There are some picture books that I've read hundreds of times over the years, either as the teacher reading to a group of preschoolers or as the mom snuggling with her own brood. When I can read a story again and again (times 100!), and still do it with joy and gusto, I believe it says something pretty remarkable about that book. At the top of that list are the wonderful and funny works by author/illustrator Mo Willems. With a collection of characters that continues to grow (he's certainly one prolific writer!), my children and I happily consume his books like crazy. This month sees the transformation of one of Mo Willems' most beloved stories from the page to the stage, with the opening of Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical at The Kennedy Center in Washington, ...
Category Archives: Dawn
Good to a Fault
When Clara Purdy leaves her office for a quick stop at the bank on her lunch hour, she is a forty-three year old once-divorced woman who lives on her own in a quiet and routine driven life. One poorly timed left turn later, her path veers off in another direction, bringing her a new perspective, along with joy, pain, fear, and success on levels she never imagined her life reaching. Marina Endicott's new book, Good to a Fault, subtly poses the questions: What does it mean to be "good"? Why does one choose to be "good"? Who benefits most from our "good" choices, seemingly altruistic, but perhaps more steeped in selfishness than we'd like to admit? After the accident, Clara feels it is her duty, especially as a Christian, to help this family who is in ...
So Much For That
The cover of Lionel Shriver's new novel, So Much For That, features a beach paradise postcard, torn in half with the pieces tossed in opposite directions. This casting aside of an idyllic image isn't just symbolic for Shep Knacker, a man who was prepared to drop everything and leave for the island of Pemba in his pursuit of his "Afterlife"- what he has worked and saved for his entire adult life. Instead, he finds himself in an alternative afterlife that involves caring for his cancer-stricken wife, attempting to navigate a health care system that is beyond complex and challenging, and watching the dollars fly out of his savings at more than an alarming rate. Shep and his family, along with the family of a close friend, are at the center of this book that completely blew ...
Picture Book Round-Up, 2nd Edition
Last month, Carrie shared six new children's releases that she reviewed as engaging and fun in the post Picture Books for 2010! I'm happy to follow in her lead and showcase a handful of books that have been released this year that I have enjoyed reading with my own crew of kids. With a mix of fantastic books like this, all kids' age groups are covered! For the very youngest among my own children, Time for Bed, Baby Ted by Debra Sartell and illustrated by Kay Chorao, has proven to be the perfect just before bedtime reading material in our family. With Baby Ted pretending to be many different animals in what appears to be some classic bedtime-stalling-technique action, Ted's father gently guides him through the series of getting ready for bed tasks while playing along ...
The Blue Orchard
Jackson Taylor conducted research over a two year period in preparation for his debut novel, The Blue Orchard, reading old newspapers and speaking with people familiar with the real-life characters who would eventually be featured in his book, including, most importantly, his grandmother Verna Krone, whose life story is portrayed. This mixture of factual information, events, and experiences with some dramatization and conceived emotional expression makes for an interesting read. Life is by no means a light-hearted affair for Verna Krone. Mistreated by adults in positions of power at a young age, and sent off to work to support her family instead of receiving the education that she longed for, discontent becomes the default emotion for her. As her life takes many different turns, she eventually finds herself settled in an unhappy marriage and employed as a ...
EcoMazes: 12 Earth Adventures
What do you get when you combine a book of mazes, a "search-and-find" type of feature, and an accompanying text that provides appealing and interesting information? I'm holding the answer in my hands right now, and it's the new cute, fun and informative over-sized picture book by Roxie Munro, EcoMazes: 12 Earth Adventures. The maze concept of this book is played out on a template of twelve different ecosystems- from a steamy tropical rainforest to a frigid arctic polar landscape and several more in between. At one level, young readers can trace their fingers along the visual paths in the ecosystems to go from point A to point B. Along the way, they can also choose to search through the ink-drawn illustrations to find the listed wildlife appearing in the spread. Think less cartoonish and hidden ...
Chicken Soup for Mom and Dad
The calendar may only say April right now, but before we know it, we shall soon be celebrating those wonderful people we call Mom and Dad. The folks at Chicken Soup for the Soul have the calendar in mind with their two latest releases, Thanks Mom: 101 Stories of Gratitude, Love, and Good Times and NASCAR: 101 Stories of Family, Fortitude, and Fast Cars. With a foreword and personal story written by Joan Lunden, Thanks Mom is full of stories of motherly love and the appreciation expressed by their children. When I became a mother myself, I found myself looking at my own mom with new eyes, and I believe we all need to remember to say a resounding THANKS! to our moms... and not just on her special day in May. Reading these lovely ...
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Jennifer Donovan
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