The winner of The Great Aussie Living Books Give Away #4 is Chef Penny. Hooray!!You find the most beautiful books! I must come hang out with you for awhile! I am new at this so I simply do not know of any books that I would like to see printed again. This book is beautiful.Well, Chef Penny, now Koonaworra is all yours! I hope you enjoy him.
Another of my favourite cards, this one shows one of the beautiful batiks collected by the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore. This one is a sarung from Lasem in Indonesia and was made in the 1890's. I bought it from the museum shop on a trip in the late '90's - the 1990's, that is!!Oh, I wanted to be the FIRST to wish you a FIRST happy birthday but jeanamarie beat me to it:( Anyway, HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY! I think I started following your blog a few months ago, I didn't realise you've only been at it for one year! You are a Pro! Congratulations.Then on her blog she wrote this:
BTW, I love reading your blog because of the content, your style of writing and the encouragement I get when I visit.
(Jeanne)... has been so generous to the homeschooling community with her blog where she freely posts her wisdom and experience in homeschooling to help newer homeschooling mums like myself.You know, Joyfulmum, I'd love to be thought of as a mentor to Aussie CM mums - that would be such an honour. Slowly, slowly...
She is truly becoming a great mentor to many many mums especially Aussie Charlotte Mason mums!
Besides being so generous with her time and wisdom, she is now also giving away stuff on her blog! Can you believe it! There is no end to her generosity.
I still have one more Great Aussie Living Book Give Away too. This one's a beautiful book. I actually had to think long and hard about giving this one up, I wanted to keep it!
Well, she's nothing, if not entrepreneurial - a stash of magic fairy dust will get you a whole lot more than two dollars!!
There was once a muddle-headed wombat sitting in the grass and feeling very lonely.You'll be please to know that lonely stubborn Wombat eventually does meet some friends - a fat-tailed, pouched bush mouse who has lost his spectacles called...well, called the Mouse - and Tabby, a very vain cat.
A wombat is a square animal with thick hair like a door-mat, and stumpy legs, and no tail to speak of. He has brown eyes and a comfortable, leathery flat nose like a koala.
This wombat was lonely because he had no sisters or brothers or aunties or uncles, and besides, he had spent all his pocket money.
'I wish I had a friend,' he thought, 'a nice, comfy little friend who would fit in my cardigan pocket. A wombat could have lots of adventures with a friend like that.'
Suddenly, in the paddock nearby, he saw a wooden man waving his wooden arms and squeaking a song of his own, squeak-creak, squeak-squawk! He was a scarecrow. He wore a raggy old coat and a big straw hat, and yellow gloves on his wooden hands. Wombat was pleased to see him.
'Perhaps I could make friends with him! Yoo-hoo, Mr Scarecrow, here comes your little wombat!'
Every time the wind puffed over the gullies, the wooden man swung his arms to left and right. Wombat thought the scarecrow was waving to him. He stood up on his hind legs and pulled at the scarecrow's coat.
'Here I am! Are you pleased I'm here?
'Thump! Down came the scarecrow's wooden hand on Wombat's head. Wombat was very cross. He didn't understand that it was the wind's fault.
'That's a horribubble thing to do to a new friend,' he growled. 'You're a hidjus old pollywobble! I'm going to push you over, that's what I'm going to do!'
And he put his forehead against the post which held the scarecrow in its place.
If you're looking for a book to read to your children to teach them good character traits then I probably wouldn't recommend The Muddle-headed Wombat. Ruth Park's characters are not designed to teach your kids to be better people. Wombat tries to behave, treely ruly he does, it's just that the harder he tries the more things go wrong. Wombat always ends up in trouble somehow.Although we finished the book several months ago, only just last week Jemimah looked at me and said wistfully, "I wish there were more muddle-headed wombat stories. I miss Wombat and Tabby and the Mouse. I wonder what they're up to now."
Jemimah will be delighted when I tell her that there are lots of stories for us still to discover:
Interestingly, this passion of Jemimah's for this mildly naughty, muddled animal is what sets the series apart from other so called 'classic books'. The Muddled-headed Wombat series is written for children not adults. They capture our children's imaginations and interests, not necessarily those of their parents. I think this is what makes Ruth Park such a unique Australian children's author. She is one of the best.Don't miss these Australian Living Books, will you - your family and your vocabulary will be the poorer without them.
"Oh, I am a lucky Mouse!" sighed Mouse.
Wombat knew what it meant.
"It's so comfortabubble to be us, isn't it, Mouse, eh?" he said.
