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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.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Seventy-Eight

Some years ago a book came out called The Gruffalo. In the story, there is a monster who has charmed thousands of young readers and their families. Now the Gruffalo is back, and he has his little daughter with him. In today's picture book young readers will see how the Gruffalo's child makes a very important discovery.
The Gruffalo's ChildJulia Donaldson
Illustrated by Axel Scheffler
Picture Book
Ages 5 to 7
Penguin, 2005, 0-8037-3009-8
   On a cold wintery day, the Gruffalo tells his child that no gruffalo should ever set foot “in the deep dark wood.” The child, of course, is curious to know why the deep dark wood is dangerous for gruffalos, and her father explains that the Big Bad Mouse lives there. This terrible creature has strong muscles, a “terribly long” tail, eyes that are like “pools of terrible fire,” and wire like whiskers.
   One snowy night, while her father is snoring away in their cave, the Gruffalo’s child sneaks off and she goes into the woods. She soon sees a trail in the snow and she wonders if this is the trail of the Big Bad Mouse. When she gets to the end of the trail, she discovers that the trail was made by a snake. Next the Gruffalo’s child sees glowing eyes looking down at her from a tree, but the eyes do not belong to the Big Bad Mouse either. They belong to an owl.
   After finding a number of animals who are not the Big Bad Mouse, the Gruffalo’s child finds a mouse that is small and certainly not bad. In fact, the mouse would make a tasty “midnight feast” for the Gruffalo’s child. The mouse then tells the Gruffalo’s child that he has a friend that the little gruffalo “ought to meet.”
   In this delightful picture book, the Graffalo’s child discovers that it wise to listen to her father’s warning. Readers who enjoyed the first book about the Gruffalo will love this new tale with its engaging rhyming text and its 

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