Review: 'Darling, Mercy Dog of World War I' by Alison Hart

Darling, Mercy Dog of World War I, by Alison Hart, Illustrated by Michael G. Montgomery, 2013, Peachtree, $12.95, hardbound, 162 pages. Category/Genre: adventure. Cover: engaging. Where we got it: publisher. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million.


This book is written from the point of view of a dog named Darling, who lives in Cosham, England during World War I. Darling is a mischievous dog, and gets into all sorts of trouble with her friend Rags, the terrier next door. She doesn't care about the war or hard times, or anything except running free. 

But Darling's family can't afford to keep her any more, and one day they give her away to become a war dog, helping the troops. Because the British army can't afford to keep dogs who don't give them anything in return, any dogs who don't do well in training must be put down. All Darling wants to do is escape and run home. 

Things have changed drastically for the fun-loving Darling, and things change even more when her trainer is injured and it's up to her to find help. Soon she becomes a mercy dog: a dog trained to seek out the injured soldiers on the battlefield and bring the medics to them. 

This is a true adventure story, with lots of angst and dramatic action. It's interesting to see history through the eyes of a dog, and to learn how dogs actually served during war time.   

Written for ages seven through ten.  

If you like this one, try: the forthcoming Murphy, Gold Rush Dog.

Don't forget to check out the other sites on the tour!

Sally's Bookshelf - www.sallysbookshelf.blogspot.com.

Call for Recommended Reading

If you've got a book you're wanting to tell everyone about, tell us; we'll post your recommendation at the end of the month.  

Review: 'I Am Tama, Lucky Cat: A Japanese Legend' by Wendy Henrichs

I Am Tama, Lucky Cat: A Japanese Legend, by Wendy Henrichs, Illustrated by Yoshiko Jaeggi, 2011, Peachtree, $16.95, hardbound, 29 pages. Category/Genre: legend. Cover: beautiful. Where we got it: publisher. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million. 


This book is a re-telling of the Japanese legend of Maneki Neko, the Beckoning Cat, or Lucky Cat. 

In this book, Tama makes a long journey in search of food and shelter. His search brings him to a poor monk in a run-down temple. The monk takes Tama in and takes care of him even though he has little food even for himself. In return, Tama catches mice and gives the monk his warmth and friendship. 

Then one day Tama finds a way to give the monk he loves even more. 

This is a lovely and touching story, well told and with beautiful artwork that suits the Japanese-style prose. Kids and adults alike will fall in love with this tale. 

For ages five and up. 

If you like this one, try: Suggestions? 

Don't forget to check out the other sites on the tour!

Contest on PTP blog (www.peachtreepub.blogspot.com) (I'll also be debuting our historical fiction pinterest board on this day). 

Blog Tour

Don't forget to check out the other sites on the tour!

It's About Time MaMaw (http://itsabouttimemamaw.blogspot.com/). 

Blog Tour

Don't forget to check out the other sites on the tour!

Gidget's Bookworms (http://gidgetsbookworms.wordpress.com)

Maestra Amanda's Bookshelf

(http://maestra-amanda.blogspot.com). 

Review: 'The Other Side of Free' by Krista Russell

The Other Side of Free, by Krista Russell, 2013, Peachtree, $16.95, hardbound, 251 pages. Category/Genre: adventure. Cover: not bad. Where we got it: publisher. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million. 


Charles Town, 1739: 13-year-old slave Jem lives with his adoptive Aunt Winnie, the town's most powerful conjure woman. One night, Aunt Winnie wakes Jem and sends him away with a stranger named Phaedra to go to Fort Mose in Spanish Florida. There they will no longer be slaves, but will pledge allegiance to the Spanish and promise to fight the English army for them.

But not Jem; Phaedra says he's too young to fight. There are other escaped slaves in Fort Mose, too, such as Big Sunday, whose half-Indian son Domingo visits them sometimes. 

There's also Reynard, a French trader who befriends Jem and trades with him for the wooden whistles Jem carves. Jem also has another friend: Omen, the owl he saves from a murder of crows. 

Then new slaves come, with news from Charles Town: a rebellion has started, and some white women and children were killed. The English will track down the rebels at any cost, and have put a heavy price on the head of any rebel returned to Charles Town. 

Jem aches to join the Spanish militia and be seen as the man he thinks he's become. But Jem has a lot of growing to do yet, even though he doesn't know it. He learns along the way, making mistakes as he goes, and finally begins to understand something about the people around him. 

