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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.

Monday, August 29, 2011

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book two hundred and forty-one

Earlier in the year I reviewed a book called The Big Wicked Toddlah. I am delighted to be able to tell you that Kevin Hawkes has created another title about the overly large toddler that is just as amusing as the first one was. This time the ginormous toddler goes to New York City for a vacation where he has some rather dramatic adventures. 

The Wicked Big Toddlah Goes To New YorkKevin Hawkes
Picture Book
For ages 4 to 6
Random House, 2011, 978-0-375-86188-8
   Toddie the enormous (and I do mean ENORMOUS) toddler is going New York City to get “a little culture.” Toddie’s mother warns her enormous child not to touch anything, and his father explains that “the trick to bein’ a tourist is to blend in with the locals.” This is a very noble sentiment to be sure but one cannot help wondering how they are going to blend in when they have a huge toddler with them.
   The family begins their big city adventure by going to a baseball game, and Toddie has a grand time watching the game, cheering, and doing the wave. After the game is over, Toddie’s parents travel on the train, and Toddie follows the vehicle across the city because he is too big to fit inside. At one of the train stops Toddie gets distracted, and before he realizes what is going on he finds himself all alone.
   For a while Toddie is upset, but then he meets a dog who leads the big child to a park where there are lots of other children. He has a grand time playing all kinds of “toddlah” games, and then some of Toddie’s new friends invite him to go to the Museum of Natural History with them. Toddie’s big city adventure is turning out to be a great deal of fun.
   Readers who have a little brother or sister of their own will have a grand time reading about Toddie and his adventures. They are sure to love the funny ending, and to see how Toddie, despite his enormous size, manages to keep some things secret from his family.
   This is the second book about the Wicked Big Toddlah that Kevin Hawkes has created.

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