We woke up to find our rental house is now riverfront property...
What could be a better breakfast for a four year-old than a peanut butter sandwich eaten while exploring backyard puddles?
Our little river puts me in mind of the British Reading Adventure. After several months of book-after-book, I'm a little stunned by how much the British love their small watercraft. I'm having a hard time thinking of a children's author from England who doesn't at some point pen an adventure involving a small boat. Exploring the Thames is now on my bucket list. I, too, want to spend long afternoons drifting quietly along with dear company and a burgeoning picnic basket.
The Avon near Stratford in 2007
One of the best books I've read lately is Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome. Admittedly for adults rather than kiddos, it nevertheless explained a good deal to me about what this English love of small boats is all about. The hero of the story, along with a couple of buddies and one rambunctious dog, take to the Thames for adventure and to embrace nature. The result is a cross between Mark Twain and Bill Bryson with a twist of Dave Barry. The book accomplishes the work of a true comedian -- seeing common experiences with a clear eye and developing them into a wry story that has a fine sense of timing. The finishing touch is that Jerome obviously loved history, and he sprinkles his stories with the flavor of long ago. Jerome never forgets that in the days of rough overland travel, rivers were the superhighways of the past and many historic sites rest along them.
Yes, this story is what my husband and I call a "snickernudger" -- one of those books that turns you into an annoying spouse. There we are in bed at the end of the day, peacefully reading side by side except that I keep snickering (occasionally accompanied with what I am sure is a ladylike guffaw) and then nudging Brian so I can read him a passage.
Here's the kicker, though... Jerome K. Jerome was born before the American Civil War and he wrote Three Men in a Boat when my great-grandmother was a tiny girl. You'd think that a book published in 1889 would be dull and dry. In this case, you'd be wrong. This book showcases what fiction can beautifully accomplish -- bringing a place and time to life. We see photos of unsmiling people from the Victorian era and think they were all stodgy, but a book like this dispels the notion. And Jerome's comments on history give the modern-day reader the tingly sensation of Déjà vu.
Would you like to hear the best news of all? Three Men in a Boat is out of copyright, so many print-on-demand companies offer it cheaply. There's even a free Kindle ebook version. Don't miss this story!
For more about the British Reading Adventure including previous posts and a book list, click HERE.
I lived on the Thames when I lived in England as a child. It was pretty awesome. I have the best memories of exploring the the lock, crossing under the bridges & getting chased by a swan. Now if I only had a boat at the time... :)
Posted by: Amber | 26 February 2013 at 10:30 PM
I'm jealous! :o) So glad you got to have that experience, Amber.
Posted by: Valerie J. Frey | 27 February 2013 at 10:18 AM