Bookish - Granny McFlitter

Kia ora koutou,

I'm imagining that many of you may have heard of Granny McFlitter Champion Knitter which charmed the NZ picture book scene last year.

This year author Heather Haylock and illustrator Lael Chisholm have created another delightful yarn together. Granny McFlitter A Country Yarn.

The local country show is the location for Granny's current knitty adventure. Forget the home-gorwn and home-baked delights Granny has knitted up an array of delights. But will a runaway bull ruin the fair? Not if Granny McFlitter has anything to do with it.

The rhyme scheme is solid, the illustrations charming and the story enchanting.

Perfect for knitters large and small, farmers large and small and animal lovers large and small.

Details - Penguin Random House, March 2019 RP $19.99 PB

love you more than a knitted lasso xxx

Bookish - We Are Displaced

Kia ora

Living in Christchurch, New Zealand has been incredibly sad over the last few weeks. On 15th of March a terrorist entered two mosques in our city and opened fire on people while they worshipped.

The grief and sorrow of this is hard to put into words.

Many of those who lost their lives had come to NZ to make a life at a distance from their original homes, making home on this whenua (land) in our city.

While this was happening I was reading We Are Displaced by Malala Yousafazi with contributions from other refugees from around the world.

The stories in this book are beautiful and painful and hopeful. Now in our history more than ever we must see the humanity and the human stories that are unique and universal to people who have been displaced from their homes by politics, persecution and war.

These are the stories our children must read and that we must position ourselves to hear not just in books and online but in person from those in our communities who have these heartbreaking stories too.

The stories in the book are written as records of different young women and girls who have had to leave their homes and build new lives in different places.

We must see one another not as an 'other' but as a person - with stories and hopes and talents and joys.

This book is an excellent and accessible read and I'll be encouraging many people to read it and enter in to deeper understanding and hopefully to be people who build a more welcoming space in their communities for the richness new people bring.

Details - Hachette NZ, Jan 2019, RRP $34.99

love you more than Dave Dobbyn's song Welcome Home xxx

Bookish - Hedgehog Howdedo

Heya Lovelies,

If you have a little person to buy a gift for this year please do consider a book. As any parent of small people can attest they will get read at least a million times! (Plus so much better than a present that makes loud noises when you trip over it at 3am.)

Lynley Dodd has weaved her magic again with Hedgehog Howdedo.

This delightful board book is so cute and the rhyme scheme so perfect and the language so pared back I was halfway through before I even realised it was a counting book. Some counting books are about counting and not much more but this one has so much charm. I could feel myself smiling as I read it and it feels like an absolute treasure of a book.

I have a little person in my life (niece) fairly newly arrived and I'm sure her big brother would read her this book - question is can I part with my copy? I might have to go and buy another.

Dodd at her wonderful best.
(The link has an author photo - Dodd is very different than I imagined, in my head she was a 'soft/ squishy' grandmotherly look with a million animals and a patchwork coat!)

Details - Penguin Random House, December 2018 RRP $15.99 BB

love you more than some 'bold as brass' hedgehogs owning the woodpile xxx

Bookish - Lynley Dodd

Hi Peeps,

If any of you have travelled through the toddler years you will be well familiar I am sure with Hairy MacLary and all his friends by the fabulously talented Lynley Dodd.

Dodd has such skill with words and illustrations and she never fails to hit the mark. Her rhyme schemes are impeccable and an absolute joy to read aloud.

Today I'd love to introduce you to two of Dodd's non-Hairy MacLary titles which I think are just as perfect and would be a gorgeous addition to any collection.

Sniff-Snuff-Snapp

Counting, animals and a bossy wart hog who doesn't want to share the watering hole. First published in 1995 I remember my very small number lover adoring this book when it came home with us one day from a library visit.

The animals are so lovely and the relationship between the warthog and the others may well be played out in kindy sandpits from time to time. One of my favourite ever counting books - it's a proper story that happens to be a counting book, rather than a counting book thinly held together with a story.

