Picture Book Monday - A review of Larf

I have always had a soft spot for those reclusive creatures who are called either yeti, abominable snowmen, Sasquatch, or Big Foot, depending on where they come from. I can't blame them for being reclusive, and enjoy reading stories about them. The first one I read about was in Tintin in Tibet. In this Tintin story, the yeti is a rather pitiful fellow who is gentle and lonely. Today's book in about a sasquatch who likes his life of solitude. 

Larf

Ashley Spires

Picture book

For ages 5 to 8

Kids Can Press, 2012, 978-1-55453-701-3

Larf is a tall hairy sasquatch who lives in a wood cabin the woods with his bunny, Eric. Larf likes living on his own, and is happy that people have no idea that he exists. Luckily for him people “rarely believe in anything new and strange,” so even when he is accidently seen, no one really believes that they are looking at an honest to goodness sasquatch.

   Larf is convinced that he is the only one of his kind left until the day when he reads an article in the newspaper that announces that a sasquatch is going to “make an appearance” in a nearby town that day. Larf does not like change, but he cannot help thinking that maybe, just maybe, it might be nice to have another sasquatch around. So, Larf puts on what he thinks is a great disguise and he goes to town. Larf is both disappointed and pleased when he finds out that the so-called sasquatch is a fake. He is ready to go back to his solitary life in the woods when he has a most unusual encounter.

   For some people change is frightening, and they are happiest when nothing out of the ordinary happens. In this charming and sweetly funny picture book, we meet a character who dares to do something that makes him uncomfortable and who discovers that some changes are rather nice.

   With a delightful main character, wonderful illustrations, and a heartwarming ending, this is a picture book that will appeal to readers both young and not so young. 

Poetry Friday - A review of Pigmares

I could never watch scary movies when I was a child, because they always gave me nightmares. Many of my friends loved them though, and would talk at length about seeing movies where vampires sucked people's blood, and monsters lurked in nasty dark places.

In today's poetry title, Doug Cushman pays tribute to some of the most famous scary movies of all time, and he does so in a unique and very humorous way.

Pigmares: Porcine Poems of the silver Screen

Doug Cushman

Poetry

For ages 7 to 9

Charlesbridge, 2012, 978-1-58089-401-2

It is nighttime, and a young pig is sitting up in bed watching monster movies on his little TV. After seeing “Dead zombies crawl out from foul-smelling places,” and “Vampire pigs fly from castles at night,” the young pig begins to realize that he should “never watch monsters on film before bed.”

   The monsters he is talking about include Frankenswine, a creature that is made up of “pieces and parts.” Feared by others because of his horrific appearance, Frankenswine runs away until he ends up alone and friendless on an Arctic ice floe.

   Then there is The Porker from the Black Lagoon, a terrible creature “with scaly claws and slimy snout.” This monster has disgusting habits, and it is terribly crabby to boot. Of course, one does have to consider that “it is hard to grin when every day / there’s water in your shorts.” Perhaps this monster is entitled to spells of bad temper.

   The Porker from the Black Lagoon is not the only monster that has to deal with dreadful living conditions. The Abominable Snow Pig lives in a place of perpetual cold, a frozen mountain in Tibet. His food is always cold, as are his hands and feet. Even the logs in his fireplace “are giant ice blocks.”

   In this deliciously clever collection of poems, Doug Cushman pays tribute to some of the most famous horror movies of all time, and he does so in a very humorous way. All the monsters in these poems are porcine in nature, and their stories, and the situations they get into, are deliciously funny and silly.

   At the back of the book the author gives his readers a little information about the real horror movies that inspired the poems.

   

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Little Rat Makes Music

My daughter came into this world with a natural affinity for music. Learning how to play the piano when she was five was easy for her, but practicing was something she avoided as much as possible. I cannot tell you how many times we had the "you need to practice or you will never move forward" conversation. 

Today's book will resonate with every young artist, musician, and athlete who hates to practice, and with every adult who has tried to find ways to encourage their child to practice regularly.  

