A combination of conferences, travel, editing and teaching – and a Kilimanjaro of admin – has meant that it’s been a little bit of a light month on the reading front, and that the pile of unread books amassing on and under and around my desk, bed and toilet bowl are scaling to unforeseen heights. That said, my daughter’s school teacher – the lovely Margie Hanning – introduced me to some of the wonderful titles listed here.
Reading:
- Zwiegespräche, Gebete by Clemens Frey.
- Dialogues in the Diasporas: Essays and Conversations on Cultural Identity by Nikos Papastergiadis.
- Dreadful David by Sally Odgers.
- The Cats in Krasinski Square by Karen Hesse.
- The Whales’ Song by Dyan Sheldon.
- Baa Baa Smart Sheep by Mark and Rowan Sommerset.
- The Moon and Farmer McPhee by Margaret Mahy and David Elliot.
- Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin.
- The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan.
- Looking for Atlantis by Colin Thompson.
- Down the Back of the Chair by Margaret Mahy.
Listening:
- 20 by Kate Rusby.
Watching:
jasongoroncy.com 
That’s a very impressive list of children’s authors. Including the superlative Shaun Tan.
Here’s a pretty good poem to start December:
Royal Presents by Nathaniel Wanley
The off’rings of the Eastern kings of old
Unto our Lord were incense, myrrh and gold;
Incense because a God; gold as a king;
And myrrh as to a dying man they bring.
Instead of incense (Blessed Lord) if we
Can send a sigh or fervent prayer to thee,
Instead of myrrh if we can but provide
Tears that from penitential eyes do slide,
And though we have no gold; if for our part
We can present thee with a broken heart
Thou wilt accept: and say those Eastern kings
Did not present thee with more precious things.
LikeLike