Sunday, November 30, 2008

My Favourite Book of all time

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand.


Excerpt from “The Velveteen Rabbit: or How Toys Become Real” By Margery Williams


I love reading so much. It would have to be the thing that I love doing the most in the whole world. I can think of nothing nicer than sitting in front of an open fire on a cold winter's night, in my PJ's with a hot choclate (and marshmallows...yummy!!), reading a good novel. ESCAPISM, I call it.


My other alternative is relaxing in a nice comfy chair on a warm spring day, in the shade of a large tree, dappled sun gently sitting on my skin, reading whatever novel I am into at the time. Yep, that's my idea of Heaven.


Speaking of Escapism.....as a child and a young teenager I would escape into the world of books at every opportunity I got. I'd be reading a book and be so engrossed in it, that often I would not hear my mother calling me. Often however, even if I could hear her calling, I would ignore her and not answer because I didn't want to give up the one thing that gave me enjoyment and pleasure in my life.

The Velveteen Rabit would have to be my all time favourite children's book. I love this excerpt from the book ....it is such a lovely, lovely piece of writing. I especially love the last paragraph where the Skin Horse talks about 'being Real'. If we are real, then we are loved for who we are.

I recently gave my neice a copy of this book as a gift for her new baby Isabelle. I decided that people give all kinds of gifts when someone has a baby, clothes and toys mostly, and I wanted to give something different.


Books and Reading are wonderful gifts to give to children. They are wonderful things that we can share together. Books are also wonderful, because in this world of violence and so called reality...they are a chance to escape into the wonderful world of fantasy.
I highly recommend The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams to anyone who is looking for a nice gift for their child or grandchild. There are many different copies of this book however, this particular edition has the most magnificent illustrations of any that I have seen.



This is another really cute little story that I brought for my neice Madison when she was born. Mem Fox is a wonderful children's writer. Mem Fox is the author of the children's book Possum Magic, which is also very magical and such a lovely story about a possum.



3 comments:

Kris said...

Good job! Babies need books so your gifts were just perfect! There are so many books that I love that I can't possibly name them. I was just like you as a child. I read and read and read. I never heard my Mum calling either. Reading is the best!

Lotti said...

Not only that I read under the covers with a torch at night!!! I think my mum probably knew I did it but never said anything.

picklesticks said...

You mean a green and yellow dragon? I will put him on my to do list and contact you when he is done and we organise for you to collect him.

I also am a book lover!