Children's books and me.

Just a quick shot of Gabriella in her first ever piggy tails. They lasted all of oh, 2 minutes. She refused to let them be so I had to concede. At least I have a lasting image of them for now.



Yesterday I was shopping for some children other than my own. I find it extraordinarily difficult to buy clothing for new babies that are not mine, I just don’t trust my judgment to choose clothing I think another child’s parent would deem worthy of putting on their child. So after an hour of fruitless searching, I then had to choose quickly because my lunch-time was up. I ended up buying underclothing i.e. vests and socks how could I go wrong. My rationale being they are items of clothing worn under clothing the parents have chosen.

However, my find of the day was this book:



I do say that I like to buy Eric Carle books for my children, but ostensibly I know I am really collecting them for myself. I absolutely adore his books as much as children do. I have 5 now, of which 3 are hardback.

Along with almost everyone else have the ubiquitous "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" but I have and adore the beautiful and mesmerising quality of "Dream Snow" a Christmas theme with a sound button at the end that leaves a haunting tinkling sound.

Then yesterday I found the new one. I haven’t read it to the children yet, as I will have to exchange it for another book. It is also a sound book and I think the battery is dead so for now, no ducks quacking at the end.

The book was a complete bargain $16 – hard cover in Target and there were 3 of them so I can go back and exchange so long as no one cottons on to this bargain over the long weekend. I know that normally this book would be $30 in my favourite small book store. I was very tempted to buy one for each of the other children I had to buy for yesterday, but I refrained because finding this book is MY joy, not necessarily theirs or their parents.

They are truly beautiful books and apart from the stories, I love them for Eric Carle’s art work. One day I would love to have some prints of his art work to frame and hang in the children’s rooms.

From the new book:


When I went to check my book case to see how many other Eric Carle book’s I found this book.



"Goldilocks and the Three Bears - A Tale Moderne" by Steven Guarnaccia.

From the inside jacket: "Though our heroine is the same, our bears certainly are not. These bears are hip; they have a sense of style and a love of design. Their split-level home is filled with furnishings created by an international crowd of celebrated designers, from Alvar Aalto to Charles and Ray Eames to Isamu Noguchi.

Children will delight in this long-beloved story given new life by Steven Guarnaccia's stylized art work - and may even pick up a design tip or two."







I bought it for Elliot probably 4 years ago I thought it was the grooviest book I had ever seen when I first stumbled across it at Folio (my favourite book store it’s a very rare visit that I don’t buy a book in that store).

In many respects I have come to the realisation I am a smallish collector of children’s books. They are not rare books, but I think they are exquisite and although I don’t search for them, when I stumble across them I have to have them.

I actually don’t allow the children free access to them, although I will read the books to them whenever they want or we have the time.
I imagine one day giving the books to them when they are old enough to keep and look after books of their own i.e. when they leave and have a home of their own.

For Gabriella’s naming day in one my first posts I mentioned that I bought for Elliot as a gift from Gabriella a beautifully illustrated book by C.S. Lewis " The Chronicles of Narnia" . And Gabriella has a equally beautifully illustrated Louisa May Alcott’s " Little Women" from Elliot. These books are two of my most favourite books from my childhood. P is currently reading to Elliot from the C.S. Lewis book most evenings.

I hope to read "Little Women" to Gabriella when she is Elliot’s age.