FYNBOS AND FAIRIES INSPIRED BY NATURE

If you live in the beautiful city of Cape Town, perhaps you'll know that the Table Mountain National Park boasts a phenomenal 1 500 fybos species. This alone is a reason to pick up a copy of Antjie Krog and Fiona Moodie’s book - Fynbos Fairies.  but this book is not just for nature lovers, its also a fantastical celebration our rich fairy life!

The book is filled with breathtakingly beautiful illustrations that are delicate, imaginative, striking, and even believable.  The poetry pays homage of the natural wonders of the world; and for a parent its wonderful to see these poems and illustrations capture the attention and love of a young child.

Arum Lily Fairy

Lend an ear to the Arum lily,
Hear its silence, if that’s not silly,

Touch your cheek to the lily flower;
It’s always cool, despite the hour;

Dip your nose in the lily funnel,
Breathe the depth of deepest tunnel,

Tap light at its yellow tip
To let, through your hand, a fairy slip.

Dear Old Teddy Robinson – A Classic Treasure

We have discovered a series of classics about a dear teddy bear called ‘Teddy Robinson’.  First published in the 1950’s these books are gentle and tell tender stories about a big, comfortable teddy bear who belongs to a little girl called Deborah. Each chapter is a story on its own, which makes it the perfect read before bedtime.

Teddy Robinson has a clear voice of his own and is respected and acknowledge by Deborah and her own family. In fact, even the neighbour’s dog can speak for himself.  Sometimes a little shy - and sometimes a bit of boastful, this bear has an endearing personality.  His adventures are utterly believable and perfect for a little girl with a vivid imagination.

He had trips to the seaside, accompanies Deborah to ballet – where he watches very proudly; and even ends up in the muddy river with a bunch of very opinionated, but caring ducks. Ideal to read aloud, these classic tales of a lovable bear are perfect to share with all young children.

Fairy Folk & Enchanted Woods

We have just finished reading over 500 pages of the Faraway Tree and Genevieve is begging for more!  This trilogy, which includes The Enchanted Wood; The Magic Faraway Tree; and The Folk of the Faraway Tree, is all about 3 kids who live at the edge of the Enchanted Woods – where the trees whisper secrets and the dearest fairy folk live.

Jo, Bessie and Fanny have many adventures in these woods and in particular up the huge tree, which houses folk like the Angry Pixie, Dame Washalot, and Mr Saucepan Man who lives with Mr Watzisname.  The children are especially good friends with Moon-Face and little Silky, who are always willing to share delicious Pop Biscuits and Google Buns – not to mention toffee shocks!  Moon-Face’s home, near the top of the tree has a slide spiralling down the centre of the tree to the very bottom– called the slippery-slip.

What’s more is that the children’s adventures take them further up the Faraway Tree, above its highest branches to explore the lands above.  Image places called the Land of Take-What-You-Want, the Land of Topsy-Turvy, and best of all the Land of Birthdays! It’s enchanting to know that books that were originally written in the 1930’s are still favourites in our bustling world of superheroes.

JOIN THE NODDY CRAZE

Everyone that knows Genevieve knows that she is a BIG Noddy fan.  She has the cutest Noddy outfit – which she likes to wear for dress-up, shopping trips, parties and lately for family restaurant meals.  We have a number of Noddy books on her bookshelf and have lately added a few more to her library box.  There are of course many Noddy tales around, and if you search carefully enough it is still possible to pick up an original, which is very different from the modern rewrites and worth getting hold of.

At the moment we are reading ‘Noddy Gets Into Trouble’, where poor Noddy lands himself in trouble with almost everyone in Toyland.  The upside it that Noddy gets to make good friends with Tessie Bear, who is a true and faithful companion.  She devises a clever little plan to help Noddy prove his innocence and clear his tarnished reputation. All ends well for Noddy in the end - needless to say, everyone loves Noddy!

Help the Rural Child Charity Books

Genevieve and I visited a really super charity bookshop yesterday afternoon.  Help the Rural Child stocks a lovely selection of adult and kids books that all seem to be in very good condition.  The upside is that besides adding a few more books to our collection, we know that the money goes toward towards supporting rural youth centres. Plus, you can offload any books that you’d like to hand on - which is always a plus.

