The Blue Fairy's Bookshelf

The Mice Before Christmas Anne L. Watson, Wendy Edelson, 2021 New Release! A copy of this book was provided by Netgalley for the purpose of review.  Summary of my review: Awwwwwww! This cute little book posits that those mice who weren't stirring the night before Christmas must have had an awfully busy day. Playful verse and charming illustrations follow a sprawling mouse clan coming together for a massive party. It's a bit reminiscent of the opening of The Nutcracker and dozens of other stories that feature a party in a grand family house.  The writing is sweet, but the art is the real star here. Big illustrations full of tiny details, down to the patterned fabric of tiny mouse frock coats.  In case it isn't already clear, this leans heavily into a prosperous European image of Christmas in which a holiday party features hundreds of participants, multiple courses for dinner, plus live music and dancing. I think the art is adorable, but I wanted to point that out. Many sto...

Crossposted from Mainlining Christmas A Boy Called Christmas Matt Haig, 2015 I knew the movie based on this book was coming out this year, so I decided to give it a read first. I'm writing this review before we see the film, or even watch a trailer. Hopefully, the adaptation will decide on a tone. I need to preface this review by admitting that I have never been a fan of Roald Dahl. This book often dips into a very similar style, so if that kind of violence-for-laughs from absurdly cruel or nonsensical characters is something you enjoy, you might enjoy this book, as so many apparently have.  I enjoyed parts of this book, but the tone kept swinging between absurdist children's book, outright farce, mythic/fairytale, and actually serious adventure. Every time I started to really get interested, the story took another weird turn. It's a story about a boy who "believes in magic" and grows up to be Santa, but it's vague and inconsistent in its historical setting. A...

Crossposted from MainliningChristmas.com Ming's Christmas Wishes Susan L. Gong, 2020 New Release! A copy of this book was provided by Netgalley for the purpose of review.  I had to read through this children's book twice to understand it, but it definitely grew on me.  This short, beautifully illustrated children's book follows a few days in the life of a young Chinese-American girl in the 1930s. Ming wants a Christmas tree (this is related to a larger desire to fit in at school), but her mother won't hear of it.  The next day, Ming's father takes her to visit some family friends and some places his father took him when he was young. The trip connects her with her heritage, and they even come back with a tree to decorate - not a fir tree to cut down and discard, but a Chinese pine to keep in a pot.  That all sounds simple enough, but there's something distinctive about the way this book is written, and it's somewhat unsettling if you're expecting a stand...

I registered a few mild complaints last week  (don't misunderstand, I still like all those books), but I also wanted to give a shout out to some other board books that I think are especially impressive in unexpected ways. I Love My Bunny The story of this book is very simple - Anna and her toy bunny have a tea party. However, the interactive bits on each page are very effective. The fluffy bunny tail was an obvious source of fascination, and a flap that's easy for my little one to work meant that this book became an early favorite. There's a scratch-and-sniff panel that hasn't come up yet, but the sparkles on another page and the soft blanket on the last page are also lots of fun. (Side note: This is part of a series, but I was less impressed with I Love My Puppy, the other one I tried.) Usborne Very First 1 2 3 I know, it's a counting book (up to five), like a hundred other counting books. That's what I thought at first, too. On second look, t...

Some quick thoughts, because I haven't been reading too many full-length adult novels recently. I have been reading many, many board books. Most of these are fine. Some of them are great. However, I do have a handful of small criticisms I would like to lodge.   Never Touch a Dragon This book is a hit with my nine-month-old. The bright colors and especially the textures on the cover and on every page make it excellent baby bait. I have two small criticisms though. The fonts are so whimsical that I think it'll be hard for her to read as she gets older. And the first page. The first page is different from every other page in that the part of the dragon described in the poem on this page is not the part with the texture, plus the poem on this page does not rhyme properly. Disappointing. Dear Zoo Lift-the-flap books are very popular with my little one so you'd think this would be a hit. However, these particular flaps are a little hard for her at this age....

