Reinventing the Fairy Story

Once upon a Christmas, a Queen bought Mixed Up Fairy Stories for 4yo Princess L:

Make your own fairy story

It's turned out to be brilliant on so many levels. It is really firing her imagination and encouraging her to invent her own stories.  I love it because I struggle with fairy stories that lack girl power.  I'm with Fiona in Shrek 4 who said life isn't a fairytale and that she rescued herself from the tower.   Miss L did get a Rapunzel doll for Christmas, but I don't want her to think life is about sitting in towers waiting for a prince to come and rescue you.  Fairy stories need reinventing.

Best of all it seems to be right on her humour wavelength, I have never seen her laugh so much at the silly scenarios she has created.  However, this was the scenario that made me and Mr A laugh:

Blimey Cinders!



Mixed Up Fairy Stories by Hilary Robinson.  Illustrated by Nick Sharratt.

Anyway is it just me who thinks some fairy stories need mixing up? 

Penny in Miffyland and a GIVEAWAY

Penny was beginning to get very tired of being pregnant, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her husband was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, 'and what is the use of a book', thought Penny, 'without pictures or conversation?  And then Penny's Mummy and Daddy suggested a visit to an art gallery.   From behind a pillar appeared a white rabbit... (Thanks to Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll)

This was taken when I was pregnant with Miss L (just thought I would make that clear), at an exhibition of Dick Bruna's illustrations at Manchester Art Gallery .  I loved his work as a child but as an adult the exhibition gave me a whole new appreciation.

Bruna used to be in advertising before he went into illustrating kid's books.  I think this really shows in his knack for communicating powerful messages simply.  Although his illustrations are far from simple to create.  Often it can take Bruna all day to get an expression just right. “For me, less is more. I work very hard on tears, making two or three of them, and then finding that one tear is more effective”. 

Miffy is 55 this year, but doesn't look a day over 5.  But even more remarkable, Dick Bruna is 82 and still works every day in his studio in Utrecht.

http://www.miffyshop.co.uk/ has a great selection of Miffy goods which would make great Christmas presents and stocking fillers. With Miss L starting school next year I am very drawn to this Miffy lunchbox:

I also have two to giveaway to two of the people who leave a comment below.  Please remember to tell me how I can contact you. 

For extra entries you are very welcome to tweet 'I have entered the Miffy giveaway http://t.co/UzCsu5i  #win #comp'  /follow my blog/ follow me on twitter @Aresidence/ mention this prize on your blog.  Please leave a separate comment for each you have done so I can allocate a number to each entry. 

Good Luck!  This is open until Thursday 16th December.  I am sorry but UK entries only.