May 2011
Books I read this month are just shy of twenty in number. There are plenty of picture books for children, as well as a few meaty titles for good summer reading. (Be sure to see Chesterton’s Manalive!) I recently won a Nook electronic reader in a poetry contest (yay!), so there are several e-books listed here, all of them available for free downloading at the Gutenberg Project or Simply Charlotte Mason. There’s also plenty of great music from this month; scroll to the bottom to see them.
Books Read This Month
These are books that I read entirely for the first time this month.
A very old man and a very old woman decide they want a pretty little cat, so the very old man goes out in search of the prettiest cat in the world. When he meets a crowd of “hundreds and thousands and millions and billions and trillions of cats,” the bewildered man can’t decide which is the prettiest, so he takes them all home. Cadenced writing is accompanied by black and white illustrations. Sensitive children might find the cat fight disturbing.
This is a delightfully zany mystery told with gently pervasive humor and accompanied by the author’s own colorful, droll illustrations. The circus is coming to town, and a young local detective prepares himself for a probable crime wave. His vigilance is rewarded by the arrival of three suspicious people. Are they responsible for the subsequent series of robberies? This book earns three and a half stars.
05/2 Puss in Boots. John S. Goodall. ✩✩
Goodall’s bright watercolors retell the classic fairytale of the clever “Puss in Boots” in his trademark alternation of full-pages and half-pages. Many of the pictures will be difficult to understand alone, unless the viewer is already familiar with the story, so it is up to the story-teller to make the story cohesive and interesting. Even the brief explanations given before the story are inadequate, and are meant only to refresh the memory. I feel very uncomfortable with the deceit that is the framework of the story; the Puss’s lies are rewarded by success. Magic is involved, as the ogre can change his form.
I greatly enjoy visiting historical houses and imagining the many stories that must have taken place in the now quiet rooms. This picture book is a glimpse into the many different people and events one country house sheltered throughout different time periods—from the Tudor times to the present. Everyday chores are depicted as well as dazzling banquets and balls. The detailed watercolors are accompanied only by a note on the time period displayed and a fragmentary comment on the scene.
In this picture book Goodall depicts the changes an English main street undergoes from the Medieval to Elizabethan, Restoration, Georgian, Regency, Victorian, Edwardian, and present day eras. In spite of the many changes in architecture and fashion, the main street remains throughout the central point of the community. This picture book features Goodall's own unique page format, which adds some dynamism to this bustling hub of the community. The present day page spread (which includes a small group of teenagers with wild hair), also depicts a woman in a very short dress (upper-thigh skirt length) crossing the street with the pedestrian crowd. Otherwise, the vast majority of the ladies are modestly dressed in mid-calf-length skirts or dresses.
From the jacket: “The pages of this memorable book trace the life of a typical English castle from the 1170s, when the Normans built it, to the 1970s, when it is open to the public. There are years of tranquility, as well as of war and hardship, for its inhabitants. Feasts in the great hall, performances from wandering minstrels, quiet walks through the garden, balls and dinner parties are shown. Civil war interrupts the flow of daily life, as do the the two World Wars in the twentieth century, when the castle becomes an army outpost. In delicate watercolors, John S. Goodall recreates interior scenes and the surrounding landscape through the centuries. Half-pages that alter the action of the full-page scenes that provide extended glimpses of each period. This is a vivid journey into the past.” The interior and exterior of the castle change with time, as do the fashions. My regret is that the beautiful illustrations are not accompanied by a narrative.
General Notes on John S. Goodall Books
I am a lover of words, so I miss knowing the narrative that I can only guess from the pictures. Still, I do find these books generally delightful, and enjoy the chance to imagine the stories of the people depicted. Skilled storytellers could easily make these books interesting for young children, who will enjoy the changing details as the book is taken out again and again. Young children themselves might enjoy telling the story without worrying about telling the words "wrong." Of course, they will also enjoy just quietly examining the paintings.
