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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.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Eighty-Six

Being different is not an easy thing to get used to, even if you are a cat. Today you are going to meet Caramba, a cat who, unlike the other cats in his world, cannot fly.

Marie Louise Gay
Picture Book
Ages 5 to 8
Groundwood Books, 2005, 0-88899-667-5
   Caramba is a cat, and like all the other cats, he has “soft fur and a long, stripy tail.” He likes to eat fish, and he purrs when he is content. However, there is one thing that Caramba cannot do. He cannot fly.
   Unlike all the other cats in his world, Caramba cannot fly, and this worries him a great deal. He discusses his situation with his friend Portia, who is a little pink pig. Though he tells Portia that he doesn’t want to try to fly, in secret Caramba does try. Again and again he tries and tries to fly, but it never works. Eventually, Caramba gives up.
   Caramba’s cousins, Bijou and Bug, cannot believe that Caramba cannot fly. “Every cat knows how to fly,” they say, and they laugh at poor Caramba, who can do so many things – except fly. Then Bijou and Bug decide that they will give Caramba a flying lesson. Little do they know that their lesson will reveal that Caramba has a hidden talent.
   This delightful book is a tribute to all those people (and cats) who are not like everyone else. It is not easy being different, and at times it can be a big trial, but at the same time, being different can have its rewards.
   With her signature watercolor, pastel, and pencil illustrations, Marie-Louise Gay gives her readers a story that is memorable and heart-warming. 

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