The book 'The Fearsome Beastie' has proved a popular addition to Eddie's bedbook tower over the last month. Graphically (but not too graphically) illustrated by Gabriele Antonini, it is a cautionary tale about why you shouldn't believe everything a monster tells you, and the importance of keeping your axe-wielding grandma close at hand at all times (definitely a paeon to the benefits of inter-generational living).
We wanted to get the inside story on how Beastie's tale came to be told and how his monstering career has progressed since his perfidy has been outed. We are, after all, seekers of the purest journalistic truth for you dear readers.
A preliminary risk assessment of our house suggested that some basic precautions should be taken. I therefore took care to order in a Nice Piece of (organic) Child Haunch from the butchers in case Beastie started slavering during the interview and I hid the Fellow Reviewers in the cupboard under the stairs.
Giles required nothing more than a cup of tea and a custard cream thankfully.
Polly: Beastie, where did you and Giles first meet? You seem to have allowed him fairly open access to some of the darker secrets of your modus operandi. Was this an authorised biography and are you worried it may backfire given the state of High Alert all axe wielding grandmothers have now been placed on?
Beastie: He totally stitched me up! I had no idea he was going to write about my eating habits in such detail. He has totally twisted the truth, I mean do I look like the sort of Beastie that would eat children? (don't answer that)
(Beastie tucks into steak heartily at this point and demands salt and pepper)
Polly: Bill has a Lego storm trooper, a beyblade, 6 assorted bricks and a dismantled marble run, Eddie has a ball of blu tac covered in fluff and I have an overdue library book. What's under your beds?
Beastie: Bones mostly...but they aren't mine I swear! Not really sure how they got there actually, must have been the previous tenant...got any ketchup?
Giles: Urmmm, quite a lot of stuff, chrimbo decorations, suitcases, unused picture frames, a ten pin bowling ball with no finger holes!
(no room for any more monsters then- phew)
Polly: (whilst Beastie is gnawing and distracted- soft voice) Can you recommend a good Beastie stew recipe? What ingredients should we be stocking up on Delia-like in the event of a Beastie visitation? (at the end of the book- Grandma comes up trumps again with Beastie carcass)
Giles: I don't do Delia, her timings are always off, more of a Jamie Oliver fan, so lets just say, with that in mind, that my Beastie stew will definitely feature garlic, chilli, fennel seed and lashings and lashings of olive oil, cause Jools loves it!!
(sounds DELICIOUS)
Polly: What projects next for both of you? More collaborations or is it time to part ways?
Beastie: I have recently started a support group to help Beasties around the world affected by prejudice from the elderly!
Giles: I have a new picture book out in September called 'Tamara Small and the Monsters' Ball' and then another out next May called 'Things you never knew about Dinosaurs'.
Polly: A busy time for both! We look forward to the next books and thank you.
At this time Beastie started muttering about 'pudding' and sniffing round the cupboard so it was time to bring things to a swift conclusion. I apologise to Giles for the slightly brutal way I bundled him out the door; the children were starting to moan gently.
'The Fearsome Beastie' written by Giles Paley-Phillips and illustrated by Gabriele Antonini is published by Maverick, isbn 978-1-84886-066-7. I thank them for sending a review copy and for Giles for sparing his time for the interview. Our views are our own.
Another fantastically funny interview, although am concerned about the new project 'things you never knew about Dinosaurs' as am pretty sure my son knows all there is to know ;)
ReplyDeleteWell sounds like he should definitely be acquiring the Paxman position and doing the interviewing for that. He'll know all the tricky questions to pose... (and thank you)
ReplyDeleteFab interview and I love the precautions you took beforehand! Will definitely be looking out for this one.
ReplyDeleteGran chopping Beastie in two is one of my favourite spreads in the book, but so glad he survived to be interviewed. Poor, poor Beastie...
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they don't sell Haunch of Child in my supermarket. It's true then, you can get everything in London! ;-)
you have to ask the butcher- it's an under the counter in brown paper job...
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