穗穗愛繪本: One Sudden Hill, by Linda Sarah and Benji Davies

The Storm Whale海裡來的鯨魚是我很喜歡的繪本之一, 不論畫風或是故事內容.  有次我偷聽兩隻的前保母,  看著圖片講這繪本給小朋友聽,  竟然也能把內容講到差不多,  代表繪畫的部分能夠傳達故事意境,  我覺得這是一本好的繪本應該要有的要素.

於是在一個夜黑風高的夜晚, 我把作者Benji Davies的繪本上網研究了一番, 找到這本On Sudden Hill, 私以為也是棒棒咪之選.

Two cardboard boxes, big enough to sit in, hide inside.

Birt and Etho take them out each day, climb up Sudden Hill and sit in them

兩個紙箱, 大到可以坐在裡面, 躲進去.

Birt和Etho每天帶紙箱, 爬上Sudden Hill

(@@看到兩個紙箱在走路有沒有覺得呆呆的)

Sometimes they're kings, soldiers, astronauts.

Sometimes they are pirates sailing wild seas and skies.

有時他們是國王, 士兵, 太空人

有時他們是海盜航行在天和海之間.

他們一起做很多事(略)

Birt loves their two by two rhythm.

Birt 喜歡他們兩個一起的節奏

(看夕陽)

And then one Monday(it's cramping cold) they meet another box-carrier who want to joint them.

This tiny boy's called Shu.

He's watched Birt and Etho every day and finally found a big enough box and courage to ask if he can play too.

在一個很冷的星期一, 他們遇到另一個帶紙箱的男孩, 想要加入.

這個小男孩是Shu.

他每天看著Birt和Etho, 有一天他終於找到夠大的紙箱, 和勇氣去詢問可不可以加入.

(@@就是這個點, 就是這個點!!)

Etho smiles and says, "Sure!"

And so the three sit in their boxes, watch one kestrel and two lost clouds.

Etho笑著說單然好啊.

於是他們三個坐在自己的紙箱, 看著一隻小鷹和雲朵.

Birt覺得怪怪的.

(請家長放心, 書本並沒有討論到性向的部分)

One night, Birt smashes his box, stamps on it, rips it to bits.

His dad shouts something flat from the front room about being quiet and that's enough!

有一天晚上, Birt把紙箱打扁, 踩碎, 撕成碎片.

他老爸從房間大叫: 夠了, 給我安靜點

(好雖)

Birt stops going up Sudden Hill.

Birt不去Sudden Hill了.

Etho and Shu call round sometimes. Birt avoids them.

Instead he stays at home mostly drawing pictures of two boxes, side-by side.

But he misses Etho. He misses their cardboard castles on Sudden Hill.

Etho和Shu跑來找過幾次, 但是Birt都避不見面.

他躲在家裡, 大部分在畫畫,  畫兩個箱子排排站.

他想念Etho, 他們的紙箱城堡.

One day, a knock on the door.

He hears Shu's voice. 

"We made you something. Please come out"

All Birt can see as he peeks from the curtain is a box.

一天, 有人敲門

他聽到Shu的聲音

"我們做了東西給你, 請出來看"

Birt從窗簾縫看到的是一個箱子.

But it's much, much more than a box.

但卻不只只是個箱子.

It's got bright, waving things attached to it like huge kites. 

It's got colours. It's got sound. It's got, it's got WHEELS!

它有亮亮揮舞的東西綁在上面向一個巨大的風箏.

有顏色, 有聲音, 還有還有輪子

(本來的紙箱沒有被亂畫)

站起來就變成很厲害的機器人!!

小朋友(作者)好有創意啊

接下來, Birt能不能接受Shu呢?

請找書本來看吧. (偏不..)

這本書的字數和程度比平常我(們)看的多一點點,  但我也沒在管, 只顧我行我素. 好在兩隻還沒有抱怨.

是說如果像故事書裡面, 小盆友能夠自己做出紙箱大怪物,  也是太酷了的一件事吧.

穗穗愛繪本: How to cheer up Dad? by Fred Koehler

這本書是在圖書館拿預借書時隨手翻到的, 一看就很喜歡, 除了畫風簡單清新. 標題How to cheer up Dad? 不就是暗示爸爸都很難搞, 這麼棒的內容怎麼能不借來念給兩隻小朋友聽呢?

爸爸象和小寶象

 For you, Dad

看到這個我就笑了
 爸爸象拿牙刷叫小寶象刷牙,  小寶象舉著通馬桶的, 全力抵抗.

(我們家L先生說, 這個作者一定當過爸爸!)

Little Jumbo's dad was having a bad day.

爸爸象的心情不好

(可能是因為小寶象把所有的麥片盒拆來當機器人)

At breakfast, Dad put raisins in Little Jumbo's oatmeal.

爸爸在小寶的早餐麥片放了一些葡萄乾.

He should have known what a mess that would make.

他應該已經知道會發生什麼事情了吧.

(照片有點小, 但是書本可以清清楚楚看到, 小象很開心地用鼻子把葡萄乾噴到天花板去, 還掉了幾顆在爸爸頭上.  

我衷心感到好家在人類沒有這項才華)

Then his dad wanted Little Jumbo to get cleaned up. 

But little Jumbo had already taken a bath that week. 

爸爸叫小寶去把自己弄乾淨, 但是小寶說這個星期已經洗過澡囉.

And Dad forgot that Little Jumbo did not like wearing his brown overalls.

而且爸爸忘掉小寶不喜歡穿他的咖啡色工作褲.

(我們家妹啊看到小象光溜溜跑出去, 超羨慕的)

Dad's mood was clearly getting worse, so little Jumbo suggested that Dad needed a  time-out.

爸爸的心情顯然越來越差, 所以小寶建議爸爸去冷靜一下.

Little Jumbo got one instead.

結果是爸爸叫小寶去處罰.

He began to wonder what he could do to cheer up Dad.

處罰的時候, 小寶想想該怎麼讓爸爸高興.

(小象面壁思過鼻子會去頂到也滿可愛的)

He thought a hug might be a good start.

他想抱抱應該是好的開始吧

Then Little Jumbo took his dad to play catch.

然後帶爸爸去投球

This made him smile a little bit.

帶爸爸去買冰淇淋

(小象鼻真好用)

(我也會抓小孩後面的領子讓她們不要暴衝, 看到大象爸爸用鼻子勾住, 真是好親切的動作)

And fishing made his dad feel even better.

釣魚讓爸爸心情更好一點

(還以為會用鼻子釣魚)

At bedtime, Little Jumbo picked out Dad's favorite story.

要睡覺了, 小寶選了爸爸最喜歡的故事

: 愛睡的象 (家長都很希望小孩快睡覺吧)

Then he tucked his dad in, and snuggled him to sleep.

然後小寶把爸爸哄睡.

故事未完, 還有幾頁, 糾竟小象會做個懂事的好寶寶, 還是會繼續調皮搗蛋呢, 請去圖書館借來看看吧.

我覺得是很可愛有細節的童書,  然後發現其實爸爸沒有很難搞, 難搞的是小寶象...真是可惜.