Details - Penguin Random House NZ, May 2018 $17.99

Find Me A Tiger

Again a book whose rhyme scheme absolutely delights me. Each page has a delightful four line rhyme with an accompanying picture to explore to find the animal hiding in the picture some where. I can see this being a firm favourite with any little animal lover or detective.

The relationship between the words and illustrations just sings.

Details - Penguin Random House NZ, May 2018 $17.99

love you more than hours of enjoying words with little people xxx

Bookish - You Are Awesome

Heya,

How could I resist asking for a book called You Are Awesome? Turns out I am so glad I did. Matthew Syed author and former international table tennis champion has written this excellent, visually appealing and highly readable book.

In it he breaks down the difference being being average and being ordinary - and though there are plenty of big names scattered through out the book, he is at pains to paint the real story of how they got to where they are. There are sections of famous failures and what people see and what the reality is.

The book is a great exploration, at a upper primary to lower high school level, of the growth mindset. It has plenty of great tips along the way.

This is a book I will be recommending to our school library and encouraging my children and teachers I work with to read.

A timely, well written and challenging (must persevere more!) book to read.

Details - Hachette NZ, April 2018, RRP $24.99

love you more than a funny story about a bus to Norway xxx

Bookish - Valdemar's Peas

'sup peeps,

Hope your reading lists are looking as fulsome and inviting as mine. Is it just me or do other people buy books at a much faster rate than they can read them??

Valdemar's Peas was a requested title from Gecko Press who publish fabulous books for children. This particular title is an English translation of a Swedish book by Maria Jonsson.

It's simple illustrations and pared back text are one of those combinations in great children's writing that I find so clever. Valdemar and his little sister are eating dinner and Valdemar must eat his 'boring round and pointless' peas before he'll be allowed chocolate ice-cream... how will he get around this dilemma? Has Valdemar got the smarts to outsmart Papa?

A fabulous book that we have enjoyed several repeats of already at our place.

Details - Gecko Press, May 2018 RRP $19.99 PB

love you more than a Papa in a pinny xxx

Bookish - Ghost Boys

Heya,

I was a bit worried about requesting Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes as I tend to find books and movies that cover racism extremely disturbing. I'm so glad I pushed myself though.

The book is Jerome's story, a 12 year old boy playing with a plastic gun in a park, before he is shot by police. The book alternates between his voice pre and post death and is his own journey of discovery as he meets other boys like himself.

I read the whole book, which is older fiction though not necessarily YA territory, in an evening. The chapters are very short and the narrative moves really well. I felt so challenged reading this book and within a day of finishing it I had recommended it to at least two people. It's a story of racial prejudice in law enforcement and the Black American children who have lost their lives because of it.

Instead of feeling angry and bitter this book is an exploration of what it means to bear witness and to face up to these things that happen regardless of how 'colour-blind' we may claim to be. It's hopeful and heartfelt and devastating at the same time. I consider it to be an incredibly important book and I will be recommending it to the school my children attend as a novel study book.

While it might seem as a New Zealander this issue is not particularly 'ours' reading the book felt like a real challenge to me. I came away from it thinking anytime I recognise a sense of fearfulness or stereotyping in the way I think towards a people group, that indicates thinking and experience I must challenge in myself.

As a mother raising two wonderful white boys this is a book I want to read with them as they get a bit older and to talk about these things. I think it's so, so important for any of us raising white children, especially boys, that we do all we can to help them realise their 'privilege' and to be able to humbly journey with that in the spaces they occupy in the world. We cannot let attitudes of entitlement and unchallenged perspectives of the world be their journey. Having said that I think this book is for everyone we all have something to gain from it.

It's so foreign to me to think of the police as anything other than a group of people or person that would help me. It would never enter my thinking to be frightened of them or worry that I might experience injustice at their hands - sadly that's because of my privilege not a universal truth.

I find racism so upsetting yet I am not without my part to play. I am sure I have offended, appropriated and lived in the spheres of my privilege unchallenged, arrogant and unaware. I hope and pray that I will continue to learn and I am very grateful for the beautiful book that is Ghost Boys and its invitation to me as a white woman on a journey.

