A Cat For All Seasons

Today was international cat day, and it’s been rather a fun exercise to meander through the many shelves to pull out some of our brilliant picture book odes to the feline. Here's a miaow to our favourite classic cats, with new cats on the block and some marvellously arty cats to follow. We'd love to know your favourites too.

Some of my favourite illustrators of all time seem to harbour a penchant for the fabulous feline. My collection of Nicola Bayley's tales have been a treasured possession since childhood. The Patchwork Cat, by Nicola Bailey and William Mayne is a gloriously illustrated and lyrically written tale of a cat whose beloved blanket is disposed of for a newer version. But she loves her old rag and sets off in pursuit, finding herself lost and consigned to a dump... will she ever see her home again? Bayley also teamed up with Richard Adams (of Watership Down fame) to produce another catty classic - the poetic The Tyger Voyage about two adventurous feline brothers who set off to explore the world. Think Jules Verne for Tigers... Finally she worked with Antonia Barber on the classic Cornish tale of Mousehole fame about Mowzer the cat and her owner Tom who brave the Great Storm Cat to save their village and bring in some fish.

In a similar vein Richard Adams has also written a beautiful volume The Ship's Cat with Alan Aldridge which follows the swashbuckling adventures of another adventurous moggy - a thoroughly English cat, risking perils of the seas for Queen Elizabeth I against the Spanish threat; and Helen Cooper's The House Cat is a sumptuously illustrated and warmtale about a cat who is moved away from the place he really considers his home with owners who do not really appreciate him. We follow his harrowing journey home, all the way back to his little girl from the flat upstairs and the place he really belongs.


Another little beauty is A Dark Dark Tale by Ruth Brown "Once upon a time there was a dark, dark moor. On the moor there was a dark, dark wood. In the wood there was a dark, dark house..." A black cat creeps her way through the night following a trail through a mysterious old house. I used to love the creepiness of her journey, the suspense and the surprising coda.
  
Other treasured classic tales need little introduction , The Tale of Tom Kitten by Beatrix Potter, Judith Kerr's Mog, Dr Seuss's The Cat in the Hat, and various Ladybird classic versions of Puss In Boots and Dick Whittington.

Next, we have an appropriate marriage of two recently published celebrations of Edward Lear's most famous couple The Owl and The Pussy-Cat. Firstly a stunningly illustrated gift version of the original, then a sequel from the wonderful Julia Donaldson, herself a devotee of Lear and his talent for nonsense poetry. Lear originally wrote the illustrated poem for the poorly three year old daughter of a friend, and I've found it is one of the best first poems to introduce to a child. The girls particularly love the poem set to music as part of the fantastic Funkey Rhymes CD. Charlotte Voake's illustrations are simple yet dynamic. They convey movement, lightheartedness and a splash of childhood joy. I love how they look like watercolours and you can see some of the brushstrokes - a great inspiration for budding artists to emulate. Donaldson's sequel The Further Adventures of the Owl and The Pussy-Cat is also illustrated by Voake, and with Donaldson's seemingly effortless genius with rhyme, the tale continues in seamless form with the honeymoon of the unlikely couple. Following the loss of their wedding ring, the two are thrust on new adventures where they meet many others of Lear's colourful creations - The Pobble who has no toes, the Chankly Bore, even the Jumblies. It's brilliant. A wonderful Christmas gift for any child (the sequel even comes with a CD of Donaldson narrating the poem).

Finally, a couple of new offerings from classic authors.  Last year Quentin Blake was invited to illustrate an unpublished story by Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Kitty in Boots, rediscovered after 100 years. Potter said in letters that she had wanted to finish the story but "interruptions began", including the First World War, her marriage and illness. Her tale as she describes it is about "a well-behaved prime black Kitty cat, who leads rather a double life". Beloved classic characters also make cameo appearances, but Blake's illustrations give the book a more modern feel.  

Meg and Mog by Jan Pienkowski and Helen Nicholl were also solid childhood friends. In 2016 Jan brought out a third title in a collaboration with David Walser. The illustrations are iconic - bold blocks of colour and distinctive soundbubbles. My edition of Meg and Mog is just about still in one piece...

