Hard to believe that in the four months Lou and I have been doing our weekly ‘When We Were Little’ posts, we haven’t yet canvassed a Golden Book. We have some catching up to do!

One of my favourite Golden Books, and the one that probably has the strongest memories for me, is The Colour Kittens. It must have been given to me very early in my life, as the inscription on the front page reads ‘This book belongs to Katherine’, so it was written before my name was always shortened - which is for as long as I can remember…

The Colour Kittens is written by Margaret Wise Brown - author of Goodnight Moon. It’s interesting that one of the kittens is named ‘Hush’, which is a word that is also present and distinctive for me in Goodnight Moon (And a quiet old lady whispering ‘hush’!). Also similarly, the text has a lovely lilting rhythm.

Drifting in and out of rhyming verse, the words are very soothing:

Green as cats’ eyes,
Green as grass
By streams of water
Green as glass

The story follows Hush and Brush, who love to mix colours of paints, but don’t know how to make green. It is a lovely introduction to the idea of mixing colours - as we discover how the kittens make pink and orange and purple and - finally - green.

The illustrations by Alice and Martin Provensen do every justice to the underlying theme. Their style is very distinctive, stylised, and the use of colour is particularly stunning. Crisp shapes and unusual contrasts help to give the illustrations an amazing vibrancy. I find it amazing that the reproduction of the colours can be so vibrant, on the lightweight pages of a production that was made to be affordable to everyone.

The artwork of this book has, I’ve learnt, been inspiring for designers and artists. I read recently somewhere, I can’t find the link at the moment, about one particular designer’s continuing association of a hue of purple as ‘Color Kitten Purple’. A fitting tribute to the influence of a humble little Golden Book.

||The Colour Kittens available from Amazon||

© Studio Mela

Reading is cool and so is this print from dazeychic’s Etsy store. Isn’t it just gorgeous and so are all her other prints.

||dazeychic Etsy store||

A guest post by Nicci, mum to Nuwan, aged 2 years

I’ve noticed a mild and lovely Japanese bent in some of the We heart Books posts. So, since my two-year-old, Nuwan, and I have been enjoying some books from/about Japan, I thought I’d add them to the mix.

Emily’s Balloon by Komako Sakai came into our hands at just the right time. After letting go of his helium balloon after a party, Nuwan was having terrible trouble working out where it had gone to. With simple pictures and just a few words, Komako Sakai explains much better than I could. And yet the concepts in the book are not so simple.

The idea of imagination is introduced: before her balloon is blown away, Emily had imagined that she would eat dinner with her floating friend, and that they would clean their teeth and go to bed together. The illustrations depict what Emily had imagined rather than what really happened; it is extremely difficult for a young child to understand this idea, but it spurs some good ‘discussion’. Also, there is no cut-and-dried ending to this book; the balloon finishes up in a tree and doesn’t necessarily come down, although Emily’s mother promises to try to retrieve it. The pictures have very few colours and the scenes are very domestic, yet Nuwan loves it – especially the beautiful balloon-moon at the end.

Wabi Sabi is more a book for me than for my son, although he is fascinated by the different textures in the beautiful collages on each page – he reaches out to touch them and is surprised when they feel only like paper. Written by Mark Reibstein, who has lived in Japan, and illustrated by Ed Young, Wabi Sabi is the name of a cat who lives in Kyoto. Determined to discover the meaning of her name, she embarks on a journey. But no one she meets along the way can describe the concept of ‘wabi sabi’ in terms she understands. Eventually, while drinking tea from a simple, beautiful cup, she comes to understand for herself. As Reibstein says:

Wabi sabi is a way of seeing the world that is at the heart of Japanese culture. It finds beauty and harmony in what is simple, imperfect, natural, modest, and mysterious. It can be a little dark, but it is also warm and comfortable. It may best be understood as a feeling, rather than as an idea.

Reibstein is ambitious in writing a philosophical picture book apparently aimed at young children – and the vertical format (the spine is at the top) means that it is difficult to read together in the most practical sense. But the haiku poem included on each page, together with Young’s collages, charm the eyes and ears of children and adults. And I am particularly attracted to the idea of wabi sabi because it perfectly describes the way I felt about my favourite picture books as a child. I understood the books as feelings rather than as ideas and, although they were often a little frightening on one level, they were ultimately of great comfort.

