Anatole (Anatole #1) by Eve Titus - Guest Book Review by my Grandson Titus

Illustrated by Paul Galdone

 

First, my grandson Titus says he likes the author’s name. (To avoid confusion, I will refer to my grandson as simply Titus, and the author as Eve Titus.)

 

Titus says Anatole is a fun story about a Parisian mouse Anatole. Anatole, his friends and family all wear clothes, speak in complete sentences, and do other things much like humans. 

[Grandpa’s commentary: Titus has not learned the word “anthropomorphized” yet, but it was clearly what he was thinking.]

 

Anatole lives with his wife Doucette and six children Paul, Paulette, Claude, Claudette, Georges, and Georgette. Titus thought the alliterated names were cute but feared they might be perceived by French persons as American ethnocentric contrivances and might have been better as other traditional feminine French names that didn’t all end in “ette”.

 

Each night Anatole and his bon ami, Gaston, bicycle into the city to forage for food in human dwellings. One fateful night, Anatole overhears humans vilifying mice as horrid pests. He is shocked and hurt, and embarks on a covert mission to prove himself, and all rodentia, honorably symbiotic with human existence.

 

At face value, Titus found this book to be great fun. It wasn’t scary or confusing, and the illustrations by Paul Galdone were rendered quite convincingly and complementary to the story.

 

But Titus also found a profound message in Anatole. He felt it was a stunning indictment on cancel culture and was impressed with Eve Titus’ foresight to address the subject, albeit whimsically, in 1957.

 

Titus gives Anatole 4 ½ Stars (he initially said 4, but when he learned it was a favorite of his Father’s when he was Titus’ age, he gave it the extra ½ star.)

 

For more book reviews by my Grandsons and Granddaughters click HERE

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Are You a Cow by Sandra Boynton - Guest Book Review by my Grandson Titus

Titus says, Are You a Cow is a second-person, self-help book in poetic form. He confesses he was less compelled by the existential exploration of self, than he was by the colorful pictures of only slightly anthropomorphized animals. He’s not a big fan of over-anthropomorphizication – but who is? Regarding the narrative, he felt that although the major premise was logically sound, it is for the most part superfluous. He has never seriously pondered himself being a cow, frog, dog, duck, etc., much less a hippopotamus. Which brings him to his second, though lesser complaint: Boynton’s over-used trope of the hippopotamus that she seems to slip into every book. Titus thinks hippos are fun, but can easily be overdone.

 

None of which is to imply Titus did not like the book. He feels that Boynton’s poetry is neo-classical, her outlook is positive, her message sincere, and her conclusion unassailable.

You are you, and that is great!

 

Titus gives it 3 ½ Stars

 

 

 

Click HERE for more book reviews by my Grandsons and Granddaughters.

Counting Christmas - Guest Book Review by my Granddaughter Lydia

This is the first guest book review by my granddaughter Lydia, with some help from older sister Alathea and older Brother Andrew.

Lydia enjoyed Counting Christmas by Karen Katz for the colorful pictures and of course the Christmas Theme. She doesn’t remember her first Christmas, but she is aware of a certain nervous excitement in her brother and sister for the approaching season - and senses it is sort of a big deal. More importantly, she HAS heard the story of Baby Jesus, and she is excited to celebrate his birthday.

Lydia understands vaguely that the book is intended to teach children basic counting skills, but she finds that subject rather academic and of no use to her yet. Her sister Alathea, as you might surmise from the picture, likes to multi-task and was perusing another counting book, Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons, by Eric Litwin, illustrated by James Dean.

Alathea likes both these books, but like her Grandfather, she prefers the classics, and for counting books the Gold Standard is really My First Counting Book by Lillian Moore, illustrated by Garth Williams, but she won’t ask Grandpa to read that one, because he thinks it is the saddest book ever written.

And finally, Andrew wanted to poke his head in too, and remind everyone that this whole Grandchild Book Review trope started with his review of Because a Little Bug went Ka-CHOO!

But this is Lydia’s review, and she gives Counting Christmas 4 Stars (Alathea is incredulous).

Click HERE for more book reviews by my Grandsons and Granddaughters.

