When Christopher Matthew was six, the poems of Milne always reassured him that other children were as naughty as he was, so on reaching sixty he decided that he should adapt Now We Are Six for an older audience. Now We Are Sixty is often hilarious, sometimes rueful and always thought-provoking. Some verses are about realising we are not as young as we thought, while some are about the more disconcerting problems of modern life; mobile telephones on trains, anti-social behaviour, traffic jams and the internet.

About the Author

Apart from Now We Are Sixty, Christopher Matthew, is best known for his Diary of a Somebody and its accident-prone hero Simon Crisp, whom Sheridan Morley called 'one of the greatest comic characters of our time'. He has been a columnist for most of the major newspapers, currently writes on books and TV for the Daily Mail, and is well known as a broadcaster. He lives in London and Suffolk.

Reviews

In Now We Are Sixty, English humorist Christopher Matthew (Diary of a Somebody) rewrites A.A. Milne's cherished childhood rhymes to describe middle-age spread, "Saloon Bar Romeos," inflation, pensions, tabloid scandals and cell phones: "They're changing sex at Buckingham Palace," and so on. David Eccles supplies lovely cartoons faithful to Ernest Shepard's originals. The volume has sold by the wagonload in Britain (where it appeared in 2001); some jokes may not cross the Atlantic ("What is the matter with Radio Four?") but many of them will. (Oct.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

'This affectionate tribute to Milne follows the familiar rhythms and rhyme schemes of the master' -- The Oldie 20000401 'Matthews retains the rhythms of the originals while neatly and wittily updating them to fit the modern world ... aided and abetted by David Eccles' faithfully rendered illustrations.' -- Glasgow Herald 20031220 'humorous pastiches ... a charming book' -- Glasgow Herald 20031220