Indigo by Alice Hoffman

What an odd little tale this one was. It is written almost in the mode of one of the many Irish folk tale of Selkies; the same mater of fact and whimsical tone you find in so many of those old tales is present which takes on an almost rhythmic beat as you read along. I absolutely relished the author's syntax in this work.

This is the story of three friends in a small, could be anywhere kind of place, but in this case Texas town. It is dry there and the people of the village do no like water since their town was washed away by a flood in the past. The three friends, Martha Glimmer, a motherless young girl and two brothers, Trout and Ell McGill long to leave this dry boring place; to seek something more, to experience something that will fill the obvious void in their lives. They know beyond a doubt that there is something else out there, another world' a world they know they should be a part of in an instinctive way. Something is missing in their lives and they want answers.

There is of course a mystical quality about this book, this short book, but that is only right as it deals with the mystical part of the inner heart. There are several things going on throughout this work; the importance of friendship, trust, family relationships and most important the message of acceptance.

Not to throw in any spoilers, but there is something definitely fishlike about the two young boys. Their parents, a childless couple went on a vacation a number of years ago, and apparently "adopted" these two young men and have raised them in a loving home since. The boys are "different," in that they have webbed feet and hands and there is a look in their eye that is not all together of this world.

I would have liked to have seen this work fleshed out somewhat as the author has used some fascinating personalities to tell her story...she just does not supply enough information which could leave some readers a bit frustrated I fear. I personally did not mind as I read the work more for the story telling rhythm the author uses more than anything else.

This is a likable book with several good messages. It is a very fast read, but a read that you will want to ponder a bit to glean full value from it. I do very much recommend it and certainly suggest you add it to your reading list. I am giving this one five stars because for me it was a perfect fit and for me it was an extremely enjoyable read.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

Indigo

• Accelerated Reading level : 5.8
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (June 2003)
• ISBN-10: 0439256364
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Good Night, Little Bunny by Jane Yolen

Stars are shining brightly. The moon is overhead.

Come, little bunny. Now it's time for bed.

Here are your pj's.
Let's put them on.
One foot, then the other...
Oh, a great big yawn!

This Touch-and-Feel book is new this year. (The text was previously published under a different title.)

The drawings are sweet and the focus is on getting ready for bed. Which means that Baby-bunny sees that the stars and moon are out, puts on his/her pj's, brushes teeth and hair, has a bedtime story and then falls to sleep after a goodnight kiss.

Talking Points :::
I was rather surprised that the touch-and-feel aspect of this book wasn't better. Basically there was cotton cloth -- used in two places in two different patterns, but basically with the same feel-- a scratchy plastic (used for toothbrush and hair brush bristles), a soft lamb's wool, a soft felt for the bunny's face, and a smooth silvery surface.

My major complaint is that some of the surfaces were very small. For example, the surface area for bristles on the toothbrush was tiny. I could barely get my fingertip to touch the toothbrush surface which means it would be a darn small target for a baby finger. The surface for the hairbrush, which was made out of the same scratchy plastic, was much larger, and perhaps that was really what they meant children to focus on.

A similar problem exists for the shiney silver stars and the crescent moon. Shiny is good, babies love that, but the surface area is very small. They can't, for example, see themselves in mirror-like surface. And the smoothness of the crescent is scarcely different than that of the page of the boardbook.

Overall, not a bad book-- I like Jane Yolen -- just uninspired.

Pam
Somewhere in the X-burbs

Good Night, Little Bunny

Accelerated Reading level : unknown

• Board book: 12 pages
• Publisher: Little Simon; (January 26, 2010)
• ISBN-10: 1416983015

The Black Book of Color by Menena Cottin

The Black Book of Color

by Menena Cottin
Illustrated by Rosana Faria
Translated by Elisa Amado.

There is always something to surprise me hiding in the picture book section of my library. No matter how many times I check through them, no matter how often I peruse the new arrivals or reshelve titles, I always miss something until it finds my fingers and catches my attention.

It’s understandable I might have overlooked this one. It’s a small, unassuming rectangle with a black cover and gray title. It isn’t flashy or attention grabbing—but luckily I know only too well not to judge a book by it’s cover.

The Black Book of Colors is a book that contains no visual colors whatsoever. It is entirely crafted with black pages and spare white text. So why did this book have me excitedly shoving it under the noses of my fellow librarians and other book-lovers?

It’s a book that encapsulates what colors would mean to a person without sight. Above each line of text, the sentence is written in raised Braille. To the right of the text an entire image has been placed in raised texture on the page, but without any color pigment added to distinguish it from the black page background. The sample challenges listeners and readers to use their sensory imagination. “Thomas says yellow tastes like mustard, but is as soft as a baby chick’s feathers.” (on the right side of the 2-page layout are feathers). The entire book is a sensory feast, while avoiding sight, the one sense usually associated with picture books. It’s a perfect way to introduce to children what it might be like to be blind, or an exercise in exploring other senses and how they can be used to describe something. At the back, the author includes the entire alphabet translated into Braille—a helpful inclusion, as most children have little exposure to any Braille text.

It’s a beautiful book, originally published in Mexico and now translated to English so that a wider audience can appreciate the artistry and imagination. It’s difficult to find examples of Braille in the standard library collection, so I’m delighted to have this example to share with teachers and parents.

Normally I like to recommend other books that are similar in some way—but I’m having a hard time coming up with anything. This book is singular, fascinating and great book to share with children Pre-K and up. It won’t make for a great group read aloud (touch is necessary to make this a worthwhile experience) but it’s a good pick for a one-on-one.

Happy Reading! ^_^ Shanshad

The Black Book of Colors

Accelerated Reading level : 2.6

• Hardcover: 24 pages
• Publisher: Groundwood Books
  
• ISBN-10: 0888998732
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