The Robin and the Sparrow: A Book of Children's Poems by Dennis Canfield

I have to admit I’m not really a poetry person. Oh, I have the odd famous verse of some classics (Wordsworth, Shakespeare, Kipling) wandering aimlessly around in my head, but a book of poetry isn’t something I reach for. Ever.

However, I’ve read three of Dennis Canfield’s delightful little Christmas tales, so I was more than a little bit curious to see what this short collection of poems was all about.

I found myself really very pleasantly entertained by this very sweet compilation written by the author for his daughter when she was very young. There’s no particular theme, just a random collection of short entertaining poems.

What makes this little anthology stand out also is the charming brightly coloured illustrations. In fact, the whole book is beautifully presented, and there’s an endearing note from the author at the end, explaining the reasons for the creation of some of the poems.

This only takes about thirty minutes to read (do it on a laptop or tablet to fully appreciate the lovely illustrations), but I guarantee you’ll go back and reread and even try to remember some of the poems. I have grandchildren the same age as the author’s daughter was when he wrote them, and I’m positive they’ll be a willing audience.

See also:

Reverse Santa Clause

Silent Night - A Christmas Story

South Pole Santa - Back to Christmas

A Superhero in Every Box by Christeen Bauer

This has the makings of a quite a cute little children’s story, one with a subtle message. It explores the power of advertising to children and parents’ constant struggle to prevent their children being mesmerised by hype. 

Cereal packets often have appealing little gifts to attract children, little Tommy being no exception. But his must-have behaviour in public results in Mum having to teach him a thing or two.

The message is subtle but clear. However, there are number of things that trouble me. Books for children have a duty to be well presented and impeccably written: they are after all learning/teaching material. So when a book begins ‘A lesson in public behaviour and learning to except the unexpected’, I’m already worried. ‘Except’? 

I didn’t really like the random, inconsistent use of capitals for entire sentences, and there were a few grammatical errors. Although the illustrations are bright and cheerful, and Tommy’s character is very adorable, there was an incongruity between Tommy and his mother’s caricature, almost as if two people with completely differing styles had illustrated the story.

I read this to my grandson, who enjoyed it…he wanted to read it again immediately after the first time…but of course, he was attracted by the colours and my story-telling, being too young to take note of the finer details.

Fun, but with some flaws.

Curses The Witch's Cat - Pumpkin Seeds by Frances Ermengarde

This is the second book following the adventures of Curses, the witch’s cat.

Halloween would be unthinkable without pumpkins. But it looks awfully like it’s going to be a pumpkin-less event because the seeds for the timely crop have disappeared. Curses is just the cat to get to the bottom of this dastardly deed, and he and his friends pull together to find out who stole the seeds.

This is a lovely little rhyming tale with some engaging illustrations: bright, colourful, cheerful and very appealing, cleverly depicting the neatly told story. I’ve read this to my grandchildren repeatedly, as the ending always elicits an ‘Again please, Nonna!’

Whilst reading to children is a joy, the task is so much more enjoyable when the material is as delightful and entertaining as this.

Thomas and the Tiger-Turtle by Jonathan Gould

One of the first things that goes through my mind when I start a book is, I wonder how much I’m going to enjoy it or I hope I'm going to enjoy it.

That never happens with Jonathan Gould’s books. I don’t have to wonder or hope, because I know there will be no doubt that I will.

This book differs from those I’ve read by this author in that it’s an illustrated story. It’s an absolutely delightful tale about a turtle who is convinced he’s a tiger. It falls upon the very patient Thomas, who finds him in his back yard, to prove to the very insistent turtle he just isn’t. It’s a bit of a rocky road to the truth for the turtle, but clever young Thomas ensures a happy outcome for his new friend.

As always, Jonathan injects humour, charm, magic and oodles of appeal into a story.

Because of the colourful and engaging illustrations, this is probably better suited to a tablet or computer rather than a black-and-white ereader. I wasn't sure whether or not my two-and-a-half-year-old grandson is probably just a tad too young for the story. However, at the end, he said, quite simply, ‘More’. (Which were my sentiments exactly.) Proof, if it were needed, that it's a story that will appeal to children (and adults!) of all ages.

See also:

Doodling
Flidderbugs
Magnus Opum
Scrawling
Scribbling

Curses the Witch's Cat - Halloween Party by Frances Ermengarde

This is a lovely little story for children about Curses the cat. He wants to be just like his mum and dad and be a witch’s cat. But a witch’s cat has to be pure black, and Curses has a little white patch on his chest. He is devastated. It’s all he’s ever wanted to do. Benny the bluebird, however, has a very cunning plan…

The author has not only written this, he illustrated it as well. The illustrations are charming and colourful (this is a book best viewed on a coloured ereader or laptop or tablet rather than the black-and-white Kindle), and Curses is a very appealing little kitten, who will delight his young readers. And…there’s a very important little lesson to be learnt in this tale.

If your child/grandchild can’t yet read, you’ll probably enjoy reading it to him/her as much as s/he will enjoy listening to and looking at the eye-catching illustrations.  Fun for everyone!

