Carol Casey
Illustrated by Mark Braught
Good morning, Baby! A military parent wants to remind their baby of their love and prayers. Letters are sent; memories left behind, and are pictures kept. Are distant parents hungry at the same time their loved one left behind is? So many questions, so many constant thoughts. Letters and pictures from home become like treasures. To the family that is left behind, how do soldiers explain why they leave you? Little ones, teenagers, their job is to protect our country, hence – always watching over you.
Dedicated to U.S. service men, women, veterans, and their families. This book is written for the children, as they hear or read the words, that they should feel more peace with one of their parents overseas. Our military are remembered for future days and memories. Those times will be important, for the child and parent alike.
How often do young children question the absence of a military parent? The one who stays behind may not always be the parent; could be an aunt, uncle, grandparent, or even a good friend. The sacrifice of the soldier is sometimes more than what was expected. Children have a hard time understanding that sacrifice. This book is unusual in that it has the opportunity to remind children of all ages why their military parent is absent. As a post-script, this book is printed and published in the United States.
There is a warm quality to Braught’s paintings engaging each image contextually different. The soldier who kisses the letter – you want that it to be your letter he received. It is your hand you want traced so your child will hold it for memories. It is your dad, husband, or brother, saluting the flag that is committed to protecting our country. These paintings are that engaging.
BIBLIO: 2011, Dear Baby Books, Ages 2-8, $16.95
REVIEWER: Debby Willett
FORMAT: Picture Book / Rhyming Text
ISBN: 978-0-9820972-3-6
REVIEWED FOR: Children’s Literature, Online Version, 2-15-11
Showing posts with label family relationships. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family relationships. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
I'll Always Love You
Hans Wilhelm
Children just seem to get the idea of love very easily…especially when love is shared with a pet. This pet is Elfie – “the best dog in the whole world”. Elfie grew up with her boy, even if she did grow a little faster than he did, it didn’t matter to either of them. Adventures were more fun shared together as birthdays were, and naps were too. She was special to everybody in the family…mom, dad, little sister, and bigger brother. They all said so, but only her boy told her he loved her every day and every night. They did everything together, including evading trouble. Then, Elfie stopped growing, and started slowing down. A trip to the vet and Elfie’s family got sad. Elfie was just getting old and her family knew they wouldn’t have much more time together.
The illustrations are muted watercolors to engage the younger age children. So beautifully done, the illustrations even catch the expressions on Elfie’s face. Wilhelm has taken the issue of a pet’s death and gently incorporated it into I’ll Always Love You. Death is a concept, or issue, that small and older children may have a difficult time understanding. Yet, within these pages, her boy tells Elfie every day, “I’ll always love you”, and when her time comes, he knows he did right by his best friend. There’s a lesson here for families everywhere, with or without pets. Remember to tell those you love, that you love them. When you read this gentle love story to your children, love on them and tell them how much you love them also.
As a side note, I first read this charmer to my oldest son, now 29, then my youngest son, now 20, and still have the original copy that was purchased in the mid 1980’s.
The author has informed me it will soon be available by Random House as a hard cover. Wilhelm’s book placed on the 1987 Massachusetts Children’s Book Master List.
BIBLIO: 1985, Random House Books, Ages 4 - 8, $6.99.
REVIEWER: Debby Willett
FORMAT: Picture Book / Easy Reader
ISBN: 978-0-517-57265-8
Children just seem to get the idea of love very easily…especially when love is shared with a pet. This pet is Elfie – “the best dog in the whole world”. Elfie grew up with her boy, even if she did grow a little faster than he did, it didn’t matter to either of them. Adventures were more fun shared together as birthdays were, and naps were too. She was special to everybody in the family…mom, dad, little sister, and bigger brother. They all said so, but only her boy told her he loved her every day and every night. They did everything together, including evading trouble. Then, Elfie stopped growing, and started slowing down. A trip to the vet and Elfie’s family got sad. Elfie was just getting old and her family knew they wouldn’t have much more time together.
The illustrations are muted watercolors to engage the younger age children. So beautifully done, the illustrations even catch the expressions on Elfie’s face. Wilhelm has taken the issue of a pet’s death and gently incorporated it into I’ll Always Love You. Death is a concept, or issue, that small and older children may have a difficult time understanding. Yet, within these pages, her boy tells Elfie every day, “I’ll always love you”, and when her time comes, he knows he did right by his best friend. There’s a lesson here for families everywhere, with or without pets. Remember to tell those you love, that you love them. When you read this gentle love story to your children, love on them and tell them how much you love them also.
As a side note, I first read this charmer to my oldest son, now 29, then my youngest son, now 20, and still have the original copy that was purchased in the mid 1980’s.
The author has informed me it will soon be available by Random House as a hard cover. Wilhelm’s book placed on the 1987 Massachusetts Children’s Book Master List.
BIBLIO: 1985, Random House Books, Ages 4 - 8, $6.99.
