Welcome!

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.

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

Let's Celebrate Chocolate!

 

This year a lot of people gave us chocolate as gifts. Sampling these sweet treats gives me a great deal of enjoyment, and I happily confess that I am having chocolate at least twice a day. Today is National Chocolate Candy Day here in the United States, so it seems fitting that we should take a look at this delicious confection. I should note here that the Americans use the word candy the way other English speakers use the word sweet. I have reviewed several books that feature chocolate  over the years. Please take a look at them. 
   The word “chocolate” comes from the word “xocoatl” or “chocolatl.” Mayan “school” means hot or bitter, and the Aztec “atl” means water. Chocolate comes from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia and grows in Mexico, Central America, and Northern South America. The earliest known documentation of using cacao seeds is from around 1100 BC. Long before it was ever made into a sweet confection, the seeds were ground into a beverage. In the ruling classes the beverage was used for medical purposes. 
   In 1828, a Dutch inventor and chemist, Coenraad Van Houten, developed a way to produce chocolate in a solid form. His hydraulic press made it possible to remove the cocoa butter from the cacao. His invention lead to the production of a powder and drinking hot chocolate was very popular. This development paved the way for the first chocolate confections.

A few Chocolate Facts
*Whitman’s produced their first box of chocolate in 1842.
*In 1847, British chocolate company J.S. Fry & Sons combined cocoa butter, cocoa powder, and sugar-producing the first edible chocolate bar.
*The invention of the conching machine by Rodolphe Lindt in 1879 ushered in the mass production of the creamy treat.
*The first chocolate Easter egg was made sometime in the early 19th century. In 1875 John Cadbury introduced his first chocolate egg.
*When Allied troops stormed the beach of Normandy on D-Day, part of emergency rations and in soldiers’ packs included the D ration bar designed by Hershey Chocolate company for the U.S. Army.

Thursday, December 23, 2021

Eloise - One of my favorite book characters

 


When I was around five I was given a copy of Eloise, a book written by Kay Thompson and illustrated by Hilary Knight. The book was originally called  Eloise: A Book for Precocious Grown-ups, and it was  published in 1955. In 1969, the adult-oriented book was re-released as a children's book, and no changes were made to the text or the artwork. I can truly say that I still love this book, and I think that many adults would full in love with Eloise if they took the time to meet her. I naturally reviewed this first book for Through the Looking Glass Book Reviews, how could I not, and you can take a look at this review on the website

In 1958 Eloise in Christmastime was published and once again we see how Eloise manages to drive everyone around her to distraction, and leave chaos in her wake. At the same time, she is oh so loveable and this festive book is a treat. 


Wednesday, December 22, 2021

A time for giving and wishing - And a review of Wish


On Friday, Saturday, and last night, we had small groups of people over to celebrate the festive season. For all of us, these gatherings were particularly special because we have not been able to see much of each other in the last two years. The gift of each other's company is always marvelous, but right now it feels especially splendid. 

My biggest wish for the coming year is that soon we will all be able to gather with our friends and families as we used to. I think we now appreciate that our times together truly are a gift that we should never take for granted. Wishes are powerful things, my friends, so keep on wishing and hoping. 

Wish
Picture Book
For ages 5 to 7
Quarto, 2019, 978-1-78603-346-8
Every year there is a day when wishes rise from the earth. They fill the air with sparkle and hope, dancing here and there, and if you are lucky a wish chooses you. On one of these wish days Rabbit was chosen by not one wish, but by three. Rabbit had never had a wish before, and he did not quite know what to with the three that he now had. So he decided that he would go and ask his friends for their advice. Off Rabbit went, running across the flower speckled meadow and then punting, atop a log, on a river. 
   The first friend Rabbit talked to was Mouse. His diminutive companion said that if he had a wish he would wish that he could fly so that he could see the world that “is so big.” Thinking about this wish, Rabbit set off again. His friend Fox said that he would wish that he could write stories that people would love, and books full of  “knowledge and hope,” books that had the “power to inspire.” What a wonderful wish this was, but was it the right wish for Rabbit? Bear told Rabbit that he would wish for a boat so that he could explore. Bear had walked great distances and climbed great heights, but he had not been able to set off across the sea as yet, and this was something that he was eager to do.
   Rabbit still does not know what he wanted to wish for, but he did know that he wanted the world to be a better place, and so he made three glorious wishes that gave his friends what they yearned for. 
   Rabbit’s wishes were beautiful and generous, but he had not wished for anything for himself, and he felt rather forlorn. What Rabbit did not know was that kindness begets kindness, and wishes have a habit of growing. 
   This sweet picture book beautifully shows how rewarding it is to think beyond oneself. Generosity and selflessness are gifts in their own right, but these qualities also have a tendency to reflect back on the giver.
   Throughout this book the delightful and emotive rhyming text is paired with soft illustrations that are truly charming. It is hard not to fall in love with sweet, expressive Rabbit as he hops along on his journey.

