Tag: Picture Books

When you need a quick, easy read there’s still nothing better than a children’s book- and on some days I still need that. I think I didn’t realize how much YA fiction is a bit still beyond me, until I finished The Goose Girl. Well, this one caught my eye because of course it features roller-skating. I wasn’t familiar with the character before: Snickerdoodle is a tiny man who rides around in a car made out of a peanut shell. He’s full of optimism and cheer, faces every problem with a can-do attitude and encourages others to do the same. That’s the whole message. That you can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it, in ways that aren’t obvious at first, and no matter what others think of your abilities (in his case, Snickerdoodle is often overlooked because of his small size).

So, this tiny man finds a horse stuck in a mudhole, and helps it get out by tickling the horse (so he laughs and with a sudden leap and kick, is free). Then he finds out the horse ran away from a rodeo because he felt he didn’t fit in there, he didn’t have the temperament of a mean, bucking bronco, but wanted to show off his roller-skating skills and wow the crowd with his performance. Snickerdoodle goes with him back to the rodeo grounds to make his case. The rodeo boss thinks this is a joke at first, but when Snickerdoodle insists, he puts an impossible condition on it: the gray horse can roller-skate for the crowd, if Snickerdoodle can ride the toughest bronco. This didn’t seem fair to me, but the small man was not deterred. He leaped on the mean horse, hung on and started twisting its mane. He braided the bronco’s mane while riding him, which astonished (and pleased) the horse so much that it stopped to look at itself in a mirror. So then the roller-skating horse gets to perform his tricks, and I have to say the one thing that bugged me about the story was that the illustrations make it look like rollerblades, when it kept saying roller skates and the tricks named definitely sound like things you do on quads. Plus they didn’t at all look the right shape/size for a horse’s feet- if you’re going to put a horse in roller skates at least make it look like they would fit! Ha. Oh well. It was a cute story with a very good message. All told in rhyme, as well. I bet it’s fun to read out loud, but I didn’t do that.

Borrowed from the public library.

The story of a little kitten, who somehow looses his mother and siblings, finds himself alone on the streets of a city. It’s cold and scary and he’s hungry. When stuck up in a tree, an old lady calls for help- the kitten is rescued and put in a shelter. Where he is now warm and fed, but bored (and maybe stressed? there sure were a lot of cats in that one cage on the picture!) Then he is swept away to a new home- where there are lots of eager hands to pet him, and new things to get used to. A barking (but friendly) dog. The brightness of the garden. The comings and goings of various people. Gradually the kitten settles down, realizes that everything here is safe, that this is a place he now belongs to. And the kitten is very content, and his days are now perfect.

Another very sweet story. This one really touched me, because we recently adopted two young cats from the local shelter. They were both picked up as strays- one had been at another shelter for over three months, the other one transferred from Florida, that’s all I know. They both had issues at first- Eliza (the striped one) can be very assertive and fiesty, whereas Mabel (the calico) is super skittish, easily startled. But I’m glad we gave them a chance- they’ve both settled in well. Eliza amazes me with her intelligence and her sweetness (seldom expressed, but it sure means a lot when she snuggles with me). And Mabel is so playful and funny, always swiping small items to become her toys, and rolling around on the floor. And I’m so glad they like each other now! They were very standoffish to each other at first. Sometimes I wonder about the stresses and fears they must have gone through in their rough times (we see some evidence of it). I’m glad they are safe and happy with us now.

Borrowed from the public library.

A (mostly) wordless picture book that shows things from a toad’s perspective, as it emerges from underground in the spring, and searches for a water source. He makes his way through many hazards- tall tangled grass, vehicles on the road, predators- until finally coming into the quietness of a garden. Where a young girl gently picks him up to look closely- he looks alarmed at first, but is carefully set free again. Water is provided, and he is goggle-eyed over all the insects to eat. He seems to enjoy the peacefulness there, and sings to a mate. The picture of him surrounded by subsequent toadlets is so cute! And the images with the little toad beneath numerous flowers are just lovely. At the end are some notes about toads and why they are good to have around. Beautiful.

Borrowed from the public library.