Poetry Friday - A review of Twosomes: Love poems from the animal kingdom

In a few days time it will be Valentine's Day. Though I know some people consider this to be a 'holiday' that was manufactured by card companies, I happen to enjoy Valentine's Day. I like to do something special for my family members, and it is always fun to see how excited by daughter gets, and to look over all the Valentines she comes home with.

In honor of this festive day, I have a selection of love poems that are fabulously silly and amusing. If you have ever wondered what a love lorn porcupine would say to his sweetie, then you need to read this book. The answer lies within.

Twosomes: Love poems from the animal kingdom

Marilyn Singer

Illustrated by Lee Wildish

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 6 to 8

Random House, 2011, 978-0-375-86710-1

   We humans celebrate Valentines Day by telling, and showing, the people we love how special they are. We give people cards, boxes of candy, flowers, balloons, teddy bears, and jewelry. Some of us even write poems to declare our love, admiration, and devotion. Of course, such declarations are not limited to Valentine’s Day. Love poems are sent via email, and in envelopes, every day of the year.

   Imagine if you can what a love poem written by a dog would be like. What would a dog say to his beloved? Perhaps he would tell her how “delish” she smells and invite her to “share my water dish.” A porcupine might write to his love telling her about how he hugged a cactus to get “some practice.”

   With clever punnish word play, Marilyn Singer gives her readers a wonderfully silly and funny collection of poems to share on Valentine’s Day, or on any other day for that matter.

   To compliment the fifteen two-liner rhymes, Lee Wildish has created comical pictures that will tickle funny bones, and give readers something to chuckle over.

A letter from Lynelle Woolley, the creator of Flower Girl World

The season for weddings is not far off, and for many girls the next few months will be spent being fitted for dresses and helping brides to get ready for the big day. Being a flower girl is such a special experience that Lynelle Woolley decided to create a series that would allow all girls to take part in a wedding. Here is a letter from Lynelle. 

Hello Marya and Friends,

Welcome to my world – Flower Girl World! I have to say that it’s such a happy place to be.

Like many mothers who are writers, my inspiration for the Flower Girl World book series was my daughter. During her pre-school years, she was asked to be in three different weddings. By the third marriage, we both were pros! Each experience was so different (beach wedding in Hawaii, garden wedding in Napa Valley, non-denominational church wedding in Salt Lake City), yet one thing remained constant: the exuberance and pride my daughter felt before, during, and after the events.

So that got this flower girl mom thinking…wouldn’t it be great to spread that joy to all girls in the flower girl age range, whether they are in a wedding or not?

I started by telling my daughter some flower girl stories set at different types of weddings… and now it’s grown into a picture book, chapter book and plans for more! For me, it was important that the stories feature positive themes like acceptance and friendship, and characters of diverse backgrounds and talents.

Let me introduce you to my flower girl friends:

 

Willow – the fashion model flower girl from New York, NY

Poppy – the cowgirl flower girl from Big Sky, MT

Camellia – the ballerina flower girl from Chicago, IL

Rosie – the detective flower girl from Washington D.C.

Iris – the arts and crafts flower girl from Philadelphia, PA

Starr – the performer flower girl from San Antonio, TX

All the girls make an appearance in the first two books.  

In the picture book, Camellia the Fabulous Flower Girl, Cami believes she’s an expert flower girl. But when she meets fellow attendants Willow and Poppy (who have cool moves of their own), Cami discovers how much fun sharing the aisle – and the spotlight – can be.

In the chapter book, Rosie and the Wedding Day Rescue, Rosie, Iris, and Starr must use their special talents to save a wedding from total disaster!

Presently, I am working on the next two books in the chapter series, Iris and the Aloha Adventure and Starr and the High Seas Wedding Drama and have 16 more stories on the way (a few more characters too)! Beyond the books, our website, www.FlowerGirlWorld.com, is the destination for everything flower girl, including fun activities for girls.

Writing about flower girls is such a joyous way to spend my day. Thank you for letting me share my experience with you.

Lynelle Woolley

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Mercy Watson: Something Wonky this way come

I know that I have talked about the fact that I have a deep fondness for pigs before. I make no apologies for this strange proclivity. One cannot have a pet pig (which I did) and not fall in love with the entire species, perhaps with the exception of those bad tempered animals that like to bite. Being fond of pigs as I am, it should come as no surprise that I love the Mercy Watson books. Like so many of her relatives, Mercy Watson is a single-minded creature who will NOT be put off when she makes up her mind to do something. As you will see when (not if) you read this book.

