Fun with Nursery Rhymes: Little Bo Peep and More

Little Bo Peep and Her Bad, Bad Sheep: A Mother Goose Hullabaloo
written by A. L. Wegwerth; illustrated by Luke Flowers

One might think this book is simply about Little Bo Peep and her bad, bad sheep, but they would be wrong. Readers will find not only Little Bo Peep, but 38 other nursery rhymes in this fun book. The narrator in the story has a very difficult time reciting Little Bo Peep's nursery rhyme, but who can blame her when there is SO much going on in the illustrations

Nursery rhyme characters are running wild all on the pages of this book. The illustrations will capture even the youngest reader, or listener immediately and a number of conversations can be had while reading this book based on the jam packed illustrations. Before you get to the end of the book, try to make a list of all of the different nursery rhymes referenced in the illustrations.  It will be a fun challenge for older children who are more familiar with the various nursery rhymes. Young children may not know all of the characters, but they will quickly be able to recognize Humpty Dumpty and the three little kittens. All of the nursery rhymes depicted in the illustrations are included in the final eight pages of the book along with a small character to help the reader locate the reference in the book. I highly recommend this book for early childhood and elementary school libraries.

*To comply with guidelines set forth by the Federal Trade Commission, Capstone Young Readers provided a complimentary electronic version of Little Bo Peep and Her Bad, Bad Sheep: A Mother Goose Hullabaloo for review purposes.

George by Alex Gino

I was fortunate enough to be in San Francisco on June 26, 2015. I understand if you are not familiar with this date and the historic significance. I will not judge, and I hope you will not judge me for being excited about that day.

June 26, 2015 was the day of the Supreme Court ruling making same-sex marriage a right nationwide.

I am a happily married woman. I have been married to my husband for over 22 years. Why should I not be excited for my friends who are gay or lesbian to have the same opportunity?

George
Alex Gino

I am remembering this time because of a book I just finished reading, George written by Alex Gino. It was during this trip to San Francisco for the American Library Association's Annual Conference I first saw George. In fact, I received an ARC (advanced reader's copy) of the book. I remember when I picked it up and read the insert that said, "This book will change your life" and a message from David Levithan, the editor of the book. I even got a button that says, "Be Who You Are". Sadly, my copy of George was hidden away in one of the many tote bags I picked up during conference. I re-discovered George when I was perusing our district's review shelves. I was so excited to see this title and immediately grabbed it to read and review. Ironically after pulling the book to review my ARC appeared along with the button which I now have proudly hanging with my button collection in my office.

The title character, George, is not gay or lesbian, but a young girl trapped in the body of a boy. Gino creates realistic characters who show true emotion and inner turmoil when confronted with George's reality. I am especially grateful Gino created a character with a safe place for George, even if it is only briefly mentioned. The reader can draw their own conclusions as to the purpose for this insight, but I believe it provides a glimpse into the life of the principal.

The story is woven around the school's study of E.B. White's Charlotte's Web. George desperately wants to play the role of Charlotte when her fourth grade class performs for the lower grades. However, since she is a boy, she is not considered for the role. The book seems to come to an abrupt end, but I like where Gino leaves the story. It is hopeful and uplifting.

The terms transgender and transitioning are used in this wonderful book for readers in third through seventh grade. The topic of being gay is briefly mentioned, but George explains she is not gay, but a girl in a boys body.

I highly recommend George by Alex Gino for anyone willing to stand up for children who need to read about characters in books who are like themselves. Just like books such as And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson, A Tale of Two Mommies by Vanita Oelschlager or Daddy, Papa, and Me by Lesléa Newman, there is a need for book on topics a lot of people feel are controversial. If this is our society's reality, then we need to have books available to reflect all people, and not simply the ones that make us feel the most comfortable reading about and discussing.

Variations on a Theme of Little Red Riding Hood

Happy New Year!

I thought I would start the new year sharing some great versions of Little Red Riding Hood.

Little Red
written and illustrated by Bethan Woollvin
(April 2016 release)

Starting with the end papers, the simple color palette (black, charcoal gray, white, and red) used for this book proves dramatic. With a repeated pattern of evergreen (charcoal gray), followed by two bare tree trunks the reader's eye is immediately drawn to Little Red in her bright red cloak and shoes. The wolf, hiding behind an evergreen can been seen, but not as quickly.

Woollvin's story remains true to the original until she looks into the window to see the wolf in her grandmother's bed. The observant reader can spot an ax stuck in a tree stump in through the window, also reminiscent of the original fairy tale, but this time, Little Red makes a plan before going inside grandmother's house. The surprising twist, Little Red returns home with a new fur coat!

