Bambino Goodies » Books and Music http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk The shopping guide for baby clothing, toys, products, furniture, gear etc Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:49:13 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Alison Jay Baby Journal http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/alison-jay-baby-journal/ http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/alison-jay-baby-journal/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000 Lucy http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/?p=44118

Many of you will be familiar with artist Alison Jay’s whimsical illustrations from her delightful children’s picture books. Well, now mamas can get a look in with her beautiful baby journal. With space for recording the minutiae of daily baby life and milestones, photos, mementos, family message cards and even a letter to for parents to write to their child to be opened on their 18th birthday. All realised in Jay’s retro signature crackleglaze effect. A lovely gift for a mama-to-be. RRP £12.99, Templar.

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]]> http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/alison-jay-baby-journal/feed/ 0 Katie Viggers http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/katie-viggers/ http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/katie-viggers/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000 Kat http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/?p=43701  

Our good friend Eve tipped me off about Katie Viggers, a British children’s book illustrator after her daughter recieved her book for Christmas.

Her first book Almost an Animal Alphabet is a sixty page illustrated animal alphabet. It was published in November 2011 and is a limited run of 1,000 copies. I love the character in the faces of the animals.

 

I love the wooden animal blocks with illustrations from Almost an Alphabet and the world map which would make a great focal point in a room.

Her work is currently being exhibited at Gallery Oldham in a collection of children’s book illustration until 11th March 2012.

Glorious inspiration, one to watch and a book to snap up while stocks last. Visit her Etsy shop for more delights.

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]]> http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/katie-viggers/feed/ 0 BG Christmas Gift Guide 2011: Books http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/christmas-gift-guide-201-book-ideas/ http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/christmas-gift-guide-201-book-ideas/#comments Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:00:00 +0000 Lucy http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/?p=40828

Welcome to the BG Christmas Gift Guide 2011. Books are one of the most brilliant and versatile presents you can give and there are some corkers around this year. We’ve rounded up the best arty, festive and just darn fabulous titles out there for a range of ages.



Miller Goodman’s Shapemaker and Playshapes are modern classics and their latest tome is bound to be a favourite on nursery bookshelves everywhere with its selection of quirky faces constructed from everyday objects and influenced by artists. Faces by Miller Goodman (Tate, RRP £12.99).

From Everybody Poos! to Play All Day, Taro Gomi’s books are absolute must-haves. This three-board-book set contains the delightful Spring is Here, My Friends and Bus Stop. Taro Gomi Board Book Box Set (Chronicle Books, RRP £12.99).

If you’re looking for a feel-good festive tale, you can’t go far wrong with Just Right by Birdie Black and Rosalind Beardshaw (Nosy Crow, RRP £9.99) which, rather aptly, promotes giving handmade gifts and recycling. Lovely.

Anyone who’s ever owned a dog will appreciate the sentiments in the beautifully illustrated Eli, No! by Katie Kirk (Abrams, RRP £9.99) – the tale of a disobedient canine who is still much loved by his family.

Collections of fairy tales are a perennial and timeless gift. I’m loving the trad vibe of The Bloomsbury Nursery Treasury by Patricia Borlenghi  (Bloomsbury, RRP £12.99) which includes Little Red Riding Hood and The Ugly Duckling.

The 10 Best Games in the World by Àngels Navarro (Thames & Hudson, RRP £14.95) would be a good buy for a whole family. It does exactly what it says on the tin, containing everything you need to play the top pursuits from around the globe.

It’s Richard Scarry. It’s a big book of stories. Say no more. Great Big Storybook by Richard Scarry (Five Mile Press, RRP £8.99)

If you know a stylish, art-loving toddler, buy them The Conductor by Laetitia Devernay (Chronicle Books, RRP £11.99). Exquisite illustrations and that certain je ne sais quoi that comes of being French. Plus, it’s wordless, so there’s plenty of opportunity to create your own story.

