Moose-ic to my ears, and eyes and me

I've been sick all week and so away from the bookshop. Although I was supposed to be resting it's amazing how much time is taken up visiting various doctors, doing school drop offs, picking up groceries...shall I go on? The worst part of the whole thing is that I missed the delivery of THIS book. Ok you guys all know what a total crush I have on Oliver Jeffers. Well guess who has just released something new? Yep, our handsome hero has done it again, this time sharing a tale of ownership and friendship, petmanship and penmanship.  The Moose Belongs to Me. Out now. I love it already.

ZOObug super specky

My husband and I both wear glasses so it is pretty inevitable that the boys will follow suit. I came across Zoobug recently thanks to our lovely pal Andrea at Flannery O Kafka, who oh so cleverly shot their latest collection. Our hero in the piece is one of the 'Kafka crew and isn't he simply destined for big things? I mean look at this kid, he's a Wes Anderson brooding bundle of brilliance. Oh and the glasses are pretty cute too.

Grrrreat paper fun

Found while enjoying mollymoo

I LOVED making these as a kid and think the boys are almost ready to get stuck into creating their own. Nothin' but fun... Download the PDF here and although it's not in English, you'll get the gist.

Sudo Summer 12 Collection

Oh my, oh my, with warmer weather almost within our grasps down here in Tasmania, I'm totally smitten by the new summer collection from Melbourne based clothing label Sudo. This gear for the boys.... gelato shades, super cute shorts, skinny jeans, cardies, oh boy...so seriously CUTE! Right now I want to BE 8 again and in that photoshoot, hangin' with those super gorgeous kids.

School Jitters

For all our readers in the northern hemisphere, sending their kids back to school, we wish you luck as they head towards a year of learning, anticipation and growth. If anyone is a little unsure of what lies ahead, maybe one of these in their pocket might help them know they're not alone x

Felt pocket hearts from Curly Bird

Book Week #4

It's the end of the week and although our household has been filled with colds, coughs and another bout of bronchitis we still managed to thoroughly enjoy book week. Jack dressed up as one of his favourite firemen from his Richard Scarry book, Charlie and I read his favourite Big Brother Little Brother, while we all went to the theatre to see the stage adaptation of Australian Tim Winton's Bugalugs the Bum Thief. Aren't we the literary crew!
As we finish our celebrations  I thought I'd suggest some nice titles for older readers - 8-12 to be exact. And on purpose, I have stayed away from the spy/warrior/beast/dystopian topics and just stuck with some softer, more age appropriate subjects that, as a mother, and a girl (or 'lady' as the kid refer to me as...eeeek) I tend to gravitate towards. I mean really, we have to face violence and ugly human behaviour too often in adulthood, why expedite the experience eh?
So... my favourites are:
John Boyne. The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Crocket
Boyne, a sweetheart of Irish children's fiction, has an idyllic literary mind that has reminded me of a CS Lewis childhood, mixed with a little Blyton, Dahl and Bawden. Illustrated my Oliver Jeffers, this is sure to interest those who love a little adventure and a whole lot of imagination.
Brian Selznick. Wonder Struck
Brilliant mind. Super talent of Hugo Cabret. Enviable writer/illustrator. Oh to even get close to a talent like this... You won't be disappointed. Beautiful words mixed with gripping illustration. Oh how I wish to be 9 again.
Dave Shelton. A Boy and a Bear in a Boat
Well known as an illustrator, a foray into writing has resulted in a genuinely good read. There's no Life of Pi here, just a genuine relationship between a boy and a bear and a boat. Of course.
Clive Goddard, Fintan Fedora, the World's Worst Explorer
An accident prone 14 year old, utterly hilarious in every misadventure, Fintan is a boy born with a silver spoon, but has missed out on the brains, brightness and brilliance of his family. This is a story of proving your worth and you'll laugh all the way through.

Book Week #3

Today it's all about doing. I'm really enjoying how our 5 year old is (finally) sitting still and focussing on some serious colouring, drawing and investigating for more than 30 seconds. His exploration is undoubtedly a result of his kindergarten exploits and his interest in shape and form is certainly coming along in leaps and bounds. Here are four of his favourite books at the moment

1. You Choose Colouring Book by Nick Sharratt and Pippa Goodhart - stickers and colouring in with lots of detail.
2. Play All Day by Taro Gomi - pull out paper craft that's very boy friendly.
3. Anorak magazine - the happy mag for kids...'nuff said
4. Usborne Lift the flap Picture Atlas - fun for international families like us.

Book Week Day #2

As a children's bookseller I get asked a lot for tips on early reader series. Truth has it, if you are looking for some safe, non beasty style stories, they aren't so easy to come by. Girls, of course, have no problem, but the boys always seem to be lumped with quests for being the best, winning, fighting monsters or spying...you get the picture. 

So today I've selected three series that are super sweet, fun to read and great for those boys taking that giant leap by themselves. A big high five to all those new readers out there. My eldest is starting to learn his letters and he can't believe that one day HE might read us a story before bed. I can't wait.

1. Hey Jack series by Sally Rippin

If you're familiar with the ever popular Billie B.Brown and just can't quite connect with the themes of spying or fighting, then I think you need to meet this guy. His best friend is Billie and he sometimes has problems figuring out his feelings. With a little help, he learns the importance of teamwork, how to be happy in his own skin and learns how to act in social situations. Illustrations balance out the text, so giving kids a breather when tackling all those tricky words. Although targeting Grade 1 and 2, this series actually adds value to older classes as it discusses lots of valuable life lessons.

2. Jimmy Ka Chow series by WOW Books 4 Boys

This is a new series for me and I really how they've kind of disguised the book as a super cool comic to entice reluctant readers. Graded into recommended reading levels, they are filled with cheeky humour and have lots of likeable characters. Parents and teachers will like the new vocabulary and grammar tips  available, along with lots of free downloads to make the reading adventure even more fun.

3. First published in 1964, the Flat Stanley series is a perpetually popular book, beloved by school kids the world over. When a bulletin board falls on him one night, Stanley wakes up flat and discovers a whole new world awaits in his new altered state. Post yourself, become a kite, disguise yourself as a painting, the list is endless. In 1995 a Canadian teacher, Dale Hubert developed the Flat Stanley project, engaging kids to send their own Stanley's across the globe, write about their adventures and simply connecting kids around the world through literacy. 

Tomorrow...activity books!

Book Week!

Happy Monday everyone and welcome to a special week that's going to be totally dedicated to...(drum roll) BOOKS!  We're celebrating Book Week here in Australia and I thought, being a children's bookseller, I REALLY should up the ante and share some of my favourite titles with you a little more regularly. SO... this week will be the start of a regular post dedicated to reading. Sound good? Well, if you're sitting comfortable, I think we should begin...

Today it's all about picture books. I've chosen the books beside, under and on top of the boys bed at the moment. So really this is their selection, not mine. We have been reading all of our choices for the past few years and regularly return to them as firm favourites. The boys are 5 and 3.5 and still really love to have them read before bed.

Some have great rhyming play (Look a Book and Sally Go Round the Stars) while others (Herbert and Harry and Library Lion) have good moral messages to absorb. You'll notice I haven't linked any of these to online bookstores as I would really like you to either visit your library or LOCAL bookshop, share a half hour with your kids and show them the importance of these spaces.

Tomorrow... Favourite Fiction

So how IS rain made really?

OK if you've been asked how rain is made and like me are totally unscientific, then this might help. The boys will be sure to sit still for it's whole 6 minutes of cuteness and will probably never look at rain clouds in the same way again!

A day in the life

Yesterday I got a big snap happy and decided to visually log all the things we did together.  Here it is as it should have appeared in my diary...

1. Go to Dad's work and make brownies
2. Recreate the Bolt pose multiple times on big boulders
3. Practice swimming mantra - "straight legs, floppy feet"
4. Visit school open day and find books with our names in them
5. Tackle climbing wall at school while waiting for brother to finish playing with girls in the playground

For all you who patiently flicked through all these photos on Instagram, thanks for the lovely comments!

Mini Mood Boards

I'm still really enjoying my nightly indulgence in Pinterest - it makes me so excited by the beauty there is creatively and naturally around us. You seem to like what I pin too, I mean how could you not love these dino socks, or dream or having your boys room as perfectly neat and stylish as this one?

As I try to embrace the non-science side of my brain, perhaps this pretty print will help me enjoy discussing the planets, universe, dust particles, aliens and moonbeams?! For more eye candy, hop on over to my The Brothers Trimm File.

Anorak - how happy we are!

I know I was rather vocal about this on Instagram, but I can't help being SOOO super excited about it - yes, that's right, we have been asked to contribute to my favourite of all kidlet mags - Anorak magazine. Keep your eye out for us in the fantabulously colourful and fun packed holiday issue where we share a recent visit to a rather gorgeous museum in Hobart. The boys were particularly impressed with the accompanying activity book - anything with a name like Goober is SURE to be totally adored by boys. Bravo Anorak, another job well done.

Toy Boarders - a cruisin' alternative to toy soldiers

So I am a total phobic when it comes to weapons in my house. I look to keep our territory as passive as possible, so I am loathe to welcome swords or guns into play time. I'll admit that they do creep in under the guise of a stick or twig but I try and encourage - protection rather than attack, and hey wouldn't that be a great fire house rather than laser thing? So it's no surprise that I got totally excited by the Original AJ Toy Boarders - a fresh take on those khaki little toy soldiers we all know so well. I love the fact that they promote action sports rather than violence and let any kid use their imagination in a much more positive way. They're on my Christmas list for sure.

 

Happy Birthday Lego

Forget the hoard under beds and sofas, forget the bone crunching pain when stopped on underfoot, where oh where would our boys be without Lego? 80 years old...Happy Birthday to you

Denim Crush

I'm totally digging this denim... Scandinavian design mixed with gorgeous fabrics, stupendously good looking kids and a pretty nice background. Yip, those Swedes know how to do it. I Dig Denim. Yes I do!

Wall-ease

I remember spending ages before nodding off at night, staring at the flowers on the wallpaper in our old bedroom. They matched the curtains, these flowers, pink and red and very dainty, adored by the girls who filled the room with giggles. Now with my house full of boys, I'd be hard pressed to pick one of these gorgeous designs from New York brand Loboloup for their walls, all of which would be sure to keep them gazing for days!

Brollies and Lemons

It's frrr....eezing down here in Tassie, with blustery winds, driving rain and a LOT of snow on Mount Wellington - quite the dreary picture. So in desperate need of some warm colour I found solace in these wonderful images, a welcome distraction from spreadsheets, balancing invoices and generally pretending to be a grown up.

 

Anorak - did you spot us?

Have you got your copy yet? I'm SOOOOOOOOOOO excited and waiting impatiently at the post box every day. Might have something to do with that the fact that The Brothers Trimm is contributing?! Yes Yes, read all about our trip to a lovely old house in Hobart...

Cars and Trucks and things that go

If you're a mum of boys you'll be sure to be the jedi knight of cars, trucks and all things vehicular. Ever found yourself squealing after spotting fire engines when the kids AREN'T in the car? When it comes to storytime, I've just found this comprehensive list of picture books for car lovers. Hop over to No Time for Flash Cards for the full account. I can bet you'll get totally absorbed in this amazing resource.