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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.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Thirty-Nine

I have a tendency to gravitate towards people who are different, and in films and books I find myself cheering on the character who dares to be unusual, who is proud of the fact that he or she is not one of the flock. In this book you will meet a sheep who refuses to behave like your average follow-the-leader sheep. She wants more out of life; she wants adventure, and she has the courage to be the kind of sheep that she wants to be.
Brave Charlotte (New York Times Best Illustrated Books (Awards))Anu Stohner
Illustrated by Henrike Wilson
Picture Book
Ages 4 to 8
Bloomsbury, 2005, 1-58234-690-9
Right from the start Charlotte is not like the other sheep. Instead of standing in the field in a docile sheep-like manner, Charlotte likes to climb trees, go for swims in the river, climb mountains, and explore the countryside. The other sheep, Jack the sheepdog, and the shepherd all think that  her behavior is very odd, and they all wish that she would settle down and behave like a proper sheep.
   Then one day the shepherd falls down and breaks his leg. Poor Jack doesn’t know what to do, and the older sheep cannot bring themselves to make the long and dangerous journey to the farmer’s house to get help. Of course Charlotte doesn't have these reservations at all. She sees nothing wrong with going to get help even if  “a sheep has never gone to the valley alone.”
   So Charlotte sets off on her long trip, and she even manages to get a lift along the way, for Charlotte is a very special sheep indeed.
   This wonderful picture book beautifully shows the reader that there is nothing wrong with being different, nor is there anything wrong with having dreams and being adventurous. Often it is those of us who have the courage to be true to ourselves who end up making a difference in the world, just as Charlotte does when she sets of on her courageous mission. Spare and yet meaningful paintings compliment the text to make this is winning and thought-provoking book.
   

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