Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts
Friday, 3 November 2017
ReadItDaddy's First Picture Book of the Week - Week Ending 3rd November 2017 - "Pretty" by Canizales (Templar Publishing)
Thursday, 20 October 2016
Hyde and Squeak by Fiona Ross (Little Tiger Press)
Labels:
Fiona Ross,
Halloween,
Hyde and Squeak,
Little Tiger Press
Thursday, 23 October 2014
A spookily brilliant half term planned at Oxford's Story Museum.
Labels:
Halloween,
Oxford,
Oxford Story Museum
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| The awesome Malorie Blackman as the Wicked Witch of the West. Just one of the highlights of the 26 Characters Exhibition! |
Lots of brilliant events are planned during school half term to celebrate Halloween and all things spooky at The Story Museum, Oxford's fantastic booky venue. Check out the press release below for all the details:
Horrible Half Term: Saturday 25 October – Sunday 2 November
Halloween comes at the end of the October Half Term, so The Story Museum has a truly horrible holiday planned!
The Museum’s popular 26 Characters exhibition continues, featuring a galaxy of Britain’s well-loved authors transformed into their favourite childhood fictional characters, captured by celebrity portrait photographer Cambridge Jones. Each portrait is hung in an interactive themed space: walk through the wardrobe and into Narnia, explore the deck of a pirate ship, and peep into the Borrowers’ living room to explore the characters’ worlds, and hear extracts from their stories read by Olivia Colman and Christopher Eccleston.
There are treats in store for comics fans: Sarah McIntyre and David O’Connell will run a family workshop, Jampire Jamboree, and David will lead a Cartoon Workshop for young artists (Tuesday 28 October). Phoenix comic artist (creator of Corpse Talk, the show that brings the dead famous to life) Adam Murphy is in town on Friday 31 October for two sessions: Adam Murphy Masterclass (11.00) and Halloween Corpse Talk (14.00).
Things get spooky on Thursday 30 October, when Dave Shelton (author of A Boy, A Bear and a Boat and the curiously creepy Thirteen Chairs) will be teaching young writers how to handle horror (Spooky Stories Workshop, 14.00), and then telling Ghost Stories at 18.00. Dress up and learn the Monster Mash and Thriller dance moves at our disco for the undead, Zombie Zumba (12.30 & 15.00).
For a touch of magic, try the Quidditch Demonstration at 15.00 on Thursday 30 October – learn the rule of the wizarding sport (from the Harry Potter books) and have a go yourself. Science Oxford will be bringing their magic show with a twist, Magic and Science, on Wednesday 29 October for two performances at 11.30 and 14.00.
Dive head-first into Oxford’s myths and legends with the Wonder Walks: playful family story tours of the historic city.
Free event Reading Allowed! continues, with The Wizard of Oz read aloud by visiting guests every Sunday.
Tickets for all events can be booked through Tickets Oxford: www.ticketsoxford.com, or 01865 305305.
Horrible Half Term: Saturday 25 October – Sunday 2 November
Halloween comes at the end of the October Half Term, so The Story Museum has a truly horrible holiday planned!
The Museum’s popular 26 Characters exhibition continues, featuring a galaxy of Britain’s well-loved authors transformed into their favourite childhood fictional characters, captured by celebrity portrait photographer Cambridge Jones. Each portrait is hung in an interactive themed space: walk through the wardrobe and into Narnia, explore the deck of a pirate ship, and peep into the Borrowers’ living room to explore the characters’ worlds, and hear extracts from their stories read by Olivia Colman and Christopher Eccleston.
There are treats in store for comics fans: Sarah McIntyre and David O’Connell will run a family workshop, Jampire Jamboree, and David will lead a Cartoon Workshop for young artists (Tuesday 28 October). Phoenix comic artist (creator of Corpse Talk, the show that brings the dead famous to life) Adam Murphy is in town on Friday 31 October for two sessions: Adam Murphy Masterclass (11.00) and Halloween Corpse Talk (14.00).
Things get spooky on Thursday 30 October, when Dave Shelton (author of A Boy, A Bear and a Boat and the curiously creepy Thirteen Chairs) will be teaching young writers how to handle horror (Spooky Stories Workshop, 14.00), and then telling Ghost Stories at 18.00. Dress up and learn the Monster Mash and Thriller dance moves at our disco for the undead, Zombie Zumba (12.30 & 15.00).
For a touch of magic, try the Quidditch Demonstration at 15.00 on Thursday 30 October – learn the rule of the wizarding sport (from the Harry Potter books) and have a go yourself. Science Oxford will be bringing their magic show with a twist, Magic and Science, on Wednesday 29 October for two performances at 11.30 and 14.00.
Dive head-first into Oxford’s myths and legends with the Wonder Walks: playful family story tours of the historic city.
Free event Reading Allowed! continues, with The Wizard of Oz read aloud by visiting guests every Sunday.
Tickets for all events can be booked through Tickets Oxford: www.ticketsoxford.com, or 01865 305305.
Thursday, 31 October 2013
A spooky Halloween Re-Review of "Not Now, Bernard" by David McKee (Andersen Children's Books)
Labels:
Andersen Children's Books,
David McKee,
Halloween,
Monster,
Not Now Bernard,
Sausage chips and peas
Not Now, Bernard
(Halloween Re-review!)
(Halloween Re-review!)
Written and Illustrated by
David McKee
Published by Andersen Children's Books
Way back in the days of yore, when this blog was just finding its feet in the world of children's books, we visited the library and picked up a book that would become a regular on this blog. Not only that, it's a book that I'm overjoyed to see so many other booky folk mention whenever they're put on the spot and have to come up with their "Top Ten Favourite / Most Influential Children's Books".
