Bonnie Ferrante's Blog, page 83

Soli, Tatjana. The Last Good Paradise. Book Review.

This book features a varied cast of characters on a remote, expensive tropical resort for different reasons. Ann and her husband Richard are fleeing possible bankruptcy. Richard and his friend/partner in opening a new restaurant have put themselves in debt to the wrong kind of people. Ann is burned out by her success as a […]

Reid, Barbara. Read Me a Book. Book Review.

As usual, Barbara Reid has illustrated her book using Plasticine. This creates an interesting feeling of depth. If you are not familiar with her work, don’t assume Plasticine pictures are simple. From the plaid on the grandfather’s shirt to the tiny details shown in each window of a three-story building, Reid astonishes the reader with […]

Merk and Martell. Nowadays. Book Review.

I seldom read graphic novels but I used to be a huge fan of comic books so I enjoy picking up one now and then. Nowadays grabbed my attention because it was written and illustrated by two local authors and featured locations around my community, Thunder Bay. Considering how much financial support the creators received […]

Stower, Adam. Naughty Kitty! Book Review.

On the inside cover of this book, we see as double-page spread of ads, mail, and newspaper clippings that inform us of a local pet shop and a striped wild animal’s escape from the zoo. On the title page, is a cat carrier with the tag reading “sold”. The story begins with little Lily bringing […]

Reich, Kass. Hamsters Holding Hands. Book Review.

This cute, simple board book teaches counting from 1 to 10. It begins “One hamster wants to play, Two hamsters shout hooray.” There is no story. The events being counted have no continuity other than they are all activities engaged in by the hamsters. Hamsters are drawn with black outline and loosely colored in with […]

Clarke, Brock. The Happiest People in the World. Book Review.

Clarke, Brock. The Happiest People in the World. Book Review. This is a quirky, funny, and surprising book. It begins with a bar scene told through the viewpoint of a moose head on the wall. As bizarre as it seems, it makes perfect sense by the end of the book. Something strange has happened in […]

Baby Genius. Five Little Monkeys Jumpin’ on the Bed. Book Review.

The illustrations in this book are hilarious. Each monkey reacts to falling off the bed differently. Whenever mama calls the doctor, he is doing something different. The story does not end with the traditional response, “Put those monkeys back to bed.” Instead the monkeys are asleep. As each monkey falls from the bed, a caption […]

Merry Christmas

The Brothers. Leo- Superhero, A Sunday Morning Adventure. Book Review.

This is a sweet story of a little boy who likes to pretend he is a superhero. His cat alerts him that a mouse is in the kitchen. Instead of killing it, Leo problem solves and captures it alive. He takes it outside and releases it to the mouse family. The illustrations are cute and […]

Garland, Sally Anne. Share. Book Review.

The characters in this picture book are line drawn anthropomorphized rabbits. The older rabbit tries to share everything with her smaller cousin as encouraged by her mother. He pulls her teddy bear out of shape, bounces on her bed, breaks her bead necklace, wiggles incessantly while she tries to read, blocks her view of the […]