It’s somewhat fitting that I’m sat writing this week’s Ladybird Tuesday in a cafe on the island of Jersey (much more on that soon), because this week’s Ladybird Tuesday book choice is Islands from the Ladybird Leader series, number 737. Islands was one of the later titles in the Ladybird Leader series. A series which covers things as diverse as song birds and trains. Sounds and teeth. The aim of the series was to meet the “very real need” for “first information books” for children. Ones which help answer some of the questions that children have, whilst also encouraging reluctant ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday – Ladybird Stamps from Royal Mail
It's fair to say that 2017 didn't end up the way I imagined it would when I sat here a year ago. As a result several things slid, and one of those was Ladybird Tuesday. New year, new start though and Ladybird Tuesday is back and I have some pretty big plans for it over the next twelve months. It's most likely that when I sit down and write the first Ladybird Tuesday post of 2019 it will probably be on a different blog, but I'm putting my positive head on and seeing change as an opportunity rather than a threat, and I'm very excited about lots of new plans that I've been thinking about, ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: People at Work: The Road Makers
And we're back! There just aren't enough hours in the day right now to do everything I want to do. But, a big charity shop haul of new Ladybird titles as a gift from my OH has given me the kick up the backside that I somewhat need to get some Ladybird Tuesday posts written. After many hours recently on the UK's motorway network it seems somewhat appropriate to be back with The Road Makers from the People at Work series (series 606B). We've visited this series several times now on Ladybird Tuesday (The Fireman, The Builder, The Soldier, The Policeman, The Car Makers, In a Hotel) and it's one ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: Adventure at the castle
It's been a little while since we've visited the Ladybird Key Word Reading Scheme here on Ladybird Tuesday, but that's where we're headed today with book 10b in the series - Adventure at the castle. The early books in the Ladybird Key Words Reading Scheme are the ones that everyone seems to be familiar with. Simple sentences about Peter and Jane were how many of my generation learnt how to read. I'm guessing that many of us moved on to other books though and didn't progress on to the later titles in the series like this one. By Adventure at the castle we have left Peter and Jane ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: The Circus Comes to Town
Oh how the circus has changed since today's Ladybird Tuesday book was first published! The Circus Comes to Town was first published in 1957 and I am led to believe that the first editions of this book came complete with dust jacket, as the very early Ladybird titles did. My copy is probably slightly later, but it's definitely an old edition. The pages are made from the shiny paper that Ladybird trialled in a few titles. When I featured the Ladybird Book of Commercial Vehicles on here a few years back, I wrote about how it was experimented with in series 584, but I hadn't realised that ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: Division Made Easy
Shockingly, it's over two years since Multiplication made easy appeared here on Ladybird Tuesday. Back then I wrote about how maths can really divide people as a subject. Some love it and some hate it. I've always thought of myself as being firmly in the "love maths" camp. When at school it was the lesson I always looked forward to. The idea of English or Drama on the timetable filled me with dread. Give me double maths over that any day of the week. I'd like to say that I'm still on the "love maths" side of the fence, but as Little Miss C has advanced through the school system (she's ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: ‘People at Work’ The Fireman
It's been a while since I've bought any new Ladybird books. Partly because I was trying to save money, but also partly because they just weren't to be found in local charity shops at a reasonable place. I've been travelling around the country a lot more recently though, and in doing so discovering new charity shops, and more Ladybird books! The whole of Ladybird Tuesday started with me featuring a book from series 606B, People at Work, when I wrote about In a Hotel. Since then though I've gone on and actually featured quite a few of this series, and it remains one of my absolute ... read more
what2buy4kids – Toy Time Machine
Anyone who knows me will know that I love everything vintage that relates to children. Especially books and toys. I therefore love this infographic from what2buy4kids. It's fascinating to see how things have changed over the years. But, at the same time, it's great to see how some firm favourites that are still played with regularly here. Master C is especially fond of his Hornby trains and Little Miss C still plays with My Little Pony dolls on a frequent basis. Which of these vintage (or more modern) favourites do you have in your home? ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: The Public Services – Water Supply
Way, way back in the early days of Ladybird Tuesday I dipped into series 606E, The Public Services, looking at Electricity. I even commented at the times about how the whole concept of Electricity, Gas and Water being public services was vintage in itself. Years on, it's time to revisit the series again, but this time we've moved on to the Water Supply. I still smile to see this book labelled as being "A Ladybird 'Easy-Reading' Book", but then when I consider some of the slightly obscure titles that Little Miss C brings home as school reading books maybe it isn't as strange as I used to ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: Learning to Crochet
I've been trying to bring Ladybird Tuesday back several times now, but each time I appear to get half way through writing a post and then everything goes a bit wrong. This time though I've chosen a title that I do feel very passionate about in the hope that it keeps me on track somewhat - Learning to Crochet! Now, anyone who follows me on Instagram or who has read my post about 2016 in Crochet will know that over the last couple of years I have become a complete crochet addict. I have two crochet blankets on the go at the moment (the Moorland CAL from Lucy at Attic24 and also my third Spice ... read more