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, January 26, 2016
Lets get the winners of the children's literature awards on the Ellen Show!
Not long ago the American Library Association announced the winners of America's most prestigious children's book awards, which includes the Caldecott Award and the Newbery Award. Many of us in the children's literature world would love to see the winners of these awards on the Ellen Show. The staff at KidLitTV have created a short movie about their campaign that I would like to share with you.
Monday, January 25, 2016
Picture Book Monday with a review of This is Not my Hat
When I was growing up, I was naturally drawn to stories that featured children who broke the rules. Eloise, and many of the 'naughty' characters from Roald Dahl's books were my heroes because they prevailed in spite of everything. In today's picture book you will meet a fish who does something bad. He knows that what he is doing is wrong, but he does it anyway. The ending is rather surprising, and perfectly perfect, under the circumstances.
This is not my hat
Jon Klassen
Picture Book
For ages 4 to 6
Candlewick Press, 2012, 978-0-7636-5599-0
One day a very small fish steals a hat from a very large
sleeping fish. The small fish thinks that the large fish “probably won’t wake
up for a long time,” and even when he does wake up the fish won’t notice that
the hat is gone. After all, the hat is very small and the big fish probably
barely felt it.
Just in case,
the little fish decides to hide in a place where the plants are “tall and close
together.” A crab sees where the little fish is going but it promises not to
tell anyone where the little fish is hiding. The little fish justifies the
theft of the hat, which he knows was a bad thing to do, because the hat was too
small for the big fish.
The little fish
makes it to his hiding place and swims in amongst the plants. He is so sure
that “Nobody will ever find me,” but it turns out that many of the assumptions that
he made were completely wrong.
This beautifully
crafted book, with its simple tale and cocky main character, will delight young
readers. Children will be able to see how wrong the little fish is as he talks
about what he has done and how to plans to get away with the theft of the hat.
They will see that the little fish’s confidence and optimism is, alas,
misplaced.Friday, January 22, 2016
Poetry Friday with a review of The Way the Door Closes
Life is full of unknowns. Sometimes even the things that you feel sure about are not as secure as you thought they were. One of the hardest things for children to cope with is when something happens to a parent. When there is a divorce, when a parent dies, or when a parent walks out, the ramifications for the children in the family can be considerable. Today's poetry title takes readers into the heart and mind of a young man whose father leaves suddenly. The narrative is moving and powerful, and it shows readers what it is like to be a child who is trying to cope with this kind of devastating event.
The way a door closes
Hope Anita Smith
Illustrated by Shane W. Evans
Poetry
For ages 10 to 13
Henry Holt, 2011, 978-0312661694
C.J. lives with his Momma, Daddy,
Grandmomma, and his younger brother and sister. On the whole they have a happy
life together, and C.J. admires his strong grandmother, his beautiful mother,
and his dependable father who reminds C.J. to be proud of who he is. He loves
Sunday afternoons, when he and his father and brother go out and do something
together, just the three of them.
Then Daddy loses his job and things start to change. Daddy tries not to
show his pain and worry, but C.J. still sees it and every day he prays that his
father will finally get a job. Every day Daddy comes home without a job. Then,
one night, Daddy tells his family that he is going out. Somehow, the way he
closes the door makes C.J. feel as if they are “vacuum-sealed inside” the room.
Something about the way that Daddy closed that door feels wrong.
Sure
enough, that night and the next day Daddy does not come home and C.J. offers to
get a job, to even leave school “until we get things squared away,” but Momma
won’t hear of it. In fact she gets angry and slaps her son, only to hold him
close and cry. As far as she is concerned C.J is too young “to be a man.”
As
the days go by, the gloom of Daddy’s absence spreads, and it touches everyone
in C.J’s household. People start to think that Daddy is just another dead-beat
dad who will never come back.
Written using a series of blank verse poems, this touching book explores
how a teenage boy feels when his father abandons his family. Feelings of
disbelief, anger and fear swirl through C.J. as he tries to come to terms with
the fact that nothing stays the same, and that even strong and loving fathers
can get afraid when life deals them a blow.
