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Celebrating children's books and more! Children's book illustration, vintage and out-of-print childrens books, insights into the life of a bookseller and other bits and bobs.
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As many of you already know Terry (my husband) is a freelance photographer. He is usually out and about photographing sporting events or fetes but a few weeks ago he was asked to cover something completely different. This is the headline that subsequently appeared in the press
A runaway dog has been dubbed a real-life 'Littlest Hobo' after covering an epic 120 miles across five counties during two months on the run.
and this is the story, with thanks to Terry Fisher for the photograph and to the Western Daily Press & Western Gazette for the words.Rescue dog Frankie slipped his lead on his very first walk with his new owner James Brooks, 56, who posted an appeal on a lost dog website.
Over the following weeks the Labrador-cross was spotted in 14 towns and villages across Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, West Berkshire, Somerset and Dorset.
The three-year-old was finally captured after taking refuge in a cowshed after being bitten by a badger. Bedraggled Frankie was battered, bruised and emaciated following his adventure but is now on the road to recovery after being reunited with James.
His epic tale mirrors the popular Littlest Hobo TV series of the 1960s, 70s and 80s where stray Hobo the German Shepherd travelled from town to town despite attempts to adopt him.
Mr Brooks said: "We were only able to track him down thanks to talking to people to spread the word, people phoning me and messages on the website."He crossed five counties during his time away. He has certainly got a great story to tell, if only he could talk."He was in pretty bad shape when we got the call from the vets to say they thought they had our dog, but it certainly shows he is a strong one.
"I don't think there is any doubt that he will be able to enjoy long walks."
Mr Brooks, his wife Emma and daughter Becky, 16, adopted Frankie from a rescue home in Derby, on June 27, as a companion for their black Labrador Jay. But when Mr Brooks tried to introduce the two pets, Frankie – who had anxiety issues – slipped his lead and darted into a field near their home in Stanford in the Vale, in the Cotswolds.
The family spotted him in nearby villages over the following days but were unable to catch the frightened dog, and posted an appeal on
www.doglost.co.uk. Sightings immediately flooded in from Wicklesham, Faringdon, Longcot and Woolstone in Oxfordshire, before a horse rider spotted him in Upper Lambourn in West Berkshire.
The daring pet – which has distinctive horizontal ears – was next spotted by builders in Baydon, Wiltshire, who fed him sandwiches. He crossed main roads and farms until he was seen in Lambourn, West Berkshire, rifling through a skip in mid-July.
Miraculously the Labrador-German shepherd cross even returned home at the end of the month, but ran off before baffled Mr Brooks was able to catch him. "I was sitting in the garden and I heard the metal gate rattle," said Mr Brooks. "I went to look and I couldn't believe it – there he was running off. "We even cooked sausages in the garden to see if we could tempt him back."
The trail went cold for three weeks before, incredibly, a report came in from Bruton, Somerset, to say a very skinny Frankie has been spotted on August 14. Five days later a dairy farmer found him cowering in a shed in nearby Sherborne, Dorset, and took him to a vet, who diagnosed Frankie with blood poisoning after a badger or fox bite to the cheek.
Staff at Kingston Veterinary Group nursed him back to health – thanks to donations from local animal lovers – and were able to track down Mr Brooks through the lost dog website.
The family took him home last Thursday and he settled in immediately "We are taking him for longer and longer walks and he is putting on much-needed weight. Of course, we have now had him chipped."
I'm so pleased the story had a happy ending – how different it could have been. Thinking about Frankie and dogs in general inspired me to share a few pretty book covers with you. I hope you enjoy looking at them.All featured books are available (unless sold) at March House Books
We've been enjoying some beautiful autumn days in the UK but on the other side of the world, it’s the beginning of spring.
Here are two spring time photographs of our gorgeous granddaughters enjoy the sunshine. They are just getting over a nasty bout of flu so it’s nice to see them looking so well.
Zoe Rose
Lilly Grace
Photograph's courtesy of our daughter in law Karen Fisher, you can see more of her work at; Family Tree PhotographyHave a wonderful weekend, thank you for your visit. I look forward to coming over to say hello to you all.
Hello March House Books readers. Let me introduce myself. My name is Martha Mans and I am a fine artist. I have been painting in watercolour and oil all my life. And what does this have to do with children’s books you might ask.
Well, as a child I loved to read and I especially was fond of looking at the illustrations. Being a very visual child I loved the magic that the illustrator created with their drawings and paintings.
As a mother I loved to read to my children and watch them light up as I read the stories and point to the illustrations and talk to me about them. One of their greatest joys was to go to bookstores with me and choose books that I could read to them and eventually they could read for themselves.
As an artist I have been lucky to go to some wonderful places to paint.
Such is the case of the beautiful Medano/Zapata Ranch in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, where I have the privilege of being invited to paint each year. It is home of a herd of over 2500 American bison. Most of the time you can't get close to these magnificent American icons so when a little bison was found alone out on the range and needed to be rescued everyone on the ranch couldn't stay away and talked of nothing else. One of the ranch hands gave him the name Gordon.
I was immediately intrigued. As I've said before, I'm an artist and I suppose that is why the book started taking shape with paintings of Gordon. Sometime later when I began thinking about a story for a little bison it came to me that this little bison didn't know what he was because he was not with a herd and there was no other bison around to teach him. He couldn't go back into the herd, it would be impossible to get them to accept him. So he had to go on a journey of self discovery and find a place where he fit in and could be happy. This is how “Gordon”, my first attempt at a children’s book, was born.
The Medano/Zapata Ranch is protected by the Nature Conservancy and dedicated to preserving the animals and their habitat. So, in developing the story it was great fun to discover animals that were indigenous to the land and have them meet Gordon. Through them he would learn about the ranch and find out eventually who he is.
I loved drawing and painting Gordon but I had to learn something about baby bison first. I soon discovered that baby bison are born sometime between April and June. A very young bison is reddish in color and is called a calf. They are also known as “red dogs”. It is easy to pick them out from the adult bison, who have dark brown coats. The baby bison stays close to its mother for about one year and she protects and teaches it many things to help it survive. Around September it’s coat begins to turn darker brown, it’s shoulder hump begins to appear and it’s horns begin to grow. It begins to eat grass and plants. The young bison continues to grow for three or four more years, until it becomes an adult.
It’s scary to think how close we came to no longer having this awesome animal around today. The herds that once numbered in the millions were reduced to fewer than one thousand by the late 1800s. Due to many people who worked hard the herds have grown back to where the bison are no longer in danger of becoming extinct.
So if you do travel west during the summer months take the time to look for the red colored babies in a bison herd. Have fun watching them run, jump and play as all baby animals do and give thanks that this magnificent animal is still here and once again roams parts of the west.
Also remember you can visit the real Gordon at the
Zapata Ranch like I did this earlier this year.
PS: I’d like to thank Barbara for letting me share this story on her blog. Hope you enjoyed it!
or buy the book at
Gordonthebison.comThank you so much Martha your illustrations are beautiful. I would love to visit Gordon and the other animals at the Zapata Ranch one day. Barbara
Nid-Nod said the daisies,
Nid-Nod the whispering breeze, Nid-Nod crooned the birdies - Nid-Nod the rustling trees. Nid - Nod winked the little stars in the soft evening light.The whole big world's a Nodding - Nid-Nod Nid-Nod goodnight.
