Cherubino let out a wild cry of anger and pain. Then he was off, kicking up sand, skidding through carefully laid picnics, trampling on wet towels, sending hats, sandcastles and sunshades flying…
‘Come back! Come back!’ Called Valerie.

But Cherubino did not return.

When Valerie asked Cherubino what was wrong, he only muttered: ‘The sea, the sea! I must go to the sea!’ Under the suntan he had become quite pale with desperation.

Enchantment in the Garden

The story Enchantment in the Garden continues: Every day in the late afternoon, Valerie & her governess, Miss McKenzie, set out for the garden - through the cool gravel walks then out by the sunlit lake where Neptune, the great sea god, rode on a sea monster surrounded by nymphs.

This beautiful illustration is from Enchantment in the Garden.

This week we are escaping from the weather and heading to Italy, into the pages of Enchantment in the Garden. The text extracts are from Shirley’s memoir, A Life Drawing.

There are so many details to pause and look at in these pages from Up and Up, and perhaps even create your own commentary to

More pages from Up and Up. Whilst working on this book Shirley was simultaneously creating a rough for Moving Molly

These pages are taken from Shirley’s wordless story Up and Up, first published in 1979.

Shirley writes in her memoir A Life Drawing that the response to Up and Up from children of all ages went far beyond her expectations, with some of most interesting letters she ever received. In telling or writing the story for themselves children add more of their own feelings

This week we will be looking at Up and Up.

After her editor told her she felt the strip cartoon about a little girl taking flight was unconvincing Shirley asked Ted Hughes if he would write a text. To her astonishment he replied saying he could see no need for words.

Wonderful to spot Walker Picture Books My Very Busy Day in pride of place in Hatchards window - sharing these favourite spreads from inside

These pages are from Moving Molly

Molly lifted up the flap and wrote a very small ‘M’ for Molly underneath with a blue crayon. Then she stuck it down with spit because she knew she mustn’t write on walls.

Moving Molly

These pages are from the story Moving Molly.

These pages are from Moving Molly; not quite sure what the cat makes of the improvised go-cart…

This week we are turning to Moving Molly

To end our week of looking at Shirley's artwork from Sally's Secret here are Ida (who became Sally in the final version) and Rose enjoying tea together in the secret house.

Who wouldn't like to have a secret house to curl up and pretend to go to sleep in.

This artwork comes from Sally's Secret

The final artwork for this scene in Sally's Secret is slightly different, but still stars the tiny biscuits with pink and white icing (surely iced gems) and lump sugar. Plums replace the cherries.

So instructive to gaze at early drafts.