This entry is simply about a lovely domestic moment.
My partner and I were putting our toddler to bed yesterday after a few days of his recovering from a cold. He had a good dinner, a fun bath and was back to his busy, busy self. As my partner puttered and prepared for the week, I cuddled with our son and began reading a favourite picture book, "The Gruffalo".
It's by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. It's about a woods-smart mouse who comes face to face with a fox, an owl, a snake and a gruffalo. Our little man loves pointing to various animals and details in the wonderful pictures.
After finishing "The Gruffalo", we started on another book by Julia Donaldson, "Sharing A Shell". This one's illustrated by Lydia Monks. Set on a beach by the sea, it follows the growing friendship between a hermit crab, an anemone and a bristle-worm. It had been a few months since we read it with much regularity. In fact, it was a book we read over-and-over while I was on parental leave. Its pages are now tattered. Corners are missing. Unidentified food stains are splattered on its pages.
Yesterday, he was pointing to the characters and sleepily waving goodnight to the little starfish at the end of the book. Quite a lovely moment.
"Sharing A Shell", like "The Gruffalo", has energetic rhymes, a memorable story, delightful characters and fantastic pictures. Both books have stood the test of adult taste and have been part of our reading-roster for many months.
But I digress. This entry is supposed to be less a review than an anecdote.
Sated and relaxed, our toddler went to bed without a fuss -- which was welcomed after several days with a cold!
He is engaged in these books because his parents are engaged in them. My partner and I adore them. There are other books that delight us, of course, but I have a personal connection with these two in particular.
Now, just don't get me started on the whimsical Dr. Seuss....
