…I’ve discovered that letters take immense courage. They carry the words we can’t always say out loud. They connect people who are far away. They matter, even if we don’t always realise it….

Letter written by Alice Fairchild aged 9. Pg. 106

D T Moorhouse’s debut novel for children, Grebbs & Co: The Secret Lives of Gremlins is a winning combination of magic, hope and human connection. Written with warmth and a kind understanding of the importance of ‘little things’ this is a total delight of a book that lifts the spirits. Simply lovely!

Alice has recently moved to the charmingly, and aptly, named village of Little Wobbleton with her father. A quirky, curious place which she is enjoying exploring although her slightly distracted father misses some of things his daughter is noticing such as lamp posts which appear lifelike. He is blissfully unaware therefore of the old post box which rattles each time Alice posts a letter to her mother. Then one day Alice hears a tiny voice drifting out of the post box, possibly lured by her gift of digestive biscuits, and decides to investigate. The tiny voice belongs to a gremlin who opens the door allowing Alice, now shrunk in size, to enter. Once there she discovers a busy, miniature world where letters are sorted, stamped and delivered, The Sorting Room, as Grebson the chief gremlin, proudly announces. Alice is instantly charmed and is drawn into this magical world where she starts to help her new friends. However it is not long until danger in the shape of modernisation and ‘Drop Off Units’ threatens this magical world and a determined Alice sets about trying to save it.

The instantly recognisable, familiar elements are here of course, the shrinking protagonist even bears the same name as the Wonderland heroine, and we have already encountered worlds of small, busy creatures in classics such as the Borrowers. However Grebs & Co. has a fresh and charming feel to it that captivated this adult reader and I am confident will have the same impact on its intended readership. Perhaps it is the thoughtful theme of human connection that gives the book its added depth but as one reads it is hard not to fall under its spell. Alice is also an instantly likeable character, reserved and thoughtful yet also resilient and determined when needed. As she undertakes to help the gremlin community her wish to succeed prompts her to raise support elsewhere, something she does with tenacity, creativity and an awareness of what may be lost. Without ever spelling it out in an overbearing way Moorhouse subtly highlights what we are in danger of losing by our adoption of screens and online communication. Although these are useful they also minimise our emotional connection with others. Letters have a way of conveying feelings in a more meaningful way and Alice and many of the other characters convey this aspect beautifully.

The storyline is a lovely blend of humour, kindness and courage. The team of gremlins are varied in their personalities and Alice’s relationship with this little busy band is conveyed with kindness. They are helping each other in many ways and this gentle and quirky world provides the slightly lonely Alice with friendship and purpose. The book is suffused with a kind warmth that may well encourage its young readers to slow down a little and maybe even write letters of their own. A book with an appeal across a wide age range this would work well as a read aloud for children of about 7+ but would also be enjoyed by more confident readers throughout the junior age range. The wonderful black and white illustrations by Ewa Beniak-Haremska who has illustrated other titles for this publisher add another layer of enjoyment for the reader and her depiction of the fantasy world of the gremlins deserves close attention.

I enjoyed Grebs & Co: The Secret Lives of Gremlins very much, a delightful debut containing elements of some children’s classics but with a magical theme and an important message for today. A message of hope, the power of stories and words to make a difference and the importance of the little things that sometimes may go unnoticed. All powered by biscuits! And of course by friendship.

Grebs and Co: The Secret Lives of Gremlins was published in September by Everthing With Words. A big thank you to my friend and fellow blogger Veronica Price for passing this lovely book on to me. She was quite right, I did love it!