Little Rat Makes Music

Monika Bang-Campbell

Illustrated by Molly Bang

Fiction

For ages 6 to 9

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2007, 978-0-15-205305-5

Little Rat comes from a music-loving family. Her father is a gifted musician who can play four instruments, and her mother loves to sing. Her mother takes Little Rat to folk-music concerts, and her father takes her to listen to orchestral performances. Little Rat particularly enjoys watching the violinists, who “played all sorts of notes” and thus create a variety of musical moods.

   One day Little Rat and her mama are walking past the Community Hall when they heard the sound of music. When they go inside, they see a group of young animals playing violins. Little Rat is charmed by the sounds she hears, and so her mother arranges for her to have violin lessons.

   At her first lesson, Little Rat and the other beginner students learn how to hold their bows and violins. They don’t learn how to play a single note, let alone a little tune. How boring it all is. At the next lesson, Little Rat is finally asked to play a note, and what a note it is too. Little Rat’s note sounds like “an angry seagull.”

   Over time, Little Rat’s playing gets better, but one thing Little Rat hates to do is to practice. It is boring and frustrating. Why does learning how to play the violin have to be so hard?

   Acquiring a new skill is rarely easy, and often the early learning phases are very hard to deal with. The only way to get better is to practice, but practicing is dull because you do the same thing over and over again, and what you produce is often not that good. In this wonderful chapter book, we see how a young rat comes to accept that practicing is necessary, and that it takes work to become good at doing something. With touches of humor and great sensitivity, Monika Bang tells a story that will resonate with young people who are experiencing their own practicing issues. Artists, musicians, and athletes all have to make the same journey that Little Rat makes.

Picture Book Monday - A review of Billy Twitters and his blue whale problem

Children all over the world are used to being threatened with dire consequences if they don't do their chores, eat their dinner, brush their teeth, or go to bed on time. They are told that they will be grounded, will not get any dessert, or will not get their allowance that week. The boy in today's picture book story is threatened with something so outrageous that he does not take the threat seriously, which is a BIG mistake.

Billy Twitters and his blue whale problem

Mac Barnett

Illustrated by Adam Rex

Picture Book

For ages 6 to 8

Hyperion, 2009, 978-078684958-1

When Billy Twitters’ mom gets fed up with his behavior, she threatens that she will buy him a blue whale. When he doesn’t clean his room, eat his dinner, or brush his teeth she always makes the same threat. Billy is not worried though because he knows that blue whales are enormous, and that his parents can’t just pick up the phone and order a blue whale.

   Then one morning Billy wakes up and finds out that a blue whale is blocking the front door. Apparently blue whales can be ordered and delivered after all. Bill’s mother tells him that the whale is his responsibility and that he, Billy, has to take the whale wherever he goes, including to school.

   Billy very quickly figures out that having a pet whale is a nuisance, a really really big nuisance. Billy’s classmates don’t appreciate the whale’s presence, he gets uninvited from a birthday party, and taking care of the whale is not at all easy. In fact, it is back breaking work. It would seem that Billy has got himself into a real situation.

   Readers will laugh out loud when they see Billy struggling to take care of his huge pet. Clearly having a pet blue whale is not a good idea. Nothing good comes of it. Just when we think that the story is over, we are given an ending that is a huge surprise. What a clever way to end a cautionary tale!

   

Poetry Friday - A review of Last Laughs

I wasn't at all sure that I was going to like today's poetry title. It sounded a little odd, but interesting at the same time. Since the book was also written by two of my favorite poets, I took the plunge, and I am so glad that I did. I had a grand time reading animal epitaphs, laughing (and groaning) at the clever word play, and at the images that the poems brought to mind.

Last Laughs

J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen

Illustrated by Jeffrey Stewart Timmins

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 7 to 9

Charlesbridge, 2012, 978-1-58089-260-5

Here we are at Amen Creature Corners, a cemetery where animals, not humans, are buried. It is true that “beasties” come here to cry over the graves of their friends and loved ones, but they are also here to have “one last laugh” courtesy of the dearly department. In this cemetery “it’s not / all gloom and doom / that’s written / once upon a tomb.”

