Mythology Has No Borders

Mythology has no borders.

Fairy tales have no borders.

Reading opens the doors that take the child beyond all borders. 

From castles and great forests,

To ocean storms, island kingdoms,

Talking animals and magic stones.

From fear and darkness, 

To light and peace.

For a child who has found the stories,

There are no borders to the imagination 

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The illustration, The Defense of the Sampo, from the Finnish Kallevala, is by Akseli Gallen-Kallela
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Reimagining Mythology, Tolkien's Heritage and Movies

Peter Jackson has become the primary reinventor of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth Sagas. He has brought his vision of Tolkien to millions of people, young and old. His medium is film, and on December 17, 2014, the latest of his epic Hobbit movies, The Battle of the Five Armies, will thunder its way to movie theaters around the globe.

Tolkien, in turn, was inspired by and borrowed from mythology including Beowulff, the Norse Fables, and the Finnish Kalevala.

In the National Geographic News, Brian Handwerk, in an article entitled Lord Of The Rings Inspired by an Ancient Epic, wrote: "While the author's imagination was vast, Tolkien's world and its cast of characters do have roots in real-world history and geography, from the world wars that dominated Tolkien's lifetime to the ancient language and legends of Finland."

Tolkien, in his letters, said: "The germ of my attempt to write legends of my own to fit my private
languages was the tragic tale of the hapless Kullervo in the Finnish Kalevala."

"After all, I believe that legends and myths are largely made of 'truth', and indeed present aspects of it that can only be received in this mode; and long ago certain truths and modes of this kind were discovered and must always reappear."

Tolkien also wrote that he was, in many ways, a Hobbit.

"Fairy tales since the beginning of recorded time, and perhaps earlier, have been a means to conquer the terrors of mankind through metaphor.”--  Jake Zipes, professor emeritus, University of Minnesota, translator, author of many books, including The Irresisitable Fairy Tale: The Cultural and Social History of a Genre.
The illustration of Kullervo is by Akseli Gallen-Kallela

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Adults Are Crossing the Borders of Imagination Into Teenland

 In September, 2012, Bowker published the results of a survey that revealed that adults were buying YA (young adult) books in startling numbers. The article said that 55% of YA book purchases were by adults and 78% of those adults acknowledged that the books were for their own reading. The turning point was said to be the Hunger Games movie and the popular Hunger Games book trilogy.

Controversy has followed the article: should so many adults be reading books written for 12-17 year olds? 

My interest is primarily in younger readers; however, it seems the age lines today are blurred for all.
Movies seem to have precipitated the situation, and the children's market today also crosses into Teenland. How many kids today, who went to see films like E.T., Harry Potter, and the Lion King, are now going to the Hunger Games, Divergence and the Lord of the Rings Saga? I don't know the answer, but I do know their is a huge degree of difference in the violence quotient. 

In defense of adults reading YA, there is respected YA Author (Cut, Purple Heart,  Sold) Patricia McCormick: "Why are so many adults reading young adult books? No need to page Dr. Freud. This isn’t about the guilty pleasures of communing with one’s inner child...It’s because adults are discovering one of publishing’s best-kept secrets: that young adult authors are doing some of the most daring work out there. Authors who write for young adults are taking creative risks -- with narrative structure, voice and social commentary -- that you just don’t see as often in the more rarefied world of adult fiction."

Also defending YA books and encouaging adults to read them is popular YA author( Deviant, Orgins, Sleeping Beauty, Vampire Slayer) Maureen McGowan. She concluded her Kindle post with this thought: "I could list more reasons why I love YA but, bottom line, I’ve found most books in this category to be engaging, entertaining, thoughtful and well written." 

On the other side of the controversy, journalist (Atlantic, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe)  Ruth Graham created a firestorm when she wrote an article in Slate with this headline: "Read whatever you want. But you should be embarrassed when what you're reading was written for children." 

 Here are excerpts from Ms. Graham's article..."I know, I know: Live and let read. Far be it from me to disrupt the “everyone should just read/watch/listen to whatever they like” ethos of our era. There’s room for pleasure, escapism, juicy plots, and satisfying endings on the shelves of the serious reader... But if they are substituting maudlin teen dramas for the complexity of great adult literature, then they are missing something...

But even the myriad defenders of YA fiction admit that the enjoyment of reading this stuff has to do with escapism, instant gratification, and nostalgia. As the writer Jen Doll, who used to have a column called 'YA for Grownups,' put it in an essay last year, 'At its heart, YA aims to be pleasurable.'" 

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 Pioneers In An Untrodden Forest

Seth Lerer points out that the comment, "We are pioneers in an untrodden forest" made in 1884 to his staff by James A.H. Murray, as presiding editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, also describes how the Grimms felt about their work in publishing their "nursery and household tales".

Lerer goes on to quote Wilhelm Grimm, who, in referring to these tales, wrote, "that these were the 'last
echoes of pagan myths...A world of magic is opened up before us, one which still exists among us in secret forests, in underground caves, and in the deepest sea, and it is still visible to children...(Fairy tales) have existed among the people for several centuries.' And what we find inside those secret forests, caves and seas...(are) fairy tales full of families, full of parents who bequeath a sense of self to children, full of ancestors and heirs whose lives play out, in little, the life of a nation from its childhood to maturity."

The forest plays a very prominent part in the 1812 edition of the Grimm's tales as it did in the lives and imagination of people. Two thirds of the 210 tales take place in the forest. It is also worth noting that the lives of all people in the land of the Grimm's was in was in constant turmoil and change during the time that the Grimm's collected, wrote, and published their books. The quote, above, is from Seth Lerer's book, Children's Literature, A Reader's History from Aesop to Harry Potter. 

The top illustration is by Julius Diez for Sleeping Beauty; the other illustration is by Hermann Vogel for the Three Little Gnomes in the Forest.  Both tales are from the brothers Grimm 1812 edition of fairy tales.
 

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 “Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them”  - Antoine de Saint-Exuprey

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The True Magic of the Imagination

This was the headline on BREEZES FROM WONDERLAND, Maria Tatar's Internet forum for storytelling, folklore , and children's literature.

Ms Tatar wrote about a New York Times report, Harry Potter Casts a Spell for Tolerance. Written by Annie Murphy Paul, the article reports on a study that describes the "Potter Effect", citing it as an example of how reading can positively influence young minds regarding bigotry and intolerence... 

"...The study, which will be published in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Applied Social Psychology, concludes by noting that the Harry Potter novels may be especially effective at increasing the tolerance of their readers precisely because they concern themselves with made-up categories like Muggles and Mudbloods. More overt attempts to change readers’ views about real-life groups, Mr. Vezzali and his co-authors note, could prompt defensive or resistant reactions. By identifying with the fictional character of Harry Potter, and by drawing connections, conscious or not, between his treatment of people different from him and their own attitudes toward stigmatized groups, readers of these novels work their own kind of wizardry: the magic of the literary imagination."

Ms Tatar comments:"Is anyone surprised that children’s books, which often feature outsiders, quirky kids, adventurous orphans, and nomadic heroes turn us into more empathetic people in real life?"...she continues her comment with a related personal anecdote from her own childhood.   

Here is a link to read the original article in the Journal Of Applied Psychology

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Angel on a Leash 

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A long-time therapy dog owner, advocate, coordinator, and volunteer Nancy George-Michalson, sent us
news of the latest Angel On A Leash event to benefit the Ronald McDonald house in New York where children from around the world with cancer -- and their families -- come to stay when receiving hospital care..."Here a child with cancer plays and grows, surrounded by other children and families sharing similar experiences, supported each day by volunteer therapy dog teams waiting to meet and greet them as they return from a grueling day at the hospital. "  

Ronald McDonald House New York - Angel On A Leash

3^rd Annual “Family Fun Dog Walk”...a day to support therapy dogs and the courageous children who love them.

This fun-filled event is a 2k walk open to the public, with proceeds from funds raised going to support children battling cancer, and the therapy dog teams that bring smiles to their faces on a daily basis. There will be raffle baskets and prizes for the best dressed big dog and the best dressed little dog. Participants must be registered walkers and in attendance to win. David Frei and Cat Greenleaf will serve as the judges.

Date: Saturday September 20, 2014, Rain or Shine.
Time: 10 AM-12PM.
Location: Carl Shurz Park, East End Avenue, 84th St promenade entrance

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"You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” 

"Sometimes,' said Pooh, 'the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.” 

“The things that make me different are the things that make me.” 

A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

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Penguin U.K. will issue this month a fiftieth-anniversary edition of Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” under its Modern Classics imprint. I find the cover design disturbing, inappropriate, and misleading.

In a very insightful New Yorker article entitled, Meant For Kids, Margaret Talbot wrote about this cover, and the cross over book market. Here are excerpts:  

 "Why did the cover of a novel about five kids and a wonderful—if admittedly bizarre—candy-maker look like a scene from ‘Toddlers & Tiaras’? Commenters on Penguin’s Facebook page called it ‘creepy,’ ‘sexualized’ and ‘inappropriate garbage'... It seems likely that the Modern Classics cover of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” is an example of a new trend: enticing older readers to buy books intended for children and young adults by publishing them with covers that look sophisticated. Read it on the subway, read it in a bar—no need to feel sheepish..." 

Here is the link to read it all: Talbot

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Loyalty, Dogs and Kids...

How do you explain loyalty to children? Does loyalty have a place in the world outside? Is it a virtue? Does loyalty bring trouble and problems? Or is it rewarding?

Does loyalty have a beginning and an end? Where can a child find examples of loyalty that they can experience and understand? In stories? In daily life? In computer games?

