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Viewing: Blog Posts Tagged with: David Colmer, Most Recent at Top [Help]
Results 1 - 5 of 5
1. Azizi and the Little Blue Bird

AziziLittleBlueBird_Cover_finalWith all the ingredients of an enduring fairy tale, Azizi and the Little Blue Bird is a charming and beautiful tale of freedom over oppression and hope over fear, with the intriguing twist that it is actually based on real-life events from just a few years ago.

Written by Laïla Koubaa, illustrated by Mattias De Leeuw and translated by David Colmer, this allegory is set in an imaginary Middle Eastern land where despotic rulers, Tih and Reni, cream the land for its riches whilst locking up those they don’t like. Thus it comes to pass that all the country’s blue birds are trapped in one huge cage inside the rulers’ palace.

Whilst Tih and Reni feast on opulent riches, a single bird manages to escape and to find the hero of our story, a young boy. Azizi climbs onto the blue bird’s back and soon they are flying over the whole country, with a garland of flowers trailing behind them, leaving a ribbon of scent as if to wake the senses of everyone they pass. Will it be enough to overthrow the tyrants and free the birds?

BI_AziziLittleBlueBird_first spread

Wonderfully rich imagery in word and illustration triggers memories of colourful bazaars piled high with riches. De Leeuw makes liberal use of smudges; creating softer, more energetic illustrations where you can feel the hand of the illustrator very close by. His use of perspective accentuates the sense of oppression: The rulers get bigger and bigger whilst their subjects become smaller and smaller.

BI_AziziLittleBlueBird_second spread

Koubaa’s timeless tale, translated with clarity and beauty by David Colmer, actually refers to a period in 2010/2011 when, during the Arab Spring. the the internet was censored and/or shut down during the uprisings, in an attempt to prevent protests from spreading over the region. The little blue birds – have you already guessed it? – refer to Twitter.

BI_AziziLittleBlueBird_third spread

For me it is really interesting to see a children’s picture book explore the positive side of social media, albeit metaphorically. When I recently looked into portrayals of social media in books for the very young, I found that the message was overwhelmingly a negative one. This book, however, would be an interesting one to include in a more nuanced discussion about the pros and cons of life online as explored through picture books.

Azizi and the Little Blue Bird is a wonderfully hopeful and evocative fairy story is about good triumphing over bad and little people being brave and clever. I hope it reaches the wide audience it deserves.

Enchanted by the vision of a sweet smelling garland of flowers spreading and hope, the girls and I raided our allotment for flowers we could thread.

azizi1

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Using tapestry needles (nice and big for little hands), and strong thread the girls set to threading their garland.

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It was a lovely sensory experience and soon we had a good long stretch of colour and good cheer.

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We added a few blue birds and our garland was complete!

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Bergamot, zinnias and cornflowers (the flowers we used) all dry quite well so I’m hoping that the garland will have quite a long life.

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Whilst making our flower garland we listened to:

  • I’ll Fly Away performed by Gillian Welch and Alison Krauss
  • Little Bird, Little Bird by Elizabeth Mitchell
  • Pãram pãram – a traditional Tunisian song, found in Songs in the Shade of the Olive Tree, a storybook and CD featuring lullabies and nursery rhymes from Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.
  • Other activities which might work well alongside reading this book include:

  • Cooking couscous. The rulers in this book eat lots of couscous, and couscous is very kid-friendly food when it comes to preparation. This BBC recipe gives you some ideas for preparing a meal together.
  • Creating paper jasmine flowers. Here’s an origami tutorial. You could even scent them with jasmine essential oil.
  • Making your own (blue) birds. Here’s a tutorial for making some out of fimo (modelling clay), or how about out of cake?
  • If you liked this post you might like these other posts by me:

  • Making a house out of flowers alongside a lovely re-telling of the Three Little Pigs tale.
  • Creating birds out of doilies – perfect for mobiles.
  • An Iranian story about determination and freedom.
  • azizifollowups

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    Disclosure: I was sent a free review copy of this book by the publisher.

    3 Comments on Azizi and the Little Blue Bird, last added: 9/17/2015
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    2. The best Dutch children’s literature in translation: now and in the future?

