Trashed by Derf Backderf

Rating: WORTHY!

18 months of trash generated by Americans would form a line of full garbage trucks that would stretch to the Moon. A quarter billion tons a year - three pounds of trash per person per day - even after recycling. Half a century ago we generated less when there was no recycling (granted the population was less, though)!

That's the vein in which Derf Backderf launches his graphic novel, and he apparently knows what he's talking about, having worked as a garbage-man at one point in his life. This is both a reality-based fictional romp through the garbage and an instruction manual on what's wrong with our 'waste lots care not' society vis-à-vis our generation and disposal (or not) of our trash.

We learn a lot about the dubious joys of this line of work from the disgustingly liquid and stinking garbage of the summer to the frozen to the curb garbage of winter, as well as other issues such as the weight of the garbage, the dangers of driving a truck on icy roads, and the exhaust fumes coming out at face height on a truck supposedly designed to allow guys to ride on the outside - right behind that exhaust! The authors tells us that garbage collection has the sixth highest mortality rate, behind only logging, commercial fishing, piloting aircraft, roofing, and iron working. Yep, they beat out even policing and fire fighting!

So what's in our trash? According to the author, using an EPA survey, a third of our trash is food and yard waste, which effectively recycles itself as compost. Another third is recyclable materials such as wood, metal, plastic and glass. Less than ten percent of the plastic is recycled. And the EPA figures used here may not even be telling the whole truth.

The distressing thing is that this graphic novel itself wastes paper by having way too much white space and empty pages! In the e-version which I read, this doesn't matter of course, but it would if it went to a significant print run. In addition to assorted blank pages throughout the course of this book, and the occasional page with only one small illustration, there is a rather staggering twelve blank pages at the end of the book. That's an even number, meaning this book could have been significantly smaller and thereby used proportionately less paper in a print version. It's worth thinking about - but then so is the content of this book.

The novel is illustrated crisply and competently in black and white line drawings. The author doesn't know how to spell temperamental (tempermental? No!) or asbestos (asbestoes is not a disease you want, trust me on this!). After a while it occurred to me that this had been done deliberately, but I wasn't sure. Other than that, this is good, interesting, fun, and best of all, informative enough to make a reader think. For example, although we now have less than a quarter of the active landfills we used to have, the size of the landfills has increased. The example this author gives is of Salton, which expanded from eight acres, 45 feet deep in 2008 to 287 acres 250 feet deep in 2012. Some can dip down to four hundred feet. Some can cover more than two thousand acres, or over three square miles, such as the one outside Las Vegas. The author gets all these things across without any long and boring lectures.

On the up side, landfills can produce methane which can be captured and used as energy for up to half a century after the landfill becomes land full. On the down side, even a ten acre landfill can leak 3,000 gallons of toxic fluids into ground water every year, and the decomposition of the waste takes almost forever. Even a steel can might take half a century to disintegrate; a plastic bottle almost half a millennium, and both of them should have been recycled. Don't even get started on the yellow torpedoes - the plastic drink bottles full of urine that are tossed out by truckers who don't want to stop for a rest break. Utah, so we're told, found 30,000 of these one year!

There are over 4,000 landfills in Texas alone, both functional and defunct. This reminded me of the John Lennon contribution to the Beatles song, A Day in the life: "I read the news today, oh boy! 4,000 landfills, Texas, USA, and so the stink was rather large, and we could smell it all. Now we know how just how much stench it takes to fill the Astrodome! I have to re-cy-cuhl-uh-uhl-uh-uhl...."

I highly recommend this book as a very informative and worthy, if rather depressing, read, but get the e-version!

The Math Inspectors by Daniel Kenney and Emily Boever

Rating: WARTY!

This is a really short (~127 pages) novel aimed at middle graders. It's book one of a series, and although I originally rated it a conditional 'worthy' the rating was a vote for improvements in future episodes. I had two issues with it which I hoped would be resolved in future episodes in this series. They were not, hence the downgrade. The first problem was with how this novel viewed the police.

I'm writing this review on the same morning that the Dallas police escaped a massacre when a severely disturbed and unfortunately also very violent person launched what appears to have been a one-man assault on a police precinct using bombs and automatic weapons - and this wasn't even a terrorist attack as such. It was just a pissed-off guy who didn't take kindly to police interfering in his cozy little abusive relationship.

Police are human, and as such they can be clueless and idiotic and even violent, but they are all we have between us and a wild west existence where might makes right. I certainly don't want my kids living there, although all too many kids do suffer such an existence. I didn't think this novel took the right tack in portraying these police as being incompetent, arrogant, and downright knee-jerk stupid. Cops are a heck of a lot smarter than that when it comes to seeing through the foggy veil of criminal theft and violence.

The other issue I had was with the portrayal of one of the female characters. One minor problem with this story is that we don't get much information about the four main characters, young children who are really good at solving problems, using math. We didn't get an info dump at the start, for which I was grateful, but we didn't get much info doled out as the story progressed either, which I think was a mistake. Maybe the middle graders won't worry about that. One character we did learn about was Gertie. I can't imagine anyone calling their kid Gertrude these days (or Stanley, or Felix for that matter. Charlotte I can see), but my problem wasn't actually with her name, it was with the fact that she's chubby and evidently sensitive to it.

