The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

25 Jun 2013 1 Comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, Birthdays, General Tags: , , , ,

Birthday

A very happy birthday to Eric Carle today, author and illustrator of so many delightful books, who is 84!

Carle was born in 1929 in New York to German parents but went back to Germany when he was six years old. After harrowing experiences through the war, Carle returned to America in 1952 where he got a job as a graphic designer for the New York Times and later at an advertising agency.

The work of Eric Carle is easily recognisable, his artwork and illustrations are unique and his books tell of nature and the world. Carle himself said that with his books  “I attempt to bridge the gap between the home and school. To me home represents, or should represent; warmth, security, toys, holding hands, being held. School is a strange and new place for a child…I believe the passage from home to school is the second biggest trauma of childhood; the first is, of course, being born…The unknown often brings fear with it. In my books I try to counteract this fear, to replace it with a positive message. I believe that children are naturally creative and eager to learn. I want to show them that learning is really both fascinating and fun.”

The way Carle makes his art is fascinating. I had never really thought about it before, I assume it was just paintings but apparently his work is created like a collage using hand painted papers that are cut and layered to form the images. There are also other techniques such as die-cut pages, and actual twinkling lights and noises in some books as well. All very high class compared to the felt puppets and faux fur I remember from my books.

My favourite book of Carle’s is of course The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I read this so many times as a kid it’s great. Yet another example of interaction and creative book creation, there are holes in the book, the pages are different sizes, it is amazing. It seems growing up Carle was familiar with different shaped books in Germany. I understand the reasons why but we need more books here that are weirdly shaped.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar was published in 1969 and the story behind it is rather cool. According to Carle, “One day I was punching holes with a hole puncher into a stack of paper, and I thought of a bookworm and so I created a story called A Week with Willi the Worm.” But how did we get to the caterpillar? Willi was a bookworm, but apparently poor Willi would not be a great protagonist as a green worm (poor Willi), then Carle’s editor suggested a caterpillar, which made Carle think of a butterfly and there you go. So in a sense we can all now say the very hungry caterpillar’s name is Willi. This must be made known to the world.

I must say, this was a fun review to write, short books, especially children’s books can bring out a silliness you really can’t get away with for big, long, serious books. If you don’t know the story of the very hungry caterpillar you may not want to read ahead, but even if it spoils it, which is will because there is nothing much else to talk about in there, then I half apologise and half demand you go read the book.

Published: September 29th 1994
Goodreads badgePublisher: Puffin
Pages: 26
Format: Picture Book
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
★   ★   ★   ★   ★  – 5 Stars

This is a story of suspense and tension. The main character of this story is born into a world in constant hunger and we follow him as he devours food at an alarming rate, never able to quench his hunger. Day after day he does nothing but eat, eating more and more as the days go by. He tries to be healthy in the beginning but as the days progress his hunger drives him to junk food and after all that cake and sugar and cheese…well, that’s right, he becomes ill. The suspense was amazing. Was this finally the way to stop this hunger machine before he ate through his world of food? Could this tummy ache be enough to stop his rampage on the food? Would there still be enough to support the remaining population? I had to read on to find out.

After having eaten so much this character had become so large he hides himself from the world. So large in fact he must built a house around himself to shield the judging eyes of the neighbours and those who come across him. Housebound, and living off the vast amount of food he’d consumed in his lifetime, this character is sheltered from the world. Until one day, after probably taking a good long hard look at what he’d become, had an instinctual desire to change himself, become a new and brighter person. After emerging slowly from his custom built house to this new world he was no longer a very hungry caterpillar, he was a beautiful butterfly (or he’d eaten himself into a food coma and was delusional about his true butterfly abilities. Either way).

The Heiresses (#1) by Allison Rushby

19 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, General Tags: , , , , ,

Published: May 7th 2013
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 352
Format: Book
Genre: New Adult Historical
★   ★   ★   ★   ★  – 5 Stars

When three teenage girls, Thalia, Erato and Clio, are summoned to the excitement of fast-paced London–a frivolous, heady city full of bright young things–by Hestia, an aunt they never knew they had, they are shocked to learn they are triplets and the rightful heiresses to their deceased mother’s fortune. All they need to do is find a way to claim the fortune from their greedy half-brother, Charles. But with the odds stacked against them, coming together as sisters may be harder than they think.

