Posts
All Comments
blog.jpg)
The winner of The Great Aussie Living Books Give Away #4 is Chef Penny. Hooray!!
I'll email you on our return from hols, Penny to arrange getting your book to you. Hope that is okay!
Congratulations again.
Chef Penny wrote:
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!!
I want to use this card to highlight the lovely words said about A Peaceful Day by Joyfulmum. Wanna take a peek?
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!!
We had a very important visitor in our Peaceful Home last night. She came late when we were all sound asleep - creeping, creeping through the house to Jemimah's bedroom. We didn't hear her come, but we knew that she had been - a trail of sparkly pink fairy dust lead the way from the chimney in the front room into the bedroom and onto the bedside table. In the pretty glass by the bed was $2.00.
Yes - our late night visitor was the tooth fairy!!
She left a sparkly note too, rolled and tied with a pink ribbon. The note thanked Jemimah for her great tooth and commended her efforts at brushing. What a smart little fairy to reinforce good habits.
At 7 ½, Jemimah is old to be losing her first tooth, but that doesn't make it any the less exciting - in fact that wobbly tooth has been the cause of much anticipatory pleasure for weeks! When it finally came out just after bedtime - oh my!! Of course the loose tooth has prevented her eating anything healthy for days - vegetables are just too tough apparently ...now she can't eat those very same foods because of the gap - she can't bite. Yeah, yeah. Nothing if not inventive, our girl!
At least the tooth fairy was happy with her brushing.
I'd love to hear your family's lost tooth traditions and stories. Do you have a funny story to share with us?
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?
Going to drink champagne.
And eat hotdogs.
With cheese.
Does that count as a serve of dairy?
What about the tomato sauce...is that a vegetable?
Yay Geelong!!!!!!!!!
Back to normal on Monday...
This textile is just spectacular.
Read about it here.
Gen Y can watch the video here.
Thanks, Brandon, for the link.
Jemimah's excited about:
What are you excited about?
P.S. Feeling better now!
I dare say that most of you don't really care what I had for dinner last night (Thai Chicken Saté with Pumpkin and Kaffir-Lime Leaf actually, served with jasmine rice and followed by a cuppa and a square of Lindt Swiss Classic Milk Chocolate). Or that yesterday was the type of day that required both a long energy hug from my understanding husband and that the aforesaid dinner be preceded by an expertly mixed gin and bitter lemon. (Why are days like that always so much longer than 24 hours, she wonders idly, while the usual happy day is so much shorter? Could I use this as evidence for the Theory of Relativity?) I suppose most of you aren't interested in why I was in a bad mood in the first place either. No, it wasn't Jemimah's fault - more the general ineptitude of mankind in general really - but I'm sure I managed to take a bit of it out on her - what are children for, if not to persecute, I ask you.
I guess you don't really want to know that I'm spending the weekend with unbecominglily and her hubby and beautiful girls nor that we'll be celebrating the AFL Grand Final on Sunday (GO CATS!) and worshiping together at our local church on Sunday. When I mentioned to my mum and sister that they were coming, mum said, "Oh, that'll be nice...you know she's very creative, don't you?" as if creativity were a kind of illness. Why did she say that, do you reckon? I wonder if the concern was that Jeanamarie couldn't possibly enjoy a weekend chez nous - or something more sinister. Yes, mum, I do know she's creative - and Jeanamarie knows that I'm not - she's my friend, remember?!
I suppose none of you care to read how inordinately pleased I was to discover that The Book Chook is following A Peaceful Day. I mean, Susan's an überblogger. Why would she want to read about a family living in the boondocks, eh? Why would any of you?
I know that I'm long overdue for another homeschooling post. I'm aware that that's why most of you read A Peaceful Day, and yet some fortnights I don't even manage to write a post to submit to the Charlotte Mason Homeschooling Carnival.
Why is this so, I wonder.
That's what I'm sitting here doing right now - wondering.
We call moods like this blue funks, here in our peaceful home.
I'll be back when I'm over it.
Bye.
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.
What an amazing meal we would have from our own produce, I thought.
I crumbed the chicken, made the sauce and prepared the veges. All I needed to do was peel the potatoes and we'd be set.
I went to the pantry cupboard, and that's when I realised. No spuds. Nada. Zip. Zero. Zilch. I'd forgotten to buy potatoes. The supermarkets close at 6:00 pm around here too.
Oops.
Next time I'll admire my dinner when it's on the table - not when it's still in my imagination.
