[BOOK REVIEW] Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss

Title:  Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories

Author:  Dr. Seuss

Genre: Animals / Pride / Poetry

Year Published: 1950
 
Year Read: 1997

Publisher: Random House

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 4+ (Some Bullying)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository

I had read many Dr. Seuss books over the years, since I am a huge fan of his work!  Now, I had finally come back to one of my childhood favorite stories of all time, “Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories” and I still enjoy it to this very day!

There are a total of three stories in this book which includes “Yertle the Turtle,” “Gertrude McFuzz” and “The Big Brag.”

Yertle the Turtle

In this tale, Yertle the King of all the Turtles, wanted to have a throne where he could see everything from high above.  So he decided to have the rest of the turtles climb up on each other so he could sit on them to make a throne that would reach up high into the sky. But once Yertle the Turtle became too unbearable, will the other turtles defy him in the end?

Gertrude McFuzz

In this tale, a young bird named Gertrude McFuzz wanted to have a beautiful tail like Lolla-Lee-Lou.  So, she decided to visit her uncle Dake and he tells her that in order to grow a beautiful tail like Lolla-Lee-Lou, she has to eat a pill that grows on the pill-berry vine on the top of the hill. But, will Gertrude go too far once she decides to eat all of the pills on the pill-berry vine?

The Big Brag

In this story, a rabbit and a bear were both arguing amongst themselves about who is the best animal in the world and they try to outdo each other with their sense. But when a worm comes by, will he set both the rabbit and the bear straight?

Dr. Seuss has once again created a truly brilliant and engaging book where each story details the consequences of letting too much pride cloud your good judgment.  I enjoyed all of the stories in this book as each story shows a different take on characters becoming too self-absorbed into themselves in certain situations, such as “Yertle the Turtle” showing the consequences of letting the power go to your head, “Gertrude McFuzz” which shows that you should just be yourself and “The Big Brag” which shows that there are better things to do than just bragging.  Probably the story I enjoyed the most was “Yertle the Turtle” since I loved the solution to the problem of Yertle making all the other turtles stand on each other to build a throne that can reach the sky (it is a pretty funny solution)! Dr. Seuss’ illustrations are as usual creative and humorous to look at as it is mainly done in black and white colorings with green and blue being the only other colors in this book, which gives the illustrations a distinctive feel.

Overall, “Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories” is a truly fantastic collection of stories that can be used to teach children about the importance of being humble in your actions and to not become too self-absorbed in yourself. I would recommend this book to children ages four and up since there is nothing inappropriate in this book and the format would be easy for smaller children to understand.

[BOOK REVIEW] Mrs. Chicken and the Hungry Crocodile by Won-Ldy Paye and Margaret H. Lippert

Title:  Mrs. Chicken and the Hungry Crocodile

Authors: Won-Ldy Paye and Margaret H. Lippert

Artist: Julie Paschkis

Genre: Folktale / Animals / Trickery

Year Published: 2003
 
Year Read: 2013

Publisher:  Henry Holt and Co.

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 5+ (Some Perilous Situations)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

After reading so many African folktales, I just recently picked up a children’s book called “Mrs. Chicken and the Hungry Crocodile,” which was a folktale that originated in Northeastern Liberia in Africa and was written by Won-Ldy Paye and Margaret H. Lippert along with illustrations by Julie Paschkis. This book has also earned the Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book Award and I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised at this book’s witty premise!

When Mrs. Chicken is captured by a hungry crocodile, who threatens to eat her, Mrs. Chicken quickly comes up with a plan that could save her life…convince the crocodile that they are SISTERS!

Can Mrs. Chicken trick the Crocodile in order to save her life?

I was actually quite impressed with this book!  I loved the fact that Won-Ldy Paye was trained by his grandmother to become a storyteller and the fact that he is from the Dan people of Northeastern Liberia, really put so much magic in this story as this story originated from the Dan people of Northeastern Liberia and the elements of Africa clearly shows in this story! I also loved the way that both Won-Ldy Paye and Margaret H. Lippert wrote the characters in this story as Mrs. Chicken is shown to be an extremely clever character as she tries to think of a plan to get out of being eaten by the crocodile!  The crocodile was also a great character as she was truly menacing towards Mrs. Chicken in trying to eat her and I was practically on the edge of my seat hoping that Mrs. Chicken gets out of this predicament alive!  Julie Paschkis’ illustrations were totally cute and colorful, especially of the image of Mrs. Chicken herself as she is brightly orange colored and has a rounded body that makes her adorable to look at.  I also loved the image of the crocodile herself as she is green and she seems to have a checkerboard texture on her skin that really made her stand out in the story.  I was also amazed at the fact that the crocodile’s body practically takes up most of the pages, giving her a truly menacing presence.