I discovered this book when I read a guest post by Rushby on S.I.K Book Reviews and a giveaway was running for her book. I loved how exciting and intriguing this book sounded and so I entered…and I then maybe went blog stalking where others had the giveaway to enter on their blogs as well. Needless to say this blog stalking and persistence paid off because I won myself copy. And I was so glad I did, it was excellent.

Set in 1920s London, The Heiresses follows these three young women who are growing up, discovering their lives are not what they thought them to be, and fighting to claim what is rightfully theirs. The premise of the story and introduction to the world is done well; within the first few pages you are able to capture a mystery and a great confusion that tells you that there are a lot of answers and things to discover. The prologue sets up the story well, we are shown a snippet of the past, but all of the things that are not said make up for the rest of the novel where you are searching for answers.

The idea of The Heiresses is really good. In an age before DNA, with aristocracy and titles, riches and reputation to consider, making sure the right heirs are given the right privileges is imperative. The process the three girls go through in order to find the truth is very clever but also personal and emotional as well.

The journey the girls have in finding more about this family they knew nothing about and in a new environment of London and society is great. We see how the three react, adjust, and cope in the new life with ties to their former home being severed or being used to pull them back again. There is a lot of history in the book, the suffragettes and the modern age is developing and the social consequences are paramount.

Their aunt, Hestia, is a modern woman with her own ideas and her own home, which helps the girls, but hinders them at the same time. The darker sides of the twenties are also shown but nothing is spelled out exactly which is creative. In a very clever approach Rushby implies a lot, or makes brief references without having to state things outright. This is quite effective because it allows the reader to make connections themselves and gives them credit to read between the lines.

Because of the historical era we are also exposed to the wonderful fashion and technology that 1920s London was experiencing. Rushby uses these things, especially the fashion and the motor cars, as a device to show us not just how London was as a city, but to demonstrate further who these three teenagers are. As a result we get a great sense that these eighteen year olds are starting their adult life and finding their place in this new world.

A lot of the book is the relationship and life the three girls have rather than directly focusing on the Charles issue which was interesting. As the book went on I was unsure where this would lead since there were no dramatic conflicts and strong focus on what I thought was the main reason the girls were brought together for. Of course there are conflicts, and I suppose this reflects the reality aspect a lot, there are times when you cannot go in guns blazing ready to fight. In that regard I think Rushby portrayed it well.

As the pages start to lessen and you start to think that the ending will be rushed or somehow the sequel will have to continue this aspect of the story but no. Rushby manages to wrap up the novel beautifully without rushing. Everything is answered in a satisfactory manner and when it finishes you get a sense of where everyone is going.

We get the sense that these characters will be ok in the lives they have created for themselves and after passing through the mess of jealousy, drama, greed, and secrets, isn’t that all you can hope for for them. I look forward to reading the sequels and seeing what else is in store for these siblings.

You can also read an interview with Rushby did with Bookish Comforts about her book.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

10 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, Birthdays, General Tags: , , ,

Birthday

Happy Birthday Maurice Sendak! It was a sad day when the world lost him last year, yet we know his stories will live on. So, in honour of his birthday, I am reviewing my favourite book of his, Where the Wild Things Are.

Maurice Sendak was born in 1928, the same year as Mickey Mouse, and he had an interesting life. His extended family were killed in the Holocaust which naturally exposed him to concepts of mortality and death, and he had health problems as a child. It was these health problems which confined him to his bed that developed his love of reading, and it was watching Disney’s Fantasia that made him want to be an illustrator (who wouldn’t that film was phenomenal).

His first illustrations were published in a textbook called Atomics for the Millions and he spent a lot of time illustrating other people’s works before beginning to write his own. He is quoted as saying “My gods are Herman Melville, Emily Dickinson, Mozart. I believe in them with all my heart”; but there were many other sources of inspiration from painters, musicians, authors, and a key influence was his own father and the stories he told him.

