What Are You Doing Now?

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Courtenay
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Re: What Are You Doing Now?

Post by Courtenay »

And what's more, quite a number of them look like the illustrator hasn't actually read the story at all, just guessed what it might be about from the title. I think I pointed this one out before, but does anyone else remember Five Go Down to the Sea involving the Five building sandcastles on the beach?? :shock:

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Or actually, this is worse — and this proves the illustrator HAS only read the titles, not even the blurbs, let alone the whole books. Five Go Adventuring Again involves Christmas at Kirrin Cottage and the Five being snowed in and discovering a "Secret Way" underground, while their rather sinister tutor (whom only George suspects is up to no good from the start) has his eye on Uncle Quentin's scientific secrets. Would you pick up any of that from this cover...

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... which seems to have them embarking on a springtime cycling adventure in a bluebell wood??? :x

That's what really gets me — not just the silly cartoony-looking portrayals of the characters (I can grit my teeth and live with that... barely), but the illustrator's complete lack of knowledge of the actual content of the books. Kids are going to pick up on that pretty jolly quickly as they're reading, and I don't think many of them will be impressed. I certainly wouldn't have been. :evil:
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It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
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Fiona1986
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Re: What Are You Doing Now?

Post by Fiona1986 »

Well Five on a Hike looks great compared to the others now, as at least it illustrates a scene from the book!
"It's the ash! It's falling!" yelled Julian, almost startling Dick out of his wits...
"Listen to its terrible groans and creaks!" yelled Julian, almost beside himself with impatience.


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Courtenay
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Re: What Are You Doing Now?

Post by Courtenay »

Fair enough (I haven't read it, so I wouldn't know), but for all it hints about the actual story, all it needs is Fatty added and it might as well be a scene from the Five Find-Outers. (Illustrated by someone who didn't know that Buster was a Scottie dog.) :P

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It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
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Francis
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Re: What Are You Doing Now?

Post by Francis »

I really don't like these covers - caricatures of children seem to infest children's books these days.
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Rob Houghton
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Re: What Are You Doing Now?

Post by Rob Houghton »

Fiona1986 wrote:Well Five on a Hike looks great compared to the others now, as at least it illustrates a scene from the book!
true...but only a scene that maybe takes half a page at most, lol! Five Go On A Hike Together has so many exciting scenes that could have been illustrated though.
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Fiona1986
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Re: What Are You Doing Now?

Post by Fiona1986 »

I said it's good compared to the others, remember! The others are so awful that being better than them doesn't say much!
"It's the ash! It's falling!" yelled Julian, almost startling Dick out of his wits...
"Listen to its terrible groans and creaks!" yelled Julian, almost beside himself with impatience.


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sixret
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Re: What Are You Doing Now?

Post by sixret »

Daisy wrote:Awful, and on looking at the rest, they are all pretty ghastly. Some have a slight relationship to the story but the children look absolutely terrible - unkempt little ragamuffins!
:cry: :cry: :cry:
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Courtenay
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Re: What Are You Doing Now?

Post by Courtenay »

Not to mention the fact that Julian is clearly Wally in a not-very-effective disguise. :P

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It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
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Machupicchu14
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Re: What Are You Doing Now?

Post by Machupicchu14 »

Courtenay, that is indeed so true!!! :lol: :lol:
"All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love."
(все, что я понимаю, я понимаю только потому, что люблю)
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IceMaiden
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Re: What Are You Doing Now?

Post by IceMaiden »

Courtenay wrote:Fair enough (I haven't read it, so I wouldn't know), but for all it hints about the actual story, all it needs is Fatty added and it might as well be a scene from the Five Find-Outers. (Illustrated by someone who didn't know that Buster was a Scottie dog.) :P

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:shock: I don't remember a book in the series called Five Get a Parking Ticket :roll: .
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Re: What Are You Doing Now?

Post by Lenoir »

IceMaiden wrote: :shock: I don't remember a book in the series called Five Get a Parking Ticket :roll: .
That isn't one, so you remember rightly :)
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Courtenay
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Re: What Are You Doing Now?

Post by Courtenay »

IceMaiden wrote: :shock: I don't remember a book in the series called Five Get a Parking Ticket :roll: .
:lol: :twisted: :wink: (Hang on... don't go giving Bruno Vincent any further ideas. :shock: )
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It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
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Rob Houghton
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Re: What Are You Doing Now?

Post by Rob Houghton »

IceMaiden wrote:
:shock: I don't remember a book in the series called Five Get a Parking Ticket :roll: .
:lol: :lol: Brilliant!

As Courtenay says, its probably only a matter of time...
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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pete9012S
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Re: What Are You Doing Now?

Post by pete9012S »

There is a pompous,very Goon-like policeman in Hike...
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Machupicchu14
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Re: What Are You Doing Now?

Post by Machupicchu14 »

Courtenay wrote:
IceMaiden wrote: :shock: I don't remember a book in the series called Five Get a Parking Ticket :roll: .
:lol: :twisted: :wink: (Hang on... don't go giving Bruno Vincent any further ideas. :shock: )
I wouldn't want to know what the plot would be about!!! :shock: :lol:
"All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love."
(все, что я понимаю, я понимаю только потому, что люблю)
Lev Tolstoy


You can call me Machupicchu14 or María Esther

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