Finally, and in contrast, All About Scabs by Genichiro Yagyu (translated by Amanda Mayer Stinchecum) is one of those books that children love but their parents may hate. Kane/Miller is a small, specialised publisher that picks up books from all over the world and translates them for children in the US because ‘American children need to learn not just about the United States, but about the world’.  All About Scabs is . . . well, all about scabs. What happens when you pick them. Whether they’re nice to eat. Whether they’re the poop of a sore. What lies underneath. But there’s some ‘sensible’ stuff here too – an explanation of why scabs form and what their function is (two-year-olds won’t be interested in this, but three- and four-year-olds will). Other books by Genichiro Yagyu on the Kane/Miller website are The Holes in Your Nose and Breasts. Tackle them with your child when you dare.

||Emily’s Balloon available from Amazon||

||Wabi Sabi available from Amazon||

||All About Scabs available from Amazon||

A post earlier this week over at Assemblage, a beautiful Melbourne blog, has reminded me how lovely it is to have a very special toy that goes with a book.

The very talented Kirsten has created a stunning blue kangaroo for her daughter, who loves the series of books of the same name. (She has hinted that there might be a giveaway too, so you should stop by!)

I love the feeling of finding the perfect present for someone - that’s one of my favourite things about Christmas. Whether it’s making something or thinking of the perfect little thing that someone will appreciate and perhaps hadn’t thought of for themselves… While I know that books don’t need to have something with them, sometimes a book and a little something with it just makes it sing.

Here are some of my favourite book and softie combinations over at our store:

1) Giggling Charlie and Lola softies with I Completely Know About Guinea Pigs

I just love the production of these softies - so faithful to Lauren Child’s illustration style - and the sideways glance is perfectly beguiling. The giggle when you press their tummies is a bonus! These look so cute on a bookshelf.

2) The Very Hungry Caterpillar Activity Toy and board book edition

I would have loved Rowan to have had one of these activity toys as a baby. Not only does it have all the little bits that babies love to finger and chew, but hung on his pram it would be the perfect accessory to shout to the world that I am a book-loving mum!

3) Miffy softie and Miffy books

Miffy is of course an oldie but a goodie - she exudes her special charm perhaps now more than ever. With the nostalgic feelings that she brings for parents, the book and softie would bring a smile to both a little one and mum or dad. Again, this softie looks so gorgeous on a bookshelf.

When I first met Lou, she and I were working in a big bookstore. She already had tonnes of experience working with kids’ books, and I was really only a beginner. I loved to see the books that she recommended to customers at Christmas time when they came in looking for gifts. Over the next few weeks she is going to share her amazing knowledge… as she recommends books as Christmas gifts for a variety of situations… (Thanks to Media Macaroni for the inspiration - make sure you check out Amy’s holiday gift ideas, especially for recommendations on software and video games.)

||More book and book-related gifts at the We Heart Books Store||

||Assemblage’s blue kangaroo||

||Media Macaroni’s holiday gift ideas||

Ned is currently transport-mad, as are most of his mates. It has intrigued me how he has just picked up this absolute obsession.

Who’s Driving? by Belgian author/illustrator Leo Timmers is a spectacular book with numerous forms of transport. and it’s pleasing even for us (mum and dad). The book’s simple text, punctuated with vehicle ‘noises’, creates great excitement in our house.

Who’s driving the fire engine?

Elephant! He is driving to the fire station. Wheeooh wheeooh wheeooh!

As the jacket picture illustrates, all the animals that are driving the vehicles have a real crazy, almost unhinged look in their eyes that just make me laugh every time I read the book. And the colours Timmers uses are just so vibrant and rich that it is an incredible technicolur explosion.

Our other favorite is Dig Dig Digging by Margaret Mayo and illustrated by Alex Ayliffe. Whenever we see a truck, a tractor or even just a road work ahead sign, Ned yells “Dig Dig”. We have the touch-and-feel, board book version of the picture book (which is also available as a paperback). Once again the colours used by Ayliffe are really vibrant with an emphasis on yellow and red - the colours of most diggers and trucks I guess!

The text has a nice jogging rhyme to it that exaggerates the noises and the movements the vehicles make.

‘Big red digger dig, dig, digging. Scooping up the earth, lifting and tipping’

The touch and feel element is small but adds a nice dimension to the book and means that the book can be loved from babies right up to 2+. The team of Mayo and Ayliffe have also written Emergency and Choo Choo Clickety Clack - which will be under the tree for Ned this year.

In August we had a guest post by mum Lisa, in which she also gave some great suggestions on transport books for ‘busy boys’.

||Who’s Driving? available online from the We Heart Books Store||

||Dig Dig Digging available online from Amazon||

Today Ned and I started swimming lessons again after a rather long absence. Although we have been to the pool as a family and splashed around, Ned was not sure about the water today at all.

This afternoon I dug out a book for us to read together called Swim, Little Wombat, Swim! by one of my favorite illustrators, Charles Fuge. Little Wombat has the most amazing expressions and is such a loveable little character.

In this book Wombat meets Platypus and has a little giggle at him because he looks funny and walks differently. When wombat falls in the stream Platypus rescues him and begins to teach him how to swim.