The impact of Sendak is clear when you look at what people said about him when he died last year. The New York Times called Sendak “the most important children’s book artist of the 20th century.”
Darling Neil Gaiman said “He was unique, grumpy, brilliant, gay, wise, magical and made the world better by creating art in it.” And even the delightful Stephen Colbert said that “We are all honoured to have been briefly invited into his world.” I wholeheartedly agree with them all. He did have other books, his final book, Bumble-Ardy, was published eight months before he died, and there was a posthumous picture book, titled My Brother’s Book, published in February 2013, 50 years after Where the Wild Things Are. It is hard sometimes to remember there are more books out there when Where the Wild Things Are is so loved and cherished.

Sendak wrote Where the Wild Things Are in 1963 and from a rocky and critically negative start it has grown to be one of the most beloved stories of all time. Author Francis Spufford said that the book is “one of the very few picture books to make an entirely deliberate and beautiful use of the psychoanalytic story of anger”, and I think this is entirely true, part of what makes it wonderful.

I am not sure how many of you have read Where the Wild Things Are, and it is a fairly short book so I probably will be giving a variation of a spoiler so here it is, the spoilers warning just in case because there is not a lot to cover. But even so, you should read the book regardless of me spoiling it a smidge.

Published: May 4th 2000
Goodreads badgePublisher: Red Fox
Pages: 37
Format: Picture Book
Genre: Children
★   ★   ★   ★   ★  – 5 Stars

One night Max puts on his wolf suit and makes mischief of one kind and another, so his mother calls him ‘Wild Thing’ and sends him to bed without his supper. That night a forest begins to grow in Max’s room and an ocean rushes by with a boat to take Max to the place where the wild things are. 

As a kid, I adored Where the Wild Things Are and I still do. I think everyone needs to read it at some point in their life (I am not telling you not to watch the 2009 film but…I am not 100% convinced about that yet, it made me slightly ill at ease and a bit grumpy when I watched it but I can see what they were doing. It looked nice, that’s something). The book had been adapted several times before the movie, including an animated short in 1974 (with an updated version in 1988) and a 1980 opera.

Where the Wild Things Are tells the story of Max, a boy who puts on his wolf suit and gets into mischief. He was a Wild Thing and so he goes and joins the other Wild Things, sailing away in a private boat until he reaches the land of the Wild Things where his many adventures can begin.

The absolute best bit I think is the ending, and all of it, and really what this whole story is. Sendak shows us the story of Max, but while it looks like we are looking from the outside, it is actually Max who is telling us this story, it is all from Max’s point of view. We see him take control of these Wild Things, he rules them, sends them to bed without supper, he becomes the one in charge. I certainly do not want to be psychologically breaking down this story because that is the first step to ruining something wonderful, but as clear as it is, it shows you the power of Max’s mind, and what is entirely possible if given half the chance.

We need to take a moment to mention the pictures, Sendak did the pictures himself and they are stunning. They are displayed filled with colour, but have a dark mystical element as well. There are pictures that sit on white pages, there are pictures that sit above text strips, and there are wonderful full page and two page illustrations that require no words at all; truly beautiful.

These images, as a lot of children’s illustrated books do, support the story, and tell the story so limited words are needed. There is an argument in the scholarly world that illustrations lead children’s minds and makes them unable to create images on their own but I think there are exceptions, this is one. You can still use the images Sendak gives you to create a fuller story, you can imagine the dancing and the sailing and everything, the illustrations are your starting point.

This is a beautiful book and a great story that lets you enter the world of the Wild Things; and if Max’ mischief isn’t enough fun, than the majesty that Sendak puts into the Wild Things through image alone is pretty darn amazing, I always wanted one based on those illustrations alone. A truly amazing story, by a truly wonderful person, author, and illustrator who wrote and illustrated many more books you should check out, and I think you should all experience Where the Wild Things Are if you haven’t.

