The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Sixty-Four

As I have mentioned before, I have a deep fondness for pigs. For several years I had a delightful pot-bellied pig in my life and I still miss her very much indeed. For today's title I have a review of a book that shows you what happens when some pig children get into the kitchen to do some baking.

Piggies in the Kitchen

Michelle Meadows

Illustrated by Aard Hoyt

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 7

Simon and Schuster, 2011, 978-1-4169-3787-6

   Mama pig has gone out, leaving Papa pig at home with their five children. While Papa is outside mowing the lawn, the piggy children go into the kitchen and they start getting ingredients together. Busily they mix and stir, happily they turn the kitchen into a scene of chaos.

   Over and over again, the children experience anxious moments when they hear someone’s car outside. Has Mama come home? Thankfully, every time they peek out of the window they see that Mama’s car is not outside, so they get back to work. Trails of batter and drifts of sugar and flour are spilled on the flour, but the children keep on going. Which is when Papa comes in. They forgot about him!

   Full of wonderful noise words that children will enjoy saying, this delightful book is perfect for reading out loud. With its irrepressible pig characters and its surprising ending, this is a picture book that will surely become a favorite with children and their grownups. 

Poetry Friday - A review of Mirror Mirror by Marilyn Singer

Happy Poetry Friday everyone. Today's book is full of very unique poems, all of which explore popular fairy tales from two very different points view. If you have ever been considered reading a story backwards, then this is a book for you.

Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse

Marilyn Singer

Illustrated by Josee Masse

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 5 to 8

Penguin, 2010, 978-0-525-47901-7

   We are often told that there are always “two sides to every story.” Actually, there are often more than two sides, because there are often many points of view, but that is another matter entirely. In this book Marilyn Singer looks at a number of classic fairy tales, telling the tales from two points of view using two poems, one of which is literally the upside version of the other.

   Here is a poem about Cinderella, “Stuck in a corner” shining the shoes belonging to her stepsisters who are at the ball “waiting for a chance / with the prince.” If you read the poem from bottom to top who get the second poem on the page, and the picture is altogether a more cheerful one. Here is Cinderella “shining / at the ball” as she dances with the prince for dance after dance, while her stepsisters are “stuck in a corner” waiting for their turn.

   Further on in the book we meet an ugly and doubtful duckling. In the first poem, the duckling is full of hope that one day he will “turn into a swan.”  In the second poem, which is the first one read from the bottom up, we meet a more pessimistic duckling who is convinced that he will always be “stubby and gray.”

   All together, Marilyn Singer looks at fourteen fairy tales in this book, using her unique reverso poems for each one. In addition to Cinderella and the Ugly Duckling, she tells the story of Beauty and the Beast, Rapunzle, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and many other familiar favorites. The poems are amusing, interesting, and beautifully complimented by Josee Masse’s luscious artwork.

   At the back of the book, Marilyn Singer shows readers how reverso poems work, and she encourages us to try writing their our own reverso poems. 

Book Giveaway - Enter to win a set of Dr. Seuss Books

Enter for a chance to win Dr. Seuss Books!

  

RandomHouse Children’s Books is hosting a daily giveaway through Monday, March 6^th

on its “Dr. Seuss Books” Facebook page in honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday and Read Across America.

Thank you for celebrating with us and sharing the news with your audience!

For more Seuss fun and games, visit www.seussville.com.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Sixty-Three

A few years ago I was sent a deliciously funny picture book about lacewing (a kind of insect) called Ace Lacewing, who is a detective. The author created a whole insect-centric world for his detective to live in, and I greatly enjoyed looking at the art and chuckling over the wordplay that was sprinkled throughout the book. For today's picture book I have reviewed the second book in this series.

Ace Lacewing Bug Detective: Bad Bugs are my business

David Biedrzycki

Picture Book

Ages 8 to 10

Charlesbridge, 2009, 1-57091-569-5

   One day a small flea called Scratch Murphy walks in Ace Lacewing’s detective agency door. Scratch explains that a lot of money that he was taking to the bank to repay a loan was stolen from him. He was on his way to the bank with the money when a carpenter ant toolbox was dropped on his head (he has the bump to prove it). When he came to, his bag of money was gone.

   Ace takes on Scratch’s case and soon he and his “gal,” Xerces, are talking to the bank manager. Though the roach does appear to be flush with money, he refuses to talk, so Ace decides to try to find out who “might be out to exterminate Scratch Murphy.”

   Certainly, the carpenter ants aren’t very keen on Scratch, but they are not the only ones who would like to “scratch Scratch out.” Ace decides to have a chat with Bo Weevil, who apparently fought with Scratch all the time. Though Bo has a reason to be mad with Scratch, he is a very paternal bug, and he doesn’t seem like the violent type. He suggests that Ace should talk to Ace’s girlfriend, Lady DeBug. When Ace and Xerces meet the elegant ladybug, they discover that all is not what it seems. Could it be that the thief was a member of Scratch’s family?

   In this amusing Ace Lacewing mystery, the famous bug detective once again solves a puzzling crime, interviewing suspects and finally uncovering the villain responsible for the theft of Scratch’s money. Clever word play and deliciously detailed illustrations make this a title that adults will be happy to share with their children.

Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews - Book Sixty-Two

All too often real life does not live up to our expectations. Our imaginations conjures up situations that aren't very realistic, and we often feel disappointed that things did not turn out the way we hoped. In this picture book one little girl's dreams  and expectations are very grand and exciting, and what she gets in real life is a lot simpler.

The best family in the world

Susana Lopez

Illustrated by Ulises Wensell

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Kane Miller, 2008, 978-1-935279-47-1

   One morning the director of the orphanage tells Carlota that she has been adopted, and that her new family will be picking her up the very next day. Carlota is so excited that she cannot sleep. She imagines what her life will be like if her new family are pastry chefs, or pirates, or tiger trainers, or astronauts. In each case, her new family will be “the best family in the world.”

   In the morning, Mr. and Mrs. Perez come to the orphanage to collect Carlota. Mrs Perez is not a chef, nor is Mr. Perez a pirate. Carlota’s new brother is just an ordinary boy, and her new grandmother is a retired old lady and not a tiger trainer. Is her new everyday family going to be enough for Carlota?

   In this charming picture book, we meet a little orphaned girl who has big dreams about her future family. Though her real family is not as glamorous as the ones she conjures up in her imagination, they still are “the best family in the world,” because they show their love for her in many ways.

   With delightful illustrations and a warm message about hope and new beginnings, this is a picture book that children will greatly enjoy.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss - Read Across America Day

On this day in 1904 Theodor Seuss Geisel came into the world. In honor of his birthday I would like to share a profile of this great man with you:

Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known to the world as the beloved Dr. Seuss, was born in 1904 on Howard Street in Springfield, Massachusetts. Ted's father, Theodor Robert, and grandfather were brewmasters in the city. His mother, Henrietta Seuss Geisel, often soothed her children to sleep by "chanting" rhymes remembered from her youth. Ted credited his mother with both his ability and desire to create the rhymes for which he became so well known.

Although the Geisels enjoyed great financial success for many years, the onset of World War I and Prohibition presented both financial and social challenges for the German immigrants. Nonetheless, the family persevered and again prospered, providing Ted and his sister, Marnie, with happy childhoods.

The influence of Ted's memories of Springfield can be seen throughout his work. Drawings of Horton the Elephant meandering along streams in the Jungle of Nool, for example, mirror the watercourses in Springfield's Forest Park from the period. The fanciful truck driven by Sylvester McMonkey McBean in The Sneetches could well be the Knox tractor that young Ted saw on the streets of Springfield. In addition to its name, Ted's first children's book, And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, is filled with Springfield imagery, including a look-alike of Mayor Fordis Parker on the reviewing stand, and police officers riding red motorcycles, the traditional color of Springfield's famed Indian Motocycles.

Ted left Springfield as a teenager to attend Dartmouth College, where he became editor-in-chief of the Jack-O-Lantern, Dartmouth's humor magazine. Although his tenure as editor ended prematurely when Ted and his friends were caught throwing a drinking party, which was against the prohibition laws and school policy, he continued to contribute to the magazine, signing his work "Seuss." This is the first record of the "Seuss" pseudonym, which was both Ted's middle name and his mother's maiden name.

To please his father, who wanted him to be a college professor, Ted went on to Oxford University in England after graduation. However, his academic studies bored him, and he decided to tour Europe instead. Oxford did provide him the opportunity to meet a classmate, Helen Palmer, who not only became his first wife, but also a children's author and book editor.