The problem is that we don't know if this is merely "baby-fat" in which case it's of no concern as long as the kid is otherwise healthy, and eating wisely and exercising judiciously, or if it's really a health problem. It would have been nice to know more, but without better information, I have to say that I was sorry to see this represented as an issue in a world where women are already pressured (and yes from that age and younger) to conform to a certain male ideal as represented on fashion runways, and in movies and TV shows - as well as in an ungodly amount of fiction.

In the US, a nation which accounts for only 5% of the world’s population, 30% of people are overweight or obese, and this is going to get worse. This five percent of the population represents thirteen percent of overweight people world-wide. America is living large and that isn't a compliment - it's a tragedy which is not only waiting to happen, it's already happening. This doesn't help those women who have a perfectly fine weight and shape (ie they are neither stick insects nor Goliath beetles) to have this added pressure of feeling like they're part of the problem. This isn't just an adult problem either, it's a children problem too, and it starts at a disturbingly young age. Most people are not overweight, and that includes most women. It doesn't make things better if young children are given to understand that they're overweight when they're really not, so I wish this novel had been clearer, or had not mentioned this issue at all if it's not going to be relevant to the story.

Okay, after that rant, let's get to the story! The four afore-mentioned, Charlotte, Felix, Gertie, and Stanley are sixth-grade friends who love math and like to solve problems. It's commendable that there are books like this showing kids doing math in the real world and getting useful, meaningful results. Frankly, I never cared how many apples Johnny had or how many friends he had to share them equally between. It never happens! But to show Stanley work out that the prime suspect could not have driven his car to the point where police picked him up if he had committed the crime as first indicated, was wonderful! I would have liked to have seen more math - and seen illustrations showing how the math problems are worked rather than the handful of illustrations showing scenes from the story, which were neither very good nor particularly helpful.

I would also have liked to have seen the work-load distributed more evenly over the group, so each of them did some math, rather than have Stanley steamer the math whiz do everything while the others, including the two girls (including the "chubby" one), serve very little purpose other than be his minions. It seems that Gertie's only distinguishing feature is that she has a good memory. I felt that this demeaned her and I would have liked to see a more equitable distribution of talent, work, and drudgery, all of which is needed, and all of which merits praise.

I liked the way that clues were dropped here and there, and that there were some red herrings and wrong turns, but like I said, I was hoping that this series improved as it went on, and instead it has deteriorated. My review of volume two was in January 2017

Things You Might See Swimming Under the Sea by Louise Lintvelt

Title: Things You Might See Swimming Under the Sea
Author: Louise Lintvelt
Publisher: Amazon
Rating: WORTHY!

Illustrated by Do Thai Thanh

This is one of a pair of reviews I'm doing today of books by the same writer (Louise Lintvelt) and illustrator (Do Thai Thanh). This particular one depicts some interesting life you might find under the sea. As usual, none of this life is plant life - apart from a brief mention of coral. For some reason, non-animal life always seems to be given back seat in these things. We do get a refreshing variety of animal life, though - from invertebrates to reptiles to fish, and mammals. We're also treated to a wrecked galleon sporting pirate treasure.

One of the interesting factors here (other than the sea life, of course!) is that the book is devoted to teaching colors, so in each case the color of the animal is recounted (and illustrated with colored text). We get a veritable rainbow of color as well as no color (black) and all colors (white).

The art work is rather well done. I particularly liked the rather impressionistic view of a sunset over the ocean, and the expression on the sea horse's face, while not realistic (they do not have binocular vision!) was highly entertaining. Of course the sea horse is actually a bizarre fish, but calling it a sea fish is far too vague and just doesn't get it done, don't you think?!

The story is educational, too - beyond the colors. At the back there is a section giving brief details of the animals featured in the illustrations. It was a wee bit small for that particular text to be read on a smart phone however, so I'd recommend this for a mini pad or larger, or the print version, but I do recommend it.

The Adventures of Blue Ocean Bob - A Challenging Job by Brooks Olbrys

Title: The Adventures of Blue Ocean Bob - A Challenging Job
Author: Brooks Olbrys
Publisher: Children's Success Unlimited
Rating: WORTHY!

DISCLOSURE: Unlike the majority of reviews in this blog, I've neither bought this book nor borrowed it from the library. This is a "galley" copy ebook, supplied by Net Galley. I'm not receiving (nor will I expect to receive or accept) remuneration for this review. The chance to read a new book is often enough reward aplenty!

This is a great little novel and picture book which tells - in poetry yet - of Ocean Bob's adventures on the sea front where he does his darnedest to keep the coast clear (of junk) and help ocean wildlife.

With his best friend Xena the hummingbird always ready to give advice, Bob proves he's a guy who's not afraid to ask for direction (and other forms of help) from his ocean of pals, including Mary Marine (his mentor), Al the dolphin, Doc the turtle, Earl the clam, and Wallace the walrus.