So as it's Halloween we thought we'd revisit David McKee's utterly brilliant, irreverent and monstrously good "Not Now, Bernard". Does it still tickle us the way it did back in 2010? Does it ever!
For Charlotte, "Not Now, Bernard" has to be treated with huge respect, and is subject to a set of 'read aloud' rules which I'm not allowed to deviate from in any way. I have to get the pace right. I have to express Bernard's effervescent and innocent naivety just right, I have to add just the right amount of parental exasperation for Bernard's mum and dad, and I absolutely have to get the monster right or I'll be in serious trouble! It's a tough gig!
"YOU'RE NOT READING IT RIGHT, DADDY!" is what I get if I dare deviate - or worse still, if I try to read it flatly as I do with some other books - just the normal "Daddy" voice and tone.
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| Bernard's mum. Vase (and wardrobe) malfunction! |
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| Bernard's dad - In the wars as usual! Owch! |
If you're reading this, the chances are that I'm probably preaching to the converted, and you know and love the book as much as we do. Monster books have been staple fodder for us on the blog since we began but seldom few monstery books quite have the impact, the comedy, and the satisfying read-aloud feeling that you get when it works well and trips off the tongue.
David McKee is a huge talent, and I've loved his stories and TV adaptations since I was a kid. "Not Now, Bernard" was a joyous discovery and it's still a book we just can't get enough of. If you're looking for the perfect monster book for Halloween, this is what you should be picking up.
(Not Now, Daddy!)
Charlotte's best bit: Oddly, she now loves the bits where poor Bernard's dad ends up with horrific DIY and monster-inflicted injuries (and wears the bandages to prove it). Things like that should worry me, shouldn't they.
Daddy's Favourite bit: Despite Charlotte's fairly rigid rules on how this book should be read, it's an utter joy to do so. The squeaky matter-of-fact voice I give Bernard, the exasperated sigh I give his mum and the slightly grumpy voice I give his dad - and the gurgling grunting monster voice that the monster gets, add to making this a book that I genuinely look forward to reading again and again and doubly so because it's one that Charlotte never turns down when I pull it out of the book stack. Wonderful stuff! If you do not already own it, get it!
Monday, 28 October 2013
#ReadItMD13 Theme Week - "This Is Halloween, Everybody SCREAM!"
Labels:
#ReadItMD13,
Ghosts,
Ghouls,
Halloween,
Monsters,
Theme Week
 |
| "Darkness Slipped In" by Ella Burfoot. Spooky, Dark, Delicious! |
Welcome Ghouls and Boys to our #ReadItMD13 Theme Week celebrating all things spooky, scary and dark. It's Halloween on Thursday - and as you answer the door 20 times in one night to lots of little spooky chiddlers demanding "Trick or Treat", there's a ton of brilliant booky goodness to delve into as you tuck your little monsters tightly beneath the bedcovers once the excitement dies down.
We're starting off with a book that we were in two minds about at first. "Darkness Slipped In" by Ella Burfoot is truly a book that will divide opinion, and definitely not a book to read at bedtime if your little ones haven't progressed past needing a night light. A young girl is scared of the dark, and with good reason because at first "Darkness" is a mischievous and playful scamp, who you're never really sure you can trust or turn your back on. But soon the girl confronts her fears, after all "Darkness" is pretty harmless really.
Sticking with darkness for a moment or two...talk about a killer combination of author and artist, phew!
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| "The Dark" by Lemony Snicket and Jon Klassen. Hi Dark, Hi! |
"The Dark" by Lemony Snicket and Jon Klassen is utterly, utterly fabulous. With a similar theme to "Darkness Slipped in", "The Dark" features an adorable little lad, Laszlo, who knows all about the dark. The Dark lives in the basement, but sometimes it creeps behind the shower, or in spaces throughout Laszlo's massive (and quite spooky) house. One night The Dark steals into Laszlo's room but he's brave and bold, and follows The Dark down to the cellar to find out what it wants...
When this book first arrived (resplendent in a big black box and the most fabulous shipping envelope) we instantly fell in love with the tale, it became a book of the week, and we still just can't get enough of it. If ever there was a dynamic duo in children's books we'd love to see work together again, it's Snicket and Klassen!
Time for a rumpus, methinks!
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| "Spookyrumpus" by Tony Mitton and Guy Parker-Rees. Why didn't the skeleton go to the ball...? |
"Spookyrumpus" by Tony Mitton and Guy Parker-Rees tells us what all the ghoulies, ghosties, skeletons and monsters get up to once we're all safely tuck up in bed. A grand rumpus begins, a party to end all parties - loud enough to raise the dead, in fact! Whoooh!
...and in a similar vein, let's have a few more monsters having a high old time...
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| "Tamara Small and the Monsters' Ball" by Giles Paley-Phillips and Gabriele Antonini. Monstrously good! |
"Tamara Small and the Monsters' Ball" hit our doormat, courtesy of the absolutely smashing Giles Paley Phillips. His second monstery book (Who could possibly forget the brilliance of "The Fearsome Beastie" which also deserves an honourable mention in anyone's Halloween list) had all the essence of spookiness about it as young Tamara is unceremoniously taken away from her warm comfortable bed by a dribbling drooling monster. No evil intent though, the monster takes her to the annual event no monster could possibly miss. The Monsters' Ball! Brilliant rhymes, inventive monsters and possibly the world's coolest cake (which we STILL haven't quite managed to emulate in our bake-offs at home yet. We'll keep trying!)
More to come from us with all things monstery, ghostly, ghoulish, scary and dark as we explore more brilliant halloween classics very soon. We're going witchy next so if you have a favourite witch-based book, drop a comment below!
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