Tags
Paris in the Rain, picture books about Paris, picture books about rain, Richard Bergere, Thea Bergere
Last weekend was a rainy one. Grey, foggy, drizzly, but not cold. Good weather for boots and raincoats and puddle-jumping walks. Late in the afternoon Mr K took the kids out and snapped this iphone photo of bobbing umbrellas on their way back home:
The photo reminded me of an image from a much-loved picture book that someone should bring back into print (I’m talking to you, McGraw-Hill!):
This book made me dream, as a little girl, of going to Paris. (My dad made sure I got there.) I loved the illustrations, the muted blue-grays and blurry blacks with pops of red. I wanted a big round window to curl up next to and peer out of on rainy days.
When my children received their big-kid beds, I put them under the windows right away. Only when I was done and stepped back did I think of this:
It’s not the same of course – Jean and Jacqueline have adorable bed frames and no clutter – but when my mom came by later to see what I’d been up to she immediately said “It’s Paris in the Rain!” Now if the room was in black and white I’d really be on to something…
Paris in the Rain is a sweet book, full of innocence and delight in big umbrellas, rain boots, paper boats, cozy bedrooms, and the explorations of small children. It’s out of print (copyright 1963) but you can still find discarded library copies online.
And…fabric people…..wouldn’t these end pages make a great cotton print?