Listography – Top 5 Children's Books

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The Listography guru that is KateTakes5 has set a topical theme this week. With World Book Day and the library closures in the news, we are to identify our top five children's books.

The Boy adores books almost as much as his daddy and I do, so this shouldn't be difficult to create a list of five books. Actually it's more difficult to only list five! However, here we go:

  • 'Dear Zoo' by Rod Campbell.

This is a firm favourite for bed times in our house and The Boy likes to 'read' it along with us, finishing off the lines from each page. We have the version that has flaps hiding the animals underneath.

  • 'I Love You Through and Through' by Bernadette Rosetti-Shustack

As I explained in my post the other day, this is probably the favourite bedtime book at the moment. It's either 'zoo', 'through' or one of the next ones on the list that is requested. It is such a loving and caring book to send a child to bed with warm and loving thoughts. I can not recommend it enough!

  • 'My Mum/Dad' by Anthony Browne

I The Boy bought 'My Dad' for hubby daddy last year for Fathers' Day and they both adored it immensely. I felt ridiculously jealous, so hubby had to go and buy me the mummy version! It is a brilliant book of why children love their mums and dads, including the fact that daddy 'isn't afraid of anyone, not even the big, bad wolf' (but he's petrified of spiders though!). I am depicted as Marilyn Monroe and I can live with that! The illustrations are as funny and clever as the book.

  • 'The Jolly Postman' by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

There should be an Ahlberg classic in everyone's list; they are such brilliant books that children love and parents find amusing. This book is a little too old for The Boy at the moment, but he already has the full set of the Jolly Postman books from when I trained to be a nursery teacher. He will enjoy fishing out the letters, presents and games because I do! In all seriousness, the way that there are mini-books and games within the main book is brilliant. Beautiful illustrations as well.

  • 'Tom's Midnight Garden' by Philippa Pearce

My all-time favourite children's novel. I adore it and probably still read it once every year or so. I always read it to my class (older juniors) and show them the DVD to help their understanding of some of the more complicated concepts. I think it is a fantastic piece of writing with humour, tenderness and mystery in it. LOVE this book!

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Movie Meme: The Director's Cut

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Well Hannah has completely gone and thrown me this week. After spending the past few days on twitter discussing one idea for this week's theme, she's gone and chosen another!

This week’s theme is Directors

Who is your favourite director? What film(s) are the reason why you love this director so much?

Um… pass?

I can't think of any? Hmmm… The problem is that whilst I really enjoy watching films and love the cinematography and storylines, I don't think I'm able to turn around and identify one single director as my favourite. I'm too 'middle of the road'. However, after much deliberation I have managed to choose one that has directed a couple of films that I adore.

Guess Who:

  • His real name is Mark Anthony (+surname)
  • His parents competed in ballroom competitions
  • He worked on the family gas station and farm
  • In 2004 he directed the world's most expensive advertisement for Chanel No 5, costing £18 million for 4 minutes
  • He was born in Australia
  • He directed the "Red Curtain Trilogy" (two of which are the aforementioned favourite films, the third only because I've not seen it)
  • In 1998 he released a brilliant single called "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)"

And if you haven't guessed it yet, my director of choice is:

Baz Luhrmann

I adore this film, completely and utterly! Everything about it makes me chuckle and I cannot break off for a drink or to use the necessary facilities. Probably just as well that I don't have a drink then!

The underlying humour and good-natured mocking at the ballroom dancing world is genius. I know a few people in the ballroom circuit who weren't happy with the portrayal of the fake-tan and sequins brigade at the time, but it is clearly not meant maliciously, especially bearing in mind his parents competed themselves.

Think Dirty Dancing come Ugly Duckling with a little of Come Dancing thrown in and you're there.

My other example of his work is probably the only film that I can stand to watch Nicole Kidman in, and that's only because of Ewan McGregor's brilliant singing and acting in it! They are completely indicative of Luhrmann's ingenuity and brilliance. McGregor is dashing and suave, and what a fantastic singer. To this day, his version of 'Your Song' is my favourite.

The ensemble cast gels together really well, and the villian of Richard Roxburgh is alarmingly creepy. Jim Broadbent is such a surprise casting but really clever, and John Leguizamo as Toulouse-Lautrec is hilarious! Don't forget little old Kylie as the Absinthe fairy!

I love the flamboyance of these two films: the lights; the camera; the deep, rich, overtly exuberant colours. I haven't seen much of his other work, mainly because he keeps employing simpering females that I can't stand, to act in the lead roles.

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I am a shape!

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The Boy sat in his high chair at lunchtime, looked at the slice of mini pizza that I had give him and declared, "triangle!". He was right, it was. He had a big kiss as congratulations and looked, quite rightly, pleased with himself.

(Today he had a vegetarian lunch. When meat is involved lunch can be a game of cat and mouse with him offering me his ham sandwich and lovely sloppy chicken kisses. I've succeeded in avoiding sharing his food, but who can resist a 'tiss'?)

