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Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains: A Tale of Travel and Darkness with Pictures of All Kinds
Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains: A Tale of Travel and Darkness with Pictures of All Kinds | Neil Gaiman
39 posts | 61 read | 50 to read
The text of The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains was first published in the collection anthology Stories: All New Tales edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio. This gorgeous full-color illustrated book version was born of a unique collaboration between writer Neil Gaiman and artist Eddie Campbell, who brought to vivid life the characters and landscape of Gaiman's story. In August 2010, The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains was performed in the concert hall of the Sydney Opera House to a sold-out crowd Gaiman read his tale live as Campbell's magnificent artwork was presented, scene-by-scene, on large screens. Narrative and art were accompanied by live music composed and performed especially for the story by the FourPlay String Quartet."
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eol
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Pickpick

A dark tale about what it means to be evil, and about how inaction can sometimes cause as much or more harm than action. What is interesting is that the MC is also not spared judgment, as he mirrors his antagonist in a lot of ways.

I listened to the audiobook when I was too tired to really enjoy it. The music was great but distracting, so I couldn‘t focus on the plot. I returned to it again the next day, which was a good decision.

4/5

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Linsy
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A great spooky, atmospheric read if you're looking for something short. 🗻

#twinpeaks #littensdressedinblood
@midnightbookgirl

KathyWheeler I like that story. This is one of my favorite Gaiman spooky reads: Click Clack the Rattlebag: https://youtu.be/imLja6Emezo (edited) 3y
Linsy @KathyWheeler That was excellent!! Thank you for sharing! I LOVE when he reqds his storiew, but I'd never hearf that one. 3y
KathyWheeler @Linsy I‘m glad you enjoyed it. Me too — he has such a great voice for narrating stories! 3y
Linsy @KathyWheeler Ohmygosh, I just saw all my typos! I must have been tired last night, lol. 3y
KathyWheeler @Linsy I blamed it on autocorrect. 😄. Every time I type my husband‘s name, Don, autocorrect changes it to Fon — every single time. So I blame autocorrect for a lot. 3y
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GatheringBooks
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Pickpick

#LitsySpringBreak Day 29: #Mountains - Gaiman‘s writing that skirts around the edge of that which can easily be unhinged (perhaps by a touch, a long-forgotten voice, a scent) is matched by Campbell‘s searing illustrations that seemed dark even when they are light. There are visual metaphors that match Gaiman‘s layering of confrontations: either with real gods that live in a cave or one‘s own retribution given ghostly flesh. https://wp.me/pDlzr-asw

TheKidUpstairs ❤🖤❤🖤 4y
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BMWtheAuthor
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Pickpick

Another superb adult fairy tale. For the full review, please visit http://benjamin-m-weilert.com/index.php/2020/06/17/book-the-truth-is-a-cave-in-t...

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shadowspeak17
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is on its way to you @bookwormjillk !
I thought this was really good. I especially enjoyed the atmosphere of the story, and I thought the illustrations added well to it.

#lmpbc #groupq #catsoflitsy #Ember

Linsy I'm so glad you liked it! I agree about the illustrations. It helped me take in the story slower and savor it a bit more. 5y
50 likes1 comment
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TheLibrarian
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Thank you so much @StellarDoc for the wonderful #Jolabokaflod gifts! Neil Gaiman is my favorite so I can‘t wait to dig into this story and the candy will be a delicious treat!

StellarDoc He's one of my faves, too! Enjoy! 5y
MaleficentBookDragon Oooooooh, that goods good, 5y
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Twainy
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Thank you @StellarDoc for my #CreepyChristmas package. I love Neil Gaiman! Thank you @teebe for organizing. Merry Christmas! 🤗

StellarDoc I'm so glad you like it! Gaiman is my favorite writer, and I thought this was appropriately creepy! 5y
Twainy @StellarDoc The illustrations are nice, the story is good & the history behind the story‘s evolution is interesting! Thank you. 😁 5y
StellarDoc @Twainy You are most welcome! I wish you an evening of cozy reading! 5y
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JenlovesJT47
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Pickpick

Thank you for choosing this for the #LMPBC @Linsy — Neil Gaiman is amazing, and I took my time reading it because I could tell it was something special. The artwork really sets the tone of the story. I found it quite compelling and plan on listening to the audiobook one of these days. Neil Gaiman is the best narrator! 5⭐️