I’m loving the bright, quirky interactive board book Move & Match: Animal Opposites by Natalie Marshall (Five Mile Press, RRP £9.99). There’s also Things That Go for little petrolheads.

Pop-ups are terrific fun. We’re Going to A Party by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross (Andersen, RRP £7.99) is a tale of dressing up with a twist in the tail, while BG fave Jennie Maizels’ Pop-Up London (Walker, RRP £14.99) is a gloriously detailed exploration of our capital city.

I’ve long been a fan of Alison Jay’s whimsical drawings, so I was pleased to see she’d turned her hand to one of my favourite stories. Classic, Christmassy and all-round marvellous. The Nutcracker by Alison Jay (Templar, RRP £10.99)

I don’t know about you, but we adore Elmer the patchwork elephant and his adventures with his crazy friends and family. David McKee’s illustrations are a joy and this festive story is no exception. Elmer & Papa Red by David McKee (Andersen, RRP £5.99)

I’m a firm believer in an early introduction to poetry. My grandma was always reciting poems to me and I’ve loved them ever since. The maestro Michael Rosen’s Even My Ears are Smiling (Bloomsbury, RRP £12.99) with funky illustrations by Babette Cole is a great introduction with rhymes witty enough to raise a smile from parents too.

Finally, one for mini fashionistas. You’ve never seen the Brothers Grimm’s Hansel & Gretel done with such style. A minimalist black cover and a book full of extraordinary silhouette paper-cuts. Actually, don’t give it away, keep it for yourself. Hansel & Gretel by Sybille Schenker (Minedition, RRP 19.99)

Look out for more gift guides, including stocking fillers, advent ideas and, of course, our favourites for ‘big people’ over the coming days and weeks.

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]]> http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/christmas-gift-guide-201-book-ideas/feed/ 1 Lost And Found Pop-Up Book by Oliver Jeffers http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/lost-and-found-pop-up-book-by-oliver-jeffers/ http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/lost-and-found-pop-up-book-by-oliver-jeffers/#comments Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:00:00 +0000 Kat http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/?p=41804

Just when I thought I couldn’t love this book any more they go and bring out a beautifully engineered pop-up edition. Lost and Found Pop-up (Harper-Collins RRP £14.99) has all the subtlety of the original with an extra layer of perspective and movement in the story.

 

From the pop-up house on the first page with a boy in the window who moves to open the door to the duck floating away in the bath this book is packed with thought. It is a mix of full pop-up pages, tabs to pull and flaps to open revealing entire scenes.

 

 

A delight on every page and an absolutely perfect gift.

Lost and Found Pop-Up Edition available from Amazon.

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]]> http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/lost-and-found-pop-up-book-by-oliver-jeffers/feed/ 1 Woop Studios http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/woop-studios/ http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/woop-studios/#comments Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:00:00 +0000 Lucy http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/?p=41494

Is it just me or are there lots of amazing alphabet books around at the moment? First, there was Operation Alphabet, now there’s A Zeal of Zebras by Woop Studios (Chronicle, RRP £11.99), which I spotted while browsing the shop in Tate Modern the other day (what can I say, it’s right behind my office). I immediately fell in love with the quirky illustrations and fun animal facts of this collective noun A to Z, all printed on glossy paper.

When I got home I Googled Woop only to find that they produce prints of each of their collective nouns, plus a full alphabet poster, top. The colours are gorgeous and they are, of course, educational.

With prices starting from £79 (prints are in limited editions of 100) these are definitely investment pieces, but an youngster would be delighted with the book – I think it’ll be under many a Christmas tree this year.

 

 

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]]> http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/woop-studios/feed/ 0 Operation Alphabet http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/operation-alphabet/ http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/operation-alphabet/#comments Thu, 20 Oct 2011 09:00:00 +0000 Lucy http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/?p=41358

I knew I’d love Operation Alphabet (Thames & Hudson, RRP £9.95) as soon as I heard about it. The brainchild of Al MacCuish, creative director at ultra-cool East London ad agency Mother, it’s a glorious tale with divine retro illustrations by Luciano Lozano.