We had rice.
Oh well.
...and according to the random number generator at Random.org, the grinner tonight is Richele!!
Hurrah!
As the winner of The Great Aussie Living Book Give Away #3, Richele is now the proud owner of a new copy of 60 Classic Australian Poems. It'll be in the mail to you shortly, Richele!
Congratulations, my friend.
Don't forget The Great Aussie Living Books Give Away #4 is still going. You can enter the draw to win a copy of Koonaworra the Black Swan by clicking here and leaving a comment before next Tuesday. Leslie Rees' books are wonderful, and there are only a few entrants so far.
You've gotta be in it to win it. Just ask Sarah, Joel, Rachael and Richele!! Maybe you'll be next!
Happy Birthday A Peaceful Day!
We know The Gypsy Laddie as The Raggle Taggle Gypsies, since that was the title it had when I learned it at school. Yep, it's an oldie - older even than me - it dates back to about 1720.
It is our folk song for AO2 Term 3. We've actually had a lot of trouble finding a version that we like - not because there's a dearth of them; on the contrary, there are so many of them that to find one similar to the one I know - the only right version, of course - has taken a while.
This is the version we've settled on:
There were three old gypsies; came to our hall door
They came brave and bold-ee-oh
And there's one sang high and the other sang low
And the lady sang the Raggle Taggle gypsy-oh.
It was upstairs and downstairs the Lady went
Put on her suit of leather-oh
It was the cry all around the door
"She's away with the Raggle Taggle gypsy-oh."
It was late that night when the Lord came in
Inquiring for his Lady-oh
The servant girl, she replied to the Lord
"She's away with the Raggle Taggle gypsy-oh."
"Oh then saddle for me
Me' milk-white steed
Me' big horse is not speedy-oh
Tonight I'll ride to the wide open field and it's there that I'll spy my Lady-oh."
So he rode east.
He rode west
He rode north and south also
It was when he rode to the wide open field
It was there that he spied his Lady-oh
"Oh why did you leave your house and your land
Why did you leave your money-oh
And why did you leave your only wedded Lord
To be off with the Raggle Taggle gypsy-oh"
"What do I care for me house and me land
What do I care for money-oh
And what do I care for me only wedded Lord
I'm away with the Raggle Taggle gyspy-oh"
"Last night you slept in a goose-feather bed
The blankets drawn so comely-oh
Tonight you'll lie in the wide open field
In the arms of the Raggle Taggle gypsy-oh"
"You're a - What do I care for a goose-feather bed
What do I care for blankets-oh
And you're a - What do I care for me only wedded Lord
I'm away with the Raggle Taggle gypsy-oh"
So he rode east,
She rode west
He rode high and I rode low
"Well I'd rather have a kiss of a yellow gypsy's lips
Than all of your cash and your money-oh"
There were three old gypsies came to our hall door
They came brave and bold-ee-oh
And there's one sang high and the other sang low
And the lady sang the Raggle Taggle gypsy-oh
The words are good but there's no video. I know, I know, it's boring. A certain Miss 7 tells me over and over again. Anybody have a better version? One with singable lyrics acceptable for a kid and her easily offended Mummy?
I'd love your help here, girls.
Here's a Japanese anime version, believe it or not...
We might have used this video game software version if only her clothing weren't so...um...yeah.
We went to the show on Saturday. It's a much anticipated annual event in our family, and we always do almost exactly the same thing. For us that means rides, showbags, the decorated cakes and the Grand Pavillion to sample the food. We do nothing educational. We see no animals - they're for the city folk, right? You know, the ones who don't know where milk comes from...except the supermarket.
We've got it all organised in the rides department. I love the whizzy ones - I lack the dizziness gene, I reckon, and can go as fast as you like for as long as you like without a problem.
I hate roller coasters though. I hate that feeling that you get in the pit of your stomach. Bleugh.
Hubby loves that sort. The higher the hills and steeper the drops the better as far as he is concerned. Just don't take him on anything that twirls. He gets dizzy just watching me on the 'eggs' at the playground.
That pretty well gives Jemimah the choice of anything really. She's a real dare devil.
We all tried the the new high-flying Sky Flyer this year. The spinning chairs of the chair-o-plane take you up to 35 metres above the ground while you fly through the air at an impressive speed. It was pretty cool actually.
We have a limit of two showbags. Jemimah goes for the chocolate ones. She's still eating rubbish. Must be a dentist's dream...
