LEWIS, Naomi

PERSONAL: Born in Norfolk, England. Education: Attended London University.

ADDRESSES: Home—13 Red Lion Sq., London WC1R 4QF, England.

CAREER: Author and poet. Worked as a noted critic of adult and children's literature, New Statesman and London Observer; as a broadcaster, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC-Radio), England; as a school teacher in England and, briefly, Switzerland; for most of her writing life, worked as tutor of creative writing for adults.

AWARDS, HONORS: Eleanor Farjeon Award, 1974; Travelling Scholarship, Society of Authors; Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

WRITINGS:

A Visit to Mrs. Wilcox (for adults; essays), Cresset Press (London, England), 1957.

(Author of verse text) The Butterfly Collector, illustrated by Fulvio Testa, Anderson (London, England), 1978, Prentice-Hall (New York, NY), 1979.

(Author of verse text) Leaves, illustrated by Fulvio Testa, Andersen (London, England), 1980, Peter Bedrick (New York, NY), 1983.

Once upon a Rainbow, illustrated by Gabriele Eichenauer, Cape (London, England), 1981.

ComewithUs (poems), illustrations by Leo Lionni, Andersen (London, England), 1982.

(With Janice Thompson) Marco Polo and Wellington: Search for Solomon, Cape (London, England), 1982.

(With Deborah King) Puffin, Cape (London, England), Lothrop (New York, NY), 1984.

(With Deborah King) Swan, Cape (London, England), Lothrop (New York, NY), 1985.

A School Bewitched (based on Edith Nesbit's Fortunatus Rex, or The Mystery of the Disappearing Schoolgirls), illustrated by Errol Le Cain, Blackie (London, England), 1985.

The Stepsister, illustrated by Allison Reed, Hutchinson (London, England), Dial Books (New York, NY), 1987.

(With James Kruess) Johnny Longnose (picture book with poetry by Lewis), illustrated by Stasys Eidrigevicius, North-South Books (New York, NY), 1989.

The Mardi Gras Cat (poetry), Heinemann (London, England), 1993.

RETELLER

The Three Golden Hairs: A Story from the Brothers Grimm, illustrated by Francoise Tresy, Hutchinson (London, England), 1983.

Jutta Ash, Jorinda and Joringel (based on Jorinde und Joringel by the Brothers Grimm), Andersen (London, England), 1984.

(And author of introduction) Stories from the Arabian Nights, illustrated by Anton Pieck, Methuen (London, England), Holt (New York, NY), 1987.

Cry Wolf and Other Aesop Fables, illustrated by Barry Castle, Methuen (London, England), Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1988.

TRANSLATOR

Haroun Tazieff, South from the Red Sea, Lutterworth Press (London, England), 1956.

(And author of notes and introduction) Hans Christian Andersen, Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales, illustrated by Philip Gough, Puffin (London, England), 1981.

Hans Christian Andersen, The Wild Swans, illustrated by Angela Barrett, E. Benn (London, England), Peter Bedrick (New York, NY), 1984.

Hans Christian Andersen, The Flying Trunk and Other Stories from Hans Andersen, Andersen (London, England), Prentice-Hall (New York, NY), 1986.

Heide Helene Beisert, My Magic Cloth: A Story for a Whole Week, illustrated by Beisert, North-South Books (London, England, and New York, NY), 1986.

Jutta Ash, Wedding Birds (adapted from a traditional German song), Andersen (London, England), 1986.

Hans Christian Andersen, The Swineherd, illustrated by Dorothee Duntze, North-South Books (New York, NY), 1987.

(And author of introduction) Hans Christian Andersen, The Snow Queen, illustrated by Angela Barrett, Holt (New York, NY), 1988.

(And author of introduction) Proud Knight, Fair Lady: The Twelve Laïs of Marie de France, illustrated by Angela Barrett, Viking (New York, NY), 1989.

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, The Frog Prince, illustrated by Binette Schroeder, North-South Books (New York, NY), 1989.

Siegfried P. Rupprecht, The Tale of the Vanishing Rainbow, illustrated by Jozef Wilkon, North-South Books (New York, NY), 1989.

(And author of introduction) Hans Christian Andersen, The Nightingale, illustrated by Josef Palecek, North-South Books (New York, NY), 1990.

Kurt Baumann, Three Kings, illustrated by Ivan Gantschev, North-South Books (New York, NY), 1990.

Hans Christian Andersen, Thumbelina, North-South Books (New York, NY), 1990.

Hans Christian Andersen, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, illustrated by P. J. Lynch, Andersen (London, England), 1991, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1992.

Kurt Baumann, The Hungry One: A Poem, illustrated by Stasys Eidrigevicius, North-South Books (New York, NY), 1993.

Charles Perrault, Puss in Boots, illustrated by Stasys Eidrigevicius, North-South Books (New York, NY), 1994.

(And author of introduction) Hans Christian Andersen, The Emperor's New Clothes, illustrated by Angela Barrett, Walker (London, England), Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1997.

Hans Christian Andersen, Elf Hill: Tales from Hans Christian Andersen, illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark, Frances Lincoln (London, England), 1999.

COMPILER

(And author of introduction) Christina Rossetti, Christina Rossetti (poems), E. Hulton (London, England), 1959.

The Best Children's Books of . . . , six annual volumes, Hamish Hamilton (London, England), 1963-69.

(And annotator and author of introduction) Emily Brontë, A Peculiar Music (poems), Bodley Head (London, England), Macmillan (New York, NY), 1971.

(And annotator) Fantasy Books for Children (short essays on over two hundred books), National Book League (London, England), 1975, new edition, 1977.

(And author of introduction and notes) Edith Nesbit, Fairy Stories, illustrated by Brian Robb, E. Benn (London, England), 1977.

(And author of notes and introduction) The Silent Playmate (collection of doll stories), illustrated by Harold Jones, Gollancz (London, England), 1979, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1981.

A Footprint on the Air: An Anthology of Nature Verse, illustrated by Liz Graham-Yool, Hutchinson (London, England), 1983.

(Contributor and author of essay) Messages: A Book of Poems, Faber & Faber (London, England), 1985.

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Grimms' Fairy Tales, illustrated by Lidia Postma, Hutchinson (London, England), 1985, published as The Twelve Dancing Princesses and Other Tales from Grimm, Dial Books (New York, NY), 1986.

William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, illustrated by Sylvie Monti, Hutchinson (London, England), 1988.

(Author of introductory accounts of each story) Classic Fairy Tales to Read Aloud, illustrated by Jo Worth, Kingfisher (New York, NY), 1996.

Rocking Horse Land and Other Classic Tales of Dolls and Toys, illustrated by Angela Barrett, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2000.

Also author and compiler of other titles. Author of essays for each of four volumes of Twentieth-Century Children's Writers, St. James Press (New York, NY), starting 1978. Author of introductions for King Arthur by Henry Gilbert, Robin Hood, by Louis Rhead, and eight other books in the "Henry Holt Little Classics" series; East o' the Sun and West o' the Moon, translated by George W. Dasent, illustrated by P. J. Lynch, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1995; and The Fairy Tale of My Life by Hans Christian Andersen, Cooper Square Press, 2000. Contributor to periodicals, including New York Times, Harper's, New Review, Encounter, London Observer, Listener, Times Literary Supplement, and Times Educational Supplement.

SIDELIGHTS: A highly respected writer, critic, and anthologist, Naomi Lewis's particular gift is for writing introductory essays, which, critics have noted, are often as exciting as the main text. Her own works include stories and verse for the young; she considers her two best works (both for all ages) to be Messages, her major poetry anthology, and The Mardi Gras Cat, a much acclaimed book of original poems. As an editor, reteller, and translator, she is a well-known specialist on the works of Hans Christian Andersen. Of her work as a commentator and editor for occasional anthologies, a reviewer for Junior Bookshelf remarked: "What sets Naomi Lewis in a class apart from the general run of critics today is her breadth of sympathies and her ability to see the course of literature whole, so that each new book can be set into its proper slot in the grand structure." Chris Powling, in an interview in Books for Keeps commented, "No one is more respected in the world of children's books."

One of four children, Lewis grew up in a house full of books. She became a known professional writer in a quick leap and by a curious route. While still a young teacher, she heard of the prestigious New Statesman literary competitions. She sent in three entries under three different names; all three were winners. The next week she won again—and again. Each writing was in a different style, and so the competition was very challenging. One day she took courage and telephoned the New Statesman to see if they could use her as a critic. The obvious "no" was quickly reversed when she identified herself by the top name she'd used in the competitions. From that day on, she began writing for the paper. A year and a half later, a critical piece of hers was given the star page (called Books in General). It promptly brought requests for her writings from American periodicals as well as from United Kingdom agents and publishers. She began to write regularly for the London Observer, becoming a leading critic as well as the children's book editor. She also became a broadcaster in a range of departments (talks, features, literary discussion programs, etc.) on radio for the BBC. Her first book, A Visit to Mrs. Wilcox, a collection of her essays from various publications, is now a collector's piece, and includes her essays "Face at the Window," which discusses the child in adult literature, and "Afternoon at the Grange."

