The Hidden World of the Fox by Adele Brand

Rating: WORTHY!

Here we go! New Year, new plan. Why or even how it takes 26 hours rather than 24 for everyone to gather in the new year is baffling to me, but I love it because of that! For my part, my efforts from here on out will be to my own material rather than to reviewing the work of others. I began this review blog in the hope that I would achieve two things: the first was to learn from analyzing the work of others, and the second hope was that others might be tempted to read my work based on the sort of reviews I put out.

I tried to avoid merely championing my own writing, but I was not shy of mentioning my own work if it was relevant to what I was reviewing. While the first hope was realized in that I did get some good insights to how and what I wanted to write, the second was not. I guess people have no loyalty to writers these days and I can't blame them. You gotta read what trips your trigger!

What I learned was more of a negative than a positive, in the sense that I knew exactly what I didn't want to write. Everything else came from that and going forward, I intend to travel that same path and build on it, with a diversion here and there. One of these diversions I'm going to be setting up for publication today, although it won't actually be available until later in the month. In fact today marks the setting-up of three books all of which will be published this month. Hopefully this is symbolic of a work ethic I will embrace this year and beyond. Once again I embark upon a voyage in the Weal Sea!

But to this review, which is short and sweet, just like the book! This audiobook was read beautifully by Jane McDowell. It was short, yet replete with information about foxes. Most of it is of the British "red" fox, but it covers foxes in general, with specific examples from different parts of the world, and in doing so it imparts an overall picture while giving engaging and fascinating details of a fox's life in Britain. There's so much to learn about this misunderstood member of the dog family.

The author, a mammal ecologist who has studied foxes for many years, challenges many misconceptions about these mammals while educating the reader to the realities of it, which are much less scary and far more charming. In additional to revealing an extraordinary story about what foxes are and are not, and how they live and move and have their being, including their contributions to the environment, she also discusses how we might move ahead successfully together with them through neither vilifying nor holding foxes in adoration. I commend this as a worthy listen.

I've Loved You Since Forever By Hoda Kotb, Susie Mason

Rating: WORTHY!

Written by Kotb (coat-bee), this hardback color book for young children is beautifully lyrical and rhythmical. When I say it could put you to sleep I mean that in the nicest way possible. Mason's illustrations are simple, but well-done and nicely-colored. The text is reaffirming and persuasive, and the whole effect is quite warming and enjoyable, especially for young children. Hoda Kotb is a main co-anchor for NBC's morning 'Today' show and her story, written to celebrate her adoption of a child, takes us through several scenarios of lasting and powerful love for one's children. I commend it as a worthy and inspiring read.

The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton

Rating: WORTHY!

I loved this author's Dinosnores book, and I adore her last name which is so irrepressibly perky, so I wasn't surprised that I enjoyed this nicely-illustrated hardback for young children either. And who can possibly have a beef with a book that teaches these children how to go to bed and more importantly, how to go to sleep? A group of animals on a boat go through their bedtime routine and while I'm not sure about exercising after a bath as opposed to before it, in general the routine is pretty good one, involving getting good and clean, getting some exercise, brushing teeth and getting into pajamas. The book is rhyming, and fun, and colorful so what's not to like? It did not put me to sleep while I read it, which is paradoxically why I liked it!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar's Snowy Hide and Seek by Eric Carle

Rating: WORTHY!

The phenomenally successful Hungry Caterpillar is back in this winter adventure. How this works exactly given that the caterpillar became a butterfly half a century ago is a bit of a mystery, but I'm not going to rate this book negatively just because of that! LOL! Described as a 'A Finger Trail Lift-the-Flap Book' this colorful hardback tells a story of searching and finding, and encourages the young reader to open flaps and follow finger trials, so it's a very tactile work, perfect for curious youngsters. The caterpillar gets to meet penguins and polar bears, reindeer and Santa Claus, and generally has a fun time as will, I'm sure, your toddler. I commend this one as a worthy read.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Rating: WORTHY!

