With my siblings I have just donated a stack of storybooks by John Ryan to Rye Library’s children’s section. This collection includes 21 Captain Pugwash titles, plus Pugwash’s medieval ancestor Admiral Fatso FitzPugwash, discovered to be living in Winkle (a town very near Rye). Also in the pile are some of John Ryan’s lesser known books - retellings of popular Bible stories - plus sagas of smuggling, a tale of the advantages of pacifism, and the adventures of a very small and shy Tigerpig. This colourful collection spans five decades of John Ryan’s creative output and - according to Rye Library’s staff - the total of 27 donated books is a welcome addition.
The dedicated children’s library room is a lovely place, beautifully decorated, full of reading nooks and displays of attractive books. Low-level tables and chairs, colour pencils, paper and computers generate a very child-friendly atmosphere and the staff are wonderfully knowledgeable and generous with their time.