The Awkward Owl by Shawnda Blake

This is a short, delightful children’s book about an owl who hasn’t quite mastered the art of flying. It’s funny and accompanied by coloured illustrations which are most appealing—they are cute, comical, fun, and have a very engaging naturalness about them. They portray the accompanying text to a tee, and I adored the expressions on the very lovable owl’s face. 

I’ve already read it three times, so for parents or grandparents who secretly think to themselves ‘oh no, not again’, every time their child or grandchild pulls out their favourite book for the umpteenth time, I think the charm of this little book will be quite longlasting! 

Although I read this on my Kindle the first time round, I think this is definitely one for a colour ereader to appreciate it fully.

Mungai and the Goa Constrictor by Amelia E Curzon

This was great fun, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Amelia took a bunch of woodland and jungle creatures and gave them all huge personalities. There were good guys and bad guys. There were greedy guys, hardworking guys, criminal guys, and guys with a social conscience. They could almost have been human… 

Mungai is a…well…he’s best described as a ‘not unpleasant-looking creature’, who has escaped captivity and manages to avoid recapture using his skills to remain undetected. He wants a good life—the sort of life the two-legged species has—of comfort and abundance. And he wants to achieve it with the minimum effort and cost to himself. With Goa, the boa constrictor, (who has a most charming speech impediment), the pair manipulates a merry band of assorted woodland and jungle creatures into achieving that end for them with promises of rewards. It’s easy—all they have to do is make things from the jungle's resources, which will then be exchanged for things that will benefit them all. It’s not long before there’s a distinct unease amongst the working contingent. Something isn’t right. Why does it say ‘keep out’ in the area in which they are working? And why is there no sign of these rewards? It’s not long before there’s Mutiny on the Bounty. The route to a life so desperately coveted by Mungai and Goa could well be derailed… 

The animals are so well caricatured, there’s no hard work involved in trying to imagine them, from the unscrupulous Mungai and Goa, to the avuncular hard-working Bodger, the badger, and Punch, the cheetah. Amelia has selected a perfect combination of animals with delightful names. There’s a gentle humour accompanying the sharp and witty dialogue and the tale is satirical: I could feel the justified prod at the greed and selfishness that ultimately robs our world of its natural resources and creatures dependent on them to survive. 

This was a clever, enjoyable, different, well-crafted story and one I’d love to see as an animated movie. Both the book (and the movie!) would appeal to older children and adults alike. 

iSad by Shane Saathoff

iSad is a short book for children. It’s a line-per-page poem on two-coloured pages (simple black graphics on brightly coloured backgrounds). The poem portrays the cold obsession with technological advances and the way it has destroyed communication and human interaction.

It’s a 49-line poem—hence 49 illustrated pages.  It’s simple, direct, to the point: a plea by a youngster to go back to normal childhood street games and old-fashioned books.

This is not sold as an ebook. It’s a paperback—a little dear, in my opinion, at $19.99 for a 5-10 minute read. It’s aimed at 7-10-year-olds (though adults will be reminded how much the digital environment has affected their lives) and for the money, I think I would have preferred to see a little extra ‘entertainment’ on the pages. However, the emphasis is on the poem’s message and that comes over loud and clear.

Short, but a neat, entertaining, and original idea.

Flidderbugs by Jonathan Gould

Jonathan is one of the most creative writers I have come across.  This is my third (after Doodling and Magnus Opum) encounter with this talented author and he never ceases to amaze me.

                

Flidderbugs is about two groups of ‘bugs, the Triplifers and the Quadrigons, who live   –  divided – in the Krephiloff Tree.  If you thought that politics and devious ‘business’ practices were exclusive to humans, be assured that they find their way into the Flidderbugs’ world too.  A very important and divisive issue separates the two groups – does a leaf have three or four points?  It takes the offspring (Kriffle and Fargeeta) of the elders, who have long held council, to bring a refreshing new outlook to proceedings and to make them see the error of the traditionally held beliefs;  but they have to act quickly – three points or four on a leaf will make no difference when there is a much more serious and urgent dilemma needing immediate attention.

I loved the characterisation of dotty professors, dogmatic seniors, smarmy dodgy ‘business’ characters and homely, doting (Klummerfly soup-making) mothers.  I loved the way the ‘tree’ is the Flidderbugs’ ‘world’ which brings a new dimension to the phrase ‘What in the Tree was I thinking of’.  I loved the portrayal of the wheeler-dealer Flidderbug and his shiny, pristine carapace and sleek, trim antennae, and I especially loved the shambolic professor’s very logical explanation of the impending disaster, “The vectors of pressure bearing down on the indices of the central support elements in regard to the key structural components have reached a point where the proportion of lateral forces henceways in opposition to the lateral forces forthways have exceeded the most preferred ratio, leading to a situation in which vertiginous damage will shortly be unavoidable, resulting in a catastrophic breakdown in said structural components and raising the potential of a near complete collapse of the entire encompassing environment.”   It’s obvious, really, isn’t it?

This is only (sadly) a short, really easy-to-read story, but it’s huge on entertainment, charm, likeability, and genius.

