Diana and her Rhinoceros

BookBook: Children'sBook: E. Ardizzone

7 Aug

Written By Fred

Published by The Bodley Head in 1964

Synopsis

Diana Effingham-Jones is a sensible child. So sensible, in fact, that she doesn’t panic when an escaped rhinoceros walks into the family’s sitting room one winter evening. So sensible that she doesn’t even panic when it’s discovered that the baby’s jacket is wrapped around the rhino’s terrible horn. While her father hides behind the sofa and her mother wails that the baby has become a rhino’s dinner, Diana discovers what’s really going on with the great beast.

Cover

One winter evening Mr Effingham-Jones with his wife and daughter

Diana was sitting in front of the fire making hot buttered toast

During one of these quiet moments, when they were all listening

Into the room came the head of an enormous Rhinoceros

Mrs Effingham-Jones cried, 'Ooee! Ooee!

Mrs Effingham-Jones cried

'Poor thing,' thought Diana, who knew all about Rhinoceri

Mrs Effingham-Jones collected medicines

Mrs Effingham-Jones picked up the baby and hugged it and cried over it

Mr Effingham-Jones rang the zoo again and at last got an answer

The door opened and there stood three men with guns

I am going to keep it

The only trouble was that the Rhinoceros was very fond of eating dahlias

Gorwn-ups never ceased to wonder at its tameness

Sometimes Diana would take it out for a walk

Mr Effingham-Jones still became cross when he saw it eating his dahlias

Diana fed him with so much hot buttered toast

On winter evenings, when the nights were cold

Diana and her Rhinoceros going for their nightly walk

Fred

Figure Studies

The Angel and the Donkey