Beautiful, beautiful book by Colin Thompson. Not just the stories but the illustrations aswell. Set in and around a house, it follows the lives of the various animals and is written with humour and pathos by someone who obviously loves animals.
I read this several years ago with some others by the same author and they made a big impact on me.
Sid the mosquito and other stories is dedicated to the memory of someone who "was so kind to Ethel"- so I am wondering how much of this is fiction.
In any case, it explains how the house becomes abandoned and is then reclaimed. In the meantime, there are various goings-on and adventures with the individual and groups of animals. They will make you laugh or make you sad, but they will touch you.
Interspersed with poems, the imagery is so rich you can almost reach out and touch the scenery.The language, when it is not making you laugh is pure poetry.
Sid the mosquito achieves a life-long ambition, Ted the flea has the adventure of his life and Ethel the chicken is lonely......
If you can, read these books in order, as there is a thread running through with some of the characters. Ethel the chicken has to be my favourite. I want to have chickens one day, and one of them will be called DorisEthel........