This is an unusual coming-of-age story told from a historical point of view. 

Written for ages 10-14. 

If you like this one, try: Suggestions? 

Don't forget to check out the other sites on the tour!

Kid Lit Reviews (www.kid-lit-reviews.com).

Review: 'Polar Star' by Sally Grindley

Polar Star, by Sally Grindley, Illustrated by John Butler, 1997, Peachtree, $15.95, hardbound, 28 pages. Category/Genre: animals. Cover: realistic. Where we got it: publisher. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million.


Polar Star is the lovely story of a polar bear and her two cubs, Snowball and Snowflake. Polar Star gives birth to the cubs whilst hibernating one winter, and soon they become mischievous bundles of fur as they follow their mum in search of food and shelter. 

John Butler's excellent artwork shows the cubs playing, the mother hunting and playing herself, and the mother and a hungry male bear battling it out. 

This is an exciting read, but everything turns out all right in the end. 

Note: there is some blood, and the death of a seal, as well as some pictures of two very angry polar bears, so you may want to read the book before your young ones get to it.  

If you like this one, try: Pi-shu the Little Panda, by John Butler. 

Don't forget to check out the other sites on the tour!

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

(http://insatiablereaders.blogspot.com)

Boys and Literacy

(www.boystobooks.blogspot.com). 

Review: 'A Place for Bats' by Melissa Stewart

A Place for Bats, by Melissa Stewart, Illustrated by Higgins Bond, 2012, Peachtree, $16.95, hardbound, 32 pages. Category/Genre: reference. Cover: Intriguing. Where we got it: publisher. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million. 


Another in the 'A Place for' series, this book focuses on bats and how we can make the world a better place for them. 

It's important to help bats because they play a vital role in the ecosystem, and because they are special in their own right. They also eat lots of insects, which, of course, is helpful to humans. Plus, some bats aid in spreading pollen from flower to flower, whilst others carry the seeds from a plant to a new place. 

Stewart tells us that scientists have discovered over 1,100 different species of bats -- although no-one knows for sure exactly how many bats the world contains. There are forty-five kinds of bats living in North America. Bond illustrates a number of them in this book, and there are maps showing the range of each bat illustrated. 

Along with informing the reader about the dangers humans create for bats, Stewart tells us how we can help prevent all of these problems -- and what's already being done to help. For example, the Northern yellow bat, who lives, among other places, in Texas, likes to spend the day sleeping in palm trees. The dead, leaf-like fronds of the palm tree help protect the bat from predators. If you have palm trees, leave the dead fronds for the bats to sleep in. 

Stewart also includes some very interesting bat facts at the back of the book. 

If you like this one, try: A Place for Birds, by Melissa Stewart; Bat Loves the Night, by Nicola Davies; and Little Lost Bat, by Sandra Markle. And for older readers, Pippa's First Summer, by Catherine Badgley. 

Don't forget to check out the other sites on the tour!

Gidget's Bookworms

(http://gidgetsbookworms.wordpress.com). 

Blog Tour

Don't forget to check out the other sites on the tour!

A Word's Worth

(http://awordsworth.blogspot.com)

Maestra Amanda's Bookshelf

(http://maestra-amanda.blogspot.com). 

Review: 'Claude at the Circus' by Alex T. Smith

Claude at the Circus, by Alex T. Smith, 2012, Peachtree, $12.95, softbound, 94 pages. Category/Genre: mainstream. Cover: fitting. Where we got it: publisher. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million.


This adventure has Claude (who wears a beret and a rather fetching sweater) and Mr Bobblysocks (who is both a sock and quite bobbly) heading to the park for the afternoon. While there, they get caught up with a group of joggers, fall asleep where they oughtn't, and get ice cream; and then they're invited to the circus!

At the circus (as at the park), Claude tries only to do what is right and to help people. It isn't his fault that things go wrong. When things go wrong this time, it's Claude and Mr Bobblysocks to the rescue, filling in for the circus folk. They get to act like clowns, walk the high wire, and even do a trapeze act, all before hurrying home before Mr and Mrs Shinyshoes return. 

Wacky and fun-filled, this book has lots of artwork and heroes you can root for. 

If you like this one, try: Claude in the City, by Alex T. Smith. 

Don't forget to check out the other sites on the tour!

There's a Book (www.theresabook.com).

