Debi Cates
Dem bones
I now have this set aside for my first grader Little's school March Read-A-Thon. She loves humor and silliness, being quite humorous and silly herself. Let's hope these three nighttime wanderers tickles her funny bone.
P.S. I have no idea how I know the song “Dem Bones” but I do. (“The foot bone is connected to the leg bone...”) I'll be sure to find a good YT video of it to share with the littlest Little.
The unregretted crime of creating an icon.
In the preface to this work–the last of the series–Doyle reflects on his experience of being the author of Sherlock Holmes, where he explains:
“I have never regretted it, for I have not in actual practice found that these lighter sketches have prevented me from exploring and finding my limitations in such varied branches of literature as history, poetry, historical novels, psychic research, and the drama. Had Holmes never existed I could not have done more, though he may perhaps have stood a little in the way of the recognition of my more serious literary work.”
I've read that Doyle hated Holmes by this point. Thus it is no surprise this is not the best collection. I noticed in the twelve stories here there were few beloved tidbits about Holmes, the favorite aspect of many, including myself.
There was one tidbit I found interesting, though. As we know Holmes (Doyle) was always open to any type of clue. In this work, Holmes makes this proposition, dogs not only as bloodhounds, but to assess character:
“My line of thoughts about dogs is analogous. A dog reflects the family life. Whoever saw a frisky dog in a gloomy family, or a sad dog in a happy one? Snarling people have snarling dogs, dangerous people have dangerous ones. And their passing moods may reflect the passing moods of others.”
Not the best of the series, but I'm sure his avid fans at the time appreciated just one more collection of Sherlock Holmes.
Listened via Librivox, narrated by Thomas A. Copeland, a prolific, fine narrator.
https://librivox.org/the-case-book-of-sherlock-holmes-by-sir-arthur-conan-doyle/
I had forgotten Walter de la Mare!
I'm glad this week's GR's The Short Story Club* reminded me of this author. Back in school, did your class read the poem “The Listeners?” I recall its haunting impact on me as a kid very well.
Now, you've got to meet Seaton's Aunt. Be very glad that she's not your Aunt, but as a literary portrait she is a fascinating old biddy. Any old woman who wears her still plentiful hair piled on top of her head “barbarously” and who plays Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata on the piano “satirically” has got my attention.
But is she in league with the devil? You decide.
I now want to read more Walter de la Mare!
*The link to that group is https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1187035
Here is magic.
My first introduction to Gatsby was in the 1974 film, with inimitable performances by Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Sam Waterston, Bruce Dern, and Karen Black. A few years after that, I read the novel in college and, to my shame, wasn't properly impressed. Why, Debi, why? I thought it had all been said and done on the screen.
I was young and I was wrong.
The novel is magic. The sentences are beautiful. The characters are nuanced. The story is so utterly, crushingly American. When I read those 100 best novels and see The Great Gatsby in a primo position, I will agree with all my heart now.
(Note: I have purposely left off the 2013 film. That is something altogether different.)
Listened via Librivox the fourth version by narrator Martin Reyto whose voice gave it the right sagacity. He did such a fine job that I just emailed him a thank you note.
A gothic–and icy–folk tale.
In the mid 1500s, a traveling fish monger, plying his trade in a sleigh in the deep of winter of Northern Sweden, converses aloud to his silent dog. When they arrive at a parsonage, the dog begins to howl and does not want to enter. That is the first unheeded warning that something evil is afoot.
Thus begins the story of a night of brutal murders, of the following days of unrevenged ghosts and of the terrible dilemma of the sole survivor of the massacre, a young orphan maiden. Written by the first female Nobel-winner, Swedish Selma Lagerlöf, to read it is to spend time with simple folk who eek their living and who, by long tradition, welcome strangers. Especially during long icy winters.
