Welcome!

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.

Monday, March 21, 2011

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Eighty

Many years ago I discovered Shirley Hughes' Alfie books. I quickly fell in love with her characters and have been collecting the books ever since. In today's picture book, we meet Annie Rose, Alfie's little sister. Readers will surely appreciate Shirley Hughes' sensitive portrait of family life.

Shirley Hughes
Picture Book
Ages 3 to 6
Random House UK, 2003, 978-0099408567
Annie Rose is a little girl and she is a little sister. Like all little sisters, she wants her big brother to play with her, to read to her, and to share his friends with her. Annie Rose’s big brother tells us all about his little sister, and he is delightfully honest about her. We can quickly see that though she can be very exasperating at times, he loves her very much indeed. The little boy knows all her funny ways, the games she plays, and what she likes to do. He is ready to admit that she is good at playing, but he also offers up the information that he finds it "very annoying" that she "always wants to play with my toys. She seems to like them better than her own."
   With her signature illustrations, Shirley Hughes has created yet another wonderful book about childhood and the doings of children. She seems to be able to understand all the things that are important to a small child, and puts them together in such a way that we have a complete and rounded picture of a certain child's small, very important, little world. There are the toys and books, best friends, daisy chains, trips to the beach, temper tantrums, and all those significant things that make up the daily happenings in a child's life.

No comments:

Bookmark and Share