Bob's adventures include lending a helping hand, a pelican's plight, offering safe passage, heeding a simple reminder, and diving deep!

Beautifully drawn and colored, this book is aimed at 6 to 8 year-olds (hey, I'm an honorary eight-year-old! No, I am! That's my story and I'm sticking to it like a limpet to rock...), I was impressed by the warmth, heart, and art.

The Great Race by Stacey Hirata

Title: The Great Race
Author: Stacey Hirata & Charles Huang (no website found)
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group
Rating: WORTHY!

DISCLOSURE: Unlike the majority of reviews in this blog, I've neither bought this book nor borrowed it from the library. This is a "galley" copy ebook, supplied by Net Galley. I'm not receiving (nor will I expect to receive or accept) remuneration for this review. The chance to read a new book is often enough reward aplenty!

This is a pictorial retelling, for young children, of an Asian legend explaining the zodiac. In the west we have a zodiac which is fairy-tale interpretation of certain constellations which lie along the apparent path of the Sun across the sky, and which is comprised of (from the start of the year to the end): Aquarius, Pisces, Ares, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, and Capricorn.

In other parts of the world, other names are ascribed to these apparent patterns of stars. The Chinese zodiac consists of Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig, Rat, and Ox, but their system is much more complex than ever it became in the west, assigning birth years to the signs, and also yin and yang, and the antiquated "elements" such as earth fire, metal, water, and wood, so the whole thing forms a sixty-year cycle. This is how you get a zodiacal sign assigned to your birth year.

This story doesn't go into anywhere near that much detail, and instead retells the legend of how the signs came to be in the order to which all Asians are accustomed. It all began with a foot race declared by the Jade Emperor in celebration of his birthday. All of his favorite animals were to compete, and the first twelve to cross the line would be immortalized in the stars.

Each of the animals uses whatever talents it has peculiar to its species to try and get ahead, and slowly, as we turn the pages, we discover some of the little animals faring better than others.

I'm not Asian, and I certainly don't believe in horoscopes or zodiacal powers, but that's not the point here! The point is whether you're interested in fun fairy tales and legends, and in how different peoples of the world think about their surroundings and their place in nature. This story is beautifully and simply told, and it's elegantly illustrated, offering some educational material as to what lies behind the fictional story. I liked it.

Harry and the Hot Lava by Chris Robertson

Title: Harry and the Hot Lava
Author: Chris Robertson
Publisher: Xist Publishing
Rating: WORTHY!

Errata:
The pages are not numbered, but there is one where "it's" is used in place of the correct form for the context: its.
There's also a page prior to this where lava is described as "most dangerous liquid known to man". I had a couple of issues wioth this, but the important one is the use of 'man'. Is it necessary to exclude woman so rigidly? Could it not be (hoever inaccurate it might be) "most dangerous liquid known to life", or "to humans" or somethign less exclusive? There are almsot four billion women on this planet. Can we not remember them a bit mroe often?

This is a very short children's picture book, so there isn’t a lot to review. It’s about a kid with a delightfully wild imagination (he reminds me of my own kids whose imaginations, thankfully, have never deserted them even though they're now way too old for a book like this), who appears to be stranded amidst hot lava which is invading his home from all quarters. Can he leap to freedom? Where will he land? (You might be surprised!)

The drawings are rudimentary but very colorful, and really evocative. The book is as full of excitement and danger as Harry is full of ideas and wild descriptions, but he never panics, and is always planning his escape. This is definitely something your kids will want to play - perhaps after exploring what real lava looks like - not in person of course - but from the safety of a TV documentary or something on the web.

Who knows, perhaps you have a budding vulcanologist in your family? I recommend this book for a fun read alone, but it’s also a great starting point for a chance to stir your child's imagination about the wonders of planet Earth and it's geology and inner structure.

Of course, you don't want to load them up with learning, learning, learning and nothing else, so it occurs to me that a whole day could be themed around this as they're encouraged to explore the idea, starting with the book, then a video, then perhaps go looking for rocks in the yard or at the park (assuming your park isn't buried under snow at this point!), and imagine how hot things would have to be to melt an actual rock! You can have them practice their motor skills emulating Harry's escapes (with due safety precautions, of course!), have them develop confidence and cool-thinking skills, and also have them appreciate a little more the wonderful and complex planet on which we're all privileged to live.

Silver Bunny and the Secret Fort Chop by Eileen Wacker

Title: Silver Bunny and the Secret Fort Chop (I was unable to find this book at B&N, not available at Amazon)
Author: Eileen Wacker
Publisher: Once Kids
Rating: WORTHY!

DISCLOSURE: Unlike the majority of reviews in this blog, I've neither bought this book nor borrowed it from the library. This is a "galley" copy ebook, supplied by Net Galley. I'm not receiving (nor will I expect to receive or accept) remuneration for this review. The chance to read a new book is often reward aplenty!

Illustrated by Curt Spurging.

