Book 277: The Red Balloon

The Red Balloon, by Albert Lamorisse, Doubleday 1978 (from a 1956 film).

I vaguely remember a short, non-verbal, film called the "Red Balloon". The balloon in the film seemed playful and not quite as mischievous as the balloon in the book. 

In this case, the film came first, and the film is better. I thought maybe some of the charm was lost in the translation, so I picked up a copy of Le Ballon Rouge as well. It is pretty straight-forward reading so even my rusty French could (mostly) keep up. Some of the charm was lost in the translation, but even in French, the book was not as good as the movie. 

I had problems with the book saying Pascal was lonely because he was an only child -- my son in an only child and not lonely; I was one of four and was lonely. I had a hard time with the balloon in the book being so mischievous, even malicious, at times -- those traits sucked out a lot of the fun and playfulness of the red balloon. The principal, or director, was just plain mean in the book; and the bullying kids' motives were more ambiguous in the film. 

This book would have been better without the text, French or English, and if it just relied on the photos to tell the story. 

Book 276: Neverwhere

Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman, HarperCollins 1996.


I adore Neil Gaiman's writing, and Alice in Wonderland, so, of course, I loved this book.

Gaiman's Wonderland is more of a London Underworld, or, even more accurately, London's underbelly.  I kept thinking, this could be Paris!, with its notorious sewer system and catacombs.

Gaiman creates such fantastic fantastical characters in a world so dark that some of the inhabitants have gone blind.  But, every so often, there is a brilliant flash of humor that relieves the darkness and keeps the reader well away from the Tube's underground train tracks.  And, curiouser and curiouser, makes the reader want revisit, and long for, that world.

Book 275: Just a Big Storm

Just a Big Storm, by Mercer Mayer, HarperCollins 2013.


Today, we are having a not very lovely winter thunderstorm.  Complete with my five-year-old son's thunder monster.

The Critter family knows how to prepare for a BIG thunderstorm -- more than just my usual break out the candles and flashlights routine -- so it was actually useful reading for me.  But I'm not the target audience.  Little Critter knows how to make every situation fun, and every adventure exciting.  That can take away some of the scariness of the thunder monster for my son.  And that is very good.  Because he is the target audience.

Book 274: Wonder

Wonder, by R. J. Palacio, Corgi, 2012.


Of course this was a good book.  A very good book, in fact.  I thought the author did an amazing job capturing the voices from the point of view of each of the characters.  The weakest, to me, however, was the voice of August himself.

In any writing, I don't like my protagonist to be all good, and my antagonist to be all bad.  The world doesn't work that way, and writing that reflects that doesn't feel honest to me.  But for Middle Grade or Juvenile fiction, I think it is even more important to not have such a black and white world.  I would have liked to have heard Julian's story, too.  Knowing his motive would still have kept him the antagonist but it might help to show why he was lacking empathy.

Via, the sister's, voice was the strongest.  Her story was also the most heartbreakingly honest.

Book 273: Curious George Visits the Zoo

Curious George Visits the Zoo, based on characters created by Margret and H.A. Rey, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1998.

I don't like the premise of the original Curious George story, but I do like the stories that have come out of that premise.  Before I started reading the book, I was afraid that George would end up in the monkey cage.  He doesn't, and he even helps out a little boy who lost his balloon to the monkeys.  My five-year-old son has no problem with Curious George.  He sees George as a five-year-old boy who is really good at climbing.  And that is why the stories work.

The illustrations, even in the first Curious George book, are absolute perfection.  I wouldn't change one line of them, although, I am glad that the zoos that we visit bear no resemblance to the zoo in this book.

Book 272: Happiness is a Warm Puppy

Happiness is a Warm Puppy, by Charles M. Schulz, Peanuts Worldwide 2013.


Happiness is a little square book, with a pink cover, and bright, multi-colored pages inside.

Happiness is a bold, elegant font, and bold, elegant illustrations.

Happiness is Snoopy drawn by Charles M. Schulz.

So happiness may be a warm puppy, or happiness may be one thing to one person and another thing to another person, but this little book could bring a little bit of happiness.

And, because I found this book at Kohl's as part of their ongoing Kohl's Cares program, happiness is buying something wonderful and having the proceeds benefit a worthy cause.

Book 271: Curious George and the Puppies

Curious George and the Puppies, based on characters created by Margret and H. A. Rey, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1998.


This book was another Kohl's Care find.  I love that program.


Curious George is always perfectly drawn.  And I like the stories that are created around him.  I just have difficulty with a monkey in captivity.  And I find the man in the yellow hat a bit creepy.  If I can set aside my initial reservations and prejudices, this book was an adorable story.

When I read this book to my five-year-old son, he saw Curious George as a five-year-old boy.  He enjoyed the story, and I enjoyed the artwork.