![]() ![]() Hobbie's paintings are masterful - and hugely inspiring to me. I work a lot in watercolour and know what an unforgiving (and happily haphazard) medium it can be. Her techniques for capturing light and shade and atmosphere is superb. I first discovered Toot & Puddle in the public library - and they blew me away! To say Hobbie is a skilled watercolourist is an understatement. It's their different personalities which form the basis for many of the stories, which all celebrate true friendship.Īs Publishers Weekly notes: ‘ Children will be reassured by the message that friends can have different interests and still enjoy one another.’ ![]() And having spent time with the books, I totally get it! Their home at Woodcock Pocket is 'such a perfect place to be that Puddle never wanted to go anywhere else'. Puddle, on the other hand, is a homebody. Toot loves to travel (fans of the series will spot him in such far-flung places as Mont Blanc, Egypt and the Solomon Islands). They are also very different from one another. The piglet pals have a ' caring, odd-couple rapport ' (think Frog and Toad or Chalk & Cheese) - and they are irresistibly charming. Because she went on to create the endearing book characters, Toot & Puddle! I am so glad the real-life Holly Hobbie didn't get pigeon-holed by the phenomenal success of her creation. ![]() The character (who bore her creator's name) was a 1970's sensation. For people of a certain age, the name Holly Hobbie instantly conjures up a cat-loving girl in an over-sized bonnet. ![]()
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