Is it just me or do Mothers Day and Fathers Day seem to be ripe for a battleground of parental proportions? I’m still not sure how far to go with the commercialism of these days. And when you have a child too young to ‘get it’, it’s hard to resist entering into a competition about who buys better presents on their behalf. Or, like I said, maybe it’s just me…

Anyway, for Brad’s second Father’s Day, I decided to buy a couple of books with some fatherly significance. My favourite was this one, Conn and Hal Iggulden’s The Dangerous Book for Boys.

The book contains a range of different sections, including useful trivia and factual explanations about everything from the Seven Wonders of the World to Cloud Formations. But I reckon the best bits are the things to make and do, like tripwires, codes and ciphers, and making a go-cart. Check out this cute trailer for the US edition. The Australian edition has Australian history and botany/zoology sections and explanations of Australian sports.

Despite the appearance of their names, Conn and Hal are two British brothers. Conn is a bit of a history nut, and has written several historical novels. He says of his own dad, “My father flew in Bomber Command in WWII, then taught maths and science. Perhaps crucially, he also loved poetry and cracking good tales. My father loved working with wood and equations, but he also recited ‘Vitai Lampada’ with a gleam in his eye and that matters, frankly.” Conn is writing a new book with another brother, David, called Dangerous Heroes, using the five extraordinary stories from the Dangerous Book for Boys as a starting point.

Rowan’s obviously a bit young for most of the information and activities in this book, but I’m a sucker for books with this look and feel. The timeless character of the its design and the good old-fashioned activities will hopefully last many years.

The obvious question is of course, what about the girls? Quicker than you can strike a conker, the publishers are onto it, with the publication of The Daring Book for Girls due in time for Christmas. In a lot of ways I don’t envy the two American authors of this spin-off. Let’s hope they manage to carry it off with all the spirit the girls deserve.

WOW!!! Coming in November from Oxford University Press is this gorgeous looking 50th anniversary gift edition of Pippi Longstocking illustrated by none other than the amazingly talented Lauren Child. It is hard to believe that it has been 50 years since the first publication of Pippi, as I think she has never aged. Although characters like Milly Molly Mandy and Pollyanna look a bit twee in 2007, Pippi is still a beautifully drawn warm and strong female character. What an inspiring 9 year old! With her wild red locks, cheeky personality and suitcase full of gold, nothing fazes Pippi not even a mad bull or a circus strongman, and she tames them all. I can’t think of anyone better to illustrate Pippi than Lauren Child who has herself created some memorable feisty female characters in Lola and Clarice. Anyone who has not seen her illustrations should at once check her website and you will agree that her collage illustration is both incredible and unique. Her style uses a vibrancy and movement that makes her characters have such distinct voices and they are instantly loveable. This book is going to be an absolute dream, look out for it in your local book shop. Not only for girls (7+), boys will find Pippi irresistible also as she is rough and tough, I will certainly be reading it to Ned when he’s old enough. This is perfect for Christmas and will be treasured.
If you like the idea of newly illustrated classics pop into your local book shop now to have a peep at The Wind in the Willows illustrated by one of Australia’s most talented artists Robert Ingpen. He has recently illustrated Treasure Island, Peter Pan and The Jungle Book but his Willows is by far my favourite. Complete and unabridged it would be a beautiful edition to any childs bookshelf as Ingpen has created the most delightfully dreamy paintings of Ratty, Mole and friends. Once you pick this book up you will see the love and attention that has gone into breathing new life into the classic story, it is so beautiful to hold and to touch that you won’t want to put it back on the shelf. Ingpen’s next project is A Christmas Carol by Dickens.