This might seem a little dark for a children's book, but you have to remember the original story has a much more disturbing end. In Charles Perrault's, author of the earliest known printed version of the story, entitled Le Petit Chaperon Rouge,  "Little Red Riding Hood ends up being asked to climb into the bed before being eaten by the wolf, where they story ends." The moral this story told children was not to listen to the words of strangers.

Little Red's Riding 'Hood
written by Peter Stein, illustrated by Chris Gall
(February 2015 release)

The end papers for this book remind me of the ones from the above book, except for the fact the wolf is now a monster truck named Tank and Little Red is a scooter. Both characters appear on the front end papers, but only Little Red is on the back end papers. The absence of Tank on the back papers sends the message to the read of the happy ending since Little Red is headed back home from Granny Putt Putt's house.

I am not a car fanatic, but I believe young children, especially boys will find this new version of Little Red Riding Hood fun to read and listen to during story time. The author was very creative in building the text around the scooter, cars, and monster truck. At times it feels like a stretch when reading, but this is to be expected in a fairy tale. I was delightfully surprised to see how "the wolf" was recycled in the end. Definitely an unusual twist to the classic Red tale.

Red: The True Story of Red Riding Hood
written by Liesl Shurtliff

Red: The True Story of Red Riding Hood by Liesl Shurtliff is unlike either of the first two. This book is a chapter book, recommended for readers in middle elementary and up. The story does not just focus on Red's travels to grandmother's house and her encounter with the Big Bad Wolf. In the first chapter, we learn of Red's magical grandmother, as well as Red's attempts at magic herself. The humor in the first chapter is wonderful for capturing the reader's attention.  The magical spells included are very clever and create a great picture in the reader's mind.

Red does travel to her Granny's house in the story and finds Granny very ill. So ill in fact Red has to wonder through the woods in order to gather the ingredients for a Cure-All potion. As Red gathers the ingredients, we are introduced to a number of magical creatures, including pixies, dwarfs, and tree nymphs. I don't want to ruin the ending of this fairy tale for you because it is not what you will expect. The villain in Shurtliff's version, or "the true story" is not who you would suspect. You will have to read  Red: The True Story of Red Riding Hood to find out the rest of the story.

*To comply with guidelines set forth by the Federal Trade Commission,  the following publishers have provided a complimentary hard copy or electronic version of the book for review purposes. 

Little Red. Myrick Marketing & Media, LLC - Peachtree Publishers.

Little Red's Riding 'Hood. Orchard Books.

Red: The True Story of Red Riding Hood. Random House Children's Knopf Books for Young Readers.

My review is in no way influenced by the publishing company and is strictly my opinion.

Queen of Mystery Returns

I have written a number of reviews for books written by the Queen of Mystery, Mary Higgins Clark (5/5/2011 - I'll Walk Alone, 6/3/2014 - I've Got You Under My Skin, 11/5/2014 - The Cradle Will Fall) because she remains one of my favorite authors. I always know when I find one of her books I will fall into a great read. I was excited to find All Dressed in White, the latest addition to the "Under Suspicion" series featuring television producer Lauren Moran, when perusing the NetGalley website recently.

All Dressed in White
by Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair Burke

In the third episode of the television series Under Suspicion, Laurie Moran focuses her attention and cameras on the "Runaway Bride", Amanda Pierce, who disappeared five years ago the day before her wedding to her college sweetheart. Bringing the wedding party together at a lavish Long Beach resort, Laurie and Alex are quickly launched into production. Will they be able to uncover the circumstances of the bride's disappearance? Will there be white in Laurie's future? You'll have to read Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke's All Dressed in White to find out. 

Like I've said before, Mary Higgins Clark does not disappoint. she always provides a wonderful story line and an intriguing twist in her mysteries. I love this series and the possibilities that are available for additional "episodes" of Under Suspicion. I am reminded of J. A. Jance's Ali Reynolds series, which is another of my favorites, and I hope to see more in the future. All Dressed in White is now available in stores and online.

*To comply with new guidelines introduce by the Federal Trade Commission, Simon & Schuster has provided a complimentary electronic edition of All Dressed in White for review purposes. My review is in no way influenced by the publishing company and is strictly my opinion.

Will's Words

During the summer my son took me to New York City specifically to see as many Broadway shows as possible. I had been to NYC one other time, but my trip (planned for over a year) coincided with the first Stagehands Strike in the union's 121-year history! To say I was devastated is an understatement, but I have always been told things work out the way they are supposed to. I guess this trip proves the point because I had the most fantastic time I could have ever dreamed of having with my son.

While planning the trip he asked me what I wanted to see when we got to New York. I told him the only show I really wanted to see was Something Rotten! and he could choose the rest of the shows. I had only seen a short preview of the show while watching The 69th Annual Tony Awards earlier in the summer, but I was completely taken with the story line, music, and actors from the moment the curtains were raised.