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Happy Winter Solstice - And a review of Almost a Full Moon




Dear Friends:
A very happy Winter Solstice to you all. As I sit at my desk looking out of the window I can see feathery wisps of a pink dawn trying to peak through thick layer of cloud that fills the sky. As the sun rises higher, splashes of gold take the place of the little delicate wisps. The splashes grow and glow brighter and brighter until it looks as if the sky has been gilded. What a way to start this auspicious day. 
   This evening some dear friends will be coming over to celebrate the Solstice with us. A fire will be blazing in the fireplace, candles will be flickering on the tables and shelves, the dachshunds and cats will be waiting at the door, and the smells of delicious food will fill the house. 
   Today I bring you a review of a book where you will find another house that is filled with candlelight, warmth, and good smells. 


Almost a full Moon
Hawksley Workman
Illustrated by Jensine Eckwall
Picture book
For ages 5 and up
Tundra Books, 2016, 978-1-77049-871-6
The moon is almost full, and outside a little house in the snowy woods a boy collects wood. Back at the house his grandmother stirs a huge round-bellied pot that is full of hot, savory soup. Her grandson adds some herbs to the steaming pot that contains “Pumpkin and parsnip, carrot and turkey bones. Bay leaf and pepper, potato and garlic cloves.” The gifts of the harvest create a meal that will be perfect to eat on this cold winter night.
   Soon friends arrive at the little house, drawn there by an invitation to have some soup in the candlelit room. They come bearing gifts, smiles, and rosy cheeks. In addition to the expected guests, there are a few unexpected ones. A girl with flaming hair traveling on the back of a giant wolf arrives with her animal friends. There is always room for more and they join the party, for the boy and his grandmother have made enough soup to “feed everyone we know” and  “everyone we don’t.” 
    Based on the lyrics from Hawksley Workman’s song Almost a Full Moon, this picture book gives readers a glimpse of a cold, moonlit winter’s night. The white of the snow, leafless trees, and blue shadows are juxtaposed by the golden welcoming warmth of the little house, where friends, both old and new, gather to sip soup, share news, and dance. 
   In this book unassuming and evocative illustrations provide a perfect backdrop for the text, giving readers of all ages a thoughtful and memorable story experience. 



Monday, December 20, 2021

Friends are the best gifts - And a review of Bear Gives Thanks

On Saturday afternoon a few much loved friends came over for high tea. Everybody brought delicious things to eat, and we sat in front of the fire with full plates and glasses of bubbly, celebrating being together again after a long hiatus. As always there was much laughter, and I cannot tell you how incredibly happy it made me to see those smiling faces. I was reminded, yet again, that my friends are so dear to me and their presence in my life is a gift. 
   Today I bring you a story about another group of friends who gather, who bring treats to share, and who give thanks for the ties of friendship that connect them. 

Bear Says Thanks 

Illustrated by Jane Chapman 
Picture Book
For ages 3 to 6
Simon and Schuster, 2012, 978-1416958567
It is a cold and windy day, and Bear is bored and missing his friends. Then Bear comes up with an idea; he will put together a feast that he can share with his friends. This is a splendid plan, but there is a rather big problem; Bear’s food cupboard is empty. How can Bear host a feast if he has no food?
   Thankfully for Bear, his friends are generous creatures and they come to Bear’s lair in ones, twos, and threes bringing all kinds of delicious things to eat. Bear thanks Mouse for his pie, Hare for his muffins, and Badger for the fish that he has brought. He also thanks Gopher, Mole, Owl, Raven, and Wren for their contributions. Poor Bear is grateful for the things his friends have brought to his home, and he feels terrible because he has nothing to share with them.
   The story in this wonderful picture book explores the idea that friendship is one of the greatest gifts we can give to others. Children will see that true friends, and the times we share with them, are precious.
   This is one of the titles in a collection of books featuring Bear and his friends.
   


