The Times Literary Supplement characterised The Far Island as "realistic as well as charming"; some of her later books were featured on Children's Hour when the part of Bunkle was taken by a young Billie Whitelaw, under the supervision of producer Trevor Hill.
[2] Margot Pardoe's childhood provided her with many of the settings for her books: she was born in London, educated in Hertfordshire and Paris, and had holidays in the continent and remote locations in Britain.
[4] Pardoe and her husband set up a country house hotel called Crossacres which became extremely successful; their only child Philip was born there in 1939.
M. Pardoe's first book The Far Island introduces readers to Jean and Dick Fraser, adventure-loving and sophisticated children who have been used to spending their holidays at luxurious foreign resorts.
Billy de Salis, known as Bunkle because according to his siblings he talks a lot of "bunk", is the youngest of three children of a British Secret Service Agent.
The adventures of Bunkle, his brother Robin and his sister Jill include hunting down spies, smugglers, poachers and sinister scientists.