A Letter for Bear and more Christmas picks

A few years ago I started a tradition of giving E a new book at the beginning of the festive season. He likes reading them regardless of the time of year, and I like the idea of creating a book trail from Christmas to Christmas. This year our pick was clearly going to be none other than David Lucas' new release, A Letter for Bear, from the marvelous UK publisher Flying Eye Books.

Bear is a dedicated postman who regularly battles ice and snow to ensure that every animal receives their post on time. After a while he realizes that it's a lonely job and he'd like to meet some of the the other animals in town.  He delivers an invitation to each of them for a party and is over the moon when they all eventually turn up and welcome him into the fold. And the biggest surprise of all is the stack of post he receives in return, thanking him for a wonderful party and wishing him a Merry Christmas.  This is a sweet story with a happy ending that gives you a chance to talk about feelings. The illustrations are enchanting in a limited range of colours, and David Lucas' characteristic drawing style works beautifully for the Christmas season. 

Our picks from previous years are still going strong and I can highly recommend them both.  Llama Llama is up to his usual antics in Llama Llama Holiday Drama (I think most of of will be able to relate). The double page spread of Llama Llama collapsed in a heap is particularly comical.

I Love Christmas is a beautifully illustrated little tale from the imminently loveable Ollie. The text is sparse with recognizable references to Christmas that E likes to point out each time we read it. I fully expect this one to make an appearance again this year.

All of our Christmas books are about more traditional celebrations (albeit with animals rather than people).  For a great reference on multicultural Christmas books I suggest reading this post from the whatwedoallday blog.   And if any readers are looking for picture book recommendations for their Christmas list then please give me a holler and I'll do my best to assist!

Books, play & vintage animation

Last week we took a trip to Paris to visit E's cousin and her family. We had several cold but clear days to explore new parts of the city and our visit began with a session at the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie, the biggest science museum in Europe. We could have spent the whole day here it was so big, but instead we spent just one morning in the young children's section. E was in hog heaven with this building site set up. He couldn't get enough of the working crane, conveyor belt and loading ramp. We could do with something like this here in London! 

Next stop was the first of several independent book stores.  Though I do not read French, I can enjoy picture books in any language and we warmed ourselves amongst the shelves of two great shops. I picked up the book Avions et fusees (aircraft and rockets) for his friend's 4th birthday present and a copy of Paris: A Three Dimensional Expanding City Skyline for E.

My favorite book store had rows of steps alongside big crates of books in the children's section.  It was an inviting space that doubled for author events and was an all around  inspired experience. E and his cousin had a few blissfully quiet moments looking through books on their own. 

Our last stop was a screening of vintage 1960's Chinese animation. Though it was dubbed in French and neither E nor I could understand (I hold my hands up here), the beauty of the cut out shapes and music was universal. It reminded me of how much E can absorb from just looking at the pictures in a book. The story told by the illustrations is not to be underestimated! 

We hope to see his young cousin again soon and in case you wondered, yes, we did manage to see the Eiffel Tower as well. Until next time - Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Gus, the Dinosaur Bus by Julia Lui & Illustrated by Bei Lynn

I had to sneak this one out of E's room tonight.  He's always very curious as to why I'm taking his books away to read on my own, and I could see this discussion becoming an easy and unwanted bedtime distraction. 

Gus, the Dinosaur Bus is a find from the US this past summer.  I originally thought it was a vintage book which is a compliment to the award winning illustrator Bei Lynn. It was actually published in 2013 though it hasn't made much noise here in the UK from what I've seen. This is a shame because it's a sweet story with cool illustrations and E's really taken to it.

Gus is a massive dinosaur who lives in the city (think Clifford the Big Red Dog). He acts as a school bus for all the local children, and it all goes swimmingly until Gus accidentally knocks down a few houses, power lines and bridges.

Under pressure from the police, the school principal has no choice but to relieve Gus of his duties.  Luckily, by happy accident Gus soon finds another role at the school, which has him and the children happy again.  Like I said, it's a sweet story pulled along by funky childlike illustrations with a wonderfully effective range of colours ... just my sort of book. Gus, the Dinosaur Bus is published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Gorilla live! & London International Animation Festival

 

Recently it was half term at E's nursery and as a treat we went to the Polka Theatre to see a theatre adaptation of Anthony Browne's book Gorilla. Regular readers of the blog will know that I'm a huge fan of Anthony Browne. It was actually his endorsement of this particular production that prompted me to book tickets, and I think at the outset I was more excited than E. Not for long though as he quickly rallied and sat still and quiet for a full 45 minutes to experience the magic of Gorilla live!

