Writer Mary Lavin and artist Edward Ardizzone get feedback from young readers about their book.
Three children Michael Galligan, Andrina Wafer and Joe Nolan review the book ‘The Second-Best Children In the World’ written by Mary Lavin and illustrated by Edward Ardizzone.
Michael Galligan, likes the pictures and the characters. Andrina Wafer agrees,
The story was very good and the characters were very realistic.
Joe Nolan enjoys the rhyming text and feels the story could be understood by looking at the pictures alone.
Andrina Wafer dislikes how Edward Ardizzone used speech balloons in his illustrations as she reckons the pictures should speak for themselves.
Edward Ardizzone considers her criticism is fair, but explains why balloons are useful. He uses them in his own books because,
When you put a balloon with a remark in it you don’t have to write nearly so much text.
He reveals,
I love doing drawings for children’s books, but I draw for myself, I don’t draw for you, I don’t draw for anybody, I just draw to have fun.
Mary Lavin welcomes the children’s views on her first book for children,
I think they’re great.
Andrina Wafer considers at £1.35, the book is overly expensive. Joe Nolan disagrees as he thinks the story and pictures are worth the price of the book.
Mary Lavin cannot comment on the price of the book but feels it is the kind of parents will buy for their children, rather than children would buy for themselves.
This episode of 'Aillio' was broadcast on 4 November 1972. The presenter is Jimmy Greeley.
