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Ladybird: What on Earth are we doing?

January 3, 2019 by penny Leave a Comment

No – this isn’t some statement about the state of UK politics (although – maybe it should be!) but instead the question posed in the title of this week’s Ladybird book choice.

What on Earth are we doing? is part of Ladybird’s 1970s Conservation series (series 727). These books seem to have been published with two different cover versions, but I have to be honest and say that I’m not exactly sure which version of the cover came first. This title was published in 1976 and judging by the man on the cover of both versions I believe it to be just the covers that differ, with the inner pages remaining the same.

There is something that makes this particular Ladybird title a bit special though and links it back to the original Ladybird nature titles, despite it’s very 70s appearance.

What on Earth are we doing? is credited as having two authors, D H Keen and G E Simmons (and was illustrated by Pat Oakley of Hurlston Design, Birmingham) but it is the first of these authors that is of particular interest and this mysterious sounding D H Keen plays a very important role in the Ladybird story.

Douglas Keen first joined Wills and Hepworth (the original publishers of Ladybird) as a travelling salesman in 1936 and returned to the company after returning from service in the Second World War. Wills and Hepworth had started publishing Ladybird books during the war and it had been their intention to revert back to printing car brochures once the war was over. Keen was keen (excuse the pun) to convince Wills and Hepworth to continue publishing Ladybird books as he could see how successful they were. The first Ladybird books were based on fair stories and animal tales but Keen could see a market for education titles too and as he had a passion for the natural world he set about, with his wife, to make a prototype book entitled A Book of Birds and Eggs. His work paid off and Ladybird used his prototype as the basis for the book British Birds and their Nests.

So, how does this link in with What on Earth are we doing? Well, author D H Keen is no other than Douglas Keen. And What on Earth are we doing? is said to be the only title where he is credited as co-author. The book itself covers all the different ways in which man’s life impacts on the planet, and what we can do to change that impact. It starts of by talking about how this is “a book about you” and the world itself. There are pages on the land and the impact of farming methods on it, as well as talking about towns and cities, pollution and means of travel. The book also talks about how the Earth’s population is growing and how the planet’s resources aren’t necessarily enough to feed everyone if the population continues to grow at the expected rate.

In a way it was seen as a slightly controversial book, but one that I think was also very important in educating young readers about what was going on to the world around them through man’s actions.

As a Ladybird collector it raises lots of questions for me about exactly who Pat Oakley was and why a design company were credited will illustrating the title. I’m guessing (and it really is only a guess) that they may have been commissioned to illustrate a whole series, but it’s something I feel I ought to go and research more before I can properly call myself a Ladybird collector.

Once I’ve moved and got my collection all in one place I think it will be time to properly swot up on everything and try to earn my collector stripes!

This post first appeared on Ladybird Tuesday over on Being Mrs C. I am currently in the process of moving all these posts over to their new home on Penny Reads. To see the posts that have already moved over take a look at this page.

Black Beauty Annual 1978

November 5, 2018 by penny Leave a Comment

I can see an occasional series starting here on Penny Reads. Vintage annuals found in secondhand book shops. After featuring the Buzby Annual that Bonn and I came across in a National Trust shop of all places, today I bring you the Black Beauty Annual from 1978.

Black Beauty

Written in 1877, Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty is probably one of the best selling books of all time. Although Sewell died only 5 months after its publication, she lived to see its success. For years children have loved the story, but it also holds important messages about animal welfare, kindness, sympathy and respect.

What made someone decide to produce a Black Beauty Annual in 1978 is slightly unclear though. I do know that in that year there was a Hanna-Barbera animated version released via CBS, but I’m not clear that this was every released or shown here in the UK where this annual was published. Even if it was, I can’t find any link in the annual itself to Hanna-Barbera.

Annual contents

The annual contains the regular mix that you expected in annuals back in the 70s and 80s. There are quite a few stories for children to read, but also jokes, games, puzzles and some educational bits.

As well as a section on Anna Sewell herself, many of the horses featured the story are profiled, and there’s even a section on famous horses in the bible. I do wonder if they were struggling for content a bit by the end there!