Princeless Books 1-3 (Save Yourself, Get Over Yourself, The Pirate Princess) Jeremy Whitley, et al., 2012, 2014, 2015 Read Harder Challenge 2018 - A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image Premise: Princess Adrienne can’t believe her father hired a dragon and stuck her in a tower. She’s had it with expectations and decides to save her sisters herself. I read the first arc of this book in issues back when it came out, and I had such fond memories of it that I picked up the first three collections. And it’s good, but my recollections were perhaps overly rose-colored. To sum-up: It’s got a great premise, but the execution is a bit rocky. The first issue and the first arc are fun overall, but a lot of the jokes rely on easy pot-shots at fantasy tropes or wordplay that’s only clever the first time. None of this is bad, just... one-dimensional, I guess? The plot meanders far too much. The first book is Adrienne getting out of the tower, heading home only to disco...

A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo Jill Twiss, illustrated by EG Keller, 2018 Read Harder 2018 Challenge: A one-sitting book Premise: John Oliver's prank on Mike Pence turned charitable-children's-book sensation.  Okay, we all know the very existence of this book is hilarious. If you didn't buy a copy, you might just be in the minority at this point. We had to wait a month for our copy because the publishers didn't print nearly enough for demand. However, did you also know it's adorable? It's sweet and wholesome and just overall like a warm hug. With soft, colorful illustrations and gently repetitive text, I'd say it's appropriate for any kids who are old enough to understand a book with a simple plot. There are a few allusions to the actual VP having a boring job, and the villainous stink bug who objects to our hero's happiness is obviously modeled off the same. However, these blend into the background, leaving you with a charming st...

The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book Rudyard Kipling, 1894, 1895 Disney’s The Jungle Book , 2016 Challenge Book! Book Riot Read Harder Challenge 2016 – Read a book that was adapted into a movie, then watch the movie. Debate which is better Okay, I may have done the challenge slightly backward, in that I saw the new live-action movie and then wanted to re-read the book. I have read the book before, but it’s been a few years. Of course, years before I read the books the first time, I saw the Disney animated movie, and the Chuck Jones specials (Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, The White Seal). But I read the Just So Stories before that ... does that count? I guess the timeline is sort of a wash. Anyhow, none of that is the point. The point is that I adore these books, nearly unreservedly. I say nearly, because a few of the short stories contain slightly awkward, outdated phrasing or attitudes, but VERY few, considering when these were written. I don’t know what to cover. I guess f...

Inside Out and Back Again Thanhha Lai, 2011 Challenge Book! Book Riot Read Harder Challenge 2016 - Read a middle grade novel Premise: Hà is just a girl when she must leave her home, her country, and seek a new life in America. Follow her family’s journey through a series of poems chronicling the year 1975. This was recommended by a friend who is studying children’s literature, and I can see why. It’s approachable and an easy read, but emotionally, culturally, and historically complex. Lai is writing directly from her own experience, as she fled Vietnam with her mother and siblings at the end of the war. I think the author fully succeeds in her aim to convey the emotional reality of being a child going through that experience. The narrative voice is shaped by the form, and the short, evocative phrases of the poems make tangible Hà’s ambivalence, her anger or sadness or worry, her hesitancy. They give the book immediacy in all the description of small details as well as ...

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Barbara Robinson, 1972 Crossposted for Mainlining Christmas I have been seeing this book on lists of favorite Christmas books since we started the Mainlining project. But reading the back cover blurb made it sound entirely like a cheese-fest, overly religious, or otherwise sanctimonious, so I'd been putting it off. I have to admit, though, for an eighty-page book written for young readers, this is impressively subversive. Although, it probably seemed less so in 1972. The plot regards a group of unruly siblings who take over the Christmas pageant in a small town. In doing so, they force the townspeople to confront the reality behind the rote recitation of the myth. This may come as close as any religious-ish story ever has of evoking actual emotion in my cold, dead soul. The most interesting thing is the narrator. The story is told in the first person, by a young girl. Her opinions and asides add color, humor and context. The narrat...

