The Silly Looking Thing, by Eva M. Sakmar-Sulliavan

The Silly Little Thing

Author: Eva M. Sakmar-Sullivan

Publisher: Schiffer Books

Publication Date: August 31, 2012

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This is another one of those books that is "okay" but maybe isn't destined to become a classic. The premise is that a young frog is looking for a playmate at the pond, but refuses to play with the "silly looking thing" in the water, no matter how many times it asks. By the end, the "silly looking thing" has turned into a young frog himself and it turns out he was just a tadpole before. The premise is great and there's so much room for humour here, but I found myself trying to dress up the "silliness" of the book with funny voices and things. The book itself didn't really have much silliness or whimsy, which I found disappointing. When I read it to Magda, she seemed a bit let down at the end, as though I had missed a page. It's clearly intended to be a "message" book about not judging people based on their looks, but I think it's a lost opportunity that the author didn't also make it a funny, silly story that kids would want to read multiple times.

Hit the jump for Magda's Take and more...

Drummer Boy of John John, by Mark Greenwood (illustrated by Frane Lessac)

Drummer Boy of John John 
Author: Mark Greenwood
Illustrator: Frane Lessac
Publisher: Lee and Low Books
Publication Date: September 25, 2012
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Wow, if there was ever a children's book that cried out for an audio recording, it's this one! This vibrantly illustrated book tells the story of a little boy getting ready for Carnival in Trinidad by trying to make his own drums out of things he finds in the junkyard, and was inspired by the life of Winston "Spree" Simon, one of the pioneers of the Caribbean steel drum. The pictures and words almost sing right off the page, but I would love to hear an audio recording with the sounds of the steel drum in the background while the author (or a narrator) tells the story of island music, Carnival celebrations, delicious roti and, of course, steel drums. As soon as I read this with Magda I immediately looked up videos of steel drums to show her!

Hit the jump to see the book trailer, Magda's Take and more!

Shadows on my Wall, by Timothy Young

Shadows on My Wall

Author: Timothy Young 

Publisher: Schiffer Books 

Publication Date: August 31, 2012

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Shadows on My Wall is a simple but delightful story about a child who has difficulty sleeping because the street lights cause all manner of strange shadows on his wall. At first he thinks there are monsters in his room, but soon learns that he can pretend the shadows are anything he wants them to be, including funny playmates to keep him company at night. I loved this book. The illustrations are simple and consistent--every page is the child's room with various shadows on the wall--but they hit just the right tone. Shadows CAN be scary but it's a great message to remind children that they can also be fun and funny. It reminded me a little of Ed Emberley's Go Away, Big Green Monster! or Charles G. Shaw's It Looked Like Spilt Milk, where things aren't always what they seem and sometimes it's all a matter of interpretation. Plus, as a bonus, the last page includes a whole bunch of how-to shadow puppets that you can try at home!

Hit the jump for Magda's Take and more pictures from inside the book!

Mac & Cheese, Please! 50 Super Cheesy Recipes, by Laura Werlin

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If I told you I'd never made real macaroni and cheese you'd probably stop reading this review right now. But after reading Mac & Cheese, Please! I realize I haven't. Sure I've thrown together some cheese, milk and macaroni (sometimes not even from a box!) but what I've made doesn't even come close to the food porn scrumptiousness contained in this book. 

Laura Werlin starts off with one of the longest introductions I've read in a cookbook in a while, especially in one essentially devoted to a single dish. She lovingly (bordering on obsessively) details the milk to cream ratios, the types of cheese that melt the best compared to those that give the most flavour, the proper wait time to obtain maximum cheesiness. In short, she has thought more about macaroni and cheese than most of us do about Christmas dinner.

But thank goodness she has because the result is a collection of recipes that burst from the pages with enticing photos and clever add-ins that just beg you to try them all right now. When I first read this book I had been sick with the flu for a week and could barely even look at food but I think my body willed itself to get better when I saw all that delicious melted cheese and toasted bread crumbs (and fried mac & cheese bites--oh my!). 

On a side note, I received the e-book only and read it all on my computer screen (my Kobo is fantastic but it would not have done the photos any justice). So I guess what I'm saying is somebody should go buy me this book! It's not available until December 2012 but, you know, Christmas and all...just sayin'...BUY ME THIS BOOK! please?