Details - Hachette NZ, 24 April 2018 RRP $19.99 PB

love you more than a painful realisation you still have a way to go xxx

Bookish - Stories for Boys Who Dare to be Different

Heya :-)

I was SO excited to discover Stories for Boys Who Dare to be Different by Ben Brooks was coming out. I already have a copy of the Rebel Girls book and I had felt a little sad for my boys that a similar thing didn't exist for boys.

I must say my boys have been very happy reading the girls' one and I like that they are being introduced to strong female characters in their lives (their mother falling into this category!).

One of the things I absolutely love about this book is the wide variety of ethnic groups and geographies and time periods represented. It is SO good for our children to read about all sorts of people whose lives and experiences are different from their own.

The stories are easily read and each one page story has a cool illustration that goes with it. The variety of achievement types is extremely wide too. The book features Taika Waititi - whoop! NZ represent.

I'm such a fan of these kind of books, of introducing children to heroes who don't fit stereotypes and who show them there is so much more to success and to the world than their experiences and point of view. For kiwi boys I think seeing heroes who aren't just sports stars is really important.

Both my boys pounced on this book when it came in the post and they have been reading different stories and showing me ones that have really struck a cord with them.

Details - Hachette NZ, April 2018 RRP $39.99 HB

love you like I love a collection of world changing men who never once picked up a sword or saved a princess xxx

Bookish - Books for Giving

Kia ora Readers,

So these reviews are all of books that I think would go very nicely under the tree. I love giving books - the gift that can be enjoyed again and again. :-)

Here's some I think would make good gifts this Christmas - all from Penguin Random House. (Guys you have no idea just how much I love reviewing books! I get so excited when a parcel of books I have especially requested arrives, joyful!)

The Line: An adventure into the unknown by Keri Smith.

We have Smith's Wreck This Journal which is very popular in our house and this one happened to arrive on a day when Mr 8 was unwell.... it even came with it's own pencil. What I love about this book is the invitation to get free with mark making. I'm one of those people who tends to save things and not use them up but here is a book that pushes you to scribble on pages and cut them!! It was amazing to watch my son just go at the instructions with joy and abandon. If you have a friend who needs some creative freedom or licence or a younger person who loves a challenge/doodle/ sketching this would make a great gift. We have a long plane flight coming up and I can see this would be a perfect way to while away time. Fun rating = high!

Details - Penguin Random House, October 2017 RRP$21.00

The New Zealand Cycle Trails, Nga Haerenga by Jonathan Kennett.

I was planning to squirrel this one away immediately for The Atlas as a Christmas Present. I know he will absolutely love it! However, before Christmas he is biking the Old Ghost Road and it has excellent information about the ride so I'll have to share it with him now. The book is incredibly comprehensive. It grades the rides, talks about the kind of bike + supplies you will need. For each of the 22 rides it also includes information about the area, accommodation, side trips, short cuts and the likes. There are maps (The Atlas, clearly a map lover!). The photos are lovely both historical and current and some great history as well. If you have an adventurer who likes biking in your life this is the gift you've been looking for. The downside? I know he'll be planning more cycle adventures with his cycle buddies. (I actually love that he's an adventurer, and I can see us enjoying using this to plan adventures as a family).

Details - Penguin Random House, October 2017 RRP $50.00

5 Ingredients by Jamie Oliver

As you can imagine this is a not your average 5 ingredients book (you know: butter, sugar, flour, chocolate chips and vanilla essence - which is my usual five ingredients on a Sunday night when I realise there is no baking in the house!) All the ingredients are beautiful and you sometimes add the odd pantry staple like olive oil or salt. The book is organised into chapters like salads, beef, veg, rice& noodles and sweet treats - I may have read that chapter first! Each recipe includes photos of the finished item and photos of the 5 ingredients as well as straight forward instructions and nutritional info at the bottom.  This is helpful when you want to make the frozen banoffe cheesecake (yes, thankyou!) but you don't know what hobnobs are. (Total prep time 18 minutes + overnight freezing...) A beautiful book for the person who loves quality ingredients, good food but doesn't have the time for overcomplicated 95 ingredient recipes. Also, give the gift and invite yourself over for a meal about 2 weeks later. It's just the right thing to do! You can peek inside on the link too.

Details - Penguin Random House, August 2017 RRP $65.00 HB

Summer Days by various authors is one of those books you see on display at your favourite bookshop, actually happened at Scorpio Books the other day.

It's a hardcover, large, yellow edged pages, includes a ribbon to mark your place, book to treasure and wish for. Including books by legends like Joy Cowley and Pamela Allen the book is a treasure trove of stories to share again and again. I love that they have included the original illustrations with each one so there is visually heaps of variety as well as in the voice of the story-tellers. There is also poetry included in the story and the whole selection all has a wonderful summery vibe as well. I can't wait to snuggle up and share these treasures with my boys, little visitors and children I teach. There really is something for everything. A perfect New Zealandy but universally appealing collection. It would also be a lovely gift for friends and family who live overseas as well. Definitely a book for special occasions like long lazy reads in the summer and quiet spots to appreciate all the amazing talent packed into one place. There's also nice little bios about the authors and illustrators at the back.

Details - Penguin Random House, November 2017 RRP $45.00 HB

love you more than the whole Christmas list sorted in one easy shop xxx

Bookish - A Dog With Nice Ears

'I have this little sister Lola...'

And so begin the Charlie and Lola adventures. I have a special place in my heart for Charlie and Lola - I'm not sure if it's from working in the UK or my obsession with copying the accents when I was reading them, or the little clips we used to watch when some people in my life were smaller, or just the magic of what it is to enter the world of Charlie and Lola ....

I also love Lauren Child's illustrative style.

Her latest offering A Dog with Nice Ears does not disappoint.

It has all the charm and generally awesome-and-infuriating ness of Lola. This time Lola is determined they will get a dog. Her parents telling them it will not happen does not deter Lola in the slightest.

But will she get a dog and if she does what kind of dog will it be?

Beautiful and perfect for anyone with a Lola in their lives.

Details - Hachette NZ, October 2017, RRP $29.99 HB

love you more than a dog who sniffles instead of barking xxx

Bookish - Aotearoa: The New Zealand Story

Kia ora Koutou!

I was really keen to review Aotearoa: The New Zealand Story by Gavin Bishop. I have been a fan of Bishop's illustrative style since Mrs McGinty and the Bizarre Plant (which was published about the time I was born!).

When this one arrived in the post it absolutely exceeded my expectations. As you know I love seeing books that tell our story and supporting books coming out of NZ. This is one of those wonderful, enormous, hardback books that are being published at the moment. It is wonderfully illustrated and tells tales of NZ from pre-Māori migration right through to keeping record of the Christchurch earthquake in 2011.

Every double page spread deals with different topics and they are laid out with heaps of illustrations and snippets of text. There is excellent use of Te Reo in the book as well which makes me really happy too! I can see this being a book that children will get lost on a page for ages and pop out with 'Mum did you know...' statements from the text.

This book would be a wonderful addition to your home library and as a teacher I know it is one of those ones that would be constantly being picked from the book corner during quiet reading time.

Congratulations to Gavin Bishop for this wonderful, wonderful book - a delight for children and adults and many thanks to Penguin Random House for picking it up and publishing it. One of my favourite this year.

Details - Penguin Random House, October 2017 RRP $40.00 Hardback and very large size.

love you more than a page of famous people who 'told our stories' (actors, dancers, writers, artists, musicians...) xxx

Bookish - a couple of recent purchases

Heya friends,

This book fell into my hands at the Art Gallery bookshop recently. The next book happened to be my selection from a voucher for Scorpio that I received for mother's day. Despite the fact that I get sent so many wonderful books to review it doesn't stop me from still purchasing them. I also love to support my local bookshops as much as I can. (Sometimes I do buy online).

Most often when I am 'just browsing' I end up falling in love with a picture book. I have zero shame in buying these books for myself, although of course I share them with children - mine especially! I absolutely love beautiful picture books - I love the messages, the simplicity of language that often coveys a huge complexity of thought.

Picture books, really good ones, are some of the cleverest, most thought provoking, cherished books I own.

A River by Marc Martin

I saw this book at the art gallery bookshop and I couldn't go past it. I adore, adore the colours and the style of illustration. I love the map like qualities/birds eye views of many of the illustrations. There is such a lot of beauty in every page. I'd love some of the pages on the wall at home as art.

Bought at the Art Gallery Shop Christchurch NZ $17.99

The Lion and the Bird by Marianne Dubuc

The text in this book is so paired back and the illustrations beautifully capture the changing of seasons and the sweet relationship between the bird and lion. There are often pages with no text at all. It's a thick book and it is gentle and enchanting at the same time. Love!

Bought at Scorpio Books Christchurch NZ $24.99


Being a teacher makes it easier for me to justify these purchases but I also do wholeheartedly believe in the power of books, in the supporting of local shops and the enjoying of beautiful things.

love you more than the smell of a new book xxx

Bookish - Our Stories

Hey Friends,

Recently I was sent some gorgeous board books to look at. Even though my boys are well past the board book stage I still have a large basket of 'perfect for little readers' at home for our littlest visitors.

Having the privilege of teaching in a Maori environment has made me think lately about how important it is for us to be publishing more books in Te Reo.

The joyful thing is that there are children growing up around Aotearoa in Maori speaking households. Children whose parents want to read them books that affirm their first language and give them the same joy that children get in discovering the wonder of beautiful books. It is my very strong belief that these books in Te Reo Maori need to be as well written and as beautiful as any book on offer in English or other languages. We also need to work in Aotearoa to make sure there are a wider selection of these books.

Imagine going into your favourite book store and only having 2 or 3 titles to choose from for your beautiful child?

I know our book market is smaller than most and so this makes it difficult for publishers to maybe justify these choices but thankfully there is also a swell of people who want these books, including non-fluent homes who want to learn, honour and embrace Maori language.

All this to say...! I was delighted to receive the board books Colours for Kiwi Babies and Counting for Kiwi Babies both by Matthew and Fraser Williamson. These simple colourful books feature iconic animals and objects (pavlova) and are written in both Te Reo Maori and English.

These are perfect for any family in Aotearoa and would also make a gorgeous gift for families overseas as well. A little slice of beautiful Aotearoa wherever someone is.

Also on offering is a Hide and Seek Hairy MacLary board book with lift the flaps on each page. Lynley Dodd is an iconic New Zealand author who has justifiable reputation around the world. This one is a nice robust introduction to some of our best loved characters. The book is only in English.

My boys loved Lynley Dodd growing up and we had a board book of Zachary Quack which I think was the first book I lost the will to read for the 4000th time - which goes to show how well it was loved. I remember a particularly long and car sick road trip where we tried to recite all the lyrics with our then 2 year old to distract him from the motion sickness.

Great books for little people you love and the present box.

Details
Counting for Kiwi Babies, Penguin Random House, July 2017 RRP $12.99
Colours for Kiwi Babies, Penguin Random House, July 2017 RRP $12.99
Hairy MacLary, Hide and Seek, Penguin Random House, July 2017 RRP $17.99

love you more than a celebration of beautiful books xxx

Bookish - That's Not The Monster We Ordered

Hiya Big-Little Readers,

That's Not the Monster We Ordered by Richard Fairgray and Terry Jones arrived at our place recently. It's a great story about wanting what someone else has and then getting your own and it not living up to expectations.

The illustrations perfectly compliment the narrative of the book - cartoon/ comic stripe style.

It's a fun story, with plenty of laughs but it's also poignantly about realising what you have is actually probably what you really need and everyone else's grass might be greener but it isn't yours.

Delightful. Great story for primary level and above.

Details - That's Not the Monster We Ordered by Richard Fairgray and Terry Jones, Penguin Random House, May 2017 RRP $19.99

love you more than loving the monster you have xxx

Bookish - The Giant Jumperee

Kia ora lovelies,

When I saw that Julia Donaldson had a new picture book I was really keen to read it. Donaldson is a great storyteller and has such a skill with rhyme. (One of my pet hates in rhyming books is when the story is weakened to make the words rhyme or when the words aren't phrased properly or the rhymes are weak or clearly an 'only option').

The Giant Jumperee is clearly a story for the toddlers in the bunch. It gorgeously captures the stage of life when one-up-man-ship is a natural state of being and mama knows all. I can see it being a great family book that will encourage rhyming together and imaginative play. As a departure the book is not only in rhyme but switches between.

Helen Oxenbury is the illustrator and I think her style is a perfect choice for this book. Donaldson's books have been paired with various illustrators and I think it's a really important element in terms of their overall success.

A gorgeous, funny, happy text that will be a firm favourites with little 'giant' jumperees everywhere.

Details - The Giant Jumperee by Julia Donaldson, Penguin Random House April 2017, $30.00HB

Bookish - See You In the Cosmos

Hey peeps,

I've just put down Jack Cheng's debut novel 'See You in the Cosmos'. The novel is aimed at the tween/teen age category but it's a great read and I think plenty of adults would find it really enjoyable too.

It's tempting to say the book is written in first person but it's actually a transcript for Alex Petroski's golden ipod that he's preparing to launch into the atmosphere for whatever intelligent life is out there. Alex is determined to capture life and sounds to launch with his rocket as part of SHARF (Southwest High Altitude Rocket Festival). However, as the novel unfolds it is the reader who is offered a unique perspective on the world. Gifts and wisdom from the mind of an 11 year old whose perspective is not just different because of who is innately is but, as with all of us, because of what is going on in his world, who he meets and what happens to him along the way.

As a teacher, this novel also challenges me on the children normalise whatever happens in their world front. As adults we have set perspectives on what the world ought to be like, how adults should behave and what levels of care are appropriate for children. Unless we are in the worlds of our young people we have no idea whether what they are experiencing comes anywhere near to what we think it is.

This book is also about community, accepting outsiders, doing what you can for others, embracing the unexpected and accepting that wisdom might come from unexpected places. It's also one of those lovely books where the protagonist is anything but cool but he has no anxiety about what cool is, trying to be cool, and it never seems to occur to him to be anything other than himself. It's a beautiful message delivered effortlessly integrated into the narrative without obviously saying it.

I think this would be a really good one to read and talk about with young people or even just as a read alone book to reflect on. Some of the themes and material covered wouldn't make it accessible for younger (primary aged) readers even though they may have the ability to read it. I look forward to reading more from Jack Cheng - a fabulous and unexpected debut.

Details - PenguinRandomHouse 1 March 2017, RRP $21.00

love you more than a really good burger xxx

Bookish - The Young Magicians and the Thieves' Almanac

Hiya friends,

I've just finished reading The Young Magicians and The Thieves' Almanac by Nick Mohammed.

Pretty much the moment  I finished reading it I started reading it aloud to my boys. I so enjoyed this upper primary/intermediate level novel and I knew it would especially appeal to my 10 year old who is rather partial to magic tricks and science.

I thought the humour was totally on point for this age too - not too swaggery and obvious but also not so subtle that you need to work to figure it out or 'get' it.

The narrative follows four young magicians and their hopeful journey to become part of the Magic Circle. (A famous magic institution in London). As they arrive and form a friendship it will take all of their skills to work out what is really going on - as well as trying to solve some very mysterious crimes along the way.

I like that the protagonists have a genuine and warm friendship with each other without any of them needing to fall in love. I appreciate that they aren't naturally cool kids but neither are they one dimensional geeky stereotypes.

I really hope that the author publishes more books using this fab four and continues to provide humour, mystery and some adventures along the way.

