This is a lovely gentle story book. Mainly based on a conversation between a boy and his mother, it covers all the worries and fears that crop up around parties.
If that was all, it might be boring. But as they search for the right house, they look through lots of very different windows. This was the one that particularly leapt out at me.
I’ve spent the last three days sewing a coat for a Tudor recreation. As part of my research and planning I look at pictures of clothing. This is one of the pictures I’ve been looking at.
Fair enough, the original version doesn’t have cardboard boxes and so on. But the clothes and positions are unmistakeably Breugel, peasant wedding or some such. It was a bit surreal to have it appear in a children’s book to be honest. It’s also made me wonder about the other windows. Are they scenes I should recognise? I’m not particularly educated in art, just in tudor clothing, so the others don’t mean anything.
From a child’s point of view, Smallest likes the story. She’s just hit her own questioning phase so this suits her very nicely, and gives rise to some good discussions.
And Tigerboy likes the elephant.
What if? Is from the former children’s laureate, Anthony Browne. Details and link to be added tomorrow even I’ve a keyboard and a brain.
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