No comments about Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Cinco de Mayo: with Fiestas, Music, and Dance (Holidays Around the World).

4 comments about Jolly Barnyard (Little Golden Treasures).

1. The lines page after page are easily read and remembered. Although I have not read it in 11 years I can still remember it. "Said farmer Brown tralah tralee, today is my birthday lucky me" etc. This book should be in every child's collection.



2. I remember my grandfather reading this book to me countless times. What fun poetry for young and old kids alike.



3. In "The Jolly Barnyard", by Tibor Gergely, the different behaviors of the animals are used in a way that symbolizes the different methods of interaction between similarly-behaved humans. To create this sense of interaction, Gergely used syntax and diction reminiscent of common folk songs, mildly Orwellion behavior, and down-to-earth environments.
   Gergely used clever syntax and realistic diction to add to the feeling of believable interaction. For example, when the animals are introduced, they do not embellish upon their personalities, instead simply stating their raw, unadulterated inner feelings. In an example of the diction used by one of the leading characters, the pig, little more was stated than what was needed: "Oink oink." By using bare, simple diction, the reader feels as if he or she is looking into the minds, and thus, the feelings, of the characters. Instead of remaining alien, the characters become familiar. While the diction used by the author helps to familiarize readers with the characters, it also triggers memories of familiar folk songs, such as "Old McDonald." "Oink, oink, baaa baaa..." These quotes make readers feel less threatened by the non-human characters, and thus relate to their actions, hopes and dreams. All in all, Tibor Gergely used diction and syntax to help the reader feel as if he or she was part of the farm animals' world.
   The behavior of many of the animals will remind most readers of the ubiquitous farm animals in "Animal Farm", by George Orwell. The unique ways that the animals interact, personified on the book's cover, unlock the dark secrets of the true nature of society. On the book's cover, for example, the so-called "dumb" animals, the cows and horses, are closed off from the rest of the barnyard (which could symbolize society as a whole) by a fence. The fence certainly symbolizes the predjudice present in most societies towards the less intellectual members. A further example of the Orwellian underpinnings present on the book's cover becomes obvious when the reader notices the pigs' desireable position and predictble actions. The pigs, as seen on the cover, are both corpulent compared to the other creatures. It is obvious, then, that the pigs have been "skimming the fat" off of the top of society, leaving all of the other animals lean and hungry. The pigs' actions could symbolize the actions of upper classes in most societies. Throughout the book, the author uses pictures and clever symbols to draw parallels between the real world and his world of animals.
   The dark, unsettling themes that develop throughout the book are made all the more eerie and disturbing through Gergely's use of bright, unnatural color. One gets the feeling as if the Utopian-seeming society illustated throughout the book is in fact darker than what is shown. For example, the barn is drawn in bright, gaudy colors. The reader's immidiate impression is that the barn must be a fun, carefree place. In fact, the barn is where Farmer Brown slaughters the beasts, ending their supposedly Utopian existance with one blow of the hatchet. The contrast between the apparent world and the actual world is especially important in today's society. Upon looking at our society, an outsider would believe that it is a place of knowledge, wealth, and security. Those on the inside, however, often feel as if they are on the chopping block, forever waiting for the hatchet of the government to fall, ending their pathetic existinces. Throughout The Jolly Barnyard, such parallels between our society and the animals' society are often seen, and may be unsettling to those unprepared to face the true nature of the world in which we live.
   It is not often that a book attempts to tackle the monumental struggle between the privaledged and the deprived, but The Jolly Barnyard, by Tibor Gergely, succeeds honorably. In fact, the book may be remembered not as a purely symbolic work, but as the book that changed America's view of the underclass and the Bourgeois. I reccomend this book.



4. The first time I read this book to my child I had to withhold laughter because of a line in it that has since been emblazened into my brain forever. After the animals realize it is Farmer Brown's birthday they each recite a verse on how they will help the farmer. The horse will pull his cart, the cow will give him milk, etc.
   But when they come to the turkey, this is his verse:
   "Gobble Gobble Gobble! Come Thanksgiving day, I will help Farmer Brown in my own special way!"

1 comments about Two of a Kind #22: April Fools' Rules! (Two of a Kind).

1. It was a good book. What happened is Mary-Kate and her friends get picked to be on the April fools team and Ashley does not get picked. So Ashley runs for queen of fools because her boyfriend ross is running for king of fools. Ashley won and became quen of fools but Ross did not win. Who did? To find out buy the book and read it.

1 comments about Pooh and the Storm That Sparkled (Winnie the Pooh First Reader).

1. This is Winnie the Pooh at his best. All of these 1st readers are just wonderful books to read to my 4 and 2 year old. They have messages of love, charity, hope and happiness

2 comments about Premlata and the Festival of Lights.

1. The story is about a young Indian girl who through the boldness of her heart undertakes a brave adventure on behalf of her struggling family. She encounters her own weaknesses and strengths, as well as those of others around her. Her character is delicately developed and you will simply fall in love with Premlata. The customs and cultural environment of her world are beautifully described for child and adult. It is a fanciful small story which appealed greatly to both my 9 year old daughter and me.



2. This is a lovely story of a small girl's strength and weaknesses and her ability to overcome those weaknesses in order to care for those she loves. As always, Ms. Godden's storytelling and descriptive language are magical. Premlata's poverty is difficult and uncomfortable for privileged Western children, but an important part of the book's power. Premlata will be an annual read for my daughter and me during the holidays--it is a great companion to the Christmas story!

2 comments about It's Groundhog Day.

1. A perfect book to introduce Groundhog Day on February 2! Illustrations are good, the plot is easy to understand and enjoyable, and this book could also be used in teaching character education. My diverse classroom of 20 students all loved this book, and continued to look at it during DEAR time. (Drop Everything And Read)



2. Godfrey Groundhog predicts -- months ahead of time, and only on a hunch -- that he won't see his shadow and an early spring will ensue. Most of his friends celebrate the prospect of fewer weeks of winter. But Roland Raccoon runs a ski lodge, and he's not a happy camper at all. He sabotages Groundhog Day by kidnapping Godfrey. The groundhog eventually slips away, and Roland apologizes. Spring DOES come early, and Roland opens up a hot dog stand on the beach.
   
   Compared to other Groundhog Day picture books, this one's pretty weak. The characters and settings are too cartoony for my taste, and the thought that a raccoon would kidnap a groundhog is just too unbelievable, even for a children's book. See my Listmania list for other Groundhog Day recommendations.

No comments about Groundhog Day (Let's See Library).

3 comments about Hannah and the Seven Dresses.

1. Along with a delightful story, the reader will find every page a wonder to explore. Collages of fabrics in various textures and designs, with bits and pieces pulled from the sewing basket to accompany them, add enormously to the pleasure of this book. An added treat is the stuffed elephant (not mentioned in the text) that accompanies Hannah throughout the book.



2. I was fortunate enough to meet and take a workshop with Ms. Joselyn at the Young Authors Confrence in Montreal in 1998. It was then that I read "Hannah and the Seven Dresses". I found it to be an adorable and lovable story for younger children. I enjoyed it very much even being 12 years old.



3. Marthe Jocelyn's "Hannah and the Seven Dresses" has perfectly charming illustrations! Hannah is a young girl who has difficulty figuring out what to wear--mostly because her mother, an accomplished seamstress, has made her so many pretty dresses. Hannah soon figures out how to get dressed each morning without having to dither over her dresses, but when her birthday comes along, the problem presents itself anew. Which of her splendid outfits is most fitting for a birthday party?

   The story is not nearly as strong as the illustrations, which are superb. Jocelyn has employed all manner of fabrics, beading, trim, and more to create utterly captivating and colorful illustrations which present each dress with loving care and detail. No wonder Hannah has difficulty choosing--each dress is a marvel!

1 comments about Rambling Raft.

1. We checked this book out from the library and liked it so much that now we're purchasing it. It is a charming story about an inflatable raft that falls off a truck; children, ducks, and water creatures play with it before it is restored to its rightful owner. The illustrations of Maryland's Eastern Shore are quite delightful.

No comments about Into the Ravine.