 The French six-year-old narrator in this gorgeous picture book loves spending time in his Spanish grandfather’s incredible garden. The grandfather, Luis, left Spain because of the terrible war. He didn’t have a chance to be a kid, and he never learned to read and write. Together they watch birds. Luis speaks BIRD language. They also draw what they see in the magnificent garden. Luis is a great cook, too, making his house always smell good. Luis speaks in a vibrant and unique language, hence the title of the book, At the Drop of a Cat, and another phrase like “the apple of his pie.” At the end of the story, Luis gives his grandchild a guitar. Even though Luis cannot read or write, he imparts wonderful knowledge about nature and life to his grandchild. Dreamy, colorful, and rich, plant-filled pictures in watercolor and collage depict their natural world effectively. mjw |
| Title: At The Drop Of A Cat Author: Elise Fontenaille Illustrator: Violeta Lopiz Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books. New York Copyright: 2023 Original Language: French Translator: Karin Snelson and Emilie Robert Wong Original Title: Les poings sur les iles Original Publisher: Editions du Rouergue Original Copyright: 2011 ISBN: 978-1-59270-382-1 Hardcover pages: 36 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: France Author’s ethnicity: French Author’s residence: Haute-Loire, France Illustrator’s ethnicity: Spanish Illustrator’s residence: Peru Subjects: Birds, Gardens, Grandfathers, Intergenerational, Multigenerational family life, Music |
At The Drop Of A Cat
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This bilingual Spanish-English edition, the first illustrated selection of 70 questions from Pablo Neruda’s original poem (320 questions), The Book of Questions, is a glorious introduction to Neruda’s works for young children. “Why don’t they teach helicopters how to draw honey from the sun? How did the abandoned bicycle find its freedom? Does the earth chirp like a cricket in the symphony of the skies?” These are a few of the unanswerable imaginative questions posed in the text. The book is large and includes fold-out pages. Blues, reds, and yellows against black or white backgrounds created by pencil and ink have a folk art feel. This is a gorgeous book. mjw
An international collection of legends, histories, traditions, and celebrations from around the world is included in this beautifully illustrated and detailed book. Thirty-nine brief sections take readers from Greece to Ethiopia, explaining many diverse perspectives. The book is organized by topics listed in the table of contents. Intriguing stories include Why do we decorate Christmas trees?, Why are there so many Christmas markets in Germany?, How the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree originated?, and much more. A glossary lists the words for Merry Christmas and Santa Claus in many different languages. mjw