The premise is that under a postbox near the Houses of Parliament is the Ministry of Letters, a super-secret government agency where all the letters and words in the world are created. This first story (it’ll be a crime if there aren’t any more to come) tells of small boy Charlie Foxtrot, a reluctant reader who is taught to love letters and words by by the SAS (Special Alphabet Service) through a series of marvellous adventures.

We can’t get enough of this book at bedtime – I love it as much as Alfie (I adore Stan and Ollie the exclamation marks) and, although A relishes reading letters, I genuinely believe this could be a great learning aid for less keen kids. The website is also fab – you can check out the manifesto and meet individual letters, plus there are freebie downloads of bookmarks and bookplates and a video of the alphabet orchestra. There is an app in the offing and I for one can’t wait.

 

 

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]]> http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/operation-alphabet/feed/ 0 Taro Gomi Play All Day pop out book http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/taro-gomi-play-all-day-pop-out-book/ http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/taro-gomi-play-all-day-pop-out-book/#comments Mon, 17 Oct 2011 09:00:49 +0000 Myf http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/?p=40053 Taro Gomi Play All Day

 

Taro Gomi Play All Day pop-out toys

Taro Gomi is the Japanese illustrator who has previously brought us some classic board books, including Tabitha’s much-loved Bus Stops, and, infamously, Everybody Poos. He’s also got a whole stack of creative doodling books – like Doodle Numbers.

Loving the Gomi style, I was interested to see Play All Day, a book of over 100 punch-out figures which include an entire zoo and its animals, plus a quoits game you can actually play. This’d be a great one for crafty kids – keep it at the back of your cupboard for days when they’re home from school, perhaps, or it would come into its own as an easy-pack holiday activity.

£7.94 from Amazon.

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]]> http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/taro-gomi-play-all-day-pop-out-book/feed/ 0 Buying vintage for children http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/buying-vintage-for-children/ http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/buying-vintage-for-children/#comments Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:00:00 +0000 Lucy http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/?p=37113

In these thrifty times, recycling and reusing are all becoming a necessity. But, actually, vintage and second-hand goodies for kids make sense and are often much more appealing than the latest thing. Clothes, toys, books, furniture – nothing’s sacred. I’m a bit a of fan of all things vintage, so I’ve put together a mini guide of tips and shopping destinations.

 

For clothes, try specialist boutiques such as Dinky Vintage. The Brighton-based shop has a great selection of antique childrenswear, ranging from the Victorian era to the 1980s, with sizes from newborn to teen. Dresses, jackets, hats, dungarees et al are complemented by a few toys and choice pieces of furniture. I’m loving this 70s Hawaiian deer shirt, £22.

 

Across the Channel, French emporium Little Vintage has a beautiful collection of vintage clothing amongst the toys, furniture and decorative bits. This embroidered dress dating from 1950 is exquisite, €32. Steptoe’s Antiques has a few more unusual accessories – from children’s beaded bags to a sporran!

We featured the sublime House of Young a while back and it really is a treasure trove of all things vintage and retro. These 60s coathangers, £6 per pair, would look fab accessorised with some Smafolk or Plastisock designs! You’ll also find crockery, furniture, toys and games.

At my mum’s house is a little wooden chair that belonged to her as a child and was used by me when I was young. Alfie adores it and it is just as sturdy now as it was then. Molly Meg is the go-to site for timeless designer children’s chairs. My absolute favourite is the Cosco. Originally designed as  a car seat in the US in the 70s, the Cosco makes a perfect low-level chair and, as they are so hard to come by, has huge design kudos. This delicious olive green version is £110.