Dogs offer a wonderful way for a child to understand loyalty. Dogs are the embodiment of loyalty and a story with dogs can illustrate loyalty...

Suppose it is long, long ago...A sister and brother, are on a journey that will take them home. They have stopped for the night and are sleeping at a campsite in the woods. They have been riding on horseback, accompanied by two soldiers who are believed to be loyal to their father, and by their two dogs.

Betrayal...But the men are not loyal. They are traitors and the children find that they have been kidnapped. The children's dogs appear to be dead. 

Thus begins a hard journey for the children, through the mountains to the land of the Forest people. There the children are imprisoned in an old castle. Their father cannot rescue them, because he does not know where his children have been taken. The children are dismayed and frightened. 

Loyal Dogs...Until one cold foggy night, with the forest and the castle enveloped in mist, the sound of howling dogs is heard by the imprisoned children. Their dogs, their loyal dogs, have found them. Hope returns. And thus unfolds the story of the      Castle In The Mist .

The illustrations above , from the book Castle In The Mist, are by Stella Mustanoja-McCarty

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The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” 

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself Any direction you choose."

Dr Seuss

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Borders Of The Imagination

The Boxtrolls are coming...

Alan Snow, author, designer, and illustrator created a 501 page illustrated fantasy story book, Here Be Monsters. I haven't seen the book, except on the Internet, but it looks rather amazing. This month , on the 26th of September, Laika Studios, creators of the excellent Coraline movie, will bring Boxtrolls, their reimagined film version of Here Be Monsters, to movie theaters. The trailer (link below) is very enticing. The stop-motion annimation looks to be riding the borders of imagination.

Here is alink to the Boxtrolls site (including the trailer)

Here is a link to the book Here Be Monsters

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Five Canine Heroes Receive Recognition and Rewards

I belatedly learned about these meaningful Awards. Here is an excerpt from the article by Cheslie Pickett in the Canine Chronicle that tells the story...: 

"The AKC® Humane Fund announced today the winners of the 15th annual AKCHumane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE). These
awards honor five inspirational dogs that have made significant contributions to their communities and truly exemplify the power of the human-canine bond. One award is presented in each of the following five categories: Exemplary Companion, Uniformed Service K-9, Search and Rescue, Service and Therapy dog. This year’s winners include a faithful companion that saved her owner from a bear, a heroic K-9 (Bruno) that took a bullet in the line of duty, an international search and rescue traveler, a blind therapy dog bringing comfort to abused children and ACE’s first mixed breed winner, a service dog to a U.S. veteran raising awareness of the profound impact service dogs can have on trauma survivors."  I found the summaries of each award winner  to be rather awesome; each is shown in a photo, including the blind recued therapy dog.

The photo is of Bruno ("who took a bullet in the line of duty") and officer R.J. Young  

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Books to Have and to Hold

Author, journalst and Yale Professor, Verlyn Klinkenborg, wrote about the difference in reading an ebook as opposed to a physical book Here are excepts...

"I finish reading a book on my iPad — one by Ed McBain, for instance — and I shelve it in the cloud. It vanishes from my “device” and from my consciousness too. It’s very odd.

When I read a physical book, I remember the text and the book — its shape, jacket, heft and typography. When I read an e-book, I remember the text alone. The bookness of the book simply disappears, or rather it never really existed. Amazon reminds me that I’ve already bought the e-book I’m about to order. In bookstores, I find myself discovering, as if for the first time, books I’ve already read on my iPad.

All of this makes me think differently about the books in my physical library. They used to be simply there, arranged on the shelves, a gathering of books I’d already read. But now, when I look up from my e-reading, I realize that the physical books are serving a new purpose — as constant reminders of what I’ve read. They say, “We’re still here,” or “Remember us?” These are the very things that e-books cannot say, hidden under layers of software, tucked away in the cloud, utterly absent when the iPad goes dark.

This may seem like a trivial difference, but that’s not how it feels"... 

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Planet Of The Dogs Is In China
The publishers, Chongxianguan Books of Beijing, have created new illustrations and covers. The stories remain the same.

Complimentary copies of the English version of the award-winniong Planet Of The Dogs Series are available for therapy reading dog owners and organizations. Write us at [email protected].

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Simple Ways to Test Dog Intelligence

Here's an excerpt from Nancy Houser's outstanding blog for dog owners (and dog lovers).

As well as being ‘man’s best friend’, dogs with excellent dog intelligence are capable of performing some pretty amazing feats. We’ve all heard stories about our canine companions alerting their masters to fires. Or, protecting their owner from an attacker or intruder. And then there are those who are visually impaired who rely on ‘seeing eye dogs’ in order to go about their daily lives. A dog’s intelligence is measured by its ability to think and problem solve...Here is a link to read it all: Dog Intelligence
The illustration by Stella Mustanoja McCarty is from Snow Valley Heroes, Vol 3 in the Planet Of The Dogs Series

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Sponsors of Banned Book Week include the American Library Association, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, the Association of American Publishers, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, the National Association of College Stores, the National Coalition Against Censorship, the National Council of Teachers of English, PEN American Center and Project Censored.

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Thoughts on the Borders of the Imagination

"We don’t need a list of rights and wrongs, tables of dos and don’ts: we need books, time, and silence. Thou shalt not is soon forgotten, but Once upon a time lasts forever.” 

"After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.” 

 “There are some themes, some subjects, too large for adult fiction; they can only be dealt with adequately in a children’s book.”

Phillip Pullman, Author of His Dark Materials (trilogy), Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm and many more.

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 Empowerment Through Rescue

by CA Wulff

There’s a saying in rescue that saving one dog won’t change the world, but it will surely change the world for that one dog. Except that just isn’t true. The truth is that saving one dog most certainly changes the world. It changes everything.

First, it changes YOU, because once you save an animal it awakens an empowerment in you. You come to realize that you can affect change wherever you apply yourself. Secondly, it changes the world for that animal, who has been given a second chance at life…and there is nothing more joyous and grateful than an animal who has been saved. They become loving and faithful companions. They protect and comfort their families.

They teach the children in the family to love and respect animals. They bring hours of joy and laughter to their people keeping them healthier in body, mind and spirit.

And there is always the possibility that a dog you save will become a service dog, or a therapy dog or a search and rescue dog. There’s no way to measure the impact you can have by advocating for just one animal.

CA Wulff, Author, Blogger, Journalist, and Dog Advocate is Associate Publisher of Barking Planet Productions, She lives in a cabin in the woods with the rescued dogs pictured above.

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"I wonder if I've been changed in the night. Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is, "Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle."

-Lewis Carrol, Alice In Wonderland 

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A Rescue Story from the Rescue People at Sunbear Squad

 Meet "Muddy Puppy," named because he was found in a muddy ditch in the pouring rain. Hit by a car and with two painfully broken back legs, someone did care enough to try to protect him from the driving rain with an old jacket. But not enough to offer him relief from his painful suffering and overwhelming fear. Instead they just drove off leaving this 4-month-old puppy to slowly and painfully die all alone. All hope gone...Visit Sunbear Squad and read the upbeat ending to this story from Oklahoma Beagle Rescue

What should you do,  what can you do, if you see an injured dog or one in distress? You can be prepared...Sunbear Squad offers guidelines, wallet cards, and information.

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 "A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before sitting down -- Robert Benchley

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Related articles

kalevala and tolkien

 "The authors of books for children enchant us with clarion calls that transport us to desinations in the mind, turning us into adventurous hunters, even when we are sitting still, not moving an inch." -- Maria Tatar, Enchanted Hunters,The Power of Stories In Cildhood

My Neighbor Totoro (illustration above) is from the enchanted world of the great Japanese story teller and film director, Hayao Miyazaki.

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"When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast" -the Queen in Alice In Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

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Newly Discovered Fairy Tales are Coming

Lost, but now found,  Franz Xaver von Schönwerth's trove of fairy tales have been translated by Maria Tatar, and will be available as the Turnip Princess at the end of February, 2015. 

Here's the informative announcement on Amazon :

"With this volume, the holy trinity of tellers of fairy tales—the Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, and Hans Christian Andersen—becomes a quartet. In the 1850s, Franz Xaver von Schönwerth traversed the depths of the Black Forest and scaled the heights of the Bavarian Alps to record fairy tales, gaining the admiration of even the Brothers Grimm. Most of Schönwerth’s work was lost—until a few years ago, when a researcher unearthed thirty boxes of manuscripts in a municipal archive in Germany.

Now, for the first time, Schönwerth’s lost fairy tales are available in English. Violent, dark, and full of action, and upending the relationship between damsels in distress and their dragon-slaying heroes, they bring us closer than ever to the unadorned oral tradition in which fairy tales are rooted, revolutionizing our understanding of a hallowed genre."

In 1885, Jacob Grimm said this about von Schönwerth: "Nowhere in the whole of Germany is anyone collecting [folklore] so accurately, thoroughly, and with such a sensitive ear." The collection includes versions of Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Rumplestiltskin and tales completely new to us.

The translator, Maria Tatar teaches folklore, children's literature, and German cultural studies at Harvard University. She chairs the Program in Folklore and Mythology.  Among her books are two that I can recommend witout reservation: Enchanted Hunters, the Power of Stories in Childhood and The Annotated Classic Fairy Tales. Her blog is Breezes from Wonderland. Ms Tatar lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The illustration for Briar Rose (Cinderella) is by Arthur Rackham.

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 “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”...Albert Einstein

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The Doors of Enchantment

The Brothers Grimm, J.K. Rowling, and Linda Woolverton all have something in common...they have reached the hearts and minds of millions of children (and adults) around the world.