For those of you who have read the series, what's your favourite Wombat malapropism? We use treely ruly and horribubble the most. Oh and this phrase: "Shall I boil the william?"
How about you?
This textile is just spectacular.Jemimah's excited about:
What are you excited about?
P.S. Feeling better now!
I'm thinking I'm going to have to buy yet another book.
Written by Andre Leblanc, an artist and historian, and illustrated by Stephane-Yves Barroux, The Red Piano is inspired by the true story of internationally acclaimed concert pianist Zhu Xiao-Mei whom you can hear playing Bach's Prelude No. 1 in C major from The Well-Tempered Clavier in the video.
The picture book tells the story a young girl taken from her family and sent to a far-off labour camp during the turbulent times of China’s Cultural Revolution. Forbidden to play her beloved piano she bravely finds a way to practice in a secret location. Then she is caught...
Lovely online children's book shop, We ♥ Books has two of this lovely book to give away to readers. To win yourself a copy, pop over to their blog and follow the instructions. Too easy!
Entries close Thursday 1 October.
Don't forget to have a look at We ♥ Books' shop while you're there. They stock some great stuff!!
The carrots in the kitchen garden were ready for harvest. They were looking pretty good too. We had carrots, broccoli and silverbeet. We even had the bay leaves and tarragon that I needed for the hollandaise sauce. I was feeling cocky. I was far too pleased with myself, to be honest.
...and according to the random number generator at Random.org, the grinner tonight is Richele!!
This is just too much fun.
You're going to think we're obsessed with pop-up books here in our peaceful home in the country. We're not. We'll, I do get slightly carried away with Vojtěch Kubašta, but since I only have two of his masterpieces, and these were only acquired in the past month or so, I don't think that that translates into a fully fledged obsession quite yet. Does it? Actually, my favourite pop-up master craftsman has to be Robert Sabuda. We gave Jemimah his The Wizard of Oz a couple of years back. That is one incredible paper engineering feat! Let me know if you'd like to have a look through it some time.
The book relates, in rhyme, how Johannes Gutenberg contributed to the printing process by perfecting movable type and creating a Bible for his wife, Anna. That's Anna and Johannes above standing and looking in at the scribes copying the finely illuminated pages of a manuscript.
Here's Johannes carving Anna's name from blocks of wood.
And here's the printing press that he finally develops. His apprentice stands by as Johannes inspects the finished page.
On Christmas morn Anna finally receives her Bible.
The winner of the 1946 Children's Book of the Year Award was The Story of Karrawingi the Emu, written by Leslie Rees and illustrated by Walter Cunningham. I have a copy here, on loan from the State Library of Victoria.Does it not strike anybody else as ironic that a book that is 'still popular and sells well' has been relegated to the shelves of the 'rare book dealers' instead of being found in Borders and Dymocks?
This classic Australian children's book was part of a series that I am sure some of the people here today grew up with with titles including Shy the Platypus and Russ, the Australian Tree Kangaroo.
Today, rare book dealers will tell you that this series is still popular and sells well, proving that the qualities that made it a classic the skillful storytelling, the Australian setting, the memorable animal characters and the wonderful illustrations remain the hallmark of a great children's book.
To enter The Great Aussie Living Books Give Away #4 to win this copy of Koonaworra, all you need to do is comment on this post and tell us of an Aussie kids' book that you think deserves to more readily available. If you're not an Aussie I'll accept a classic from your country instead. Like always, you'll get another entry by joining my Faithful Friends by clicking on the 'follow' button in the right side bar - or by mentioning that you already do so. I like seeing your smiling faces there!! I'll draw a winner at the end of Tuesday next week - that is, when it is no longer Tuesday anywhere in the world. Be sure to enter before then.
Just love, love, love this YouTube video for learning the parts of the body!! I'll need to listen to the song carefully to get the lyrics right - these are the ones I know...
That should tire her out...Jean Petit qui danse (x2)
De son doigt il danse (x2)
De son doigt, doigt, doigt,(x3)
Ainsi danse Jean Petit
Jean Petit qui danse (x2)
De sa main il danse (x2)
De sa main, main, main,
De son doigt, doigt, doigt,(x2)
Ainsi danse Jean Petit.