This is a glorious collection of stories, poems, songs and prayers. There are games to play and things to do. Published by The Epworth Press, London, undated but c1953.
The stories include Betty and the dream man by Chris G Temple, The lost thimble by Elizabeth Gould Binks's tail by P. B. Longson, Seeing the world by Dorothy MacNulty, and Two grey kittens by Ruth Ainsworth.
One of four pretty endpapers
there is lots to see.
Heather and Geoffrey obviously loved The Lovesome Book
they spent a great deal of time colouring in the pictures and completing the dot-to-dots. I think mummy might have helped with the spots on the giraffe.
Smiling comes easily when looking at this gorgeous book.
Dandy the circus dog demonstrating one of his tricks.
More pretty pictures
Songs and prayers
Excellent colouring in
A bedtime story...
Nid-Nod said the daisies, Nid-Nod the whispering breeze, Nid-Nod crooned the birdies - Nid-Nod the rustling trees. Nid - Nod winked the little stars in the soft evening light.The whole big world's a Nodding - Nid-Nod Nid-Nod goodnight.
The Lovesome Book For Little FolkThank you for your visit...
The Sun newspaper has teamed up with some of the most popular children’s authors and entertainers to introduce a new weekly feature encouraging parents to read with their children.
Specially written ten-minute stories from authors including David Walliams (Mr. Stink), former children's laureate Michael Morpurgo (War Horse) and Derek Landy (Skulduggery Pleasant) will be published in Saturday editions of The Sun.
The Get Kids Reading campaign is part of a wider Read On, Get On campaign with Save the Children that calls on the government, local organisations and parents to tackle illiteracy and get children reading.
David Walliams
David Dinsmore, Editor of The Sun, said: Illiteracy in Britain should be something our schoolchildren know only from the pages of their history books. Getting kids to read about things they're interested in is half the battle. With exclusive stories by top children¹s authors and free e-book offers, we will be helping parents find ways to make reading an easy everyday part of life.
Justin Forsyth from Save The Children said: We want every child to be given a fair and equal chance to learn to read well. We applaud The Sun for getting behind this campaign, and look forward to working with its readers to restore literacy to its rightful levels in the UK.
Other contributors who have supplied ten-minute reads are Susanna Reid, Rizzle Kicks and David Baddiel. The newspaper is also running a national competition to find the next budding children’s author with the winning story published as the final instalment of the series.
The Sun bus is visiting schools giving away books throughout October and free children’s e-books will be available to download for Sun members.
Disclaimer; I received no financial compensation for writing this post and have no material connection to the brands or products mentioned.
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Autumn has definitely arrived in Somerset. The dahlias are at their best, and the apple trees are laden with fruit. Yesterday, we received a visit from a hummingbird hawk moth and could hardly believe our eyes! What on earth is it, we asked? A baby hummingbird? A bug? Terry rushed for his camera, and I rushed for the Internet! The moth was too quick for the camera, but the Internet revealed all.
According to the
BBC Nature Website Hummingbird hawk-moths are found in Britain all summer long, especially in Southern parts and in Ireland (odd that this is the first one we’ve seen?) They beat their wings at such speed they emit an audible hum. Their name is further derived from their similar feeding patterns to hummingbirds. Hummingbird hawk-moths are strongly attracted to flowers with a plentiful supply of nectar such as honeysuckle and buddleia. The one we saw was flitting between our honeysuckle and a neighbour's buddleia…
The photographs that follow were all taken in our garden…
In the Other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail!
Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
The gray smoke towers.
Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all!
Flowers in the summer,
Fires in the fall!
Autumn Fires by
Robert Louis Stevenson (from A Child’s Garden of Verses, 1885)
By: Barbara Fisher,
on 9/5/2014
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Who doesn't remember packing a picnic hamper into the boot of the family car only to have the car break down? It happened all the time when I was a little girl. Dad would attack the engine with a spanner and a greasy rag, and sometimes that would be enough to get us on our way. If not, it was a call to the AA (Automobile Association) and a wait for the patrol man to turn up on his motorbike, just as he does in one of these sweet little books.
Thank you for accompanying me on my travels! If you would like to know more about any of the books, please click on the links above each one.
When I started this post, I assumed the four books above made up a complete set but by a strange coincidence, I was offered another set of five books. There can’t be very many of these around so it seems like the best kind of luck to have two sets plus an extra! Now two lucky customers can own a little piece of travel history.
A journey is best measured in friends, not in miles... Tim Cahill
Thanks for being my friend and for breaking your journey here...
Read the rest of this post
A love of reading, writing and a passion for adventure are the themes of a new competition, with children aged ten and under being asked to put their imagination and creativity into action by writing a story about Lottie and her holiday adventures.
The competition is a chance for one lucky child to win a selection of ten books from the Lottie Pinterest folder ‘
Great Books for Girls’ (that boys can read too!), in addition to winning exclusive new Lottie products before they hit the shops.
Entering the competition is very straightforward;
Parents and guardians are asked to download a printable template from the storywriting app on the Lottie dolls Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/lottiedolls so that kids can use this as a starting point for their story. Parents are then required to take a photo of their child’s story and upload it onto the storywriting contest Facebook app and fill in a form to grant parental permission for their child’s entry to be considered for the competition. Full terms and conditions of the competition are to be found at:
Disclaimer; I received no financial compensation for writing this post and have no material connection to the brand or products mentioned.
These are just some of the beautiful books I've catalogued in the last couple of weeks. I love my work! The oldest – Wee Bits O’ Things by Ernest Aris was published in 1914 and the newest – The Church Mice and the Ring by Grahame Oakley in 1992. The Chalet School & the island, Adventurous Four, My first and second story books and the Tiny Tots annual were all published in the 1950s. Doodles the performing pup is a cardboard puppet ready to cut out and build. Beautiful books - vintage or new they need no words! I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed cataloguing them.
These and many others are available to view or purchase (unless sold) at
March House BooksDoodles, The Church Mice and the Ring and The Chalet School and the Island are now sold, thank you for your interest.
It’s always a delight to visit the Hay-on-Wye book town. Its position on the border between England and Wales makes it the perfect place to set out on an exploration of the beautiful border country
A mug of tea and a quick study of the map is always first on the agenda. I know where the shops are, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared!
The main attraction for me is, of course, the numerous bookshops. We were only in the town for half a day, but I've been before so made straight for my favourites, one of which is Backfold Books & Bygones, an interesting mix of general & children's books, plus postcards & ephemera.
Backfold Books & Bygones (Oxford Road)
Someone at The Addyman Annexe (27 Castle Street) has a fine sense of humour!
Kindles are banned from The Kingdom of Hay – Amen!
I noticed the ‘No Parking Sign’ on the side of the building when I took the previous ‘photo but what I didn't notice until later was the message chalked above it.
Buy a Book - At any time.
If you like your bookshops big, be sure to visit The Hay Cinema Bookshop
From the Guardian Independent Bookshop Directory... A cathedral of books, an enormous building, stuffed to the rafters with second-hand books on old library shelving.
I could happily spend a week browsing the shelves but my husband doesn't enjoy book shopping, so I made a beeline for the children's section and avoid the rest.
A tiny corner of the Hay Cinema Bookshop.
We picked a perfect July day for our visit.
If books are not your thing, you will find plenty of other distractions.
Quirky vintage shops,
delightful flowers
and charming streets to explore.
I didn't get much time in this interesting shop and am kicking myself because I can’t remember the name. I do remember the owner saying it was named after one of his dogs. Looking at the map, I think it might be Belle Books on Broad Street?
From Hay-On-Wye it was on to Stella Books at Tintern in the beautiful Wye Valley.
With around 30,000 out-of-print books this is one shop you can’t afford to miss.
The river with Stella Books in the distance.
After a good sleep and a delicious breakfast at this fantastic b&b, we were ready for more adventures.
We weren't intending to visit Hay this year hence the shortness of our trip. We were en route to Buckinghamshire, but it was raining there so we went to Hay first. If you are thinking of going, you really need to allow more time to visit all the shops. A week should just about do it!
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Just before I close I want to share this beautiful gift received in the post last week.
Thank you very, very much Nicole I was so excited when the postman called, and I love every single thing.
For those of you who haven’t met Nicole, she is a very talented author and illustrator living and working in Holland; See more
here
Nicole and I have not met, but we have corresponded over a number of years, and I count myself very lucky to have her as a friend.
I am also grateful for all my blogging friends, thank you for visiting.
A beautiful picture book telling the story of three small children, a dog and a cat about to go on holiday..
Travelling by steam train…
and taxi!
On arrival at their destination, they chat to a flower seller...
and a hurdy-gurdy boy.
They spend a long time gazing at the toys in the toyshop window
before going to play in the park.
Then it's off to the cake shop for tea with grandpapa.
I know some people might think the animals have no business being in the cake shop never mind sitting at the table, but it’s my favourite picture. Grandpapa looks like a kindly old gentleman. The children are incredibly wholesome and the animals well behaved. Even the waitress is smiling.
The story follows the children as they enjoy a holiday on the farm...
and ends when they put their toys to bed.
The Cheery Chicks Book illustrated by Harold Earnshaw
Thanks for looking...
I adore vintage greetings cards so finding this collection rather made my day! The cards were given to a little girl called ‘Briony’ between her birth on the 28th December 1946 and her second birthday in 1948. As much as I love these, I can’t keep everything (as Terry is happy to remind me) so these are listed for sale on my website. If you would like further details, please follow the links. I'm always happy to reduce prices for job lots.
Peek-A-Boo - unused miniature greeting card. This adorable card is a little creased but other than that it's in perfect condition. The wording inside reads 'It's for you'.
Congratulations to Baby and you. This delightful die cut card features a baby in a crib surrounded by flowers. The verse inside reads - rejoicing in your happiness, sincerely wishing too that life and love may always bless your little one and you!
Happy Landings. This pretty card was produced in 1946 as part of the Victor and Mabel Evershed range. It was given to Briony on the occasion of her birth on the 28th December 1946. Inside reads - Congratulations! I hear the great Little Person has arrived. It's signed by Vi and Eric with every good wish. Hand coloured flowers at the bottom of the card and a pink ribbon bow. The illustration is signed 'LP' there is a little browning to the centre of the card but is otherwise in good condition.
Tom Tom the Pipers son stole a pig and away he ran, over the hills and far away to wish you luck on your first birthday.
Good luck from Tom, good luck from me for this and every year, may life be bright as bright can be and bless you, baby dear! If you look closely you might spot the farmer chasing after Tom. These tiny details really bring the card to life.
For Baby's Very First Birthday Super greetings card from 1947. "Creeping here and reaching there, bright eyes searching everywhere, may your eager heart find, too, this Happy Birthday wish for you!" With hand written message "Love & kisses, darling from Auntie Tubby." Sweet black and white image on the inside of a baby with a teddy, toy dog and rattle.
Birthday Wishes now you're ONE YEAR OLD today! Lovely card given to Briony on her first birthday in 1947. Delightful verse inside reads - Everyone knows, from your head to your toes you're a Darling! So this will convey fond love, and the very best wishes of all, to greet your first birthday today. Hand written greeting 'From Gerda To Briony x' .
Two original vintage gift tags;
Two of the prettiest little gift tags you are ever likely to find. Both are used, and both were attached to parcels given to 'Briony' for Christmas 1947. The first shows a hand coloured rabbit with a red bow and a lovely fluffy white tail. The message on the card reads To Briony with lots of love from Barbara Merry Christmas. The other shows a windmill with the words To Dear little Briony from Nellie with love. I'm sure it would be very difficult to find two others quite like these.
Hickory Dickory Dock Part of the Alpha Series made in Britain. Folding nursery rhyme card 'Hickory Dickory Dock the mouse ran up the clock! The clock struck one the mouse ran down! Hickory Dickory Dock. Many Happy Returns! Message reads - With love & kisses from Gillian xxx. Pretty colour illustrations inside and out.
.
Here is Teddy watch him run Charming die cut card "Here is Teddy watch him run to greet you on the day you're one" produced by G. Delgado, London in 1947. Message on back reads ‘With lots of love and kisses' Single sheet die-cut card.
A Christmas Smacker Delightful die-cut card featuring a smiling 'sailor' duck. Card stands 6" tall. I just love this happy smiling chap in his sailor outfit. There is a sweet verse, inside - Here's a LUCKY CHRISTMAS DUCKY! He's really quite a "QUACKER" - For he's bringing you a CHRISTMAS HUG and a great big CHRISTMAS "SMACKER"! The card was given to Briony in 1948, but the handwritten greeting just reads "with love from Nicolas"
Peek-A-Boo - I see you!
Thank you for taking the time to look at some of my vintage greeting cards, there are many others in stock
here
Dear March House Books Readers,
Firstly a big thank you to Barbara for this lovely invitation: a site I often visit for a trip down memory lane.
My name is Julia Suzuki and I am author of the soon to be released Land of Dragor, a children’s adventure series with an appeal for the child within us all too!
My formative years were enchanting, and the strongest inspiration for my current authorship. The earliest recollection I have was being sat in my bedroom with the breeze blowing in through the window on a beautiful summers day, listening to the sounds of animals merged with the thrill of happy human cheers!
It wasn’t the usual garden sounds though; not dogs, not cats, not birds - nor of children playing in the garden as they would normally do.
But it was the noises of real beasts: lions and monkeys, zebras and cheetahs! Our family home was uniquely set on the closest edge to a Zoo and Theme Park in Staffordshire; we were separated only by the Millrace at the bottom of the garden on the ‘Deer park Estate’ by Drayton Manor Park in Tamworth, Staffordshire.
The Drayton Manor Theme Park
One summer, my Father lovingly handcrafted myself and brothers wide canoes. In the years ahead we would regularly set off for secret adventures. Down the millrace we would paddle, and into the fields we would go; playing wildly in the woods, loving nature, embracing the outdoors - pretending we were the animals.
Boating with my eldest brothre: In my element!
My imagination started to grow with my love of books.
My winter months were spent indoors often reading. I loved all the now vintage books: Beatrix Potter, CS Lewis, Enid Blyton and others of that period. I would often close the book and write my own endings and so my joy of creative writing began.
At the age of seven I was enrolled in elocution lessons with a local speech and drama school, ran by a former teacher from a local convent. She was very strict and austere but that did bring out the best in the group of girls that attended. In the lessons I would practice reciting pages of literature and poetry, from memory, in preparation for the London School of Music examiners. I continued through to the senior grades. My favorite and most memorable recital was from the book the Snow Goose; such a sad tale that even in recollection pulls at heartstrings.