After returning to the United States, Ted began to pursue a career as a cartoonist. The Saturday Evening Post and other publications published some of his early pieces, but the bulk of Ted's activity during his early career was devoted to creating advertising campaigns for Standard Oil, which he did for more than 15 years.

As World War II approached, Ted's focus shifted, and he began contributing weekly political cartoons to PM magazine, a liberal publication. Too old for the draft, but wanting to contribute to the war effort, Ted served with Frank Capra's Signal Corps (U.S. Army) making training movies. It was here that he was introduced to the art of animation and developed a series of animated training films featuring a trainee called Private Snafu.

While Ted was continuing to contribute to Life, Vanity Fair, Judge and other magazines, Viking Press offered him a contract to illustrate a collection of children's sayings called Boners. Although the book was not a commercial success, the illustrations received great reviews, providing Ted with his first "big break" into children's literature. Getting the first book that he both wrote and illustrated, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, published, however, required a great degree of persistence - it was rejected 27 times before being published by Vanguard Press.

The Cat in the Hat, perhaps the defining book of Ted's career, developed as part of a unique joint venture between Houghton Mifflin (Vanguard Press) and Random House. Houghton Mifflin asked Ted to write and illustrate a children's primer using only 225 "new-reader" vocabulary words. Because he was under contract to Random House, Random House obtained the trade publication rights, and Houghton Mifflin kept the school rights. With the release of The Cat in the Hat, Ted became the definitive children's book author and illustrator.

After Ted's first wife died in 1967, Ted married an old friend, Audrey Stone Geisel, who not only influenced his later books, but now guards his legacy as the president of Dr. Seuss Enterprises.

At the time of his death on September 24, 1991, Ted had written and illustrated 44 children's books, including such all-time favorites as Green Eggs and Ham, Oh, the Places You'll Go, Fox in Socks, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. His books had been translated into more than 15 languages. Over 200 million copies had found their way into homes and hearts around the world.

Besides the books, his works have provided the source for eleven children's television specials, a Broadway musical and a feature-length motion picture. Other major motion pictures are on the way.

His honors included two Academy awards, two Emmy awards, a Peabody award and the Pulitzer Prize. 

Please visit the Seussville website to learn more about Dr. Seuss, to explore his books, to play games, and to download Seuss-ish goodies.

In honor of Dr. Seuss, March 2nd is Read Across America Day. Get information about this event on NEA's Read Across America webpage.

Please visit the TTLG Dr. Seuss page to find reviews of books by and about Dr. Seuss.

ClassroomsCare Program gives books to two teachers in each state

SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUBS' CLASSROOMSCARE PROGRAM HAS ANNOUNCED TWO TEACHERS IN EACH STATE AS SWEEPSTAKES WINNERS

Two lucky teachers in each state have been chosen to receive a special prize of two hundred books each from the Scholastic Book Clubs' ClassroomsCare program. These one hundred winners will then donate one hundred of the books they receive to a local charity of their choice and keep one hundred for their own school. Winners were picked from more than 35,000 entrants in the 2010 "Care Where You Are Sweepstakes," an annual highlight of the Scholastic ClassroomsCare program, which donates more than a million books to children in need each year.

The Care Where You Are winning teachers, whose names have been posted at http://teacher.scholastic.com/clubs/contests_home.htm#tcool will receive their books by March 2011 and then can donate them to their local charity. In the past, Care Where You Are Sweepstakes winners have donated to children's hospitals, libraries, early literacy centers and many other local places that work with children in need. This year, Scholastic received more than double the number of entries from previous years.

According to Judy Newman, president of Scholastic Book Clubs, "We're so pleased that teachers are making time to help their students participate in the ClassroomsCare program. By entering the Care Where You Are Sweepstakes, teachers and their classes are showing their desire to help make a difference in their own community by reaching the people most in need of quality books."

ClassroomsCare is an annual challenge to the one million classrooms that use Scholastic Book Clubs. Participating classes read for the cause, triggering a donation of a million books from Scholastic Book Clubs to ClassroomsCare's charity partners, such as Reach Out and Read, Save the Children and The Pajama Program. Books are then donated throughout the year to kids in preschool to middle school who in many cases would not otherwise have books of their own. Since August 2010, more than 8,592,613 books were read as a result of the program in 100,000 classrooms.

