Retro Thursday: little blue and little yellow by Leo Lionni, reviewed by Squirt

Okay, normally when we have a retro book it is on Tuesday, and it is Miss Ami reviewing a YA book that isn't new, but which other people may have missed when it first came out. Got all that? Today, however, it is ME, on a Thursday, reviewing a picture book that came out a long time ago, but was recently rereleased. So, basically, the exact same thing. Only not.



Jacket description:

"Little blue and little yellow are best friends. One day they can't find each other. When they finally meet, they hug and hug - until they become green! But where did little blue and little yellow go?"

This book has all the things I like in Lionni's books; simple shapes, bright colors, and a fun story with few words but much to enjoy. For those parent/teacher types, everal obvious story extensions leap out. You can, of course, experiment with mixing colors (I wonder how much food coloring it would take to dye the water in my tank?) You can find out ways to separate substances that have been mixed (markers on coffee filters, evaporating salt water, etc.)You can discuss friendship and whether our appearance is the sum of who we are. This 50th anniversary edition also tells how the story came to be, a cute tale in its own right. From there you can pass out magazines and have kids make up their own stories the same way.

Miss Ami says this makes a great read-aloud, and I plan to bug her to read it to me over and over again.

The Squire's Quest by Gerald Morris, as reviewed by Atlas

Oh, help! One of the greatest perks of working (or living) in a library is getting to put your name in first for new books. Until they all come in at once, and you have to make decisions. What do I read first? The newest by Katherine Paterson, Zilpha Keatley Snyder, or Shannon Hale? The Magician's Elephant by DiCamillo? Tentacles, by Roland Smith? Gerald Morris easily trumps them all, however, and I read this entire book in one sitting.

If you have not read any of the Squire's Tale series, get thee to the library and start! Make sure to begin at the beginning (The Squire's Tale), or you will miss half of what is happening.

I have described the series before as a clean Monty Python, but that really doesn't do it justice. Morris, a huge fan of and expert on Arthurian legend (and a Baptist minister), has created a fantastic web of stories centered around some of the lesser-known characters (like Squire Terence), while including very human portrayals of Arthur, Gawain, and the like. The books are HYSTERICAL - imagine the looks you get when people hear loud braying laughter coming from a turtle tank! It is impossible to explain why you are laughing, though, unless you read an entire chapter aloud.

The Squire's Quest does have its dark moments, and even more soul searching than the last few. A great book, and series, for the 'thinking' kids - those who read all of Madeleine L'Engle's books, not just A Wrinkle in Time, or fans of The Giver and its companions. Some strong female characters and some absolute nitwits, men of courage and integrity, and...well, more nitwits. Fantasy and magic, history and legend. Each book has it all, and this ninth installment was in no way a disappointment. Except that, now it's over, and I have to choose from the rest of that pile...



or to start the series: