The Little Grey Men

The Little Grey Men

First edition cover
Author	BB
Illustrator	Denys Watkins-Pitchford
Language	English
Genre	Fantasy
Publisher	Eyre & Spottiswoode
Publication date	1942
Publication place	United Kingdom
Media type	Print (Hardback, Paperback)

The Little Grey Men is a children's novel by Denys Watkins-Pitchford, written under the nom de plume “BB” and illustrated by the author. It was first published in 1942 and has been frequently republished. It tells the exploits of four gnomes, named after the flowers Baldmoney, Sneezewort, Dodder and Cloudberry. A sequel, Down the Bright Stream, was published in 1948.

The Little Grey Men won BB the 1942 Carnegie Medal in Literature.

In 1975 The Little Grey Men was adapted for television.

Plot summary

Beside Folly Brook in Warwickshire live the last four gnomes in Great Britain, Baldmoney, Sneezewort, Dodder and Cloudberry. One day Cloudberry decides to go exploring and fails to return. The remaining three make the tremendous decision to build a boat and set out to find him. This is the story of the gnomes' epic journey, set against the background of the English countryside, beginning in spring, continuing through summer, and concluding in autumn, when the first frosts are starting to arrive.

Literary significance and reception

This novel has been described as the most distinguished fantasy of the war years, a fantasy which sought to capture the beauty and wonder of an English year, a timely and timeless book. Through the choice of gnomes for the protagonists, the author was able to get closer to nature and show more effectively the hazards wild creatures face. The authenticity of the natural history satisfied the preference of the Carnegie committee for realism over fantasy, and the book received the award for the most outstanding children's book of 1942.

Television adaptatation

In 1975 The Little Grey Men was adapted into a 10-part animated series, called Baldmoney, Sneezewort, Dodder and Cloudberry, by Anglia Television in the U.K.