Finally a huge success is Judith Kerr's latest feline picture book. 47 years ago Kerr wrote about her cat Mog, mentioned above as a true classic selling over 3 million copies. Mog has long since passed away - controversially perhaps Kerr even wrote about this in a lovely book about the loss of a pet. Last year Kerr, at 93 and having had 9 cats through her lifetime, brought out a stunning book with a new feline character (her latest cat Katinka) entitled Katinka's Tail - described by the author as "a white cat with a tabby's tail that doesn't belong". When people point out the incongruent markings, we are told she is a perfectly ordinary pussy cat... except for her (rather magical) tail. Culturetot immediately fell in love with this beautiful book, and so did my mum. At 93 Kerr's work is still exquisite, long may she continue to create. (For more on her background and inspiration see this post on The Tiger who Came to Tea).



Disclaimer: Most of the books discussed we own and several copies are being passed down the generations, but thanks go to Harper Collins, Warne and Puffin for review copies of recent editions.

What the Ladybird Heard - Live on Stage

When Culturebaby was really young, one of the first pieces of childrens' theatre we went to see was the stage production of What the Ladybird Heard based on the modern classic by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Lydia Monks. It was therefore particularly lovely to revisit this all singing, dancing, rhyming celebration of brilliant writing for children.

The energetic cast of just four brings the book to life splendidly with catchy tunes, musical instruments and clever puppetry. Here we join a farmer and his yard of creatively crafted animals, including a prized cow who is frankly rather pleased with her own credentials. Using items from around the farm, the cast cleverly brings a host of animals to life. A horse emerges from a bath and a bike, a sheep from handlebars and a rug, a hog from a barrel and cart, a dog from a brush... Farmhands and theatre stewards double up as the crooks Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len who are determined to steal the farmer's prize cow and retire on the proceeds.

"Once upon a farm lived a fat red hen, a duck in a pond and a goose in a pen, a woolly sheep, a hairy hog, a handsome horse and a dainty dog, a cat that miaowed and a cat that purred, a fine prize cow... and a ladybird.

And the cow said, ‘MOO!’, and the hen said ‘CLUCK!’, ‘HISS!’ said the goose and ‘QUACK’ said the duck. ‘NEIGH!’ said the horse. ‘OINK!’ said the hog. “BAA!” said the sheep and “WOOF!” said the dog. One cat miaowed whilst the other one purred… And the ladybird said never a word."

Hugh and Len plan their great robbery meticulously - planning to follow the sound of the animals as they creep around in the dead of night - but with the help of an extremely talented ladybird, the animals are determined to protect their friend and foil the thieves' plan.

Julia Donaldson herself describes What the Ladybird Heard as one of her favourites amongst all the books she has written (she has since produced sequels including What the Ladybird Heard Next and What the Ladybird Heard on Holiday). She notes: "The germ of the idea was born when my youngest son, Jerry, had just started primary school and couldn't read yet fluently. The teacher asked the class to match up some animal words with their sounds. In Jerry's case the result was quite comical: a hen hisses, a dog moos, and so on. I couldn't help laughing (though not in front of my son) when I saw his piece of work, but I had no idea that many years later it would inspire me to write What the Ladybird Heard."

Donaldson has said how wonderful it is to see her characters come to life on stage and illustrator Lydia Monks has been involved in the development of the live show - which certainly captures the essence of her adorable illustrations. The challenge was to stray true to the short story, whilst extending it to an hour of theatre. The songs and audience participation achieve this in a seemingly effortless manner and the jolly cast managed to get everyone up dancing by the coda.

When we posted about our trip to see the show this half term at the wonderful Rose Theatre in Kingston, so many of our friends who have seen it agreed what a fantasic production it is. There are performances tomorrow in Kingston and then Ladybird will be touring the country. You can find a performance near you here.

"At the dead of night the two bad men (Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len) opened the gate while the farmer slept and tiptoe into the farm they crept. Then the goose said, “NEIGH!” with all her might. And Len said, “That’s the horse — turn right." And the dainty dog began to QUACK. “The duck!” said Hugh. “We’re right on track.” "OINK,” said the cats. “There goes the hog! Be careful not to wake the dog.” “BAA BAA BAA,” said the fat red hen. “The sheep! We’re nearly there,” said Len. Then the duck on the pond said, “MOO MOO MOO!” “Two more steps to go!” said Hugh. And they both stepped into the duck pond — SPLOSH!"

Disclaimer: We received tickets to the performance for the purposes of review. As always all views are very much our own. Images and quotes courtesy of the Rose Theatre Kingston and Ladybird Live. For more great family programming at the Rose Theatre see their website here. For more Donaldson, the Gruffalo's Child will be playing in October.

