Having adored the original book, my excitement was palpable for the animated version I stumbled across thanks to my free trial of Apple TV. For me, it was one of the best Christmas presents I received. My wife wasn’t really on board, but it happens. So when I saw this new version of the book with art from the film at Target, I snatched it up immediately. The art of the film maintains much of the charm of the original book, all while breathing new life and color into it. It’s a different beast, yet one with the same spirit, and I love having it memorialized here in book form where I can gaze upon it like the art it truly is. It’s honestly one of the prettiest books I own and the story still comes through wonderfully. That being said, for the best version of the story itself, I still recommend the original.
Rating: 5/5.
This was another random, unexpected find at Goodwill. I knew of Dodie, though my knowledge of her and her music was admittedly quite limited. I loved a couple songs of hers enough to put on mixes for my wife, but that was the extent of my time spent with Dodie. I knew her only as that quirky indie girl with the uke and didn’t realize there was so much hiding behind that seemingly bright exterior. For one, there’s the depersonalization-derealization disorder, a completely new phenomenon to me. You see, Dodie lives much of her life feeling stuck outside of her own body, which I’m sure you can imagine would cause a whole host of problems. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. Dodie touches on so many nerves, and I commend her for it. I know I would be afraid to lay myself so bare. Underneath all the fame, she’s as flawed as you or I. She too gets nervous about meeting other famous people who she has a deep respect for. They too are just people, but that doesn’t make it easier, because we are dumb, senseless creatures. Dodie doesn’t have all the answers, she hasn’t come to some grand realization that has allowed her to “fix” herself; however, she’s bettered herself bit by bit over the years, which is all any of us can hope for. There is no quick and easy fix. That’s the secret.
Rating: 4/5.
As I don’t have a child to read these to yet, I may have read this one aloud to my dog. Don’t judge me. It doesn’t feel right reading these without reading them aloud! And he has been my little cuddle bug today; I called off work today on account of not feeling well and he’s been right there on my legs as I’ve read, or slept. Somehow he warms me more than any blanket ever could. Back to the book, there’s something comforting about the consistently rounded shapes of all of the cuddle bugs in this one. I imagine that’s on purpose, that there’s something to it, kids (or people at large) preferring round shapes, but even if I’m being manipulated by Natalie Marshall with her illustrations, I don’t much care. She can manipulate me all she wants, just like my dog, my cuddle bug today, can (as I type this, he’s jumping up to get my attention for more scritches and pets). I’ll keep coming back for more again and again because I’m a sucker, I guess.
Rating: 5/5.