The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating

Finished November 22

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elizabeth Tova Bailey

This reflective book has been on my shelves for a long time. A memoir that began when she was bedridden with an undiagnosed illness, and found herself distracted by a snail that came into her room courtesy of a friend who brought it in along with a pot of wild violets. She isn't sure why her friend thought this was a good idea at first, but soon finds herself observing the snail as it goes about its day. She saw that it was nibbling on paper that was located near the pot, and offered it wilted flowers from the vases that visitors had brought. It also eagerly drank from the overflow on the dish below the pot when she watered the violets. When she awoke during the night and listened, she could hear the sound of the snail chewing on its food choice. 

After a few weeks, with the help of a carer, she was able to create a terrarium for it, from a discarded glass aquarium and local plants. A little research allowed her to learn more and she began offering it mushrooms, which it obviously loved. She was able to borrow a more scientific series of books on snails, allowing her to identify what kind of snail it was, and she continued to observe and enjoy.

The snail offered her something calm to focus on, and something to care for. It filled a need that she hadn't realized existed.

I enjoyed learning about snails along with her, and seeing her gradual improvement physically. This was a book that felt best reading slowly, reflecting and returning to after a few days. A pleasure to read. 

If Only...

Finished September 4

If Only... by Mies van Hout, translated by David Colmer

This charming and vibrant picture book begins with a young child looking at a butterfly and wishing they could be that creature and move like that through the world. It then continues that idea with the butterfly looking at another small creature (a stick insect) and having a similar thought. The book continues through a wide variety of small creatures, each admiring something about another one, until it circles back to a creature looking at children. The pictures are colourful and intense and happy, with many of them intensely one colour (monochromatic) or close neighbours of colours (analogous) with just minor elements of a contrasting or complementary colour. This use of colour really adds to the appeal of the pictures.

At the end of the tale is a glossary of the creatures from the story, with small images of at least one example of each creature and a single sentence that gives some information on the nature of creature, including information on how they move, why they look the way they do, how they got the name they are commonly known by, where they live, or what they eat. 

Also at the back of the book is a helpful section on making collage images like some of the ones from the book. It gives a list of what is needed, and a easy to understand method of making art with collage and embellishing it. There is an additional sidebar for making self-painted paper to use for collage as well. 

I always enjoy the lovely books by this author and this one adds the fun element of small creatures that children are often fascinated by.