I just wanted to put Shaun Tan on your radar. He is the most amazing illustrator. His book (you can't actually look inside on my site) The Arrival has no words but tells a story of an immigrant. I can't imagine how many hours it took him to draw his sepia tale but it simply astounds me. He has just come out with a book of short stories Tales From Outer Suburbia that is really worth looking at. He is Australian. My friend Margot saw clues that he was from Perth and she is from Perth. Australia-ophiles can see if they can figure it out.
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Tale of Despereaux
Kate DiCamillo is best known (at least in the States) for her book Because of Winn Dixie. I don't think she is well known in England, but I want to spread the word. We were just in New York and spent a wonderful time in Borders and Barnes and Noble (and at the Pierpont Morgan Library on 36th Street). My lovely Lakeville librarian had recommended Kate but we never got a chance to read her Newberry Medal winning books, The Tale of Despereaux. So when I saw a rough edged paperback, I grabbed it.
It is about a passionate mouse who lives in a castle and is in love with humans. This is a crime in the normal mouse world. Humans are to be avoided. The punishment is to be thrown in the dungeon and given to the rats. Somehow Despereaux is not eaten but I will ruin it no further.
DiCamillo writes beautifully and vividly. Mice are expertly illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering (who thinks his mother was a mouse in her previous life). It is a love story but since it is between a princess and mouse, the boys will like it just as much.
The Newbery and Caldecott Awards
Julie Just, in the New York Times, has compiled lists of books that have won either one of the two medal winners or one of the many honour books. Since in England, we probably won't ever see these books on our shelves, it is interesting to have a sense of what is winning in the States and why. And if they move us, buy them when we are visiting or on line at Amazon.com or other international book sellers. We have our own prizes in England but I heard recently that the Smartie Prize for childrens literature has gone under because people don't want candy advertisements on books. That makes a lot of sense to me!
For more substantial reviews you can go to the New York Times' website at www.nytimes.com.
2006 RANDOLPH CALDECOTT MEDAL FOR ILLUSTRATION
Chris Raschka, for "The Hello, Goodbye Window"
The Hello, Goodbye Window
By Norton Juster, illustrated by Chris Raschka.
Michael di Capua/Hyperion, $15.95.
"In this sunny portrait of familial love, a little girl tells us about
her everyday experiences visiting her grandparents' house."
FOUR CALDECOTT HONOR BOOKS
Rosa
By Nikki Giovanni, illustrated by Bryan Collier.
Henry Holt, $16.95.
"With Giovanni's spare, elegant prose and Collier's iconic illustrations, celebrates the quiet courage of Rosa Parks."
Zen Shorts
By Jon J. Muth.
Scholastic, $16.95
"Muth's story of inquisitive siblings befriending a wise panda is told
through luminous watercolors interwoven with three lessons."
Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride
By Marjorie Priceman.
Anne Schwartz/Atheneum, $16.95.
"An aerial adventure over 18th-century France," involving "three animals swept up in the winds of history."
Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems
By Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beckie Prange.
Houghton Mifflin, $16.95.
"Eleven joyful songs of everyday pond life throughout the seasons," in
a "combination of visual drama, poetry and scientific facts."
2006 JOHN NEWBERY MEDAL
Lynne Rae Perkins, for "Criss Cross"
Criss Cross
By Lynne Rae Perkins.
Greenwillow Books, $16.99
"Follows the lives of four 14-year-olds in a small town," and
"deftly captures the tentativeness and incompleteness of adolescence."
NEWBERY HONOR BOOKS
Whittington
By Alan Armstrong, illustrated by S. D. Schindler.Random House, $14.95
"Weaves together three tales: Whittington the cat's arrival on
Bernie's farm, his retelling of the traditional legend of his
14th-century namesake, and one boy's struggle to learn to read."
Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow
By Susan Campbell Bartoletti.
Scholastic Nonfiction, $19.95.
Explores Hitler's rise to power "through the first-hand experiences of
young followers . . . a powerful addition to Holocaust literature for
children."
Princess Academy
By Shannon Hale
Bloomsbury USA, $16.95.
