Young Americans Books

This lyrical story is gloriously illustrated by Elena Gomez and makes a perfect, peaceful read-aloud just before bedtime. Don't worry if listeners don't know what a sari is -- this is a story about every young girl's desire to be as glamorous as Mom, and the tender mother-daughter bond that transcends cultures. Plus, by the end of the book, you'll both be wanting to try on a sari.

Mama's Saris by Pooja Makhijani is an eloquent and colorful presentation of a story that celebrates the beauty of saris, and the special role they play in an East Indian family. The story is a vivid portrayal of a conversation between a mother and her daughter around the daughter's desire to wear one of Mama's precious saris for her 7th birthday party. It is based on a simple fact common to most cultures - "little girls LOVE to play dress up in their moms' clothes, and discover in themselves the images of their mothers."

A little girl is celebrating her seventh birthday. And obviously, there is a party for which Mama is planning to wear a sari. The little girl has to help her mother decide which sari to wear for the party. When Mama flips open the suitcase filled with saris that she wears only for special occasions, the girl's excitement to wear one on herself naturally increases. They talk about the different occasions Mama wore each of her saris - a black chiffon one "that shimmers like the night-time sky" she wore for Devi Masi's annniversary; the magenta one with "a herd of galloping deer embroidered on it" is the one she wore when Nanima came to visit the first time. And so on and so forth....Finally, the little girl picks an orange one that Mama tells her she wore when the little girl was first brought home from the hospital. She watches her mama elegantly tie the sari, and "weave the fabric into an accordion between her slim fingers."

Seeing her mother shimmer in a beautiful sari, the girl feels a stronger desire to look all grown-up like Mama. And she explains to her Mama she wants to pick a sari for herself because she is a big girl who can "pour her own glass of milk in the morning without spilling and also, does not need the nightlight anymore." Finally, Mama agrees to grant her wish only because it's her birthday. So Mama ties a beautiful, blue sari with gold flowers on her little girl by wrapping the fabric around her again and again. She also gives her bangles to match, and then puts a beautiful glittery bindi in the middle of her forehead! And then asks, "So, what do you think?", and the girl answers with a sparkle in her eye, "I think I look like you!"

I love books like this one where the text and the illustrations enhance each other so much that you can actually feel the textures, and fabrics of the different saris that the little daughter admires in her mother's collection. In fact, wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe that the text and the illustrations flow together just as beautifully as the pleats and folds of an elegantly clad sari. I loved the part in which the author so beautifully describes the little girl's fond memories of her nanima's saris - "the folds and nooks of nanima's saris holding lots of secrets; safety pins and coins fastened on the inside; the smell of cardamom and sandalwood soap all over." That was a neat treat!

Final say:
Mama's Sari is a multi-cultural and a multi-sensory treat.
This book can be just as pretty, stylish, delicate and dignified as your mother's collection of saris! So, let's share the tender and delicate tale of Mama's Saris with our children. Add this to your mother/daughter collection of all things precious! I am sure your family will cherish the book, and talk about it for a long time. Moms/dads of sons, may be the author is considering doing a sequel - Papa's Kurtas???? :D

Additional Resources for Mama's Saris: There's a teacher's guide available on the author's website. A great resource to discuss some of the things that the book highlights. The guide has discussion questions, and project ideas.

Aside from seeing, touching, smelling,and of course, reading the book many,many times, my daughter and I loved singing the lyrics of Mama's Saris (available on the author's website) to the tune of "Frere Jacques"...LOVELY,LOVELY IDEA!

"Mama's Saris

Mama's Saris

Orange and Blue

Eggplant too

Folded Pleats of secrets

Folded Pleats of secrets

Try one on!

Try one on!"

"Mama's Saris" is Pooja Makhijani's first picture book and I'm happy to report it's a beauty.

The narrator of "Mama's Saris" is about to turn seven years old and Mama, who wears saris only for special occasions, is choosing what she will wear to her daughter's party. The daughter helps, but, really, all she wants is to wear a sari too:

"Mama unfurls it. It shines like the afternoon sun. I watch her tuck one end into her petticoat and pull the other end over her left shoulder. Then she folds the pleats, weaving the fabric into an accordion between her slim fingers.

I look down at my Mary Janes and corduroy jumper. I feel so plain next to her."