The historical books, naturally, would allow for a less cohesive narrative without a historical understanding; each page spread could be simply but engagingly described. The historical books would provide a wonderful opportunity to introduce young children to the idea of history and the changes time brings. The child and adult together could point out the many details, and discuss how fashions, architecture, work, and recreation have changed over time.
This was the most disappointing of Locker’s Dance series. These are not the best of his paintings (though some are still quite beautiful), and most are accompanied by only a single short sentence. The last page even features a fragment and a punctuation error. This book failed to make up with interest.
Four classic picture books about a young boy named Alfie are collected in this charming treasury.* Warm, everyday stories are accompanied by detailed, slightly disheveled scenes in watercolor.
Alfie Gets In First. After grocery shopping, Alfie races to get home before his mother and little sister. His mother unlocks the door and, as she turns to get Annie Rose from the stroller, Alfie runs in and slams the door. Now Alfie is locked inside, and Mom and a cranky Annie Rose are locked outside. At the climax of the story we have Mom, Rose, the neighbor Mrs. MacNally, Mrs. MacNally’s Maureen, the milkman, and the window washer all crowded on the doorstep trying to help Alfie. Little children (I too!) enjoy being able to see what is happening on the other side of the door as Alfie courageously wipes away his tears, drags his step-stool to the door, and proudly opens it to the astonished gathering. Everyone comes in for a cup of tea and a satisfying ending.
Alfie’s Feet. Alfie loves splashing in muddy puddles, so he goes with his mother to buy a pair of shiny red rubber boots. Alfie loves stomping around in them, and goes to the park with Dad to try them in the puddles. Something is wrong, though. Why do Alfie’s feet feel so funny?
Alfie Gives a Hand. Alfie attends his first birthday party all by himself, clutching his old blanket. When the bratty birthday child (whose mother weakly and ineffectively attempts to control him) frightens another birthday guest, Alfie makes the difficult decision to put down his blanket and offer her reassurance. Between the bratty birthday child and the weepy guest, this was my least favorite of the stories, but one in which Alfie models how to behave with courtesy and sympathy when other children aren’t.
An Evening at Alfie’s. Mom and Dad are going to an evening concert, and leave Alfie and Annie Rose at home with Maureen to babysit them. It begins as a peaceful evening. Maureen reads aloud the story of Noah’s ark before tucking Alfie and his baby sister in bed. Soon, Alfie hears a strange dripping sound. The water main has burst! Will they all float away like Noah’s ark? All concludes happily, but Alfie feels he’s had enough of water for awhile! This was my favorite of the Alfie stories.
*I have to say—my siblings and I have always found a special appeal in treasuries—big fat books like the original Complete Collection of Thomas the Tank Engine. It delicious to spread yourself out on the floor and read and read and read.
This picture book traces an English history of farming, from the swineherds and wattle huts of the early Medieval Ages to the present day of tractor and combines. Watercolors present scenes from the Middle Ages through the Elizabethan, Georgian, Regency, Victorian, Second World War, Postwar, and Modern eras, depicting the daily round of chores inside and out, as well as country recreations and celebrations.
“Parents,” wrote educator Charlotte M. Mason, “owe a thinking love to their children.” A thinking love is not a lazy or indulgent love, but a love that is willing to set boundaries for the child’s best good. This handbook prepared by Sonya Shafer is both thought-provoking and practical, divided into short chapters designed for busy mothers. Included are plenty of inspiring and instructive quotes from Mason’s own writings. You can download and read this entire book for free at Simply Charlotte Mason.
Parents are seeking in their family life what seems to be a delicate balance between tyranny and anarchy. Charlotte Mason called this balance “Masterly Inactivity,” and Sonya Shafer has prepared a basic handbook that introduces busy mothers to this important concept. What is Masterly Inactivity, and what does it look like in practice? Included in this handbook are plenty of inspiring and instructive quotes from Mason’s own writings. Allow your children to be “free under authority, which is liberty.” You can download and read this entire book for free at Simply Charlotte Mason.
