Rediscovering picture books — favourites from my childhood, and stacks of new ones — has been one of my great unanticipated joys as a parent. I devoured picture books as a child, and would read myself hoarse at bedtime during my my babysitting years. So why did I stop reading them in the decades leading to the birth of my […]
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Picturebook Review: I Loathe You, by David Slonim
I’ve always been a little creeped out by Sam McBratney’s classic, Guess How Much I Love You. The one-upmanship in matters of the heart strikes me as manipulative and inflected with guilt. So I was delighted to discover David Slonim’s wacky alternative, I Loathe You. Little Monster and Big Monster — entirely loveable (or loath-able?) beneath their jagged teeth and […]
Play Doh Doctor Drill N Fill: Decent Play Value, but no Educational Bite
The Play Doh Doctor Drill N Fill (ages 3+, retailing for £13.99 on Amazon.co.uk) is a cleverly designed, reasonably entertaining toy. Disappointingly, however, Play Doh passed up a valuable opportunity to integrate education with play by teaching kids a little about their teeth and how to look after them. Paging all Junior Dentists My five-year-old […]
Lovely E-mail Exchange with John Fardell, Author of “The Day Louis Got Eaten”
In a recent post, Nic Bottomley, founder of Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights in Bath, included The Day Louis Got Eaten by writer/illustrator John Fardell in his list of top-ten picture book recommendations. So I borrowed Louis from the library, and then had the following e-mail exchange with the author (reprinted here with his permission). Dear Mr. Fardell, Since the […]
July Book Review
Zagazoo by Quentin Blake is an unparalleled parenting parable. Hands off, kids. This is a picture book for mums and dads. Idyllic couple, George and Bella are delighted when an unexpected parcel arrives at their door –a rosy creature labelled “Zagazoo” with a smile as enchanting as only Quentin Blake can squiggle. The couple plays happily with their new […]
June Book Pick: “A Kick in the Head,” edited by Paul Janeczko
“Poetry gives me a kick in the head. Poetry gives me a kick!” writes poet, Joan Bransfield Graham, featured in Paul Janeczko’s “everyday guide to poetic forms”, A Kick in the Head. This well organized, playfully illustrated volume makes the reader want to reach for a pen and get started. Janeczko introduces 29 different types of poetry, […]