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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, November 26, 2012

Picture Book Monday - A review of Zephyr takes Flight

I imagine that most children, at some point, dream about flying. Often children pretend that they are flying a plane high in the sky, or they pretend that they have wings that allow them to fly like a bird, bat, or dragon.  Such dreams and games are so wonderful, and it is always disappointing when they are over.

In today's picture book you will meet a little girl who is crazy about planes, and who wants to fly in a plane of her own more than anything else in the world.

Steve Light
Picture Book
For ages 6 to 8
Candlewick Press, 2012, 978-0-7636-5695-9
   Zephyr loves airplanes. In fact she spends a great deal of time making planes out of various materials and then playing with them. Her dream is that one day she will be able to fly in one of her own planes.
   One day Zephyr does a triple loop-de-loop in the sitting room (bouncing on the couch in the process) and she crashes into a piece of furniture. Plates, glasses and other items are broken, and Zephyr’s parents are furious with her. They send Zephyr to her room where she sadly makes a paper plane. The plane lands behind a dresser, and when Zephyr pushes the dresser away from the wall so that she can retrieve the plane, she finds a little hidden door in the wall. On the other side of the door is a room that is full of planes, plane parts, plane plans, books about planes and travel, and the tools one needs to build and design planes. For Zephyr, the room is a kind of heaven. Then she gets an idea and her life gets even better.
   There are times when our hobbies, or passions, get us into trouble. This is exactly what happens to Zephyr in this book. Thankfully for Zephyr, and for us, Steve Light decides that his little girl character deserves to go on a splendid adventure, and this is exactly what she does.
   With a delicious and magical story that is paired with wonderful illustrations, this is a picture book that dreamers of all kinds will enjoy.

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