Book trailer for Stuck by Oliver Jeffers. Oh, when trying to solve a problem we create an even bigger one! And that’s okay.
A Farmer’s Alphabet
A Farmer’s Alphabet (1981) is a stunning hand-crafted picture book by Mary Azarian. This alphabet book is made of b&w woodcut prints that portray icons of farm-life in Vermont. An artist and farmer herself, Mary Azarian, her life and career happen between the proof press and the field. Her prints have an intricate sense of dedication, hard work, and poetry.
Here are my favorite ones:
My husband, Max, also grew up amongst orchards, vegetables, and chickens. Surrounded by mountains that framed the seasons as they change.
Spring is here, the Summer near. And here is a picture of Georgia during her first tractor ride:
Fraser Street
It’s Sunday. It’s raining upon us, Vancouverites. Time to throw the laundry in. Gear up and Get Out. This has been a week to remember. Nesting in our new ground floor home near Fraser Street. Opening up boxes of forgotten belongings, some worth keep, some worth get rid. Getting our pantry back in shape – basic needs – spices, canned tomatoes, oats. Georgia has her own room, to play and drift away in fantasy and stories (and to sleep one day). She has a particular passion for the outdoors (don’t we all do?). Happy to crawl on humid grass and play with twigs while papa weeds. It’s a new dawn.
Here’s a few gems of our new part of town:
For the coffee ones: Matchstick Coffee
For the little ones: Collage Collage
For the foodie ones: Les Faux Bourgeois
Das Haus in den ich wohne (The House I live in)
Illustrations from Das Haus in dem ich wohne (The House I live in) by artist Evelyne Laube, 2008.
“Etching is one of our preferred mediums to develop images. These etchings are developed through the slowdown of the printing process and the interplay of chance and control. It’s a collection of stories and images connected with the house Evelyne lived in.”
Is it raining elephants again? is a collective for illustration and visual design, created by Nina Wehrle and Evelyne Laube. Click here to see their page.
13 Words
13 Words picture book written by Lemony Snicket and illustrated by Maira Kalman
The Tree House
You know how some things are really hard describe…
That thing is so amazing, you can’t find the right words.
In this case, that is true, and also, I’m incredibly behind packing.
Four months swept us by and it’s time to go back to Canada.
So, this is an almost wordless post about a wordless picture book.
The Tree House is a majestic piece of art about a tree house, which stays permanent as animals and seasons go by.
Created by the Dutch artist Marije Tolman and her father Ronald Tolman.
Click here for an imaginative review on 32 Pages – A Passion for Picture Books.
I will give you the entirety of this poetic journey:
Haba
Great design meets creative and educational needs.
Haba toys. Made in Germany and sold around the world.
Sunday on the Sea
The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet
You know how some things in life are simply indispensable?
A good pair of Havaianas for the summer- and Blundstones for the winter.
A Moleskine notebook to sketch lists, ideas, and notes.
A Joy of Cooking on your kitchen shelf.
Here’s one worth adding to your home:
This book is basically all you need to know about making wholesome baby foods. What you need, how to cook, store, and serve, when to introduce… It will guide through the stages of introducing foods from 6 to 23-months of age. The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet is a perfect combination of nutritional needs, fresh choices, and practicality. I love the simple blends of veggies (Carrot and Sweet Potato) and its combination with fruits. Another key thing I find to introducing foods to our bebe is routine, patience, and play. At home I grew up with one simple rule: we all sat at the table for dinner. As kids and teens we did this and looking back I recognize the importance of that ritual.
We are what we Eat and what we Eat reflects who we are. I came across this poem earlier this week and it tingled my senses:
Lost and Found
I love going to bookstores, thrift ones, and larger ones too. Got books? Got a nice children’s books alley? Worth a visit. These days, I usually enter frantically, pushing a stroller, diaper bag in hands. I take a minute to breathe and find my way (Georgia is usually asleep at this point). I must be honest, a great deal of my reading is devoted to news, fellow bloggers, articles on sustainability, and of course, kids books. So I undoubtedly head in that direction first.
Finding a book I want to pick up and look at is a multi-sensorial experience. I look through the shelves as I touch the books gently. Authors and illustrators I know stand out but mostly the image, colors, shapes, and fonts, is what attracts me. And to this I blame design. Book design is the final touch that makes all the difference. There are a lot of kids books authors and illustrators who are practicing or have a background in design. One of my favorite artists on this boat is Oliver Jeffers, born in Belfast, Ireland, and currently residing in Brooklyn, NY. Click here to watch a short in-studio film about him.
His characters are real. They have, and communicate, real feelings. They reveal an imaginary world that lives within all of us. My choice for this post is:
I’ve read Lost and Found over and over. The story begins with a boy in his normal morning routine. Unexpectedly, a penguin shows up at his door.
The boy is intrigued by the fact and wonders where the penguin came from. Perhaps he’s lost? Perhaps he needs a ride back to the South Pole? A true friendship may be found. In life we seem to find true friends in the most odd ways (or days). And then of course, they are like rocks in the shore, standing firm and always there, no matter weather and waves.
Click on the image bellow to watch the version of Lost and Found in animation, created by Oliver Jeffers and StudioAKA:
