tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87091344782182348442024-03-13T22:18:23.222-07:00books4yourkidsCHILDREN'S BOOKSELLER // BOOK REVIEWER // ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LIBRARIAN = WORKING WITH CHILDREN & CHILDREN'S BOOKS SINCE 1995Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.comBlogger2865125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709134478218234844.post-2894349555978022021-12-19T00:00:00.029-08:002021-12-19T15:07:58.396-08:00YOU ARE HERE!<p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3OxvrmeUbuWAuxqtgDS7zwf2doMMtPO95as1fUoFe9h5k-fxsoDv6qPUhCPSIIrWHNrgwNDc1lwZmHYWu1xhXScDJNl3SLr4chembX8pCrikfxq_k4jE_OFdqsi5v-4e2XPvJPgxLqMKv6L2YEPEGu9g0S8W4w7QRHEkeWqSnIH41jY6yKDxjszpSew=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3OxvrmeUbuWAuxqtgDS7zwf2doMMtPO95as1fUoFe9h5k-fxsoDv6qPUhCPSIIrWHNrgwNDc1lwZmHYWu1xhXScDJNl3SLr4chembX8pCrikfxq_k4jE_OFdqsi5v-4e2XPvJPgxLqMKv6L2YEPEGu9g0S8W4w7QRHEkeWqSnIH41jY6yKDxjszpSew=s320" width="320" /></a></b></p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: large;">books4yourkids is on an indefinite hiatus, but there are over 2,750 reviews of children's, young adult (and even a few adult) books to help you find the right book for the right hands.</span></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Montserrat;"><b>In 2008, while I was working as a children's bookseller at Barnes & Noble and parenting three young readers, I started this book review blog. I had already been a bookseller for thirteen years and loved talking books with customers of all ages. As I found myself increasingly helping parents of children reading well above their grade level find age appropriate books, I realized I had experience and insight to share and this website was launched.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Montserrat;"><b>I left bookselling to work as an assistant to a literary agent representing many of the great children's authors and illustrators publishing today, and in 2014 I embarked on a new job as an elementary school library technician. The student population at the school I worked at was both 80% Latinx and from low socioeconomic status households, with the majority of students reading below grade level. Working with these students fueled my drive for sharing my love of reading and ignited a passion for ensuring representation and diversity on the shelves of my library. </b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Montserrat;"><b>The pandemic has initiated many changes in my life and now, for the first time in almost 30 years, I am not working with children's books or children, experiences that informed my book reviews. In light of this, I have decided to take a break from reviewing children's books, but I hope you'll continue to find this website a resource. </b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: large;"><b><u>Links to pages and labels you might find helpful:</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="How to Choose Age Appropriate Books for Advanced Readers" style="font-family: Montserrat; font-size: large;" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">How to Choose Age Appropriate Books for Advanced Readers</span></b></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2008/08/how-to-tell-real-reading-level-of-book.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: medium;"><b>A Quick Guide to Determining the Reading Level of a Book</b></span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/p/reviews-grade-level.html" style="font-family: Montserrat; font-size: large;" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Reviews by Reading Level & Genre</span></b></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Montserrat;">Working with books as a bookseller and librarian, I love organizing and grouping titles and created myriad labels for each review. These labels can be found at the bottom of each review and clicking on them will show you all the books in that category. You can also click on the menu bars in the upper left of the header to see all the labels, listed by frequency. Or, if you are a visual person like me, visit <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/books4yourkids/_saved/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">PINTEREST</span></b></a> where I have 25+ boards grouping books by genre, topic and age. </span><span style="font-family: Montserrat;">The list below represents just a fraction of labels attached to reviews.</span><span style="font-family: Montserrat;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: Montserrat; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/search/label/Animals%20as%20Characters" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Animals as Characters</span></b></a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Montserrat; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/search/label/Armchair%20Traveling" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Armchair Traveling</span></b></a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Montserrat; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/search/label/Award%20Winner" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #a64d79;">Award Winner</span></b></a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Montserrat; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/search/label/auto%2Fbiography" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Biographies</span></b></a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Montserrat;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/search/label/Black%20History" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #e69138;">Black History & Black Authors & Illustrators</span></b></span></a></span></li><li><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/search/label/Bridge%20Chapter%20Books" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Montserrat; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">Bridge Chapter Books</span></b></span></a></li><li><span style="font-family: Montserrat; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/search/label/Good%20Fantasy%20-%20Harmless%20Bad%20Guys" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Good Fantasy, Harmless Bad Guys</span></b></a></span></li><li><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/search/label/Graphic%20Novel" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Montserrat; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Graphic Novels</span></b></span></a></li><li><span style="font-family: Montserrat; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/search/label/Historical%20Fiction" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Historical Fiction</span></b></a></span></li><li><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/search/label/Latinx" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Montserrat; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">Latinx & Chicanx History & Latinx & Chicanx Authors & Illustrators</span></b></span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/search/label/Mystery" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Montserrat; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Mystery</span></b></span></a></li><li><span style="font-family: Montserrat;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/search/label/social-emotional%20learning" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #45818e;">Social Emotional Learning</span></b></span></a></span></li><li><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/search/label/social%20activism" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Social Activism</span></b></a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Montserrat; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/search/label/social%20justice" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">Social Justice</span></b></a></span></li><li><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/search/label/Verse%20Novel" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #741b47;">Verse Novel</span></b></a></span></li></ul><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Montserrat;">Thank you for being here - past, present and future. I've enjoyed having a place to share and am eternally happy to know it helped others!</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: large;"><b>Reading can be a road to freedom or a key to a secret garden, which, if tended, will transform all of life.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Montserrat; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://katherinepaterson.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #134f5c;">Katherine Patterson</span></a><span style="color: #38761d;"> - author of Newbery winners </span><b style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic;">Bridge to Terabithia </b><span style="color: #38761d;">and </span><i style="color: #38761d; font-weight: bold;">Jacob I Have Loved </i><span style="color: #38761d;">and the 2010-2011 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709134478218234844.post-80619325789198577382021-11-11T00:30:00.000-08:002021-11-11T00:30:00.201-08:00The New Friend by Charlotte Zolotow, illustrated by Benjamin Chaud<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRrKO4dmEEZ43vA5-xnEcXeAQQamuK1W54iPx2-MhkEhz3qvNEucX_I1uqhHwkbsIuulxNJu4KQgZXtGDdXB1_7eF3ZxMwat2xwoMRc4Bclu01_eg-3voV_8SU5GqxlKm6HwdAYo75rI4d/s1173/61NsUhuXWPS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1173" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRrKO4dmEEZ43vA5-xnEcXeAQQamuK1W54iPx2-MhkEhz3qvNEucX_I1uqhHwkbsIuulxNJu4KQgZXtGDdXB1_7eF3ZxMwat2xwoMRc4Bclu01_eg-3voV_8SU5GqxlKm6HwdAYo75rI4d/w491-h640/61NsUhuXWPS.jpg" width="491" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: x-large;">The New Friend </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">by Charlotte Zolotow</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">illustrated by Benjamin Chaud</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Review Copy from Abrams Kid</span>s<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJu5yLSfrL9SgJzFu90gFRODdKu7luHUVKCq7J0OBb5u3ANya0uYewzNVR8_y4nNCrLjALItcuxMYqMt_2RaXv6e7tw8fopJJsVnTg0lV0a_lGAQhlRYuUd2Mr8Rhhng19rR9bFlM_K0Rt/s1020/71nQ1KmKnqS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="1020" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp0zbf8LuCG3Xb7TKxSgm8-dJdycn07hZj4foUSUd7Rp1XEM863gzZTkBlj1tW8DRHVGfKlRX7bey5dcaczWviSNTSKW6jluNwCwF5kXekPqg3bIJTSt0Ky0e_cYBmcQdwsAy1ZSv0p15k/w640-h416/71aZSp3I8WS.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-79pIk-tiwj4xEwyCV63jULFAVgGH7kAfrDgOtMth88n1MClq8Fikotn89iz1ngEI7yZVXMiP7OwCLlNKjfeqLvQSTnXoVkYEVBS1hBU9cAGnwKIVxIo9JYCEqASE-5gtIWlKB6EVpiZ9/s1020/61JyWG4ZBiS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="1020" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-79pIk-tiwj4xEwyCV63jULFAVgGH7kAfrDgOtMth88n1MClq8Fikotn89iz1ngEI7yZVXMiP7OwCLlNKjfeqLvQSTnXoVkYEVBS1hBU9cAGnwKIVxIo9JYCEqASE-5gtIWlKB6EVpiZ9/w640-h416/61JyWG4ZBiS.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZDkMx8W2yzzHek3qQv_tj_yArQMIBTJE7EC7yQF-AJknSMM6oZfAo0uORyPqG0D-L4-_P_qBu3iuy__34vbRbXhOerCCkOlkxnGqwEQzi1Dr-ZwlXjv1RgreswJj46_MvJIkULlaJL74/s1020/61L39hfLKDS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="1020" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZDkMx8W2yzzHek3qQv_tj_yArQMIBTJE7EC7yQF-AJknSMM6oZfAo0uORyPqG0D-L4-_P_qBu3iuy__34vbRbXhOerCCkOlkxnGqwEQzi1Dr-ZwlXjv1RgreswJj46_MvJIkULlaJL74/w640-h416/61L39hfLKDS.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbVog8k_89HafICOrvm-w6PK6Cy6iMQIVoIjmbPZJQpTIzAs3dzVLmfmz6Cj77ruk29p-80Ybkz31NcsqOIdAZNLpunYwQAcPjzpe0pt9isjx_KzWadm6724ffhKIEDUeC2xf6p5ju_T7/s1020/61AP7J63ojS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="1020" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbVog8k_89HafICOrvm-w6PK6Cy6iMQIVoIjmbPZJQpTIzAs3dzVLmfmz6Cj77ruk29p-80Ybkz31NcsqOIdAZNLpunYwQAcPjzpe0pt9isjx_KzWadm6724ffhKIEDUeC2xf6p5ju_T7/w640-h416/61AP7J63ojS.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Charlotte Zolotow (1915 - 2013) was a writer, poet, editor and publisher. She had her own imprint at HarperCollins and the <a href="https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Cooperative Children's Book Center</span></b></a> created an <a href="https://www.ccbcfriends.org/charlotte-zolotow-award.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">award</span></b></a> in her name in 1998 that honors the author of the best picture book published each year. As her <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/20/books/charlotte-zolotow-whose-books-tackled-childrens-real-life-issues-dies-at-98.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">obituary</span></b></a> in <i>The New York Times</i> notes, Zolotow stood out for plumbing "children's interior lives, often ranging over loneliness, loss, longing and other painful topics that earlier generations of children's books had either sugar coated or ignored outright." While children's books have evolved to address myriad experiences and emotions from increasingly diverse perspectives over the last fifty years, Zolotow's work remains relevant, although diversity in the illustrations would be welcome.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Originally published in 1968, I began reading, despite having read (and owning) other books by Zolotow, expecting a simple story. <b><i><span style="color: #134f5c;">The New Friend </span></i></b>reads like a poem, beginning, "I had a friend / a dear friend / with long brown hair. / We walked together in the woods / and picked wildflowers." An idyllic friendship unfolds in a woodland wonderland. The pair watch the rain from the attic and run barefoot in the grass when the rain is over. They pick apples straight from the tree and even eat the seeds. They joke and jump rope, string beads and read together, "me and my friend." </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Chaud does a lovely job creating a visual story that partners with the text, enriching and deepening the story page by page. On the spread where we see the friends reading books together, they have created an oasis in the woods. Blanket on the ground, another tented overhead, a tea set and tools, flashlights and snacks, fairy lights and strings of beads, decorating their hideout. A fox mask and a bluebird mask hang on a nearby tree, soon to become integral to the story.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With a page turn, the story takes a turn. Revealing a sad, hard fact of friendship, childhood or otherwise, this marks the moment that gives the book its title. The narrator tells readers, "One day, I called for her / but she wasn't there." Walking to their hideout, the narrator sees the friend with someone, a "different friend." Here, wisely, cleverly, Chaud chooses not to show the face of the new friend, keeping the focus and the intensity of feeling on the narrator, who watches as the new pair of friends explore their old places. The new friends even wear the fox and blue bird masks. Devastated, the narrator heads home and cries. In fact, they (the gender of the narrator is not specified in the text), "cried all day and cried myself to sleep."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Once in bed, the narrator dreams a new friend - a friend in a rabbit mask, face obscured. Dreaming this new friend revives the narrator who, upon waking, is determined to "look for that new friend / and when I find her / I'll remember my first friend / my dear friend / with long brown hair." In a moment that captures the immediacy of childhood, or, maybe more accurately, the hindsight of an adult reflecting on a childhood experience, the narrator finishes the thought (and the book) with these words, "But maybe then / I won't care!"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A perfect ending, free of sentimentalization.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p></p>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709134478218234844.post-31361679303349519422021-11-09T00:30:00.003-08:002021-11-09T00:30:00.183-08:00Every Little Kindness by Marta Bartolj<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQH-gfWyo9oj6KBM-77ZYtmKl2ccyWpBZ3QF4Iak-PopY4RU2FWNqTFLeol349T0b1sjkLIoV7EikYVUc2_84H7uSuYtiZdSMF1nFW-35hzCUpyw21EwhG9XtnVWXE2hIP9KRQrkZRTzJJ/s2048/A1mDE2%252BndcL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQH-gfWyo9oj6KBM-77ZYtmKl2ccyWpBZ3QF4Iak-PopY4RU2FWNqTFLeol349T0b1sjkLIoV7EikYVUc2_84H7uSuYtiZdSMF1nFW-35hzCUpyw21EwhG9XtnVWXE2hIP9KRQrkZRTzJJ/w556-h640/A1mDE2%252BndcL.jpg" width="556" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Every Little Kindness</span></i></b> by <a href="https://www.behance.net/MartaBartolj" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #444444;">Marta Bartolj</span></b></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Review Copy from Chronicle Books</span><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4mdottwviLDL6HWtW_TRpSV_ZUmVyTPsk-bTBJeEvcPrlvp2EZ0QUI4ATW1omRkysc2OO7TJ4SHHxSyx-IdxAps7tGAG93Vas9OlfhLOI7QozcHXh7Y-leqmvw9KeOz9FcRG6hU6ClVt/s2048/91-mr1gaN3L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1230" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4mdottwviLDL6HWtW_TRpSV_ZUmVyTPsk-bTBJeEvcPrlvp2EZ0QUI4ATW1omRkysc2OO7TJ4SHHxSyx-IdxAps7tGAG93Vas9OlfhLOI7QozcHXh7Y-leqmvw9KeOz9FcRG6hU6ClVt/w400-h240/91-mr1gaN3L.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdkhoMoQz-mMz-L23IErzCumL2Wwk-dM87iyycUyhrXszQydt9nbnD9etYCmqPRkaLuVthaHUpE0gcVD6NR4EjnOm653GGtefSvvPLo3AoAevgFA8OC1uyC-vwhsEb7W944UPn7mx0pzi/s2048/91MuBjYhhAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1230" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdkhoMoQz-mMz-L23IErzCumL2Wwk-dM87iyycUyhrXszQydt9nbnD9etYCmqPRkaLuVthaHUpE0gcVD6NR4EjnOm653GGtefSvvPLo3AoAevgFA8OC1uyC-vwhsEb7W944UPn7mx0pzi/w400-h240/91MuBjYhhAL.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLYyqfRIudlYwZ5ypLwEjIoq3V7noDDDA7gUFLRZEf6oqzEt99X-QxJx4FhJm4ZduP4k6wVYRGVfumeuep-TIlN7i4TRMHsfWL-T1JEX1DG3Wwek-JoHsyXhS-0U49yBmDztUNHfejQGW/s2048/91bju20KPQL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1230" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLYyqfRIudlYwZ5ypLwEjIoq3V7noDDDA7gUFLRZEf6oqzEt99X-QxJx4FhJm4ZduP4k6wVYRGVfumeuep-TIlN7i4TRMHsfWL-T1JEX1DG3Wwek-JoHsyXhS-0U49yBmDztUNHfejQGW/w400-h240/91bju20KPQL.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirfBxWeXUV1A9UaLVRajYiuSLKLdY3puyDhavhEkLFmCgXVf807fxlJoJ_SsLz5LVi2pUl7QMk613H47zmbzdp5czMkAGXFlG0r6-IebFgNRNX-ulgWcL18z-qwogdtOul58qIIO8tCiKC/s2048/915tNLxJk1L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1230" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirfBxWeXUV1A9UaLVRajYiuSLKLdY3puyDhavhEkLFmCgXVf807fxlJoJ_SsLz5LVi2pUl7QMk613H47zmbzdp5czMkAGXFlG0r6-IebFgNRNX-ulgWcL18z-qwogdtOul58qIIO8tCiKC/w400-h240/915tNLxJk1L.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfePapYmFl5A5iahH9yp2aztYRQWOiNdU0-J1DKBID0qV1YLApwRxI-hyicJ1JDbUdYFAye_szXVHRTnQmCt4O650FvLVsJjiOGb7gjSJrSBFYMzSqloBcyR6dxwPLKjOSp-aB8cqSxaA/s2048/91XVta2TZaL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1230" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfePapYmFl5A5iahH9yp2aztYRQWOiNdU0-J1DKBID0qV1YLApwRxI-hyicJ1JDbUdYFAye_szXVHRTnQmCt4O650FvLVsJjiOGb7gjSJrSBFYMzSqloBcyR6dxwPLKjOSp-aB8cqSxaA/w400-h240/91XVta2TZaL.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">First published in Slovenia, Bartolj's <b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Every Little Kindness</span></i></b> is a beautiful, wordless story that follows one small act of kindness as it ripples out into the community. Using graphic novel style panels and a palette in varying shades of grey, with pale yellow and blue adding depth. A minimal and well placed use of red works to tell the story as it - and acts of kindness and compassion - flow from one person to the next, beginning with a woman and her lost dog. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Heading out to hang "Lost Dog" posters around town, the woman brings along a red apple that, after some thought, she hands to a busker playing the guitar. The power of <b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Every Little Kindness</span></i></b> comes not from the (often told) story of a person who receives a kindness passing it on to another, but from the power of witnessing an act of kindness can have. A passerby (with a red messenger bag) watches as the woman gives her apple to the performer. A page turn finds this man walking through the park and picking up after a person who litters. A boy in red overalls notices this act. From here, kindnesses come in many forms. From returning a lost key to offering an umbrella, to noticing someone in need and helping and reaching out to someone who has been treated badly. As the story unfolds, the lost dog posters from the start of the story appear here and there, leading to the moment the woman and her dog are reunited, through the kindness of another.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Bartolj's story is simple, yet powerful. Her illustrations and palette work to emphasize the story she is telling, making a greater impact in the absence of words. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709134478218234844.post-44370141375449173802021-11-03T00:30:00.187-07:002021-12-15T14:35:23.145-08:00Melissa by Alex Gino, 195 pp, RL 4<p style="text-align: center;"> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0p4fvqN_gZw9z_p8iGE3hTLTIOcJxKlDr5balA3AvYw9Rk8Cmd2ojGJPabmVMQSBWIdckRtLoieYA7fqK7xJg4zfVV9SUYu5DoyX1BU51SvsP3aAMqHHMA8FSH56UOTLqiONqQdgt972/s545/lf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="374" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0p4fvqN_gZw9z_p8iGE3hTLTIOcJxKlDr5balA3AvYw9Rk8Cmd2ojGJPabmVMQSBWIdckRtLoieYA7fqK7xJg4zfVV9SUYu5DoyX1BU51SvsP3aAMqHHMA8FSH56UOTLqiONqQdgt972/w274-h400/lf.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">M</span><span style="color: #e69138;">e</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;">l</span><span style="color: #cc0000;">i</span><span style="color: #f1c232;">s</span><span style="color: #741b47;">s</span><span style="color: #ff00fe;">a</span></i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">by <a href="http://www.alexgino.com" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>Alex Gino</b></span></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Purchased from Barnes & Noble</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">In September of 2015, I reviewed Gino's debut book. A groundbreaking novel about a transgender child, the book went on to win the 2016 <a href="https://www.ala.org/rt/rrt/award/stonewall" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #d5a6bd;">Stonewall Book Award</span></b></a> in the newly created Children's category. Now, almost seven years later, Gino and their book prove groundbreaking again as the author and publisher officially change the title. In July of 2021, Gino shared a post on their blog, writing, "I made a mistake when I named my first published middle grade novel. A big mistake. I used a name for my main character that she doesn't like for herself (i.e. George, the title of the book) instead of her actual name. My main character's name is Melissa, and I apologize to her, to the larger trans community, and to all of my readers for the error. I'm sorry." Sharing the many factors that influenced the original title choice, Gino goes on to tell readers that they officially have Gino's permission to correct their copies of the book. For readers who prefer other options, you can recover your book, hardcover or paperback, or download a sticker, at Gino's <a href="https://www.scholastic.com/site/alex-gino.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: red;">Scholastic author page</span></b></a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVsiiKvcUYiKOCBhR9ueol5egCcRRpC611-Ux3s33om6cloGc7x2TDVv5NnzU-Owr2lqumL89UfixPvN-27G8w4P8S7C5Jv_gyKfZHsc7TuqVHYxz1NNPSZ2Z4ZQJK74Ja17Z3B-guZENA/s1424/Melissa%2527s+Story.