When I saw that Dylan was being featured in the Little People Big Dreams series by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara I ordered it and was excited to see it,When I saw that Dylan was being featured in the Little People Big Dreams series by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara I ordered it and was excited to see it, so it pains me to say I was disappointed to read it (but yes, still give it three stars, so stay tuned). Full disclosure: I am a huge Dylan fan and have seen him in every decade of my life (except the first). I have most of his music and have been reading his weird interviews and books about him for decades.
So I think Vegara, bless her positivity-filled heart, in doing this series which is so encouraging to young people and so beautiful and so fun, does not really know or get Dylan. I love the cover and the image of the young Dylan: Cute. I love the harmonica image theme throughout. I love the feel and energy in the art. But.
Nits: To say that Hibbing, Minnesota "wasn't very exciting for young Robert" presumes he had a boring, terrible childhood, which he did not. And it is insulting to people in small towns everywhere and to Hibbing in particular, however you might compare it to NYC. She further insults Hibbing by saying his early playing there was for "an audience that was easily pleased." In other words, they were "rubes," not gifted with a musical ear. Rural losers. Come on Isabel! Be nice!
Many people like to make fun of Dylan's voice. Vergara makes it clear what side she is on when she says of the young performing Dylan, "Bob sounded like a dog whose leg was caught in barbed wire." Ugh! You are clearly not a fan, Isabel!
If you acknowledge he was a gifted writer, include some of his lyrics maybe? Let us decide? Show, not tell, please. For most of this book he could be any musician. I am glad she includes references to his early work in civil rights and pacifism but she never mentions a single influential song, or career moment! But many people, she says, have covered his songs. . . wow! What songs? Why is that better than the content of even one song such as "Blowin' in the Wind"?
She's right that he was more a recluse than a showman, yet he has publically toured for more than five decades, so that irony should be apparent. I am glad she does recognize him as one of the great lyricists of all time, and acknowledges the range of styles and genres he has explored. And she talks of the intimacy of his writing, which is true. But all feels too generalized and abstract. We don't rea;;y see why he was special, as we often do in some of her better wriiten books in the series.
Of the appendix: He didn't go to the University of Minneapolis; it doesn't exist. Here she mentions a couple of influences, finally: Woody Guthrie and John Lee Hooker (whom she says Dylan "supported"). But no names in the actual text.
Okay, I give it three stars because it is lovely, very attractive, cute, and Dylan. And I support the series, to inspire young people to dream. ...more
Megan Marchant’s These Words I Shaped for You, illustrated simply by Basak Agaoglu, is a board book, and unless you are the mother (or father!) of babMegan Marchant’s These Words I Shaped for You, illustrated simply by Basak Agaoglu, is a board book, and unless you are the mother (or father!) of babies, or a grandparent, or buying a gift for a new babe, you would not pick this up, but the title is an indication of why you should take a look at it, even if you are not—like me--in any of the above categories, as the writing in the book stands out, and is often moving.
Before you were born, you fit into the round fullness of my belly and when I dreamed, I sent words like love to keep you safe.
And when I first touched your tiny hand to mine, I drew a heart inside your palm for you to hold.
And another section:
If you are quiet, You can hear The lulling chime of starlight As you descend into dreams
And this!!
Just remember the day We gathered stones from the dry riverhead
I washed each carefully Etched your favorite words Onto their surface, And placed them in your pocket
So that When your dreams take you to far-off places, the weight of what you love will keep you tethered to this world.
That finish!! “Words like love to keep” us all safe, indeed. ...more
Another good concise and informational art biography in the "This is. . ." series, this one about the great Dutch Master Rembrandt. I think the illustAnother good concise and informational art biography in the "This is. . ." series, this one about the great Dutch Master Rembrandt. I think the illustrator, Nick Huggins, had a challenge when trying to evoke the work of the great painter. If he were working with a surrealist, he could do funky surreal spin-offs, but to do sketchy modern illustrations in juxtaposition with Rembrandt, it's a bit jarring.
But the bio I liked a lot. I knew a lot of this abrupt "rise and fall" story of Rembrandt's life, and of course knew he died basically in financial ruins, only to attain a status of one of the greatest painters ever AFTER his death.
