LMNO Peas

Oh, Keith Baker!!!  Thank you for writing this book!  I cannot say how much I love it.  :)

I stumbled on this book probably three or four years ago at the library in Albany, CA.  I picked it up because Maddie and I spent a lot of time looking at letters and playing with them.  (And also because the peas in helmets riding their bikes across the bottom of the cover were too adorable not to pick up!)  It was one of those books I checked out without even previewing - it just looked good.

Later, when I sat down at home with Maddie to read through it, I was delighted with what I found!  I smiled through this book.  I loved Baker's witty use of words, excellent rhythm, clever tie-ins to each letter, and (of course) fanciful and entertaining illustrations.  Those peas are a hoot!  Ever full of energy, ever doing what you least expect from a pea (engineering a building? caring for a caterpillar at their zoo?), the peas were as fun to point out and talk about as were the giant alphabet letters.

This is another book I want on my shelf, pronto.  I'll probably give one to each of my children to take with them to their own homes and read to their own kids.  Go pick up this book or reserve it at your library, then find a kid to read it to.  You won't regret it.  (And the peas will smile at you for it!)

*Just a side note.  Although I loved the illustrations just as much, I didn't love the rhythm or construction of  Keith Baker's 123 Peas quite as much.  It just didn't flow as wonderfully as his alphabet book.  Go ahead and pick it up to see those adorable peas again, but if you don't love it quite as much that's okay.  :)

We Love Bear!

We read a lot of Bear books at our house.  Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman form a charming team over and over again.  My girls and I both love the story in verse, the sweet friendships, and the deep emotions we feel for bear.  If you're looking for an excellent set of stories in verse to read to kids, this is an exceptional place to start.  With a full eight Bear & Friends books on the shelves, you'll have plenty to scoop up at your library.

The Marvels

I am a big Brian Selznick fan, and have been ever since I was intrigued by the gigantic size of Hugo Cabret and the pencil drawing of a boy's face staring at me from it's fat spine.  I loved discovering a story through words and pictures in a whole new way.  The pictures didn't just accompany the words of the story, they actually took the place of the words for large chunks of the book.

I was equally enthralled with his next book Wonderstruck, which Brian surprised me with before I even knew it was in print.  (Definitely a good surprise.)  I loved seeing another face looking out at me from the spine, and was struck again by Selznick's amazing ability to craft and communicate a truly original story.  He's amazing!  It's incredibly rare to find someone who is equally gifted with both a writing pencil and a drawing pencil, and he's brought his talents together in a fascinating way.

So it was with tingling anticipation that I swiped The Marvels from the library shelf last Thursday and brought it home with me. Setting that fat spine on my nightstand was like collecting a new but somewhat familiar friend.  I loved the gorgeous cover, the shimmering gold-leafed pages, and the expectation of a fantastic tale.  I finished the book in one sitting this afternoon (not as hard to do when half the book is illustrated), but came away with mixed feelings.

There were a couple of things different about this book by Brian Selznick.  The first thing I noticed was that instead of having chunks of illustrations shuffled with chapters, this book had a mass of illustrations at the beginning, followed by a mass of text, then concluded with a few more pictures.

The other thing that felt different about this book was that the illustrations at the beginning launched me into a multi-generational saga, hooked me into the characters, and left me wanting more.  The written portion tied in the original story, but took me in a completely new direction.  I was so invested in the original story and longed so much for more on that line and a conclusion to the tale, that the turn took me a while to get into.  Part of me was disappointed that the original story turned out to be second string to the written text, and although Selznick clued us into the reason behind the missing conclusion, I still ended the book feeling like something was missing.

I wasn't prepared for the heavy hints towards AIDS and gay living found in the narrative, but on the other hand I was intrigued and delighted to read about the true stories and details that led Selznick to craft this story.  I find myself tonight wanting to pull out Wonderstruck and reread a Selznick novel I truly love.  I'll probably recommend his first two novels more than this one.  Or maybe I'll just relive the illustrated portion over a couple more times before I turn it back in...

Not sure what my conclusion is on this book.  I'm probably a little too close to it to judge my reaction clearly, but I know I'm more likely to pick up Hugo or Wonderstruck next time I want a good Selznick in my day.