XXXIV International Fair of Children's Books in Mexico City

Affiliate links within to the English version o the books when available.

We visited the fair with a larger budget than last year and it was such a pleasure, we love books.


I made my son notice that the fair has the same age as me, and he told me that it was created on the year I was born for me, since I'm the queen of books, this made me smile.

I felt very proud that the one book my son chose was The Usborne Enciclopedia of world History, not only for his interest in History, wich I think is pretty cool, but because he actually can read it. I have to admit that when the third grade curriculum arrived, I totally freak out. the content was to advance for him, English is his second language. I figure that it was just an obstacle to tackle, but still. And we started little by little, and suddenly he leap a mile on his understanding of English, it's so funny how mothering always give you the same lesson, over and over, and we fail to learn it. Progress will occur in its time, there is not point on rush it or get stress, you just have to enjoy live and keep up. So, you understand that when I saw him fascinated by this book (we spend a good 20 minutes on this stand) and reading it, I understood I had to make the effort to purchase it, even it is pricey.

I also got some discounted books, a few that my son loved even when he didn't ask for them, and some other I thought I could use in my baby classes, I want to start some Story Time in English here in Mexico City next year, and some Reading Promoting Sessions too, next year.

Some came in packs, and I also got a puzzle. I'm hoping to make individual post on each book later.

I got these in a pack for $1.5, but you can find them in English following the links; How to Hide a Parakeet & Other Birds, How to Hide a Meadow Frog and Other Amphibians (Reading Railroad), How to Hide an Octopus and Other Sea Creatures (Reading Railroad), How to Hide a Butterfly and Other Insects (Reading Railroad Books), How to Hide a Crocodile and Other Reptiles (Reading Railroad),How to Hide a Polar Bear and Other Mammals (Grosset & Dunlap All Aboard Book). 

These came together too, I think they were funny, also great price, $1.5.

This is very beautiful, has not text, good for babies and in plasticized paper easy to clean.

 

This one  is very good for learning some basic Spanish words, love the illustrations.

I'm not. I will ever print photos the old way with my son, as I did when I was a teenager, but still is interesting  to know how it was done.

This one is one of those books without text that are great for young children to understand story structure. It is about a fox who stills a hen. All the friends of the hen are running across the land trying to catch him, but when they finally do, the hen and fox reveal they are in love, it is very very cute, I recommend it a lot.

This has a CD with music and illustrated traditional rhymes form Latin America, really good.

This one has very nicely sounded poems that I expect to use with my babies and kids to teach them rhythm.

It's so bad that this one does not seams to be available on English, it's very nice. A boy lives in a island with all his dog friends and one decides to give them names, as he chooses animal names for them, they transform in parrots, frogs and more, beautifully illustrated.

This collection of board books offers very rhythmical simple ideas,  Violín.

Another book without word, this one full of details on the illustrations that are a delight to observe. It's about a picnic, but when they arrived to the place, someone has steeled the cakes.

Very, very simple book without word with this idea Before, after, most of it related to nature, beautiful illustrations, and great to develop the concept of story structure, time and relations between objects or circumstances for little children.

A simple 40 cents puzzle, just because puzzles are so much fun.

 And of course, the beloved Encyclopedia.

If you live in Mexico city, you are still on time of visiting the FILIJ today, Sunday, November the 17th., there are a lot of cultural activities, such as baby reading rooms, concerts, workshops and of course, lots of books.

Yarn Along :: Tree doll blanket

Yarn Along it's a day of the week to share what you are knitting and reading created by Ginny, you can add your post here every Wednesday or to the flickr group any day. 

I have been so busy. We are so delay on homeschooling work, but it's just that with my kid learning three musical instruments plus theater and chess classes, and my work at the shop, we are kind of full. But instead of freaking out I'll just try to relax, and let things flow.

In the middle of all of this I have only had time to knit some small blankets for my kid's stuffed animals. This one is supposed to be a tree.