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJEEMF1c1Mq4bRTu7UW2eX7ONeZDYaK_u07zDhDRoRnCaMNizDGsZtDkTkZOZcY-slBALQBf9GTWO0HTw1wiJCLqpBGr9cBo2dyCEYssB0sLpuiz_Qv06g5OjWpqm2PBBPRnnQlamat_7/s1320/MELISSA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1320" data-original-width="828" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJEEMF1c1Mq4bRTu7UW2eX7ONeZDYaK_u07zDhDRoRnCaMNizDGsZtDkTkZOZcY-slBALQBf9GTWO0HTw1wiJCLqpBGr9cBo2dyCEYssB0sLpuiz_Qv06g5OjWpqm2PBBPRnnQlamat_7/w402-h640/MELISSA.jpg" width="402" /></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Three months later, Gino and their publisher made this announcement at <a href="https://oomscholasticblog.com/post/alex-gino-melissa" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">On Our Minds</span></b></a>, Scholastic's blog about books and the joys of reading, with Gino writing, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">I’m delighted to share that Scholastic and I are officially changing the title of my first book to </span><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; text-align: start;">Melissa</em><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">, with a new cover available in spring 2022. It was published as </span><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; text-align: start;">George</em><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"> in 2015, but that’s a name the main character does not like or want to use for herself. No matter how many people have come to know it as </span><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; text-align: start;">George</em><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">, we felt it was important to fix the title. What we call people matters and we all deserve to be referred to in ways that feel good to us. Calling the book </span><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; text-align: start;">Melissa</em><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"> is a way to respect her, as well as all transgender people. The text inside won’t change, so the name George will still appear to reflect the character’s growth within the novel, but Melissa will be the first name readers will know her by. I hope you’ll make the change with us. If you already own a copy of the book, you can make the change yourself, or you will be able to find new covers to print out on my website or on Scholastic’s website; we will share the link once the art is up. New copies of </span><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; text-align: start;">Melissa</em><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"> will be printed soon and available in stores in April 2022. I appreciate all the kind words people have shared about Melissa (and </span><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; text-align: start;">Melissa</em><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">), and look forward to her living on with this new, right title.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_Q2Wl07wD7TkMMfUWFR94fwnVhO095M4yF8GUvvGxw-9S635AN3GeyAzUXGzxZUIR9AzArQog5U_2nHZ5M97fewLMAtYq3A1wYFDMbMgrgM5Bv-ykl1Ee5fdRyNjEiPk3rNPGKxO80I8/s800/Melissa+announcement_twitter+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_Q2Wl07wD7TkMMfUWFR94fwnVhO095M4yF8GUvvGxw-9S635AN3GeyAzUXGzxZUIR9AzArQog5U_2nHZ5M97fewLMAtYq3A1wYFDMbMgrgM5Bv-ykl1Ee5fdRyNjEiPk3rNPGKxO80I8/s320/Melissa+announcement_twitter+%25281%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">As a person who worked with children's books and children and was always conscious of the adult gatekeepers hovering on the edges of my library, I realize now that I wrote my original review of <b style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">M</span><span style="color: #e69138;">e</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;">l</span><span style="color: #cc0000;">i</span><span style="color: #f1c232;">s</span><span style="color: #741b47;">s</span><span style="color: #ff00fe;">a </span></i></b><span style="text-align: center;">with these people in mind, resulting in a disclaimer of sorts, with the hopes of keeping them from censoring this book. Looking back today, I am embarrassed by my own ignorance and lack of understanding of the trans community, and especially trans children. And like the this important book receiving a significant title correction, I correcting my original review by replacing it with Gino's own synopsis.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl. George thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. George really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part . . . because she's a boy. With the help of her best friend Kelly, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte - but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.</span></span></div><p></p>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709134478218234844.post-73614670754775545742021-11-02T00:30:00.011-07:002021-11-02T00:30:00.170-07:00Aaron Slater, Illustrator by Andrea Beaty & David Roberts<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMAcaBY55RtE13m6gdOoXE_LRAanrTQ1VQ-t3Z-06DtjlYKRJlJyH3KVSQ-dAYshQ2HqifHjXyhZj7MOUuVN5imUNCJSgEoZzRCnu4D1_fcXbEh-XbQDzwdEbz_puNeiOYac95csv73A2T/s1096/81vOAbVKlDL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1096" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMAcaBY55RtE13m6gdOoXE_LRAanrTQ1VQ-t3Z-06DtjlYKRJlJyH3KVSQ-dAYshQ2HqifHjXyhZj7MOUuVN5imUNCJSgEoZzRCnu4D1_fcXbEh-XbQDzwdEbz_puNeiOYac95csv73A2T/w329-h400/81vOAbVKlDL.jpg" width="329" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Aaron Slater, Illustrator </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">by Andrea Beaty & David Roberts</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Review Copy from Abrams Kids</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSGY-zQF4ly99N19cKUiluG43-W7g4TRntCT34wH-IYjuBP4IGb469yv1NSWglt366mdX_ib_gmNnGkMARJQubp9hx8CRh-YahsePSVP6sG8uPJPvO6bnAjOjO7jKxwCB07fd0EKHHN23/s408/Screen+Shot+2021-10-31+at+1.18.12+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSGY-zQF4ly99N19cKUiluG43-W7g4TRntCT34wH-IYjuBP4IGb469yv1NSWglt366mdX_ib_gmNnGkMARJQubp9hx8CRh-YahsePSVP6sG8uPJPvO6bnAjOjO7jKxwCB07fd0EKHHN23/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-10-31+at+1.18.12+PM.png" width="282" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIHzwr-a2MgxGBneuebbAPgGS-3-uj0iaToVt1IphsAlD3pd89O61rqkWbk0yw184_CNRpQQjbLv7QlhcLGBTri50YAFs9AK729JK-VD6ykPklsHyhwscv4NKwpktbkPd9cXSssdwBXgH/s451/Screen+Shot+2021-10-31+at+1.18.27+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="451" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIHzwr-a2MgxGBneuebbAPgGS-3-uj0iaToVt1IphsAlD3pd89O61rqkWbk0yw184_CNRpQQjbLv7QlhcLGBTri50YAFs9AK729JK-VD6ykPklsHyhwscv4NKwpktbkPd9cXSssdwBXgH/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-10-31+at+1.18.27+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAFzH_TVx5dPOtW27kDF6XtHc8iFUF9V6QK_oAEgIr6rQGrrpVPXrfSGQRmufsjQe5NUtjQppX3S-H0hvYoiDgdgixFJhNr2wyVOGLEqnZP46VoUb0Q1XSr6ttEl3es68EzQuSy2vUIvc1/s444/Screen+Shot+2021-10-31+at+1.19.05+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="434" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAFzH_TVx5dPOtW27kDF6XtHc8iFUF9V6QK_oAEgIr6rQGrrpVPXrfSGQRmufsjQe5NUtjQppX3S-H0hvYoiDgdgixFJhNr2wyVOGLEqnZP46VoUb0Q1XSr6ttEl3es68EzQuSy2vUIvc1/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-10-31+at+1.19.05+PM.png" width="313" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">With <b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Aaron Slater, Illustrator</span></i></b>, Beaty and Roberts add a fifth (and possibly my favorite...) title to their incredible series of picture books featuring protagonists who overcome challenges as they pursue their passions. Beaty, with her unparalleled gift for writing in verse, and Roberts, with his talent for bringing colors, patterns, and cultural references to the page (as well as endearing characters), have partnered to create a world built on a foundation of creativity, curiosity, empathy, compassion and perseverance. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBvrvKmsII466R0ZL0biQ98T7T1PIu4IY-AA35i9o2m5Q-E0hjkt4j3yN5YXhL0VDAq4XWqikcDPYS5ZDXug-283lyh-Ux1lw_YEi1VDj60Aso6-ssst73JpVO8Hi4sm9v5FxoZ8EiltK/s820/img_35891-1.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="820" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBvrvKmsII466R0ZL0biQ98T7T1PIu4IY-AA35i9o2m5Q-E0hjkt4j3yN5YXhL0VDAq4XWqikcDPYS5ZDXug-283lyh-Ux1lw_YEi1VDj60Aso6-ssst73JpVO8Hi4sm9v5FxoZ8EiltK/w640-h243/img_35891-1.webp" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It is amazing to think that, in those first illustrations of Miss Lila Greer's class, as seen in <b><i><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2013/12/iggy-peck-architect-written-by-andrea.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;">Iggy Peck, Architect</span></a></i></b>, published fourteen years ago, all of <a href="https://questioneers.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Questioneers</span></b></a> are there, waiting for their stories to be told. And, what is especially impressive and worth noting each and every time I review a book in this series (that now consists of picture, project and chapter books) is the diversity that was on the page in 2007, a full seven years before the founders of <b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">We Need Diverse Books</span></b>, now <a href="http://diversebooks.org"><b><span style="color: #ff00fe;">diversebooks.org</span></b></a>, began advocating for "essential changes in the publishing industry to produce and promote literature that honors the lives of all young people." Kudos to Beaty, Roberts ( agents and editors</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">With <b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Aaron Slater, Illustrator</span></i></b>, bringing diverse characters to the page expands and deepens* as the dynamic duo tell the story of a boy who loves listening to stories, dreaming of the day he can create one of his own. When that time comes, dyslexia makes the class assignment of writing a story deeply challenging for Aaron. Happily, Miss Greer recognizes the various kinds of learning styles (and the many ways to tell a story) and values them all.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Beaty and Roberts present Aaron's struggles to read as he grows into a second grader in the story and on the page, but it is not until the full page author's and illustrator's notes at the end of the book that the word dyslexia is used AND that the text has been printed in <a href="https://www.dyslexiefont.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Dyslexie</span></b></a>, a typeface specially designed for people with dyslexia! Beaty first shares that Aaron is named after Aaron Douglas, an African American painter and key figure in the Harlem Renaissance. From there she gives brief definitions of dyslexia and other learning difficulties, such as dysgraphia, dyscalculia and attention deficit disorder, writing, "Aaron's dyslexia informs who he is, but it does not define who he is. We each have our own superpowers and struggles. That's what makes us unique, beautiful, strong and important to the world. Just like Aaron." Roberts adds that he, too, struggled with reading and spelling and this drove him to learn, like Aaron Slater, to tell stories with pictures, making this a very special book for him.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">*Aaron has two moms and an older sibling with hearing aids. And, for the first time, I noticed that a student in Miss Greer's class has a cochlear implant. This sent back to poring over the first four books in the series and, while it is not visible in the first two books (the student is either seen straight or in profile, looking to the left) a head turn in book three reveals the implant!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For a superb website filled with a world of resources, visit <a href="https://questioneers.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">THE QUESTIONEERS</span></b></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJACn6FD-9WOQoQAkJJuO-nOYglvEEBSCRmkkDliwu1tgNYb-asesMXo2jFoL597ZoS_rs9wtBhtFAiyWEwApLoy72C5N-PqMAh3-7i6x6M3lo_F_zOjLgRHF540_exXGrCa0Z0cbgA3BJ/s600/1215.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="600" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJACn6FD-9WOQoQAkJJuO-nOYglvEEBSCRmkkDliwu1tgNYb-asesMXo2jFoL597ZoS_rs9wtBhtFAiyWEwApLoy72C5N-PqMAh3-7i6x6M3lo_F_zOjLgRHF540_exXGrCa0Z0cbgA3BJ/s320/1215.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">For my reviews of books in this series, click <a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/search/label/The%20Questioneers" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">HERE</span></b></a></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3ETCifJsU8h-ryt3QQmJm48N8QvI0B2m6aNVQhVYkJVD-L85vZCSE15WrWh-m2qiSk0KqYfr2Ko8yjy6JRj252JCumzPZLCnpRP4mk0g3XjMIxqkisZe5kyZxlsDJTRrejluh-PfbfSq/s1024/JCKTiggypeck-841x1024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="841" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3ETCifJsU8h-ryt3QQmJm48N8QvI0B2m6aNVQhVYkJVD-L85vZCSE15WrWh-m2qiSk0KqYfr2Ko8yjy6JRj252JCumzPZLCnpRP4mk0g3XjMIxqkisZe5kyZxlsDJTRrejluh-PfbfSq/s320/JCKTiggypeck-841x1024.jpg" width="263" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotnALZiMVCWY5op_8l8Ukf0Atk_hE1qVAcO5GV5ay9bSOju4TL3dKoHn6QlgRf4izY01TvsEa1ekPvo5HRk1H0lyTFgVF80d9EOkjBIAOsKXLATvVK-kobjudFRummJNyKeNNwphHa9xF/s320/9781419718922_p0_v1_s550x406.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="262" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigelPJvELRtN3eF1KmSZjLQco90KpoMF1fW57uIkUy_aQbGZ-OtBdNiSA9fsTCBI0FzKiWFeS_grvZWGCRVMdLdIEppcEhj_bAeJV_mvFUWhQ9NvdQwhB006lm2Ppetx9xXDEo6CmSEEHa/s0/51Nb0zGy3iL.jpg" width="262" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2sY4Bbp7i81L63vK8QzSXWm-AY_gy9TCnUmSOjo1Jq7ugaHsET0pqaKvdtlTGMA0JBIshUd0JOdyG16EsjZ4DtgipdDIlSKYyrCs2ZCronwKP5-sbEnYIHYlPBtFoz9xQgH4-ic8qc-QT/s338/pb_cover_ada.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="281" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2sY4Bbp7i81L63vK8QzSXWm-AY_gy9TCnUmSOjo1Jq7ugaHsET0pqaKvdtlTGMA0JBIshUd0JOdyG16EsjZ4DtgipdDIlSKYyrCs2ZCronwKP5-sbEnYIHYlPBtFoz9xQgH4-ic8qc-QT/s320/pb_cover_ada.jpg" width="266" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtYBjOFzSvn__ZiXtpzSFYMVyem4WNRvb545tBiObUBwEtA1m4VSbIutB467ZsmtkuvjR5HAset1Yia63Y5vuI6Fllh4ylv-wUMxBAQ9m60KwJLDDAFNuumeNKU6Rgrp-Zh-EqC1eYjxh/s304/9781419730245_s2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="304" data-original-width="250" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtYBjOFzSvn__ZiXtpzSFYMVyem4WNRvb545tBiObUBwEtA1m4VSbIutB467ZsmtkuvjR5HAset1Yia63Y5vuI6Fllh4ylv-wUMxBAQ9m60KwJLDDAFNuumeNKU6Rgrp-Zh-EqC1eYjxh/s0/9781419730245_s2.jpg" width="250" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFPJFx9YtE_deraKTvakY50EVtszScsKKcD6UvTCDn1uGISp9XpGk65tzumevTRhQxcCpaVtdHS-A66HsOSrjPuEgHbBZrS5P9hdPcAAGz9YzLfZFpeGbmYKdinnJgkhyphenhyphenrPm3GnI7BwmNV/s648/141973704X.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFPJFx9YtE_deraKTvakY50EVtszScsKKcD6UvTCDn1uGISp9XpGk65tzumevTRhQxcCpaVtdHS-A66HsOSrjPuEgHbBZrS5P9hdPcAAGz9YzLfZFpeGbmYKdinnJgkhyphenhyphenrPm3GnI7BwmNV/s320/141973704X.jpg" width="263" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0n9b-Z8kJUH4y_Sshxct8wY-aAV6YeDNjYb4FnYpfAV6xz72CrRXQTXXLlbfvsevP9HuAGvlp2zysTOQzFusoXiVNKrbl7Nrj3HClhCj77KPaDT8O_oHJDgTivUu8kvxzd7peZaH8PRMx/s1024/SofiaValdezsBigProjectBook_CV-838x1024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="838" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0n9b-Z8kJUH4y_Sshxct8wY-aAV6YeDNjYb4FnYpfAV6xz72CrRXQTXXLlbfvsevP9HuAGvlp2zysTOQzFusoXiVNKrbl7Nrj3HClhCj77KPaDT8O_oHJDgTivUu8kvxzd7peZaH8PRMx/s320/SofiaValdezsBigProjectBook_CV-838x1024.jpg" width="262" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;"><b>CHAPTER BOOKS</b></span></div></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfG9uv6csdB2B6q-lLgfQ1NbKe8_zufjF-tIlvGdp52oLaYBdZZsVVtG-TVjeXdi4_-zj5Tu1ukYJm7hemL5hJXqh3zbb31u00lAqV2cLYxGuOg3Sc2HJUWirwYlwVLzjCPxGJmi5cxBxO/s439/9781419733604.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfG9uv6csdB2B6q-lLgfQ1NbKe8_zufjF-tIlvGdp52oLaYBdZZsVVtG-TVjeXdi4_-zj5Tu1ukYJm7hemL5hJXqh3zbb31u00lAqV2cLYxGuOg3Sc2HJUWirwYlwVLzjCPxGJmi5cxBxO/s320/9781419733604.jpg" width="219" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTRITJqKaigIwRKuaFWH-z7Ny4VREEMDU6Y1KruyyYo897wBrml8y2K8_VkUiIoE5ZCVeB4VUmi_c6J22q135o7u9Y_I1dbcycfcfxCa7de04HxZIVud6ZIQ51j1Tysjp_q6bwh1pthrml/s439/9781419734229.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTRITJqKaigIwRKuaFWH-z7Ny4VREEMDU6Y1KruyyYo897wBrml8y2K8_VkUiIoE5ZCVeB4VUmi_c6J22q135o7u9Y_I1dbcycfcfxCa7de04HxZIVud6ZIQ51j1Tysjp_q6bwh1pthrml/s320/9781419734229.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_4nYcOlLKowZrrniLb4eW6wkFXl1zSibmn6T8-gq8kTyr4faZpoiEavPgT9ghlQWLY8irJu7JPIjbGwd3d22EkH4z9B4BNeARpTTkoGakeh7gLWXP0o8mEkUz_lqDt2ICRuhfzZmdUq2Z/s595/9781419736926_p0_v1_s600x595.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="409" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_4nYcOlLKowZrrniLb4eW6wkFXl1zSibmn6T8-gq8kTyr4faZpoiEavPgT9ghlQWLY8irJu7JPIjbGwd3d22EkH4z9B4BNeARpTTkoGakeh7gLWXP0o8mEkUz_lqDt2ICRuhfzZmdUq2Z/s320/9781419736926_p0_v1_s600x595.jpg" width="220" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uUuQtDt-s4f2w7ZCLHp0ntiAIKudF0t94mU7rxFaDND1_hDJphX5ALDas_mUmQi6H2Ol-89JSUdFB7YdAwor8zpi0BGUemDkFFTOzbwtYBMRgWo9gIPacgxWsArxH4wYsbGL3o1FLTiC/s439/9781419743504.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uUuQtDt-s4f2w7ZCLHp0ntiAIKudF0t94mU7rxFaDND1_hDJphX5ALDas_mUmQi6H2Ol-89JSUdFB7YdAwor8zpi0BGUemDkFFTOzbwtYBMRgWo9gIPacgxWsArxH4wYsbGL3o1FLTiC/s320/9781419743504.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709134478218234844.post-56167294339360867462021-10-28T00:30:00.067-07:002021-10-28T00:30:00.239-07:00The Longest Letsgoboy by Derick Wilder, illustrated by Cátia Chien<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdGAYfHvJI3uBjWbX4Z4MWEFBtZs4xTXrSpzrlCkq7VgfySu4jnVbKExSGRd0E2sxNfoAkYCO5mdytRHXRH_5AjxaE25iad1syKWw1aFvKTDMqG0fmtt5OJRut2lwDubpWYFN-Ym5phhR3/s500/51z3JWW0M7L._AC_SY780_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="411" data-original-width="500" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdGAYfHvJI3uBjWbX4Z4MWEFBtZs4xTXrSpzrlCkq7VgfySu4jnVbKExSGRd0E2sxNfoAkYCO5mdytRHXRH_5AjxaE25iad1syKWw1aFvKTDMqG0fmtt5OJRut2lwDubpWYFN-Ym5phhR3/w640-h526/51z3JWW0M7L._AC_SY780_.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>The Longest Letsgoboy </i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">by <a href="https://www.derickwilder.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Derick Wilder</span></b></a>, illustrated by <a href="https://www.catiachien.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">Cátia Chien</span></b></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">review copy from Chronicle Books</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLH20cj3ueO6XbyMrJw3Q43OuXlkw0W7lkpychKjdXKkrKQXZrDlkRsM7e4RVFzyKvNY_EnRjSyx2KzPIexJCujcLeuz69In7RKg0TUAPSlsJSMZCCudPhyphenhyphenzAezT50jFG9MTaLcp5DNIbC/s500/41h1V7UOobL._AC_SY350_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLH20cj3ueO6XbyMrJw3Q43OuXlkw0W7lkpychKjdXKkrKQXZrDlkRsM7e4RVFzyKvNY_EnRjSyx2KzPIexJCujcLeuz69In7RKg0TUAPSlsJSMZCCudPhyphenhyphenzAezT50jFG9MTaLcp5DNIbC/s16000/41h1V7UOobL._AC_SY350_.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEE18Ozb55iPfVC5rGv-KQctk7j-CPAqN3WJZum09HjW1rLsFpW4Bppk2EUet0OBFWaBvjeSj6ASKAFs-oRN-TBwQQLP5bCu6o0IabSckWhLHwExVbrTybUyyS3ZvbJlqjrsqaZmoN5rp5/s500/41xC5OlB8-L._AC_SY350_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEE18Ozb55iPfVC5rGv-KQctk7j-CPAqN3WJZum09HjW1rLsFpW4Bppk2EUet0OBFWaBvjeSj6ASKAFs-oRN-TBwQQLP5bCu6o0IabSckWhLHwExVbrTybUyyS3ZvbJlqjrsqaZmoN5rp5/s16000/41xC5OlB8-L._AC_SY350_.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyaBlBprKhCagV7n54VIzRkNHy0ssvl9cwF9VPKlbZ6V446nw_uQ1sI-fi1rdcOkYU0kKPYptXpp6BjcJLkQ0Aj_cloLRkatyLyq-QvoZRsRZSjeXSztLL6XNcnIlhLCrwx0-ZCKxHViic/s500/41KmFNpt8kL._AC_SY350_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyaBlBprKhCagV7n54VIzRkNHy0ssvl9cwF9VPKlbZ6V446nw_uQ1sI-fi1rdcOkYU0kKPYptXpp6BjcJLkQ0Aj_cloLRkatyLyq-QvoZRsRZSjeXSztLL6XNcnIlhLCrwx0-ZCKxHViic/s16000/41KmFNpt8kL._AC_SY350_.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">As with my review of Shaw Harris' <b><i><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2021/05/have-you-eve-seen-flower-by-shawn-harris.html " target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff00fe;">Have You Ever Seen a Flower</span></a></i></b>, I have to begin this review by telling you that Chien expertly employs a neon tangerine color in her illustrations that is a vital aspect of the emotional tone of <b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">The Longest Letsgoboy</span></i></b> and it just does not translate in the images seen here. Next, I have to confess that this was a pretty hard book for me to read and review because the longest letsgoboy is imminent for my beloved canine. A stray I lured in from the street with a pack of hot dogs ten years ago, my big, black bear of a dog has slowed down considerably, but he always manages to haul himself up from his bed when he hears, "Let's go boy!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Wilder tells this story from the cheerful perspective of a dog heading out on his final walk through the woods with his girl. His language is musical and descriptive, as the dog has his own names for the things he encounters in his life. "Mewmew" is the cat wakes him as the fireball (sun) floats across the sky. "Little," the girl, is his "foreverfriend," and trees in the "bigwild" are "tallsticks."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The story follows the pair as they explore and enjoy, hugging as they watch the sunset. Returning home, the dog heads to the far corner of the garden where, after circling then settling, he hears a distant, "Letsgoboy!" The "flutter of beautifuls" lifts him and his "oldbones feel new." Here, Chien, who excels at imbuing her illustrations with emotions, is at her best. The dog's peaceful, happy, passing is an ebullient burst of bright colors, the neon orange of his collar now spread across the page. A page turn and deep blue and darker shapes suggest the family gathered around the body of their dog, letting readers know, in a concrete way, that the dog has died. The spirit of the dog continues to narrate the story, watching as days pass and his girl keeps going on "letsgoboys," happy when a new "awwwpuppy" arrives on the scene. As he closes his story, Wilder reassures readers that both dog and girl are happy. Chien's final illustration affirming this, as you see the girl in her home, the new puppy in her lap, with a wispy, cloud-like presence that is the dog, wrapped around the home, a smile on his snout, and swishes of the neon tangerine from his collar adding to the emotion.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">There are a handful of picture books about the death of a pet, many of which have been around for a long time, both because deserve to be, but also because there are so few books on this subject. My go-to, as a bookseller, librarian and pet owner, was always Cynthia Rylant's <b><i><span style="color: #351c75;">Dog Heaven</span></i></b> and <b><i><span style="color: #741b47;">Cat Heaven</span></i></b> from 1995 and 1997. Within this narrow genre, these did the job. I am happy to have a picture book that is secular and a standout.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-size: large;">More excellent picture books illustrated by Cátia Chien</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSU5NkhxkMCvjYsHD_8MJtVxIABwXg2wiHf-G4d7Fcd-HEY_q1OdVk1eNwcEsC-qZY6YrHMQTrjCPVh81rxvlvHYPUZuYF6a0yyLsJ6BK3ZEchPujqXmuFtV9SK5voFsH7iidmPvE1qni/s640/DSC00006%252Bbear%252Bcover%252BB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSU5NkhxkMCvjYsHD_8MJtVxIABwXg2wiHf-G4d7Fcd-HEY_q1OdVk1eNwcEsC-qZY6YrHMQTrjCPVh81rxvlvHYPUZuYF6a0yyLsJ6BK3ZEchPujqXmuFtV9SK5voFsH7iidmPvE1qni/s320/DSC00006%252Bbear%252Bcover%252BB.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2020/09/the-bear-and-moon-by-matthew-burgess.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><i>The Bear and the Moon</i></span></b></a></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3z4EUqJhSro0IvIEwpJw6pDbeY0OyTms74XNMykiJ6zXU5S2JTvDTxV81R2a21JSLqDnYuYqLbbRI92Sr-L7HwPK3WfMsvd3pdY0SLfFVuAsKv4QSWh3uKBOUpoo9WjGAVGhRwzLTdih2/s640/turtletown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="526" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3z4EUqJhSro0IvIEwpJw6pDbeY0OyTms74XNMykiJ6zXU5S2JTvDTxV81R2a21JSLqDnYuYqLbbRI92Sr-L7HwPK3WfMsvd3pdY0SLfFVuAsKv4QSWh3uKBOUpoo9WjGAVGhRwzLTdih2/s320/turtletown.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2018/04/the-town-of-turtle-by-michelle-cuevas.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b><i>The Town of Turtle</i></b></span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzc6zp3Oi6Uff75_Q0h5419A9T5Tp4ZnhatsSjVrap1WmLhB7HRdSG9MEbq0C0VzKmA7MOH8nGcZ8xH6VB3Kziu9vR3Dj5UkFIEMQ861yN3JodyOAEatpy2DtUPv3sS1Iuru60QmefkwM/s318/17320985.