Thursday, December 16, 2021

A time to reflect, and a review of Thankful by Elaine Vickers and Samantha Cotterill

 

This morning we got our first real snow of the season, and just by chance this book found its way onto my desk. How appropriate it is that a title about thankfulness should appear at a this particular moment, for these are the days when many of us take the time to rest, and to consider the old year that is fading and the new year that is coming. I bring the people I love into my home and together we celebrate, and give thanks, for the things that truly matter, just as the little girl in this book does. 

Thankful 
Illustrated by Samantha Cotterill
Picture Book
For ages 5 to 7
Simon and Schuster, 2021, 978-1-5344-7734-6
Every year a little girl and her family start making “thankful chains” on the day when the first snow starts to fall. On strips of colored paper they write down what they are thankful for, and then they create a paper chain using the pieces of paper. 
   The little girl starts with the things that she is thankful for that are found in her home. She has parents who love her, and who show their love with every story that they read to her; with every gentle stroke as they brush her hair; and with the poem, full of good wishes, that they share with her every night at bedtime. One of those wishes has come true and now the little girl can be thankful for the little dog who “jumps when I am happy and comforts when I am scared.”
   The little girl goes on to give thanks for big things like “a heart that beats” and “every breath,” and the colors that makes her world so beautiful and exciting. Then we hear about the wonderful things that are warm and give comfort, for things that are cold, for things that are soft, and for things that are hard. 
   Onto the little strips of paper all these words of thanks go, with one sentence of thanks leading to a memory that brings forth another. 
   Many of us forget that we have a great deal to be thankful for. We are in so much of a hurry to move on to what comes next, that we don’t take the time to stop and look at, and to remember, all the gifts that we already have. It is only when we take this time to reflect that we realize that we have so many beautiful, special, and enriching things in our lives. 
   On the pages of this picture book, readers will find a lyrical text that summons up memories as it is read; as the little girl remembers her thankful things, we remember ours. These lines are paired with photos that combine dioramas and drawings in a unique and emotive way. 
   This is book that will encourage children and their grownups to pause and find gratitude, and readers might even decide to bring chains of thankfulness into their homes. 

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Contest for the 2022 Key Colors Illustrator Awards

 


The 2022 Key Colors Illustrators Awards Award for the Best Picture book concept, has launched! Are you an illustrator or do you know an illustrator based in the United States or Canada? Enter in the competition for a chance to win 8,000 dollars and be published by Clavis Publishing.









Monday, December 13, 2021

News about Through The Looking Glass and a review of Hush Hush, Forest.

A block print from Hush Hush, Forest


 Dear Friends,

A big change is coming to Through the Looking Glass Book Reviews. For twenty years I've been posting first twelve, and then six, issues of the journal every year. Then I got Covid in March of 2021 and was laid very low indeed. As I lay on my sofa, under a pile of dachshunds,  I often though about TTLG and how I might like to change it so that I can have more flexibility in my work life. Publishing the journal was a lot of work and I was feeling a little weary of the process. I came to the conclusion that I wanted to do things differently. From now on I will no longer be publishing issues of the journal. Instead, the website is now the library of all the reviews I have written, all nine thousand nine hundred and nineteen of them, and it is also where all the book topic features, author and illustrator bios, resource lists, and more will be housed.
   This blog is where new reviews, features, articles, interviews, giveaways, biographies, and contest information will be found. All the reviews, biographies, and features that are posted here will be put in the library of the TTLG website as well. 
    I am really looking forward to this new chapter in my life. It will be exciting to spend more time reading and writing and less time filling in backstage data forms! 
   We had a rather warm and dry October and November, and though the leaves on the trees changed color, autumn seemed to be decidedly uninterested in performing as it should. In the last few days
we have had blessed rain, and the mountains are dusted with snow. I love seeing one season shift into another, and I can now feel that winter is just around the corner. 