Finally, mama relents and helps her daughter dress in one of her saris, accented with gold bangles and a bindi. When she is dressed, the narrator looks in the mirror:

"I feel like I am floating in an ocean of blue. The shiny material makes me sparkle. I think it looks beautiful."

When mama asks, "what do you think?", the little girl answers, "I think I look like you."

It's a simple story on the surface of things, but the text speaks volumes about growing up, mother-and-daughter relationships, and family traditions. Elena Gomez' s warm, lush paintings fit Makhijani's text perfectly and bring the saris and mother and daughter to life. "Mama's Saris" is a lovely, heartfelt debut and not to be missed.

Intrigued with the idea of acquiring some sari fabric, I visited a store in my metropolis that sells clothing and fabric from India. What an amazing experience!

Long rolls of fabric lined the walls. It was like a glittering, glowing shimmering color wheel. Initially, the best we could manage was, "um, how about...orange." We were faced with more patterns and shades of orange to red to yellow than we could take in. The sales woman cheerfully pulled down bolt after bolt and sent the rolls of fabric shooting across the large tables so we could see the amazing designs and hues.

We left with three lengths of color feeling dazzled and elated.

This memory was in my mind as I looked at Pooja Makhijani's new book, Mama's Saris. The little girl in the story is celebrating her seventh birthday and asks to wear one of her mother's saris. Thinking the girl is too young, the mother tries to negotiate the request with her daughter, "Why don't you wear your chaniya choli?"

Ultimately, she is moved by the strength of her daughter's memories of her different saris and acknowledges this special occasion by letting her daughter select one to wear.

The tender give and take between them is beautifully written.

Elena Gomez has caught the glow and shimmer of this elegant clothing in the backgrounds of the illustrations. The fabric fairly swirls off the page as the little girl looks at herself, in the mirror for the first time, dressed in a blue sari with gold bangles on her arm.

Beautiful!

I guess I never really realized that it was a universal instinct. You are born. You grow a little older. And then one day your raid your mother's closet, trying on her dresses, shoes, scarfs, and so on for the sole purpose of becoming, if only for a little while, older. I remember trying on my mom's wedding dress once, in all its frilly early 70s lace glory, and I was not a child usually prone to "playing dress up" as it were. Imagine then if you had a mother that wore clothes that had names like Zardosi, Banarasi, and Kalamkari. Pooja Makhijani has taken a very simple concept and has expanded it to encompass the whole wide world. With simple language and just the right words, she conveys better than anyone what it can mean to a daughter to find herself made into the image of her mom.

A small girl is about to celebrate her seventh birthday and you know what that means. Time for Mama to pull out the suitcase of saris she always stores carefully under her bed for special occasions. On this day in particular she lets her daughter pick out which sari to wear. Will it be the black chiffon one that "shimmers like the nighttime sky"? Or how about the blue with the gold flowers that dance along its border? No, nothing but the brilliant orange, "with edges that look like they have been dipped in red paint", worn on the day when our little girl was first brought home from the hospital will do. Only, it's not enough. The girl wants to finally wear a sari of her own, and this time, because it's her birthday, she's finally getting her wish. She is swathed in blue, bangled to match, and then in the final crowning touch is given the kiss of beautiful glittery bindi right in the center of her forehead. And when asked what she thinks, the kid answers in delight, "I think I look like you!"

There's an awfully helpful Author's Note at the beginning of the book that provides quite a bit of sari-related information for people who, like myself, haven't been initiated into the world of Kantha and the like. Says Ms. Makhijani, "I wrote Mama's Saris after realizing that my own fascination with my mother's fancy clothes was not unique. It seemed as if each of my female friends, regardless of ethnicity or age, remembers being captivated by her mother's grown-up clothes." True nuff. Extra points for the rather nice Glossary of terms, also at the front of the book, that defines everything from what a didi is to chaniya choli, alongside pronunciations. As for the text itself, it really does convey the yearning many a little girl feels towards becoming as glamorous as her mother. Add in the extra delight of dress-up and you've got yourself a book that speaks to all kids of all persuasions.