Mercy Watson: Something Wonky this way comes

Kate DiCamillo

Illustrated by Chris Van Dusen

Fiction

For ages 6 to 8

Candlewick Press, 2009, 978-0-7636-3644-9

   One afternoon, Mr. Watson is sitting on the porch reading the paper when he sees that there is a movie showing at the Bijou Drive-In called When Pigs Fly. Not only does the movie sound interesting, but the Bijou prides itself on serving “real butter” on their bottomless “all-you-can-eat” buckets of popcorn. Now, the Watson’s have a pet pig called Mercy, and when she hears her people talk about butter and all-you-can-eat, she becomes very excited. Butter is one of Mercy’s favorite things in the world.

   On their way to the Bijou Drive-In, Mr. and Mrs. Watson meet some of their friends, and by the time they get to the outdoor movie theatre, Baby and Eugenia Lincoln, and Stella and Frank are in the pink convertible sitting in the back seat next to Mercy.

   The movie is popular that evening, or maybe it is the bottomless popcorn bucket with real butter that is popular. Whichever it is, there are plenty of other cars parked in front of the big screen. Police Office Tomilello is there with his wife, and Animal Control Officer Francine Poulet is there with her date. Both couples are looking forward to watching the movie, little realizing that their evening is not going to go as planned.

   The reason for this is quite simple. As soon as the pink convertible is parked, Mercy Watson notices that there is a delectable aroma in the air. Mr. Watson and Frank go to get some popcorn, but Mercy decides that she needs to find out where that delicious smelling buttery smell is coming from, and she needs to do so now.

   Readers who have encountered Mercy Watson in her other books are going to love this deliciously funny story. Once again Mercy creates chaos as she steadfastly pursues food. Though she is, without a doubt, a very troublesome animal, Mercy is ridiculously loveable, and one cannot help laughing as one reads about her misadventures.

   What makes this book - and the other titles in this series - so special is that they have something to offer children and adult readers. “Wonky” characters and clever tongue-in-cheek humor makes this a series that will keep on giving for years to come. 

Picture book Monday - A review of A boy called Dickens

Two hundred years ago, on February 7th, Charles Dickens came into the world. In honor of his birthday, I have a new book that I would like to share with you that describes what a part of Charles Dickens' childhood was like. Some readers may be surprised to find that some of the events described in his books were based on things Dickens himself witnessed or experienced.

A boy called Dickens

Deborah Hopkinson

Illustrated by John Hendrix

Historical Fiction Picture Book

For ages 7 to 9

Random House, 2012, 978-0-375-86732-3

   We are in a London that existed many years ago, and it is a foggy winter’s morning. There, standing in a doorway, is a thin twelve-year-old boy called Charles Dickens. We can tell that he is poor and hungry from his threadbare clothes and “hungry eyes.” What we might not realize at first is that this boy is special because he is not only hungry for food; he is also hungry for books and an education.

   Charles cannot go to school though. Instead, he has to work in a boot polish factory. To pass the time as he does his monotonous work, Charles entertains himself and his friends by telling stories. The characters in these stories accompany him as he walks home in the evening, and he escapes into his stories as he lies under his threadbare blanket.

   On Sundays, Charles goes to visit his parents and siblings who are locked up in the debtor’s prison. Charles’ father could not pay one of his debts, and so he and his wife and their three young children must spend their days in the horrible prison, and Charles has to work.

   Finally one May morning Mr. Dickens is set free. Unfortunately, he insists that Charles should keep on working at the factory. Will Charles ever be free of his miserable existence? Will he ever be allowed to go to school?

   Based on the true story of Charles Dickens’ childhood, this captivating picture book shines a light on a part of the writer’s life that he kept very private. Young readers familiar with Charles Dickens’ stories will discover that many of the characters and events described in his books were based on people he saw and experiences that he had when he was a child.

   Throughout this book, the author weaves fact and fiction together to give readers a memorable story about one of the world’s most famous authors. An author’s note at the back of the book provides readers with further information about Charles Dickens’ life. 

Poetry Friday - A review of Winterberries and Apple Blossoms

I have to tell you that today's poetry title delighted me. I think part of its charm is that it tells a story. Each poem can stand alone, but when the twelve poems in the book are put together, they give readers a strong overall picture of a place and a people that is very compelling.

