A Squash and a Squeeze

LoveReading4Kids Says

Celebrating twenty years of a classic picture book pairing!

Julia Donaldson writes...Although the book you have in your hands is officially a 20th birthday edition, A Squash and a Squeeze is actually nearer forty! It started its life as a song on BBC Children’s Television.The song was subsequently used on “Playdays” and included on a BBC album, sung by Floella Benjamin and Derek Griffiths.

Unknown to me, a future editor of children’s books heard this recording when her children were small and she couldn’t get it out of her head. Thirteen years later she succeeded in tracking me down via the BBC. When she phoned to ask my permission to publish an illustrated version of my words I immediately agreed – while attempting to sound as if this sort of thing happened to me every day. I loved Axel’s pictures straight away.

Axel Scheffler writes...A Squash and a Squeeze was only my second picture book.I recently learnt that before me, two other illustrators were asked to do the pictures, but perhaps they were too busy because they turned it down. If this is true, I have to be grateful to them, because this book started my long-term collaboration with Julia.

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