Now sometimes the stars align in just the right way to allow a first-time picture book author like Ms. Makhijani to be paired with just the right illustrator. What this book required was an artist that could match the author's eloquent ode to the sari in a realistic fashion. A messy illustrator or representational one working primarily in the realm of splotches and blots would not have done this book any justice at all. Elena Gomez is no newcomer to the world of picture book illustration, but she has yet to be recognized fully. And in the case of "Mama's Sari", she proves herself to be especially good at repeating vibrant patterns in this story, and everything from the bedspread to the saris to the wallpaper is reproduced here magnificently. I also enjoyed the moments when the narrator would discuss a moment from the past and Gomez would accommodate by showing the characters from that moment as snapshots lovingly framed and fallen against a multitude of glorious fabrics. Interestingly enough the artist's figures are far more natural when they aren't side-views of faces. Sometimes a shot from the side will look a little forced or unnatural. It rarely happens, however, and she makes up for these with pictures like the magnificent view of the girl's mother smiling in her vibrant orange and red sari, as her daughter pouts over her left shoulder, simultaneously entranced and envious.

All in all, a soft and sweet little book. Written with love and illustrated with obvious care, it definitely is a keeper through and through. Consider adding it to your own collection should you feel you need to beef up your mother/daughter selection. A perfect Mother's Day gift, to say the least.

"Ringing


A baby, I stood in my crib to hear
the dingy-ding of a vegetable truck approaching.

When I was bigger, my mom took me out
to the street
to meet the man who rang the bell and
he tossed me
a tangerine...

...the first thing I ever caught. I thought
he was
a magic man.

My mom said there used to be milk trucks too.
She said,
Look hard, he'll be gone soon. And she was right.
He disappeared.

Now when I hear an ice-cream truck chiming
its bells, I fly.
Even if I'm not hungry--just to watch it pass.

Mailmen with their chime of dogs barking
up and down the street are magic too.

They are all bringers.

I want to be a bringer.

I want to drive a truck full of eggplants down
the smallest street.

I want to be someone making music
with my coming."

And so she is. And so she does.
A great joy that accompanies a new book of poems by Naomi Shihab Nye is the expectation that she will begin reappearing at national conferences and conventions, reading aloud from her latest collection. The good feeling I've taken away with me from her past workshops is about as close as I get to church these days.

A MAZE ME contains seventy-two of Naomi's latest poems. Younger teens will find these pieces easy to read and relate to. Hopefully, many will be intrigued and inspired by Naomi's ability to create poetry from such sources as a car manual, a newspaper article, a taco sign, "the hair on the head of the girl in front of me in school," Julia Child's patting potatoes, or a vapor trail "X" that a pair of planes have inadvertently left in the sky.

Being a book of "Poems for Girls" there are also the requisite handful of "longing" poems:

"High Hopes


It wasn't that they were so
high, exactly,
they were more
low-down,
close-to-the-ground,
I could rub them
the way you touch a cat
that rubs against your ankles
even if he isn't yours.

So yes I feel lonely without them.
Now that I know the truth,
that I only dreamed someone liked me,
the cat has curled up in a bed of leaves
against the house and I still have to do
everything I had to do before
without a secret hum
inside."

Despite being a guy, I really enjoyed the images and memories conjured up by these poems. Whether reading "Visiting My Old Kindergarten Teacher, Last Day of School," "Turtle" (about the persistent creature that had walked for twenty years), or "Across the Aisle" (about the little girl who coughed "every 30 seconds for seven whole hours" on a transatlantic flight), I've repeatedly interrupted Rosemary's reading on the couch and Shari's grading papers at the kitchen table in order to have an audience with whom to share the poems aloud.
"Big Head, Big Face
(what my brother said to me)


If your head had been smaller
maybe you woulda had less thoughts in it,
maybe you wouldn't have so many troubles.
This is just a guess but seems to me
like a little drawer only hold a few spoons
and you can always find the one you need
while a big drawer jammed with tongs
strings corks junky stuff receipts birthday cards
you never gonna look at
scrambled and mixed so one day
you open that drawer
poke your hand in and big knife go
through your palm
you didn't even know a knife was IN there,
well, that's why I think
it might not be so bad to have a little head
with just a few thoughts few memories few hopes
maybe if only one little one came true
that be enough for you."

Luckily for us, Naomi Shihab Nye has carefully sifted through that drawer to provide an entertaining assortment of poetic images, thoughts, stories, and yoga poses.

I bought this book at an airport for my daughter- but I read it out loud to her and her little brother, and we all enjoyed it. The poems are fun and sad and funny and insightful. It led me to seek out other works by Nye and I've enjoyed them all.

