Dimensions
129 x 198 x 6mm
Surfing to remember, sleeping to forget . . .
A first children's title from a prize-winning poet and author of adult books. Set against the colourful background of surfing, 'Wipe Out' explores the emotions of a young boy, as he comes to terms with the loss of his mother.
Billy is 11 years old when his mother dies. Billy's father isn't coping too well so Billy goes to stay with his dull Auntie Mary. The death of his mother has taken all the colour away from Billy's world. He sees his Auntie Mary as a grey person, whose dull blue house is shrouded in fog. Billy feels foggy and dull too, and longs for the colour to return to his life.
The colour does come back as Billy sleeps away his grief, dreaming of his well-known surfer mother and, with her, the buzzing vibes of the surfing world - waves, movement, colour, VW Kombis, Cornwall, surfing songs. Though Billy's mother is dead, her joyful personality pervades the whole story as Billy, Auntie Mary and Billy's dad all attempt to deal with their grief.
The author confronts the themes of loss and change in a most vibrant and original way. Her writing is sensual - colour, taste, smell, touch and sound all leap from the page. She shows how different people handle loss and change differently, and how they learn to relate to each other in new ways through their individual experiences.
