A Faraway Tree Map

Continuing our chapter reading adventures from my last post, my mum helped Rowan make a map of the Faraway Tree to accompany our reading of the story…

The post has created a visual reminder of the story, and Rowan regularly asks me to ‘read’ the story on the poster.

Our next chapter book has been Fantastic Mr Fox – we read this lovely edition with full colour illustrations by Quentin Blake. So much fun and adored by Rowan. Now we just have to draw the map of Mr Fox’s tunnels beneath the Boggis, Bunce and Bean farms…

Our era of chapter books begins…

Over our summer holidays I have started reading novels to Rowan. There are mixed feelings for me… I’m sad that we no longer have a pile of picture books to consume every night – but excited about all the possibilities of old favourites and new authors we can share together. (And I can’t wait for the day – a while away yet – when we can start Harry Potter!) We will still of course read picture books together – hopefully for a long time yet – but they no longer have such a status of centrality in Rowan’s life…

At 4 and a half, Rowan seems more than ready to sit and absorb the story. We started with a wizzbanger – The BFG of course. It was a hit, and Rowan uses lots of Roald Dahl’s wacky words in every-day speech now. We grow snozzcumbers in our vegie patch and occassionally Rowan will wake up and tell us he has had a phizzwizard. The role of reader was shared around between Rowan’s dad, his aunty and me, all of whom hold The BFG very close to our hearts…

Next up was The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton. The photo above is of Rowan’s grandmother reading this book to Rowan. She told me that when she was growing up, she read Enid Blyton’s books to her youngest sister, who loved it so much that one day she and a neighbour jumped in their pedal car and set off to find the Enchanted Wood.

We are reading my childhood copy which now has browning pages and a splitting spine. But aren’t these illustrations divine…

Caldecott winner

It was so exciting to hear today that our absolute favourite book of 2010 is the recipient of the 2011 Caledecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children! A Sick Day for Amos McGee is a first book by a young husband and wife team, Philip Stead and Erin Stead, and gee we can’t wait to see what else they come up with! Philip’s gentle words are exquisitely paced and partner perfectly with Erin’s stunning pencil and woodcut artwork in sepia tones and splashes of soft colour.

This is a book we have recommended over and over to our friends at our markets, and it’s always an absolute joy when a book like that receives the highest level of recognition.

Here are some more beautiful images from this treasure of a book. There are a few copies currently available in our store.

A complete list of the American Library Association Youth Media awards with some interviews with the authors is available here.

||A Sick Day for Amos McGee is available from the We Heart Books store||

Kate Slater

I have just discovered the paper-cut and collage artwork of UK-based Kate Slater. Aren’t these images stunning?

Kate’s first picture book, Magpie’s Treasure has just been released in the UK, I can’t wait to have a look when it reaches us here later this month.

You can read more from Kate in a recent interview she did for Etsy. Her Etsy store has the most beautiful cards, and an absolutely to-die-for Robin Christmas decoration

||KateFete’s Etsy store||

||Kate Slater’s blog||

Red Riding Hood round-up

One of the books that went flying of the stand at Magnolia Square was the most gorgeous edition of Red Riding Hood. This is one of those pop-ups that just takes your breath away with the paper engineering genius! Louise Rowe uses a leaf motif as a theme for her illustrations, and the sepia tones are staggeringly beautiful.

I love the red riding hood story, the feelings of innocence, strength, security and risk beautifully rolled into one great edge-of-your-seat story. Do you know Angela Carter’s version? I just re-read it tonight and it is so deliciously adult…

I’m not sure if red riding hood is de rigueur at the moment, but I seem to be spotting her everywhere… Love, love, love all these…

Red Riding Hood earrings by MadeByWhite

Red Riding Hood by Courtney Brims

Little Red Riding Hood Teaset from made590

Red Riding Hood print by Mara Girling of Printspace.

Red Riding Hood card (with customizable face!) by HMC Designs

KnitKnit Hooded Scarf Knitting Kit by Olive and Me

Popping up with pegboard…

What fun we had at Magnolia Square Malvern last weekend! Our stand had another re-jig, this time with pegboard (thanks to my brilliant brother-in-law). My hands were still paint-splattered after some last-minute painting to get it all ready in time, but it worked a treat. Lots of our lovely customers were already picking up some Christmas presents, and we will have some of the new treasures we sold out of back in stock again soon…

Our hatbox of Moomin goodness

A sneak peak of a few of our Christmas titles (although by the time I took this photo we’d already sold out of some!) as well as some truly gorgeous Christmas vintage book bunting made by Lou (please email us if you would like to order some).

For our next Magnolia Square we will be packing up the car and tootling across to Adelaide, Nov 25-27. Can’t wait to meet some South Australian friends! We’ll be back in Melbourne again at St Kilda Town Hall Dec 2-5.

Otto the bear

I give the boys at least one special book each birthday, and Otto’s book this year was irresistibly called Otto: The Autobiography of a Bear by Tomi Ungerer.

This is a book to keep for when our Otto is older, as often these special birthday books are… Otto is a bear made in Germany, given to David. Lovingly played with by David and his neighbour Oskar, Otto acquires an indelible stain of purple ink. We learn that David is Jewish, made to wear a yellow star, and driven away. Soon after, the city is bombed, and Otto becomes lost, to be found by an American solidier. Many years later, there is an incredible reunion and both David and Oskar recognise their childhood toy.

Tomi Ungerer is a very talented French storyteller and illustrator. From the image on the cover of Otto, with the stark black shadow behind him, a mood is set. The contrast of the innocent play of David and blond Oskar, and later scenes of wartime destruction are stark and chilling. While this is not a picture book for young readers, the use of Otto the bear as a protagonist is very clever, and allows children to access the story at their level. When I read this book to four-year-old Rowan, the details of the holocaust were not necessary for him to understand – he was able to focus on the lost bear and his adventures and ultimate reunification with David. Later I’m sure he will ask more questions, but for now he was content with the perspective of the teddy.

The book has the quality of a true story, but I haven’t found anything to say that there really was a bear like Otto. Nevertheless, Tomi Ungerer lived through the Nazi occupation of Alsace and needless to say was strongly influenced by it.

Newly released for the first time in English (following initial publication in 1999) by legendary art publisher, Phaidon, this is also a lovely production: beautiful matt pages and endpapers in the perfect shade of inky purple.