Naomi Shihab Nye has a relationship with words and Emotions that few people achieve in their life, regardless of their age. She is my favorite poet as well as my favorite author and I have never dislike one of her poems.

A Maze Me is no exception. Every poem sends a strong message or fills you with a feeling or new idea. Each poem is written so beautifully that no illustration is needed, as it probes curiosity and imaginitive explanations. In my opinion, Naomi Shihab Nye is very philosophical, and this thinking appears through metaphors that are evenly distributed throughout her literature.

A Maze Me is an incredible set of poems and your life will not be complete until you have read this.

This book by the sublime Naomi Shihab Nye is subtitled "Poems for Girls," but I don't think that this charming book should be restricted to one gender. I certainly chuckled, oohed, and aahed a number of times as I read through it. (Still, it WOULD make a great gift for the young girl in your life.)

Shihab Nye has a generosity of spirit that shines through her poetry like a twinkle in a kindly aunt's eye. Here is a little somethin'-somethin' to whet your appetite (excerpted from "Ringing"):

"Now, when I hear an ice-cream truck chiming its bells, I fly
Even if I'm not hungry -- just to watch it pass.

Mailmen with their chime of dogs barking
up and down the street are magic too.

They are all bringers.
I want to be a bringer.

I want to drive a truck full of eggplants down the smallest street. I want to be someone making music with my coming."

Once I read Naomi Shihab Nye's introduction, I felt I was about to turn the pages of something very special. I was right. This unique collection of poems gives the reader a chance to look at familiar life in a new way. Full of nostalgia, intimate and humorous, tender and tearful, this is a book I would love to underline and memorize. I look forward to writing in my own notebook, trying to find the poet in me.

This is a great book- but it has nothing to do with a Native American boy living in the east! Mindy is a Hopi girl living in Arizona!

Susan has a lovely writing style and a deep understanding of her Hopi culture. I recommend this book for those wanting to learn more about the Hopi culture from the Hopi viewpoint.

This is a timely book, especially with the typical flurry of Native American activities that start in November in schools around the nation. One of the best qualities of this book is that it shows that Naiche is like any other American boy: has a family, lives in a house, eats pizza, plays soccer, and wears cargo pants. Native Americans are still the subject of stereotypes fueled by many aspects of society. For example, sports team mascots that reinforce people's ignorance. This book goes a long way toward showing that Native children have the same dreams and needs as all of our children.

This is a beautifully written and photographed book that should be on every teacher's reading list, public library, and family bookshelves.

Having seen an advance copy of this extremely informative and enjoyable book, I can urge teachers and parents looking for entertaining material on how Native Americans in the East live today to buy this book. It tells the story of a multi-tribal boy and his daily life. Dr. Tayac has an engaging writing style and the history and culture are presented in a very accessible manner.

Naiche is described so stirringly in this book by Dr. Tayac that any native or non-native American would want to know him. Many American children in 2002 grow up multi-culturally and this wonderfully written children's book clearly evokes a compelling portrait of Naiche's world. The richness of Naiche's Indian culture will expand the horizons of any child who reads this page turner.

This book will inform and entertain youngsters from second to sixth grade. Youngsters from about third to sixth grade can read this book independently while first and second graders can have it read to them. It demonstrates the daily life of a real native child and shows how many American Indian children live in the eastern region of the U.S. today. It also corrects common beliefs that many youngsters between ages 6 and 11 or 12 hold, that native children live in teepees and wear deerskin clothes etc. The author, Dr. Gabrielle Tayac, a Piscataway Indian and Naiche's cousin writes clearly and is obviously familiar with her reader and subject. She knows Naiche and his family well and communicates this to her audience in a interesting manner. The photography and the text mesh beautifully to tell the true life story of a contemporary native family through the eyes of a child.

I am always on the lookout for up-and-coming Asian-American writers and searched high and low for Andrea's first novel after hearing about it from a friend. After reading the book, I thought it was worth every effort in my search for this well written novel. Andrea Louie has the potential to be one of the finest authors in this century if she continues to explore her writing technique and style. I hope to see her blossom in her career and look forward to her future writings.