    To celebrate the publication earlier this month of The Cat Who Came in Off the Roof by Annie M. G. Schmidt, translated by David Colmer, today I’m sharing my 5 favourite Dutch children’s books which are available in English (being a Dutch-English bilingual family this is something we know a little bit about ;-) ).

    But that’s not all!

    Thanks to award-winning translator David Colmer you’ll also be able to find out about some of the great Dutch titles just waiting to be translated. (Hint HINT Publishers! )

    Copy_of_Cover_Cat_who_came_in_off_the_RoofI reviewed The Cat who Came in off the Roof by Annie M. G. Schmidt, translated by David Colmer a couple of weeks ago (here’s my review in full) but my elevator pitch for this book is: This is a timeless, warm-hearted, thought-provoking and charming read all about one shy person’s struggle to stand up to power, alongside a clever exploration of the very essence of what it means to be human. And yes, there are lots of cats involved. It’s also very funny and written with a lightness of touch which ensures readers will devour this book despite its meaty themes. Last week one newspaper book reviewer called this brilliant book her “find of the year to date“. It might just turn out to be yours too!

    letterAn epic adventure involving knights, bravery and brotherhood, The Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt, translated by Laura Watkinson tells of a gripping quest full of excitement and peril; it speaks volumes that this book was named the best children’s book ever in its homeland. A young boy has almost completed the tasks he must undertake to become a knight, but when a stranger requests his help the boy cannot turn down the plea, even if it means abandoning his long held ambition to be knighted. He is tasked with delivering a secret letter to the King across the Great Mountains, a letter which holds the fate of an entire kingdom within its words. Fans of Tolkien or Arthurian legends will love this book, with its thrilling action, and an epic landscape with soaring mountains and mysterious forests. Chivalry, courage and fabulous characters abound this is a hugely enjoyable read to share with all the family. You can read my interview with the translator Laura Watkinson here.

    bushThe Day My Father Became a Bush by Joke van Leeuwen, translated by Bill Nagelkerke is a tender and yet funny and unsentimental story about a refugee child forced to leave her home country because of war. Whilst it is certainly thought provoking and moving, the darker side of the story is finely balanced with humour and pastries (the child’s father is a pastry chef – so there are plenty of excuses for enjoying this book with a choux bun or slice of mille-feuille!)

    “A brilliant, eerily engrossing evocation of war as it brushes up against youth—a harsh slice of the world during a mean piece of history.” (Kirkus)

    misterorangeMister Orange by Truus Matti, translated by Laura Watkinson first came to my attention early this year when it won the 2014 Mildred L. Batchelder Award

    With one of the best openings I’ve read in a long while this is a moving story about the power of imagination, loss and longing. Set in New York during the Second World War it follows the hopes and fears of Linus, a teenage boy who steps into the shoes of his older brother, a soldier who has left to fight in Europe. Comics play an important role in this book, as does the redemptive power of art; (true) details of Dutch artist Piet Mondrian’s final years in the Big Apple are interwoven into Linus’ life, with evocative period description and a thoughtful exploration of growing-up.

    kindercaravanFrom one of the most recently tranlated books to one that has been around for 44 years, Children on the Oregon Trail by An Rutgers van der Loeff, translated by Roy Edwards is a tale of endurance and skill following a family of orphaned children travelling west across America as pioneers in the 1840s. This enthralling story is based loosely on a real family of pioneer orphans, and if you or your kids have enjoyed the Laura Ingalls Wilder books or simply like stories where children show ingenuity and maturity without adults around, then do give this book a try. In fact, I’d recommend any book by Rutgers van der Loeff (several were translated in the 1950s and ’60s) for she really knows how to write adrenalin fuelled stories with a keen eye for the wider world.

    Now over to David for his recommendations about Dutch children’s books still waiting to hit English language bookshelves:

    wiplalaSomething else by Annie M.G. Schmidt.

    [David has translated several books by the person many would call the Queen of Dutch children's literature, including a collection of Schmidt's poems, A Pond full of Ink, which has received much praise in the US /Zoe] ‘Wiplala‘ for instance and ‘Wiplala Again‘, a very funny two-book series about an elf-like creature called Wiplala, who has been banished for magical incompetence and plays havoc in a typical Schmidt-style single-parent household. ‘Wiplala’ was originally written in the 1950s but came out in a new edition with illustrations by Philip Hopman in 2007. A film version is currently in production.

    kweenie ‘Dunno’ by Joke van Leeuwen. [Dutch title: 'Kweenie']

    Brilliant integration of text, typography and illustrations in this story about a character who falls out of a bedtime story and the little girl who tries to return him to his parents. Trouble is, there are so many stories… Which one was it? A children’s story about story telling itself sounds way too postmodern, but this book works on every level. More information about this book can be found on the website of the Dutch Foundation for Literature: http://www.letterenfonds.nl/en/book/291/dunno

    annetje‘Annabel Lee in the Dead of Night’ by Imme Dros, [Dutch title: 'Annetje Lie in de holst van de nacht'] with black-and-white illustrations by Margriet Heymans.

    This is a hallucinatory story about a little girl in an uncertain world whose feverish dreams take on a life of their own. It’s eerie and strange, but my own daughter loved it and read it over and over. It was published in English in the 90s, but is now out of print. If nothing else, a new translation could respect the author’s wishes and call the main character “Annabel Lee” in English, as a homage to Edgar Allan Poe, whose work inspired the original.

    ikwouIngrid Godon and Toon Tellegen’s I Wish [Dutch title: Ik wou]

    Maybe an art book more than a children’s book, Godon’s emotionally-charged naive portraits are wedded to Tellegen’s prose portraits to form a moving whole. And while I’m on the subject of Tellegen, his poetry and animal stories have been rightly praised in the UK, but his other work deserves publication too. Sneaking in another title, Pikkuhenki, with illustrations by Marit Törnqvist, is a gem in the fairy-tale genre with a great story about a tiny Russian witch who discovers that she has enormous powers and overthrows an evil tsar.

    sprookjesAnd that brings me to my last recommendation, another book my daughter couldn’t get enough of, insisting I it read over and over for her bedtime stories: Fairy Tales from the Low Countries by Eelke de Jong and Hans Sleutelaar, illustrated by Peter Vos. I’m partial to fairy tales, true, but the problem is that most collections are either poorly written or poorly translated or both. That’s not the case here, where the style is always clear and beautifully fluent, a joy to read out loud. This book reminds me of Italo Calvino’s Italian folktales, and besides variations on familiar Germanic themes, there are plenty of stories you’ve never heard before. My favourite: “One Hunchback Mocks Another”. Warning: not for Disney fans.

    **********************

    My thanks go to David for his excellent choice of books waiting for English translations. I do hope one or two publishers might be tempted by his suggestions!

    I feel a little bit guilty for almost reaching the end of this post without mentioning Miffy or The Diary of Anne Frank – perhaps the two biggest exports from the world of Dutch children’s books. There are also many other books I’ve not been able to include in an attempt to keep the post from running on past everyone’s bedtime, but let me end by pointing out three publisher who have made a name for themselves publishing (amongst other things) brilliant Dutch children’s books in translation: Pushkin Press and Gecko Press with a special honorary mention to Book Island who have published several great books translated from Flemish by Belgian authors and illustrators.

    Come back tomorrow when you could win a copy of The Cat who Came in off the Roof by Annie M. G. Schmidt, translated by David Colmer AND The Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt, translated by Laura Watkinson! Two of my favourite books in any language, I’m sure you’ll love them too.

    5 Comments on The best Dutch children’s literature in translation: now and in the future?, last added: 7/15/2014
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    3. That Cat who came in off the Roof by Annie M. G. Schmidt

    Mr Tibbles – a shy reporter on the local newspaper – has been threatened with the sack. It’s perhaps no surprise: Mr Tibbles is mad about cats, and all his stories end up revolving around felines one way or another. What his editor wants, however, is news!

