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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.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book two hundred and fifty-three

When you try to do something that you have never done before, and if you don't know what you are doing, things can go wrong. Very wrong. A souffle can come out of the oven as flat as a pancake, a broken pipe can flood the house, and a home hair dyeing kit (blond) can turn your hair green. It is, generally speaking, a good idea to read a book about how to make a souffle, how to fix a pipe, and how to successfully dye your hair so that you do not end up with green hair. Of course, there are always those individuals who just can't be bothered, who don't read directions or the small print. Today's story is about just such an individual.

Emily Gravett
Picture Book
For ages 5 to 7
Simon and Schuster, 2009, 978-1-4169-8270-8
   One day a little green frog finds a book of spells. He wishes that the book was about boats and that he is a pirate sailing the seven seas. But it isn’t. He wishes that the book was about castles and that he is “a handsome prince kissing a beautiful princess.” But it wasn’t. He is just a frog and the book is just a book of spells
   Then the frog finds a page with the words “Spell to become a Handsome Prince” at the top. Unfortunately, the pages in the book have been rather torn up and mixed up. There is no way of knowing which piece of page goes where. After many rather unfortunate mis-spells, the frog finally turns himself into a prince. At last he is going to be able to fulfill all his dreams. Or maybe not.
   Magic fans of all ages will find it hard to resist this clever picture book. Children will love the divided interior pages, and they will laugh out loud when they see what happens to the frog when he tries to fulfill one of his wishes. It would appear that it is VERY important to read the small print, especially when you are casting a spell. 

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