I first read Moon Cakes several years ago and found it to be a genuine and fascinating novel about a young woman trying to make sence of her own life. This particular young woman was of Chinese decent, I am not, but found that in many ways that the feelings about sense of place and sense of self that permeate this delicate novel are applicable to a wide range of young adults. I agree with the reviewer who wrote that the book helped her through some tough times, because I am finding myself looking for it now when my own life is in transition. It is a wonderfully crafted story whose tone reminds me of Lydia Minatoya's "Talking to High Monks in the Snow". Its one weakenss, I thought, was its "surprise" ending--although perhaps I wasn';t as careful a reader as I should have been. It should still be in print. I look forward to reading more by Andrea Louie.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I found it refreshing from the stereotypical Asian American novels. The characters were so complex, yet simple in description. A must read for someone looking for a different Asian Anerican experience.

Found a proof copy of this novel at a book fair. Was immediately drawn into the tale by the author's powerful story-telling skills. Andrea Louie, while telling the story (perhaps her own?) of a young woman's struggle to find and define herself in a world vastly different from that she knew growing up in a Chinese-American family, nevertheless reveals a uniquely American sensibility and perspective. Andrea Louie's style differs markedly from that of Amy Tan or Maxine Hong Kingston who relate fantastic stories of ghosts and women warriors from a bygone China. In contrast, Louie's heroine is an average college co-ed who becomes an aimless young adult adrift in New York City and finally a tourist in today's China. It is unfortunate that this now out-of-print novel apparently did not receive the attention and readership it deserved. I would recommend it to anyone interested in an intriguing coming-of-age story about a sensitive young woman's struggle with growing up in America, straddled between two cultures.

I am so sorry this book is already out of print. This was one of the most beautifully written, engaging novels I have ever experienced. It really helped me get through some tough times. I need to buy my own copy!

I ordered this book for my granddaughter to read this summer.
I was pleased with it and she will enjoy the book and pass it on to
her classmates, I'm sure.
Bonnie Cadwell

Mountain light is a really good book. i would give it 5 stars because it is an all together really good book. it is about Cassia and her "friend" squeaky, and how they help their villages, and how squeaky goes the the land of the golden mountain.

this book was a great sequel to The Serpent's Children, which i recommend. it shows a more subtle romeo+juliet deal, except less dramatic and fatal. it shows us that friendship and love can conquer all.

Mountain Light shows how a friendship can survive the adversity of war and ancient grudges. The two characters are hardly alike but they seem to be the same person.

Mountain Light
Mountain Light by Lawrence Yep is the best children's book I have ever read. It is full of Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Mystery, love and at the same time like a cool documentary because it is so educational. It is about a young man that is faced with the decision whether or not to leave his friends and go back to his family or "pack" where he belongs. But he realizes that he has become so close to his new friend Cassia it is a hard decision to make. He decides to go to the land of the Golden mountain in America and work with his friend's brother and his friend to make money so maybe, just maybe he can be married to Cassia. It is full of hardship and a lot of drama. Mountain Light is actually a book in the Serpent Children Series which is one thing that I love about this kind of book, they never seem to end when it's a series. I don't find books very exciting if it's only one topic. This book is about every topic you can think of! Another thing about the book that makes it interesting is the characters in the book can relate to everything and everyone and it's fascinating. What makes this book so much unlike others that I have read before is every time you read a new book in the series it is always a different person in the series telling the story. I believe that anyone who likes to read at all would fall deep into this book. During the time reading this book I refused to go down to dinner! Mountain Light is defiantly the best children's book if not book i have ever read!

I bought this book for my daughter, and this is what she had to say:
"I have read all of the Amelia books, and have always wished that I could write and draw like her. This book helped accomplish this wish. I highly recommend it to people that like to write! It always saved me from boredom, and after I finished writing in it, it looked sooooo cool!"

This Book is great for kids who love to write thoughts, ideas, and drawings. Like I said, this is an awesome Book.

This book was great! It has all sorts of pages where you write about yourself. I like those sort of books where you have to fill in pages about yourself and what you like, etc, so thats why I got this book. I very highly reccamend it!

I loved this book so much! Everyone boys and especially girls should like this book more every time they read it!

I Like this book. I'm planning on getting an nother one. There so cool! Its good to take it out when ever you get board. Its a really great book! i know i like it! My friends love it two! The best thing of all at Amazon.com is all the sales!!!! Amelia books are so cool! I'm getting ameila hits the road book thats the next one in line!

