“Fear not November’s challenge bold. We’ve books and friends, and hearths that never can grow cold. These make amends.” — Alexander L. Fraser 

1. Hello, November! We need a nice big bowl of homemade soup to warm us up. Do you think our badger friend will share some of his? I definitely think so. 🙂

When all feels chaotic and unsettling, escape to the English countryside with Emily Duffin’s charming watercolors. Based in Northamptonshire, England, Emily enjoys depicting the everyday lives of animals. Since she grew up on a small farm and currently lives in a village that has Shetland ponies (and a donkey!), it’s no surprise she’s endlessly inspired by the wildlife in her area.

After graduating with a Fine Arts degree from Northampton University, Emily worked as an estate agent for about a decade. She then met her husband who encouraged her to start drawing again. They moved into a beautiful old cottage with apple trees in the garden and a family of bunnies under the hedge — quite an idyllic setting for creative work.

They had a daughter, Molly, commissions were starting to come in, and she even received an invitation to illustrate a book. But after tragedy struck with the death of her partner, Emily’s life was upended for about a year.

Remembering how much he wanted her to pursue her own creative life, Emily decided to begin again. She’s a now a full-time artist and lives with Molly and their two dogs.

One of her biggest inspirations is Beatrix Potter; some of her scenes also remind me of Tasha Tudor. In any case, love the warmth and coziness of her settings, and how she brings out the personalities of all the adorable critters.

Visit Emily Duffin’s Official Website to purchase originals, prints, cards, and her new 2026 calendar. She welcomes commissions. Latest updates at Facebook and Instagram.

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2. New Picture Book Alert: Coming out November 11 is Flurry, Float, and Fly!: The Story of a Snowstorm by Laura Purdie Salas and Chiara Fedele (Bloomsbury, 2025):

Explore the science of snow in this informative picture book with a lyrical read-aloud from award-winning author and poet Laura Purdie Salas.

Stars and columns fill the sky
with dreams to flurry, float, and fly. 

When the first flakes of snow swirl toward the ground, it almost feels like magic. But in fact, it’s science: a delicate process where cold air and moisture high in the sky work together to create tiny crystals that grow into sparkling snowflakes. 

Laura Purdie Salas’s accessible, poetic text and Chiara Fedele’s breathtaking art present the science behind snow and revel in the wonder of winter weather. Follow as the weather sets the stage for a glowing, snowy morning full of flakes that flurry, float, and fly!

An author’s note delves deeper into the science of snow, making the book an excellent choice for classroom lessons on weather and seasons.

Doesn’t this one sound positively enchanting? Nothing like the magic of a snowstorm! The book has received glowing reviews, including one from Kirkus, who said: “With exquisite clarity, Salas’ gentle verse speaks to the poetic beauty of a first snow while gently leading readers through the very real science. . . . Deft wordplay and lovely art blend for a tale of a most magical snowy day.” 

Flurry, Float, and Fly! is a companion book to the much lauded Zap! Clap! Boom!: The Story of a Thunderstorm (Bloomsbury, 2023). You definitely need both (FFF is available for pre-order now)!

For more about the book, including Downloadable Activities, a Playlist of Videos, and a Photo Gallery, visit Laura’s FFF Webpage, where educators or writers can enter a giveaway for a free virtual classroom visit! Deadline to enter is December 31, 2025.

Enjoy this short video of Laura introducing the book:

Congratulations, Laura and Chiara!

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3. Heads Up, Embroidery Enthusiasts! Behold the exquisite work of UK textile artist Louise Watson. She lives at the edge of a small village in the Cotswolds, where she’s inspired by daily nature walks. She records seasonal observations in her sketchbook, delighting in the colors and textures of local flora and fauna.

Along with her sketchbooks, she keeps a perpetual nature diary; both serve as starting points for pictures, miniature concertina sketchbooks, covered cotton reels, pincushions and cards. The concertina books come with beautiful hand-embroidered pouches too!

She posts lots of reels on her Instagram where you can see how she translates notes, sketches, photos, and samples to embroidered pieces. She currently sells her work via the Gloucestershire Guild of Craftsmen (Cheltenham Shop).

Meet Louise in this excellent Country Living UK Inside the Studio video:

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4. Attention Nature, Wildlife Preservation and Poetry Lovers: Check out this new book by Poetry Friday friend Margaret Simon: Wood Duck Diary (Border Press Books, 2025):

Set along Louisiana’s Bayou Teche, Wood Duck Diary blends poetry and personal reflection to chronicle a journey into the hidden world of nesting wood ducks. The author and her husband install a camera-equipped nest box. Through setbacks and successes, they witness the unfolding drama of the hatching season. Utilizing the tanka and haibun forms written in English and French, the author captures the beauty, wonder, and quiet lessons of nature, from nest building to the ducklings’ final leap on Jump Day.

Isn’t the cover adorable? It was created by artist, poet and teacher, Michelle Kogan. Looking forward to reading all the poems!

At her blog Reflections on the Teche, Margaret provided a little backstory regarding the book:

“I wrote the book of tanka and haibun poems to capture the miracle that my husband and I have witnessed each year by watching a Ring camera in our wood duck house. All proceeds will benefit the TECHE Project. One of the goals of the TECHE Project is to promote the well being of wood ducks along the 135 miles of the Bayou Teche through educational workshops and placement of wood duck houses. My hope is this small book will inspire others to take the time to notice and wonder about nature and our environment. Wood ducks are beautiful birds that were once considered endangered.”

Award-winning poet, author, and anthologist Irene Latham had this to say:

“Readers of all ages will JUMP at the chance to celebrate the life of wood ducks in this inviting volume. Delightful verse, scientific facts, and striking photographs combine in this heartwarming tale of real-life animal adventure (and the humans that make it happen).”

Doesn’t this sound like a nice way to treat yourself to an inspiring read while supporting a good cause? It’s also a great choice for all the nature-loving people on your holiday gift list. 🙂 Win-win!

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5. Speaking of poetry: Still lots of time to register for the annual STEAM Powered Poetry Video Contest for Students. If you teach or know of any students in junior high, high school or college who might be interested in creating short videos based on STEAM-themed poems, check out this contest. Students may enter on their own, or teachers may register their classes (no entry fee). Contest runs from October 1, 2025 to April 30, 2026. Cash prizes + all high-quality videos will be posted monthly on the Steam Powered Poetry vlog.

Get all the deets and register at steampoweredpoetry.com. Watch this:

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6. Calling all Advent Calendar Fans: One of the best parts of the holidays is anticipation — counting down the days until Christmas. What better way than to open tiny little doors each day in December just to get a cheery surprise? 🙂

Recently I’ve been marveling at the wide variety of advent calendars out there and the creativity involved in making them works of art in their own right. While I like traditional advent calendar greeting cards, I thought it would be fun to feature a few other variations. You can build a 3-D model, work on a jigsaw puzzle, nibble on shortbread, apply stickers to a gingerbread house, or even enjoy a different beauty product each day in December. Fun!

These and many more cool calendars are available online via The Bees Knees British Imports. Enjoy!

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7. More about those marvelous mice!: As a longtime fan of British author-illustrator Jill Barklem, I was excited to see this new book just published in September: A Visit to Brambly Hedge: The Making of the World Within the Hedgerow (HarperCollins, 2025):

A behind-the-scenes look at the miniature world of the hedgerow – with never-seen-before stories, sketches and archive content, perfect for fans young and old!

Immerse yourself in the world of the hedgerow in this collection of unpublished artwork, photos and never-seen-before content from the creator of the beloved Brambly Hedge stories.

Spanning the seasons and all of Jill Barklem’s hedgerow stories, discover all the research and intricate detail which underpinned her creative process, learn how these mice live and work in harmony with their environment, and watch the world of the hedgerow take shape through behind-the-scenes drawings from Jill’s own sketchbooks.

Barklem died of pneumonia in 2017 at the age of 66, and we’ll probably never see an artist of her caliber and imagination ever again. To me, she is quintessentially British, considering the level of detail and attention employed in creating her miniature world. I admit to being partial to traditional pen-and-ink and watercolor art made entirely by hand without a computer. There’s something very human about imperfect perfection.

This new book looks like a must have for Jill Barklem fans young and old (on my Wish List). Great holiday gift idea: pair this with a complete set of Brambly Hedge stories. For more, see my 40th Anniversary Brambly Hedge post which includes a recipe for Windfall Apple Cake.

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8. Lick Your Lips, Hungry Minds and Bellies: Yes, yes, I know you’re starving after scrolling through this long roundup — I can hear your stomach growling from thousands of miles away! Have no fear, sustenance is here!

Check out this new international cookbook for tweens just released in September: World Kitchen Celebrations: Recipes from Around the World by Abigail Wheatley and Chaaya Prabhat (Usborne, 2025):

Following on from World Kitchen: Family Recipes from Around the World, this second cookbook in the series concentrates on recipes for celebrations and festivals. Whether it’s for Eid or Passover, for a national day, a birthday or just a big family get-together, all the recipes are simple, heart-felt and delicious, and have been sent in by real families from around the world. The families, and the simple, step-by-step instructions, are illustrated in a bold, graphic-novel style by Chaaya Prabhat. 

From Nigerian fried rice for Christmas to U.S. sugar cookies for Halloween, each recipe brings authentic international flavors, traditions and stories to your table. Also featuring fascinating facts about regional festive traditions, cooking equipment and ingredients. All the recipes are vegetarian, and instructions are also included to make them vegan, nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free and gluten-free – or any combination of these.