   Today's book describes this change beautifully. This is a picture book for young children but, as is the case with so many of the picture books that I review, adults will also enjoy exploring the luscious artwork and the lyrical text. 
   Nick Wroblewski created the stunning artwork in this book. He is an artist and printmaker specializing in handmade woodcut blockprints; his art is in private collections and galleries throughout the country. He has also illustrated Mary Casanova's book Wake Up, Island and lives in Duluth, Minnesota, with his wife and two children.  
   Mary Casanova is the author of more than thirty books for young readers, ranging from picture books such as One-Dog Canoe and Wake Up, Island to the novels Moose Tracks and Frozen . Her books have earned the American Library Association Notable Award, Aesop Accolades from the American Folklore Society, Parents’ Choice Gold Award, and Booklist Editors’ Choice, as well as two Minnesota Book Awards. She and her husband live in northern Minnesota near the Canadian border. 

 

Hush Hush, Forest
Mary Casanova
Illustrated by Nick Wroblewski
Picture Book
For ages 5 and up
University of Minnesota Press, 2018, 978-0-8166-9425-9
As two children snuggle under blankets to read a book, golden leaves drift down from the trees that stand outside, fluttering past their windows. The days shorten and soon we see the wild animals of the woods preparing for the cold that is coming.
   The loons sing their last song and then take to the sky. The beavers gnaw through tree trunks until aspens fall down; they will be used to build a lodge. Raccoons get busy eating as much as they grow fat and their “pelt grows thick.”
   Like “wisps of fire” the northern lights flicker across the sky. Dancing ribbons in blue, green, yellow, and pink dazzle those who see them.
   With evocative and lyrical word pictures, and beautiful woodcuts, the creators of this book bring readers a spectacular picture of the changing seasons as they are unfold in the north woods in North America. We hear voices and the swish and hum of wings. We can almost smell the snow falling. This book is a treat for all the senses.

You can view my review of Wake Up, Island on the TTLG website. 

Thursday, April 8, 2021

In honor of National Library Week, a review of I Believe in Unicorns.

 Michael Murpugo is one of my favorite writers. His books are written for children, but adults will find that his stories have something for them as well. The stories make you pause, and think. They explore issues that are far-reaching and universal. 
   When I review a book that really touches me, I keep it and put it on my 'favorites' book shelf. Most of Michael Murpurgo's books are there. His book War Horse was turned into a film and a play.


I believe in Unicorns
Michael Morpurgo
Illustrator:  Gary Blythe 
Fiction
For ages 7 to 10
Candlewick Press, 2005, 978-0763630508
Tomas is eight years old and more than anything he loves to roam the countryside having adventures and helping his father tend the beehives. He hates having to go to school and he despises books and stories. Books and stories belong in the school room and they certainly aren't any fun. So when his mother makes him go to the story hour at the library, Tomas is very annoyed and not in the least bit interested in listening to the librarian tell her stories.
   Tomas only has to listen to a little bit of the library lady's first story and he is completely entranced by her words. She sits on a lovely wooden unicorn reading to the children and telling them stories that she has made up. She tells them about her father who long ago, during a war, did his best to prevent evil people from burning books. Tomas finally begins to see that books are more than just pages of words and that they have a great deal to offer everyone, even him.
   When war arrives in Tomas' own peaceful valley Tomas and all the people in his village are suddenly faced with a terrible calamity - their library is set on fire by a falling bomb. Something has to be done to save the books and their beloved wooden unicorn. Soon everyone, even the children, are working hard to save the most valuable thing in the village.
   Many of us take books for granted, forgetting the many hours of pleasure that they have given us. In this book Michael Morpurgo reminds us that books and libraries are a treasure which should be fought for and defended. No one should be allowed to take away our books, for without our stories, poems, histories, biographies and scientific accounts our lives would be very empty indeed.