Labels:
Children's book reviews,
Poetry books,
Poetry Friday
Monday, January 18, 2016
Picture Book Monday with a review of The Red Apple
Learning how to work with others and cooperate is a lesson many children struggle with. They often prefer to do things their way. If there is a prize to be earned, they don't want to share it. They would rather struggle on their own than cooperate with others if it means that they have to share the prize. In this gorgeous picture book we see how a group of animals work together to try to get something and how, in the end, their cooperation gives them a gift that none of them expected.
The red Apple
Feridun OralThe red Apple
Picture Book
For ages 4 to 6
Minedition, 2015, 978-988-8240-00-5
One snowy, bitterly cold winter’s day a rabbit leaves his
burrow to try to find some food. Unfortunately, the snow is so deep that everything
edible is buried. Then Rabbit sees a bright red apple hanging on a bare tree.
Rabbit is delighted with his find and he quickly goes over to the tree. Only to
discover that the apple is too far above his head. There is no way that Rabbit
can reach the precious fruit.
Rabbit decides
to ask Mouse for his help, and Mouse is willing to do what he can, but it turns
out that the tree is too big for such a small mouse to handle. Even when Mouse
stands on Rabbit’s head the apple is still too high for them to reach it.
Then Fox, who is
feeling “a bit under the weather,” arrives on the scene. He tries to knock the apple off the tree with
his tail, but his efforts are no more successful than the earlier ones were,
and the apple, very stubbornly so it seems, stays firmly attached to the tree.
In this
beautifully written and visually stunning picture book, Feridun Oral shows his
readers how cooperation sweetens life in more ways than one. The ending will
warm the hearts of readers of all ages.
Friday, January 15, 2016
Poetry Friday with a review of A Spectacular Selections of Sea Critters
Concrete poems give poets a means to entertain readers with word magic and graphic art magic. I encountered this form of poetry relatively recently and have seen first hand how excited young children become when they see how the words in a poem can be used to create a picture. This wonderful book is packed to the gills with lots wonderful concrete poems that tickle the mind and delight the eye.
A spectacular Selection of Sea Critters
Betsy Franco
Illustrated by Michael Wertz
Poetry Picture Book
For ages 6 to 8
Lerner, 2015, 978-1-4677-2152-3
Many people love spending time at the seaside, paddling
in the waves, and exploring ocean worlds. They are fascinated by the creatures
that live underwater; the fish, turtles, jellyfish, stingrays, eels and other
animals.
In this
delightful book Betsy Franco’s clever concrete poems are paired with wonderful
artwork to give readers a memorable journey into the world of sun, sea, sand,
and “sea critters.” The words on the pages are arranged to create shapes and
patterns that reflect what is being said in the poems, and these arrangements
of words perfectly complement the illustrations to give readers a singular
reading experience.
We begin with a
piece of poetry called Sun Mail. The warmth
of the sun is sending us an invitation to go “Snorkling today!” and when we dip
our heads beneath the ways we see schools of fish where all the fish move in
perfect unison to the right, the left, up and down. The fish “shift together in
a flash” and as one “they swim together to survive.”
In the water we
encounter box jellyfish, “fascinating” creatures that move around by
“undulating” and “pulsating.” We see a sea turtle “row by” with “flippered
wings,” and a king angelfish, which is territorial about her space. Among the
coral, butterfly fish spend their days “floating, flitting, flickering,
fluctuating feeding.” The peaceful harmony of their world is rudely interrupted
when they have to flee from a hungry eel.
Puffer fish,
cleaner fish, needlefish, sea horses, Moorish idols, trumpet fish and others
cover the pages of this special book. There are poems in rhyming verse, blank
verse, a haiku, an acrostic poem, a tercet, a limerick, a riddle and more.
Throughout the book Betsy Franco dazzles us with her remarkable word pictures
and delights us with her creativity.
Labels:
Children's book reviews,
Poetry books,
Poetry Friday
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?
Sanctuary
Sanctuary
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.