Note: Alex T. Smith is on twitter: https://twitter.com/Alex_T_Smith

And Claude has his own blog too! http://claudebooks.blogspot.com/

Illustrator Interview: David Wenzel

David Wenzel, well-known for illustrating the graphic novel of The Hobbit, was kind enough to answer a few of our questions. 

When did you know you wanted to be an illustrator?

When I was attending art school I had really a strong inclination to work in a field where I could make a living. I love narrative artwork so it was a natural transition for me to explore illustrations. I have worked in a lot of different forms of it over the years, but most of my recognition came from children's books and graphic novels.

How did you come to illustrate children's books?

I have always had an interest in children's books and when I was attending college I actually created two as part of my classwork. I have always admired narrative story telling and children's books lend themselves to that end.

What has been your favourite project so far?

My favorite projects have been The Hobbit, The Wizard's Tale, Kingdom of the Dwarfs, and The King of Little Things

What medium do you use?

I usually create my final illustrations in pencil and watercolor, or acrylic ink.

What is your favourite thing to draw?

I really enjoy creating fantastic creatures and fantasy creatures. I also love to sketch historical subjects. I started my career doing cartoonish characters and sometimes I like to revisit those subjects.

What is the hardest thing for you to draw?

Cars and trucks.

Who is your favourite artist, and why?

I really do not have one favorite artist. I admire many and I am like a lot of my fellow illustrators in my admiration for, Howard Pyle, NC Wyeth, Edmund Dulac and Arthur Rackham. If you check on their work you'll see that they all share the ability to immerse the viewer in their paintings.

How do you make a living as an artist?

It depends on what kind of artist you are. There are many many men and women making a living as illustrators, concept artists, children's book artists, and storyboard artists, to name a few. Some surge to the top of the professional ladder and never have to worry about money because they are always in demand and art directors love them. For many there is an ebb and flow and cobbling together a steady work load has some ups and downs. For those of us who make living at it there are certainly more ups. The key to being a successful illustrator is that you must have a look, style, or creative ideas that other people want to invest in. You have to study the markets and understand what art directors would find unique and wonderful about your artwork that would distinguish you from the hundreds of others who want to be illustrators themselves.

What advice do you have for someone wanting to enter this field?

Look at illustration. Look at past illustrators and today's illustrators. Try to see why an artist was successful. Was it due to their technical proficiency or was it their ideas or a combination of both. Work to create a portfolio that says something about you and try to really be unique without being trite. Practice, develop a good skill set and then promote and network.

What, if any, artist's quirks do you have?

I figure a persons quirks are best observed by someone else as most of us think our quirks are normal.

Blog Tour

Don't forget to check out the other sites on the tour!

Boys to Books (www.boystobooks.blogspot.com).

Blog Tour

Don't forget to check out the other sites on the tour!

There's a Book (www.theresabook.com)

It's About Time, MaMaw (http://itsabouttimemamaw.blogspot.com).

Blog Tour

Don't forget to check out the other sites on the tour!

Kid Lit Reviews (www.kid-lit-reviews.com).

Blog Tour

Don't forget to check out the other sites on the tour!

Gidget's Bookworms (http://gidgetsbookworms.wordpress.com)

Maestra Amanda's Bookshelf (http://maestra-amanda.blogspot.com).

Review: 'When Edgar Met Cecil' by Kevin Luthardt

When Edgar Met Cecil, by Kevin Luthardt, 2013, Peachtree, $15.95, hardbound, 30 pages. Category/Genre: mainstream. Cover: good. Where we got it: publisher. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million.


This book takes the old problem of moving to a new school and new town and puts it in a fresh perspective. Edgar is a robot, living his happy robot life with his robot best friend, Quincy. 

Then one day Edgar's parents tell him they're moving. Edgar is devastated; he'll miss Quincy. When he gets to his new home, things don't improve. Everything is strange. Instead of robots, there are aliens, and all of them are weird -- but none of them is weirder than Cecil, the big kid who keeps staring at Edgar. 

Edgar plays by himself, unwilling to interact with the other kids, until Cecil approaches him. You'll have to read the book to find out what happens next -- but it's a happy ending. 

The artwork is interesting and colourful, and kids will get a kick out of all the different robots and aliens. It's also fun to see Cecil peering at Edgar every chance he gets. 

If you like this one, try: Suggestions?

On the Bookshelf: Books to Be Read September 2013

We already read the second in this series and decided Lackey may be becoming one of our favourite authors. This is the first in the Collegium series.