Picture Book - Princess Pigsty

Princess Pigsty is a book that I have saved for my daughter for the upcoming holidays. I do that - hoard  books throughout the year.  This one I got for only $2.00! And it turns out it's pretty cute. R will love it because it has pigs in it. She loves her some farm animals and princesses - perfect.

The Princess in this book is your typical princess - pampered, completely spoiled, nice dresses, nice crown and soooo over it. The Princess decides she's had enough and throws her very uncomfortable crown in the pond.  While the Princess has a fit or two, it's more in the style of self-righteous rebellion. She is tired of people doing things for her. She’s tired of being clean all the time. She’s soooo tired of being told she has to act like a princess. The King seems pretty horrible at first, banishing her first to the kitchen and then the pigsty in an effort to teach her that she needs to come back and be a proper princess.  This strategy backfires on him (hasn't this happened to all of us at one time or another?)  The Princess enjoys her "banishment" immensely. She learns to cook, learns to pet and care for animals, and loves not having to wear silly dresses, to bath and get her hair curled. 

In the end the King misses his daughter. And he realizes that he loves her, no matter what – whether she’s the sparkling clean princess on display, or the dirty pig keeper happily mucking pig poop. She is who she is, and he accepts her for it.  This is a great book for the girls (and boys) who love princesses, but have parents who like their princesses sprinkled with a health dose of reality and independence.   I like the rebellion against what one should be, and the acceptance that you can be who you really are and you will still be loved and cherish no matter what.  I also like the idea that it doesn’t matter if we have dirt under our fingernails, or play around with the stable boy. One’s status should not interfere with our interaction with the world. (And it’s okay to get dirty now and again, right?)

And oh, in case it sounds familiar, the author, Cornelia Funke is the same author who wrote Inkheart (for those who have read it). She actually has many picture books out there (Princess Knight and Pirate Girl) that are somewhat empowering and equalize the gender separation that some princess books seem to do.

Chapter Book - Encylopedia Brown: The Case of Pablo's Nose

Admit it. You might be old enough to have read the old Encyclopedia Browns when the covers had drawn illustrations on them.  Well I sure am. And am proud of it. My son was introduced to Leroy Brown through a copy that my husband's mom kept. She kept everything, so we have all the now-socially-inappropriate books (like Little Black Sambo - don't get me started) we could want. But Encyclopedia is one I'll keep.  My son read it first with his dad, because it was daddy's book and I think my son like that.  But then he started checking out others in the series on his own.  I start with "The Case of Pablo's Nose" only because this is the most recent one my son checked out from the library.  I don't think I'll be reviewing every volume, as they are, actually, all very nearly the same. But that doesn't reduce the enjoyment of the series - at least for us.

From Booklist:  "'Encyclopedia' Brown only needs to ask one question to solve a problem. His dad, who is chief of police, can always depend on him. The 10 crimes here range from bullies taking totem poles to safe cracking to kidnapping and more. Encyclopedia's solutions are listed in the back of the book. This newest addition to the lengthy series is a good choice for critical thinkers or for getting children to start problem-solving."

If you don't know about Encyclopedia Brown, here's the basic gist of the series: Encyclopedia Brown (real name, Leroy) is a 10 year old boy who solves mysteries around his town. He has his own detective agency that he runs out of his garage.  Sometimes people come to him to ask for his help, but often as not he merely stumbles upon a mystery that he then helps to solve.  He has two best buddies that help him (a boy and a girl - cool) and a police chief daddy.  Encyclopedia is called that because he's so smart, and everyone knows it. He is great at figuring things out - mainly by paying attention to details and using background knowledge. Each chapter is it's own mystery.  At the end of each chapter there is a question (eg, how does Encyclopedia know this person is lying?) and a reference to a page on which is the "answer" to the question / mystery. 

One of the best things about the Encyclopedia Brown series is that the main character is a smart boy. He doesn't rely on a cape, or magic powers, or super speed. He's just smart. And is known, and admired for his smartness. I like that.  I also like that the mysteries are short chapters (versus some series that take the entire book to solve). I like this because we (or lately, just he) can read a complete story in the car, or before bed. It's a great book for the car ride to school.  My son is still at the stage where he will "peek" at the solution at the back of the book before he can really figure out the mystery, but it's really neat talking the problem out with him (when he gives me the chance. Lately he doesn't want good ole mom reading with him anymore... too independent).