Last week at the soft-play centre, we were building towers with giant lego. He broke off from play, glanced up at the shapes painted on the wall and said 'cirtle, tri-gle, skwar' (I do know how to spell in case you were wondering if I'm the worst teacher ever).

Of course, he was completely correct but how on Earth does he know this? I know we play together and it is directed to facilitate his learning, but that's not what I mean. I find it fascinating how babies and toddlers learn. My mum and I were discussing this last week. The Boy has a very expressive face and as a result, you can see his thought processes especially when he glances up to the top-left, like when a person lies and is accessing the creative part of their brain. (I don't think he's lying anyway. First of all he's 20 months old so I hope he doesn't know how to. Secondly, he comes out with factual statements, so if he is trying to lie he's a bit rubbish at it!).

Watching The Boy learn is like nothing short of seeing the neural pathways fuse together and make a new connection. In older children, when they have an extensive vocabulary and a sense of reasoning and logic, it is easier to see a 'learning moment', but in a toddler with a limited lexicon it's not so easy to pinpoint why he has 'picked something up'. Either way, this is why I love watching him play; the wealth of information that his little mind has to acknowledge, digest and assimilate. They are nothing short of miracles really!

Although, I do believe that Mister Maker may have something to do with it. Altogether now,

"I am a ….."

Flashback Friday – Arabian Adventures

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When hubby and I first started going out, his parents were living in the United Arab Emirates for a short time. We were lucky enough to have two trips out there to visit them and completely embraced the tourist attractions. One of the activities that we did was a 4×4 trek into the desert ending in a feast and evening of entertainment  at a 'traditional'-style Bedouin camp.

The 4×4 trek was fantastic; a whole convey of Toyotas traversing the sand-dunes at a range of angles which are not the norm! Every so often, you'd see a Toyota pull-over a middle-aged, middle-class lady lean out and vomit all over the once-pristine sand. Made me chuckle.

When we arrived at the Bedouin camp, we entered into the spirit of the Arabian adventure and rode a camel. This I nearly vomited at! They lurch up bum-end first, onto their knees, then bum up again until they're properly up. Hilarious though.

We had an amazing feast, sat on thick carpets in the desert, beside a roaring fire and belly-dancers etc. I had a henna tattoo done on my ankle which is the closest I'll get to a real one! A brilliant evening, well remembered by this photograph.

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This post was put together as part of CafeBebe's carnival of flashbacks.

Listography – Pet Hates

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Oh what a hard topic to narrow down to only 5 items. KateTakes5 has provided me with a brilliant sounding board for one of my favourite hobbies: ranting! It is especially relevant for me this week.

  • Unfairness

As a teacher I have always tried to demonstrate fairness in my role; it's something that children feel strongly about and the one thing guaranteed to turn a child against you. I've always hated certain aspects:

  1. picking teams (yes, probably because I wasn't sporty so I was left 'til last) – I won't allow children to pick groups or teams because there is always one heart-broken child, I'd rather they blame me than each other;
  2. lying – I can't do it, physically can't. I go bright red, my heart races and I can't look the person in the eye. I may even cry;
  3. cheating – I hit the roof if I see a pupil copying. It is entirely unfair that one child has made all the effort and the other either completely lacks confidence in their own ability to write down their own thoughts, hasn't learnt whatever themselves, or is just too lazy to do it themselves. It's not just children, adults need to get their own ideas and not pinch my blog posts!
  • Insolence

No child, when I tell you off, have the God-damned decency to look ashamed and do not answer me back!

Don’t raise your eyebrows at me like that; you are the one in the wrong, not me.

No, don’t say ‘whatever’ to me; it’s incredibly rude!

And darling sister, if you do that ‘tongue pushing your bottom lip out’ thing like I’m a spam-head once more, I will smack you in it, understand?

  • Bad driving

Seriously, how did you pass your test? Are you not aware that there are other drivers and pedestrians around you? Have you realised that the lump of metal that you are driving is a lethal weapon? PAY ATTENTION! Stop texting, stop picking your nose (we can see you), put your seatbelt on, put the seatbelt on your child who is crawling across the back seat, put your dog in the boot with one of those metal mesh things between it and the main car, use your indicators for God’s sake, and learn how to reverse-park your Smart car it is not a flipping Sherman tank!

  • Pierced ears on children under the age of 8, specifically babies and toddlers

Religious reasons aside (although I’m still not sure I agree with doing that to an infant), why the hell would you pierce a baby or toddler’s ears? They are beautiful enough as it is; don’t spoil their innocent beauty by making holes in their bodies and putting a metal stud in their perfect little ears. That’s just cruel!

  • Speaking with your mouth full of food

Ew! I do not want to see masticated food between your gammy lips. First of all close your mouth when you eat. Secondly, don’t even try and talk to me; whatever you have to say can wait thirty seconds until you’ve finished that mouthful, ok? If my 20 month old toddler can manage it, then so can you.

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