I love the concept of the Smithsonian’s Backyard series—teaching young children about wild animals in their own neighborhood through a story—one of the world’s oldest and most effective teaching instruments. While following the animal’s adventure, young children will learn about its habitat, diet, and behavior. At first glance, Raccoon at Clear Creek Road seemed to fulfill the series’ potential. It had whole paragraphs for each page spread, a good sign of a quality picture book which does not sacrifice the literature for the art. It also had some good vocabulary, including words such as plummets, trills, and jutting. The story was good too. (While foraging for food, a mother raccoon is separated from her kits by a swollen creek.) I was disappointed, however, by the painfully short and structurally simplistic sentences. (Some are even arbitrarily shortened; several sentences begin with connective conjunctions.) Not only did this lead to choppy reading but to lack of attention and interest. Here is an example: “The light goes out. The night is quiet. Raccoon sneaks along the driveway. The garbage cans are gone. The smell of things to eat comes now from the garage. The door is closed. She cannot get in.” The stultifying effect of reading this passage aloud to my brothers was almost a physical sensation. A good reader can lend a small measure of spirit to this monochrome passage, but it gets tiring by the end of the book. I don’t think we need to assume that even young children can understand and enjoy only the simplest sentences.
I enjoyed this book very much. It was preposterously funny and yet profoundly serious. The story begins with a great wind that sweeps over London, breaking open the grey, foggy clouds and soon to break open the conventional cynicism of modern life. To the dreary garden at Beacon Hill it first brings a white panama hat, then a green umbrella, then a yellow Gladstone bag, and finally a huge man in green sporting clothes. This fantastic and energetic personage is Innocent Smith, a man who takes a really insane delight in life.—Or is it we who are insane for not enjoying life more? When serious charges are leveled against Innocent Smith, the High Court of Beacon sits to decide whether he is as innocent as his name. The charges?—insanity, murder, theft, desertion of his wife, and polygamy. Evidence is brought forward that will give you a wonderfully fresh perspective on life, property, home, and romance as well as the unexpected link between goodness and happiness. This is highly recommended for thoughtful reading; the pages bristle with memorable thoughts and quotable lines. There is one instance of a character using Christ’s name in vain; there are a few uses of mild language. You can download and read this entire book for free at Gutenberg Project.
“Her name was Peromyscus leucopus, but she did not know it. I think it had been a long time since the mice around Port William spoke English, let alone Latin. Her language was a dialect of Mouse, a tongue for which we humans have never developed a vocabulary or grammar, Because I don’t know her name in Mouse, I will call her Whitefoot.” So begins the gently engaging tale of Whitefoot and the flooded river that swept her away. You will find along the way a few lessons for us humans. Whitefoot “did her work according to an ancient, honorable principle: Enough is enough. She worked and lived without extravagance and without waste. Her nest was a neat small cup the size of herself asleep.” Some call Whitefoot a children’s books, others a picture book for adults; it is both—equally worth reading whether you are twelve or ninety. David Te Selle’s detailed pencil drawings beautifully complete this very special little book.
Because of my high opinion of Wendell Berry’s writing, I was prepared to purchase this book sight unseen (finding a like-new hardback copy for a mere $.91 was certainly encouraging). I was very glad, however, to find that you can read the entire text online at the Orion Magazine Website, and you can view several of the charming pencil illustrations at the artist’s website.
This is an improvement on Raccoon at Clear Creek Road. (My siblings think it’s so funny that I had such a strong opinion about Raccoon.) The sentence structure is certainly much more varied and interesting (though there is again, most unnecessarily, a sentence beginning with a connective conjunction. Am I too picky?) Firefly emerges from the ground one summer night, a full-grown adult the size of a watermelon seed. Stonybrook farm seems a peaceful setting, but there are many dangers for Firefly to avoid—hungry toads, lizards, and spiders as well as playful children. Will Firefly be able to use his blinking light to attract a mate? This book earns three and a half stars.
