books glorious books

I can't think of a happier fate to befall a bibliophile than to rent a home that comes complete with a family library. I'm so happy that two of the poets in my family, Therese and Lee, are now living in such an idyllic place on the Kapiti Coast, and I couldn't resist showing you a selection of pictures of some of the pretty books I discovered while I was staying there last week.

The guest room I was sleeping in once belonged to the only child in the family, and there was one special bookshelf filled with his old children's books that caught my attention. Because M's books were only handled by one little pair of hands, they are still in pristine condition, and it was a delight to take each one out and carefully leaf through them.

My favourite books in the children's section were these seven tiny books from the series 'Stories of the Ballet' published in the 1940s. 

Even though I was too shy to take ballet lessons as a little girl, I would have loved to have owned these beautiful books. Look at these gorgeous illustrations:

In case you're wondering about the pretty floral background in some of the images, I posed the books on the back of a handmade rug that looks as if it dates from the same era as the books.

I can see that I'm going to enjoy my trips to Wellington from now on, taking the 40 minute train ride to get to Tazey and Lee's bach. Let's end with a rainbow that we found right outside their front door.

Have a great weekend everyone.