West Bridgford based author and illustrator publish new book as a tribute to the great Edward Lear and to join up the generations through reading and rhyme.
Rob Hann (author of several prize winning books) and Howard Barton (illustrator of Rob’s children’s books) both live in West Bridgford and have collaborated on a new omnibus edition of the Edward Lear classic nonsense Rhyme ‘The Quangle Wangle’s Hat’ which was first published nearly 150 years ago.
Rob’s new book contains Lear’s original nonsense rhyme, Rob’s new poem (a sequel to the original) and a short biography of the amazing life of Edward Lear, whose other famous works include ‘The Owl and the Pussycat.’
‘The Quangle Wangle’s Back!’ (see the blog on Rob’s web site here http://www.hannbooks.com/blog) introduces whole new cast of weird and wonderful characters to tell the story of the shy, mysterious Quangle Wangle Quee who, sitting atop the Crumpetty Tree attracts all sorts of quirky creatures to set up home in his enormous, beaver hat.
The Fimble Fowl with the corkscrew leg’ and ‘the Dong with the luminous nose’ are now joined by the “Bibble Bobble with the Wobbly Tooth” and the “snook with the crooked back”. All illustrations have been re-imagined by Howard Barton in the style of Lear (who was also a wonderful painter and illustrator of his day).
Rob said:
“It has been a long and difficult journey to get this book to print. A year ago I entered a competition called ‘Hard Heads and Hang Ups’ which took place at the THiNK in NG meeting space in Nottingham, where an audience and a panel of judges heard pitches from a number of candidates looking for funding for projects designed to boost mental health among people in the community.
“I wanted the book to be used as a conduit for bringing the elderly and the very young together.
“Edward Lear and his works would be familiar to the older generation and they could bring his amazing creations to the attention of a new generation of children.
“I was lucky enough to win some funding to help meet some of the costs of development. The rhymes and the illustrations were then road-tested with children from the South Wilford Junior school through several workshops which took place in 2019”.
Sadly, the Coronavirus Pandemic put a stop to publication and roll-out plans until Rob landed a new job with law firm Sharpe Pritchard LLP.
His new employers were so impressed with the book they sponsored a print run specifically aimed at helping a children’s charity they support (Kids Inspire https://kidsinspire.org.uk/ ). Rob is also pledging some funding from the book to the Nottinghamshire Hospice https://www.nottshospice.org/about-us/ who have helped Rob’s family through some difficult times in recent months.
With Christmas approaching and Covid 19 lockdown social distancing measures still in place, Rob hopes his new book can bring some joy and fun to families in these troubled times and specifically, that “The Quangle Wangle’s Back!” can be used for the purpose it was intended – to help bring children and the elderly together (including using zoom etc) through reading and rhyme.
Rob’s book can be purchased at Amazon here