    Photo: Sarah

    Photo: Sarah

    An act of kindness brings Mr Tibbles into contact with Minoe, a rather strange young woman who appears to be able to talk to cats. Through the town’s network of feline pets and strays Minoe starts starts to deliver interesting titbits of exclusive news to Mr Tibbles; cats across the city overhear all sorts of conversations often revealing juicy gossip and insider information, and when Minoe learns of these pieces of news from kitty comrades, she passes them on to her friend the reporter.

    Mr Tibble’s job is looking up until he uncovers information which could lead to the downfall of a local powerful businessman. Will the reporter be brave enough to expose the evil goings on? Will he be believed, when his only witnesses are pussy cats?

    Copy_of_Cover_Cat_who_came_in_off_the_RoofA funny and yet quietly profound tale of courage, friendship and what it really means to be human, The Cat Who Came in off the Roof, by Annie M. G. Schmidt, translated by David Colmer is a gem of a story. Ideal for fans of The Hundred and One Dalmatians, or cross-species tales of identity such as Stellaluna or Croc and Bird, this book would make an especially good class read-aloud, with lots of opportunities to discuss what life looks like from different perspectives, helping readers and listeners walk in another’s shoes, as well as perhaps learning a thing or to about overcoming shyness, and how to stand up for what you believe in.

    From the mangy, feisty stray cat who you end up rooting for, to the hilarious school cat with a penchant for history lessons and a slight;y different (some might say out-dated) understanding of the term ‘news’, Schmidt has populated her story with a super array of characters. The narrative beautifully unfolds with unseen and fine tuning, climaxing with an exciting and rich ending which is deeply satisfying even though not everything is tied up neatly and not all strands end happily. Despite plenty of kittens and purring, this book never patronises its readership.

    Knowing the original Dutch language version as we do as a family, I can also comment on the gorgeous translation. Colmer has wittily and cleverly translated linguistic and cultural jokes. His phrase ‘miaow-wow’ for when the cats meet up for a big parley is genius and has now entered our family parlance. If I nitpick I might personally have chosen -thorpe rather than -thorn for the Dutch -doorn, when translating the town’s name but I feel mean mentioning this as Colmer’s voice is pitch-perfect; at no point will you notice the text as a translation for it reads authentically and smoothly.

    This must-read book will make you laugh out loud (whether you are a dog person or a cat fan). It will make you feel like for a brief moment you’ve witnessed and understood the best of humanity. It may also make you rather nervous next time you find a cat sitting ever so quietly next to you whilst you are having a private conversation!

    I do so hope Pushkin Press are now thinking about translating Schmidt’s earlier work, Ibbeltje, which shares many characteristics with The Cat Who Came in off the Roof and has the added advantage of brilliant illustrations by another glittering star in the Dutch children’s literature firmament: Fiep Westendorp.

    For reasons which will become clear upon reading this charming and magical book Minoe not only can speak the language of cats, she is also known to climb trees when dogs approach. It took about a nanosecond for M to decide she wanted to play-by-this-particular-book by climbing as many different trees as she could one afternoon at the weekend. So, armed with a local map (printed from http://www.openstreetmap.org/) we set off to map all the local trees good for climbing in.

    tree1

    Each tree we climbed we identified (it seems that around us oaks, ash and willow are the best climbing trees).

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    We remembered the last time we deliberately climbed trees in order to read on location.

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    Getting out and climbing a tree? Reading a truly terrific book? What more could you ask for as a lovely way to while a way a few hours!

    Whilst climbing we weren’t listening to music, but these tracks could go with reading The Cat Who Came in off the Roof:

  • This Cat’s On A Hot Tin Roof by Brian Setzer
  • Everybody Wants to be a Cat from The Aristocats film
  • The Cat theme from Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf

  • Other activities which you might be inspired to try alongside reading The Cat Who Came in off the Roof include:

  • Reading more books in more trees. The very first I’d have to recommend are the Toby books by Timothee de Fombelle, about an entire world of miniature people having giant adventures in an oak tree.
  • Walking around your neighbourhood and greeting the cats you come across. Could you create a backstory for each one? What are they called? What do they get up to when you’re not there?
  • Writing a family newspaper. This is potentially a super project for the summer holidays – and you can get some great tips and downloadables to get you going from this post over on Playful Learning.
  • When did you last climb a tree? What secrets might your cat be able to tell me ;-) ?

