Welcome readers! It's #IMWAYR time again, when bloggers share what they have been reading and find out what others have been up to. 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. These are fabulous places to start your search for what to read next.
If you are participating in the #MustRead challenge, Leigh Anne Eck at A Day In the Life is hosting the last update for 2021 here. When you are ready, post your #MustReadIn2022 goals here.
Due to life, I took a three week break from posting.
We thought it was going to be a quiet Christmas around here since the routes to our family in Vancouver were all closed. Randy, my partner, and I took two days off house renovations and planned for a leisurely holiday, with takeout Chinese for Christmas day. Then one of our sons called to let us know that they were coming through the United States. We went into panic mode trying to get our house into some kind of habitable space for two small children and their parents. Having them here was pure joy, but exhausting. The youngest had some kind of virus. Her dad had it the week before and been tested. It wasn't Covid thankfully. Still after all those open mouthed runny nosed kisses, I ended up coming down with it Christmas day. I'm on the mend at last but haven't done much of anything except read picture books since they left.
Before all that chaos ensued, I finished sewing matching shirts for my grandkids.
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| As you can see, not everyone is happy with the matching tops Grandma made. |
Clicking on the title will take you to the Goodreads page of the book.
The haenyneo (free diving) are women, mostly grandmothers, who dive, without oxygen, up to 20 meters below the sea to harvest abalone and other shellfish.
This story shows a grandmother training her granddaughter to become a haenyeo. I love that it shows that this is a collective collaborative activity. Notes at the end tell more about these amazing women and how their knowledge of the ocean helps them harvest sustainably.
Jess X. Snow, the illustrator, is a Chinese Canadian. Her gorgeous artwork was created digitally with hand-painted textures and line work.
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| 5 stars |
Borders by Thomas King, Natasha Donovan (Illustrator) September 7, 2021 🍁
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| 5 stars |
Our Friend Hedgehog: The Story of Us by Lauren Castill May 5, 2020
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| 4 stars |
A Piglet Called Truffle by Helen Peters, Ellie Snowdon (Illustrator) October 6, 2016
I checked this book out as a possible purchase for my granddaughter. It reminded me a bit of Charlotte's web with the girl and the pig connection. It's charming tale that I'm thinking of gifting to her when she turns five.
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| 4 stars |
Monster and Boy by Hannah Barnaby & Anoosha Syed (Illustrations) July 28, 2020
Who would have imagined a friendship could blossom between a boy and the monster who swallowed him? By the time the boy emerges from the monster's belly, he's been shrunk. The rest of the book describes their antics trying to get him to go back to normal. The boy has a delightful younger sister. I adored the ending. I'm planning on getting this one for my grandson when he turns five.
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| 4 stars |
Just Like Me by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
This collection of illustrated poems celebrates accepting yourself for who you are. I especially like Paper Chains, the last one in the book that highlights the importance of joining together to be a 'link in our paper chain for change"
I like the multicultural group of girls shown here, but would have appreciated more diversity in body shapes and sizes and abilities. A girl in a wheelchair would have been nice too.
I just finished this book. I admired Judy Wilson-Raybould even before reading it. I am now even more impressed with her. She is a woman of integrity and principles who follows the teachings of her indigenous grandmother and mother. She was raised to be a leader.
We all know that something is seriously wrong with how politics is practiced in our county. Wilson-Raybould articulates the deficiencies in our existing political system and posits that partisanship is the biggest obstacle to dealing with the serious issues facing us. I appreciate that while she condemns the system, she is regularly positive about ordinary MPs who work hard doing their best for their constituents.
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Love the picture of your grandkids! The Ocean Calls is a beautiful book. I love the message about facing fears.
ReplyDeleteSo do I!
DeleteI have read & loved some of the like Our Friend Hedgehog (another is coming out) & have The Ocean Calls on my list. I have a Korean niece who will love it, too. Your grands are adorable & we have a few pics just like that. One granddaughter does not like her picture taken! I love the shirts, too, Cheriee & am glad you are better & it was not Covid. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to read that another Hedgehog book is coming out. Being a grandparent is certainly full of laughing moments isn't it. Happy New Year to you too!
DeleteWow—it sounds like you had a fun but chaotic Christmas! A surprise visit is enough, but getting sick with a virus (even if it's not COVID) is definitely unpleasant—I'm really sorry that happened! And the shirts you made for your grandkids are so cute!! (I feel like that photo perfectly encapsulates, well, take your pick of situations in the past months/years—an attempt at order, slightly derailed!)
ReplyDeleteWith regards to books, it's wonderful that you got to read so many picture books—I made note of The Ocean Calls in particular, especially since I've seen it somewhere before. I think Borders actually was a Cybils finalist this year, which is really exciting—I haven't read it yet, but it's waiting on my shelves now! And speaking of the Cybils, I hope you enjoy your graphic novel reading—I'm excited to see what you all come up with for the winners! Thanks so much for the wonderful post, Cheriee!
I am so excited that Borders is a Cybils' finalist. I'm excited to be reading the winners, but will have to save my remarks about them til after the awards are announced.
DeleteI am glad that your children and grandchildren were able to make it through the US. I know some people from around here that did that as well. A longer trip to be sure, but worth it.
ReplyDeleteI have also made note of The Ocean Calls, and enjoyed your review of Judy Wilson-Raybould's work. I also enjoyed Borders, but I haven't had a lot of kids take to it. I think it needs to be sold a bit better by me this year. I was going to wait for Our Friend Hedgehog to be in paperback, as my early chapter readers seem t enjoy that format so much more, but I really want to read it to.
Your picture of the matching shirts is absolutely priceless. Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to you.
DeleteI think Borders is more of a middle grade/high school title. I agree it will need some selling since it doesn't really connect personally to younger readers, especially compared to the graphic novels by Shannon Hale.
Our Friend Hedgehog has been around for a while, but it doesn't look like a paper back edition is in sight.
I'm sorry to hear you and your family have been ill. I hope we can all break the illness cycle in January. The picture of your grand kids is ADORABLE! It's funny how photos like these are so endearing as time goes on. My mom always posts those years after-the-fact and I know we laugh at them more YEARS later than we did at the time. LOL
ReplyDeleteI'd never even heard of haenyeo before reading The Ocean Calls. I thought that was such a unique way to teach the reader about the practice of free diving! I've opened the Youtube link in a separate windows so that I can come back to watch it when I'm finished reading everyone's blogs. Thank you for including it, Cheriee! I'm also adding Borders by Thomas King to my list. This looks just wonderful!
I am particularly fond of this photograph too! The little one was here for Xmas and actually liked wearing the shirt here. When the photo was taken she was not feeling well. My grandson doesn't look to enthusiastic either!
DeleteBorders is one of the Cybils' finalists! I hope you find a copy to read.
The shirts are great, and the picture is pretty typical of trying to gets more than two kids together. You've still been reading a lot; hope you are feeling better. I like the Helen Peters books, and definitely would have looked into them for my children. I kept copies of Higgins Good Dog books that I reviewed because they were super cute. Have a Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI have become a fan of Jasmine Green. I am sorry that Home Is Where the Heart Is and other Good Dog books are not available at my local library.
DeleteI was intrigued with The Ocean Calls. That reminds me to seek out any documentaries related to it.
ReplyDeleteVimeo has a documentary on the haenyneo. It is now on my list to watch.
DeleteHa ha ha, oh that picture of the grandkids is absolutely wonderful! My son feels the same way sometimes about the sweaters that Grandma knits him. <3
ReplyDeleteThey told me they wanted rainbows. I let them choose their own buttons. What can you do?
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