Alex's pick of the week : The Marvelous Mud Washing Machine

I (almost) moved heaven and earth to get this book for Alex.... okay slight exaggeration but I did have to order it second hand, from the USA, at considerable cost (compared to what I would normally pay for any book) and in only fairly reasonable condition.  I did this over a year ago, and I'm happy to say that Alex has had many happy hours from this book since (and I was also pretty chuffed that my niece Ella enjoyed so much too last time we were all together).

It was nostalgia that made me do it - am I the only one who remembers reading this book as a child?  It has very few words (and most of them are 'marvelous') but as a kid it was pure delight to imagine that you could get dirty all day long, then when Mum tells you to wash up for dinner you nip into the woods in your back yard and put yourself through this awesome (carwash-like) machine that cleans you up all sparkly...  And you don't have to have the usual boring bath with your grubby brother!! Lol

Its one of those great books that I remember being the one of first I could read all by myself - and although Alex can't actually read yet, he recites it to me now already.  My brother and I loved this book when we were kids ....  My Nanna had a normal suburban backyard with big bushy plants that we loved to pretend we 'explored' (don't even get me started on The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe!) and I do distinctly remember us disappearing into the 'woods' in her backyard (aka shrubs) then going through the marvelous mud washing machine (aka the slip n slide!!)  Lol.

My brother probably recalls it differently (when I showed him this book, he had only a vague recollection) - but I was pretty safe most of the time, while he was much more the dare devil (still is!).... Apart from me being older, this was probably one of his 'tamer' expeditions where as it was one of my more adventurous ones (I was always pretty cautious!), so no surprises it sticks more in my mind than his - being such an awesome, imaginative little boy, Mick had so many adventures, its hard to remember them all :)  I do really love that this was one of my most favourite ones from when we were kids though (you know, when I wasn't forcing him to play dress ups and have afternoon teas in Nanna's back yard.... and he did, because he was obliging... and maybe there was nothing else to do and all his jelly beans were gone but I still had some! Hahaha).

Bye for now :)