I recommend this book to all those grumpy old men and women out there. It is a book for all ages, a lesson in living life happily and to its fullest. Harry is a thoughtful little boy. He loves his life, doing all the things that small boys enjoy, and he wants to live forever. Then one day he meets a grumpy old man who tells Harry nobody lives forever. One day he will surely die. This pulls Harry up with a jolt. When will he die, he wonders, and he ponders on this thought sadly. But being the happy boy he is he puts these thoughts aside and goes on to enjoy his life and he dies at the ripe old age of 100, a very happy old man. The simple line illustrations seem to fit with the simplicity of the text perfectly and the small format gives it a charming intimacy for grown-up or small hands. Poignantly, the cover has a quote from racing sport legend Peter Brock, who died recently, and it’s worth repeating here: ‘I love this book. It has so many messages on many levels, such as life is what you make it, live in the moment, and many more.

’Margaret Hamilton is a former children’s publisher and now provides freelance publishing services and reviews

Tags: gillie schattner & marc schattner