When looking back at the original Ladybird series one thing that always amazes me is just how many books were published on wildlife and nature. The whole of series 536 was about nature and when you see the list of titles together you quickly realise just how much they cover. Everything from flowers and trees to sealife, birds and rocks and minerals. Together they are the perfect grounding for future Chris Packhams and David Bellamys. Pond Life is just one of the books in this series and an excellent example of the genre. It opens your eyes to the huge amount of life that is in and around ... read more
The Little Lowry – Catherine de Duve
As we sat in my mum's dining room one day having Sunday lunch, Little Miss C suddenly pointed at a Lowry print on the wall and exclaimed "just like Grandma's shopping bag". That to me is what sums up Lowry's individual style so perfectly - the fact that a then two year old could recognise a piece of his work. As someone born and brought up in the North I find that I really love his industrial and mill scenes in particular and feel like I can really identify with them. A few years ago I was also lucky enough to visit The Lowry gallery in Salford and really enjoyed seeing such a large collection ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: Stamp Collecting
The more I look at my vintage Ladybird collection, the more I see loads of hobbies that I just can't imagine today's children doing. I hope I'm wrong, but do kids today really do stamp collecting? I remember trips to WH Smiths as a child on a Saturday with my parents where as a special treat I might be allowed a packet of stamps for my collection, or possibly just a new packet of stamp hinges if I needed some. After helping my mum clear out her house I even still have my old stamp albums in the cupboard! In fact, just typing that above made me go and search them out and then ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: Learning to Sew
A very quick dash in for this week's Ladybird Tuesday after a stupidly busy day out of the house with Master C. When I headed off to Fibre East with my knitting group last Saturday I wasn't expecting to find any Ladybird books, but that's exactly what I did find on the first stall I came across. Obviously destined to happen. I've been looking out for a copy of Learning to Sew for years and was so pleased to find a copy in such good condition. Mrs Fox wrote about this for Ladybird Tuesday back in February and that just made me want a copy even more. The Hobbies and ... read more
Goodnight Little One – Margaret Wise Brown
We're very familiar in this C household with Margaret Wise Brown as Goodnight Moon was one of the first books that Little Miss C had read to her at bedtime, and right now it's in the pile of books that we read to Master C before he goes to bed. It was interesting therefore to see Goodnight Little One by her in the books that I was asked to review from Parragon Books when I met them at BritMums Live last month. Little donkey on the hill, Standing there so very still. Making faces at the skies, Little donkey close your eyes. In this book we go round various animals as it ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: The Story of Football
Sadly no royal books in my Ladybird collection so we going to have to do with a spot of football today instead. I've had an old tatty copy of The Story of Football in my Ladybird collection for a while, but last week it was joined by a new copy with was re-released in 2012. My original has the matt picture boards as a cover, but the newer re-issue actually goes back to the plain board cover and printed dust-wrapper instead. Inside - everything is identical. When first published in 1964 this book was very much written for boys who enjoyed football and wanted to know more about it. ... read more
Magpie Monday: Children’s book classics
It's ages since I've been able to have a proper mooch around a car boot sale, and with a three-year old in tow I still didn't get to do so this Sunday. But, at least I did get to go to one! It was the first time that I've been to the regular Sunday market at the Herts Showground since it was taken over by a new company. Like most car boots that I was familiar with it used to be held in the morning and getting there with small kids was pretty tough. Now though it's an afternoon sale making it much more likely that I can actually attend. Their own website keeps you on your ... read more
Honk Honk! Baa Baa! & Time for Bed – Petr Horacek
It's nearly a couple of years now since I discovered Petr Horacek after happening across a copy of Silly Suzy Goose in a local charity shop. All three of us really enjoyed it and I've been keeping an eye out for more of his books ever since. I was delighted when we were sent a couple of new books in the Baby Walker series and I've been saving these to enjoy with Master C. It's really only been in the last couple of weeks that he's started to enjoy snuggling up together with a book and from what I can tell he's really enjoying it. After his bedtime milk he actively ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: The Weather
This post on The Weather can now be found on Penny Reads, the new home for Ladybird Tuesday. It is located here. ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: Tricks and Magic
When I was a child my Gran used to come and visit us every Saturday afternoon and we always ended up by having tea and scones round the dining table (with the same tea service) and something that was classed as "family entertainment" on the TV. Apart from the time that a hot airballoon had a crash-landing into a neighbours back garden (honestly - quite mad) the most exciting part for me was watching the Paul Daniels Magic Show whilst we ate. One year I was even lucky enough to receive a Paul Daniels Magic Set for Christmas. I was so excited! I would have loved to have owned a copy ... read more