Story corner: The Lemur’s Tale by Ophelia Redpath

We’re a family of bibliophiles (lounge walls lined with books and both children’s shelves groaning with the weight of inherited and bought tomes), so I like little better than discovering a lovely new story to share. The Lemur’s Tale by Ophelia Redpath (Templar, RRP £7.99) is just that. It tells of a baby lemur who absconds from a ship from Madagascar and makes his new home with an eccentric English family – the Larubys – initially unbeknownst to them. He causes all manner of chaos, which gets blamed on the Larubys’ daughter, Lara, and is eventually discovered in an ingenious, if unusual, hiding place. It’s a fun read and Redpath’s illustrations are sumptuous. She based the book on the true story of the Courthauld family, who kept a pet lemur at their house, Eltham Palace. Your littlies will delight in the lemur’s mischievous ways while you appreciate the quality of the artwork. And secretly wonder whether you have a lemur making a mess of your house while your back’s turned…

Tagged books, Ophelia Redpath, picture book, picture books, The Lemur's Tale