Maurice Sendak Goodies

1983 Disney CG Animation of Where the Wild Things Are – it ends abruptly and seemingly in the middle but it is still rather cool

Maurice Sendak reading Where the Wild Things Are

10 Fascinating Interviews via Flavorwire

Another Interview

Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox (#6) By Eoin Colfer

18 May 2013 1 Comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, Artemis Fowl Series, General, Junior Fiction, Young Adult Tags: , , , , ,

Note: Minor spoilers regarding the ending of The Lost Colony and the outcome

Goodreads badgePublished: August 7 2008
Publisher: Puffin Books
Pages: 430
Format: Book
Genre: Junior Fiction/Young Adult Fantasy
★   ★   ★   ★   ★  – 5 Stars

 After disappearing for three years, Artemis Fowl has returned to a life different from the one he left. Now he’s a big brother, and spends his days teaching his twin siblings the important things in life, such as how to properly summon a waiter at a French restaurant.

But now his mother is gravely ill and the only hope of a cure lies in the brain fluid of the extinct silky sifaka lemur. Artemis Fowl must travel back through time to steal the lemur. The rules of time travel are far from simple, but to save his mother, Artemis will have to break them all, and outsmart his most cunning adversary yet: Artemis Fowl, age ten.

  This was the book I was most eager to read I think to specifically see the story rather than just general excitement over the overall series. The ending of The Lost Colony opened up a range of questions and with an ending like the one Colfer gave us there was a need to see where the story was going to go or whether we’d be given a chance to see how it got there. So much had changed and Artemis’ world had changed so much that I was eager to see how Colfer handled it. Naturally, being Colfer, and with this entire thing planned to the letter, handled it brilliantly. The transition was seamless, there was no need to awkwardly explain anything, Colfer wove it through the narrative with a smooth fluidity that means as you read you just understood. It was all ok, and you found yourself being engaged and amazed in the new story before you could even think to question anything he had or hadn’t written. Hypnotic and distracting perfection, those are Colfer’s powers.

Thinking about it, new characters have always been welcomed, they added to the expanding world. I think the only question I had, certainly before starting it and not once I had, was about the introduction of the twins and how they would impacted on the Fowl family directly, new Fowl members that made a huge difference compared to the introduction of a new aspect of the Fairy world. But truly, making Artemis a big brother could have failed but it didn’t. Artemis’ character and the fact that the twins have such unique and very Fowl characteristics and unique personalities makes them both a little bit wonderful.

But despite this big change, it is not Artemis’ home life that is especially the focus, yes it is the base reason for the new adventure, but we do not spend the whole novel watching Artemis adjusting to being away for three years and having new siblings quite as directly. Colfer opens the novel in the middle of a situation where we instantly can gauge the relationship between the brothers and the Fowl Manor life. This simple action by Colfer shows us all we need to know, giving us comfortable acceptance over what is happening and what has happened with no need for us to see the missing scenes we know would have taken place. And once we have seen all is well, that is when he takes a sharp turn and sends us on our adventure, this time beginning with Artemis’ mother.

When Artemis’ mother becomes deathly ill and all attempts at curing only make things worse, Artemis enlists the help of the People to try and save his mother. We haven’t seen a lot of Artemis’ parents through the series, sporadically and often with a purpose mainly, and this is similar here but it did not really matter. Angela Fowl is a great character to add to the mix. She gets a little bit more of a role while not really doing anything to begin with, much like Artemis’ father in The Arctic Incident, with the focus more around the intent of healing Artemis’ mother and all the surrounding events, consequences and causalities.

Enlisting the help of Holly, No. 1, as well as Butler, and with no other option at his disposal, Artemis is determined to return to the past to procure the antidote for his mother. The trouble that is it to be retrieved not only in the past from a ruthless young Artemis, but from the Extinctionists he is planning on selling the lemur to. A group of people determined to capture and eat all the rare and endangered animals in the world certainly makes for a different kind of foe than in previous adventures, but naturally not all in as simple as it seems. Time travel soon becomes the least of their problems as new and old dangers appear around each corner.