Winterberries and Apple Blossoms: Reflections of a Mennonite year

Nan Forler

Illustrated by Peter Etril Snyder

Poetry Picture Book

For ages

Tundra, 2011, 978-1-77049-254-7

   Naomi is a child who is being raised in an Old Order Mennonite community. Her life is a lot simpler than yours or mine. She does not have access to a television or computer, a cell phone or a car. She lives on a farm with her family, connected to the rhythms of the seasons, and working alongside her family members. This is the story, in poetry form, of one year of her life, and there is one poem for each of the twelve months.

   It is cold and snowy outside on a January day when Naomi attends her first proper quilting bee. She works side by side with the women, listening to the talk and laughter “while hungry needles scoop up fabric” as the little even stitches make their way across the quilt top. One day the quilt they are working on will keep someone warm on a cold winter night, just like the one that lies on Naomi’s bed at home.

   In May, Naomi takes a huge risk. While the boys are busy elsewhere, Naomi decides to try riding one of their bikes. The rule is “Boys on bikes, girls on foot,” but Naomi wants to know what it feels like to ride a bicycle. Even though she knows her mother would be appalled to know that Naomi tried to do such an unseemly thing, the girl mounts the bicycle anyway, and for a moment or two she revels in the joy riding a bicycle gives her.

   In August, the family is invited to attend a barn raising. Lucinda has a fever so Mam will stay home to tend to her. After the cart has left for the barn raising, Mam remembers the pies. Someone is going to have to take the pies to the barn raising, and that someone is going to have to be Naomi. She is going to have to drive the buggy all by herself for the first time. Though she has “longed for this day,” Naomi is scared. She knows what to do though, and soon enough she, Jonah, and Esther are travelling down the road, the clopping sounds of Pepper’s hooves soothing them.

   This wonderful book will give readers a sense of what it is like to be a member of a Old Order Mennonite community. They will see how Naomi and the other children have to help the adults to do many of the chores around the farm. Though it is hard at times, there is much satisfaction to be gained in the doing of a job well, especially when one can see the fruits of ones labor. There are simple pleasures to be enjoyed, and we can see how Naomi has a close connection with the land and nature.

   In addition to the twelve poems, the author has included twelve recipes, all of which “are inspired by Mennonite tradition and call for fresh, seasonal ingredients.” Young people will enjoy trying the recipes, perhaps sampling the treats they make as they read the poems and find out about Naomi’s life. 

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Mr Putter and Tabby spill the beans

There are some series that I have a particular fondness for, and the collection about Mr. Putter and his cat Tabby is one of them. Written by Cynthia Rylant, an award winning author, these stories describe the everyday kind of adventures that a retired gent, Mr. Putter, has. Often the cat he adopted, Tabby, is his companion. In this particular title, Mr. Putter agrees to attend a cooking class with his friend, even though he would prefer not to. He discovers that taking pets to such a class might not be such a good idea.

Mr. Putter and Tabby Spill the beans

Cynthia Ryland

Illustrated by Arthur Howard

Fiction

For ages 6 to 9

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009, 978-0-15-205070-2

  Mr. Putter and his cat Tabby live next door to Mrs. Teaberry and her dog Zeke. They are all the best of friends, and they enjoy trying new things together. One day Mrs. Teaberry calls Mr. Putter, and she says that she has a “new and fun” activity that she wants them to try; she wants to go to a cooking class. Mr. Putter is not at all sure that a cooking class is going to be fun, but he agrees to go with her anyway.

   In the class, they are going to learn “one hundred ways to cook beans.” Mr. Putter does not like the sound of this at all. To be honest, all he really wants to do is to have an ice cream soda, but he is willing to learn about cooking beans because he is fond of Mrs. Teaberry. Who knows, maybe the class will be one of those new things that is enjoyable.

   At first, all goes well in the class. Zeke and Tabby sit under the table and behave themselves, Mrs. Teaberry takes notes about bean recipes, and Mr. Putter listens to what the teacher is saying. By the time they get to the fourteenth recipe, Mr. Putter and Tabby are asleep, and Zeke has discovered that one of the students has a granola bar in her purse. Which is when things start to go wrong.

   Young readers will find it very hard not to laugh out loud when they see what happens at Mr. Putter’s first cooking class. With great skill Cynthia Rylant builds up the tension, showing her readers what is literally going on under the table while the cooking class is taking place. They will see how Mr. Putter goes along with Mrs. Teaberry’s idea because he is her friend, and they will also appreciate that perhaps it is not such a good idea to take a dog to a cooking class.

