Strega Nona is having dreams from a dead relative. They are telling her to take a vacation. Strega works very hard. So she does, out by the sea in herStrega Nona is having dreams from a dead relative. They are telling her to take a vacation. Strega works very hard. So she does, out by the sea in her grandmothers cottage.
Bambolina and Big Anthony are left to manage things on their own. Chaos ensues of course.
I thought the artwork was better her for Tomie on these books. Stega looks so happy in her dreams. He did some great dream sequences. Fun book.
The back cover is funny. Stega is on a seashell in the sea like Aphrodite coming ashore. That's not in the story. Just funny. ...more
I enjoy Grace Lin’s work and she is the artist here. She just has a style. You can tell this is her work. I love her bold colors. Simple and effectiveI enjoy Grace Lin’s work and she is the artist here. She just has a style. You can tell this is her work. I love her bold colors. Simple and effective.
A nice beginning book about shapes. They use shapes that are related Asian culture like a mooncake or an ink tray. It's nice having some variation out there.
Totally a young toddler book for beginning kids working on shapes. ...more
What a fun book. This is all about going to bed. It has dinosaurs acting out all the ways children stall bedtime. I've seen my niece and nephew use moWhat a fun book. This is all about going to bed. It has dinosaurs acting out all the ways children stall bedtime. I've seen my niece and nephew use most of these tactics at one point or other growing up. They still use some of them.
The artwork is great. It's looks somewhat digital maybe. The dinosaurs are huge, colorful and strike the imagination while being funny at the same time. In each scenario, the parents are different. Great artwork.
Each page is a scenario. A dinosaur is being naughty when the parents tell them to go to sleep in a hypothetical question. Is this how dinosaurs go to sleep. It's quite funny. The end, we get to see how they really go to sleep and it's a gentle goodnight and off to sleep. I love that....more
Does anyone remember the Shoemaker and the Elves? This story has elements in common with that one.
A Pooka is a man like donkey beast, not really good Does anyone remember the Shoemaker and the Elves? This story has elements in common with that one.
A Pooka is a man like donkey beast, not really good or bad. Apparently, they are sort of like servants of some kind having to pay off a debt. There's a really cool fact I didn't know. Harvey, from the Jimmie Stewart movie 'Harvey' is a Pooka. He looks more like a rabbit there. Interesting. I know the cover well, never saw the movie.
Jamie is a slob and his wife takes great care of him. She's going away for a week and she gets everything ready. She has food in the larder and everything is ready. She asks him to tidy up after himself while she's gone so it isn't such a mess. She knows her husband well.
As soon as she's gone, he has his three mates over. They eat and drink and make a huge mess. Jamie leaves it till morning.
That night a Pooka comes in, nearly scares Jamie alive. He realizes that the pooka is cleaning everything up. The next day, the house is sparkling. Jamie has it made now. So, it's a week of partying.
Same Tomie dePaola artwork. Nothing new there, but it's good for storytelling. His characters are truly normal people.
Spoiler,
Jamie, at the end of the week, is thankful, feels sorry for this pooka. He gives him his coat and the pooka is freed from his labor. He was lazy in life and now he is free. He doesn't even finish cleaning and Jamie is left with a mess and his wife gets home to see it all.
Oh my word, the artwork here is beautiful. So many colors and rich clothes. The people had Earth to walk around on and not just air. It was nice. The Oh my word, the artwork here is beautiful. So many colors and rich clothes. The people had Earth to walk around on and not just air. It was nice. The artwork pulls from Chinese artwork. There are full page fold outs as well that make for a panoramic view.
I love this tale. There's been some point in life where we pretend with other people we see what they see because we don't want to seem foolish and uninformed. It mostly happens in children. I think of the snipe hunt people love to take kids on. Sometimes, our imagination is so powerful, we really can see it.
This story perfectly captures that moment of not wanting to appear foolish. It allows us to be taken advantage of. The funny thing is that most of the time, stories like to use that very thing to prove an exception. Pretty Woman or Cinderella. Someone really does want to lift us out of our dreary lives. We will win the lottery. etc, etc. Yes, it can happen, the these tropes prey on our hopes. Maybe, also, sometimes we want to believe so much in the magical clothing, we can convince ourselves it's so.
We need both in life. We need some magical thinking, that's where Apple came from and we need some grounded reasoning and we have to use both. Anyway, great story. It's been a long time since I read this....more
A lovely story about the slow lazy days of summer. A grandson has to spend the summer with his grandmother in the middle of nowhere, accept there is aA lovely story about the slow lazy days of summer. A grandson has to spend the summer with his grandmother in the middle of nowhere, accept there is a river.
