The man from the land of Fandango - Margaret Mahy

The man from the land of Fandango is coming to pay you a call! He wears a hat with a tassel and a polka-dot tie - and he juggles and bounces and dances with bears, bison, baboons, kangaroos and even dinosaurs. He's wonderful and amazing - so watch out for him, and watch carefully - because he only appears every 500 years!

This magical, fantastical poem, full of Mahy's signature wordplay and joie de vivre, is brilliantly matched by the humour and energy of Polly Dunbar's illustrations.

Margaret Mahy,the iconic children's author from New Zealand who sadly died earlier this year, wrote more than 200 books for children of allages and is acknowledged to be one of the outstanding children's writers of the twentieth century. In 2006 she was presented with the Hans Christian Andersen medal, which is the highest international recognition granted to authors and illustrators of children's books. Twice winner of the Carnegie Medal, several of her books have become modern classics. Her other picture books for Frances Lincoln include: Dashing Dog, illustrated by Sarah Garland, and Down the Back of the Chair and Bubble Trouble, both illustrated by Polly Dunbar.

'Tremendous fun . . . This whirlwind story perfectly shows off Margaret Mahy's signature humorous and fun storytelling, fantastically enhanced by Polly Dunbar's lovely and funny illustrations.'

Selected in Charlie Higson's pick of the best books for Christmas 2012. ‘A perfect book to read aloud because it has a lovely rhyme and rhythm to it.’

'A magical, fantastical poem with its winding, jingling text, and the surreal sight of a bison in the red shoes.'

'Deserves a place under every tree in the land. Margaret Mahy’s text is a joyous delight, and Polly Dunbar’s illustrations have a freedom, a sense of life and space and comfort with colour that bring Quentin Blake’s illustrations to mind.'

'Award-winning author Margaret Mahy has created a lively and magical story, which is perfectly partnered with Polly Dunbar's enchanting artwork. The text's soft rhymes gently draw the reader into a marvellous imaginative world, whilst the illustrations, with their bright colours and swooping lines, effortlessly combine exuberance with a sense of tenderness and fragility.'

'The rhythmical text reads aloud beautifully and this book has everything a child needs in a book – colour, magic and glorious life.'

Selected by Fiona Noble inChidren's Titles Sep-Jan 13 - 'Mahy and Dunbar join forces again for a fantastical, magical poem….Children will be captivated by the clever, rhyming word play and exuberant illustrations.'

The witty word play of Margaret Mahy and the beautiful illustrations of Polly Dunbar are married together perfectly.

Mahy’s fantastical rhyming wordplay and Dunbar’s comic illustrations fizz with energy in this read-aloud treat.