Fingers In The Sparkle Jar – A memoir

by Chris Packham

Published by Ebury Press

Price £8.99 paperback

ISBN978-178503-350-6

This memoir is thorough and honest – Chris Packham doesn’t know how to do things in any other way. It soon becomes apparent that he not only observes birds, animals and insects, but also people. He watches behaviour and assesses risk, understanding that his own brain is wired differently and learning to keep away from the sub-species of human that pokes fun at anyone who doesn’t follow the crowd. When describing early encounters with adults, he writes from their perspective, in the third person, as if inside their heads looking at this strange lad with his jar of ladybirds. At other times he changes between first and third person for no apparent reason – although I’m sure there is one. The descriptions are delightful, the texts informative.

This book shows that if you have a child with an obsession, you should find a safe way to channel it. They could become the next Bill Gates, Patrick Moore or even Chris Packham.