If you don't know about Something Rotten!, and you love musical theater you should check it out. As soon as we left the theater (after staying around long enough to take pictures and get autographs from all of the leads, of course) I downloaded the soundtrack and listened to it all night.

Will's Words: How William Shakespeare
Changed the Way You Talk
by Jane Sutcliffe
illustrated by John Shelley

I bring up this musical because while reading Jane Sutcliffe's Will's Words: How William Shakespeare Changed the Way You Talk my mind kept going back to the theater and the staging of the show. John Shelley's beautiful illustrations provide a wonderful example of the layout of London and remind me fondly of the stage set for Something Rotten! Painstaking detail can be found on each two-page spread.  Jane Sutcliffe's creative text tells the story of London and the popularity of the theater while carefully including the phrases Shakespeare originally penned and we now all use routinely. Words and phrases are bold within the text of the story (printed within a colorfully framed box) and then "Will's Words" are defined and cited showing the work in which the words originally appeared. A time line of events from 1564 (the year Shakespeare was christened) to 1997 (the year the modern Globe opened in London) appears at the end of the book along with a Bibliography.

Here are a few of the phrases used within the text:

• "for goodness' sake"
• "what's done is done"
• "wild-goose chase"
• "fashionable"
• "money's worth"
• "heart's content"
• "well behaved"
• "laughed themselves into stitches"

Not only is this a fascinating look at the influence William Shakespeare has had on the spoken word, it is also a very interesting history of his works and the legacy this master left for us all. I would highly recommend this book for all levels of school libraries, but I think it would have the most impact on high school students as far as understanding the works they are generally required to read during their final years of public school. I believe this could start an interest in Shakespeare's work for younger students if they were to read this book and see how the words and phrases we say and hear have been around for hundreds of years. Wills Words would also be a great gift to any fan of The Bard.

This book will be released on March 22, 2016.

* To comply with new guidelines introduced by the Federal Trade Commission, Charlesbridge has provided a complimentary electronic copy of Will's Words: How William Shakespeare Changed the Way You Talk for review purposes. My review is in no way influenced by the publishing company and is strictly my opinion.

Coloring to Calm

Meditations Through Coloring
By River Grove Books

I am a coloring book addict. I have been coloring for more years than I can remember.  I get very excited when I see a new coloring book and when I buy it I can hardly wait to start filling in the colors I see for the designs.

Coloring relaxes me and helps me to unwind from the days hectic schedule. At times during the day I find myself daydreaming about the pictures I will color when I get home.

I received a preview copy of Meditations Through Coloring from River Grove Books yesterday. I have to say this book grabbed me instantly. I could see the colors that needed to be added the moment I looked at the first page. The problem, the review copy I have is electronic. The images are amazing! Some are large with large spaces for color, others are extremely detailed and will require patience and time to complete. 

Based on what I see in this electronic file, it looks like the images are front and back. If this is the case that could be the one downfall I see to this book. I appreciate the 96 pages of images to color, but when I use my colored pencils, I don't like to have to place a blank sheet of paper between each of my already colored pages so the colors don't cross to other pages. Another problem with seeing only the images is not being able to feel the paper on which the book is printed. When I look for a coloring book, I feel the paper and usually select only those with higher quality paper. If the paper is too cheap (like an old fashioned coloring book, printed on newsprint like paper) I will not buy the book. I want my coloring to be display quality. If I spend the time to color the images, I want them to be beautiful and appreciated, even if I don't have the time to hang all of my pictures up in my home.  I don't have enough wall space to hang all of my coloring pages up on my walls. 

*To comply with new guidelines introduced by the Federal Trade Commission, Greanleaf Book Group has provided a complimentary electronic copy of Meditations Through Coloring for review purposes. My review is in no way influenced by the publishing company and is strictly my opinion.

Feelings in Prose

Feelings
written by Felicia Law
illustrated by Paula Knight

I love connecting children with books, especially when they have rhythm and rhyme. Felicia Law's new book Feelings does exactly this with her latest addition to the Patchwork series. This series "is a whimsical collection of books that integrate poetry to reinforce primary concepts among emergent readers".

Young children are introduced to feelings such as self-confidence, surprise,  jealousy, naughty, and fright in short poems. Each double page spread (illustration on one side and the poem on the other) depicts diverse children with facial expressions representing the various feelings. At the end of the book a list of words from the poems help parents to focus on key words for their emergent readers listening and speaking vocabulary.

I would recommend this title for parents of children from birth up to preschool. The Patchwork books are a great way to introduce young children to poetry while working on a simple concept with each title.

*To comply with new guidelines introduced by the Federal Trade Commission, Norwood House Press has provided a complimentary electronic copy of Feelings for review purposes. My review is in no way influenced by the author or publishing company and is strictly my opinion.