The last chocolate has been eaten from the advent calendar!
 
Nearly there!
 
I love to  think of all the excited children around the world tucked up in bed trying to get to sleep tonight.

....whether spoken, written, or sent down from on high.

 Joy to you all for Christmas, and many thanks for reading my words this past year!

I've been lucky enough to visit Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire several times at Christmas to view their enchanting decorations. Not this year sadly - however this 2 minute video gives a flavour. Do visit if you live near enough - otherwise click here  to see Blue Moon on a Platter created by light artist Bruce Munro.

Enjoy!

For more see http://www.waddesdon.org.uk and http://www.brucemunro.co.uk

Also, for a burst of joy, go over to http://www.cornflowerbooks.co.uk/ for the clip from Much Ado About Nothing which Karen has posted today....

The arts in Britain are something pretty special!

Continuing from yesterday's post....

The endpaper is like an invitation to the other world that is a picture book.

I've photographed a few here from the children's Christmas books - blue predominates, and snow effects and Brian Wildsmith's gold endpapers in A Christmas Story have a feel of magic to them. (I think you can tell how much the children in this family have liked the gold by the number of little fingerprints all over it!)

I love to pause slightly on these special pages when reading a book to children.

In the absence of special endpaper, (or beginning paper) the first illustration can set the scene for what is to follow.
Just as the opening sentence of a novel is considered very important, so, I believe, is the first picture in a picture book.

Often the illustrator achieves a special effect, a hint of mystery, by minimal means as in the one small parcel in the big expanse of snow here in Santa's Littlest Helper Travels The World by Anu Stohner and Hennrike Wilson. How did it come to be there, you want to know....

Your curiosity is aroused by the single loose balloon in Mog's Christmas by Judith Kerr..

and where can this lone hedgehog be heading, so determinedly, nose sniffing the cold air? The Winter Hedgehog by Ann and Reg Cartwright.




Beautiful, and clever!

I've written before (7 Dec 2010 and 20 Dec 2010) about collecting children's Christmas books, and what my criteria are for choosing what I consider to be the best each year. The quality of the illustrations is especially important for me, but this year's choice is nothing special in that regard (at least to my eyes).

The illustrations by Elisa Squillace are quite sweet, with nice details. However two year old Scott loves this book. The music is written by Anthony Marks. Each animal character plays a different part on a different instrument and they all rehearse individually then come together in a concert at the end. So as the story proceeds the child presses the buttons to hear each melody, then hears them come together in harmony....

Delightful, to little ones, especially perhaps those who have just discovered the piano and are fascinated by it. Scott patiently plays the keys one by one over the whole keyboard, and laughs out loud as he plays the low notes....

The book has pretty spotted endpapers. More about endpapers tomorrow.

If you have the time and the inclination a browse in the category Simply Christmas will lead you to lots more posts on children's Christmas books....

In defence of sending Christmas cards, apart from the already mentioned £50 million raised for museums (the lovely robin is an Eric Ravillious design from the V&A) and other good causes, 300,000 trees are cut each year for our 1 billion cards - could that mean jobs in the rural economy in managed, sustainable forests? (www.envirowise.gov.uk) 248,000 trees can be saved by recycling (www.woodlandtrust.co.uk). Ways for smaller charities to benefit are described here (www.greetingscardassociation.org.uk/news/charity-christmas-cards or see www.bbc.co.uk/religion/galleries/ethicalxmas  for more on these ethical dilemmas!!

This is a little red felt bag I like to keep my cards, stamps and Christmas Card List in. It's almost empty! Tomorrow is the last posting day for second class post....

Isn't it odd how, after a very busy time, you relax - and get a cold!
 
Am off to bed with a hot toddy..(actually just a Lemsip - I am a Scot who doesn't like Scotch! Or porridge..).

Click here then type The Snowman and The Snowdog in the search box for a tiny preview of the sequel to The Snowman.

Can it possibly have the magic and enchantment of the original I wonder?
 
I LOVE The Snowman! 

This little preview is just too short to tell....will have to wait till Christmas Eve!

My photo was terrible yesterday - too much mulled wine perhaps?

It is hard to sum up our annual party! But here goes: family/friends/talking our heads off/singing/head wreaths/going to the forest in a convoy to choose the tree/singing/boys being 'netted' like trees/mulled wine/mince pies/wonderful food brought by everyone (like this beautiful biscuit tree by Jennie)/singing/drawing/puzzles/decorating the tree/youngest putting the fairy on top/candles/log fire/exchange of cards/secret parcel swaps/more singing/Christmas books/laughs/hugs/red socks/and, most of all, counting our blessings!

Should you ever need to buy 22 pairs of red socks I can recommend www.sockshop.co.uk

Guess what Santa sent for the Christmas Tree Party?

So happy.

So tired.

More tomorrow.

I hope you've had a good weekend..