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="318" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzc6zp3Oi6Uff75_Q0h5419A9T5Tp4ZnhatsSjVrap1WmLhB7HRdSG9MEbq0C0VzKmA7MOH8nGcZ8xH6VB3Kziu9vR3Dj5UkFIEMQ861yN3JodyOAEatpy2DtUPv3sS1Iuru60QmefkwM/s0/17320985.jpg" width="318" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2015/04/a-boy-and-jaguar-by-alan-rabinowitz.html" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">A Boy and a Jaguar</span></i></b></a></p>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709134478218234844.post-82357028288522093052021-10-26T00:30:00.000-07:002021-10-26T00:30:00.213-07:00Waffles and Pancakes: Planetary-Yum (A CatStronauts Kitten Adventure) by Drew Brockington, 64 pp, RL 2<p style="text-align: center;"> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6eFzohdFWOSK9y1jztlx_REJP4D20mK899iBIomNFxL8zFslhs40VlNGq4HP416efzW5qPvL_eb_yPhhZcVMlvswMoLch1uGJLAK6EofpUbN61zXZS17k-mXYvfuqZ_EJp0UIsy-mMCM/s499/51Mq0c00lCS._SX366_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6eFzohdFWOSK9y1jztlx_REJP4D20mK899iBIomNFxL8zFslhs40VlNGq4HP416efzW5qPvL_eb_yPhhZcVMlvswMoLch1uGJLAK6EofpUbN61zXZS17k-mXYvfuqZ_EJp0UIsy-mMCM/s16000/51Mq0c00lCS._SX366_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Waffles and Pancakes: Planetary-Yum </i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-large;"><b>A CatStronauts Kitten Adventure</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> by <a href="https://brockart.format.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Drew Brockington</span></b></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Review Copy</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvw3W5LD46m8WCpPbZUCUKIe1UbC9lIY8sUG9_Zu0ZE-N25u_H3D2LAILg2vZApjKb0tIyjrKCOjWjV9eloTH56L7u4rbySnG6Y2nTZmkRP36_bHwdcGjqhVgGFZlvp6WHWP8uQAQdfH_/s1168/wp_pfolio2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1168" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvw3W5LD46m8WCpPbZUCUKIe1UbC9lIY8sUG9_Zu0ZE-N25u_H3D2LAILg2vZApjKb0tIyjrKCOjWjV9eloTH56L7u4rbySnG6Y2nTZmkRP36_bHwdcGjqhVgGFZlvp6WHWP8uQAQdfH_/w640-h440/wp_pfolio2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx75azFqK7Vy19QtKzDJFUHubITuT-An11tFQchXvDu-QXNoTBcPeaH7X3UW4xbY4NOVVcMGSgZDqNJTyReiuLp-VAb3uw6gJAC5ZRQLkdRJ8du2goCdqDN589B3j-a95ZcQ4IL7hpbFnE/s1168/wp_pfolio1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1168" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx75azFqK7Vy19QtKzDJFUHubITuT-An11tFQchXvDu-QXNoTBcPeaH7X3UW4xbY4NOVVcMGSgZDqNJTyReiuLp-VAb3uw6gJAC5ZRQLkdRJ8du2goCdqDN589B3j-a95ZcQ4IL7hpbFnE/w640-h440/wp_pfolio1.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Drew Brockington launched his fantastic <b><span style="color: #e06666;">CatStronauts</span></b> series in 2017, and in 2018 I <a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2018/06/catstronauts-quartet-by-drew.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">reviewed</span></b></a> the first four books in the series, which were hugely popular with kids at the elementary school where I was the librarian. Brockington's hilarious graphic novels stand out for the portrayal of space travel, the preparation that goes into a launch from Earth into orbit and even a bit of NASA history. To all this, Brockington adds sassy (and hungry) cats and fantastic cat puns administered in just the right doses. This first Kitten Adventure travels back in time to features everyone's favorite, Waffles, along with sister Pancake, in their youth. As with <b><span style="color: #e06666;">CatStronauts</span></b>, Brockington's blend of science and humor, along with a dash of smart safety protocols for kittens (and kids) pairs perfectly with his chunky illustrations style and exaggerated, exuberant and humorous expressions on the cute kitty faces. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It's Saturday and Dad-cat wants to take Waffles and Pancake to the science museum before taking them to Mom-cat's. The trio spends the day wandering exhibits like Electricity Alley, the Hall of Planets, the Planetarium and the especially upsetting "Hairballs in 4-D!" Brockington's blue toned, full-page map of the museum serves as a header for all five chapters and, with each chapter, a red dotted line grows, spiraling through the museum, letting readers see the path the family takes. As they explore, the kittens learn how to spot various constellations, get to hear Dad-cat reminisce about staying up late to see Neil Pawstrong become the first cat to "put a paw on the moon," and learn the difference between meteroids, meteors and meteorites. They even do the right thing when they find themselves separated from Dad-cat.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">If you read any of the <b><span style="color: #e06666;">CatStronauts</span></b> books, then you know that Waffles is never far from food, and, of course, kitten Waffles is the same! Waffles and Pancake "nom nom nom" their way through breakfast and lunch in <b><i><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Planetary-Yum </span></i></b>(tuna melts, milk and Pancake's favorite, Star Tots!), ending with cries for dinner at Mom-cat's. Driving to Mom-cat's, Dad-cat asks Waffles and Pancake what their favorite part of their day at the museum was and both answer LUNCH. A bit disappointed, Dad-cat is happy to see that, as they get out of the car at Mom-cat's house and look up at the night sky, Waffles and Pancake name the constellations they see while talking about looking for meteorites in the morning.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I love everything about the <b><span style="color: #e06666;">CatStronauts</span></b> series and am so thrilled the Brockington is giving emerging readers the chance to get to know Waffles and Pancake before graduating to the <b><span style="color: #e06666;">CatStronauts</span></b> series. I can't wait to see what these siblings get up to next!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: #93c47d;">The stellar </span><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2018/06/catstronauts-quartet-by-drew.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f1c232;"><i>CatStronauts</i></span></a> <span style="color: #93c47d;">Series!</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzB9lcbZ611Ivfl2xwzp6blXptnV4NM3WLJ0DKTYkX4b3TtxVV4b2fv_ZONxi9KRHeZBqRbnk32a7BS2SHd_51wxEx0llvIFXCiCXUmi3krYMhqNWHSIr9dl-LfMF4cLUfXIfBqa0SA84/s1000/71XiIwlcvQL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="680" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzB9lcbZ611Ivfl2xwzp6blXptnV4NM3WLJ0DKTYkX4b3TtxVV4b2fv_ZONxi9KRHeZBqRbnk32a7BS2SHd_51wxEx0llvIFXCiCXUmi3krYMhqNWHSIr9dl-LfMF4cLUfXIfBqa0SA84/w136-h200/71XiIwlcvQL.jpg" width="136" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmwetHKRnT6k5UBdSbiiM3AgOUkW2W2jEWAbywHiD7LafwJw1-wnqsUYpeEafeFc3oTLLMkd7vObIAF-ti76VvAUCbP5YSIRedL1JLPm2BLvM9s8aGtcFUXJtt1Pe9bDb7obfjoLZULvL/s1000/71kYYJO4Q%252BL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="679" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmwetHKRnT6k5UBdSbiiM3AgOUkW2W2jEWAbywHiD7LafwJw1-wnqsUYpeEafeFc3oTLLMkd7vObIAF-ti76VvAUCbP5YSIRedL1JLPm2BLvM9s8aGtcFUXJtt1Pe9bDb7obfjoLZULvL/w136-h200/71kYYJO4Q%252BL.jpg" width="136" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5fd1CftgbkN9RN3o1LEVNUG2vt-5Zk9WeW_xoimTlY4T-EdZ2UL6M1BUshmnQMNO9nBgtnuOMkpjUYln0TPmYwVzkRohFHl4Qx7e2h3tAX-4nsfJLMY-CD5eVtPOg3u0q5_4AGuFsxiK/s630/9780316307536_p0_v1_s1200x630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="443" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5fd1CftgbkN9RN3o1LEVNUG2vt-5Zk9WeW_xoimTlY4T-EdZ2UL6M1BUshmnQMNO9nBgtnuOMkpjUYln0TPmYwVzkRohFHl4Qx7e2h3tAX-4nsfJLMY-CD5eVtPOg3u0q5_4AGuFsxiK/w141-h200/9780316307536_p0_v1_s1200x630.jpg" width="141" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijyvvYVkcBoyHzhyLzL8tznypAzgrqIFIncjt6HqM4V3aPY0VbjOoQgZBpVnyH6sSvOKdJ4gANAopPrYtVIxmHygqNmk5BTnew6KUWJ_UzB56JTLFnDYKapAlvEmcCGoVyhIFAAdfgdSn4/s400/35959649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="281" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijyvvYVkcBoyHzhyLzL8tznypAzgrqIFIncjt6HqM4V3aPY0VbjOoQgZBpVnyH6sSvOKdJ4gANAopPrYtVIxmHygqNmk5BTnew6KUWJ_UzB56JTLFnDYKapAlvEmcCGoVyhIFAAdfgdSn4/w141-h200/35959649.jpg" width="141" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7CpGQ9lxDKC8fs5W5dwRdzjtBmic2sN3vPGM_hnL01IK4DTDsC8TlyAbN9shijpDBiWVWAQiInfDPr2N4bCHeaSs5uvB7WV66B6FpQ4ynsWZfT9V6YyHzzjzyaL4Iszp2hjEgFZesov6/s1000/71h1qlgI8AL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="688" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7CpGQ9lxDKC8fs5W5dwRdzjtBmic2sN3vPGM_hnL01IK4DTDsC8TlyAbN9shijpDBiWVWAQiInfDPr2N4bCHeaSs5uvB7WV66B6FpQ4ynsWZfT9V6YyHzzjzyaL4Iszp2hjEgFZesov6/w138-h200/71h1qlgI8AL.jpg" width="138" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHq8wZbiHnMaw1aAsgLr6cokyfkE3elbDsJQLNH5YLkML1_wMPwmyKgmQMc2vMSIAC_HDpZeAsCL0k7NXJDthSqhNv9rxRRiJTdmjjGuXN0Gnq_QRym95BCyIQxDkdPRZ5mgPRbgj2T9lz/s406/9780316451277_p0_v1_s550x406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="279" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHq8wZbiHnMaw1aAsgLr6cokyfkE3elbDsJQLNH5YLkML1_wMPwmyKgmQMc2vMSIAC_HDpZeAsCL0k7NXJDthSqhNv9rxRRiJTdmjjGuXN0Gnq_QRym95BCyIQxDkdPRZ5mgPRbgj2T9lz/w138-h200/9780316451277_p0_v1_s550x406.jpg" width="138" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Get your plushie</span> <span style="color: #ffa400;">Waffles</span> <a href="https://brockart.format.com/waffles-plush" target="_blank"><span style="color: #01ffff;">HERE</span></a><span style="color: #ffd966;">!</span></b></span></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvh_CxriyUuyNtUnCl5YTxE_YuvslWiX3BwKunofehjqmjqNRIYMCIlDs2DjQUFS0wlAk5sdq5im48oVfNl5do7bhCksmHVIoZ9srfIHX2O3cfObFSEI4LSpBMrOISk5mBMpzAkcxZGrvU/s447/Screen+Shot+2021-08-17+at+12.54.08+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="443" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvh_CxriyUuyNtUnCl5YTxE_YuvslWiX3BwKunofehjqmjqNRIYMCIlDs2DjQUFS0wlAk5sdq5im48oVfNl5do7bhCksmHVIoZ9srfIHX2O3cfObFSEI4LSpBMrOISk5mBMpzAkcxZGrvU/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-08-17+at+12.54.08+PM.png" width="317" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3TT_WD9jT2ary78OZU-AtRA40llpzNN7ADJ_OQIzbdaYgCP1ldZ1mr7o2LOuA3aXNGGSw6TXMEiJ8NICkZ6m0NTrDRquFqwsZXP7uQmZBqn9j5yZKDVFOIvPvtR2c1foYhsRLQj5y-Jg/s2048/Waffles_store_signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1850" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3TT_WD9jT2ary78OZU-AtRA40llpzNN7ADJ_OQIzbdaYgCP1ldZ1mr7o2LOuA3aXNGGSw6TXMEiJ8NICkZ6m0NTrDRquFqwsZXP7uQmZBqn9j5yZKDVFOIvPvtR2c1foYhsRLQj5y-Jg/s320/Waffles_store_signature.png" width="289" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709134478218234844.post-51030356830622208512021-10-21T00:30:00.001-07:002021-10-21T11:23:12.763-07:00Mel the Chosen by Rachele Aragno, translated by Carla Roncalli Di Montorio, interior design and lettering by Patrick Crotty, 208 pp, RL 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgojyogCS4gBxXYdgFSDerz-3E8IEiSn57fYc5rR1iRxzr5kocCMPptCYWddaeSFP2i4ilmKF1OhzoF-2PI3eK_fJJhKtnwf7Wunm_e3Q3NIguKCYu35Vy_YPZZvXF3qpVLedZ2y9_oxmCD/s2048/91aLt3fOZRL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1531" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgojyogCS4gBxXYdgFSDerz-3E8IEiSn57fYc5rR1iRxzr5kocCMPptCYWddaeSFP2i4ilmKF1OhzoF-2PI3eK_fJJhKtnwf7Wunm_e3Q3NIguKCYu35Vy_YPZZvXF3qpVLedZ2y9_oxmCD/w478-h640/91aLt3fOZRL.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Mel the Chosen</span></i> </b>by<b> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rachelearagno82/?hl=en" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Rachele Aragno</span></a></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">translated by Carla Roncalli Di Montorio</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">interior design and lettering by Patrick Crotty </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Review Copy from <a href="https://www.rhkidsgraphic.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">RHGraphic</span></b></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEIkMEFfLTV7NozRRvZzu_KplrR_TkC-6_algv-9mjUGm0lmpMdf8aAa9Gy46Y2xKWCAZfkHt4y_g_GqF-6CvaWZZ2XCAxbM_6ZDS6YFHSo-98Z1BxVb22cTGQcdIreNYJu8e2lq8l2Xaz/s1000/71Y1lz-R9cS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEIkMEFfLTV7NozRRvZzu_KplrR_TkC-6_algv-9mjUGm0lmpMdf8aAa9Gy46Y2xKWCAZfkHt4y_g_GqF-6CvaWZZ2XCAxbM_6ZDS6YFHSo-98Z1BxVb22cTGQcdIreNYJu8e2lq8l2Xaz/w640-h426/71Y1lz-R9cS.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg222XObzXCxEbuv6X8BMhNfgYvdvH8EBPJlY6xcAJNbgPIpuGifveGy_E9okKWrU3_1N4cut1ynwlsjDhFId1duXqiXdDN7WuJ87LEnzMmMKlVDql1GOmNx6NwBiTejtqil9ABAIGgqIas/s550/9780593301234_p1_v2_s550x406.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg222XObzXCxEbuv6X8BMhNfgYvdvH8EBPJlY6xcAJNbgPIpuGifveGy_E9okKWrU3_1N4cut1ynwlsjDhFId1duXqiXdDN7WuJ87LEnzMmMKlVDql1GOmNx6NwBiTejtqil9ABAIGgqIas/s16000/9780593301234_p1_v2_s550x406.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggewDmzXWmHO6KuEedaQhAAmhHvX-I6wQVw59hH3EAvFMqTvY7JOkiZfk3oT9ncdqcmTu9Byf3XKutSLFWtI4Lq2dEXs2iOwjen-WwDr2pTRPR5oJJTl8hT44zlAvmhCVnmk90FUYOJkPG/s1000/71DxYyNA9mS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggewDmzXWmHO6KuEedaQhAAmhHvX-I6wQVw59hH3EAvFMqTvY7JOkiZfk3oT9ncdqcmTu9Byf3XKutSLFWtI4Lq2dEXs2iOwjen-WwDr2pTRPR5oJJTl8hT44zlAvmhCVnmk90FUYOJkPG/w640-h426/71DxYyNA9mS.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="color: #93c47d;">Mel the Chosen</span></i></b> is a visual delight for all lovers of the fantastical and the magical. Immersed in Aragno's luminous watercolor world populated with curious characters, felt like I was wandering through Wonderland by way of Roald Dahl, with a dash of the fantastic world building of artist, author (and personal favorite) <a href="https://www.instagram.com/chris_riddell/?hl=en" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #45818e;">Chris Riddell</span></b></a>. Aragno's graphic novel creates a world that is easy to fall into, if not always easy to navigate, with the illustrations carrying the weight of the story telling. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, it is easy to get swept away in the world of Here&Now and the many paths to wander within.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">When Mel hears her parents talking about having to move yet again, she is more than frustrated. Fed up with adults continually making decisions that upend her life, she doesn't think twice when she stumbles into the attic apartment of Otto, a white bearded fellow (with piercing eyes) who is having tea with a fox, an owl and a badger dressed in Victorian era garb, who tells her she is The Chosen One, sent to finally stop the evil Malcape the Magnificent, King of Here&Now. Like Mel, Otto was once a boy who was so fed up with not being listened to and not being able to make decisions for himself that he wished to be a grown up. A brush with Malcape left Otto an old man who could not reverse his wish without a rescuer he was forbidden from searching for. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Together, Otto and Mel, and a talking bird named Benjamino, travel to Here&Now where they wander into a series of strange encounters that don't seem to be getting them any closer to Malcape until he is right there in front of them. As they search, they encounter other victims of Maclape's malicious wish granting, most of which center around children wanting to grow up. When Mel is given that very chance herself, she takes it. And quickly realizes what a mistake she has made. Fortunately, Mel encounters her beloved grandparents in a field where happy thoughts, like glowing fireflies, descend each night as the sun sets in Here&Now, and they give her a powerful charm that ultimately saves Mel and Here&Now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">From a Queen who has to carry her head around while her mother rides a bicycle nonstop to generate power for the castle, to a cemetery full of pajama-clad children waiting to be born and the glowing Wild Tigers of the Dawn, magical bumble bees, and an unforgettable tree house, Aragno imbues Here&Now with a dreamlike vibe that, even when Malcape makes his move, does not feel threatening. Back matter includes an author's note, character sketches, a glossary of magical items and a superb cross section of the Queen's Castle that could be the basis for another story all on its own.</div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709134478218234844.post-30565001756528361682021-10-19T00:30:00.000-07:002021-10-19T00:30:00.226-07:00Book Buddies 1: Ivy Lost and Found by Cynthia Lord, illustrations by Stephanie Graegin, 68 pp, RL 2<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIJkC1p20AiKmE3SgaWrEM_ZUuN3UdUcUNxaOkJCRUEsumT_HuGPKLaC9AzUfE0njO_Iu2fHiYcGgz0L1funkC9VN4Q_bL7rv3Nmy3N13nlJQ8uvxZ-N6mUh4IjcrJNtKy8BQZ8SZLoSR/s2048/91LHcQxdqoL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1356" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIJkC1p20AiKmE3SgaWrEM_ZUuN3UdUcUNxaOkJCRUEsumT_HuGPKLaC9AzUfE0njO_Iu2fHiYcGgz0L1funkC9VN4Q_bL7rv3Nmy3N13nlJQ8uvxZ-N6mUh4IjcrJNtKy8BQZ8SZLoSR/w265-h400/91LHcQxdqoL.jpg" width="265" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Book Buddies 1: Ivy Lost and Found</i></b></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">by <b><a href="https://www.cynthialord.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Cynthia Lord</span></a></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">illustrations by <a href="https://www.graegin.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #a64d79;">Stephanie Graegin</span></b></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Review Copy from Candlewick Press</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcEGIizJnRYrwDUlcB0FPLZK3FdnsRWh376GHeA2_THu1MNOx-J1d1fPXWV5ea4exzGfKI7psQlHPLKnmcFWmdmOCBW0fMJg__-KNwEMgoMcyFXX1A1wjX-jk3swkOh4TEWWGhREeefP2T/s1000/71Tey1zOvkS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcEGIizJnRYrwDUlcB0FPLZK3FdnsRWh376GHeA2_THu1MNOx-J1d1fPXWV5ea4exzGfKI7psQlHPLKnmcFWmdmOCBW0fMJg__-KNwEMgoMcyFXX1A1wjX-jk3swkOh4TEWWGhREeefP2T/w400-h300/71Tey1zOvkS.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLONsXUMLFTAiPtQ9bpn4RJOKv7X7JyxW33AfVHR_CMzvUqjuYHn70wkhcrAwHP7aa4Ts9OYSWXK1vjZ6DJx-xjAGg_xdF9fBYoPlQREmiC-PxXQAC0Ea75hBk8cHp8qSjWGy4_bJc2Zf/s1000/61zTr7zfZOS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLONsXUMLFTAiPtQ9bpn4RJOKv7X7JyxW33AfVHR_CMzvUqjuYHn70wkhcrAwHP7aa4Ts9OYSWXK1vjZ6DJx-xjAGg_xdF9fBYoPlQREmiC-PxXQAC0Ea75hBk8cHp8qSjWGy4_bJc2Zf/w400-h300/61zTr7zfZOS.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZM4tTJhhAf4AIRALbqFLsrokr4KPgFWHxmzUYU3UhJzJwVM6LhBQrvW2qQCzLiLSpJFFQtpGKuf8yGxD-hv6Wd60UQ3mIxzeGHENeTWZ9t6gnXz00OGAMMq2-9yoEK3OXaC4emSBwOjFn/s1000/71w8FhIhf7S.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZM4tTJhhAf4AIRALbqFLsrokr4KPgFWHxmzUYU3UhJzJwVM6LhBQrvW2qQCzLiLSpJFFQtpGKuf8yGxD-hv6Wd60UQ3mIxzeGHENeTWZ9t6gnXz00OGAMMq2-9yoEK3OXaC4emSBwOjFn/w400-h300/71w8FhIhf7S.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">Book Buddies</span></i></b> hits a sweet spot for me - both the kid reader I was and the adult who wants to put great books into the hands of young readers. As a kid, I loved reading books that had dolls as characters. As an adult, I love books that offer moments of social-emotional learning for young readers and this book has both. AND it has stellar illustrations by Graegin!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The series title refers to all the dolls and stuffed animals librarian Annie has added to her library for readers to check out. Along with Lilyanna, a doll in princess garb, a stuffed owl, a black bear, a flying squirrel, a mother chicken and her chick and a tiny mouse in an acorn cap (a Christmas ornament named Marco Polo, who is the star of the next book in this series!) As <b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">Ivy Lost and Found</span></i></b> begins, readers learn that Ivy was a gift to Anne when she was a girl. Newly rediscovered, Ivy has been retrieved from a box in Anne's mother's attic and is filled with all kinds of feelings, from being forgotten to being nervous about her new life.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At the insistence of her younger step-sister Sophie, who, along with little brother Ethan checks out Lilyanna and Piper, the flying squirrel, Fern checks out Ivy, insisting that she doesn't like to play with dolls. Back at her father and step-mother's home, where she visits during vacations, Fern struggles to feel like she has a place in this new family, where she has to share everything with her step-siblings, including her father. Ivy, feeling forgotten by Anne and wishing they could return to the days when Anne took her everywhere and made clothes for her, Ivy realizes she and Fern have something in common - just as she and Piper find themselves stuck in a tree and forgotten in the backyard as a storm approaches.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Lord offers a superb resolution to her story, one that allows Fern the opportunity to tell her father how she feels, be heard by her father and find some real solutions. Ivy is also able to resolve her feelings over being forgotten by Anne and appreciate the new connections she is making, both with her fellow Book Buddies, and with new children.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #e69138;">For more books with anthropomorphic toys, don't miss the excellent chapter book trilogy (plus a bonus picture book) </span></b><b><span style="color: #e69138;">by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky </span><span style="color: #45818e;">AND the superb DOLL PEOPLE Quartet (also with a bonus picture book)! </span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxFK_K7YmNuKEI-KhnAx6gMHfuy8SdcTLo5Oix5tRvoMhkMjEAUIRxax3SEqnpn5AN4rwTDsqQHThIGjZbkNMC0J_XR2hNfJrtuk7k4ui-QkWufDJfNCxKV7yM8_VV6gxYWShd9AsDCYOV/s500/0375836047.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="406" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxFK_K7YmNuKEI-KhnAx6gMHfuy8SdcTLo5Oix5tRvoMhkMjEAUIRxax3SEqnpn5AN4rwTDsqQHThIGjZbkNMC0J_XR2hNfJrtuk7k4ui-QkWufDJfNCxKV7yM8_VV6gxYWShd9AsDCYOV/s320/0375836047.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2012/10/toys-go-out-by-emily-jenkins-pictures.html" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;">Toys Go Out</span></i></b></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibx1AOWvBTGxc6GJ3dr1oSlae49jKwGkw-iLc-v2y9EUY0FIXhQ4WZC3vLysnMJlh63NH4fAXn40Nj5sXsTmH1Qy3QPrv_D4nttCryOmFDq4k75URoPFAi8TpsbyaRTX6seJt4RlJFqdAP/s320/tdp_jacket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="262" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibx1AOWvBTGxc6GJ3dr1oSlae49jKwGkw-iLc-v2y9EUY0FIXhQ4WZC3vLysnMJlh63NH4fAXn40Nj5sXsTmH1Qy3QPrv_D4nttCryOmFDq4k75URoPFAi8TpsbyaRTX6seJt4RlJFqdAP/w164-h200/tdp_jacket.jpg" width="164" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEUMBPfwQzIa4r6dn_XLAwaDv_GuV-LrOOuv39CKb1UTY121bqyBJyv8cHJG_Fsp5yui-VIxNUgLoJAwHgO50DmzQTTU-UacSppOK2kgv7NZD6Kg-i22k7qu4BYuaD7avWrODxlhPYj9i/s320/ToysComeHome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="264" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEUMBPfwQzIa4r6dn_XLAwaDv_GuV-LrOOuv39CKb1UTY121bqyBJyv8cHJG_Fsp5yui-VIxNUgLoJAwHgO50DmzQTTU-UacSppOK2kgv7NZD6Kg-i22k7qu4BYuaD7avWrODxlhPYj9i/w165-h200/ToysComeHome.jpg" width="165" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HrKgK_BuRkM1qLoEXgoqARDNQECd-vrH8CkIaQZJ4alB-o1CYmolnWV2QtnlLAC7-dZqioDP3Su84gNnqmUlSHVzw9_G6izNA_gXZraOHAvSMfPynorMdvrvogEYRLSuZaesg0wMnMoS/s450/9780385373319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="450" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HrKgK_BuRkM1qLoEXgoqARDNQECd-vrH8CkIaQZJ4alB-o1CYmolnWV2QtnlLAC7-dZqioDP3Su84gNnqmUlSHVzw9_G6izNA_gXZraOHAvSMfPynorMdvrvogEYRLSuZaesg0wMnMoS/s320/9780385373319.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBMph1spmX_X-PmaHzhfTkX2ImCVzyHa0y1SjZsArcHIqhU7mkCdV8B9jBdT-1h0C3bbNJBZCXty_TZJ4yvpA_HwMnhgTMdSRlraNnJXhnMoRgyN7sle729-SOtJT5LzjDIOM9J1UA8CW/s499/51FIXqtzXQL._SX346_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="348" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBMph1spmX_X-PmaHzhfTkX2ImCVzyHa0y1SjZsArcHIqhU7mkCdV8B9jBdT-1h0C3bbNJBZCXty_TZJ4yvpA_HwMnhgTMdSRlraNnJXhnMoRgyN7sle729-SOtJT5LzjDIOM9J1UA8CW/s320/51FIXqtzXQL._SX346_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="223" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2008/08/doll-people-by-ann-m-martin-laura.html" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: #e69138; font-size: x-large;">The Doll People</span></i></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYXl-rVxHsl55EQ1YjR2OX5rfPnPDeYl-RVhbCq_U7fk-jXtFnRIezOYUkmSC8VvCvn2LchyphenhyphenniBG9ONhXI-oEGE200xYnrP_umbWYxIYgW74elOV5yMmQcX0izuPm2TQNUhjjFKox8Ii6/s1397/81ihJ1ptoUL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1397" data-original-width="956" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYXl-rVxHsl55EQ1YjR2OX5rfPnPDeYl-RVhbCq_U7fk-jXtFnRIezOYUkmSC8VvCvn2LchyphenhyphenniBG9ONhXI-oEGE200xYnrP_umbWYxIYgW74elOV5yMmQcX0izuPm2TQNUhjjFKox8Ii6/w137-h200/81ihJ1ptoUL.jpg" width="137" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZl5KZdD1vi85x-Z0JC_dgp39DNnIn1fTfxjLu0oKAEXkQFv6DFK0FxC_TzDfKc4rj0T9a3mmzdVN_AgYK1LL3BrkMfXq73q4wEKdRGD75UDhisR1kYIjlwfYSNH1FPtdrC3ZEdOUsfdz/s500/51F0As2jRML.