Jean Petit qui danse (x2)
De son bras il danse (x2)
De son bras, bras, bras,
De sa main, main, main,
De son doigt, doigt, doigt (x2)
Ainsi danse Jean Petit
Our copy of Tanglewood Tales was published in 1955 by J M Dent & Sons Ltd. Before I put it away on the bookshelf, I just want to share the gorgeous colour plates with you. They're by Dutch illustrator Salomon van Abbé , and really added to our enjoyment of the story."Good mother," replied Jason, "your business can hardly be so important as the pulling down a king from his throne. Besides, as you may see for yourself, the river is very boisterous; and if I should chance to stumble, it would sweep both of us away more easily than it has carried off yonder uprooted tree. I would gladly help you if I could; but I doubt whether I am strong enough to carry you across."
"Then," said she, very scornfully, "neither are you strong enough to pull King Pelias off his throne. And, Jason, unless you will help an old woman at her need, you ought not to be a king. What are kings made for, save to succor the feeble and distressed?
Saying this, the old woman poked with her staff in the river, as if to find the safest place in its rocky bed where she might make the first step. But Jason, by this time, had grown ashamed of his reluctance to help her. He felt that he could never forgive himself if this poor feeble creature should come to any harm in attempting to wrestle against the headlong current. The good Chiron had taught him that the noblest use of his strength was to assist the weak; and also that he must treat every young woman as if she were his sister, and every old one like a mother. Remembering these maxims, the vigorous and beautiful young man knelt down, and requested the good dame to mount upon his back.
We are Geelong, the greatest team of all
We are Geelong; we’re always on the ball
We play the game as it should be played
At home or far away
Our banners fly high, from dawn to dark
Down at Kardinia Park
Here it is yesterday.
Our church was established in 1862. Australia has changed a great deal since then, but the gospel has not changed, and today it is still as true and relevant to the needs of men and women as it was then. Over the years God has blessed us and our congregation has grown. Our lovely bluestone building can no longer hold the number of people who meet there every Sunday morning and evening. It is time for change.A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a trustworthy envoy brings healing. Proverbs 13:17Of course no one has the ability to say just the right thing or to act toward another in just the right way every time. We know that relationships and interpersonal actions require at least two parties, and when one of them is not God, the possibility for misunderstanding and offense is very real. We have managed to hurt some of the members of our congregation. Nevertheless, with the help of the Holy Spirit to inspire and guide their words and actions, the Renovation Committee has for the most part managed to 'soothe the wicked beast' (just to keep up the angry bull imagery) and move the work forward.
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge but the mouth of the fool gushes folly. The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. Proverbs 15:1-4
At an monastery, an old monk tells Amber and Tashi that they must travel to a place high up in the Himalayan mountains called the Tiger's Nest. There they would find a flying tiger. The tiger would help them find the Thunder Dragons.
Clambering onto the tiger's back they fly higher and higher into the heavens over a patchwork of fields dotted with tiny Bhutanese houses. Thick clouds gather until suddenly two enormous dragons fly towards them...the Thunder Dragons. The children stretch out their arms. They will never forget this night.
This is a not a Buddhist book. It is a book about a Buddhist country. It is filled with monasteries, monks, mythical beasts and chants. But that is what Bhutan is - a Buddhist country. You can't learn about Bhutan without studying Buddhism in the same way that you look at Islam when you study Yemen and Jupiter and Zeus in Ancient Greece. They are inextricably linked. So what else do you learn? You learn that the Bhutanese live in extended families. You learn that wisdom comes with age and that grandfathers know all. You see their beautiful clothes - Amber's kira and Tashi's gho and the saffron robes of the old monk.. You learn that Bhutanese houses are beautifully carved and painted with images of tigers, flowers and rainbows. You see painted Buddhist thankas on the walls. You see pictures of prayer flags, of butter lamps, altars, temples, fortress dzongs and mountains. Always the beautiful mountains. You see Bhutan.
And so you learn - not because you are told, but because you see. This is what living books do. They don't preach - they teach - through their words; through their illustrations; through engaging the child's imagination. This book does this perfectly.
This is Romio Shrestha's first book for children. Romio is a thanka painter - the sacred Buddhist scrolls that are depicted through the pages of the book. His full page illustrations are exquisite. Samples of his thankas hang in museums around the world including The British Museum, The Victoria & Albert Museum, and the American Museum of Natural History.
Romio believes that he is the 17th reincarnation of Tibetan Thanka painter, Arniko. This concept of reincarnation is intrinsically entwined with Bhutanese Buddhism, and it is interesting to discover this link. You can hear more about this and see some of his original work in this Youtube video:
I don't think you'll find a better book to teach young children about Bhutan. I don't rate my reviews, but if I did then this one would get 6/5. In Search of the Thunder Dragon is without equal.
