Book Reviews
Plenty of time to buy a book or four as we ring in the holidays.
(The inside cover of a book first published in 1924, When Peter Rabbit Went to School, by Beatrix Potter)
When I was little, my great-aunt Lena would gift me picture books for the holidays and my birthday every year. It’s one of the few traditions I can remember from my family, and I share this because it’s a good tradition. Something we should not get far away from. She would write on the inside cover in ballpoint pen, and I still find these books around the house inscribed to me. Books were her love language.
While shopping this holiday season, please visit a bookstore. Books are a special gift, especially if you write something nice on the inside cover. And remember, no matter what holiday you celebrate, if any, it is the season of giving, so find out where you can donate new books this December- hint ** free libraries are a good place to start**
children’s books first-
(Illustration, Harold Loves His Wooly Hat, written and illustrated by Vern Kousky, Random House Studio Publishing, 2018)
Harold Loves His Wooly Hat, Vern Kousky.
In this wintery tale, a crow, a little bear and his favorite wooly hat teach us the power of love and the value of altruism. These pages are filled with delicate illustrations made with pencil, pen and watercolor, some digital augmentation, and the results are perfect. Recommended for ages 3-7. ❤️❤️
(Illustration, Du Iz Tak?, written and illustrated by Carson Ellis, Candlewick Press, 2016)
Du Iz Tak? Carson Ellis.
Written and illustrated by Carson Ellis, this story offers a window into the natural rhythm of the seasons as lived by a band of insects enjoying their own teeny ecosystem. We’re introduced to some beetles, a slug, a caterpillar couple, damselflies and a spider all speaking in a language we shouldn’t understand, but do. And they’re all hanging out around a- what else? A lovely flower. Ages brand new-six or seven. Ten thumbs up. 💜💜
(Illustration, Whales; An Illustrated Celebration, written and illustrated by Kelsey Oseid, Ten Speed Press, 2018)
Whales; An Illustrated Celebration, Kelsey Oseid.
This is a really good book for the kid who loves to categorize stuff- you know they’re out there- with illustrations deftly painted well enough to be accurate, not Grey’s Anatomy accurate, more like warmly accurate, and text brimming with absolutely everything you’d ever want or need to know about our Cetacean brethren.
Oseid tackles all things whale, from describing each category, down to every last known whale that exists or existed. For example, the Cenozoic era introduced crawling land animals, rodent-like in size and fur, and our whales descended from mammals like that. Science tells us the earliest whale-ish creatures showed up more than 50 million years ago. Included in this generous, informative text is a lesson about how the International Whaling Commission, IWC, banned commercial hunting, but because some countries have been non-compliant, the result has been devastating for certain whale populations. Many are on the Endangered Species List.
Here’s a thought; after gifting this gem of a read to your 6-12 year old, how about following that up with a road trip? Next summer or when weather permits, splurge and take the family on a whale watching tour. They never disappoint! You’ll be glad you did. 💙💙
(Tiny Beautiful Things-Advice From Dear Sugar, Cheryl Strayed, Vintage Books, 2022)
Tiny Beautiful Things, Cheryl Strayed.
A Reese’s Book Club book, Tiny Beautiful Things is written by bestselling author Cheryl Strayed. Strayed shares the letters she’d received as an anonymous advice columnist and her consequent responses to those letters. As I understand it, this has been adapted into an original series on Hulu which I haven’t seen, but can certainly recommend the book. She addresses, unflinchingly, the wretched realities we sometimes live, and how those of us who are in a position to help, should. Strayed reminds us why we need to hear one another’s stories. Ten thumbs up. 🩵🩵
(A Book of Days, Patti Smith, Random House Publishing, 2022)
A Book of Days, Patti Smith.
Part calendar, part meditative practice, A Book of Days is a beautiful book on the inside and out. Patti offers insights into the photo diary she has kept since 1996, and each day a picture accompanies commentary on its significance that at times is in cinque with someone’s birthday, an event, authors she admires or places and people she loves. For November 6th, she shares an image from a road in Coyoacán where she walked past Frida Kahlo’s home, on September 11th, the image of the South Tower in 2001 embossed in gold, on July 28th, there is the Lion of Lucerne, and on December 8th, Patti shares a beautiful picture of her daughter, Jesse, in La Scala Opera House in Milan. A wonderful way to start your morning. Thank you, Patti 💚💚💚💚
(This Is The Story of a Happy Marriage, Ann Patchett, HarperCollins Publishers, 2013)
This Is The Story of a Happy Marriage, Ann Patchett.
For anyone who loves to write, this next one is a must-have in your arsenal. A collection of personal essays from Ann Patchett published in 2013, my beat up Happy Marriage has seen some things - oh if only this book could talk. Patchett tells us what it means to be a writer and the daughter of a cop, what it’s like to hedge all your bets and open a bookstore when everyone tells you you’re nuts, and most critically, how it feels to be on the receiving end after pissing off some already put-out readers. What this read will give you is the courage to write your truth, and that is quite the gift. 💛💛
(‘The mirror, above all- the mirror is our teacher’- a Leonardo da Vinci quote on the book jacket of Five Hundred Self-Portraits, Julian Bell, Phaidon Press)
Five Hundred Self-Portraits, Phaidon Press
If you can still get this book- and you can, on Amazon or Goodreads, I highly recommend the tremendous undertaking that is Five Hundred Self-Portraits published by Phaidon Press, and purchased by me in the early 2000’s. With its reflective cover and stocky, compact size, it’s a good-looking book, just like a piece of art itself. Five Hundred Self-Portraits showcases self-portraitures from ancient Egypt up until the 1990’s, which makes it a fantastic gift for the artist in your life. 🧡🧡
(Loved these posters in the elevator at Kinokuniya Bookstore)
To visit or order gifts, visit
diaart.org
store.MoMA.org
thenextchapterli.com
strandbooks.com
theodoresbooks.com
mcnallyjackson.com
montblanc.com