When We Were Young : A Compendium of Childhood

In John Burningham's enchanting compendium of childhood, the well-known and the unknown contribute funny, moving, magical, and sometimes dark childhood memories. Among them are Michael Palin's account of his first family seaside holiday, Donna Tartt's affecting encounter with a hummingbird, and Seamus Heaney's recollection of a crashed Cadbury's chocolate truck. Whether the childhoods are from the war years or later, from the town or the country, ordinary or unbelievable, the book is full of rare insights into the "other country" of the past. Woven into the mix is a rich selection of quotations and more than 50 of John Burningham's witty and distinctive illustrations.