Review: Into Chilhood
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 16, 2013
On the side table in my living room I have an art deco lamp given to me by my grandmother, and every time I turn it on I think of her. It was my grandmother who read bedtime stories to me as a child, my mother never did, and I am sure it is her that persuaded me subtly to become a writer myself.Peter Collier with his book of stories, Over The Fence, brought back so many pleasant memories I couldn't help but be drawn into what he describes as a mystery story for children - he poses questions in free verse, a bit like Lao-tsu in the Tao Te Ching, but leaves his young readers to seek answers themselves, a clever way of teaching - as we know from Lao-tsu. Collier has astutely kept his stories in the 10 - 15 minutes length, enough time for a child to concentrate but still feel sleepy enough to close their eyes and dream sweet dreams. Innovative, educational, I feel as if I have had a ride back into my childhood.