There are a few stories with tension (that bully is in almost every book) but again, Encyclopedia holds his own, with his smarts and his friends. The recommended age for this series is 9-10, but if you have an accelerated reader like I do, it's nice to have a book that challenges them reading-wise, and is still non-threatening content-wise.

Picture Book - The Silk Princess

The Silk Princess is one of my daughter's favorite books.  It is written and illustrated by Charles Santore, a wonderful watercolorist.  The illustrations in this book are the main reasons I bought it. They are absolutely exquisite. They are rendered in a style similar to traditional Chinese water colors, but with a hint of modernity in its realistic rendering of the little girl. The story is very long and may be too involved for some children.

Hsi Ling Chi is the only daughter of the Emperor of China. The beginning of the book mentions that she has 2 brothers, whom the Emperor dotes on, but is herself ignored by her father.  For younger children, this may not register. But for older children (like my almost 7 yo boy) they may want to know why. It is, of course, a complicated answer and I will not presume to know how this question should be answered for your family. 

The story is about how Hsi Ling Chi finally came to her father's attention - by discovering silk.  The way she discovers the silk is an adventure.  She sees a silk worm cocoon fall into a cup of tea, and unwinds it. Flying like a kite, she takes the string to see how long it is, and ends up outside the royal palace - a feat not even done by her own mother, the Empress.  Then her adventure really begins. She runs into giant spiders, dragons guarding bridges, and an old man who mysteriously knows who she is.  The old man teaches her the secret of the new fabric "silk" because the silk worms have chosen her. 

She returns to the palace and takes a nap. When she awakes, the old man has disappeared - but not the knowledge he left with her.  She tells her mother this "dream" and the mother sees something in this dream and has the royal weavers follow every word. Thus silk is discovered, and she is finally seen by her father.

The story of silk is secondary in this story for me. I like that this cloistered young girl wanders into the big wide world and is brave enough to keep going. She sees things few see and comes back a hero. The negative side to the story is that she has to accomplish something to gain the attention of her father. Unfortunately there's no real explaining away this one to the children. History and culture are what they are. However, I also love that her mother, the Empress, sees the story as more than a child's dream, that she saw the worth in the words of her daughter - trusted it.  So perhaps it's less about the father and daughter, and more about the mother and daughter.

My daughter loves this story. The pictures really captivate her. And everytime we pull out this book, my son sidles over to peek over my shoulder to look at the book with us. That says something!

Picture Book - The Happy Lion

The Happy Lion a very old story; it's been in print for over 50 years.

The story is about a lion who lives in a zoo in France. For a lion, he's quite zen-like for such a carnivorous sort.  But the story gives the sense that even wild animals can be sensible and polite, so why can't we? The lion is happy. He has many regular "friends" who pass by him every day and say "Bonjour, Happy Lion!" (Be forewarned, my kids were saying "Bonjour, Happy Mommy; Bonjour Happy dog, and on and on for days after this story - but this phrase is actually very fun to say!) One day the zookeeper leaves open the door to the Happy Lion's cage, which the lion doesn't like because who knows who might try to come in? (isn't that cute?) But then decides he is going to go say hello to all his friends who visit him. None of them react in what the Happy Lion considers a sensible way. Really, why are they yelling so? The situation escalates (with the Happy Lion being completely unaware that he is the cause) to the point of the fire department getting involved.  The Happy Lion is bemused and watching the goings on when the zookeeper's son (Francois) comes along and says (you guessed it) "Bonjour, Happy Lion" in a completely reasonable and polite manner. The boy escorts him home and they become best friends. 

What I like about this book is that the Happy Lion is so very secure in himself.  He can see absolutely no reason why people would be screaming and yelling at him. After all, he's only gone out to pay his respects to the people who normally come to see him. The one person that sees the Happy Lion for who he is, is of course, a child.  There are no threatening situations here. Even the fire fighter involvement is rendered in a distant, bemused sort of manner and you don't get any sense that the lion is to be harmed at all. It is a rather sophisticated story, so I recommend it for at least 4 years and up (with explanations to the 4 years who might not know "bonjour" or what a zoo is!)