By the numbers:

• 30,127,000* - kids have read for ClassroomsCare since 2001
• 10,000,000  - books donated to charities through ClassroomsCare
•   1,234,580  - classrooms have participated in ClassroomsCare

• 126,050,613 - Total Books Read because of ClassroomsCare

 *The number of kids who have read for ClassroomsCare was calculated by multiplying the number of participating classrooms by 25.

Scholastic Book Clubs is a division of Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL), the global children's publishing, education and media company.

Winners are:

Kim Trammell, Nikiski North Star, Nikiski,  AK

Karen Knight,Wasilla Lake Christian School,Wasilla,  AK

Sharon Harris,Banks School, Banks,  AL

Tina Wright,Douglas Elementary, Douglas,  AL

Kim Himstedt,Westside Elementary School,SEARCY,  AR

Erin Huddleston, Oaklawn Magnet School, Hot Springs,  AR

Deidra Mendenhall, Chinle Elementary, Chinle,  AZ

Stella Cravens, Abraham LIncoln Traditional Sch.,Phoenix,  AZ

Carley Kennedy, Green School, Dublin,  CA

Lois Haas, Vail Elementary, Temecula,  CA

Paula Bristow, Paula's Family Day Care, Denver,  CO

Patty Miller, McGraw Elementay, Ft. Collins,  CO

Meredith Martineau,YWCA,West Hartford,  CT

Doris Mancini,West Side Middle School, Waterbury,  CT

Toni Garnes,William Henry MS,Dover,  DE

Barbara Lacy,Richardson Park,Wilmington,  DE

Rachael Hall,Indian Rocks Christian School,Largo,  FL

Donna Stott,Plantation Christian Preschool,Plantation,  FL

Susan Hogan, Wiregrass Georgia Tech College Child Development Center, Ben Hill-Irwin Campus, Fitzgerald, GA

