There are few things I love more than watching people do what they love and so, when Kate Bruning from Greedy with Colour published her children's book Stanley and the Hot Air Balloon, I immediately clicked over to etsy to ensure one would be arriving on our doorstep.
From the moment it was opened, it became our new favourite, with Georgia declaring Stanley her best friend and insisting I read it every time I sat down.
I have long loved Kate's sense of colour and whimsy in her work - from her awesome bicycle bunting to her crazy awesome hot air balloons - Kate brings fun to whatever she is making.
Stanley and the Hot Air Balloon pulls all of that together in one beautiful package. The idea is so simple- the first half of the book is the adventures of Stanley the bunny. The second half of the book includes patterns for making many of the elements seen in the story.
Its a truly amazing work of art - the story is sweet and relatable, the photos are lush and full of detail and the patterns are sweet and simple. I can not recommend it highly enough. We love sitting and looking at the pictures and just taking in all of the details. In addition to the patterns in the book, Kate has a series of posts on her blog all about how to create Stanley's world. You can buy it from her etsy shop.
Kate has graciously agreed to give a Slugs reader a copy of Stanley and the Hot Air Balloon. Just comment below and tell me your favourite book from your own childhood (pre-Anne of Green Gables, mine was Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends and Kevin loved The Story About Ping).
The competition is open worldwide and will close on the 22nd of August, 9pm BST.