#WinterGames
#TMSkellington
#TBRread

Linsy Yes he is! And I agree, this book is something special. The atmosphere took my breath away. I‘m so glad you liked it! 😁 5y
coffees 16pts! 12-16 I need to read more of his books, I keep hearing good things about them :) 5y
JenlovesJT47 @Crimson613 you should! He‘s pretty awesome! 🤓 5y
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JenlovesJT47
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I received this lovely from @Linsy for the #LMPBC — can‘t wait to read it! Thank you for the sticky notes! 🤗 I‘m hoping to have mine in the mail at the beginning of next week. 🤗

Linsy Glad you got it! 💚 5y
shadowspeak17 Hey! :) Have you mailed your book for #lmpbc ? I haven‘t received it yet. 5y
JenlovesJT47 @shadowspeak17 I have a bunch of stuff to mail so it should be going out tomorrow. Sorry for the delay! 🤗 5y
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shadowspeak17 Oh, okay great! 😊 Just wanted to make sure it hadn‘t gotten lost in the mail or something. 😅 5y
JenlovesJT47 @shadowspeak17 I‘m going to go ahead and read this book today so I can mail you both books tomorrow. I‘m so sorry for the delay. I don‘t drive and have a hard time getting to the post office in a timely fashion 😳 I have to work around my husband‘s work schedule. So sorry about that! 5y
shadowspeak17 Okay, sounds good! Oh no worries, it‘s fine. I just wanted to check on things. :) 5y
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Linsy
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“The sky was hung with stars that seemed so bright and close I felt as if I could have reached out my arm and gathered them, like berries.”

#gratefulreads #blackinthetitle #lmpbc #groupq

OriginalCyn620 🖤🖤🖤 5y
scowler1 Love this book, off to read it again! 5y
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Ms.Story
Pickpick

Interesting story. I‘ll now look for the audio with musical accompaniment. I also loved that this is set in Scotland!

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Linsy
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Pickpick

Excellent!

I loved this everything about this. It has the feel of a fable with an excellently chilling atmosphere and the illustrations are perfect! Can‘t wait to see what the rest of y‘all think.

#GroupQ #LMPBC

Soubhiville Ooo! I‘d really like to read this! 5y
inthegreensandblues Wow, looks good! 🤩 5y
JenlovesJT47 Looking forward to this! 5y
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Linsy
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Okay, #GroupQ! I thought a novelette that‘s won the Shirley Jackson Award would be fun, so I picked four that stood out to me. Most are part of collections, which I‘ll link in the comments; the Neil Gaiman is a stand-alone. Let me know if one or more of them sound best to you!! #LMPBC

1. Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains, Neil Gaiman
2. “The Summer People,” Kelly Link
3. “Help the Witch,” Tom Cox
4. “Reeling for the Empire,” Karen Russell

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shadowspeak17 I actually read Get in Trouble earlier this year, but I‘d be good with any of the other three. :) 5y
Linsy @shadowspeak17 Good to know, striking off the list! 5y
JenlovesJT47 I‘d love to read the Neil Gaiman one but I haven‘t read any of these so I‘m okay with whatever. 5y
Bookwormjillk I haven‘t read any so I‘m good with all of them. 5y
Linsy Okay team, @JenlovesJT47 and I are leaning towards the Neil Gaiman, and as you two said you don‘t have any prefs, except that one has already read the Kelly Link, I say Neil Gaiman it is! I can‘t wait to start reading and sharing with y‘all!! @Bookwormjillk @shadowspeak17 5y
shadowspeak17 Sounds good! :) 5y
JenlovesJT47 Yay! 🤗 5y
67 likes11 comments
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erzascarletbookgasm
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In this dark fable set in Scotland, two men search for gold, hidden in a mythical mountain cave. The book has stunning illustrations by Eddie Campbell and beautiful prose by Gaiman but it deals with heavy themes like greed and vengeance..how far men will go to achieve their heart‘s desire. You have to love Gaiman. 🖤

#WanderingJune #mountains

Cinfhen Gonna take a pass... Gaiman just isn‘t my guy 😕 5y
blithebuoyant I just finished The Graveyard Book and now I‘m looking for more Gaiman, this sounds lovely 5y
erzascarletbookgasm I‘m not big on fantasy genres but I‘ve enjoyed most (not all) of Gaiman‘s books. 😊 @Cinfhen 5y
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erzascarletbookgasm @blithebuoyant The Graveyard Book is my favourite Gaiman so far (I‘ve not read all his works). Stardust and Neverwhere are my other two favourites 👍 5y
Kalalalatja Beautiful edition! 5y
blithebuoyant @erzascarletbookgasm I‘ve got Neverwhere on hold! Should I put a hold on Stardust as well? 5y
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thebookishtype15
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Pickpick