Listened via Librivox, narrated by Lars Rolander with his melodious Scandinavian accent. https://librivox.org/the-treasure-by-lagerlof-selma/
Martian invasion!You know what is truly remarkable about this classic? That it was written in 1898! Long before airplanes, satellites, WWI, and WWII. Written at time when viruses had only just been identified, and when the possibility an advanced intelligence might land on a foreign celestial body was merely the titillating purview of science fiction. (Even humans have now done that.)The War of the Worlds is the Father of the Alien Invasion story, the originator of a whole series of tropes of overwhelming apocalypse. As I read, I kept thinking of McCormac's [b:The Road 6288 The Road Cormac McCarthy https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1600241424l/6288.SY75.jpg 3355573], and also a recent read for me, Wyndham's [b:The Day of the Triffids 530965 The Day of the Triffids John Wyndham https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320530145l/530965.SY75.jpg 188517]. But Wells did it first.The writing is so modern in its style, too, which is a bit of a surprise to me since this was a Victorian novel. I dislike the tendency to floridly overwrite that the Victorians so often did. Indeed, I often noticed, with delight, that Wells said what he had to say, and then left it. That is so much more powerful than explaining ad nauseum as if we readers are idiots. His prose was not florid, not verbose; it was brutal and lean. His only nod to the prevailing Victorian taste that I could see was the story's generally uplifting tone at the end. Definitely not a 2oth century invasion ending as in, say, Clarke's [b:Childhood's End 414999 Childhood's End Arthur C. Clarke https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320552628l/414999.SY75.jpg 209414].I was pleasantly surprised with Wells' often made comparison of the Martians' unfeeling attitude toward humankind with humankind's own treatment toward our own fellow terrestrial species. Martians were cruelly indifferent and selfish. Humans are cruelly indifferent and selfish.In the end, it wasn't humans' superior intelligence or might that overcame the Martians, it was one of those very low lower species, which was perfectly apt.Listened via Librivox, https://librivox.org/the-war-of-the-worlds-version-3-by-h-g-wells/ narrated by Cori Samuel, with her wonderful voice and diction.
My first read (adult) of 2025 and what a stimulating start to the year.
Augustus! (Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus, born Gaius Octavius.) That enigmatic teen who founded the Roman Empire, taking up the chaotic mantel left behind by assassinated Julius Caesar and then transformed Rome into a stable land of laws with a powerful ruler–himself–reigning for 41 years, until his death in his seventies.
This epistolary novel tweaked and turned what I had nearly memorized from watching the classic BBC/PBS series “I, Claudius” so many times, based on another work of historical fiction by Robert Graves. The differences were fascinating and thought-provoking.
How much can we really know about the personal life and thoughts of such a remarkable person in a time and culture so far from our own? I don't think any one can really know but with Williams, we get a finely-tuned exploration of what it might be to be the one who answers the call to greatness and power without hesitation, and what personal sacrifices that must entail.
Through letters and decrees, through thoughts and personalities of dozens of contemporary eye-witness writers, each one reveals his or her interactions and opinions of Augustus throughout his life. Each one unfolding for us the history as they were living it, all done in brilliant verisimilitude by Williams.
And suspense. Who would have thought there could be suspense in a story we all know? But Williams did it. Add also humor, sensuality, skullduggery, betrayals, and wisdom.
I read this as part of a global online group of four. Each was a laser-attentive and highly active reader (hello Dave, Mark, and Lisa). We agreed we had quite an immersive experience and never left Rome for long. Each of us came away agreeing this novel was richly rewarding and gave us unqualified admiration for Williams.
Highly recommend with five very bright stars..
A lovely story about a pebble-collector who finds a beautiful magic red pebble but also discovers that some things you already have are better than what you wish for.
I like pebble-collectors. My mother used to collect them from her woods. She'd take a walk and she'd pick up a pretty pebble or unusual small rock and hold it in her hand while she'd think of something she was grateful for. She'd then bring it home and put her “gratitude rock” in a homemade yucca basket I made for her.
When she died, the basket was full.
2024, what a whopping jolly reading year! In 2024, I reached out on GR and Booktube, meeting really thoughtful, kind, lovely readers. I joined a GR reading group. I even created a homemade Book Bingo game that I post in the mail monthly to a few willing reader friends.In 2024, I ditched some silly personal reading rules I used to obey, like not reading more than one book at a time. I also implemented a new soft rule: leave a review of every book I read which is a great way to not only remember details later, but I also enjoy that time to contemplate more as I write about what I just read. This year I discovered that my local library has given patrons access to Libby and Hoopla where I've begun partaking of audiobooks through those services. I also rely heavily on OpenLibrary.org, Archive.org, Gutenberg.org, and Librivox.org as free sources.I greatly increased the number and the quality of my reading enjoyment in 2024, my best reading year ever!==MY # 1 TOP FAVORITES OF 2024[b:Timothy; or, Notes of an Abject Reptile 243519 Timothy; or, Notes of an Abject Reptile Verlyn Klinkenborg https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389062963l/243519.SY75.jpg 1425439] Written from the perspective of naturalist Gilbert White's tortoise, written in the best prose ever.[b:Froodle 18465557 Froodle Antoinette Portis https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1382758761l/18465557.SX50.jpg 26123534] Froodle had me, my Littles, and their mom in stitches as we each took the silly sounds of one of the birds.=== OTHER TOP FAVORITES OF 2024Other top favorites that I must mention. All were stand-out enjoyments and I'm so glad they have become part of my reading memories.[b:Orlando 18839 Orlando Virginia Woolf https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1443118010l/18839.SY75.jpg 6057225][b:Piranesi 50202953 Piranesi Susanna Clarke https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609095173l/50202953.SY75.jpg 73586702][b:Under the Glacier 14265 Under the Glacier Halldór Laxness https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386924487l/14265.SY75.jpg 3019063][b:The Summer Book 79550 The Summer Book Tove Jansson https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1390613592l/79550.SY75.jpg 76813][b:The Council of Animals 55077719 The Council of Animals Nick McDonell https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1610926648l/55077719.SY75.jpg 85876229][b:Farewell, Earth's Bliss 940954 Farewell, Earth's Bliss D.G. Compton https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1735312348l/940954.SY75.jpg 953682][b:Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit 15055 Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit Jeanette Winterson https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1267717580l/15055.SY75.jpg 1411520][b:Lolly Willowes 937105 Lolly Willowes Sylvia Townsend Warner https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1680550043l/937105.SY75.jpg 922084][b:Dandelion Wine 50033 Dandelion Wine Ray Bradbury https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1374049845l/50033.SY75.jpg 1627774][b:The Red Pony 8732 The Red Pony John Steinbeck https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1391231816l/8732.SY75.jpg 1665907][b:A Guide to Being Born 16158505 A Guide to Being Born Ramona Ausubel https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1372023371l/16158505.SY75.jpg 21998921][b:Lebanon 123: A Counting Book in Three Languages 357372 Lebanon 123 A Counting Book in Three Languages Marijean Moran Boueri https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389233170l/357372.SX50.jpg 347530][b:A Room of One's Own 18521 A Room of One's Own Virginia Woolf https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327883012l/18521.SY75.jpg 1315615]===STATS FOR 2024Fiction books: 63Poetry books: 9Plays:3Nonfiction books: 25Young reader: 97Young reader nonfiction: 9(Of those) Read to and with my Littles: 31Books that are new permanents on my shelf: 29 (the rest donated or given to others)Five star reads: 47Re-reads: 6Pages read: 26,221Average book page length: 126Longest book read: 1,276 pages, [b:The Count of Monte Cristo 7126 The Count of Monte Cristo Alexandre Dumas https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1724863997l/7126.SY75.jpg 391568]Oldest book: [b:Persuasion 2156 Persuasion Jane Austen https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1385172413l/2156.SY75.jpg 2534720], first published 1817Newest book: [b:Small Things Like These 58662236 Small Things Like These Claire Keegan https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1734631773l/58662236.SX50.jpg 86476810], first published 2021Books by women: 110Books by men: 89Books by woman & man team: 2Books by non-binary gender: 1Books by corporations with no author listed: 3Author American: 113Author Australian: 1Author Canadian: 5Author Chinese: 1Author Danish: 1Author English: 45Author French: 3Author German: 4Author Icelandic: 1Author Indian: 2Author Irish: 3Author Iranian: 2Author Japanese: 5Author Lebanese: 2Author Mexican: 1Author Norwegian: 2Author Russian: 3Author Scottish: 2Author Spanish: 2Author Swedish: 1Author Swiss: 1Author Ukrainian: 1===LASTLY, MY GOALS FOR 2025I need to read, read, read what I own! Also need to streamline donating books instead of causing a traffic jam at the front door. Wondering if I need to do something about the books I freely add on the slightest whim to my ever-growing GR TBR? Or let it grow; it takes no room, being just zeros and ones after all.
Funny how we can continue to get to know our children as they were in their childhood even after they are grown.
My youngest daughter loved this book in, I believe it was, 5th grade. It was, possibly still is, a much beloved favorite of hers. When she read it then we weren't reading as many books together any more. She was a smart independent reader, well on her way to a lifetime of more books to love.
Now she reads with her children and they have fallen in love with books just as she did.
It was beautiful spending a little time, in a way, with my child again.
A book of artistically staged food photos by Britany Wright, mostly done in color gradients of single foods like of wine, chicken eggs, peppers, citrus, ice creams. The idea is to really look at food (usually in raw form) as a kind of meditation or to simply admire the beauty of foods in their natural form. A few pictures are arresting, the rest are merely okay.
I wish the text legend of the foods was done differently. Really hard to decipher which exact pictured food item goes with which food name. The picture of ground flours, for example, seemed especially difficult. Perhaps even incorrect.
If you are interested, a visit to her Instagram would likely suffice.
1955 Fun with radioactivity!
Published for middle-grade to high-school aged readers, this is an introduction to the history of the science to determine the structure of matter. It begins with the suppositions of the early Greeks, meanders around some, lingers lovingly on the work of John Dalton especially. Then really flies with the advances of Einstein and Fermi, and then tip toes on the A bombs on Japan, the later H bomb tests, and resumes speed with the last chapters of “isn't progress wonderful” with the many uses of isotopes and zapped elements elements mankind has discovered. The gas ethylene + gamma rays of radio cobolt = Polyethylene, hurray!
I can't say that I followed all the science more than superficially Of course not, I'd be a nuclear physicist if I could. But sometimes the text made giant scientific leaps in a single bound and I felt extra wobbly and left behind. It was fun, though, how it used clever analogies to put the energy and size of an atom into perspective.
For example, if one atom were blown up to the size of an American football stadium, the atom's nucleus would be the size of a BB pellet on the 50 yard line.
Here was another tidbit that related especially to the industry that dominates my location: oil. Single pipelines carry various oil grades. In 1955, at least, the grades could now be separated by “little squirts” of radioactive oil when the grade changes, which is then detected “by workers” and valves are used to send the new grade to their different storage tanks. I know enough people in the oil industry that I should be able to ask more about this technique and if it is still used. But whether anyone knows, in spite of livelihoods being made, would be interesting in itself.
In the end, I was hurrahing for all the advancements. Yippee! Especially in medicine. And just think how we've had more time to play around with all the wonders (and disasters) for an additional 70 years since this book was published.
I do wonder, though, if there isn't an analogy that could be made of the atom with the value of human knowledge? That, like energy and mass, nothing is ever really made or lost, only changed.
What a book to mark my 200th book read in 2024.
Merged review:
1955 Fun with radioactivity!
Published for middle-grade to high-school aged readers, this is an introduction to the history of the science to determine the structure of matter. It begins with the suppositions of the early Greeks, meanders around some, lingers lovingly on the work of John Dalton especially. Then really flies with the advances of Einstein and Fermi, and then tip toes on the A bombs on Japan, the later H bomb tests, and resumes speed with the last chapters of “isn't progress wonderful” with the many uses of isotopes and zapped elements elements mankind has discovered. The gas ethylene + gamma rays of radio cobolt = Polyethylene, hurray!
I can't say that I followed all the science more than superficially Of course not, I'd be a nuclear physicist if I could. But sometimes the text made giant scientific leaps in a single bound and I felt extra wobbly and left behind. It was fun, though, how it used clever analogies to put the energy and size of an atom into perspective.
For example, if one atom were blown up to the size of an American football stadium, the atom's nucleus would be the size of a BB pellet on the 50 yard line.
Here was another tidbit that related especially to the industry that dominates my location: oil. Single pipelines carry various oil grades. In 1955, at least, the grades could now be separated by “little squirts” of radioactive oil when the grade changes, which is then detected “by workers” and valves are used to send the new grade to their different storage tanks. I know enough people in the oil industry that I should be able to ask more about this technique and if it is still used. But whether anyone knows, in spite of livelihoods being made, would be interesting in itself.