 

Toys and games are fantastic second-hand buys. My friend Melita and I have a quest for vintage games going on at the moment – she’s found some corkers in charity shops and I’ve snapped up the classic Ladybirds and What is it? in excellent condition for a couple of pounds each.  If you’re always unlucky at jumble sales, Vintage Toy Box have done the work for you and collated a variety of games and toys in tip-top condition. Keep an eye out for Orchard, Galt and Spears-branded pieces – anyone remember Mousie Mousie and The Merry Game of Floundering? Both can be snapped up on eBay right now. Etsy is another good source – this wooden alphabet floor puzzle is £16.45.

I’ve had a lot of luck on eBay auctions for Habitat’s superlative wooden toys in the past. These emergency vehicles were a fiver a piece and the Noah’s Ark at the top was a mere £7.01. I’ve also won a transport abacus and a stacking shapes train. I’m envisaging hiked up prices now our fave interiors store has fallen on hard times, so snap them up while you can. Super-hot buys are the airport and Modernist dolls’ house.

Fisher-Price is another name to look out for. I’m not a fan of plastic toys, but I am attracted to the 70s stylings of pieces such as the radio, chime ball, record player and the school, which I owned as a child. Hmm, must ask Mum where that’s gone. Playmobil, Brio and Lego are pricey new, but you can get great bargains in the form of bundles when people are clearing out toy cupboards. They are all very popular though, so make sure you set yourself a price limit and don’t get carried away. Persevere and you’re bound to turn up a good deal eventually.

My mum, like me, is a bit of a hoarder (I really should ask about the school). Hence, Alfie has inherited this fine vintage library and enjoys reading them as much as I did. The retro covers and illustrations in the Ladybird and Dr Seuss tomes are so much more appealing than the jazzed up modern editions somehow. We also have a few Richard Scarrys, but they don’t seem to have changed much over the years. Good book resources are the usual places: charity shops are brilliant, jumble sales, Amazon marketplace, eBay and ABE Books should be your first ports of call. I was going to write about vintage art for children’s rooms here, but there’s just too much goodness, so it deserves a post of its own. Stay tuned… And do tell us about your amazing vintage discoveries.

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]]> http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/buying-vintage-for-children/feed/ 5 The High Street by Alice Melvin http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/the-high-street-by-alice-melvin/ http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/the-high-street-by-alice-melvin/#comments Wed, 14 Sep 2011 09:00:00 +0000 Lucy http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/?p=40380

I’ve been a fan of illustrator Alice Melvin’s work ever since I first came across her fabulous birds in Tate Modern. I can’t really explain why I like it so much but, suffice to say, I was pretty excited to discover she has a new book out.

 

The High Street (RRP £9.99, Tate) is a charming look at (somewhat unsurprisingly)… the high street, through the eyes of a small girl, Sally, who has a list of items she needs to buy. Melvin’s drawings have a strangely vintage style and beautifully tonal colours. Children are sure to adore exploring underneath the flaps in the exquisitely depicted shops. One to mark for the Christmas lists methinks.

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]]> http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/the-high-street-by-alice-melvin/feed/ 0 Thomas Flintham’s Amazing Mazes http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/thomas-flinthams-amazing-mazes/ http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/thomas-flinthams-amazing-mazes/#comments Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:00:54 +0000 Myf http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/?p=40008 Browsing through the absolutely vast and incredible children’s book section at Salts Mill in Saltaire, I came across Thomas Flintham‘s work for the first time. And I was impressed.

With this many years of parenthood below my belt, I’m a veteran of mazes: mazes on cereal boxes, mazes in comics, mazes on the CBeebies website. Tabs likes them well enough, but she’s really at that age where she can pretty much figure them out by eye, and after that, well, there’s not much point, is there?

Flintham’s book Marvellous Mazes (currently just £4.61 at Amazon) goes a step further. For starters, the mazes are complex, and nicely drawn, with several different styles, with paths created by, say, waves, flames, walls or tree roots. They also feature pleasant characters, and the whole mood is gently humorous.  It makes the whole maze thing just that much more worthwhile.

 

Spread from Thomas Flintham's Marvellous Mazes

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