This Is Sadie: A Review

This Is Sadie, Sara O’Leary & Julie Morstad, 2015

The reader follows Sadie as she enjoys all that the world has to offer- cake, books, and birds. Recently, birds have become a fascination for me. I’ve been practicing flapping my arms as if they were wings, much like Sadie does. M. and d.’s spectacles have become occasional casualties to my ever-increasing wingspan.

This Is Sadie is a rallying cry for introverts everywhere. According to Sara O’Leary‘s narrative, “Sadie’s perfect day is spent with friends. Some of them live on her street, and some live in the pages of books.” She has friends, but it’s clear that Sadie is also comfortable spending time on her own. Sadie’s imagination, depicted by Julie Morstad’s art, is ample entertainment without reliance on gadgets or devices. At first glance, the illustrations seem simple but convey the majesty and potency of human creativity and imagination.

Recently, The Guardian reported on research which revealed the gender-bias present in children’s books, “Male characters are twice as likely to take leading roles in children’s picture books and are given far more speaking parts than females.” This is Sadie is a quality contribution to rectifying this imbalance.

5 out of 5 doggies

Christmas with the Rural Mail: A Review

Christmas with the Rural Mail, Lance Woolaver & Maud Lewis, 2011

Christmas with the Rural Mail is a fine defense for maintaining door-to-door mail delivery, and reinstating improved provincial train service. These are certainly lofty results for a Christmas themed board book. It’s a well-executed concept using Maud Lewis’ artwork to create a charming rural, winter narrative.

The rhyming starts out charming, but by the end feels a bit cloying, like the last candy cane from the box that d. binge eats in one sitting. That being said, this is the season for sweetness, or that’s what I can assume from d. constantly eating cookies. The plot gets a bit thin at points, particularly when describing events not depicted in Lewis’ paintings. Regardless, the joy evident in her’ art is infectious like the winter sniffles.

This book raises some pressing questions: Why haven’t I seen any horse-drawn sleighs in Halifax?  They seem to be the preferred mode of transportation in Digby County. This book has set up an expectation that will remain unfulfilled until horses replace the cars that I’m just now learning to tolerate. More importantly, the story follows the delivery of Christmas packages for a lucky baby, but what were the toys?  I demand answers! I’ve heard about un-boxing videos, but if you’re hoping for that kind of gratification, look to the internet. I might, but m. and d. won’t let me have any screen time.

Recently, m. and d. took me to see the Maud Lewis exhibit at the AGNS, and this book fills me with all sorts of warm fuzzy memories that are perfect for cold winter nights. Speaking of the cold, apparently I lived through some major blizzards last year, yet I have no distinct memory of snow. Based on the Lewis’ depictions of winter, snow it looks like it could be a lot of fun

4 out of 5 doggies

Beach Baby: A Review

Beach Baby, Laurie Elmquist & Elly MacKay, 2016

Apparently, when people take a beach vacation they spend their time reading. Since this is the last gasp of summer, I thought I’d review a perfect vacation book. m. and d. gifted a copy to me while we were visiting the seashore and I still often demand they read it.

Beach Baby starts with the child at the edge of sleep, instead of ending with “good night”… like 84% of board books. While unusual for a children’s book, this is a literary device employed in cult classics like Memento, starring Guy Pearce, or in the little known literary work by Mary Shelley- Frankenstein. Don’t assume I don’t know things because “I’m just a baby.”

The dream-like quality of Elly MacKay’s paper dioramas are fitting given that the child has gone to bed at the opening of the story. Her process gives the illustrations incredible depth. I wish all my dreams looked this good. Why am I already dreaming of my teeth falling out? THEY JUST GOT HERE.

This book is very accurate- after spending a week by the Atlantic, I can confirm that Laurie Elmquist is correct, “The beat of the ocean is a steady thrum.” During our trip, we saw many of the creatures and sea beasts chronicled in the book. No moon snails, though, presumably because they were off following a red herring as part of their mystery. As such, I have no idea whodunnit. Maybe the moon snail IS a red herring! But then, who’s the moon snail? Mystery indeed!

This book is so much better than the actual beach– Almost no cold water and 100% less Ethan getting all up in my blanket. Take a step back, Ethan. We just met.

5 out of 5 doggies

Little You: A Review

Little You, Richard van Camp & Julie Flett, 2013

This is a book. I like its pages; they’re easy to turn. I like its art. The collage-style illustrations are reminiscent of the Cape Dorset print-making cooperative. The artist, Julie Flett, in a 2014 interview with 49th Shelf observed that “…the sun and moon tend to be an anchor both conceptually and visually” in her work. This is obvious in Little You, and I relish the opportunity to point out the sun and moon to m. and d. numerous times on multiple pages.

I like that the rhyming couplets avoid the usual baby book clichés, and the book’s conclusion is very affirming: “You are the birth of everything new/you are perfect/you are you!” This is my new mantra. Repeating it provides much needed perspective when m. and d. erroneously coerce me into taking a nap I’m certain that I don’t need, because “I am the birth of everything new/I am perfect/ I AM ME!”

I LOVE THIS BOOK. We wore out the library’s copy, so m. and. d. bought our own—good investment, guys. This book can easily be read 6 to 7 times before bed. Plus, it has an adorable doggie.

5 out of 5 doggies