No one that I know of is celebrating a birthday today so today I am writing about the English author/illustrator Daniel Postgate whose birthday was yesterday. His illustrations are the antithesis of David Wiesner's. They are cartoon style and thus his books have a very humorous tone. For a long time I have been a fan of his version of The Hairy Toe, but my current favourite is Smelly Bill a book which is written in verse about a dog that stinks. Bill meets his match when he is left with Great Aunt Bleach. The illustration of her, complete with yellow and red polka-dot bloomers swooping down on Bill in the compost bin is wonderful. Even the snails are amazed!
While researching Daniel Postgate on the web I have learned that there are two more books about Bill, Smelly Bill Stinks Again and Smelly Bill in Love Stinks which I have not seen so as you can guess they have been added to the library wishlist. I'm thinking of putting Smelly Bill in Love Stinks out for Valentine's Day!
