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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, October 3, 2011

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book two hundred and seventy-six

Most families have traditions that they value, things that they like to do together. And most families have at least one family member who needs to be handled delicately. There is the grandpa who likes to talk about his war experiences (for hours), or the aunt who criticizes everything and everyone, or the grandma who loves to pinch cheeks hard. In today's picture book readers get to share a Sunday dinner with a large family and their Auntie Mabel, a lady who likes to deliver long blessings before the meal.  

Vanessa Brantley Newton
Picture Book
For ages 4 to 6
Blue Apple, 2010, 978-1-60905-029-0
   Every Sunday, the people in Auntie Mabel’s family go to her house for a family dinner. It is a typical Sunday, and the table and sideboard is loaded down with delicious food, and everyone is sitting around the dining table. Poppa says that it is time to pray and he starts to say grace, which when Auntie Mabel cuts in with her own prayer.
   Auntie Mabel blesses all the dishes that are waiting to be eaten. Then she blesses all the children, the President of the United States, the schools, the teachers, Pastor Bob, and then she starts to bless the chairs. Clearly something has to be done before it is too late, and all the food is spoiled.
   This funny and heartwarming picture book celebrates a family gathering and the traditions that the colorful family members share. With love and a sense of humor, the family members solve what could be an awkward situation. 

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