Quote of the Day

Elspeth interrrupted, "Ugh, nobody but daft scones like Kenneth bothers about who has the right to wear what tartan. Hundreds of Lowland Scots wear the kilt when they've no more right to wear it than you have. It's just that Kenneth's awful Hielan' sometmes. And it's an awful nice kilt, Penny; it's a real kilt, not just a tartan skirt - they're awful."

Penny thought with a sudden glow of gratitude that Elspeth was the nicest girl she had ever met.

From PENNY FOOLISH, Chapter 7, Penny Wears the Kilt.

Exile for Jill

Illustration from Chapter 3 of Penny Foolish, Exile for Jill. Penny's little sister escapes from the clutches of the conniving Miss Cook and her accomplice.

Quote of the Day

She was destined for a rude awakening. As soon as Mrs Fergus and she reached Blackwaterfoot to catch the Machrie bus, the news burst upon them. There had been a hold-up at the post-office! A masked man had burst in upon the post-mistress and stolen the mail at the point of a gun. It had happened just as the post-mistress was sealing the mail-bags to send them off in the two o'clock bus to Brodick. The post-mistress had fainted dead away on the floor, and if a visitor hadn't happened to come in, she would have been on the floor yet.

From PENNY FOOLISH, Chapter 10, The Post-Office Raid.

Penny Foolish

An illustration from Chapter 6 of Penny Foolsih, The Man. Miss Cook's accomplice has followed Jill to Arran and mistakes Penny for her sister.

Jane Shaw Artists (1): Gilbert Dunlop

The spine from the first book in the Penny Series, Penny Foolish. My copy is a Britannic edition, lavishly illustrated and with a colour frontispiece. The illustration shows the leading charcter out for a walk in the hills of Arran. All of the Penny stories were illustrated by Gilbert Dunlop, who also illustrated other Nelson titles such as the three Thomas books and Venture to South Africa.

Gilbert Dunlop (1909-1984) was brought up in Alloa, Scotland. At the age of 18, he went to work for D. C. Thomson in Dundee, where he would spend the greater part of his life. He was hired on the strength of his talent alone. Apart from attending a few classes at the Dundee School of Art, he had no formal training. He had a varied career. During World War II, he served in the RAF. After the war, he worked mainly as an illustrator of children's books, but also designed greetings cards and did a great deal of painting. In the 1970s, he worked only as a freelancer. His output was prolific. When he passed away, he left a large collection of his work, which is still displayed in exhibitions today. His daughter Jennifer and granddaughter Jo also became artists and have run an exhibition called Four Artists: A Family Affair, with their own work, paintings by Gilbert Dunlop and his nephew Hamish. But to most people, Gilbert Dunlop will be remembered for his drawings in children's books. In addition to Jane Shaw, he illustrated many books by Enid Blyton and other authors such as Winifred Darch, Mollie Chappel and Buster Brown, to name only a few. His work also appeared in Collins annuals, in one case (see below) alongside the illustrator of the Susan books, R. A. Branton. Both artists provided drawings for the 1954 Girls' Annual: R. A. Branton illustrated The Wilsons Won't Mind, while Gilbert Dunlop provided the artwork for Beware of Uncles by Anne Barrett.

Quote of the Day

When Penny next opened her eyes, Mrs. Fergus was standing smiling by her bed, a loaded tray in her hands.

"Och, your father got his bus quite the thing," she was saying, "and a real nice morning her got for the crossing. And did you sleep well, my wee lassie?"

"Yes, no - well, I must have, I suppose, thank you, Mrs. Fergus," said peeny, "but there was a most extraordinary noise like a - like a - well, I don't know what it was like, a kind of croaking-"

"Och, that would be the old corncrake," said Mrs. Fergus, "over in the hayfield. Whiles we are fair deeved with his noise...."

From PENNY FOOLISH, Chapter 2, The Minister's Children.

Penny Foolish cover

Our first glimpse of Penny, recuperating on the island of Arran.

Places in Jane Shaw: Cir Mhor

This is Cir Mhor on Arran, the hill climbed by Penny, Kenneth and Elspeth in Penny Foolish. I was lucky enough to visit the island on a clear sunny day in July last year.

Penny Screamed in Terror

An illustration from River Adventure, Chapter 12 of Penny Foolish.

Penny Foolish illustration

Penny at High Fraoch, Mrs. Fergus's farmhouse on the island of Arran. 

Penny Foolish Blurb

Jill's Escape

A dramatic scene from Chapter 3 of Penny Foolish, Exile for Jill. After she finds out that her father's assistant Miss Cook is stealing his secret work, Jill grabs his notebook and flees, with the treacherous Miss Cook and her accomplice in hot pursuit. This is one of the very few scenes in the Penny series that takes place at home in Wychwood Village. Unlike the Susan series, where a number of stories are set in London, we rarely see Penny and Jill at home. The Penny series was illustrated by Gilbert Dunlop. This picture accurately depicts Jill as having fair hair, like her sister's (it is stated more than once that the girls are often mistaken for twins). However, in later stories, Jill's hair was black in some drawings. Strange, as they were all done by the same artist.

Penny Gives Up

The scene just prior to today's quote from Chapter 11 of Penny Foolish, when Penny abandons the climb up Cir Mhor, incurring the wrath of Kenneth and Elspeth. However, she cannot let them know that Jill is on the island and takes their insults. As soon as they are out of sight, she goes in search of her sister.

Quote of the Day

"Never," said Kenneth. "She's fearty."

"She may be," said Elspeth, "but that doesn't usually make her give up. Look at the way she dived at the Clachan pool! She was frightened out of her senses, yet she did it. And Mr. Macpherson's pony! And -ugh, lots of times. You know," she went on thoughtfully, "until today I was was getting to like her fine. Except of course when she would blether on about the scenery. It made me hot all over to hear her- 'Isn't this beautiful - isn't that lovely?' - well, it is, but people don't talk about it. But apart from that I thought she wasn't so bad."

"Well, I didn't," said Kenneth. "Talk about a wee sleekit cowrin', tim'rous beastie!"

"She showed a bit more pluck last night," said Elspeth, grinning slightly.

"I liked her better last night than ever I did," admitted Kenneth. "But then today she's afraid to admit to it and tells lies about it - said she was at Machrie all the time. And she's so greedy! Fancy pinching scones out of the basket for the hay-field and hiding them. She has only to ask Mrs. Fergus for a scone and she'd give her a dozen."

"And here," said Elspeth, "what d'you think of this? When I put her picnic away in her haversack this morning there was another packet of sandwiches hidden under her bathing things!"

"Did I not tell you?" said Kenneth. "She's greedy."

"Ugh well," said Elspeth with a little sigh, "don't talk any more about her. She's just poor English trash."

From PENNY FOOLISH, Chapter 11, Hill Adventure. Kenneth and Elspeth are furious with Penny for abandoning the climb up Cir Mhor and her apparent greed. They do not know that all the extra food that Penny takes is actually for Jill, who is hiding from her pursuers on Arran. Many misunderstandings still to be overcome... And a very politically incorrect poke at the English that would certainly not make it into print today.

Penny Foolish Illustration

After Jill catches her father's secretary, Miss Cook, up to funny business, Miss Cook and her accomplice try to catch her. Seizing her father's notebook with his secret work, she escapes to Euston Station and makes her way to Arran, followed by the crooks. Her presence on Arran has to be kept a secret, and she and Penny look for a place for Jill to sleep, settling on the shed at Rashiedrum. However, Penny is not so sure about her sister's new quarters.