The reason why I gave this book a four star rating is because I felt that the illustrations were a bit too simplistic at certain points. As much as I enjoyed the story, I actually wished that the illustrations were a bit more detailed and not look too cartoonish so I could really feel the threat of the crocodile’s attempts at eating Mrs. Chicken.  I also wished that there were more details being made in the backgrounds so I could have a real sense that the reader is really exploring Africa in this story.

Overall, “Mrs. Chicken and the Hungry Crocodile” is a great story for fans of African folktales and who love reading about clever animals escaping certain death! I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since the crocodile might scare smaller children.

* Winner: Charlotte Zolotow Honor

☀Daily Book Chat #2:☀ What's your favorite horror book?

 Hello everyone! Welcome to my  ☀Daily Book Chat☀ where I ask questions about your favorite books and what you love about reading!  Today's question is "What's your favorite horror book?   It can range from anything like picture books or horror novels.

Personally, I love any horror novel from Stephen King, especially "Carrie" and "The Shining." As for children's books, I've always loved Alvin Schwartz's infamous "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" series (especially the ones illustrated by Stephen Gammell)!

[BOOK REVIEW] The Talking Eggs by Robert D. San Souci

Title:  The Talking Eggs

Author:  Robert D. San Souci

Artist:  Jerry Pinkney

Genre: Family / Folktale / Kindness / Manners

Year Published: 1989
 
Year Read: 2008

Publisher: Dial

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 5+ (Some Scary Moments and Child Mistreatment)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

“The Talking Eggs” is a very lovable yet surreal tale about an innocent little girl named Blanche who overcomes greed and cruelty by helping an elderly woman who may not be who she seems in Robert San Souci’s version of this famous Creole tale.

Robert D. San Souci’s retelling of the ancient Creole tale is marvelous as it contains lots of scenes dealing with magic and also some suspense, especially in the end referring to the fate of Rose and her mother. Robert D. San Souci’s language is simple yet soothing as Blanche makes fast friends with the old woman. Jerry Pinkney’s illustrations are truly beautiful and creative. His drawings display realistic looking people and surroundings as he masterfully gives details in the characters facial expressions and provides appropriate colors for the environment surrounding the main characters.

*SPOILER ALERT!!!!*

Parents should know that the scene where the old woman takes off her head may upset young children. Even though this scene is done extremely delicately since the image does not actually show the old woman taking off her head, children might think that anyone can take off their heads and still live through the whole ordeal. However, small children need to understand that the old woman is actually a fictional character and what she does to her head does not necessarily affect the people in reality.

*SPOILER ENDED!!!*

“The Talking Eggs” is one of the most beautiful and surreal stories I have ever read. Robert D. San Souci’s narrative and Jerry Pinkney’s drawings both created a story that is full of magic and laughter that will be a favorite among both kids and adults for many years. This book also beautifully describes the cultures of the Creole people in the olden days. Children who would like to explore the heritages of the Creole people back then would really enjoy reading this book for references.

* 1990 Caldecott Honor
* 1990 Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrator Honor

[BOOK REVIEW] Sheila Rae, The Brave by Kevin Henkes

Title:  Sheila Rae, the Brave

Author:  Kevin Henkes

Genre: Humor / Family / Bravery

Year Published: 1987
 
Year Read: 1994

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Series: Mouse Books #2

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 4+ (Nothing Objectionable)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

“Sheila Rae, the Brave” is a children’s book written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes and it is about how a brave little mouse named Sheila Rae tells everyone that she is not afraid of anything, at least until she gets lost in the woods when she tried to find a new way home.  “Sheila Rae, the Brave” is an unforgettable classic that children both young and old will cherish for many years to come.

Kevin Henkes has brilliantly written and illustrated the charming story about Sheila Rae showing everyone how brave she is and how her younger sister Louise eventually showed her that she does not have to be brave by herself.  Kevin Henkes makes the theme of the story worthwhile since Sheila Rae claims that she is not afraid of anything and even calls Louise a scaredy cat because Louise was always afraid of everything.  But, when Sheila Rae is lost in the woods, it is her sister Louise who comes to the rescue, proving that the power of love is enough courage for anyone.  Kevin Henkes’ illustrations are colorful and cute as the main characters are mice, which is evident in most of his books.  The illustration that I loved the most was the illustration of Sheila Rae and Louise hugging each other after Sheila Rae gets lost in the woods since it shows how much the two care for each other, despite Sheila Rae calling her sister a coward.

“Sheila Rae, the Brave” is a wonderful children’s book about the true meaning of courage and how love for a family member can bring out the courage inside of you.  I would recommend this book to children of all ages since even the older children would enjoy Sheila Rae’s bravery being displayed throughout this book.

