Fairy Tales, Part I

I know there are a variety of picture books out there featuring the telling and retelling of fairy tales. When I decided to start our own collection of them, I wasn't sure which ones to choose. In the end, I made some choices I was very happy with and a few not so much. (I'm still looking for a version of The Bremen Town Musicians that I like.) I thought I'd take a minute to share our growing collection of fairy tales which we are spending some time reading in between Season 2 and Season 3 of Once Upon a Time. (heh)

Personally, I prefer our picture books to reflect the original versions of the stories as much as possible. I don't mind a little revision, but it would seem that I must accept some. I am definitely not on the lookout for sanitized tales but picture books are going to be kind with the visuals and I do appreciate that very much! I prefer our fairy tale picture books to have a more classically illustrated feel about them, with few exceptions. Fairy tales are a thing of beauty and I think the books we own should reflect that.

If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.
― Albert Einstein

The Story of Little Red Riding Hood, by Christopher Bing was my favorite of the ones I browsed through.

Bing's illustrations are what drew me to this version initially. Of note, he used his youngest daughter for the model of the heroine. He brings the story to life with pen and ink drawings. This book contains the Grimm version of the story (the wolf is cut open in his sleep and grandmother and Red are both rescued with the wolf being killed and turned into a pelt). This version of the story was first published in 1812. Also included in Bing's book is the 1697 version by Charles Perrault. The moral of Perrault's story is also provided. It is interesting to read so I'll provide it for you here:

From this story one learns that children,
Especially young girls,
Pretty, well bred, and genteel,
Are wrong to listen to just anyone,
And it's not at all strange,
If a wolf ends up eating them.
I say a wolf, but not all wolves
Are exactly the same.
Some are perfectly charming,
Not loud, brutal or angry,
But tame, pleasant and gentle,
Following young ladies
Right into their homes, into their chambers,
But watch out if you haven't learned that tame wolves
Are the most dangerous of all.
*****

I deviate immediately from my general rule about fairy tales having a classical feel to them by confessing that we own the Brigette Barrager edition of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. This one is 1960's all the way, baby! It's not so much "classical" as it is "vintage." And although I don't really care much for the style of the 60's, I do like this book. (Also, I did not find a version I liked better!) I find this story more whimsical than others and Barrager's illustrations are whimsical (to me) making the story and the artist compatible. Here's an example of her work:

Maybe I like it because it has something of a Disney-fied feel to it. Whatever the reason, this is my chosen edition despite the fact that the story is retold. Deviating from the 1812 version as told by the Brothers Grimm, Barrager has it so that a cobbler by the name of Pip makes himself a pair of soft shoes by which he can follow the princesses at night without making any noise. There is no witch in the woods and no magic cloak. Disappointing, but I'm trading it for the illustrations and feel of the book. If someone has another version to offer for my consideration, I'm willing to hear about it. ;)

*****

Fairy tales do not give the child his first idea of bogey. What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of bogey. The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon. - G.K. Chesterton

Charles Santore illustrated a version of Snow White that stays true to the Grimms original tale. The wicked queen is commanded to put on a pair of magic slippers at Snow White's wedding which forces her to dance herself to death. (Prince Charming and Snow from Once Upon a Time could take a clue. Just sayin'.)

*****
Lastly, for this post, is Paul O. Zelinsky's version of Rumpelstiltskin.

In this retelling of the story, Rumplestiltskin runs away never to be heard from again. This is in keeping with the original 1812 telling of the story, which was later revised in 1857. The 1857 version has Rumpel flying into a rage and stomping his foot into the ground, creating a chasm which he falls into. Either which way, he doesn't get the Miller's Daughter's baby. Which again makes one wonder where Once Upon a Time is going to do with Rumpel in the end. Any guesses?!

I left the fairy tales lying on the floor of the nursery, and I have not found any books so sensible since. ― G.K. Chesterton

I'll share more of our home collection of fairy tales tomorrow so stay tuned!