    Disclosure: I received a free review copy of The Cat who Came in off the Roof from the publisher.

    And briefly…. thank you with all my heart to all of you who commented on my last post, or got in touch via email, phone, snail mail and more. Life goes on and plots are being hatched and plans being laid. As and when I can reveal more I’ll be sure to let you know the latest.

    3 Comments on That Cat who came in off the Roof by Annie M. G. Schmidt, last added: 6/29/2014
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    4. Review of the Day: A Pond Full of Ink by Annie M.G. Schmidt

    PondFullInk1 241x300 Review of the Day: A Pond Full of Ink by Annie M.G. SchmidtA Pond Full of Ink
    By Annie M.G. Schmidt
    Illustrated by Sieb Posthuma
    Translated by David Colmer
    Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
    $16.00
    ISBN: 978-0-8028-5433-9
    Ages 7 and up
    On shelves now

    International children’s authors are great. They’re just not particularly well known in America. There are various reasons for this. Some of it has to do with the dearth of international children’s book importing. Bringing a book over sometimes requires translation, and there’s often little hope of the writer or illustrator touring if English isn’t a second language. Then add to this the fact that all the major children’s book awards in the U.S. have to go to American residents. Once in a while there’s an exception to these rules, of course. You’ll get a Shaun Tan or a Mem Fox (both Aussies, but you know what I mean). Generally, however, we dwell in ignorance and have to make an effort to know who else is out there in the world. Consider then the case of Annie M.G. Schmidt. If international children’s book authors are rarities on our fair shores, what are we to make of international children’s poets? Finding poetry for children here in the U.S. is a tricky enough proposition as it is. Add in the international element and it’s little surprise that Schmidt’s name rings few bells. Fortunately, our ignorance is our children’s gain. A Pond Full of Ink proves a charming collection of Schmidt’s work, translated expertly, original to its core.

    “A fairy tale author I know / starts work every day when the roosters crow.” So begins the first poem in this collection of children’s poet Annie M.G. Schmidt. Twelve poems, judiciously edited, perfectly selected, are paired with the ribald art of illustrator Sieb Posthuma. Readers who flip through the pages will encounter everything from thieves that covet the moon to a teakettle with musical aspirations. The end result is a collection that is silly, subversive, and sly by turns.

    PondFullInk3 Review of the Day: A Pond Full of Ink by Annie M.G. SchmidtSo what do we know about Annie M.G. Schmidt? Well, I looked about and heard at least one person refer to her as, “something like the Dutch Astrid Lindgren, [who] never broke through in the English-speaking world.” That would be translator David Colmer’s description. Looking her up I found various sites praising her, saying things like “almost everyone in the Netherlands is able to recite at least a line or two from one of her songs or poems. Her children’s books have become a national institution.” We might call her the Dutch Dr. Seuss then. As this is pretty much the only book of Ms. Schmidt’s that we have here in the U.S., A Pond Full of Ink has a lot of promise to fulfill. Fortunately, and as it just so happens, the book is charming. Akin to something along the lines of Shel Silverstein in terms of the unconnected ridiculous, Schmidt dwells on the silly and the thoughtful alike. Every person I know who has read this book has his or her own individual favorites. For my part, I was quite partial to “The Furniture”. Kids will pick their preferences. In fact, the book would actually be ideal for children’s book groups since each child would have their own personal faves.

    Just as I was unaware of the existence of Ms. Schmidt, so too was I unfamiliar with the art of Sieb Posthuma. Dutch too, Mr. Posthuma gives this book a distinct flavor entirely of his own. In fact, a little digging found that for this book Mr. Posthuma actually won the 2012 Gouden Penseel or Golden Paintbrush, the top prize for children’s books originally published in The Netherlands. One sees why. There’s a sly, clever quality to Posthuma’s art here. From the vampire fanged little girl of “Nice and Naughty” to bespectacled deer of “Aunty Jo” you can’t help but like these characters. Best of all, the book isn’t afraid to take a moment to just enjoy the art. There are several wordless two-page spreads that offer a quiet accompaniment to their preceding poems. Like the lush greenery of “Aunt Sue and Uncle Steve” or the blue and red vision of sea and land after “Three Elderly Otters”, Posthuma has been given the chance to muse.

