There are birdies in the apple tree

‘There are birdies in the apple tree and something peeping out. But where is Kipper’s teddy bear? That’s what this book’s about.’

The greatest gift I think we’ve given to No 1 Son is his love of books, and reading. We started reading to him from about three months old, Three Men and a Baby style (‘it’s not what I’m reading, it’s the tone of my voice’) before progressing to picture books, bath books, and so on. He learned to read himself when he was about three (we used to encourage him to read the names of cars as we walked along the street), and has been a voracious reader ever since. Watching him devour books and discover classics and new favourites, immersing himself in legends and extraordinary tales from Greek myths to Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings has been an absolute joy.

One of his absolute favourite first storybooks was Where oh Where is Kipper’s Bear? by the fabulous Mick Inkpen. I think we must have read that book every night before bedtime for the best part of a year. Consequently one of his best-loved soft toys when he was little was a dog he called Kipper – although it wasn’t an official Kipper, it did look similar.

This photo was taken on the day of his first ever haircut. Despite taking him to a hairdressers with goldfish swimming in the mirrors and lots of treats, he cried from start to finish. Afterwards, we took him to a nearby café, where as you can see he was placated with a croissant – and of course a cuddle from his beloved Kipper.

*This post is my entry for The Gallery – the theme this week is ‘books’.