The girls of a mountain village are sent away to princess school when
the prince of the realm must choose a bride. "A fresh approach to the
traditional princess story."
Show Way
By Jacqueline Woodson. Illustrated by Hudson Talbott.
Putnam, $16.99.
A "magnificent poem" that "tells the story of slavery, emancipation and
triumph" for each generation of the author's maternal ancestors.
The Witch's Children and the Queen
I had lost track of Russell Ayto after our family's extensive love affair with Ella and the Naughty Lion by Anne Cottringer. His ability to draw meaningful expression on such a wide range of characters is impressive. His drawings are full of action and fun. Ursula Jone's story of three siblings with magical powers gone wrong, lends it self perfectly to his whirlwind style.
It was not until I got to the last page of this story that I realized it was a sequel. (There is an advertisement for the original,The Witch's Children ). This whiz bang story takes place en route to Buckingham Palace on a number 16 Routemaster bus. For all those nostalgic for the tall English buses (that are being sold off right and left to the horror of Londoners and others) this story is for you. Watch it change into a number 16 red magic carpet.
Jones takes time in telling the story. There are a lot of details but it will still hold the attention of the 3 year olds, while drawing in 6 and 7 year old independent readers.
Thumbs up and we look forward to reading and reporting on the original soon.
Rapunzel
Rapunzel has been recreated! 
Paul O Zelinsky is a marvelous illustrator. His command of the brush and pen is unsurpassed. His wit and unusual imagination are revealed in his overly dramatized characters. His story is true to the original. For a combination of all those attributes, he has won a Caldecott Gold Medal.
The subject of the book is compelling for children. There is a happy ending as far as they are concerned. But for a mother, reading this book can be almost hard to bear. Rapunzel is stolen from her birth mother. The story never returns to her shattered life. The witch loses Rapunzel to the prince. Although she deserves to lose the imprisoned Rapunzel, and has her revenge on the prince to boot, she never sees her adopted daughter again. Not only is the story unresolved, Rapunzel cannot be happily ever after. Can she?
Crow Boy
Crow Boy, first published in 1955, is a brilliant story. It is as relevant now as ever. Taro Yashima writes about Chibi, a school boy, who is either being bullied or ignored. From the story's brief description of Chibi, he probably has some form of autism. But the story takes place in the 1950's rural Japan, not 2005. Chibi is not labeled at his one room school, he is coped with. He is frightened of the other children. He is always the last in line.
Lucky for him, a new teacher comes to the school. Mr Isobe nutures Chibi, talks to him, brings out his best. His work is up on the walls and he performs in the assembly.The illustrations speak mountains. They contain a lot of local detail. The pallet is a limited one, as with other books from the period.
This is a story about bullying, about transformation, about regret, about giving people a chance. My husband and I rarely leave a reading of this book with a dry face.
My children, both big and small, like to hear this book again and again. Crow Boy is a Caldecott Honour Book, suitable for ages 5-10.
Prizewinners
Echoes of the Elders: The Stories and Paintings of Chief Lelooska edited by Christine Normandin DK Ink
Prize Winner: Spring 1998
ages: 2-10
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"Don't take these stories to the grave with you," an elder from Chief Lelooska's tribe had said to him. Alerted in advance to the end of his life with a diagnosis of terminal cancer, Lelooska began to compile stories from his adopted heritage. The Old Owl Witch, The Boy and the Loon, Raven and Sea Gull, Poogweese and Beaver Face are quintessential examples of ancient myths and legends from the Northwest Coastal Indians of North America. These five stories comprise Echoes of the Elders.
Chief Lelooska and his family were adopted into the hereditary clan of the Wi'umesgam of the Mamalequla Qwe'qwa'sot'euox Tribe of the Kwakiutl Nation of British Columbia. They were adopted because of Lelooska's lifelong dedication to "reviving and preserving" the culture of the Northwest Coast Indians through story-telling, dance, music and dress.
As with most legends, each of these tales tells a fascinating story and then delivers a moral. The owl witch teaches of the consequence of poor upbringing that leads to disrespect for other beings. The loon saves the boy from death as a reward for the boy having saved him. Raven punishes sea gull for stealing the sunlight from the earth and causing all creatures to suffer or die. Poogweese is about the rewards of being trusting and compassionate. Lastly, Beaver Face is about a courageous girl whose ingenuity saves her community from the hands of Tsonoqua, the timber giant.
These stories teach cause and effect, action and consequence. Although the repercussions of many of the characters' actions are harsh, they are easy to understand. Nineties children's lives no doubt are filled with wishy-washy threats and reasoning. As their parents strive towards a more open minded approach to parenting, they take into account children's rights and surrender power and often control. This is not a criticism just a reminder of one of the reasons why the punishments in these stories do not seem to scare children very much. They are harsh and yet forewarned - fair.
The book is beautifully produced by Callaway Editions. It is a large book, though only thirty-eight pages long. The paper is thick and the typography inventive. Each page is dotted with what at a glance look like computer generated icons but in fact are hand drawn pictures of animals, plants and symbols. Chief Lelooska's woodcuts are traditional Native American images that one would expect to see on a totem pole or mask. The supernatural are painted primarily in black, white, rusty reds and blue, in contrast with the warm brown people.
The true draw of the book is actually the disk that fits unergonomically into an inside cover pocket. The CD is a recording of the stories read by the Chief himself. He is a born storyteller. He sounds like the actor James Stewart meets Minnesota's Garrison Keillor. His voice sounds like the definition of the word fuddy-duddy but boy, can he tell a story with it. He can sound like a monster, a witch, a little girl, a proud parent, an ill boy and a mouse. His giants are as chilling as his children are innocent, cheeky and brave. But one should make a tape recording immediately of the CD because it is bound to get destroyed if it continues to be housed within the book.
As with many cherished books, it takes a few readings, or listenings to appreciate its many virtues. This is such a book. The heroes are true heroes, the villains are out for blood. You'll laugh, you'll cry.
A Squash and a Squeeze by Julia Donaldson illust Axel Scheffler Picture Mammoth
Prize Winner: Fall/Autumn 1998
ages: 3-6
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Have you ever had a family with children stay for the weekend? When they leave you, you wonder why you never noticed that your children were so quiet and well-behaved. A Squash and a Squeeze has a similar tale to tell. A Squash and a Squeeze has won the PBQ prize for the quarter because it is humorous, poetic and simply delightful. Based on a rabbinical tale, A Squash and a Squeeze is about being happy with one's lot. It is about how things could be worse. It is about learning to look at the glass half full. It is a story with a suitable moral for the pre-recession days in which we live.
A woman finds that her house is too small. She asks a wise old man for advice and he asks her to invite her hen in to live with her. She is puzzled. Upon his advice, every day she invites another animal to live in her house. She is then told to expel the hen, pig, goat and cow. Alas, she finds her house no longer small but large, gigantic.
The story is compelling to start. Added to that is Axel Scheffler's distinct cartoons (<../runnersup/runners.htm#juice>Juice the Pig, The Bedtime Bear, <../religion/christianity/christian.htm#scheffler>The Christmas Bear), which are incredibly funny. The old woman usually wears a serious face. She sports a large nose, a receded hairline and a bun. The animals, as is Scheffler's forte, are as expressive as the humans. They are given the same eyes as the people and similar body language. For instance, when the pig is raiding the larder, the goat sits on the bed with disapproving folded arms. Like young children, the animals know how to wreck a house without feeling the slightest bit of guilt. They are out to have fun.
<../aifocus/authors.htm#juliadonaldson>Julia Donaldson (click to read our interview with her) describes the events that take place with perfect rhyme and original metre. The book's title refers to the woman's feelings about her tiny house. The story is littered with adjectives on the same topic. The house is described as poky, tiny, titchy, teeny and weeny. Her writing is playful and imaginative. Her repetition of phrases and phrasing, is a key element in the success of Donaldson's text.
This is a please-read-me-again sort of book, that you'll be only to happy to oblige.
