Keeping My Aging Brain Busy

The Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database (http://www.clcd.com) has a new way of getting books to reviewers. They send out a list of books from which to choose and the reviewer gets to pick books of interest. As you can see from my selection, I like to see what’s going in all KidLit categories. Makes it more interesting, I think, especially since I write for all ages.

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The first book for today is very intriguing and comes with its own set of special viewing films. But have a youngster with when you read it, because your adult eyes may not see as sharply as young eyes.

Illuminightmare

Lucy Brownridge

Illustrated/Designed by Carnovsky

Part of a 3-D series complete with special lenses; this book focuses on seeing different aspects of images. Since this book deals with spooky images, the reader must look through the various lenses to see the figures clearly. Red is to see the historical aspect of the picture. Green is to see the surroundings of the area depicted. And Blue is to see the spooky, ghostly areas. Children reading this with an elderly person might have to explain what is shown under the blue lens. Grandparent age people might not see what’s seen through that lens. Either that or the ghostly world is hiding. However, the book is fun to look at and the red and green lenses do make the images much sharper. The first and second two-page spreads are about the Thrse shipwreck, which was wrecked in 1669. Following those spreads are black and white drawings of what the “Earthly,” or red lens, depicts and what the “Supernatural,” or blue lens depicts. The second set of spreads are about the Black Forest in Germany. Even people who can’t see all that’s there will enjoy looking at the pictures and finding what they can.

BILIO: 2019, Wide-Eyed/Quarto, Ages 7+, $?.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Picture Book

ISBN: 978-1-78603-547-9

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This is a fascinating tale of what humans can do if they don’t think through their plans.

The Casket of Time

Andri Snaer Magnason

Translated by Bjorg Arnadotter and Andrew Cauthery

Sigrun’s parents buy into the line that they should wait for better times in their time-stopping caskets and re-emerge when life is better and the world is a safe place. Well…that doesn’t always work out the way it’s supposed to. Sigrun’s casket opens ahead of time and she discovers that, though the world may be better for plants and animals, it’s most decidedly not better for humans. As she wandering around trying to figure out what to do, she meets a boy, Marcus, who takes her to an old woman who tells them and other children a long-winded fairy tale. The main character in the tale is named Obsidiana, the daughter of a king who wants his daughter to have a charmed life where she knows only good times. Problem is, the world changes without the “Eternal Princess” realizing it. Her father, King Dimon, is always off trying to conquer the world, but she doesn’t know this in her casket. Though a bit long winded, the story is a parable on why we should take better care of our planet and be more compassionate toward each other, including the plants and other creatures that share our space. The reader jumps back and forth from present time to olden times, which can be disconcerting, but who doesn’t like a good tale. Told mostly in true folk/fairy tale fashion, the book could be used as a starting point toward a discussion of being good minders of our world.

BIBLIO: 2019 (orig. 2013), Yonder/Restless Books, Ages 10 +, $17.99.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Middle-Reader

ISBN: 9781632062055

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Sometimes it seems as if new spins on old tales work too hard to be different, but this version of the 3 little pigs is cute.

The Three Little Superpigs: Once upon a Time

Claire Evans

Illustrated by Claire Evans

We all know the basic story of the Three Little Pigs, right? How they had to deal with the mean old wolf who wanted them for a snack. This version adds the idea of the pigs wanting to be superheroes. When Mother Pig has had enough of their mess and sends them out on their own, they end up in Fairyland where they meet none other than Little Red Riding Hood. She warns them of the mean old wolf who steals Mary’s lamb, and sheep’s and various grandmothers’ clothing. Each of the pigs builds his own little house and, as we all know, two of the pigs don’t think it out well, plus they just want to play. So, they make easily destroyed houses of straw and wood. Of course, the prudent pig builds his house out of bricks and ends up saving everyone’s bacon. We all know how the story ends, in this case with the Fairyland people all proclaiming the pigs to be Superpigs. The drawings are cute and the story is as endearing as ever.

BIBLIO: 2017, Scholastic Press/Scholastic Inc., Ages 4 to 8, $14.99.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Picture Book

ISBN: 978-1-338-24548-6

Hope all is well with you. Let me know what you think about my selections. Thanks, Sarah