Prayer Requests

*This is a non-book related post.*

We were visiting some friends of ours recently and the wife informed me of this online web service that she uses to keep her prayer requests organized. It's called Echo Prayer Manager. She was telling me how it's an easy way for her to pray through the requests on her list without feeling overwhelmed. I came home and looked into it and have been using it myself for the past month. I find it enormously helpful and wanted to share it with you all, in case you think it would be of use to you.

This free website is extremely easy and straight forward to use. (I was worried that setting up my prayer reminders would be complicated but it was not at all.)

What you do with this site is enter in prayer requests individually and then you can specify how frequently you would like an e-mail reminder to pray for each request. I'll give examples, changing names to protect the innocent. ;)

I typed in one request as follows: "Sam and Linda's wedding."

There is a box available for me to be more specific in how I want to pray for this event, or I can just know that, in general, I want to be praying for this. I can then also choose how often I want to remember to pray over this request. The website allows for me to set the degree of frequency this request pops up.

I can choose how many requests are e-mailed to me each day and at what time of day. So, for instance, if you are one of those crazy early morning people, you can request that your e-mails be sent to you at 5:00 a.m. or something silly like that. I have my reminders set to be e-mailed to me around the time when I usually wake up which is not at 5 a.m.

You are able to add innumerable prayers to your free account.  You can edit them as situations change or you are informed of new specifics to add to any requests. Then you can also mark when prayers have been answered.

I like Echo Prayer Manager for a few reasons:

• Chiefly, that it is easy to say that I'll pray for someone when they ask but harder to actually do it. If I put the request into the website, then a request for them will pop up at various points reminding me to follow through with my promise to pray.
• As my friend who introduced me to this website pointed out, prayer lists can be long and daunting. Because that is so, it is easy to be discouraged by the sheer enormity of the list and the lack of time than you feel you have to set aside to pray. (Hello, Young Motherhood. Nice to meet you!) I like that I can select how many reminders to send me each day. I have a certain quantity sent to me on a daily basis.

At first I thought this idea of the prayer website was kinda like wimping out and proving I'm too lazy to remember prayers and make time for them. However, I think that attitude is largely unhelpful and it is better to pray for a handful of items each morning then not at all. This website is indeed making sure that each day is started with prayer. (Except on really, really busy mornings which I've been having in great number lately. However, I have the prayer requests before my eyes and I don't delete the e-mail until I've had my time to pray.) For a mom of littles, I find this website not only convenient but truly helpful. I don't feel nearly so helpless when I'm asked to pray for something, left thinking that I'll never remember to find the time! My brain is running in a million directions thanks to many little feet and the morning challenge to remember some specific things in prayer helps me focus the day and prioritize my relationship with the Lord as well.

That all shared, let me assure you that I'm not being paid to recommend this site. I'm not receiving any compensation whatsoever. I have not contacted the owner/developer of this site to ask for permission to mention it. I'm talking about this on my own time because I have truly found it so very helpful that I feel certain it could prove a blessing of a tool for some of you. For what it's worth - here it is.

Knee-Knock Rise

I'm beginning to wonder if there exists a Natalie Babbitt book that I won't like. I picked up Kneeknock Rise at Goodwill for a nice little price after reading The Search for the Delicious and Tuck Everlasting (both linked to my review). I find Babbitt to be a deep thinker with a great deal of wit and have enjoyed the previous titles I've read. As she writes more towards middle grader readers, her books are extremely easy for adults to breeze through. It took me all of an hour to read Kneeknock Rise and the ending left a smile on my face just like her other stories have.

In this particular story we meet Egan, who is sent by his mother to visit his aunt and uncle in Instep. Instep is a small mountainous village which boasts being the home of a legendary monster, referred to as the Megrimum.