[BOOK REVIEW] Strega Nona Meets Her Match by Tomie dePaola

Title:  Strega Nona Meets Her Match

Author:  Tomie dePaola

Genre: Humor / Competition / Italy / Folktale

Year Published: 1993

 
Year Read: 1996

Series: Strega Nona #5

Publisher:  Puffin

Source:  Purchased

Content Rating:  Ages 5+ (Nothing Objectionable)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

Strega Nona is back again and this time she faces her biggest challenge yet… Strega Amelia! Tomie dePaola did an excellent job on both the illustrations and the story and therefore, makes “Strega Nona meets her match” an instant treat.

Tomie dePaola’s storytelling is clever and funny as he details Strega Nona’s efforts to get her job back from Strega Amelia. Also, the storytelling gets extremely hilarious when Big Anthony tried to do everything right for Strega Amelia, but ends up running all the machines backwards and ruining Strega Amelia’s chance for a profitable business. Tomie dePaola’s illustrations are also the highlights of the book as he comically illustrates the Mayor’s predicament when Big Anthony tried to cure his headache, but ended up making the machine malfunction.

“Strega Nona meets her match” is a wonderful story about peer pressure as Strega Amelia tries to get the townspeople to use high-tech products for fixing their problems over Strega Nona’s old-fashioned remedies. However, when things go wrong at Strega Amelia’s clinic, the townspeople realize that sometimes it is better to just stick with the old and simple techniques than try out new techniques that they have no control over. “Strega Nona meets her match” is a wonderful classic that both children and adults will cherish for many years because of its clever humor and its even more clever storytelling.

[BOOK REVIEW] Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

 

Title:  Neverwhere

Author:  Neil Gaiman

Genre: Fantasy / Horror

Year Published: 1996

Number of Pages: 370 pages

Date Read:  10/20/2013

Publisher:  William Morrow Paperbacks

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 18+ (Some Scary Situations and Strong Language)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

“Imagine living in a world where you think that everything has become familiar to you, but then you realize that there is a different world far beyond the one you know.”

I have not read much of Neil Gaiman’s books geared towards adults, until I first read “American Gods,” which was a book that I enjoyed intensely.  But now, I have a new favorite from Neil Gaiman’s books geared towards adults and that is “Neverwhere!”  Full of adventure, horror and romance, “Neverwhere” is certainly one of Neil Gaiman’s greatest works yet!

Richard Mayhew was an average young man who lived a normal life and had a fiancée named Jessica.  One night however, Richard meets up with a young girl named Door who he found bleeding on the London sidewalk and he immediately goes and try to tend to her wounds.  But, once Richard performs this heroic act, he will soon discover that his life will change forever when he seems to have vanished from the face of the earth and ends up in an alternative world of London, London Below.  Now, Richard must help Door from being killed by the murderous Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar or London Below will be in great danger!

Wow!  This book was simply amazing!  What made this book such a joy to read was the fact that Richard ends up in an alternative universe of London and he realizes that London Below is far more dangerous and different than the London he knew from above! I loved the way that Neil Gaiman made this story so intense and even scary at times, especially whenever the scenes involving Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar showed up in the story.  I was seriously scared of Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar as they were hired by a mysterious person to kill Door at all costs and they are certainly professionals in that field!  But, what was the most chilling aspect of Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar’s characters was that they would just calmly tell their victims about how they will torture them and their torturing methods were truly graphic and disturbing to say the least!  I really loved the characters featured in this book, especially Richard Mayhew and Door as they were truly interesting characters and they brought so much depth and intensity to the story. I did find it heartbreaking that Richard could not get back to his real home in London and all the other characters telling him that it would be impossible to get back to London Above definitely made me feel even worse for Richard.  At the same time, I loved the fact that Richard was such a caring and curious person as I completely sympathize with his confusion in understanding the strange cultures of London Below.  I loved the way that Neil Gaiman went into so much detail about the different cultures of London Below from London Above and I also loved the fact that Neil Gaiman included some historical notes about London’s history and weaved them into the story with such clarity.  Door was another character that I really enjoyed as she was such a strange yet interesting character. I loved the fact that Door just plunges into a situation because of her knowledge of London Below as it proves that she is a truly brave character!  I really loved the Marquis de Carabas, even though at first, he annoyed me a bit at the beginning.  But, once the story starts progressing, I found myself loving the Marquis de Carabas more and more as he proves to be quite a surprising character. I loved the eerie atmosphere of this story as I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat, wondering if Richard, Door, Hunter and the Marquis de Carabas will ever find their destination and try to survive London Below without being killed by Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar.  What really stood out for me in this story was the fact that it was like a darker version of “Alice in Wonderland” and I really liked that dark and gritty aspect to this story.

The only problems with this book are that it has some strong language, although it does not occur frequently and some scary situations involving the characters being placed in great peril. Some readers might find some parts of this book a bit too dark and creepy, such as the scenes involving Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar.

Overall, “Neverwhere” is a truly brilliant book that deals with deciding what you really want out of life and is probably one of the best books that use dark fantasy in its finest!  I would strongly recommend this book to any fan of Neil Gaiman’s works!