Come Away from the Water, Shirley

A picture book that broke the bounds of convention by telling two stories simultaneously - on pages opposite one another. Confusing? Not to children who at once grasp that on the left-hand pages you see the parents suffering a cold and windy day on an English beach - whilst on the right their daughter Shirley (constantly warned by them about tar and about dogs) goes off on a daydream adventure with pirates and hidden treasure.

Also: Time to Get Out of the Bath, Shirley (9780099200512), Red Fox £8.99