Erratum:
P4 "moive" should be "movie"

This is another in a growing series of which I reviewed one edition in July last year: Rainbow Panda and the Firecracker Fiasco, so I was pleased to have this chance to revisit that world and see how things are going. This story is from the same stable and by the same author as the earlier one, but it's about a different character.

I don't know what the marketing plan is for this book but I was unable to find it anywhere. I could find no useful references to it online. It wasn't on B&N nor was it available at Amazon although they did list it, and I couldn't even find a cover image out there! Normally I take the cover image for a blog illustration directly from the ebook if I can, but in this case, the one on my blog is from Net Galley.

In this edition, we follow the antics of Silver Bunny, who is bored in Orange Bunny's taekwondo class. I used to date someone who pursued taekwondo, so this was interesting to me. Silver already knows the moves, but she isn't disciplined enough to understand that you not only have to know the moves, you also have to live them - to be able to put your heart and soul into them to make them real and worthy.

Silver would far rather be off surfing, and isn't even remotely deterred by the fact that last time she went surfing she was almost swallowed by a whale - that was just an accident, she protests! Eventually she and her friends come up with a plan to sneak off and do their own thing.

This book is illustrated, but none of the illustrations were visible in my Adobe Digital Editions reader - it was all text and white space, so I can't show any samples as I normally do. I saw the illustrations in the Kindle edition, but they were grey scale, which effectively prevents me from saying anything useful about them, except that I recall them being really quite good and very colorful in the earlier volume I read. I can only assume that the illustrations in this volume will be along the same lines. This doesn't mean the illustrations won't be as good, but do note that the illustrator here is not the same one who illustrated Rainbow Panda.

Teaming up with a couple of hamsters (you know what hamsters can be like, I'm sure - they're almost as bad as rats for mischief and exploration), Silver Bunny goes surfing; then they look up Rainbow Panda to get help building a secret fort where they can make a movie about taekwondo. There may be a dragon involved here, too.... The problem is that things don't turn out too well, and they discover a valuable lesson about the importance of proper learning and sound preparedness.

As in the previous volume I read in this series, this one also features quite an extensive glossary explaining aspects of Far Eastern culture, including the things depicted in this story. I recommend this young children's book.

Is A Worry Worrying You? by Ferida Wolff and Harriet May Savitz

Title: Is A Worry Worrying You?
Author: Ferida Wolff and Harriet May Savitz
Publisher: Tanglewood Press
Rating: WORTHY!

DISCLOSURE: Unlike the majority of reviews in this blog, I've neither bought this book nor borrowed it from the library. This is a "galley" copy ebook, supplied by Net Galley. I'm not receiving (nor will I expect to receive or accept) remuneration for this review. The chance to read a new book is often reward aplenty!

Illustrated adroitly by Marie Letourneau.

This came to me in the form of a recommendation from a dear friend, and I thought, "Good call! I have to read that!" It's very much in the mold of an earlier volume I reviewed When the Anger Ogre Visits which is another reason I wanted to review this one. I was not disappointed! Note that the two books are not connected: they have different publishers, different writers, and different illustrators, although they do seem to have some aims in common, and the illustrations do share a certain style.

The story sets up realistic sources of worry, but frames them in rather absurdist and amusing scenarios which I think is a better approach than simply playing it straight. I mean who hasn't had a herd of elephants show up for tea? I know I have, and I didn't even have any lemonade on hand, so I made a peel for lemons and that worked out quite well....

A host of different sources of worry are explored and suggestions made, although I'm not sure that attempting to bribe your new teacher with an apple (or in this case bribing the new bear of a teacher with honey) is the wisest choice. I would have suggested a nice home-made welcome card. That's actually one of the joys of this book: it's so ebullient that you can't help but ponder the scenarios and try to come up with your own ideas. It's part of the fun, and an important skill to master.

I worry a lot about all sorts of things (the price of being a parent, and of working a demanding job), and I know it would have made a difference to my childhood had I been given excellent coping skills at an early age, so this is an inspired idea for a children's book - engrossing, amusing and practical to boot. Yes, I worry about that boot, too!

Marie Le Tourneau's illustrations are detailed and colorful. I adored the one where Uncle Herman comes to visit. The expression on the little girl's face is priceless and made me laugh out loud, for which I heartily thank the artist. The illustrations might be a bit scary at times, but overcoming the fear your worry induces is another important step towards conquering it. This illustrator has an image from this book on the opening page to her website. Her bio is well worth reading.

As a writer I always advocate that names mean something (or they ought to! You can't just pull a character name out of your aspirations and hope it works - they require some thought), but Marie Letourneau's name left me baffled. I had thought that Le Tourneau was French for something like "the tournament" or "the turn" (as in 'the rotation'), but when I ran it through a translator, it returned, "the runsat". I'm like "What?" I'm sorry but WHAT?

I ran that through that same website's dictionary, and it couldn't find the word! What's the point in giving a translation rendering a word that doesn't even appear in your own dictionary, pray tell?! Now there's an interesting name. The curious thing is that if you run it in reverse - and translate 'the runsat' from English to French - it gives 'Le tourneau', so at least it has consistency going for it if nothing else! Runsat is actually an app for Windows (Ian spits discreetly to one side) computers, but that's nothing to do with this.