   This is just one in a delightful series of books that were written for young readers who are ready for stories with chapters. 

In Memoriam - Bill Wallace

One of my favorite Christmastime novels for young readers is The dog who thought he was Santa by Bill Wallace. It is a funny and touching story, and I love the way the dog is the only individual in the tale who really understands the big issues. My daughter has read another of Bill Wallace's books, A dog called Kitty, at least half a dozen times. I was therefore very saddened to hear that Bill Wallace has left the stage. He and his wonderful books will be greatly missed.

Bill Wallace:

Award-winning author Bill Wallace started writing after a tough year of teaching fourth graders. As he said, “Trying to read to a class of 25 kids who aren't listening is downright MISERABLE. Finally, students asked me to tell stories about when I was growing up. I soon ran out of these, so they decided I should make up new stories. I became a writer so I could survive my first year as a teacher. The class loved the stories I wrote for them and persuaded me to get somebody to make us a real book.” Shadow on the Snow, Trapped in Death Cave, and A Dog Called Kitty all started out as books for his students. However, it took ten long years for his first book (A Dog Called Kitty) to be accepted for publication. After this, the former elementary-school teacher went on to write over 25 books. Other favorites include: Red Dog, Buffalo Gal, Danger in Quicksand Swamp,Beauty, Aloha Summer, Watchdog and the Coyotes, and Coyote Autumn. Bill Wallace won nineteen children's state awards and was awarded the Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award for Children's Literature from the Oklahoma Center for the Book.

Wallace was born on August 1, 1947 in Chickasha, Oklahoma. He was married to Carol Ann Priddle (who also taught elementary school) and had three children, Laurie Beth, Amanda Nicole, and Justin Keith. He attended university and graduate school in Oklahoma.

Picture book Monday - A review of Mama Robot

Sometimes grownups are such provoking creatures. They insist that children do things that children do not want to do, and they refuse to let children do the kinds of things that are fun to do.Today's picture book perfectly captures one boy's frustration with his mother, and readers will enjoy seeing how the little boy sets about fixing the problem. Of course, there is one very important thing that he forgets to consider. 

Mama Robot

Davide Cali

Illustrated by AnnaLaura Cantone

Translated by Marcel Danesi

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Tundra, 2008, 978-0-88776-873-6

   Every day when he comes home from school, a little boy finds a note from his mother sitting on the kitchen table next his dinner. In the note, she tells her son that she is working and that he should brush his teeth after he eats, do his homework, and tidy his room.

   One day, after eating his solitary dinner, brushing his teeth, doing his homework, and tidying up his room, the little boy decides that something has to be done to change his “boring” existence. So, he sets about building a Mama Robot who will “never be at her desk” and who will “spend all her time with me.”

   Mama Robot will protect him from all the things that he is afraid of, and she will only make him the kinds of food that he likes to eat - pizza, chicken nuggets, and spaghetti for example. She will do his homework and, generally speaking, will do exactly what he wants her to do. Then the little boy encounters a problem. Though a Mama Robot would be a wonderful thing to have, there is one vital thing that it would not be able to do.

   Every child who has been frustrated with his or her parents will appreciate this clever and amusing picture book. Unique collage-style multimedia illustrations perfectly capture the quirkiness of the story. 

A letter from Tracy Barrett, author of Dark of the Moon

When I was a teen, I went to the island of Crete on a school trip. Not surprisingly, I went to visit Knossos, the palace built for ancient Cretan royalty. It is also the place that is said to house the labyrinth where the Minotaur lived. During my visit, I saw and heard references to the labyrinth and the Minotaur many times, and I must confess that I felt sorry for the monster, who was condemned to a miserable life because his mother angered Zeus.

Tracy Barrett has written a book about the myth of the Minotaur, giving her rendering of the tale a distinct flavor that is all her own. She has kindly agreed to tell us about her book in a letter.

Dear TTLG:

Some people have called Dark of the Moon a feminist retelling of the myth of the Minotaur. It didn’t start out that way. Like all of my books, Dark of the Moon started out with a question—in this case, a lot of questions!

