Website Additions

[Kate Mary]

Terry Gustafson does sterling work with his reviews, it's good to read about books like the Pennant Readers series which I don't own. An added treat is being able to see the illustrations with the latest, No 6. Thank you Terry and Tony.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I've just been catching up with Terry Gustafson's latest reviews, which are very enjoyable as always. The Strange Tale of Mr. Wumble is wonderfully quirky and entertaining. As a child I was unaware of its existence but I was delighted to find a copy as an adult.

I have some of the tales from the Pennant Series (in other short story collections) but others are new to me. 'He Couldn't Be Trusted' sounds most unusual and 'The Purple Pig' reminds me of 'The Pig with Green Spots'. Eileen Soper's illustrations, which Tony has added to the Cave for books 5 and 6, are exquisite, picked out in delicate blue or orangey-red. The ones for 'Garry Give-Up and Fanny Find-a-Way' are my favourites, with the wintry-looking clothes and scenery. It makes a change to see a boy wearing what looks like a detachable hood, rather than a cap.

[sixret]

A new review by Terry Gustafson has been added by Tony in The Cave. Books in Pennant series are difficult to get.

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/book ... +Readers+5" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Rob Houghton]

That's true! I only have one Pennant Series book - Number 2 - 'Stones For A Donkey' and 'The Princess and the Cottage Girl'.

[sixret]

You are lucky, Rob.

I don’t have any book in the series but I do have all the stories in Pennant series. All the stories in Pennant series are recollected in Hamlyn Bumblebee series. This series is easier to get.

[Tony Summerfield]

I am missing some myself, Rob, and that includes No. 2, so you won't get any Soper pics from that one in the Cave! I have got 25 of them, but I am missing the first four and No. 11. The reprints with Eileen Soper covers are even harder to find and I only have seven of these. I don't think that I have bought any Pennants for over 20 years now but I haven't been looking for them either so it is not surprising that I am missing quite a few. I thought that I had all the stories in the 8 Bumblebee books, but they must have buzzed off somewhere as I can't find any of them. More and more books seems to be going AWOL now!

[Rob Houghton]

Mine must be a reprint, as it has a Soper cover. It joins the two stories, with the Princess and the cottage girl feeding the donkey.

[Anita Bensoussane]

The Pennant Series looks like a lovely set of books, generously illustrated. Jean Main also combines the two stories in the cover pictures.

I have four of the eight Hamlyn Bumblebee titles, which are attractive too as they're illustrated by Val Biro.

[Rob Houghton]

Jean Main also combines the two stories in the cover pictures.

yes, I noticed that after I'd written it - although in a way I think Soper mingles them still further and more successfully.

I like both covers though.

[Rob Houghton]

Talking of the Bumble Bee Books, I saw this nice boxed set on eBay today -

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Bumb ... SwYDZaVTU8

[Anita Bensoussane]

Terry has written a review of number 10 in the Pennant Series (see the 'updates' link), which contains 'The Angry Pixies' and 'Sally the Screamer'. I like short stories which have a moral and it's great to see the Eileen Soper pictures, which Tony has scanned and added to the Cave. The ones for 'The Angry Pixies' are particularly lovely, showing rural scenes, though it is funny (as Terry points out) that one of the girl characters never appears in the illustrations. I agree that the mother in 'Sally the Screamer' needs to be taught a lesson as much as the child does.

[Julie2owlsdene]

The Wonderful Hooter on updated 2nd May story, reminds me of the Find-Outers story, Missing Necklace, with the child who has a hooter on his bicycle and the one Fatty buys to annoy Goon.

[Moonraker]

What a hoot!

[Anita Bensoussane]

A great review of number 13 in the Pennant Series. As a child I loved stories like 'Crack! Crack! Crack!', in which characters get into real danger. The dramatic picture of Peter lying back in the water enhances the feeling of panic and horror.

As for Jack's pedal car in 'The Wonderful Hooter', it looks magnificent!

[Wolfgang]

It sounds as if you were talking about a Secret Seven adventure Anita .