Friday, January 8, 2016
Poetry Friday with a review of We troubled the waters
Until relatively recently, I had never encountered poetry that told uncomfortable stories from real life, stories that captured painful events from history. Then I started reviewing poetry books and I came across a few such titles, books in which the raw truth from the past is shared and explored. Today's poetry title is an example of this kind of book, and the poems it contains are powerful and honest.
We troubled the waters
Illustrated by Rod Brown
Poetry Picture Book
For ages 8 to 10
HarperCollins, 2009, 978-0-06-133735-2
The history of the African American people is peppered
with stories of struggle, loss, landmark moments and people of great courage. We
know some of these stories well and think about them as the year rolls around,
remembering how Rosa Parks took a stand on a bus, and how Martin Luther King
Jr. gave a speech on a hot summer’s day in Washington D.C. However, there are
many stories that we do not know, and in this book big stories and small ones
are told to help us get a truthful picture of what it was like to be an African
American in the days when people of color were discriminated against.
The first story
we encounter is about the schools Booker T. Washington founded, schools that
gave black children the tools, it was hoped, that would allow them to succeed
in the world. Not many years before, the children who attended the schools
would have been horribly punished for trying to get an education, but now the
door to the world of books, words and numbers was open to them.
Soon after we
read this story of hope we meet a woman sitting in the middle of a floor. She
is a “Cleaning Gal” and she knows that she could get into terrible trouble for
resting when she should be working. She knows that many tasks await her in the
hours and days ahead, and that she has to work, and work hard, to provide for
her family. She knows that while she labors away, her employers will live a
life of leisure, a life she can only dream about.
Though this is
painful and sad picture, it is nothing compared to the one we come across later
in the book when we read about how a group of boys are lynched, left hanging in
trees for the their family members to find. Often these acts of barbarism were
the work of the Ku Klux Klan, a group who “terrorized” African Americans for
generations. Wearing their white robes and head coverings “they took no
responsibility for the heinous reign of death they dealt.”
We read too
about how many brave souls refused to accept the “WHITES ONLY” signs. They
protested peacefully against segregation in five and dime stores and other
places where they were not welcome, and were attacked and imprisoned for their
pains.
This powerful
collection of poems will give readers a sense of what African Americans went
through, and how they suffered over the years, oppressed by violence and Jim
Crow laws. They were not beaten though, and rose up to march and sing, to speak
and to shout out for justice.
Labels:
Children's book reviews,
Poetry books,
Poetry Friday
Monday, January 4, 2016
Picture Book Monday with a review of Tree: A little story about big things
Many people have a hard time understanding why some adults love children's literature. Why would a grownup like to look at picture books, which are childish and surely too simple for an adult reader?
It is true that some picture books have a simple story line, one that caters just for children, but there are others that present readers with a bigpicture concept, a story that explores a universal principal that will resonate with readers of all ages.
Today's picture book is just such a title, and it is one that I have put on my to-look-at-again-and-again shelf. It is book that is beautiful on many levels.
Tree: A little story about big things
Danny Parker
Illustrated by Matt Ottley
Picture Book
For ages 5 and up
Little Hare, 2012, 9781742978604
A little seed lands in the shelter of a big tree’s curved
roots, and there it germinates and sprouts. Though it is “delicate and frail”
the little tree begins to grow. Sheltered by its large and strong neighbor from
the baking sun, heavy rains and snow, the little tree flourishes. And then, one
night, a terrible storm blows through, and though it has withstood many a storm
before, this time the older tree, the little tree’s protector, is not able to
withstand the ferocity of the wind, rain and lightning.
When the “uproar
and confusion” passes, and the quiet returns, something is different in the
little tree’s world. Its protector is gone. Big machines rumble and roar around
the little tree and it is left to struggle in a wasteland without any other
tree around or near it.
Loss and change
can be devastating, whether you are a tree or an animal or a person. With minimal
text and incredibly beautiful illustrations the author and illustrator of this
remarkable picture book helps readers to see the cycle of life, death and
renewal in a powerful and life-affirming way. We see how the older generation
protects the younger until the younger has to stand on its own and face what
life sends its way.Friday, January 1, 2016
Poetry Friday with a review of Bow-Tie Pasta: Acrostic Poems
I had never seen an acrostic poem until my daughter wrote one at school and proudly showed me her creation. She went on to write many more such poems, and still occasionally writes acrostics, which she illustrates with her own drawings. This wonderful title shows young readers how these poems are written, and provides them with examples to read and enjoy.