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="326" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZl5KZdD1vi85x-Z0JC_dgp39DNnIn1fTfxjLu0oKAEXkQFv6DFK0FxC_TzDfKc4rj0T9a3mmzdVN_AgYK1LL3BrkMfXq73q4wEKdRGD75UDhisR1kYIjlwfYSNH1FPtdrC3ZEdOUsfdz/w131-h200/51F0As2jRML.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWsn0sn7LEVoJ1jhMTrTsaJvjOI5nOlnESaWolacYnQoBHduu7UkyBqMSsP80YXFUtcn_bgC5vU0l_VVpuYUooKiZ7dyNJm_UzlCmD5C6ywfMYXWXRTZn3U5Trz96G0orn3eMYu4V1R6qB/s500/61bJwSjPasL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWsn0sn7LEVoJ1jhMTrTsaJvjOI5nOlnESaWolacYnQoBHduu7UkyBqMSsP80YXFUtcn_bgC5vU0l_VVpuYUooKiZ7dyNJm_UzlCmD5C6ywfMYXWXRTZn3U5Trz96G0orn3eMYu4V1R6qB/w133-h200/61bJwSjPasL.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpd0KMaoyNF7iI1ZNl6VCJYV_DqLzRtJkqAF_8jlFRD7lU8tMQH4oOYWciUzZnmuFV1Sd0OJKmrL8pNl43ugOXJlD8JVPY2VMd3zvdcgRLft_o554NzNYSBxiM52QAYWRDQOzcjyaw7EM7/s1000/8185Adb1XdL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="912" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpd0KMaoyNF7iI1ZNl6VCJYV_DqLzRtJkqAF_8jlFRD7lU8tMQH4oOYWciUzZnmuFV1Sd0OJKmrL8pNl43ugOXJlD8JVPY2VMd3zvdcgRLft_o554NzNYSBxiM52QAYWRDQOzcjyaw7EM7/s320/8185Adb1XdL.jpg" width="292" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709134478218234844.post-79058566782538722112021-10-14T00:30:00.123-07:002021-10-14T00:30:00.209-07:00Inside Cat by Brendan Wenzel<p style="text-align: center;"> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwafQLRXVBrgusrFSpi6lV6BK6cF49HmTNO0P6NYgknnObj0684NBgodXkB-um7HsYOOBDfvNmIKlWJHpnTbFCoAw2nNoXPw-OXQ4MfEGvrZTLw3kUY9FTo7B0FslJdM4lxG1OotzBZWRs/s500/51Qm3Kltl1S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="500" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwafQLRXVBrgusrFSpi6lV6BK6cF49HmTNO0P6NYgknnObj0684NBgodXkB-um7HsYOOBDfvNmIKlWJHpnTbFCoAw2nNoXPw-OXQ4MfEGvrZTLw3kUY9FTo7B0FslJdM4lxG1OotzBZWRs/w640-h528/51Qm3Kltl1S.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Inside Cat </i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">by <a href="https://www.brendanwenzel.info/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #783f04;">Brendan Wenzel</span></b></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Review Copy from Chronicle Books</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_TXrVIqxuVowat_Yd1cKp0YMfA2f3eX5Sz8I9MfvMya1ZI9qz6FVBbPEqt3HGcstMVFdz1_4VUi2LsOU9dLIjOINC_VLrz6oVzBRPFYrIDL4Q5N3Hyjf8vx0NczGpmk-Ql-tKMeN6aZbe/s2560/712Er25nPKL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="2560" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_TXrVIqxuVowat_Yd1cKp0YMfA2f3eX5Sz8I9MfvMya1ZI9qz6FVBbPEqt3HGcstMVFdz1_4VUi2LsOU9dLIjOINC_VLrz6oVzBRPFYrIDL4Q5N3Hyjf8vx0NczGpmk-Ql-tKMeN6aZbe/w640-h266/712Er25nPKL.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZF5_t9Kv8kT1K16JPIoF__vGVQfcY2x4tHilfl0FiIaEV07wFaYEKi5d7TqUjWzgZN906fo-ohwr6Rux2_IdYhK3-Emicl0zTVkUI8Zw0Hbo7zHPKkObVBjm_KcUp109R3bLqsQbaFSK/s1805/Inside+Cat+Interior+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="1805" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZF5_t9Kv8kT1K16JPIoF__vGVQfcY2x4tHilfl0FiIaEV07wFaYEKi5d7TqUjWzgZN906fo-ohwr6Rux2_IdYhK3-Emicl0zTVkUI8Zw0Hbo7zHPKkObVBjm_KcUp109R3bLqsQbaFSK/w640-h266/Inside+Cat+Interior+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="color: #f1c232;">Inside Cat</span></i></b> is yet another marvelous picture book from Wenzel exemplifying his ability convey a unique perspective from the inside out and the outside in, words and pictures working in perfect unison.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">"Inside Cat knows many windows, finds a view wherever it goes," begins a story that follows a cat through an enormous house, a new view at every turn - and a mouse, or two, on every page! Wenzel's words wander and wonder as Inside Cat gazes and gapes, stares and snacks, lingers and laps, nibbles and naps, always with a new view from a changing series of windows. Wenzel describes the shapes of the windows, the quality of the glass (dusty, streaky, gloomy, freaky), before describing what Inside Cat sees, words and pictures slightly askew. In the final pages, all the things that Inside Cat knows, from "who lives in the clouds," and "who plays with all the kids," to "what blares," and "what stares." Why, "Inside Cat might know it ALL!" In fact, as the penultimate pages imply, there might be nothing left for Inside Cat to explore. Leaving out the anticipated rhyming in word for ellipses, the final page turn shows Inside Cat in an open doorway (of a VERY cool house!), about to become Outside Cat. Inside Cat (and readers) gasping, "Oh," upon seeing the world outside. Endpapers, a map of the island where Inside Cat resides, is too delightful a surprise to spoil, but it will surely elicit yet another, "Oh!" from readers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Wenzel's wonderful rhymes and repeating refrain make <b><i><span style="color: #f1c232;">Inside Cat</span></i></b> highly - and repeatedly - readable. And you will want to, and be asked to, read this book over and over. There is so much to discover in every illustration and connections with every page turn. <b><i><span style="color: #f1c232;">Inside Cat</span></i></b> is especially readable in union with Wenzel's other books (links to reviews below) and I can't wait to see what he adds to this marvelous collection next!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgu75NTTgMm2SU5t2RXNPWNDVxqkWeEeG_Tc3djxdnhhBdARUKJpJQQvpLDrHVsc7KfPmzKcI6kmnlJRaNaAlFET_V83CSplOREbg-4VxuURgrEyTPxfINQv9xOWy6rqzAq26SWVadWdRN/s350/9781452150130_350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="350" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgu75NTTgMm2SU5t2RXNPWNDVxqkWeEeG_Tc3djxdnhhBdARUKJpJQQvpLDrHVsc7KfPmzKcI6kmnlJRaNaAlFET_V83CSplOREbg-4VxuURgrEyTPxfINQv9xOWy6rqzAq26SWVadWdRN/s320/9781452150130_350.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2016/08/they-all-saw-cat-by-brendan-wenzel.html" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">They All Saw a Cat</span></i></b></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHKvSmCmsfJ5hnfZVdqRX8f-ECicnWx-u4wdVNfqtv0PZzTZEwXxZS7no-a8S82YlLN6ZKvyI7szoMBc-YNFuWxe-vTLmVu7mR-uF-TsAJHL6ZQMcv6yXpv0qZ0Db-YcUyaPoyTDRMRW1/s640/919u22BN7OL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="640" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHKvSmCmsfJ5hnfZVdqRX8f-ECicnWx-u4wdVNfqtv0PZzTZEwXxZS7no-a8S82YlLN6ZKvyI7szoMBc-YNFuWxe-vTLmVu7mR-uF-TsAJHL6ZQMcv6yXpv0qZ0Db-YcUyaPoyTDRMRW1/s320/919u22BN7OL.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2019/12/a-stone-sat-still-by-brendan-wenzel.html" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">A Stone Sat Still</span></i></b></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUuRW5prXFeyF0v76O_vXu9dOrMIlRJHvwyb27kqElqnI8e6r-raDv5wSYzFtwF2caSwkug6ItGhiF6wE1KOU_KQaedFUV3KdRmBvNSjY7ZKW2bMs-SOvIq-PG91tahsK244K1CXUTs2Q-/s550/HelloHello_CVR-550x384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="550" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUuRW5prXFeyF0v76O_vXu9dOrMIlRJHvwyb27kqElqnI8e6r-raDv5wSYzFtwF2caSwkug6ItGhiF6wE1KOU_KQaedFUV3KdRmBvNSjY7ZKW2bMs-SOvIq-PG91tahsK244K1CXUTs2Q-/s320/HelloHello_CVR-550x384.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2018/03/hello-hello-by-brendan-wenzel.html" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;">Hello Hello</span></i></b></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709134478218234844.post-71016375203068374202021-10-12T00:30:00.176-07:002021-10-12T00:30:00.270-07:00Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer's Guide by Cecily Wong & Dylan Thuras, 436 pp, RL: 4<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ok852qqEW5fIi7WWEhm0t-iDlK_iH_6iCZSDHVi7ZZdUUoQEbiufkUZYax3EWIcyUMXrOBg4fHxstbx6x8dSOMguE8KzFLJ_x442TfKXRrMT4tINmQM_D5dY6BbL5zfd7TnEzFyq2321/s2048/91kyPekH93L.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1366" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ok852qqEW5fIi7WWEhm0t-iDlK_iH_6iCZSDHVi7ZZdUUoQEbiufkUZYax3EWIcyUMXrOBg4fHxstbx6x8dSOMguE8KzFLJ_x442TfKXRrMT4tINmQM_D5dY6BbL5zfd7TnEzFyq2321/w426-h640/91kyPekH93L.jpg" width="426" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer's Guide </i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b>An Atlas Obscura Book</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">by <a href="https://www.cecilywong.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Cecily Wong</span></b></a> & <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dylanthuras/?hl=en" target="_blank"><span style="color: #351c75;"><b>Dylan Thuras</b></span></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Review Copy from<span style="color: #351c75;"> </span><a href="https://www.workman.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Workman Publishing</span></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_9i3PYbPEto6OFuFhpq_g1_Zcb-WpSJAyMzhkw3DaOxiMWTUKDFM-OXQzImTfK56edy8EgNofYP9ir2bQ5fTOD-1QjFUqbk91VRZtlK740ohNQU4gx6RAGZIW_VybBL9VwuZeTyPRIonA/s2048/9781523502196.in01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_9i3PYbPEto6OFuFhpq_g1_Zcb-WpSJAyMzhkw3DaOxiMWTUKDFM-OXQzImTfK56edy8EgNofYP9ir2bQ5fTOD-1QjFUqbk91VRZtlK740ohNQU4gx6RAGZIW_VybBL9VwuZeTyPRIonA/w640-h480/9781523502196.in01.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHK-HfFSrE9coUZ2Ky3KFrUnF2Jnkegoy3rJ2JFwmUGObWWzCEjgieUAFTYNLDm4NmAbleKJE2bwYE0Y94wBh4dp7XUHfO8BEt6NBKejFIUDYNu3mGg5GQdFkVxsaof6rdfa9q1NlzZUBe/s2048/9781523502196.in02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHK-HfFSrE9coUZ2Ky3KFrUnF2Jnkegoy3rJ2JFwmUGObWWzCEjgieUAFTYNLDm4NmAbleKJE2bwYE0Y94wBh4dp7XUHfO8BEt6NBKejFIUDYNu3mGg5GQdFkVxsaof6rdfa9q1NlzZUBe/w640-h480/9781523502196.in02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw3T64QRnddrO1h4ydm_7iH08qkyBWq9O-Cy-6od_sN5wOup9J_BZlNIW4cazX6X4HmtG8qiZkSb85Lwvu44LHMqemWav6V7bdGPDpT4zzi_sfHl4ZM3eqEizvZbVmDcwplwZojXJ3P3th/s541/9781523502196_p7_v9_s550x406.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="541" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw3T64QRnddrO1h4ydm_7iH08qkyBWq9O-Cy-6od_sN5wOup9J_BZlNIW4cazX6X4HmtG8qiZkSb85Lwvu44LHMqemWav6V7bdGPDpT4zzi_sfHl4ZM3eqEizvZbVmDcwplwZojXJ3P3th/s16000/9781523502196_p7_v9_s550x406.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6UWtoMAaMCbb7egALOxlrJls7ivivtuZOFZ9OaCsOCc6JqDE7zefsoczZ7YEo9V4WMlUToSMK6MeJa6-7kpmZRqQTUdyqqxEAV7eZ6mgMXEBbYlciaxu92Oo0s3jim6HYKM6e0nm7k7x/s2048/919dV9mqToS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6UWtoMAaMCbb7egALOxlrJls7ivivtuZOFZ9OaCsOCc6JqDE7zefsoczZ7YEo9V4WMlUToSMK6MeJa6-7kpmZRqQTUdyqqxEAV7eZ6mgMXEBbYlciaxu92Oo0s3jim6HYKM6e0nm7k7x/w640-h480/919dV9mqToS.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXKbx9CnQPByUTWih0u0duQspLdDzj831iY6pn8Kd1x4z9BjMdwLG0ePtu5MuXKoCwqXWYDqrt-l6XqPLGrMX52OgAg26i0SgvmyEliA8EQSAV1h2ukFYi4q3zHnCHwuGIGn0yGPNkdPu/s2048/91R9OikSnCS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXKbx9CnQPByUTWih0u0duQspLdDzj831iY6pn8Kd1x4z9BjMdwLG0ePtu5MuXKoCwqXWYDqrt-l6XqPLGrMX52OgAg26i0SgvmyEliA8EQSAV1h2ukFYi4q3zHnCHwuGIGn0yGPNkdPu/w640-h480/91R9OikSnCS.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRsmgbgPs020Zy2n-4aann3tD-j955b43AOKiBloeP7I-ERk0kIpnKCHOiUt4eK7CaO45ktMG7r0N8hCJOlDwxmMupXHiQzsk-VnCYzbfs0wWCfVauK1xJO0pWdzXYzY6RwJcQY7n0SFdX/s2048/91gpCYBvoZS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRsmgbgPs020Zy2n-4aann3tD-j955b43AOKiBloeP7I-ERk0kIpnKCHOiUt4eK7CaO45ktMG7r0N8hCJOlDwxmMupXHiQzsk-VnCYzbfs0wWCfVauK1xJO0pWdzXYzY6RwJcQY7n0SFdX/w640-h480/91gpCYBvoZS.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If you aren't familiar with the exception resource that is <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Atlas Obscura</span></b></a>, scroll down to catch up. I've been a fan of the online version of <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Atlas Obscura</span></b> for years and was super excited when they launched their James Beard nominated food section, <b><span style="color: #351c75;">Gastro Obscura</span></b>. A a food lover and travel lover, <b><span style="color: #351c75;">Gastro Obscura</span></b> hits my sweet spot. And, while I have been following <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gastroobscura/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #351c75;">Gastro Obscura</span> </b>on<b> <span style="color: #ff00fe;">Instagram</span></b></a> since they debuted in 2019, I was so excited when I heard they were publishing a book (that can now sit on the shelf next to Atlas Obscura: The Second Edition). Cleverly (and realizing that Instagram is mostly about the visuals) not too much information about the featured foods or locales they come from is handed out on social media. At the <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/gastro" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Gastro Obscura website</span></b></a>, you can read full articles like, "<a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/community-cookbook-publisher" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e69138;">Inside the Company Printing America's Community Cookbooks</span></b></a>," and, "<b><a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/rice-art-japan-inakadate" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;">The Epic Landscape Art of Tiny Inakadate, Japan</span></a></b>." And now, when you want a break from your screen, you can pick up this gorgeous tome and salivate as you read.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Wong and Thuras write in their introduction, "Most of the entries in this book came from the Atlas Obscura community - over half a million incredible users who share tips with us every day - and our remarkable team of editors who scour the earth to find even more wonders. What you hold in your hands is a massive, collaborative effort made possible by every person who pointed us to a surprising restaurant , a charming fruit, or a Canadian hockey arena above the Arctic Circle that locals have turned into a thriving greenhouse." It is the collaborative nature of all things Obscura that makes this such a truly amazing book. Yes, manmade monuments and natural oddities are landmarks that draw visitors from all over the world, but it is the intimacy of eating a local delicacy and experiencing a new taste, flavor combination or culinary work of art that, to me, is truly what makes visiting a new place memorable. And what makes <b><i><span style="color: #bf9000;">Gastro Obscura</span></i></b> so highly readable.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Divided into regions (Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, Canada, USA and Latin America) that in turn are divided into smaller regions, <b><i><span style="color: #bf9000;">Gastro Obscura</span></i></b>, is encyclopedic in design. There is a fascinating history lesson that comes with most entries - like K'alapurka, or Volcanic Rock Soup from Bolivia that was eaten by the conscripted native Peruvians and enslaved Africans who worked i the treacherous, disease-ridden silver mines in the 16th century. And not all entries are about food you can eat, like the giant rice straw sculptures, or Wara Art, found in Japan, and Qasr al-Haj, a stunning work of Berber architecture that is also a granary fortress in Libya. There are floating farms in the Netherlands and ancient Roman fish sauce factories to be explored as well. Then there are newer creations like beer made from fog water in Atrapaniebla, Chile (described as "crisp and refreshing with just the slightest hint of atmospheric salt") and the story of Trinidad's beloved Red Solo soda. There are also many entries with fascinating traditions and superstitions around food, including the many dallah, the Arabic coffee pot, sculptures all over the Arabian Peninsula that speak to the core significance of coffee in the region.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If you "Let curiosity be your compass" (an Atlas Obscura motto) then you will definitely enjoy traveling the pages of this fantastic, hard to put down (until it makes you too hungry to read anymore) book!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">**Hopefully you already are familiar with <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Atlas Obscura</span></b></a><span style="text-align: justify;">, the </span><span style="text-align: justify;">online catalog of obscure and unusual travel destinations, made unique by the fact that, as with all hidden local gems, these destinations are shared by people in the know. </span><span style="text-align: justify;">Founded in 2009 by Thuras and Joshua Foer, </span><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Atlas Obscura</span></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> is a global community of users who continue to help to build a comprehensive database of the world's most wondrous places and foods, with 23,310 of them contributing so far. Beyond user contributions, </span><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Atlas Obscura</span></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> is a publisher of "best-in-class journalism about hidden places, incredible history, scientific marvels, and gastronomical wonders." And, as it evolved over the years, </span><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Atlas Obscura</span></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> has gone on to now organizes events, host a </span><a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/podcast" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">podcast</span></b></a><span style="text-align: justify;">, offer courses and "lead the world's most unusual trips to the world's most remarkable places."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709134478218234844.post-26450958031292291772021-10-11T00:00:00.000-07:002021-10-11T09:03:54.053-07:00Atlas Obscura: The Second Edition, An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders (revised & updated) by Joshua Foer, Dylan Thuras & Ella Morton, 472 pp, RL: 4<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiClFQS7wvrH4sxKOuV2QRrLBcNtF7ivoQZC1X4FdocgXt77FE7rXHAlGG_DdDvMqKuHEh42KOsi37MdYQOpwGH9F9fVj_nyvhkPVJku-uqhR2VERWF5tS-HUE7ptePt4xv7wNh8a44oOO3/s2048/814X6doZlZL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1394" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiClFQS7wvrH4sxKOuV2QRrLBcNtF7ivoQZC1X4FdocgXt77FE7rXHAlGG_DdDvMqKuHEh42KOsi37MdYQOpwGH9F9fVj_nyvhkPVJku-uqhR2VERWF5tS-HUE7ptePt4xv7wNh8a44oOO3/w436-h640/814X6doZlZL.jpg" width="436" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Atlas Obscura: The Second Edition</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;"><b>Revised and Updated</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;"><b>An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">by <a href="https://joshuafoer.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">Joshua Foer</span></b></a>, <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/users/dylan" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Dylan Thuras</span></b></a> & <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/users/ella-morton" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #741b47;">Ella Morton</span></b></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Purchased from Barnes & Noble</span><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgyLqZlqlu0Dorr0TsRCZa1ucGjfVnkLAg8eCC-VFYGHxlIYdTsPossJbnE4LRW-veB-0VWllS4t4hHRXUSDCnQEThFm8MMWvIFatBJM9BNv0LF5Ylqb6KUse8LLLIvA5cNmLoSrwWtyj/s2048/A1IJomQT-VL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgyLqZlqlu0Dorr0TsRCZa1ucGjfVnkLAg8eCC-VFYGHxlIYdTsPossJbnE4LRW-veB-0VWllS4t4hHRXUSDCnQEThFm8MMWvIFatBJM9BNv0LF5Ylqb6KUse8LLLIvA5cNmLoSrwWtyj/w640-h480/A1IJomQT-VL.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYslk86WLT2AR5goS6JUAeyts0uMKpil5GRCnbOeY1L-JbQLR0DZGVTiHHPfoHQ1A2nORb88TJzCy9NTuDUWh_9pcUaFeLYuFLCRu0HCkhmIwbckw-8d6wAtOSj-LwOjmZwYgS-RAMMrYE/s2048/A1ICLeaUwlL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYslk86WLT2AR5goS6JUAeyts0uMKpil5GRCnbOeY1L-JbQLR0DZGVTiHHPfoHQ1A2nORb88TJzCy9NTuDUWh_9pcUaFeLYuFLCRu0HCkhmIwbckw-8d6wAtOSj-LwOjmZwYgS-RAMMrYE/w640-h480/A1ICLeaUwlL.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPzj3-VY-E7aqH14xFReDtb_Sy7JHNGYza69Vupi2IwWrY9EirZAYgBcQvWuSnKyV8sxM7vLNxIFHj6rtfeFPIfuyRxF6TT-ZCo5tz4csChrc0BdONbfu5QKZEthrGGhHTJFRyo1HQDFCL/s2048/9781523506484.in01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPzj3-VY-E7aqH14xFReDtb_Sy7JHNGYza69Vupi2IwWrY9EirZAYgBcQvWuSnKyV8sxM7vLNxIFHj6rtfeFPIfuyRxF6TT-ZCo5tz4csChrc0BdONbfu5QKZEthrGGhHTJFRyo1HQDFCL/w640-h480/9781523506484.in01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Founded in 2009 by Thuras and Foer, <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Atlas Obscura</span></b></a> began as an online catalog of obscure and unusual travel destinations, made unique by the fact that, as with all hidden local gems, these destinations are shared by people in the know. At <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Atlas Obscura</span></b>, a global community of users continue to help to build a comprehensive database of the world's most wondrous places and foods, with 23,310 of them contributing so far. Beyond user contributions, <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Atlas Obscura</span></b> is a publisher of "best-in-class journalism about hidden places, incredible history, scientific marvels, and gastronomical wonders." And, as it evolved over the years, <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Atlas Obscura</span></b> has gone on to now organizes events, host a <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/podcast" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">podcast</span></b></a>, offer courses and "lead the world's most unusual trips to the world's most remarkable places."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">First published in 2016, the second edition, which includes 100 new, far-flung destinations and images, twelve new city guides and a full-color foldout map for an around-the-world trip, was published in 2019. Beginning life as an online community and considering the extensive wealth of growing and changing information it encompasses, one might wonder why create a static, physical version of it? Lifting the dust jacket of the book reveals the superb motto, "Let curiosity be your compass," which, to me, is also a reason to create printed books - curiosity is sated in myriad forms. <b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Atlas Obscura</span></i></b>, the book, is for the curious readers who love the feel of a book in their hands, are armchair travelers, or just love a beautifully designed reference book. And, as Foer and Thuras acknowledge in their introduction, there is, "an Atlas Obscura yet to be written that is as comprehensive as the world itself, for wonder can be found wherever we are open to searching for it."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Divided into regions (Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, Canada, USA and Latin America) that in turn are divided into smaller regions, <b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Atlas Obscura</span></i></b>, is encyclopedic in design. Cream colored pages present chunks of information, maps, drawings, the occasional diagram and photos. "More to Explore" City Guides add to an already rich resouce. The design invites readers to flip through the pages, stopping when something grabs your attention (which, admittedly, is basically every page). It's daunting to even try to give you a mere taste of all that is included between the covers of this marvelous book. And my attempts to find the five most amazing things to share with you were thwarted every time I turned a page and discovered something new. With that in mind, I am going to open the book at random and share . . .</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">BRAZIL</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Santarém, Para - FORDLÂNDIA (or Pleasantville dropped in the middle of a rain forest) Henry Ford's $20 million jungle utopia was built in the 1920s to serve as a direct source of rubber for his cars. Staffed with employees from Michigan who couldn't adjust to the climate and marlaria, and local Brazilians who, forced to live by Ford's strict, teetotaling rules, didn't appreciate "having to wear nametags, eat hamburgers, and learn square dancing," strikes, knife fights and mayhem became the rule. Oh, also, apparently Ford didn't bother to bring in a botanist and the rubber saplings (those that actually took root) were hit by a catastrophic leaf blight. Ford spent over $200 million (in today's money) without producing a single piece of rubber to use on his cars.