Angel in Beijing by Belle Yang
Belle Yang’s Angel in Beijing is really a simple story, but it is busy and filled with goodies. A young fil finds a cat one night, and after a while, they just name the cat Kitty (as no other name seem to fit). But one day, Kitty runs off. And not even the child’s bell on her bike, that Kitty loves to meow along with, seems to bring her home. But then again, home can have many meanings. And sometimes a surprise like finding a […]
Love at First Sight by Wislawa Szymborska
Love at First Sight is actually a 3.5 rating, as I admit, I really did not understand a single thing I read. I even read it twice. Okay, I lied, I do know this is about lovers and chance meetings (or were they), but at the same time, the subtleties are what make this book a slow read. Therefore, I took a second read. Then I read the publisher description and then got most of it. I can then safely say this is not a […]
Loonicorns V01 Bleary-Eye by Cedric Asna
I probably should have realized that Loonicorns V01 Bleary-Eye was going to be a train wreck when I saw a cyclops, grumpy unicorn (I guessed it was a unicorn, the horn was a clue) and a girl with a horn. Yet, like wrecks in general, you just cannot look away. Or in this case, stop reading. After all, what was going on? At first, I was, “Nope. Jerky characters in a segregated system? Not my jam.” Still, there was something in Cedric Asna’s words that […]
King Kong’s Cousin by Mark Teague
The joke goes, how you would you like to be the brother of Jesus? (Why can’t you be more like your brother Jesus? He walks on water! He heals the sick!) And the same would be true for being the cousin of King Kong. I mean, Kong is big. He is strong. He was in a movie. And Junior? He takes bubble baths, is not very tall, eats his breakfast and known as King Kong’s Cousin. In classic Mark Teague text and illustrations (though I […]
Granny and Bean by Karen Hesse
When a grand mother and grandchild take a day to themselves, even the windy sea cannot stop them from enjoying themselves. Through the gray, cloudy skies, the wonders of the beach and ocean and the creatures around them come to life in Granny and Bean by Karen Hesse. The message is “stop and smell the roses” or in this case, pet the dogs that walk by, listen to the birds, and stop for teatime. And all this comes to life with the fun illustrations of […]
Granddad’s Pink Trousers by Lucie Hasova Truhelkova
Granddad’s Pink Trousers is not for everyone. Lucie Hasova Truhelkova made a story that, when you learn the “punch line” you feel bad about judging the grandfather during the rest of the book, but at the same time, I felt the grandfather was judging and the rest of us were really douches for not being like him. I mean, the story is about the man who is strange by most people’s standards. He is upset when his wife tosses out a yogurt that is a […]