Other Books
These are the books that I revisited or did not read completely.
Colonial Living. Edwin Tunis. ✩✩✩✩✩
Tunis's books are so delightful! The pages are satisfyingly large, inviting a rainy-day sprawl on the living-room floor to examine the detailed pencil drawings and dip in the interesting and informative text. Tunis concludes the preface with these words: "It's hoped that some picture of our forbears themselves emerge from their ways of life. They weren't always admirable—neither, one fears, are their descendants—but they had qualities of fortitude and of ‘rugged individualism’ that are worth remembering." Architecture, furniture, food, fashion, industry, social customs and more are examined in this classic book.
Colonial Craftsmen and the Beginnings of American Industry. Edwin Tunis ✩✩✩✩
This book provides a more detailed examination of the industries of early America, including that of the blacksmith, the cooper, the apothecary, the shipwright, the chandler, and many more. This is not a how-to book, as Tunis explains in the preface, but broad descriptions of the master crafts, accompanied by Tunis's detailed and accurate pencil drawings. Boys will especially enjoy this!
The Scriptures make a clear connection between spiritual health and physical health, and science is confirming that connection. Learn how your anger, bitterness, anxiety, and fear might be causing or contributing to such debilitating health issues as coronary-artery disease, fibromyalgia, immune compromise, and migraine headaches. The truth is, your body cannot differentiate between emotional and physical stressors; and the wear and tear of stress hormones will eventually tell on your body. This book is very interesting and makes some important points; but I am not a fan of Dr. Colbert (as you may recall from last month) for the reason that he lacks the balance found in thorough research.
Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death has ruined me for any other television polemic. I found it so difficult to “get into” this book after I had already enjoyed Postman’s incisive logic and wit and the way he immediately addressed the very fundamentals of the television problem. I found Winn’s book a little superficial, but it might be better appreciated by busy parents who need fewer pages, simple writing, lots of stories and examples, and plenty of sub-titles. Still, try to make some time for Postman. (Failure to Connect by Jane Healy is also great!)
Music
Lyric Waltz ✩✩✩✩✩ This lushly romantic waltz is the second movement in Shostakovich’s Jazz Suite No. 2. Littlest Sister and I sweep dramatically up and down the living room. You can listen to a full recording at YouTube HERE.
Acceleration Waltz ✩✩✩✩ This waltz from the laughing genius of Vienna will test your dancing skills, for sure! How gracefully can you quicken and then slow your waltz? Littlest Sister and I try our best! You can listen to a full recording at YouTube HERE.
Munster Hop ✩✩✩✩✩ Sharon Shannon, who I first encountered in the Transatlantic Sessions, is a phenomenal accordionist. Her recording of this Celtic tune is exuberant. You can listen to a full recording at YouTube HERE.
Dezi Donnely, Michael McGoldrick ✩✩✩✩✩ The Full Set is an Irish television show featuring traditional Irish musicians. Biggest Brother and I enjoyed watching the episode featuring flautist Michael McGoldrick and fiddler Dezi Donnely (more acquaintances from Transatlantic Sessions). I can’t say I understood every thickly-accented word (I think I missed a few jokes); nevertheless, the beautiful Celtic music I did understand very well.
More Transatlantic Sessions ✩✩✩✩✩ This month I added several new favorites from the oft-mentioned Transatlantic Sessions; you can see the updated index in a previous post HERE.
Photograph: My new electronic reader could never, ever replace real old-fashioned books, but it certainly is convenient for reading out-of-print books that are unavailable or fabulously expensive. Here is Jules Verne (a favorite!) gracing my Nook as a screen-saver. Behind him is Dallas Sharp’s essay collection The Face of the Fields. The book is open to the wildly funny essay “Turtle Eggs for Agssiz.” You’ll read more about it next month.
Photographs and text © 2011.
Friday, June 3, 2011