Nick Butterworth was born in Kingsbury, North London. He has worked as a graphic designer for major London design consultancies. Nick then moved into freelance graphics and illustrations, working in partnership with three others, including Mick Inkpen. In 1981 his first children's book was published, B. B. Blacksheep and Company. Nick has also worked as a television presenter on the children's programme Rub-a-Dub-Tub.
This winsome quartet highlights a sextet of animals as they frolic and perform dubious domestic duties. The narrator here is joined on his appointed rounds by pals Whitey the polar bear, George the chimp, Millie the elephant, Wilson the giraffe and the more prosaically named (but no less beguiling) Croc and Hippo. Despite their good intentions, these critters occasionally lose sight of the task at hand, preferring instead to smother a snout in toothpaste (``Croc always cleans his teeth'') or upset a grocery-store display (``Hippo likes spaghetti''). In crisply rendered illustrations against white backgrounds, Butterworth portrays a consistently amusing cast in one silly scenario after another. (Only literal-minded youngsters might question the relative sizes of creatures and human; why, for instance, is the giraffe smaller than the boy?) Cozy, reassuring and subtly instructive, these board books prove that many paws make light work. Ages 1-3. (Apr.)
After the Storm:
'...look no further for the best present for any child from two to
six.' Susan Hill, The Sunday Times
The Rescue Party:
'...it's good for reading aloud to under-fives, and later the
six-pluses will still want to read it themselves.' The Independent
on Sunday
Percy's Bumpy Ride:
'Imaginatively detailed illustrations and just the right amount of
suspense.' Practical Parenting
One Snowy Night
'A heartwarming bedtime tale...' Susan Hill, The Independent
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