The author, Louise Fatio, is Swiss (although she later moved to the US). I think many children's books written by European authors have a completely different feel than books written by authors in the United States (especially the older ones, such as Babar and Madeline). The writing style is much more dry in its humor and written in a more understated manner.  Not to condescend, but it seems European writers write as if children were little miniature adults - not that the subject matter is inappropriate, just that  much more about human behavior is assumed in the telling.  Some children may not connect to this.  So you might want to check it out from the library first before purchasing to get a sense if they will like it.

And as an aside, the illustrator, Roger Duvoisin, was married to Louise. I love husband and wife children's book teams.  I think it results in greater expression of the story. The illustrations themselves are not intricately rendered, but are drawn in a dated style that is loose and fits the story. I love the cover picture of the lion. He looks happy, and just a smidge smug, doesn't he?

Chapter Book - Samurai Jack: The Legend Begins

Samurai Jack is a cartoon series on Cartoon Network.  My son has never seen it (it's rated TV-Y7) but he discovered the series at the library.  He read it completely out of order and I ordered this book for his last birthday from Powell's Books for $2.50. It cleared up a lot of confusion for him, so it's suggested to start the series in order.  The series starts with this book, and the next book in the series is #1, just fyi.

From the publisher:
"In the distant past, an evil shape-shifter named Aku has brought destruction upon the land. As the citizens' last hope, a youngster is sent away to train as a samurai warrior. But when he returns as an adult to confront Aku, the warrior finds himself flung into the future, landing in an unknown time and place. There, the locals dub him "Jack" and help him in his heroic quest to return to the past and undo the evil wrought by Aku.This digest novelization tells the complete Samurai Jack origin story in an exciting, new, graphic-driven way."

Samurai Jack is rendered in a very graphic, linear manner. He looks neither actually Asian, nor Caucasian.  The book has full color illustrations every few pages, which keeps the young ones interested, and helps them visualize many of the made up creatures that show up. There is fighting. But Samurai Jack fights in an honorable manner, if one believes in such. He fights defensively, and often gives up his position or an advantage in order to help someone.  He is guided by his mission to find and destroy Aku.  If you intend on following the series, it's important to understand what's actually happening.  Aku comes into power when Jack is a small boy. His father sends him off to be trained as a Samurai. Jack returns, grown and prepared to fight Aku.  There's an incident involving his father, which results in Jack obtaining his father's sword. His father is the only other person in the world who has previously defeated Aku because of this sword. So Aku is running scared.  As Jack closes in on him, Aku sends Jack through a vortex or sorts - into the future.  When Jack arrives on the other side, he struggles with 2 things: he must find his way back to the "present" so he  can destroy Aku and prevent Aku's rise to power, and he must fight Aku and Aku's minions as he tries to get back to the present.  In the future Aku is in full power and knows Jack is in his time period, and tries to destroy him the whole time. Whew.

For those parents who (understandably) fear there is too much violence, a few points: 1. Jack never kills a person.  All of Aku's minions are sophisticated robots powered by crystals.  2. There are no guns 3) Jack helps a wide diversity of creatures and humans alike in a great example of extreme tolerance and finally, 4) (and I think the most important) the stories are really more about who  Jack helps along the way and why. He spends most of his times helping the victims of Aku's reign, no matter how insignificant they might seem to others. And he does so with compassion, brains and a unerring sense of right. 

Another thing I like about the series (which I will eventually review the others we read) is that each book feels very much like  Greek mythology. It's hard to explain in that it's rather subtle. But there is a task, monsters, a hero and an epic struggle in each one.  It's a nice introduction to this type of literature. 

I really like Jack. So does my son. And as far as characters to identify with and want to emulate, a time-traveling samurai with a  good code of honor isn't too bad of a choice. I don't think it's running on Cartoon Network anymore, but you can watch it here if you're interested.

If you have to have princesses... Princesses are not quitters

My daughter loves princesses.  Now I have to admit that I am very resistant to Disney Princesses, and while I give in now and again with a few titles, I mostly try to find alternative, gender-empowering princess books. Really, if you have to have princesses, might as well have smart, persistent, brave and confidant princesses, right?

So here's a great one that R loves. She has memorized every page, and recites the title with gusto.  Princes are Not Quitters! by Kate Lum and illustrated by Sue Hellard.

