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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 24, 2011

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book two hundred and ninety-seven

Most of us, at some point, wish we could do something interesting that is different from our everyday lives. Sometimes those of us who pursue an adventure, end up having some unexpected misadventures instead. Today's picture book is about a little girl whose quest for a little excitement does not quite go as planned. 

Mathilde Stein
Illustrated by Mies van Hout
Picture Book
For ages 5 to 7
Lemniscaat, 2008, 978-1-59078-635-2
   It is summertime, and a little girl is bored because there is no one to play with and nothing to do. Luckily a “big, ugly villain” comes along and kidnaps the little girl. Finally she is going to have a little excitement in her life. Of course, the little girl tells her dad that she is being kidnapped. Dad, who is working in his study, tells her to remember to brush her teeth and to “Have fun.”
   The little girl has every intention on having fun. She and the villain have a wild ride on a horse through the forest until they get to the villain’s den. The villain is in a terrible mood and he goes to bed “without saying goodnight.” The little girl decides that she will try to cheer him up, and she gives his den a makeover while he is asleep. Instead of being pleased, the villain behaves very badly and he then explains that he intends on having the little girl for breakfast. The little girl is very peeved. Her adventure has not turned out as she had hoped and she is not going to accept being stuck with “an ordinary old child cruncher.” What a nuisance!
   Children who suffer from bouts of I’m-bored-itis and there-is-nothing-to-do-itis will surely appreciate this clever and unique picture book. The will appreciate the little girl’s keen need to do something interesting (for a change), and will laugh out loud when they see how she deals with the child cruncher.

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