Back in 1967 Charles Keeping won the Kate Greenaway Medal for children's book illustrating. The BBC then asked him to produce the stills for the Christmas morning edition of Play School in 1968, subsequently published in book format. The reader that day was the late Roy Castle and although I was 14 at the time, he is a performer I remember well from my childhood, mainly for his long running Record Breakers shows.
I remember picking this book up for pence in a charity shop and thinking how lucky I was to find another Keeping jewel. Look at his wonderful graphic marks and composition. The photo below is of the end pages from the book and the others are a selection hopefully showing the energy and verve of his drawing. I think the cover showing a breast feeding Mary was definitely ahead of its time.
Taking the book off the shelf is as near as I've got to Christmas so far this year although I made a few cards and I did lug that turkey home from the shops this morning so something is happening! The book reminds me that is a time for children and a time for reflection. As I write this we are sat through yet more rain and yet more high winds, not exactly the weather I'd have wished for to celebrate the Winter Solstice. I'd have liked a crisp cold snap of weather to make it feel like Christmas just like when I was a lass. Still, we live with what we're given and I have a lot to be thankful for, so let me just say Merry Christmas to anyone reading this. Best wishes for the season and the year ahead.