Baby at the British Museum

When I began writing this blog, Culturebaby was tiny and I was constantly on the look out for high quality, brilliant books for babies and toddlers to introduce them to art and history. Even 6 years ago there was very little on the history side. I gathered rather a lovely collection about art (see here) and began to piece together an Egyptian version (here and here) but with the exception of the gorgeous One Blue Hippo: An Ancient Egyptian Counting Book and quirky Tickle Tut's Toes there was little else for toddling archaeologists. I was therefore delighted to be approached last year to review the stunning progeny of a well matched marriage between The British Museum and publisher Nosy Crow. The resulting exquisite and fascinating books, which unpacked the collections of the museum in a bright and engaging way, really filled a gaping hole in early years provision for miniature museum-goers and their families. 

The first titles I'd like to talk about form part a series called Early Learning at the Museum. These four sumptuous and well designed board books are full of high quality photographs of items from the BM's collections, showcased against colourful backdrops. Covering Colours, Opposites, 123 and ABC (with others being published since), the books aim to develop the essential areas of learning for little people. I also love that these titles draw from a wide spectrum of the museum's collections from prints and drawings and paintings to textiles, jewellery, pottery and archaeological items. These may be objects found in perhaps lesser-visited galleries which encourage us to look beyond the sarcophagi to other intriguing realms. We journey from Japan to America, Africa to Scandinavia on a single page and are encouraged to look at the objects thematically, numerically, for their colourful properties or for their similarities across the ages or geography. Pitt-Rivers-like, we explore collections by theme, or we see wildly different items juxtaposed for their contrasting qualities.

The absolute winner of the pack for the girls who are now 4 and 6 is 123, which works from 1 to 20 items. The numerical element of this book allows for a kaleidoscopic array of items on many of the pages and the girls love working through it and selecting which item they would choose if given the option. We also play 'guess the oldest item'. Pages with selections of dolls, keys, bags, hats, spoons, cups and rings hold endless fascination.

The titles also come with internet codes for parents linking to further information, and are ripe for use with follow-on activities to discover the items in real life on journeys through the galleries. These I-spy activities are so effective and need little preparation (see here for an example with Tate's Matisse exhibition). I simply cannot rave enough about these brilliant and beautiful books.

Accompanying the Early Learning Series is a fabulous playbook, that suits a range of ages. Mixed-up Masterpieces again features a set of high quality photographs of faces from the British Museum's collections. From ceremonial masks to marble busts, Halloween costumes to figurines, again we travel through the collections meeting a range of characters. As babies finish with simple black and white shapes and begin to perceive colour (see here for why), they begin to be fascinated with faces. This book would be perfect for this earliest of stages; but it is also a creative puzzle for older children. The reader is invited to either discover the correct combination of facial features amongst 2000 combinations, or create their own weird and wonderful combinations.

Finally in the early years set is a new Egyptian title to add to our collection: Mummy! by Lerryn Korda. With the simplest of concepts and aimed at the 0-2 range, I thought when it arrived that it might be a little young for almost 4 year old Culturetot, but she's really taken to it. A little Egyptian girl can't find her Mummy and embarks on a journey on the banks of the Nile to locate her. Along the way she encounters a host of different Mummies - from animal to embalmed  - and finally finds her own. The loveliest feature of this little Board book is that it includes hieroglyph translations of a number of the key words, introducing the tiniest of readers to this most intriguing of languages.

For older children (as well as adults) there is also a beautiful set of several creative colouring books. Again inspired by the collections of the museum and with an inspiration guide at the end, these have been one of the most successful activity books for the girls as they loved the idea. Containing greetings cards paired with an envelope to construct, colour and decorate, and a sticker to seal it all, the girls were able to use this resource to make their own birthday and thank you cards for friends. Given the bonkers prices of greetings cards these days, these are also both excellent value and produce a rather more unique offering from the girls to any recipient. They even have a cute little box for them to sign "coloured for you by..."

Disclaimer: Nosy Crow is working with the British Museum in an exclusive partnership to create a broad range of children’s books to sell to the UK trade and beyond. The British Museum is ‘a museum of the world, for the world’. The books draw on the British Museum’s internationally recognised brand, its unparalleled collection of objects and its world-class expertise. We were sent copies of these books for the purposes of a review. All views are very much our own and we only ever review books we love and recommend.

The Saga of Noggin the Nog

We never cease to be impressed by the quality of children's programming at Kingston's Rose Theatre. Celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year, this fabulous, cosy and high quality theatre has provided some real gems in recent months. From West end touring productions to Saturday morning puppetry, we'd recommend a trip for all families. Spring sees a programme including Dahl's George's Marvellous Medicine and The Railway Children and What the Ladybird Heard at the end of May.                                      

Our most recent visit was to a production of the vintage children's classic, The Saga of Noggin the Nog. My mum remembers enjoying these comic characters as a child - the first episode of the British TV series aired in 1959. The loveable characters, inspired by the Lewis Chessmen at the British Museum, are 'Northmen' loosely based on Vikings, with Noggin ruling benevolently, and sometimes competently, as their king. There are however, many fantastical additions - dragons, talking birds, and miniature beings. 

Lewis Chessmen from Wiki Commons © Andrew Dunn

'In the Lands of the North where the black rocks stand guard against the cold sea, the Men of the Northlands sit around their great log fires and they tell a tale...'

 

The production covers two of these adventures. Firstly the attempted theft of Noggin's crown by his wicked Uncle Nogbad the Bad whilst Noggin is off getting married in a far away land.  Then a journey to the land of miniature people and a battle with the 'fearsome' ice dragon.

With an all male cast, the actors were hugely versatile, with imaginative costumes and great puppetry. The production was simple but funny and effective, and you certainly don't need to be acquainted with Noggin to thoroughly enjoy this performance. We weren't previously but we've since bought the DVD. It's also a great way in to discussing the real Vikings.

Jorvik Viking Centre from Wiki Commons

As a child I loved trips across to York, to the Castle Museum and also the immersive sights, sounds, smells, animatronics and all important moving car at the wonderful Jorvik Viking Centre. The museum is housed in the basement of a shopping centre as it remains on the site where a settlement was found. Its a great example of how rescue archaeology and creative thinking about the future of a site can boost tourism and education. Visitors can journey 6 metres underground to discover the remains of a Viking hearth and walls that made up the historic city. I haven't visited since their refurbishment following a devastating flood, but I can't wait to take the girls. Visits there certainly planted a seed for my future choice of reading archaeology at university. Museum Crush has also compiled a great list of museums around Britain where you can learn more about the Vikings - see here.


The Saga of Noggin the Nog is touring and information can be accessed on their Facebook Page.
Rose Theatre Upcoming Shows can be booked here.

Disclaimer: We received tickets to the show in exchange for an honest review. All views are our own. Images of the production used are courtesy of The Rose Theatre. Other images are from WikiCommons.

You Can Never Run Out Of Love

Already the girls at 4 and 6 are coming home from school with Valentines cards, thankfully addressed to Mummy and Daddy. Their view of the whole event is that it is a day for showing people how much we love them. In many ways that would be much nicer than the exclusive emphasis we currently place on the day for couples. Last year I wrote a post with activities and a selection of books about love for little people and there have been such gorgeous publications on the theme over the last few months that a sequel is certainly in order. For the very young, here's our Valentine's sensory basket too. You can find out what scrumptiously tactile materials to throw into the mix here.

You Can Never Run Out of Love by Helen Docherty and Ali Pye

This lovely book has been read and re-read in our household. Both girls love the rhythmic text, the sweet illustrations and the message, that whatever you run out of from food to energy, to socks, from time and money to patience and ideas - you can never run out of love. "Love doesn't come in a bottle or jar. It's right there inside you, wherever you are. You don't have to charge it. No batteries inside. Your love can be big, as the whole world is wide..." At the crux of the book is the central message that love grows when it is given. When you've run out of everything else, you'll still find... you can never run out of love. Long may our girls believe this.

Words and Your Heart by Kate Jane Neal

Sometimes a title drops through the post that in its own original way gets a message so right that you have to shout about it. This is one of those books. Words and Your Heart is a little book about the amazing power of words, to harm or to build others up. Our words are powerful, they are important, because the words that go into our ears can really affect our hearts too. Just as the words of others can make us happy or want to sing (or make us cry), our words can also pierce someone else's heart - the little bit of them that makes them, them. Our words are so powerful that they can change the way someone's heart feels - our words can make someone who feels weak, feel stronger. The book exorts us to choose to use our words to look after the hearts of others. It's a really important message for school children - teachers have even reported a change in the culture of their classroom after sharing it with their students. It's just as crucial for us as parents. This is one of those books I'll buy for others, and I have a copy to send to school.