Having hit that brick wall solidly, I was too dazed to chase after the writer's names, and I didn't need to because, playfully, they immediately suggested a 'meaning': Free the Wolf and Harriet May Save It! How charming is that? Thus delighted and mollified, I moved on, only to discover that Harriet May Savitz is no longer with us, which was disturbing to say the least. Her daughter evidently runs her website. Ferida Wolff has a site at the University of Southern Mississippi celebrating her work for goodness sakes! This whole name searching thing proved humbling, I can tell you! Maybe, sometimes, it's better not to ask? No, not really!

This is an entertaining and useful book, well-written, and nicely drawn and colored, and incorporating interesting ideas and good suggestions about how to cope with worries, and more importantly how to side-step a particular worry by adopting an improvised solution. These are all important methods to help children ease away woes and get them thinking about how to invent their own fixes, which is crucial. I can see this being of most use if parents discuss each scenario with their children - perhaps by exploring solutions to each problem before the book's own solution is revealed, and then discussing who came up with the best idea. No worries, mate!

The Mouse's House by Susan Quayle

Title: The Mouse's House
Author/Editor: Susan Quayle
Publisher: Singing Dragon
Rating: WORTHY!

DISCLOSURE: Unlike the majority of reviews in this blog, I've neither bought this book nor borrowed it from the library. This is a "galley" copy ebook, supplied by Net Galley. I'm not receiving (nor will I expect to receive or accept) remuneration for this review. The chance to read a new book is reward aplenty!

Illustrated by Melissa Muldoon.

According to wikipedia:

A 2009 systematic review of randomized controlled trials concludes: "The best evidence available to date does not demonstrate convincingly that reflexology is an effective treatment for any medical condition."

Having got that out of the way, who doesn’t like a good foot massage?! As long as you do no harm, it certainly can’t hurt, and if it works for your child, then go for it! I know I would have welcomed pretty much anything that worked whilst trying to calm down two baby boys in succession!

This foot-massage is couched within a story designed specifically for children, about a rather persnickety mouse who is having a hard time finding a cozy place to settle down for the winter. I'm not convinced that a locale that's baldly out in the open is the best place, but it’s her choice, and the mouse is determined to make her new home work, so off she goes to various animal friends (and it's nice for once to see a snake not represented as evil incarnate!) to seek their advice. There's nothing wrong with that. Smart mouse! No wonder they're everywhere!

The pages have colorful pictures illustrating moments in mouse life, and alternate pages have sing-song rhymes to read to your child as you massage their feet. Heck, I’d take this treatment now, let alone when I was a kid!

One of the most important things you can do with a child is to make frequent physical contact and to communicate often (and in the friendliest manner you can muster for your mood!). At first it doesn’t even matter what you say, only that you say it lovingly, warmly, and softly, even if it’s nonsense. As the child matures, these poems offer a chance for non-nonsense communication, and are quite charming. They will certainly help to maintain contact and communication in support of the foot rubs.

There are copious instructions on how to conduct the massage, gently, with thumbs and fingers, applying light pressure. And let’s face it, if you do it right, then there's every chance the child might return the favor when you are the one who needs care! That would be my dream, anyway!

Despite my reservations about eastern "alternative medicine", I would still recommend this book as a great way to start out right with your new baby by fostering the perfect kind of parent-child intimacy, which will encourage your child to grow to be warm, socialized, and loving, and that's all any parent needs to hope for.

When the Anger Ogre Visits by Andrée Salom

Title: When the Anger Ogre Visits
Author/Editor: Andrée Salom
Publisher: Wisdom
Rating: WORTHY!

DISCLOSURE: Unlike the majority of reviews in this blog, I've neither bought this book nor borrowed it from the library. This is a "galley" copy ebook, supplied by Net Galley. I'm not receiving (nor will I expect to receive or accept) remuneration for this review. The chance to read a new book is reward aplenty!

Illustrated by Ivette Salom.

Here's a real charmer - the book, that is, not the anger ogre! The colored drawings are powerful, especially the one of the ogre, and I love the way it shrinks and becomes more pleasant as the 'disarmament steps' are followed.

Anger is so perfectly natural that it’s often not even noticed when it rears its ugly head, so it’s not so much that it arises that's the problem, as it is how you greet it when it gets here! This book is designed to offer solutions that are fun and easy to practice, and can really make the difference between situation I'm managing, and Man, I'm raging!

This book smartly offers simple things to think - when it’s hard to think coherently. It suggests simple things to do when you think you know exactly what you should do. It's told sweetly in verse, which is hard to get angry about, even at the worst of times!

Every child needs a good system in place for coping, whether it’s with anger or any other kind of strong emotion, and this is a really good place to start.

The Three Lost Kids & The Death of the Sugar Fairy by Kimberly Kinrade

Title: The Three Lost Kids & The Death of the Sugar Fairy
Author/Editor: Kimberly Kinrade
Publisher: Evolved Publishing

Rating: WORTHY!

