We’re a little belated with the new years wishes… Have been taking a break, enjoying some sun (and inducing some giggles). I love the calm of this time of year, seems like the time on the clock is less important, days are longer and anything is possible.
Lou and I have lots of ideas for 2009, for new things for the blog, and for our little store. We love doing what we are doing, so we look forward to lots more blogging fun in ’09.
Just had to share with you a beautiful book-related joy I had this week. I’m still glowing from my delight when I picked up a surprise parcel from the post office yesterday.
It arrived from my good friend in France, Anne-Laure. She found and sent me the most beautiful French book on children’s books, Le livre des livres pour enfants by François Rivière. I know I’ll be pouring over this one for many hours – giving the French part of my brain a workout and adding to my mental list of vintage books to look out for…
Many old and universal classics in here, as well as some French ones I’m not familiar with. And lots and lots of beautiful full page spreads – just the way we like them!
Some lovely food for thought in the text too. The introduction is perfect:
On apprend à lire comme on apprend la vie, la main dans la main d’un guide qui vous ouvre, l’une après l’autre, les portes de la connaissance. Très tôt, les livres frappent à l’une de ces portes, mais le très jeune enfant doit à la complicité d’un adulte de répondre à cet appel. Une mère attentive, une grand- mère plus disponible encore, ouvre un livre dont vous scrutez avec attention la couverture fascinante, pose sa voix et commence à lire…
Please excuse my rough translation:
You learn to read as you learn about life, in the hands of a guide who opens the doors of knowledge for you, one after another. Very early, books knock at one of these doors, but a very young child relies on an adult’s assistance to answer this call. An attentive mother – or perhaps a grandmother who has even more time – opens a book: you examine carefully the fascinating cover, she prepares her voice and begins to read…
Beautifully said. Bravo et encore!
I almost always struggle with discipline issues in French children’s books. I asked my mother-in-law for some basic little books — a series — that have very cute illustrations in them, but she sent me one where the mother locks the little girl in her room and leaves her to kick on the door and cry until she falls asleep. Bof! Yuck! Nonetheless, the illustrations are always nice!