I listened to this on audiobook and it was wonderful. It's short and narrated by gaiman himself. Totally recommend. The string quartet was so cool to have in the background

Check out my blog for a review
Expressionsofabookworm.wordpress.com

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BiblioNyan
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Pickpick

💀Story about a man with dwarfism who treks to a cave seeking gold.
💀Beautiful abstract realism paintings accompany the story.
💀Creepy, haunting, & mysterious.
💀Slightly supernatural & magical realistic.
💀Gaiman‘s signature paced progression & subtle air of intrigue come together for a spooky tale great for Halloween w/o gruesome scares.
💀Not kid friendly.
💀Short & easy to read.
💀Not for all readers as it‘s slow & a bit vague.
💀4/5.

MStew Need to read this 6y
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TobeyTheScavengerMonk
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T he Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains by Neil Gaiman

O ne for the Morning Glory by John Barnes

B eyond Black by Hilary Mantel

E mperor of the Eight Islands by Lian Hearn

Y ertle the Turtle and Other Stories by Dr Seuss

LibrarianRyan 😁🤓👍🏻 6y
vivastory I hardly ever see Beyond Black mentioned. I love that book. 6y
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GatheringBooks
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Pickpick

#AugustIsATrip Day 23: I remembered being haunted by my reading of The truth is a cave in the black #Mountains. Not so much disturbed or frightened but it‘s the haunting and the overwhelming guilt that struck me as particularly salient and the painstaking patience of a man intent on vengeance. This story is once again a surreal blurring of myth and reality and the painful inevitability of man‘s greed. Full review: https://wp.me/pDlzr-asw

GatheringBooks #ScreamsByMail folks - have any of you read this yet? any violent reactions if i send this one instead? @Reggie @kamoorephoto @scripturient @BookishTrish @ephemeralwaltz @danibolahood 6y
Reggie I haven‘t read it yet...... sadly. 6y
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GatheringBooks @Reggie woohoo! let‘s see if the others are ok with me sending this instead. my first choice is too thick, i think - while this is a quick and haunting read. 6y
Reggie Lol, Myra, I reread The Fireman for this group. Thin easy haunting books be damned, I still vote for Rot and Ruin. Lolol Really, whatever you want to send is fine with me. 6y
GatheringBooks @Reggie hahhaha. truth! 😍📚🧚🏼‍♀️ 6y
ephemeralwaltz I haven't read it either! 👌👌👌 6y
ephemeralwaltz I vote for this one! 6y
GatheringBooks @ephemeralwaltz perfect!! 🧚🏼‍♀️😍 6y
scripturient I‘ve read it but would read again. :) 6y
BookishTrish I‘m in 6y
kamoorephoto I‘ve not read it! 6y
kamoorephoto @Reggie - what is this I hear????! Another one unread?! 6y
danibolahood I'm good with this one! 6y
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erzascarletbookgasm
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#PrinceofJuly #mountains
A good one from Gaiman.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I‘ve never read any of his books!! 🤦🏼‍♀️ 6y
vkois88 This one looks good! 6y
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TobeyTheScavengerMonk
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#CoolBooks A #Tale of Travel and Darkness with Pictures of All Kinds

batsy Great cover. 6y
Linsy I NEED this! 🖤 6y
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AmandaL
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Pickpick

I finally read this! Now I also wish I listened to the audio. The art was interesting and I liked it with the story. Gaiman writes fairytales exactly as I think they should be.

tjwill Yes! I ❤️ Neil Gaiman. 7y
TobeyTheScavengerMonk Loooooooove this book. 7y
AmandaL @tjwill Me too! 7y
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AmandaL @TobeyTheScavengerMonk It's so good. I love the opening, because it tells you everything but it doesn't reveal anything. You have to wait and read to understand. 7y
readinginthedark The audio is amazing, too! 7y
AmandaL @readinginthedark I love everything Neil Gaiman narrates. 7y
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Tamra
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Pickpick

Gaiman‘s narration is always a delight. However, I did feel the string quartet was a slight distraction, but I‘m probably in the minority in that respect.

toofondofbooks I totally agree! It was just too loud or something. I like those touches to audiobooks, but when the reading starts the music needs to stop lol 7y
Tamra @toofondofbooks I don‘t know why it‘s different with videos? Maybe it was just too loud in this case - maybe needed to be more in the background. 7y
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TobeyTheScavengerMonk
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Thanks for the tag @Moray_Reads

1. Shakespeare (a bit of a cliche pick but still totally true) & Neil Gaiman

2. In alone with a good book.

3. I thought about this one a lot and I really think I have no preference. As long as it‘s good I am an equal-opportunity-era reader.

