Mem Fox: Queen of the Baby Baskets!

Friends recently had twins and I wanted to celebrate their arrival with a basket of baby books. I perused the shelves one evening; the store was closed and I had the luxury of meandering through the baby section, saying hello to some of my old favourites.

I chose, among others, three books by Mem Fox: Ten Little Fingers, Time for Bed, and Where is the Green Sheep. Mem's books for babies and toddlers represent some of the very best in the genre, each one superbly crafted with effervescence and joy, a delight for children and adults, even at the 99th reading! - Nina

Mem Fox joined us at the store for tea while signing books and sharing with us her reading philosophy from her book Reading Magic.

Brenda & Edward

A snowy afternoon and a quiet walk in the woods with Cath and our two lovely dogs. The soft padding of paws on the snow and their occasional touching of noses; this peaceful camaraderie reminded me of Brenda and Edward, a sweet enduring story of canine friendship and loyalty. While life throws the canine couple a few curves, hope is ultimately rewarded and the goodness of life is reaffirmed. Author and illustrator Maryann Kovalsky's affectionate illustrations and universal story will come to mind in the quietest of life's moments. - Nina

A Lovely Gift Idea

My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell

I love when a random pick at the video store introduces me to a great book. While wandering through Videoflicks, mindlessly trying to decided what I was in the mood for, I came across Gerald Durrell's My Family & Other Animals.

"This is the story of a five-year sojourn that I and my family made on the Greek island of Corfu. It was originally intended to be a mildly nostalgic account of the natural history of the island, but I made a grave mistake by introducing my family into the book in the first few pages. Having got themselves on paper, they then proceeded to establish themselves and invite various friends to share the chapters. It was only with the greatest difficulty, and by exercising considerable cunning, that I manages to retain a few pages here and there which I could devote exclusively to animals."

"Sometimes it's pretty hard to tell them apart...my family and the animals that is. I don't know why my brothers and sister complain so much. With snakes in the bath and scorpions on the lunch table, our house, on the island of Corfu, is a bit like a circus. So they should feel right at home..." - Gerald Durrell

A brilliantly chaotic, hilariously funny classic where the movie does justice to the book. - Cath

Gift Basket

Custom design a "dragon wagon" book basket for your corporate and personal gift giving.

Books will be selected to appeal to specific events such as: welcoming a new baby, recognizing a milestone in a child's life, celebrating the birth of a grandchild, providing a family trip basket, heralding a move to a new home, comforting a sick child, giving a holiday activity pack or celebrating a new pet.

Contact us to arrange for your gift basket. Together with favourite books, toys and music, our beautifully wrapped gift baskets will be couriered to the recipient's home.