Brenda G. Macrow (1913–2011)

It took me a long time to track a copy down, having remembered this and the first one "The Amazing Mr Whisper" from childhood. However, my eight year old mind was a lot more easily captivated than my ahem-8 one, and the spell has worn off a bit (not true of many other favourites though). Mrs Macrow deserves 10 out of 10 for the idea and inspiration of Mr Whisper and his Celtic faery cohorts, but sadly only 5 out of 10 for plot, motive and description, which are all a bit jerky and pedestrian. In a more gifted writer's hands this story would have been truly enchanting.
And the matter of fact acceptance of gender roles (Kathy has to wash up, every time, while the menfolk lounge about) grated, a lot more than it usually does in books from that time. Ronnie's dad is quite prepared to belt him with a rope's end, too, until Mr Whisper tacfully intervenes!
That said, I do like the Mr Whisper character very much, and I can see why I loved the idea that such a being could be one's teacher (so different from my teachers...)… (meer)