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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, January 11, 2016

Picture Book Monday with a review of Sanctuary

Some picture books were clearly written just for children. Others will appeal to adults who love to look at beautiful art, or who like to give their imagination an airing. And then there are picture books that can be enjoined equally by children and adults because the message is so universal. Today's picture book is just such a title. Children will be drawn into the simple narrative and perhaps they will think about what makes them feel safe and secure. Adults may find themselves wondering what their sanctuary is too. Is it a place, a person, or something else altogether?

SanctuarySanctuary
Wendy Marloe
Illustrated by Joanna Chen
Picture Book
For ages 6 and up
Marloe Press, 2015, 978-0-9823495-3-3
When a group of people are asked what they think of when they hear the word “sanctuary,” each person will probably come up with a unique answer. For some, a cozy nook in a window seat might be a sanctuary, while for others their sanctuaries might be out in the fresh air, perhaps amongst trees in the woods or on top of a high hill.
   In this memorable book a minimal text is paired with beautiful illustrations to explore what sanctuaries are. They can be places where we share a part of ourselves, places like a stage. Or they can be places where we can be alone, such as a chair in a library. A sanctuary can be a structure “made out of stone, or cloth, or cardboard or wood,” or alternately it can be “the space between here and the horizon.”
   A sanctuary can be a solitary place under the covers where we hold onto a beloved stuffed animal so that we can have a quiet cry, or it can be picnic place in the woods where we go to play and laugh with others.
   This is the kind of book that children and grownups alike will enjoy sharing. It is a book that will give readers something to think about, and they will enjoy sharing the artwork, and the imagery in the words, with others. 

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