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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 15, 2011

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Forty-Six

Life can be hard when something about us looks different, when we don't look like everyone else in some way. We went to fit in, and we feel that our differentness is a liability or a trial that we have to bear. This picture book take a look at how one little cat discovers, with a little help from her friends, that being different isn't that bad after all.

Elizabeth Schoonmaker
Picture Book
For ages 5 to 7
Simon and Schuster, 2011, 978-1-4424-0619-3
Square Cat   Eula is a square cat, and more than anything she wishes that she was round like her friends Patsy and Maude. Eula’s squareness makes it impossible for her to fit in mouse holes, and when she tips over, she has a terrible time getting back up. Eula’s square shape makes it hard to her to find clothes that fit right or that look nice, and Eula gets so unhappy that she loses her purr.
   Thankfully, Eula has two wonderful friends. Patsy and Maude are determined to cheer Eula up. At first they try to help Eula to feel as if she is round, but when that doesn’t work, they come up with another idea.
   In this charming debut picture book by author and illustrator Elizabeth Schoonmaker, we meet a cat who is different, and who does not like the fact that she is different. With a little help from her loyal friends, she discovers that there are times when being different is actually an asset.
   This heartwarming story will put a smile on reader’s faces, and it explores an important issue in a clever and thoughtful way.

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