Tail-End Charlie

Description

As a boy, Mick Manning listened to his father s hair-raising tales about life as an RAF airgunner during the Second World War. Now, years later, he has carefully recreated his father's stories, writing them down as if his dad was speaking the words. In collaboration with Brita, he has illustrated them too. It s for Charlie s grandchildren and for everyone. Find out what it was really like to: Put up with food rationing Undergo RAF Training Take off in a bomber Face enemy fighters Survive the Battle of the Bulge

Mick Manning grew up in Haworth, West Yorkshire and studied Illustration at the Royal College of Art in London. He has written and illustrated over 60 books, mostly with his partner Brita Granstrom.Their distinctive books have won many awards. Their first book, The World is Full of Babies, won the Smarties Silver Prize in 1996. Mick and Brita live in the Scottish Borders and have 4 sons. Their other books with Frances Lincoln include the critically acclaimed Fly on the Wall series: Roman Fort, Pharaoh's Egypt, Viking Longship, Greek Hero, Tail-End Charlie and What Mr Darwin Saw. Both Roman Fort and Viking Longship were shortlisted for the English Association 4-11 Awards and Greek Hero won in 2008. Snap! is the follow-up to Yuck! which was a regional winner of the Highland Book Awards 2006. Recently Mick and Brita donated the entire body of work created for their book Fly on the Wall: Greek Hero to Seven Stories, the centre for children's books To visit the website of Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom click here Brita Granstrom grew up on a Swedish farm and has an MFA in Fine Art from Konstfack, Stockholm. She and Mick Manning live in the Scottish Borders have four sons. Their first book together, The World is Full of Babies won the Smarties Silver Award in 1996 and their second book, What's Under the Bed? took the TES Junior Information Book Award in 1997. Yum Yum and How Did I Begin? were 2 of the 6 children's books shortlisted for the Rhone Poulene Prize in 1998. Science School made the shortlist in the following year. In 2000, Wash, Scrub, Brush! won the English Association's non-fiction award for the best picture book, with Let's Party making the shortlist in 2001. Brita won both Parenting Magazine's Book of the Year and the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award 2000 with her illustrations for Judy Hindley's Eyes, Nose, Fingers, Toes.

True courage colours the tail-gunners story. || For real life adventurers, there is Mick Manning's TAIL END CHARLIE. Brilliantly illustrated by Brita Branstro m, it tells the true story of the author's father as a youthful airman during the Second World War. Using comic strip, contemporary photographs and full-page pictures, it covers both everyday details and moments of extreme danger. || The book is presented in the style of a scrapbook journal. The typed wartime 'flight log' gives us a personal voice and provides a narrative drive which makes the story compelling and coherent...The illustrations with their speech bubbles play a huge part in the success of the book. The combination of a strong line and often vibrant colours brings the experiences vividly to life. There is immense variety in how each double spread is designed. Interesting contemporary ephemera, including magazines, comics and playing cards, bring information and variety. Manning and Granstrom's books nearly always have school relevance and this one would enrich enormously primary school children's studies of the Second World War. The combination of a riveting personal story, much general information about the war and a detailed glossary make this an excellent resource. and reading it could lead to young readers exploring their own family histories for stories that should never be forgotten. || The book fulfils its aims and gives an excellent picture of the life of the airmen and also some intimations of the deprivations for civilians. It is a page-turning read, excellently presented and illustrated in an eye-catching manner. || An easy, interesting read that's helped by the visual presentation of the information. Children can get lost in the book, hardly realising how much they are reading - and learning. || This account of one RAF man's war fits perfectly with imaginative illustrations, many of which are a collage of real war memorabilia. The glossary is a mini history in itself. A most attractive book which informs through both the story and the pictures.