Saturday, October 9, 2010

PUFFINS!!!

I’ve been reading Edmund De Waal’s ‘The Hare With The Amber Eye’s’ over the last few days – it’s a very personal sort of family memoir and it’s got completely under my skin – to the point that I’ve even found myself thinking in De Waal sentences. I clearly need to put some space between me and this book otherwise anything I write about it will come across as pastiche and I really don’t want that.

Fortunately my much anticipated Puffin postcards arrived this week and are proving just the ticket for generally lifting the spirits. Flipping through these old covers is a delight – both the Scottish one and I have had at least one moment of pure nostalgia – his over a book I’ve never even heard of, me over ‘The Snowman’ which I still remember getting as a child – at least I have a very vivid memory of having it handed to me to look at whilst I waited for my father on his weekly visit to the bank (this was before cash machines and direct debits made this sort of activity sound actually Victorian).

I also remember the Puffin Book Club – the excitement of browsing the catalogue in school, taking it home and begging for books, and finally the books arriving, although I can’t honestly say I remember what they were now. I do remember looking at ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ with my mother, and her choosing Ladybird and Puffin books for us (who would guess that books formed a big part of my childhood).

I love this collection of cards for the fantastic artwork, the happy memories, and for the sheer number that show books I’ve never heard of. I never expected there to be so many I didn’t recognise (and I’m slightly disappointed not to get a Worst Witch postcard – but maybe next time...) I think there’s a very good chance that these will become my godson’s first birthday present – he might be a bit young for writing (though he is of course an amazingly bright young thing) but I think he might soon like the pictures and I can foresee hours of happy chewing, scribbling, and scrunching up and just perhaps the start of a love affair with books which we all know can last a life time.

10 comments:

  1. "The Snowman" is a favorite! I remember my Dad tearing up a little at the end. Such a fantastic story!

    "George Winston" has a whole album of music from "The Snowman" which you should check out if you have not already!

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  2. It's a lovely film/play/book with a real magic to it. Another one for the godson I think.

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  3. I love all these cards, I think they are great, although I have not got a clue what I would actually do with them.

    They bring back so many memories. I would read just about any book I could get my hands on, when I was a child and not much has changed 50 years on!

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  4. I like them to send - pretty and very cheap which is a combination I can get behind. They make nice presents too - I'm a total convert so think they're very versitile...

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  5. What a fantastic set of cards, I remember getting Meg, Mog & Owl from the Puffin club. If you think your Godson would like them try posting them to him individually with a small message on them, even the smallest of kids love getting post especially with pictures.

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  6. Paperback Reader and I are going to see the stage show of the Snowman on 4th December. It will be my 3rd time in 4 years (embarassed).

    Love Heather's idea of sending them to little ones.

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  7. Verity - I'm in awe - I've only seen it once and that many years ago, but I do try a watch the film every year. A very dear family friend was one of the animator's on it and as he recently passed away it will mean even more this year.

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  8. Maybe we could go in 2011? I'm already trying to think of a companion. There are loads of clips on You tube from the Birmingham Rep - there's even a clip of my favourite bit with the dancing fruit!

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  9. Verity that sounds like the beginings of a plan...

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  10. I ordered the Postcards from Puffin set from the Book Depository and I can't wait to get it! Thanks for posting pictures of the postcards inside - the Narnia books and The BFG convinced me that I should get the set. :)

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