This is a clever and quietly beautiful production that makes the most of its set design and carefully chosen props, music and puppets to bring Browne's book to life.  Gorilla is the story of a little girl named Hannah who absolutely loves Gorillas.  Hannah spends most of her time drawing, reading and thinking about gorillas.  The remainder of her time is spent trying to get her busy father's attention.  The night before her birthday she has a magical adventure (dream or not, you decide) with a gorilla who takes her to the zoo, the cinema and a cafe where she feasts on a bountiful collection of sweet treats. When Hannah awakes it's her birthday and she's over the moon to discover that she has another magical day in store... only this time it's with her Dad. 

The Choir Tour

Our second half term outing was to the London International Animation Festival. I don't know a great deal about animation, nor do I often seek it out, but everyone in my household thoroughly enjoyed the screening we went to.  So much so that E is borderline 'bereft' that he can only watch a very brief clip of his favorite short from the day, The Choir Tour (Edmunds Jansons).

The Mole at Sea

The kids' screening session was incredibly well programmed and other favorites of ours included The Mole at the Sea (Anna Kadykova) and Rising Hope (Milen Vitanov). And for UK readers it's not too late to catch these animation shorts. Check this listing for screening schedules at local cinemas. 

And if you're local to London then you may wish to check out the next threatre production in our cultural itinerary: White at London's Southbank.

White

Ghosts in the House by Kazuno Kohara

Happy Halloween everyone! As the lone American in my house it's up to me to carry on the Halloween spirit and initiate E as best I can in my childhood traditions. We've hung some decorations, picked a giant pumpkin from a Surrey farm and we'll be watching The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown at some point this week.  The last piece of the puzzle was to find a suitable Halloween themed book.  I've searched and searched for something that looks interesting in its own rite and not just because it fits the theme.  Luckily, my dear college roommate came to the rescue with her recommendation of Ghosts in the House! by Kazuno Kohara. Published in 2008, this was Kohara's debut book and it won the New York Times Best Illustrated Book award. It's easy to see why.

Drawn in stark black outlines against an orange background, the illustrations tell much of the story of a young girl who moves into a haunted house.  Luckily, she's a witch and she spends her time rounding up the ghosts and stuffing them in the washing machine.  Freshly washed, she uses them to spruce up her new house in the form of curtains, tablecloths and bedspreads.  The text is sparse and the story is a great balance between that little bit of spookiness and an engaging tale. I think we'll be reading this one well beyond the 31st of October!

Olive and the Bad Mood by Tor Freeman

I plucked this little gem from an unsteady pile of picture books at my local library last week.  I'm probably the only person who plans their library visits to coincide with their toddler's nap time, but in my defense the children's section at my local is often in a bit of a state and I need full attention for searches.

Tor Freeman has become a fast favorite at our house and Olive and the Bad Mood is no exception. Freeman's characters are incredibly fun and expressive. I find myself instinctively changing voices for each one and it makes reading aloud a pleasure.  Just look at that cat's face on the cover, who could resist her?

The premise for this title is short and sweet. Olive is one seriously grumpy feline and she inflicts her mood on all of her friends by either insulting them or blanking them completely.  A bag of jelly worms reunites them for a brief period, but when the bag is empty and the last gummy worm is a distant memory, Olive's bad mood threatens to return.

This is a fun story that offers a moral as well, and it's pretty much a perfect length for E and me. It's a testament to Freeman that her animal characters are so loveable even when they're grumpy and behaving badly. E's memorized this one already so I better revisit that pile of library books again soon. Do visit Tor Freeman's website and prepare to be charmed by her work.

... my Donald Crews wishlist

The New York Public Library has just published a list of 100 great children's books. In reading through the titles, enraptured, I decided to do a little research on the American author/illustrator Donald Crews. Crews is a two time Caldecott Honor winner, and among a whole host of other titles, he's produced a collection of stunning picture books featuring transportation. I'm familiar with his Freight Train book, but I have to admit that I had no idea of his expanded repertoire. The following four books are going straight on my wishlist:

Crews has also created books about his summers spent in the American south as a child.  This, of course, is a subject close to my heart and I'll be scouring the library soon for a copy of Bigmama's.  I'll let you know if I find it!