Dennis Butts was Head of the English department at
Bulmershe College of Higher Education, and in the latter stages of his
career also taught on the M.A. course on Children’s Literature at
Whiteknights.
His most recent publication – ‘How Did Long John Silver Lose his Leg?’
– co-written with Professor Peter Hunt of Cardiff University, is a tour
through some of the best-loved children’s classics, addressing many of
the questions that inspire speculation among readers. Could Bobbie’s
train really have stopped in time in ‘The Railway Children’? Did
Beatrix Potter really have the flu in 1909, or did something darker
influence her work as Graham Greene suspected? How well did George
Orwell really know the tales of Billy Bunter? These and other mysteries
of children’s literature are examined in a book which has already been
much praised.
Professor Kimberley Reynolds of Newcastle University says that ‘This is
a book which wears its learning lightly but offers much in the way of
cultural insight and some serious reflections on the condition and
future of the children’s book in the digital age.’ Professor Jean Webb
of Worcester University says that ‘Their knowledge is encyclopaedic,
this volume being a testament to their learning and achievements….
throughout the book Butts and Hunt employ approaches and reading which
set the texts within social and historical contexts and thereby bring
greater understanding. Their approach ensures that whilst ‘righting’
some misconceptions which might arise through the reading of children’s
literature they have only increased the enjoyment for both the scholar
and the casual reader. This collection is a must read!’
‘How Did Long John Silver Lose his Leg?’ is published by the
Lutterworth Press and can be purchased through this link.
