Category: Fiction

Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site: Why are the anthropomorphised vehicles all male?

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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

~ ruthcoffey ~ 2 Comments

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

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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

~ ruthcoffey ~ 1 Comment

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