Linda Woolverton 

Woolverton is a master of reinterpreting stories, staying true to the essence of the original, and transforming them into remarkable movies. She also guides her scripts -- maintaining their integrity and originality --  through the multiple processes and inputs that are part of theatrical movie making. Few writers, female or male, have had the ability to do this successfully. And Linda Woolverton's films are both creative and as well as box office successes. 

In a candid interview with Aaron Couch in the Hollywood Reporter regarding the writing of Maleficent, Ms Woolverton said that even after rewriting the script a 100 times, she still choked up when she came to the kiss scene where Maleficent awakens the sleeping Aurora. I don't know if this was a true manifestation of passionate involvement in the script, however, when Couch asks her other questions in this and in her Indiewire interview (below), she is disarmingly candid and straightforward. 

What were some of your big challenges when you were approaching this? 

The biggest challenge was how to make a villain into a protagonist. How on earth was I going to justify that this woman would curse a baby? (Laughs.)  

Where did that motivation start? 

We based this on the Disney movie, not the fairy tale. I was looking at that scene, and I had done some research, and the biggest surprise is that she's a fairy, not a witch. I've always wanted to do a dark fairy story. Then I watched that scene where she curses the baby, and I'm thinking "well if she's a fairy, where are her wings?" Suddenly it was "boom. Lightbulb. Oh! It's the wings!" Then I worked backward from there to create the Stefan relationship. (for those who haven't seen the film, Stefan's horrendous behavior unleashes the dark side in Maleficent).

Adapting Fairy Tales for a New Generation

I found fascinating insights into Ms Woolverton and her work in an excellent interview by Susan Wloszczyna in Indiewire . Here are brief excerpts:

SW: "Did turning a villain into the central figure in Maleficent present a greater challenge? There is a
reason that she is often ranked high among the popular villains in Disney lore. Even Angelina Jolie, who never warmed to the princess characters, has said the evil fairy was her favorite with her wicked sense of fun and serene elegance. 

LW: It was very difficult to turn a villain into a hero and yet keep her a villain...I had to figure out what
possibly could have happened to her to make her want to hurt an innocent baby. Something that would equal that act. In the animated movie, she had no wings. She just threw her robes open like wings. I thought, 'Is that it? Did someone take her wings?' They stole her soul and her heart had to turn cold. I knew that was the right answer. We depicted it in a way that is horrible, yet you can tolerate it and still feel it. Angelina does a great job in portraying her anguish. 

SW: Yet some critics are simply interpreting her need to avenge as simply the act of a woman scorned.

LW: That is part of it. She did love him.

SW: This is a PG film. Was there concern that this scene and a few others might be a bit much for young children?

We really didn't think that so much. It is wings, nothing that any of us have. We didn't cut off her legs. We killed Mufasa in The Lion King. We killed Bambi's mother. The world is an intense place. Storytelling helps children to be strong. Hansel and Gretel is about eating children. Fairy tales have never shied away from that..."

Among Linda Woolverton's achievements: Beauty and the Beast (1991) including the Tony Award winning stage musical version; co-writer of the Lion King (1994), for film and stage; Alice In Wonderland (2010), directed by Tim Burton; and, Maleficent (2014). Maleficent has currently grossed over $739,000,000. Here is a lnk to the trailer that focuses on Maleficent's wings: Maleificent

 Ms Woolverton's next Disney film is her version of Lewis Carrol's Through the Looking Glass.

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August 26 is the 10th annual National Dog Day. Founded in 2004 by pet lifestyle expert and author Colleen Paige. National Dog Day was created to celebrate dogs of all types, from the mutts to the purebreds, the companion animals to working dogs. It is hoped that the day will encourage dog ownership of all breeds and embrace the opportunity for all dogs to live a happy, safe and ”abuse-free life.”

National Dog Day is against BSL (Breed Specific Legislation). Dogs should not have to lose their lives
because of the atrocities they have been forced to endure at the hands of man. It’s a reminder to adopt from rescues or shelters where millions of dogs are euthanized each year because they are unwanted.  And if you must buy, instead of buying from pet stores, backyard breeders, the internet, newspaper ads and puppy mills, buy only from a verified reputable breeder.

People who are not dog owners are encouraged to donate $5 to their local shelter on National Dog Day.

In celebration of this wonderful recognition of dogs and what they mean to us in our lives,

Barking Planet Productions is offering four titles FREE for KINDLE on August 26.

You can pick up your copy of Planet of the Dogs, Castle in the Mist,

Parade of Misfits, and Circling the Waggins,  by clicking the titles.

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Childhood Cancer and Canines

Among the array of many fascinating Dog related articles on Way Cool Dogs, Nancy Houser has posted regarding developments in the latest studies of the effects of dogs on children with cancer. Over 13,000 children in the USA are diagnosed with cancer annually. Here is an excerpt:..

..."The latest Vanderbilt University clinical trial on dog therapy-childhood cancer is accompanied by a grant from Thompson, to determine whether therapy dogs actually help young cancer patients. Saliva from the dogs are tested in addition to testing of the children, in order to track the dog-patient relationship.

According to Medical MedScape, 'It really promises to be a landmark study,' said John Payne, chair of the board at the American Humane Association, which is running the trial, with funding from the Pfizer Foundation and Zoetis..."

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I believe the work done by LitWorld  in bringing the gift of reading to disadvantaged children around the world is wonderful. I highly recommend a visit to their website. Meanwhile, here is an excerpt from a message by LitWorld founder, Pam Allyn: " 

"...We started LitWorld with a small LitClub in Kibera (A Nairobi slum), and since then, LitWorld has grown to countries, cities, and towns around the world. The LitClub – a safe, nourishing space for reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing – is our model for what the world should look like: a promise to all children that their voices can and should tell the future..." 

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And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” 
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

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ECAD and the Planet Dog Foundation 

The Planet Dog Foundation (PDF) has made a grant to Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities ECAD, a multi-faceted service and therapy dog organization, to pursue the development of an imaginative solution to the problem caused by speech problems and service dogs. This innovative pilot project is called Operation New Initiative (ONI) and will use iPads and Tablets to communicate with the service dogs.

ECAD has a perfect candidate, Lois, for their beta effort. Lois is "a 60 year old woman who, because of the effects of Muscular Dystrophy, has such weakened vocal chords that she can no longer verbally communicate with her service dog. The goal is to train and place the first successful dog through ONI with Lois, to enable her to go back to the independence she once knew."

 

PDF statement: "Operation New Initiative will explore the use of modern technology (i.e., iPads or Tablets) to enable adults and children who have impaired verbal abilities, or who are non-verbal due to Autism, to communicate commands to service dogs via images that are sound activated on the iPad. The Plant Dog Foundation grant will fund the acquisition of the iPads and the software necessary, and the training of instructors to train the dogs to respond to commands generated on the tablet.

 

Planet Dog Foundation(PDF)

 

"PDF Has contributed over $1,000,000 to support: Therapy dogs. Service dogs. Search & rescue dogs. Bomb sniffing dogs. Police dogs. In fact, The Planet Dog Foundation celebrates all "working" dogs that are enhancing and saving human lives. They do this by supporting innovative, respected and effective non-profit organizations that work tirelessly to raise, train and place the dogs."

The funds come from Planet Dog, which sells high quality products (all guaranteed) to dog owners.

 

Many PDF benefeciaries have been featured in this blog. We salute PDF, ECAD and all the service and therapy dog organization who continue to make life better on this planet.

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Alice will dance in New York

 In Christopher Wheeldon's wonderful version of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. 

The Joyce Theater Foundation and the National Ballet of Canada have announced that they will present the New York premiere of Wheeldon's Alice's Adventure in Wonderland . Set to an original score by Joby Talbot and with costume and set designs by Bob Crowley, the production of the Lewis Carroll classic is scheduled to run from Sept. 9 to 14 at the David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center. Mr. Wheeldon’s interpretation of “Alice” had its premiere at the Royal Opera House in London in 2011. A film was made of the original production.

Here is a link to one minute and thirteen seconds of this lauded reimagining of Alice

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Reimagined Fairy Tales in Early Annimation

This link will take you to Walt Disney's Little Red Riding Hood of 1922.  

Children can read the story of Hansel and Gretel and, if they visit England's Lake Country, they can see them running through the woods in Lancaster's Williamson Park.

Clare Brennan in a Guardian article wrote"Hilltop, woodland and lake are the perfect setting for Zosia Ward's vivid retelling of multiple fairytales...Hansel and Gretel may get top billing at the Dukes' annual outdoor production, but they are not alone. Threaded through the main story are shreds from seven fairytales, three classic children's films and one nonsense poem. Part of the fun of this show is spotting these, as you follow the abandoned twins up hill, down dale and through mysterious, wooded glades...The setting is magnificent: a hilltop memorial, swards of grass, copses and a lake. During the interval, people sit and watch the sun slip into Morcambe Bay; it is a drama in itself..."

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Mary Laura Philpott wrote a warm family story in the New York Times:

And Then The Dog Died: Things You Can't Plan For When Planning a Move.

Here's an excerpt:

When planning my family’s move to Nashville from Atlanta, one of the things I put a lot of thought into was creating a sense of consistency in order to manage how much change and disorder our children would experience this summer. I read somewhere that children need to know they can rely on some things to stay the same, even when a big transition comes along. 

I know, I know. Makes about as much sense as a “birth plan,” doesn’t it?...Read it all: Philpott

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The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts will host a Sesame Street themed exhibition called "Somebody Come and Play." 