   Actually, many of the words on the gravestones are funny, in a rather irreverent way. We read about how Rowdy Rooster made the mistake of being so “cocky” that he dared to head-butt a car. He is one of many animals who seemed to have lacked a sense of self preservation. There is the moth who “lived by the fire / and died by the flame,” and the woodpecker who pecked a tree limb one to many times with disastrous results.

   Then were those who were just too sure of themselves. There was a swordfish who fought a shark, and lost the battle, and a piranha who found out too late that it had the “second-sharpest / teeth in the river.”

   Full of clever word play and often decidedly macabre humor, these poetical animal epitaphs will tickle the fancy of readers who like their poetry served up dark. 

Fiction Wednesday - A review of The Deadlies

There are many people out there who are mortally afraid of spiders. I luckily am not one of them, but I must confess that I am not exactly thrilled when I find a black widow or a brown recluse around my house or in the yard/garden/garage/barn. Let's face it, these little animals are dangerous. There is nothing wrong with being wary of them. I must confess though, that I am never going to feel the same way about a brown recluse spider now that I have read the first Deadlies title, which is today's fiction title. Read on to find out why.

The Deadlies: Felix takes the stage

Kathryn Lasky

Illustrated by Stephen Gilpin

Fiction

For ages 7 to 9

Scholastic, 2010, 978-0-545-11681-7

Felix the brown recluse spider lives in a philharmonic hall with his mother Edith and his two sisters. Felix is a devotee of music and greatly admires the Maestro who always stays in the theatre after a performance is over to practice his conducting. Felix and his sisters have always been told that the most important rule to remember is to “never, ever reveal yourself to human beings,” and they always do their best to follow this rule. They know all too well that humans hate spiders, especially species that are venomous, which Felix and his kind are.

   Then one evening Felix makes the mistake of letting the Maestro see him. The Maestro hits Felix with his baton, and then he passes out. Though the Maestro is not dead, he has seen Felix, and everyone knows what is going to happen next. Exterminators will be hired to rid the music hall of spiders. Felix and his family are going to have to move.

   Poor Felix feels very bad about what has happened, because he never meant to cause so much trouble. At the same time, he is rather annoyed at the unfairness of his situation. It is not his fault that he was born a brown recluse spider. It is not his fault that he has highly poisonous venom that can kill people. It is not fair that he has to hide himself because of who he is. He isn’t just a venomous spider, he is also a kind fellow who loves music.

   Felix and his family are lucky enough to have a cat friend, Fatty, who carries them to a dusty antique shop specializing in maritime “treasures.” The shop is a perfect temporary stopping place for all of them, including Fatty, who will be able to hunt for mice. There are other spiders in residence who are unkind to Felix and his family, but the recluses are used to this sort of thing. They are not only feared by humans, they are also despised by other spiders as well. It is such an unfortunate situation, but it is one that they just have to put up with.

   Then pirate spiders attack, and Felix and his family are presented with a new set of problems. Will they ever be able to have a safe, happy, and quiet life?

   Many people are unfairly judged in this world because they are different in some way. In this book, young readers will see how this feels through the eyes of recluse spiders. Rather than hiding away, artistic Felix wants others to see him for who he is and not for what he is. Surely, this is what everyone wants.

   With humor and sensitivity, Kathryn Lasky tells a story that explores big and meaningful themes from the point of view of very small animals. Her tale is a joy to read, and readers will be glad to know that this is the first book in a new series. Felix and his family will be back.

Picture Book Monday - A review of The Giant Jam Sandwich

Today's book is a title that I read over and over and over when I was a little girl. My father used to read it out loud, and since he had such a delicious way of speaking and a gift for reading to others, he made the story come alive. As he read, I would sit on his lap and look at the pictures, which are full of cunning details. I hope you enjoy this book as much I did.

The Giant Jam Sandwich

John Vernon Lord and Janet Burroway
Illustrated by John Vernon Lord
Picture Book
For ages 5 to 7
Houghton Mifflin, 1987, 978-0395442371
It is a hot summer’s day when the town of Itching Down is invaded by no less than four million wasps. In very short order, life becomes unbearable and the villagers call a meeting to decide what should be done about the wasps. After much talk, Baker Bap comes up with a wild idea: to make a giant jam sandwich to lure the pests into a trap.

