Children's Books, Serbia

I don't know about you, but I love children's literature even though it's been decades since I belonged to that age group. But there is something so beautiful in it, something so unspoilt and pure, that you rarely, if ever see in the books for the older generations.

 

The first of this kind that comes to mind is "The Little Prince". I'm pretty sure that if at least not everyone has read it, that everyone has heard about it. A book that was on the mandatory reading list in the fourth grade, that equals to being 10 years old. A book I really hated back then cos I couldnt understand it, it was so odd and incomprehensible to my 10 year-old-brain. A book I read again around 10 years later and fell in love with it. To this day I still dont know why,, even though it is considered as a children's book, it is put on the reading list at such young age - I just really dont think that brain can get fully immersed in its beauty. 

Another delight of a book (that I read in my adult years) is The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett - if you haven't read it, I really really recommend it - sometimes it takes me by surprise how much of what is considered to be children's literature, is so suitable for adults as well.

And while I'm at it - Neil Gaiman's Coraline is another lovely example to add here :)

In 2010, the theme for the EUROPA's stamps was Children's Books, and Serbia issued these lovely stamps and FDC. A number of titles are hidden in the drawings - can you name them?

And if there is a children's book you'd recommend, please do so - I'd love to read it!

Before I take you to the other children-related posts for today, here is what Serbian post had to say on the subject of Children's Literature:

-Children's Literature singles out as a special literary layer from the aspect of its function and the reader's age. Its main characteristics is belonging to an age where personality is being shaped. The spirit of this particular form of literature is impregnated by signs that are characteristic for childhood: freedom, illusory understanding of live and environment, joy, game, basicness, simplicity, liveliness, etc. Its world is ennobled by joyous charms and composed of fine threads of children's spirit. The main trait of this literary branch is actually one of the decisive roles in child's life. We are here talking about the implementation of beauty, goodness and strength into their spirit: about the art of awakening the curiosity of young minds, learning how to embrace the world with love, and to release the accumulated emotions. The little reader is a young creature who comprehends the world in a different manner and by laws of a different logic. It contemplates and experiences the world though his dreamer's eyes.

The aroused imagination leads the child towards unreachable heights and develops its sensibility. As a driving force of children's discovering of the world, the imagination represents the most powerful means for introducing them into life.

The fame of dream and reality, impossible and supernatural is receptive to the heart of the little reader. The wild and bold imagination broadens its perspectives, frees its thoughts, forms its emotions, enables the comprehension of reality, conjures up to the unknown and invisible, and makes possible the identification with literary heroes.

The imagination creates a new world over which reign other laws of man and nature. 

Check out the other posts here 

The 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Mission to the Moon, Brazil

Sometime, at the end of last year, I received this envelope in the mailbox. 

At first glance it looks as if it had gotten chicken-pox or that has been otherwise contaminated. 

 

 The most logical explanation is that it had been struck by some muddy rain, which had affected the front side, the back side, as well as the paper inside the envelope... so basically, everything was wounded here, including my heart since the Apollo stamps were ruined as well and you know how I feel to things astronomy-related. 

I had almost forgotten about it, since i had placed it in a plastic bag and tucked it away in my drawer and found it few days ago while looking for something else.

One of the postmarks had been completely soaked, but the other one has remained perfectly clear, which is quite strange. As you can see, it was sent back in March 2020.. but that was when this whole Covid mess started, mail was being suspended (with a lot of countries it still is), therefore it took so long, 9 months, to arrive... not that mail from Brazil is top-efficient in normal times, but still nine months is something beyond the usual timeframe.

I assume this cover was sent for the SCM group on FB, but for a reason unknown to me, I am unable to see that group any longer - I'd like to believe it is cos of how the whole postal system has gone haywire, and not cos I have been kicked out for some reason  👀 

Im sure we all have some ruined-mail stories. If you'd like, you can share the story in the comments or you can also leave a link to that story on your blog :)

Starfish, Cyprus

You are gone for a few months (that almost turned into a year) , you come back, and bang! Blogger has taken a whole new look on the inside!  Not some drastic changes, but just enough to make me lose focus on why I came here in the first place 😏

Somehow Sunday Stamps have always been like a great reason to come back, cos it gives me something in particular to look for instead of having to come up with it myself..

And today's theme is Deep blue sea... which turned out to be more difficult than I had initially thought, and all those stamps I had in mind, turned out I had already posted them before, but I said to myself it would be really a shame to be discourages by such a "tiny" detail :)))

So after quite some browsing, I spotted this issue and I was like, yep this is it! 

 

A nice set of Cyprus stamps from 2007 showing 4 different starfish, and all of them can be found in the Mediterranean Sea. 

The two stamps in the top row show the - 1. Antedon mediterranea or more commonly known as the Mediterranean feather star. 2. Centrostephanus longispinus, or more commonly known as the hatpin urchin.

The bottom row show the 1. Astropecten jonstoni, that doesnt seem to have a more common name in use, and 2. Ophioderma longicauda or more commonly known as Smooth Brittle Star. 

I dont recall having seen a starfish in real life. Maybe when I was little during our holidays at the Adriatic Sea, but I have no such memory. How about you? Ever encountered one? And what was it like?

Hope you are all safe and healthy folks, it is a crazy world out there as we all know it. 

And before you go, check out the other entries for today's Deep Blue Sea challenge :)