The Extinctionists are definitely a group that I wasn’t expecting. The idea seems jovial at first but the way their organisation has been developed really can unsettle you if you think too much about it. And reading about these Extinctionists kind of makes you think about where the real ones are in the world, sneaking around with these grossly abused and ill gotten wares, but Colfer manages to raise the issue and bring it to point without harping on about it which is nice.

We see a small part of the old Artemis personality return when he tries to convince the others to travel back through time; this is before we actually see the actual old Artemis of course. With the events following the jump back we are shown a bit more of ten year old Artemis and his life before the events in Book One. I must say ten year old Artemis is almost worse than twelve year of Artemis but only by a little. His childlike compassion is understandable more so than as a twelve year old though. The contrast between young Artemis and his older counterpart is drastic, but having said that we have been gradually seeing an improving Artemis through the series, you do not realise how far he has come until we are forced to see the boy we began the story with side by side. And while we get to see little Artemis and Butler which is fantastic, we also see older Artemis reflect more on who he was and who he is becoming. I always liked tough and no nonsense Artemis but there is room I suppose for caring Artemis as well.

There is a jump between time as we see the present and the past action occur side by side throughout the book, but it is not confusing, at least no more than any other Artemis Fowl novel.  The fact that Colfer is returning to the past is clever, and opens up for a lot of questions about what sparks an adventure, who influenced whom and as Artemis says, if it happened in the past then it has already affected the future.

Paradoxes are hard to manage but Colfer manages this superbly. Going back to the past creates its own issues but the way it links together is fantastic. When authors go back after establishing a certain reality, similar to C. S. Lewis in the Narnia books, there is an advantage to create things and do things that bring about an event or occurrence that’s to come as it were.

This is a terrific story that plays out and it makes you want to keep going if only to see how it could possibly be resolved. In addition there is a reappearance of old characters in large and small ways which is also excellently done. Colfer knows where to have people in a story and where not to. There are reasons people are included and whether they are excluded, no one is anywhere by mistake and nothing is mentioned by chance. There are Artemis’ schemes and sneakiness as per usual but we are also privy to more information, history, and detail about the Fowls than before which is an added bonus. There was even a truly wonderful heartfelt moment with Artemis towards the end which was moving and very brave I thought for him and for Colfer. But as I say, Colfer reveals everything to us marvellously and we are able to appreciate each moment no matter how action filled it is or the circumstance. I even detected an excellent Douglas Adams reference in there somewhere which I sincerely hope was intentional because it made me smile.

You seem to go through multiple adventures at once with this book, just when you think one is over another rises up, and while it seems like a jumbled mess of chaos it works oh so brilliantly you can’t imagine. There certainly seems like a lot of planning involved and I would love to have been there when Colfer realised he could make the connections he does, or even whether it was his plan all along, either way I applaud him.

As per usual there is just so much involved in an Artemis book that you cannot comment on it all, and even then you’d forget something or ruin a surprise so it is mainly emotion here because I am giving nothing else away. The joy is in the experience and unexpectedness as always, not to mention getting swept up in the characters, the chaos, and the pure admiration for the effort Colfer has put into not only each novel but the level of detail in the stories and the worlds in which they’re placed.

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A. S King

17 May 2013 1 Comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, General, Young Adult Tags: , ,

Published: October 12 2010
Goodreads badgePublisher: Random House
Pages: 336
Format: Book
Genre: Young Adult
★   ★   ★   ★   ★  – 5 Stars

Vera’s spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she’s kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything. 
So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone—the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to?

I am so glad I read this book, I had been trying to get my hands on a copy since about February and I am glad it was worth the wait. I knew early on this was going to be a phenomenal book; I was planning on giving this book five stars from the first few chapters, something that does not happen very often. It is excellently written and King manages to say so much in so few words, and speaks volumes with meanings hidden and woven into the life and thoughts of Vera wonderfully. It is an excellent look at society and how society sees things, ignores things, and treats the world around them.