This is a delightful and perfect story for young children for Halloween. It’s sugary, just like the candy all the kids are hoping for, but it carries an important message about how badly that candy can harm your teeth and upset your stomach. The story features the author's own kids - at least in name: Maddie, the oldest, and Lexie and Bella, the two younger ones.

When they go out on Halloween, they discover, to their dismay, that very few people are getting into the, er, spirit of the celebration. When they arrive at a strange and deserted house, they’re rather intrigued by the open door and Bella rushes inside. There's a skeleton there which seems way more animated than is healthy for a set of bones!

Maddie and Lexie are rather scared, but Bella has disappeared and they have to find her. Besides, the front door seems to have disappeared, so they're pretty much stuck. Upstairs they find a fairy which is dying. It’s the Sugar Fairy and in order to save her, they must once again venture into fairy-tale land, recover her child, and bring her a petal from the birthing flower to restore her health and energy.

The three girls have to brave the cave of cavities, the giant gummy bear guards, the nipping sugar bugs, and the mystery of where in the world is that magic flower with the baby fairy inside. I don’t think it's much of a spoiler to relate that they succeed and learn some valuable lessons on the way. Well-written, and beautifully-worded, this is a very short and totally charming story with lots of action and adventure, and a sound moral root. I recommend it whole-heartedly, and healthily teethily!

KeeKee's Big Adventures in Athens, Greece by Shannon Jones

Title: KeeKee's Big Adventures in Athens, Greece
Author: Shannon Jones
Publisher: Calithumpian
Rating: WORTHY!

DISCLOSURE: Unlike the majority of reviews in this blog, I've neither bought this book nor borrowed it from the library. This is a "galley" copy ebook, supplied by Net Galley. I'm not receiving (nor will I expect to receive or accept) remuneration for this review. The chance to read a new novel is reward aplenty!

Wonderfully illustrated by Casey Uhelski.

Don’t tell my wife, but KeeKee had me at the cover, which is why I requested to review this. I was inordinately thrilled to receive this young children's adventure book because I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. How could I be with a cute kitten like this on the front? Her only competition was Athena, but for me it was always KeeKee, a can-do cat who doesn’t let half a world get in the way of travel, adventure, fun, and education (and in that order, too!).

She's already been to Roma and Paris in previous books, so this time, it's Athens! Off she romps in her hot-air balloon, and soon she's traveling over Europe and touching down in one of the oldest cities in the world. I've been to Athens more than once, and I love it just as much each time. She visits the Parthenon, and the oldest neighborhood in Athens (the Parthenon isn't?!), the Plaka, which frankly I don’t personally remember from my trips, but that's Ouzo for you….

You know what I think they should do with old monuments like the Parhtenon? Of course not, so I'll tell you! They should move such priceless antiquities bodily into a protected area, and build a brand new one in the original location to represent it at the height of its glory. What a sight the Parhtenon would be then!

But I digress! With her owl friend who is showing her around the lively and thriving city, they get to sample moussaka and tzatziki. Now if you say those words as you eat the food, you can be sure you've chewed it properly…(mouth closed, of course!). KeeKee ends-up as stuffed as an olive. Her words, not mine, but they made me laugh out loud. I guess that's a LolCat, huh? When I was in Greece, they had this spaghetti at my hotel which is the best I've ever tasted anywhere. And I fell in love with stuffed grape leaves there, too. I still eat those whenever I can get 'em! I don't really miss the retsina....

Anyway, KeeKee has a lot of fun, and after confusing 'dork columns' with 'Doric columns' she learns a lot, too. And on that subject major kudos to author Shannon Jones for avoiding the absurd mythology of Atlantis, and instead putting in a realistic interpretation featuring the fascinating island of Santorini. Casey Uhelski deserves a mention too for the artwork, which really is quite captivating. It’s due to her that I'm in love with KeeKee!

There's even a glossary in the back to teach you a little more about the places KeeKee visited, and where you can learn a little Greek - and no, it wasn't all Greek to me. Many of the phrases were familiar even though it's been a while since I was there. This story made me want to visit again, but I won’t hold that against it!

This story had nothing wrong with it at all. It was perfect, and an ideal way to introduce young children to exotic places. Enticingly written, gorgeously and colorfully illustrated, and very educational, I highly recommend this for those of appropriate age - and children, too!

An Armadillo in Paris by Julie Kraulis

Title: An Armadillo in Paris
Author/Illustrator: Julie Kraulis
Publisher: Tundra
Rating: WORTHY!

DISCLOSURE: Unlike the majority of reviews in this blog, I've neither bought this book nor borrowed it from the library. This is a "galley" copy ebook, supplied by Net Galley. I'm not receiving (nor will I expect to receive or accept) remuneration for this review.

OK, I wanna say right up front that this is all Kraulis's fault. I had nothing to do with it. She made me laugh. It's all on her. Seriously. How can you not want to read a book with a title like this one?

The best thing about it is that it proved to be hilarious and completely up to its promise. The line drawings are splashed with color, beautifully done (quite the artist is our Ms. K), and the story is a real tease.

Frankly I had initially thought that the 'Iron Lady' was - no, not Margaret Thatcher, silly - but Lady Liberty. Of course there are two immediate problems with that: Lady Liberty is made from copper (although the framework was iron and designed by someone who played a crucial role in this story!), and she's not in Paris, she's in New York City; however, as Nicholas Cage's character pointed out in National Treasure 2, Lady Liberty originated in France, and there are copies of her there which might have been made from iron. Maybe.

But my initial idea was WRONG, and I'm armadillo enough to admit it! Shame on me since I've actually been to Paris and visited the Iron Lady without realizing it was known by that title! The novel also has a little info page listing some interesting trivia about its subject, so one must be sure to stop by there whilst one consumes one's stuffed croissant.

So anyway, you have to figure it out for yourself, just as Arlo the nine-banded armadillo did. I loved this story. I loved the depiction of Arlo which I found endlessly entertaining. Like I said, it's Kraulis's fault, so I'm really, really sorry if she didn't intend that...the hell with it. No I'm not sorry. I laughed my derriere off and I'm proud to admit it! There! Stuff that in your Place de la Concorde n'est-ce pas?!

For some reason this children's story just hit my os du coude. No, not that one, the one on the other side. No, a bit further over. Aw, you've gone too far; c'mon back and start again. Frankly I'm convinced that I got way more out of this than ever the author intended, especially given how far out of the target age group I am, but the fact is that you have to really get into this and do a stereotypical French accent and ham it up for maximal effect. It was a blast and I completely recommend it.

Furmaid by Julia Dweck

Title: Furmaid
Author: Julia Dweck
Publisher: Kite Readers
Rating: WORTHY!

Beautifully Illustrated by Aida Sofia Barba Flores.

Sorry there are no inside images here. I read this on my phone! Yes, olde fashionede print book me! But how convenient is it that you can entertain your kids with reading material on your phone?

So, this is a really short bed-time or kids are feeling down kinda story about a mermaid who happens to have been born with fur instead of scales. Hmmm! Naturally she feels like a freak, and other mermaids make fun of her until it turns suddenly very cold in the neighborhood. I wonder who the most popular mer-person is then, huh?

I love that this story celebrates being different not as a handicap or a problem, but as a positive thing - even an essential thing that others will come to appreciate you for if you give them half a chance. Don't back down. Don't get down on yourself. Think positively and you're halfway there. I recommend this one.

If by David J Smith

Title: If
Author: David J Smith
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Rating: WORTHY!

DISCLOSURE: Unlike the majority of reviews in this blog, I've neither bought this book nor borrowed it from the library. This is a "galley" copy ebook, supplied by Net Galley. I'm not receiving (nor will I expect to receive or accept) remuneration for this review.

Illustrated by Steve Adams

This book is exactly as advertised: A mind-bending new way of looking at big ideas and numbers. Well - apart form the 'new' bit. This kind of thing has been done before, for example in the Cosmos TV series, but not quite so extensively. It is a remarkable and amazing book which not only reminded me of things I'd all-but-forgotten (to my shame!), it also educated me about some things of which everyone ought really to be aware, so this isn't just a really attention-grabbing and educational book for children (written by a teacher). Everyone can benefit from its successful effort to tame out-sized numbers and bring facts down to a level where we can really see and appreciate them for what they are.

The chapter headers (the chapters are really short and copiously illustrated) are quite arresting enough as it is:

• If
  
• Our Galaxy



• The Planets


• History of Earth


• Life on Earth



• Events of the last 3000 Years


• Inventions Through Time


• Inventions of the Last 1000 Years


• The Continents


• Water


• Species of Living things


• Money


• Energy



• Life Expectancy


• Population


• Food


• Your Life


• A Note for Parents and Teachers


• Sources

Some of this book's content might seem fantastical or counter-intuitive at first glance, but as far as I could tell (without trying to run down every single thing that was in the book!), the author is right on the money. When it comes to information like this, it's not the facts that are in error. What's in error is our inability to appreciate them for what they mean, and for what they can teach us about this world upon which we're so completely dependent. The fossil fuel reliance fact alone is shocking.

I recommend this book for children - that way you can buy it for them, but sneak a quick read without having to feel embarrassed. Better yet, volunteer to read through it with them and thereby misdirect everyone from your ulterior motive! And I won't even charge you for sending that sneaky scheme your way...!

Don't Judge a Lizard by His Scales by Dan Dugi & Bli Marston Dugi

Title: Don't Judge a Lizard by His Scales
Author: Dan Dugi & Bli Marston Dugi
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group
Rating: worthy!

DISCLOSURE: Unlike the majority of reviews in this blog, I've neither bought this book nor borrowed it from the library. This is a "galley" copy ebook, supplied by Net Galley. I'm not receiving (nor will I expect to receive or accept) remuneration for this review.