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The Lorax by Dr. Seuss - Guest Book Review by my Granddaughter Alathea

This guest book review is by my Granddaughter, Alathea. We read this book together some months ago, but I’ve misplaced the picture of us reading together, so you’ll just have to be contented with a picture of Alathea.

Alathea says The Lorax is a post-apocalyptic, dystopian, first-person narrative. She feels it is illustrative of an underappreciated tenet of the Dr. Seuss’ canon, specifically that his tales, ostensibly childish whimsy, often portend social commentary of global significance. She cites The Great Butter Battle, Sneetches, Green Eggs and Ham, and of course, How the Grinch Stole Christmas as other examples.

As for The Lorax, Alathea acknowledges a plurality of possible meanings, but most come down to one of two major themes:  an environmental warning or an indictment of conspicuous consumption.

Alathea feels the debate over which, is rather superfluous as the two are by no means mutually exclusive. Alathea feels the preponderance of evidence suggests an environmental message – the Lorax after all – speaks for the trees, truffula trees to be precise, but the tale also addresses the egregious mismanagement of natural resources all in the greed induced making of thneeds, indistinct articles of dubious utility.

Alathea opines that THNEED is a euphemism for items we THink we NEED, and likens them to the current fidget spinner craze.

Besides the moral admonishment, Alathea feels the Lorax represents something of a personal passion for Dr. Seuss. She refers to a legal battle the good doctor fought, and thankfully won, to save beloved eucalyptus trees in view of his office, that were threatened by real estate developers in San Diego county. Alathea feels Dr. Seuss is The Lorax and vice versa, and points out that Seuss is actually an anagram of Lorax. (Obviously, Alathea is mistaken on this point – she cannot spell yet, and I did not have the heart to correct her.)

Alathea points out the story ends with a strong magical realism element, as the Lorax utters the admonishment “Unless” and then lifts himself, hence the aptronym: The Lifted Lorax, and floats away into oblivion. Alathea is relieved that the tale ends with a hopeful message when erstwhile villain, the Onceler, produces a single remaining truffula seed.

Alathea gives The Lorax 5 Stars

Click HERE for more book reviews by my Grandsons and Granddaughters.

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The Very Bad Bunny - Guest book review by my Granddaughter Alathea

My youngest grandchild, and only granddaughter Alathea decided to join her brother and cousins in providing a guest book review for Grandpa’s blog.

As was the case with Andrew’s first book review, Alathea cannot yet speak, but I believe I have conscientiously represented her opinion by inferring from her expressions, gestures, and sounds.

The Very Bad Bunny by Marilyn Sadler, illustrated by Roger Bollen, is a third person narrative of P.J. Funnybunny, the picaresque hero of the tale.

Alathea was excited to hear the main character’s name, thinking it signaled an aptronym. This allayed a rather dark sense of foreboding she felt from the title. But alas, P.J. was not very funny at all and the book does indeed take a dark and sinister twist. Alathea wants to be clear however, that the title most definitely does NOT refer to P.J. who was by no means a very bad bunny.

P.J. was simply a bit clumsy and careless as children often are. He created small inconveniences for his family, by accidentally spilling, breaking, or ruining things. Alathea found this aspect of P.J.’s character resonated deeply with her, as she sometimes slobbers rather excessively on her brother Andrew’s toys. She doesn’t try to make them icky, and she certainly isn’t being bad – just a child. She is confident she will grow out of it.

P.J. does have one moment of willful disobedience when he throws his pillow out the window. Alathea is no apologist for P.J. His behavior was wrong and he knew it, but he’s only human – ermmm??? anthropomorphized leporidae after all.

But the real drama in the tale starts when P.J.’s cousin Binky shows up. Binky is a true terror and intentionally naughty. And suddenly P.J. wasn’t so bad. When Binky finally leaves, P.J.’s family is so happy they hoist P.J. on their shoulders and everyone is happy.

In spite of the illustrator’s portrayal of this as a heartwarming, joyous occasion, Alathea is concerned it could send the wrong message to some young readers – that it’s OK to be bad, as long as you are not quite so bad as the next guy (or bunny in this case).

