windowsill's Xanga

moving on up....

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 22:00:29 GMT

down? sideways?

Anyway, I'm moving this blog to http://bunnyplanet.blogspot.com/. Please join me there.

a review of Wonderful Words

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 06:19:36 GMT

Wonderful Words edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins. Illustrated by Karen Barbour. Simon & Schuster, 2004 (0-689-83588-4) $16.95

"I'll plant in you 
      a spring-seedling
      with bursting life
      while you are reading

I am the book
You are needing."

Words rise and dance and spin; are piled like blocks; pierce the darkness; and wear long boots, hard boots in this collection of poems. Books, poems, writing, talking and even listening are what the words are about... and just as they should, they dazzle, warm and satisfy the ear when they're read aloud. The illustrations have a primitive, folk-art flair that occasionally crosses over into garishness, but most are good companions to the whimsical, wise and childlike moods of the wonderful words. (4 & up)

I just had to quote that poem... And then I had to share it. It's by Tom Robert Shields, by the way, and I have no idea who he is, but he is clearly a Zen Master.

Sunday, February 12, 2006

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 05:15:03 GMT

I just realized that Powell's has cut a lot of images from their site, making my site look like it's been attacked by a random hacker with a lot of wite-out. What to do, what to do. I have never had much patience for the technical side of things and I have never had less time or energy for it than I do right now....

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Tue, 13 Dec 2005 05:45:24 GMT

Last issue of the year is up at http://www.windowsill.net/13.5.html. A few Winter/Christmas themed reprints and some more recent YA novels that I enjoyed.

I have five more bibliographies simmering on a back burner for next year.... bwahahahahahaha!

Monday, December 05, 2005

Mon, 05 Dec 2005 03:59:38 GMT

Brag Book

I arrived at the library the other day, just in time to solve a children's book reference question. (The answer: the Seven Silly Eaters.) How cool is that? Both that I was asked, and that I knew the answer.

(I was also able to solve By the Great Horn Spoon, but that was just due to googling skills, not actual knowledge.)

I've made a number of 2005 additions to the winter bibliography, btw... and will have one more issue of Notes out before the end of the year. One of the loveliest new books out is called Winter Lights; it's poems about all aspects of winter, gorgeously illustrated with hand-made quilt pieces. You'd be surprised how much fabric can seem to glow and shine.

Monday, November 07, 2005

Mon, 07 Nov 2005 21:13:19 GMT

Had an interesting idea: perhaps I can do RSS feeds for my reviews. My in-house geek is pondering it.

I brought home Bembo's Zoo the other day. Again, I thought it was far too visually complicated for the average child, and my son loved it. I don't know if it's just that he's not the average child or if as a picture book reviewer I am an excellent teacher of French.

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Tue, 11 Oct 2005 17:48:16 GMT

You just never know... my son and I were at the doctor's yesterday and I dug up a book to read while we were waiting, Cuckoo by Lois Ehlert. And I'm thinking, well, the story sucks and these pictures are gorgeous, but really hard to follow and what kids is going to like it? Mine, apparently.

My in-house geek/husband thinks I should add Google ads to my site. Not my style, to quote I Love You, Mr. Bear. Also, I find them kind of creepy.

Friday, September 30, 2005

Fri, 30 Sep 2005 02:41:33 GMT

Latest bibliographies: Halloween reading: http://www.windowsill.net/spooky.html
(still very messy) and Books about Bodies: http://www.windowsill.net/bodies.html
(should be messy? )

I was amusing myself reading kid's book reviews today. Most of them were of the "It was great!" variety--and how Iwish I could get away with just saying that! But some were really funny. I particularly liked a review--I think of one of Adele Geras' books--which was something like: "If you love cats, you'll think this book is great! But I only LIKE cats, so I only thought it was GOOD."

Oh, and then there was the review of one of Lemony Snickett's "Unfortunate Events" series: "I thought this book was bad, because too many good things happen in it." They have a point!

Sunday, September 25, 2005

Sun, 25 Sep 2005 02:38:57 GMT

I'm putting together a bibliography of books about our bodies, with an emphasis on potty-learning books (guess how old my kid is?) and it's fascinating to note how many of the books are previously published in another country. Belgium, especially, seems big on potty books-- and didn't the classic, Once Upon a Potty, originally come from Israel? Whereas the books published in America are so covered in pink or blue decor, you can barely spot the kids, much less their bottoms. Note that there's a market for the foreign books here, it's not like American parents don't want them. Apparently, we just don't want to write, illustrate or publish them.

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Tue, 13 Sep 2005 02:20:22 GMT

Something to do with my review books...

You can donate books through the Texas Library Association. According to the TLA,

recent issue books that are new or in good condition

Libraries that are in need of books right away in order to meet the needs of Katrina evacuees are encouraged to contact the TLA.