Karen GoatKeeper's Blog - Posts Tagged "fantasy"
"Arbor Day Square", "Planting the Wild Garden" and "Pirate Stew"
Gardening and a wild pirate tale made for a fun weekend.
Pirate Stew
5 stars
Author: Neil Gaiman
Illustrator: Chris Riddell
Two girls will have an unusual babysitter for the evening while their parents go out. The babysitter is a pirate cook who promptly invites the pirate crew in for bowls of pirate stew. Eat some at your own risk!
The text is fun. The illustrations are wild as the pirate crew is a motley group in age, gender, dress and more. Are they a real pirate crew? Are you sure?
Arbor Day Square
4 stars
Author: Kathryn Galbraith
Illustrator: Cyd Moore
Arbor Day is a day to plant trees. Why? Where did this tradition begin? Why? This is the story of the beginnings of Arbor Day.
The illustrations are simple, but very effective for this tale of decades ago.
Planting the Wild Garden
4 stars
Author: Kathryn Galbraith
Illustrator: Wendy Anderson Halperin
Gardeners plant regular gardens. Who plants the wild plants? Someone must as the wild plants grow. This book tells of some of the answers.
The illustrations have a soft look to them. They have main illustrations with other, small images to help make the main theme of the page plainer. All the plants and animals are easily identified.
Pirate Stew
5 stars
Author: Neil Gaiman
Illustrator: Chris Riddell
Two girls will have an unusual babysitter for the evening while their parents go out. The babysitter is a pirate cook who promptly invites the pirate crew in for bowls of pirate stew. Eat some at your own risk!
The text is fun. The illustrations are wild as the pirate crew is a motley group in age, gender, dress and more. Are they a real pirate crew? Are you sure?
Arbor Day Square
4 stars
Author: Kathryn Galbraith
Illustrator: Cyd Moore
Arbor Day is a day to plant trees. Why? Where did this tradition begin? Why? This is the story of the beginnings of Arbor Day.
The illustrations are simple, but very effective for this tale of decades ago.
Planting the Wild Garden
4 stars
Author: Kathryn Galbraith
Illustrator: Wendy Anderson Halperin
Gardeners plant regular gardens. Who plants the wild plants? Someone must as the wild plants grow. This book tells of some of the answers.
The illustrations have a soft look to them. They have main illustrations with other, small images to help make the main theme of the page plainer. All the plants and animals are easily identified.
"Dog vs. Strawberry", "Creepy Crayon!" and "The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks"
These books were so very different, yet so like in their imaginative approaches.
Dog vs. Strawberry
5 stars
Author: Nelly Buchet
Illustrator: Andrea Zuill
The dog is an indoor, older, overweight small dog. His opponent is a common strawberry offered to him by his owner. And the race is on!
This book makes you laugh as the dog's antics are wild. The text gives the feeling of being in a race.
The illustrations are fun. The strawberry is so ordinary. The dog makes you laugh.
Creepy Crayon!
5 stars
Author: Aaron Reynolds
Illustrator: Peter Brown
Jasper is failing in school until he finds the purple crayon. It is the perfect crayon. And, when he uses it, he gets all the right answers. Except, the crayon is giving the answers, not Jasper.
When Jasper decides to do his own work, the crayon will not give up. What is he to do?
The illustrations are dark giving a creepy feeling to the story. The only real color is purple for the crayon and the work done by the crayon.
The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks
Author: Katherine Paterson
Illustrators: Leo & Diane Dillon
This is a retelling of a Japanese folktale. An evil, selfish lord sees a beautiful Mandarin duck drake. He must have this drake and puts him in a cage where the drake pines for his freedom and mate.
A kitchen maid sets him free, but an old Samurai is punished for it. Their fate is sealed until something special intervenes.
The illustrations are in the style of Japanese paintings. They have wonderful detail and color.
Dog vs. Strawberry
5 stars
Author: Nelly Buchet
Illustrator: Andrea Zuill
The dog is an indoor, older, overweight small dog. His opponent is a common strawberry offered to him by his owner. And the race is on!
This book makes you laugh as the dog's antics are wild. The text gives the feeling of being in a race.
The illustrations are fun. The strawberry is so ordinary. The dog makes you laugh.
Creepy Crayon!
5 stars
Author: Aaron Reynolds
Illustrator: Peter Brown
Jasper is failing in school until he finds the purple crayon. It is the perfect crayon. And, when he uses it, he gets all the right answers. Except, the crayon is giving the answers, not Jasper.
When Jasper decides to do his own work, the crayon will not give up. What is he to do?
The illustrations are dark giving a creepy feeling to the story. The only real color is purple for the crayon and the work done by the crayon.
The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks
Author: Katherine Paterson
Illustrators: Leo & Diane Dillon
This is a retelling of a Japanese folktale. An evil, selfish lord sees a beautiful Mandarin duck drake. He must have this drake and puts him in a cage where the drake pines for his freedom and mate.
A kitchen maid sets him free, but an old Samurai is punished for it. Their fate is sealed until something special intervenes.
The illustrations are in the style of Japanese paintings. They have wonderful detail and color.