Alathea is thankful her behavior is not judged in comparison to that of her cousins Luke or Judah. She believes that there is right – and there is wrong. They are the standards by which we should be judged. Alathea felt the ephemeral nature of the Funnybunny’s conspicuously dualistic ideology will only lead to confusion and disappointment for P.J. if he is not subjected to a more assessable paradigm.

Still, Alathea thought the bunnys were cute, even Binky, though she feels he needs some tough love. She was glad for the happy ending. She likes P.J.

Alathea gives it 3 ½ stars.

Oh, and Andrew couldn’t help but peek in. He feels that now that he’s reading Tolkien (Mr. Bliss) these types of books are rather childish. He just wanted to see the bunnies.

Click HERE for more book reviews by my Grandsons and Granddaughters.

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Guest Book Review by Grandsons Judah and Luke of He Bear She Bear

He Bear She Bear written and illustrated by Stan and Jan Berenstain

It is time for another guest book review by one of my Grandsons – make that two of my Grandsons as brothers Judah and Luke are submitting this collaborative review, of a book they read with Grams and Grandpa.

Judah and Luke did not quite agree on the theme. Luke felt it was a story about bears – and was fairly succinct because – he likes bears. Judah was a bit incredulous of Luke’s appraisal and felt that Luke likes bears, because the Berenstain Bears are not at all like real bears and Judah is confident that Luke’s opinion would be exponentially altered if he were to encounter one of the larger, and scarier variety of these impressive omnivores. More importantly however, Judah felt the theme was infinitely more complex than Luke, at his young age, could be expected to appreciate.

Judah believes the bears, the standard motif of authors Stan and Jan Berenstain, are simply mataphors for the human race, and the story an ingenious analogy to categorically repudiate gender stereotypes.

Judah recaps that two juvenile, unnamed bears, technically bear cubs, engage in a hypothetical romp, imagining the variety of professions, or occupations either a He Bear, or a She Bear could pursue. The bears imagine they can be: carpenters, merchants, firemen, policemen, doctors, teachers, cowboys, astronauts, etc. Judah was particularly gratified that one of the professions involved climbing poles. Judah has an extreme fascination with poles and climbing.

Judah was impressed. He felt the Berenstain’s were ahead of their time as the book was published in 1974. He didn’t feel it was patronizing political correctness, but rather a genuine and enlightened vision the Bernestain’s were proffering. He wondered if it was not perhaps rather avant-garde for its day though.

Luke opined that he liked the fish too. (One of the bears imagined being a marine biologist, and the illustration included numerous colorful fish.)

Judah gives it 4 ½ stars (the ½ was added because of the pole climber)

Luke gives it 4 stars (would liked to have seen a kitty or doggy thrown in somewhere)

Click HERE for more book reviews by my Grandsons and Granddaughters.

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Coming soon - GrandDAUGHTER book reviews - NOVA this week (July 23, 2016)

Observations from my weekly wanderings, usually in Northern Virginia (NOVA).

Some of the most viewed pages on my blog are guest book reviews by my three grandsons: Judah, Luke, and Andrew.

Coming soon (year or so), will be the first featured Granddaughter guest book reviews – as my wife and I were blessed with our first granddaughter, Alethea, this week.

We give thanks to The Creator that mom and baby, and big brother, and even dad are doing fine.

Other reviews by my Grandchildren:

Counting Christmas reviewed by Lydia

The Loraxreviewed by Alathea

The Very Bad Bunny reviewed by Alathea

He Bear, She Bear reviewed by Judah and Luke

Mr. Bliss reviewed by Andrew 

Sam and the Firefly reviewed by Judah

Are You My Mother reviewed by Andrew

And to Think that I Saw it on Mulberry Street reviewed by Luke

Bears on Wheels reviewed by Andrew 

Because a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo! reviewed by Andrew

Guest book review by my Grandson Andrew of Mr. Bliss by J.R.R. Tolkien

It has been quite a while since any of my grandsons submitted a book review, and Andrew apologizes that this one is so late. We actually read this some months ago, but Andrew’s schedule has been rather hectic with potty training and learning to speak.

Andrew decided to step out of his comfort zone and try a new author, but one he knows is a favorite of Dad and Grandpa.

Andrew feels, Mr. Bliss is written in the modernist style, though it definitely belongs to the magical realism genre. It is the third person narrative of Mr. Bliss. The setting is not explicit, though Andrew believes it is certainly set in Jolly Ole England, mid 20^th century. Andrew is aware of Professor Tolkien’s disdain for allegory, but he, Andrew that is, believes there are elements that are so clearly allegorical as to not be denied.

Mr. Bliss is a country gentleman who wears very tall hats. One day he decides to buy a motorcar. His only stipulation is that it be yellow with red wheels. Andrew thought these were excellent choices, particularly yellow, as that is the first color he could recognize and say. Andrew did feel however, that Mr. Bliss was a bit careless not to consider other criteria. Andrew wondered: diesel or petrol, fuel injected or carbureted, front wheel drive or rear wheel, automatic or standard etc. Andrew also felt that Mr. Bliss might have inquired about emissions and considered a hybrid, as he, Andrew, is planning on being around a bit, and is concerned about air quality. Andrew realizes it is fiction, and cannot therefore affect air quality, but he felt that by mentioning this concern, Prof Tolkien might have inspired an increased environmental conscience in his considerable fan base.

At any rate, Mr. Bliss sets off on a drive and has numerous comical adventures. He runs into Mr. Day, upsetting his cabbage cart, and then runs into the widow Mrs. Knight (widow…bit of foreshadowing, the two are eventually married and open a stand called Day & Knights Vegetables), upsetting her banana cart. Bliss takes Knight and Day along for the ride to visit the Dorkinses, but on the way, they run into three bears. Not THE three bears, but a trio of Ursa nonetheless: Archie, Teddy, and Bruno.

Andrew observes that Prof Tolkien likes to make wordplay with names. The bears want the cabbages, bananas, and motor car and threaten to eat Mr. Bliss and company if they fail to acquiesce. The omnipotent narrator reveals the threat was only a bluff.

The party eventually makes it way to the Dorkinses which is a family of healthy eaters, that is they are all quite fat. There is Albert, Herbert, Egbert, and the fattest known only as Fatty. Andrew felt this was unnecessarily unkind. He also notes that one of the quartet could be known as Fat Albert. Andrew thought the Tolkien estate might be able to bring a plagiarism suit if they were so inclined.

As the tale progresses, Mr. Bliss’ actions lead to some rather costly damages around town, and he is presented with a bill of £3 16. 7½ (three pounds, 16 shillings, 7 ½ pence) if Andrew is not mistaken (one of the clues that it all takes place in Jolly Ole England). Andrew loves to refer to England as Jolly Ole England, because – well it seems so jolly.

Constable Sergeant Boffin is called to ensure Mr. B pays. Andrew thought Boffin sounds rather like a Dwarfish name. One minor character in town is identified as Gaffer Gamgee. Andrew had an indistinct feeling that the Gaffer might figure into another Tolkien tale, but he could not say precisely which, having not read any others.

Andrew has thus far intentionally omitted the most fantastic personage of this tale, saving the best for last, as it is. Mr. Bliss keeps a girabbit: a cross between a giraffe and rabbit. The unnamed girabbit has a telescopic neck, fur of macintosh, and is quite blind. Andrew thought making the girabbit blind was a brave bit of writing for a children’s tale, and although it made Andrew a bit sad, the girabbit manages quite well, and quite contentedly. Andrew recognizes the value of including such a feature, as venue to prepare children that people have such distinctions, and they are nothing at all alarming.

Andrew opines that Mr. Bliss is an aptronym, as Mr B seems blissfully unaware of the consequences of his actions. At this observation, Andrew realizes it may be fair to call this a picaresque story as well.

Andrew enjoyed the illustrations by Professor Tolkien, especially the bears and girabbit. Andrew was a little scared of the bears at first, and their threats to eat people. They are not at all like the Berenstain Bears that he is previously acquainted with. But the illustrations made them appear less frightening. Oh and Andrew adds, he liked the picture of the yellow car with red wheels. He wants one.

Andrew gives it 4 of 5 stars

 

But feels this may not be Professor Tolkien’s greatest work.

Click HERE for more book reviews by my Grandsons and Granddaughters.

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