The Tale of Tobias by Jan Mark illustrated by Rachel Merriman Walker Books
Prize Winner: Fall/Autumn 1996
ages: 2-6
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This book is doubly rare. It is based on a text from the Apocrypha; and it also has an unnamed narrator, a device more common in adult fiction than children's. But it is a gripping story told in taut prose, which wins the first Picture Book Quarterly prize also because of its lyrical drawings on parchment-coloured paper, and because of its hand-drawn typeface that demonstrates the new worlds that typographic software open to the children's book industry. The Tale of Tobias is a fitting symbol of the extraordinary variety and individuality of children's books that prompted us to start the PBQ.
As one might expect, Tobias inhabits a moral world that is out of fashion. His story - demonstrating how virtue can be rewarded in adversity - centres on a family who suffer a change of luck, but are saved from their misfortune by mysterious stranger who turns out to be an angel in disguise.
Any reader who thinks this sounds pompous or dry needs only to read the book's opening words: "I am the dog of Tobias. I have no name. I am only a dog. But Tobias and I have seen strange things together. Listen, I'll tell you the story."
The book has six further characters, a surprising number for a thirty-page picture book. There are the hero's mother Anna and his father Tobit, who falls out of favour with the king, loses his riches and then has the further misfortune to go blind. Azarias is the stranger hired as a bodyguard to go with Tobias to a distant city to retrieve some money his father lent a friend in more prosperous days. Raguel is the man whose puts up the two travellers overnight on their journey, and Anna is his beautiful daughter, widowed seven times. The villain is Asmodeus, a demon in candy-striped leggings who has killed each of her husbands on their wedding night.
Our worry in first looking at the book was that the long names, and the similarity between Tobias and Tobit, might leave small children hopelessly confused as to who was who. But our two-year-old tester proved quite capable of identifying all the characters as the story progressed. To help matters, Rachel Merriman provides a delightful take on the dramatist's list of characters: the full line-up appears on the title page, with each character identified underneath.
The nub of the story is that the bodyguard proves an angel in disguise, who helps Tobias to win the girl, fight off the demon, and restore his father's eyesight. He does so by a means young children will find delightfully gory: he catches great fish, carries its rotting guts across the desert for days on end, burns the liver and heart to drive away the demon, and cures his father's blindness by smearing rotten gall on his eyes.
It is the fish guts that spark the interest of the unnamed dog who is the narrator. The dog is a perfect reader's friend, who notices things that the human characters do not. His early realization that Azarias is an angel is an echo of the Old Testament story of Bilam and his ass.
What makes this story particularly charming to young children is that its mysticism and magic are taken for granted. When Azarias prophesies Tobias's marriage, there is no airy-fairy stuff: he simply states the name of his wife to be and identifies her family.
The book is a visual feast. Its parchment-coloured paper is printed to look laid, and its palette consists of terracotta, olive, chocolate, red and white, with the occasional deep blue starry night. Its pages are soaked with the heat of the Middle East, and with the textures and shapes of its clothes, pottery, architecture and landscape.
There is a warming naivety in the contrast between the characters' big heads and tummies, and their spindly little legs and feet. The illustrator is also playful with trees, borders, flowers, hats, and the dog - all of which are richly spotted, striped, or flowered. The hand-lettered text, with thick serifed capitals and elegantly slanted gs, is an unexpected pleasure, which appears to be have been turned into a font using computer software. This is a mass-produced book that almost feels hand-made.
The last scene depicts Tobias and his now aged dog beneath an apple tree. "I am only a dog," he concludes, "But once I walked with an angel."
These words elicit the shiver down the spine that authenticates a truly great book. It made us want to start again immediately, and it also made us feel that The Tale of Tobias deserved our first award, in face of stiff competition from a number of other marvellous books reviewed elsewhere on these pages.
click to read reviews of other books connected with <../religion/religf.htm>the bible and religion
No Cats Allowed by Lois Simmie illustrated by Cynthia Nugent
Bloomsbury
Prize Winner: Winter 1996
ages: sthng-sthng
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The unlikely heroes of this eventful and poignant story are Mr Foster, the owner of a small hotel, and an unnamed grey tomcat determined to find a new home.
