From: Maia Cheli-Colando <maia_at_littlefolktales.org>
Date: Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:37:36 -0800

Okay, so where's the discussion of this week's titles? :)

I haven't read any of the Batchelders, though they do look interesting. I would love to hear from Cheryl Klein if she is eavesdropping on this list; over time, I've found her editorial comments on work in translation to be enlightening.

The only 2010 Geisel I have yet read is Mouse and Mole. When I first saw it listed online, I didn't realize it was a Geisel honor; I actually bought it (a) because it reminded me of Arnold Lobel, and (b) the characterization was charming. (Yes, I know that some folks dislike charming as a review term, but it's a honest reflection of why *I* bought the book.)

Now with M&M in hand, I do indeed like it. But, I can't help comparing the quality of the overall presentation to The Lion and the Mouse. Because so much space is awarded to the oversized text, the art doesn't really get enough room to shine. I understand that the goal, in theory, is different from TL&TM -- this is an early reader, with a focus on teaching a child to read. But when I compare the overall quality of the experience to, say Cynthia Rylant's Thimbleberry Stories, which are also for earlier readers, I find myself wishing that the publication had been given some of the extra tweaks that were afforded there.

Maybe it's because early readers are seen as so transitional -- something you read to get past, and onward to bigger books -- that they are often less lovingly bound and their paper tends to be less expensive, etc.? But think of Lobel's work: in our family, at least, we all still love Frog, Owl, and the elephants, even though we all "read beyond" them now.

I guess what I am saying is that I would like to see Early Readers given a little more love. That said, I think that Mouse and Mole adds nicely to the current titles.

I'll post about the Sibert separately so that this email doesn't get too long! :)

Cheers, Maia

p.s. We just had another earthquake in Arcata. Hope my message above makes sense -- I am a little too shaken to edit properly... 6.0, 50 miles off of Eureka...

-- Maia Cheli-Colando Arcata, Humboldt Bay, California -- blogging at http://www.littlefolktales.org/wordpress -- -- or drop in on Facebook! --

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Received on Thu 04 Feb 2010 12:37:36 PM CST