The story follows Mouse, who first ventures out in wintry January to visit his friend Squirrel. Mouse moves on to wake up Hedgehog for the arrival of spring and as he continues along the path in the wood, Mouse’s journey from friend to friend maps out the changes in seasons from January through to December, from picnicking among the bluebells with Mole in May and picking berries with Dormouse in June, to taking refuge in Fox’s cozy caravan as winter draws in. Thames and Hudson
When I saw the inside of this book on the Gleebooks Kids Instagram page I just knew it would be special and that it would be a book I just could not resist adding to my bulging shelves. Yesterday my friend and I spent a fun hour or two exploring the offerings of this splendid Sydney bookstore. We found lots of treasures and of course as you can see from this post I was able to see and then purchase Mouse's Wood.
In her Instagram post the bookseller said:
The trouble with working in a bookshop is I pretty much have a new favourite book Every. Single. Day! So forgive me if you hear me start preaching… “oh, have I shown you my new favourite?" Which just so happens to be the new @alicemelvin experience, Mouse’s Wood. I am a massive fan of Alice’s work, they are not just beautiful picture books to read and delight in, but a completely immersive experience. The second you step inside any of her gorgeous books, you are transported into an imaginary world through secret little doors and hideaways; so much detail, so many glorious and magical places to visit. In Mouse’s Wood, we go on a journey through the woods to visit Mouse’s many woodland friends, peeking inside their cosy houses and learning about northern hemisphere seasons. Alice spent a year sketching from nature and observing the plants and animals in local habitats resulting in a divine mix of nature and imagination. ... such wonderful paper craft to lift and look behind…so you will just have to pop in to see Alice’s beautiful books in-store. I will be the one holding up this little masterpiece and shouting “oooh, can I show you my new favourite!”
Oddly when I enquired about this book in the shop yesterday the younger bookseller (not the person who penned this post) had not seen the post about this book. Luckily she quickly located two copies on their shelves.
I agree with the reviewer who said:
Delightful, whimsical, magically wonderful with secret doors to explore - Alice Melvin has given us a real treat.
Mouse's Wood is perfect for fans of Brambly Hedge and for slightly older readers try to find the Heartwood Hotel four book series by Kallie George illustrated by Stephanie Graegin.
Alice Melvin's work reminds me of art by the talented Louise Pfanner especially her two books Louise builds a House and Louise Builds a Boat and her sweet book Little Lucie's Diary.
You can see some of Alice Melvin's work here. Alice also designs greeting cards (I would love to have some of these). Here are some previous books by Alice Melvin including a set of four board books:
No comments:
Post a Comment