Children's Books discussion

I loved Kathryn's idea for February--a scavenger hunt. So I am going to be a copycat and have a scavenger hunt in this club for March.
Here are the books to look for:
A book with a green cover
A book with a shamrock or leprechaun on the cover
A book with the word "Spring" in the title
A book about soldiers or veterans (March 29 is National Vietnam War Veterans Day)
A book about Saint Patrick

(I know that March is also Women's History Month, but the Picture Book Club already has a good topic going on Outstanding Women)

Ooh, fun! Thank you!

Note to self:
Bonus: read a full-length book about an outstanding woman from history. ;)

Spring

Dutch picture-book artist Gerda Muller’s utterly charming wordless tale is devoted (as the title obviously suggests) to Spring (and there are in fact three other books, representing Summer, Fall and Winter respectively).

Muller’s artwork follows a young child through various activities on a traditional (European) farm, from feeding the animals to painting traditional Easter eggs (and even showing a scene where the little girl is needing to stay in bed one day due to a bit of a cold). And while I usually do prefer textual over wordless picture books, well, Gerda Muller’s illustrations for Spring really do not at all require a text, showing with their flowers, seeds, cavorting lambs, rainbows, foals, ducklings etc. a wonderful springtime book for very young children, but of course also suitable for slightly older children to practice independent storytelling and/or guessing games, delightful, colourful and truly a celebration of spring and a goodbye to winter! Highly recommend and most definitely five stars for both my adult self and my inner child (and I am definitely looking forward to the the other three of Gerda Muller’s seasonal board books which I am certainly expecting to be as magical as Spring has been).

Finally, even though I totally think that with Spring, Gerda Muller has created a wonderful and magical seasonal gem, I do feel that I should point out that the pictures featured are very Western European in scope, with a traditional farm such as would be found in countries like Holland, Northern France or Germany and obviously also showing a Caucasian family, nothing at all wrong with this (and in my opinion even to be expected considering that Gerda Muller is Dutch), but this does mean that in Spring there is not really any visual ethnic diversity to be encountered (even though I do very much believe the many activities the little farm girl engages in and experiences in this book are indeed universally redolent of springtime and thus sweet and fun pictures for all young children everywhere).

Spring Thaw

With a simple text as flowing and caressing as the warm wind that signals the start of spring, Spring Thaw, written by Steven Schnur, with accompanying illustrations by Stacey Schuett, describes in evocative detail (both narratively and visually) the many signs of early spring on the farm, in the woods, in the countryside. There is not much of an actual storyline, and thus, no real narrative tension presented, but Spring Thaw does not really require this. It is simply and beautifully an atmospheric evocation of winter turning to spring, perfect for sharing with a young child (or a group of young children) on a lazy, relaxing morning, afternoon or evening. Of course, if you are fortunate enough to live in or near a rural area, a trek outside, so your child, your children, can actually experience, discover and observe the many signs of early spring first-hand would be an added bonus, the perfect sequel, so to speak.

I have actually had to read Spring Thaw a couple of times to get a true appreciation for Stacey Schuett's accompanying illustrations. While I do (and always) find her depictions, her renderings of natural scenes, of animals, of intimate objects both lush and glowingly descriptive (and as such a perfect complement to and mirror of the gentle tone and rhythm of Steven Schnur's narrative), her human figures (especially up close) at first tend to appear a trifle too bold, and too in-your-face for my personal liking. However, after rereading a couple of times, I do now tend to find that I have actually grown much accustomed to this factoid and am no longer bothered all that much by this aspect of Stacey Schuett's artistic style. That being said, I still think that it is primarily the natural scenes, the animals, the birds, the trees that make, that render Stacey Schuett's illustrations so magical and wonderful (with my favourite illustrative spread most definitely being the simple and single crocus on the last page, the one flower that really and truly shows that it is spring at last, and that winter has indeed and finally gone).

A New Beginning: Celebrating the Spring Equinox

Informative, with a generally engaging presented narrative, this fun albeit also rather text-heavy picture book not only describes spring as a season (longer and warmer days, rebirth, the end of winter), it also highlights some of the many (and global) cultural celebrations and festivals that welcome and honour springtime.

Wendy Pfeiffer's A New Beginning: Celebrating the Spring Equinox demonstrates that in many cultures, the arrival of spring is (or historically was) in fact celebrated as the beginning of a new year (the Chinese New Year, the Persian celebration of No Ruz). Other celebrations and festivals, such as the Hindu festival of Holi, the Jewish holiday of Passover and the Christian celebration of Easter also celebrate new beginnings, rebirth, and the start of a new planting/growing season (and let's not forget that the name Easter actually comes from an ancient Saxon goddess of springtime, whose name was Eostre). Now I do not want to give away too many spoilers this time (as I want children to actually read A New Beginning: Celebrating the Spring Equinox and discover its treasure trove of information on their own and for themselves), but as a person who is woefully ignorant when it comes to mathematics and physics, I am always in awe at the amazing knowledge of architecture, astronomy and mathematics that allowed the Mayans of Mexico to build structures that could so precisely predict the seasons.

There is likely a bit too much text and information contained and presented for sharing with very young children, as I could imagine them becoming both impatient and having trouble with comprehending the sometimes a trifle advanced syntax and semantics. In my opinion, A New Beginning: Celebrating the Spring Equinox is therefore much more suitable for slightly older children (ages six and up perhaps), simply because of the amount of depicted, described facts and details and that some of the vocabulary used is indeed rather advanced (comparatively speaking). I could well imagine A New Beginning: Celebrating the Spring Equinox being of use (and a likely hit with children) in a preschool or elementary classroom, maybe in conjunction with a unit on the seasons, or a unit highlighting multiculturalism and/or cultural celebrations and festivals. And the craft and recipe suggestions at the back are an added bonus and could be used for a fun and engaging class project; of course, these suggestions would also be great fun to try at home.

Now finally, as to Linda Bleck's accompanying illustrations, while they are definitely and indeed wonderfully bright and colourful, they are nevertheless not really all that much to my aesthetic and visual tastes (too much pink, and much too cutesy). And while they do highlight the joy and general cheerfulness of the spring season, they also in my humble opinion do not really seem to complement Wendy Pfeffer's text all that well, as the written words of A New Beginning: Celebrating the Spring Equinox, as the author's narrative, although joyously optimistic, is in essence a rather mature, informative text (a text for older children), while Linda Bleck's illustrations seem much more suitable for picture books geared towards very young children. And furthermore, the illustrations do seem more than a bit overly girly to me, and I have to wonder if boys might even balk at reading this otherwise excellent picture book simply because they think, they believe that the accompanying pictorial images are too feminine in scope, too pink and pastel like, too cute.