Her work on children's books as a critic, poet, and writer was to come. She began writing occasional reviews and was soon asked to produce The Best Children's Books series, an annual British publication providing descriptive classifications of children's books. A Times Literary Supplement reviewer of the 1965 edition found that Lewis "applies to children's books the standards of adult criticism that the best of them deserve." She was asked to write introductions for children's collections. Invitations to write original text for children's book illustrators came soon; among these were Leaves and The Butterfly Collector with illustrator Fulvio Testa. In Leaves, Lewis presents "a quiet, contemplative text," according to Kristi Thomas Beavin in School Library Journal. The verse presents the question, which has the better life, the evergreens, who always have leaves? Or the trees that lose their leaves, but are renewed fresh and green each spring? A contributor for Publishers Weekly noted that the "brilliant paintings" of illustrator Fulvio Testa "glorify Lewis's ballad."

Lewis went on to write the text for artist Deborah King's Puffin and Swan, books that explain the life cycles of very different birds. Puffin follows the experiences of one such seabird, as he first learns to fly, eventually migrating across the Atlantic and evading an oil slick. "The text," wrote Kay O' Connell in School Library Journal, "is nicely attuned to the age level, supplying the story elements of the life cycle in an enjoyable style." O' Connell also felt that the book was "as satisfying to read as good fiction." Denise M. Wilms, writing in Booklist, likewise thought the tale "reads like a quiet short story rather than a typical fact book." More praise came from a reviewer for Junior Bookshelf, who called Puffin "a picture book of high quality, unusual appeal and engaging talent." Lewis does much the same in Swan, which details the life cycle of that bird using one fictionalized Bewick swan as an example. Here she describes that animal's annual journey to the Arctic, avoiding hunters en route. A contributor for Publishers Weekly praised this title, calling it "as accessible and entertaining as fiction." Similar laudatory remarks came from a Booklist reviewer, who singled out Lewis's "poetically phrased text," concluding that the book was "an uncommonly effective nonfiction treatment of a sparsely covered topic."

Some critics have thought that poetry is Lewis's preferred form, and she has won much critical acclaim for her books of verse for young readers. A group of mice take the main stage in Come with Us, an "enchanting book," according to a reviewer for Junior Bookshelf, who also felt that Lewis's "rhymes sparkle." Once upon a Rainbow follows the magical partlyrhyming journey of Anna as she climbs the rainbow and travels to the seven Rainbow Lands where, in each, she meets its one-colored creatures. Only by inventing a verse can she escape to the next land. A contributor for Junior Bookshelf found this "an engaging fantasy." And in The Mardi Gras Cat, Lewis presents a compendium of original poems on felines; a hidden human story is touched upon in each. Her poems are "choice," as Kate Kellaway noted in the Observer. Kellaway further called the poetry "off-beat [and] sympathetic to each cat's singularity." More praise came from a reviewer for Junior Bookshelf, who called Lewis's poetry "keenly perceptive, . . . witty . . . , passionate." Each poem uses a different style, depending on the type of cat described. The title cat, for example, has a "blues" poem, where the ship's cat has a sea shanty; different again are the convent cat, the Venice cat, and the strange ballad of the Scottish wild cat. A. N. Wilson, writing for the London Evening Standard, praised Lewis's writing, saying, "T. S. Eliot, take a back seat. This is a poetic collection of distinctive cats which is absolutely magical." Wilson went on to say that Lewis's poems "will, I predict, soon be a part of every literate-person's nursery-lore."

Reviewers have noted that Lewis's books, such as A Peculiar Music and Proud Knight, Fair Lady: The Twelve Laïs of Marie de France have made these works available to young readers for the first time. Her collection of poems by Emily Brontë in A Peculiar Music, with its long opening introduction, is addressed to all readers, including "intelligent adolescents whose imaginations may be expected to be fired not only by the poems themselves but also" from the additional material the author provides, wrote Roy Fuller in the Listener. Another poetry collection, A Footprint on the Air: An Anthology of Nature Verse, is a choice of poems and lyrics on animals, plants, insects, and such. Among the gathered poets are Stevie Smith and Emily Dickinson, as well as Lewis herself. The title piece is the most anthologized of Lewis's poems. The editor of Growing Point called it a "provocative, discriminating collection for the thoughtful and the word-loving."

Lewis's major poetry collection, Messages, is "a sophisticated and eclectic grouping of fine poetry," according to Dawna Lisa Buchanan-Berrigan in School Library Journal. Alan Brownjohn, writing in the Times Literary Supplement, under the heading "Made to Endure," likewise found this a "rich and substantial volume." Included in this collection are poems by classical poets, contemporary poets, and children themselves. The wide range of the collection includes poems spanning approximately four hundred years. This "enticing introduction to poetry," as New Statesman's Gillian Wilce described Messages, presents the classics of English literature as well as examples from haiku, ballads, and lesser-known poets.

Lewis as compiler has also collected classic stories and fairy tales in various volumes. Her Classic Fairy Tales to Read Aloud gathers twenty-three tales not only from traditional sources but also from contemporary writers such as Joan Aiken, Susan Price, and William Mayne. Chris Stephenson, writing in School Librarian, found this a "book to revel in and cherish." Nikki Gamble of the Times Educational Supplement called the book "a delightful collection, an excellent introduction to the fairy tale." Gamble further noted that Lewis's "authoritative and engaging introductions whet the appetite, setting the context of each tale, making connections with similar tales and inviting the reader to explore deeper into the world of the fairy tale." In the London Daily Telegraph, Mary Hoffman pointed out that these introductions and annotations by Lewis are "a bonus." And Nina Bawden of the London Evening Standard, calling Lewis "incomparable," considered Classic Fairy Tales to Read Aloud a "pure delight for all ages."

Stories about dolls and toys are collected in two other books, The Silent Playmate: A Collection of Doll Stories and Rocking Horse Land and Other Classic Tales of Dolls and Toys. The first title is an anthology of poems and excerpts from novels, with a foreword to each entry. "Those who cherish doll stories will enjoy the variety," wrote Booklist's Ilene Cooper of that volume. A contributor for Junior Bookshelf had further positive words for The Silent Playmate, noting that "Lewis brings her vast knowledge and her individual flair to this collection." Six tales are gathered in Rocking Horse Land, a book filled with "wonderment," according to a reviewer for Publishers Weekly. Adèle Geras in the Times Educational Supplement considered Lewis to be "the most inspired of compilers," and Anne Knickerbocker, writing in School Library Journal, thought the tales in the book "have a timeless quality about them with appealing plots for children."

An acclaimed reteller and translator, Lewis has brought the works of writers from Aesop to Andersen to vivid life for modern readers. A rare and haunting Grimm Brothers tale finds new life in Lewis's Jorinda and Joringel, almost a poem in itself, which was also included in Classic Fairy Tales. In Lewis's introduction to this piece in its later publication, she wrote, "With its swift pace and clearshot detail, it is like the experience of a dream." Something of a Cinderella story, the tale of The Stepsister is "well written for reading aloud," according to a reviewer for Publishers Weekly.The tale tells of a mean stepmother and her awful daughter, Rose, who dislike the kindhearted stepdaughter, also named Rose. After marrying a prince, Rose is tossed into a well by her stepmother, who tries to substitute her daughter for the young bride. Unable to be deceived, the devoted prince embarks on a search for his true love. Lewis's retelling of Stories from the Arabian Nights was also praised by critics. Here are not only Ali Baba and Aladdin, but some lesser-known tales. Booklist's Carolyn Phelan found Lewis's versions in this collection "delightful," calling the book "a fine, new English rendition of an old favorite." Similarly, School Library Journal critic Ruth M. McConnell called the edition an "enchanting, attractive addition to any folktale collection." Aesop's tales sometimes are given interesting, updated morals by Lewis in Cry Wolf and Other Aesop Fables. Twelve stories are gathered in this "sophisticated collection," as a critic for Kirkus Reviews described the book.

As a translator, Lewis has also introduced or reintroduced classic tales to a new generation. She presents a Perrault classic, Puss in Boots, with an English rendering that "is smooth and accessible," according to a reviewer for Publishers Weekly. Booklist's Phelan found that same translation "graceful, readable, and concise." Proud Knight, Fair Lady is a gathering that "celebrates the art of courtly love," according to Horn Book's Mary M. Burns. Translated from Anglo-Norman French, Lewis's skill "makes it easy to understand why these stories enthralled late twelfth-century courtiers," Burns further commented. This book is, according to the Listener's Susan Jeffreys, "just right for any brooding bookworms on your Christmas list." Kimi Patton, writing in Wilson Library Journal, found these to be "stories from another world." Critics also noted that Lewis's introduction proved as exciting as the tales told in her book.

Lewis's version of The Snow Queen, one of her Andersen translations, is, remarked Aidan Warlow in School Librarian, a "magnificent edition." A contributor to Publishers Weekly found that same tale "faithful to its piercing sweetness." Her translation of The Wild Swans is "faithful in romantic spirit to the nineteenth-century Dane, yet congenial to contemporary ears," according to Selma G. Lanes in the New York Times Book Review. A critic for Junior Bookshelf also had praise for Lewis's translation of The Wild Swans, calling it "a most unusual haunting version." Susan H. Patron lauded the book for its "rich literary quality" in a School Library Journal review. "The real thing," is how an Observer reviewer typified Lewis's translation of the twelve stories in Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales, while a contributor for Publishers Weekly praised The Emperor's New Clothes as a "witty new edition" with a "lively" text. Horn Book's Ann A. Flowers commended The Emperor's New Clothes, finding the translation "smooth and contemporary" and further noting that the text "easily transmits the wry humor that distinguishes the story." Jackie Wullschlager of Financial Times, also the author of a biography on Andersen, considered The Emperor's New Clothes to be "exquisitely witty . . . Naomi Lewis's translation is superb, and this elegant work would be a sophisticated present for anyone." Lewis also translates nine Andersen tales in Elf Hill: Tales from Hans Christian Andersen. Adèle Geras, writing in the Times Educational Supplement, noted that "Lewis enchants" the reader "with simple, graceful" renditions of classic and less well-known tales. Nicolette Jones of the Sunday Times called Elf Hill "a must" and praised the "heart-stopping elegance" of the tales.

Lewis told CA: "The real fact about me is that I am a writer, possessed by words and their sound since the age of four or so when I began to read. At six—I remember the moment—I made a discovery. I was reading a mild poem about fairies, I'm quite sure—but the shape and sound struck a strange chord within me. 'I think I can do that,' were my unspoken words. (I had not yet encountered the word 'Eureka.') I promptly wrote surely the worst poem in the world (no doubt on fairies). But it did scan correctly. From that time on, poetry was my passion. When I started writing prose (for the New Statesman) I found that writing a critical piece was very much like writing a poem."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, January 1, 1982, Ilene Cooper, review of The Silent Playmate: A Collection of Doll Stories, p. 599; January 1, 1985, Denise M. Wilms, review of Puffin, p. 642; May 1, 1986, review of Swan, p. 1314; February 1, 1988, Carolyn Phelan, review of Stories from the Arabian Nights, p. 935; April 15, 1994, Carolyn Phelan, review of Puss in Boots, p. 1531.

Books for Keeps, November, 1990, Chris Powling, interview with Lewis, pp. 14-15.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, February, 1984.

Daily Telegraph (London), December 7, 1996, Mary Hoffman, review of Classic Fairy Tales to Read Aloud.

Evening Standard (London), October, 1993, A. N. Wilson, review of The Mardi Gras Cat; December 16, 1996, Nina Bawden, review of Classic Fairy Tales to Read Aloud.

Financial Times (London), December 13, 1997, Jackie Wullschlager, review of The Emperor's New Clothes.

Growing Point, January, 1980; March, 1984, review of A Footprint on the Air: An Anthology of Nature Verse, pp. 4226-4227; November, 1985, p. 4538; January, 1989, pp. 5081-5082.

Horn Book, February, 1982; November-December, 1989, Mary M. Burns, review of Proud Knight, Fair Lady: The Twelve Laïs of Marie de France, p. 781; November-December, 1997, Ann A. Flowers, review of The Emperor's New Clothes, pp. 688-689.

Junior Bookshelf, June, 1980, review of The Silent Playmate, p. 135; October, 1981, review of Hare and Badger Go to Town, p. 199; June, 1982, review of Once upon a Rainbow, p. 94; August, 1982, review of Come with Us, pp. 133-134; February, 1984, review of A Footprint on the Air, p. 34; October, 1984, review of The Wild Swans, p. 200, review of Puffin, p. 203; February, 1986, review of Messages: A Book of Poems, pp. 35-36; June, 1989, pp. 132-133; February, 1994, review of The Mardi Gras Cat, p. 17.