REVIEWER: Debby Willett
FORMAT: Picture Book / Easy Reader
ISBN: 978-0-517-57265-8
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Ivy Loves to Give
Freya Blackwood
Ivy, as the book title says, really loves to give. The problem is her gifts are not the right size or the correct style for the recipient. For an example, the first gift she gives is a shoe to a snail. That will never do! Her dad comes looking for his other shoe, while the dog and Ivy are trying to make the glasses fit. Grandma cannot see well to find her extra set of eyes and the hen is not enjoying the cup of tea. Ivy keeps trying though. Miss Kitty does not like baby’s pacifier and baby is not happy about that. So many gifts Ivy has to give out, yet none of them are happy gifts. How can Ivy turn her gifts into happy ones?
Children love to give, and Ivy is certainly no different. Ivy learns an important lesson in this book, especially, not to give people’s things to the family pets. This book encourages children to give while helping them to think about who they are giving the gift to, which is important. The thought process involved is complicated for children that age (three and up), but using the family pets and family items young children can relate to appropriate gift giving. The illustrations are beautiful and if you pay attention, there are a couple of great surprises. If you have children or grandchildren this is a book for your home library.
BIBLIO: 2009, Arthur A Levine Books, Ages 3+, $15.99.
REVIEWER: Debby Willett
FORMAT: Picture Book
ISBN: 978-0-545-23467-2
REVIEWED FOR: Children’s Literature, Online Version, 11-5-10
Ivy, as the book title says, really loves to give. The problem is her gifts are not the right size or the correct style for the recipient. For an example, the first gift she gives is a shoe to a snail. That will never do! Her dad comes looking for his other shoe, while the dog and Ivy are trying to make the glasses fit. Grandma cannot see well to find her extra set of eyes and the hen is not enjoying the cup of tea. Ivy keeps trying though. Miss Kitty does not like baby’s pacifier and baby is not happy about that. So many gifts Ivy has to give out, yet none of them are happy gifts. How can Ivy turn her gifts into happy ones?
Children love to give, and Ivy is certainly no different. Ivy learns an important lesson in this book, especially, not to give people’s things to the family pets. This book encourages children to give while helping them to think about who they are giving the gift to, which is important. The thought process involved is complicated for children that age (three and up), but using the family pets and family items young children can relate to appropriate gift giving. The illustrations are beautiful and if you pay attention, there are a couple of great surprises. If you have children or grandchildren this is a book for your home library.
BIBLIO: 2009, Arthur A Levine Books, Ages 3+, $15.99.
REVIEWER: Debby Willett
FORMAT: Picture Book
ISBN: 978-0-545-23467-2
REVIEWED FOR: Children’s Literature, Online Version, 11-5-10
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Peace Comes to Ajani
Keith Kelly
The effects of war have made an impact on Ajani and his family when his dad was killed in action. The repercussions seem to be insurmountable for Ajani, both at home and at school. Ajani developed a problem with anger that created a rift between him and his friends. Then a new student in Ajani’s school seemed to be getting along better with his friends than Ajani did. While Ajani tried to deal with his grief, his anger consumed all of his relationships … family, friends, and school. Through a series of unfortunate events, Ajani was given an opportunity to learn to deal with his grief. Finally, in an attempt to help Ajani manage his anger, his mother arranged an after school job for him. What should have been a positive example for Ajani, just created more tension, yet lead to a better life lesson in the end. Ajani not only finally found the peace he struggled for, but a richer life than he expected.
This is a wonderful story of redemption from tragedy and so timely given the status of our country’s armed forces. The illustrations provided by Mr. Kelly are colorful and dramatic adding the necessary touch.
BIBLIO: 2009, Carolina Wren Press, Ages 10-14, $9.95
REVIEWER: Debby Willett
FORMAT: Fiction
ISBN: 978-0-932112-59-0
REVIEWED FOR: Children’s Literature, Online Version, 9/3/09
The effects of war have made an impact on Ajani and his family when his dad was killed in action. The repercussions seem to be insurmountable for Ajani, both at home and at school. Ajani developed a problem with anger that created a rift between him and his friends. Then a new student in Ajani’s school seemed to be getting along better with his friends than Ajani did. While Ajani tried to deal with his grief, his anger consumed all of his relationships … family, friends, and school. Through a series of unfortunate events, Ajani was given an opportunity to learn to deal with his grief. Finally, in an attempt to help Ajani manage his anger, his mother arranged an after school job for him. What should have been a positive example for Ajani, just created more tension, yet lead to a better life lesson in the end. Ajani not only finally found the peace he struggled for, but a richer life than he expected.
This is a wonderful story of redemption from tragedy and so timely given the status of our country’s armed forces. The illustrations provided by Mr. Kelly are colorful and dramatic adding the necessary touch.
BIBLIO: 2009, Carolina Wren Press, Ages 10-14, $9.95
REVIEWER: Debby Willett
FORMAT: Fiction
ISBN: 978-0-932112-59-0
REVIEWED FOR: Children’s Literature, Online Version, 9/3/09
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