Perhaps I am indeed being a trifle too harsh here, but one star off immediately and with a huge and nastily hissing angry exclamation of "bah humbug" because on the cover of Mariah Marsden's Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel Lucy Maud Montgomery's name (the name of the actual and original author of Anne of Green Gables) is NOT EVEN shown. As a lifelong and devoted fan of Lucy Maud Montgomery's writing (and not only of her Anne of Green Gables series either), I find this omission both massively insulting to Montgomery herself and also rather academically dishonest. Yes, there is indeed a dedication to Lucy Maud Montgomery (which I guess is somewhat of a positive) within the book proper, but sorry, even though I am more than well aware of the fact that the writing, that the oeuvre of Lucy Maud Montgomery is now basically in the so-called area of public domain, for a graphic novel adapted from and based on one of the most well-known and beloved Canadian children's classics of ALL time, for Mariah Marsden (and for Andrews McMeel Publishing) to NOT prominently place Montgomery's name right on the cover page (as the original author), this is to and for me an almost unforgivable faux pas (especially since Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel mostly remains pretty close to Lucy Maud Montgomery's original text, with Mariah Marsden obviously often using verbatim entire passages of the original novel of Anne of Green Gables, not really an issue, IF Montgomery's name had also been placed on the front cover, which is unfortunately NOT the case here).

Now with regard to Brenna Thummler presented artwork (and her illustrations are, because this is a graphic novel adaptation of Anne of Green Gables, indeed as important and as essential a part of the whole and entire reading experience as Mariah Marsden's textual adaption is), while definitely not in any way inappropriate or visually offensive, I am sorry to say that Thummler's pictorial images are also sometimes if not even rather way too often not all that much to my aesthetic and personal tastes (and really generally not as how I have always visualised Anne of Green Gables when I am reading it). Now that is not to say that I have vehemently despised the artwork, as there are indeed a number of illustrations I have actually very much enjoyed (and I do think that for the most part Brenna Thummler does manage to visually capture a realistic and authentic feeling historical ambience). However, both the general colour schemes used in the illustrations (too much pink and too many pastel like hues, and Anne Shirely with her red hair clad in pink that really does look simply terrible) and how some of the characters are depicted do leave more than a bit for me to be personally desired (I have liked neither the images of Matthew Cuthbert who to my eyes usually appears as much too young a man nor of Anne Shirley herself who truly tends to appear quite physically ugly to the extreme at times, and with facial expressions that especially if and when she is very upset or ecstatically happy look not particularly natural but rather like grimacing caricatures), not to mention that both Gilbert Blythe and Diana Barry have pretty wan and expressionless countenances, with Gilbert sometimes even appearing more than a trifle effeminate. And after Matthew's death, why the heck does it say on the headstone that he died in 1918? Come on, did the adapter and illustrator not read the novels, as everyone knows that Anne was a child in the 1870s, because in 1918, during WWI, she was a middle aged wife with four children (including a son who had fallen in battle in the trenches of France, see the last of the Anne books, see Rilla of Ingleside).

Finally, I should definitely point out that I have indeed and certainly much enjoyed and appreciated that unlike so many (actually unlike the vast majority of) graphic novels I have read to date, the presented text of Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel thankfully and appreciatively appears in a relatively large print and font size (making the printed words easy to read even for those of us with ageing eyes). And yes, again thankfully (and as already alluded to above) much of Mariah Marsden's narrative does correspond pretty closely to the original novel (which is of supreme importance to and for me, as I would have simply despised it if the adapted textual presentation of Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel had veered too far from Lucy Maud Montgomery's original words). So therefore, as far as a graphic novel adaption of Anne of Green Gables goes, this here book definitely looks, feels and reads like a generally successful, enjoyable endeavour (and one that I would also generally and without much hesitation recommend to readers interested in graphic novel renditions of classic children's literature). However, my rather lacklustre reaction to Brenna Thummler's artwork and the oh so very much personally annoying and problematic issue that Lucy Maud Montgomery's name is not listed as it in my opinion should be (on the book front cover) makes me only willing and able to rank Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel with two and a half stars (rounded up to a low three star ranking, as I do appreciate the efforts of both author and illustrator and also must realise that not everyone will be as upset with the author's name, with Lucy Maud Montgomery's name not being shown on the book front cover as I have been, and well, art and book illustrations, they are always personal and based on individual tastes, likes and dislikes).

I have very much enjoyed (no more to the point, I have absolutely visually adored) Laura Vaccaro Seeger's expressively bold green-based illustrations (and thankfully, these images are also not JUST in green, but also make use of other complimentary colours, as while green is indeed my very favourite colour, I for one would not have liked Green nearly as much if the presented pictorial spreads had only been rendered in green and nothing but green).

And while I do have to admit that the accompanying text is at best a bit mundane and really in no way anything even remotely all that narrationally special (and so much so that I for one actually almost tend to wish that Green had been constructed and left as a wordless picture book), the illustrations are indeed precisely and gloriously the kind of boldly expressionistic type of artwork I tend to most enjoy (realistic but also abstract at the same time, with thick and rich colours and often brushstrokes that can be seen, that have been left by the artist, a celebration of not only green but really of colours in general, a palette of delight and joyful expression, and as so evocatively penned by the immortal Romantic poet John Keats, Laura Vaccaro Seeger's painted images of green are indeed illustrations that at least for my own aesthetics, for my own visual tastes glowingly represent a thing of beauty that is truly a joy forever and as such, Green is a book that I will without a doubt look at again and again to feast my eyes on the glorious colours and images, a real and true "keeper" for me).

Highly recommended and yes, the only reason I am not granting a full five star ranking to Green is simply as already alluded to that I do think the book would have worked considerably better as a wordless picture book, that illustrator Laura Vaccaro Seeger's rather mundane and lacking accompanying text does leave a bit to be desired (and at least for me, it kind of tends to distract from the utterly gorgeous and expressive beauty of the depicted artwork).