"If you want to do something, do it!"--Amelia Earhart
I like this very short board book biography for little ones from Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara's Littl"If you want to do something, do it!"--Amelia Earhart
I like this very short board book biography for little ones from Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara's Little People, Big Dreams series. The theme is always this, that when these famous people were small they dreamed to do great things and then these dreams came true. With Amelia, of course, it is flying planes. The end of her life is one of the things we know best about her, unfortunately, so Vegara just handles it for a younger audience by saying "she flew further than anyone had gone before. . . never to return." I have mostly 3 starred these books so far, but this one I liked better for story and art. ...more
I just reread Wuthering Heights, and really liked it, so it was fun to read this board book. It’s one of 23 board books by Jennifer Addams for toddlerI just reread Wuthering Heights, and really liked it, so it was fun to read this board book. It’s one of 23 board books by Jennifer Addams for toddlers based on classical literature! It’s kinda like board books for English teachers or librarian’s babies! Or just people like me who love some of the classics on which the series is based.
All of them are about the classic book in some ways, but also have a toddler-need focus, and this one has quotes from the book, and both summarizes or alludes to some key elements (for a parent) of the plot, but is also a primer focused on a baby level introduction to weather, teaching different weather concepts such as "misty," "windy,” "snowy,” and “still,” which comes with a quote: “The mild glory of a rising moon.”
This is my fourth baby lit book, maybe my least favorite because least connected to the plot. But this one is like the others cute, funny, sweet, and has great illustrations by Allison Oliver. ...more
"This book I had again and again perused with delight"—Jane, Jane, Jane (on reading)
A both hilarious and yet practical series of (so far) 23 board boo"This book I had again and again perused with delight"—Jane, Jane, Jane (on reading)
A both hilarious and yet practical series of (so far) 23 board books by Jennifer Addams for toddlers based on classical literature! I had an initial question about why classics for babies, but I now just think it is for parents who wish they still had time to read classics but can’t because: baby. So: funny. It’s like the best of those Warner Brothers cartoons where there is a level of humor directed to kids and another layer directed to adults also watching.
I am only (I promise) going to read some of the ones I also love as classic texts. The two previous Babylit books I read and loved were ones based on Pride and Prejudice and Anna Karenina, books I love and have read or reread in the past 2-3 years, but I also had just reread Jane Eyre, which I also love.
All of them are about the classic book in some ways, but also have a toddler-need focus, and this one has quotes from the book, and both summarizes or alludes to some key elements (for a parent) of the plot, but is also about counting:
1 governess 2 trunks 3 candles (ooh, we know what will happen with a lit candle in this novel; but my first word when I was a baby was hot when I actually touched a candle and screamed: Teaching Moment!} 4 towers (of Thornfield Hall) 5 trees 6 chalkboards 7 insects (?) 8 drawings (such as Jane makes, Jane the artist) 9 pearls 10 books (Jane the reader!)
This is my third baby lit book, and so I think I may not read many more, as I get the point, but I do enjoy them and this one, which is funny, sweet, and features adorably fun illustrations by Allison Oliver. ...more
Thanks to Jon for getting me to know about this both hilarious and yet practical series of (so far) 23 board books by Jennifer Addams for toddlers basThanks to Jon for getting me to know about this both hilarious and yet practical series of (so far) 23 board books by Jennifer Addams for toddlers based on classical literature! What?! I initially thought: Is this some kind of early inculcation of privileged kids into the literary canon, to keep them away from hipper, grittier kiddie lit?!
But no, I realized, toddlers can't really yet be fully exposed to Pride and Prejudice! This is for the parents, who love their kids and want to help them learn to love books, but are also wishing they could have the time to read (or in this case re-read) Pride and Prejudice (and in the case of the series, other classics).
All of them are about the classic book in some ways, but also have a toddler-need focus, and this one both summarizes some key elements (for a parent) of the plot, but is also about counting:
1 English village 2 rich gentlemen 3 houses 4 marriage proposals 5 sisters 6 horses 7 soldiers in uniform 8 musicians 9 fancy ball gowns 10 thousand pounds a year
which is an hilarious ending pointing to (one funny interpretation of) the end of the book. Very funny, sweet, with adorably fun illustrations by Allison Oliver.
Personal connections: 1) I found this in the book sale shelf at my library, so snatched it right up! 2) I wrote my MA thesis on Jane Austen, so HAD to HAVE it! and 3) this year I have already listened to P & P and will read it again this summer so I can teach it--for the first time ever--this fall...more
Loading...
