Today's Sunday Stamps' theme is 'children's stories'. I am happy to share with you this stamp sheet showing Frog and friends. The characters are from the children's stories of Kikker (Frog) by one of my favourite Dutch illustrators, Max Velthuijs (1921-2005).
More information about Max Velthuijs you can find on wikipedia, in this article in the Guardian and at this website.
My favourite picture books are 'Kikker en de Vreemdeling' (Frog and the Stranger), a story which deals with prejudice and fear for outsiders, 'Kikker is verliefd' (Frog in love), about being in love and intercultural relationship, and 'Kikker en het vogeltje' (literally 'Frog and the little bird', translated into English as Frog and the Birdsong), about the mystery of death and the need to celebrate the joys of being alive.
Great stamps - love the word 'kikker'.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenJust now that you write 'kikker' I realize that the Enlgish word 'kicker' has a totally different meanint!
VerwijderenBy the way, the sound a Dutch kikker makes is 'kwak' or 'kwaak' (or as a verb: 'de kikker kwaakt'). Might be funny too for you?!? What are the words in English for this (both the sound and the verb)?
The sound a frog makes and the making of the sound are covered by the same word: Croak. Sometimes if you want to use a different word that is onomatopoeic, you could say something like: I listened to the ribbit of the frogs.
VerwijderenKwaak makes me think of the English quack, which is the sound a duck makes.
VerwijderenI've never read the books (well, now I've seen the first video), but I love this illustrations so much.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI think these illustrations great, and they are strong in their simplicity (don't know if this is correct English, 'krachtig in hun eenvoud' in Dutch, maybe translate-google has a better translation - I hope you know what I mean :-)
VerwijderenI think I once did send you a postcard showing Kikker, didn't I?
I don't remember that postcard. But I have received two of these stamps from you. One of them published here: http://mailadventures.blogspot.com/2014/02/in-468mail-projects-65-year-of-horse.html
VerwijderenWhen I was living in Holland I read children's book to help learn Dutch, but I don't remember this series. (My favourite was Ot en Sien. I still have four of the books, somewhere)
BeantwoordenVerwijderenAn elephant riding a horse --- must look into that book!
Oh, Ot and Sien (by Cornelis Jetses), as a child I learned to read with help from those books and an other serie by the same illustrator (Wim, Zus & Jet). My class was the last to use these books (it was in the early seventies). Short after a new, more modern reading method was introduced. Nowadays Ot and Sien are considered vintage.
VerwijderenThe elephant (dressed after Sinterklaas) riding a horse probably is created for these stamps. i've never seen them in the books so far, in the books I know the animals just walk on the ground (and in case of the duck: swim in the pool).
You can see two of the books mentioned, read aloud on Youtube, via the links when you click in the text on 'Frog and the stranger' and 'Frog in love' respectively.
Kikker is an ideal name/word for a frog - it makes me think of how it jumps with a kicking motion. Delightful sheet.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenNow I see the link between what FinnBadger wrote and the frog / kikker!
VerwijderenThank you for your comment, Bob!
The white background and the use of the same colours for the friends and letters makes it a pretty sheet. Love Frog's shorts.
BeantwoordenVerwijderen