There comes a time in everyone's life when they find themselves knowing books by heart. Dear Zoo is one of those books: parents the length and breadth of the country can recite it verbatim, so often have they read the story to their little ones. In fact roughly one on five UK households has a copy of the book somewhere on it's shelves. The classic book, written by Rod Campbell, was published thirty years ago. Thirty years. What I … [Read more...]
Love Books Summer Book Exchange
I was so excited that the Love Books Exchange has branched out as far as the UK. It's such a great idea. And The Girls said as much today when a parcel arrived bearing a furry paw print. I cannot tell you how speechless I was when I unpacked a mass of fur and pom-poms and bits and pieces all addressed to my Girls. I can tell you that they screamed. A lot. And of course they were far too excited to read the book Where's My Teddy, and had … [Read more...]
Interview with Amanda Egan aka Mummy Misfit
I came across Amanda Egan, better known as Mummy Misfit, on twitter. I can't remember why now, but it made me follow her, and download her books to Kindle. I say her books- she's working on her third- because she wrote two of themthem in her car whilst parked outside the front of her son's school. Because that's where he needed her to be and, like any mother, she did exactly what he needed her to do- be there. And whilst she waited, she wrote. To … [Read more...]
Kissing Hand Craft
I don't know what it is about my children. Though they are very different, they have one thing in commomn: they always cry when I leave them at 'school' (Kindergarten and Nursery have always been referred to as school at DG Manor. I've no idea why anymore.) Before you start thinking that I am a Bad Mother (and I am, regularly) they LOVE school. They excitedly ask if it's a school day when they wake up, and LBG happily puts her uniform on when … [Read more...]
Love a Book: Grace Williams Says It Loud
It’s rare that I don’t finish a book. Even when I realised that a book (in this case, Bounce*) was beyond my post-birth intellect, I’d mark the page and start again once the fog had lifted. I have a feeling that this particular book, Grace Williams would still be Saying it Loud by my bedside in fifteen years if that were the case. It just didn’t gel. I don’t think I ever really got over the horror of the way that the disabled were treated in … [Read more...]
Love a Book Club: Water for Elephants
The week that I was sent a copy of Water for Elephants (thank you to the ever-generous Appliances online who funded Cara’s giveaway) I caught the trailer for the film. Despite featuring Reese Witherspoon, who I just know would be perfect to play me in the film of my life, in one of the leading roles, it did absolutely nothing to sell the film to me. If anything I rather thought that it looked rubbish. The book I read in 48 hours. I … [Read more...]
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
I've written before about books and reading with children. In fact I ran a competition to win some Charlie and Lola books and I'm delighted to say that they are winging their way to Red Ted Art even as we speak (as it were.) If you didn't win, fear not, since there will be more books to give away very soon. World Book Day came and went without me really being aware of it, since I have been encumbered by a cold to rival the one that deprived … [Read more...]
