to fly and it is goodbye to Mrs Jones and back to the train. She thought that she would be sad but deep down her view is 'travelling home, I'm really quite glad' (I know the feeling well). And at home she jumps into bed and looks out at the moon and for the final time she is astonished that it is 'the same moon that's shining right down on the sea'.
Her final comment is 'It was grand at the sea but I'm glad that I'm home'; yes, I know that feeling only too well also!
Jean Gerrard's light-hearted and amusing text is admirably complemented by Roy Gerrard's beautiful illustrations.
February 24, 2019
Matilda Jane is astonished by nearly everything she sees on her seaside holiday. I love this - oh, to be a child again, and live a life of constant wonderment. The rhyming text was actually written by Jean Gerrard. Her husband, Roy Gerrard did the impeccable illustrations.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews