Waiting in the checkout line at Trader Joe's, I like to look over the chocolate selection displayed for last-minute impulse-buys. I can (usually) resist. However, I have more difficulty resisting the the used books for sale on the rack near the exit of our local library. Yesterday I succumbed to temptation. I bought not one, but two, books.
The first book is The 7 Ravens, a story from the Brothers Grimm illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger. Can you blame me for falling to the temptation of a book illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger?
The second book is called The Hidden House (by Martin Waddell, illustrated by Angela Barrett.)
It's about an old man who lives alone and carves 3 dolls for companionship. One day, the man leaves and does not come back. The dolls are left in the decaying house until a family arrives with a little girl. The family rebuilds the house, the child repaints the dolls and everyone is happy once again. It's a simple story but the illustrations are gorgeous (it reminds me of another favorite book, Goldie the Dollmaker by M.B. Goffstein...)Now, with my bookshelves already overflowing, where will I put these new treasures?
Wow! I am blown away ~ we certainly share a lot in common..My Mom and I used to repeatedly borrow Lisbeth Zwerger books from the library - I don't think anyone else ever read them because they were always on our kitchen table (: By the way, if there's no room on your bookshelf, I highly reccomend the kitchen table for these wonderful books!) and I have to say, The Hidden House is actually one of my top five favourite books of all time. I love it. Alot. I don't own it, weirdly enough, but thank you for reminding me about the lovely story. Isabella is so much older now; She reads her own gigantic novels so I have taken a few years off from reading children's stories aloud (how sad is that??) but I will have to visit Amazon very soon and get a copy for myself (: and for Jude's turn!
ReplyDeleteYes... well... we often have a pile of books on the kitchen table, on a kitchen chair, maybe on the floor behind the kitchen chair, on the kitchen art cabinet, on the side tables in the living room, on the low shelves behind the couch, on top of my bureau... and the pile on my bedside table threatens to topple and cause me physical harm while I sleep... (those pretty pictures you see on my blog? Those piles of books are just out of sight -- or I just heave the books out of the way, onto the floor!)
ReplyDeleteHow funny that you know the book The Hidden House. I had never before encountered it. You would LOVE the book Goldie the Dollmaker (I mentioned it in the post & I think maybe the book was written about you...) As for Isabella, maybe she'd like the novels about Shaharazad I mentioned in the Arabian Nights post...
You & I do share a lot in common and I'm sad you're moving back to Canada. I know it will be a wonderful move for you & your family, but (selfishly) I like the idea that, for now, you're just across the Bay...
By the way, Jude's new pants (on your blog) crack me up!!! Maybe I should be e-mailing you. Not sure everyone needs to read these endless comments the blog! Sorry about that...
You can write as much as you like I think! It is YOUR blog afterall (-;
ReplyDeleteThat's really sweet that you're sad I'm moving. I am going to miss this place, A lot. We can keep in touch the same way we are now! It's not like it will be any different technically! ha! But as we are on the subject, if you are ever on this side of the bay again, and it's before June 30th, let me know and we can meet for tea (:
Goldie the Dollmaker. I will look for it! I LOVE children's books,, even more than children do, I suspect (:
Haha! Your house ~ with all the dangerous book piles ~ sounds a lot like my house growing up. I think, if you saw how many piles of books, magazines, papers, writing, artwork were strewn about, you would be frightened! My Mom was not the most organized, but she always had loads of great materials for us to use (: It was great.
Ok, I'll stop filling up this page with yet more talk..
(:
Oh, wow. I LOVE those books. I'm intrigued by the one about the dolls.
ReplyDelete