This book has a curious history. A Cambridge Professor, Alan Macfarlane, wrote a letter to his grand-daughter Lily. He imagined her to be about sixteen or seventeen in the thirty 'Letters to Lily' which he wrote for her, and which was published in 2005. She was, however, only eight at the time of publication. So when he asked her what she thought of the book, she told him frankly that she had not been able to read beyond the first page. She had quickly discovered that it was not the kind of book an eight year old would enjoy. Where were the animals? Where were the stories? Where were the pictures? A very boring book indeed. So she asked her (step) grand-father to write another version which had these vital ingredients for a good book. Professor Macfarlane was very busy and he was also not sure he was good at writing such a book. So he asked some friends to take 'Letters to Lily' and turn it into a book for a much younger Lily. This book is the result. Lily is now sixteen and perhaps too old (or young) for the book. Yet perhaps others will enjoy it.