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The Secret in the Matchbox Text by Val Willis, pictures by John Shelley (Andre Deutsch, London, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, New York 1988) |
My first major picture book is the story of Bobby Bell's tiny dragon, which escapes in Miss Pott's classroom and grows to enormous size. As much of the story takes place in a single room I avoided visual repetition by switching from close-ups to wide panoramas, and enclosing each spread with decorative borders to compliment the action on each page. Shortlisted for the Mother Goose Award ( UK ) Parent's Choice Award ( US ) |
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"Mr. Shelley's designs possess a fresh, enticing vitality. He displays an
uncommon sympathy for the private world of schoolchildren and portrays the
ethnically balanced class with an abundance of witty, accurate details of
characterization, costume and decor... an admirable debut" - New York Times
"John Shelley's brilliant paintings and extravagantly detailed borders,
which practically tell a story of their own, perfectly embellish this
enigmatic tale" - Parents
"A delightful and original story, perfect for reading aloud"
- School Library Journal
"Unique, diverting, a fantasy with a rare grasp of children's private
imaginative worlds" - Kirkus Reviews
"One of the most imaginative, captivating picture books of the year"
- Boston Sunday Globe
"A fascinating, speculative picture book" - The Horn Book Magazine
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