Una and Grubstreet - Children’s books Prudence Andrew

[CIareIsland]

Anyone read this - was first published in 1972. I can still recall most of it and can even feel the heat, the unease the stress.

A young girl (who’s own mother has died) kidnaps a baby from her neighbor as she thinks it is being neglected - she hides and lives with the baby in an empty house on a suburban road. Grubstreet is a small wooden toy bear that she talks to and keeps in her shorts?

Anyone else remember this book?

No one? Here is the cover it might jog a memory - it’s a bit Mr Ben / Festive Road 70’s cartoon graphics

OP here name change. Read it today it was even more marvellous than I remember. So many adult themes that I would never have detected as an 8 year old. Beautiful writing - author must have had an inside track on childhood bereavement and trauma. Page turner and emotionally moving. Getting my DDs to read it now.

This was one of my favourite books as a child. As an adult I searched online and got my hands on a copy.

I just googled the book and it's apparently been reissued as Una and the Heaven Baby. The cover looks the same.