Note that I had a minor problem with this in that the story doesn't work too well on an antique Kindle! If you're going to buy this one, then you'll need the print book or you'll need to view it on a color medium such as an iPad, a Kindle Fire, or a Nook (which is actually cheaper than the same-sized Kindle). I could see the images on my Kindle, but they were gray-scale (not the best way to appeal to a young child!) and the text was too small too read.

This is a young children's story, part of a series titled 'The Principle Gang', designed to offer parents an opportunity to explore with their children such concepts as friendship, bullying, and prejudice. This is the only one of this series I've read, and it centers on Danny the Wizard Lizard's attempts to become friends with Bli the Fly. Given that these characters are named after the story's writers, some might have fun with the psychology underlying that idea, but the story itself is really quite charming and easily introduces the issue of how and even whether people who are ostensibly so different can become real friends.

Amusingly, Danny confines himself to a fly-free diet in an effort to convince Bli's mom that he's genuinely interested in being friends with Bli, and has no ulterior motive. He also wisely meets with Bli's mom beforehand, and they agree to all three of them going to a movie together, so they can hang out and get to know one another, and so Bli's mom can feel comfortable that her daughter is quite safe. There's an element of bullying explored as a lizard gang appears threateningly at the movie theater, but in the end everything works out. Why Danny deals with a mom and not a stereotypically more foreboding dad is a question which crossed my mind, but maybe avoiding a stereotype was precisely the reason for that choice.

Those who are familiar with the story of the frog and the scorpion (or some variation thereof) might find this story a really interesting approach to tackling the problem at hand, but this is a children's story, not a philosophical treatise. Clearly the first step in overcoming prejudice, misconception, and appropriate versus inappropriate friendships is that of opening a conversation. You can't get anywhere without that, and the best time to start such a conversation is when your child is young and has no such prejudice. Children are not born racist or bigoted; they learn this from those around them as they grow, and if these friendship-smothering concepts are not going to suffocate a child's psyche, they need to be aired out at an early date.

The only way to start a conversation is with the first words, and these first words are a really good way to go. I recommend this story.

Kobee Manatee: Heading Home to Florida by Robert Scott Thayer

Title: Kobee Manatee: Heading Home to Florida
Author: Robert Scott Thayer
Illustrator: Lauren Gallegos
Publisher: Thompson Mill Press
Rating: WORTHY!

DISCLOSURE: Unlike the majority of reviews in this blog, I've neither bought this book nor borrowed it from the library. This is a "galley" copy ebook, supplied by Net Galley. I'm not receiving (nor will I expect to receive or accept) remuneration for this review.

It’s been a while since I've reviewed anything aimed at really young children, so this one is long overdue. It's also unusual to have a guy write a story of this nature (at least in my experience!), so that's another good reason to dive in! My own kids are too old for a story like this, but when they were younger I would have loved to have read this to them, and they would have loved to hear it. This is exactly the kind of story which children need, and I'll tell you why: when those children grow up, they will be the ones who are making decisions about the fate of this planet and the life on it and if they're ignorant about what the problems and threats are, then how on Earth (quite literally) are they going to be able to make smart decisions about what to do for the best?

I'm not a big fan of anthropomorphizing animals, but there's no getting away from it since young children are swamped with this, and perhaps it isn’t such a bad thing to have them think of animals as "other kinds of people" if it helps them to grasp and appreciate how inextricably integrated the life on this planet is. This story isn’t an educational text book, it’s a story, but that's no reason why it can’t also be educational, and Thayer doesn’t let us down. Kobee spent his summer way north of where he ought to be hanging out, and when it starts turning cold, he almost has a cow - a sea-cow that is! He heads back home to Florida with all speed, and he picks up a couple of friends on the way. I really oughtn't to give out spoilers, so I won't outright say who they are, but one of them is rather crabby and the other is a little hoarse...!

The joy of this particular story is that it takes an endangered animal and imbues the whole story with the idea of helping each other, and then it goes one step further and adds a little info burst to each illustration giving just a snippet of real information about manatees, offering not only interesting, but useful and educational information.

If there's an issue I had with this, then it wasn't Kobee's jaunty cap and waistcoat or his amazingly appropriate name. Though far from accurate of course, the clothes were rather fun, and I was glad to see all the other manatees, at the end of the journey were illustrated accurately: "the way nature intended", as they say. Indeed, Gallegos's multi-color illustrations were excellent, and complemented Thayer's playful text neatly. I loved Tess's fiery red hair-do and Pablo the crab's klutziness. What bothered me was that all three of these guys had light colored eyes (Kobee and Tess blue, and Pablo green). There were no brown eyes to be found even though that color of eye (in all its shades) is the most common on the planet. As long as we’re anthropomorphizing (and as long as the animals themselves do not have those specific eye colors!), let’s try and be a bit more inclusive! I found this particularly odd given that Gallegos is herself brown of hue and eye; she seems so very youthful, too - obviously she has a long career ahead of her. At least I hope she does. Thayer too.

Other than that quibble, I recommend this story for the appropriate age children. It’s well-worth sharing with your young 'uns. And please do go visit the website the book recommends: Save the Manatee! It's a place you can share with your kids, learn more, and even donate.