My boys are already loving how much I've read them and I think if another is published they'd both read it independently.

Details - PenguinRandomHouse NZ, March 2017 RRP $21.00

(thanks to PRH for this fab book to review)

love you more than President Pickle loves a roast with ALL the trimmings ;-) xxx

Bookish - Don't Cross the Line

Hi reading types,

As you may remember I'm actively limiting screen time in my world (as she blogs!) at the moment and focussing on reading instead. This is very good seeing as I currently have a fabulous stack of books I requested for reviewing and another ever expanding stack of books that keep falling into my cart when I am shopping... it's truly strange!

One of the new picture books that currently has me enthralled is Don't Cross the Line by Isabel Martins and illustrated by Bernardo Carvalho. 

The book is filled with illustrations that look like they have been done by a child (hopefully that isn't insulting to the illustrator) they are basic felt pen on a white background which grows more complex as the narrative unfolds. The text is very minimal and consists only of speech and sounds made by people or animals.

This book is clever, it manages to do profound things with very little. For me this is the essence of all my absolutely favourite picture books.

The theme explored in the book is dictatorship, peaceful resistance, the common voice and the absurdity of people who want power for no good reason - yet it just feels like some random story moment, with simple pictures and no 'teachy' tone to it at all.

This would be a great book for discussing power and power struggles - from the playground issues to world politics. It's incredibly clever and to be honest I never expect anything less from books published by Gecko - they are very astute in their choices.

Details - Gecko Press, September 2016. Hardback $29.99 NZD available direct from Gecko or other great book stores.

What simple book has been much more than it appears on the surface in your world?

love you more than a new book xxx

The Non-Lamppost Narnian Light

Kia ora koutou,

If you know me long you'll soon know how much I love books, especially children's books and I have an extra special place in my heart for the Narnia series by C.S Lewis. Bounce and I are currently reading The Horse and His Boy together.

Because I love these books so much I often grab them when I see them at an op-shop so we can lend them without worrying about losing them, or we have also given them to little friends from time to time as well. All this to say, when I needed to replace a lamp shade I decided to cut up a version of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, but I hold strongly to the 'books are friends, treat them with care' philosophy of life. (My bank account supports this statement).

We found this red lamp cover in an op-shop recently which was great because I was struggling to find them in a shop.

I used a kitchen glass to draw circles on the pages and cut them out while visiting friends (we haven't been invited back since... I'm pretty sure I'm not to blame...).

Hot glue gun, plus circles, plus my usual make-it-up-as-you-go approach. Et voila! Narnian lamp which makes the whole room glow red when it's on.

Ahhhh... literary lighting for less than $5? Yes please.

love you more than handmade lighting xxx

Tussle with a Toucan - Closet Case Files Nettie Dress

Me again!

So I wasn't finished at the green spots - I saw some toucan scuba knit, for $10m. I was very excited :-)

I decided to make another Nettie dress with it. Buying the requisite 1.5m ended up being a little excessive... I made a recorder cover (rather than toucan knickers!) for Bounce with some of the offcuts... there may still be enough for something else.

The toucan dress came together easily – I would recommend a longer stitch length with the fabric. Scuba knit really marks where the holes are too if you have to do any unpicking.  I overlocked the inside of the neckband which in hindsight makes it a bit scratchy on my ‘scoop’ areas. The overlocking  on the arm holes also seems to make the shoulders a little stiff.

In fully embracing the bird theme I wore my bird-leg coloured tights – and caused something of a stir at school drop off. (It was definitely a combo people commented on). I can confirm the stretch works for biking in though.

Having worn this dress a few times now I have cut the overlocking around the neckline off. Too scratchy! Also I find scuba gets rather whiffy or maybe it makes me feel a bit hot/cold sweaty... does that make any sense? I shall keep wearing it, because I like it but more for short wears rather than a whole day.

If I had my time with this fabric again I might go more for a hoodie or something but it still makes me smile.

love you more than a tussle of Toucans xxx