One thing I note about the annual is the fact that it exclusively contains illustrations. There’s not a single photograph of a horse in there at all. I don’t know if that’s because it was cheaper to employ illustrators than photographers, or just quicker. Or maybe a style decision?

With four illustrators listed as having worked on the book, and no author or editor, I’m guessing that the illustrations were seen as an important part of the book as a whole though. It just seems a bit strange to me that they all get credited, yet those responsible for all the words don’t. Or maybe that’s just the way it was back in 1978?

An Eagle in the Snow – Michael Morpurgo

October 27, 2018 by penny Leave a Comment

With eight year old Little Miss C a fully independent reader I’m soon realising two things. Firstly how much I miss sharing books with her. And secondly, just how few children’s classics I’ve actually read. I have to buy (or borrow) books for her at an astounding rate to keep her in reading material and I keep trying to steer her towards classics. Books that I think it will be good for her to read, as well as ones that I think she will enjoy. She has certain favourite authors (Jacqueline Wilson being top of the list!) and it can sometimes be a bit tricky to get her to try someone new. Michael Morpurgo is such an author.

Michael Morpurgo

Born in St Albans, where LMC goes to school, I’ve always been aware of his books, and his role as the children’s laureate, but I have to admit to having never read a single of them. And nor had LMC. Until last week. I’m obviously very aware of War Horse, and knew that there were several books he wrote set during the war, but beyond that I knew little more.

LMC then went to a birthday party last weekend where the children were all given a book as a gift when they left instead of a party bag. The birthday girl’s favourite author is Michael Morpurgo and so she gave them all one of his paperbacks, and LMC came home with An Eagle in the Snow.

With what can only be described as quite an intense and serious looking cover design, I did find myself wondering if she would read the book, as my previous attempts to get her pick up his titles in the library had fallen on deaf ears.

Later that afternoon I crashed out in bed for a couple of hours (late pregnancy does that!) and when I got up again and asked her what she’d been up to she happily told me about how she’d started her new book and how fantastic it was. So keen was she to share it that I was then told I had to read the first two chapters that she’d already read whilst she did her maths homework.

Not one to disobey orders I did just that, and could see exactly why she had been captivated by it.

An Eagle in the Snow

Set in 1940 An Eagle in the Snow is really a work of historical fiction. I don’t want to give away the whole story, but it is set in a train that is sheltering in a railway tunnel having been under attack from German fighters. In one compartment are Barney and his mother. Escaping from the bombing that has destroyed their home in Coventry they are on their way to Cornwall to stay with an Aunt there. Also on the train is a man. A man who seems to know exactly where Barney is from. A man who has an amazing story to tell. A story about his friend Billy in the first world war trenches.

LMC ended up reading the whole of An Eagle in the Snow within the week and she very determinedly brought it back to my house and told me that I needed to read it next so we could talk about it together, and then we also needed to buy her Granny a copy of it so that she can enjoy it too. (Apparently Granny isn’t to be trusted with just borrowing LMC’s copy!)

Again, following her instruction, I have curled up and read the book in just a couple of short sittings, and I can fully see why she enjoyed it so much. It’s a great read. It has taught me lots about a story in history that I didn’t previously know about, and also I thoroughly enjoyed getting lost in a book again.

The power of sharing a book

Finally though, it’s shown me how lovely it is to share a book with someone, even if you’re not reading it out loud to them. For a while now I’ve been making plans to read all those children’s classics that I never got round to and maybe this is the motivation to do so.

Being able to talk to LMC about what she enjoyed most in the book, and how it made her feel has been lovely. Almost like a recollection between the two of us. Replacing something that had been lost when she started wanting to read on her own rather than being read to. It also helps get around the fact that she’s not always staying with me, so I don’t get to sit with her each evening at bedtime and talk about what she’s reading. We FaceTime each night and it’s lovely having books to connect over when we do talk.

Must read children’s classics

My challenge now though is to compile a list of the children’s classics that I ought to read and share with her. In a way the hard bit might be trying to narrow it down to a manageable list. I’m hoping I can get through a few of them though during this late pregnancy insomnia that I’m currently battling. It seems children’s fiction is somewhat easier to get through at 3am than some of the adult classics that I’ve been meaning to read for years!