I've enjoyed this author's books for children (3 out of 3 prior to the present one) and this one upheld that tradition. Frankly I can't believe I haven't reviewed this one before now. It's not a Christmas book, and the reason I do it now is because the author has a Christmas book out which I shall also review up next. This one is a counting book - a colorful pasteboard for young children that documents this voracious caterpillar's chomping through one of this, two of that, three of the other, and so on, not ad infinitum fortuantely. I'm not convinced that caterpillars really eat some of the things this one did, but it was very hungry!

I commend this as a worthy read with a joyous ending for young children. Count on it!

How to Catch a Reindeer by Alice Walstead, Andy Elkerton, Adam Wallace

Rating: WORTHY!

So, it's the most reviewing time of the year - for some more children's books for Christmas, that is! This hardcover picture book for kids was beautifully colored, well-illustrated, and amusingly-written in rhyme. I've never bought into the 'A Visit From Saint Nicholas' reindeer-naming scheme, but this book does. It's about a reindeer trying to catch-up to Santa's sleigh, and about people who for reasons I was unclear about, are trying to catch the reindeer. They don't succeed, but the reindeer does, as we know she would all along.

Some people might take issue with a female reindeer with antlers, but believe it or not, female reindeer - aka caribou - do grow antlers. They're the only species of deer where females do. Why? You'll have to ask them. So reindeer are a good emblem for equality of the sexes! At least in that regard. They shed their antlers, which are bone, not horn, after the males do, so if you see an antlered reindeer in the spring, it's a female, not a male. Very confusing, huh?

But I digress. I commend this book as an amusing and colorful read.

Moon Pig by Celina Lagnardo, Leo Lagnardo

Rating: WORTHY!

Why so many writers want to associate a pig with the Moon I do not know, but there are a few out there! Pig Jumps Over the Moon by Jeff Dinardo is one; The Little Pig, the Bicycle, and the Moon, by Pierrette Dubé is another, and The Pig Who Sang to the Moon by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson is a third. I haven't read any of those, but I did read this one and was amused and pleasantly impressed with it. It paints a fine porktrait of an animal with a mission and a strifng ambition.

"Pig" dreams of visiting the Moon, and through diligence and hard work manages to put together a rocket and a space suit and heads on out there to do just that, landing safely, exploring, and returning in time for dinner. The writing is sweet and the pigtures amusing. I commend this as a worthy fantasy read for young children.

Little One You Are the Universe by Zeni Shariff

Rating: WORTHY!

This is a small format young children's illustrated book about elephants that seems at first glance to be a bit 'new-age-y', but it's really an entertaining and nicely-illustrated book about friendship. Young elephants Lotus and Adia meet at the watering hole one day and learn to overcome their shyness. Over time they become good friends, but they're separated when they are taken captive by humans and forced into labor camps, one of which involves railroad construction, the other of which involves mining.

While I disagree with the anthropomorphization of animals, it's not overdone here, and elephants are without a doubt intelligent and sensitive mammals who reflect human emotions and behaviors in small ways. But I don't doubt that two elephants who have grown up together would miss each other and that's what happens with these two, until they find themselves, after a long journey, brought sweetly back into each other's orbit.

This was a fun book and nicely-done both in the writing and in the artwork by the author. I commend it as a worthy read.

Lost Animals by Errol Fuller

Rating: WARTY!

This book has about 170 pages of birds, featuring grebes, parakeets, pigeons, rails, warblers, and woodpeckers, and only some 60 pages of other animals, all of which are mammals and there are only seven of those: thylacine, greater short-tailed bat, Caribbean monk seal, Yangtze River dolphin, quagga, Schomburgk's deer, and the Bubal hartebeest. Naturally there are no plants because the title forbids it, but I have to say I was disappointed to see no fish, amphibians or reptiles included.

While this is educational, I think a much better and broader job could have been done. It's like the author just tossed in whatever random critters he happened across and made no effort to diversify at all. What's least shocking is that all of these extinctions are because of humans: hunting, deforestation, other destruction of habitat, and so on. It's the same old selfish, short-sighted, and clueless story, and things are only getting worse with climate change, so while this book does offer some insight into how badly we're screwing our grandchildren - even our children - out of their heritage, it really could have been a lot better, and I cannot commend it as a worthy read as is.

Night Night Norman by Marie Dimitrova, Romi Caron

Rating: WORTHY!

From an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher.

This is a hard-bound, large-format print book, with thirty pages of full-color, full-page illustrations by accomplished artist Romi Caron, and which is written amusingly by author Marie Dimitrova. The story is of Norman, a large chesnut horse who is cared for by Ellie. She lavishes attention and food on him in the evening and then disappears for the night.

Norman decides that he has to know where she goes, but he doesn't whinny about it. instead, one evening, he sneaks out and follows her - she looking adorable in her dungarees and galoshes, he sneaking around trying to discover where she went. And of course, havoc ensues. Apparently not having much horse sense, Norman gets into places where he shouldn't be - and can barely fit. Is he a whickered person? No, but he is a bit naughty, and he messes with stuff he doesn't really understand. With no one around telling him to "Hoof it," he leaves a mess - and no, not that kind of a mess. Let's just hazard a guess that Norman's middle name is probably 'Disorder'! Once he's back in his stall, he's a bit more stable and reins in his impulses, but is he about to cease these nighttime 'for hays'? In a word: neigh!

Obviously this book isn't written for a guy like me, but I was happy to get saddled with it because it was good for a few horse laughs, and the artwork is beautiful. I happily commend it as a worthy read for children - because of course, it takes the right tack....

Grumpy Monkey Up All Night by Suzanne Lang, Max Lang

Rating: WORTHY!

Written by the female half of this team and illustrated by the male half, this sequel tells the amusing story of Jim Panzee which made me laugh just from that name. Jim has brother name Tim Panzee. They attend an all-night party where they play games, tell scary stories, and drink punch. A gorilla acquaintance goes along with them. One by one they fall asleep. This is all-but guaranteed to encourage your little ones to follow suit. I was a bit misled by the title, not having read the first in this series. I thought it would be about a grumpy monkey who couldn't sleep and who prevented others from sleeping too. It was pretty much just the opposite. It was amusingly written, amusingly illustrated, and actually told a story. I liked it.

Ten Twinkly Stars by Russell Julian

Rating: WORTHY!

This is a counting book - or a countdown book for young children, teaching them the numbers from one to ten. Or rather, from ten to one which are coincidentally the odds of your child staying awake until the end, as you read this to them. It has little cut-outs for the stars, which diminish by one with each turn of the page and which are made for little fingers to explore - although the paper isn't exactly tough, so be mindful of the per page potential for a stellar holocaust!

The art is well done, especially the camel which is completely dun, and each page consists of pictures of animals from around the globe, so there's lots of color and interest - as well as counting - going on, and I commend this as a worthy read. If only the last page had a squeeze pack of knockout gas in the event that the child failed to fall asleep by then it would be perfect, but one can't have everything, can one? Where would one keep it?!

Note that this is another of those corporate books where the illustrator, Russell Julian, gets credited, but no writing credit is offered. Just FYI. It seems we authors can't count on Caterpillar Books..../p>

Mermaid Adventure by Neville Astley, Mark Baker

Rating: WORTHY!

I have no idea what the deal is with Peppa Pig, but lest anyone accuse me of impugning her porkritude, let me trot this one out as well. While I consider the Family Trip volume to be pork scratching the bottom of the barrel, this one wasn't sexist and told a decent story for young children, so I consider this to be a worthy read. I consider it paints a decent porktrait or pigture of this cartoon animal, but that's all I have to say about Peppa, salty as it is.

