Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

I’m nervous about writing about Samurai Shortstop by Alan Gratz for the same reason I was nervous about reading it – I know the author. Many years ago, Alan and I did time together in the same theatre company, and even though I haven’t seen him in far too long, I still consider him a friend and would have felt really, truly awful if I’d read his very first published novel and didn’t like it. But rest assured, Dear Reader; I would never let a little thing like friendship compromise the integrity of my book recommendations. Believe me when I tell you that my fears were unfounded: the book totally ROCKS.

Read the rest of this entry �

Jules here, a.k.a. Miss Link-A-Lot, according to Eisha. I can’t stop adding author and illustrator links to the right.

So, we told folks about our blog yesterday, and that included my father. I was a bit nervous about what he’d think, ’cause he’s so dang smart. If I were half as smart as he is, I’d be set for life. And he said he enjoys it. He also said, “My only comment would be that it seems to be slanted to ‘ladies’ books since I did not recognize any of the books you are reviewing.” I love it! And, before anyone cries sexist!, let me say: a). he says it with no guile and in all sincerity and innocence, and b). don’t be pickin’ on my dad, yo. I’m sorry, but that’s just so cute (you have to imagine Wilford Brimley saying this, since he kinda looks like him sometimes). So, maybe I can find some books to read on model ship-building, which is his favorite hobby (and which I’m sure lots of ladies like to read about, too); I need to expand my reading horizons anyway (actually, I’d be better off reading about the ships and history behind the models he builds; any model I tried to put together would tumble to pieces pretty quickly, since graceful I ain’t and since I seem to have no right brain, but I digress). However, as for me reading other books he likes to read, I will not — I repeat, will not — read The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind that, yes, he tried to get me to read once. Lordy lord and sorry, but I gotta draw the line some where, Dad.

Read the rest of this entry �

Here’s something I’ve been dreading. I hate having to write down anything really negative about a book, because it’s not like I’ve had anything published, so anything I read, no matter how foul, still has one up on me. And I really wanted to like this one, too. But, in the interest of keeping this blog honest, and possibly saving anyone else from making the same mistake…

Read the rest of this entry �

So, the other night I came home kind of late, and as I was driving up to the apartment I saw a skunk, a SKUNK, run across the street in front of my car, from our landlord’s driveway to the neighbor’s yard.

Read the rest of this entry �

Listen – can I tell you about one of the most beautiful books written in this century so far? A better question is, can I actually convey the utter gorgeousness and brilliance of this book in this humble little blog post? Probably not, but here goes.

Read the rest of this entry �

Jimmy Liao’s new 80-page picture book, the magical and evocative The Sound of Colors (2006), is sub-titled “A Journey of the Imagination.” The book’s back-cover blurb and every ad and review you see for it will likely tell you it “celebrates the power of imagination.” This is true, but this sublime book is so much more.

Read the rest of this entry �

Motherhood is a lot of things. It’s joyful, demanding, weighty, sometimes monotonous. One moment you’re lovesick; the next, perplexed and jaded — often, you’re all of these things at once. And, as a good friend of mine likes to say, early motherhood, in particular, is a lot like boot camp.

Read the rest of this entry �

King Dork is the first novel by Frank Portman, who is more widely known as Dr. Frank, the guitarist/singer of the pop-punk band Mr. T Experience. But don’t automatically lump it in your mind with all those other get-me-I’m-a-celebrity-writing-a-children’s-book types – it’s actually not bad. And it totally took me back to high school, whether I wanted to go there or not.

Read the rest of this entry �

The blooming popularity of picture book biographies – simply-worded, richly-illustrated biographies for children – has been one of the coolest things to happen to children’s lit in recent years. It’s a format that’s especially well-suited to biographies of artists; the use of illustrations to depict an artist’s life can lead to a deeper understanding of his or her works. I imagine that for an illustrator, creating a picture book biography presents a unique challenge: using his or her own style and talents to portray the world that inspired and shaped another artist. The results can be breathtaking works of art in their own right. Here’s a few of my recent favorites:

Read the rest of this entry �

Yes, it’s the unbearably steamy dog days of summer, so here’s a short, random picture book shout-out to cool-‘n-savvy Nina Crews for her One Hot Summer Day (1995). Sit down with your favorite toddler and soak this one in before it gets cool again in appreciation of Ms. Crews and her boundless talents.

Read the rest of this entry �