Website of children’s author Paeony Lewis
And now, for all the lovely cookie munchers in the US and Canada, here’s...
No More Biscuits (Cookies!)
No More Biscuits!
By Paeony Lewis
Illustrated by Brita Granström
It’s crunch time for Florence and Arnold!
Florence, a small determined girl, and Arnold, her faithful toy monkey, have reached the bottom of the biscuit tin. Mum says ‘No More Biscuits’.
Florence doesn’t believe she can survive without biscuits. So with the help of Arnold, her crayons, the dressing-up box and lots of imagination, Florence sets out to persuade Mum to give her just one more biscuit.
Will Mum give in? Or does Mum have a plan of her own that will keep everyone happy?
Published by The Chicken House
2005 Hardback £10.99
2006 Paperback £5.99
For ages 3-6 yrs
No More Biscuits was a starred choice in the UK Children’s Bookseller March 2005.
“Brita Granstrom’s illustrations always have warmth and character, and this is a thoroughly delightful picture book.”
The Sunday Observer
27 March 2005
Kate Kellaway picked No More Biscuits in her review of picture books that will help “send children to sleep - enchanted, not bored”.
“This is a lively book about the battle between a mother and daughter, in which Florence invents a host of ingenious stories, including one in which the monkey injures himself and needs an ‘emergency biscuit’.
If I reveal that the story ends with an enticing recipe for ‘Magic Monkey Bananas’, you may be able to unpeel the remains of the plot. Moreish.”
QUESTION: What are these?
ANSWER:
a) Cookies if you live in the US or Canada.
b) Biscuits if you live in the UK (or cookies to those of you who watch lots of American TV!).
So that’s why No More Biscuits is called
No More Cookies in North America.
Did you know that in the US a biscuit is a bit like a plain English scone. It can be eaten with the main course and even with gravy. Or you can have it for breakfast with butter and jam (called jelly in the US) along with sausage or eggs and bacon.
www.paeonylewis.com © Paeony Lewis 2005
Illustrations from No More Biscuits/Cookies © Brita Granström 2005
Please note, no images may be reproduced without permission from the illustrator, Brita Granström
2005 Hardback $15.99 Published by Scholastic/The Chicken House
Child Education May 2005
“...The relationship between Florence and her mum is lovingly drawn, and monkey Arnold springs to life just as any favourite toy should. The pictures are lively and loose. And at the end of the book there’s a yummy recipe for you
Carousel
The Guide to Children’s Books
Summer 2005
“...delicious book... The endearing, characterful illustrations balance and support the text making the book as enticing for young children as Joanne Harris’ ‘Chocolat’ is to adults. One that Jamie Oliver would approve of too!”
UK/US Differences
It’s not just biscuits and cookies. I’m always intrigued at how many word and spelling variations there are between UK English and US English. Isn’t it wonderful how we’re so similar and so different? In this one picture book all the words below had to be changed to avoid confusion.
UK edition
Biscuits
Mum
Favourite
Packet
Dressing-up box
To cycle
To cook
Clear up
Colour
Lolly sticks
Banana lollies
*Just lick around
Baking parchment
/greaseproof paper
US edition
Cookies
Mom
Favorite
Package
Dress-up box
To bike
To make
Clean up
Color
Popsicle sticks
Banana pops
Just lick in a circle.
Wax paper
There are more differences between No More Biscuits and No More Cookies.
To make the book more suited to the US and Canadian market a number of sentences have been changed by the US publisher.
Sometimes it’s because sentence construction varies between the UK and US. Sometimes it’s because the US publisher better understands the preferences of the American readership.
For example, the UK edition reads:
‘Mum never does what she’s told.’
This has been changed in the US to:
‘Mom wouldn’t like that very much.’
To me, the UK sentence shows how Florence is continually trying to get her own way and tries to boss Mum around, but Mum isn’t having any of it. However, as it was changed for the US edition, this must mean the original sentence wouldn’t appeal in the US - that’s interesting.
Plus Florence’s command of English has improved a little in the US edition. That’s a tricky one. I’d deliberately included some incorrect grammar because to me it sounded more realistic. Of course, the way children naturally speak is not always the way schools and parents want them to speak. I’ll keep that in mind!
There are other differences too. You’ll have to study both editions to find them. One is obvious - the typeface (shape of the text). It’s hard to decide but I think I slightly prefer the typeface used in the US edition. Which do you prefer?
To find out more differences between the US and UK editions, scroll down or click here.
I adore this photo of another Florence making Magic Monkey Bananas and talking to Arnold.
Thank you for sending such a wonderful photo, Florence.
I’m sure the two Florences would be great friends.
‘For most chocolate,
just lick around’ is what the young son of illustrator, Brita Granström, said after eating a Magic Monkey Banana and licking his face. This inspired Brita to draw and word the illustration in the book. I think that’s so cute.
