The Misadventures of Frederick

Manley’s words are perfectly pitched, spare and funny; Chichester Clark, one of our finest writers and illustrators for very young children, pumps colour into Frederick’s life in her exquisite illustrations.The Times

Outdoor scenes full of birds and squirrels, lit by autumnal sunshine, and indoor scenes of dim splendour, into which nature progressively intrudes, make this picture book a gorgeous object that deserves sustained attention.Sunday Times

The Edward Goreyesque tone of Frederick’s correspondence and the vibrancy of Chichester Clark’s images weave together in a tale of sly wit and sunlit joy.Guardian

There’s a lot to be said for a book that starts out with instructions on how to make a paper plane. It’s even better, in Ben Manley’s The Misadventures of Frederick, when most of the story revolves around paper planes sent from a little girl called Emily having adventures in the dangerous outdoors to a little boy called Frederick, stuck indoors in a mansion for health and safety reasons. Emma Chichester Clark’s pictures are irresistible.Evening Standard