This multimedia exhibit was organized to give fans a behind-the-scenes look at the show and celebrate its 45 years of great success. It will run from September 18, 2014 through January 31, 2015. Visitors will not be charged an admissions fee.

Our experience at Barking Planet has been that NYPL creates wonderful exhibitions.

Also from NYPL, an invitation from librarian Elizabeth Bird..."NYPL's Children's Literary Salon is pleased to announce our next event on Saturday, September 6th at 2:00 p.m. 

C.A.Wulff  

We publish four books by C.A. Wulff. But...who is she, beyond living in a house in the woods with rescued dogs and a varying group of other saved critters during 25 years plus of multifaceted active pet rescue...

She is an accomplished writer, artist and animal advocate.  She has written three books about her true-life adventures living with an ever-changing house full of pets: Born Without a Tail, and Circling the Waggins, and Parade Of Misfits. She has also written How to Change the World in 30 Seconds, A Guide to Animal Advocacy Using the Internet as a Tool; and Finding Fido, a handbook for dog owners who have lost their dogs or other pets.

Wulff also writes an Animal Book Review column for the Examiner, and the Cleveland Pets Examiner;  She is a contributing editor to the animal advocate organization AnimalsVote. Her dog news and advocacy blog is Up on the Woof. The dogs that here are from her yelodoggie art work: yelodoggie .  She is also an Associate Publisher of Barking Planet Productions. She attributes her love of animals to having been raised by Wulffs. I have no idea what she does in her spare time.

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  Freedom Service Dogs of America celebrate their dog fun fund raiser-- the 7th Annual Doggie Plunge

1,000 DOGS PLUNGING INTO PIRATES COVE AQUATIC PARK 

Date and Time: September 6, from 9am to 3pm.

Pirates Cove 1225 West Belleview Avenue Littleton, CO 80120 USA

If you are in Littleton, or anywhere nearby, take the 

 Doggie Plunge at Pirates Cove Aquatic Center. Take the plunge with hundreds of four legged swimmers living it up, splashing and smiling in the last of the summer sun! 

Throughout the day join hundreds of families enjoying food trucks, doggie activities and so much more!

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 A dog is lying by the side of the road...What do I do? What are my options? I want to be helpful, but this is all new to me... For answers, examples, true stories and more, visit Sunbear Squad...Let the experience of compassionate dog lovers guide you. Here's the Link: SunbearSquad  -

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"To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring, it was peace." - Milan Kundera 

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 The stories are endless, told and retold.

 In the early days they travelled throught the spoken word; then, the written word, and now, they are reinterpreted in film and electronic media.

 They are myths, folklore, fairy tales and song.

 They are timeles.

 They are tales of danger and enchantment.

 They are the literature of children and they live on forever.

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Reimagining fairy tales...Linda Woolverton, Malificent's storyteller... 

Linda Woolverton is a writer, mother, and wife who also owns five dogs. She is an extremely talented and inventive screenwriter. She has written scripts for Disney that have captured the interest of hundreds of millions of people around the world. She has done this by reimagining and reinventing fairy tales and myths while retaining essential elements of earlier versions.

Her current success story began after college when she formed her own children's theater company, playing in a variety of venues in northern California, and working as a writer, director and performer. She later worked as a secretary, a substitute teacher, and from 1986-1989, she wrote several animated television series.

She also wrote YA children's books. She used one of them, Running Before the Wind, to help convince Disney of her writing talent.

Her films have brought billions of dollars to Disney.

Among her achievements: Beauty and the Beast (1991) including the Tony Award winning stage musical version; co-writer of the Lion King (1994), for film and stage; Alice In Wonderland (2010), directed by Tim Burton; and, Malificent (2014).

Maleificent has currently grossed over $660,000,000.

 Ms Woolverton's next Disney film is her version of Lewis Carrol's Through the Looking Glass, scheduled for release in 2016.

Here is a link to an entertaining video trailer for Maleficent focused on Reimagining Sleeping Beauty. In the trailer, Ms Woolverton describes Maleficent as a "reinvention".

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The Road Goes On Forever...

Sleeping Beauty, a fairy tale from earler centuries, and also known as Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault, became Maleficent in today's movie version.

What are the enduring qualities of this story and other classic fairy tales? What are the special qualities that causes kids, young adults, and their parents to respond through the centuries?

These were among the ideas considered in a New York Times editorial, Throw Out the Rules! Read a Fairy Tale. Written by Verlyn Klinkenborg (author, cultural analyst, and Yale University professor). This unusual topic -- for a Times editorial -- was inspired by Phillip Pullman's retelling of fifty of his favorite stories by the brother's Grimm. Here is an excerpt: 

"And that is the fun of going back to the Grimms. The stories veer vertiginously. There is no narrator to complicate things. They occur in a landscape whose every feature is instrumental to the plot. A castle appears if a castle is needed, a dock if a princess is going to sea. There is never weather for weather’s sake. Everyone has a terrible memory and a dim understanding of consequences. Emotions are powerful but simple — envy, love, selfishness. It is a world where boasting and cleverness can make a tailor a king."

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"The Fairy tale is...a transcription made on one or more occasions of the words spoken by one of many people who have told this tale. And all sorts of things, of course, affect the words that are finally written down...The fairy tale is in a perpetual state of becoming and alteration. To keep one version is to put a robin redbreast in a cage." 
 Phillip Pullman in his introduction to Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm

The illustration is by Walter Crane.

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 Tolkien...Reimagining Mythology 

"What he wanted to do was to distil what he saw as the narrative story, the myth, of the English heroes in epics, romances, legends, dream visions, chronicles – Beowulf, Sir Gawain, Sir Orfeo, English Arthuriana (Wace, Layamon, Malory), Pearl, Patience, Purity, The Battle of Maldon – and works that may have influenced or impacted on these English works, especially the Volsunga Saga, the WelshMabinogion, and Finnish folk-myths found in the form of the Kalevala."

 Dr. Jane Chance, an authority on medieval mythography, writing about Lord Of The Rings in an exceptional National Geographic

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National Dog Day is coming -- August 26. 

"National Dog Day is celebrated August 26th annually and serves to help galvanize the public to recognize the number of dogs that need to be rescued each year...Founded in 2004 by pet lifestyle expert and author Colleen Paige, National Dog Day was created to honor dogs more than we currently do, to give them "a day", to show deep appreciation for our long connection to each other -- for their endearing patience, unquestioning loyalty, for their work, their capacity for love and their ability to impact our lives every day in the most miraculous ways..." 

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Kids Reading to Shelter Dogs and the Nebraska Canine Connection

The photos tell the story.

They were taken at the Nebraska Humane Society as part of their Camp Kindness Program for kids 6-12. I learned about this wonderful program from author CA Wulff (we publish her books*) on her excellent website for dog lovers,Up On The Woof.

Here is an excerpt from her blog:

"The program is not just helpful to improving the skills of young readers, but to the animals who find themselves in this loud and strange environment. A camper’s story helps them feel calm, noticed, and less lonely; giving them some loving companionship. Pam Wiese of NEHS says that any shelter can offer therapy reading to their animals for next to nothing. All that is needed are some 5 gallon buckets (turned upside-down for seats) and a box of books. Children don’t need to come into physical contact with the animals, (and therefore avoid any potential risks) but can sit outside the kennel cages, still providing focus and comfort to the animals."  

Here's a comment by Mom Jennie Wright " Our son is doing this and he is loving it! He loves animals but dislikes reading! Best way to get him to read! Thank you for offering this program!

To read more about this program and how it can be adopted and funded by shelters nationally, read Up On The Woof.  We are donating a set of the Planet Of The Dogs series to Camp Kindness.

CA Wulff's books include Born Without a Tail, Crcling The Waggins and Finding Fido. She is associate publisher at Barking Planet Productions.

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The Planet Of The Dogs Book Series

“It was wonderful to witness my students applying character lessons from the books in their own peer interactions…my students love them…(these books) are great motivators to encourage young people to read”… Julie Hauck, third grade teacher, Sheboygan WI, creator of Pages for Preston, a pioneer therapy reading dog program.

Librarians, teachers, bookstores...Order Planet Of The Dogs, Castle In The Mist, and Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Tale, through Ingram with a full professional discount.

        Read Sample Chapters of the Planet Of The Dogs Series. 

Our books are available through your favorite independent bookstore or via Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Powell's and many more...         

Therapy reading dog owners, librarians and teachers with therapy reading dog programs -- you can write us at [email protected] and we will send you free reader copies from the Planet of the Dogs Series...Read Dog Books to Dogs....

The photo, above, of the Pages for Preston classroom reading session is courtesy of teacher Julie Hauck. 

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The Planet Of The Dogs Series is now in China
Our Chinese publisher, Beijing Chongxianguan Books Co, Ltd,g, has created new illustrations for Chinese children...

Here is a link to the Chinese website.

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Balance between audience sales and creative effort is a never ending quest. The influence of customer data analysis on the books, films, videos, and games for kids, the YA market, and adults is growing all the time.  

Andrew Leonard decribed the situation in this excellent article for SALON: 

How Netflix is Turning Viewers into Puppets

"I hit the pause button roughly one-third of the way through the first episode of “House of Cards,” the political drama premiering on Netflix Feb. 1. By doing so, I created what is known in the world of Big Data as an “event” — a discrete action that could be logged, recorded and analyzed. Every single day, Netflix, by far the largest provider of commercial streaming video programming in the United States, registers hundreds of millions of such events. As a consequence, the company knows more about our viewing habits than many of us realize.  Netflix doesn’t know merely what we’re watching, but when, where and with what kind of device we’re watching..."

