The Librarian

Happy Easter! I must admit the weather has put a real dampener on our Easter celebrations, it has been raining in Hawke's Bay for the last week, and the place feels pretty soggy, and the mood around the place is a little dreary. Easter weather is often pretty magic, and I hadn't quite realised just how much that helps set the mood.  But thank goodness for the traditions, the chocolate....and the darling book that reminds us every year about what matters (the big stuff and the little stuff; like just how well your house can be run if you get your kids onto the housework!)  I just noticed while hunting for an image for this book, The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by Du Bose Heyward ,  that some academic work talks about Mother Bunny as a very early feminist role model - the ultimate working mother. I'm all good with aspiring to uphold the ideals of a bunny rabbit, she's definitely quite something! A family staple ...

There are some children's book illustrators who have made magic.  Tasha Tudor is one of them. She illustrated nearly 100 books in her lifetime (1915-2008). Hunt her out if you haven't found her already. My favourite (so far - I haven't happened across them all yet!) is her book 'A Time to Keep', a book of festivals and holidays, with the most delicious illustrations of family rituals and good times. I so want to own this book! I also want to track down the edition of 'The Night before Christmas' by Clement C Moore that she illustrated. I have seen some of the pages from it and it looks beautiful.