Friday, April 30, 2010

An Ode to Lauren Child

(Lauren Child's kitchen, with white piano and specially built shelves to display her crockery - after all, she says, noone really needs 20 mugs do they, so they may as well be on display.)

An Ode to Lauren Child
I have this little daughter Imogen
She is small and very funny.
She is a philosopher like you, Lauren Child
She wants to know why, why, why and how come?
She thinks grown up rules,
especially hypocritical ones about spelling and going to bed, are silly.

She can mark a green vegetable never tasted at twenty paces
and not ever never eat it.
She has an imaginary bestest friend called Wormy
who has a birthday most every day and
is almost always responsible for breaking her little brother's toys.

She has sticky outy hair like Lola
and a don't mess with me hands on hips stance when feeling brave.
Like Clarice Bean she wants to save the Planet of Earth
But she still worries about things which cannot be changed,
such as whether the size of her feet are acceptable in the scheme of things






(an amazing home made Charlie and Lola house, go to Sweet Sweet Life to see it all)

But for me, I love Lauren Child for different reasons.  I love her use of pattern and colour and wallpaper in her illustrations:


(Hubert Horatio Bartle Bobton-Trent)


(from Who Wants to be a Poodle)

(Princess and the Pea)


(Pippi Longstocking)


(Pesky Rat)

And I love her ability to articulate life's chief worries. Including this one (from Clarice Bean):

"Worry no 8: What to do when someone is boring you to nearly utter death. Give them the slip and run like crazy".

Oh to be a Running Away From Boring People child again.

(Images: (1) guardian.co.uk (2) -(4) Sweet Sweet Life, all others copyright Lauren Child)

12 comments:

brismod said...

You have to love an author who has great decor in her illustrations. We loved the Pesky Rat.

Mise said...

This is the best best bestest post of my day today. The kitchen is absolutely and completely not yucky, the Ode and the girl it describes are a joy, and the Charlie and Lola house is a creative masterpiece. I feel uplifted to a tree.

Jg. for FatScribe said...

i want to sleep in that princess and the pea's bed. loverly. plus, i was always freaked out a bit by ms. pippi. she was a bit too much (at least in our american version). sweet post. ;)

Emma said...

Oh, she truly is one of our favourite and our best! x

Engracia said...

A true favourite of mine, is Lauren Child. Love your Ode and I like the girl described in it, such spunk, every girl should have it.
Engracia
xx

Dumbwit Tellher said...

I had never, ever heard of Lauren Child, & love the illustrations. I can only imagine how terrific her books would be. Great idea for gifts to the wee people in my life. Thanks Jane & hope you and yours are all doing really well. A lovely, fun weekend to you all xx

Josephine Tale Peddler said...

Bravo, Fab post. It took me a couple of books to warm up to Lauren Child (I'm a huge fan of Enid Blyton and that era of children's books) but once I got her - I was totally hooked. For all the reasons you mention. I always feel a tad disappointed when my daughter returns from her school library with no Lauren Child. And I would love to run away from boring people! xx

Julie@beingRUBY said...

Dear Jane
this is the sweetest prettiest post in all of blogland.. haha.. I have never hear of Lauren Child but do believe I am the Princess and the Pea.. hair should be blonde.. haha

have a lovely weekend Jane.. lovely post!!! xxx Julie

Josephine Tale Peddler said...

Hello Jane, I wrote about this post on my Fab Friday section of my Blog as being one of my favourite posts of the week. If you would like to read it -it's here along with my lovely friend, Isabelle from Suzy's Vintage Attic and Johnny Depp. xx
http://talepeddler.blogspot.com/

Ange said...

Oooh - we just read 'That Pesky Rat' a couple of night's ago. Love it sooo much. And we have Clarisse Bean band aids because that makes everything better - even more than a kiss from Mum, nearly.

That kitchen was made for my kids in style and me in colour. I gotta be more practical with putting away my 20 cups.

Jacqueline @ HOME said...

Oh Jane,
Lauren Child is brilliant, isn't she? She has won awards and a couple of BAFTA's, I think. ... and, her kitchen really reflects her personality and her books, I feel. XXXX

Pinecone Camp said...

I love her too! I have to admit....I bought her Pippi Longstocking book for me. It's so flipping cute!

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