This is an amazing historical fiction account of the Lewis and Clark Voyage of Discovery. In Idaho, students are spoon-fed Lewis and Clark starting in the fourth grade. By the time they get to 8th grade, students think they know everything there is to know about the Corps of Discovery. This novel opens up their eyes and their minds to so many more possibilities, and the understanding that, "Yes, you're right Mrs. Baker, I guess there are still some things about the Lewis and Clark journey that I don't know." And they enjoy it! Beyond that, my husband, who is only satisfied with reading non-fiction, enjoyed it. I loved it. It is exceptional. The content/vocabulary is not so difficult that those with lower reading abilities will be put off, as they are, for example, by Undaunted Courage. Read it. You will be glad you did!

THIS BOOK IS THE BEST BOOK ABOUT LEWIS AND CLARK AND I'VE READ A LOT OF THEM. EVERY ONE SHOULD GET THIS BOOK.

I loved this book - it is great historical fiction. The story-telling is great, and you pick up a lot of facts and information about the actual Lewis & Clark trip (without it getting boring or tedious). The style of writing takes a little getting used to - it is written in a poetic style, and each "chapter" is written in first-person by one of 14 different people. But, you get used to it. A plus for me was that each "chapter" is only 1-3 pages in length - so I could read small, complete pieces when I could find time. The author does include actual passages from journals kept on the trip, and mixes these passages well with both fictional and non-fictional accounts of the trip. I particularly enjoyed following the stories of Reubin and Joseph Fields.

I love poetry and history and found this book to be an intriguing blend of both. I've read many books on Lewis and Clark's voyage - even the best have a tendancy to become tedious with the (mis)spelling and durge of details. Mr. Wolf tells the story of the trip from the aspect of many different characters - including Seaman, the Newfoundland dog. This would be an excellent book for teachers to read aloud to their students - it's also a great introduction to poetry - don't be put off if you're not a poetry fan - you will like it!

"New Found Land," by Alan Wolf. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0763621137/qid=1114056055/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-6991206... This book, billed as suitable for grade seven and up, caught the eye of a geezer. It's a novel written in first person poetic form in fourteen different voices, all principals of the Lewis and Clark expedition, The Corps of Discovery.

The title voice is none other than that of Seaman, Meriwether Lewis's big black bear of a Newfoundland dog--known to himself as Oolum. New Found Land is a story of a land at the dawn of its transition to a new existence, one that we know today as the western half of the United States of America. Other voices are Lewis himself, Clark, Thomas Jefferson, George Shannon, the Fields brothers, others of the expedition, and of course, Sacajawea.

Of course, it wasn't really New FOUND Land. It had been found some 10,000 years earlier, before the pyramids were built. But to the members of the expedition, and to many of us who love their story, it WAS NEW Found Land.

This work is a blend of the actual words from the Journals, and what might have been said by the characters as they made their daily discoveries. I like its poetic style, unique among all the books I've read about this adventure.

"Wow! Mommy, it's a snake!" I heard those very words as a little one-year-old boy sat enthralled, flipping through pages of stunning pictures of lively bugs and of curving words crawling across the pages of Oddhopper Opera: A Bug's Garden of Verses.

Oddhopper Opera is a combination of rhyming verses and colorful drawings of bugs and animals. The child gets an insider's look into a bug's race in an unattended garden. Filled with bugs of all shapes and sizes, this garden provides the backdrop for the story line, that of a race among the bugs to get to the finish line. Its incorporation of poetry into an otherwise "science"- seeming children's book will broaden the imagination of any child.

Though there is a creative, wide range of vocabulary, it makes it a difficult independent read for a child (for example, "Once up on a garden rotten, Twice forlorn and half forgotten").

Oddhopper Opera doesn't shy away from the facts of life, apparent in some of these example lines "dung balls rolling - move `em out," "Feeling kind of bloated," "'Papa, O Papa Bug, what will we eat?' "`It's gummy, it's yummy, it's dung! What a treat!'"

Regarding format, some of the words follow the twists and curves of the pictures, making it a challenge for a child of ages 5 to 10 to read independently, but a fun journey to read with, or to, a child.

The intriguing mix of poetry, stunning pictures, bugs and action-filled pages will keep children's attention and increase curiosity about what's going on in their own backyards.

