Reviews
“A wonderfully sharp wit”
Delightful and moving with a wonderfully sharp wit, and never again will I be dismissive of the poor old mayfly.
Jim Broadbent
“Curl Up On Your Own For Some Self-Indulgent Mirth!”
This is a delightful book… full of silliness and joy, with a sprinkling of morality to boot. An ideal gift to lift the spirits or to curl up on your own for some self-indulgent mirth!
Maxine Peake
“Wisdom and compassion lurks within these pages”
I loved these stories. Slightly silly? Maybe, but wisdom and compassion lurks within these pages too! I’m looking forward to the next collection.
Ken Stott
“I genuinely loved all the stories”
Wish I’d had this lovely book in my stocking as a youngster. Such fun. Every story brings out different feelings. I just loved the washing machine. Loved the fun conversations about class and space. Brilliant. I’ll be laughing as I load my machine next time. I now want more please.
Alison Steadman
“Wise and Witty”
Neither simple nor silly but wise and witty, John Foley’s stories take us back (or is it forward?) into fabulous territory, and Grant Cathro’s illustrations light the way. A great read in a venerable tradition.
Dame Siân Phillips
“I love the stories”
I love the stories. Foley has the genius of de Maupassant, Chekhov and Saki; he is their dark-humoured brother.
Tim Faulkner
“Stupendous, Sumptuous and Scintillating Stories”
These are not only seven simple and slightly silly stories but stupendous, sumptuous and scintillating stories. I hope there’s seven or seventy more!
Mathew Horne
“An Instant Classic”
I’m reading John’s gently beguiling stories to my children and we think they are fun and thought-provoking. Little gems like “The Mayfly”, a joyful call to “seize the day!”, seem like an instant classic. I hope more children will enjoy these wonderfully wise tales.
Dominic West
“Amazing and fascinating”
Yesterday I finished the stories in In and Out of the Schnoodle Bag. They are truly amazing and fascinating, filled with suspense, surprise, humor, and pathos. Some stories are heartwarming, some are comical and ironic, and others convey profound morals. There are so many vivid and emotionally powerful descriptions… I was also amazed that not only animals, but socks, lifts, umbrellas, and even puddles are given voices. Now I feel I can understand what they think and how they see the world—even though I had never, ever imagined such things before. “Expect the Unexpected” is a catchphrase for a book by Roald Dahl, but I think it applies perfectly to this book.
HIDEO HORIBE (Japanese translator)
“I Loved It”
Wonderful helpings of whimsy and truth in equal measure. I loved it.
Julian Fellowes
“The Most Glorious Imagination”
Every night for the past week I have been reading this extraordinary book and loved every story in it. Who could imagine stories about ants, cockroaches, mayflies, and clothes lost in a washing machine would be so funny and entertaining? Foley has the most glorious imagination and incredibly fertile mind.
Derek Fowlds
“Witty and Moving”
Delightful, funny, thought provoking. Perfect to be read aloud and enjoyed for different reasons by oldies and young uns alike. Stories about the ups and downs of living and dying whether you are human, a sock, a cat or a cockroach. Witty and moving. I particularly loved The Tooth Fairy. And all for such worthwhile causes. A delightful stocking filler.
Niamh Cusack
“Intriguing and exciting”
I’m loving the Schnoodle Bag! Such imaginative stories – and the perfect length, especially at night before one goes to sleep. Not knowing what to expect is always intriguing and exciting.
Hayley Mills
“Like all good things I wanted more”
I have just finished reading your 7 simple stories, brilliant. Like all good things I wanted more. I was so moved by the cockroach story. You must MUST do another.
Derek Griffiths
“A most absorbing delight”
A most absorbing delight from beginning to end. Always witty – but surprisingly sad, too.
Celia Imrie
“Beguiling, and with great skill and wit”
As a writer trying to find ways of entertaining young readers I wish I had access to John Foley’s Schnoodle Bag. All you have to do is open it for letters and words to tumble out and arrange themselves into beguiling tales on the page. Of course, it is John who does the arranging and the beguiling, and with great skill and wit in a series of tales which for me recall Hans Christian Andersen but in a voice absolutely of our time. I think these tales not only delight but will help readers to make sense of our challenging world.
THE REVEREND RICHARD COLES
“Funny, Wry, Knowing and Yet Profound”
With beguiling simplicity, Foley seems to pull off that most difficult of achievements: stories which work at the level of fairytale, which are funny, wry, knowing and yet profound.
Marion Nancarrow
“A really fun, engaging and charming read”
An enchanting collection of stories, sparkling and brimming with warmth and wit, in which one encounters a pompous dress shirt, an overly-cautious mayfly and an inept tooth fairy. They are wonderfully silly and at the same time, like the best Roald Dahl stories, gentle reflections on life and the quirks and foibles of us humans. A really fun, engaging and charming read – thoroughly recommended for both children and adults and perfect for a grey January!
Katie Scarfe
“Elegantly-told stories that leave you hungry for more”
John Foley’s amazing imagination opens a world in which tooth fairies lose jobs, ants bicker and laundry comes to life. Seven warm, witty and elegantly-told stories that leave you hungry for more.
Francis Hallawell
“Utterly charming, totally unique”
The title of this book says it all really; what we have are seven modern fables, each with more than a hint of whimsy…. utterly charming, totally unique, and yes, more than a little silly. Having just finished a rather harrowing thriller, these stories wrapped me in a comforting blanket and made me smile!
Breakaway Reviews
“They deserve to be read by adults”
Sometimes inexplicable, with not necessarily happy endings, the stories have a muscular quality, which raises them above mere whimsy. They certainly deserve to be read by adults as well as intelligent and literate – maybe older – children.
DAVID WOOD
“Humor, charm, and wit”
I love this book. I wish my kids were young again because I could hear them giggling in my head as I read each story… all of Mr. Foley’s characters were brought to life with humor, charm, and wit. I can’t wait to share this book with friends.
Melissa Canaday, Amazon review (US)
“Utterly delicious”
Sorry that I couldn’t find a sixth shiny star to rate this book! Utterly delicious in every way … I devoured it, as has my entire family now. It’s beautiful; it made me laugh out loud; it even made me cry; and I haven’t stopped thinking about the very clever and wonderful meaning behind each of the stories.
Amazon Review
“Pithy, poignant and … seriously silly at times”
A delicious concoction of whimsical stories – pithy, poignant and yes, seriously silly at times. Children and adults will delight in these fanciful yet thought-provoking tales. The simple truths found in this collection will make you smile, laugh and perhaps shed a tear or two. And, after reading this book, you will look at doing your laundry in an entirely different light!