This raft is special, it calms all the animals and wildlife around it, so you can really observe it. This kid gets to explore nature with himself and his grandmother and it becomes a magical summer.
The artwork is sort of pastel and hazy like memories of summer spent simply being. A lovely book. It's an oldie now too. This is from 2000....more
This is a story about how a family celebrates Kwanzaa and what it means to them.
The artwork is nice and cozy. It has a good use of color.
The storytellThis is a story about how a family celebrates Kwanzaa and what it means to them.
The artwork is nice and cozy. It has a good use of color.
The storytelling seems and feels academic and more about teaching about the holiday than the actual story. It felt like reading cardboard. Still, it's interesting to learn about how this holiday is celebrated....more
Kwanzaa was start in the 1960s by Dr. Maulana Karenga to celebrate traditions from Africa and remember roots. There are 7 ideas important to Kwanzaa tKwanzaa was start in the 1960s by Dr. Maulana Karenga to celebrate traditions from Africa and remember roots. There are 7 ideas important to Kwanzaa to live for that day and all the days of the year: Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Co-operative Economics, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith. The story told is teaching about those things.
A father dies and his squabbling 7 sons must learn to work together if they want their inheritance. They are given 7 spools of thread and they must turn it into gold to get their inheritance. The story is about that.
The artwork in the book is outstanding. I love it. Beautiful. It's a nice folktale....more
I saw the movie years ago and finally got around to reading the book. The two are different. It's interesting to read about Einar's inner life and howI saw the movie years ago and finally got around to reading the book. The two are different. It's interesting to read about Einar's inner life and how it feels like to him that Lily comes from within as her own person.
They are both artists. Einar paints scenes from the bogs where he grew up, colorless landscapes. It fits his shy personality very well. Greta is lively. She is a tall blonde from Pasadena, CA and has that American attitude. Her paintings evolve with Lily and they take on color and boldness like Pasadena. It's interesting how their painting styles reflect the person. I love that.
The story is set in Copenhagen which I've never read a story set there, I don't think. Names are interesting to read. Christianhavn and such.
The movie tends to be focused on Lily and it's her story while the book explores Greta as much. We see her back story and her life that led her to this point. I would say she gets credit for helping Lily feel comfortable in her skin. There were times she begged and begged to bring Lily out. I know this is historical fiction based on real people and I have to think that some of the stuff really happened in some way. I'm sure we don't know all the little details that David fills in.
I thought the ending was weak. I'm sure some people will appreciate it. There are times I think that open-ended endings work, but I don't feel like it worked here, especially since we know how the story goes. This is set in the 20s and 30s before WWII. I keep thinking about their lives. They have no idea what is about to roll over them for the next decade.
The mood is sad and contemplative overall.
I did enjoy this story. I feel like David Ebershoff writes like a painter and he layers things onto the page like a canvas. It's beautifully written.
The story really is about a marriage and what goes on between two people. Greta really did love Einar and Einar loved Lily, but Einar disappeared. It's so interesting how it's written. Just a fascinating story....more
This is a super fun yarn to read. I love the mix of noir and supernatural. Noir is not my favorite genre to read, but this blended it just right. ThisThis is a super fun yarn to read. I love the mix of noir and supernatural. Noir is not my favorite genre to read, but this blended it just right. This fast-paced read is all the way back from 2000 and I'm just getting around to reading it. I only found out about it in 2018.
Harry Dresden is a wizard living in Chicago. (The funny thing to me is I haven't read too many stories set in Chicago and this month I read Dark Matter and Storm Front, both set in Chicago. I love coincidences like that.) It seems nearly everyone has read this book, so there probably doesn't need to be much said about the plot. There are vampires and black wizards or mages and a new kind of drug in this story with everything. Oh, and some grizzly deaths.
This is a great introduction into this Dresden world and I immediately want to pick up the next one. This is a purely entertaining read and if you want something breezy and fun, this is a good one to pick up. ...more
I missed this review somehow and I didn't want to hold it another year so I'm puttin git up now. It's from a year ago when I lived with my Nephew and I missed this review somehow and I didn't want to hold it another year so I'm puttin git up now. It's from a year ago when I lived with my Nephew and read it to him and had to many reviews to put up that year.
I think this is a little disjointed. We start off with cats and then the book switches points of view and Mr. Frumble is our protag. He is a klutz and wants to help people and it always going wrong. So he goes to the north pole to help Santa and everything gets all messed up and Santa gets trapped and he has to help.
I do like the pickle car turned into snow sled. It’s for a young audience. It’s Christmasy, but I didn’t enjoy this story. It felt like work. I do like all the characters.
The nephew chuckled at Mr. Frumble and all his goofs, but he didn’t really care too much for this story. He though the animals were cute. He gave this book 2 stars. ...more
Another entry in the Hedgie series. This was fun to read. I suspected the ending and I was rewarded in kind. Our story is about Henney the Hen. A boy Another entry in the Hedgie series. This was fun to read. I suspected the ending and I was rewarded in kind. Our story is about Henney the Hen. A boy steals her eggs every morning and she wants to have children like the goose. She bemoans the egg thief. Hedgie comes along to help her. Together they plot a way to fool the boy. The boy is relatively lazy. He steals an egg, eats it and then sleeps the rest of the day.
One morning he pulls out an acorn. Then other things are pulled out, all interesting and fun. Hedgie fixes that boy good, let me tell you, he’s a smart hedgehog.
The artwork is lovely. Jan Brett is on her details game here.
The nephew enjoyed all the surprises the boy pulled out. He especially loved the ending and watching the boy run away. This would make a great little short. He gave this 3 stars. He thought it could have been more exciting. ...more
This collection of short myths are all in celebration of the Winter Solstice and the return of the light. In addition to the 12 stories there are gameThis collection of short myths are all in celebration of the Winter Solstice and the return of the light. In addition to the 12 stories there are games, rites and songs in the back that look interesting.
The stories include: Why Hummingbird has a red throat = Olamentko-Miwok, NC The Golden Earring = Thoria-Orissa, India Raven Steals the Light = Inuit N. America The Sun Crow and the Thief = Kuttia Kondh-Orissa, India How Maui Snared the Sun = Polynesia How the Cock got his Crown = Miao Tzu, China Loki and the Death Light = Norse The Pull-Together Morning = Sukuma, Tanzania Grandfather Mantis and his Thinking Strings = Kung San, Khalahari Desert The Girl who Married the Sun = Luhya, Kenya The Light Keepers Box = Warao, Venezula La Befano and the Royal Child of Light = Italy
The stories are grouped into 3 categories. The 1st 4 are the theft of the light, Next 4 are the surrender of the Light and the Last 4 are the grace of the light.
If you enjoy world myths and stories, then this should interest you. They are unknown stories to me. It took me a while to get to it, but I’m glad I finished this....more
This story is taken from a line in the book ‘Walden� by Henry David Thoreau, which is the Henry in the title.
Henry and a friend decide to go to FitchbThis story is taken from a line in the book ‘Walden� by Henry David Thoreau, which is the Henry in the title.
Henry and a friend decide to go to Fitchburg which is 30 miles away. The friend thinks it would be faster to get there by train and Henry thinks it faster to walk. The friend works hard all day long to earn money for a train ticket while Henry walks through the woods stopping to look at stones and plants and pick berries. They get to Fitchburg at the same time only it’s been a refreshing trip for Henry and his friend is worn out. (the friend had to toil all day, then wait in line and then stand on a crowded train all the way there.) (The people are portrayed as bears)
D. B. lifting the idea for this right out of “Walden� I loved Walden as a Teen. It was a favorite of that time. I think my favorite part of the book was the last page where we read about Thoreau and his life. You know, I wish Brad Metzler would do a book about Henry.
The nephew thought this book was dreadfully boring. One bears is working the whole time and another was in the woods the whole time. Nothing exciting here for him. He gave this 1 star. He didn’t even care the bears were cute. ...more
Poor Wemberly, she worries constantly about everything. If you help her see around one worry, it brings up another worry. This is about worry and anxiPoor Wemberly, she worries constantly about everything. If you help her see around one worry, it brings up another worry. This is about worry and anxiety in kids and a good way to see that other people are like this. My niece was a lot like this a few years ago.
She meets a friend at school, she starts school in the story which is her biggest worry. When she makes a friends she realizes she worries a little less. Friendship helps ease her anxiety.
It’s a sweet story well told with a good message.
The nephew is not someone who worries. If he does, he uses humor to get around it. He didn’t like this book so much. She gave this 2 stars and said not a whole lot funny happens here....more
I’ve never seen artwork like this before. It’s so unique and different. I would have given this a Caldecott. I’ve seen a lot of artwork in picture booI’ve never seen artwork like this before. It’s so unique and different. I would have given this a Caldecott. I’ve seen a lot of artwork in picture books, by no means all of it, but this is different from everything else I’ve come across.
A father and son go fishing and make memories together and realize they are in a circle of life. It’s a simple story and it works well.
I like Sharon Creech’s middle grade books and saw her name and wanted to read this. Chris Raschka blew me away with the artwork. It really is different, just look at the cover. You can feel the air and the breeze with the pictures. It’s amazing.
