We moved house recently! This meant that I finally HAD to finish my mural. I started painting this on my daughter's bedroom wall before she was born and (predictably) didn't get time to finish it once she arrived. It sat there unfinished for a long time, but moving out gave me the push I needed to spend a couple days finishing it off. We are renting our old house, not selling it, so even though I don't get to look at it anymore at least I know it won't be painted over. Well, I hope not anyway.
Here are closeups of the book characters featured:
Ratty's house by the river from Wind in the Willows (Kenneth Graeme). The castle is not any particular castle, it could be from any number of stories.
Ronia from 'Ronia the Robber's Daughter' by Astrid Lindgren. I read this book endlessly as a kid. Ronia was so wild and fearless, I adored her.
Rupert (Fred Bestall) and Noddy (Enid Blyton, illustrated by Beek)
Ramona and Howie from the Ramona series by Beverley Cleary.
Anne from Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
The Cat in the Hat (Seuss) and the Magic Pudding (Norman Lindsay). Two books I STILL find incredibly funny! I re-read the Magic Pudding every few years, it never gets old.
Frances from Bread & Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban (illustrated by Garth Williams) and Dorrie & Gink from the Dorrie series by Patricia Coombe.
And Babar and Flora from the Babar series by Jean de Brunhoff.
I intended to slowly add more of my favourite (and her favourite) book characters over time but that dream will never be realised now! Oh well. Maybe one day I'll find the time to do one in her new bedroom.