King’s novel tells the story of Vera Dietz, a high schooler who is working full time at a pizza place, while also trying to recover from her friend’s death, be a teenager, and deal with life, her father, and her conscience. This seemingly vague plot is hard to describe without giving it away so I won’t say much, but I will say that we are given this plot in a less than chronological fashion, yet still seemingly so. Through the book we jump through time as well as perspectives to see the fractured sequence of events as we are slowly revealed and enlightened with the story of Vera and Charlie, and how growing up can be a tough time for everyone and that there are some things you cannot change.

I think the fact that the story is broken up and from many perspectives is what makes this story excellent. There are short single paragraph chapters that offer a quick snippet of information or detail; long chapters that follow Vera’s thoughts and life through her eyes; and there are others that are just for the reader, chapters from characters who want to explain their side to us, explain to us what Vera does not understand, or will not accept. If we want to start listing all the brilliant aspects of this book, just the fact that King has broken up the book in these chapter styles is wonderful enough, and the idea that as a reader we are being explained a story, but not always in a language that feels like we are being told is just adding to this wonderfulness.

King has managed to grasp not only the show not tell side of good storytelling, but also making us become involved and emotionally connected to each character, even the ones we probably don’t like very much, or those we take pity on. A lot of this comes through Vera herself, as a character she is highly understanding while still being confused herself and critical. The friendship and conflicts we are shown between her and Charlie as they grow up together is strong, and this relationship comes through Vera in everything she does and does not do. But not only that, her own imperfections make her a lot more powerful. Her own struggles and issues are something to commend her for because they not only shape what she does, but why she does it, who she tries to be, and where she wants to go. There really is so much to be taken from something that seems relatively straightforward at the first glance.

The dialogue within this story is very well done, King captures the friendship conversations and inner thoughts of Vera through all stages in her life, capturing the appropriate tone and reasoning a teenager would have. I especially thought that the conversations Vera has with her father were amazingly written and presented, their relationship is certainly not perfect, but there is a great connection between the two that we are able to see both sides of, and by the end of the novel I think Vera sees it as well.

A lot of the novel is Vera telling us her story and making insights about her life and those around her. She makes passing comments and assessments about the issues with American schooling and reading, college scholarships for football over intellect, as well as aspects of society, all managed with this dry, sarcastic, conversational tone of an observational teenager. These critiques and insights that Vera points out are slipped in so seamlessly that they do not appear to be an protruding social judgement, instead, with the way King has constructed Vera, it is an acceptable point to make, and with the tone of Vera placed upon it, then King can make these crucial remarks without them feeling out of place.

The cover of the book has a review by Ellen Hopkins, author of the Crank series. She says this book is really special, and it is. It tells a story like no other, but it does so by not necessarily with sweeping metaphors and imagery, nor obvious moralistic messages. But yet King has them. She uses Vera to say so much more, in simple language, little snippets of sentences and thrown away remarks to talk about fitting in, being a teenager, hiding secrets, school and education, drinking, life, parenthood, family, pagodas, pickles. All of these things get their say and they are all spoken about. It is truly exceptional to read, it has the ability to tell you it is ok to be yourself, but that doesn’t mean it is going to be easy, that is why it is fantastic. A small part of me wants to compare it to Looking For Alaska, just a small part though because King takes it in her own direction.

What this book does is show you that there are people behind the people. There are the public faces and the truth they are hiding behind it. There is something very powerful that King has done, she is showing us that life is not perfect for any one, and what you see may actually be something far from the truth, something instilled and created to hide a truth, not matter how big or small it may be. I adore it.

I don’t want to keep explaining the power this book has, but there are lessons learnt in this book by Vera and by the reader. Each chapter makes you understand the world better, makes you look at life, your life, other people’s lives and find perhaps, something in this story you can take and make your own life so much better.  My high school experience wasn’t like it is depicted in the American books and movies, but if I had this book in high school, it would have been an excellent escape, something to hold on to that would help when things got tough. And that is something I am not sure King ever intended to do, and if she did, then she succeeded spectacularly.

Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries