The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School
By Lorie Halse Anderson and Ared Hoyt
“It… worked! The hair stayed under control during spelling.”
Published 2009. I liked the whimsical nature of the images and the idea of the story that revolves around a head of hair that has a mind of its own, the message was good as well, but I felt the whimsical idea wasn’t as fully embraced as it could have been in the story itself, the school setting, was a bit boring. You could capture the reader with a theme that fits the story better. But a great message about rules and how sometimes they are meant to be broken or looked at to see if they are pointlessly restrictive to individuality and self-expression.
Ten Hungry Pigs
By Derek Anderson
“Number 9 is backing up a gravy truck.”
Published 2016. A fun illustrative style and the story has a good rhythm with the silliness that a child and an adult will love to read. Good counting book; the ending was rushed, if not random. This one should probably be read after the next book on the list. The message was a little confusing because of the ending.
Ten Pigs an Epic Bath Adventure
By Derek Anderson
“ARGH, says five. And Six gives a TOOT!”
Published 2015. This book is the first, but it’s the same style and rhythm as the previous book. The story revolves around ten pigs who find themselves in need of a bath. As they dive into the bathtub, the pigs embark on a series of off the wall antics. The pigs give off big Minion vibes, which can be fun and silly; I can see a fun, whacky evening reading this to a child. The ending of this makes the other book make more sense, but it could’ve been done better in the other book, but it works in this book oddly enough. I did like the message of the book of enjoying time with an individual just as much as a group, but I’m wondering if I’m giving the book more meaning than intended.
The Steadfast Tin Solider
By Hans Christian Andersen
Retold by Cynthia Ryland, illustrated by Jen Corace
“Now, this was quite a challenge to the tin soldier, for it is almost impossible to look heroic when one has just been swallowed by a Big fish.”
Published 2013. Stunning illustrations, great color, and visual interest. You can see much of this story’s influence on popular animated films and other stories with these themes and imagery. It has been quite a while since I’ve read the original text; I will read them and see how this retelling differs. A fantastic, whimsical message to share with anyone willing to listen or read. After reading the original text, the charm and playfulness of the original story were lost with this retelling. Much of the events are the same, but the way Hans Christian Andersen writes and leads the reader through his world is masterful. Love the message, in reminding us of the enduring power of love and the strength found within the most unlikely heroes, just like a fish once said “Just keep swiming.”
Chucks Truck
By Peggy Perry Anderson
“The duck Luck rides in the truck with Chuck.”
Published 2006. I like the straightforward illustrations; they have great color and texture. The story was alright, but I would have preferred something else. I only caught a little of a message.
Billy and Blaze
By CW Anderson
Published 1936. Fantastic technical illustrations, a lot to look at and get lost in. The story felt stale; the conflict that was in the story wasn’t related to the main character and needed to be longer-lived. If anything, it could have been excluded to try and do something else with the story. The story feels very slice of life, if not a bit too perfect. I love reading and interacting with these older books and noticing the differences in how they tell a story and how picture books are structured/told.
Thank you for reading with me, Caleb
