Sunday, July 15, 2007

The Giant Jam Sandwich and Other Classicss

So anyone remember this book?
It has become alarmingly noticeable that certian classic books that my wife and I grew up with have become hard to find in bookstores these days.

Among the our favourites are "My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes" and "Are You My Mother". Also seems to be missing is "Dear Zoo". These are books that we grew up with. and we want them to be around for us to read to our kids. however at the present time it would seem that the only place they can be found is on-line. Being really rather anal about these things I have now written up lists of books that Amber and I are going to buy before they can no longer be found anywherere... I fear it is just a matter of time before they all disappear completely and I want to be sure that we have them all before they do. I am sorry to report that this seems to have already happened with one such book that I remember from my younger days..... I can not recal the title or the author ( Who knew that when I was eight that I would have the need for these things) but I loved the story and now it is gone. All I can remember is the story line and the problem is that I am so fustrated with myself because it is enough to know that I really want to find this book so I can own it but I can't remember enough about it to track it down.

So in a futile attempt at getting hold of this particular book I am searching through the 32,000 titles of "Children's Picture Books" on Amazon.co.uk in the hope that it will magically appear while I am looking. So far I have gone through over 5,000 titles with no success.

If anyone out there can remember a book about a statue in a park that comes to life in the full moon when she sees a young man in the park she is in by himself and she asks the moon if she can go to him and the moon replies "be back at your pedastel before the sun comes up least he be turned to stone".

So she goes to him, and dances with the young man who falls in love with her and when dawn comes she kisses his eyelids and he falls into a deep sleep. She returns to her pedastel where she becomes a statue again. Every month he returns to the same park hoping to dance with the lady again. Then because he can't stand it when she leaves him at the end of the night he goes to an apothecary and gets a draft so that he won't fall asleep when she kisses his eyelids so he can follow her.

So the following month he returns to the park and she comes to life and dances with the man and as the night comes to an end she kisses his eyelids to make him fall into a enchanted sleep so she may slip away, but he doesn't fall asleep and won't let her go and he keeps asking her questions about where she runs away to why she won't stay with him and in the end she stays with him too long and sun comes up and she turns to stone as does he.

They remain as statues until the light of the full moon where they can dance together again until the sun comes up and they are both once again turned to statues where they are still found to this day......

Anyway thats it that is the book that I am looking for so if anybody out there can remember anything about it like the title for example then please let me know because it is driving me crazy that I can't find it anywhere.....

Please somebody come and put me out of my misery, oh and buy your favourite childrens books before they disappear forever.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Where are the Ghosts????

Ok, so Shelley and I went to see Harry and the Order last night (for those of you that don't understand my short hand there that's Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix) and it was better than Goblet (although considering they RUINED the movie version of Goblet, this isn't hard) but I just have one question: Where are the ghosts???

(by the way, if you haven't read and/or seen this one, and you plan to at some stage, I would stop reading now, I will be Spoiling things for you)

There was no Nearly-Headless Nick, no Bloody Baron and, and this one really bugs me, NO PEEVES!! One of my fave parts of this book (and admittedly, there aren't many, this one is kinda a middle book if you know what I mean - vital for some of the info it imparts, but just not really that exciting) is when the Weasley's leave Hogwarts and say "Give her hell for us Peeves" and Peeves, well, makes things "interesting" for Umbridge. . .and all of the teachers turn a blind eye and semi encourage him. . .it's BRILLIANT and really shows that Hogwarts is, and always will be Dumbledore's and that no matter what the Ministry does to interfere and try to change this, its just not going to happen. And yet, it's just not there. . .NO GHOSTS at all, not even just floating around in the distance. Which means no Peeves to give her hell for the Weasley's! This truly did suck and was definitely a downer for the movie. . .and THEN, the statues at the end in the battle at the ministry, they come to life in the book. . .but do they in the movie??? no. (Amber mutters under breath: stupid statues)
And, while I'm ranting: what is it about Stupid Americans (yes, I said it: Stupid American's, I mean really; the first time Bush stole the election but then, THEN, you re-elect him? yes, I've said it once and I'll say it again: Stupid Americans). Anyway, slightly off track there, where was I, oh yes, what is it about Stupid American's changing the titles of things??? I mean honestly, Harry Potter and the PHILOSOPHERS stone (NOT Sorcerors stone as they insisted on calling it) was bad enough, but now, now, another of mine and Shelley's favourite Young Adult's/Kid's book series is being made into a movie. The series is His Dark Materials (and if you haven't read it, you seriously should, it's REALLY good - like Narnia, but actually dealing with sexuality. . .and then, not at all like Narnia at the same time) and the fist book is called NORTHERN LIGHTS. . .at least, everywhere but America where it's called "The Golden Compass" and guess what the movie is being released as? That's right, The Golden Compass. . .Stupid Americans. Anyway, I did promise my wife I wouldn't rant about this too much in between now and when it comes out. . .but I just had to get that off my chest. . .Also, if any of you want to read it (and you should, did I mention yet how cool it is???), we own all three in the series, so just let us know and we'll lend them to you :)
Oh and also, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson were always kinda cute, but, when did they get HOT??? And is it wrong of me to be drooling over Harry Potter and Hermione?
Ok, enough crazy rambling and ranting from me. . .sorry for the spoilers. . .