posted on 27 Sep 2024

Tolly Grimpen’s Tales of Grot and Horror by Ian Billings, illustrated by Hunt Emerson

What a great title for a book that is designed to appeal to young readers who love slightly scary and slightly disgusting content! I settled down to enjoy this one with my six-and-eight-year-old grandsons who were prepared to be brave, no matter what.

As the front cover shows the main characters in each of the six curious tales, we decided to pick the three that looked to be the most intriguing. Each one of the chilling stories stands alone, only linked by Tolly Grimpen, the narrator and the need ‘to wash your hands when you have finished reading’.

The Bedraggled Tale Of The Bewitched Teeth

We liked the look of the moustachioed, big chinned military man who seemed like an explorer of the jungle or some other exotic place. The cover illustration is expanded in the book showing him standing determinedly with an extraordinary and menacing sculpture behind him. We learnt that he is Edmund Dollop, a renowned adventurer who regularly received medals from Queen Victoria. In this story, the great historical figure is shown to use a previously un-noted use of street slang:

‘Yo Edders how’s it going? Been to many countries lately and that?’ 

When Dollop falls from favour, he has to resort to selling all of the trinkets and artefacts that form his vast collection, including the Golden Choppers of the ancient Aztec emperor Poppocuppacoffeeyo, reputed to be haunted, which he reluctantly puts up for auction. He is mightily relieved when they are sold to a shadowy figure, that is until he finds that he has been paid in counterfeit money!

The plot thickens when he discovers that a famous opera singer, renowned for her Golden False Teeth is about to perform at the Royal Opera Hall. We waited with bated breath to find out whether these were the missing items and whether he would get them back.  

The Rancid Tale of The Child Phenomenon

This one is perhaps inspired by the ghastly character of 'The Infant Phenomenon' created by Charles Dickens in ‘Nicholas Nickleby’. But my grandsons noted that he also looks like a  Beano-like boy with his cheeky, grimacing expression.

Little Bert is the son of Bertie, a sword-swallower who is part of the notoriously weird Carnival of the Bizarre run by Doctor Blackwood.  He has the peculiar talent for reading the minds of people and animals and is just starting to be a successful attraction. When he branches out to do private mind reading, he is astonished to be approached by Queen Victoria (once again using street slang), who has lost her favourite pet fish, Oswald – can he possibly help her? Will this mean eventual freedom from the Carnival? 

The Festering Tale of Uncle Clodd

We were keen to know more about the pirate-like character shown on the front cover and then wondered how he might relate to the two surprised–looking children in the more detailed illustration prior to the story. My eight-year-old grandson also made a, probably deliberate, connection with Uncle Festor in the Addams Family film.

This tale is about Betsy Pollett, a girl of about ten years old and her strange Uncle Byron who lives in a ‘ram-shackled’ mansion. We trembled as the story unfolded to reveal that the maid had an extra nose on the top of her head and that there was a huge man hidden in the cellar! What could possibly happen next and could we bear to read about the dastardly deeds that seem to be implied? 

We recommend this imaginative book, which is illustrated with his usual aplomb by always reliable Hunt Emerson and published by Tiny Tree. The book is now available from your local independent bookshop, who will be happy to order it if not already on their shelves.

Karen Argent

September 2024