Mind Your Fuel Grade ;)

I found this a little bit ago and thought it was hysterical.  Finally got around to posting.  SO FUNNY!  Enjoy!!! :)

Cannon, Janell: Verdi, Stellaluna and Others

Today I'm going to share a few book covers with you.  They are all by wonderful author/illustrator Janell Cannon.

Verdi is our current favorite.  

I'm not going to ruin it for you, but if you want to know, my favorite images are color illustrations #6 and #14 (the book doesn't have page numbers, so you have to count the full color images).

Stellaluna

Little Yao

Crickwing

Pinduli

Head on over to your local bookstore or library and take a look!  I think this week we will trade in Verdi for Little Yau. :)

Southern Summer Showers

Here lately, we've been visiting the new Dog River Public Library several times a week.

The Cute Gremlins and I are voracious readers and, as you've seen from the last few weeks, huge aficionados of children's book illustrations.  The check out limit is 50 items.  We nearly always go home with about 10-15 in each of our library bags, (I'll be showing you how to make your own library bag in a future post! Stay tuned!) and we return 3-4 days later to swap them out for new titles.

Well, it's the season of pop-up summer thunderstorms here in the hot and humid South.  We had been inside the library for about 15 minutes when the bottom fell out of the sky and there was a deluge that lasted the better part of 40 minutes!  We read and read and read, and browsed the movie titles, and played with the stuffed animals/hand puppets in the story time area, and read some more.  Finally, it quit raining and the sun came out full strength.  As we walked to the car (feeling as though we should grow gills in order to breathe in the 200% humidity!), I captured this video of the drain spouts in front of the building.  The gutter system was designed to be pretty as well as functional, and after a monsoon like that, these "fountains" were so nice to look at and hear!  Enjoy!

Potter, Beatrix: Peter Rabbit and Friends

As I mentioned in yesterday's Music Monday post, Beatrix Potter has long been one of my favorite author/illustrators.  A large book of her lovely stories and pictures was added to my bookcase when I was but three and one half years of age:

It has stayed a favorite, and been through half a dozen moves, my college years, and now I am reading it to my own children.  Here are a few of my favorite illustrations...

From "The Tailor of Gloucester"

Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle was my absolute favorite

Mr. Jeremy Fisher

There are other of her illustrations that I love, but do not yet own.  Like this one of Jemima Puddle-Duck:

Do you have a favorite Beatrix Potter character or scene?

Music From "Miss Potter"

I'm a huge fan of Beatrix Potter.  I had the good fortune this past weekend of seeing the recent film based on her life, starring Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor.  Unbelievably sweet!  Loved the whole thing from start to finish.  (Even the parts that made me cry!)  I think I'll make her tomorrow's Illustrator Tuesdays artist as well.

Here's the main theme from the film, performed by Katie Melua.  Enjoy!