G chose a huge pile – with her favourites being a Nick Butterworth book from the Percy The Park Keeper series; a Disney book on Thumper; and a Princess Poppy book – which we managed to read before school this morning. 

It makes sense to be able to be able to contribute to a charitable trust – and give us a good excuse to read more! For more information on Help the Rural Child Trust operates 6 charity shops in the greater Cape Town area and are entirely dependent on donations received. For more information, visit www.ruralchild.org.za

Goose in a Hole

From the author of The Tiger Who Came For Tea, the Goose in a Hole is just as delightful and will no doubt be added to our list of favourite reads.  

Goose in a Hole is a story of how Katerina the goose leads her family in search of a new pond after the water in their pond mysteriously disappears down a hole.  The family of geese surface in a number of unsuitable places, none of which make a good alternative to their pond.  In the meantime little Millie is frantic with worry and desperate to get someone to help her locate her favourite goose. 

  

Hairy Charlie and the Frog

Genevieve pulled Hairy Charlie and the Frog off the bookshelf tonight for our bedtime story.  It’s a Jackie French kids story, about a large bulky hairy guy called Charlie who finds an audacious croaky frog in his letterbox one morning.  This frog successfully (and with very little effort) scares this brute of a man each and every morning.  

It’s a funny and colourful story of how Charlie sorts out the problem of a very defiant frog who has decided to take up residence in his letterbox – and seems to have no intention of relocating to the nearby rosebush, which Charlie obviously believes is a far better home.  I love the wit and the thought process – as well as Charlie’s colourful wardrobe - and have to forgive him for his silly frog phobia.  

The author, Jacki French, is Australian and is prolific across many genres, but mostly children’s and gardening books.  

Maisy Goes to the Library

I love Maisy Mouse for the simplicity and the delight of the little stories.  The pictures are so colourful and arresting that it’s hard to resist Maisy and her friends on their adventures.  The story that we are reading at the moment is about Maisy going to the library in the hope of finding a book about fish.  All she wants to do is to sit in a quiet spot and read the story, but there are so many distractions that it’s impossible.

Her friends Charlie, Eddie, Tallulah and Cyril join in the fun and ensure that the library isn’t a quiet peaceful spot to read.  It’s all fun and laughter,  - and of course very endearing.

Snow is my Favourite and my Best, Charlie!

Genevieve’s life right now seems to be filling up with more and more 'Charlie and Lola'.  Her favourite saying is ‘easy peasy lemon squeezy’,  which is very cute for a 3 year old and rather funny for as a Mum.  Her library book box has 3 Charlie and Lola books and I have ordered a DVD for her Christmas stocking.  Her favourite read at the moment is “Snow is my favourite and my Best’, which means that anything that G likes become’s her ‘favourite and her best’, whether she is referring to food or clothing, a toy or a friend.

To give you an idea of the story, the weatherman has predicted snow, and Lola is thrilled.  She wants to stay up all night and wait for the snow.  When it does finally arrive she gets to have loads of fun with Charlie and her friends. This joy is, however, short lived as the following day the snow has all melted and turned to mush.  Lola of course wants to know "Why can't it snow ALL the time?" 

So starts an adventure to the Arctic, where Charlie shows Lola why never-ending snow and cold might not be so much fun for a little girl. How could Lola go swimming or wear her favourite outifts if it were always cold? This is as always a really good fun and emotionally uplifting read.

Girls Also Love Thomas

Genevieve is a typical little girl. She loves playing dress-up, dolls, baking, painting and of course reading.  So how come I’ve been reading about coupling rods, steam engines, sheds, and the Fat Controller?  Well, simply put, she has become obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine and his myriad of friends.  Her obsession has lead to her renaming all her scooters and bikes 'train names' and a train trip to the beach last weekend. 

Luckily a friend has lent us a box set of Thomas and Friends books – otherwise I would have needed to make an urgent purchase.The stories are short, to the point, satisfies her cravings.  We get to read all 7 in the collection at least once a day. Her favourite is ‘Arthur’s Habour Run’, a story of a shy little steam engine that has just arrived on the Island of Sodor, and has a love for the harbour and really wants the new seaside route.  

