Going a bit art crazy at the moment and its mainly because
I've got some art on the wall and that there are so many beautifully
illustrated picture books out there!
After finding a much welcome book voucher and using my Waterstones
card points I purchased this amazing book of maps. I had seen it on display and
was very eager to have it as my own so the next time I was in Waterstones, I
asked the lady 'do you have this book of maps, its quite big' I showed her a
very small photo on my phone and the lady replied 'oh, you mean the beautifully
illustrated one? Its in its second printing already.'
I am not exaggerating, it is amazing. But I was actually
surprised that it was in the children's section. This is for children? I suppose
they would love the pictures but to me, this is more for the child inside an
adult to enjoy and explore.
I was looking at all the other 'picture'
books on the book shelf we have on the landing. Some of these books I haven't
even looked since I read them as a child. There was a favourite of mine, The
Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch by
Ronda and David Armitage, we used to read this all the time.
Then of course there were the classics, in
my opinion, The Jolly Postman books by Allen and Janet Ahlberg. The books were
so popular, there were even CD Rom games made, i of course had them both and
played them on the ancient Mac from 1995. Does anyone remember CD Rom games? Do
they still exist? I love all three because they were interactive, there letters
and notes and books within books to read. When I was younger, I wanted to work
in a post office, I even had my own mini post office I used to send out letters
to people in the house. I wonder where it is . . .
There are the books that have amazing art
work and illustrations, books that I don't remember reading, but looking over
them now, I recognise the story and pictures.
Katie Meets the Impressionists by James Mayhew was given to me one Christmas. It was about a young girl and her Nana who visited a gallery. My aunt had written inside the cover 'for our Katie and her Nana'.
The Church Mice at Bay by Graham Oakley was a book I hadn't seen in years! The Mousehole Cat was given to me after my visit to Cornwall last year. While visiting Mousehole, I saw (and bought) so many postcards with the artwork on. I remembered reading it when I was last in Cornwall, which was probably over 15 years ago!
Then of course there are the old favourites that never disappear. I bought Father Christmas by Raymond Briggs this year because I felt sentimental, 40th anniversary and I was surprised that no one in my family actually had the book. It had wonderful, yes I said wonderful, illustrations and if you've seen the short film, then this is must to own.
Of course Tintin would be on my shelf, King Ottokar's Sceptre is just one of many much loved adventures of Tintin, and I think I should have made more a noise about Herge's creation on his actual birthday which was a few weeks ago.
How to Live Forever by Colin Thompson was given to my sister then to me. The drawings in the book are amazing, so much detail for a short simple but deep story. Read it and you'll understand.
Last but not least are the newest additions on my shelf, so new one does't even have a bar code. Almost an Alphabet by Katie Viggers and The Bumble Bear and The Grizzly Bee by Sandra Dieckmann are, you've guessed it by now, illustrators that I have become obsessed with from visiting the craft markets. Both beautiful books, I think you can purchase them online, if now, you can always ask them if they're at a craft market near you.
So there you have few book ideas for, you know, kids or if you don't know/have children, ideas for yourselves!
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