The dot com Leprechaun

An original fairy tale set in Newfoundland, The dot com Leprechaun (both written and illustrated by local Waterdown, Ontario author and artist Caroline Stellings) tells the story of Lucy, a young Newfoundland girl who is about to face the loss of her beloved ocean-side family home (times are tough on the Bonavista Peninsula, and Lucy's parents are simply unable to continue to make the required payments on their home). While distracting herself with her computer, Lucy encounters a leprechaun (a leprechaun who requires Lucy's help as he has been magically transported into her computer by the volatile and moody witch Elfrieda). Before moonrise, Lucy must go down to the eerie root cellar of her house, retrieve the silver satin shoes the leprechaun has made for Elfrieda, and then convince the witch that these shoes fit, that the leprechaun did not make shoes too small for Elfrieda's big feet. Otherwise, the witch will cast a spell, forever turning the leprechaun Caboto (Caboto, not Rumpelstiltskin, as stated by the leprechaun himself) into a cyber-leprechaun. Will Lucy be brave enough to venture into the creepy, uncanny root cellar? Will she have enough courage to help Caboto, and perhaps, by helping him, also help herself and her family?

With an engaging text and evocative, poignant accompanying illustrations, Caroline Stellings deftly combines traditional folklore, historical detail and modern computer-lingo (all framed by the specter of poverty, of a family about to lose their home, their ocean-side sanctuary). Both emotionally moving and gently witty, both historically informative and fantastical, The dot com Leprechaun weaves a magical, sweetly enjoyable tapestry of text and image. Narrative and illustrations not only show the fantasy, the pathos, the humour of the story-line, they are also evocative of the sights, sounds, the very presence of Newfoundland, no mean feat, considering that the author has actually never been to Newfoundland.

Recommended for children interested in magical creatures, especially leprechauns and other "Little People" and The dot com Leprechaun would also be a good first introduction to Newfoundland history (particularly John Cabot, whose background and achievements are presented in an excellent and informative authors's note, along with details about the historical significance of root cellars). Furthermore, I believe that The dot com Leprechaun could also be a wonderful book to gently, but firmly introduce younger children to some of the current economic woes facing many Newfoundlanders (the threat of losing their homes, the fact that with the decline of the cod fisheries, many Newfoundlanders have been forced to leave the island and find work elsewhere, such as Ontario and Alberta).

Manybooks wrote: "The dot com Leprechaun

An original fairy tale set in Newfoundland, The dot com Leprechaun (both written and illustrated by local Waterdo..."

That sounds really appealing. I hope one of my libraries has discovered it!

Cheryl is busier irl atm. wrote: "Manybooks wrote: "The dot com Leprechaun

An original fairy tale set in Newfoundland, The dot com Leprechaun (both written and illustrate..."

I hope you can find a copy. The author/illustrator is local and I used to own a number of copies, but I have no more left to send out.

St. Patrick's Day Shamrocks (both green and shamrocks)

So yes, I do from an informational point of departure think that with regard to her presented contents, author Mary Berendes certainly does a pretty decently and more than sufficiently informative job introducing both shamrocks and Saint Patrick (and to a very small extent also Ireland in general) with her 1999 picture book St. Patrick’s Day Shamrocks, and with me even discovering botanical information on shamrocks entirely new to me, such as for example that even though most people consider shamrocks to be an Irish name for white clover, there are and always have been questions regarding what type of a trefoil plant the shamrock actually is and that it is thus and definitely not a unanimous consensus that shamrocks are white clover plants, since some individuals in fact seem to think that shamrocks are not clover at all but rather an Irish type of sorrel. But yes, since shamrocks are indeed mostly considered and approached as being white clover, I also do rather have to wonder a bit why when at the end of St. Patrick’ Day Shamrocks, Mary Berendes asks whether the shamrock is considered to be lucky in and out of Ireland she kind of forgets to mention that in general (both in Europe and elsewhere), it is in fact the rare instances where clover plants have four and not three leaves that is considered lucky and a sign of good fortune.

But I do have to admit that textually speaking and in my humble opinion, while the details which Mary Berendes presents about shamrocks as plants, as botanical specimens in St. Patrick Day Shamrocks are quite sophisticated vocabulary wise and show biological and botanical information more suitable for older children above the age of eight or so (on photosynthesis for example and on why photosynthesis is so essential not just for plants but basically for life on earth in and of itself), Berendes’ account of Saint Patrick and on the legends surrounding him (as well as her details on Saint Patrick’s Day and that everything Irish is celebrated on March 17th), this all feels and reads as much simpler in both content and textual tone. And yes, the latter actually so much so in fact that the dichotomy between Mary Berendes’ detailed and rather scientific explanation and analysis of shamrocks as plants and in particular her words on Saint Patrick’s life and times is so obvious and in one’s proverbial fave so to speak that St. Patrick’s Day Shamrocks almost feels like two separate books, with the first part and the second part of course being related theme and content wise but not really all that much with regard to writing style (and with the simplistic description of Saint Patrick and that the only legend being mentioned by Mary Berendes is the one where Patrick supposedly used the three leaves of the shamrock to explain the holy trinity definitely feeling rather lacking compared with and to the meticulous botanical detail encountered when Berendes introduces shamrocks and asks what kind of plants they are supposed to represent), and not to mention that the non inclusion of a bibliography, that Mary Berendes does not bother to textually acknowledge her sources is both hugely academically annoying for me and also in my humble opinion that this quite lessens the educational value of St. Patrick’s Day Shamrocks.

And finally, I also and furthermore do think that my three star rating for St. Patrick’s Day Shamrocks is actually rather generous on my part, for usually, a non fiction picture book which has issues with some parts being too simplistic and is also not featuring any bibliographic materials would generally only be worth two stars maximum for me. However, I really have enjoyed in particular Mary Berendes’ descriptions of what shamrocks are (or might be) and how important green plants like the latter are for life on earth, and have also found the many green, the many verdant photographs of shamrocks and other trefoil plants aesthetically delightful, that even with my issues concerning authorial simplicity with regard to in particular the description of Saint Patrick’s life and the annoying lack of secondary sources, yes, I do still rather recommend St. Patrick’s Day Shamrocks and will albeit a bit grudgingly I might add consider the combination of Mary Berendes’ text and the accompanying visuals with a three star rating.

Although the English language translation of Tistou les pouces verts (Tistou of the Green Thumbs) does not have a green cover, the German language edition I read as a child is indeed showing a really green cover Tistou mit dem grünen Daumen. And yes, the story itself is really really green, totally pro peace, pro flowers and anti war and weapons!