Kirkus Reviews, June 15, 1986, pp. 937-938; January 15, 1987, review of Jorinda and Joringel, p. 136; June 15, 1987, review of Hare and Badger Go to Town, p. 926; August 1, 1987, pp. 1159-1160; September 1, 1987, p. 1322; November 1, 1988, review of Cry Wolf and Other Aesop Fables, p. 1607.

Listener, December 30, 1971, Roy Fuller, review of A Peculiar Music: Poems for Young Readers, p. 911; November 6, 1980; December 7, 1989, Susan Jeffreys, review of Proud Knight, Fair Lady, p. 34.

Los Angeles Times Book Review, October 23, 1988.

New Statesman, November 8, 1985, Gillian Wilce, review of Messages, p. 28.

New York Times Book Review, November 11, 1979, pp. 58, 64; December 2, 1984, Selma G. Lanes, review of The Wild Swans, pp. 52-53; July 9, 1989.

Observer (London, England), December 23, 1979, p. 36; November 28, 1993, Kate Kellaway, review of The Mardi Gras Cat, p. 12; July 30, 1995, review of Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales, p. 17.

Publishers Weekly, April 10, 1972, p. 58; July 9, 1979, review of The Snow Queen, p. 106; August 13, 1979, p. 66; September 16, 1983, review of Leaves, p. 125; June 27, 1986, review of Swan, p. 86; July 24, 1987, review of The Stepsister, p. 185; May 2, 1994, review of Puss in Boots, p. 308; July 7, 1997, review of The Emperor's New Clothes, pp. 67-68; December 6, 1999, review of Elf Hill: Tales from Hans Christian Andersen, p. 77; November 13, 2000, review of The Emperor's New Clothes, p. 106; November 20, 2000, review of Rocking Horse Land and Other Classic Tales of Dolls and Toys, p. 70.

School Librarian, December, 1979, Aidan Warlow, review of The Snow Queen, p. 347; November, 1987, Mary Medlicott, review of Stories from the Arabian Nights, p. 334; February, 1997, Chris Stephenson, review of Classic Fairy Tales to Read Aloud, p. 33.

School Library Journal, January, 1980, p. 64; October, 1982, p. 142; April, 1984, Kristi Thomas Beavin, review of Leaves, p. 105; December, 1984, Susan H. Patron, review of The Wild Swans, p. 67; March, 1985, Kay O'Connell, review of Puffin, p. 154; August, 1986, Dawna Lisa Buchanan-Berrigan, review of Messages, p. 102; May, 1987, Ronald A. Van De Voorde, review of Jorinda and Joringel, p. 85; February, 1988, Ruth M. McConnell, review of Stories from the Arabian Nights, pp. 80-81; February, 1994, Susan Scheps, review of The Snow Queen, p. 76; July, 1994, Linda Boyles, review of Puss in Boots, p. 97; November, 1997, Marilyn Iarusso, review of The Emperor's New Clothes, p. 76; January, 2000, Miriam Lang Budin, review of Elf Hill, p. 107; April, 2001, Anne Knickerbocker, review of Rocking Horse Land and Other Classic Tales of Dolls and Toys, p. 115.

Sunday Times (London), December 18, 1999, Nicolette Jones, review of Elf Hill, p. 19.

Times Educational Supplement, November 20, 1981, p. 31; November 2, 1984, p. 26; June 7, 1985, p. 55; February 13, 1987, p. 48; February 28, 1997, Nikki Gamble, review of Classic Fairy Tales to Read Aloud; December 10, 1999, Adèle Geras, review of Elf Hill, p. 33; December 1, 2000, Adèle Geras, review of Rocking Horse Land, p. 24.

Times Literary Supplement, June 9, 1966, review of The Best Children's Books of 1965, p. 519; July 2, 1970, p. 714; December 14, 1979; July 24, 1981, p. 841; November 9, 1984; November 29, 1985, Alan Brownjohn, review of Messages, p. 1361.

Wilson Library Bulletin, November, 1989, Kimi Patton, review of Proud Knight, Fair Lady, p. 11; April, 1994, Cathi Dunn MacRae, review of The Hungry One, pp. 125-126.