How to Say I Love You in Five Languages by Kenard Pack

This cute interactive primer arrived this week, alongside a counting version, and the girls have been busy experimenting with it. With buttons to press, we are taught how to say "I love you" in English, French, Spanish, Japanese and Mandarin. The girls' school does French and Mandarin from reception so they have particularly enjoyed hearing these and looking at the simple phrases such as "You are my friend". Noisy books are always fun and this title from Wide Eyed Editions lives up to their usual high quality quirky standards.


The Poesy Ring, A Love Story by Bob Graham

When we were married, we both selected Georgian rings. Men's rings of this age are tricky to find as many have been melted down. Ours perhaps survived because of its inscription on the inside 'Love Ever'. It's a Poesy ring - these were given at engagement or marriage and often had inscriptions like ours on the inside. This tale is therefore particularly apt as it traces a journey to the present day of a ring carrying the phrase 'love never dies'. The book begins with a ship sailing away onto the horizon and a teary rider galloping away. A ring is discarded, tumbling into a meadow and settling there with only animals for company for season after season. In time it was found by a boy and placed in his pocket with an acorn, then again it is lost: the acorn becomes a magnificent tree - the ring its hidden neighbour. As the seasons continue to turn the ring becomes wedged in a deer's hoof, is ploughed through soil, carried by birds and dropped into the sea. Eventually found in the belly of a fish, it is finally sold, to be bought by a couple in need of an engagement ring. It's a happy ending for the ring - it finally fulfils its purpose. Love is always there, Bob Graham tells us, it just needs to be found.

Oskar and Mo by Britta Teckentrup

Last year I wrote about Britta Teckentrup's adorable creation Oskar. Her stunning illustrations and lyrical language and description have ensured that these gorgeous books will be future classics. From the the smell of spring to sweet red cherries, losing himself in books to the silence of snow, Oskar gives us a glimpse into the simple beauty and pleasures in life. Now Oskar returns and he has a best friend Mo. "Oskar loves Mo, and Mo loves Oskar. They are the best of friends." From their favourite place where they share all their secrets, to activities they love to share together, their friendship ensures that the night doesn't seem so dark, the rain so bleak. Even though at times they disagree, they always make up. This is simple and perfect friendship, and the book itself is a work of art.

The Snow Lion by Jim Helmore and Richard Jones

The Snow Lion is a beautifully illustrated story about making new friends and growing in confidence. Caro and her mum move to a new house, and Caro wishes she has someone to play with. Then one day, she hears a deep gentle voice suggesting a game of hide and seek. The voice belongs to a snow-white lion, invisible against the white walls of the home, who becomes both playmate but also quiet encourager - suggesting that Caro ventures out and plays with other children - he will always be there when she returns. As her world becomes more and more filled with colour, her first playmate recedes, but as he reminds her, he will always still be there if she needs him. She knows where to look...


The Unexpected Love Story of Alfred Fiddleduckling by Timothy Basil Ering

This unusual little book, somehow rather classic looking in its execution but original in the story it tells, talks of the power of falling in love with your passions in life, and in particular with music. Captain Alfred was sailing home with his dog, ducks for his farm and an egg- a precious gift for his wife. Then a storm comes and the boat is wrecked, and floating offshore in a violin case the egg cracks and Alfred Fiddleduckling emerges alone. The first real companion he sees floating by is the violin and Alfred takes hold of it and embraces it with all his heart. In return the object responds with the most beautiful sound he ever heard. They drift wave after wave through the fog, until they land safe ashore. It is this unlikely love story that leads the others, following the exquisite and familiar music, home too at last. It's a joyful tale about finding your gift.



Odd Couples. One Word Two Meanings by Mirja Winkelmann

Finally an unusual Valentines title from quirky art publisher Prestel. This mainly wordless book brings together unusual pairings of images, united by the one word that describes them. Words such as bark, ring, crane, tank, fly or sole are depicted in their odd couplings. It's a great book for getting little ones to think differently. Perfect for propping up on the breakfast table and discussing.


Disclaimer: We received copies of the books over the last few months for the purposes of a review. I only write about the books that I love. There are all fabulous.