Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

By Lisa See

This book kept me up at night. Literally. The story of Lily and Snow Flower’s laotong relationship is haunting, beautiful, and heartbreaking.

The story, told from Lily’s point of view, takes place in nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county. Lily, a daughter from a poor family, is paired with Snow Flower as a laotong, an “old same.” This emotional relationship is sealed with a contract and will last a lifetime. For women, considered less valuable than men, this relationship was often stronger than a marriage relationship.

The book follows Lily and Snow Flower through the painful days of footbinding into their engagements and marriages into different villages. They celebrate over the births of sons together and watch their children grow.  Because of Lily’s perfectly bound feet, her “golden lotuses,” she married into a prominent wealthy family. Snow Flower did not marry well. These differences, as well as others, set the stage for a pivotal misunderstanding that rends their laotong relationship.

I learned more about Chinese history in this novel than I ever have up to this point in my life. Lisa See skillfully walked the delicate balance between too little historical detail and too much. I was effectively and believably put in the mind of a woman living in nineteenth-century China. I was able to understand the strong tide of tradition that swept girls of good breeding into a life of bound feet. I nodded sympathetically as I began to understand why women accepted their helpless fates at the hands of their in-laws and their husbands, and I was intrigued by the secret women’s writing called nu shu.

I really don’t have much in the way of criticism for this book. I guess it was a little somber for the mood I was in when I first started reading it. It was sad. But it was also beautiful. See? I’ve got nothing.

The adult book club that I lead at our library will be discussing this book next weekend, and I’m eager to hear what they have to say about it. I highly recommend Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. I would love to hear what you say about it too!

Visit Lisa See online 

The Mysterious Benedict Society

The Mysterious Benedict Society

By Trenton Lee Stewart

My reading recently has been pretty scattered and sporadic, not only in the amount of time I spend reading but also in what I read. A few pages here from this book. A few pages there from that book. Put that book down, pick up a different one. Put this book away, half-read.

The Mysterious Benedict Society, however, held my attention and delighted me. The story is told mainly from the point of view of Reynie, a remarkable little boy who has no parents. Through a series of interesting tests, he is recruited by Mr. Benedict to help with a mission. Reynie and three other bright young children are sent as secret agents into a strange school run by Mr. Curtain. As the children find out, Mr. Curtain is trying to take over the world through a special machine that whispers lies into the minds of people. Only minds that seek the truth have been able to withstand the messages, but soon Mr. Curtain will increase the power of his broadcasts. It’s up to the children to find a way to stop him.

As I mentioned above, this book was a delightful read. The four main characters, Reynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance, are all lovable (in their own ways) and well-developed. Throughout the book the values of independent thinking, putting others first, and caring for people despite their shortcomings are paraded. I love that.

I also appreciate that the author shows through his characters that sometimes doing the right thing is the hardest thing to do. I loved getting to watch the characters grow and develop, and the plot was interesting enough that I was kept guessing until the end.

A thirst for knowledge is applauded in this book, to the point that I wanted to set the book down and go learn something! I definitely acquired an interest in Morse code while reading this book; if you pick it up yourself, you’ll know what I mean.

Besides the main characters, however, many of the other characters were a little unbelievable. They all had cardinal traits that made them obvious individuals, but they weren’t developed. Normally what makes reading novels so enjoyable is that I can suspend my reality for a while and live in the reality that the author creates. The exaggeration of some of the support characters in this book made suspending reality a little bit difficult because I kept catching myself wondering what else is going on in a support character’s head besides the obvious cardinal trait the author brought out.

However, critiques aside, I sincerely enjoyed this book. We’re going to be using it for our 3^rd-4^th grade book club at the library this summer, and I’m looking forward to hearing what the kids think of it! I am excited to pick up the sequels in this series. Check out The Mysterious Benedict Society!

Visit The Mysterious Benedict Society online

Monkey's Friends

Monkey’s Friends

Written and Illustrated by Ruth Brown

Monkey is going for a walk. As he walks, he greets his friends who are somewhat hidden. The reader has a chance to guess, from the picture and from a rhyming word, which animal friend Monkey is going to meet up with next.

This is a beautifully illustrated and charming story. The monkey’s facial expressions are adorable! Though it’s simple, children will enjoy being able to guess which animal is coming up next in the story. I also enjoy how this book gives kids a chance to practice rhyming words.  

One complaint I have for this story is that the animals Monkey meets are highly unlikely to all be in the same habitat together (I mean, highly unlikely).  Monkey meets up with a kangaroo, then an elephant, a crocodile, a snake, a chameleon, and finally a bear. Many other books put a strange array of animals together, and sometimes this doesn’t bother me. I think the reason it bothered me in this book was because the illustrations were so accurate and lifelike. I just assumed that the ecosystem presented would be accurate as well!

