Metamorphoses, Elephant Boys and the Cosmos by Enid Richemont

This is a disturbing image of a boy turning into an elephant (or can it be an elephant turning into a boy?) Possibly worse is the person who is clearly turning into a giraffe, and even more worrying, the caterpillar man, but these are classifed images, and not for the consumption of delicate souls like you.

Strange, top-secret experiments are taking place in Cornwall this Christmas and New Year, and I would advise anyone considering going there, especially with young children, to stay well away. However, if you're still prepared to take the risk, visit Miracle Theatre's pantomime this year - it will not disappoint (it never does).

The mask and the backdrop are both designed by our daughter, and just to remind you that dubious shape-changing might well run in my family genes, here is my most recent book. THE NIGHT OF THE WERE BOY, in which a cat is transformed, by the full moon, into that most odious of creatures, a SMALL BOY (SO embarrassing for an elegant feline equipped with a tail and sensitive whiskers).

Since I now find myself exploring the possibilities of metamorphosis, I'm reminded of "THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING", by T H White, and of how the very young Arthur was transformed, by his mentor, Merlin, into other creatures, as part of his education. I wish this fantasy could be possible - we would learn so much. And which of us has not imagined death as a portal to another sentient life - coming back as a cat, or a tiger, or a swallow, or a butterfly? Fantasies about flying - who hasn't had them? Leonardo certainly did, but his never quite worked. I'd love to think of Leonardo and Galileo flying together, out there in the universe, no, in all the multiple universes, marveling at what is really out there - worlds without end, amen.

Happy New Year, everyone!