A Child's Christmas in Wales Dylan Thomas, 1950-1955 (depending on how you count) Crossposted from Mainlining Christmas I have seen this book on lists of classic Christmas stories for years now, but it just kept falling to the bottom of the to-read list. It probably could have stayed there. There's nothing wrong with it. It's a short story's worth of words poetically describing the activities and feelings of the holiday at a very particular place and time. It's pretty, especially the version I had with big color illustrations. But there's just not much to it other than nostalgia and pretty phrases. There are some very pretty phrases, admittedly. There's food, and weather, and an amusing story about a fire scare fought with snowballs, and a brief interlude where young boys sing carols outside a creepy house. Whether the narrator is speaking to a general audience or one person was unclear; it seemed to shift without clear demarcation of any so...

One of several Mike Maihack prints on my wall! Cleopatra in Space: Volume One, Target Practice Mike Maihack, 2014 Premise: On her fifteenth birthday, Cleopatra skips out on her lessons to explore the city with a friend. She ends up finding more than she bargained for. In the far future, her appearance is prophesied, although no one will tell her what her role in the intergalactic war is supposed to be, and in the meantime, she still has to go to class. I’ve loved Mike Maihack’s art for some time now, and I enjoyed the early webcomic version of Cleopatra in Space, so I picked this up as soon as it hit store shelves. This is a charming volume. Cleo is fun, funny and sharp, there’s enough intriguing backstory to flesh out the concept but not so much to weigh down the story. The pace flies; I finished this book extremely quickly and then had to flip back through more slowly to enjoy the art. The art style is so effortless and stylized that it’s easy to miss all the little d...

Archer's Goon Diana Wynne Jones, 1984 Premise: Howard's family's life is normal. His dad's a writer, his mom teaches music, he and his sister are in school. One day he comes home to find a Goon in the kitchen, and Howard has to figure out what his dad's arrangement with the town council has to do with all the odd goings-on... This is actually the first book by Diana Wynne Jones I have read, and it was an absolute delight! This has a tone and style reminiscent of my very favorite children's books. The characters are balanced nicely between larger-than-life and sweetly grounded. As more and more of the powers behind the town are revealed, things get complicated and dangerous, but I can't see it being too scary for any but the youngest readers. The style is simply fantastic. Howard's young perspective lends itself to both sly asides on his parents' behavior and matter-of-fact observations on ridiculous events. I think just enough of the supe...

Terrier Tamora Pierce, 2006 Premise: Young Beka Cooper wants nothing so much as to be part of the Dogs, aka the City Guards. When she finally starts her on-the-job ‘Puppy’ training with a pair of the best guards in the Lower City, she’s both thrilled and nervous. Her tenacity and her own small powers could help her become a great Dog, if she can first survive training. The design of Terrier really risks being cutesy, but I liked it. The book is Beka’s diary, plus some supplementary documents in the front, and that occasionally means an entry about being sick and unable to write more, or an inkspill on the page. Because it’s written in her words, we’re thrown immediately into the dialect of the city, but you’ll have no trouble keeping up. Beka is a great YA heroine. She’s brave and friendly, but afraid of speaking up sometimes. Her small paranormal abilities (not too exceptionally rare in a fantasy kingdom) sometimes feel like more trouble than they’re worth, but she uses t...

Letters from Father Christmas J. R. R. Tolkien, 1976, 1999 Crossposted for Mainlining Christmas Premise: This whimsical volume reproduces a series of letters that Tolkien’s children received from “Father Christmas” between 1920 and 1943. This was very interesting, as a student of early fantasy writing and as someone with interest in different ideas of Santa. It is not, however, exciting to read. These letters were clearly never intended to be published. They were purely a gift from a father to his children, and while they are often elaborate and entertaining, there is very little in the way of plot here. Plus we are only getting half the story, as Father Christmas often thanks the children for their letters or answers their questions. The time and skill involved in creating these mementos is obvious. Most letters came with an enclosed drawing, all reprinted in lovely color here. As more characters were introduced over the years, they developed their own writing styles. H...

