Pontypridd Chicken by Gerhard Kress

Saint David’s Day, 1^st March 2025 and just ahead of World Book Day seems an appropriate day to publish my review of this children’s book by local author and friend to many of us, Gerhard Kress. 

Pontypridd Chicken is the seventh book in The Little Old Man With a Looong White Beard series. Pontypridd Chicken is a children’s book for adults. Well, this is not strictly true but, in the same way that a good Disney movie has appeal for audiences of all ages, so this story will be enjoyed by the whole family. Pontypridd Chicken traces the adventures of an enormous chicken, the size of the Old Bridge.

Young children will enjoy looking at the fun illustrations and joining in with the refrain, “with a looong white beard.” Older children will read along and be captivated by the extra-large bold print (What?… … a dragon? Yes, a dragon baby) and oversized exclamation marks ! ! ! Adults will be stirred and provoked by the deeper meaning and poignant issues that are carefully brought up in the story. Older people, especially those who have lived in Pontypridd for some time, will be thrilled to recognise their town and will instantly relive happy memories. 

For me, although none of them were specifically named, my heart was warmed to read references to our choir and the part it played in last year’s Eisteddfod, and to the allotments where my husband and I have our plot. To my delight, there is some Welsh in the story too, along with the translation. I am looking forward to giving a copy of Pontypridd Chicken to our little grandson when we see him in three weeks. My daughter left home for university in the southeast of England and never came home; she and her little family are settled there now. My hope is that Pontypridd Chicken will remind her that her roots are in Ponty and to let their little boy know this too.

About the author: Gerhard’s inspiration for writing the series was entirely unplanned. It came when his son was at an age when he started being interested in bedtime stories. One evening, when Gerhard didn’t have a book to hand, he decided to invent a story there and then. The story started with, “The little old man with a looong white beard” (before Gerhard had such a beard). Encouraged by his young son, Gerhard continued telling stories with The little old man with a looong white beard.

Gerhard recalls his Polish grandmother telling him stories of her life when he himself was little. But Gerhard didn’t start writing until after he and Sally (who illustrated all the books in the series) and Jocelyn moved to Pontypridd in around 2003. At that time, Gerhard was Jocelyn’s main carer, and he had a business making drums. Following a mental health crisis, Gerhard started writing as a vehicle to his healing. He has written many books, all of which have been self-published. 

At school, Gerhard learned shorthand and touch typing, which has now come in very useful. When he wrote the first book in the Little Old Man series, he couldn’t have anticipated that it would turn into a whole series. The inspiration for Pontypridd Chicken came from local artist Sadie Knight, who was taking her masters degree in the University of South Wales and created the Pontypridd Chicken. 

To get your copy of Pontypridd Chicken, or any of Gerhard’s other books, please email gerhardkress@btinternet.com  

Just as an aside: I interviewed Gerhard ahead of this review in our very own Cortile Coffee on Taff Street, Pontypridd. I don’t drink coffee, but I had a very pleasant English breakfast tea served in a cup with a saucer and one of those cute biscuits (which I don’t actually like, so I passed it on to Gerhard. But it was a nice touch). If you are in town, I would definitely recommend it.