In the end, I was hurrahing for all the advancements. Yippee! Especially in medicine. And just think how we've had more time to play around with all the wonders (and disasters) for an additional 70 years since this book was published.
I do wonder, though, if there isn't an analogy that could be made of the atom with the value of human knowledge? That, like energy and mass, nothing is ever really made or lost, only changed.
What a book to mark my 200th book read in 2024.
I adore the quirky art in this book!
And I loved the quirky tidbits about all sorts of animals. Did you know that a panda's skin is black under its black fur and pink under its white fur? Or that male goats pee on their own faces to make themselves more attractive to the goat ladies? I confirmed it on a YT video. Eww, but, yeah, interesting.
Sadly, though, it wasn't as big a hit with my granddaughters, the Littles, as I had expected. Maybe because it was the day after Christmas? There were all those tempting new toys and gadgets vying for their attention, after all. I can understand that. (I was, in fact, a kid once.)
I'm going to hang onto it. Maybe try it with them again another time.
Or maybe I'll just love it and treasure it all by myself.
We almost all have that difficult person at work who if we only didn't have to deal with them we'd completely love our jobs, right?Long story short, I made some small changes. It felt as if I were playing an insincere game but it worked! Interestingly, the changes were completely unrelated to the quality of my work. They were simply interaction changes with that difficult person. And accompanying those changes, I changed to simply accept this person, not take their difficult personalities to heart. It rarely is personal, you know. It's just how they are.Now I'm a mentor to a young person who is so awesome I want her to be recognized and to succeed! Sadly, she is experiencing some similar job dissatisfaction and struggling to overcome it. I'll pass on this pamphlet to her. The key points are simple. They are:You can't change other people. Difficult people are a challenge everywhere you go.Assess your current situation and decide if you should go or stay with this job. It's an option.If you stay, reduce stress by modifying your behavior where possible. (You are smart, you can do it.)And, yes, you can and should keep your integrity.Here's a quote from author [a:Byron Katie 6374 Byron Katie https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1503526065p2/6374.jpg] that often helps me crystalize my situation when I'm struggling: “When I argue with reality, I lose. But only 100% of the time.” Difficult people are a reality. Instead of arguing with that reality, assess it honestly and make changes where you can.
Some cognitive dissonance
It was good to learn about Treacher Collins syndrome and generally other genetic malformations, too. It made me spend time becoming more aware, developing more sensitivity. This book would be a great read for children who are open to its message. The children and adults who don't have that disposition will probably not gain any life-change perspective from this book.
I'm cynical with good reason. In a few weeks America will inaugurate as president a man who has a well-known disgust for unattractiveness and disabilities. Among the many examples of this public and private displays of disgust and insensitivity, there is the interaction with his nephew, Fred Trump III. The president-elect told him he thought he should let his disabled son die rather than continue the needed treatments.
How many Americans and politicians are glad he “speaks his mind?” And agree?
So, mixed in with the sensitive best-seller replete with glowing reviews, with the movie billed with top stars, and with the real life people–doctors, teachers, parents, advocates– who dedicate their lives to making lives better, there is that vast contrast with our reality that makes me sad and cynical.
The book tried hard, and that is something to applaud.
Heroes don't always wear capes. Sometimes they wear full black evening gloves or a pink tutu, and are tellers of great stories.
This book is going to be perfect to share with one of my Littles, the 8 year old granddaughter as it approaches the time of year at her school when they have a creative writing competition. Precocious Gooney Bird has some good advice about stories and quickly becomes beloved by her classmates for her story-telling abilities. My other little, the 6 year old granddaughter, is going to love another talent of Gooney Bird's: the original outfits that Gooney Bird wears to school each day. That Little is a bit of a fashion rebel herself. She went through a period of many weeks where she wore a Spiderman mask, another period of weeks it was a fox mask. Currently, she wears a full panda suit every chance she gets.
“Rights and wrongs are irrelevant.”
This was a page-turner for me! The astute attention given to half a dozen main characters by Compton is what made it a smashing stand out. Not only are incredible obstacles of life on a penal planet that is nearly devoid of life wondrously awful to ponder, but the adaptations and changes of the new arrivals' psychology gives this an extended depth I've not often seen in my sci fi reading.