Source: carbscheeseplease.tumblr.com

Hit the jump for more Mac'n'ations (with cheese)....I apologize that was terrible...so cheesy. Oh, I'm sorry again. I'll stop now.

Too good not to share!

Okay, so this isn't exactly a book review, but since I signed up to do NaNoWriMo this year, I may be a little busier than usual. But I don't want the blog to suffer, so in the meantime I thought I'd share my new favourite video of the week. It's "The Three Little Pigs" in French, to the tune of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face." It's unbelievably awesome. My partner Mike and I have been gnomcing around the apartment singing "petit cochon" to our daughter for two days now (Oh, "gnomcing" is a word we made up to describe moving in a whimsically mischievous way...you know, like a garden gnome. It's obvious when you think about it, really.)

Maybe I should find various versions of The Three Little Pigs to review just so I can justify posting this video over and over...

Apples and Butterflies: A Poem for Prince Edward Island, by Shauntay Grant (illustrated by Tamara Thiebaux-Heikalo)

Apples and Butterflies:

A Poem for Prince Edward Island

Author: Shauntay Grant

Illustrator: Tamara Thiebaux-Heikalo

Publisher: Nimbus Publishing

Publication Date: October 5, 2012

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It's the cold days of fall in the Maritimes ("my dad has bagged up all the leaves / a shadow hides the place I call home") and a young girl is reminiscing about her family's vacation in Prince Edward Island, remembering all the sights, sounds and smells of the island in the late summer and early fall. From butterflies to apple picking, sandcastles to books by the campfire, she uses the memories of her family's trip to keep her warm as the weather grows colder. Told in Shauntay Grant's rich poetic style, Apples and Butterflies is a love letter to those every day moments of childhood that stay in our memories forever.

I want to go where there are no alarm clocks

and no chores

only time

lots and lots of time

I just want to breathe

breathe air that tastes like apples:

red

ripe

I was lucky enough to go to the Halifax book launch for this book, with live performances by Shauntay Grant and musical guests including Verena Rizg (who appeared--in illustrated form--in Shauntay's previous book, The City Speaks in Drums). Shauntay talked about how this book was inspired by real trips her family took to PEI, as well as by moments of "everyday magic" that her parents created for her throughout her childhood. 

The illustrations are rich and detailed but also whimsical and fantastical. The sun smiles down on the family walking along the beach, the colours of the sky swirl together like cinnamon rolls, and the little girl's magenta scarf twists and twirls for miles around her. Gorgeous!

For photos from the book launch on October 25, 2012, in Halifax, NS, head over to Cozy Little Book Journal!

Live near Halifax, Nova Scotia? Come see Shauntay Grant!

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Do you live near Halifax, Nova Scotia? Come to the book launch of Shauntay Grant's latest book for children, Apples and Butterflies! The event is Thursday, October 25 (that's tomorrow!) at 6:30pm at the Halifax North Memorial Library at 2285 Gottingen Street in Halifax. 

Shauntay will be reading from her new book with musical accompaniment, plus there will be refreshments and, of course, the opportunity buy her wonderful new book!

From the Facebook event for the book launch:

Join Shauntay for a performance with musical accompaniment, refreshments, and her wonderful book!
Apples and Butterflies is a gentle, lyrical poem about a family's autumn vacation and shows Prince Edward Island in a light we don't often see --the bright blue and orange light of fall. Tamara Thiébaux-Heikalo's rich and wild illustrations build a narrative with the text, showing us the family beachcombing, flying kites, and picking apples. Shauntay Grant's award-winning poetry makes the reader long to go with her, and conveys the wide-open space of the island, where you can

breathe air that tastes like apples:
red
ripeand ready for picking.

Shauntay Grant is an award-winning writer, spoken word performer, broadcast journalist, and musician. She is Halifax's third poet laureate (2009–2010) and the author of The City Speaks in Drums and Up Home, which won the 2008 Atlantic Book Award for Best Atlantic Published Book. Shauntay lives in Halifax.

https://www.facebook.com/events/294849383957915/

Shauntay Grant is the author of two previous books for children, Up Home and The City Speaks in Drums, both of which are favourites of my daughter, Magda. We'll be posting reviews of all three books very soon!