How The Whale Became And Other Stories

Ted Hughes, illustrated by Jackie Morris

Editions

Review

The idea for this collection owes a nod to Kipling’s Just So Stories pbk £3.99hbk £9.99 but it is a classic in its own right.  There are eleven: about the Owl, who deceives the other animals and is condemned to hunt at night; the Whale; the sly Fox; the  vain Polar Bear; the Hyena who follows Leopard; the Tortoise who didn’t want a skin but got a shell instead; the Bee who drinks sweetness to stop his glooms; the Cat; the Donkey; the Hare who runs after the moon; and the shy Elephant.  Mysterious and wise, playful and funny, these glorious stories should be known by all children. - review by Johnny de Falbe