Neat!

Cheryl is busier irl atm. wrote: "Neat!"

I have not read the English translation, but the German edition was a personal favourite.

Green Cover:

Crafts for St. Patrick's Day seems actually quite wonderful (I carefully skimmed, did not read every word). The projects (mostly holiday decorations) look adorable, and *easy.*

And the materials include upcycled 'trash' and supplies most people who have done any crafting at all have access to. Just expect to use a lot of green poster paint! And save, if you have them, heart-shaped candy boxes to reuse to make a certain shamrock decoration.

No parental advisory... the most 'dangerous' parts of this require, I dunno, safety scissors?

I really like the shamrock smiley face to wear over a shirt button - the slit that goes over the button is in the middle of the 'face' and so makes the 'nose' of the little face. The craft could easily be adapted to make a Jack O' Lantern, Easter bunny or chick, Santa or Elf, etc.

I also like the idea of turning an old laundry detergent cap into a mini basket... in this case filled with cotton puffs (salvageable from pill bottles) and then paper shamrocks tucked in. Again, I imagine this could be readily adapted to any holiday, so save those caps!

And I like that the author had just a little reminder of how each craft related to the honoring of the saint.

The author has created other child-friendly craft books, so search your library by her name.

Looking for Leprechauns (the one by Keenan) is skippable. I'm not even going to record it in my books. Everyone knows you have to hold on tight to a leprechaun if you do manage to find one!

That's What Leprechauns Do is not bad. At least it's creative enough to have three wee men, and to have them be the entire focus of the story. And there's an author's note. Still, I don't particularly recommend it.

Excellent end notes and illustrated endpapers turn Clever Tom and the Leprechaun into a solid four-star read. Cute story, even cuter art.

The only thing is (view spoiler)[I prefer this 'trick' to be extended, in that Tom would realize he's dug a patch of weeds into arable land and can obey the wee man's wish "May you do much good with what you find" by planting it with a crop. (hide spoiler)]

The Search for Spring is not actually by Minarik, and it shows. The five original books had her magic touch, whereas the ones inspired by her and published with the tv show are just ok. And of course illustrations 'in the style of' Maurice Sendak isn't quite the same, either. Still, this is a sweet enough, funny enough, story, and probably plenty appealing to the target audience.

Mouse's First Spring has lots of wonderful verbs and adverbs and other vocabulary words, and has variations in the syle of the (oversize) font to help the reader be more fluent. I think it would be fun for the seven year old child to read to the rug rat, for example.

It reminds me a bit of In the Small, Small Pond and others by the acclaimed Denise Fleming.

A better design would make it appeal to me more... my library bought the spineless paperback and it just looks cheap and underwhelming, unfortunately. But for some families that's the right design choice, so I won't knock down my rating of course.

I am only giving it three stars because I, personally, just barely "liked it." Maybe you'll like it more.

The Ring of Truth: An Original Irish Tale.

Oh this is funny. As I was squinting at the marvelously detailed pictures I was reminded of the hidden object scenes in the children's magazines, and trying to remember if it was Cricket or Highlights that I saw them in.

Then I got to the author's bios and found that both author and illustrator had worked for that line of magazines!

This story, and this artwork, is much more elaborate than what would be found in the magazines, though. The details in the picture will take a relatively long time to make out. And the theme of the story is something better appreciated on second read. And the creativity of the design of art on the page is special, too (even though it gives my old eyes a strain).

The people all look like regular folk. I'd bet anything that they're friends, neighbors, and family of the illustrator. In fact, I bet the fairy woman on the title page is either the author, or possibly the artist's wife.

Oh, one more thing about the art. Some of it is clearly inspired by The Book of Kells: Selected Plates in Full Color.

And about the tale. It's original, but it reads as if it's a collected folktale. Nicely done. I'll look for more by her.

I would have absolutely loved this when I was younger and could see better.

Saint Patrick

With regard to her presented narrative, and that Ann Tompert is using Saint Patrick’s own writings and not the legends surrounding him for her biography (although two of the most famous ones are alluded to in the author’s note), I really have enjoyed and also appreciated Tompert’s text and that her biography of Saint Patrick reads like an authentic and historical account and not like being mostly folklore.

But because I really do not find Michael Garland’s accompanying artwork all that appealing, since for my aesthetic tastes, his human and animal figures look much too stylised and with in particular the striped skin tones being a major visual distraction for me, although textually, Saint Patrick is a four star book, my dislike of Michael Garland’s illustrations lowers my final rating for Saint Patrick from four to three stars.

Yes, I see on openlibrary that it looks like Garland did a sort of a collage effect of textured materials, akin to what Eric Carle does to better effect. I don't think I, personally, would take off a star for the illustrations, but I agree that they're different and not readily appealing.

Cheryl is busier irl atm. wrote: "Yes, I see on openlibrary that it looks like Garland did a sort of a collage effect of textured materials, akin to what Eric Carle does to better effect. I don't think I, personally, ..."

To be honest, I just did not like Garland’s illustrations and they really were a distraction for me and lessened my reading joy. I found the human figures and also depicted animals rather creepy and stagnant, almost a bit like visual parodies, and the striped skins made no sense to me.

I did enjoy Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland, but it is rather similar to Ann Tompert’s biography so that I am probably not going to bother posting a review except to say that Tomie de Paola incorporates more Saint Patrick folklore into his text proper and that as a picture book biography about Saint Patrick I enjoyed Ann Tompert’s book a bit better (even the illustrations, as while I did not really like Michael Garland's pictures, Tomie de Paolo's artwork just looks much too stagnant and one dimensional).

Green book cover:
St. Patrick's Day Alphabet

A short paragraph describes each object, person, or thing for each letter. Included are accordion, bodhran, druid, Patrick, leprechaun, etc. Every entry has something to do with Ireland or the celebration of St. Patrick's Day. Although it's a short book, the concepts presented are more suitable for elementary-age children than for preschool children. The illustrations are very nice, and the illustrator has some fun with the letters; for example, the "H" is leaning over, playing the harp. A couple of the letters are decorated, as in old books. The illustrations also are adept at depicting the subject of each letter.

