We are a household divided when it comes to fairy tales. My husband really dislikes a number of the well-known ones. Disliked them as a child. Still dislikes them. I try to be the one to read them (though he bravely reads on). We’ve taken the view that whatever we think of an individual story, … Continue reading To Fairy Tale or Not to Fairy Tale?
Category: Fiction
Book Review: Myth Atlas – Yay! a mythology collection that goes beyond Greek and Norse
Myth Atlas: Maps and Monsters, Heroes and Gods from Twelve Mythological Worlds by Thiago de Moraes, publ. by Blueprint Editions (US), 2019 and Alison Green Books, (UK) 2018. We read a lot of mythology in our house. A lot a lot. To say that this book has been pivotal in my son’s imagination is no … Continue reading Book Review: Myth Atlas – Yay! a mythology collection that goes beyond Greek and Norse
Book Review: Freedom Soup – how can such a wrenching, important story be so joyful?
by Tami Charles, illustrated by Jacqueline Alcantara, Candlewick Press, 2019 My three-year-old daughter loves this book. I can feel her engagement from the beginning as Ti Gran and Belle start their cooking and the rhythm of the book begins. This book shifts its moods without ever losing its joy as Belle’s grandmother teaches her to … Continue reading Book Review: Freedom Soup – how can such a wrenching, important story be so joyful?
Pogalam vaanga! (Come on, let’s go!): thoughts on family and language
by Tulika Publishers, pictures by Rajiv Eipe, 2013 This is a book review of a book that I can’t read. Our children are growing up in the USA, but our families have roots in other countries, other cultures, and other languages. My husband’s family are originally from Tamil Nadu, the southern most state in India. … Continue reading Pogalam vaanga! (Come on, let’s go!): thoughts on family and language
Book Review: Fiona’s Luck
Fiona’s Luck by Teresa Bateman, illustrated by Kelly Murphy, published by Charlesbridge, Watertown, MA, 2007 Set in Ireland in the 19th century, Fiona relies on her wits to best the Leprechaun King. Written in beautiful, rhythmic prose, the clever twist at the end as Fiona outwits the King is a pleasure every time. The illustrations … Continue reading Book Review: Fiona’s Luck
Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site: Why are the anthropomorphised vehicles all male?
by Sherri Duskey Rinker, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld This is a rhetorical question. Perhaps it has been asked and answered before. However, considering that vehicles have no gender at all, as they are, in fact, vehicles, then the least I can do is mix up the pronouns in this one. The book is quite sweet … Continue reading Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site: Why are the anthropomorphised vehicles all male?
Book Review: Maybe Something Beautiful
Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood by F.Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell, illustrated by Rafael Lopez, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016 Mira lives in a grey city. She draws and colours for herself and for her neighbours, making small changes, until she meets an artist, a muralist (inspired by the ilustrator, Rafael … Continue reading Book Review: Maybe Something Beautiful
Love It/Loathe It: the Books You Can’t Stand – Intro
There are many reasons to love a book, and just as many to loathe one. Everyone has their own triggers. Inspired by Aimee Bender’s wonderful article on Goodnight Moon in the NYT’s writing blog back in 2014, we have spent a lot of time thinking about what we look for in children’s books. We are … Continue reading Love It/Loathe It: the Books You Can’t Stand – Intro
Book Review: We’re Riding on a Caravan
We’re Riding On A Caravan: An Adventure on the Silk Road by Laurie Krebs, illustrated by Helen Cann, published by Barefoot Books, Cambridge, MA, 2005. This book comes from one of my favourite publishers, Barefoot Books. It’s a gorgeously illustrated narrative poem about a family’s year-long journey on the old Silk Road. There’s a strong … Continue reading Book Review: We’re Riding on a Caravan
Books for Our Children 
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