Isn't "Peepo" by the Ahlbergs just the loveliest book?

[Sidge]

DD3 (20 months) absolutely loves this at the moment and has it as her bedtime story every night.

I don't mind because I adore it too

[Heated]

I can remember seeing this at uni and rather sniffily thinking 'god they've got an untidy house', completely missing its charm. Now with two mess-monsters of my own, I get a lump in my throat every time I read it. The detail is just beautiful and so well observed.

[misdee]

we adore peepo here. in fact its been adored by three dd's and out cope is falling apart, as has been carted from house to house, to hospitals and grandparents home. i love the illustrations, they are so full of details.

[chunkychips]

love it too, one of the first books we had and it's all a bit ripped round the holes. Like the mess, the nighties warming on the fire and the little dog who shouldn't be there.

[minniedot]

Oh I love this book too, I'll often just blurt out ' here's a little baby one two three ' when talking to one of my dc!

[SlartyBartFast]

i could (probably) still quote from it, youngest is 8. love it

[notnowbernard]

It is lovely

Also love Each Peach Pear Plum

[Anchovy]

My DCs are slightly older (6 and 4) and we are currently doing the lovely Ahlberg "Gaskitt family" books which are also great.

[janestillhere]

I love The Jolly Christmas Postman - it's wonderful.
Janet, Allan's wife died in 1994 aged 50 from breast cancer. What a tragic waste of life. However their daughter Jessica is a great illustrator and writes too. Good genes eh?

[DixiePixie]

We love it too!

So I'm not the only one who blubbed at the going to bed page with the mirror and the baby "just like him"! I had been thinking that I must be especially soppy up to now

The book is so infused with love, it's really touching.

Loving the Baby Catalogue too and DD adores Each Peach Pear Plum.

[brucelovesfrumpygrumpy]

I've been reading this to my little brother, cousins, friends kids, my kids for years. Love it too!!! The pictures.......gorgeous. Its my all time favourite thing to give when a new baby is born.

[MsDemeanor]

The thing about Peepo, is that I can't work out why it is so extraordinarily moving. I'm another one who can hardly choke out the words 'is a mother with a baby, just like him' while pretending to the children that you just have a bit of a cough.
He was adopted, hence, I assume all the funny stories like Bye Bye Baby & I suppose Burglar Bill, where little children find new and surprising parents.
Bye Bye Baby made me cry when I first read it. The little baby who has to change his own nappy and turn off his own bedside lamp! Sob!

[Clary]

Oh the first time I read this to 1yo DS1 I literally burst into tears at the last page {surprised myself and him I think }.

Even now (and DS1 is almost 9!) I still well up at "sees the landing mirror with its rainbow rim/and a mother with a baby just like him".

I see I am not alone in this!

Why are we all crying? Is it because we've all done that "who's that in the mirror?" trick? I don't know, I just know I love it, and that is why it's still on the shelf, even tho DC no 3 and last is 5...

[EachPeachPearMum]

I love the Ahlbergs' work!
This is one of dd's favourites

My Great auntie had the music box! (on the table under the landing mirror)

Peepo is DH's favourite childrens book, and he is much more sentimental than I am, but I also sniff at the 'mother with a baby, just like him'...

Califrau glad you went with EPPP

[Mercy]

Agree it is a lovely book.

My dd is currently reading one of their books for older children, 'Jeremiah in the Dark Woods'

[WendyWeber]

Ahlberg at 70 was on R4 earlier this week - I noticed it in radio listings but after it was on and had forgotten until this thread gave me a nudge, I am going to Listen Again (only not Again of course....)

[MamaG]

DH put Peepo in the charity bag the other month as our youngest is 4 Twas before we knew we had a bun in the oven.

I sneaked it back into a bookcase - luckily

[PenelopePitstops]

i loved this book

also heard it in the playgound

[Oliveoil]

Starting School is a good one too, dd1 had a horrendous start in Reception and we read and read this tons

and I notice that if she asks to read at night, she has usually had a bad day at school and needs reasuring in some way and this book gets us discussing school

[PenelopePitstops]

and please mrs butler

we used to read that in year 3 as our class book

[Bink]

You know why Peepo's so moving?
Look at the calendar in the kitchen - it's a specific date in May, 1943 - (I think it's 1943 - don't have it here to refer to!).

Daddy isn't going off to do a night shift. He's on leave from the forces and he's going back - to the war - very soon.

[MamaG]

oh Bink

[margoandjerry]

Agree with heated. I love the fact that it's a messy house - and the tiny details like the safety pin on the landing table (typical of my house where things just get left out in an odd place for no reason).

Also I love the fact that in the landing mirror picture, the baby is holding onto his mother's necklace which is exactly what babies do. Mine grabs hold of my necklace all the time. Brings a lump to my throat.

[cmotdibbler]

Am listening to Ahlberg at 70 on LA at the moment. As I suspected, the baby is Alan Ahlberg, and the house, family etc is from his childhood.