17 April 2007

A new slant on a classic story

The award-winning author, Gwen Pritchard Jones, has turned her hand to writing for children with the recent publication of the wonderful book Gelert  (Gwasg y Bwthyn, £5.00).

Gelert is a playful, mischevious dog descending from a priviliged lineage of canines. Amongst his ancestors is the original Gelert, Llywelyn Fawr, the greatest of all the Welsh Medieval Princes’, dog. Ci chwareus, direidus yw Gelert, sy’n hanu o linach anrhydeddus o gwn.

Along with his friends, the present-day Gelert gets into many a scrape, that is until an accident turns his world upside down. Soon, the race is on to save their two-legged friends, Geraint and Emyr.

Gwen, who won the Daniel Owen Memorial Prize for literature at last year’s National Eisteddfod at Swansea with her historical novel, Dygwyl Eneidiau. Having already published a number of picture books aimed at younger children, this is her first book for readers aged 9-11. However, as a former primary school teacher herself – she used to teach at Ysgol yr Hendre, Caernarfon, she certainly possesses a great deal of understanding about her audience.  

Gwen says, "I have always enjoyed going to Beddgelert, and had always been enchanted with the story of Gelert. I had also told the story numerous times in class during my time as a teacher, and there had always been this urge to write a modern adaptation. Then one day I got the idea of writing about one of Gelert’s descendents, but to make him a bit of a scamp!”

She adds, “My father used to say that I must have been a dog in a past life since I’ve always been able to ‘bond’ immediately with any dog! We’ve always had at least one dog as a pet – in fact, the Del in the story is our sheepdog Del!”

With wonderful original drawings by the young artist from Porthmadog, Petra Brown, this is one story that is bound to become as much of a classic as the original.

Gelert

Gwen Pritchard Jones

Gwasg y Bwthyn, £5.00

ISBN: 1-904845-48-7

The Launch

Gelert was launched at Ysgol yr Hendre, Caernarfon recently, as Gwen Pritchard Jones returned to the school where she taught during the 1980s.

The class, along with their teacher Mrs Ann Jones, thoroughly enjoyed hearing Gwen read an extract from the novel, before the pupils themselves had an opportunity to ask questions.

After the class discussion, everyone tucked into delicious homemade dog-shaped biscuits which Gwen had prepared the night before.

If you’d like to have a go at making the biscuits themselves, just follow this simple recipe – but remember to ask permission from a parent or guardian before starting baking!

Ingredients:

4 oz Plain Flour

2 oz Semolina

2 oz Caster Sugar

4 oz softened butter or 2 oz butter + 2 oz margarine

Method:

1.  Mix together the butter and sugar in a large bowl

2.  Sift the flour and semolina into the mixture and blend into a stiff paste

3.  Knead the mixture

4.  Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the mixture

5.  Cut the pastry into shapes using either a knife or shaped cutters

6.  Place the shapes on a well-greased baking tray or some parchment paper

7.  Lightly prick the surface of each biscuit with a fork

8.  Place the shapes in the oven and cook at a temperature of 150°C or Gas Mark 3 and bake for 20–25 minutes

9.  Leave to cool, sprinke with sugar then enjoy!

To make chocolate biscuits, simply add a large tablespoon of cocoa powder to the flour and semolina at stage 2.