Celebrations featured include:
St David’s Day (Wales); Halloween (USA); birthday (Italy); Passover (Jewish diaspora); Twelfth Night (France); family time (Sudan); Girls’ Day (Japan); Barbados Day (Barbados); Christmas Eve (Germany); Day of the Dead (Mexico); Palm Sunday (Spain); Lunar New Year (South Korea); ANZAC Day (New Zealand); pool party (Brazil); Rice Festival (Indonesia); Shrovetide (Finland); Thanksgiving (Canada); Ramadan (Bangladesh); wedding (Guyana); party (Nigeria); New Year (Bulgaria).

Happy to stumble upon this cookbook — who could resist that vibrant arresting cover? I’m currently browsing the first book in the series and hope my library acquires this one too. I like that the recipes are sourced from real families and that they are allergy-friendly (doesn’t it seem like everybody is allergic to something these days?). There are 26 recipes included and the step-by-step graphic format makes this an appealing choice for budding chefs. Again, great holiday gift idea!

Here, take a peek:

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9. Coasting Along, or, A Chip Off the Old Block: Check out these uber cool bookish wooden coasters handcrafted in San Diego by Dave Stencil of CuttingBoredom!

Each is made from scratch, consisting of partially reclaimed wood and measures about 4.25″ x 3.75″ x .5″. Full color artwork is masterfully applied to a book modeled piece of wood, fully sealed with a semigloss finish, with felt feet on the back to guard your table surface from scratches.

Choose from 55 classic literature titles, 26 punny titles and more — sure to bring a smile to your guests’ faces. These ‘novel’ coasters will be coveted by the bookworms and bibliophiles on your gift list (and you!), and are sure to transform your drinkware into literary masterpieces. 🙂

Coasters are sold in sets of 2, 4, 6, etc., and shipping is free.

See the full range at CuttingBoredom, who also makes exquisite cutting boards. Custom orders available.

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A Close Encounter of the Famous Kind

Our Swoon Tune this month honors Felix Cavaliere, who turns 83 on November 29. He wrote “Groovin'” with fellow Rascals founding member Eddie Brigati in 1967. The song was first released as a single and shot up to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It received wide critical acclaim and was so commercially successful it became the title track for the Rascals’ third studio album.

“Groovin'” was initially inspired by Felix’s girlfriend Adrienne Buccheri, whom he only got to see on Sundays due to his touring and recording schedule. A departure from the Rascals’ previous garage band records because of its Latin influences, the song celebrates the carefree, unbounded joy of young love. It’s included on the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll list, and received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.

When I was in high school, the Rascals were huge in Hawaii and fans formed a special bond with the group, who loved the Islands. I first saw them as ‘The Young Rascals’ at the Teen Fair (HIC Exhibition Hall, schoolboy knickers and all). Felix quickly became my favorite (though I was jealous of Adrienne). 🙂

My fondest memory is when my friends and I flew to the Big Island to see them perform at the Hilo Civic Auditorium. Yes, we’d been to their HIC concert in Honolulu, but needed more. The smaller venue turned out to be doubly enjoyable because we were SO CLOSE to the stage.

In Hilo, we just “happened” to check into the same hotel the Rascals were staying in, and were able to greet them with flower lei the afternoon before the show. Imagine my surprise when Felix appeared on stage that night wearing the lei I had given him! *swoons*

Even better: back at the hotel — some hours after the show, too excited to sleep — we innocently wandered into a small room with a vending machine and ice dispenser. Two guys were playing chess: roadie Andy Leo and Felix!! **Dies** We quietly pulled up chairs to watch the match, no talking or interrupting (even though inside we were SCREAMING). “Fe” was smoking a pipe and concentrating intently. One of my idols, who had just rocked that Hammond organ and serenaded us with his sweet vocals, was sitting only a few feet away, breathing the same air, so casual, as if he were an ordinary human being. OMG.

Long before social media, the only “access” we had to our idols was fan magazines, occasional TV appearances and live concerts. We never saw them in real life or got a sense of their personalities. Now, of course, there’s just TMI about celebrities.

So every time I hear “Groovin'” I’m transported back to that little room when time stood still. Oh, to be so innocent again. Here they are on the Ed Sullivan Show (1967).

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HAPPY TUESDAY

HAPPY WEEK

HONOR OUR VETERANS

READ A POEM EVERY MORNING

STAND ON YOUR TIPPY TOES

HAPPY NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

HAPPY 82nd BIRTHDAY TO JONI MITCHELL ON NOVEMBER 7

BE VIGILANT

RESIST

STAY TRUE

STAY STRONG

VOTE!

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*Copyright © 2025 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.