#IMWAYR April 29, 2019

#IMWAYR time again, when readers share what they have been reading and find out what others have been up to in the past week. Kathryn hosts the adult version of this meme at Book Date. Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers host the kidlit rendition. Whatever you are looking forward to in your next great read, these are fabulous places to start your search.

I am happy to have gone from working 4 days a week down to three. The house was getting to be a disaster and I managed to make a bit of a start on cleaning out cupboards. Thank goodness for audiobooks to listen to while I'm doing this mundane, but necessary work. 

I am even happier that the Poem A Day challenge is nearly over!

POEM A DAY POSTS LAST WEEK

22. Earth Day
23. Grandma and Grampa
24. And the People
25. Marguerite
26. Arrival*
27. Substitute
28. earth wept

Hurrah! Only two more poems to go!

BOARD BOOKS

4 stars

Smile, Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen, Dan Hanna (Illustrator)

Ada's rating for this would be a 5+. We are reading it over and over and over again. At least it's got a nice rhythm and rhymes. Ada is learning about emotions these days so we have to act out the different ones shown by Pout Pout fish. All this vocabulary is paying off as the other day, not getting her own way, she told her mom, "Ada upset!"

PICTURE BOOKS

5 stars

Little Black Crow by Chris Raschka

I am head over heels for this book. I love the poetry. I love the illustrations. I adore the questions.

4 stars

My New Mom & Me by Renata Galindo

This book made my eyes leak. It tells the story of a puppy who is adopted by a cat. (It doesn't use the word adoption though) Although there are struggles for both of them, in the end they are making it work.

5 stars

Fox & Chick: The Quiet Boat Ride and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier

I am totally infatuated with this series - as much if not more than I am of Mo Willems' Gerald and Piggie.
Everything you need to know is written on the cover flap.
Fox + Chick have many adventures together. Fox + Chick are funny. Fox + Chick don't always agree. Fox + Chick are friends.
Ok, you also need to know that the artwork is adorable.

NONFICTION PICTURE BOOKS

5 stars

If da Vinci Painted a Dinosaur by Amy Newbold & Greg Newbold (Illustrations)

Just Wow! There is so much in this book. It begins with a simple lesson on how to draw dinosaurs, and then morphs into how different artists would draw or paint dinosaurs. Paintings of these artists are redone to show dinosaurs in the scenes. These playful illustrations are delightful. Some of the artists are familiar to me, but I am mostly impressed with how many I knew nothing about. It's a fabulously diverse collection of visionaries. The back matter contains additional information about each of them.
My one niggling complaint was that the original artwork wasn't shown. Still I enjoyed searching the work of the new to me artists to find it, and in the process became enamoured with their work. Perhaps that was the Newbold's plan all along.

NOVELS

4 stars

Ash Boy: A Cinderfella Story by Lucy Coats & Mark Beech (Illustrator)

Gotta love this gender swapping retelling of the original story. It’s full of humour and wackiness. Still, there’s substance in this short, easy to read novel. How could there not be in a story about a young boy who loves libraries and wants to be a librarian? Mark Beech’s illustrations have a Quentin Blake feel that adds to the appeal.
P.S. You’re going to love his best friend!

5 stars

Girl in Pieces by by Kathleen Glasgow

This is an important book. Copies should be in every high school library. At first the book triggered memories of reading I Never Promised You A Rose Garden. This book is much more than that. Charlotte Davis cuts herself to feel better. After she attempts to kill herself, she ends up in an expensive rehabilitation facility. Because of lack of funds on the part of her grandmother, she is discharged before she is ready. She wants to remain clean and not fall into old ways, but ends up in a self destructive relationship. Her life deteriorates fast until she is finally rescued by new friends.
What becomes clear in this book is how damaged young people and adults carry unfathomable hurt inflicted upon them when they were children.

4 stars

Bury Your Dead (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #6) by Louise Penny & Ralph Cosham (Narrator)

I was a bit confused at first because Gamache is recovering from some trauma that we don't understand or know about. There are three strands to this story, and once I figured that out, I was good. First, there is that traumatic event (you will have to read the book to find out what happened.) Second, there is a murder in the Anglo Literary and Historical Society where Gamache is doing research. Finally, Gamache suspects he made a mistake in a recent case and has one of his officers reinvestigate it. It's a lot going on!
All that aside, this is a book about being imperfect, about making mistakes and being vulnerable enough to acknowledge them. It's also about accepting these flaws and loving one another regardless of them.
Louise Penny is Canadian. 🍁

CURRENTLY

I am listening to Feel Free: Essays written and read by Zadie Smith. With my eyes I'm into Watch Us Rise by Renée Watson & Ellen Hagan. 

UP NEXT

Property of the Rebel Librarian became available last week, but I had not set it for automatic checkout so when I went to download it, it was no longer available. Grrr. I plan to read On The Come Up by Angie Thomas next.

PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS

#MustReadIn2018 12/25

#MustReadNFIn2018 6/12

25 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 7/25

25 books by Canadian Authors 24/25

Goodreads Reading Challenge 146/333