The nephew thought it a slow and weird book. He hasn’t really been fishing, I don’t think. He can’t sit still long enough to do so. He didn’t feel like anything happened, and not much outwardly did. This is about a relationship. He was bored. He gave this 2 stars....more
Arthur really has some good character development in the series and what happens to other characters with each other is complex for this grade level. Arthur really has some good character development in the series and what happens to other characters with each other is complex for this grade level. It’s nice. Arthur and D. W. both want to have a perfect Christmas, but it seems like things keep getting in the way. Expectations for Christmas can be so high around this holiday. DW’s friend is Jewish and she is having a Hanukkah party the night DW invites her over and DW gets mad. There is a lot going on with Arthur’s family that he has to deal with.
In the end, everyone realizes that the day can be really good, even if it’s not perfect. I do remember as a kid, wanting everything to be just like the year before. Our family had traditions and until I hit my teenage years, I really wanted us to stick to those traditions. I was into it. Now, I grew out of that, but I know it’s a thing for some people.
I am very impressed with these Marc Brown books. He is so great at kids and family dynamics. It’s a good series. You’ll see more of them, especially the original ones.
The niece related to this as she likes her traditions right now. She has her expectations. She thought the story was good. We have a cousin who is Jewish, so she knows all about that and going to Montessori school, they teach about what many religions celebrate. She thought it was a good story about Christmas. She likes Arthur and she read this one with us. She gave this 4 stars. The nephew thought this was pretty good. He likes Arthur as he looks a little weird. He gets the different celebrations too. There wasn’t anything outstanding in this for him, so he gave it 3 stars....more
I got this for the nephew. I am a huge William Joyce fan, but his Rolie Olie series isn’t my favorite, I have to say. It’s cute, but it feels rushed tI got this for the nephew. I am a huge William Joyce fan, but his Rolie Olie series isn’t my favorite, I have to say. It’s cute, but it feels rushed to me and rather simple.
Rolie gets snow and they build a snowman who becomes their friend. As it warms up, they take him to the north pole to let the snowman live there. They meet Klancky Klaus there and get a ride home with him. It’s rather slow.
The nephew forgot that this robot was named Rolie Polie Olie. He loves robots and he loves rolie polies. They remind him of the summer. He was happy to have a story set in a world of robots. He wants to get move of these books and there are a lot of them, so I’ll be getting more of these. He gave this 5 stars. There are also snowmen and he is crazy about snowmen still, so this has it all, well, all but monsters....more
A boy carves a pumpkin that becomes a friend. Well, it starts to smell bad and the boy has to set it out in the garden where he watches it decompose. A boy carves a pumpkin that becomes a friend. Well, it starts to smell bad and the boy has to set it out in the garden where he watches it decompose. Seasons change and when the snow melts, not much is left of the pumpkin. He does notice a new green shoot and he knows it’s a new pumpkin vine. He nourishes this vine and watches it grow until he can carve his new pumpkin.
This is a great story for the changing seasons and the circle of life. The artwork is nice, but not special. The molded pumpkin picture was quite gross.
My little nephew is not a patient person. He expects things in the moment he is in. He’s hungry, he must eat now. He is thirsty and there is a national emergency and he is screaming for water, now. Waiting for something is not in his nature right now. He watches Netflix and when he does see a commercial on Youtube, it drives him crazy. All this to say, that for a boy who lives in the moment, looking at something that takes a year to complete is boring for him and he told me so. “I know a pumpkin vine grows pumpkins�, he said, ‘why do we have to watch it in the story?� “This story stinks,� he said and slammed it with 1 star. It frustrated him and he enjoys pumpkins. We differ in our opinion of this....more
I'll be honest why I choose this book to read. I tract how many books I read for the published year and my counts for 2000 are falling behind the otheI'll be honest why I choose this book to read. I tract how many books I read for the published year and my counts for 2000 are falling behind the others. I went looking for titles published in this year and ordered them up.
Mama Bear’s lap starts to disappear and she tells sister bear that she is pregnant. This is the birds and the bees book. It runs down the basics of having babies without getting graphic at all. She tells sister the baby is growing inside her womb and then sister asks how it gets out and she has to take sister to the hospital during an ultrasound so the doctor can answer that. The answer given is the word birth canal, which is totally true.
The basics of life have been freely covered in this house. All that stuff has been gone over. So when they doctor says the word birth canal, both kids stop the story and say, “the baby comes out of the mother’s vagina.� So they know the basics. The nephew wanted to know why they just didn’t say it. I told him that some people don’t like using those words. Anyway, this was all very interesting to say the least. The niece asked all these questions years ago and the nephew caught up some time ago.
The neph thought this was an ok story. He thought it was useful, but not all that exciting and he gave it 2 stars. ...more
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