            I love Greek mythology, but the myth of the Minotaur has always bothered me. If you need a refresher, the story goes like this: King Minos of Crete neglected to sacrifice a bull to Zeus, and as punishment, Zeus caused Minos’s wife, Pasiphaë, to conceive a passion for the bull. She also conceived a bull-headed son, the Minotaur. This monster was confined in a maze where he ate children, until the Athenian Prince Theseus arrived. The Minotaur’s human sister, Ariadne, gave Theseus a sword and a ball of yarn so that the prince could kill her brother and use the yarn to find his way out. Then Theseus and Ariadne sailed away. Theseus abandoned Ariadne on the island of Naxos, and then forgot to take down the black sail that would signal to his father that he had died on Crete. His father jumped off a cliff when he saw it.

            Wait a second—Theseus forgot that he was flying a black sail? How could you not notice that, especially since you knew it would tell your father you were dead?

            And that Minotaur—all the other half-human critters in Greek mythology are human down to the waist, and then turn animal. Except for this one. Why?

            The Minotaur might not be too bright, but couldn’t he accidentally stumble out of the labyrinth? Wouldn’t you want something a bit more secure than a maze to hold a man-eating monster?

            Why did Theseus dump Ariadne on Naxos? If he didn’t want to take her home with him, why not just leave her on Crete?

            It occurred to me that maybe the Greeks had gotten something wrong when they re-told this Cretan myth. Maybe a lot of things. After all, the Cretan culture was very foreign to the Greeks, and religious customs of other cultures are often hard to understand.

            So I dug around and found some interesting facts.

·        Pasiphaë means “she shines for all” and Ariadne means “most pure.” Moon goddess and priestess?

·        The Cretans worshipped the sun in the form of a bull.

·        The island of Naxos is the site of an ancient center of moon-goddess worship.

·        It’s possible that the Cretans practiced human sacrifice.

·        Some ancient cultures, especially in the Mediterranean, practiced a fertility ceremony that hints that once they had performed a ritual sacrifice of a king or priest.

Is it possible that Athenian travelers saw a religious ceremony where the priestess of the moon was united in ritual marriage with a priest wearing a bull’s-head mask—perhaps with a human sacrifice, perhaps with a ritual that recalled that sacrifice—and either misinterpreted what was going on, or willfully changed it to make their Cretan rivals look like savages, or garbled the telling in such a way that the myth of the Minotaur that we know was created?

            We’ll never know. But these questions inspired my re-telling of the Minotaur myth in Dark of the Moon as a speculation about what might possibly have been a set of beliefs that was so strange to outsiders that in order to make sense of it, the Greeks came up with the story of the Minotaur. I’m not claiming historical accuracy, just speculating on what might have been while—I hope—spinning a good yarn. The fact that Ariadne, my main character, comes across as a strong female protagonist, is very gratifying. Much as I love ancient Greek culture, there’s no question that few women were held in high esteem in that society. Maybe—just maybe—that wasn’t true in Crete.

Thank you so much for this letter Tracy. You can find out more about Tracy and her books on her website.

Poetry Friday - A review of Winter Poems

After a very mild Christmas and New Year, winter is back in southern Oregon. It has been rainy and cold, and the mountains have snow on them again. Personally I am happy about this, and I was delighted to find today's poetry title sitting on my shelf. I was able to read and enjoy this celebration of winter while I sat by the fire and listened to the rain hitting the windows. 

Winter Poems

Selected by Barbara Rogasky

Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 7 to 12

Scholastic, 1999, 978-0590428736

   For many people, including Barbara Rogasky, winter is their favorite season. It is a time of year when the air is cold and crisp, when the light seems clearer and brighter. In some places, snow on the land softens edges and muffles sounds.

   Eager to share her love of winter with young readers, Barbara Rogasky collaborated with her friend Trina Schart Hyman to create this collection. Places and characters from their own lives appear in the art, and the twenty-five poems in the book were selected with great care.

   The collection begins with a poem about the geese who, in the late fall, somehow know that it is “time to go.” Though the fields are golden, and the leaves are “green and stirring,” the memory of snow and frost and ice is in the air, and so with “Summer sun on their wings” the geese head south.

   In Oregon Winter, we read about the winter rains that are so different from the showers of summer. In winter the “rain is slow.” There is no rush and everything slows down. The farmers take their ease knowing that for a while they will not have to work outdoors.

   We are also given pictures of snow, of a boy holding “out his palms / Until they are white.” We are reminded that winter is often a season of colds and bouts of the flu. Night comes early and it is long, but in the daytime one can go skiing, walking, and skating.

   For this special book, Trina Schart Hyman has created beautiful paintings that perfectly compliment the marvelous collection of poems, new and old.