Children's Book Monday

She is tiny. She is sweet. And my seventeen-month-old daughter adores her.

I found these tiny books at our library last month, and keep them safely stowed away in my bedroom. When Eliana wants to read them, she stands at the gate to the hallway and shouts... well, it's really unintelligible to you, but I know she's asking for Vera.

Marjolein Bastin, a Dutch author, wrote and illustrated these tiny, sweet books. My library only has three, but there are nine books in the series that were printed in English, and one of them is full size. (Browse through Marjolein's site - it is delightful! She is a nature lover, therefore nature infuses her drawings and writings with its beauty.)

Vera is a delight - she dons her prettiest pinafore, just for her reader, and lets us follow her throughout her day. In My Name is Vera, we learn that mice are messy creatures, and that is why she must put on six aprons while she cooks! And we also see that, even though Vera does not like to wash dishes (for it gets her little paws wet), she always ends up singing halfway through the job!

In Vera and Her Friends, some of the friends we are introduced to are: a wren, whom Vera calls Chicky; Joey, a goldfinch who brings fresh milk from his farm in a tiny bucket; Doggie, who is a ladybug that walks on a leash when not in the woods; and my favorite, cousin Blanche. She has white fur and red eyes - and insists on some sherry before bed. (Just like my favorite male character ever written!)

I think perhaps my favorite (of the three) is Vera Dresses Up. What fun! Vera empties her wardrobe to show us her favorite outfits: a flowery dress that, once donned, makes the sun shine! A dress for autumn, patterned after the toadstools that grow in the woods, and Dolly even has one just like it! And her final outfit of the day, a long flowing nightgown, as she tucks in under her warm quilt.

I love reading these books with my little girl. We wear our aprons to work in the kitchen. We play dress up, even! Yes, I love to pick out dresses for my darling to wear every day - and she does, too! And when we snuggle up to read these together, the beautiful drawings reach out and pull us in, and we enjoy life with Vera.

The rest of the books in the Vera the Mouse series are: Vera's Special Hobbies, Vera in the Kitchen, Games with Vera, Vera in the Garden, Vera in the Washtub, and A Little Dog for Vera. I hope you can find some of these at your local library!

Happy Reading!