Lunt Roberts

Lunt Roberts is a prolific and skilled illustrator who has provided pictures for many authors.

I have read a review of Redshanks Warning which complained about the illustrations, and another which criticised Mandy's hairstyle. I can't find the piece(s) now, but I'll keep looking. This might be the reason for the change of dustwrapper for the second edition. But have you seen the edition pictured right ? It is illustrated on the back of the dustwrapper for Two Fair Plaits and seems to show a new version of the previous dustwrapper. It shows Mandy with a new hairstyle.

a new dustwrapper ?

The dramatic artwork of Lunt Roberts

Now I love the illustrations, and the way that some of them spill across two pages in the text. Mandy's hair, far from being odd, really does suit her character to my mind much better in the first appearance than in the second.

Mandy's original haircut

What do you think ?

Mandy's second hairstyle

Rear of the 'Two Fair Plaits' dustwrapper by Lunt Roberts

Here is the advertising display from the rear of the Two Fair Plaits dustwrapper. It shows the 'new' dustwrapper and three ink sketches of the Jillies by Lunt Roberts. [This odd artwork was first brought to my attention by Anne Ayres who kindly sent me a photocopy last year. Thanks Anne, and thanks also to Glynne Steele who reminded me of this oddity some weeks ago.]

As well as the first two of the Jillies books, Lunt Roberts illustrated all of the Mike and Mary series of books.

A complete list of Saville Books illustrated, with the possible omission of Where the Bus Stopped, follows:
Trouble at Townsend (1945)
The Riddle of the Painted Box (1947) (new d/w 1953)
Redshank's Warning(1948) (d/w later replaced with one by Marcia Lane Foster
Two Fair Plaits (1948) (d/w later replaced with one by Wynne)
Harvest Holiday (1948)
The Flying Fish Adventure (1950)
The Secret of the Hidden Pool (1953)
Young Johnny Bimbo (1956)
The Fourth Key (1957)
Lunt Roberts' illustrations were retained for many of the reprints of the books, and the Knight paperback editions used one in each book as a frontispiece, although his signature was removed.