| Mom's View: Childrens Book
Reviews by Paula Behr Dreams To Grow On, by Christine Hurley Deriso, illustrated by Matthew Archambault (Illumination Arts) Age Level: Four and Beyond Plato said, "The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things." And a child's imagination is among the loveliest of all. Here we get to see a girl's magical imagination in action as the lustrous oil paintings juxtapose images of her at play with images of her as an adult at work. She makes mud pies and an image of herself as a baker is shown next to her. She plays with her dolls and we see her as a mother with a daughter. She builds with blocks and we see her as an architect. We are reminded that a child's play is their work and that contained within the present-moment play of a child are the seeds of the future adult. Dreams and play nourish our beings and through this acting out of our inner-life our outer-life is enriched. The "you can be anything that you want to be" message comes through crystal clear and this is a welcome reminder for people of all ages. Handel, Who Knew What He Liked, by M.T. Anderson, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes (Candlewick Press) Age Level: Five and Beyond When I was a child, most of the biographies that I read were as dry as a stale, flavorless cracker. Well, here comes a tasty treat. The story of composer George Frederic Handel's life is word-handled with giggle-out-loud humor and contains fascinating historical and musical information tidbits. The note of laughter within the author's lines is complemented by the painted strokes of humor in Hawke's acrylic paintings. The rich illustrations are as grand as opera itself and transport the reader into the 18th century when Handel was Earth-bound and creating heavenly music. Beneath the surface of intriguing historical factoids, you'll find a moral stuffing to the story, one of excess turned toward success in helping others, and music that would come alive on this spinning Earth-ball again and again. Another noteworthy theme is Handle's admirable persistence. He knew what he liked and pursued his dreams relentlessly. Life tales this gloriously fun deserve a standing ovation and leave me wanting an encore. Paula Behr is a journalist and mother of two. She is dedicated to finding and sharing children's books with gentle and loving messages. Contact her at cyberbehrs@earthlink.net Copyright © 2004 Paul Behr |
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July 2004 |
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