No Cats Allowed wins the Picture Book Quarterly Prize for Winter 1996 because of Simmie's rich characters and Nugent's vibrant paintings. It is an apt winner for the season: a snuggle-under-a-duvet-sort-of-story, it would certainly brighten up any dark, wet January afternoon.
Bowtied and bespectacled, with a resemblance to Salman Rushdie, Mr Foster takes pity on a stray rain-drenched cat and lets him in. But the arrangement, he insists, cannot be permanent: "As soon as it stops raining," he says, "that cat's got to go." This becomes a mantra that will return to haunt him.
Ejected when the rain stops, the cat returns the very next day, and is promptly befriended by the hotel staff. He becomes a dog detector, a photographer's model, and a toothbrush user (for combing his whiskers). But when he chases a raccoon down from room 327, he is wounded and Mr Foster comes to his rescue.
A literary device often used by Anthony Trollope was to begin a novel by telling its outcome. Adopted by Simmie, this technique excites the reader who wants to puzzle out how such an implausible ending could possibly emerge. By the time the story ends, seven years have passed and the grey cat is still there.
An artist most used to displaying her work in solo exhibitions, Cynthia Nugent knows how to control her watercolours (except of course when rainy nights require wet headlit reflections). The hotel details are just the sorts of things one finds in privately owned hotels; a red floral lamp, an odd mix of fabric in the lobby, funny-looking tourists. Her depiction of Mr Foster in yellow "Annie Hall" glasses and bald pate make him an unusual actor in the picture book cast, but it does raise one's curiosity. Most impressive are her illustrations of animals. The grey cat in particular, has so many changes of expression. One could actually figure out what he was thinking without reading the text. This is an added benefit for very young listeners who wouldn't grasp the complexities of this tale.
The blocks of text, appearing on alternate pages, begin with one large line of type. This could be an aid in shared reading exercises with a new reader: "You read the first line and I'll read the rest." The text is printed in a slightly curly typeface that stands out slightly for not being Times New Roman or something akin to it. It is unremarkable, but a pleasant change.
other books about cats:
<../pets/pets.htm>Animals and Pets section
Yoko by Rosemary Wells
Clever Katya by Mary Hoffman
Barefoot Books
Prize Winner: Summer 1998
ages: 4-8
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While the Spice Girls sing about "girl power", Clever Katya redefines the term. While the Spice Girls disempower the phrase with their antics, the heroine of Clever Katya shows that intellect and human understanding are the true strengths behind "girl power".
In a grown-ups' world, even the Nineties' child can feel small. One need only walk around one's home on bent knees to know how intimidating the world looks from a child's perspective. Clever Katya is a pleasure to read because it believes in the power of children. It balks at age and experience as criteria for intelligence and awareness.
Clever Katya is set in Russia. It is a story about two brothers, one rich and one poor. They are faced with a dilemma and ask the Tsar to solve their problem. The Tsar, a lover of riddles, gives them a riddle to answer before settling their dispute. The poor brother's seven year old daughter solves the complicated riddle and her father wins the argument.
Marie Cameron's illustrations are richly detailed. Spiralled roofs and Russian hats and peasant clothes give these fairy tale pictures some local colour.
Hoffman is an experienced story teller. Clever Katya stands the repeated reading test. The riddle becomes easier to understand each time, and more enjoyable.
Yoko by Rosemary Wells Hyperion Books
Prize Winner: Winter 1998
ages: 2-6
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When I was a little girl my classmates made fun of my lunchbox. It was large and silver and had a red handle. They said it looked like it belonged to Herman Munster, a television Frankenstein character. I was shattered but it was new, so I had to live with the taunts.
Yoko is a kitten with a similar problem. She is Japanese and her classmates don't make fun of her willow covered cooler, but rather its contents. Raw fish and seaweed are not popular among the peanut butter and frankfurter crowd.
Luckily, her sorrow is noticed. In response, Mrs Jenkins arranges an international food day. Nobody touches the sushi, until one especially hungry little boy takes the plunge.
Rosemary Wells specialises in particularly cute and endearing characters, as well as the truly rotten ones. She knows how children speak and the cutting remarks that they often say.