Magnus Opum by Jonathan Gould

Do you ever get one of those moments when you want to lose yourself in a book that is totally magical, brimming with imagination and fantasy, and entertaining from start to finish? This book by the very talented Jonathan Gould is the very thing that delivers on all counts.

I actually read it twice and was doubly captivated, doubly enthralled and doubly awed by this author’s incredible imagination. I loved it.

Magnus Mandelora’s brother Jangos gets an attack of the dreaded Grompets – a desire to see more of the world outside the quiet, dozy little village in which they live. Unfortunately for Magnus, fate decrees that he too has to leave his comfortable little kertottage in search of justice and revenge. His eventful journey takes him across weird and wonderful lands and he experiences adventures he never thought possible. Along the way, he meets all sorts of . . . beings . . . some of them foes, but some of them companions who become firm friends.

When you have a story with diperagoffs, truffelongs, frazzletoads, gleeprogs, lothfarines, how can you keep a smile from your face? When a character has three ears and a long nose (to stick into other people’s business), or only one hair that grows half an inch every ten years, or has to walk around with a bowl of water on its head, how can you not be anything but charmed and enchanted?

This is Jonathan’s first full-length novel after two short stories (Doodling and Flidderbugs). He brings to it as much talent, aptitude, and ingenuity.

I can think of only one way to describe this book. In the words of our valiant hero, Magnus, it’s nothing short of “beautifagnificextraordimazing”.

Skateboard Sam by Samuel Chowdhry

This is more of an e-comic than Amazon's description of a 'book'.

It is short, yes, but it’s wonderfully and appealingly colourful, with extremely well-caricatured figures.  Sam has a new skateboard and his perfect day is skateboarding in the park. The story verses on each page have an attractive sing-song rhyming pattern. This short tale is the sort of thing you could read a child at bedtime.  If you can’t tire your little son/daughter with a cursory run-through, there’s masses of jazzy detail in each of the cartoons for you to pick over and talk about.

I would recommend reading the Kindle version a laptop or iPad/tablet where the rich colours will make the cartoons come to life.  The black and white keyboard Kindle isn’t really conducive to a comic-style booklet.  I hope this is published in hard copy, perhaps as a cardboard book – I think a child would enjoy turning the pages rather than ‘clicking’ them electronically!

Sweet and good fun for children.

The Great Yellow Doom Bird by Jon A Hunt

This was a feast of imagination and thoroughly good fun.

Set in the latter 2^nd World War years, a small, orphaned (or is he?) boy, Patrick, lives with his uncle in a very sleepy road, where not a lot happens…..so sightings of stripy sea monsters and purple glows are hard to take seriously.  After all, your imagination needs a holiday when life is uneventful.  Patrick, it seems is a very special little boy, and when a very unusual person arrives one evening in a sailboat (one that floats on air), quite an adventure is about to begin;  one that involves affable, 270-foot-long sea monsters, flying islands, extraordinarily filthy and pretty awful pirates, Eddie-herders (you really will have to read this book to understand that), Eskimos, the strangest-ever looking island Chief who collects……well, all sorts of things, an about-to-erupt volcano that needs the chick-shells of the nearly extinct Great Yellow Doom Bird to stop it pouring over Vesuvius-fashion and a very important and very special little yellow rubber duck. 

All this is in the charge of the very wonderful Stultus Atticus – I mean wouldn't you sail (float?) away with a seven-foot, orange-haired, Kaleidoscope-eyed, part-time ornithologist whose pinstriped (or polka-dot) jacket holds the contents of a hardware store and whose Breakfast Bag can provide a 6-course French gourmet dinner before you can say 'escargot'?  Of course you would.

All the characters in this were just great…….from Patrick's gentle, affable uncle and the mixed but very credible bag of ever-so slightly eccentric neighbours, to the Best Spy-Catcher That Ever There Was and the villainous pirate Captain who had been sailing around the Doldrums for nigh on a couple of centuries.  The diversity and details of the characters just further confirmed the talent of the author's incredible imagination and I read every word with what I can only describe as voracity.

The book is classed as one for all ages, but it is fantastically 'busy' and no stone is left unturned with regard to 'scene-setting' – I do wonder whether some of the finer detail may be lost on the younger end of the scale, particularly as it is rather long too.  But it would make an absolutely amazing movie – the myriad of characters, colours and adventure would be without question a box-office hit.

Kiwi in Cat City by Vickie Johnstone

I don’t normally read children’s books, but as I was given an opportunity to review this and found it wonderfully entertaining.

It is a delightful story and the author’s imagined Cat City is great fun. The cats’ names are cute and cosy, and life, as humans know it, is cleverly cat-adapted – milk from the drinks machine, catpads (best equivalent of electronic communication) and fish-flavoured biscuits.

You don’t have to like cats to enjoy this story – the plot centres around getting to the bottom of catnapping (by cats, of course) – the mix of characters and how they are portrayed often make you forget that they are feline, from the members of the crime investigating cat force, to the wily perpetrators.

Whilst the story ends well, you are left just a tad high and dry, but, thankfully, you are reliably informed that the story is ‘to be continued’….thank goodness, or I shall worry about Amy and James…