   Soon the village of Itching Down is humming and buzzing with more than just wasps. A huge loaf of bread is baked and two slices are cut. Spread with butter and strawberry jam the villagers create a trap like none other, one which they hope the wasps will find irresistible.

  This highly entertaining story about an ingenious, if somewhat unorthodox, plan is a classic that will never lose its charm. Perfectly paced rhymes capture the drama of the tale, and original illustrations are full of details that will bring forth more than a few smiles. This is a title that children will want to read over and over again.

Poetry Friday - A review of Little Dog and Duncan

Not long ago my daughter had a friend come to stay for a while, and the girls discovered that even though they are the best of friends, living with someone new can be challenging. Feathers got ruffled on occasions, which meant that feelings got hurt and compromises had to be made.

Today's poetry title is about a little dog who has a friend come to stay, and who discovers that it is not always easy to get used to having a house guest.

Little Dog and Duncan

Kristine O’Connell George

Illustrated by June Otani

Poetry Picture book

For ages 5 to 7

Clarion, 2002, 0-618-11758-X

   Little Dog is excited because a very big dog, Duncan, has come to visit. In fact, Duncan will be spending the night at Little Dog’s house. When Duncan starts to feel homesick, Little Dog “sits close / helping Duncan mope,” which is what friends do for friends.

   Having such a big guest around presents some challenges, and Little Dog and her little girl have to work hard to make sure that Duncan doesn’t get into trouble. Sometimes Little Dog feels a little overwhelmed and does not want to share her toys or her little girl with the guest. She makes it clear that some things are “Mine!” Though the two dogs are very different in many ways, in others they are just the same. They both love mud, they both beg for treats, and they both want to share the little girl’s bed, which they do!

   Told using a collection of poems, this delightful story about Little Dog, her person, and her friend Duncan is a treat for people who love dogs. Readers will laugh when they see how the two dogs interact, and when they see how problems are overcome. Sharing your space with a houseguest isn’t always easy, but if you have a big heart and some patience you can make it work.

A book about the early Olympic Games

Just a few days ago I recieved a box of books that contained a book about the Olympics. Since the Olympics are going on right now, I got reading and have my review of the book below. The book is beautifully written, and I learned a great deal about the ancient Olympics and the early years of the modern Olympics. You can find more books about the Olympics and Olympic athletes in the Olympic Games feature.

A Passion for Victory

Benson Bobrick

Nonfiction

For ages 12 and up

Random House, 2012, 978-0-375-86869-6

These days, the Olympic Games are watched by millions of people all over the world. The host countries spends enormous amounts of money building venues for the events, and preparing for opening ceremonies that they hope will thrill and delight spectators. The games are “global extravaganzas” that people remember for years to come.

   The ancient Olympics were nothing like the modern day games. The first recorded Olympic event took place in 776 BC in Olympia, Greece. There was a two-hundred-yard footrace in a meadow, and the race was won by a cook who came from the town of Elis. Over time, other races were added, along with events such as the discus throw, the long jump, the javelin throw, and boxing.

   The games were held every four years on the second full moon after the summer solstice. As more events were added, and as more athletes participated who came from all over the Greek world, more buildings and facilities were added. The athletes now had proper tracks to run on, gymnasiums where they could make use of steam baths, and various other buildings that were used for training. Just like today, athletes were accompanied by coaches, trainers, and doctors. Just like today they were expected to “do nothing to disgrace the Games.” The one big thing these earlier Olympiads did not have was an Olympic Village. Their accommodations were rudimentary at best. To ensure that both the athletes and spectators could safely come to the games, an Olympic Truce was put into effect that lasted for four months, and it was upheld in all the countries and territories in the Hellenic world.

   When the Romans took over the Greek Empire, they also took over the Olympic Games. Their versions of the event lost many of the elements that made the Greek Games so special. In 394 AD pagan festivals were banned and to all intent and purposes the Games were no longer celebrated.

