See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

12 used & new from £0.10

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Little Gentleman
 
 

The Little Gentleman (Hardcover)

by Philippa Pearce (Author) "Outside the cottage, lengthways against the wall, lay the ancient ladder with its tell-tale broken rung; the accident had been some days ago ..." (more)
5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)

Available from these sellers.


5 new from £2.61 7 used from £0.10

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

A Dog So Small (Puffin Books)

A Dog So Small (Puffin Books)

by Pearce Philippa
5.0 out of 5 stars (3)  £4.49
Tom's Midnight Garden

Tom's Midnight Garden

by Philippa Pearce
4.6 out of 5 stars (32)  £4.79
Minnow on the Say

Minnow on the Say

by Philippa Pearce
4.8 out of 5 stars (5)  £4.49
The Battle of Bubble and Squeak

The Battle of Bubble and Squeak

by Philippa Pearce
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £4.49
Journey to the River Sea

Journey to the River Sea

by Eva Ibbotson
4.8 out of 5 stars (28)  £3.89
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Hardcover: 160 pages
  • Publisher: Puffin Books (7 Oct 2004)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 014138090X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0141380902
  • Product Dimensions: 20.2 x 13.2 x 2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 632,742 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
From the author of modern classics such as Tom’s Midnight Garden, and A Dog So Small, this charming new novel from Philippa Pearce is reassuringly good and of a very fine quality. It is rooted firmly in the English countryside around the author’s home, the backdrop for many of her most entertaining and enduring stories, and combines history, magical realism and a host of well-drawn characters.

Bet, the granddaughter of Mr Franklin’s cleaning lady, is asked to deputise for the ailing master of the house by carrying out the most peculiar of tasks. She is despatched to the nearby meadow, apparently empty, and told to read aloud from Charles Darwin’s treatise on the earthworm. Her audience however is not just fresh air, butterflies and long grass--it is a centuries-old mole who can talk.

After her understandable surprise, Bet and mole become acquainted and the little furry creature’s significant history becomes clear. This little mole was the very same mole whose molehill in 1702 caused King William III’s horse to stumble and fall, chucking its rider and causing injuries to the King from which he died. Taken to Scotland as the toast of the Jacobean Cause, a spell was put upon this ‘little gentleman in black velvet’ which has made him immortal ever since. And it is from this curse that the mole wants to be free above all else, even it is at a cost to Bet.

Her first full-length work for nearly 20 years, Philippa Pearce’s The Little Gentleman is a timely reminder not to forget about the powerful storytelling skills still demonstrated by some of the country’s more long-established authors. In these times of young debut authors, pre-publication hype, door-stop fantasies and multi-million pound book advances, this is a little gem of a book from one the nations’ favourite and award-winning authors. (Age 9 and over) --John McLay

Sunday Times
A story of page-turning compulsiveness, written with elegance and wisdom, also rich in history. Pearce’s powers have not lessened

See all Product Description


Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence
Outside the cottage, lengthways against the wall, lay the ancient ladder with its tell-tale broken rung; the accident had been some days ago. Read the first page
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Tag this product

 (What's this?)
Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.
Your tags: Add your first tag
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Little Gentleman
81% buy the item featured on this page:
The Little Gentleman 5.0 out of 5 stars (1)
A Dog So Small (Puffin Books)
10% buy
A Dog So Small (Puffin Books) 5.0 out of 5 stars (3)
£4.49
Minnow on the Say
9% buy
Minnow on the Say 4.8 out of 5 stars (5)
£4.49

 

Customer Reviews

1 Review
5 star:
 (1)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A golden jewel of a book., 23 Dec 2004
By A Customer
This is vintage Phillipa Pearce. They don't write them like this nowadays. A humorous, thoughtful, ruminative story about a little girl who meets a mole in the meadow and discovers that it can talk. It is something, too, of a historical mole, with memories going back 300 years. They get on well, and the girl looks forward to meeting her new friend when she walks in the meadow. But all good things must end one day, and the mole is weary after 300 years of wandering. How can the girl help him, and come to terms with parting with him ? Read the book to find out.

It would be a lovely read-aloud story for any child from about seven upwards.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


   
Related forums


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Feedback


Fun for Everyone

Christmas Gifts
Achieve over 15,000 RPM with our great range of Powerballs.

Shop the Powerball store

 

More From Philippa Pearce

Minnow on the Say

Minnow on the Say by Philippa Pearce

It's a great discovery. Right there, at the bottom of the garden... Read more
£5.99 £4.49

 

Up to 50% off Dental Care

Braun Oral-B Professional Care 6000 Rechargeable Toothbrush - Pack of 2
Put a sparkle in your smile with up to 50% off selected Oral-B and Philips rechargeable toothbrushes.

Up to 50% off power toothbrushes

 

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

Learn more about Gift Certificates

 
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates