When Green Becomes Tomatoes

When Green Becomes Tomatoes. Julie Fogliano. Illustrated by Julie Morstad. 2016. Roaring Brook Press. 56 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: from a snow-covered tree/ one bird singing/ each tweet poking/ a tiny hole/ through the edge of winter/ and landing carefully/ balancing gently/ on the tip of spring.

Premise/plot: When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for all Seasons is a children's poetry book celebrating the four seasons. The book opens and closes with the same poem: March 20. Each poem is a date of the year. Each season has many poems. Though the book celebrates the seasons, this isn't a collection celebrating holidays. (Though there is a poem for October 31.) The poems vary in length and style. Here is one of my favorite short poems: april 12/ rain makes frogs hop/ in a hurry. And here's one for fall: november 20/ there is nothing left to bloom/ or sprout/ or bud/ or grow/ these showers will not bring you flowers at all/ these showers are practice for snow.

My thoughts: I loved, loved, LOVED this one. I like to read a few poetry books per year. It's not one of my favorite, favorite genres. But it is something I feel I ought to read. That's why I'm confident that you don't have to be a poetry lover to appreciate the beauty and simplicity of Fogliano's book. Now, I can't guarantee that you'll love every single poem in this one. But surely you'll find more than enough to like...if not LOVE. I love the focus on the ordinary, on nature, on life, on being. The book captures moments of life. The poems are accessible--reader friendly.

I also love, love, LOVE the illustrations by Julie Morstad. I thought she did a WONDERFUL job.

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

30 Days of Books: Day 10

I saw this at The Written World--a blog I've been following for most of the time I've been blogging--and I thought I'd join in the fun. I believe the most recent recurrence of this is from Jenni Elyse's blog.

Today's prompt: Favorite classic

I think I'll go with North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. North and South is one of my comfort reads.

Read North and South

• If you're a fan of the BBC Drama starring Richard Armitage and Daniela Denby-Ashe (not to mention Brendan Coyle)
• If you're a fan of Elizabeth Gaskell (Wives & Daughters; Cranford; etc.)
• If you're a fan of Victorian literature 
• If you're a fan of classics with strong romance and a bit of tragedy (this one is oh-so-bittersweet)
• If you look for strong characterization and emotion

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Barnacle is Bored

Barnacle is Bored. Jonathan Fenske. 2016. Scholastic. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: I am bored. Bored. Bored. BORED. Every day is the same. The tide comes IN. I am wet and cold. The tide goes OUT. I am dry and hot.

Premise/plot: Barnacle is BORED. Barnacle is full of complaints. Nothing suits. Until...Barnacle realizes something important about life...

My thoughts: I liked this one. I did. I may not have loved, loved, loved it. But I solidly liked it. It is an ocean-themed book about attitude and perspective, about gratitude. Barnacle is not grateful...at all. But by the end of the story, something has changed...for the better.

The first time I read this one, I wasn't overly impressed with the illustrations. They didn't do much for me. Dare I say they bored me?! But after the second or third time around I had come to appreciate them. I found the illustrations could be quite expressive. I love the grinning look of relief on Barnacle when he's NOT eaten.

I appreciate the fact that this is a book that allows for a lot of expression in the reading. I think it's a great choice to share with little ones. They may just ask for it again and again and again and again. Especially if you add in some effects!

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10
© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The World of Winnie the Pooh

The World of Winnie the Pooh. A.A. Milne. Illustrated by Ernest Shepard. 1926. 353 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin.

The World of Winnie the Pooh is an omnibus edition of two of A.A. Milne's children's books: Winnie the Pooh and The House of Pooh Corner. I grew up reading a lovely discarded library edition of The World of Pooh, a lovely green edition. There is something delightful and familiar and enchanting about reading Pooh. I love the world-building. I love the sense of community--both the characterization and the relationships. I love the dialogue and narrative. I love the singing. There's just something joyful about it all. Even gloomy-old-Eeyore brings a smile to my face!

The Disney movie is rightly named the MANY adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Adventures is just the right word to describe all the chapters from both books.

Winnie the Pooh:

• In Which We Are Introduced to Winnie-the-Pooh and Some Bees, and the Stories Begin
• In Which Pooh Goes Visiting and Gets Into A Tight Place
• In Which Pooh and Piglet Go Hunting and Nearly Catch a Woozle
• In Which Eeyore Loses a Tail and Pooh Finds One
• In Which Piglet Meets a Heffalump
• In Which Eeyore Has a Birthday and Gets Two Presents
• In Which Kanga and Baby Roo Come to the Forest, And Piglet Has a Bath
• In Which Christopher Robin Leads an Expotition to the North Pole
• In Which Piglet Is Entirely Surrounded by Water
• In Which Christopher Robin Gives Pooh a Party and We Say Goodbye

The House at Pooh Corner

• In Which A House Is Built At Pooh Corner for Eeyore
• In Which Tigger Comes to the Forest and Has Breakfast
• In Which a Search is Organdized, and Piglet Nearly Meets the Heffalump Again
• In Which It Is Shown That Tiggers Don't Climb Trees
• In Which Rabbit Has a Busy Day, And We Learn What Christopher Robin Does in the Mornings
• In Which Pooh Invents a New Game and Eeyore Joins In
• In Which Tigger is Unbounced
• In Which Piglet Does a Very Grand Thing
• In Which Eeyore Finds the Wolery and Owl Moves Into It
• In Which Christopher Robin and Pooh Come to An Enchanted Place and We Leave Them There

At first, I thought this review would be packed with quotes. Because Pooh is without a doubt one of the most quotable books...ever. But I've decided instead of trying to quote every single sentence from the book that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE AND ADORE, I'd try to be more selective.

"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?" "What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?" "I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet. Pooh nodded thoughfully. "It's the same thing," he said. (147-48)

"I think," said Christopher Robin, "that we ought to eat all our Provisions now, so that we shan't have so much to carry." "Eat all our what?" said Pooh. "All that we've brought," said Piglet, getting to work. "That's a good idea," said Pooh, and he got to work too. "Have you all got something?" asked Christopher Robin with his mouth full. "All except me," said Eeyore. "As usual." He looked round at them in his melancholy way. "I suppose none of you are sitting on a thistle by any chance?" "I believe I am," said Pooh. "Ow!" He got up, and looked behind him. "Yes, I was. I thought so." "Thank you, Pooh. If you've quite finished with it." He moved across to Pooh's place, and began to eat. "It don't do them any Good, you know, sitting on them," he went on, as he looked up munching. "Takes all the Life out of them. Remember that another time, all of you. A little Consideration, a little Thought for Others, makes all the difference." (113)

"I think the bees suspect something!" "What sort of thing?" "I don't know. But something tells me that they're suspicious!" "Perhaps they think that you're after their honey." "It may be that. You never can tell with bees." (19)

 © 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

30 Days of Books: Day 9

I saw this at The Written World--a blog I've been following for most of the time I've been blogging--and I thought I'd join in the fun. I believe the most recent recurrence of this is from Jenni Elyse's blog.

Today's prompt: A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving

True Grit. Charles Portis. 1968. Overlook Press. 224 pages.

People do not give it credence that a fourteen-year-old girl could leave home and go off in the wintertime to avenge her father's blood but it did not seem so strange then, although I will say it did not happen every day. 

Last week I reviewed The Virginian by Owen Wister, this week I'm reviewing True Grit. Could it be that I'm not as allergic to westerns as I thought? Or have I just found two exceptions to the rule?!

What's the word that best describes our heroine, Mattie Ross? Spunky? Stubborn? Strong-willed? No-nonsense? Independent? She's all those things, it's true, but it goes deeper than that perhaps. She does not back down. If Mattie has made up her mind, then there's no changing it. There's no arguing with her...and winning. It just can't be done. She may be a kid--a girl--but she can hold her own in a world of men.

When her father is murdered by Tom Chaney, a man her father had half-way trusted--at least trusted enough to give him a job, a place to live, and a "second" chance at life--then Mattie Ross decides then and there that he will pay for his crime. She'll see that justice is done, even if she has to pay for that justice herself.

Mattie hires a marshal with grit--Rooster Cogburn. The Fort Smith sheriff tells Mattie that Rooster Cogburn "is a pitiless man, double-tough, and fear don't enter into his thinking. He loves to pull a cork" (23). She promises a $100 for a job well done. But she doesn't tell him--at least not at first--that she has every intention in the world of going with him on his search. Yes, this fourteen-year-old girl is going to ride side by side with him on his dangerous mission--hunting outlaws is always dangerous, you know. And then there is the third companion, a Texas Ranger, LaBoeuf. He wants to find Chaney/Chelmsford too. There's money to be find in bringing him to justice. While LaBoeuf's motivation is more monetary, perhaps, for Mattie this is purely personal.

And it was the fact that this was a personal story--though don't expect it to be sentimental or weepy, Mattie is no Elsie Dinsmore--that touched me the most. It is my connection with Mattie that made me love this one. Her character, her personality, her strength as a narrator. I think Mattie is unforgettable.

While I can't say that I loved every scene in this one--especially the one with the poisonous snakes--I have to admit that I did enjoy this one very much. I found it very compelling!
© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews