I was searching for wooden alphabet blocks on etsy when one particular set caught my eye. I clicked and was taken to a shop filled with beautiful illustrations not just on blocks but on wall prints and little books too. I loved what I saw so ditched my previous post idea and decided to make today all about the British illustrator Julia Staite. I do love etsy for the unique talent it’s filled with and Julia’s work is the perfect example. Her illustrations are so pretty! There’s lots of colour, some whimsical characters, quirky drawings and above all it’s fun. The blocks are great for play but they’d also make lovely decorations for a nursery and Julia also offers personalised wooden alphabet blocks so you can have your babies name spelled out. I’m very keen on the circus themed prints too which would work equally well in a toddler, kiddy or nursery space. You can find all this and more over at Julia Staite’sshop.
Books are one of my favourite things to give and receive. I can’t imagine not giving ebabee no.1 at least a couple of books every Christmas, birthday and many, many times in between. Children’s books are magical and you can never have enough. For this year’s book gift list I’ve picked out many children’s books that we’ve enjoyed and there are a few that I have yet to buy, but they’re on my Christmas list too. All the books offer something special either for their clever stories, beautiful illustrations, creativity or even their quirkiness. Here’s the list of books mainly for 2 year olds to around 6 year olds:
1. ‘The Life of Mr Mustache’ by Studio Violet. Charming and oh so creative is this book from Fine Little Day. (no longer available)
2. ‘My Friends’ by Taro Gomi is a sweet and simple book and is a firm favourite in this home.
3. ‘100 Things’ by Masayuki Sebe is a happy book that gets the little minds counting and observing.
4. ‘The Book with a Hole’ by Herve Tullet – I haven’t got this yet but it looks rather cool and quirky.
5. ‘A Bit Lost’ by Chris Haughton is a cute story with really beautiful illustrations in the most wondeful colours.
6. ‘Beware of the Frog’ by William Bee is an entertaining read with a great twist and some retro-esque illustrations.
7. ‘Not a Box’ by Antoinette Portis. A book about a box that’s not a box… it’s a car, a house or whatever you child’s imagination wants it to be. We all know kids adore boxes and this book captures the magic of the humble box so well.
8. Made to Play!: Handmade Toys and Crafts for Growing Imaginations by Joel Henriques. A book full of fun, simple and beautiful toy making crafts by talented dad Joel. I haven’t got this yet but I know Joel’s work well and he is one super imaginative and talented guy.
9. ‘The Blue Pebble’by Anne-Gaelle Balpe. A sweet story with a little moral that has been drawn out in beautiful pictures that have a bit of a old fashioned feel.
10 ‘Animal Alphabet Circus’ by Tupera Tupera (a couple of Japanese illustrators) – no longer available. The entire alphabet is illustrated through circus animals beautifully drawn. All the words are in Japanese and English. This is a real feast for the eyes and one I can’t wait to get.
Yesterday I had a massive dig around the world wide web. The mission was of course to find more gorgeous goodies to share with you. I’m happy to say: mission accomplished. One of my most favourite finds was Emilie Vast. A french artist/designer who mainly creates children’s books as well as jewellery and also transforms her illustrations in to beautiful stationery and wall art. Her work immediately grabbed my imagination and I don’t think it’s difficult to see why. It is truly beautiful and has a delicacy and sophistication which makes it childish but with bags of appeal for adults too.
Emile Vast’s books and illustrations use a lot of black, white and grey with splashes of bold colour. It all comes together to create visuals so eye-catching. Even though all her children’s books are in French I’m still seriously tempted. You don’t need words to appreciate art this stunning. At the moment I’ve found a small selection of her work for sale over at the very lovely Poisson Bulle (you’ll be hearing more about them another day). They’ve got specially commissioned wall declas and books by Emilie on offer. Prices range from €10 for a book and between €15 – €69 for the decals and shipping is €18 to the UK. Worldwide shipping is also on offer. If I find more stuff, I promise you’ll be the first to know.
My most recent book purchase for ebabee no.1 was ‘Good Little Wolf’ by Nadia Shireen. It turned out to be such a fabby little book, I had to share. The illustrations are just delightful and the story is such a winner. The story goes:
“Once upon a time there was a wolf called Rolf – a good little wolf who liked baking cakes and was always kind to his friends. But real wolves aren’t supposed to be good – they’re supposed to be BIG and BAD. Can a good little wolf still be a real wolf?”
Funny, hugely entertaining and even a twist in the tale… what more could anyone want? This is Nadia Shireens first book for children, and what a book. I’m so hoping (praying even) that there’s more to come and very soon. To get Good Little Wolf head to Amazon where it costs £3.75 with free delivery.
While on holiday in the States, I spotted this book and fell for it… hook, line and sinker. I also found a lot of other hugely wantable stuff which isn’t available here (boo hoo!). But back to this fab book which you can get here (hooray), ‘A bit lost’ is all about a little baby owl who can’t find his mama. It’s a story so sweet, dotted with humor and embellished with fantabulous drawings in the most solidly vibrant colours. Written by Chris Haughton, an Irishman with bags of talent and creativity, ‘A bit lost’ is a new book so hot, it’s definitely on my book list, my gift list and my any other list I can think of.
A Bit Lost comes in hardcover, costs £6.15 with free delivery and is perfect for 2 years +.
I’ve just bought my first book about Olivia the pig. This book’s really high up on my top toddler books list. The black & white drawings with splashes of red are so, so lovely. Olivia’s little antics are super entertaining and the other characters are all very recognisable like the annoying little brother and the mother who tries to be strict but fails miserably. Remind you of anyone? And the best bit – the books happy and fun without any annoying wetness. The Olivia the pig hardcover book costs £8.68 with free delivery from amazon. There are several in the series but this hardcover book is perfect for under 2’s.
Ebabee Likes is a style guide for babies, kids, teens and their mamas. It’s all about inspiration, ideas and indulging yourself and your brood. It’s written by me ~ Nomita ~ a style loving girl from Mumbai who now live’s in London. Read More...