Question: Does this mean that violence will continue to overcome  content? Perhaps Peter Jackson, who has become Tolkien's movie storyteller, has the answer.

The illustration by Darth is courtesy of the Atlantic, a great source of information on this and related issues.  

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Tornadoes Hit Farmhouse, Shelter, and Gardens of Way Cool Dogs

I have long been a fan of Nancy Houser's Way Cool Dogs website for the never ending flow of quality information, news and insights for dog lovers. Alas, mother nature, in the form of tornadoes, brought destruction to her area of Nebraska. Here's an excerpt from her report...

"On Saturday evening, June 14, 2014, the Wilcox area … where we live … was hit during the evening by three tornadoes in the area and a high straight wind of over 90 mph. The first thing I noticed was when our large wheel barrow soared by the front of the house into the corn field on our west side, and we could not see in front of our hand.

It was as if our world was wrapped in a gray cellophane with high winds drowning everything around it. We could not even hear the emergency sirens coming from Wilcox, about one-quarter mile from us. But a preliminary count of 9 tornadoes landed that night, from Wilcox-Hildreth-Minden area on northward, leaving a trail of damage that resembled a war zone...

Read more: Way Cool Dogs

Recovery: This post, written by Nancy with affection and a sense of humor, is for all:

Reasons Why I Love My Dog

There are many reasons why I love my dog, starting with the massive amounts of unconditional love my dog has for me. In fact, unconditional love is a key word in every relationship, whether it involves your partner or your pet. I went out and did a little researching on dog love,, while listing reasons that work for me and the girls. Enjoy!..

Read all of this delightful post by clicking the title link above. Nancy took the photo of her dog, Joyful Jasmine.

Measuring Canines and Cancer...Nancy has also posted regarding a pioneering scientific study at Vanderbilt University that is studying the effect of therapy dogs and children with cancer (over 13,000 children diagnosed with cancer every year in the USA).
Here is the link: Children's Cancer and Canine Connection.

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If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together... there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart... I'll always be with you.” ...A.A. Milne

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Always # Like A Girl

I found this important, eye-opening video on Maria Tatar's Breezes from Wonderland blog. The video deals with self esteem, puberty, and being a girl.

Here is the Link; Like A Girl...Created by Always.com 

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An Age of the Imagination

 "The story of the child is the story of literature itself: of finding characters that fit your mold; of telling tales about yourself to audiences skeptical or censoring; odealing with parental stricture, pedagogic task, and social expectation in ways that preserve the inner self while at the same time keeping on the mask of conformity.

Girls and boys do it differently, but what their stories always tell us is that childhood is an age of the imagination, and that every time we enter into fiction, we step back into a childhood of 'what if' or 'once upon a time'."

Seth Lerer in his book, Children's Literature, A Reader's History from Aesop to Harry Potter. The illustration is by Arthur Rackham.

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Book War Intensifies

David Streitfeld writes in the New York Times...

"The confrontation between Amazon and Hachette is growing louder and meaner, as the 
combatants drop all pretense that this is a reasonable dispute among reasonable people...

For more than six months, Amazon has been trying to wring better e-book terms out of Hachette. The publisher, which is the fourth largest in the United States and whose imprints include Little Brown and Grand Central Publishing, is energetically resisting.

Amazon has responded by delaying shipments of Hachette books and making it harder for customers to order them. Hachette authors have responded by publicly excoriating Amazon.

With its newest proposal, Amazon is trying to break the impasse by getting Hachette’s writers to switch allegiances"... Here's the link to read it all:  Book War 

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 Wags for Mags 

PGI "Wags for Mags" is a student-led organization at Bradley University that has teamed up with Paws Giving Independence to train service dogs to assist those with disabilities. "Wags For Mags" was launched in 2012 to involve students with the service dog training process.

Paws Giving Independence (PGI) was started 5 years ago by Donna Kosner, a third grade teacher, her daughter, Michelle, a physical therapist, and her daughter's best friend, Brandi, an ER nurse. At that time, both Michelle and Brandi were students at Bradley University.

PGI is training and providing service dogs free of charge to people with a variety of disabilities ; they are also providing support to encourage independence. PGI also educates the public to the benefits of service dogs and a great many of their dogs come from shelters and rescue groups.

We salute the growth, dedication and life changing work of PGI. Visit their site: PGI

 Here's a heartening video of PGI working with three disadvantaged 3 kids: PGI Video 

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Start Reading to Children at Birth!
In an article by Motoko Rich in the  New York Times,  62,000 pediatricians advocate early reading to nourish the brain...Here are excerpts:

"In between dispensing advice on breast-feeding and immunizations, doctors will tell parents to read aloud to their infants from birth, under a new policy (from) the American Academy of Pediatrics ...

With the increased recognition that an important part of brain development occurs within the first three years of a child’s life, and that reading to children enhances vocabulary and other important communication skills, the group, which represents 62,000 pediatricians across the country, is asking its members to become powerful advocates for reading aloud, every time a baby visits the doctor.

'It should be there each time we touch bases with children,' said Dr. Pamela High, who wrote the new policy. It recommends that doctors tell parents they should be 'reading together as a daily fun family activity” from infancy'"...The illustration is by Arthur Rackham

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KidLitoSphere..."is the go-to site if you are looking for blogs focused on children's or YA literature...Here's an excerpt from their website that sums it up:

"The 'KidLitosphere' is a community of reviewers, librarians, teachers, authors, illustrators, publishers, parents, and other book enthusiasts who blog about children’s and young adult literature. In writing about books for children and teens, we’ve connected with others who share our love of books. With this website, we hope to spread the wealth of our reading and writing experience more broadly."  

Here is  a link to visit Kidlitosphere

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The  Beagle Freedom Project has an important mission... In their own words: "The Beagle Freedom Project is a mission to rescue beagles used in animal experimentation in research laboratories and give them a chance at life in a loving forever home."

CA Wulff alerted me to this special video of their latest success: Beagle Freedom Project TEX-MEX Rescue - July 8th 2014

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"We must fight against the spirit of unconscious cruelty with which we treat the animals. Animals suffer as much as we do. True humanity does not allow us to impose such sufferings on them. It is our duty to make the whole world recognize it. Until we extend our circle of compassion to all living things, humanity will not find peace." 

—Albert Schweitzer, "The Philosophy of Civilization" -

I found this quote on Sunbear Squad where guidlines, free wallet cards, and "how to" save a dog in distress information are available at no cost for all good people. 

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"Sir, he's a good dog, and a fair dog; can there be more said?" William Shakespeare. The Merry Wives Of Winsor

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The stories come from mythology, folklore and fairy tales.

Stories where danger, fear and disaster assult the children, the princess, the protaganists...

The danger may lie in the curse of an angry witch, the abuse of power by a king, or the cruelty of invading warriors...

The reader, however, must always have courage and hope.

Because, wonders never cease in these stories. And, magic events will occur to save the lost children, to transform the frog, or awaken the sleeping princess.  

Illustration of Sleeping Beauty by Henry Meynell Rheam

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 The Return of Sleeping Beauty -- Dollars for Disney

Maleficent, the Disney reinterpretation of Sleeping Beauty is a wonderous hit with audiences with over $458,880,000 in worldwide ticket sales after only three weeks... despite mixed reviews... 

Here are excerpts from four different reviewers. Two are negative, two are positive; however the audience response has been excellent. 

Maleficent, is not small in the traditional sense, but rather in the increasingly common contemporary sense: yet another in a string of gazillion-dollar special-effects extravaganzas grafted onto flimsy, nonsensical scripts and featuring an array of two-dimensional performances...Alas, Disney’s subversive retelling of its own 1959 animated classic Sleeping Beauty is an utter mess. At once overblown and under-baked, the movie is a morally and tonally confused collection of sequences that never cohere into a compelling story. -- Chruistopher Orr, The Atlantic

At least Disney was smart enough to cast Jolie. She has a genuinely heroic presence. If only the movie were equal to it. Grade: C+ (Rated PG for sequences of fantasy action and violence, including frightening images.) -- Peter Rainer, the Christian Science Monitor

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I totally get why many of my fellow critics are giving “Maleficent” mediocre grades: It’s a stylistic mishmash, and almost everything in it resembles one or another of the numerous fantasy movies and TV series of the last 15 years. But Disney’s target audience for this picture is not middle-aged journalists. It’s tween and early-teen girls who are ready to move half a click upward from “Frozen” and “Brave,” along with their moms. That audience is going to be absolutely thrilled by this slightly subversive fable of revenge and female solidarity – I cannot wait to take my 10-year-old daughter — and truth be told, a lot of the brothers, boyfriends and dads who claim they don’t want to come along will enjoy it a lot too.  Andrew O'hehir, Salon

Illustration by Paul Woodroffe

"The formula works. It worked with "Wicked" on stage and it worked with "Frozen" on film —

tilting the storytelling prism so that a new angle on a well-known fairy tale appears in the light. The strategy depends on humanizing characters formerly known as evil, so that another tale of conflicted impulses emerges from the story we know, driven by female antagonist/protagonist hybrids who aren't bad, just misunderstood.

So it goes with 'Maleficent,' the Disney corporation's bombastic, moderately entertaining explanation of why the "queen of all evil" from its 1959 animated "Sleeping Beauty" got that way, and why she wasn't, really...This is almost entirely Angelina Jolie's show. "

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

Here is a link to the trailer... Step into the world of Maleficent.

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 Fairy-tale translations...Always Fast and Loose

We are reminded in the following excerpt from an article/review by Maria Tatar that Maleficent -- Disney's "reinterpretation" of Sleeping Beauty -- is a current example of a long standing tradition...

