The Hog, the Shrew and the Hullabaloo
Julia Copus and Eunyoung Seo
Faber & Faber Children’s Books
Harry the Hog is fast asleep until he hears an alarming sound outside. So terrified is he that he – a champion sleeper – has to call best friend Lil. In the blink of an eye, there she is to keep him company and attempt to determine the cause of the mysterious noise.

During the course of the night the friends hear all manner of weird, wild sounds but do they ever discover the perpetrator of that fearful, dream-shattering hullabaloo and, equally important, get some shut-eye?
As in the first Harry and Lil story, both plot and visuals are superbly rendered. Poet, Julia Copus’ lilting rhyme flows beautifully and her choice of language is sheer delight:  ‘In the glow of the moon,
                                                                 In its silvery sheen … ‘
And ‘… through the not-quite-light,
             Through the in-between of day and night.’
are just two of the memorable verbal images we are treated to.
Eunyoung Seo’s exquisite illustrations are also a treat. Slightly whimsical, soft focus and wondrously detailed, they complement the text splendidly.

It’s such a fine balance between words and pictures; Copus and Seo manage it to perfection. Their partnership is as felicitous as that between Harry and Lil.
If you missed their first story, Hog in the Fog, get your hands on that one too: you won’t regret it.

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