The Twenty-Four Days Before Christmas Madeline L’Engle, 1984 Crossposted for Mainlining Christmas Premise: Vicky Austin is always excited in December, but there’s a lot more to be excited about this year, since she’s been cast as an angel in the Christmas Pageant, although her Mother is very pregnant, and who knows whether she’ll be home for Christmas! This little short story was.... fine. Cute, even. It’s all from little Vicky’s perspective, so the drama is very small and the solutions are very black-and-white. Oh, no! Mommy might be in the hospital over Christmas! Oh, now she’s being sensibly reassured. Oh no! Vicky is too clumsy to be an angel! Oh, Mom just taught her how to walk with a book on her head, so she’ll be fine. Well, good thing there wasn’t any tension. The title alludes to the Austin family’s habit of doing something “special” every day leading up to Christmas. However, since some of those “special” things are as simple as opening Christmas cards and there isn’t ev...

Bone (Complete Series, Volumes 1-9, Scholastic Printing) Jeff Smith, (collected editions released 1995-2004,  colored editions released 2005-2009) I am one of a very small number of people who bought the Disney Adventures magazine in the mid-90's. (Yes, I was a teenager. I was still into all things Disney.) At the time, my favorite part were the comic snippets at the end. I saved the pages of Bone that were printed there for years. It took me way too long to get around to actually reading the whole thing. I found my excuse this month: a local comic shop had a huge sale, and I bought most of the series there, grabbing the rest on Amazon. Premise : Fone Bone, Phoney Bone and Smiley Bone have been chased out of their hometown of Boneville, but they stumble into a valley where strange and wonderful creatures live. They quickly make both friends and enemies, but it soon becomes clear that there are factions in the valley with dark plans moving against the inhabitants, an...

The Phantom Tollbooth Norton Juster, 1961 I loved The Phantom Tollbooth growing up. It was on my shelf of favorite books for a very long time. I loved the wordplay, I loved the characters, and as a reader and an intellectual child, I loved the message and the whole idea. Now, however, I read it, and it's good, but it feels just a little... thin. I get some of the jokes that passed over my head as a child, and they're corny or on the edge of pedantic. It's still a great book on a lot of levels. It's whimsical and charming. Honestly, I'd probably enjoy more of it if I hadn't read and re-read it to the point of memorization when I was young. Comparisons with Alice in Wonderland are very apt, both in tone and subject, as well as a sense that a person needs to be in a certain mood to really enjoy it. The world through which Milo travels is made up of metaphor, and is very surreal. “As you can see, that leaves almost no time for brooding, lagging, ...

The Westing Game Ellen Raskin, 1978 Fantasy Flashback is a week long event in which I'm re-reading books that were important to me as a young person. And, yes, this one isn't Fantasy, but it's my project, and I'll read what I like. I hadn't read The Westing Game for many years, although I did remember the central mystery and its solution. I loved the book as a child because it was a puzzle that asked for solving, and it didn't withhold any of the clues unfairly from the reader. From an adult perspective, it's a clever story, largely about a group of seemingly unrelated people finding common ground. The sixteen heirs of Samuel Westing are challenged in his will to solve his murder. They are assigned into pairs, each are given clues, and each take a unique tactic in trying (or not) to solve the mystery. The different parts of the mystery aren't hard for me to figure out now (there are big obvious hints on page one), but it's s...

Sun Blind: The Secret of the Unicorn Queen, Book 2 Gwen Hansen, 1988 Fantasy Flashback is a week long event in which I'm re-reading books that were important to me as a young person. You MUST read the article for Swept Away first if you'd like to follow this one . So I finally got a hard copy of the compilation volume of these first two books of the series. Sun Blind is more an additional adventure than anything too special on its own, but I enjoyed it. Sheila continues to improve in swordplay, and the fighting is generally more violent in this volume. I do want to note a few inconsistencies possibly caused by the multiple authors these books had. In this book, Illyria is often (somewhat awkwardly) referred to in the narration as “The Unicorn Queen”, which didn't happen in book one. Also, while it was very clear in Swept Away that what happened to Sheila was dimensional travel, in this volume it's often spoken of as time travel, even though that makes no...