Lexie Phillips, Seven Oaks Academy, Lilburn,  GA

Susan Miyasato, Kanoelani Elementary, Waipahu,  HI

Hazell Cabiles, Central Union Church Preschool & Kindergarten,Honolulu,  HI

Vicki Tilson, Peosta Elementary,Peosta,  IA

Kristin Hale, Summit Schools, Cedar Rapids,  IA

Christy Vandeberg, Fruitland Elementary School, Fruitland,  ID

Theresa Perry, Amity Elementary, Boise,  ID

Mary Richter, Al Wood Elementary, Alpha,  IL

Jana Lopez, Kindercare Learning Center, Lisle,  IL

Chrislin Knight, Calumet Christian School ,Griffith,  IN

Vanessa Goodknight, Henryville Elementary, Henryville,  IN

Nancy Armstrong, Quincy Elementary,Topeka,  KS

Connie McMullin, Derby USD 260,Wichita,  KS

Brianna Musgrave, Taylor elementary, Brookesville,  KY

Sebrena Mitchell, Southside Elementary, Club Southside, Nortonville,  KY

Deanna Habetz, Rayne Catholic Elementary School, Rayne,  LA

Sarina Sande, Intercultural Charter School, New Orleans,  LA

Mary Aker, Murdock Middle High School, Winchendon,  MA

Sara Mansour, St. Mary of the Assumption, Lawrence,  MA

Ashley Sperow, Talbott Springs Elementary School, Columbia,  MD

Lisa Herbst, A Childs Garden, Severna Park,  MD

Beth Komulainen, H. B. Emery Jr. Memorial Elementary School, Limington,  ME

Kristi Chiasson, Williams Elementary School, Oakland,  ME

Julie Reid, McMillan Elementary, Muskegon,  MI

Susan Case, Trinity Lutheran School, Saint Joseph,  MI

Sara Crosby, Richfield,  MN

Linda Hoon, Sts. Peter, Paul and Michael, Saint Cloud,  MN

Beth Wehmeier, Coverdell Elementary, St. Charles,  MO

Karen Griesedieck, Andrews Academy, Creve Coeur,  MO

Stephanie Dees, Davis Magnet, Jackson,  MS

Agnes Stidum, Byhalia Elementary, Byhalia,  MS

Denise Bakkum,Cecelia Hazelton Elementary, Townsend,  MT

Mara Burrowes-Fitzgerald, East Helena,  MT

Kirsten Stuber, Meadow Lane Elementary School, Goldsboro,  NC

Fiona Ireland, Monroeton, Reidsville,  NC

Drina Hansel, St. Alphonsus Elementary, Langdon,  ND

Tami McNaly, Lewis & Clark School, Minot,  ND

Linda Sweeting, St Mary's of Bellevue School, Bellevue,  NE

Kelly Smith, Wallace Public School, Wallace,  NE

Tara Eckert, Silver Lake Elementary, Reno,  NV

Theresa Waite, Grant Bowler Elementary School, Logandale,  NV

Liz Carlson, Paul Smith School, Franklin,  NH

Nancy Russo, Create and Discover Learning Ctr, Salem,  NH

Debra Dragon, J. Mason Tomlin Elementary School, Mantua,  NJ

Lynell Burgos, AC Redshaw School, New Brunswick,  NJ

Alice Stiles, Missouri Avenue Elementary, Roswell,  NM

Anne Claspell, Queen of Heaven, Albuquerque,  NM

Peggy Sears, Erwin Child and Family Center, Painted Post,  NY

Catherine Harris, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Seneca Falls,  NY

Marcia Mitchell, Miami County Preschool, Troy,  OH

Lisa Huml, Stingel Intermediate, Mansfield,  OH

Debbie Ellis, Bethel Upper Elementary, Shawnee,  OK

Kim Landers, Tony Goetz Elementary, Muskogee,  OK

Joetta Smith, OLPH Preschool, Cottage Grove,  OR

Lorie Barber, Mountain View Elementary, White City,  OR

Kelly Hicks, Mapleton Union Elementary,Mapleton Depot,  PA

Randi Price, Walter Miller Elementary, Levittown,  PA

Cheryl Dubois, Chester Barrows, Cranston,  RI

Carolyn Petrocelli, Melrose Avenue School, Jamestown,  RI

Blythe Morrison ,Children's Attention Home Charter School, Rock Hill,  SC

Jill Cox, Trinity Child Care Center, Blythewood,  SC

Lori Nemec, Stanley County Elementary, Fort Pierre,  SD

Linda Miller, Mt. Vernon School, Mt. Vernon,  SD

Michelle Howell, New Union Elementary, Manchester,  TN

Michelle Shanks, Mt. Carmel Elementary, Mt. Carmel,  TN

Cheryl Evans, Faith West Academy, Katy,  TX

Molly Dowlatshahi, Montclair Elem., Garland,  TX

Shanna Scovill, Arrowhead Elementary, Santa Clara,  UT

Joel Bowler, Morgan Middle School, Morgan,  UT

Cassie Miller, Macy McCalugherty School, Pearisburg,  VA

Rita Lee, Trinity Christian Preschool, Fredericksburg,  VA

Dana Gordon-Macey, Kindle Farm Children  Service, Newfane,  VT

Sandra Wassell, Newbury Elementary, Newbury,  VT

Beth Pushard, Evergreen Christian School, Olympia,  WA

Emily O'Halloran, Linwood Elementary, Spokane,  WA

Jill Land, Rose Glen Elementary, Waukesha,  WI

Michelle Kooiker, UWEC Childrens Center, Eau Claire,  WI

Leslie Cox, Mineral Wells Elementary, Mineral Wells,  WV

Kelly Hawse, Capon Bridge Elementary, Capon Bridge,  WV

Julie Belton, Julie's Childcare, Pinedale,  WY

Laura Smith, Douglas Intermediate School, Douglas,  WY

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Sixty-One

When I was a child I was often the odd one out, the child who was a little different. This story is about a goose who is the odd one out. In his case, he has a very good reason for making sure that he is not like all the other geese.

One Smart Goose

Caroline Jayne Church

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Scholastic, 2005, 0-439-68765-9

   There once was a gaggle of geese that lived on a farm. All the geese were “shiny and clean” except for one goose. This one small goose splashed around in a muddy pond and the clean geese laughed at him.

   Every time there was a full moon, the fox would come to the farm and he would chase the geese all over the place, snapping at them and pulling out their feathers. However, he never chased the dirty goose. After one particularly trying episode with the fox, the clean geese decided to ask the dirty goose why he was never chased by the fox. The dirty goose explained that the fox did not see him because of his dirty feathers. In no time at all there wasn’t a clean goose in sight. They were all dirty. What the formerly clean geese did not know was that their troubles with the fox weren’t quite over.

   In this amusing picture book, Caroline Jayne Church shows her readers how important it is to adapt yourself to the situation that you find yourself in. It also is important to realize that begin different can indeed be a very good thing.

