It was Children’s Book Week in Australia last week, and our local Library organised a visit from children’s book Author Liliana Stafford. We went along yesterday to her session (George has decided that he’s going to be an Author/Illustrator after a similar session at the Library last year – with an Author whose name escapes me right now!).
It was excellent. I hadn’t clicked that Liliana is the author of Amelia Ellicott’s Garden – which is one of our favourite bedtime stories.
She got all the kids up “acting out” the story as she read the book. Angus got to be Amelia Ellicott (type-casting?!). They had loads of fun.
She also told the kids about how she did the illustrations for her book The Stone Elephant.
[Picture from Liliana's website]
It’s done with collage ~ crumpled up tissue paper which has been treated then painted. It must have taken her hours and hours to do each picture. She said the whole book took her about 10 years as she did a lot of research into the story.
Even though we don’t homeschool any more, I try very hard to take the children along to Library events and anything which will expose them to great literacy, arts etc. I was talking to the Children’s Librarian today, as we also go to a Book Explorers Club once a month at the Library, and saying to her that it’s a shame more people don’t come along. She goes to a lot of trouble to organise these great events and hardly anyone turns up. Why is that? Do you think that the population generally is losing a love for books? As a child I read voraciously. My boys are great readers and mostly have their nose in some book or rather, and they read a wide variety of books. Bella is showing signs of also being a keen reader.
Books and stories are wonderful. There is so much to learn and there’s nothing better than snuggling up under a blanket together and enjoying a story, or two, or three….
Geordie and I are reading Because of Winn-Dixie together at the moment before bed. I absolutely LOVE Kate di Camillo’s books. Edward Tulane was such a gorgeous story and we really enjoyed The Tale of Despereaux too.
As a child I loved Noel Streatfield (I must have read Ballet Shoes a million times) and I also enjoyed Roald Dahl’s books (although not all of them), Anne of Green Gables, Milly Molly Mandy etc. I’ve been buying copies of all of these for Bella to read when she’s a bit older. She’s Pony mad right now and loves the Magic Pony books. I was a bit of a horse fan myself as a kid. Does anyone else remember this?
I’m really showing my age now!
I would love to hear whether you and your family love books and appreciate great literacy? Leave me a comment …
Fee x