This story is about 3 princesses (Allie, Mellie and Libby) who are bored with their life of leisure (haven't we all been there?) They notice a servant, and decide that they want to try doing servant's work. So they switch clothes with the servants and start work.  They are in for much more than they anticipated, working straight through until nighttime, making bread, walking dogs, dusting and more.  They want to quit many times - and could (after all they are princesses) but by golly - princesses are not quitters and they set out to finish what they started. What I particularly like about this book is that the princesses really do suffer (aching backs, tired hands, sore feet), but in the morning, when they are back in their princess clothes, they retain the appreciation this suffering teaches them. They are empathetic to the workers and proud of their own work (they eat the bread they baked with their own hands - which certain makes it all the more delicious). And the ending has a slight unionist feel with the princesses calling for increased workers' rights (not in so many words, but ...) You can almost imagine them yelling "Norma Rae!" from their veranda.  The water colors are light, loose and pastel-y but suit the story.

Graphic Novel - Amulet

My son is very into graphic novels, comics and the like. Many parents don't like their kids to read comic books and graphic novels. I think the perception is that they are all full of violence and superheroes. That's not the case. Graphic novels are my favorite vehicle for story telling and the scope of the topics are endless. There are even graphic novels for children younger than my son.

This graphic novel, Amulet: Book One, The Stonekeeper is written by Kazu Kibuishi (co-creator of the Flight graphic anthology, a must read!). We checked Book One out from the library. I was a little hesitant to let him read it at first, because the mother gets swallowed by this creature (but is still alive, but in a weird place). But we talked about it at first and I felt he understood it, and it wouldn't affect him too badly - but be warned: if your child is very sensitive to scary images, then this book may need to wait until they 9-10. But I've it seems boys like monsters and superheroes, so ...

Here is how Scholastic describes it on their webpage:
"After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather, but the strange house proves to be dangerous. Before long, a sinister creature lures the kids´ mom through a door in the basement. Em and Navin, desperate not to lose her, follow her into an underground world inhabited by demons, robots, and talking animals.

Eventually, they enlist the help of a small mechanical rabbit named Miskit. Together with Miskit, they face the most terrifying monster of all, and Em finally has the chance to save someone she loves."

There are some very mature themes here - eg, the death of the father, the deceased great-grandfather who is very much a part of the story, and obviously, the monster swallowing the mom. However, the cool things about this book are 1) the hero is a girl. She finds an amulet which she must learn to use responsibly (a common theme among talisman-oriented stories) 2) it's a fantastically imaginative world they go into which I think is great for kids to explore and 3) it was a great vehicle for talking to my son about scary things. The cliffhanger at the end will make your reader rush to the library for the next one! The illustrations are really nice - not too busy and not too overdone (which sometimes happens in graphic novels with really complex stories). You can check out a sample of the prologue and pages here.

This is a graphic novel that I think my son will come back to in the years to come and get more out of. That's my memory of many of the books I read as a kid - re reading them and finding out that my perspective had changed between readings. This is Book One. Book Two (The Stonekeeper's curse) came out in September 2009. We're waiting for the library to get it in stock and then I'll do a review once I've read it. I will also remind myself to do a review of some of the graphic novels we've read that are more appropriate for the 6-7 year age range (there are lots!)

First post!

Books! Books! Books! I love books. But this is not about books I love (okay, this is not about grown up books I love) it's about books for my kids.

I have a two children, one boy and one girl. My son is going to be 7 years old next month. He is in first grade and is what the school has labeled an "accelerated reader". I describe him merely as a reader - because that is what he is. I believe that once you are a reader, you are a reader for life. It becomes as much a part of you as the color of your hair, the way you smile, or the sound of your laugh. My daughter is four, and well on her way to becoming a reader, as she wants to do whatever her brother does. She spends many hours reading stories (in a very loud, dramatic voice) from books that she has memorized - a beginning step, we know, to reading.

My son discovers books on his own at the library, many are not appropriate for him. I inform him that it's not appropriate (eg, really, you're going to read Harry Potter?) he asks in a very-un-library-voice "Then what CAN I read?!" It's a good question. Now that my son has become a more skilled reader, I am more flummoxed as to what book to place in his hands.

I've always done thorough research on kids' books. I am bit of a snob when it comes to kids' books. I love good illustrations as well as clever or touching prose. Why should I read a book to my kids that I myself do not appreciate? Selfish? Yes. But I don't think it is harmful to the children to be presented with books that are breathtaking, or whimsical or outright fantastic. And while I will continue to research picture books to put into our ever expanding library, I am now having to include books for self-readers. So stay tuned for books, books, books!