The Grotlyn by Benji Davies (HarperCollins Children's Books)

There's always cause for celebration when a new Benji Davies book arrives in all its splendour...
So we're delighted to see "The Grotlyn" publishing today, once again establishing Benji as one of the most impressive folk working in children's picture books today.

From the title you'd probably be expecting a bogey-coloured monster to be the star of this darkly delicious tale, but cool your jets, this is a book that plays a little sleight of hand with the reader till quite near the end (and no, we're not going to spoil things too much for you).

Charlotte got to this one first, and described it as feeling a lot like "Oliver" which completely confused me until I sat down with her for a couple of thorough read-throughs. I can sort of see where she's coming from, with that splendid opening, assembling a cast of characters that feel like they're hewn from the rough cloth of the late 19th / Early 20th Century, as London was bathed in the sooty grime of coal smoke and industry...

The book's characters are utterly delightful (we really loved the cat too!)

The central character is a little girl called Rubi who hears a dainty organ tune that sticks in her head for the rest of the day and well into the night...

"I know where the Grotlyn's been...
Slipping through your house unseen...
But what at first we think to be...
The eye does blindly make us see!"

The strange rhyme speaks of a night-time visitor, the Grotlyn and as Rubi tries to get to sleep she feels a presence in her room, a scampering presence that skitters across the floor before making off with her oil lamp!

Don't be afraid of the dark, for things are never quite as sinister as they seem!

I realised as we read this together that Charlotte was huddling a little closer, even though she knew what was coming. Oddly though she has coped with spookier books than this, so as we discover the secret identity of the Grotlyn (very observant folk will spot him in that initial lineup if they look very carefully), and what drives him to his thievery, the story unfolds like the petals of a flower. Not into a tale of a monster, but a tale of a character longing to be set free.

Hopefully we haven't strayed too far into spoiler territory with that, suffice to say that this is the tiniest of tiny smidges away from being a Book of the Week purely because it seems to end so abruptly, leaving you craving more from this setup and these characters. We have often thought that about many of Benji's books, and I secretly wonder what this very busy and talented chap could turn his hand to if he had the time and inclination to put together something graphic novel sized. Wow, imagine that for a brief moment.

It goes without saying that this book truly is a feast for the eyes, pretty much as you'd expect from Benji - who surely has to be one of the most sought-after illustrative talents in children's publishing today.

Both Charlotte and I really enjoyed reading this one through several times, hoovering up those delicious little clues to the Grotlyn's identity early on in the tale and just revelling in the gorgeous artwork that unfolds with every page turn.

Benji's storytelling always has a way of making you think beyond what you see, just like the mysterious rhyme about the Grotlyn. This book is no exception, it's a sublime slice of storytelling from one of the industry's best.

Charlotte's best bit: Following all the clues to the Grotlyn's identity as Rubi unpicks the mystery.

Daddy's favourite bit: A fabulous cast of characters, a neat twist of a story, glorious artwork to die for and another triumph for Benji. Destined to become another award winning classic!

"The Grotlyn" by Benji Davies is released today, 7th September 2017, Published by HarperCollins Children's Books (Kindly supplied for review).