‘That afternoon, Little Wombat learnt to paddle like a dog…and dive like a frog!

The real centre of the storyline is friendship and accepting others differences but it is also a great book for introducing children to the concept of swimming and being taught to swim. Fuge’s illustrations are so expressive that they clearly show little ones the confidence and joy that Wombat gains from Platypus teaching him swimming skills.

There is a beautiful bind up edition of all the Wombat stories currently available called The Adventures of Little Wombat.

Another gorgeous book about swimming for older children is the picture book The Deep written by arguably Australia’s best storyteller, Tim Winton and beautifully illustrated by Karen Louise. This book is about the ocean rather than a pool. The main character is Alice who despite living by the sea is scared of the ocean, the deep. Her brothers and sisters love the sea but Alice is afraid of what she can’t see beneath the surface. I can really relate to this book as I too am not sure about the sea and have never been quite comfortable in it but just as Alice finds sometimes you can just let yourself relax and discover it’s beauty.

||Swim, Little Wombat, Swim! available online from Amazon||

||The Deep available online from Amazon||

||The Adventures of Little Wombat available online from Amazon||

This morning I watched a cartoon version of Noddy with Ned - it’s definitely not the same Toyland that I remember. In the 1980s the Noddy books, and in fact all of Enid Blyton’s works were edited to delete any references that were deemed to cause offence.

The cheeky Golliwogs that were in the books were removed because their inclusion was seen to be racist and they have been replaced by a character called Dinah Doll. And of course Noddy and Big Ears no longer sleep in the same bed. I don’t think poor Enid Blyton really meant for those things to be read into the Noddy stories but it seems that all her books have elements that are deemed to be un-PC these days.

Really I think the biggest attraction of Noddy was actually the illustrations and I have never known who they were illustrated by until now. Eelco Martinus ten Harmsen van der Beek was a Dutch artist and really responsible for making Noddy the recognisable character he is today. The appeal of his use of bold, bright primary colours and cute Toyland landscapes and characters is what drew children in, including myself, and obviously still does. When van der Beek died in 1953 his tradition was carried on by five other artists including Robert Tyndall who will be illustrating a new Noddy book to be released next year. The book will be written by Sophie Smallwood, great granddaughter of Enid.

Noddy on television is the longest running character in British history and the books, in various forms, and toys are still hugely popular in most countries.

In a recent article in BBC News Magazine article, Phillip Pullman the amazing author of The Dark Materials series said this.. ‘Take Swallows and Amazons or Tom’s Midnight Garden and you can read them for the pleasure in the style. There’s no pleasure in reading Enid Blyton’s style. There’s no sense of delight or joy in the language.’

Too harsh? I guess we all need a bit of slush in our lives whatever the age.

||The Enid Byton Society website||

||The Noddy Website||

Rowan has recently been able to spend some time with his great grandmother, my Nana. Here they are reading a few weeks ago.

My Nana was an amazing person, and an inspiration to me. She went to university at a time when not many women did. She was a pharmacist and co-ran a small business, at the same time as having four children under 9. She made legendary Anzac biscuits. She had a big family of children, grand-children and one great-grandchild, Rowan. How lucky he is to have known her, and to have shared with her some good books.

35 days until Christmas said the sign when I went to the supermarket today! Time to start stressing about Christmas presents not bought and fitting the many parties in. At least it means we can start reading Christmas books! I have always loved the tradition of having books that are just read at Christmas and I can remember dragging them all out of the shelves when I was little and reading them at night by the tree.

One recent Christmas book that I love is Mortimer’s Christmas Manger. Mortimer is a mouse who lives in a house occupied by a family, he occupies a hole that is cold and just not very comfortable. It’s when he ventures out to look for a new home that he comes across the manger and nativity scene that the family have set up beside their Christmas tree. Mortimer promptly moves all the statues out of the little barn, including rolling the baby Jesus out of the manger and snuggling himself up in the hay. He loves his new house but is annoyed that each day the family reassembles the Christmas scene; that is until he hears the family reading the Christmas story together and realises who the baby is and what he means to the world.

© Jane Chapman

Although this is a story essentially about the nativity, it is done in a very gentle and subtle way, it’s not in your face and is quite a lovely quirky introduction to the traditional Christmas story. I love its humour, with Mortimer rolling baby Jesus out of the manger every night so he can sleep in the hay and Jane Chapman’s illustrations are just so divinely cute that Mortimer is irresistible.

||Karma Wilson’s gorgeous website||

||Mortimer’s Christmas Manger available online from Amazon||

Issue .08 of the beautiful and funky Small Magazine is out today and we are in it!

We think this mag is just so stunning and an absolute inspiration. Have a little look at -www.smallmagazine.net