Book 410

The Magical, Mystical, Marvelous Coat, by Catherine Ann Cullen, illustrated by David Christiana, Little, Brown Publishing, 2001.


What a magical, mystical, marvelous story!

The coat, of course, is beautiful, but the buttons of the coat are truly special, as is the child wearing the coat. 

I liked the rhyming scheme of this book.  It was surprising sophisticated for a picture book as it didn't contain rhyming couplets that were complete on every two-page spread.  This book read more like a poem than a story in rhyme (and, yes, there is a difference).

The illustrations were nothing short of magical, mystical and marvelous.

Book 409

The Aristocats, (Walt Disney), Little Golden Books, 1970,

This is not a bad book interpretation of the Disney movie.  It would be hard to capture all the excitement from the songs, but the book does a good job telling the main story, and the illustrations are delightful.

Book 408

Murder at the Vicarage, by Agatha Christie, 1930.

I adore Agatha Christie's writing.  I think she is almost always brilliant.  Almost always.  Which is why I can't rate this book very high.  The mystery was obvious that about 80% of the book was just filler and misdirection.

Thomas' Third 101st Story

     101.    Once upon a time, there was a Santa Claus.  He didn’t really have claws.  He had a candy cane suit.  And he had a cherry nose.  And his mouth looked like a bow-tie.  And he had a snow beard.  Like the snow above Greenland.

The End. 

Thomas' Third 100th Story

1.          100.     Once upon a time, there was a daddy named Daddy.  He was turning into Santa Claus, because he had grey hair and his belly was full.

The End.

Thomas' Third 99th Story

1.          99.     Once upon a time, there was Pennsylvania.  Daddy lived in Pennsylvania with his mommy and daddy when he was a little boy.  Daddy’s daddy looks like Santa Claus.

The End.

Thomas' Third 98th Story

1.          98.     Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He was talking to the snowmen cookies.

“We are very delicious,” said the snowman cookies.

“I don’t believe you,” said Thomas.  So he ate a cookie.  And it was delicious.  But then it was gone.

The End.

Thomas' Third 97th Story

 97.     Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He wanted to be a rocket-driver.  He wanted to be an astronaut rocket-driver when he grew up.  So he could go into outer space.  And so he could see the world from outer space.  Because the world is very beautiful from outer space. 

The End.