In: from the United Kingdom

Last Sunday I posted some 'molens', (wind)mills. Some weeks earlier I received this beautiful windmill card from John. It is named the Argos Hill Windmill and is located near Rotherfield.

On the back John added great stamps, showing Ladybird (children's) books. The now London-based Ladybird publishing company traces its origins to 1867.



As far as I know there is not a Dutch equivalent of Ladybird Books. I remember several Dutch publishing houses, but none of them is specialized in children's books, and they are not as widespread / monopolist in our country as were/are Penguin, Puffin and Ladybird books in the UK. Except for the 'Gouden Boekjes', but as far as I know the 'Little Golden Books' have their origins in the USA.
I read these Little Golden Books in a translated version in my childhood (Among them this one).
The first publisher of the Dutch Golden Booklets, 'Bezige Bij', also published books for grown-ups. The logo, however, matches more or less with the Ladybird logo: 'Bezige Bij' means 'Busy Bee' :-)

Thank you very much, John!

Sunday stamps: Children's stories

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.

Sunday Stamps: Pets

This Sunday Stamps' theme is 'pets'.
Searching in my stamps, there appeared to be a few stamps on this theme. Mostly cats and dogs, and three rodents.
The Dutch post company also offers the possibility to create your own personalized stamp sheet. At some higher costs you can have your own design printed. The stamps then can be used as a real postage stamp.

The stamp above was part of a serie of three, named 'Ten for your best friends' and showing cats, a dog and rabbits. Alas the last I've used, with no copy, but fortunately you can see it here.



This is the December stamps sheet of 2003. The stamp in the middle on top is showing a cat and dog, peacefully together.



Jip and Janneke, Annie M.G. Schmidt's creation, drawn by Fiep Westendorp, have two pets: the dog Takkie, and the cat Siepie, who you see here.



Nijntje, in English known as Miffy, has been created in 1955 by the Dutch illustrator Dick Bruna.
It's funny to see that this rabbit has a pet: the little she-dog Snuffie.



An other pet, or rather the main character in the stories created by the Dutch illustrator/writer Marten Toonder, is Tom Poes, a cat. He is a close friend of the gentleman Ollie B. Bommel, a bear who has a dog, named Joost. Not as a pet, but, as you can see on the left, as his butler.



An other famous pet is Tom, the cat from the couple Tom and Jerry. While we would think the predator always wins, in these stories it's always the rodent who survives, more than well.



Talking about rodents, a Dutch supermarket company has a hamster in it's advertisement campaigns. In 2012 the Dutch post company issued a stamp because of the 125th anniversary of this supermarket. And the hamster is part of it! That is, his gold coloured shadow, while jumping happpily on three of the stamps.



Finally the personalized stamp of Snuitje, one of the two guinea pigs (cavias) who live in my place. On this picture she's less than 2 months old. Since they're in our house, I (1) prefer vegetarian pets (so our herbivores will have nothing to fear), and (2) I am wondering why we, humans, are keeping pets, animals, as a kind of prisoner at all. I imagine that our pets would prefer to live with a large, large family somewhere in the wild, instead of being dependent of our care and time. But it is as it is, and both Snuitje and her roommate Cato seem to be happy with us.

In: from the United Kingdom / Spain

De Engelse Royal Mail geeft postzegels uit, èn ansichtkaarten van deze postzegels.

The Royal Mail issues postage stamps, and postcards showing these stamps.



Van Eva ontving ik deze kaart met het beroemde kinderboek, de GVR (de Grote Vriendelijke Reus), geschreven door Roald Dahl en geïllustreerd door Quentin Blake. [Voor degenen die ook willen tekenen: leuk is ook Blake's 'Tekenboek voor veelbelovende kunstenaars'!]

This postage stamp card of the BFG (the Big Friendly Giant) I received from Eva. The story has been written by Roald Dahl, and the illustration has been made by Quentin Blake. [For the ones who'd love to draw, too: an inspiring book is Blake's book 'Drawing for the Artistically Undiscovered'.]



De kaart maakte een mooie reis: vanuit Engeland via Spanje naar uiteindelijk Nederland.

Thank you very much, Eva! [and guess what: I know this book but... have never read it!... So also thanks for your recommendation :-)