All in Book Review

Escargot

I have this huge affinity for snails that started when I was little.  There's a great video of my cousins, sisters, and me playing in the backyard with snails.  I think theoretically we are rescuing and clearing the garden from them.  I also remember putting them in jars and watching them kiss. 

The Crossover

The Crossover centers around Josh and his twin, Jordan AKA JB, who are two middle schoolers who play basketball, just like their dad.  The family dynamics are spelled out easily, and the interaction between (mainly) the three of them is heartfelt and wonderful.  At its heart, this novel is about a family.  But, yes, it's about basketball too, and relationships, and coming of age.

Seb and the Sun

In Seb and the Sun, we follow Seb and Walrus through their very specific coastal town and community.  And as we follow this close-knit community, Seb realizes that something is missing and he knows exactly how to go find it.  Gigot contrasts the brightness and darkness in her illustrations, creating a beautiful reflection of each other.

Different Like Coco

It may be news to you but I've always been a bit obsessed with fashion designers.  I learned to sew when I was a kid and I loved to fiddle with my clothes or make them my own when I was a teen.  Just little things here and there.  And while I still love to make things, I don't have a talent for pattern making.

Niko Draws a Feeling

Niko Draws a Feeling by Bob Raczka is about learning to look at the world with different eyes, or at least accepting that others may see the world in different ways than you do.  I parallel Niko with some of my patients who express themselves differentlyβ€”maybe they have autism, maybe they have a different artist's eye than I do, maybe they don't speak yet (or at all). But they may have specific ways of communicating with others.

Ordinary, Extraordinary Jane Austen

One book I came across was Ordinary, Extraordinary Jane Austen written by Deborah Hopkinson and illustrated by Qin Leng.  It's no secret that I'm an Austenite.  I even endured that film about her with Anne Hathaway (Becoming Jane).  And I took a course on Austen as a grad student that was purely for the delight of discussing all of her works. 

So I've always known that Jane Austen was extraordinary.

Love is Love is Love is Love

I thought Love was a beautiful and inclusive ode to the many ways that we see love in our every day.  What I loved most was how tactile everything felt in the story.  De La Pena spun his words so I could see every image in my mind--besides what was on the page--and what's more I could feel the scent in the air, hear the music notes being played.

Multicultural Children's Book Day 2018

Pattan's Pumpkin tells a similar story as Noah's ark, though the setting is in a valley below the Sahyadri Mountains in Southern India.  Pattan and his wife live in harmony with the animals and people around them, and Pattan shares his food with everyone in his village.  When great rains start, he looks out to an ever-enlarging pumpkin in his field for a solution.  As a community, the animals help to hollow out the pumpkin so they can use it to survive the flood. 

Pillowland

As a pediatrician, I talk about sleep habits every day.  And I admit to my patient families that my girls weren't the best sleepers.  Despite that, we still tried to establish a routine early on: after Mini Me started solids at six months of age, Mr. Bookworm would feed her a rice cereal snack and read her books. 

One way to re-focus on bedtime is to have the last book of the night be something about bedtime. We have some all-time faves, including The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton.  And now, Laurie Berkner has teamed up with Camille Garoche to translate her "Pillowland" song into the picture book market.

Let's Cook a Treat

Every so often, Mini Me will check out a cookbook.  For a very long time.  We're terrible about hoarding our books and keeping them too long. This time around we've been hoarding Let's Cook a Treat: A Step by Step Guide, which is from the DK family of books.

I don't normally post our crafting or cooking processes because I don't come up with new recipes or craft ideas.  I tend to do a mish-mash of craft ideas I've heard of, unless I'm problem-solving a costume.  But since the holiday season is coming up, I'll tell you that this book was great for baking with a 7 year old!