A Book is Bought

Back in 2007, just a year after arriving in Swindon, I visited the Richard Jefferies Museum at Coate Water. It had an enchanting garden, with a mulberry tree, and an orchard. There was an old pig-sty, and lots of fascinating out-buildings. Inside the museum, I found a book. It was the title that drew me to it: Wood Magic. 

I took it home and read it, realising that all the animals and places mentioned in that book were in that very garden. There was a cunning spider and a jealous toad, there was a wicked magpie and a little boy who spoke to all the animals and things in the garden: children ought to know about this, I thought. Jill Carter and I made a book, The Cunning Spider which was funded by a grant that Jean Saunders found for her 'Footsteps of Richard Jefferies' project. We didn't know much about making books, but we wanted to share the fun story with children. Storytelling and art sessions were organised and lots of children came to visit.