Little Dog and the Christmas Wish

I bought quite a few new books on my recent trip to Melbourne. Books are always impractical to buy when you're away and have to comply (somewhat) with airline baggage restrictions. Or at least look like you might be trying to. Some were bargains that I couldn't pass up. This one was a new picture book. About a dog. And Christmas. And Melbourne. All rather irresistible.

There was a big stack of them at the must visit
The Little Bookroom

And a gorgeous display inside

of original artworks

Little Dog and the Christmas Wish is a sweet little vision of Christmases Past by Corrine Fenton (I thought she was new to me, but I've read her delightful The Dog on the Tuckerbox). Set in a retro, yet rather timeless Melbourne (well apart from the horse drawn baker's cart), it is a lovely lost dog story. Jonathan and Little Dog are inseparable friends, getting into all sorts of mischief. But then on Christmas Eve Jonathan has to go shopping with his mother and Little Dog is left home alone. He is scared by a thunderstorm and takes off to find Jonathan. 

Picture source

Gorgeous, evocative illustrations of a familiar, yet long-gone Melbourne by Robin Cowcher, in her first picture book.

australianwomenwriters.com

Bully on the Bus

I’m so glad that Steven Herrick has taught me to appreciate verse novels this year. It’s really opened up my reading, and made me not frightened to take on a verse novel from time to time. I’ve been keen to read Kathryn Apel’s Bully on the Bus for a while now, and a recent Sydney-Melbourne flight was the perfect time.

Leroy is in kindergarten. He takes the bus to and from school each day with his older sister Ruby. DJ is an older high school girl who enjoys tormenting Leroy each day. She is the bully on the bus. Leroy is sick of being bullied.

I feel the red-hot

lava spill out of the

bully’s mouth and ooze

over my face

burning it

clumsy red. 

I’m good at maths.

Mrs Wilson says so.

But the bully makes me feel

dumb.

He doesn’t want to go to school anymore, despite being a good student. He is anxious and apprehenisve. Always wondering. 

What will the bully do today?

Kathryn Apel has written a great verse novel expressing that ever present dread of the bully, so often lurking on a bus, who must be faced every day. Kathryn lives and writes on a Queensland farm, and draws inspiration from Australian rural life for her stories. Kathryn's website, she coordinates a Month of Poetry each January. 

australianwomenwriters.com

A Bear Called Paddington

I was delighted to finally make my acquaintance with Paddington this month. It's hard to believe that I could have missed such an enduring cultural icon in my own childhood. But I did. But I'm making up for lost time now. 

A Bear Called Paddington is a delightful book, and Paddington Bear is truly worthy of his cult status. One warm summer day Paddington turns up on Paddington Station (clearly where he gets his name) with a tag round his neck, an old, battered suitcase and a jar of marmalade, mostly eaten.

Paddington emigrated from "Darkest Peru" after his Aunt Lucy had to go into a home for retired bears. Paddington goes home with the Brown family, and so begins a series of delightful, charming stories. I really enjoyed A Bear Called Paddington. Simple tales, of a naughty bear who gets into mischief each chapter. He always has sticky whiskers and it's easy to see why these have delighted children for decades. I’m quite sure my son would have enjoyed this as a read aloud book when he was young. 

Michael Bond didn't intend to write a book when he doodled in 1958, but ten days later the first of many Paddington books was written. Paddington was inspired to some extent by the children evacuated from London during WWII.

"When I was small, I had memories of children being evacuated from London with a label around their necks and all their possessions in a suitcase, and this became part of Paddington as well".

After laughing myself stupid at the trailer

I'll be seeing Paddington next week

I caught up with Paddington Bear at Paddington Station last year.

Statue by Marcus Cornish
after Peggy Fortnum's illustrations

He even has his own shop
Sadly not open before our
early morning train to Cardiff

253/1001

A Melbourne Christmas

I was in Melbourne recently for a week. There were  Christmas decorations everywhere. The City of Melbourne have done a fabulous job this year.

There was even a guide to the decorations, and activities. 

Christmas Square
Swanston St

The Christmas Projection on Melbourne Town Hall was definitely a highlight. I caught the whole show twice on different nights. 

It was enchanting. 

See the official video here. It's pretty cool. 

In Sydney David Jones has the big Christmas window display. In Melbourne it's the Myers Christmas Windows that are the big drawcard- huge lines day and night to see the themed windows. This year is the 59th year- an adaptation of Maria Modugno's Santa Claus and the Three Bears.

Antler sellers were everywhere.

 Lots of shops made a seasonal display.

A tree of thongs.
Bewdy.
Surf Dive and Ski Bourke St

PollonFlowers in Flinders Lane is always
whimsical and creative no matter the season

Disco Christmas balls
Harrolds, Collins St

Melbourne Town Hall wreath

A giant snow dome at the Sofitel Melbourne

At the entrance to Dymocks in Collins St

Crown Casino had a huge animatronic Christmas display. I only got to see a part of the show, but it's much less crowded than the windows at Myers. And no queue.

But nothing says Merry Christmas Melbourne
like Cookie Monster playing
Christmas Carols on the bagpipes.

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Pig the Pug

Little kids aren't very good at sharing. And neither are fat little pugs called Pig.

Pig won't share his toys with sweet little Trevor the sausage dog.

Of course Pig learns his lesson in a very fun way.

Pig the Pug is the most recent wonderful picture book from the considerable talents of Aaron Blabey. He has written many quirky and original picture books. One of Aaron's other recent books The Brothers Quibble has been selected for next years National Simultaneous Storytime to be held on May 27 2015.

Popping Down to the Shops - Coop Zurich

Wandering Zurich on our first afternoon we found The Coop- which was an incredible international supermarket experience.

We saw these guys everywhere.
I'm not really sure what they are.

I was not expecting a self service fried food bar
in the supermarket

There was chocolate everywhere in Switzerland.

Walls of it

Much of it was Lindt. 

Pretty boxes of it. 

You can pick your own

Sadly it seems I don't like Marc de Champagne

 They have tie dyed eggs!

The coloured eggs are cooked, ready to eat for picnics!

Hmm, um. No thanks. 

Tempting, but no room in the suitcase. 

Even Swiss pegs are cool. 

Saturday Snapshot is a wonderful weekly meme
 now hosted by WestMetroMommy