</div><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div style="text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: start;">CANADA</div><div style="text-align: start;">Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat - a site dedicated to caring for captive polar bears where Ganuk, currently the sole ursine resident of the habitat, roams free and occasionally paints pictures for visitors. There is also a wading pool for humans right next to the bear pool (separated by a 2 inch wall of glass) that allows visitors the chance (from May to September) to swim with the polar bears! Or at least next to them . . .</div><div style="text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: start;">INDIA</div><div style="text-align: start;">Cherrapunji, Meghalaya - The Root Bridges of Cherrapunji. Accessible via a six mile walk each way gets you to some stunning "Arbortecture." These root bridges are the result of a little human guidance and a lot of patcience on the part of the local Khasi tribe. There is even a double-decker bridge spanning 60 feet!</div><div style="text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: start;">PALAU</div><div style="text-align: start;">Eil Malk - Jellyfish Lake - Swim with a million, golden, softly pulsating, harmless, jellyfish! Need I say more?</div><div style="text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: start;">GERMANY</div><div style="text-align: start;">Munich, Bavaria - The Jeweled Skeleton of Saint Munditia. Visit Alter Peter (St. Peter's Church), Munich's oldest church, and see the skeleton of a saint who was beheaded in 310 CE. She was fully adorned and put on display in 1883, with glass eyes staring out from her skull.</div><div style="text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: start;">KENYA</div><div style="text-align: start;">Mount Elgon National Park, Western Province -Kitum Cave. Extending 600 feet into an extinct volcano, the walls of this cave have been carved out by the tusks of sodium-seeking elephants who crush and lick the chunks of salt they dislodge. But be careful - the entrance of the cave is swarming with Egyptian fruit bats, a carrier of Marburg hemorrhagic fever, a disease similar to Ebola.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">More Atlas Obscura books to love!</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMX0Ee5hJwFybx5nmrAgJZ1lu4byTxPsGycaZOwaAoCg5VNtS40vuOsGFqnhVKvxW3SwEAhIlJhmUJooCJUndWZ0AGAtDimjgE10XN1Wbl7FmLYsE1TAeK-h7VRcJGG8LovjlV0N1vC6A/s1200/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMX0Ee5hJwFybx5nmrAgJZ1lu4byTxPsGycaZOwaAoCg5VNtS40vuOsGFqnhVKvxW3SwEAhIlJhmUJooCJUndWZ0AGAtDimjgE10XN1Wbl7FmLYsE1TAeK-h7VRcJGG8LovjlV0N1vC6A/w266-h400/image.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpvCgK8NB0I7UzIp2NdJoDfXplEGubZGR96_5-r9yPRQD-hrjp9CNMfqml_AAz4Umw9U1Lawy1uNlj0baVdBLZwYGxJ5vX4WkwoPVIwNa-shJYAVfRovnMoiF5y_HmUlZcEjsZqIjRiSz/s500/61tyNorVaZL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="383" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpvCgK8NB0I7UzIp2NdJoDfXplEGubZGR96_5-r9yPRQD-hrjp9CNMfqml_AAz4Umw9U1Lawy1uNlj0baVdBLZwYGxJ5vX4WkwoPVIwNa-shJYAVfRovnMoiF5y_HmUlZcEjsZqIjRiSz/w306-h400/61tyNorVaZL.jpg" width="306" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709134478218234844.post-58117055795927971682021-10-07T00:30:00.387-07:002021-10-07T00:30:00.232-07:00The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne by Jonathan Stroud, 432 pp, RL: Middle Grade<p> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4snmROyiqVpZtOCgrR54qomnlhTYwrN0CBCInTogWfiKcKP0Oq7GbiMNykfdGStNApyvnQ-8lgc0oZzIeRSF3J8_biMOwKBMbDierkgunrG_QLBmKbDMsXKabUZuyZrQf679BnMCrxvER/s2048/91fxsoNhKLS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1356" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4snmROyiqVpZtOCgrR54qomnlhTYwrN0CBCInTogWfiKcKP0Oq7GbiMNykfdGStNApyvnQ-8lgc0oZzIeRSF3J8_biMOwKBMbDierkgunrG_QLBmKbDMsXKabUZuyZrQf679BnMCrxvER/w265-h400/91fxsoNhKLS.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne </span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">by <a href="http://www.jonathanstroud.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Jonathan Stroud</span></b></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Review Copy from Random House Children's Books</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">As a bookseller in 2003, I got my hands on an advance reader's copy of <b><i><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2014/01/the-amulet-of-samarkand-bartimaeus.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0b5394;">The Amulet of Samarkand</span></a></i></b>, the first book in Stroud's superlative <a href="http://www.bartimaeusbooks.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Bartimaeus Sequence</span></b></a>. Already five books deep into Harry Potter and enchanted with the world of wizards, I was enthralled and impressed by Stroud's markedly different story of magic and power (and the socio-political implications of such), set in an alternate England. Four books later, in 2013, Stroud debuted his new series, <a href="http://www.jonathanstroud.com/lockwoodandco.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Lockwood & Co</span></b></a>. Both my son and I devoured <b><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2013/10/the-screaming-staircase-lockwood-co.html" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: #6aa84f;">The Screaming Staircase</span></i></a></b>, anxiously awaiting each new book in what (happily) grew to a five book series. Also set in England, the ghosts of people who suffered violent deaths rise to haunt (and hurt) the living, the consequences of a violent culture literally coming back to haunt, and in some cases, destroy, the creators, consumers and perpetrators of this violence. In this world, children and teenagers are the only people able to see and sense the ghosts, and are therefore recruited/conscripted to work the front lines, cleaning up the messes made by adults. After Philip Pullman's <i>His Dark Materials</i>/<i>Book of Dust </i>trilogies, Stroud's <i>Lockwood & Co.</i> series is at the top of my favorites list - the first book is as good as the fifth and you can't wait to get to the end, but also never want it to end.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnU3DFLdf6t6OhR9NI9sVpjSZ-sEZbd0J_1VXw1iy4jXjKCTLneyPT_8CEMCAv0hDEHNibWAUogi3BDb8wOB0F4nKw2R089R7RbXzujbinwkZ0E61p_P5v98_kLg4H62Zu5j4R5uhhwvo/s2048/outlaws-scarlett-browne-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnU3DFLdf6t6OhR9NI9sVpjSZ-sEZbd0J_1VXw1iy4jXjKCTLneyPT_8CEMCAv0hDEHNibWAUogi3BDb8wOB0F4nKw2R089R7RbXzujbinwkZ0E61p_P5v98_kLg4H62Zu5j4R5uhhwvo/w400-h266/outlaws-scarlett-browne-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">With <b><i><span style="color: #990000;">The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne</span></i></b>, Stroud envisions yet another alternate England. Where his first two series were firmly rooted in a recognizable, contemporary England, despite the djinn, ghosts and creative weapons for fighting them, the England of this new series is distinctly post-apocalyptic. A cataclysm has left much of the island, now divided into seven kingdoms, flooded and filled with oversized, mutant animals (river otters that eat humans!), cannibals, slavers, outlaws and bandits. Mirroring the bleak world that <b><i><span style="color: #990000;">The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne</span></i></b> is set in, Stroud's writing (while still rich with description, especially of nature and the remains of civilization, and full of his trademark humor) leaves readers disoriented and grasping (in the best way possible) for clues to understand this new world where buses, trainers and bubble gum exists alongside a society that has an old fashioned, Wild West vibe.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Fans of Kitty Jones and Lucy Carlyle will be happy to meet yet another of Stroud's superb female characters in Scarlet McCain. With her sniper-like skills with a revolver and the ability to take out grown men with a swift punch or a knife, Scarlet seems a bit superhuman at first. But, she also carries with her (in a tube slung across her shoulders, evoking modern images of yoga moms) a much-used prayer mat. Around her neck, a cuss-box receives a penny every time she swears, which is often. Scarlet meditates to clear her mind as often as she can, but, the fast pace of the story and the non-stop action and suspense leave her little time or headspace to do so. Aspects of <b><i><span style="color: #990000;">The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne</span></i></b>, thus far, remind me of Pullman's England (of The Book of Dust, specifically) where the Magisterium (here it is the High Council of the Faith Houses) rules society and abuses children amidst continually rising floodwaters. In Stroud's new world, the "religious" order works to ensure "purity" in a rapidly changing world where mutations about in animals and humans. Infants are routinely left in the woods and, in some cases, secreted away where their mutations can be studied and harnessed. And London is nothing but the sunken remains of a metropolis, skyscrapers emerging from the waters, making up the various isles where new societies have grown.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">In one of the most hilarious scenes I've ever read, we meet the other outlaw of the title, Albert Browne. Scarlett is looking for valuables on a tour bus that she discovered, upended and with a curious hole burst through the undercarriage, when she hears a noise in the bathroom on the bus. After talking through the door, she convinces the voice inside to come out, which Albert does spectacularly, as the bathroom is now on the ceiling and awash in water. Albert, with his green jumper, floppy trainers and awed sense of wonder, is as curious as his entrance. Seeing that he is a babe in the woods, Scarlett agrees to get him to the nearest town, a journey that, between the wild beasts and wild men, would surely kill him. As it is, it almost kills the both of them anyway, but not for the reasons Scarlett anticipated. Despite being wanted for robbery and murder in all provinces, it is Albert and not Scarlett being pursued by the bowler-hatted men and the pale faced woman in black.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Why are they after Albert? You'll have to read for yourself to find out. From the wilds to the towns, then the river to the isles, Stroud's story unfolds at a breakneck pace and is impossible to put down. I devoured this book in two days, dreaming about it at night. The world building and character development unfold feel a bit sparse here, compared to Stroud's other two series. But, having read his work and knowing what he is able to deliver, I am confident that the all will develop and deepen as this series (trilogy?) unfolds.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.jonathanstroud.com/lockwoodandco.html" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-large;">Lockwood & Co</span></b></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVVIcquaPD61NEsflqMW0JtyhAFmXFq3g5ZDhy39gjqfng47kehd8VdNW_GXPKWEmdPabhc-rltF0SgkgjPEZy4WkHuFgHd5_mbR3jdrzGGMgWIdp4CAv_Mr_TUF2XpvP8zDBPtnKa76W/s700/lf-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="475" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVVIcquaPD61NEsflqMW0JtyhAFmXFq3g5ZDhy39gjqfng47kehd8VdNW_GXPKWEmdPabhc-rltF0SgkgjPEZy4WkHuFgHd5_mbR3jdrzGGMgWIdp4CAv_Mr_TUF2XpvP8zDBPtnKa76W/s320/lf-4.jpg" width="217" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBItT-DOJp3c4xmgG4IOo8uaXYY_EGTcbHPVifNCiqdMAReUwUrARVnraKehli8XyxAIjXsvvecS1EjF9znhy4PiXnvLTKAmciErNSwj8S6HsUhwXhAUFbHVeubHQYyPc6bp8l0bbgbRaW/s396/lf-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="261" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGnyQzykEW0bLHzJH2z65pb8jlJlbwK9aQ1Pb2EtxFosNsn3Z5QMMhOyposM1iFRWhyphenhyphensllrsobXjp5v191XUWt2817xpv8hF3QbTpces0wKO1FNjiYhnSCw4tnEqBVGOIDKxYd-myonM8/s320/lf-6.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGRCtwoXqG087GXrQr6TKYASXKGDgIHw0fd9CXS-YHHGGVhbXEY-NJvABis3ML7GYQl1lPnYZh2YLvyMJfJF-NZCM25zIwxnRuuk30dBMqkZD7q5cCyMVOg1W8OTJsWIOGltx0-KyBas8/s700/lf-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="462" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGRCtwoXqG087GXrQr6TKYASXKGDgIHw0fd9CXS-YHHGGVhbXEY-NJvABis3ML7GYQl1lPnYZh2YLvyMJfJF-NZCM25zIwxnRuuk30dBMqkZD7q5cCyMVOg1W8OTJsWIOGltx0-KyBas8/s320/lf-5.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bartimaeusbooks.com/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">The Bartimaeus Sequence</span></b></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTaqJ8H_kOPYkWiSpLqQG8V0p60KfTMYMhtbDlUgBuqVA_q_c_QemqVk97zRSLSipCcgEDGxEZFq_opy0T6EyivLBnooZNm1i5hMnNLLigiYkYg1NzPoKEYl40WlyjzGpsHyYbTh9TqWk/s610/The+Bartimaeus+Books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="610" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTaqJ8H_kOPYkWiSpLqQG8V0p60KfTMYMhtbDlUgBuqVA_q_c_QemqVk97zRSLSipCcgEDGxEZFq_opy0T6EyivLBnooZNm1i5hMnNLLigiYkYg1NzPoKEYl40WlyjzGpsHyYbTh9TqWk/w640-h238/The+Bartimaeus+Books.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709134478218234844.post-89687276625174454982021-10-05T00:30:00.097-07:002021-10-05T00:30:00.331-07:00Mr. Watson's Chickens by Jarrett Dapier, illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq7lDJ0ZgN_Ylj-YzYL3dlItoyme0FR3gNRzT6vEE69JsurbsN_CXmBYL3dfpNELMbkB4KCIMYBUzatCwFiJz-YnfJymFNPa7HsVgfU_4NRMXukRCnssCJJvBHB8XN8V7xDsw9liT4gtZq/s2048/91YOLk1W2kL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1698" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq7lDJ0ZgN_Ylj-YzYL3dlItoyme0FR3gNRzT6vEE69JsurbsN_CXmBYL3dfpNELMbkB4KCIMYBUzatCwFiJz-YnfJymFNPa7HsVgfU_4NRMXukRCnssCJJvBHB8XN8V7xDsw9liT4gtZq/w531-h640/91YOLk1W2kL.jpg" width="531" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i><span style="color: #f1c232;">Mr. Watson's Chickens</span></i></b> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">written by <a href="https://www.jarrettdapier.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Jarrett Dapier</span></b></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">illustrated by <a href="https://www.andreatsurumi.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Andrea Tsurumi</span></b></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Review Copy from Chronicle Books</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6tKjWdD8JuadtCnywoW5hVxNuu_L3ZdE0UAlldYLzULoTNLU5xP5fP1k-olElGhLxRiCRCBvAyLT4PAJsYFjC58-qTK_fdYILkYmSvr9OmpOcqs2_CZXXosqLACF7Qo8IBFyLTYzEqaJG/s1234/mwcweb1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1234" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6tKjWdD8JuadtCnywoW5hVxNuu_L3ZdE0UAlldYLzULoTNLU5xP5fP1k-olElGhLxRiCRCBvAyLT4PAJsYFjC58-qTK_fdYILkYmSvr9OmpOcqs2_CZXXosqLACF7Qo8IBFyLTYzEqaJG/w518-h640/mwcweb1.jpg" width="518" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Z1d06yp4IU_I0wetcewaGlx1VP26nvthd0RtEdp4K4Jz33x4-sWfF4Y7v0cChEEnuK4m8YFlI5wS1wTkSW32dGB_vKL-rVe39f9_Yd1D7OpA4EDcEx4jLgdBTw5GAtjuR-IwdFHSmzpN/s2048/81hyF1yiCPL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1263" data-original-width="2048" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Z1d06yp4IU_I0wetcewaGlx1VP26nvthd0RtEdp4K4Jz33x4-sWfF4Y7v0cChEEnuK4m8YFlI5wS1wTkSW32dGB_vKL-rVe39f9_Yd1D7OpA4EDcEx4jLgdBTw5GAtjuR-IwdFHSmzpN/w640-h394/81hyF1yiCPL.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxiAAiLCr1DfGZ1oprKUAIbA_p7aMmf2W10HOtyEpeaQMOcbTEm_ezH6G8FtKOdXxt5aBVQ-fUZveofhh7AeWNpDnsXG3Gu9bBvOa861qTGbN58VA07A5KpHDh3Q8FBbfVue42dmuGymf/s2048/91gVc7NXQOL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1263" data-original-width="2048" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxiAAiLCr1DfGZ1oprKUAIbA_p7aMmf2W10HOtyEpeaQMOcbTEm_ezH6G8FtKOdXxt5aBVQ-fUZveofhh7AeWNpDnsXG3Gu9bBvOa861qTGbN58VA07A5KpHDh3Q8FBbfVue42dmuGymf/w640-h394/91gVc7NXQOL.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2m2QvejUUaHS11xRwpmzqIwVjkSM__uGodHaF1wxob2prBbVoFO6R5uudNcqVMnb6hg9RK1LvJuFMVIgWDBQq0CzHuSnaE7_Gpvmimkf9wOvH1NCGUmPoqOBrtJXqOYHn8-yIPQvfne4q/s1000/mwcweb11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="1000" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2m2QvejUUaHS11xRwpmzqIwVjkSM__uGodHaF1wxob2prBbVoFO6R5uudNcqVMnb6hg9RK1LvJuFMVIgWDBQq0CzHuSnaE7_Gpvmimkf9wOvH1NCGUmPoqOBrtJXqOYHn8-yIPQvfne4q/w640-h390/mwcweb11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2WY6DLReawaj_lNNFT5bjPWA7nFeDFfz2fmQgODAWEtY3BfgC0Tm7HI-wMV2l8iBmaRRRT8Yr_gEfF_QgawAIY9z_RCJaaCXmmEixNMF3TlMpv4fYknv5zfkBU4t7j_b4ZElIB2rIOM1/s1000/mwcweb6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="1000" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2WY6DLReawaj_lNNFT5bjPWA7nFeDFfz2fmQgODAWEtY3BfgC0Tm7HI-wMV2l8iBmaRRRT8Yr_gEfF_QgawAIY9z_RCJaaCXmmEixNMF3TlMpv4fYknv5zfkBU4t7j_b4ZElIB2rIOM1/w640-h392/mwcweb6.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3NTRizmnDG2UEUmPQxK6F72ycAolHiiJuNdYDMEwBB9Y5TGVqdlx1ApstwK3cQ_cKA2EfuWCWa2Lms0MDZjyDlfvywbWdhnBE_5V9l3M1tuufxbqsRORLRbGFUvqJPMO6rGeuM9KUHz39/s1000/mwcweb10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="1000" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3NTRizmnDG2UEUmPQxK6F72ycAolHiiJuNdYDMEwBB9Y5TGVqdlx1ApstwK3cQ_cKA2EfuWCWa2Lms0MDZjyDlfvywbWdhnBE_5V9l3M1tuufxbqsRORLRbGFUvqJPMO6rGeuM9KUHz39/w640-h394/mwcweb10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! There are so many things to love about <b><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mr. Watson's Chickens</span></i></b>, possibly even more than the 456 chickens that live in queer couple Mr. Watson and Mr. Nelson's "big, honking house with a teeny-tiny yard in a big, honking city." Jarrett Dapier, drummer, librarian and author of <b><i><span style="color: #a64d79;">Jazz for Lunch</span></i></b>, tells the story of the hazards of an urban farm with a melodic, rhythmic beat. Andrea Tsurumi's (scroll down for more of her work) perfectly paired, intricate illustrations are filled with energy, action, emotion and feathers</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">While Mr. Watson, who reads as white, loves his three chickens as much as they love him, Mr. Nelson, who is Japanese-American (note the daruma on his desk, a portrait of a woman and man in traditional Japanese clothing hanging on the living room wall and that the men remove their shoes indoors) seems skeptical, if tolerant - at first. Soon enough, three becomes 456, with Mr. Watson gleefully accommodating the horde of chickens as they take over the house. A superb two-page cutaway shows the chickens in all rooms and on all floors doing everything from playing Twister and tie-dying t-shirts in the bathtub to having a pillow fight and performing the magic trick of cutting a chicken in half. And, as if wall-to-wall chickens were not enough, there is Aunt Agnes, the chicken who "sings" ALL THE TIME! Her refrain, "Shooby-doo, wonky-pow, bawka-bawka, in da chow-chow," is sure to have readers and listeners singing along long after the last page of <b><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mr. Watson's Chickens </span></i></b>has been turned. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">When Mr. Nelson can't take it anymore, he tells Mr. Watson that he is moving to the chicken coop - alone! - if he doesn't get rid of the chickens. Mr. Watson loves his chickens, "but he loved Mr. Nelson more. Without Mr. Nelson, his heart would be a broken egg." Thinking he can re-home his chickens at the county fair, Mr. Watson finds both disaster and solution, with a resolution that perfectly suits the tone of the story. Mr. Watson and Mr. Nelson return to a home where there are "no chickens in their soup," and "no chickens in their pajamas." As they settle into bed, their "house now an empty nest," they find a surprise hatching under their pillows.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Tsurumi excels at illustrating scenes of chicken chaos. If you read her debut picture book <a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2017/10/accident-by-andrea-tsurumi.html" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="color: #e06666;">Accident!</span></i></b></a>, then you know she has a gift for a detailed, character filled illustrations with action in every corner, making <b><i><span style="color: #f1c232;">Mr. Watson's Chickens</span></i></b> a book that will be read repeatedly and pored over almost as closely as a <span style="color: #cc0000;"><i>Where's Waldo</i></span> book. Details of domestic life, from the pair of electric toothbrushes on the bathroom sink and the mortar and pestle in the kitchen (along with the cookbook "Salt, Fat, Eggs, Eggs," a play on one of my go-to cookbooks, <b><i><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat</span></i></b> by the effervescent <a href="http://ciaosamin.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Samin Nosrat</span></b></a>), are tucked in among the pandemonium of the chickens and their activities. And, in a magnificent nod to the queer children's book creators, Tsurumi honors Arnold Lobel, James Marshall, Trina Schart Hyman, Louise Fitzhugh and the great Ursula Nordstrom (a children's book editor who worked with many queer authors and illustrators from the 1940s to the 1970s and wrote one children's book of her own, <a href="https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/ursula-nordstrom-and-the-queer-history-of-the-childrens-book/" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="color: #45818e;">The Secret Language</span></i></b></a>) with symbolic pictures (brilliantly, Fitzhugh and her most famous creation are represented with a diagram of something they both loved - a tomato sandwich) hanging on the wall next to Mr. Nelson's desk. In the couple's living room, Tsurumi includes a portrait of Tove Jansson hanging on the ancestor wall above a dancing chicken wearing a wolf suit, à la Maurice Sendak's Max. The horde of chickens in the living room also includes a dancing chicken in a striped scarf, à la Edward Gorey's Doubthful Guest, and a chicken in a kerchief, a nod to Tomie de Paoloa's Strega Nona. A two-page spread at the fair includes statues of Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Reading <b><i><span style="color: #f1c232;">Mr. Watson's Chickens </span></i></b>and noticing a couple of the queer children's book creators and/or their creations in the illustrations, I reached out to Tsurumi, who clued me in to a few more, as well as the inclusion of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, noting that this is "by no means an exhaustive list of all the classic LGBTQ+ creators in kidlit," but the handful who inspired her growing up. I grew up loving these creators as well and, as I communicated with Tsurumi and reflected on their works, I was deeply moved realizing that many of them did not live to see books like this one where a queer (human) couple and their love for each other is part of the story (but not THE story). Thank you to Jarrett Dapier for creating Mr. Watson and Mr. Nelson, thank you to Andrea Tsurumi for honoring classic LGBTQ+ children's book creators and thank you to Chronicle Books for publishing <b><i><span style="color: #f1c232;">Mr. Watson's Chickens</span></i></b>!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: large;"><i>More from Andrea Tsurumi</i></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAo98BexsA9hkTikpfbFACap2wrSauZUDrpt9sbFcN7JR88iwJ0w1ntBuSybuKZatm2N5soBrDxbCn-nYcH1WJ5QTiFGyUsKgbM-j088ofuR_QgvvSyLeospieJRdk2aKJY7NZ13H8bSAM/s640/Crab-Cake-front-cover-tsurumi-web_670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="640" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAo98BexsA9hkTikpfbFACap2wrSauZUDrpt9sbFcN7JR88iwJ0w1ntBuSybuKZatm2N5soBrDxbCn-nYcH1WJ5QTiFGyUsKgbM-j088ofuR_QgvvSyLeospieJRdk2aKJY7NZ13H8bSAM/s320/Crab-Cake-front-cover-tsurumi-web_670.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2019/07/crab-cake-turning-tide-together-by.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Crab Cake</i></b></span></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8I05Y-ZiN4BRxYK1tQSNGT2lDVIp6hr60kxDzkPT237Dsl0mtW6SKC4HXVImKIn1iI1rsST0laL-wNi01adOTTVOU8vORfbxrHXUFZwB2OMcInAODyawdCS-R5mGtPDUYHsbb4zPDzoG/s400/Accident.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="400" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8I05Y-ZiN4BRxYK1tQSNGT2lDVIp6hr60kxDzkPT237Dsl0mtW6SKC4HXVImKIn1iI1rsST0laL-wNi01adOTTVOU8vORfbxrHXUFZwB2OMcInAODyawdCS-R5mGtPDUYHsbb4zPDzoG/s320/Accident.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2017/10/accident-by-andrea-tsurumi.html" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;">Accident!