If you’ve got any suggestions for books that should be on my list though please do leave me a comment below.

An Eagle in the Snow is available to buy online here. Other Michael Morpurgo titles are also available online. On the author’s website there is a very good listing of all his books, split by category, and against each it has a recommended reading age.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Never Too Young! 50 unstoppable kids who made a difference

October 22, 2018 by penny Leave a Comment

How do you inspire children? Especially when it comes to realising that it’s not only adults who can make a difference in the world? That’s exactly what Never Too Young sets out to do and the timing for Little Miss C to read this couldn’t ‘t be better.

Having read Create Your Own Happy LMC seems to have been empowered somewhat by the realisation that she is in charge of her own future. Even at the tender age of 8.

Never Too Young shares the stories of 50 children who have made a difference in the world. With a double page spread devoted to each person, there is full size illustration of them alongside a page describing what they did to make a difference.

One thing I really like about this book is the mix of “children” that have been included. Some are historical figures whose actions are well know – like Anne Frank or Mozart. Others may only just be into adulthood, but are still well know to children of today, like Emma Watson. Some are not household names at all, but all have an inspirational story to tell and it’s been really interesting talking to LMC about how people don’t have to be “famous” in the traditional sense to make a difference to others or the world around them.

The other thing that I really like about this book is that it’s not just looking at one gender. I fully understand other books that do, but it’s also lovely to see a book that just celebrates children rather than just boys or girls. On a practical level, that also means it’s the perfect book to be a gift for either a boy or a girl.

My daughter is Year 4 at school and loves reading and took to this straight away as a book to read on her own. It’s also perfect for sharing with children (either older or younger) and with there being a page per person it’s nice to be able to split it up and read a couple of pages at bedtime or similar. The list at the start of everyone covered, makes it easy to dip in and out of the book if you prefer to do that rather than read it all in order.

Since reading it, Little Miss C has already written proudly about the people she’s read about in Never Too Young in her school reading record, and she’s also spoken at length with me about how good it is to read about “children who do things, rather than just about grown ups”. What more can I say?

Never Too Young! was written by Aileen Weintraub and illustrated by Laura Horton. It was published by Sterling in September 2018 and priced at £11.99 in hardback, but is available for less (£7.82 at the time of writing). ISBN 9781454929178. It is available to buy online here.

Disclaimer: We were sent a copy off Never Too Young! for the purposes of this review. All opinions remain my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Ladybird: Learning with Mother Book 4

October 19, 2018 by penny Leave a Comment

Learning with Mother Book 4 original featured as part of the Ladybird Tuesday series over on Being Mrs C. As I prepare to start on the motherhood journey afresh it seemed an obvious choice to move over to Penny Reads. And it’s also possibly time to refresh my memory as to what I’ve got to come over the next few years!

And who could possibly resist these gorgeous vintage illustrations?

As soon as I see this particular Ladybird book, or in fact any from this Learning with Mother series, I’m somewhat overtaken by emotion and a desperate desire to give my children the wholesome, educational upbringing that it shows.

I’ve covered Book 2 from the series before on Ladybird Tuesday, but Book 4 (covering 4 – 5 years of age) deserves its own post too now that it’s in my collection. This Under Five series (number 702 for any keen collectors reading) is designed to fit in with the belief, stated inside the front cover, that “almost half of your child’s intelligence will be decided by four and a half” and it is therefore targeted at parents who want to give their children every opportunity to develop to their maximum potential.

The book starts with a really good description of the development stage that 4 – 5 year olds are at and what sort of opportunities they need to given to help them in their development. Published in 1971 this book was written at a time when parents made their own entertainment for their children during the day, instead of the present day schedule of toddler classes and trips out. It really was Learning with Mother.

I strongly believe that there’s a lot we can learn from how children spent their days as I regularly feel that many modern day children don’t have the simple, old fashioned, ability to entertain themselves. Learning with Mother really does contain some lovely ideas of activities to do with children and also examples of everyday things which have great learning opportunities behind them.

