There's an extra person in my bedroom these days and she's called Alexa. Each morning she says, "Good Morning!" and gives me a special fact for the day. This morning she told me that it's Donald Duck's birthday. He's 87, in case you wondered.
I've never been a Donald Duck fan but there were other special people who lived in my childhood books. I loved Milly Molly Mandy, (or Millicent Margaret Amanda if you're feeling formal) who did nice ordinary things. I remember especially that she liked to take a hard boiled egg if she was going on a picnic. She had a dog, Toby, and a cat, Topsy. The stories were safe, maybe even dull by today's standards, but I loved them.
Like so many others my childhood was enriched by Alison Uttley and her Little Grey Rabbit stories. I don't think I knew about Beatrix Potter but Little Grey Rabbit and her washday quietened many a bedtime.
My all-time favourite though was Winnie the Pooh with the wonderful E H Shepard illustrations. And when I say "all-time" I really mean it. I have "Winnie The Pooh" and "The House at Pooh Corner" as audiobooks, both read by the wonderful Alan Bennet with the help of Alexa. I doubt if I will ever be grown-up enough to leave Pooh Bear behind.
All my favourites!
ReplyDeleteThey really are old friends, aren't they!
DeleteMine too - and I still read them to granddaughter Rosie. Did you know that you can ask Alexa for a daily prayer? (a Church of England resource)
ReplyDeleteI'm so pleased that Rosie is having lovely stories. I didn't know about the prayer for the day - I've just tried it for the first time and will probably use it again late at night. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThese books are wonderful treasures, Pooh is a favorite of mine too. Occasionally I treat myself and buy myself a children's book that is uplifting.
ReplyDeleteI don't think we ever grow out of them!
DeleteMilly Molly Mandy was a favourite of mine too. There was another family set - The family from One End Street by Eve Garnett. I liked those too.
ReplyDeleteI didn't read The Family from One End Street as a child but I read it when I was working as a children's librarian.
DeleteThe Little Grey Rabbit books were a favourite that I used to read to my own children who now read them to their children. I am a fan of Winnie the Pooh too.
ReplyDeleteThe only one of these I know is "Winnie the Pooh" - in fact, the last thing a friend and I saw at our Museum before lockdown started last year was a travelling (and very hands on) exhibition all about Winnie, his creator and the brilliant illustrator who added so much to the stories. It was a wonderful show for both adults and children and we were so glad to have made it in time to see it. As we came down to collect our coats we were informed that the museum had just been told to close down....
ReplyDeleteWhat a very definite memory of lockdown! I hope you had hunny when you got home. (Or haycorns.)
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