My Shadow

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) grew up in Edinburgh. Though his parents wanted him to be a lighthouse engineer and then a lawyer, he always knew he wanted to write. Many of his stories and poems have since become classics, such as Treasure Island, Kidnapped and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde. My Shadow is taken from the collection of poems A Child's Garden of Verses, which is based on memories of the poet's own childhood. Penny Dale is the author and illustrator of many books for children, including Wake Up, Mr B! (shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal); Ten in the Bed; Ten Out of Bed and Ten Play Hide and Seek. She has also illustrated several stories by the author Martin Waddell: Once There Were Giants, When the Teddy Bears Came, Rosie's Babies (shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal) and Night Night, Cuddly Bear. Penny says of My Shadow, "When I was a child, my favourite shadow was the long, thin, elastic one that came to copy me when the sun was low. This poem captures the curiosity and playfulness of childhood, and gave me an opportunity to play with shadows all over again." Penny lives in Wales with her family.