Ten Lucky Leprechauns

This is a cute, short counting book, counting up from 1 to 10; with rhyming stanzas:
"One leprechaun hears a noisy wee elf,
Who's playing a squawky kazoo,
Fiddle-de-fizz, 'tis magic, it is!
It's leprechaun number TWO!"
So, not great poetry, but short and simple enough for preschool children to enjoy. The illustrations are lively cartoons with very expressive leprechauns.

Tim O'Toole and the Wee Folk

Although this is an original tale, it is based on a folktale that I am familiar with. Tim O'Toole, nagged by his wife to find a job, instead finds a group of leprechauns who give him a goose that lays golden eggs. On his way home, he stops to spend the night with the McGoons, and Tim foolishly boasts about his good fortune. (view spoiler)[While he is sleeping, the McGoons switch his goose with one of their own. Tim, all unsuspecting, takes the goose home and finds that it does not deliver. He blames the leprechauns, and goes back to them to complain. The same thing happens with the magic tablecloth the leprechauns give Tim. Finally, the wee folk warn Tim against trusting the McGoons and give him a green top hat to leave out where the McGoons will steal it. Of course, the McGoons look under the hat and out come the wee folk with blackthorn clubs and begin beating the McGoons. All ends happily when the McGoons return the stolen items and Tim and his family begin to prosper thereafter. (hide spoiler)] The illustrations are very appealing and have a bit of a fuzzy texture.

Manybooks wrote: "

I have very much enjoyed (no more to the point, I have absolutely visually adored) Laura Vaccaro Seeger's expressively bold green-based illustrations (and thankfully, th..."

I also loved this book, and the companion books Blue and Red.

Cheryl is busier irl atm. wrote: "The Ring of Truth: An Original Irish Tale.

Oh this is funny. As I was squinting at the marvelously detailed pictures I was reminded of the hidden object scenes in the children's maga..."

I also loved this book. My review:
Bateman's original tale is set in the time of traveling peddlers and told in the style of a folktale. When Patrick O'Kelley boasts that he can spout better blarney than the king of leprechauns himself, the king decides to teach him a lesson. After bringing him to the leprechaun kingdom, the king gives him a ring, which Patrick eagerly puts on, only to find out that it forces him to tell the truth, and he is unable to take it off. But it sort of backfires when no one believes him when he tells the truth about going to the land of the leprechauns, etc. The book is beautifully illustrated by Omar Rayyan, with beautifully illuminated letters and sumptuous borders, reminiscent of the Book of Kells. He also does an excellent job of depicting facial expressions.

Book about Saint Patrick
The Last Snake in Ireland: A Story about St. Patrick

Manybooks has reviewed two good biographies of St. Patrick above; this one is pure legend.
This humorous story tells how Patrick, after driving the snakes from Ireland, found that one had stayed behind. The rest of the book tells of his attempts to catch the last snake and to remove it from Ireland. Will Hillenbrand's lively illustrations were rendered in oil pastel, egg tempera, watercolor, artist crayons, and woodless pencils. The author's note discusses her sources for this legend.

Beverly wrote: "Manybooks wrote: "

I have very much enjoyed (no more to the point, I have absolutely visually adored) Laura Vaccaro Seeger's expressively bold green-based illustrations (..."

Have not read the companion books, so thanks for the reminder.

Lucky O'Leprechaun

I have to admit that I am not really at all a fan of Jana Dillon's Lucky O'Leprachaun, that I am thus definitely glad that Lucky O'Leprechaun was a free Open Library download and not a book I had chosen to purchase for my own bookshelves and that I will of course now also now bother with the two sequels, Lucky O'Leprechaun Comes to America and Lucky O'Leprechaun in School.

For one, there is quite a lot of often rather complicated narrative featured in Lucky O'Leprachaun, and enough so (in my humble opinion) to potentially be rather distracting for younger children. And indeed, the rather annoying and repeated textual use of supposed Irish vernacular by author and illustrator Jana Dillon feels not only linguistically artificial in Lucky O'Leprachaun but is for me as a language teacher (and a bit of a linguist) also a potential learning and teaching issue in a picture book geared towards young children (either as readers or as listeners) since this can give the erroneous idea that in Ireland, a not all that grammatically correct English is generally being spoken and might also in a worst case scenario have young readers or listeners mimic and repeat the textually presented errors.

For two, while catching the family leprechaun in the garden might textually seem rather fun, personally, I have found that entire scenario as it is presented by Jana Dillon a bit uncomfortable, as well as the obvious fact and truth of the matter that in Lucky O'Leprachaun the aunts are totally and easily being manipulated and played by their nieces and nephews and so much so that basically, the mischievous wanting to capture and trap a leprechaun children feel like they are the main movers and shakers, that they are in control and not at all the adults (maybe humorous to a point, but personally I found this all rather off-putting and also have ended up not really liking and appreciating those three whining and demanding kiddies and indeed rather wishing that Lucky O'Leprachaun would not end with the leprechaun being trapped and making friends with those three little hellions).

And for three, although Jana Dillon's artwork is expressive and colourful, sorry, but her illustrations for Lucky O'Leprachaun are also not really to my own personal aesthetic tastes, finding in particular Dillon's human figure rather grotesque and caricature like, and actually only considering the Leprechaun as being depicted in a visually non annoying and unappealing manner, so that yes, with regard to the combination of Jana Dillon's text and her accompanying artwork, for me, Lucky O'Leprachaun is definitely rather a disappointment and as such only a two star book.

Book about soldiers/veterans
Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

This book was a 2021 School Library Journal Best Book, and an ALA Notable Children's Book.
I was surprised at how emotional I became reading this picture book. It begins with the 11/11/1921 transporting of an unknown World War I soldier to Washington, D. C., to be laid to rest in Arlington Cemetery. Because people were disrespecting the tomb (having picnics and the like on top of it), in 1937 a special honor guard was put in place to guard the tomb, 24/7/365, in every kind of weather. This is so that the unknown soldiers will never be alone. The author emphasizes that this honor guard is the most difficult post to earn in the army. The illustrations are very solemn, in muted colors, in keeping with the tone of the text. One illustration depicts how the crowds are kept several feet away from the tomb by fencing. The final illustration depicts the tomb covered in winter snow. A lovely book honoring America's fallen heroes.

Hmm, personally, maybe it is time to have permanent guards posted at most war memorials. The recent weeks long occupation of downtown Ottawa by anti masking and anti covid health measures lowlives that had many participants harassing Ottawa citizens, defecating on Ottawa's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (and placing Nazi flags on the War Memorial) was and is disgusting and shows these memorials need to be protected and vandals arrested.

Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic


Although yes, a good many of Steven Schnur's presented acrostic poems do generally and descriptively portray and sometimes downright glorify springtime with much verbal beauty, grace and joyfulness, I still have to admit and honestly do very strongly indeed believe that Schnur making his Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic entirely alphabetical in scope and nature has been rather too ambitious and is as such and in my humble opinion equally a bit potentially confusing and problematic for the intended age group (for children from about the age of five to nine or so). Because yes and certainly, while the majority of Steven Schnur's verses do of course more than adequately, more than sufficiently describe and depict spring and the temperature and environmental changes it tends to bring, there are also and sadly more than a few presented acrostic examples in Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic where one really does in my humble opinion need to somewhat to even majorly stretch one's belief, imagination and belief. I mean, why should hopscotch, quintuplets and xing somehow be quintessentially representative of spring as a season, and well, there are sadly rather far far too many such scenarios to be encountered in Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic.

And therefore, for me personally, NOT having Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic be conceptualised as an alphabet book and thus bien sûr requiring a specific example for every single letter of the same, yes, this would certainly make Steven Schnur's acrostics (and the short poems associated with them) be much more enjoyable, readable and not so often making readers and/or listeners shake their heads and be wondering if Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic is truly mostly about springtime. Because having some of the book's acrostics feel more like Steven Schnur has included them simply for the sake of them starting with the required letter of the alphabet just does not render Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic into picture book on spring that says "wow" or that is totally a textual celebration of springtime, and indeed, even Leslie Evans' delightful and colourfully spring like accompanying artwork is to and for me able to render Steven Schnur's text(s) more all encompassingly verbally appealing for me, (so that fofor me, and in my opinion, the combination of acrostics and images for Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic is and will always be at best only a rather low three stars and as such also somewhat lyrically disappointing).

War Horse

I love how this novel is totally anti war and at the same time absolutely supportive of the soldiers on all sides of WWI.

With this poignant and heart-wrenching novel, with his War Horse, author Michael Morpurgo (while of course focussing primarily on the main character, a so-called war horse, who like Anna Sewell's Black Beauty, personally narrates his own story) demonstrates both clearly and also rather painfully not only the utter futility and wanton destructiveness of war in a general sense, but that like poor Joey, the common foot soldiers (in this particular case, the British and German soldiers of WWI) are basically and for all intents and purposes similarly and simply, tragically, disposable pawns in a deadly, pernicious game (one that is gleefully played by the TRUE culprits, high army officers both German and British, the respective governments of England and Germany, while common soldiers, and yes, their horses, are being slaughtered en masse, and that the former therefore share equal blame, equal condemnation).

For while many if not perhaps even a majority of the soldiers, the enlisted men (although they generally engage in their so-called duties without rebellion or complaint) would rather the war were over, would rather perhaps even not consider their counterparts across the trenches as enemies, the officers generally frown upon this attitude, and the German and British governments actually both seem to want and desire the war to continue unabated (or at least, it certainly appears as though this is the very much case). And truly, the Welsh soldier who rescues Joey when the war horse becomes trapped in No Man's Land clearly underscores the above and salient, frustrating factoid of war when he points out to a German soldier (who is also trying to rescue Joey) that if it were up to the individual soldiers (both German and British) the whole war, which he rightfully labels a wretched mess, could likely be over and sorted out in record time, and there would be no more weeping widows, no more crying children (and no more horses used as basically cannon fodder, worked into the ground until they either collapse or are horribly injured, are killed in battle).

WWI, but actually ANY war, period, is thus and fortunately portrayed by the author as never in any way glorious, as always utter madness and wanton destruction, as an all-encompassing evil that serves no purpose except death and mayhem. Morpurgo's War Horse presents an evocative, poignant and brilliant anti-war message, whilst also showing that historically, the so called Great War (WWI) was also not the fault of any one country, that it was a lethal and dangerous horror for which ALL of Europe, but especially the respective governments, the higher ups, from ranking army officers to the various European heads of state should blamed, should be held equally accountable.

Spectacular Spring: All Kinds of Spring Facts and Fun

With simple text, this book explains for preschool children and early elementary students what they can expect during the spring season, such as plants growing, flowers blooming, baby animals being born, rainy weather, and rainbows. The final two pages offer 5 activities and instructions. A good introduction for young children.

Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh

While there is indeed very much to love and appreciate with regard to Sally M. Walker's Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh (and I do absolutely love the combination of authentic photographs and Jonathan D. Voss' expressive accompanying illustrations, which while perhaps a tad too cartoon like at times, always manage to capture especially Winnie the bear in all of her many guises and emotions), considering that Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh is also and perhaps even first and foremost a story of WWI, of the so-called Great War, I am kind of feeling that the author has in no way adequately presented what WWI was, has not really sufficiently pointed out the horrors of what WWI truly signified. For while I of course did not expect to read minute details about Harry Colebourne's battle experiences in France, and while I guess the possible dangers of battle are at least mildly alluded to once or twice, I for one have been left with the rather painful feeling that the narrative really does not all that much show that the soldiers training to go to France to fight were in fact training to fight in Hell, that many did not return and many were scarred for life both physically and mentally (not to mention the battlefield animals, specially the horses).

Yes, the story of how Harry finds Winnie and how Winnie later ends up in a London zoo where she is noticed by author A.A. Milne and his son Christopher Robin and becomes the inspiration for Winnie-the-Pooh is sweetly engaging, but I most definitely have been a bit personally disappointed and even rather upset that Sally M. Walker basically does so very much gloss over the First World War, that she really does in no way portray it (and even in the otherwise excellent author's note at the back) as the horror, the all encompassing tragedy it represented (that even Winnie's sojourn as the quasi mascot of Harry Colebourne's unit whilst in training is somehow portrayed more as a fun and adventurous romp, with the potential dangers of battle only rather vaguely hinted at, and more with regard to Winnie the bear and not with regard to the soldiers who would be shipping off to fight in the trenches of France). And thus, only three stars for Winnie: The True Story of the Bear who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh, because while I can and do appreciate the author's and the illustrator's efforts and have indeed quite enjoyed the story (especially how Harry purchases Winnie as an orphaned bear cub to save her life and how she becomes the inspiration for A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh), the to and for me rather uncritical and almost nonchalant portrayal of WWI, leave a bit to be personally desired (although I would still tend to recommend Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh, but with the caveat that I do think that WWI has been approached in a rather trivial, unserious, laxly uncritical and actually almost accepting and condoning, promoting manner).