   With charming multimedia illustrations and a memorable story, this picture book will appeal to young readers who like to see ‘the little guy’ prove that he is actually not so little after all. 

The new issue of Through the Looking Glass Book Reviews is now online

The March and April 2011 issue of Through the Looking Glass Children’s Book Reviews is now online. I have put together a wonderful collection of reviews for you for this issue, and I hope you enjoy reading the reviews as much as I have enjoyed writing them.

Here in Oregon, spring is making itself felt already, and for many people March and April are the months when they start getting busy in the garden. For this issue's special feature, I look at books about gardens and gardening for readers of all ages. Spending time in the garden gives children and young people a wonderful opportunity to connect with nature, watch things grow, and - of course - get dirty!

In March,  schools and libraries all over the United States observe  Women's History Month. This event celebrates the achievements of women over the years, and I have quite a large collection of books in the TTLG Women's History Month feature. In this feature readers will finds fiction and non-fiction titles that look at the lives and achievements of many great women from around the world.

April is the month when many Americans celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day. For Earth Day you can look at the Earth Day feature and the Saving the Environment feature. For Arbor Day  I have put together a delightful collection of books that are about trees. Some of the books in these features are informative nonfiction titles, while others are stories that will amuse, touch, and delight readers of all ages.

For this month's Editor's Choice title, I have selected a fascinating novelty title called Will Shakespeare: His life and times. This book will give readers an in-depth picture of William Shakespeare's achievements and, as they look through the book, readers will get a sense of what it would have been like to live in England during Shakespeare's lifetime. 

Finally, take a look at the new Bookish Calendar. Here you will find reviews about Michelangelo, St. Patrick's Day, Harry Houdini, the Titanic, and much more. This calendar is a great tool to use at home and in the classroom to help children incorporate books more fully into their lives.

-:Bookish Events for March and April:-

• March is Women's History Month (USA)
• March 2nd is Read Across America Day (USA)
• National March into Literacy Month (USA)
• April is National Poetry Month (USA)
• April 2nd is International Children's Book Day
• National Library Week April 10th - 16th (USA)
• Young People's Poetry Week April 12th - 18th (USA)
• National Week of the Ocean April 3rd - 9th (USA)

I hope you find a way to celebrate some, if not all,  of these bookish events. If I have missed an important bookish event, please drop me a line to tell me about it.

At the beginning of last year, I launched the new website, and all the new content for every issue is on this new website. However, a large part of the old content is still on the old site. You can still get to this content, but it is not integrated into the new site. Moving the 4,000 reviews over is going to take some time, and I appreciate your patience while I work on this. 

Some of the titles I reviewed several years ago are now out of print. Though you cannot buy these books in every bookshop, many of them are still available for purchase on websites like Amazon.com.

I hope you enjoy this new issue, and I look forward to hearing from you.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Sixty

Having recently spent many hours worrying about my sick dog, I think it is appropriate to review a book about pets and what it is like to have a pet. In this book, a young boy discovers that having a pet is not all fun and games, but it is still worth all the work and the worry. He also discovers that there are times when one has to make painful sacrifices to ensure that a pet is happy.

The Snagglegrollop

Daniel Postgate

Illustrated by Nick Price

Picture book

For ages 5 to 7

Scholastic, 2009, 978-0-545-10470-8

   Sam would like to have a pet, but his parents are apposed to the idea. A dog would need walking every day, and a cat would leave fur on the furniture. Then Sam asks if he can have a snagglegrollop, a creature that he just made up. His parents, finding this amusing, agree that Sam can have a snagglegrollop.

   When Sam comes home from school that day, he brings an enormous creature with him. The creature is a snagglegrollop and it has - among other things - a trunk, tusks, horns, and huge pink feet. Sam’s father is rather surprised, but because he said Sam could have a snagglegrollop, he lets him son keep the creature so long as Sam promises to look after it.

   Though it takes a lot of work to care for the snagglegrollop, Sam and his parents become very fond of it. Unfortunately, there are times when the snagglegrollop is sad. Something is wrong, and Sam and his family had no idea what they could do to help their unusual pet.

   This picture book explores the joys that come with pet ownership, even if that pet is a little unusual. It also highlights the idea that even the most peculiar of creatures can get lonely. The need for friendship is universal.

   With its wonderfully colorful illustrations and its loveable monster characters, this is a picture book that will particularly resonate with children who like animals.