"Translators of fairy-tale collections have always played fast and loose with the rules of their craft. The “television and pornography” of an earlier age (as John Updike tells us), fairy tales  
migrated into the nursery during the nineteenth century, and no one objected when they were edited, adapted, bowdlerized, and cleaned up to suit the younger crowd. The Brothers Grimm did some of that tidying up on their own in six successive editions of the tales, cutting out a story called “Hans Dumm” (in which a young man impregnates women just by looking at them) and removing any causal connection between Rapunzel’s twins and the prince’s visits up to the tower. “A fairy tale is not a text,” Philip Pullman reminds us in his “Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm”—it is always mobile and magnetic, picking up bits and pieces of its cultural surround..."

The above quote is from Maria Tatar's New Yorker Review of Philip Pullman's version of fifty of the most popular tales by the brothers Grimm.

The illustration is by Arthur Rackham.

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 Canines for Service gives rescued dogs a new life, training them as service dogs for people with disabilities. Based in Wilmington, NC, they have developed a program that benefits the dogs, those who train them, and the disabled people who become the beneficiaries of having a custom trained service dog...Canines for service describes decribe their approach in this way...

"Triple Win philosophy- Rescuing shelter dogs, rehabilitating military prisoners and revitalizing wounded and injured Veterans."

Dogs trained for veterans by military prisoners

If you were to visit the Naval Consolidated Brig Charleston, you would find prisoners training the dogs. "The training of a Canines for Veterans service dog takes about one year.  Rescue dogs are trained by military prisoners and will learn over 90 commands including basic obedience, intermediate skills like retrieving items and advanced skills such as opening doors."

Dogs for all disabled vets...Canines for Veterans

 

"Service members or Veterans with a disability including mobility limitations, traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder are invited to apply for a Canines for Veterans service dog.   We serve Veterans from all branches of the Armed Forces.  Active duty service members may be eligible for a service dog only if they can no longer be deployed. Canines for Veterans does not charge a fee for the service dog...Team training, when a client is partnered with their service dog, is done on an individual basis, not in a group.  Why?  Because every clients' needs are different and it is better for the client to work with them individually."

 

We salute Canines for Service founder Rick Hairston, and the over 500 annual volunteers who  provide these wonderful life changing service dogs to the disabled. 

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 “There are some themes, some subjects, too large for adult fiction; they can only be dealt with adequately in a children’s book.” -- Phillip Pullman prolific author of classic children's books including an updated version of Grimm's Fairy Tales.   

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Planet Of The Dogs

Our story begins long, long ago, before there were dogs on Planet Earth. 

There was plenty of space in those days for people to settle and grow things. Many of the places where people lived were very beautiful. There were clear lakes and cool streams with lots of fish. There were fields and woods with game to hunt. And there were rolling hills and open plains with plants growing everywhere. 

Many people settled in these places of abundance and prospered. At first they had small gardens. As villages and towns continued to grow, more seeds were planted until the fertile land was often covered with corn or rice or wheat or vegetables....

And then there came a time when the abundance and happiness found on Planet Earth were threatened by people like the warrior tribes of Stone City. They had forgotten how to love. They took food, coins and beautiful objects from people and often hurt them. Their numbers began to grow and soon they were taking the homes, land, and farms where peaceful people lived. 

Where once there had been harmony and friendship, there was now fear, anger, and unhappiness. Something had to be done -- but what could anybody do? No one knew it at that time, but help would come from far, far away, from the Planet of the Dogs.

Our books are available through your favorite independent bookstore or via Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Powell's and many more...

                         Read sample books of the Planet Of The Dogs Series.

Librarians, teachers, bookstores...Order Planet Of The Dogs, Castle In The Mist, and Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Tale, through Ingram with a full professional discount.

Therapy reading dog owners, librarians and teachers with therapy reading dog programs -- you can write us at [email protected] and we will send you free reader copies from the Planet of the Dogs Series...Read Dog Books to Dogs....The photo is courtesy of Pat Christiansen, Therapy Dogs United; scroll down to read more about this wonderful therapy dog organization.

The book cover and illustration are by Stella Mustanoja-McCarty.

Any one of these books would make for a delightful—and one would assume cherished—gift for any child.  All three would be an amazing reading adventure. Darlene Arden, educator, dog expert, and author of Small Dogs Big Hearts

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Wonders from the Secret Forests...

Wilhelm Grimm noted that these (fairy tales) were the "last echoes of pagan mythes." He went on:" A world of magic is opened up before us, one which still exists among us in
secret forests, in underground caves, and in the deepest sea, and it is still visible to children". And what we find inside these secret forests, caves, and seas is not just a poetical heritage, but a personal one as well. For fairy tales are full of families, full of parents who bequeath a sense of self to children, full of ancestors and heirs whose lives play out, in little, the life of a nation from childhood to maturity. -

Seth Lerer, in the chapter Straw into Gold from Children's Literature, A Reader's History from Aesop to Harry Potter

The illustration is by George Cruickshank.

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 Parents worry too much about what children read

said Judy Blume -- a wonder in her time and still going strong -- in an article in The Telegraph By Hannah Furness, Arts Correspondent...here is an excerpt.

"Blume, now 76, has sold more than 80 million books worldwide and her work has been translated into 31 languages.Her novels, which confront issues of teenage sex, racism, divorce, bullying, puberty and masturbation, were considered shocking at the time, and are remembered by a generation of women for teaching them the facts of life.

She told the audience that parents should be less concerned about the suitability of their children's reading material, concentrating more on simply getting them to love books...

'A lot of people worry much too much about what their children are reading,"'she said.

'A lot of people will want to control everything in their children's lives, or everything in other people's children's lives.

'If a child picks up a book and reads something she has a question about, if she can go to her parents, great.

'Or else they will read right over it. It won't mean a thing.

'They are very good, I think, at monitoring what makes them feel uncomfortable. If something makes them feel uncomfortable they will put it down.' "

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Way Cool Dogs is filled with information, insights and dog news... here is an excerpt from an article on...

Traveling With Your Dog: Five Tips for a Safe, Fun Trip

Like many people, you may view your pet as a part of the family that can’t be left behind when you go on vacation, and the good news is its a very workable idea to travel with a dog. The key to making any vacation enjoyable for both dogs and humans is preparation....

Read it all on Way Cool Dogs

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Three wonders from the Winnie-the-Pooh Books

“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them."

 Sometimes,' said Pooh, 'the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.

 “I think we dream so we don’t have to be apart for so long. If we’re in each other’s dreams, we can be together all the time.”

 A.A. Milne

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Circling the Waggins by C.A. Wulff

 More than twenty years of performing pet rescues could wear anyone down. Especially when the pets that end up being permanent residents in your home are the most irascible, insane and ridiculously un-adoptable pets known to man. Circling the Waggins follows two middle aged women as they maneuver through one unexpected pet debacle after another in a rugged and isolated cabin in a National Park. They emerge from a dark and difficult time as they discover that even the tiniest of lives is precious; heartache and joy go hand-in-hand, and love is an eternal circle of wagging tails.

The photo is of three of the characters you will meet in the book. You will also meet humans and other critters in the eternal circle of wagging tails. Dog Lovers -- Read the reviews on Amazon. 

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What kind of reader were you as a child? And what were your favorite childhood books?  

Here is an excerpt from the NYTimes interview with Alice Hoffman  author of the Museum of Extraordinary Things. 

"I was a fanatical escapist reader, as I am now a fanatical escapist writer. I always had a book with me, no matter what, on the bus, in line for the movies. I still love to read the same books I loved as a child. Anything written by Edward Eager, especially “Half Magic”; the Borrowers series; “Mary Poppins.” Grimms’ fairy tales, so psychologically true a child reader intuits their deeper personal meaning. Those fairy tale themes are at the heart of many of my own books."

 “The Museum of Extraordinary Things” will not disappoint readers longing to be swept up by a lavish tale about strange yet sympathetic people, haunted by the past and living in bizarre circumstances." Katherine Weber in her NY Times book review 

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 China...June is the month for Planet Of The Dogs In China

Our Chinese publisher, Chongxian Books Co. LTD, has announced that the Planet Of The Dogs is being released this month in mainland China.

The color illustration (above) is from the Chinese version. New illustrations were produced for all the Planet Of The Dogs books

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Does your dog make you laugh ? If so, you may want to look at the study by Robin Valeri, Department of Psychology,St. Bonaventure University, on the "Relationship between Pet Ownership and Laughter". The study includes cats and is based on research and substantial data.

The dog in the photo is Rocket Boy, one of the dogs featured in C.A. Wulff's Circling the Waggins.

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 Therapy Dogs United ...where the wonders of the canine connection never cease

Therapy Dogs United (TDU) provides healing help and loving canine connections to thousands of people in Northwestern PA, and Western NY.  They offer a full range of therapy dog services ranging from releaving lonliness in nursing facilities to programs that help children with autism, Downs syndrome and other difficult disabilities.

Who do they serve? 

Here is an excerpt from the TDU website...

"Our dedicated team of certified volunteers work hand-in-hand with medical, educational, and social service professionals or one-on-one with patients to provide therapeutic and physical therapy. TDU makes daily visits to schools and learning institutions, book stores, homeless shelters, senior and nursing communities, hospice facilities, family service organizations, reading clubs, rehabilitation centers, and beyond...  We (also) visit hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, homeless shelters, and homes for youth at risk..."

Here is the link to see the wonderful Therapy Dogs United dogs at work with young and old: TDU VIDEO

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"Why it's simply impassible!