Armchair Interviews says: If bugs bug you, or you love bugs, this book will bring you down to their level of living.

Oddhoppers Opera is a wonderful book on so many levels.
Kurt Cyrus takes you into a garden on a cold, wet, winters day and you follow through the story as the plants, bugs, snails and snakes come alive with his discriptive poems.
The illustrations are deatailed and colorful(without seeming unatural), and the text on many of the pages become part of the garden itself as the words bend, twist and tunnel through the pages. Many of the pages seem like a search and find book because with each reading we find details we overlooked before.
I try to buy books that springboard my children into other areas of learning and this book is perfect for science and poetry (two subjects not ususally used together), but it is also just as enjoyable to use as a preschoolers "let's cuddle up a read a story" book.

P.S. We just recieved Hotel Deep: Light Verse From Dark Water and it is another 5 for Kurt Cyrus!

That is what the words remind me of when I read this to my son. Incredibly descriptive, I can smell the fall garden as the vegetables slowly rot away and the (unseen to the human eye) insect life carries out there fall toil. My 4 year old sons' favorite is (of course) the dung beetles while my wife and I admire Cyrus' artistic and lyrical style. We are anxiously awaiting his next book "Hotel Deep" and and admire his artwork on "Buddy Holly" as well as "The Bones of Fred McFee" a seasonal story that is appropriate for Halloween.

"Once upon a garden rotten,/Twice forlorn and half forgotten..." So begins Kurt Cyrus' marvelous collection of "a bug's garden of verses." As winter ends and spring blooms, all the creatures begin to wake up and come to the surface. Join aphids, bees, crickets, dung beetles, earwigs, and fleas, grubs, katydids, snakes, snails, frogs, stinkbugs, and many other creepy, crawly, slimy friends as they eat, work, and play. The seasons change and spring turns to summer, and then summer turns to autumn, when "Drip-drip-wet and muddy./Party's over, everybody." Mr Cyrus' exuberant and entertaining text is full of energy and motion, and wonderfully enhanced by his bold, vibrant and engaging artwork. These illustrations are a real feast for the eyes, and youngsters will enjoy poring over the pictures, and always finding something new and humorous each time they open the book. Perfect for little entomologists aged 6-10, Oddhopper Opera is a very creative and innovative look at the garden, and all who live there.

If you love children's poetry, or bugs, or snails, or frogs, or gardens, or humor, or fabulous art, you will enjoy this book. :-) Cyrus is not only a talented illustrator, but this book proves he is also a gifted writer. Here is part of the beginning:

Once upon a garden rotten, Twice forlorn and half forgotten...

Drip--drip--cold and wet. Winter isn't over yet.

Drip--drip--soaking, sopping, Always dripping, never stopping.

This is just beginning of the many rhythmic, funny, surprises crawling inside. A must see-- A must read-- A must own! Enjoy!

This book is a cultural anthology of the African world for children as young as two years old. But the book really is set for older children and young adults. Besides the normal introduction to numbers and animal recognition, this is actually a work on music, poetry, and life interwoven with man, animals and their natural environment. Therefore, a good read for peoples of all races. The illustrations and colors beautifully project the imagery as it challenges the young mind to seek deeper meaning to what is presented. African adults reading this book will see it as a memory down their own childhood. I doubt though if it is different for other cultures. As a parent, a peek in this book was a trill, and I continue to enjoy reading it with my little girl. If you are looking for an illustrated book to teach your children the interdependencies of life, this will be one of it.

This book is a cultural anthology of the African world for children as young as two years old. But the book really is set for older children and young adults. Besides the normal introduction to numbers and animal recognition, this is actually a work on music, poetry, and life interwoven with man, animals and their natural environment. Therefore, a good read for people of all races. The illustrations and colors beautifully project the imagery as it challenges the young mind to seek deeper meaning to what is presented. African adults reading this book will see it as a memory down their own childhood. I doubt though if it is different for other cultures. As a parent, a peek in this book was a trill, and I continue to enjoy reading it with my little girl. If you are looking for an illustrated book to teach your children the interdependencies of life, this will be it.