The people of Instep are very afraid of the Megrimum who lives at the top of the mountain. This creature comes down during storms and threatens the villagers who protect themselves with charms. Egan becomes determined to see if he can find and kill this Megrimum and upon reaching the top of the mountain he discovers there is a reasonable and natural explanation for what the villages hear and attribute to the monster.

Kneeknock Rise was published in 1970 and won the Newberry Honor Award in 1971. Just like in Babbitt's other books, it offers a philosophical discussion couched in a whimsical story. In this particular one, Babbitt is examining humanity's desire or need to believe in something supernatural. She poses the question of whether or not we humans want to hear and believe truth or if we feel an inheritant need to believe in something outside of ourselves. She ponders the power that myths and legends have over us and, as a Christian, it cannot be ignored that she is asking us whether we have developed an idea of a god just to satisfy an inner urger to believe in magic. (Also, for a deeper theological argument, this book dabbles in the idea of general verses specific revelation.)

Although this is a grade school book, it asks some deep questions. The story is not neatly resolved at the end either! The question about what truth is remains when the covers close. Like her other stories, this isn't one that easily fades into the background of life, quickly forgotten. It lingers a bit.

I find her books make curious book club choices because they are easy reads which ask tough questions, making them fun to discuss and think about. This title is no exception.

Of course, I can only speak to a few of her titles, but I recommend Kneeknock Rise along with the other I have read. Intriguing writing and story telling! I'll be looking forward to another of works when an opportunity presents itself!

Thanks, I'll Pass

Time again for another post documenting books which I have mentioned around here as planning to read but have found myself unable to complete for one reason or another.

*****

Oh, how I wanted to love The Keeper of Secrets! I was in the mood for some relaxing fiction and sat down to read this new novel from Julie Thomas. Set both in WWII and the present day, it tells the story of a Jewish family with musical talents who once possessed a rather remarkable violin. This violin was confiscated by the Nazis and the family has long since given up any hope of recovering it. The book flips back and forth between the family then and the family now, revealing their history as well as that of the violin in question.

Thomas presents us with interesting characters that are easy to care about. Her writing style draws the reader right into the book and makes it so that you truly do not want to set the book down. You want to know what becomes of the family and their confiscated possessions. You want to see the history play out and know what happens to each individual.

However, about half way through the book, I felt compelled to put it down for good. (I'm still annoyed by this. I'm still wildly curious about how Thomas manages to tie up her loose ends.)

For starters, I instantly relaxed upon opening the pages of this modern novel. The story flowed smoothly and I was not lambasted by foul language or sex scenes. My hopes rose that I had found a clean story and I was happily speeding along through the tale! There was some mild language scattered about (e.g., "hell") but nothing enormously offensive. I could overlook those few words.

But then.

Then I reached the middle of the book and in quick succession there is a scene wherein a young girl attempts to seduce an older man (couple of sentences but very vivid imagery), a rape scene (described in three sentences, but I got the picture!), and a strong hint at a homosexual relationship (again, 2-3 sentences but I knew). Also, regrettably, the language took a big turn for the worse. To say I was frustrated and annoyed by these additions to what could have been a clean and compelling story is an understatement. Not only was annoyed but I felt taken advantage of as a reader.

Books such as these, which start of so strong and sure and promise a reader a fantastic story only to dissolve into sexual activity and foul language, really rubs me the wrong way. I feel like the publisher and author are hoping to lull me into complacency. I almost want to give in because the author is clearly talented and can weave a wonderful tale. And yet I just can't won't do it. I am very interested in this story. I want to know the ending. But I'm going to have to make a guess and move along because I'm not going to spend time filling my imagination with sexual scenes and foul language. We're surrounded by enough filth in real life and I don't think including such things in their book makes a person a better writer. Tell me the story. Tell it well. Use intelligent language. Then, I will read your book and I will love it.

That said, I do appreciate William Morrow for giving me a chance with this title. Thanks for sending a copy my direction in exchange for my honest thoughts.

