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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.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Two

Three and a half years ago, on our farm in Virginia, we had two ducks who waddled around, eating insects in the vineyard and terrorizing the dogs. Though Scout and Jemima were not very brainy, they were very funny, and Jemima very generously laid eggs for us that we all enjoyed eating. I would like you to meet Duck and Goose, a pair of wonderful little birds created by Tad Hill. Every time I see a picture of these two I am reminded of my own ducks.


Tad Hills
Picture Book
Ages infants to age 3
Random House, 2006, 978-0-375-83611-4
   One morning Duck sees a large round thing lying in the grass. It is covered with colored spots, and Duck immediately decides that he has found an egg. Goose sees the same round thing, and he too decides that the object is an egg. Both birds then lay claim to the egg. Duck says that the egg is his because he “saw it first.” Goose insists that the egg is his because he “touched it first.”
   Soon a full-scale argument is raging around the egg, and after a lot of “fussing,” “slipping and sliding,” “honking and quacking,” the two birds manage to seat themselves on top of the egg. They are not getting along mind you, and the only thing they can agree on at first is that they “mustn’t disturb the little one” who is inside the egg.
   This charming picture book shows to great effect how two very different personalities can overcome their differences and find a common ground. Both Duck and Goose are strong willed and stubborn, and neither one wants to give in. Thankfully, something comes along that unites them in a very special way.
   This is one in a series of books about Duck and Goose. 

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