This is yet another series that I’m unfamiliar with. Or, I was until my goddaughter asked me to read it to her. It’s actually quite the cute little story, and it is quite wonderfully illustrated. I can see where it’s perfect for any child in grades one through three, or about five to eight years old. The writing is simple and easy for them to follow, and eventually read themselves. The story is also very basic and easy to follow.
Amelia Bedelia (always referred to by her full name) is a sweet young woman, but she doesn’t seem all that bright; she’s forever taking things people say literally. When a local boys’ baseball team is short a teammate, she volunteers to fill in. Of course, she knows nothing at all about baseball, and the boys try to teach her. But, when told to tag a rival teammate, she pins a tag on him. When she hears that another player is trying to steal a base, she grabs it to prevent that. And finally, when told to run for home, she does just that – taking all the bases with her! So, it’s full of wonderful humour that will delight children.
I also like that it has a happy ending without making fun of poor Amelia. Her not knowing all the details of baseball and getting confused by some of the terms are just the sorts of things any small child can relate to, and which they can have a good natured laugh at.
Now, here is a book I was glad to get my children – pun intended! That’s because the whole focus of the book is the title character and her “Glad Game”. Little Pollyanna Whittier, an orphan, goes to live with her very dour Aunt Polly. Polly is quite rich, and pretty much runs the New England town where they live. Pollyanna is a bright, bubbly happy girl who always looks on the bright side of things. No matter what, she always finds something to be glad about.
Aunt Polly banishes her to an attic room that’s bare and bleak – Pollyanna loves the view. Polly makes her eat nothing but bread and milk, and in the kitchen with the servants; Pollyanna loves that food, and enjoys being with the servants. Over time, others in town begin to play the “Glad Game”, even Aunt Polly – although she’s the most resistive. But, when Pollyanna gets hit by a car and can’t walk, her attitude changes. Now it’s the town’s turn to raise her spirits. More and more people drop by Aunt Polly’s house to tell Pollyanna how much she’s helped them. That gives her the strength to go on. In the end, Aunt Polly marries her old boyfriend, Dr. Chilton, and Pollyanna goes to a hospital for treatment. In the end, she does walk, and learns to appreciate just how valuable her legs are.
The book is such a delight to read, but is probably more suited to girls than boys. And, as it’s a rather sizeable book, I don’t think very young children could handle it. There is a movie version, by Disney, and it is well worth a look.
This is a “Little Golden Book” from the people over at Disney, so you know the artwork is first-rate. The Pooh books have been delighting children for many years, but this is not one of the classics by the original author, A.A. Milne. Rather, this is a new story written by the Disney people, and they just used Pooh and the other characters.
When I first looked this book over, I was a bit dubious about their ability to remain faithful to Milne’s creation. Fortunately, there was nothing to worry about; the book is a wonderful creation. This is a perfect book for a young child from as young as a toddler – who will love the colourful pictures, to a child who is just starting to read on their own. As it is a short book, it won’t get boring for them; the language is simple and easy to understand, and the story is very simple and easy to follow.
In it, Christopher Robin has gone back to school – as it’s the end of summer. Pooh and his friends find Robin’s message, and they get it wrong; they think Christopher is being held in some place called “skull”. So, off they go to rescue him. What I particularly liked about the story is that Pooh and his friends all show real bravery when faced with scary things. They’re out to save their friend, and nothing is going to stop them. This is a wonderful message and lesson for any child.
This is a true sequel to the wonderful book of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”. While only a year later in human terms, more than a thousand years have passed in Narnia. So, when the children (Susan, Lucy, Peter and Edmond) are magically transported back to Narnia, their castle (Cair Paravel) is nothing more than a ruin. Still, they do find their magical weapons hidden away, and then rescue a dwarf named Trumpkin. He serves as the chief narrator for a time; explaining to the children all that has taken place since their departure. It seems humans have moved into the land, and the rightful heir to the throne – Prince Caspian, is in danger of being killed by his own uncle, Miraz.
Lewis again fills his story with wonderful, vibrant characters and excitement. As usual, Aslan shows up to help things along. I was a bit surprised when the trees actually moved and helped with the final battle. In “Lion”, the trees were intelligent, but not mobile. So, that is a bit of an inconsistency. Still, it’s easily overlooked. Another slight weakness to the story is that Miraz agrees to engage Peter in single combat, the fight to decide the outcome of the war. After all, he has a far superior force. Again, this is a minor point. Two of Miraz’s lords do goad him into accepting; so that does make it more believable. This story is also supposed to be the final time for Peter and Susan coming to Narnia; a sign that it is strictly a place for those young enough to believe in it.
This is one of those “Little Golden” books, and I found it the perfect gift for my new grandson. The book is very short, so it is ideal for a bedtime story. Even though he can’t follow the story now, I know he’ll enjoy it as he gets older. The book is set up so that it can be enjoyed by any child from infant to early reader.
First off, as I said, it’s very short – so they won’t loose interest in it before the story is done. Next, it has some wonderful, colourful images; so it’s got something pretty for them to look at. And finally, the story is something that a toddler and pre-schooler can enjoy. It’s really very simple. Roger and Anita want to take Pongo and Perdita, and their puppies, for a picture. Well, to do that, they need to find the keys to their car. And thus begins a search of their house. Along the way, each room has a different number of puppies in it, and the story counts the number. So, you and your child can look for the puppies, and count along. As Pongo and Perdita have fifteen puppies, it does take a while to count all of them. Finally, as the final puppy is found, so are the keys.
So, the story functions as a mini-mystery, and a chance to practice counting. All in all, it has a lot to offer. I’m sure that the lad and I will be reading this book together for many years to come. And, God willing, I’ll get to see him read it to his children someday.
