Children Chipolatas

We have recently been enjoying this adventure-filled book:

in which the pirate dinosaurs try to capture children and make them into their favourite, "children chipolatas."

It has some great key ingredients for kids: danger, dinosaurs, pirates, heroes and heroines, explosions, battles, and of course, sausages. K and J liked this book so much that I decided to take them to our local butcher so we could find out how they make sausages!

The kids were definitely riveted. It was disgusting but compelling. We all learnt a lot.

Suffice to say, I won't be eating these again in a hurry. ;0)

Peppermint Mag

My life has been changed by reading this magazine. I thought I was pretty green, but now I'm inspired to take things to a whole new level. Did you know that it takes 2000 litres of water to make just one cotton t-shirt? There are so many eye-openers in this mag, but it isn't guilt-inducing and has lots of great eco-conscious options for when the urge to buy new clothes does hit. It's informative, thought-provoking and pretty. I highly recommend you read it. I'm not sure where else it's available, but I know you can get it at Bliss Ecowear in Paddington. (Thank you for the lend, Martine, and may I pass it on before it gets back to you?)

My Husband

Matt said this to my Dad: "Here, Tony, you could live here."

And on another note, I'm ready for my first sock creature!

I Love Libraries!

I would like to open with a quote in praise of libraries, by a man called Dan Riley. He says, "...libraries speak of a culture's respect for its past, its faith in its future, and its dedication to seeking truth." He also talks about the generosity inherent in the building of libraries for all people.

I share his love of libraries and also marvel at the generosity of such a wonderful resource. How lucky are we?

I absolutely LOVE children's books, especially the ones with the kind of illustrations that transport you to another world and are so crucial to the development of little imaginations.
When we stagger out the door I can hardly carry all those books I just couldn't resist.

We love the library .... even if one of the highlights is wrestling in the cushions.

PS: I am always interested in your recommended reads! What great books have you read lately? I highly recommend "Year of Wonders", a novel by Geraldine Brooks, and, of course, "The Number One Ladies' Detective Agency" series by Alexander McCall-Smith.

Tikki Tikki Tembo

Remember this book!? Thanks Mum (again) for finding "Tikki Tikki Tembo" for me! I have been wanting to share this childhood favourite with Kees but it had been tricky to locate. What a great story, and the illustrations are just brilliant.

Don't you remember the boy's name? Tikki tikki tembo no sa rembo chari bari ruchi pip peri pembo. If you loved it as much as we did when you were a kid, you could probably still rattle that off in your sleep.

This is really a wonderful tale, but very tiring to read aloud!