The Hunting of the Snark
by Lewis Carroll (Macmillan, 1876); ill. Chris Riddell (Macmillan, 2016)
Carroll’s nonsense poem is unevenly paced and awkward in metre, more memorable for creatures spoken of in passing than for the narrative of the hunt itself. Riddell illustrates for children, but the language and allusions are suggestive of a more adult whimsy.
Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse
by Chris Riddell (Macmillan, 2013); audiobook read by Lucy Brown (W.F. Howes, 2014)
Set in an unusual manor house in 1799, this first Goth Girl novel offers up low-anxiety peril and gentle adventure to middle-grade readers. While Riddell clearly revels in whimsy, the book relies very heavily on inaccessible (to children) literary reworkings and references.
The Trouble With Elephants
by Chris Riddell (Walker, 1988)
A whimsical picture book featuring rotund, fun-loving anthropomorphised elephants—imaginative manifestations of the narrator’s stitched elephant doll—engaging in everyday suburban life. Though guilty of perpetuating some commonly held misconceptions, Riddell’s text and illustrations nevertheless capture the joyousness of elephants at play.