When I found out Russell Brand was working on a series of children’s books, I was immediately intrigued. First off, he’s absolutely hilarious, and secondly, he’s been mischievously rocking the boat lately with his “Robin Hood rhetoric” in the most charming way. So naming his new series, Trickster Tales, is fitting, since Brand is something of a trickster himself. I have no doubt his interpretation of classic fairy tale stories will be peppered with deeper meanings.
Here’s a great excerpt from Brand’s story, The Pied Piper of Hamelin:
“The clock made its sixth chime. ‘Now it’s six,’ said the glint-eyed piper. A rat that was eating his discarded ham sandwich looked up, fearfully. All the rats paused. The piper silently drew in a long breath through his long nose. The glint-eyed piper knew that each breath we take is borrowed. The glint-eyed piper knew that all things are connected, the clouds, the people, the rats, the pipe, the music. All things are connected by invisible threads. The people of the town didn’t know that, for they only cared about things they could see and eat and get prizes for.”
I’m also excited Brand has teamed up with illustrator, Chris Riddell. I’ve been a fan of Riddell’s work ever since I first read The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart to my son. Riddell’s illustrations brought Stewart’s world to life, especially the banderbear. Oh how my son and I cried when the banderbear sacrificed himself to the wig-wigs to save Twig!