****

Write This Book: A Do-It-Yourself Mystery, by Pseudonymous Bosch is apparently the last in a "Secret Book" series that I've never heard of before. I thought the idea of this book sounded clever, being a book that encourages the reader to write their own mystery story.

Geared towards middle grade readers, the book quips and cajoles us through the steps necessary to write a book, from the preface, to the story, to the re-writing and editing process. It is means to be quirky and fun and in some respects I suppose it is that.

However, I have to say, the book fell flat for me. I like the idea of encouraging young readers to practice their writing skills. Familiarizing young people with the process of writing a book and having it published seems a noble endeavor. In the end, I just didn't care much for the style that is this book.

Whoever Psuedonymous Bosch is, he tries to be witty in a "I'm so cool, I don't have to care about anything if I don't want to" sort of way and that attitude is not one that I'm particularly fond of. I certainly wouldn't want my children picking up this book thinking that they had every right to be bored with life. I'd rather them read books that encourage them to think adventurous, imaginative thoughts that spill out into their ordinary - whatever that ends up being. I don't want them to be threatened and cajoled into writing or think that the only way that they will ever have to write anything is if I present the concept to them in a radical way.

That explained, I do realize that many children were not raised to expand their imaginations and/or explore the world with them. And so it may come to making a ton of dry, witty comments and arguing them into thinking that writing and telling stories is a "cool" exercise. So then, this book may appeal to some. In the end, I'd rather not need it with my kids so I'll not keep it on our book shelves.

Many thanks to LB-Kids for sending a copy of this title my direction in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Super Big Boggle (Game Review)

Yes, this post is coming a little late today. But better late than never, right?!

Life is busy, busy and we're running a bit ragged. But today has been a good, quiet, calm day at home. Despite the busy, we've made time for school which has included some game playing. I introduced Bookworm1 (age 6 1/2) to Super Big Boggle. Now, you regular readers must remember that I'm not a huge fan of games and I particularly dislike word games. So it should be noted that introducing my son to a word game was sacrificial.  (Yes, note the sacrifice. Thank you.) However, that said, I realized after playing it with my son that if I must play a word game it's a good idea to play it with a six year old. I'm about at that level when it comes to finding words. (Bonus for mommy? I win every time!! This makes me feel more inclined to play several rounds of Boggle in quick succession. Yes, I do like winning.)

So for all you Boggle players out there, what's great about Super Big Boggle? Well, it contains 36 letter cubes for one thing. There are two special cubes: one which contains six double-letter combinations (e.g, "th" and "qu") and a second cube which includes "blanks" which create spaces between letters, eliminating hidden word possibilities.

In all other respects, I-who-am-not-an-avid-Boggle-player assume the set-up is roughly the same.

How do you play?

First of all, you put all of the lettered cubes into the grid and dome and shake them around to "shuffle" the letters. This is a super fun activity if you are six. (Admittedly it's also fun if you are 30-something.)

Once the cubes have settled into the grid, you start the sand timer running. Each player has four minutes to find words consisting of four letters or more. When you find a word, you write it down. Players receive points for the number of letters per word and the player with the highest score wins.

Roughly explained, this is how you play the game.

There are certain particulars such as the rule that players cannot both count points towards the same word. For example. if both players find the word "Boggle" then they both must cross it off their list and no points are assigned for that word. You can also play an advanced version in which each player must look for words of only five letters or more. According to the directions you can also play the "Handicap" version wherein "less experienced players look for words of only 3 letters or more." That suggestion would have been made especially for my benefit and it also suits beginning readers and burgeoning spellers! (Guess which way we played?)

I asked Bookworm1 after we had played three times (per his request) if he much liked the game. His response?: "Yes, can we play it again?!" I took that for a yes. And because I am his mother and I love him I said yes and we played again.

Irony for me is that I have given birth to a chess player who likes word games. (My world! My world!) Heh.