In this book she focuses on the beauty of difference versus the alienation that can result from it. Having all the characters played by different animals instead of people, it takes the weight off the issues.
This book is terrific as a story about food and primary school dilemmas. Yoko has won the PBQ prize for the quarter for two reasons. Wells' unerring eye for pictorial detail shows, for example, the unusual process of making sushi and the difficulties of using chopsticks.
The story is punctuated with "the Good Morning Song" and "the Snack Time Song", "the Clean Hands Song" and "the School Bus Song". For anyone who went, goes, or would have liked to have gone to such a school, the narrative is heart-warming, delightful.
more Rosemary Wells books include:
<../classics/classics.htm#magoose>My Very First Mother Goose in classics
<../classics/classics.htm#noisynora>Noisy Nora in classics
Princess Camomile Gets Her Way by Hiawyn Oram illustrated by Susan Varley Andersen Press
Prize Winner: Spring 1999
ages: 3-6
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Do you ever wonder sometimes why you, as a parent or carer, are strict? Do you ever envy the people who let their children watch television, eat sweets, go to McDonald's, as often as they like? "Why am I so strict," you ask yourself. You're strict because you have values which you wish to impart. Will your good intentions drive the children to break your rules? Being strict may be good but what about being too strict? This is a story of someone who is subject to a much too strict regime and the result.
There are three things that Princess Camomile, a mouse, is forbidden. She is not allowed sweets, even at her own birthday party. She is not allowed to cycle outside the palace grounds and she is not allowed to wear old clothes.
One day she gets on her bike, in her old clothes and cycles into town to a sweet shop. She is captured by the cat owner, Bagseye, and is held for a ransom. Luckily, Bagseye can't read or write and so Camomile writes the note herself - a very different note than he had wanted.
Hiawyn Oram has written a number of children's books. This is one of her best. The story is charming and witty. She spends half a page listing all the different kinds of sweets that Camomile chooses, once she gets the chance. Although Oram is teaching the grown-ups not to be so strict, she also teaches children about the beauty in moderation.
Varley's pen and watercolour are detailed, often adding amusing touches to the text.
Princess Camomile is a worthwhile read. Although the story has the word "princess" in the title, it is definitely suitable for boys and girls alike.
More! by Emma Chichester Clark Collins Picture Lions
ages: 3-6
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What If? by Jonathan Shipton illustrated by Barbara Nascimbeni Macmillan
Prize Winner: Summer 1999
ages: 3-6
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If you opened your door one morning and found the sea lapping at your garden gate, what would you do? Adults rarely have such scenario posed to them. Perhaps some would be afraid to engage, for fear of a dearth of imagination. Children, on the other hand, relish the activity of supposing. But it is certainly an art that needs practice.
Two books have recently been published whose texts jump from one fantasy to the next. Completely different in nature, the books do excite children and seem to guide them in the art of fantasising.
More! is a story about a boy who always wants more of whatever he has or is doing . . . (click <../bigissues/bigissues.htm#more>here to read the rest of this review from the 'Big Issues' section)
What If?, as its name suggests, is pure fantasy from the moment it stops raining (an English fantasy, of course) until the hero floats back to earth on a cloud.
Barbara Nascimbeni's illustrations are brilliant. Her acrylics and pastels are loaded with texture, pattern and a bit of collage. The colours are effective in illustrating the changes of mood. The earth is curved and the starring sunflower grows to the height of a beanstalk.
What If? wins the PBQ prize. But the story has one fault. There is no conclusion. When the boy's fantasy ends, one would hope for a safe return home. But the last page shows an open door and steps leading into the ground. It seems to be an unsettling conclusion for many children.
Honey Biscuits by Meredith Hooper illust Alison Bartlett
Kingfisher
Prize Winner: Fall/Autumn 1999
ages: ??
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The majority of small children like to bake. It involves a lot of things that they are learning or are good at. If they ever bake in pre-school, they present their final product with the pride of a gold medal winner. "I made this for you to enjoy," is an incredibly powerful thought for a young child whose life is filled with the reverse.