#TrivialThursday

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JennyBookworm
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"I am old now, or at least, I am no longer young, and everything I see reminds me of something else I‘ve seen, such that I see nothing for the first time."

readinginthedark This is such a good story! 7y
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toofondofbooks
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Pickpick

I had a 3 hour there and back commute to see my hematologist today and had a wonderful time listening to Mr. Gaiman tell me this really cool story. The audio is excellent and less than 2 hours.

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m.galehuxley
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This one was fun and fast. I realized about halfway through that I‘d already read the story in a book of Gaiman‘s short stories, but the images enhanced the reading experience.

TricksyTails I love this story! I read it while listening to the audiobook and it was wonderful! 7y
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AmandaL
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I need to move this up my TBR. #Mountains #NoteworthyNovember @Jess7

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AmandaL
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And here is my green stack for @LibrarianJen . I didn't even reuse any books from my rainbow... But now I have to re-shelve them all. 😆 #BookColorTag

EchoLogical 😍😍😍 7y
LibrarianJen 😍💚💚💚 so pretty! 7y
mrozzz WOW 7y
Avanders Ohh great greens! 7y
70 likes5 comments
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Booksnob
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The truth is: I have a horrible migraine and nothing is helping, not even this gem. I want to read so bad. Stuck in bed. Ugh!

LauraBrook Sorry you're a member of #litsymigraineclub today. It's going around. So far I've been able to keep my headache tolerable, but it's increasing now so I may be joining you soon. Take care of yourself tonight! 7y
Caterina Migraines are the worst! It drives me crazy not even being able to read. I hope you feel better soon! Take care of yourself! 💛 7y
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GatheringBooks
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Pickpick

#LyricalApril Day 15: #TheMonster - there is something innately yet soothingly dark in Gaiman's stories that makes sense despite the monstrous elements in it that are largely undefined yet seem pre-existing, like part of one's skin, ancient primal powers that have always been there, waiting to be awakened. Eddie Campbell's art here is stellar.

TobeyTheScavengerMonk Love this one so much! 8y
GatheringBooks @TobeyTheScavengerMonk Likewise! So deliciously creepy. 8y
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reader_of_the_pack
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Pickpick

Perfekter Lesestoff für den #allhallowsread, diese grausige märchenhafte Rachesaga!

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Seshat
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Gdsjenny
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Mehso-so

Neil and Eddie captured my attention on page 1. Neil reveals back story for the main character at a slow trickle and I found myself halfway through the book in an hour. Two men seeking gold find truth in the mountains of Skye and it's not what I expected in the slightest.

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Autumnscribe
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Pickpick

As my first foray into audio books I was a little dubious, but am happy to say I was pleasantly surprised. This was a really great experience. The music really added to the experience. However, it did make driving a little more difficult.

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erzascarletbookgasm
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Pickpick

A dark and enchanting tale, I enjoyed this. Gaiman is a great storyteller. A ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.

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erzascarletbookgasm
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"You ask me if I can forgive myself?" "I can forgive myself for many things. For where I left him. For what I did. But I will not forgive myself for the year that I hated my daughter..." This is the beginning of a dark tale, a journey into the Black Mountain to find the truth. Such gorgeous full colour illustrated book! Gaiman read this aloud in the Sydney Opera House in 2010 to a sold-out audience :)

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GatheringBooks
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Booktalked all these lovely titles for my higher degree class this evening. Such fun to be able to talk about books with teachers who are taking their Masters degree in our institution.

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MatildaBaggins
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Pickpick

A quick and enjoyable read 😊 I really like the illustrated versions of Neil's short stories.

Bowave99 Love this story! 9y
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kdwinchester
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Neil 💕😍

PennyNotSoDreadful 👍🏼💞 9y
lucy_literati ❤️ 9y
Magslhalliday BBC Radio 4 did this as a book at bedtime around Christmas, read by Bill Patterson. It sticks in the head... 9y
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