Monday, April 5, 2021

The April Bookish Calendar and National Library Week

Happy Monday everyone. I hope that you had a wonderful weekend. I'm a little late, but here is the Bookish Calendar for April. Click on the links and they will take you feature pages where you will find books that are relevant to they event or birthdays.

by Chris Dunn. www.chris-dunn.co.uk
In addition to the events, holidays, and birthdays on this calendar, April also has many additional national and international days, some of which I will be blogging about. 

National Library week (US): This event started yesterday on April 4th and will end on the 10th. You can find a collection of reviews about books that are about Books and Libraries on the website. For books that are specifically about libraries you can take a look at these titles, which I found on the site by using the search function to look for books about this subject. 

National Library Week allows us to promote our local libraries and their workers. From Harry Potter and Matilda, to Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, I'm sure at some point that you’ve dashed to the library to borrow your favorite book, or perhaps you have borrowed an ebbok or audio from your library by going online. Haven’t we all spent endless hours in our university or college library revising for our exams, borrowing textbooks, free journals and using their online resources? Do you remember that feeling of getting a brand-new library card – of whipping it out when you borrowed a mountain of DVDs? Of course, times have changed since the millennium, but aren’t the staff always so professional and kind? 

Libraries are pivotal to society. Celebrating them, means celebrating silent reading, our communities, and getting into an institution of higher learning. This National Library Week, let’s look back on our days spent in libraries, and wholeheartedly thank our local public libraries.

First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and observed in libraries across the country each April. All types of libraries - school, public, academic and special - participate.
The only thing that you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library.
Albert Einstein


           This wonderful piece of art was created by Brian Paterson. Brian Paterson was born in Ayrshire in 1949. At the age of 12 his family moved to Somerset. He met a local girl, Cynthia, and they married in 1973. The couple initially moved to London where Brian worked as a designer by day and on developing his own style of illustrating by night. They then moved to Henley-on-Thames where they conceived Foxwood Tales, Cynthia writing and Brian illustrating. I love the Foxwood Tales and I just bought a used copy of The Foxwood Treasury on Ebay.

Thursday, April 1, 2021

Memories of spring and a review of: Beautiful Eggs: A journey through decorative traditions from around the world


Where I grew up, on the island of Cyprus, Easter is a very big celebration. 
Special Baked treats are made, families get together to celebrate, and they decorate eggs. Two families lived in our building, mine, and one other. We were very close to the Protopapas family and I often spent time with Yiayia, the grandmother. She did not speak any English, and in the beginning I spoke no Greek, but we always found a way to communicate. Yiayia taught me how to make flaounes, a sweet and savory bread, and she also showed me how to decorate eggs using the water from boiled onion peels. Often we would use the leaves of plants to create an image on the eggs. We would polish our decorations by rubbing wax all over them, and then Yiayia would place the eggs in a basket lined with bright green leaves,


Beautiful Eggs: A journey through decorative traditions from around the world
Illustrated by Alice Lindstrom
Nonfiction Board Book
For ages 4 to 6
Scribble, 2021, 978-1-95035-4436
When we think of egg decorating, we usually think of Easter festivities. Many people in countries around the world decorate boiled or blown eggs for this spring celebration. However, in some cultures they decorate eggs for other celebrations. In Mexico pretty eggs also appear on Cinco de Mayo and other festive days.
   People have been decorating eggs for centuries, and they have developed all kinds of ways of making eggs beautiful. A great deal of time and effort can be spent on decorating eggs, and some of these creations are so prized that they are put in museums or art galleries.
   In the Ukraine they have been creating extremely colorful eggs that are covered with fine and delicate designs for a long time. Red and green dyes are commonly used, and the designs are drawn on using beeswax.
   In the Czech Republic Easter eggs are decorated using many dye colors, and straw. When the eggs are complete, there are “Shiny kaleidoscope patterns” all over them.
   In Japan they use washi paper to decorate their eggs. The colorful printed papers, that are also use to make origami, are used to cover the eggs.
   With gorgeous collage illustrations and informative pieces of text, the illustrator of this board book introduces children to seven different eggs decorating traditions. At the back of the book young readers will find a fold out page that children can use as a stencil to make their own drawing of a decorated egg.

Easter is only a few days away. You can find more reviews of books about Easter on the TTLG Easter Books Page.








Bookmark and Share