[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-best-of-year-2009":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/pilchard1-dc190af3e0.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's my official Favourite Book of the Year, happily sitting on my desk, which I found in my favourite Brussels bookshop, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.tropismes.be/\">Tropismes\u003C/a>, by \u003Ca href=\"http://www.editions-thierry-magnier.com/auteur.php?id=6793\">Alexandra Pilchard\u003C/a>. It's a baby board book called \u003Cb>\u003Ci>Herman et Dominique\u003C/b>\u003C/i>, about a mousy-looking man named Herman who has an intimate relationship with a mussel named Dominique. But Dominique leaves him, so he shacks up with an oyster named Marie-Claude, until Dominique suddenly returns to him... with chips. \\r\n\\r\nI wish we had more baby books like this, French language publishers totally rock. I love how the book fits into my hand and opens just like a mussel.\\r\n\u003C!--more Some pages under the cut-->\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/pilchard2-f349bd3b63.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>Every morning at seven, Herman wakes up Dominique, his pet mussel. Then he takes her for a walk before going to work.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/pilchard3-2f9e8f8d63.jpg\">\\r\nThen Herman makes soup. Dominique always lets it sit to cool for a few minutes before swallowing it.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/pilchard4-f9c7f79d28.jpg\">\\r\nIt's on the island that he makes the acquaintance with Marie-Claude, a regional oyster. Marie-Claude loves nature, horses and cultural outings. \u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nHee hee, even with the moustache, Herman looks a little bit like Stuart. \u003Ca href=\"http://www.amazon.fr/Herman-Dominique-Alexandra-Pichard/dp/2844207405/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1262688126&sr=8-1-fkmr0\">(You can buy it here on Amazon.fr.)\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/pilchard5-1183e745fd.jpg\">","2010-01-05T10:43:00.000Z","best-of-year-2009",[],"best of year 2009",1776628733777]