Monday, March 26, 2012

Book 105

Hop on Pop, by Dr. Seuss, Random House 1963

This was another book that I thought my son would soon tire. I was wrong. Oh, that Dr. Seuss! I couldn't tell you why he likes the book, even when he is not paying any attention to the illustrations. He just does.

I'll tell you why I like reading it out loud. It is fun in a rhymy-whymy way. It has the cadence of a chant. It is funny. And the illustrations -- even upside down and backwards, the illustrations are colorful and whimsical. Even if my son is too busy dancing to the rhythm of the text to notice the illustrations, I find them a delight.

Enjoy Seuss' birthday month with this or another favorite of his books.


*For more reviews, please see my companion blog, Books I Buy and Why

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Fairy Tale Haiku -- 36

Hansel and Gretel

Industry and some
Deceit prevail over witch
Of gingerbread house

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Fairy Tale Haiku -- 35

From Celtic Myths and Legends:


Celtic Argonauts

Impossible tasks
Set for father’s murderers.
Sun-God’s tasks bring death

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Fairy Tale Haiku -- 34

Cape of Rushes

King Lear retold in
Fairy tale form. New life to
Faithful daughter yarn

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Book 104

The Berenstains' B Book, Random House 1971

During the night, my little boy tipped over his toy bin and used it to scale his bookshelves. This morning there were a pile of about twenty books on the floor and he wanted me to read every one of them. For the most part, he would lose interest after a page or two, but a few he listened to right until the end. Those books deserve a write-up.

That he listened all the way through The Berenstains' B Book surprised me. I did lose interest after about the fourth page, but he was loving all those Bs, so I read it to the end. This is a silly little book, which, not shockingly emphasizes the letter B. It becomes quite a tricky tongue-twister long before you reach the end of the book. I couldn't really tell you what specifically my three-year-old liked about the book, but he did really enjoy it.

The illustrations feature the funnel-snouted animals of the Berenstains -- cute and colorful, but not easily recognizable, and, therefore not my favorite style. Again, my little boy liked all the silly images and colors, even if he didn't believe me that the bear was supposed to be a bear.



*For other reviews on books to buy, please see my companion blog, Books I Buy and Why

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Fairy Tale Haiku -- 33

Princess and the Pea

Twenty mattresses
Cover a single dried pea,
Yet princess sleeps naught