This week I’m celebrating being a reading machine!
- Hamsters Holding Hands by Kass Reich [**]
- This Little Hamster by Kass Reich [**]
We’ve had copies of these board books in the store for awhile now and I’ve only just read them. They are adorable and introduces young kids to counting and colors in a fun delightful way! And, guess what, now it’s much easier to sell them!
I had been avoiding this picture book because I thought it was going to be a depressing book about an animal dying. But a customer said she’d heard the author being interviewed recently about it and I was intrigued. This story about a boy and his dog tackles the issue of atheism. While I don’t necessarily believe in that, I’m glad there’s a book like this for those who do.
I may like books with parenthetical titles. I was surprised to enjoy this picture book more than I thought I would. A cute story about a boy (another one!) wanting a pet and the mother who wouldn’t let him. The page that lots of parents tend to object to is the one with poop. It makes it a hard sell despite it being really good!
Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I can’t believe I had passed up on reading this when it first came out. It was being compared to From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler for goodness sake! That should have been a no-brainer!
In this clever middle reader mystery, Theo finds a mysterious painting left behind by her recently deceased grandfather. It has her questioning not only the authenticity of the painting but also the character of a person she greatly admired.
I loved all the things I learned while reading it. There was a conspiracy-novel feel to Under the Egg but fortunately it wasn’t like that at all. Still an exciting read!
More book reviews coming up tomorrow!
What are you celebrating this week?
Elisabeth Ellington
October 18, 2014 at 8:20 am
Reading is always a good reason to celebrate. I read several good books this week too. My favorite was definitely Roz Chast’s bleak but still often hilarious memoir about caring for her aging and dying parents, Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?
carriegelson
October 18, 2014 at 3:09 pm
Love all of these reviews and observations about books. Thanks Earl!
Ruth Ayres
October 18, 2014 at 7:05 pm
Awesome! I’m glad you faithfully celebrate each week.