Shark in the Dark

The relentless Princess Poppy run may be at an end. Or at least is having a rest, thanks to Shark in the Park. Our neighbours - in fact, possibly the whole street - may be less pleased, since it is apparently essential to yell THERE'S A SHARK IN THE PARK!!!!!! at the absolute top of your lungs on every page.

It's our library choice this week (tomorrow is save our libraries day of action, by the way http://www.voicesforthelibrary.org.uk/wordpress/ 
I love libraries. Our local one was a big part of my childhood. I never even considered buying books until I was in my late teens, really. But the idea that you could have six books to take home as often as you liked seemed heaven to me. And I yearn for their collection of international fairy tales, which first introduced me to Baba Yaga. Libraries aren't cool, or particularly exciting, I know. Even the super-refurbished ones have bad carpet and dubious taste in soft furnishings. But through those doors is world upon world of new discoveries and places to go. And it's a safe place to explore that is asking nothing from you in return. That's pretty rare.)

But, as usual, I digress. Shark in the Park is our saviour, thanks to the library. Little a chose it because it was so familiar from nursery. I love that. She's started introducing me to books, as well as the other way round. Brilliant.

Though I do have to question the wisdom of a bedtime story about sharks, given her over-active imagination. And perhaps reading it alongside Little Red Riding Hood - the original version, where the wolf eats grandma, Red, then gets his stomach cut open and filled with stones - wasn't the wisest combination.

Maybe Princess Poppy and her icky world of sweetness and light isn't such a bad thing after all ... at least then the only nightmares will be about drowning in glitter ...



A friend of mine made a sweet defence of Poppy today: she said how nice it was that everyone was making things in the stories. It's true, they do - it's like the children's equivalent of Kirstie's Homemade Home (which I do love). Oh no. I'm going to start dressing in pink soon.