[ my image - Sheringham, Norfolk, November 2022 ]
Dog Songs by Mary Oliver. Mary Oliver was an award-winning American poet, and in this collection she celebrates th special bond between human and dogz as she sees it though her own relationships with the fiery friends that have accompanied and inspired her. She describes little moments from the dog's perspective, like when her dog wakes from a dream and climbs on the bed with her, and or when her dog ignores her commands ad just runs free n the beach, which is really what she wants him to do anyway. But this collection, like Mary Oliver's other work, is also a philosophical reflection of life, love and hope. Published by @penguinbooks Find out more here - https://www.themarginalian.org/2013/11/12/mary-oliver-dog-songs/
Serious Concerns by Wendy Cope. The second collection of the author's poems from 1992. Wendy Cole's poems are witty and often subversive, like she's winking at you as you read them. I especially like "Flowers", which ends "It made me smile and hug you then. Now I can only smile. But, look, the flowers you nearly bought have lasted all this while". And I like "Loss" which is very short and funny and about a partner moving out, and she's missing only the corkscrew he took with him... Published by @faberandfaber. Find out more here - https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571167050-serious-concerns/
Published by @harpercollins Find out more here - https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/a-christmas-adventure-the-burpee-bears-joe-wicks?variant=39897257607246
The Winter Wish by Helen Mortimer and Rachael Dean. A picture book set in a bookshop! William lives in a flat above his family's bookshop Words of Wonder" and he is 6 years old and 37 books tall. William's world of bookshop wonder is stunningly brought to life in colourful, detailed illustrations. There are potted plants, squashy sofas, a lovely dog, free gingerbread and books galore. In this tale, times are hard and the bookshop is struggling so William takes it upon himself to create a Christmas window to draw people in, the centrepiece of which is a reindeer made of twigs. And one night, nearer to Christmas, the reindeer comes to life, making William's wishes come true through the power of words and hope. Perfect. Published by @harpercollins Find out more here - https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-winter-wish-helen-mortimer?variant=39797526036558
Snail Trail by Ziggy Hanaor and illustrated by Christos Kourtoglou. Marjorie is a happy snail who loves her family and friends, but sometimes just needs a bit of alone time. But her trail of slime leaves a trail to follow and everyone follows it. After much wandering round and round Marjorie is marvellously lost... and then can't find the way home. She soon discovers that her friend Bernard also likes a bit of peace and quiet sometimes, and has his own way of making sure he isn't followed, but can always find the way home.
With gentle, colourful illustrations that look at the world from a snail's perspective, this is a lovely tale of nurturing the introvert within, friendship, and finding a little bit of space, not far away, to just be for a while. Published by @cicada. Find out more here - https://www.cicadabooks.co.uk/books/p/snail-trail
Changing World, cold data for a warming planet by David Gibson. This is a book of bright, bold infographics which illuminates the realities of climate change in hard numbers, digestible data and vivid visualizations. There is so much information out there at the moment that it can be overwhelming to digest and make sense of, especially for younger readers and their families. And we really need hard, scientific facts so we can make choices through being properly informed. So much of what is in the media is based on opinion, and sadly a lot of it is biased or comes with an agenda of greed or profit or ulterior motives...with facts hard to pick out from the blur of images and words. So this book is a great addition to the fact-based media out there. It introduces all the language around the science and explains it's meaning visually. The infographics show how the earth is warming, the causes and effects, and what we can do to stop it getting worse. A children's picture book, but essential and useful for all ages, especially important as an aid to explain the challenges we face and to offer reassurance that there are solutions. I just wish governments and big business would take it seriously too. Watch Frozen Planet on BBC iPlayer for some hard-hitting reality, and see the effects of climate change on the planet and her inhabitants, including us. @bbcearth. Published by @cicada Find out more here - https://www.cicadabooks.co.uk/books/p/changing-world
Breath - the new science of a lost art by James Nestor. We do it automatically, all the time, without thinking or realising, but breathing is much more powerful even than that. In this international bestseller, which was shortlisted for the Royal Society Book Prize, the author uncovers the science, that has lain dormant for hundreds of years, behind breathing. He goes back to the roots of ancient civilisations where the breath was used to heal and calm, and he takes part in real life science in an experiment that compares only mouth breathing for 10 days with only nose breathing for 10 days - it's not pleasant, but we discover that breathing slowly, and less times per minute, through the nose, is incredibly beneficial. He links the science to ancient traditions like yoga, and gives easy breathing exercises to calm, relieve anxiety and lower stress. So, stop what you are doing for only one minute, and breathe slowly in and out, focussing on the breath moving through the body. I challenge you not to notice the calming effects. Here's a taster - https://youtu.be/f6yAY1oZUOA. Published by @penguin. Find out more here - https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/300086/breath-by-nestor-james/9780241289129
On Earth we're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. A letter from a son to a mother. The son, Little Dog is his nickname, writes this in his twenties but takes us on a journey back through his childhood. Escaping Vietnam, discovering himself, remembering his mum and his grandmother, and telling a brilliant story full of metaphors, yet completely real. Ocean Vuong really is brilliant, and so original. Published by @vintagebooks. Find out more here - https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/439002/on-earth-were-briefly-gorgeous-by-ocean-vuong/9781529110685
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