There are no human rights, no democracy, only regulations and enforcement. Everything has been redefined. Your crimes on Earth might have gotten you sent to Mars but forget those. This small society had to re-invent itself and is unapologetically fine-tuned for survival.
One of the characters has been reading an omnibus of Dickens's classic novels that some one had brought with them. She has read it once and is about to start over. It is a pleasure she describes as “magnificently irrelevant,” which I found poignant. Earth life is so distant.
This novel is an example of my favorite kind of writing. Compton struck the perfect balance: he said what he had to say, said it well, and stopped when he was done.
(What a boon it is to have discovered OpenLibrary.org. Reading scanned books reconciles my desire for the old-fashioned look and experience of a printed book with the wonders of digital access.)
A day to day account from July 20-August 3, 1857 of Thoreau, another male companion, and an “Indian,” Joe Polis who was their guide. I believe this publication is an excerpt of [b:The Maine Woods: A Fully Annotated Edition 6872479 The Maine Woods A Fully Annotated Edition Henry David Thoreau https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1425813754l/6872479.SX50.jpg 238226].I found much of it to be interesting and if I were a canoer or familiar with Maine, I would have reveled in the many details and would have made comparisons. What struck me was a general comparison of today's America with the then wilderness in 1857 already being readily exploited by hunters and loggers. Having just read [b:Stalking the Wild Asparagus : Field Guide Edition 131274318 Stalking the Wild Asparagus Field Guide Edition Euell Gibbons https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1695227832l/131274318.SY75.jpg 150273891] by Euell Gibbons, I paid special attention to the wild food they found and ate and admired Gibbons for being right on all accounts.Descriptions of Joe Polis were the best part, Thoreau having a lot of respect for him but noting as well as contending with the cultural differences. For example,One of us observed to the Indian, “You did not stretch your moose hide last night, did you, Mr. Polis?” Whereat he replied in a tone of surprise, though perhaps not of of ill humor: “What for you ask me that question? Suppose I stretch ‘em, you see ‘em. Maybe your way talking, may be all right, no Indian way.”That is to say, That was rude, Mr. Thoreau. No point in asking if you saw I didn't.Buddy read with my oldest friend. He's a long-time canoer, called Mr. Canoe Head by his now grown children, a moniker describing him as he appeared to them while carrying his canoe on the many camping trips as children.I listened via Librivox and read along with text via Gutenberg. Narrated by Melissa Green (with a few odd pronunciations).
You'll never think of jelly beans quite the same.
This multi-award winning short story takes Sci Fi writing to an upper echelon, not only delivering a solid science fiction dreary future, it is written with a delight in language and rhythm. And that title!
I loved it!
Listened on Youtube here, narrated by Rick Berry:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXaa32j0WXc
I have wrote in my reviews quite a bit about reading adventures with my Littles, my two granddaughters ages 6 and 8. But I have three other grandchildren, too. One is a fine young woman, 20, a nurse. One is a fine young man almost ready to graduate high school, 17, already a professional artist. And another, also still a Little, is a fine 10 year old boy who is a junior drag car racer.
That Little doesn't care much for reading books but loves information about the world and is a wealth of so many interesting facts (via Youtube mostly). At the first whiff I heard of his reading this book in school, I had to read it myself so we could talk about it.
We talked tonight and both enjoyed the book chat. He liked the book! We talked about some of his favorite parts. Then we critiqued the movie version which he did not like as much as the book , not liking how it was too different from the book. I agreed, I didn't like the movie either.
Um, the things is he probably was talking about the 2020 movie and I was talking about the 1967 one! Now I must wonder also if he read the unadulterated 1920 book (it could be racially offensive in 2024, for sure).
Oh well. We talked! We enjoyed talking about a book! And somehow our conversation made sense in spite of generational differences. I'm a happy Granny.
Delightful! Wish there was a cover on GR of this book.
I have such a soft spot in my heart for the older illustrations. And when they are illustrations of critters wearing clothes and living in tea kettles, well, the soft spot melts in pure delight.
I also learned something new: most English robins don't migrate. In this book, English and American robins meet one another. That's fun.