P is for Possum Magic & picture books…
In an effort to improve on my writing I have decided to sign up for Encyclopedia of me which started over at Bella Dia (and which I found out about by reading Laura`s blog here...)…
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P is for Possum Magic & Picture books…
Possum Magic, is a picture book for those who don`t know, and it is one of my favourite children`s books of all time. In fact I even bought it when I was in Australia last year for the kiddies at the preschool I worked at in Tokyo.
I love children`s books, and I got a great joy from reading with the kids at the preschool every day. I found some beauties! Books that I hadn`t read when I was younger, and that I hadn`t known existed. I have a list in my head of the books I know I must read to my kids one day and Possum Magic is at the top of the list. I think some people when they are pregnant get worried about the essentials like clothes and nappies-but I am going to be one of those mothers that has bought 100s of books for their child before they are even born! I Will try to remember to buy the necessities too of course!
This book is such a delight. I think that most Aussie`s reading this blog will know this book–> It was published in 1983, before I was even born and it is around in a lot of bookshops even now. I read, while looking for some pictures from the book, that it is one of the most sold picture books in Australia and still has hardcovers about despite being 25 years old.
It was written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Julie Vivas and it follows the adventures of 2 possums, Hush & Grandma Poss, who performs bush magic, turning Hush invisible then forgetting how to turn her back- although she does remember that it was some kind of Aussie food so they go off on adventure around to all the capital cities eating different Aussie foods in each (including lamination’s, pavlova, anzac biscuits, pumpkin scones and vegimite sandwiches) and Hush begins to be come visible again. But it is not just the story that is magical but also the beautiful illustrations done in water colour- these pictures really add to the book and also one of the reasons it remains a favourite of mine!!!
It is a beautiful book and if you have never read it then I highly recommend it! Now fess up, what are your favourite picture books?! What about your kids, what are their favourite books?
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I remember this book! I was scared of the possum for some reason though, haha.
I love this book and so do my girls. It was one of the things I bought just before we left Brisbane–I was hoping that it would help Reno remember her days in Australia. . . although she was only one year old and 9 months when we left and has only “told” memories of Australia. (I tell her all about what she saw and did there.)
The illustrations are so beautiful and full of character!
This is one of the books I told mum that she needs to buy for me once Naoki and I do have our own children! It’s a great book! And your right, the illustrations are wonderful in it! Other children books that I adore are the Dr Seuss books - especially “green eggs and ham”. And there is another set of books I love about a turtle… I forget, but I think his name could be franklin? Do you know which one I am talking about?
Joey has that book because his Godmother (my cousin) is Australian. He loves animals so loves this one too. He loves all books that have animals in them. A current fave is a goldilocks and the 3 bears pop up book that my Mum bought him, along with a Dora the Explorer book he got for his birthday.
Ohh… I’d love to take a read of it sometime!!
Maybe I’ll have you read in to my (future) kiddies so they can get the true Ozzie experience lol.
Since my Dad is British I had a lot of British childrens books while I was growing up and they are way more memorable to me than the American ones that I grew up with. I’m not sure if they would have been published there but I really liked the Postman Pat series and I’m forgetting the name but a series about a cat with emerald eyes… I wish I could remember.
Ahhh Lulu, you and I think alike…actually I’ve already started buying books for my future children. I bought heaps when I was in Japan and also in Germany. I’ve also kept all my favourites from when I was a kid. I love reading books my niece has that didn’t exist when I was younger.
Lets see my personal favouties were the Richard Scary Books, The Cat in the Hat (and all the Dr Seuss books), The Bearenstein Bears, Where the Wildthings are, The Hungry Little Caterpiller and all the classic fairytales like Rapunzel, Snow White, Red Riding Hood….That’s about all I can think of right now but i’m sure there are more….ha ha
I have this book too, and read it to K all the time. She actually also has a version called The Little Book of Possom Magic, which is a cardboard book so she can’t rip the pages (one of her favourite passtimes). It is only a picture book though, not the full story.
I took Possom Magic to her playgroup (here in Japan) once to read, but not sure if the mums and kids really appreciated (read: understood!!) the references to minties and pavlova and vegemite sandwhiches, lol! Oh well, we enjoy it.
This is a strange comment..but..
OMG I LOVE POSSUMS!
You should definitely find a better job… actually that was pretty well written