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Mom's View: Childrens
Book Reviews | by Paula Behr
My Penguin Osbert, by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel, illustrated by H.B. Lewis (Candlewick
Press), for ages 4 to 8
Frolic through the world of desire with this giggle of a holiday be-careful-what-you-wish
for tale. Santa grants little Joe his wish for a real Penguin. Although Joe takes
responsibility for his fulfilled desire of an arctic critter named Osbert, he soon
tires of ice cube baths, creamed herring with seaweed jam breakfasts and play dates
in subzero temperatures. He tearfully does the right thing and returns Osbert to
a home much better suited for penguins. Will Joe learn of the never-ending greedy
gremlin nature of desire or will he succumb as we so often do on this soul path in
a human body and ask Santa for more, more, more?
Good Times on Grandfather Mountain, by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, illustrated by
Susan Gaber (Orchard Books), for ages 4 to 8
Old Washburn the farmer is a wonderful whittler. He can carve magnificent magic out
of any old chunk of wood. But the real magic in this story is his ability to turn
situations that would have most people grumbling, crying or giving up hope, into
a positive occurrence. Despite calamitous events such as runaway barnyard critters
and a storm-wrecked barn, he flips the situation around in his mind, sees the benefit,
and literally whittles away his troubles. Wonderful watercolors swirl around this
inspirational story of the power of the thought magic that we call optimism.
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 Paula Behr, all rights reserved.
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| Dec 2004 |
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