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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, February 13, 2011

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Forty-Four

Valentine's Day is only a day away, so I have chosen a book that I think perfectly captures the confusion that comes with falling in love. Thankfully, in this tale at least, the characters figure out what is going on and there is a happy ending.


Ingrid and Dieter Schubert
Picture Book
For ages 5 to 8
Boyds Mills Press, 2009, 978-1-59078-659-8
   It is a beautiful morning, and Ophelia the hippo has just woken up. She floats on her back in the water and looks at the pretty flowers in the tree over her head. Then Ophelia hears someone calling her name. She can tell that it is Kevin, and when he tells her that he has “butterflies in my stomach,” Ophelia gets very worried.
   Quickly Ophelia runs to the shore carrying a medical kit. She sees Merrkat standing on a rock, and she tells the little animal that Kevin has a stomachache. Meerkat decides to give Kevin a hot-water bottle, because hot-water bottles are very useful when you have a stomachache.
   Next, Ophelia and Meerkat meet Frog. Meerkat tells Frog that Kevin “has a terrible cramp. And his throat hurts.” Frog decides that what Kevin needs is some herbal tea. Soon Ophelia is trotting through the forest with Meerkat (carrying a hot-water bottle) and Frog (carrying a pot of tea) in her wake. What none of the animals know, is that Kevin does not have a stomach-ache at all. Instead, he is suffering from a very common and non-lethal complaint. Poor Kevin is in love.
   In this charming picture book, young readers get to meet a very warm-hearted group of animals who are prone to exaggerating, and who discover that love is a very contagious condition.
   The loveable characters and amusing story in this book are perfectly complimented by the charming illustrations. 

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