Of all the ‘golden age’ Ladybird artists, it could be argued that Ronald Lampitt has the most distinctive style. He never received formal art training and it is interesting to speculate whether, had he attended art college, something of this…
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Let’s be honest, in this sad and sorry world, there’s not a lot of work out there for a Ladybird book consultant. But they say every dog has its day. Sometimes a commission comes along that matches a niche interest…
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This post is probably a bit niche – it’s intended for people who ever buy or sell vintage Ladybird books. There are lots of traps that make the buying and selling of Ladybird books a bit different from other children’s books,…
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‘Battle of Britain’ and ‘Shackleton’ In common with Basil Fawlty, golden-age Ladybird books try not to mention the war. This to some extent reflects the spirit of the age – of the 1950s to 70s – to look forward, not backwards,…
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Facts, thoughts and Ladybird Experts In some ways, the timing couldn’t have been better. Just as everyone was talking about facts and alternative facts and the state of the world ‘post-fact’ – just when Trump draws our attention to climate…
Read moreModernism and Ladybird books Modernism and Ladybird books was the topic of the talk given by John Grindrod, Tim Dunn and and myself in October 2016 at the Conway Hall. The talk, chaired by Samira Ahmed, had a long and…
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As we’re at that time of the year for looking back, it seemed a good time to share with you (or remind you) of some of the past winners of my Ladybird caption contest. @distracteddan This contest takes place every…
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Pond Life – an abridged short story inspired by a Ladybird book I couldn’t say how many childhood hours I spent on my stretch of the Cromford Canal in Ambergate. Probably fewer than I remember, but as time passes the…
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Martin Aitchison, died this week at the age of 96. You might not know his name, but if you are reading this post, there’s a good chance you remember some of his illustrations for Ladybird Books. Until this week I…
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The Ladybird pastiche, parody or spoof Since the autumn, a new breed of ‘Ladybird’ has arrived on these shores and has been having a dramatic effect on native biblio-ecosystems. I refer, of course, to ‘Ladybird Books for Grown Ups’ which…
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