Through the Looking Glass Book Reviews: Fall is here

Welcome!

Dear Book Lovers, Welcome! I am delighted that you have found The Through the Looking Glass blog. For over twenty years I reviewed children's literature titles for my online journal, which came out six times a year. Every book review written for that publication can be found on the Through the Looking Glass website (the link is below). I am now moving in a different direction, though the columns that I write are still book-centric. Instead of writing reviews, I'm offering you columns on topics that have been inspired by wonderful books that I have read. I tell you about the books in question, and describe how they have have impacted me. This may sound peculiar to some of you, but the books that I tend to choose are ones that resonate with me on some level. Therefore, when I read the last page and close the covers, I am not quite the same person that I was when first I started reading the book. The shift in my perspective might be miniscule, but it is still there. The books I am looking are both about adult and children's titles. Some of the children's titles will appeal to adults, while others will not. Some of the adult titles will appeal to younger readers, particularly those who are eager to expand their horizons.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Fall is here - I think

Though the first day of autumn (for the northern hemisphere) was a week ago, it has been so hot here in southern Oregon that it has felt like high summer. To top it off, we have had numerous wildfires in the area, and the valley has been flooded with smoke. Yesterday, finally, it began to cool off and the smoke dissipated. I was able to see the mountains again, and I actually noticed that some of the trees in town are starting to lose their leaves. Today it might even rain!

In honor of these changes, I am going to share a review with you. The book, Leaf Trouble, is a delightful title about a squirrel who experiences his first fall.

Leaf Trouble

Jonathan Emmett

Illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church

Picture Book

Ages 4 to 7

Scholastic, 2009, 0545160707

One morning, when he smells the fresh breeze blowing around his tree, Pip Squirrel realizes that “something’s changed.” For the first time Pip sees that the leaves on his oak tree are no longer green. They are yellow, orange and red. The sight surprises the little squirrel so much that he literally falls down to the ground. He becomes quite distressed when he sees that the leaves are not only changing color, but they are falling off the tree.

Frantically Pip and his sister Blossom collect up the fallen leaves and they try to stick them back on the tree. Alas, this does not work and Pip and Blossom are a loss. What can they do to save their beloved tree.

Through the eyes of a charming little squirrel, Jonathan Emmett shows young children that change can be a good thing. Wonderful things happen as the seasons unfold, and we can both look forward to what is happening now, and we can look forward to what is to come.

Jonathan Emmett’s story is beautifully complimented by Caroline Jayne Church’s warm multimedia illustrations, which have a unique three-dimensional component.