Sadly, for many parents the thought of letting a child loose in their flour and sugar stocks is frightening. Even the most tolerant parent may find the prospect daunting and will wait until the child is seven or eight. For many eight year olds, especially boys, baking might not seem as fun as a session at a Play Station. Catch them when they are young and they will be making their own birthday cakes before they turn ten.
Meredith Hooper has made Honey Biscuits even more accessible than it already is by having little Ben bake with his grandmother. No parent need feel guilty, and perhaps eager grannies will benefit from a little company in their kitchens.
Honey Biscuits is a story which leads the reader, step by step, into the fascinating process of making cookies. But it is much more than that. It asks the question, without posing it, "where do the ingredients come from?" For example, when Ben asks, "What do we need?", Gran answers, "A cow in a field eating fresh green grass," or "A thousand buzzing bees," or "Some dried bark from a faraway tree." Gran explains the process in which the sugar cane is treated or the bark is ground into cinnamon.
Somehow, although grown-ups know how all these ingredients find themselves in little packages in our supermarkets, the reminder is inspiring. Especially at a time where people are eating more ready made food than ever, we become increasingly divorced from raw ingredients and their origin. Alison Bartlett's paintings are superb. Gran looks like a typical modern day grandma sporting a head of brown hair. Ben's blond curls look as if they have been scratched in by hand. When he gets immersed in the baking, one may find oneself trying to dust off the flour smudge on his shirt or nose.
Honey Biscuits is in the PBQ's list of books that we wish we had written ourselves. Once read, the idea seems so simple. What other subjects could you bring to life in a similar way? This mouth watering book has the receipt in the back. See how many times you can read the book before it escorts you into the kitchen.
Esther's Story by Diane Wolkstein illust Juan Wijngaard
Morrow Junior Books
Prize Winner: Spring 2000
ages: 5-9
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In late 400 B.C.E. there lived a king and the story of a period of his reign was recorded in the Book of Esther. Because the tale is of the near destruction of the Jews of Persia and neighbouring lands, Jewish people around the world commemorate the near tragedy by celebrating Purim. The story has been retold in many different ways. But the story line never fails to excite its audience because it is a tale of deceit and purity, honour and evil, love and piety.
In Esther's Story, we have Esther telling her story her own way. The book is a diary of events beginning with a banquet where Queen Vashti refuses to participate and is then banished. The diary ends with a seventy year old Queen Esther commenting on the Purim festival that is taking place out her window.
Telling the story in this way is clever and the writing compliments the tale. There are loads of details, some invented and some taken from rabbinic commentators. Nevertheless, Esther comes alive and her heroism becomes that much more real for the young reader.
Wijngaard's elaborate and realistic drawings place the story geographically and historically. Haman, usually portrayed as a caricature of evil, is a grey bearded man. He looks like an ordinary person and that makes his wicked deeds seem worse than if he were a cartoon character. Esther is beautiful in a semitic way but the story says that she won the contest because of her looks and her wit. That adds to her appeal for the modern girl.
Although this book is geared to those who celebrate the holiday of Purim, the would appeal to any child who enjoys emotional swings required for a Grimm's fairy tale and the like.
click to read reviews of other books connected with <../religion/religf.htm>the bible and religion
The Pig Who Wished by Joyce Dunbar illust Selina Young DK
ages: 2-5
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If you were a little pig and got a magic acorn stuck in your throat, what would you wish for? Funnily enough, the same things that little boys or girls might wish for.
Selina Young's charming pen and watercolour illustrations lead us on a pig's fantasy. Pig leaves her farm and goes to a busy town. She devours cream buns at a teashop, goes home with a family, into bath, into bed and into disaster.
What is particularly enjoyable about this book is that the narrator constantly reminds us that everything that occurs is too good to be true. Each event ends with the refrain, "And nobody minded one bit!" One can't help feeling delighted for pig and her successful wishing. As the circumstances become more outrageous, it becomes clear that the bubble will burst. And it does.
The typography is innovative. When the pig wishes, her words are written in Young's handwriting. The rest of the text is printed in a sans serif typeface that lends itself well to the story because certain letters are slightly crooked. They look like they are bouncing around. And bouncing figures largely in this story.
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