Many thanks to Winning Moves for sending a copy of the above game for us to check out and share our opinion of. Our opinion is that this is a fun game. Also, that it is much more exciting for a young kid/student to feel like they are playing a game that is designed for adults rather than a cartoonish spelling game that doesn't stretch their minds very much. Children want to be challenged and Super Big Boggle offered a challenge to my youngster. Thanks for that!

Palmer Brown (or rather, his books)

I had no idea who Palmer Brown was when I was recently approached about reviewing some of his titles, which are being re-released by The New York Review Children's Collection.

After scouring the internet trying to find information about him, all I came up with was this blurb, which is repeated on a variety of sites:

Palmer Brown (1919–2012) was born in Chicago and attended Swarthmore and the University of Pennsylvania. He was the author and illustrator of five books for children: Something for Christmas; Beyond the Pawpaw Trees, and its sequel, The Silver Nutmeg; Cheerful; and Hickory—all published by The New York Review Children’s Collection.

I have to say that that amount of info does not exactly satisfy my curiosity.

If you do an image search for the author's picture you get a variety of faces for options. Pick your person. I have no idea what he looks like.

However, despite the fact that there is nothing much of interest about the man online, his books are thought important enough to republish. I was sent a copy of each of the titles being reprinted, two of which I'll be sharing with you today.

When the package arrived with all of the titles, I was delighted to see that the majority involved mice as characters. Not that I like mice in real life, mind you, but we enjoy them in books. (Tumtum and Nutmeg anyone?) I let Bookworm1 select the first title for us to read and he chose Cheerful. (I mean, who wouldn't?) This is an Easter story about a little church mouse who lives in, um, the church, but who wishes he lived in the country. His siblings are all very satisfied in the city but Cheerful thinks of the stories his mother tells him about the place where she grew up. He longs to find the place where there were fields and woods and a blue stream. He wants to see this place for himself.

One day Cheerful decides to leave the church and so he hops a ride on a fruit and vegetable cart that is passing by the church in hopes of finding his own outdoor paradise. Through a series of events he is packed away in an Easter Egg and shipped off to the country where he finds good reason to be plenty cheerful. This is a short, sweet story. It makes either a good 30 minute read-aloud (at most) or a great title to hand over to beginning readers. There are illustrations by Brown scattered liberally throughout the story, some in black and white and others in color. Both of my boys enjoyed this story and were happy to read for another Brown title immediately upon the close of this one.

I let Bookworm2 select our second title for our read aloud time. He chose Something for Christmas which sounded like a pretty fine title to him! This book is much shorter, being your average picture book in length. It tells the story of a young mouse who is fretting about what to give to his mother for Christmas. She notices that her child is struggling with something and asks what is the matter. "I'm wondering what to give someone for Christmas" is the reply. Through questions and conversations she assures the little mouse that the greatest thing that he could give to this special, unnamed someone is his love. That is all. Short. Sweet. To the point. This is a fun title to add to your Christmas library.

What I especially love about this book are the illustrations which just have a classic feel to them. (This is probably why they were reprinted?) Everything about the book from the feel of the pages to the illustrations has a classic feel to it that makes it an added pleasure to read.

I feel safe recommending the above two titles to you!

I also feel very safe recommended Hickory which I read and reviewed over at 5 Minutes for Books. My review of that title posted last week if you are interested in checking that one out.

We're reading through the last two titles we were sent at the moment and when we've finished, I'll be back to share our thoughts on those.

Many thanks to The New York Review Books for sending these wonderful books my direction in exchange for my honest thoughts.

June Book Club :: Through Gates of Splendor

Just a quick reminder that this month's book club selection is Through Gates of Splendor, by Elizabeth Elliot.

This book is a missionary classic and the discussion will be hosted by Barbara from Stray Thoughts.

Please feel free to join in with us on this read - whether you have a blog or not!

To read Barbara's introductory thoughts, please CLICK HERE. She has some information about the book as well as some YouTube clips for us to watch in preparation for the read.

Hope you'll join in!