Bow-Tie Pasta: Acrostic Poems
Brian P. Cleary
Illustrated by Andy Rowland
Poetry
For ages 6 to 8
Millbrook, 2015, 978-1-4677-8107-7
For many children, an acrostic poem is the first poem
that they write. To create these poems poets use a word, written down the page
instead of across it, to form the building blocks of their word creation. They
then begin to write phrases that begin with the letters of that word that
explore, in some way, what that chosen word means. For example, the first poem
in this is book is built off the word “Acrostic.” The first letter of the first
line is an A, the second a C, the third an R, and so on. The poem begins thus:
“All kinds of poems are / Cool, but this type is / Really interesting…” Since rhyme and
meter patterns are not required in poems of this type - though some of them do
rhyme - acrostic poems are wonderfully simple to create.
The author of
this book begins by explaining what acrostic poems are and then he gives us
some wonderful examples to read and explore. Some of the poems use only one
word, words like piano, Halloween, and library. Other poems use several words.
For example, the author creates a poem called Bow Tie Pasta and the poem explores what it is like to eat pasta
that is made out of bow ties of all colors. Not surprising, the meal is “Awful
tasting.”
Many of the
poems are written without any kind of rhyme or pattern, but there is one that
has rhyme and a balanced meter. The poem is called Rainy Day, and as the verse unfolds we read about a child who makes
“cookies by the sheet / Next they cool. I dunk and eat.” Thanks to books,
treats, and games, this is a boy or girl who loves “the great indoors!”
Children who
have been afraid to try writing poems of their own are going to be inspired
when they look through this book. They will see how easy it is to write
acrostic poems, which can be funny, tell a story, or be contemplative,
depending on the writer’s mood.
Labels:
Children's book reviews,
Poetry books,
Poetry Friday
Monday, December 28, 2015
Picture Book Monday with a review of Grant and Tillie Go Walking
I must confess that other than being able to recognize American Gothic, until recently I did not know much about Grant Wood's art. I did not know his story either. I was therefore very keen to read and review today's picture book title, which provides readers with a very unique, partially true, tale about Grant Wood's life. The story is touching and sweet, and it piqued my interest so much that I then went online and read about Grant Wood some more.
Grant and Tillie Go Walking
Illustrated by Sydney Smith
Picture Book
For ages 5 to 7
Groundwood Books, 2015, 978-1-55498-446-6
Grant Wood lives on a farm, and many days he goes walking
with Tillie the cow. Tillie is happy with her lot in her life. She has a
comfortable home, plenty to eat, and she has Grant. Unfortunately, her human
friend is not happy. Grant is an artist at heart and he feels that he belongs
somewhere where he will find “more excitement,” a place like Paris where French
artists create their works of art.
And so Grant
leaves his farm life and travels to Paris with his friend Marvin. One evening
the two artists climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower and see the city lying
below them, “lit up like fireworks.” Grant no longer wears his farm overalls.
Instead, he dons city clothes and a beret. He grows a beard and spends many
hours talking to other artists in cafes.
Grant and Marvin
paint outdoors, creating paintings in a style that is new and exciting.
Marvin’s creations sell quickly, but Grant’s do not. For some reason he is not
able to connect with Paris in a meaningful way, and when he tries to paint a cow
– something that is familiar to him - that does not work either.
Back at home, on
the farm, Tillie is missing Grant terribly. She loses interest in her food, and
she does not go for walks anymore because she does not have Grant to show her
the way. Tillie grows sad and thin, and Grant’s family members do not know what
to do to help her.
In this
delightful picture book Monica Kulling weaves together fact and fiction to give
readers a heartwarming story about an artist who has to leave home to find out
what kind of an artist he is. Children will be delighted to see how Grant and
Tillie both get something priceless from their relationship.
In an author’s
note at the back of the book readers will find further information about Grant
Wood and his art.
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