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear

Although I do appreciate that with Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear, author Lindsay Mattick is actually telling the reader her own family's story with the framed narrative of a mother (who is clearly meant to represent herself) telling her little son Cole about his great-great-grandfather Harry Colebourne and Winnie the bear (how he saved Winnie's life as a cub and named her Winnipeg after Harry's hometown, how she became his army unit's mascot while they were training in England before being shipped off to the battlefields of WWI France, and how later in a London zoo, Winnie served as the inspiration for A.A. Milne's famous Winnie-the-Pooh), I for one have actually found the surrounding family story framework a bit distancing, distracting, even mildly annoying (and actually also somewhat interfering with my reading pleasure, as I am constantly being pulled out of the narrative, out of the main text, in order to read about Cole and his mother discussing Harry's and Winnie's story amongst themselves).

But that all being said, I am still very much enjoying the presented narrative, the story and plot lines of Finding Winnie: The True Story off the World's Most Famous Bear, and especially cherish that Lindsay Mattick has thankfully and appreciatively been a bit more willing to portray WWI as a terrible time, as a horrible scenario that in no way deserves to be feted and cheered (but as a killing machine par excellence, something that is also echoed by some of Sophie Blackall's accompanying pictures, especially the illustrative spread of a row of dejected soldiers trudging through the mud and rain, rifles up, heads down, heading to possible, if not even probable slaughter). But as to Sophie Blackall's illustrations as a whole, as an entity, well, while I can and do esteem them for their artistic merit and acumen, and have indeed even quite massively liked some of them (and especially her depictions of landscapes and buildings), personally, Sophie Blackall's human figures generally all seem to have strangely bland and pretty much expressionless collective countenances (and while I do realise that Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear won the the 2016 Caldecott Medal, the illustrations are at least in my opinion just adequate and not really worth the Caldecott Medal, as for myself, I find them rather insipid and especially the human figures all rather akin looking with regard to their faces and mannerisms).

Still, Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear is to be highly recommended and does present an engagingly evocative reading experience. And while I personally have not found Sophie Blackall's illustrations, her accompanying pictures to Lindsay Mattick's narrative completely to my aesthetic liking, they are a generally adept and competent mirror and complement of and for the author's text, and as such, a sweet marriage of text and image does indeed emerge.

. Spring Peepers

Well and indeed, text wise, Judy Hawes in her 1975 picture book Spring Peepers (and the 1975 publication date should also alert us to the fact that there will and quite naturally so not be any information provided regarding global warming, and that currently, many frog species are increasingly threatened and vulnerable) with gentle but exuberant enlightenment introduces her young readers and/or listeners not only to the spring peeper frogs of the book title but that Spring Peepers is actually showcasing tree frogs in general (with spring peepers of course being considered as a type of tree frog).

And most definitely, Spring Peepers really does feature a wonderfully delightful, descriptively rich and delicately nuanced presented narrative, but also showing a text that is nevertheless not ever too informationally and ecologically complicated for even children as young as say four or five to in my humble opinion pretty easily understand, and with Judy Hawes in Spring Peepers basically introducing all kinds of diverse and different tree frogs from all over the world. But fortunately and appreciatively so, Hawes still strongly and intensely focusses mainly on spring peepers, and with her in particular pointing out that one actually tends to hear spring peepers much more easily and readily than being able to visually spot and locate them and that their singing, that their peeping sounds are considered a major harbinger of spring in the USA (and although not actually mentioned in Spring Peepers equally so in Central and Eastern Canada) and that spring peepers (although of course frogs) tend to sound like masses of chirping birds, with my only mild admonishments regarding Spring Peepers being that with all of the spring peeper (and tree frogs in general) details Judy Hawes provides, an included bibliography would definitely be appreciated (and that it should in my opinion also be more firmly stated by Judy Hawes that spring peepers are a delight to listen to and to perhaps even visually locate, but that listening and watching should be the only ways to approach frogs, that they should not be caught and put in aquariums etc.).

Combined with Graham Booth's visually spectacular artwork, showing pictures that deceptively appear to be simple line drawings but are actually oh so so much more (and incredibly visually detailed), for me, Spring Peepers is a delightfully successful combination of Judy Hawes' text and Graham Booth's images and as such also much recommended for in particular young frog enthusiast (and that indeed, if there were an included bibliography, my rating for Tree Frogs would most definitely be considerably higher than three stars).

Manybooks wrote: "War Horse

I love how this novel is totally anti war and at the same time absolutely supportive of the soldiers on all sides of WWI.
..."

Thank you for this one-sentence summary. I have been pointed to this book several times, but for the first time I am now motivated to read it.

Cheryl is busier irl atm. wrote: "Manybooks wrote: "War Horse

I love how this novel is totally anti war and at the same time absolutely supportive of the soldiers on all sides of WWI.
..."

Thank you for this one-sen..."

I have not bothered watching the movie because unlike in the book Stephen Spielberg supposedly makes ALL of the German soldiers into brutes (I guess he assumes that even in WWI all Germans were somehow Nazis). And frankly, that is AN INSULT towards both the book and the author and to his message promoting peace and that the real movers and shakers in a war are usually the officers, the politicians, the elites.

Green Shamrocks

Although I have encountered some wonderful, emotion-filled and evocative picture books from Eve Bunting's pen in the past, I indeed and honestly do have to say that with regard to both Bunting's text and illustrator Joëlle Dreidemy's accompanying artwork, their Green Shamrocks is not only a picture book where the combination of text and images majorly falls short and therefore utterly and angrily annoys and frustrates me to no end, but also to such an all encompassing extent that I cannot and will not consider more than one measly star for Green Shamrocks (and would in fact even welcome a negative star rating opportunity if such an option and opportunity were available on Goodreads).