We always have lunch at the Hari Krishna Food tent. Odd religion; delicious food. Much better than most of the pretty average stuff you generally get at places like the show. We had the vegan curry, vegetable croquets, rice and dessert stuff, the name of which escapes me at present. Karma-free too, apparently, whatever that means. Wonder if it is fattening, that karma stuff.
We'll be going back next year, no doubt, but for this year it's all just a fond memory - and a bundle of photos - which I'm going to show you now - if you're interested.
This is just too much fun.
Yeah, yeah, silly, I know, but fun all the same. I can't help it.
You can make your own bowl of soup too.
Go on. You know you're dying to!
First seen at Junior Society.
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.
Gutenberg's Gift by Nancy Willard and illustrated by Bryan Leister was one of my finds from The Known World Bookshop that day in Ballarat. Remember?
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 story is imaginary. Of Gutenberg the man we know little, not even his date of birth. In this story he has a wife, Anna, he is skilled in woodworking, and his Bible is produced within a single year. We don't know if this is the case. Certainly Anna is fictional.
This doesn't matter though. It certainly affected neither our enjoyment of the book nor its use as an adjunct to the real story as read in Virgil Hillyer's A Child's History of the World. We have enjoyed Gutenberg's Gift very much.
Children's author and poet Nancy Willard received the Newbery Medal in 1982 for her book A Visit to William Blake's Inn. Her words in Gutenberg's Gift are a delight to read aloud. The illustrations by Bryan Leister and the paper engineering by Bruce Foster are, as you have seen, exceptional.
Of course, like almost all the books I review on A Peaceful Day, Gutenberg's Gift is...yep, you guessed it...out of print. Abe has second-hand copies here though, and copies are available through Amazon here. Happy hunting!
It's time for The Great Aussie Living Book Give away #4, I reckon!
Soon after taking office, Victoria's Premier, John Brumby, spoke at the 2007 Children's Book of the Year Awards. During his speech he said this:
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.
So. The smalls are in bed and the dishes are done. It's Mum and Dad time.
What's your poison? Mine's Twinings Lemon and Ginger. It's naturally caffeine free and low in calories, but that's not why I drink it.
I drink it because I like it. Mmmmm, tangy refreshing lemon and warming spicy ginger. If it happens to be healthy then all the better. I'm all for good health if I don't have to work for it.
Sometimes I have a second cup. Sometimes I have a chocolate on the side. Just one. An imported one. I like my chocolate ritual as well. I like my tea better though.
Hubby likes Twinings Lady Grey. Bergamot with hints of oranges and lemons. He likes it with milk. Odd, but there you are. He likes a chocky too.
So what about you? I'll need to stock up on some so that it's ready for when you come. What do you drink when the house is quiet and all is calm?
Do tell.
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
We've just finished Nathaniel Hawthorne's Tanglewood Tales. We loved it, but that's no surprise to most of you, I expect. Hawthorne's poetic Victorian English combined with his ability to take the immoral escapades of the Greek gods and goddesses and turn them into moral tales for children has made him one of the most highly regarded of the American authors...
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.
I'll try to keep myself nice this week. Please forgive me if I am a little tactless and less than diplomatic, Sarah!
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 is our beautiful church at the end of last week's service.
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.
Oh dear.
Change - a red rag to a raging bull.
Not only do we need to consider the church building's heritage listings and run all of our plans past Geelong's heritage council, but we also have an even greater responsibility to take into account the differing personalities, opinions and feelings of the people who make up our church congregation. I do not envy the task of our Renovation Committee, ably headed by my wonderful brother-in-law (seen between my mum and hubby in the photo above - that's my sis on the right) one bit. The men and women on that Committee need the diplomacy and tact of Winston Churchill to deal with their fellow brothers in Christ with sensitivity and understanding. This is an amazing gift.
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
You may recall that my only reservation prior to our trip to Bhutan earlier this year was dealing with the Buddhism that is inherent in Bhutanese life and culture. I'm feeling that same concern now as I prepare to tell you about a wonderful living book that I found last weekend. In Search of the Thunder Dragon, written and illustrated by Sophie and Romio Shrestha is the best living book about Bhutan for children that you are likely to ever see - just my opinion, mind you!!
The book tells the story of a young girl, Amber, who travels to Bhutan for the first time to visit family. Her grandfather tells her the story of the Thunder Dragons who play hide-and-seek in the clouds during thunder storms. Amber and her cousin, Tashi, long to see the Thunder Dragons and so they set out across the mountains to find them.
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.