    PondFullInk2 300x188 Review of the Day: A Pond Full of Ink by Annie M.G. SchmidtIt’s not that I haven’t heard objections to the book. Some folks I’ve shown this too have questioned the translation, saying that only some poems really spoke to them. For my part, I think the translation keen. For one thing, David Colmer, the translator, had to translate rhyme. I just can’t even begin to imagine how hard that must be. Not only must the poems scan but rhyme as well? It’s at this point that one begins to wonder how the invisible hand of the translator plays into the text. With some digging I discovered that David Colmer is an Australian translator of Dutch literature based in Amsterdam. He seems to do particularly well when it comes to translating poetry and works for children. As a four-time winner of the David Reid Poetry Translation Prize, the man also appears to know what he is doing. I cannot even begin to fathom how one aligns scansion and rhyme in translation. All I can do is trust that Colmer does it well.

    For my part, the only real objection I had to the book was the design. The poems are written in a typewriter-like font. No problems there. But occasionally the poems appear in large, unwieldy clumps. When integrated with the text, as they are with the poems “Three Elderly Otters” or “The Man Who Writes Fairy Tales” they can be lovely. But in cases like “Belinda Hated Getting Clean . . .” even adult readers will feel daunted when faced with a full page of tiny poetic type without so much as a break or an indentation to be seen. I don’t suppose there was much that could have been done about this when the book was translated for America, but it’s a pity just the same.

    It is encouraging to think that though Ms. Schmidt was never brought to America in her lifetime, posthumously her words can fulfill their destiny decades after her death. A Pond Full of Ink does not attempt to be anything other than what it is. A short, smart selection of fun poems for kids of every age. A small clever treat, consider its loaded silliness for your own personal collection.

    On shelves now.

    Source: Advanced reading copy sent from publisher for review.

    Like This? Then Try:

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    1 Comments on Review of the Day: A Pond Full of Ink by Annie M.G. Schmidt, last added: 5/22/2014
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    5. A Pond Full of Ink



    Recently, I received a copy of A POND FULL OF INK, a collection of nonsense poems written by Annie M. G. Schmidt, translated by David Colmer, and illustrated by Sieb Posthuma.

    It's a mystery to me how rhyme originally written in one language can be translated into another, but I'm glad that it was. I can’t judge how close Colmer’s choice of words are to Schmidt’s Dutch. I only know that the combination of text and illustrations work beautifully here. Both have a goofy freewheeling feel. Posthuma’s illustrations (copyright 2011) have a slightly psychedelic 1970s spirit which make them perfect for the poems (originally copyrighted in 1978).

    Schmidt and Posthuma excel at inventing whimsically detailed scenes—Posthuma using collage, ink and watercolor. The book’s layout is playful as well. It starts with heavily saturated endpapers depicting a floating "a" on a black pond, and a little man holding a huge pen. The first poem is about this  same “fairy tale author” dipping his pen in the pond. In the last spread the little author is sleeping under the stars, in a hammock next to the used-up pond. On the back endpapers  he has drawn the letter "z." And in between there are poems about elderly otters, walking furniture, a home-invading deer, and bears living in a residential neighborhood. (The meter of  “Are you joking, Mrs. Keller?” is so bouncy that it reads like a song.)

    The poem “Aunt Sue and Uncle Steve” describes a family living in a “big old oak.” It’s not until you turn the page that you see the tree in its entirety. It has a face and numerous tiny children running across its branches. Uncle Steve smokes his pipe in one branch and Aunt Sue rocks a baby carriage precariously harnessed from another branch. (“She’s never really worked out how / to park a stroller on a bough.”)  A boy dangles from a swing on pulleys, and ladders are propped  to connect the different levels of the home. Crazy, funny details—perfect.


    HARDCOVER; Published: 3/7/2014
    Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

    0 Comments on A Pond Full of Ink as of 3/29/2014 1:07:00 PM
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