Eileen Gibb facts for kids

Eileen Mabel Gibb (born August 3, 1911 – died 2003) was a British author. She is most famous for writing the Sammy the Shunter series of children's books. She used her maiden name, Eileen Gibb, for her books instead of her married name, Holder.

About Eileen Gibb

Eileen Gibb was born on August 3, 1911, in Croydon, Surrey, England. Her parents were Benjamin and Mabel Gibb.

During World War II, Eileen worked as a secretary for Kenneth Clark. He was an important art historian and director of the National Gallery. This job helped her meet many famous artists and writers, like Henry Moore and Philip Larkin.

In 1942, Eileen married John Terrance Holder. His family loved railways! His father, John Alexander Holder, helped start the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway. He even had a miniature railway at his home.

Eileen's husband, John, also loved trains. He had worked as an engine driver on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway before the war. After the war, he managed the railway for a while. Later, he worked for a publishing company called Ian Allan and for The Economist magazine.

In 1970, John became the managing director of the Dart Valley Railway (DVR). Eileen and John spent a lot of time helping with this railway. Eileen even helped unveil a restored train coach called Vicky, which had been used by Queen Victoria!

Eileen and John had two children. Her daughter once said, "I think this exposure to so much railway stuff must have fired mum's imagination to produce her stories." This shows how much the family's love for trains inspired Eileen's writing.

Eileen stopped writing around 1969. But she continued to be interested in art projects until she passed away in 2003.

Eileen Gibb's Books

Sammy the Shunter

Sammy the Shunter is a fun character created by Eileen Gibb. He is a steam locomotive who acts like a person, which is called anthropomorphism. Sammy stars in a series of children's books published in the 1940s and 1950s.

Sammy is a red train with green wheels and a yellow top. He lives in a made-up town in England called Sleeping Sunbury. His books tell about his exciting adventures all around the world. Most of the books are about 30 pages long. There's also a bigger book called Sammy the Shunter Bumper Book, which has nearly 60 pages! Sammy also appeared in other stories like "The Holiday Train."

Sammy the Shunter was even part of a model railway display! A man named Harold Elliot showed off an O gauge model of Sammy at events in Scarborough and Brighton. People loved watching Elliot's funny shows.

While Sammy the Shunter was popular, the stories of The Railway Series (which includes Thomas the Tank Engine) became even more famous.

Sammy the Shunter Characters

• Sammy: He is the main character in all the books. Sammy is a friendly red steam train with green wheels, yellow bumpers, and blue sides. His name is written in yellow on his sides. In his first book, Sammy was rusty and had a number, but then he got a new paint job!
• Mr. Buffin: He is Sammy's driver. Mr. Buffin is a kind old man who goes on all of Sammy's adventures. It's mentioned that he was supposed to drive the famous Flying Scotsman once, but things went wrong. Mr. Buffin is a bit scared of wild animals.
• Mr. Plum: He is the stationmaster at Sleeping Sunbury station. Mr. Plum can be strict and sometimes gets angry easily. In the early books, he even called Sammy by his number instead of his name. But he also has a kinder side.

Billy the Bus

Besides Sammy the Shunter, Eileen Gibb also wrote books about a character named Billy the Bus. She published Billy the bus. No 1 Billy and the robbers in 1953, followed by Billy the bus. No 2 Billy goes exploring.

Robin Magazine Stories

Eileen Gibb also wrote stories for Robin, a children's magazine, during the 1950s and 1960s. She wrote tales about characters like Tubby the odd-job engine and others for the magazine.

Images for kids

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  Series A: The first High Top series of 4 Sammy the Shunter jigsaws.