This book is a cultural anthology of the African world for children as young as two years old. But the book really is set for older children and young adults. Besides the normal introduction to numbers and animal recognition, this is actually a work on music, poetry, and life interwoven with man, animals and their natural environment. Therefore, a good read for peoples of all races. The illustrations and colors beautifully project the imagery as it challenges the young mind to seek deeper meaning to what is presented. African adults reading this book will see it as a memory down their own childhood. I doubt though if it is different for other cultures. As a parent, a peek in this book was a trill, and I continue to enjoy reading it with my little girl. If you are looking for an illustrated book to teach your children the interdependencies of life, this will be one of it.

This marvelous, colorful collection of children's rhymes celebrates "talking drums" of West Africa, of great significance in that culture, as "criers" beat messages from village to village, the rhythmic beats speaking to the villagers along the way. Influenced by a rich heritage and the clever humor of Mother Goose rhymes, the rhymes blend storytelling with a distinct cultural identity, creating a "simple rhythmic language" for young children and beginning readers, a learning process of language and rhythm:

"Off to the sweet shores of Africa,
Off, with my harp and harmonica,
I'll follow the walking, talking drum
To the land, where sunbirds hum."

The language of these rhymes is African: cowrie shells, akara balls, palm, papaya, coral and mango trees and African places from the Sahara to Zambezi. Reinforced by the theme of African mores and traditions, the rhymes inform and entertain, exploring the culture, rich ancestral history and pride in African descent:

"Race the striped zebra across the plains,
Race the striped zebra over the lanes,
Hip! For the zebra!
Hip! For me!
Hurray! For the happy and free!"

The stunning illustrations that complement the rhymes are arresting, images of the African countryside, the indigenous people, animals, fauna and flora, the scorching ball of yellow sun, straw-hatted huts, the colorful garments of children at play, velvet deep nights, myriad stars twinkling above the sleeping village:

"What is the pale moon made of?
What is the pale moon made of?
Of cowrie shells and ivory
Dipped in the shimmering, silvery sea
And tossed up like a rubber ball
To be gazed upon by all."

Family, tradition, the nurturing of children; the author has written beautiful phrases of place and childhood, accompanied by truly inspirational illustrations. Luan Gaines/ 2006.

This is one of the most beautifully illustrated books that I have ever seen! Every page is filled with bright colors and cheerful prose and images. It is a perfect book for the age group intended, but it is also a wonderful treat for an adult. The images are so delightful that I can look at them over and over again. I especially like the colorful borders found on many of the pages. This is the kind of book that you will want to keep forever - even when the children "outgrow" it. I highly recommend this book.

Binnie Kirshenbaum's first novel features two intentionally outrageous young women making the most of being single in New York -- until one decides to get married.

The narrator, conventional Mona Rose, or Monarose as her new friend Edie dubs her, embraces Edie's eccentricity with the fervor of the redeemed and the pair stage odd elaborate escapades involving men and clothes and the vast stage set of New York City. Image is reality and their attachment to each other and the moment supercedes all. But then Edie announces her betrayal and the friendship is in jeopardy.

Kirshenbaum's writing is brash and breezy. Her characters balance on the line between enviable chic and manic desperation. But the search for identity and one's place in the world is ultimately serious business. Kishenbaum's exploration of the nuances and failures of friendship gives the rollicking humor of her story a satisfying poignancy.

this one succeeds because of the friendship of monarose and edie. two good time girls who want nothing more than to live for the moment...monarose sees herself as a mentor to edie, encouraging her into all sorts of bad behavior. they have fun going through men, jobs, food and drink as if it were their own undergarments...i have read history on a personal note and an almost perfect moment and have been enthralled by kishenbaum's witty, raunchy, life-affirming style....and it takes place in brooklyn...

i have read this book 5 times at the very least. it's full of humor, love, sex, and friendship viewed in a different light. it's joyous to read about 2 friends who trample through both men and jobs without a care. Edie does all the things you've wanted to do but lacked the courage or insanity to carry out. it's a must read for any brokenhearted woman!

if you have a friend and you read this book and you still have a freind and she reads this book and you are still friends and it is five years later read the book again and remember why you are friends.

This book is amazing. Though quite flamboyant and seemingly "carefree" it gives SUCH careful consideration to relationships of all sorts...and especially relationships between women. Though it made me a little sad, it painted a perfect picture of a friendship progressing through all high and low points. I don't want to give anything away, so I will simply say, "IT MUST BE READ!", by men and women alike. Everyone has something to gain from this book. Binnie Kirshenbaum is a genius.