Poetry, Short Stories & Plays
The poem that kickstarted her collection began with an encounter with a hare in the middle of the road. The poet stopped her car to let the hare run off, but it just stood still and looked at her. For Jill, this was a magical moment, and one that prompted her to learn something more about her curious friend, researching the creature, its habitat, and the folklore that surrounds it. Then a chain of thoughts, observations and reading led her to consider the bigger picture.
Having been inspired by another poet's debut collection, Jill began to think in terms of bringing out her own poetry book, with the intention of incorporating gifts to UK wildlife charities. Further inspiration came from other books, Alan Marshall's The Artful Hare, and The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris. The latter highlighted a particular concern, as it set out to re-introduce vocabulary of the natural world dropped from the 2007 edition of the Oxford Junior Dictionary, including acorn, bluebell, conker, fern, willow and kingfisher. The poet agreed with the point made that people will only care about elements of the natural world if they know something about them. Anything adding to that information is useful.
A chance meeting with a hare, a lifelong appreciation of the countryside and the sheer joy of creating poems combined to give Jill Stanton-Huxton the wherewithal to fulfil the dream of so many poets – to hold her own volume in her hands. At the same time, she has the knowledge that her writing will bring pleasure to others, help to re-introduce those worryingly excluded words for the younger generation, and bring ever-needed funds to wildlife charities.
Here's what readers have to say about this book....
Truly delightful This is a gem of a book, it would provide much pleasure to young and old alike. I first discovered Jill Stanton-Huxton as a writer through her children's book Harvey and the Moon Bus' and this poetry book has the same compelling qualities of talented writing, engaging themes and beautiful illustrations that bring you back to it time and again and you never tire of dipping into it for treat of a read. Jill brings you close to nature in a charming way, 40 odd pages of pure delight!
What a lovely little book. Even before opening it, just the look and feel of the book is pleasant. Jill's introduction unashamedly promises the reader escapism; a romantic memory of childhood spent in idyllic surroundings, and Emily's illustrations contribute wonderfully to this. In reality though, Jill takes us on a longer journey, and brings us back firmly, but gently to the real world. Not escapism, but much needed refreshment.
I have had the privilege of bounding along in the company of Jill Stanton-Huxton's Leaping Hare. What a truly unique and exquisite collection of poems, as I imagined it would be from such an evocative title. It is wonderful to 'feel the love', the author's passion for our threatened creatures and woodlands, as it blows through the poems to the reader. I was spellbound as I turned each page, and Emily Brady's illustrations are exquisite and indeed the perfect complement. There is a fascinating Introduction (pages ix to xii), which sets the collection in context and explains the debt the author owes to her parents, who knew the importance of enabling their children to spend time in the natural world with a pair of family binoculars. As I moved from the introductory prose to the poems, I found Jill's magical memories were triggering a host of half-forgotten ones of my own. It was the intriguing title that made me want to read this beautiful collection in the first place. I love the way in which the Moon Daisy weaves her way through the pages. I admire the sense of balance between joy and wonder on the one hand, and concern and pain on the other. This judicious inclusion of this light and shade' seems fitting for a dappled woodland backdrop. There are, however, other habitats to explore and enjoy; the opening poem offers a coastal setting, while the kingfisher prefers the willows by the river and the fox prepares to curl up tight nose to tail' in an urban garden. Like the author, I found myself very worried when I first heard that a significant number of nature' words (acorn', buttercup' and catkin', to name but three) had been removed from the Oxford Junior Dictionary back in 2007. Many will be familiar with Robert Macfarlane's book, The Lost Words (illustrated by Jackie Morris); the poignant reference to 'last words' in Jill's final poem, The Nightjar', did not pass me by. The Leaping Hare and the Moon Daisy will surely appeal to adults and children alike. The author's subjects are most engaging; we marvel at the Moorhen in her green stockinged feet' and are introduced to the Dandelion with its mustardy roar'. The collection can be enjoyed for these wonderful descriptions alone, but I sense most readers will allow themselves to be transported downstream on the metaphorical undercurrent of something a little deeper, something linked to the joys, sorrows and responsibilities that reflect our humanity.