"No Such Thing", Yuck! That's Not a Monster!" and "Arrow to the Sun"
Monsters and gods ruled this week.
Arrow to the Sun
4 stars
Author/Illustrator: Gerald McDermott
This is based on a Pueblo Indian tale. A young boy, the son of the sun, is ostracized by his peers as they say he has no father. He goes in search of his father.
Becoming an arrow, the boy is sent to the sun. After overcoming obstacles, his father rewards him and sends him back to Earth to teach his people.
The illustrations are very geometric. The colors are brilliant shades of oranges and reds, primarily, and blues and greens. The figures reflect traditional Pueblo figures.
Yuck! That's Not a Monster!
4 stars
Author: Angela McAllister
Illustrator: Alison Edgson
Three monster eggs hatch. Two are traditional monsters. The third is pink, small and cute.
Can being cute still let one be a monster?
The monsters are well drawn, colorful and not very scary.
No Such Thing
5 stars
Author: Jackie French Killer
Illustrator: Betsy Lewin
Howard likes his new house: It's old with lots of rooms, nooks and crannies. When he goes to bed, he is positive a monster is underneath. His mother assures him there is no such thing as a monster.
Under the bed Monster's mother is telling him there is no such thing as a boy. He is positive a boy is on the bed.
Of course Howard and Monster just know the other must exist. This leads to a delightful ending.
The illustrations are casual, but lend themselves to the fun feeling of the story.
Arrow to the Sun
4 stars
Author/Illustrator: Gerald McDermott
This is based on a Pueblo Indian tale. A young boy, the son of the sun, is ostracized by his peers as they say he has no father. He goes in search of his father.
Becoming an arrow, the boy is sent to the sun. After overcoming obstacles, his father rewards him and sends him back to Earth to teach his people.
The illustrations are very geometric. The colors are brilliant shades of oranges and reds, primarily, and blues and greens. The figures reflect traditional Pueblo figures.
Yuck! That's Not a Monster!
4 stars
Author: Angela McAllister
Illustrator: Alison Edgson
Three monster eggs hatch. Two are traditional monsters. The third is pink, small and cute.
Can being cute still let one be a monster?
The monsters are well drawn, colorful and not very scary.
No Such Thing
5 stars
Author: Jackie French Killer
Illustrator: Betsy Lewin
Howard likes his new house: It's old with lots of rooms, nooks and crannies. When he goes to bed, he is positive a monster is underneath. His mother assures him there is no such thing as a monster.
Under the bed Monster's mother is telling him there is no such thing as a boy. He is positive a boy is on the bed.
Of course Howard and Monster just know the other must exist. This leads to a delightful ending.
The illustrations are casual, but lend themselves to the fun feeling of the story.
"Splat the Cat: Good Night, Sleep Tight", "The Leaf Men" and "Do You Have a Hat?"
Lots of good reading on many topics occupied last week.
Splat the Cat: Good Night, Sleep Tight
5 stars
Author: Natalie Engel
Illustrator: Robert Eberz
This is a beginning reading book about a backyard camping trip. Splat wants to sleep outside and has all his things ready. His mother invites two friends to join him.
Unfortunately, Spike is something of a bully. He does his best to ruin the night. It doesn't work as the tables turn on him.
The illustrations are fun. They tend to be in grayer shades as much of the action is at night.
The Leaf Men
4 stars
Author/Illustrator: William Joyce
This is a fantasy save-the-garden book. The garden belongs to an old woman who falls ill. The garden is dying from neglect. The ones to help might be only a myth, but the doodlebugs are willing to try to call them. The Spider Queen is opposed and tries to stop them.
The illustrations are very good. They reflect both the reality of the garden and the fantasy leaf men.
Do You Have a Hat?
5 stars
Author: Eileen Spinelli
Illustrator: Geraldo Valerio
How many kinds of hats can you think of? Who wears these hats? Each page tells of a kind of hat in verse with the final line asking: Do You have a hat?
The illustrations are fun as many creatures show up on the pages besides the people mentioned. All of them are wearing hats.
Splat the Cat: Good Night, Sleep Tight
5 stars
Author: Natalie Engel
Illustrator: Robert Eberz
This is a beginning reading book about a backyard camping trip. Splat wants to sleep outside and has all his things ready. His mother invites two friends to join him.
Unfortunately, Spike is something of a bully. He does his best to ruin the night. It doesn't work as the tables turn on him.
The illustrations are fun. They tend to be in grayer shades as much of the action is at night.
The Leaf Men
4 stars
Author/Illustrator: William Joyce
This is a fantasy save-the-garden book. The garden belongs to an old woman who falls ill. The garden is dying from neglect. The ones to help might be only a myth, but the doodlebugs are willing to try to call them. The Spider Queen is opposed and tries to stop them.
The illustrations are very good. They reflect both the reality of the garden and the fantasy leaf men.
Do You Have a Hat?
5 stars
Author: Eileen Spinelli
Illustrator: Geraldo Valerio
How many kinds of hats can you think of? Who wears these hats? Each page tells of a kind of hat in verse with the final line asking: Do You have a hat?
The illustrations are fun as many creatures show up on the pages besides the people mentioned. All of them are wearing hats.