Note that Astley and Baker are the creators of the Peppa, but whether they had anything to do with this book is unclear to me!

Family Trip by Neville Astley, Mark Baker

Rating: WARTY!

I have no idea what the deal is with Peppa Pig. It seems like poor art and flat stories. This volume was sexist to the max with all the traditional female roles filled by...females! And vice-versa. Not that there was any vice here let it be said. Perish the thought. Peppa wasn't particularly interesting, educational, or amusing, or in any other way any different from any other critter in animation, so why the fuss? What's the point? You got me. I can't commend this one.

Note that Astley and Baker are the creators of the Peppa, but whether they had anything to do with this book is unclear to me!

Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus

While this was cute and fun it wasn't something an adult can really derive much from except vicariously by reading it to a kid and seeing how they like it. Since it is aimed at kids, then on that basis, I consider it a worthy read. For me as a grown-up, not so much!

This audiobook is of the original story, first published in 1958, and it features Basil the mouse, who lives in the basement of 221B Baker Street where he learned his detecting craft from listening to Sherlock Holmes solve his cases. Starting out as what appears to be a simple case of missing children, things turn all around when an unruly mob trio threaten all resident mice in the Baker Street basement 'village'. Basil takes exception and resolves to cut the case off at the knees before the villains can make good their threat. He and his assistant Dawson don disguises and head north to run down the villains in their lair. They could of course have simply let the villains move in, then called the mouse police on them, but this seems never to have occurred to Basil.

Like I indicated, the story is simple and innocent, and at times amusing, and should delight young children. I consider it a worthy read for them.

Kanzi by Sue Savage-Rumbaugh, Roger Lewin

Rating: WORTHY!

Sue Savage-Rumbaugh is a psychologist and primatologist. This book is about her work with a Bonobo (an ape closely related to the chimpanzee) named Kanzi who learned to communicate in ways humans could understand. The author is so far the only scientist to conduct language research with bonobos. Roger Lewin is a science writer who has worked for both New Scientist and Science publications.

Bonobos are very similar to chimpanzees, but not the same species. Kanzi was the first ape to acquire words in the same way that human children do, but her view that language is learnable by apes is contested by other scientists, such as Steven Pinker, who is a cognitive scientist. Kanzi also learned from human tutors how to create sharp flints which could cut ropes which held fast a box containing food, and he demonstrated the ability to create them (including using his own method of smashing the rock and simply selecting the sharpest fragment!).

The author makes no claim that apes are human, but that - as the book's subtitle shows, they are at the brink of the human mind, which of course they must be as our closest living relatives. Modern bonobos and chimpanzees did not evolve into humans, but we certainly do share a common ancestor with them, and one of those ancestral lines, very much ape at one point, did indeed evolve to give rise to the human lineage that led to us. This books gives fascinating insights into how that process may have begun and also into how minds like ours but not the same as ours, view the world - and us. I commend this as a very worthy read.

The Adventures of Rockford T Honeypot by Josh Gottsegen

Rating: WORTHY!

From an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher.

This middle grade chapter book was a little long and involved for my taste, with two voices and two tenses, so it's not your common or garden simple story, but for the avid young reader, it should provide a wealth of adventurous pursuit and engrossing reading.

Rockford T Honeypot is your usual reserved and retiring chipmunk, albeit with a healthy respect for germs and hygiene, but circumstances are about to throw him into an unwilling and unwitting adventure that will change him all-around and make a ground squirrel out of him! Until he ruins the family business and is abandoned by his strict father and ne'er-do-well brothers, the only adventure he has is reading of his favorite fictional hero. Little does he know he's about to personify that spirit he so admires and make a story all of his own.