Having acknowledged her dedication to her new found interest I've added a Thomas book to her Christmas stocking called ‘Thomas and the Green Controller’.  I started to wonder if this Green Controller is in addition to the Fat Controller, and if the Fat Controller is a derogatory reference to the Controllers rather expansive waistline.  So, in case anyone else is interested, I checked on Wiki, and The Fat Controller is also known as Sir Topham Hatt, which is revealed in the foreword to the book Henry the Green Engine. So now we know!

I’ll Show You, Blue Kangaroo

Genevieve is particularly fond of our new ‘Blue Kanagaroo’ story – perhaps it appeals to her mischievous nature. 

Yet another charming story in the Blue Kangaroo series, telling the tales of Little Lily and her best friend Blue Kangaroo; but this time it’s quite different from the others.  Lily seems to be growing up and has started to show off, much to everyone’s dismay. She seems to take things a bit too far, to the point of getting up to scary things, even though she has been told not to.

Inevitably, soon Lily goes too far, and poor Blue Kangaroo is left clinging on for dear life! Just what will it take for Lily to start listening!  As I often say to Genevieve, “perhaps there is some dust in your ears”.

We Honesty Can Look After Your Dog

I’m so glad that Genevieve get’s the ‘Charlie and Lola’ humour, because it appeals to me and I always get a kick out of reading the little narratives.  

At the moment we are reading ‘We Honestly Can Look After Your Dog’.  It’s all about Lola going through a stage of loving dogs and wanting a dog of her own.  Of course, her much obliging older brother, Charlie, is her substitute dog, as her parents have told Lola that their apartment is too small and Lola is too young to look after a dog. 

Lola get’s lucky when she visits the park with Charlie, her best friend Lotta, and Charlie’s friend Marv – who brings his cute little dachshund, Sizzle.   After much persuasion, and promising – or as Lotta says “honestly and promisedly’, Marv lets the girls look after Sizzles on the promise that they don't let him off the lead – or give him chocolates, any kinds of sweets etc etc. Of course, following much excitement and arguing, Lola and Lotta manage to lose Sizzles. 

To top this, when they eventually find Sizzles – there is another identical dog – so now there are two Sizzles!   

Lively Attitude - But Short on Skill

We are visiting Genevieve’s Grandparents for the weekend, commonly known as ‘Granny-Bob’, and have access to a whole new cache of books.  One of the family’s favourites for weekends like this is Jez Alborough’s very lively ‘Fix-It Duck’.  Fix-It Duck is blessed with a lively attitude and loads of enthusiasm, but is a bit short on common sense and skill. 

When a leaking roof plague’s Duck, he can’t wait to grab his handyman tools and take on the role of maintenance man.  The trouble is, when Duck starts fixing things – the problems quickly multiply.  An array of disasters soon strike including a car accident, broken windows and Sheep’s sinking caravan. The book comes with a CD that has the story told in an amusing accents and sound effects - and of course a catchy tune that promises to keeep both young and old in an upbeat mood!

Kids Love Lettice - a perfect role model

No wonder kids love Lettice.  Nibble, nibble, hop, hop – each day is an adventure for the cute independent and rather ambitious little rabbit called, Lettice.  We have a few Lettice stories – they are really cute and engaging – and the character is a perfect role model for an self-determining toddler with a mind of her own. 

Our latest is ‘Lettice, The Flying Rabbit’, a sweet story of this rabbit’s yearning to fly.  She flaps her arms and ears, but can’t seem to lift off the ground.  But her dream of flying eventually does come true as she flips through the skies on a flashy pink aeroplane!  What more could a little girl, I mean rabbit, wish for.  Not only are the stories ‘fresh’, the illustrations bring to life every little girl’s dreams.

The name, Lettice, is not a spelling error, or just a play on a veg that bunnies eat, but apparently means ‘joy and happiness’.  The author Mandy Stanley is the illustrator too, and uses her own love of rabbits as her inspiration for her cute little character.  Look out for this series, which includes 10 titles and is a favourite of ours.  

Richard Scarry -  Perfect for a Kid with a Vivid Imagination!

No bookshelf is complete without a couple of Richard Scarry books.  Ours include copies from the late sixties and early seventies that have survived a couple of generations.  It’s wonderful to think that these timeless books are now a companion to Genevieve, bringing back memories from my own childhood days, when I used to sit on my bedroom floor paging through the adventures of Huckle and his friends. 

Richard Scarry’s What Do People Do All Day? is G’s favourite.  The captivating pics make it an ideal book for a toddler to page through without needing Mom to read!  I can’t imagine a child who doesn’t enjoy reading all about Lowley Worm – or at least relating to a worm that can drive an apple car.  G thinks nothing of a cat directing traffic or putting out a deadly fire.  Richard Scarry is no doubt one of the world’s best-loved children’s authors ever.  His make-believe world is quite normal in a mad sort of way -perfect for a kid with a vivid imagination! So make sure to add a copy or two to your collection – and keep it on the bottom of the bookshelf, where it is accessible to your children.

Back to Bed, Ed - Please!

We’re reading ‘Back to Bed, Ed!’ at the moment– for reasons that most parents will relate to, but I’m afraid it isn’t having the desired effect - yet. 

This is a simple story about a family of mice, having trouble getting their toddler, Ed, to stay in his own bed.  Sound familiar? Whilst Ed loves his fun bedtime routine, he isn’t so keen on actually STAYING in his bed.  How we can relate...  Genevieve has taken to sleeping in our bed; and whilst we may love having her warm little body to share the winter nights with us, we do look forward to her returning to her own space someday.  Who knows, perhaps we just need to read Ed’s clever little story, on how he conquered his night time fears. 

Join The Hullabaloo!

It was a cold and misty morning today, so Genevieve and I decided on warm Milo and an hour of story time before breakfast.  Winnie the Pooh stories and a whole series of Colin West’s delightful books were devoured.  My friend, Aiza, lent us a whole bunch of these clever and colourful animal tales and they’ve become a favourit read.

These spirited-animal stories include “Hello great big bullfrog”; “‘Pardon?’ said the giraffe”; and “Go tell it to the toucan!” One of G’s favourite is the story of a bullfrog, who doesn’t feel so great after meeting lots of greater, bigger animals. He’s so upset that he doesn’t want to join the hullabaloo. It’s a bright, clever and cheerful tale of a bullfrog with a rather fragile ego – completely irresistible!

Bewitched

Genevieve discovered her ‘inner-witch’ today – very empowering for a little girl!  This new founded maverick, was inspired by Julia Donaldson’s very popular ‘A Room on a Broom’ tale of a kind-hearted witch who offers space on her broom to many news friends in exchange for finding her ‘missing items’.

Now, in case you aren’t familiar with the peculiar qualities of a witch – according to G, the have cold fingers to repel little children and if you venture too close, she’ll bite your bottom!

Another favourite witch story, is Lee Weatherly’s  ‘Pigwitchery’. This is a humorous story of a 'pig-witch', who loses her magic wand, bringing disaster to Farmer McGee’s magical farm.  What was once an extraordinary farm where cows give chocolate milk and hens lay rainbow coloured eggs, is now ordinary.  Poor ‘pig-witch’ has to go deep into the dark forest to consult with the wise old pig in the hope that the farm can be restored to its former glory.

My daughter Genevieve, who is 2 years old, loves books.  She loves stories.  She seems to internalise all the character’s and speak about them as if they are her friends.  She is forever popping up with a book in her hand, demanding that I drop whatever I may be doing at the time and read – ‘Read It, Mama’!

I started reading to her when she was about 3 months old; simple books; stories and lullabies that soon became part of our routine.  I made up stories about the characters in the picture books – just to make it more interesting for me.  Some of the books weren’t yet age appropriate, but she didn’t seem to mind.  We joined our first library reading group, long before she could walk, and although we don’t  participate in the reading group as often, we still take out batches of up to 14 books on each visit to our local library.

Genevieve hasn’t yet started school, so our day often begins with a batch of books in bed – before breakfast or even a trip to the bath room.  She has also taken to reading by herself, evidence of which I find scattered around the house.  My parents read to her, my friends are often requested to tell a story and my dear neighbour is a patient and loving story teller. 

I hope that this blog will be a record of the books that we have enjoyed as a family and that one day Genevieve will start sharing her reading experiences with others too.