Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Vintage children's books
We have a "trash station" in the village where you recycle and dump all your garbage (not household garbage but big garbage) and stuff you don't need anymore. I always go for a treasure hunt when I dump my paper, glass and plastic recycling there. Sometimes I find nothing, sometimes I find lots. Today I found lots!
I am especially pleased with my vintage children's book find. A pile of these books were thrown away in a torn plastic bag and I was lucky to find them. They are illustrated by a Belgian artist, Marcel Marlier, and the stories were written by the writer Gilbert Delahaye. In French.
For a moment I thought they were first editions (first book written in 1954) but in small print I found that they were printed in the 70's.
The books are about a girl called Martine and from everyday life. Birthday party, on the farm, learning to ride a bicycle, the four seasons, baking, babysitting little siblings... So simple, real and so pretty.
Aren't they just wonderful?
They are almost toooooo perfect, but hey, I live in "Perfectlandia", like my Spanish friend says. Switzerland is like a painting, perfect in every sense. At least on the surface...
And it is a pure pleasure to read these stories (in French... hmmmm) to my little Emmy who loves them already.
And some other finds today, two bamboo/basket chairs (or whatever they are called). A little broken here and there but with a pillow to sit on and a pretty crochet blanket thrown over the back they will be perfect!
Some pot holders. Tomorrow I'll get som nice Geraniums to put in there. Lovely!
And I like this coat holder. Classy isn't it? And the best of all - it was all free! Wow, it feels so good to find treasures like this.
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Hello Annette,
ReplyDeleteIt's so fine to see those old books about Martine. I was used to read them in my cousin house when I was child, and it was marvelous for me to look to the pictures so biautifull for me.
And it's fine to see you have found those too pretty chairs I like very much. I just want to say you that they are made with "rotin" in french, the indonesian name is rotang and it's a palm tree from Indonesia and Malesia. It is very much used to make baskets. You have made a very good gathering.
Those books are wonderful. I love the illustrations in them
ReplyDeletehej annette va kul att se att du läser de böcker för dina barn när jag var lite hade jag hela samling fast på mitt språk portugisiska de var mina favoritböcker fast i portugal heter de anita oh vad jag saknar mina älsklingsböcker.
ReplyDeleteva kul nostalgi tripp
Do you know, we had those books when we were kids but in English the little girl was called "Debbie" (which is why we had them because my sister is called Debbie)... I wonder why they changed the name?
ReplyDelete