Here are my three favourite books and their covers that sat on my shelf:
Into adulthood a business career followed. After time at University studying marketing, a career with Disney licensing then followed. After this I worked in international licensing for the leisure entrepreneur David Lloyd in a resorts business. I had the good fortune of traveling to many of the most beautiful places in the world - inspiring me further. My urge to be an author was growing daily, and I recently gave up this career to become a full time writer.
And so the first book the Gift of Charms came to be!
I had been thinking back to the wonderful vintage books I had read and wishing there were more like this - but with unique and modern edge and an interactive web presence. Being a mother I believed I knew first hand what parents were looking for when purchasing a book for their children, yet more than that, I felt strongly that I knew also what they sought themselves: gripping action, lots of adventure - all the classic aspects of heroes and villains, mystery and magic, quests and suspense, and the dream of happy endings.
I wanted to write books with universal appeal, that were fantastical and 'out there' and yet still felt somehow real; to fulfil the expectations of book lovers and also hook non-readers back into reading. For me this had to be in the form of a series set in a place we would all be excited to visit.
I designed the land, integrating beautiful countryside, mountain trails, great waters and caves to explore. All the things I loved as a child and still do today. The most beautiful places that I had seen on my international travels formed the setting of Dragor: the amazing mountains of Colorado, the great deserts of Palm Springs, in California, the vast waters in the Lake District, and the seaside caves of Cornwall - not forgetting the enchanting wilderness of Scotland. Dragor would be my ideal place to live - full of magnificent scenery, bursting with animals and nature's magical flowers and plants. A place of adventure, excitement and promise.
Synopsis of Book #1
The Gift of Charms is an enthralling children’s tale of magic, adventure, and suspense, with a heart-warming centre.
The first in the Land of Dragor series, transports the reader to the magical Land of Dragor, where dragon clans live hidden from man.
Their great wars with humans and the evil dragsaurs are over and the dragons live in the caves among smoking mud pools and around The Fire Which Must Never Go Out. But the terrible years when they were enslaved by humans has left a lasting scar and they are told they can never soar above the mountains and leave their safe haven to explore the outside world.
There is unease in the air of their mist-filled valley, and the coming of a strange egg heralds a new era. Unlike the normal delicate lilac, this shell is multi-coloured like the contents of a treasure chest.
The newborn hatchling is called Yoshiko, but he is immediately treated with suspicion by the elders, and is lucky to survive. The last time a coloured egg was laid, legendary warrior leader Surion was born from a red shell, and with his gift of fire the dragons went to battle with the humans. Will Yoshiko bring a blessing to the clans, or a curse? Could Dragor be about to meet its saviour, or its destroyer?
Author Julia Suzuki
All best wishes
Julia Suzuki
Fantasy Author
The Land of Dragor adventure series
(John Blake Publishing House, Dino Imprint)
After so many stories and myths about dragons finally the truth is revealed!
'A beautifully presented, wonderfully unique debut' - The Sun
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Thank you so much Julia! The gift of charms certainly sounds like an exciting read. I wish you every success, Barbara.
Having enjoyed our summer break it’s now time to start replenishing the shelves. This is a quick preview of some newly listed items.
Ginger the cat - the strange tale of a tail. A Tuck Book published by Raphael Tuck in 1945. If ever there was a bold, bad cat, it was Ginger! Beautifully illustrated in full colour by Harry Woolley.
Ginger the cat is now sold, thank you for your interest.What to look for in autumn illustrated by the wildlife artist C. F. Tunnicliffe (1901 – 1979) published by Ladybird books in 1960. C.F. Tunnicliffe was commissioned to illustrate five books for Ladybird: What to look for in spring, What to look for in summer, What to look for in autumn, What to look for in winter (first published 1959-1961) and a ‘Learning to read’ book The Farm.
A selection of fun annuals;
The Teddy Tail annual featured here is now sold but we do have others in stock.
The Teddy bears picnic and the frog and Miss Mouse's wedding. Cookery for the very young, simple and safe.Colour illustrations throughout both books by Jill Mackley Hall. Recipes with ingredients that are simply assembled and need little supervision. All kinds of delights for the youngest child to try including crispy nutty delights, sardine crackers, Queens tarts, orange iceberg drink, banana spread, chocolate ice cream cups and corned beef whirls. Covers just a little rubbed on edges and some darkening to edges of pages else very good. Published in 1973. Priced at just £6.00 for the two.
A nice collection of the ever popular Pookie books by Ivy Wallace. Further details here
Ivy Wallace became a publishing phenomenon in the 1950s and 1960s with a series of children's books chronicling the adventures of Pookie, the flying rabbit who leaves his home in the Bluebell Wood to seek his fortune with a red spotted bundle tied on a stick; in the 1990s, she became one of the few writers to be rediscovered in her own lifetime.
A keen amateur artist, Ivy Wallace created Pookie during the Second World War. The books, beautifully illustrated by their author with every flower drawn from nature, became a worldwide success with the stories being translated into several languages and Pookie clubs as far afield as Australia, Canada and South Africa.
(The Telegraph online) Read moreCuckoo Cherry-Tree by Alison Uttley. A book of twelve original fairy tales for all ages, imbued with country lore and magic, with a background of woods and fields and cottages where simple folk live. Published by Faber & Faber in 1944. How nice it is to have the original dust jacket with this pretty book.
All the books featured here are available (unless previously sold) to view or purchase at
March House Books. Please use the quick search boxes on the home page or follow the links. Thanks to everyone who called in to wish me a happy holiday. I will be catching up with all your blogs just as soon as I can.
I was lucky enough to visit the magical Hay-on-Wye ‘book town’ and the wonderful Alfies Antiques Market in Marylebone and will be sharing some of the 'photos in a later post.
A few of the books acquired on my recent travels, some of which are available in my shop, others will be listed in the next few days.
And just to prove I did more than lounge around on my holiday...
Well, a girl can dream!
I will be listing other interesting things over the next few days so if you have a few minutes to spare why not pay a visit to
March HouseBooks where you will find...
My books are full of pictures of interesting places -
of circus tents and lions and clowns with funny faces!
Time to visit friends ~
Enjoy a gossip ~
Make merry ~
Dance ~
Play ~
Dream ~
Plant Roses ~
A little light shopping ~
Talk to the animals ~
and the elves! ~
Find a cosy nook ~
with a favourite ~
So ~
Expect me when you see me;
I'll write soon.
My batteries are in need of a quick recharge, but I will be back before you know it. Thanks for all the lovely comments left on my blog. I appreciate every single visit and will miss you all while I’m away.
*** All cards from my own collection
**** Vintage Books available from
March House BooksJust before I go, I've been asked to tell you about an adorable book available from
Kickstarter (an online platform for independent artists to raise funds for their projects). I don’t often blog about new books, but the artwork in this one is gorgeous.
Synopsis:
Jack the Kitten is full of imagination. One of his favourite things is to imagine he's a pirate. So although Jack is sleepy, he’s convinced pirates don’t go to bed. It's left to his big brother, Machu, to show him all the things that pirates do at bedtime.
The illustration of Machu and Jack brushing their teeth is priceless.
But now the moon was high in the sky and his Momma said it was time for bed.
“Bed?” Jack exclaimed. “Pirates don’t go to bed!”
Maybe pirates don’t need to go to bed but booksellers do, night all ZZZZZzzzzz.
Please listen to the music – it goes with the pictures.
A perfect day in June -
a walk in the park,
and lunch in a country pub
with
Terry and I spent our perfect day at the beautiful
Stourhead Estate in Wiltshire. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Spread Eagle Inn and a perusal of the books on offer at the Memorial Hall. The Spread Eagle Inn and Memorial Hall are both situated on the estate which also features a Palladian mansion and world-famous landscape lake & garden.
Our wedding day 44 years ago today - how young we look!
So that was our perfect day – how would you spend yours?
This week's book of the week is a beautifully illustrated bedtime story book by Mabel Lucie Attwell.
An anthology of stories and rhymes beginning with Bunty and the Little Boos;
"It was the Green Umbrella's doing really, for if it had not suddenly turned inside out and flown away over the sea, Carrying Bunty, Mops and Queen Elizabeth the doll with it, they would never have found the Little Boos. That's quite certain!
The Brown Rabbit helped a little, for if it hadn't called "Stop!" just when it did, they might have flown on and on, and there is no knowing what might have happened. I do know they were all very relieved when - bump, bumpty-bump - they were on firm land once more.
After they picked themselves up they saw a little mouse hurrying along. "Oh, please!" cried Bunty politely, "are we going right? We have lost our way." "Yes, straight on" said the mouse hurrying away. What an unhelpful person thought Bunty. As Bunty and her friends were tired, they climbed on to a comfortable tree to rest, but hardly were they seated when a squeaky voice asked for their tickets. "What tickets?" cried Bunty. "Tickets for the Little Boos concert tonight," said the voice, "and if you haven't any, you must come along with me to the king."
Bunty meets a Boo-Boo
The stories about the Boo-Boos are adorable but there are many others to choose from and poems too;
Ready for the rain;
It was such a sunny day,
when I set out on my way,
and the sky was a clear, bright blue.
But when the sky turned black,
I's my brolly and a mac,
Or I'd surely have been soaked right through!
Cheer Up!
Please don't be sad! Oh, do cheer up!
And smile again, says Patch the pup.
You're making me feel dismal too.
It's time we both stopped being blue.
Us Three
There's Timmy who's older and going to be tall,
and me in the middle, and baby who's small,
we share out our toys and we don't fight at all,
it's ever such fun when there's three!
But whenever we're planning a prank or a game,
whenever there's mischief they say I'm to blame,
whatever the trouble it's always the same,
the one in the middle is me!
This is one of my favourite illustrations it accompanies a story called The Gentle Dragon
This is Emily with her doll, Candy Mae and the very sad dragon.
If you would like to read previous Mabel Lucie Attwell posts please click on the following links
Something else I've fallen in love with this week
Each has a cut-out on the back cover.
I'm itching to cut them out - but of course, I won't!
I was over at the
Always Crave Cute Blog the other day where the lovely Diane was talking about clouds. Her “I spy in the sky a Puppy Dog up High” post reminded me of something I saw just a few days ago. The following pictures are as they came out of the camera other than a touch of clarity to bring out the details.
This is how the cloud looked when I first noticed it,
Then as it drifted away,
it began to turn over and ended up looking like this.
I like to think it was a visit from my Guardian Angel but what do you think?
Wherever you go
Whatever you do
May your Guardian Angel
Watch over you.
I've been busy cataloguing a collection of vintage Ladybird books. It takes me ages to list each one because I find myself caught up in the illustrations and fascinated by the text. It’s not unusual for an hour to pass with nothing achieved! I’m not complaining as they are delightful little books and the ones from series 536 (nature) are some of my favourites. Introduced in the 1950s by Douglas Keen they are a range of thoroughly researched educational titles, commissioned from specialist authors and illustrators, including C.F.Tunniclffe and Frank Hampson.
The painting above is by Johnina Hamilton or Ena as she prefers to be called. Ena is a very talented artist and really what could be nicer than a bunch of flowers painted by a friend. I've always loved the picture and was delighted when Ena offered it to me.
There are 25 books in the nature series. For those of you wishing to collect the full set, the titles to look out for are;
British birds and their nests
A second book of birds and their nests
A Third Book of British Birds and their Nests
British Wild Flowers
The Ladybird Book of Pets
British Wild Animals
What to look for in winter
Garden Flowers
What to look for in summer
What to look for in autumn
What to look for in spring
Weather
Trees
The Seashore and Seashore Life
The Night Sky
Butterflies, Moths and other insects
The Story of our Rocks and Minerals
Pond Life
Your Body
Garden Birds
Sea and Estuary Birds
Heath and Woodland Birds
Pond and River Birds
Birds of Prey
Birds of Northern Britain and Northern Europe
This one is not part of series 536, but it's such a sweet book I wanted to share it with you...
I still have lots of Ladybird books to list so if you are looking for a particular title don't forget to call in at
March House Books~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Did you know we each have a flower sign according to our date of birth?
I was born on August 26th so that makes me a Morning Glory! Want to check out your flower sign? Head over to
Whats-your-sign.com
Morning Glory August 22 - September 22
Morning glory zodiac flower signs are thoughtful and reflective. You tend to think and plan first before you take any action. You are organized and very observant. You have a natural eye for detail, and can be very analytical. You love to help people, and often use your organization skills to help others who struggle in "getting their act together." You bloom beautifully right where you are planted, and you have a neat way of making things right and tidy. People come to you for guidance and healing.
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The hand-painted ribbon for Lilly’s doll arrived (see previous post
here) so I must get the parcel ready to send to Australia. I also found a couple of 'Lilly' books, so they will be going in the box
along with a few things for Zoe;
That's all for now. Happy Wednesday!
Without further ado, I’d like to announce the results of what I’ve called Mayhem at March House Books, the competition to find another title for a Billy and Grandpop adventure.
I had plenty of ideas to choose from – I feel as if I’ve been around the world in terrific titles! A big thank you to everyone who entered.
Before I get to the winner, I’d like to give a “mention in dispatches” to the two top runners-up (in alphabetical order):
Betrayed in the Baltics
Rumblings in Russia
Well done to Darlene and Lindsay for those.
And now for the winner – drum roll –
Scrimmage in Singapore
I love the word “scrimmage” which has associations with “scrum” and “skirmish”. And Singapore? I’ve never been, but my dad spent some time there many moons ago with the RAF.
So, Claudine, jolly good show! You win a copy of
Trouble in Teutonia. Please send an email to
[email protected] and let me know your address.
Many of the other ideas have been tucked away for future inspiration so thank you all. It’s been a lot of fun having a guest spot and I’ve started looking at some of your varied and intriguing blogs and websites.
And, most of all, a big thank you to Barbara for having me!
Toodle pip for now.
Thanks so much Susan and to everyone who entered and very many congratulations to Claudine.
Please give a very warm welcome to Susan P Moss. Susan is the author of a series of retro-style adventure stories for 9 to 12 year olds. Her latest book, Trouble in Teutonia, was launched at Brooklands Museumon April 17th. Susan lives in Germanywith her husband and teenage son.
There’s nothing more delicious than rediscovering a favourite book from my childhood. Tearing open the packing of my new-old copy of Caroline and Her Friends– reunited after decades, or the joy in seeing that both Mary Plainand Pookiehad been republished, and I could order them to read to my son. Finding that my mum hadn’t given away my Little Grey Rabbit collection to the school, as she’d thought. Opening a hardback of The Wind in the Willows, spotting my dad’s unmistakable writing on the flyleaf and hearing his voice reading about Ratty and Mole messing about in boats. Opening a book from childhood opens a door into a lost world.
As L.P.Hartley wrote in The Go-Between, ‘The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.’
That lost world is the world of the book, be it Bigglesor Tom’s Midnight Garden– and more. It’s the world in which you read it back in those childhood days, under the covers by torchlight, or stretched out on a summer lawn gulping orange squash. A world with all its sights, smells, hopes and fears.
I’ve paid homage to L.P.Hartley in the strap line for my two retro-style children’s adventure stories, The Bother in Burmeon and Trouble in Teutonia: ‘The past is a dangerous country.’ I chose this line as some children don’t seem to be having adventures in the real world any more – it’s becoming “out of bounds” or only allowed if dressed head to toe in protective clothing!
The inspiration for "Bother and Trouble" came while I was writing a biography of my RAF officer dad for friends and family. I'd spent ages poring over log books, black and white snapshots in exotic locations and reminiscences from old chums when my young son asked what his granddad was like. A delightful "what if" question flitted into my mind, and with it one of those lost worlds, full of danger, dirty deeds and derring-do. My publisher described it as ‘a long-forgotten beauty – not fantasy, not ancient history, but something you and I had forgotten was magic: a Britain where country roads were bright and welcoming, where cars, motorbikes and aeroplanes – not to mention their pilots – still had an aura of adventure about them.’
The Author at Brooklands Museum
Picture from A.G.Lyttle
What if a 21stcentury boy, who was used to Pause Buttons and Play Agains from his adventures in a virtual world, could go back in time to the days where his granddad had adventures for real? Back to 1962 and South East Asia in The Bother in Burmeonand 1957, the Cold War and a country not unlike Germany in Trouble in Teutonia?
And I’d like to set a competition to win a copy of Trouble in Teutonia.All you have to do is dream up a title for another story in the series, in a similar vein and post it in the comments here. I can’t guarantee that I’ll write it, but you never know. The prize will go to the one that most tickles my fancy, in whatever way!
I’m very happy to answer questions about my books or my life as a writer, either here or via [email protected]
And, before I whizz off, many thanks to Barbara for having me as a guest at March House Books. The tea was brewed to perfection and the cake was scrumptious!
Toodle Pip!
This really is a spectacular event in a truly lovely spot. The fair celebrates all things rural, with dog shows, rare breads, vintage vehicles, and lots of demonstrations from highly skilled crafts people. As if that was not enough we were also able to enjoy dragon boat racing on the lake, a circus and all kinds of displays in the main ring. Other favourites included the varied stalls and a silent auction.
Sherborne Castle home pageI loved watching the Terrier racing. Half the time the dogs were chasing each other rather than the lure (a piece of cloth), but the spectators loved it.
I adored everything on the Dogs & Roses stall. Tracy, the stallholder was incredibly friendly and happy for me to photographer her designs. She has a soft spot for dogs, so much so they have become the inspiration for her interior design business, and most recently her fundraising for a variety of dog charities.
Read more here
Aquilegia, Lupins and Foxgloves
These ladies were cooking up a storm!
Such a beautiful creature
Dragon boat racing on the lake
Plant stalls with the perfect backdrop
I loved this mix of vintage things
Eliza James Flowers View of the castle and lawns with ‘willow deer’ in the foreground
The Silent Auction This looked like so much fun!
Mother and her camera shy baby
I almost got Terry one of these signs, but I wasn't sure he would appreciate it!
No day out is complete without buying at least one book! This is Steve Burnside the author of
Fergus and Friends signing books for our two little granddaughters.
Furgus the tractor books waiting to be packed and sent to
Australiatogether with two dolls also bought at the fair. Each
Rebecca Stidson rag doll is personalised with a hand-painted name. Rebecca has lots of ready painted names and was able to supply one for Zoe, but the one for Lilly is coming in the post. I chose the doll and just have to wait a few days for the name to arrive.
Zoe in her ballet outfit (now you can see why I chose that particular doll)
Lilly was two last week, here she is pouring tea on the morning of her birthday.
Walking past a second-hand shop in Sherborne (Dorset) I spied this large ceramic mug in the window...
The design is very reminiscent of and possibly based on drawings by Rowland Emett. Rowland Emett is very much in the news at the moment as the ‘Marvellous Machines’ exhibition has just opened at the
Birmingham Museumand
Art Gallery. The exhibition runs until the 21st September - more details
here.
“With this exhibition we aim to introduce Rowland Emett and his amazing machines to a new generation,” says Tim Griffiths, founder of the
Rowland Emett Society. “He was a very familiar figure during the post-war decades but has been largely forgotten—until now. We will have twelve of the fifteen machines known to have survived in the UKon display alongside many of his distinctive original drawings.”
The mug is now residing on my desk, and I am keen to know more about it. It was produced by the Purbeck Ceramics Company of Swanage. I assume it’s a transfer print probably made in the 1960s or 70s. If anyone knows anything at all about the mug or the history of Purbeck Ceramics, I would love to hear from you.
If you are interested in Rowland Emett, you might enjoy the previous posts about him
here,
here and
here and if you would like to see him at work there is a wonderful piece of film
hereThis is another purchase from the same shop. I'm going to have a lot of fun with these!
In other news; Peter Rabbit wins Gold Medal at Chelsea!
I was excited to read about the
PeterRabbit HerbGarden at
Chelsea winning the coveted Great Pavilion Award.
The World of Beatrix Potter joined forces with garden designer, Richard Lucas, and plant nursery
Hooksgreen Herbs to create the garden. I wasn't able to go this year but kept up to date with everything on the TV and in the newspapers. It was amazing to see Mr. McGregor's garden coming to life. This reminds me of a visit from our ‘very own’ Peter Rabbit. You can read about it
here
Old Tom Toby was a dustman. His fur was ginger and his whiskers always looked as though they needed combing. His baggy grey trousers and russet leather waistcoat were tattered and spotty. And he wasn't very good-tempered. He was grouchy and grumpy to everyone – even to faithful old Tantams.
Tantams was a wooden horse bought from a vintage fair for sixpence. His black mane was very worn and one of his legs had been twice mended, but his eyes were still bright with kindness, and he had a very good heart.
“Dustman! Dustman!” yelled Tom Toby, stumping along with his paws in his pockets white Tantams pulled the cart. “Whoa! You!” miaowed Tom Toby harshly. That’s just like old Toby, Tantams thought to himself. I would have stopped, anyhow. Don’t we always stop at No. 16? It was true. Every Tuesday, when he started out on his rounds, Tom Toby always stopped first at No. 16. Now, as always, he cocked his check cap a little on one side, gave a hasty comb to his whiskers and looked expectantly towards the side door.
In the basement of No. 16 lived the only cat who got more than a surly growl from grouchy Tom Toby. This was Mrs. Maisie, a plump, tabby, widow-cat: housekeeper to the old Dowager Cat at No. 16. Mrs. Maisie liked company. Tom Toby was very partial to milk pudding. And, as friendly Mrs. Maisie was glad to offer a saucer of pudding in exchange for a little chat, the two had struck up a kind of friendship. In an unguarded moment, Mrs. Maisie had even told Tom Toby her “secret.” Up in the attic, unknown to her mistress, Mrs. Maisie kept her three kittens, Jill, Jacqueline and Little Giles.
As a rule, the back door opened as soon as the rumble of the rickety dustcart ceased. This morning, even though Tom Toby coughed accusingly, and loyal Tantams obligingly shook his head to jingle his harness, it remained shut. “Strange!” muttered Tom Toby. For a moment longer he stared hard at the door. Then his offended green eyes swept over the rest of the house. Suddenly, he stiffened – with every bristle aquiver. Leaning out from the railings was a board which said in very large letters:
For a little while Tom Toby just stared and stared, hardly able to believe his eyes. Besides, his tummy felt funny - disappointed of its warm, creamy, milk pudding. "Just like a she-cat," he grumbled to himself at last, "to go off without telling an honest Tom as regards her h'intentions." Still, he might as well empty the dustbin, he supposed.
With a clang he lifted the lid. "Gr-owl! Nothing much in that! Trust the old Dowager not to throw away anything worth having." Grumbling and growling to himself, Tom Toby pawed over kipper bones, tea leaves and cinders. Then suddenly, under some screwed-up paper, he saw it. A curiously decorated leather bag! Holding the bag between his paws, Tom Toby looked at it closely. It was a good bag, made of real leather. Now what could be in it?
With a little click, the clasp came undone. Breathing hard, greedy eyes gleaming, Tom Toby stretched his thin neck and peered into the bag. The next second: “Puff!” A great cloud of golden-yellow dust rose high in the air, making him stagger back, coughing and sneezing.
Up and up went the dust, swirling like gold mist in the morning sunlight. For a moment, it hovered before the first-floor window. Then a playful little breeze took it and tossed it up like a gay chiffon scarf. But with screwed-up eyes, and great big sneezes nearly shaking him off his feet, Tom Toby was too busy trying to find his grubby hankie to notice. He didn't see the golden dust cloud hover before the open attic window. He didn't hear the series of three atishoos that echoed his own. The yellow dust had reached the three little noses of Jill, Jacqueline and Giles, who were hanging out over the window sill. Eyes screwed up tight, tiny paws waving, they sneezed and sneezed. Then:
Bump! Wallop! Crash!
Picking themselves up, the kittens explain their mother left with the removal van. Crying and wailing they begged Tom Toby to help them.
Thinking only of the possible reward he might get from a grateful Mrs. Maisie, the surly cat agreed, and packed them in to the back of the dust-cart. And though nobody noticed it, the cloud of golden dust swirled high in the air above them, and because of it, a series of strange adventures began...
A magical tale beautifully illustrated by Helen Haywood.
Tom Toby by Isobel St. Vincent Published in 1949. Hardback book with dust jacket. Please follow this
link if you would like further details.
Helen R Haywood is a little known artist of the mid-twentieth century. Primarily, a writer and illustrator of children’s books she created a series of books based on the character
Peter Tiggywig and friends. Other works included Master Mouse, Animal Playtime and Animal Worktime, which appeared in the Look with Mother series, and Aesop's Fables (
Wiki). The Helen Haywood Christmas Book, The Discontented Pool, Dawdles Duckling, and Patsy Mouse.
Thanks for calling in...
I can’t believe it’s been three years since my first blog post. In a way, it feels like a lifetime ago and yet only yesterday. I've met some amazing bloggers and friends along the way and am truly indebted to everyone who takes the time to visit.
I didn't expect to get many visitors so to see the StatCounter moving towards 500,000 views is nothing short of magical. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, without you, there would be nothing but a blank page!
Lots of lovely vintage books have come in over the last few weeks. Many are now for sale on my website, and others will be added over the coming weeks. Please take a look and be sure to let me know if you need more information or pictures.
Six pretty little die-cut shape books tied with a ribbon! The picture on the right is as I found them, but of course, I had to untie them (and tie them up again) to take the pictures.
All six books are from the Sleep-Time Tales series produced in Englandby Royle Publications for Mothercare. The stallholder I bought them from thought they were published in the 1960s or 70s, but I have no way of verifying it as they are all undated.
The titles are Peter's Band, Red Feather, Susan's garden, Sleepyhead, Bobby the little clown and Tommy's farm. Each measures 4" wide by 8" tall and each has about 8 pages. Each beautifully illustrated by Rosa Vela. If you would like more details please follow this
link
One of the pieces of fabric mentioned last week (
here) came in handy for this post!
The following three illustrations are from
Hullo Boys! An annual written by 'The Uncles' of the BBC published in 1925.
This unusual book is described as; A budget of good things written by The 'Uncles' on the Wireless. Lots of stories, including how Cole joined the Southern Army by Uncle Rob with illustrations by Peter Fraser, the giants pepper-box by Uncle Leslie with illustrations by Douglas Constable, the cave in the cliffs by Uncle Jeff illustrated by Savile Lumley and life in the tropics by Uncle Jim illustrated by Hume Henderson. Numerous colour plates and sepia drawings by various artists, including Jessie M King.
Because of the Sand Witches there "I am the one and only Sand Witch," said the creature, introducing itself. It was Mil's fault. She was the one who brought up the silly joke about how you can't be hungry on the seashore because the Sand Witch is there. Or maybe it was the fault of her brother Hamish because he asked what a Sand Witch was...
Especially Jennings! By Anthony Buckeridge, 1st edition in dust jacket published in 1965.
Shock for the Secret Seven by Enid Blyton, reprint published in 1966.
One of my favourite pastimes when I was young was cutting out and playing with paper-dolls. I've loved paper-dolls ever since and if this one is not snapped up quickly it’s going into my collection :-)
Baby Doll Cut Out Book; Young World Productions Ltd,
London 1968. Four pages of colourful outfits with a press out and stand up doll on the back cover. There are also several painting pages, all clean and unused.
Now for two Vintage Thomas the Tank Engine Books;
The Little Old Engine (on the left) is a 1st edition published by Edmund Ward in 1959,
Henry the Green Engine is a reprint from 1961. Both are in good condition and both have the original dust jackets.
Do you remember
the BBC television programme called
Meet the Penguins? No? Neither do I! According to
Whirligig, a site dedicated to 1950’s British Television it aired in 1952, and each episode ended with this song;
"Don't you forget to wash behind your ears,
Don't you forget to wash behind your ears,
for if you forget to wash behind your ears,
you won't go to Snowland along 'a me"
This hardback book is a spin-off from the series, undated but probably c1956 produced by Publicity Products, London. The story is written by J. M. Smith Wright with illustrations by Sheila Findlay.
The Penguins live in the Antarctic in an igloo with a lovely big garden. Father Penguin enjoys rolling the snow-lawn and sweeping the paths. Mother Penguin is a very good cook and also enjoys making sandwiches of chopped shells and spiced seaweed. They have three chicks - Bessie, the eldest, a boy who loves fishing but tends to talk far too much, Boffles, the eldest daughter, and Bobo, the baby of the family.
I hope you enjoyed this quick look at some of our recently listed books. These and others like them are available to view at
March House Books.
If you are interested in any of the books in the above picture, please visit
March House Books and use the quick search boxes top left of the home page.
Thanks for your visit…
I'm sure you all know the story of Hansel and Gretel, but this vintage version told in rhyme is a little different. The witch living at Toffee House is a kind and gentle soul. When Jack and his twin sister stumble across her home in the forest, the kindly witch takes them in feeds them and offers them a bed for the night.
Jack and his twin sister set out one day, into the woods they went to play, running about amongst the trees they lost their way now, if you please. So off they both ran hand in hand, but suddenly came to a stand, and neither of them spoke a word, was this the house of which they'd heard?
"Come on." said Jack "Let's go quite near." "Oh, goodness," Kate cried, "Do look here." They crept quite close up to the door, and then what do you think they saw? A witch in such a tall black hat, upon her shoulders a black cat, with eyes that turned from red to green. Oh! Such a sight you've never seen.
and turning round to run away, they heard a kind voice call out "Stay, if you run away in the wood like that, you never will find the right way back!" "Inside my house you both shall see, if you just come along with me, how everything is warm and bright and cats to guard me day and night."
She opened then a cupboard door and oh! what sweets she had in store, the children clapped their hands in glee.
The witch said, "eat anything you see and if you're thirsty after that, well just you follow my black cat, a Toffee Well not far away is full of sherbet every day."
"I really think we ought to go, but the way home,"said Jack "I do not know." The witch who heard said, "that's alright, why don't you stay with me to-night?" Oh! what a darling little bed, with softest pillow for your head, and in the morning with a sigh, they kissed this kind old witch good-bye.
She stroked her cat and said, "be good, take them both safely through the wood." And pussy right before their eyes grew into a much bigger size! Down paths they turned from left to right, till Jack cried "there's our house in sight." But the cat with it's funny red green eyes had vanished now to their surprise.
Nanny came running, "what a scare you've given us, I do declare. Oh never will I let you stray into those horrid woods to play." They told her all their story through "and every word," said Jack, "is true, and if you will not make a fuss one day we'll take you too with us."
But soon they gave their nurse the slip into the woods they both did skip. But though they searched, 'twas all in vain the witch's house to find again.
So perhaps when you have read this book you'll all go out and have a look, and if the cat you meet one day then ask him please to show the way.
Toffee House - No author, artist or publishing details given. The only identifying mark is the number 831 printed on the back cover.
The front cover reminds me of toffee tins from long ago Christmases. Maybe the artist had the same thought when he/she came to do the illustrations.
Nursery Rhyme toffee tin produced for Blue Bird confectionery by Harry Vincent.
The ‘rain’ behind the cottage in the previous picture is a small square of fabric purchased from
Barrington Patchwork. Collecting pieces of fabric is just another of my hobbies. I can never resist even though I have no idea what they will be used for. These are two of my latest purchases;
We visited
Barrington Court (and the patchwork shop) last week. It's one of our favourite National Trust Properties, the gardens are beautiful at this time of the year.
Come Tip Toe Thru the Tulips with me!
I wish you all sunshine and happiness in the coming week...
I am delighted to share a great guest post on the blog today.
Dear March House Books Readers,
Although I can’t remember it, I heard my first story from my parents. Not from story books, no. Real-life stories. Theirs.
They were the children who ran around in villages (we call them
Kampong) in Singapore during the 50s and 60s, slippers slapping the dusty paths and clothes drenched when they hopped into ponds to catch fish. And that’s where the setting-inspiration for my children’s novel (in mid-60s) came from.
{How the Kampong looked like. Picture from Google Images Labeled for Reuse with Modifications. Source: http://comesingapore.com/travel-guide/article/607/ten-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-singapore}
I asked my father, who especially loves telling snippets from his childhood, to contribute some for this post, and here’s what he told me:
· As my father has 11 brothers and 3 sisters, they all crammed in one house, with one yard and owned one family plantation. My grandfather also reared chickens and pigs. At one point, there were more than 20 people (wives and baby cousins) living in that house!
· My father and his brothers were too poor to afford school bags, so they used rattan baskets instead. When they had to sharpen their pencils, they used my grandfather’s shaving blade. They used to cut themselves quite often but never worried about it.
· They showered using only one bar of soap: for the hair, face and body. That bar of soap was actually also used for laundry.
· When he got off school at around 1pm, my father would return to the fields to help out. After completing his chores, he and my uncles would play at a nearby pond. Their main hobby was catching a certain species called ‘Fighting Fish’ and … letting them fight, I suppose.
· Snacks were usually wrapped in newspapers. Sometimes they bought dried hawthorn flakes. If they didn’t have money for snacks, they’d get sweet potatoes from their fields, and roast them on a bed of charcoals.
{Dried Hawthorn Flakes/Cakes. Picture from Google Images Labeled for Reuse with Modifications.}
· When the weather was hot, and in Singapore it mostly is, the children would buy balls of shaved ice to eat. The man who sold ice balls would drizzle colourful sugar syrup over them. By the way, we still have these at our marketplaces. During my childhood, it was also one of our favourite desserts. They are shaped like a small hill now, and have extra corn or red bean toppings, like this:
{Shaved Ice, a.k.a. Ice Kachang. Picture from Google Images Labeled for Reuse with Modifications.}
· During lunar new years, parents would give children red packets (money stuffed in small, red envelopes) on New Year’s Eve, symbolizing good fortune for the coming year. When my father and some of his brothers received theirs, they spent all the money on firecrackers. Lighting up firecrackers was still legal then in Singapore. And they absolutely loved it! I suspect my father is waiting for Baby Olive (my one-year-old niece) to be slightly older so he could buy sparklers and play with her during New Year’s Eve.
{Red Packets. Picture from Google Images Labeled for Reuse with Modifications.}
· My father studied in the village school till he was Primary 4, which was the highest level in that school. To go on to Primary 5, students had to travel farther out. My father and his brothers didn’t have the gift for studies, because even when they’d reached Primary 2 or 3 (around 8-9 years old), they were still not accustomed to gripping a pencil and writing with it. Usually, my grandfather or one of the elder brothers would have to steady their elbows in order for them to write neatly!
· So he stopped studying after that and worked in my grandfather’s fields until he was about 16. Then he went into the construction industry.
A Gross, Mushroom Story (If you have a weak stomach, please skip this part!)
Those days, the nearest toilet could be quite far away and it was inconvenient to walk in the dark to get to one. People had chamber pots instead. However, with so many people under one roof, pots were too small. My family used pickled jars.
Sometimes they only poured the waste away after a few days. I’m not quite sure about this because I haven’t seen few-day-old urine, but I hear there would be sediments or dregs left in the jars.
Once, my grandfather stepped on a big, rusty nail. It was likely to give him a bad inflammation. Yet, he didn’t go to the hospital. They distrusted hospitals. My family had learned of a traditional folk cure, which was to soak a mushroom in the urine dregs overnight before applying it onto the wound. It sounds terribly gross, but it did work. The swelling went down the next day and my grandfather recovered fully soon after.
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My father also told stories about adulthood, like how female guests attended wedding meals in the afternoon and all went home with a flower in their hair while male guests attended the evening round and each got a cigar, and how villagers called on midwives rather than hospital nurses when one of the women went into labour, and how one of my aunts ran off with a man she knew only briefly. My grandfather was livid, but they managed to get her back. That was the year the Queen of England visited Singapore.
Those were the days that were tough, but those were also the days my father and his brothers had the most fun. Those were the days I hadn’t experienced except through his stories. Those were the days (or close enough) that I’ve let my latest characters live in.
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Gueh Yanting, Claudine, has written and published two picture ebooks (age 6 & up) and one middle-grade ebook (age 9 & up). Her latest story, LITTLE ORCHID’S SEA MONSTER TROUBLE, is about a girl trying to prove to her Ma that she hasn’t been spouting nonsense about the Giant Cuttlefish, and later turning into a sea monster herself. It is set in Singapore in 1965.
Check it out here:
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Thank you so much for letting me spread my father’s story snippets here on your lovely blog, Barbara. I hope your readers enjoy them!
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