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May 09, 2009
Books with Blue Covers
Lately I find myself reading books with blue covers, which isn't necessarily all that noteworthy, as the covers ALL seem to be coming in either blue or black these days. I will discuss them by target age level, youngest to oldest.
Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
I know that most people find optical illusions completely delightful, but I don't like them. It's the same way I feel about cocktail parties. I know I'm supposed to like them, but most of the time they just make me uncomfortable. Needless to say, when I originally saw the cover/concept of this picture book, I thought, "Ugh, no." Then Xandi told me that Jason and I just HAD to read this book together in storytime, so I grudgingly put it on hold.
And, okay, this book is delightful. It is a conversation between two people who are debating whether the cover image is a duck or a rabbit. Debating absolutely nothing-even things we agree on-is a sadly typical pastime for Jason and I, so reading this in storytime this past week felt very much like a normal day. And oh how the audience laughed. The images are perfect, which helps, but what also helps is that this is some of the most natural conversational dialog I've ever seen in a picture book. What did it for me was "It's totally a duck!" Our reading was not far off of this:
At any rate, highly recommended for children, obstinate adults, and storytimes.
Lulu Atlantis and the Quest for True Blue Love by Patricia Martin
Jules recommended this book to me (you can read her review of it here), and I loved it quite as much as she told me I would. Jules has been reading it to her preschool-aged daughters, and I can see where this story about a girl with an overactive imagination is the right sort of chapter book to read aloud to wee ones-its short episodic chapters are lively, adventurous, humorous, and totally freaking weird in the way, say, The Phantom Tollbooth is weird. In other words, just right.
Another thing I loved about this book is that Lulu quite recognizably lives near Lake George. It's always a comfort to see books set in New York State that aren't focused on NYC, because there's a great big wonderful rest of the state out here. Helllllooooo! *jumps up and down waving*
Recommended for imaginative people and reading aloud.
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
This book is getting a lot of press, which I hardly need to add to, but the review that convinced me to read it was Lisa Von Drasek's "Dude, I cried" over at EarlyWord.
Dude, I also cried. If you aren't okay with crying, read something else. If you're looking for a deceptively-simply-written book about love, loss, and what survival really requires, read this.
Recommended for people who love life, even when it's hard.
Books mentioned:
Forman, Gayle. If I Stay. NY: Dutton Children's Books, 2009. (HC: 9780525421030)
Juster, Norton. The Phantom Tollbooth. NY: Random House, 1961. (HC: 9780394815008, PB: 9780394820378)
Martin, Patricia. Lulu Atlantis and the Quest for True Blue Love. NY: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2008. (HC: 9780375840166, LIB: 9780375940163)
Rosenthal, Amy Krouse, and Tom Lichtenheld. Duck! Rabbit! San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2009. (HC: 9780811868655)
Posted by adrienne at May 9, 2009 08:39 AM
Comments
Thanks for these great recommendations. I am sticking them on my ever-growing list of books, movies and CDs to reserve once we get home. yay! Have a good weekend.
Posted by: cheryl at May 9, 2009 11:15 AM
You, too! :) So far, so good.
Posted by: adrienne at May 9, 2009 11:53 AM
This simply screamed: "Adrienne and Jason have a chat...um, read a book to kids!" just delightful. I can't wait to read Lulu Atlantis. See ya!
Posted by: Xandi at May 10, 2009 02:12 PM
:)
Posted by: adrienne at May 10, 2009 08:36 PM
I'm so glad you pointed that out to me -- the setting in Lulu, that is. I wasn't totally sure when I read it.
You sold me on If I Stay. Gonna go see if my liberry has it. [Time interlude...] They do!
Posted by: Jules at May 12, 2009 04:36 PM
Jules, Yes, and that's a particularly lovely corner of my lovely state. :)
I hope you like If I Stay. I found it gulp-down readable.
Posted by: adrienne at May 12, 2009 10:04 PM