Because yes, while Eve Bunting does have a few sentences in Green Shamrocks which have been written in a way to I guess give a general outline of how to plant shamrocks in a container, in a piece of pottery, sorry, but the entire storyline that Eve Bunting has imagined for Green Shamrocks, of basically some anthropomorphic rabbit trying to grow shamrocks (for Saint Patrick's Day bien sûr) in an orange pot and then having the wind blow both the pot and the planted shamrocks into a goat's house (who then gives the shamrocks back to the rabbit but decides to don the orange pot as some kind of helmet, as some kind of a fashion statement), well, Green Shamrocks as far as an original tale goes is to and for me just really really horribly and hopelessly silly and as such also and equally massively tedious and awkwardly dragging, not to mention that I also (and ever since my childhood) rather do find anthropomorphic animal stories not all that much to my reading tastes.

And yes indeed (and even more of an issue for me and in my opinion than the presented text for Green Shamrocks), considering that the ONLY part of Joëlle Dreidemy's illustrations that I have been able to visually at least somewhat appreciate are the depicted masses of shamrocks, and that in particular the depicted animal characters, but especially the goat and the rabbit are visually majorly creepy, ugly and thus totally and absolutely against and contrary to my visual aesthetics, NO INDEED, I have not at all enjoyed Green Shamrocks (and with both my adult self and also my inner child saying a major NO, NO, NO t0 Green Shamrocks and also asking why and how Eve Bunting could pen such a lacking and often simply horridly boring text and why Joëlle Dreidemy's accompanying pictures are so stagnantly cartoon like, so lacking and sometimes even rather visually strange and creepy).

The Mutts Spring Diaries

This collection of Mutts comic strips focuses on spring activities, weather, special days, and more. One of my favorite comic strip sequences was towards the end of the book, when the cat Mutts rolled himself up in a carpet so that he could metamorphose. When he emerges from the carpet, he asks Earl if has "metashmorphosed." Earl informs him that he is still a cat. Then Mutts replies "Well, I guessh you can't mess with perfection." There are also a couple of strips where Mutts sheds--all over the place. An excellent collection of funny comic strips.

Get Outside in Spring

This book is in the "Focus Readers" series, the goal of which is to build reading confidence in young readers. Thus it has very simple sentences with basic vocabulary for students in about grades 1 - 2. The four short chapters feature gardening and outdoor activities and games. It is liberally illustrated with colorful photos. The book ends with a short quiz, a glossary, a brief bibliography, and an index. So, while it is not very exciting or literary, this book meets its goal of providing age-appropriate information for young students.

Saint Patrick and the Peddler

So yes, as a story in and of itself, I do think that Margaret Hodges with her 1993 picture book Saint Patrick and the Peddler, tells a for the most part sufficiently engaging and entertaining little tale (filled with whimsy, treasure searching, sharing said treasure around once found and of course also having multiple appearances by the Patron Saint of Ireland), but that in my humble opinion, Hodges does really take a bit too much time to establish a textually believable sense of historical time for Saint Patrick and the Peddler. Because until Margaret Hodges mentions the potato crops failing (which happens about half way through Saint Patrick and the Peddler), there is really no way for readers and/or listeners to know without a doubt that Saint Patrick and the Peddler is obviously supposed to be taking place in the 19th century, during the time of the Irish Potato Famine.

But while as already mentioned above, the storyline itself as it is presented by Margaret Hodges in Saint Patrick and the Peddler on the surface and generally speaking seems to be a decent enough piece of Irish-inspired folklore, while reading Margaret Hodges' presented text, I was also and indeed from her first presented sentences feeling rather as though she, as though Hodges has simply taken a non specifically Irish folklore story, transplanted it to Ireland and then added details regarding Saint Patrick and the like to make it feel more authentic, with the final result being a tale that although basically readable and fun at the same time and definitely also kind of feels more than a trifle artificial and unrealistic, non authentic in scope and feel. And although I do appreciate that Margaret Hodges admits in her author's note that Saint Patrick and the Peddler is in fact an originally English (from England) folktale that she has taken, transplanted to Ireland and then added on information on Ireland and on Saint Patrick (which has been gleaned from Jospeh Jacobs' collection More English Fairy Tales) and that well and at least for me, Saint Patrick and the Peddler just does not really ever truly feel all that truly specifically Irish, that the addition of Saint Patrick, Dublin, the Irish Potato Famine etc. do not really make Saint Patrick and the Peddler an Irish fairy or folk tale, but rather Joseph Jacobs' The Pedlar of Swaffam painted with a thin veneer of Irishness.

Therefore, as far as the text for Saint Patrick and the Peddler goes, I for one do find the fact that Margaret Hodges has simply tried to make Joseph Jacobs' The Pedlar of Swaffam into an Irish tale (and also not always that successfully in my humble opinion) enough for me to only consider a two star rating. But that yes, because (and truly only because) I have aesthetically and visually absolutely adored Paul Brett Johnson's accompanying illustrations (and which actually are delightful works of art by themselves and for themselves and do not in fact even require Margaret Hodges' words, do not need her presented text in order to absolutely and totally visually shine), my final ranking for Saint Patrick and the Peddler (even with my disappointment regarding Margaret Hodges' featured narrative) will be three stars, a rather low three stars, to be sure, but three stars all the same.

I am just starting with Green because the book cover is basically just so nicely green and the synopsis feels interesting and all into leprechauns. But thus far, the novel feels more like a contemporary middle grade "problem" novel and I do have the suspicion that the fantastical elements will end up not being all that successfully incorporated into the text proper, that it might feel like I am reading two different types of novels.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame from Barnes and Nobel is my green book, and though they go through all the seasons it starts in spring with Mr. Mole deciding to go explore instead of finishing his spring cleaning. I love all of the characters and there is action, but also consequences and problems to solve. I think this is a great book to get excited for spring and all the coming seasons.

I chose four picture-books about soldiers. This topic is very far out of my comfort zone, so I doubt that I'll have much if anything to say about them.

Love, Lizzie: Letters to a Military Mom is exactly what the title says. It seems to capture the feelings of the girl well, and there is a good introduction and also advice in the back.

Stars Above Us has almost exactly the same topic. It is more subtle, and easier to appreciate, and more powerful imo.

But I have no idea which would work best for a child in the situation of worrying about a parent serving in danger oversears.

Shooting at the Stars moved me to tears. We must be continually reminded that most soldiers are ordinary people who are trying to serve their respective countries, not power-mad megalomaniacs or greedy tyrants. Often they're even conscripts, risking their lives for causes they don't even agree with.

This book shows that very well, imo, in the fictionalized depiction of the Christimas Truce of 1914. Non-fiction frames the story. The book is not for little ones.