Arnold Lobel

My hero: Arnold Lobel by Julia Donaldson

'The stories have a quality of joyful optimism celebrating things such as the spring and friendship in a fresh, unsentimental way'

Julia Donaldson

Friday 23 December 2011

I

still mourn the death in 1987 of the American writer and illustrator Arnold Lobel. His imagination seemed boundless, so I feel sure that had he lived he would have produced even more of the wonderful stories such as Grasshopper on the Road, and Owl at Home which I so admire. Each book contains five short stories that are intended for beginner readers but also are great for parents to read aloud. They are fables really, about endearing human weaknesses such as greed, self-consciousness, laziness and addiction to routine.