  A few Olympic Games type events became popular in England in the 16 and 1700’s, but it wasn’t until the mid-1800’s that men interested in reviving the games who came from England and France began to work towards a common goal to create an international event. The first Olympic Congress gathered in France in 1894 to create the International Olympic Committee, and two years later the first modern Olympic Games was held in Athens, Greece. There were only forty-one athletes from fourteen countries present, but it was a beginning. In time more countries would participate, and in 2012 over fourteen thousand athletes in two hundred and five teams arrived in London for the Thirtieth Olympiad.

   Readers who enjoy history and who look forward to watching the Olympic Games will greatly enjoy this unique book. They will not only see how the Games changed and evolved over time, but they will also get to meet some of the great athletes who attended the Games. With period photos and illustrations throughout the book, this is a title that is easy to read and full of fascinating stories.

Fiction Wednesday - A review of The Invisible Order

As we grow up, many of us lose the ability to believe in things that cannot be seen, in things that cannot be captured in a picture or on film. We stop looking for fairy rings, and think that pixies, boggarts, elves and their kin do not exist. This is a very dangerous assumption to make, as you will find out when you read today's book.

The Invisible Order

Paul Crilley

Fiction

For ages 10 and up

Egmont, 2010, 978-1-60684-031-3

   When she wakes up on a cold winter’s morning, Emily Snow has no idea that the day ahead of her is going to be a very unusual one. As usual she gets up and sets off for the market to buy her supply of watercress, bunches of which she will sell to make a little money. Though she is only twelve years old, Emily has to take care of her little brother William, making sure that she earns enough to keep him fed, clothed, and with a roof over his head.

   Three years ago Emily and Will’s father left home and never came back. Then, not long after, their mother vanished as well. Since then, Emily has had to shoulder the burden of caring for her little brother alone. Sometimes the responsibility weighs on Emily, but she presses on, doing the best she can.

   When she is halfway to the market, Emily witnesses a fight between two groups of people. Fights are reasonably common on London’s streets, but fights between two sets of beings who are less than half the height of a twelve year old girl are not. Emily can hardly believe her eyes, but before she can investigate, the creatures suddenly disappear.

   Soon after sighting the fight, a tall and rather terrifying man called Mr. Ravenhill questions Emily about what she has seen. She denies seeing anything and gets away from the man as soon as she can. Then Emily discovers that she has lost the penny that she was going to use to buy her day’s supply of cress. She must have dropped it in the alley where she witnessed the strange fight. Though she does not want to go back to the alley, Emily returns there. If she does not buy some cress to sell, she and William will not be able to eat that evening.

   Back in the alley, Emily finds one of the creatures who was involved in the fight that she witnessed. The creature explains that he is piskie from Cornwall, and his name is Corrigan. Then Corrigan and Emily are attacked by the Black Sidhe, pixies who hate Corrigan and his kind. Not knowing what else to do, Emily picks up Corrigan, who is injured, and runs away.

   Corrigan then explains that the Black Sidhe arrow sticking out of his leg is poisoned and that he needs Emily to carry him to a place where his wound can be tended by someone who knows how to deal with such things.

   At a bookshop owned by Merrian, a half giant, Corrigan’s wounds are treated, and Emily finds out that London is not only home to humans, it is also home to countless creatures of Faerie. Most humans cannot see the piskies, faeries, gnomes and other magical beings, but some, like Emily, can. Apparently the creatures of faerie used to be united in their dislike of humans, but then a split occurred between the Seelie and the Unseelie. The Seelie are led by the Faerie Queen, and the Unseelie are led by King Dagda. Urged on by their rulers, the two sides have been fighting off and on ever since the split.

   As if this isn’t confusing enough, Emily learns that there is an organization called the Invisible Order, a group of humans who are bent on ridding the world of all the creatures of Faerie. The sinister Mr. Ravenhill is one of their number.

   Once she is sure that Corrigan is going to be fine, Emily sets off for home, eager to forget all about piskies and other magical creatures. She soon discovers that this is not going to be easy to do. For some reason, the Seelie, the Unseelie and the Invisible Order all want something from Emily. She is caught in the middle of a battle for power and she doesn’t even know why.

   Readers who like stories about magical creatures are going to be thrilled with this book, which is the first title in a new series. It is fascinating to see how the story unfolds, and how Emily deals with the problems that she if forced to face.