I really love the activities in this book, especially because they’re so simple but engaging for children. I spent Sunday with my mum and Little Miss C at a 1940s experience (a whole blog post about that very soon as I loved it!) and it was fascinating watching LMC play in the children’s room there. She loved all the simple games and toys that they had and kept asking to go back to play with the toys there for the rest of the day. Children don’t need modern day technology to keep them amused, it’s just turned into a habit for us to give them that sort of thing.

I’m determined now to set my kids off with some old fashioned traditional toys and games based on both what I see in Ladybird books and also what children had during the war. Hopefully I’ll be back soon to share how we’re getting on.

Teach Your Child Meditation – Lisa Roberts

October 17, 2018 by penny Leave a Comment

Last year my son’s school decided to use some of their sport’s premium money to pay for someone to come in and run a session with all the kids on meditation and mindfulness. It may seem like a slightly strange way to use money designated for “sports” but mental wellbeing is just as vital as physical wellbeing and luckily his school recognises and supports that.

The school used the session to also up-skill teachers so that they could continue this mental wellbeing work with children throughout the rest of the school year, and I’m so glad they did. My son (who is now six and in Year 1) has a regular meditation session at school. Just five or ten minutes, but when I ask him about his school day he often tells me that it’s one of his favourite parts.

He’s very much a boy who likes to be active, so when I first heard this I have to a admit that I was a bit surprised. I personally struggle with meditation and mindfulness as I’ve always found my mind wandering and myself wondering what else I could be doing with that period of time to tick things off my to do list. It may well be that I’m just not doing it right, but I realise how helpful so many other people find it, so I’m glad my whirlwind of a son has found a way to meditate that works for him.

Teach Your Child Meditation

Lisa Roberts’ book, Teach Your Child Meditation, has the subtitle 70 fun and easy ways to help kids de-stress and chill out, and I think that sub-title really explains what we all need to help our kids do. Kids seem to feel stress and pressure in our busy lives in a way that I’m not sure we did when we were their age. My eight year old daughter sometimes speaks about feeling stressed, and I find it a bit sad that children are feeling something that previously was always considered an adult thing. There are times when I want to help her calm down and centre herself again after an angry outburst about something.

Five Sections

Teach Your Child Meditation is aimed at children aged 5 to 12 and is full of step-by-step exercises that parents and teachers can work through with kids. The book is split into five sections:

I’m the boss of my breath
Hocus Pocus, I can focus
Stress busters and energy equalizers
The Chill Zone
Connect – group exercises

making it easy to jump in and find something that you want to try with your child depending on their circumstances and emotions. There’s also a fantastic “Getting Started” section which presents an overview of what you’re going to cover in the book, along with some general tips and techniques for working through it with children. It’s a brilliant introduction, especially if you don’t meditate yourself.

Exercises kids can understand and follow

Each of the exercises is presented really clearly, with a box entitled “simple steps for kids” which you can work through with children. The steps explain everything in plain language, in a way that children can understand and without any confusion. The amusing titles for each of the exercises help to capture children’s imaginations and help them see meditation as a fun thing to do.

I can see Teach Your Child Meditation as becoming a bit of a family bible for when the kids need a bit of help to either calm down, de-stress, or just coming to terms with their emotions. The exercises are quite different to what my son has being doing at school (in his words they get told to “imagine” they are things a lot there) but the basic principles are the same. I’ve flagged quite a few exercises in the book as ones that I think will help at different points in family life and I’m keeping the book so it’s to hand for being able to quickly pick it up and get going with an exercise when one is needed. It certainly gives me a great array of new tools in my parenting toolkit!

Teach Your Child Meditation – the facts

Teach Your Child Meditation, 70 fun & easy ways to help kids de-stress and chill out by Lisa Roberts was published by Sterling in October 2018. RRP £14.99. Paperback ISBN 9781454929185. Available to buy online here (just ignore the bit where Amazon says it comes with a CD – it doesn’t!).

Disclaimer: We were sent a copy of Teach Your Child Meditation for the purposes of this review. All opinions remain my own. This post contains affiliate links.