sad but hopeful

Just finished reading Eaarth: Making a life on a Tough New Planet by Bill McKibben (Henry Holt and Company, 2010). I was practically crying reading the first half because it laid out a dire situation for our life on earth, some of which I already knew but the majority was eye-opening and cause for despair. The second half of the book suggested solutions that seemed possible if unlikely so I came away from reading this book with a renewed committment to live lightly on our beautiful earth. We live out in the country so car travel is inevitable but I can stay home more days than I go out especially if I have a pile of books. The other thing I know I can do is make the most of each trip out to get library books or groceries. I recommend this book to anyone who is concerned about the environment. This book is awesome, and it has an extensive index and list of notes.

Juster, Norton.  The Odious Ogre.  Pictures by Jules Feiffer.  Scholastic.  2010.

An Ogre munched regularly on the people of a village, and the terrified residents did not think they could do anything to stop him. One day, the Ogre comes across a small cottage, and he veers over to see what tasty treat might await him. He meets up with a young girl working in the garden, and does his best to scare her but she just looks up at him and says, “Oh, pardon me, I didn’t realize anyone was there. I’ll be right with you.”

The surprised Ogre mumbles, “What’s going on!” The girl invites him to “sit down and have a cup of tea” with her. Now the Ogre feels terrible and he asks the young girl why she is not scared of him. “Oh, you’re not really so terrible,” she says, “Overbearing perhaps, arrogant for sure somewhat self-important, a little too mean and violent I’m afraid, and a bit messy”. The girl offers to help him tidy up and the poor Ogre becomes totally discombobulated because she is nice to him which the Ogre complains is “bad for business”. In the end, the Ogre expires from kindness, and the “townspeople…arrived to celebrate and bury him. The humor of this original fantasy is cleverly detailed despite the scary premise in the deliciously funny illustrations. The cover is an absolute draw as it shows a hapless young  man dangling from the Ogre’s hand. This is a picture book for children, ages 5 and up and can be shared in a group setting.

Yum, Hyewon.  There are no scary wolves. Farrar Straus Giroux. 2010.

A young boy is anxious to go outside but his mother tells him that he can go out later when she can go with him because otherwise it is too dangerous. The mother is busy doing house chores so the little boy replies, “No, I’m a big boy! I’m not even afraid of scary wolves.” When they finally get ready to go out first to a Chinese restaurant, and then to a toy store, the mother cannot find her keys. While she is searching, the little boy imagines going out alone; and everywhere he goes he meets up with scary wolves: the cook in the Chinese restaurant is a wolf and the owner of the toy store is a wolf. By the time, his mother finds her keys; the little boy has scared himself into not wanting to go out at all. His mother reassures him that he is a big boy, and she will be with him so he does not need to be scared, and of course, the scary wolves are gone when they go out together; or are they. The illustrations of wolf faces are mildly scary but charming nevertheless. The little boy is dressed in a red cape, and his imaginative adventure is clearly expressed as he visits the kitchen of the Chinese Restaurant: the cooks are wolves, and goes by the toy store: the clerk is a wolf.  

McCully, Emily Arnold.  The Secret Cave: Discovering Lascaux.  Farrar Straus Giroux.  2010.

This is a wonderful picture book story about the discovery of the famous Lascaux cave by some French school boys. Based on memories collected years later, the information about its exact discovery is considered fictional although the cave is real as is the incredible prehistoric art the boys found by exploring the cave. Interestingly, during the war, the Resistance used the cave “as a secret storehouse for munitions” The cave was reopened for visitors in 1948 and two of the discoverers “guided the first visitors and were appointed official guardians and guides. One remarkable fact about this cave is that because it was sealed for over 17,000 years, the artwork was vibrantly colorful. As time went by, the presence of so many visitors began a process of deterioration. Subsequently, the original cave was copied and then closed to all but scholars. The illustrations are stunning, and show the sequence leading up to the discovery of the cave art; a few examples of the cave art are included. The author’s note is very informative, and she includes a brief bibliography for readers interested in learning more about this remarkable discovery.

Poetry Friday

from Shel Silverstein's "Falling Up" 

Crystal Ball

Come see your life in my crystal glass-
Twenty-five cents is all you pay.
Let me look into your past-
Here's what you had for lunch today:
Tuna salad and mashed potatoes,
Green pea soup and apple juice
Collard greens and stewed tomatoes,
Chocolate milk and lemon mousse.
You admit I've told it all?
Well, I know it, I confess,
Not by looking in my ball,
But just by looking at your dress.

Shea, Bob.  Dinosaur vs. the Potty.  Disney/Hyperion.  2010.

Using the same formula he created so successfully in “Dinosaur vs. Bedtime (Hyperion, 2008) Shea has turned the subject of potty training into an amusing story. Children will giggle as Dinosaur declares victory over several liquid opponents: lemonade, a sprinkler, a three juice box lunch and roars aloud but then a victory dance turns into an all out dash for the bathroom, and the potty wins at the end when Dinosaur just makes it in time. Shea’s mixed media illustrations are colorful and humorous depictions of this delightful story.

Elya, Susan Middleton.  Rubia and the Three Osos. Illustrated by Melissa Sweet.  Disney/Hyperion Books.  2010.

The story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears has been turned into a multicultural story with the addition of some Spanish words, all understandable in the context of the familiar story; although, there is also a glossary at the end. Goldilocks is named Rubia in this cute version, the bears go for a slimming walk before eating their soup, and Rubia makes up for her mistakes and becomes good friends with the three bears by the end of the story. The mixed media illustrations are colorful and filled with humorous details. This is a star performance.