Snook Alone

Snook Alone by Marilyn Nelson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Snook, abandoned inadvertantly, reminded me of Tom Hanks' character in Cast Away, only sadder and sweeter since Snook doesn't understand where his friend went or why. The details of the island and the creatures of the sand and sea and the lovely language are matched by the art by Timothy Basil Ering who certainly knows the poignancy in the curved back of a dog, head hung low.



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Eddie's Garden review

Eddie's Garden and How to Make Things Grow by Sarah Garland

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


An appealing and realistic story of a mother, boy and baby sister planning and putting together a back yard garden and reaping their harvest, warm and humorous family moments, especially some sibling silliness...tips for growing a similar garden yourself are in the back. The art is well-matched.



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A beautiful offering on love and loss

Tulip and Lupin Forever by Mireille Levert

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


She had me at "dog bee". This is a story about love and loss and an unusual one, not your typical dog and owner but a watering fairy named Tulip and her dog bee honeymaker named Lupin. When Lupin dies, Tulip is terribly sad. The story is spot on about the long lingering sadness of the loss of someone beloved and about the slow and careful bloom of recovery. If you have an artist/poet friend or family member (or someone with the soul of an artist and poet) who has lost a pet, this might be the perfect offering. The entire time I was reading and loving it even though misty-eyed thinking about our beloved Moky), I was thinking how my daughter will find this a perfect expression about her relationship with Moky and her new one with young TuckerBoo. I do, however, wish some of these books came with a little sticker from the publisher, however, as I know there will be parents tucked in next to their wee one reading happily and then - oh my - the realization you are in the middle of a very sad book in the armload you grabbed on the run from the library. Clever librarian I am, I will put it aside in my special issues shelf - the ones parents appreciate (so they tell me) so they don't have to slog through a bunch of picturebooks to locate the ones on grief and loss and other difficulties of being human.



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Psalm 23

Psalm Twenty-Three by Tim Ladwig

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


the two other women at my job saw this, sighed with that deep wow what a great book pleasure, and announced who was receiving this for a Christmas present. A mother, a brother. I think this might be the book I want to donate in honor of my mother that I like to do every year on her birthday. I love how it expresses the grace in everyday life (something I am apt to forget if not reminded) and I love how it shows the loving grandparents raising the children. A story brought to life via the wonderful illustrations all wrapped around the God-hearted words of the 23rd Psalm.



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