All things considered, though, I would still recommend this book, though not highly. Between the illustrations, the fun rhymes and guessing game, this is still a fun choice for kids!

Monkey's Friends at Random House

Mouse and Lion

Mouse and Lion 

By Rand Burkert

Illustrated by Nancy Ekholm Burkert

Mouse and Lion is Aesop's fable, charmingly retold. In this retelling, Mouse is hurrying home when he accidentally mistook Lion for a mountain and scampered right over. Lion is insulted and decides to eat Mouse for such impertinence. Because of Mouse's amusing attempt at bravery, and declaration that someday he may be helpful to Lion, Lion decides to let Mouse go. As in the original fable, Lion later gets caught in a net and Mouse helps him escape, thus proving that even small animals like mice have their uses.

This story gains its momentum from the fact that it is already well-known and loved. In and of itself, the words of the story are fine, though not outstanding. The author tweaks the story slightly here and there, which makes it fun and unique.

But the illustrations are really what make this book noteworthy. The illustrator, who incidentally illustrated the first edition of James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl (one of my favorite books! I still remember the illustrations from that first edition.) works mostly in earth tones in this story. The pictures are detailed and accurate, yet uncluttered. I especially appreciated that the mouse pictured in this story is native to Africa (by my reckoning, a four-striped grass mouse): a mouse that a lion might actually come in contact with!

In general, this is a beautiful book. In my opinion, it's about neck-and-neck with Jerry Pinkney's The Lion and the Mouse. One obvious difference that could be either a strength or a weakness, depending on your situation, is that this version has words, while Jerry Pinkney's doesn't have many.

Check them both out and compare for yourself!

Check out Mouse and Lion at Scholastic

When You Are Camping

When You Are Camping

Written and Illustrated by Anne Lee

Tilly and Hazel are camping in a tent in the woods with their parents. They talk about all of the fun things they can do while camping: drink hot chocolate for breakfast, get muddy, watch caterpillars, and take baths with fishes in the river.

This book reminded me of all the reasons I enjoy camping! With so much technology saturating the lives of kids today, I appreciate that it encourages children to take pleasure in the outdoors, in little things. You and your child will enjoy the watercolor illustrations in this book as well as the reminder of the fun of camping!

Should I Share My Ice Cream?

Should I Share My Ice Cream?

Written and Illustrated by Mo Willems

The illustration on the cover of this book was enough to make me chuckle and alert me to the serious moral dilemma this book addresses. On a hot day Gerald buys ice cream from a street vendor. He’s excited to eat it but suddenly remembers his best friend, Piggie, likes ice cream too. He wonders, “Should I share my ice cream with her?”

The next several pages encompass Gerald’s inner struggle to decide whether he should share his ice cream with his friend.  Then the thought crosses his mind, “Where is Piggie?” Gerald begins to worry that Piggie is off somewhere, alone and sad. He decides he must find her so that he can share his ice cream and cheer her up. The illustrations hint at the twist that will come at the end of the story, but it’s still entertaining to see the story change course.

I thoroughly appreciated this story because, even as an adult, this is a moral dilemma that I must grapple with: do I put the needs of someone I love ahead of my own, or don’t I? Should I Share My Ice Cream handles the question in a light-hearted way but still leads readers to believe that putting others first is important. And, of course, as always, Mo Willems’ illustrations convey worlds of meaning with a few simple strokes. You and your child will experience Gerald’s dilemma right along with him!

Visit Mo Willems 

Big Girls Go Potty

Big Girls Go Potty

Written and Illustrated by Marianne Richmond

This simple book tells, from a child’s point of view, the story of potty training. The little girl in the story lists all of the ‘big girl things she can do, but says that she still wears diapers. She tells the whole story of learning to use the toilet, both her successes and her mistakes. She says her parents are so proud of her. The book ends with her challenge to the reader: “I like being a big girl. Do you?”

Marianne Richmond has written numerous touching and thoughtful books for children, on many topics relevant to young children, including love, going to bed, and adoption. Her beautiful watercolor artwork, which stems from time spent at home during a brain tumor surgery recovery, is simple, yet very gracefully detailed.

I haven’t yet had to potty-train a child, but when I do, I’m sure I will enlist the help of Marianne Richmond’s book. This book makes potty training sound exciting, grown-up, and attainable for a young child. As a librarian, I have received numerous requests for books about potty training for kids, and from now on I will certainly be recommending this  one!

Big Boys Go Potty

Written and Illustrated by Marianne Richmond

This book is exactly the same as Big Girls Go Potty except for one obvious difference. Everything said in the review above applies to this book as well.

The fact that Marianne Richmond produced two identical books, one written for girls and one for boys is both a shrewd economical move on her part and a bonus to parents who are potty training.

Visit Marianne Richmond | Visit Marianne at Sourcebooks