perdu et retrouve

I love children's books. Immensely. I used to work in a bookstore, in the children's book section, it wasn't a very nice bookstore, but the picture books were. I think picture books are the most carefully crafted books there are. So much care and attention is paid to a good picture book. There are few words so each one should be earn it's place there. And so much space for the pictures, my favourite thing is a picture full of charm, and tiny details hidden in each corner.

I can still remember the books from my childhood, mrs pigs bulk buy, the jolly postman, bramley hedge... and i delight in finding new picture books that are full of that level of care and attention. Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers is one of those. From start to finish it is funny, charming and delightful. It makes you want to read over immediately, and stare at each page endlessly. It is about a little boy and his lost penguin. And that should be enough to draw you in.

And as i was waiting for someone the other day, i found myself in the picture book section of the wondeful foyles. And i came across the above, the amazing, Reflections of a Solitary Hamster by Astrid Desbordes and Pauline Martin. I think it was in French originally, and it is about an arrogant hamster who is having a party, and his friends mole, snail, hedgehog and rabbit. He also writes a diary in which he lies about the brilliant things that are happening to him. It made me laugh out loud, and although the pictures aren't as heartwarming as Lost and Found, it has an odd charm of its own.

You can find more about Oliver Jeffers here and even buy prints of his beautiful work. I do also read books without pictures, big ones, with loads of words that gather admiring glances on the tube. But nothing quite delights me as disappearing into a picture book. Like falling down the rabbit hole, but coming out after 5 minutes without having to fight Helena Bonham Carter.

penguin hug from here.