My very little reading is the first number of the National Geographic History Encyclopedia that is at the magazine stands every two weeks and we are collecting. I get distracted and I have to re read, but I really want to build some knowledge about history, and the pictures are amazing.

We have been watching Downton Abey and so I got this recipe book, which is great, even when I can't eat most of what is there for the gluten and dairy, but it's full historic details that I love to read.

What's on your needles this week?

Book recomendation :: King Kong by Anthony Browne

If you don't know Anthony Browne books you are missing a lot.

He makes beautiful drawings and stories.

It's very fun because often he plays with the images and you find silly thing in the clouds shapes or so.

One of our recent purchases it's King Kong (affiliate link).

We found the movie and enjoyed it too.

I recommend it.

Vasconcelos Library :: Castles

We have one of the biggest Libraries in Mexico City very close from home, so close that we can go walking, only 1.3 miles.

It is a great place. Is not very well designed because books are hard to find and it's impossible to know if the are on the west or east wing, but it has beautiful gardens and lots of children's books.

There is also Braille room, music room with piano, guitars and violins available, and movie room.

We go there almost every week.

I particularly love the lavender paths, and today we watched rosemary blooming, that are a rare thing to see, at least here.

Since we don't have wood near this makes a good substitution for nature time.

Last week we got this beautiful book about Castles. It shows one in different times of History as they were in Spain and in each page you supposed to look for the couple in love.

I recommend it.

This would be the American version, same author.

Yarn Along, my first pattern on Ravelry.

Yarn Along it's a day of the week to share what you are knitting and reading created by Ginny, you can add your post here every Wed. or to the flickr group any day.

This week I made a little hat for a baby and I end up publishing my first Ravelry pattern, I'm so excited, it's Veikko's Hat, you can find it here. It's a newborn gnomy hat, maybe too simple for all you experienced knitters, but an easy fast gift for the holidays or baby to born, hope you like it.

I'm still reading I curse the river of time, by Per Petterson and loving it.

Freedom, and still stuck with Pebble vest

Yarn Along it's a day of the week to share what you are knitting and reading created by Ginny, you can add your post here every Wed. or to the flickr group any day.

I have almost made no progress on the vest, I have some kind of block, but I'm reading a lot, I got the Indiespensble box of wonder from Powell's a few months ago, and the first one I loved (The particular sadness of lemon cake), and the next I had not touched until last week when I got into Feedom, by Jonathan Franzer, and I just can put it down, I recommend it a lot.

How about you?

Yarn Along: Pebble vest

Yarn Along it's a day of the week to share what you are knitting and reading created by Ginny, you can add your post here every Wed. or to the flickr group any day.

 Today I'm about to finish Pebble vest I found it very easy and enjoyable, I'm using Red Heart Eco-Cotton Yarn: Midnight Marl

I also red, Maten al leon, by Jorge Ibargüengoitia which is incredibly good as all of his books we also got Harry Potter from the public library, and we are reading it slowly, since I make drawing for each chapter.

What abou you?

Busy, busy

As you may have noticed I haveabsent, since I returned from Mexico I have been very busy, thankfully.

With Earth day,  there were several exhibitions in different places, I'm also in stage 3 (or 4?) on the arrangement of my home to finally feel at ease.

Still I always need to create and read.
 

The basket of books I brought from Mexico, I can't put down Tinísima Elena Poniatowska, it's great, there is an English version Tinisima, I identify very much with the love of our country, and also I liked to learn about the social struggles of the early twentieth century.



I'm making baby booties to sell, the pattern of Needle Craft Patterns, worth buying, I think, offers 4 sizes, it is well explained and is super easy. It also allows to sell items created long as they are personal and not industrial.
 

In my nights of work I have ended more than once with a second dinner that fascinated me, bagel with tuna in oil with peppers and capers (plus mayonnaise, mustard and tomato).

I hope all the internet friends are doing well. Here, torrential rains have began for the season.