</span></i></b></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMlm4N32e51WCFE4mvZq5Ue_VVPka1gNgcu9mg-_V-tSuD2SOHCBsZR8-fzK-4y-MA6KnuNKvzmm4kn00rFV0Mn3i3myAxv91M3wMHs8YLbrwSKbEZc8Xru7KauRrgGcrjJUezSSpsDnJ/s2048/81jYIQMTajL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1490" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMlm4N32e51WCFE4mvZq5Ue_VVPka1gNgcu9mg-_V-tSuD2SOHCBsZR8-fzK-4y-MA6KnuNKvzmm4kn00rFV0Mn3i3myAxv91M3wMHs8YLbrwSKbEZc8Xru7KauRrgGcrjJUezSSpsDnJ/s320/81jYIQMTajL.jpg" width="233" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OzFM2S3iXYg26bUnTAgTzjXKhUnRu1R0KjvoGICJqkbTxIUAjeSDAG1aFmqHdZarSumEKb63Sb8EopITNASSIvMrmqKU8-K8Ip-bNIjyoTiprD5iIoY_U8G4nsY9aPMDSw6P79avQMqq/s2048/91-r2GAWrhL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1438" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OzFM2S3iXYg26bUnTAgTzjXKhUnRu1R0KjvoGICJqkbTxIUAjeSDAG1aFmqHdZarSumEKb63Sb8EopITNASSIvMrmqKU8-K8Ip-bNIjyoTiprD5iIoY_U8G4nsY9aPMDSw6P79avQMqq/s320/91-r2GAWrhL.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJO8Vmv7hyphenhypheni229HC64kB89I5udcenQWusPJgJt2m67io5DbfyFohg992IgT5P9gwGp5ZgNGdSwWv8PWWl6iLj7BAUbV-Nf5Fq4jJ9wG8eUo3OFWfv5SN6srHP6XzHZo989ciTIiFMBOKMh/s396/lf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJO8Vmv7hyphenhypheni229HC64kB89I5udcenQWusPJgJt2m67io5DbfyFohg992IgT5P9gwGp5ZgNGdSwWv8PWWl6iLj7BAUbV-Nf5Fq4jJ9wG8eUo3OFWfv5SN6srHP6XzHZo989ciTIiFMBOKMh/w151-h200/lf.jpg" width="151" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxYfFuG5xw6BL0UMdEsuz58LYTFZ-dcnYzs6GHBhXlf6ePQoI4CY0z9XWz2-Way0rlH8R-i2Bu40sNMDGzBihx3JvWldxJ5C-qhww6NeXSTzr0Z5s9bm6quSiJX77IZg-anxM6jvaVG55/s1000/71LS3apqHhL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="758" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxYfFuG5xw6BL0UMdEsuz58LYTFZ-dcnYzs6GHBhXlf6ePQoI4CY0z9XWz2-Way0rlH8R-i2Bu40sNMDGzBihx3JvWldxJ5C-qhww6NeXSTzr0Z5s9bm6quSiJX77IZg-anxM6jvaVG55/w152-h200/71LS3apqHhL.jpg" width="152" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKOVkC4-dJV30bfPHOj0g-P0is1UF4oU7Nd-4e-fYbBxmaiWXWwAfaOKOealWB69qs8NliJfUmeKdP6RNvKDKMvY3VTQOqWRjuoHf4WxjFQjqhiPA-9n2_pKTqCFEOkUoBcsV2QpIV52-M/s1000/71XgRRc6Y5L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="757" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKOVkC4-dJV30bfPHOj0g-P0is1UF4oU7Nd-4e-fYbBxmaiWXWwAfaOKOealWB69qs8NliJfUmeKdP6RNvKDKMvY3VTQOqWRjuoHf4WxjFQjqhiPA-9n2_pKTqCFEOkUoBcsV2QpIV52-M/w151-h200/71XgRRc6Y5L.jpg" width="151" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ddSWHvBokOAaeZHK7lUI5DKBI4XoWiEmN0JOWfl23E1L5SVTlBhcTRCAxaAbBqE3gKgzx7vylrLWUZ3zTnURVn2CrnJz87RoVRU-0VeL1NaqQcOErfINz4P4tAgu6QXQnD2Tfd4Yqihn/s300/lf-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="242" data-original-width="300" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ddSWHvBokOAaeZHK7lUI5DKBI4XoWiEmN0JOWfl23E1L5SVTlBhcTRCAxaAbBqE3gKgzx7vylrLWUZ3zTnURVn2CrnJz87RoVRU-0VeL1NaqQcOErfINz4P4tAgu6QXQnD2Tfd4Yqihn/s0/lf-1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: large;"><b><i>More from Jarrett Dapier</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLG0lFaIv5yQjYkjFmtcEar_ZK0lSObIW9nD8xphEUeCPgGYa0KgL91rjFqw81dFJEQ6JlI1Q2aWvB9-guShU3DyDU9IwQ5rjl6sKABP3gIK_YJrBhsOAONKf7_5A96X4_uWL522aH-S1e/s1400/jazz-for-lunch-9781534454088_hr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLG0lFaIv5yQjYkjFmtcEar_ZK0lSObIW9nD8xphEUeCPgGYa0KgL91rjFqw81dFJEQ6JlI1Q2aWvB9-guShU3DyDU9IwQ5rjl6sKABP3gIK_YJrBhsOAONKf7_5A96X4_uWL522aH-S1e/s320/jazz-for-lunch-9781534454088_hr.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvNTA8NJCwyhjMO84khj7TyhFg_cZHK4pYlL_-USChVm9_0lhsm0OWvrXSLUA7sk4jxo_4ndx9BUBbjA2JV_S_lTlI3WVnkqJDaUsYDb-f4RIAcbeL0mIsJxFL_Y1DW00cIs8epNnK8KTj/s2531/jazz-for-lunch-9781534454088.in02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1243" data-original-width="2531" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvNTA8NJCwyhjMO84khj7TyhFg_cZHK4pYlL_-USChVm9_0lhsm0OWvrXSLUA7sk4jxo_4ndx9BUBbjA2JV_S_lTlI3WVnkqJDaUsYDb-f4RIAcbeL0mIsJxFL_Y1DW00cIs8epNnK8KTj/s320/jazz-for-lunch-9781534454088.in02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6_dblKK9hl2ND6ycyIeXNNQBL20LKSL0K6CJKhKiQyKP-s3R2AzhdK0wSJFaqRspFb9rk7PSqk8lsLJTcejDyDqcrfOF5Ocg3UizV_IeCT27chaw2cK5Luvpj0m6WfMC2PxFDtNzShKs/s550/9781534454088_p2_v2_s550x406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="550" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6_dblKK9hl2ND6ycyIeXNNQBL20LKSL0K6CJKhKiQyKP-s3R2AzhdK0wSJFaqRspFb9rk7PSqk8lsLJTcejDyDqcrfOF5Ocg3UizV_IeCT27chaw2cK5Luvpj0m6WfMC2PxFDtNzShKs/s320/9781534454088_p2_v2_s550x406.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709134478218234844.post-53870136789370184992021-10-04T16:44:00.006-07:002021-10-04T16:59:16.620-07:00Oh Look, a Cake! by J.C. Mckee<p style="text-align: center;"> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ4b5p5tIblly0bor7uH2I-xKnVTa5XJ36ZIuHUSdI593YSkPxOsiQJ03hyeBEYWZRVLBC1GWGaH4UcX9NbLcA_bnCV8XE2__uTbUk496LvsfO0bGsSYfNhiswlMxfcTdfO3zaqGC2Wwui/s2048/81i6CSOVr7L.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1682" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ4b5p5tIblly0bor7uH2I-xKnVTa5XJ36ZIuHUSdI593YSkPxOsiQJ03hyeBEYWZRVLBC1GWGaH4UcX9NbLcA_bnCV8XE2__uTbUk496LvsfO0bGsSYfNhiswlMxfcTdfO3zaqGC2Wwui/w526-h640/81i6CSOVr7L.jpg" width="526" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Oh Look, a Cake! </i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">by <a href="https://jcmckee.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">J.C. Mckee</span></b></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Review Copy from Clarion Books</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2w4dl-7gkCI4WGx6aaVsPkbiCxLNJVvYqbNcWLnBSvXL4d6SF62_GvGF7gVoGXCBRaDU0VtljXBwZw5jPb2j84e4c2LBMr5OggzxjIdv69MQaPeqhWjJnpOu481mP_Y_lRtfg5Ui8f-6D/s2048/71Q1NsN3pZL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1251" data-original-width="2048" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2w4dl-7gkCI4WGx6aaVsPkbiCxLNJVvYqbNcWLnBSvXL4d6SF62_GvGF7gVoGXCBRaDU0VtljXBwZw5jPb2j84e4c2LBMr5OggzxjIdv69MQaPeqhWjJnpOu481mP_Y_lRtfg5Ui8f-6D/w640-h390/71Q1NsN3pZL.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSczoIUHI5otko3X5HUQ92l4AiMZO18yNjJjvA2-tvkNogcpz8p-MrthmQS1kdoW_dgGxtnez9eY8arFNbtL9yBK9oUWGoHyVGxj3jk3Cv4KobqZ2UyIbBtLaxADOsroJgJKfgAVFfQmIw/s550/9780358380306_p2_v5_s550x406.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="550" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSczoIUHI5otko3X5HUQ92l4AiMZO18yNjJjvA2-tvkNogcpz8p-MrthmQS1kdoW_dgGxtnez9eY8arFNbtL9yBK9oUWGoHyVGxj3jk3Cv4KobqZ2UyIbBtLaxADOsroJgJKfgAVFfQmIw/w640-h390/9780358380306_p2_v5_s550x406.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWXia33tkRKDtG4Aw89s4BOJAFsd1Stzz6KNwn78oy1LI-T1OQTB3__ve5m8TV6RPdDaQb-SjbgDiUAtEf5QzYVY3Bkm0xDNM88eho6MNtyMohYTeT76ldiZ62dtYhR813wFz956qjtpH/s550/9780358380306_p3_v6_s550x406.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="550" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWXia33tkRKDtG4Aw89s4BOJAFsd1Stzz6KNwn78oy1LI-T1OQTB3__ve5m8TV6RPdDaQb-SjbgDiUAtEf5QzYVY3Bkm0xDNM88eho6MNtyMohYTeT76ldiZ62dtYhR813wFz956qjtpH/w640-h390/9780358380306_p3_v6_s550x406.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhcOcbls3lR1SPOMxj6YH2_O3YbJdJUGeiuV3hBO02hQU09Lx85gIM2qnSgRcvkpOmlCNSaWYOVk1g2nnXbMw2RlvlQiAJJALvHLcTD3TGR7c8Yj4bQGQ_CTI6tTr45rISzU1x2l4VZA7/s550/9780358380306_p4_v7_s550x406.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="550" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhcOcbls3lR1SPOMxj6YH2_O3YbJdJUGeiuV3hBO02hQU09Lx85gIM2qnSgRcvkpOmlCNSaWYOVk1g2nnXbMw2RlvlQiAJJALvHLcTD3TGR7c8Yj4bQGQ_CTI6tTr45rISzU1x2l4VZA7/w640-h390/9780358380306_p4_v7_s550x406.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sMblznGPhrRMGeioXrDzvMzGQuaamrPXNSchg0E4E_YGQkWEHtl9zrSNlXJGnSngSTvzfwZ2XAS51pUEbOH1eqMq66ZmUdVdn1fL4iXHmXJ4qzPOljoiyNrrkqSi4fos8cDQvPY0wNE1/s2048/71jJZT75DaL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1251" data-original-width="2048" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sMblznGPhrRMGeioXrDzvMzGQuaamrPXNSchg0E4E_YGQkWEHtl9zrSNlXJGnSngSTvzfwZ2XAS51pUEbOH1eqMq66ZmUdVdn1fL4iXHmXJ4qzPOljoiyNrrkqSi4fos8cDQvPY0wNE1/w640-h390/71jJZT75DaL.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">When Sloth and Lemur come across a big, beautifully decorated cake they decide to have a party. But, who to invite proves problematic. Each potential guest has their own uniquely hilarious downside. In the end, the duo decide to eat the cake themselves only to learn there are consequences for their actions.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">McKee takes a simple plot with a subtly built in lesson and, through engaging characters, crisp illustrations, and a yummy palette, creates a picture book that is a delight to read! Cake, of course, especially cake as imagined and illustrated by McKee, is the first draw of <b><i><span style="color: #c27ba0;">Oh Look, A Cake!</span></i></b> McKee improves on this cake with his two protagonists. Sloths are always excellent picture book characters and I was especially excited to see McKee pair a sloth with a lemur! I've had the privilege of seeing lemurs at my local wild animal park (as well as having watched the Kratt Brothers show from 1999, Zaboomafoo) and think McKee's pairing here is perfect. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I also especially enjoyed Sloth and Lemur's attempts to find party guests to share this gorgeous cake (with a tiger striped candle on top . . . ) with and their reasons for rejecting them. Some are obvious - Elephant will eat the whole cake. Tiger will eat the whole cake AND the guests. Peacock, Porcupine and Horse are ruled out as well. While their reason for passing over Turtle ("Sugar does things to him") and the accompanying image made me laugh out loud, the page where Sloth and Lemur debate the merits of inviting Ant is clever and imaginative - as is the illustration and the way that McKee weaves them throughout the book - and will have you thinking about it long after you have finished reading. The ending of <b><i><span style="color: #c27ba0;">Oh Look, A Cake!</span></i></b> will call to mind the unexpected, sort of ambiguous ending of Jon Klassen's <a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2011/10/i-want-my-hat-back-written-and.html" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="color: #990000;">I Want My Hat Back</span></i></b></a>, and leave readers thinking and wondering in the best way possible.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709134478218234844.post-81119851827283040972021-09-30T00:30:00.440-07:002021-09-30T00:30:00.220-07:00The Halloween Moon by Joseph Fink, 288 pp, RL 4<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMaJfxXBuKlJFQnUTJcRufh5QGAt-YwiSE3b1ODHRL9C8hQCV40ZinIZq3aNVRJfXriLUU7EB63vsLIrhXa_r6fwhqt5nrKfCPTlDeNlRycuDEKnV3ZbJlLYX7oGTsgUM_ISt79woNlm-R/s2048/81TnSZx9m0L.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1356" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMaJfxXBuKlJFQnUTJcRufh5QGAt-YwiSE3b1ODHRL9C8hQCV40ZinIZq3aNVRJfXriLUU7EB63vsLIrhXa_r6fwhqt5nrKfCPTlDeNlRycuDEKnV3ZbJlLYX7oGTsgUM_ISt79woNlm-R/w424-h640/81TnSZx9m0L.jpg" width="424" /></a><br /><span style="color: #e69138; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>The Halloween Moon </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">by Joseph Fink</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Review Copy from Harper Collins</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">A longtime fan of <a href="https://www.welcometonightvale.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #741b47;">Welcome to Night Vale</span></b></a>, a fiction podcast created by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor that started in 2012, I was excited to see what kind of weird characters and creepy aura Fink could bring to the world of middle grade novels.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">While I eschew anything related to the horror genre, I definitely like a good ghost story and will take a chance on the occasional Halloween story. Unlike me, Esther Gold, the thirteen-year-old protagonist of <b><i><span style="color: #e69138;">The Halloween Moon</span></i></b>, loves all things horror and lives for Halloween. In fact, every year as she is making her three Halloween costumes (one for school, one for trick-or-treating, and one for back-up) she watches horror movies. Esther inherited her love of the holiday from her Grandma Debbie, although her parents and siblings don't share their enthusiasm. Some pre-Halloween night drama at home requires Esther to get crafty and enlist her best friend, Augustín (who normally passes on Halloween festivities in order to spend time with his mother, an overworked tombstone engraver), to ensure a perfect night. But, this Halloween - the first full moon in nineteen years, a Halloween Moon - is far from perfect. Esther and Augustín find themselves partnering with Sasha Min, Esther's bully, and Mr. Gabler, a neighbor and dentist intent on passing out tiny toothpaste and toothbrushes instead of candy, after realizing that all the adults in their neighborhood are in a deep sleep and all the little children have disappeared. Esther, the real world "queen" of Halloween, finds herself pitted against the Dream realm's Queen of Halloween in a fight to save her family, friends and neighborhood.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I definitely think that it's challenging to write a middle grade novel in the scary story genre because there are obvious limitations to how much horror can make it onto the page without spilling over into YA or adult territory, but I would like to have seen Fink do more with <b><i><span style="color: #e69138;">The Halloween Moon</span></i></b>. I rarely review a book that I have criticisms of, but reading <b><i><span style="color: #e69138;">The Halloween Moon </span></i></b>(and having expectations based on Fink's other work) was frustrating. As I wrote my review, keeping in mind that not every reader has my taste or expectations, I found myself questioning the plot and characters. That said, I can envision young readers looking for a Halloween story enjoying Fink's story.</p>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709134478218234844.post-56873120202064187432021-09-28T00:30:00.352-07:002021-09-28T00:30:00.260-07:00The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Sophie Blackall, 256 pp, RL 4<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXwGpx3G5JDHvT6K0ftixAd3Zo-Fiz3MUS_4PZhyVLwSL-CaKD3kb2gZE-Qgz4tdV4qVL3jKzeZYDmUH_ZJXhB3oyIQXDGehRADJoutIk1NtmiCe-riyT4q8wChHqEJl0fD1IaMIM-1daC/s2048/91l9UDsWMeL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1463" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXwGpx3G5JDHvT6K0ftixAd3Zo-Fiz3MUS_4PZhyVLwSL-CaKD3kb2gZE-Qgz4tdV4qVL3jKzeZYDmUH_ZJXhB3oyIQXDGehRADJoutIk1NtmiCe-riyT4q8wChHqEJl0fD1IaMIM-1daC/w457-h640/91l9UDsWMeL.jpg" width="457" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">The Beatryce Prophecy </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">by <b><a href="https://www.katedicamillo.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Kate DiCamillo</span></a></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">illustrated by <a href="http://www.sophieblackall.com/blackboard" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">Sophie Blackall </span></b></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;">Review Copy from Candlewick Books<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTGVDnK4ml0TToJJ-uDeqApmIhK_Gj_7T5wTdZIN6mzn01x9P3acju4HOj6jgStEzEmOVUnVSa6zdZtQClFpibgL2SybKI0lCmMlKI1oC1vAU91QkMBHaO8gyefNIdI4W4n2kfZcPSvry/s1000/61VlIRF1WPS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="1000" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTGVDnK4ml0TToJJ-uDeqApmIhK_Gj_7T5wTdZIN6mzn01x9P3acju4HOj6jgStEzEmOVUnVSa6zdZtQClFpibgL2SybKI0lCmMlKI1oC1vAU91QkMBHaO8gyefNIdI4W4n2kfZcPSvry/w640-h444/61VlIRF1WPS.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGvV1ZYCwjWGwCcDQvadkF91FQzqO3Cq7EFnztcItOWFrpZ8oL7TOMuBYa885aA-IQyqKo01uNsrjiTqbs5OpzUApge_G_ZJyh2bEao-N03aAZnbM2EP06vohM22HuOg65k0tzBKxx4Xp/s1000/61RW1J8GERS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="1000" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGvV1ZYCwjWGwCcDQvadkF91FQzqO3Cq7EFnztcItOWFrpZ8oL7TOMuBYa885aA-IQyqKo01uNsrjiTqbs5OpzUApge_G_ZJyh2bEao-N03aAZnbM2EP06vohM22HuOg65k0tzBKxx4Xp/w640-h444/61RW1J8GERS.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHSSyUJUd2jP5hcKkGLBTIf1RkqvMXe2dkysWY1KEtjNA1jA4hKd3t51JylTd_fYyl5Pn5JrPJ507HasoVP_340mvg0Y0u___sInl6UMqbczaqKKgHj1Abu8U2TNDZ2H3-ky2EYhR1L9LD/s1000/715C9ea5NuS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="695" data-original-width="1000" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHSSyUJUd2jP5hcKkGLBTIf1RkqvMXe2dkysWY1KEtjNA1jA4hKd3t51JylTd_fYyl5Pn5JrPJ507HasoVP_340mvg0Y0u___sInl6UMqbczaqKKgHj1Abu8U2TNDZ2H3-ky2EYhR1L9LD/w640-h444/715C9ea5NuS.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Set in "a time of war," <b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Beatryce Prophecy</span></i></b> is a fable filled with characters who are bent, but not broken on their way to a happy ending that comes at the cost of a devastating beginning. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The titular prophecy, found in the "Chronicles of Sorrowing," speaks of a child who will unseat a king. It is a prophecy largely ignored because this child will be a girl in a realm where it is "against the law to teach a girl to read, a woman to write." When Beatryce is discovered by Brother Eidk at the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing, feverish and sleeping in the barn with Answelica, a cleverly cruel and single-minded goat who terrifies all at the monastery, he quickly discovers that she must be the child of the prophecy and does all he can to protect her. As the story unfolds, readers learn more about Beatryce, who at first has only one curious memory of the life she led before she arrived, covered in dirt and blood, at the monastery. And, as Beatryce herself recovers he memories of life before, she comes into her power - storytelling. Collecting protectors and collaborators as she flees, then faces her fate, Beatryce teaches a boy whose parents were murdered to read and is helped by the former king, who walked away from his throne to live in a tree in the dark woods, all with Answelica, her fiercest protector, at her side.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">While I love the Southern oddness of the <a href="https://www.katedicamillo.com/early_chapter_books/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #c27ba0;">Mercy Watson</span></b>/<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>Deckawoo Drive</b></span></a> books, I struggle with DiCamillo's novels for older readers. <a href="https://julieschumacher.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Julie Schumacher</span></b></a>, writer, professor of creative writing, and friend of DiCamillo's, clarified my feelings perfectly when she said of DiCamillo's writing, "There is no beating around the bush. The characters suffer. There's great suffering in these books, there's great loneliness - a sense of abandonment that pervades everything she has written." For me, this vein of suffering and loneliness - something I am able to tolerate and appreciate in children's books - is almost intolerable for me in DiCamillo's works, and I think that I finally understand why. I am a big fan of a children's book where the main character overcomes challenges, loss, hardships, suffering and danger through their own bravery, grit, intelligence and ability to love. I especially enamored of this kind of children's book when there is a mentor character, guiding, protecting and even fighting for the best interests of the main character while also standing back to let the main character learn by doing. Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiller, Sam Westing, or Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Which and Mrs. Who stand out as mentor characters from the novels I read as a child. A mentor is something I yearned for as a child and young adult, and the mentor characters in books I read as a child helped create a roadmap for how to be the mentor I never had to my own children and the children I worked with. Reading and thinking about <b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Beatryce Prophecy</span></i></b>, I realized that these mentor characters don't exist in DiCamillo's novels. Her main characters make it to the end of their stories alone - OK, but alone. I know there is value and inspiration that young readers can gain from loneliness and suffering that DiCamillo's characters experience, but for me these experiences echo the harder parts of my childhood too loudly. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">DiCamillo's skillful storytelling makes the medieval setting and brutalities of <b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Beatryce Prophecy</span></i></b> - like that fact that Beatryce's beloved brothers and kindhearted tutor are murdered in front of her, almost tolerable. But, when Beatryce finds herself summoned to the bedside of their killer, who is in agony over what he has done and wanting his confession to be recorded by a monk, the way in which Beatryce disassociates in order to live through this torturous moment of profound sadness is difficult to bear as a reader, even if she copes by writing the first lines of what will become a story that plays a significant, healing role later on in the novel. True, Beatryce does have the young, brave whistler (another survivor of a brutal murder) Jack Dory just outside, waiting to help her if needed, and the maple candies tucked into her satchel by Brother Edik (a man sent away from his home as a child because his father disliked him), and the solid, animal comfort of the goat, Beatryce is in that room with the man who murdered her brothers all by herself, and she survives all by herself. Even the character of Cannoc, the king who walked away from his throne, serves only as someone to teach Jack Dory how to fight with a sword (but not use it) and offers not much more than shelter to Beatryce. Even in a medieval setting, the adults in DiCamillo's novels do not offer comfort and safety, but are often the cause of danger. <b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Beatryce Prophecy</span></i></b> ends on a hopeful note. Beatryce is reunited with her mother, who becomes the queen, and she and Jack Dory are given the task of teaching all the people in their land to read. A happy ending, but one that does not diminish at all the pain and loss that occurred in order to reach it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709134478218234844.post-90358789952106682892021-09-23T00:30:00.007-07:002021-09-23T00:30:00.202-07:00Where is Everyone? by Tom Schamp<p style="text-align: center;"> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioExunupOgVPCwfi7D50_YbDEO78rAxsMgBpCMi7egdfJlPBRyvH61Zb_Jyd5z485JLELiMBgJWPR2RwExfv9649bH7RM5DqvMDiAoZdBMhlKEMWliR8ckwghPaqPPCWzfi2L5trvRSZ_5/s450/9783791374505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioExunupOgVPCwfi7D50_YbDEO78rAxsMgBpCMi7egdfJlPBRyvH61Zb_Jyd5z485JLELiMBgJWPR2RwExfv9649bH7RM5DqvMDiAoZdBMhlKEMWliR8ckwghPaqPPCWzfi2L5trvRSZ_5/s320/9783791374505.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b><i>Where is Everyone? </i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">by <a href="https://www.tomschamp.com/src/php/Home.php" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Tom Schamp</span></b></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Review Copy from Prestel</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLBRrYYWcZXy-JZAG8cRwoKsePupb33iVLX3mlCxfk-Kg30P6OUDqhJgJUjTR-BxtY9OaNjikbtqMg3gsg_smSvGGElbbfxskBDlng4dV7zTJWgteDemJVfMcdYmD7klerqRW9b6UMHad/s325/Screen+Shot+2021-09-01+at+3.23.36+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="228" data-original-width="325" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLBRrYYWcZXy-JZAG8cRwoKsePupb33iVLX3mlCxfk-Kg30P6OUDqhJgJUjTR-BxtY9OaNjikbtqMg3gsg_smSvGGElbbfxskBDlng4dV7zTJWgteDemJVfMcdYmD7klerqRW9b6UMHad/w200-h140/Screen+Shot+2021-09-01+at+3.23.36+PM.