Picture (book) perfect proposals

Ok its really late and I should catching some much needed shut-eye if I'm going to make to to my 9.30 class tomorrow but there's this thing call the internet and you know how one link leads to another and then another and then awww this IS SO CUTE, me smiling stupidly while eyes twitch from staring at a computer screen too long.

In internet times this story is probably old news but in fitting with the theme of this blog I'm gonna share because it involves picture books. And if you haven't read the description on the right of this blog I'll remind you: I love picture books. You know how people pat their dogs? I pat picture books. Yes it's weird but I just like touching them, having the physical book in my hand, turning the pages, getting half way through the story and then admiring the front cover again. ...pets are cool too. Dogs over cats though. Don't hate me cat lovers. In  my defence my sister who's a cat person has introduced me to the cuteboyswithcats tumblr which we check every now and then for boredoms sake and you know for the cats. Apologies sister if I've let the cat out of the bag (lol) but your my number one reader/probably my only reader so we're probably safe.

But back to the point,  I was on the Huffington Post and some clicks down the track I ended up on Buzz Feed as you do. I came across a story of a guy who proposed to his girlfriend using a picture book planted in the local library.
Source: Buzzfeed
Illustrations by Yoni Limor.  Check out the above link and have a read of the actual picture book if you like.

Which in my books (lol get it?) is super cool! Thoughtfulness, surprises, great illustrations, shelves and shelves of books and captured on camera so I get to share in the adorableness.

Guy 1 had written the story himself and contacted illustrator Yoni Limor who to help him illustrate the book.  Guy 1 had probably gotten the idea from from Original Guy a close friend of the illustrator who asked his friend to help him out with his picture book proposal. Cue more professional photographer happy snaps and cute illustrated animals.




 Source: Buzzfeed

A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E

If you want to know/can't be bothered BuzzFeeding it, Original Guy was a turtle to his girlfriend the bunny.

The illustrator Yoni is also on Facebook, so for Facebook savvy people that would rather find out more about his work that way than through the link to his website above here you go. 

That is all. Goodnight guys.

On a side note I learnt a bit about copyright the other day for work and know I'm paranoid if I'm referencing stuff correctly or not. So apologies original owners of copyright if I get it wrong. Let me know if I have. You know, don't sue me I'm poor uni student. Cheers. :)

Oh and I know its been ages, but I promise I've got original work coming soon. Watch this space.

"All children, except one, grow up."

Today I was a kid again and went along to the Children's Book Festival a FREE event at the State Library in partnership with the Wheeler Centre. At first I was a bit hesitant to go because I figured the event would be mostly attended by children (obviously) and parents, of which I am neither. However, my love for picture books won out and so I hopped on the train into Melbourne.

Fitting for the day I started reading Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie on the ride in. Only got a chapter in but it good so far! I'll tell you more about when I get around to finishing it. I got the title for this post from its opening sentence.

It was a day catered for kids with performances, a petting zoo, face painting, meet the authors/illustrators, book signings and places for kids to created their own comics/books/crafts.

Is that a guy in a orange suit?! YES it IS!! Yay for bright colours!

Make your own book...

or a Great Wall of Comics

nawwww

AND WE ALL KNOW FROGS GO LA-DEE-DA-DEE-DA!!! Is stuck in my head now thanks to a performance by Rhys Muldoon. That guy from playschool! At least I think he's still on playschool judging by the reception he got from the kids who rushed onto the stage.

He was on playschool back when I watched it which was a loonnnng time ago now. And on The Genie From Down Under (any 90's kid remember that show?). He also plays dad characters on Lockie Leonard (one of the best kids shows, based on the books by Aussie Tim Winton) and House Husbands. And now you know that I watch more Australian television than the average Australian and this guy is officially my second favourite Australian entertainer/performer/actor person after Hugh Jackman. Hehe Hugh Jackman should do a playschool episode that would be fun.

Back inside the library and there is a small display of some wonderfully illustrated Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. This one was my favourite. It's a page from a pop-up version. So its 3D and was in a glass box so the photo doesn't do it justice. Pop into the State Library to check it out; its free and there until May 20.

Ducked into the Readings bookstore in the library and wanted to get this T-shirt so badly! It's a T-shirt of one of my favourite picture books that I discovered one day randomly. More on the book in a future post perhaps. Also I would've been perfect for a kids themed party coming up. But alas, I couldn't get itbecause it only came in kids sizes. And even though I'm tiny I looked at this and judged it wouldn't have fit. Sigh :( I bought a book instead (hence the bag in the first photo) which I'll write about some other time.

Final thing for the day, a meet the author session with Rhys Muldoon.  The kids really like the guy and he interviewed a whole bunch of them which was very sweet. The lucky chosen kids loved it and the adults in the audience had a fun time too. Who knew that today's kids favourite foods are couscous, pancakes with spag bol sauce and CAPSICUM?! At least dinosaurs, kid spies, and Going on a Bear Hunt are still favourite stories. Things haven't changed too much :p

Being interviewed by Rhys from Playschool!

Story time! Jasper and Abby & the Great Australia Day Kerfuffle  by Rhys Muldoon, ft. KRudd's cat.

Hehe can you spot the kid in the very Aussie hat??
Well that's it for today! I had a lovely arvo by myself if slightly out of place. I'd recommend anyone with kids to go next year (which said kids of course). The kids wandering around today seemed to have a blast.

To end:

“A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest.”- C.S. Lewis

Said the lamp to the cat

This one is a scribble I did one day in a philosophy lecture. It's one of many that I sketched on the page - I'll post the others up slowly - so that makes me think that I did them during a break in the lecture. It's been that long that I've also forgotten if the cat came first or the lampost.

I like this scribble because to me it looks like the lamp, an inanimate object is having a conversation with the cat. Such a scene is not possible in real life but it makes me happy thinking of the wonderful things that can happen in the imaginary/fictional world.

After I finished this scribble another drawing - one done by someone who can draw better than I - came to mind. It's the cover of The Arrival by Shaun Tan. Can you see why I formed such a connection? It's a beautiful picture book with the story told entirely through illustrations. Here's what it looks like. I'd encourage you go wander in a bookstore (yes they still exist!) and have look. Shaun Tan is an amazing illustrator and storyteller. And his Australian! He has written a bunch of books and perhaps I'll post about his work in the future.