With everyone fast asleep, Popov starts snoring and wakes up one of his dogmates, setting off a chain reaction. Now everyone’s up, and a good night’s sleep goes out the window! Can any parents relate? ;) Shhh! I’m Sleeping is by French author/illustrator Dorothée de Monfried.
Are We There Yet? is actually a book that Dan Santat wrote for his younger son so it’s a wonderfully personal work with many meaningful details, and is an epic experience for all readers. This is more than just a new take on the proverbial childhood query, "Are we there yet?!" There’s an interactive secret to the book that involves the reader in propelling the narrative forward in time (or backward?!). I'm in awe of Dan Santat's myriad details, the thought that went into laying out the page spreads and the way that his art and story came together to create something really magical (truly astounding). This is a book that is not just apt for the summer (the season of road trips), but for an entire childhood--to read, experience and be immersed in again and again. And I think this book just might inspire future illustrators out there. A winner on so many levels. Kudos to Dan Santat for this fine work.
And btw, listen to this terrific conversation with Dan Santat on All The Wonders. I’ve been meaning to listen to All The Wonders for so long, and only got around to it this week. It’s an amazing series! Listening to every episode from now on.
Nate turned five recently and we celebrated with a Totoro party. Here’s what we threw together:
—Totoro and catbus cupcakes by Candy Clay Cupcakes. Such beautiful and meticulous work—I was really blown away this time!
—Soot sprite truffles made with ganache and Sweet Estelle’s chocolate sprinkles and royal icing eyes. Inspired by the ones on Tinned Tomatoes (Thank you to Sweet Estelle for sending these for Nate's party!)
—Acorns made with mini Nilla wafers, Hershey's Kisses and chocolate chips
—Green tea-flavored Pocky
—Chocorooms and chocolate horns by Meiji
—Macarons from ‘Lette Macarons
—Felt garlands from The Land of Nod
—Felt leaves from Woolhearts on Etsy
Happy birthday to our little Nate!
Our newest bedtime read: The Ology by Marty Machowski. I love when theology is made accessible to children.
“A Bear Called Paddington didn’t begin life as a book. The opening paragraph was simply an early-morning doodle brought on by the certain knowledge that if I didn’t put something down on the blank sheet of paper in my typewriter, nobody else would. However, it caught my fancy, so I wrote a second paragraph, then a third, until by the end of the day I had completed a whole story.
The source of my inspiration was a toy bear sitting on the mantelpiece of our one-room flat near London’s Portobello Market. I had bought it in desperation the previous Christmas Eve as a stocking filler for my wife, and we called him Paddington because I had always liked the sound of it, and names are important, particularly if you are a bear and don’t have very much else in the world. “
It’s so fascinating to hear when and how inspiration strikes different writers. Sometimes it’s so elusive, and sometimes it’s right under your nose. Our current read-aloud: A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond and pictures by Peggy Fortnum.