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXdv77wCFrmegvoVUhacGYssrSjV1Qaw5An9d2i6KLkMxWAPdirxDPIxy4UYSCcPzpMW9z919Bab6kQZSPThLMgXSDEA41MA3lm5mhLwhyphenhyphen1x1Uimo9el6OAQX36223N8PSeLnUK4xxVle/s326/Screen+Shot+2021-09-01+at+3.23.43+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="326" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXdv77wCFrmegvoVUhacGYssrSjV1Qaw5An9d2i6KLkMxWAPdirxDPIxy4UYSCcPzpMW9z919Bab6kQZSPThLMgXSDEA41MA3lm5mhLwhyphenhyphen1x1Uimo9el6OAQX36223N8PSeLnUK4xxVle/w200-h135/Screen+Shot+2021-09-01+at+3.23.43+PM.png" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio4ENoXi9HHcX7xU8W6Xg41p3od4LwdLZ_rKJ4Xt1TFmYcF7FeK00FMQPUN778nzx1puA3pMnzWoeYkLL8WY3g-PQyuLXYcdE2PNUZ68SKBa3Nl0Tu3ElxMkTgDtcvjh5D7Bmjj1I97MxB/s1440/218069944_268897785038607_2623418192877239988_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio4ENoXi9HHcX7xU8W6Xg41p3od4LwdLZ_rKJ4Xt1TFmYcF7FeK00FMQPUN778nzx1puA3pMnzWoeYkLL8WY3g-PQyuLXYcdE2PNUZ68SKBa3Nl0Tu3ElxMkTgDtcvjh5D7Bmjj1I97MxB/s320/218069944_268897785038607_2623418192877239988_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvTJVgQUAtCnlLl-CevtbaHKZNI1de22VgGlEzczqUtb-TT66PFAOal5w6JwUv5u6QXa67uSWSmLdwdBMXtciW_85uDxMViWOcamy3WZPRBpSsAxgJ1jh6Umj0jwahIsYKOz4tl2UFOCVg/s322/Screen+Shot+2021-09-01+at+3.23.11+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="322" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvTJVgQUAtCnlLl-CevtbaHKZNI1de22VgGlEzczqUtb-TT66PFAOal5w6JwUv5u6QXa67uSWSmLdwdBMXtciW_85uDxMViWOcamy3WZPRBpSsAxgJ1jh6Umj0jwahIsYKOz4tl2UFOCVg/w200-h148/Screen+Shot+2021-09-01+at+3.23.11+PM.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilkQcDx_4y-oeqG8eGjDx-Gjs81W0m6TX4Ow9W83IcL5BojYcTr0Sm26fAjIj7bysyHLh1RdB_ynufhwcV1JNVxBD29Uqkw4CDKp3yLg7wIXTiNVmAoy8GOO0WqgKH_y6LklRXR75vnOk9/s324/Screen+Shot+2021-09-01+at+3.23.28+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="207" data-original-width="324" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilkQcDx_4y-oeqG8eGjDx-Gjs81W0m6TX4Ow9W83IcL5BojYcTr0Sm26fAjIj7bysyHLh1RdB_ynufhwcV1JNVxBD29Uqkw4CDKp3yLg7wIXTiNVmAoy8GOO0WqgKH_y6LklRXR75vnOk9/w200-h127/Screen+Shot+2021-09-01+at+3.23.28+PM.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Last year I had the absolute pleasure of reviewing Tom Schamp's oversized, exuberant, engaging oversized picture book, <a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2020/03/its-great-big-colorful-world-by-tom.html" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">It's A Colorful World</span></i></b></a>. I immediately fell in love with his detailed, sort of kooky, richly colored illustrations and his visual storytelling style. I jumped at the chance to get my hands on Where is Everyone? and, even though, being a lift-the-flap board book, it is smaller in trim size and the illustrations are more singular, Schamp's style remains completely enchanting and evocative of early Ricard Scarry (think Ole Risom's <i><span style="color: #6aa84f;">I Am a Bunny</span></i>).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Over the course of fourteen pages, a ducking wanders in and out of different domestic settings, curiosity prompting questions on every page. Sometimes the shape of the item on the page, or the item itself, lend clues to questions like, "Who keeps a cool head?" which is asked while peering up at a refrigerator. Opening the door/flap reveals a polar bear and two penguins amidst the eggs, jam, mustard, and a box labeled, "Eyes." A cup of tea and the question, "Who is very thirsty?" reveals a chimpanzee on a surfboard holding a glass of juice. There isn't much rhyme or reason and no narrative, but what you do get is a glimpse into Schamp's imagination and it is really fun. Readers will laugh with surprise on every page. While I especially love the final pages where a gift and a four-tiered cake reveal special treats, I think my favorite page has to be where a toaster, a piece of toast popping up, reveals a hamster with ears in the shape of the toast!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Where is Everyone? is an out of the ordinary, marvelously illustrated board book with European sensibilities that is sure to delight.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbekW3hNRGxTA_SgS1yU3AaDDUDLQTpgwZtfhboApiJYdtRh3kJzfZ8OmlFiKywMBfrvYwNzo9H_jyD6c6gw9vb73PJiVOnnvaHbJk96nbDoaFHcaIiHRQdJpEu_lMlAim9xhFSte1ZYmq/s500/61urTQucNWL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="411" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbekW3hNRGxTA_SgS1yU3AaDDUDLQTpgwZtfhboApiJYdtRh3kJzfZ8OmlFiKywMBfrvYwNzo9H_jyD6c6gw9vb73PJiVOnnvaHbJk96nbDoaFHcaIiHRQdJpEu_lMlAim9xhFSte1ZYmq/s320/61urTQucNWL.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2020/03/its-great-big-colorful-world-by-tom.html" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">It's A Colorful World</span></i></b></a></div><br /><p></p>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709134478218234844.post-68641423318681363952021-09-21T00:30:00.001-07:002021-09-21T00:30:00.167-07:00Barkus Book 3: The Most Fun by Patricia Maclachlan, illustrated by Marc Boutavant, 64 pp, RL 2<p style="text-align: center;"> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYfKesfDrDSFCdiLjEcMdCc8TA8Im0gZJTrA49qm9acM5NSkM-ouTcVPqaOI42kvZ5bjGCKhgeRYeOVZKDYsxbzyg24bNBJJxCilmA9YsLWFHSrsAmKDG3Xa88nPMPW3F3DtBQdu6W03Eg/s1000/9781452173344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYfKesfDrDSFCdiLjEcMdCc8TA8Im0gZJTrA49qm9acM5NSkM-ouTcVPqaOI42kvZ5bjGCKhgeRYeOVZKDYsxbzyg24bNBJJxCilmA9YsLWFHSrsAmKDG3Xa88nPMPW3F3DtBQdu6W03Eg/s320/9781452173344.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #f6b26b;">Barkus</span><span style="color: #ffd966;"> Book </span><span style="color: #ff00fe;">3</span><span style="color: #ffd966;">: </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">The</span><span style="color: #ffd966;"> Most </span><span style="color: #93c47d;">Fun </span></i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">by <span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><b>Patricia Maclachlan</b></span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">illustrated by <a href="https://www.heartagency.com/artists/marc-boutavant/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Marc Boutavant</span></b></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Review Copy from Chronicle Books</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKz244TQUNey0-8IMGrqBJRmVDhtELuCpRryi2cbRA-J1c1GGlszIN47mJczuCWxzebDL3vVI_Y9UbiFjPAkvJC_8gnWqW-sda1ekUX3Zz4NwIn_H9wvSjX1nWJ7Srn26VdX0tbkG2efSw/s389/Screen+Shot+2021-09-01+at+2.48.14+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="389" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKz244TQUNey0-8IMGrqBJRmVDhtELuCpRryi2cbRA-J1c1GGlszIN47mJczuCWxzebDL3vVI_Y9UbiFjPAkvJC_8gnWqW-sda1ekUX3Zz4NwIn_H9wvSjX1nWJ7Srn26VdX0tbkG2efSw/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-09-01+at+2.48.14+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHlp3CSGYB1czZOq9XPVVW_pt5HDMT1Cy_4huxKTFKeE-J6Q3oNh3wG-qRt-Q-_fv4SNbCzAIFkWP3Qb9IS5SIGwf8nCDoPUaX357b4cfWzyGz7kHUwznb8OfshmETWT7MaT9kAP-wAVRn/s399/Barkus2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="399" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHlp3CSGYB1czZOq9XPVVW_pt5HDMT1Cy_4huxKTFKeE-J6Q3oNh3wG-qRt-Q-_fv4SNbCzAIFkWP3Qb9IS5SIGwf8nCDoPUaX357b4cfWzyGz7kHUwznb8OfshmETWT7MaT9kAP-wAVRn/s320/Barkus2.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDG0Mx1rvOEa_UqMcIroFPvQ745rX_xTu4GOu2EpfmE4MQlwhdn33kw8YgXyI9qnI6yWVlnjUnOruxbLJi9bbdJXvHROzdG8a4xXozHM32_NoDRaFcfRiM9JF9vIihwaPNvNZKv821NUMf/s400/Barkus3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="396" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDG0Mx1rvOEa_UqMcIroFPvQ745rX_xTu4GOu2EpfmE4MQlwhdn33kw8YgXyI9qnI6yWVlnjUnOruxbLJi9bbdJXvHROzdG8a4xXozHM32_NoDRaFcfRiM9JF9vIihwaPNvNZKv821NUMf/s320/Barkus3.png" width="317" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In 2018, I reviewed the first <a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2018/07/barkus-by-patricia-maclachlan.html" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Barkus</span></i></b></a> book, which became an instant hit in my library. While I missed reviewing the second book in the series (where Baby, a very smart, white kitten joins the family) I am happy to share that this third book in the series really is THE MOST FUN! As always, there are four chapters. In Book 3, each chapter corresponds with a season in nature.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first three chapters find Nicky and Barkus on outdoor adventures that begin with summertime camping, where Baby stows away in the tent. Despite mom's predictions, the kitten likes playing in the lake, listening to the owls screech at night and running with Barkus. In the chapter titled, "The Crazy Cows of Spring," Barkus channels his inner leader to herd escaped cows back to their paddock just in time to meet the newest calf. Fall is for parades, and, even though Barkus does not get to ride on the GOOD DOGS float, or even the SORT OF GOOD DOGS float, he and Baby get their picture in the paper. Finally, winter finds the family at their cabin in the snow, reading books, doing puzzles, then telling stories around the fire after dinner.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Barkus and Baby are winning characters worth spending time with. Machlachlan's sentences are short and straightforward, but her storytelling is anything but simple. Add to that Boutavant's boisterous illustrations and you have the perfect book for an emerging reader, or a superb read aloud, especially at bedtime!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHR4wXBf2zjm4My-tZVD6IN_i0hjACHvr1-mQaKPHuYR4ACPs5aGUD2yhfNAzN94vAHLiAQa27YpHACEnC4DkkMM6pzee9C4qL8QKvz2frQE2qY__zZ24gGnqwl4XoTJLi2uH6Lq2tpjMQ/s500/51GGCPeiAJL._SY300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="500" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHR4wXBf2zjm4My-tZVD6IN_i0hjACHvr1-mQaKPHuYR4ACPs5aGUD2yhfNAzN94vAHLiAQa27YpHACEnC4DkkMM6pzee9C4qL8QKvz2frQE2qY__zZ24gGnqwl4XoTJLi2uH6Lq2tpjMQ/w320-h184/51GGCPeiAJL._SY300_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709134478218234844.post-8027306310779534842021-09-17T00:30:00.001-07:002021-09-17T00:30:00.265-07:00Thankful by Elaine Vickers, illustrated by Samantha Cotterill<p style="text-align: center;"> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTvQnmIKgfq9o5rE7Sw0ryoGkwhFpK0fU1UsmkwuNVysdwt7eXvjnZZcdQ3IjEeUdp8sHbEVbELeIA8b8hhv1WNFMoL-c7d8iqFKG2B2Krjo_Lnp6zaF7r3koEOLcbhNIXWHcr6Q3I9RL/s1799/thankful-9781534477346_hr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1799" data-original-width="1399" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTvQnmIKgfq9o5rE7Sw0ryoGkwhFpK0fU1UsmkwuNVysdwt7eXvjnZZcdQ3IjEeUdp8sHbEVbELeIA8b8hhv1WNFMoL-c7d8iqFKG2B2Krjo_Lnp6zaF7r3koEOLcbhNIXWHcr6Q3I9RL/w498-h640/thankful-9781534477346_hr.jpg" width="498" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">Thankful </span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">by <a href="https://www.elainevickers.com/books/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Elaine Vickers</span></b></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">illustrated by <a href="https://www.samanthacotterill.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Samantha Cotterill</span></b></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Review copy from Simon & Schuster</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5YlWRoGCoG4W0YKmHHmr9BC7j8m6BSTdrEatdj8DpwKMe3FeG1V6DVsClX0jj-wwvLXz12rX75p7jH13C0YfiZnxVwiY0gM_XSVw0iSaVFBhwoPyDfabgxVQ3js0ePcII2x9ivEe7xWXv/s800/thankfulbooks-copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="800" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5YlWRoGCoG4W0YKmHHmr9BC7j8m6BSTdrEatdj8DpwKMe3FeG1V6DVsClX0jj-wwvLXz12rX75p7jH13C0YfiZnxVwiY0gM_XSVw0iSaVFBhwoPyDfabgxVQ3js0ePcII2x9ivEe7xWXv/w640-h408/thankfulbooks-copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoM59Z0Uqdf-F6IRwXdymsJBRMdqAQawI3_GMJfTglY-ae4NVlKXGlekoXqnGgQxxtbzWgKAeEu6eT7q9d8aEh9UXFqyIrS67PQQtnfwltWM0UOwAXLsKzOwPCqZg96IWKIos72Xxw0o6L/s2048/thankful-9781534477346.in03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1326" data-original-width="2048" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoM59Z0Uqdf-F6IRwXdymsJBRMdqAQawI3_GMJfTglY-ae4NVlKXGlekoXqnGgQxxtbzWgKAeEu6eT7q9d8aEh9UXFqyIrS67PQQtnfwltWM0UOwAXLsKzOwPCqZg96IWKIos72Xxw0o6L/w400-h259/thankful-9781534477346.in03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj10GchSkIXGGrLihfTvoDjXCEqLT5j-BgtBGgp5iW3joexDEMVh363kQ5OcW04S6hMxXb4U98qmnSr4a4YdGfPOiYl4tQqFhn7US93QKo60ZqYbdKFGCWcPYn9h-QknihlNM0Gb8Vy8BvC/s2048/thankful-9781534477346.in06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1326" data-original-width="2048" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj10GchSkIXGGrLihfTvoDjXCEqLT5j-BgtBGgp5iW3joexDEMVh363kQ5OcW04S6hMxXb4U98qmnSr4a4YdGfPOiYl4tQqFhn7US93QKo60ZqYbdKFGCWcPYn9h-QknihlNM0Gb8Vy8BvC/w400-h259/thankful-9781534477346.in06.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcWtYMQjcoyFQb_-fEXVgg2ZYplcGD4guyp7DFtjHRXbzYdID1WeRZmokoYX8HnTkZ9P-fI2NeINuezUoOGIP7r44LGBtW7b42M4Wx2nlReaN0Q5zehxva8vWG8Iaey4qQ5J4uXoXVPLG/s2048/thankful-9781534477346.in07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1326" data-original-width="2048" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcWtYMQjcoyFQb_-fEXVgg2ZYplcGD4guyp7DFtjHRXbzYdID1WeRZmokoYX8HnTkZ9P-fI2NeINuezUoOGIP7r44LGBtW7b42M4Wx2nlReaN0Q5zehxva8vWG8Iaey4qQ5J4uXoXVPLG/w400-h259/thankful-9781534477346.in07.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5k59M70IOHtKcSrd0Bv6hvXVu1uOg_my7K1f5XEY8pyDrU35XqUqzwIiOOYYJeFIg1K8cM1AnRnWgg7hwj2LDEAMuimIIuY6COITmBnbQHgji8oW2i2a1dm12EIVwCKh9mKuj9KOJbDFP/s2048/81ed0f55a23d69f34533ec1044be8a51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1335" data-original-width="2048" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5k59M70IOHtKcSrd0Bv6hvXVu1uOg_my7K1f5XEY8pyDrU35XqUqzwIiOOYYJeFIg1K8cM1AnRnWgg7hwj2LDEAMuimIIuY6COITmBnbQHgji8oW2i2a1dm12EIVwCKh9mKuj9KOJbDFP/w400-h261/81ed0f55a23d69f34533ec1044be8a51.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Thankful </span></i></b>follows a young girl as she begins her family's annual tradition. When the first snow falls, she writes down the things she is thankful for on strips of paper, linking them in a chain, adding to the chain as her year unfolds. Vickers's gentle texts illuminates all the things the narrator is thankful for, starting at bedtime with a home where she is safe and warm and a bedtime ritual with her parents. One gratitude flows to the next as the narrator goes through her day. On the bus to school, she is "thankful for a heart that beats," and in the classroom, in a circle of students sitting with eyes closed and legs crossed, she is thankful for, "every breath, in and out, in and out." At times, Vickers's words are lyrical, like when the narrator is thankful for "doors that lead to wonderful places," and, "snow that softens the whole world." But she keeps her story grounded in the physical world, noting the many everyday, but important, things the narrator is thankful for, things that we so easily take for granted, grouping them in new ways. The narrator is thankful for "things that are soft and fresh," (laundry, bread, moss on rocks) and things that are hard (pedals, handlebars, a smooth road for riding on). Returning to where she began, Vickers ends her story in the narrator's bedroom, a chain of gratitudes hanging around her window, framing the thing she is most thankful for - the world.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Cotterill's stunning 3D illustrations perfectly bring to life and deepen Vickers's story. To bring <b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Thankful </span></i></b>to life, Cotterill created sets (about 3 - 4 feet wide) building, from paper that she draws on, paints on, cuts out, and glues into everything that will go on the set, from the bookshelf, bed and desk chair in the narrator's room to the school bus, minivan and three-wheeled baby buggy. There are details galore that readers will pore over, again and again, all marvelous inspirations - along with Vickers's gratitude chain - of what we have to be thankful for.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsp1qTy_JiVUlYCFre3yqm1npDA3gbDhdFPM7E1dELd0vY9BIeSkYs2IIbKcsnSBjxdr9wptJWNIrcMP0xpi-BlNjjUPlqcKYP83cnFJx47jf8x1p9-gIJRZVHN8WkyW26wwWya45z3NYH/s500/322525.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsp1qTy_JiVUlYCFre3yqm1npDA3gbDhdFPM7E1dELd0vY9BIeSkYs2IIbKcsnSBjxdr9wptJWNIrcMP0xpi-BlNjjUPlqcKYP83cnFJx47jf8x1p9-gIJRZVHN8WkyW26wwWya45z3NYH/s16000/322525.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709134478218234844.post-23841729696957044982021-09-16T00:30:00.001-07:002021-09-16T00:30:00.260-07:00circle under berry by Carter Higgins<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKEYzceHYX_O6J4aGsO3Tq9hNvKrLZLzCgkaBnS4wnJZZLPhyphenhyphenT3V_LoLRkpjYL-UPnC1AvSiOKqL73aPI3JjIxl3K157eIRF9gYg_q0sXJY8FlepBZYNZ5cNdie3uslvAEFFN96bLIy-Z/s300/CircleUnderBerry1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKEYzceHYX_O6J4aGsO3Tq9hNvKrLZLzCgkaBnS4wnJZZLPhyphenhyphenT3V_LoLRkpjYL-UPnC1AvSiOKqL73aPI3JjIxl3K157eIRF9gYg_q0sXJY8FlepBZYNZ5cNdie3uslvAEFFN96bLIy-Z/s0/CircleUnderBerry1-1.jpg" width="300" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">circle under berry</span></b> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">by <a href="https://www.carterhiggins.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Carter Higgins</span></b></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;">Review Copy from <a href="https://www.chroniclebooks.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Chronicle Books</span></b></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RB2mgbZzW_NGo40JMA4Q6hM-e0D7uj0TVQrBPUdja8mSyr26DuAyCy5YLShrzgM9nd-7Rk6VYNMh03747dKjl56CQmmcCwaw4SjWdfLsX2vjGatUtOzW_be3ygU0ye1ORwyl-Xixn_YO/s2048/61EsOa2tBwL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1372" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RB2mgbZzW_NGo40JMA4Q6hM-e0D7uj0TVQrBPUdja8mSyr26DuAyCy5YLShrzgM9nd-7Rk6VYNMh03747dKjl56CQmmcCwaw4SjWdfLsX2vjGatUtOzW_be3ygU0ye1ORwyl-Xixn_YO/s320/61EsOa2tBwL.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdXbCSyY3_OPjH_R8RJ0IC0qWgXdz1bPaCdFafZ1TJOV2nPWPfF80F-07yjyk9Q5WV1X-WzJFYswBn8Aj1_rGUVc8Ta1c0L2zCRVO4Fj3i7pi4DcCoIb8dO36WP9eTMe-5bLWzANPio4W/s300/CircleUnderBerry4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdXbCSyY3_OPjH_R8RJ0IC0qWgXdz1bPaCdFafZ1TJOV2nPWPfF80F-07yjyk9Q5WV1X-WzJFYswBn8Aj1_rGUVc8Ta1c0L2zCRVO4Fj3i7pi4DcCoIb8dO36WP9eTMe-5bLWzANPio4W/s0/CircleUnderBerry4.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSyunLmu7RJhn0cFJ7TCHRCg-LI3kcdWqDnAYuvHt1VxcowbYXn_luQ1j842SY979xMR-H2tpmmFGb5bt8wNneo6eA45rpfvEsUgTqfsWnYlMdmmg-VDRwOP9T3JHqjvJNbapmqBlYmoRt/s300/CircleUnderBerry3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSyunLmu7RJhn0cFJ7TCHRCg-LI3kcdWqDnAYuvHt1VxcowbYXn_luQ1j842SY979xMR-H2tpmmFGb5bt8wNneo6eA45rpfvEsUgTqfsWnYlMdmmg-VDRwOP9T3JHqjvJNbapmqBlYmoRt/s0/CircleUnderBerry3.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="color: #f1c232;">Circle Under Berry</span></i></b> is whats known as a concept book in that it teaches a concept like shapes, colors, ABCs, opposites, etc. With preposition rich text that goes beyond color and shape identification, it reads more like a book of metamorphoses than a concept book. Higgins stacks shapes and words in this vibrantly illustrated book that invites readers to think about things in transformative new ways. Opening endpapers present nine shapes cut from hand-painted paper on a crisp, white background, evoking the work of Eric Carle. Over the course of the book, these shapes are stacked and rearranged, then presented in new ways, the text guiding and questioning - "Is it berry over circle or circle under berry?" and "Is this orange? Is it oval? Is this frog or square or green?" These nine shapes reappear on the closing endpapers, collaged into new and interesting things. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's a challenge to write about an interactive, original book like <b><i><span style="color: #f1c232;">Circle Under Berry</span></i></b> - take a minute to watch the video below to get a better idea of what a delight it is to read. Then scroll down for my reviews of Carter Higgins' other superb picture books!</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eFS33aHKZTE" width="320" youtube-src-id="eFS33aHKZTE"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"><b>More from Carter Higgins!</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZWOjXo0B-nm6xEThCHPvV6gr60BWfuoB3TBl6YZ6fd1H94yi9zXshb-qQIqSaUYCzwEwQ3e7Br0DsbLuME6QaMxB3KYBnbNq_tRRUO2tTWEF70PfPx2xnHxe0UsspFfnTf-Y5rTodw7d/s640/Bikes-For-Sale_FC-838x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="524" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZWOjXo0B-nm6xEThCHPvV6gr60BWfuoB3TBl6YZ6fd1H94yi9zXshb-qQIqSaUYCzwEwQ3e7Br0DsbLuME6QaMxB3KYBnbNq_tRRUO2tTWEF70PfPx2xnHxe0UsspFfnTf-Y5rTodw7d/s320/Bikes-For-Sale_FC-838x1024.jpg" width="262" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2019/04/bikes-for-sale-by-carter-higgins.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Bikes for Sale</i></b></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_yw2u0BcSfv7UvgL-qN7ma52KCL5TCpDymeoY7aVbKuIcNbfgXEjAsKB4Ww-bumhkH0ACMugucO8p7geC-gr-mHQq_ZRXETVb-aU9cxBUhGcfWoRusoNNWb0wDrXNhIfXBz7iZOygIVb/s499/51B4u87aYVL._SX364_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="366" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_yw2u0BcSfv7UvgL-qN7ma52KCL5TCpDymeoY7aVbKuIcNbfgXEjAsKB4Ww-bumhkH0ACMugucO8p7geC-gr-mHQq_ZRXETVb-aU9cxBUhGcfWoRusoNNWb0wDrXNhIfXBz7iZOygIVb/s320/51B4u87aYVL._SX364_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="235" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2018/08/everything-you-need-for-treehouse-by.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;"><b><i>Everything You Need for a Treehouse</i></b></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFI3udzjOSYxInLT2ZNdsCJ-VEa_CUxVSoidwAFrEV_9kGDiUzwyPqOp9TdnvjXac84xA-_gt8WgQrX6oI2-EFTNfhFW9H8-AwnuSB03gufvXytY5d8XGCkVt6akTwgoR2UbUwcxdz9eo/s595/9781452153742_p0_v1_s600x595.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="595" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFI3udzjOSYxInLT2ZNdsCJ-VEa_CUxVSoidwAFrEV_9kGDiUzwyPqOp9TdnvjXac84xA-_gt8WgQrX6oI2-EFTNfhFW9H8-AwnuSB03gufvXytY5d8XGCkVt6akTwgoR2UbUwcxdz9eo/s320/9781452153742_p0_v1_s600x595.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2018/02/this-is-not-valentine-by-carter-higgins.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>This is Not a Valentine</i></b></span></a></div><br />Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709134478218234844.post-24935025397373777612021-09-14T00:30:00.096-07:002021-09-15T12:04:26.555-07:00See the Dog: Three Stories About a Cat by David La Rochoelle, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka, Reading Level 1.5<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBWWCev_iTMfNOxVnfuXcNhAg5GPsVBB12c7ZQYP7lUJYZxqrmR_muvrJCeQ_3RhIuxQ0Nsii-9raC0Y5lXBOU96lFbGRGefTqXjf9honIeiQVznrW7QIrmPwMixdoG6fstwREmaKSOAJ/s450/9781536216295.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBWWCev_iTMfNOxVnfuXcNhAg5GPsVBB12c7ZQYP7lUJYZxqrmR_muvrJCeQ_3RhIuxQ0Nsii-9raC0Y5lXBOU96lFbGRGefTqXjf9honIeiQVznrW7QIrmPwMixdoG6fstwREmaKSOAJ/s16000/9781536216295.jpg" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>See the Dog: Three Stories About a Cat </i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">by <a href="https://www.davidlarochelle.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">David La Rochoelle</span></b></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">illustrated by <a href="https://www.mikewohnoutka.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Mike Wohnoutka</span></b></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Review Copy from Candlewick Press</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUR4993xtfuNY2ABMlq59WwscbTFRxW1uo6wn7Efbo-pR-ChMLj8d3Fwu87bnicEKA4Tt46PIYCqImFrgtnetQhkvJzNG1uOVTVFa0xioZwxlxp40W5cS7652XVYKcjmBkVBRqT0mQ_u2R/s1000/51WkbjBl4TS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="1000" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUR4993xtfuNY2ABMlq59WwscbTFRxW1uo6wn7Efbo-pR-ChMLj8d3Fwu87bnicEKA4Tt46PIYCqImFrgtnetQhkvJzNG1uOVTVFa0xioZwxlxp40W5cS7652XVYKcjmBkVBRqT0mQ_u2R/w400-h278/51WkbjBl4TS.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisy1lo7f9vGGsh497Qs3uYj9w3HcDGDu8__0IreykNeU6PUUgDPdLSeXVozbtdr_AGRuhbJlLJQ4pbAJwasIIUywBnD2euIXRTN6ueMlj9ixiwNiyZX3vyhpWcb4SQxDv9oIyThfN8866p/s1000/51Yba3ujj5S.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="1000" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisy1lo7f9vGGsh497Qs3uYj9w3HcDGDu8__0IreykNeU6PUUgDPdLSeXVozbtdr_AGRuhbJlLJQ4pbAJwasIIUywBnD2euIXRTN6ueMlj9ixiwNiyZX3vyhpWcb4SQxDv9oIyThfN8866p/w400-h278/51Yba3ujj5S.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The team that brought us the superlative picture book (and great social-emotional learning text) <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><span style="color: #45818e;">How to Apologize</span></span> won the 2021 Theodore Seuss Geisel Award for their beginning reader, See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog, which is also a very fun read-out-loud. If you read <b><i><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2021/08/see-cat-three-stories-about-dog-by.