Superheroes

My 7 year old son, Charlie had a school trip last week visiting The Super Hero supply store in Brooklyn NY.

On arriving you see a strange shop front.

Inside are the funniest things to buy in the store or at their online shop.

I really wanted to get my friend a tin of Dark Matter for her birthday.

You can also buy , Secret identity kits, and weird cans of silly things.

http://www.superherosupplies.com/

Once inside it is the Headquarters for 826 NYC , a not-for-profit writing program for children age 6 - 18.

They encourage writing in all forms , comics, poetry, stories. It also offers free after school tutoring on a drop in basis and they also host class trips.( New York only)

I was truly blown away with the whole idea the Staff and unpaid volunteers, Amazing!!!!

Here is the book they had published.






The adventures of Pearl and Dinoman.

All the children came away with a published book that they all participated on from beginning to end. 

Check out the 826 NYC website for field trips for your school , workshops or drop- ins 

http://826nyc.org/

Bagpuss.

Halloween is around the corner and the kids are getting very excited about who they are going to be this year????

But then they asked who our cat, Parsley was going to be?...

I suddenly had a flash back to a show I used to watch as a little girl, Bagpuss.

Bagpuss was a British children's television-show that first came out on the BBC in 1974.

Bagpuss is a large cloth cat with pink stripes who comes to life when little Emily closes down her shop for the night. Accompanied by the little mice inventors and workers 'we will scrub it, we will rub it', and the pompous Professor Yaffel, he has all kinds of adventures. 

The Shop front

Madeline the doll 

Emilys song.

Bagpuss, dear Bagpuss

Old Fat Furry Catpuss

Wake up and look at this thing that I bring

Wake up, be bright, be golden and light

Bagpuss, oh hear what I sing

Mr Parsely  ( mmm not really going to paint stripes on him!! really)

At the end of the programme Bagpuss would start yawning again, and as he fell asleep the narrator would speak as the colour faded to sepia and they all became toys again.

And so their work was done.

Bagpuss gave a big yawn and settled down to sleep

And, of course, when Bagpuss goes to sleep,

All his friends go to sleep too.

The mice were ornaments on the mouse organ.

Gabriel and Madeleine were just dolls.

Professor Yaffle was a carved, wooden bookend in the shape of a woodpecker.

Even Bagpuss himself, once he was asleep, was just an old, saggy cloth cat,

Baggy, and a bit loose at the seams,

But Emily loved him 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/classic/bagpuss/

Coming soon! Our Book!

My very clever sister, Charlotte and the other half of White Rabbit England has just finished 

The Little White Rabbit book.

It's our 1st book and she has based it on our Rabbit logo featuring the characters  Owl and Rabbit.

We comisioned the fantastic Little Hands illustrators , Marta and Leonor to help us with the book.

We are just delighted with the results!!!!!

http://2littlehands.blogspot.com/

The Rabbit and Owl nightlights are also available on-line.

 The Rabbit nightlight will be in the USA to buy in November.

It will be out in November UK and USA  just in time for Christmas and it comes with our new soft White Rabbit toy in a lovely cloth bag. A great gift for the time of year.

Check back in November to order on- line 

http://www.whiterabbitengland.com/

Little Critter and The BBC Magic Roundabout.

We went away to the country for the weekend and the kids Found 3 large furry caterpillars! Super speedy little critters.  

I wanted to take them home for science class but the kids said no!!

Named them after the British BBC Show from the 70's The Magic Roundabout with Dougal, Florence & Ermintrude!

Dougal. can you see the resemblance?

Well I just  did the laundry from our weekend away and out of the dryer fell a whole laundered furry caterpillar!

 Dead but clean & smelling fresh. !! Mmm! Which child put it in their pocket?? 

A bit a bout The Magic Roundabout.
Created by Serge Danot in 1965, The Magic Roundabout became a television legend. The five minute slot just before the  early evening news guaranteed the programme a viewing figure of over eight million.

This seemingly innocent children's animation series used a two pronged approach, featuring witty narrative targeted towards adults, allowing two generations to enjoy it. Flavoured with a laid-back and surreal look at life, the programme reflected a heavy sixties feel, soon achieving cult status.

The programme featured a rather off-the-wall cast:- Dougal, a shaggy dog who lived on a strict diet of sugar; an eccentric spring-mounted character named Zebedee, who would announce his arrival with a loud 'Boing'; a rabbit named Dylan, who could well have been accused of growing something considerably more envogue, during the 1960's, than carrots in his vegetable patch; Ermintrude the pink cow; Florence; Brian the snail, and all their friends in the Garden. Thus The Magic Roundabout very firmly staked its place in television history.

The catch-phrase of the series was of course "Time for Bed, Said Zebedee," sending millions of children to sleep every evening.

The Magic Roundabout was re-run on channel 4 television at the end of 1998, narrated by Nigel Planer, winning yet another generation of young fans.

http://magicroundabout.com/

"White Rabbit, White Rabbit, White Rabbit"

The custom of saying “rabbits or white rabbits” is said to bring good luck, many such customs / superstitions have been handed down by word of mouth and although much of the original meaning has been lost the custom is still going strong in the UK.