Framed by an older Rockford looking back on his life, and told over the course of many chapters, with occasional interruptions, Rockford learns to fly (sort of), learns to fight, learns to be fearless, and to face problems head on. He learns to spot business opportunities and to supply a need when he sees one, as well as mastering exercising his brain in solving problems. He travels and has adventures, makes friends and meets the girl of his dreams. And he creates the perfect roasted hazelnut recipe.

The adventure has thrills and chills, danger and amusement, and tells a whopping great story about the little guy winning through. I commend it as a worthy read.

The Time of Green Magic by Hilary McKay

Rating: WARTY!

From an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher.

This is a middle-grade novel set in Britain. I'm normally a bit biased toward such novels, and this one started out for me in great style, with Abi from one family, and Louis and Max from another being brought together into one big family when Abi's father Theo marries the boys' mother Polly. They move into a larger house, which has a lot of character and Abi finds that her immersion in novels becomes a little too literal. She'd be reading Kon-Tiki and the book would end up wet, with the water tasting of salt. She'd be reading about an Arctic adventure and almost get frostbite.

That would have been adventure enough, but there was also other stuff going on that seemed unconnected with Abi's experiences - like the large cat that young Louis encounters, or the paranoia that Max experiences, alongside his interest in this French art student who occasionally babysits. On top of that, Polly's work calls her away from home for a couple of weeks (I'm not sure why the author wanted her out of the way), and Theo it seems is hardly home, so the kids are left to their own devices a lot. At once there seemed to be both too much going on and not enough.

The story was going in so many different directions that things were becoming confused, and also being skipped: like how these kids were getting along given that one of them was entirely unrelated to the other two, and how little information is imparted about the books they're reading. The kids seemed to have no inner life, and the novel reached a stagnation point about halfway in. I began quickly to lose interest in it. It did not improve and I gave up on it at seventy percent out of sheer boredom.

Again, it wasn't written for me, and middle-graders might get more out of it than did I, but I've read and enjoyed many middle-grade level books and found them highly entertaining. This one wasn't in that category, and while I wish the author all the best in her career, I can't commend this particular novel as a worthy read.

Plastic Soup by Judith Koppens, Andy Engel, Nynke Mare Talsma

Rating: WORTHY!

From an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher.

I cannot for the life of me understand why any publisher would want to release this in a Kindle version, not even just for review. If there's one thing that Amazon's crappy Kindle conversion process does with utter reliability, it's that it totally mangles anything that's not plain vanilla text. This is one of many reasons I refuse to do business with Amazon. The Kindle version was chopped, shredded, julienned, and sliced and diced until the story was out of order and made no sense. Even on a iPad, the images were reliably out of order and sliced in half, and not vertical so they would have at least followed the pagination, but horizontally, so it was impossible to read.

Fortunately I have more than one reader app option, and in both Adobe Digital Editions and Bluefire Reader, the book was beautiful: colorful, the illustrations charming, the text brief but informative, and the story well done. The story, written by Nederlander Judith Koppens, and Andy Engel, and illustrated by Nynke Mare Talsma, whose middle name appropriately means 'sea', is of course, the appalling amount of plastic that's in use today, far too much of which gets into the ocean.

It not only gets there in the form of bags and bottles and other large items, it also gets there - and this understandably isn't covered in this story - in the form of micro plastics, some of which is even now probably in the table salt you have in your kitchen. It's a disgrace, a menace, and a health hazard for every living thing, and everything we can do to educate and warn about this is to be commended, which is why I commend this as a worthy and educational read.

Good Night Biscuit by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, Pat Schories

Rating: WORTHY!

Biscuit is the ultimate clinging and OCD puppy. He won't go to bed unless everything is just so. He needs the bed plumped up, his blankie, his doll, a goodnight story, a goodnight kiss...and then he wants to start over again! In fact, he really takes the biscuit. Hopefully though, by the time you've read this book to your child, the child will be snoring little kiddie snores and fast asleep and you won't have to go through all this stuff! The book was charming: simply-written by Capucilli, and nicely-illustrated by Shoires. I commend it as a worthy read.