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog</span></a></span></i></b>, then you caught a glimpse of Baby Cakes (in a green dress and riding a pink unicorn) and are primed for <b><i><span style="color: #e06666;">See the Dog: Three Stories About a Cat</span></i></b>. And you also know that the humor (and the tension) comes from the fact that the narrator and the main character have some conflicts to work out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And again, there are some great twists and laughs that I don't want to ruin for anyone, so I will not be divulging much of the plot of this book, which begins with the cat telling readers, in a word bubble, that the dog is sick and asked for a Baby Cakes to take his place. As with all great children's book buddies (Frog and Toad, Elephant and Piggie, Ivy and Bean) opposites attract. Where Dog was a bit of a rule follower who tried to work with the narrator, Baby Cakes is ready for action and full of ideas. The title page for each of the three stories in this book (and the first) hold clues in their illustrations for what is to come. Story number one has a bright yellow hardhat beneath the title and story number two, "See the Lake," has an illustration of an open bag of marshmallows, Most surprising, the third story, "See the Sheep," has an illustration of a hammer. I don't think I'll be giving too much away by telling you that Max makes an appearance in this third and final story . . . </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I'm not sure where Max and Baby Cakes can go from here, but I have no doubt that the brilliant minds of David LaRochelle and Mike Wohnoutka will figure it out!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_g6kDeFDIVIaA4mVQkayroX6t4d2iR7EGXhfDlZT2L1TU4OQRwBbt3fzvHmzbky1RHzqBRF4_IpiCiigZ-Z_Eq_COSGqEfZU_XgoItI11RvpJSRKC0vBeGHJSs7eiB8uLfcNdWmPWLd6/s400/51itI2%252BhWxL._SX360_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="290" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_g6kDeFDIVIaA4mVQkayroX6t4d2iR7EGXhfDlZT2L1TU4OQRwBbt3fzvHmzbky1RHzqBRF4_IpiCiigZ-Z_Eq_COSGqEfZU_XgoItI11RvpJSRKC0vBeGHJSs7eiB8uLfcNdWmPWLd6/s320/51itI2%252BhWxL._SX360_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="232" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2021/08/see-cat-three-stories-about-dog-by.html" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-large;">See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog</span></i></b></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsslKJxfurO_5YckJx36msd7fAbXFHuh7JRMacozQL00tkU2I__Fe7Ch17bG1RXBCWsgfNesfIGPxFYVCC_gWPTjINJmU4-59pptdhbKBlYN5lovZQYn6tJB7pfxUPuTLFk0lHdCiR2YnE/s450/9781536209440.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="450" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsslKJxfurO_5YckJx36msd7fAbXFHuh7JRMacozQL00tkU2I__Fe7Ch17bG1RXBCWsgfNesfIGPxFYVCC_gWPTjINJmU4-59pptdhbKBlYN5lovZQYn6tJB7pfxUPuTLFk0lHdCiR2YnE/s320/9781536209440.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2021/07/how-to-apologize-written-by-david.html" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: x-large;">How to Apologize</span></i></b></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709134478218234844.post-71214890809961911422021-09-10T00:30:00.095-07:002021-09-10T00:30:00.220-07:00Ciao, Sandro! words by Steven Varni, pictures by Luciano Lozano<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGxtYA982pVpIDu_cOzsYtS6CaKbIOiJtNLacWBlJqT6s8gah5uAu2p5BHYUZBTbnvb7Zk-T5AugUmm2G2Ql1CSxEph_ciOpt_jesMl3m7gZU0VgHSE2Gq09krtWiQS4dtbrUtE_LeqCy/s1200/61KXD5FJ4QL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="972" data-original-width="1200" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGxtYA982pVpIDu_cOzsYtS6CaKbIOiJtNLacWBlJqT6s8gah5uAu2p5BHYUZBTbnvb7Zk-T5AugUmm2G2Ql1CSxEph_ciOpt_jesMl3m7gZU0VgHSE2Gq09krtWiQS4dtbrUtE_LeqCy/w640-h518/61KXD5FJ4QL.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Ciao, Sandro!</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/veneziablog/?hl=en" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Steven Varni</span></b></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">pictures by <a href="https://lucianolozano.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #76a5af;">Luciano Lozano</span></b></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Review copy from Abrams Books</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqde1u0VdueVaal3YB2xJK3aco9OzMJ7WBg-4VWn8tSYkY1TcwmxK_9GXUboxVIktc7Wp3rd6wuUfw3OFtozbQt3b0BOS0ILuDJVXTKQA8wqw0Ufu5HJe3Iz7EwGnBtGsl0hzuq0Dt-Xj/s2750/01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="2750" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqde1u0VdueVaal3YB2xJK3aco9OzMJ7WBg-4VWn8tSYkY1TcwmxK_9GXUboxVIktc7Wp3rd6wuUfw3OFtozbQt3b0BOS0ILuDJVXTKQA8wqw0Ufu5HJe3Iz7EwGnBtGsl0hzuq0Dt-Xj/w640-h266/01.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtuV1_y2wrFE2VYEmplIz6ffYVs6xKBr3sX50DmAbKqp0ljgsTxgAKfgYhbo6bpsK88J0ISFyLZH46GBjPm3h8QyC4_m27BuzKtR-iJZ7_Tm6LynurkjmyupkuSA8NVK5hFDH7N_74A_N9/s1020/61uAkhTdrPL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="1020" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtuV1_y2wrFE2VYEmplIz6ffYVs6xKBr3sX50DmAbKqp0ljgsTxgAKfgYhbo6bpsK88J0ISFyLZH46GBjPm3h8QyC4_m27BuzKtR-iJZ7_Tm6LynurkjmyupkuSA8NVK5hFDH7N_74A_N9/w640-h260/61uAkhTdrPL.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHzC5VcLfCLqSB2dnh4wHAvoueamsV_9ySZDsva64ZowgoBLR407NNEOXcQASPrraGULlvUuggBJ8k5Gy-m7fb6iwCV20AzRWcf69JjrDtdGZnDc5zKhUFL3mOVNN4iNgkDgb4y3G8yRs0/s1020/51CwBmNg-BL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="1020" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHzC5VcLfCLqSB2dnh4wHAvoueamsV_9ySZDsva64ZowgoBLR407NNEOXcQASPrraGULlvUuggBJ8k5Gy-m7fb6iwCV20AzRWcf69JjrDtdGZnDc5zKhUFL3mOVNN4iNgkDgb4y3G8yRs0/w640-h260/51CwBmNg-BL.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsYO4kIvosYo01EBpW-UKfdCqEzlXnBPa1i8FQfGJwPnGZReQxakL1NWcTWTv5Kh6JOp5C_dQLunq2bkpfXStmpuD9yuQd1BEpsqAlv47VUewehK2O_xw1eQ95SnG4i2M38PJ6J0gg0STl/s2750/10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="2750" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsYO4kIvosYo01EBpW-UKfdCqEzlXnBPa1i8FQfGJwPnGZReQxakL1NWcTWTv5Kh6JOp5C_dQLunq2bkpfXStmpuD9yuQd1BEpsqAlv47VUewehK2O_xw1eQ95SnG4i2M38PJ6J0gg0STl/w640-h266/10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Ciao, Sandro! </span></i></b>follows a gondolier's dog as he traverses the city of Venice, visiting friends of his owner, Nicola. Final pages reveal the reason for Sandro's visits - he was making sure that no one forgot Nic's surprise birthday party! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">For readers who know nothing about the city of Venice, <b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Ciao, Sandro! </span></i></b>is a superb introduction and inspiration to learn more - although I do wish that a map of the city could have been included. Varni, a resident of the city for over ten years (and author of a superb <a href="https://veneziablog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e69138;">blog</span></b></a> with stunning photos about living and raising a child Venice) and Lozano do a fine job giving readers an idea of how different life is in an ancient city filled with canals. I had the great fortune - and pleasure of carrying a stroller up and down the stairs of the seven bridges we crossed twice daily to get from our lodging to the heart of the city - of visiting Venice many years ago. The very things that fascinated me during the few days I was there, things I think will resonate with young readers, are what Varni presents here. Luzano's illustrations capture the colors and complexity of the city, along with the diversity of tourists and residents alike. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Sandro begins his mission on a tourist filled <i>calli</i> among a "forest of slow-moving legs and feet," where he passes an overloaded delivery cart being pulled along. There are no UPS trucks on this island where cars are banned! Sandro quickly slips down one of the narrow alleys that native frequent and tourists are befuddled by. Varni evokes life in this magical city, writing of the sounds (a water bus that sounds like a "grumpy sea monster getting out of bed") and smells ("salty like the sea or muddy and weedy like the lagoon") that guide real Venetians through the maze-like streets. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Sandro visits Alvise while he is operating his <i>espurgopozzineri</i> boat. A glossary lets readers know that Alvise and his boat are emptying septic tanks housed on the bottom floor of some buildings. The glossary also lets readers know that most toilets and sinks empty directly into the canal, where the tides wash the waste out to sea twice a day. Sandro visits Francesca and her produce boat before crossing bridges and campi to board a vaporetto that will ferry him to a glassmaker's studio, probably on the nearby island of Murano, although Varni doesn't name it. Returning to Nic, man and dog make their way home where the guests are waiting to cheer, "Buon compleano, Nicola!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">My family has made three international trips and I made sure that my kids read - or had read to them - as many books about and set in the cities and countries we would visit as possible. Once there, we visited as many bookstores as possible to add to the collection. In 2008, we went to Italy, visiting Naples, Florence, Venice, and Rome. There were - and continue to be - very few picture books set in Italy, let alone Venice - in English (translation or otherwise), making <b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Ciao, Sandro! </span></i></b>an much needed addition to the shelves!</div><p></p>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709134478218234844.post-30912267011364913552021-09-09T00:30:00.004-07:002021-09-09T09:02:11.768-07:00Paranorthern and the Chaos Bunny A-Hop-Calypse, written by Stephanie Cooke, art by Mari Costa, 240 pp, RL 4<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYyJ6vJlpqDbaglB4q61QRjKk8xZY0zgPLNp_kSaz8bQxtwucYQP80TYP6hVPUYzJEqGd9k1XzB_B8mizyzBPDOM8IlpTqClgyE0x1c1fmYidaF6Bw86q2WkJzMtVJiY8wCs8LKXunztn3/s1200/ParaNorthern_book_cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="825" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYyJ6vJlpqDbaglB4q61QRjKk8xZY0zgPLNp_kSaz8bQxtwucYQP80TYP6hVPUYzJEqGd9k1XzB_B8mizyzBPDOM8IlpTqClgyE0x1c1fmYidaF6Bw86q2WkJzMtVJiY8wCs8LKXunztn3/w440-h640/ParaNorthern_book_cover.jpg" width="440" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;"><b><i>Paranorthern and the Chaos Bunny A-Hop-Calypse</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">written by <a href="https://stephaniecooke.ca/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #a64d79;">Stephanie Cooke</span></b></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">art by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/marinscos/?hl=en" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Mari Costa</span></b></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;">Review copy from <a href="https://www.hmhbooks.com/imprints/etch" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #999999;">ETCH</span></b></a><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhR5_Aek7OBynrls_g6cBhSfUGeQ7h6qRLPSL5_QHFBESxYNJzmTWKkxibFi7-WslswBY3Da5RmGHw9VNJd_-6GobPwL8eUAOa0YtJC4bTf3r46UmgElCUNCGICba-qmObKqNvzC9dyByF/s1024/paranorthern-page-10-717x1024.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="717" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhR5_Aek7OBynrls_g6cBhSfUGeQ7h6qRLPSL5_QHFBESxYNJzmTWKkxibFi7-WslswBY3Da5RmGHw9VNJd_-6GobPwL8eUAOa0YtJC4bTf3r46UmgElCUNCGICba-qmObKqNvzC9dyByF/w448-h640/paranorthern-page-10-717x1024.png" width="448" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5MIt-amN7u4xjsNDKSXAxCx2cTGOMsvIcvrjGRPyYil_-Ctp2wqO3DlYGXrxUefNPs8JxiFMBnZ8FKhFi-ac_N3L9Aw2J6b08hyphenhyphenN9oJnHoE_LqMJ2AXz1mNHjLG3oeO67vvbTkvfL9q0n/s1024/paranorthern-page-11-705x1024.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="705" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5MIt-amN7u4xjsNDKSXAxCx2cTGOMsvIcvrjGRPyYil_-Ctp2wqO3DlYGXrxUefNPs8JxiFMBnZ8FKhFi-ac_N3L9Aw2J6b08hyphenhyphenN9oJnHoE_LqMJ2AXz1mNHjLG3oeO67vvbTkvfL9q0n/w440-h640/paranorthern-page-11-705x1024.png" width="440" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidSLhdei-r3bMAoxh9EWEBRfsb5nWSeX9dUBBz1hbKmOuTHJ5eWT6l6bqNzos_b9ZnBnyIe8jMUUaUtmeC07IK-NAnnPn6SE91N5J2wCaEc4DHuqI5zysNptUAGex0yTJP9POq5Vg9h-VA/s1000/paranorthern2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="727" data-original-width="1000" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidSLhdei-r3bMAoxh9EWEBRfsb5nWSeX9dUBBz1hbKmOuTHJ5eWT6l6bqNzos_b9ZnBnyIe8jMUUaUtmeC07IK-NAnnPn6SE91N5J2wCaEc4DHuqI5zysNptUAGex0yTJP9POq5Vg9h-VA/w640-h466/paranorthern2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">With <b><i><span style="color: #e69138;">Paranorthern and the Chaos Bunny A-Hop-Calypse</span></i></b>, Cooke takes a handful of familiar fantasy elements - witches, ravens, werewolves, discovering and owning your (magical) power - and adds a ghost in a hijab, a pumpkin-headed character who finds all pumpkin-spiced delights barbaric (in spite of the fact that pumpkins are rarely harmed in the making of such treats) and a coffee house where you can get a shot of luck, a "good-day infusion" and other potions added to your drink to create a fantastic, unforgettable story. My one regret is that my review copy of this book was not in color, but I sense that Costa's warm palette of purples and oranges add both an eeriness and intimacy to Cooke's story.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">In the united supernatural community of North Haven, Abby Morgan is busy during her fall break brewing up lattes at Witch's Brew, keeping an eye on her little sister Ella, studying her craft and hanging with friends (when she has time) during her fall (rather than summer, an idea I personally adore) break. When Abby unknowingly opens a portal to another world, she knows she has to close it as soon as possible. She just doesn't know how - this is magic way beyond her abilities and education. Abby struggles to believe that she can fix the chaos (in the form of adorable white bunnies with fangs and bulging red-eyes) but is buoyed by the support of her friends - the outspoken, pumpkin headed Silas, the hijab wearing ghost Hannah, who has just immigrated from a different dimension, and Gita, a werewolf with psychotherapist parents. She is also given insight into her ancestors by a visit from the spirit of Morrigan, a powerful witch who helped shape the supernatural community through personal sacrifice and by her mother, who shares the truth of a family folktale. All these elements combine to give Abby what she needs to close the portal, banish the bunnies, clean up the community and see the sun set over the pumpkin patch.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Cooke weaves many fascinating threads into her story, like the myth, <i>The Three Ravens</i>, a story within the story. Short but really gripping, this tale (Cooke's knowledge of Greek mythology from her <a href="https://stephaniecooke.ca/projects/oh-my-gods-book-1/" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Oh My Gods!</span></i></b></a> series coming into play) making me want to know more about Morrigan and her daughters. While the possessor of magical powers getting in touch with their inner strength/voice/self in order to understand and unlock their magic feels familiar, I definitely appreciated that Abby is aided in this quest by mutual crush Gita, who sits her down for a therapy session in the "safe space" of her parents' office. I was also intrigued by Hannah, an immigrant who sheds some light on portals. Authorized portals require a travel visa to pass through, while "unauthorized portals can upset the balance of the whole world and let in invasive species from other dimensions." Knowing that Hannah is a hijab wearing immigrant, it's hard not to read real world issues into this magical situation and wonder what or if Cooke, a Canadian, is making any kind of comment. Finally, while both of Abby's parents are dedicated to using their magical powers to help people, the fact that Abby's father chose to leave his wife and daughters, and the united supernatural community of North Haven, to "thrive in the wilds with the recluse covens" where he is a high priest, leaves Abby wondering how he could "change that much and suddenly want something completely different?" And worse, Abby worries that her inherited power might change her.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I am excited to see where Abby's new found power (and new girlfriend) take her in what I hope is a long running series!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: large;"><b>More by Stephanie Cooke!</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2rKgyzvqxN8Dvo0YPVl620HCrNwXgqi75wnQHxC7qt__VVW3-UPLRSXwIsDrI2A2m4_iej7zF7iNuBjp09EIhKVP2PgMFkQ-8oJpCZRT0KV1PEzotswx9UrovWW-2p_dgkmq0-TzNf8p/s1200/oh-my-gods-cover-book-one.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="847" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2rKgyzvqxN8Dvo0YPVl620HCrNwXgqi75wnQHxC7qt__VVW3-UPLRSXwIsDrI2A2m4_iej7zF7iNuBjp09EIhKVP2PgMFkQ-8oJpCZRT0KV1PEzotswx9UrovWW-2p_dgkmq0-TzNf8p/s320/oh-my-gods-cover-book-one.jpg" width="226" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sw9b4szpRANFiDgiextoeuueg6UfLGwjFpJsl63GK3U62D2JepRj8PmcZ0JhsQ6D0rUD7u4HAyhJ2D1lNamSbrRTvw-vD3MfakwmSY-c-hF1CyneAQHuXknccGmDn4KXXUDq6eme-Dw3/s1200/omgs2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="825" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sw9b4szpRANFiDgiextoeuueg6UfLGwjFpJsl63GK3U62D2JepRj8PmcZ0JhsQ6D0rUD7u4HAyhJ2D1lNamSbrRTvw-vD3MfakwmSY-c-hF1CyneAQHuXknccGmDn4KXXUDq6eme-Dw3/s320/omgs2.jpg" width="220" /></a></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709134478218234844.post-9929612084184142222021-09-07T00:30:00.191-07:002021-09-07T00:30:00.238-07:00Witches of Brooklyn: What the Hex?! by Sophie Escabasse, 240 pp, RL 4<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhba9TH8rTootvS4PdGP4sanznC06-Ts893VY6OWNbiMCFTf0ZtHEicku5dIBeOGMErU2hbGkrg37GJoStS7zL7CHOZkfZNgS2s3BOPQhbwQgphMXCNhMFxK3VeNIGA473lk6sZoJ0KO_7t/s450/9780593125441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhba9TH8rTootvS4PdGP4sanznC06-Ts893VY6OWNbiMCFTf0ZtHEicku5dIBeOGMErU2hbGkrg37GJoStS7zL7CHOZkfZNgS2s3BOPQhbwQgphMXCNhMFxK3VeNIGA473lk6sZoJ0KO_7t/s16000/9780593125441.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-size: large;"><b><i>Witches of Brooklyn: What the Hex?! </i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">by <a href="https://www.esofii.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Sophie Escabasse</span></b></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Review Copy from <a href="https://www.rhkidsgraphic.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">RH Graphic</span></b></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9D88qVz1WIIi_Wio9RDKrxkyZv-oNjZLwcwi2Lo5S-Q_gbCLwME-C2EwAPma3abG1jJWI11gzTGtMhkfYFqQDhq8ADIaL_YWT_gKoOOa5jou8K6Ff5uqtj5TmzO3fXC5UvwlIfCEdseLX/s1000/714-IRtSDLL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="727" data-original-width="1000" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9D88qVz1WIIi_Wio9RDKrxkyZv-oNjZLwcwi2Lo5S-Q_gbCLwME-C2EwAPma3abG1jJWI11gzTGtMhkfYFqQDhq8ADIaL_YWT_gKoOOa5jou8K6Ff5uqtj5TmzO3fXC5UvwlIfCEdseLX/w640-h466/714-IRtSDLL.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikpYOzO2wjGIsitmZymnMcSHp_k1nIi-kLa36LZaAWizp-RtrOtkDMl-jHeE2OQ8r4-F8bMWOlPCVJr4hW0Gaq6HKgkH_pBDnj0XaRm2g_g3epMep5xJ_sq3xp8hU66F3QgA9L9i7NnMPt/s1000/71kgqHBP-XL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="727" data-original-width="1000" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikpYOzO2wjGIsitmZymnMcSHp_k1nIi-kLa36LZaAWizp-RtrOtkDMl-jHeE2OQ8r4-F8bMWOlPCVJr4hW0Gaq6HKgkH_pBDnj0XaRm2g_g3epMep5xJ_sq3xp8hU66F3QgA9L9i7NnMPt/w640-h466/71kgqHBP-XL.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVYNm77OMc6Hz6ykVPi-tCRPDzQ0f4NOcKHSAbzKwe6EIMg4_4_H7rhGZCcwSSXCtD-Ln-fYPJJ08wxxOpwDG_oEC_juhqSs7louNyNPIS398GW-9bL-LBJfIyLVZQ52WA8BW0h2c28ZF/s1000/71nOo8%252BMh3L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="727" data-original-width="1000" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVYNm77OMc6Hz6ykVPi-tCRPDzQ0f4NOcKHSAbzKwe6EIMg4_4_H7rhGZCcwSSXCtD-Ln-fYPJJ08wxxOpwDG_oEC_juhqSs7louNyNPIS398GW-9bL-LBJfIyLVZQ52WA8BW0h2c28ZF/w640-h466/71nOo8%252BMh3L.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0jDdUtn0ED_axSdTipf6Dx4e85ht5m4rw34R_0gU6XjIWTHnDzCGyFh6XyKEcEBZZcF4sBGSDzDvFEsU6rmq5-H5Vv5MY4FkK9BOzp0D66xAtSP0iomW1FwA5tB5zAyPhwPThEKtu3Ro/s1000/718w-94lHhL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="727" data-original-width="1000" height="465" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0jDdUtn0ED_axSdTipf6Dx4e85ht5m4rw34R_0gU6XjIWTHnDzCGyFh6XyKEcEBZZcF4sBGSDzDvFEsU6rmq5-H5Vv5MY4FkK9BOzp0D66xAtSP0iomW1FwA5tB5zAyPhwPThEKtu3Ro/w640-h465/718w-94lHhL.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My only complaint about <a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2020/09/witches-of-brooklyn-by-sophie-escabasse.html" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Witches of Brooklyn</span></i></b></a> was that it left me wanting more. Now, a year and a week later, the next book in the series has arrived and is even more satisfying than the first, if that is possible. While Escabasse sets her story in the real world, she also builds a world that warm and inviting, despite the snowy weather, icy statues and teenage muggers. Where the first book in this trilogy, which had its share of sadness as Effie, who lost her mother, came to live with her aunts, Selimene and Carlota, was about introducing Effie to her powers and beginning her magical education, <b><i><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">What the Hex?!</span></i></b> finds Effie being introduced into her community. Effie is amazed at the diversity of the witches in Brooklyn, noting, "They're all so different . . . each one has their own area of expertise." Teachers, librarians, midwives, psychologists, DJs, social workers, computer programmers, scientists, all have one thing in common - "They're all people taking care of people . . . they're all very much involved in their communities and always alert to what is happening."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Escabasse marvelously balances (and mirrors) a challenge to the community and a personal challenge in Effie's life in <b><i><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">What the Hex?!</span></i></b>. A "stormy corner" on Sixth Avenue seems to be causing all sorts of accidents and calls for investigating, while a new kid at school threatens Effie's friendship with Berrit and Oliver. With the help of the wise Carlota and a stellar new character (no spoilers) Aunt Ma, Effie learns that words are powerful magic and (in one of the best analogies I have very heard) that, "Talking about a problem is like opening a window in a stinky room."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As with the first book, Escabasse's crisp, detail-rich illustration style is entirely engrossing and her skill at capturing emotions in facial expressions adds depth to her story. I always love a book that mentions other works of art and literature, giving readers more to explore, and Escabasse does not disappoint. Effie and classmates are reading the unforgettable Newbery winner, <a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2016/02/the-war-that-saved-my-life-by-kimberly.html" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">The War That Saved My Life</span></i></b></a>. And, a sculpture is described as being influenced by <a href="http://nikidesaintphalle.org/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #ff00fe;">Niki de Saint Phalle</span></b></a>. De Saint Phalle was an amazing French-American artist, sculptor, author, and architect and I had the honor of living just up the road from one of her sculpture parks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgacCTfZn1BqohKOhJmkVZ1iYJ_WHnJ1jYwe9Um521-BAmW_H2PqK6Pz810BuaLCOstLFsjYqTDIDW6_tm1s8RSt73sJ1rW8D3_Q8iNYphsg2t0LTHQnMU-miu13YUC7Fn-e2pYnK1dyvpl/s400/51342413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="278" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgacCTfZn1BqohKOhJmkVZ1iYJ_WHnJ1jYwe9Um521-BAmW_H2PqK6Pz810BuaLCOstLFsjYqTDIDW6_tm1s8RSt73sJ1rW8D3_Q8iNYphsg2t0LTHQnMU-miu13YUC7Fn-e2pYnK1dyvpl/s320/51342413.jpg" width="222" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.books4yourkids.com/2020/09/witches-of-brooklyn-by-sophie-escabasse.html" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Witches of Brooklyn</span></i></b></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02172778520685967018noreply@blogger.com