 Alice: Why, don't you mean impossible?

Door: No, I do mean impassible. (chuckles) Nothing's impossible!” 

Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass

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Educating Alice:  A dedicated teacher is disturbed...

Monica Edinger is a dedicated , book loving teacher. Here is an excerpt from her blog, Educating Alice (link below), regarding her concern for the mediocre teaching materials she found on the Achieve the Core website.

As a teacher in a private school I am not currently required to follow the Common Core State Standards. That said, because I am a teacher, I am following closely the discussion about them, their implementation, issues, and so forth. One resource I’ve come across is the Achieve the Core website created byStudent Achievement Partners, who describe themselves as  '….a non-profit organization working to support teachers across the country in their efforts to realize the promise of the Common Core State Standards for all students.'...  

 I decided to check out a few of the ELA/Literacy “Common Core-aligned sample lessons with explanations and supporting resources.” And the ones I looked at were so full of problems that it made me wonder who is vetting them as worthy of teacher use.

One  that I looked at particularly closely is on Charlotte’s Web. (I came across it by looking through their lessons for fourth grade. I can’t link to it directly, I’m afraid, as it takes you to a word document of the lesson.) Because I feel I’m pretty expert at the teaching of  Charlotte’s Web, I was curious about the lesson they had on the book.  And I found it very problematic. The questions seem to suggest it is a play version of the book, but no reference for it is cited. No edition of the book or play is given although there are page numbers given for various questions.  The level of questioning is simplistic, surprising given the desire of the Common Core creators to make experiences with reading more complex and rigorous.  Since I feel White’s book is a wonderful one to use with children as an entry into close reading, the lack of it and very low-level engagement recommended in this particular lesson was something I found despiriting. It looked similar to the many poor lessons about the book I have seen over the years.

Here is the link to read it all: Edinger

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What should you do,  what can you do, if you see an injured dog or one in distress?

For answers, examples, true stories and more, visit Sunbear Squad...Let the experience of compassionate dog lovers guide you...free Wallet Cards & Pocket  Posters,  Informative and practical guidance...Visit SunBear Squad

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"Man himself cannot express love and humility by external signs so plainly as does a dog, when with drooping ears, hanging lips, flexous body, and wagging tail, he meets his beloved master." Charles Darwin (1809-1882)

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Therapy reading dogs are helping millions of kids to loose their fear of reading and opening the door to a world of imagination and learning

We believe that dogs can also teach kids about unconditional love...

Kids can learn about courage and loyalty from dogs. 

Dogs have healing qualities that reach people of all ages.

These incredible abilities of dogs are the foundation for the Planet Of The Dogs Series 

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Aesop and the magic of words...

The magic of words for children has been part of children's lives since Aesop, over 2,500 years ago. 

"Ever  since there were children, there has been children's literature. Long before John Newbury established a first press devoted to children's books, stories were told and written for the young, and books originally offered to mature readers were carefully recast or excerpted for the young, and books originally offered to mature readers were carefully recast or excerpted for youthful audiences. Greek and Roman educational traditions grounded themselves in reading and reciting poetry and drama. Aesop's fables lived for two millennia on classroom and family shelves..." -excerpted from Seth Lerer's book, Children's Literature, A Reader's History from Aesop to Harry Potter.

600 Fables and the Creative Tradition

Laura Gibbs, author, blogger and scholar, has translated 600 of Aesop's Fables into English.  The first translation from ancient Greek to English was published by Caxton in 1484. This excerpt is from Gibbs' blog... 

" As folklore, Aesop’s fables are always shifting and changing in their various retellings, and the images used to illustrate the fables, just as much as the words, are part of that creative tradition. The images are not simply extras added on to the story. Instead, these images can contribute their own distinctive elements to that endless mix-and-match process by which new versions of the fables are created — a process which has kept the Aesop’s fable tradition going strong for three thousands years, and counting."

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It seems remarkable to me that probably everyone visiting this blog has read or heard, at some time in their life, Aesops fables.

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Refresh Your Fable Memory....

The website, Aesopica, offers Laura Gibbs' translations of 600 of Aesop's Fables in English...plus Aesop in Latin and Greek. Aesop lives on. 

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"No act of kindnessss, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” 

―from the Lion and the Mouse, Aesop
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Aesop and ASAP...a pun/smile posted by Pigeon Weather Productions

"This reminds me of a short-lived series I did some time ago called ASAP’s Fables: A dog was wandering in the woods when he came across a bear. The dog said to himself, I’d better get out of here ASAP!"

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Paws For People

Paws for people is dedicated to helping people in need. These excerpts from their website can only outline the wonderful work they do. 

"PAWS for People is a nonprofit 501(c)3 pet therapy organization that recruits, trains, certifies, and places therapy teams in over 150 sites in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey... 

Whether it be helping a child with autism learn new social skills, aiding an injured youngster with physical therapy, comforting a hospice patient, distracting a child during chemotherapy treatment, assisting a struggling reader, or being a familiar reminder to an Alzheimer’s patient, a visit from a PAWS’ therapy team makes a difference."

The therapy team in this photo is one of over 350...Paws for People was founded in 2005 by Lynne Robinson after 23 years as a public school teacher.

 To see a first hand video example of this program at work, let Jen Delgado, librarian at Mote Elementary school in Wilmington, DE, show you the Paws for People Program bringing the joy of reading to fourth and fifth graders. Here is the link: Paws for Reading

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The Treasure Trove Continues

Big Box Office Bucks are expected in May from new movies with versions inspired by classic children's literature. and sucessful YA books. Meanwhile, the movie versions of Divergent, Mr Peabody and Frozen -- the reimagined version of Hans Chrisitian Anderson's The Snow Queen --  continue their International popularity.

Combined, they have grossed over one and a half billion dollars.

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Coming in May...

OZ revisited on May 9

Sony is releasing an animated version of a return to OZ entitled:

Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return.

The film is based on the book Dorothy of Oz by Roger Stanton Baum, great grandson of L. Frank Baum, the author of the original Wonderful Wizard of Oz book.

Here'link to the trailer: Dorothy's Return  

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 Darkness in the Magic Kingdom

Maleficent opens May 30...This version of Sleeping Beauty is unlike the sweetness and light Disney movies that prevailed for many years...there is a darkside in this film from the Magic Kingdom...not unlike the darkside that prevailed in the earliest versions of the story.

Before the Brothers Grimm rewrote the tale as written in the 17th century by Basile and Perrault, it included the story of the Prince's cannibalistic mother and her suicide leap into a vat filled with reptiles and snakes. I doubt if Disney will go that far, but the trailer is dark, forboding, and has very engaging graphics...more wonders of computer graphics.

If you follow this link to the trailer, you will see for yourself: Maleficent.

The illustration above of Sleeping Beauty and her Prince is by Henry Meynell Rheam.

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No Magic Words for this Snow White

Angelin Preljocaj has created a modern dance-ballet based on the fairy tale of Snow White. Here are excerpts from Gia Kourlas' review, Trying to Outrun Age, in Spiky Heels, in the New York Times...

"A staggering lassitude defines this production of nearly two hours, presented by the Joyce Theater Foundation. Created in 2008, “Snow White” features a Prince (Sergio Diaz), but Mr. Preljocaj’s (pronounced prel-zho-KAHJ) sinister tale has less to do with true love than jealousy, or what the French choreographer has termed the Snow White complex: women who refuse to look their age...

Snow White, it turns out, is not as pure as the driven snow, as a seduction scene with the Prince proves. (In case you’re confused, she knew him long before taking a bite of the poisonous apple.) Her stepmother, the Queen (Anna Tatarova), appears as a dominatrix in thigh highs and spiky heels; it’s the Halloween parade, not couture..."

This link will take you to a ten minute excerpt of the dance wherein the prince awakens Snow White from her sleep: Snow White

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 The Planet Of The Dogs series is going to China 

 The revised publicatrion schedule by the Beijing Chongxianguan Book Company for the Chinese versions of The Planet Of The Dogs Series is for the latter part of May. The illustrations have been redone for the Chinese market. Our thanks to Deanna Leah of HBG who represents the foreign rights for our books. She introduced our books to, and contracted with, our Chinese publishers. 

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The Magic of Words...Phillip Pullman

I adored Superman,” Pullman tells us, and, as a boy, he was “intoxicated,” “enthralled” and “dizzy with passion” while reading his graphic adventures. Then came Batman and the beginning of  the storytelling instinct. The young Pullman did not want to be Batman, but, rather, write about him. Years later, he read Milton and became aware, like other synesthetes, that words had “weight and colour and taste and shape as well as meaning.” That was when he began to play with words, like “a little child putting coloured marbles into patterns. - Maria Tatar, reviewing Pullman's Twice Told Tales in the New Yorker

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 Circling The Waggins... 

Here is the Amazon review (unedited) by Bob Tarte, author of the delightful "Kitty Cornered," "Enslaved by Ducks," and "Fowl Weather"...Read more reviews and a synopsis...Here is the link: Circling The Waggins

"There's a lot more to living with dogs than wet noses and going walkies. Cayr Ariel Wulff entertainingly chronicles the rocky flip side of pet care in "Circling the Waggins," a heroic tale of triumph over turmoil and exhaustion. Wulff and her companion Dalene take in the misfits that have defeated lesser souls, including genius behemoth Waldo - a 75-pound golden/boxer mix with equal parts brains and brawn - an exuberant but mentally challenged Shih-tzu/Chihuahua named Rocket Boy, plus three more dogs, aging cats, and way too many accidentally acquired pet mice. Despite the challenges presented by this demanding and eccentric crew, Wulff's chronicles may still send you to the animal shelter to do a bit of rescue on your own. You'll want to reap the rewards of love and joy which "Waggins" so beautifully describes.

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PAL...People and Their Dogs Helping Others

A PAL Reprise

We first learned of PAL (Washington,DC)and the wonderful work they do, through Ginny Rawls a Young Adult Librarian, in Alexandria, VA. This excerpt from the PAL website describes their work..."Compassionate and friendly pet owners visit with their dogs, bringing joy to people in mental institutions, assisted living, nursing homes and homeless shelters.  Libraries and schools are always eager to help children gain a love of reading, to introduce young readers to learning with creative methods. The Pet volunteers visit libraries and schools for a variety of reading with dog programs..."

 Here is an excerpt from the information sent by Librarian Ginny Rawls...

"In our central library we have the Paws to Read program for kids in grades 1-6. Currently, we have 4-5 dog volunteers who come twice a month with their humans to listen to the kids read.
The children are excited, happy, and love reading to dogs.

Sometimes, they want to expose the dog to their favorite stories or have asked if it's ok to read to them about cats and tigers. I tell them that it's a good idea for dogs to know as much about cats as possible. Sometimes, they do read about dogs, though. I display several dog books in our storyroom during the program and each dog has a bookmark with a photo and information about the dog breed, favorite foods, activities, and the dog's favorite book..."
The photo of the Cub Scounts and the  therapy reading  dogs was taken by PAL volunteer, Tracy Baetz

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Castle In The Mist -- Volume 2 in the Planet Of The Dogs Series

It was a cold, dark night when the howling dogs awakened Prince Ukko from his sleep.  It was a sound he had never heard before, and caused a cold feeling of fear to move through his body.  After a few minutes, the howling stopped, but now Prince Ukko was unable to sleep... 

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Our books are available through your favorite independent bookstore or via Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Powell's... 

Librarians, teachers, bookstores...Order Planet Of The Dogs, Castle In The Mist, and Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Tale, through Ingram with a full professional discount. 

Therapy reading dog owners, librarians, teachers and organizations with therapy reading dog programs -- you can write us at [email protected] and we will send you free reader copies from the Planet of the Dogs Series...Read Dog Books to Dogs....Ask any therapy reading dog: "Do you like it when the kids read dog books to you?"

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"The little reed, bending to the force of the wind, soon stood upright again when the storm had passed over." - Aesop

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We received this important notice from Elizabeth Bird of the NYPL's  excellent Children's Literary Salon announcing  their next free event on Saturday, May 3rd, at 2:00 p.m.

 

 Ann Staub at Pawsitively Pets...

This photo by Ann of her dog dog, Shiner, accompanied by her warm review (and Giveaway) of
Planet Of The Dogs, truly brightened my day. Shiner is reading Planet Of The Dogs, and Ann reports that, "After reading through the book a little, Shiner informed me that she'd most like to visit Biscuit Town on the Planet of the Dogs...

Planet Of The Dogs is a fictional story perfect for young readers and adults alike...The main characters in the story are two children - Daisy and Bean. They even get to travel to the Planet of the Dogs themselves. I personally think it would be awesome if such a world did exist. I'd love to visit some of the places in the book. There's Shepherd Hill, Poodletown, Retriever Meadows, Muttville, Hound Dog Hamlet, and Shaggy Corners...

Simply put, there is a lot that us humans can learn from our furry canine companions. This book is great at showing just how compassionate dogs really are."

Ann Staub, after working five years as a veterinary technician, retired to be a full time mom (two daughters), dog and pet owner, and blogger. 

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E Book Comprehension Study

This excerpt is from Annie Murphy Paul's Motherlode article, 

Students Reading E-Books Are Losing Out, Study Suggests

"While young readers find these digital products very appealing, their multitude of features may diffuse children’s attention, interfering with their comprehension of the text, Ms. Smith and the Schugars found. It seems that the very “richness” of the multimedia environment that e-books provide — heralded as their advantage over printed books — may overwhelm children’s limited working memory, leading them to lose the thread of the narrative or to process the meaning of the story less deeply... 

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More on Books and Ebooks ...excerpted from Bookkends in The New York Times, in a Q and A with author Moshin Hamid...How Do E-Books Change the Reading Experience?

..."I crave technology, connectivity. But I crave solitude too. As we enter the cyborg era, as we begin the physical shift to human-machine hybrid, there will be those who embrace this epochal change, happily swapping cranial space for built-in processors. There will be others who reject the new ways entirely,...

In a world of intrusive technology, we must engage in a kind of struggle if we wish to sustain moments of solitude. E-reading opens the door to distraction. It invites connectivity and clicking and purchasing. The closed network of a printed book, on the other hand, seems to offer greater serenity. It harks back to a pre-jacked-in age. Cloth, paper, ink: For these read helmet, cuirass, shield. They afford a degree of protection and make possible a less intermediated, less fractured experience. They guard our aloneness. That is why I love them, and why I read printed books still."

Mohsin Hamid is the author of three novels: “Moth Smoke,” a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award; “The Reluctant Fundamentalist,” a New York Times best seller that was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and adapted for film; and, most recently, “How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia.”

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How to Change the World in 30 Seconds

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A Video Visit withJumpy the Amazing dog...off the charts!!

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More helpful information from Nebraska...

How To Housebreak Your Dog Without Breaking Your Home

Though it may not seem like it sometimes, especially when they are a puppy, dogs have a natural instinct to keep their living space clean — especially in close headquarters. Learning how to housebreak your dog with some help from you, through patient and gradual housebreaking, will help your dog learn happily how to do their business outside. This will not only improve the health and happiness of your dog, but also preserving the cleanliness of your home. The housebreaking process can be a messy business—expect several accidents to happen before your puppy or dog gets it—but it doesn’t have to destroy your home or your relationship with your dog....Here is the link to read it all: Housebreak

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"We must fight against the spirit of unconscious cruelty with which we treat the animals. Animals suffer as much as we do. True humanity does not allow us to impose such sufferings on them. It is our duty to make the whole world recognize it. Until we extend our circle of compassion to all living things, humanity will not find peace."  

—Albert Schweitzer, "The Philosophy of Civilization" - 

I found this quote on Sunbear Squad where guidlines, free wallet cards, and "how to" save a dog in distress information are available at no cost for all good people.

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 "MY father was a St Bernard, my mother was a Collie, but I am a Presbyterian. This is what my mother told me. I do not know these nice distinctions myself." -- Mark Twain (1835-1910)

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The boundaries shift and change as children grow with the winds of time. 

Children's stories, fables and mythology open doors to both the real world and to the world of fantasy and imagination.

Fairy tales have been retold and endured through many cultures. Aesop's fables have been part of children's literature for over 2000 years. 

This blog is dedicated to the power of story and the worlds of wonder and imagination that are the world of children's literature. And to therapy dogs, that help reluctant children banish fear of reading  

The illustration from Miyazaki's Howl's Movin g Castle

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 LITWORLD

Litworld opens the doors of possibilities in life to disadvantaged youth through books, reading, mentors, and guidance.

LitWorld celebrated World Read Aloud Day on March 5.

 Lit World is bringong litereracy, books, and empowerment to underprivileged children in Ghana,India, Haiti, Kenya, Kosovo, Nepal, Pakistan, Peru the Phillipines, Rwanda, Uganda, and the USA.

More than 793 million people are illiterate worldwide. Two thirds of these are women.

LitWorld places a special focus on young women and girls ages 10-14

"LitWorld’s strength-based model of social emotional learning fills a critical gap in education... LitClub and LitCamp curriculum cultivates core strengths that inherently exist within each child. The LitWorld 7 Strengths – Belonging, Curiosity, Kindness, Friendship, Confidence, Courage, and Hope – are ideas that are key to building resilience."

Barking Planet salutes  LITWORLD and their founder and leader Pam Allyn for their wonderful work.

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Gabriel's Angels...helping heal abused children in Arizona.

Pam Gaber and her therapy dog, Gabriel, began working together in 2000 in the Crisis Nursery, a shelter for abused children in Phoenix, Arizona. Gabriel had an immediate positive impact on frightened, withdrawn children. This was the beginning of Gabriel's Angels. During his 10 years of service as a Delta Society registered therapy dog, Gabriel visited over 5,000 abused, neglected, and at-risk children.

The organization has continued to grow since that time. Gabriel's Angels now serves 13,00 children a year through over 115 agencies through over 150 volunteer Pet Therapy teams. Teams visit each participating agency on a consistent schedule to build trust, empathy and respect in the children.  

Here's a Link to a video that will take you into the world of abused children and the wonderful work accomplished by Gariel's Angels' therapy dog teams.

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This dog is a genius...

His name is Mr. Peabody and he is winning at the box office.

Mr. Peabody, the most accomplished dog in the world, inventor extradinary, and his adopted son, Sherman, use their time machine for extraordinary adventures...

Dreanworks has a big hit, based on a dog as a parent to a miscievous boy and their travels on the winds of time...past, present and future.

Here's a link to trailer(s) Dreamworks:  IMDB

Meanwhile, Frozen has earned over 396 millon dollars; and The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, has earned over 424,000,000 dollars.

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Divergent

Reworking the Hunger Games with a book and a movie sequel...

Here are excerpts from reviewers of the movie and the book...

 Divergent was first published in 2011 and written by the then 22 year old Veronica Roth. The book made the best-seller lists the first week it was published in 2011 and has sold over 11 million copies. Like Hunger Games, it became a trilogy. Here is an excerpt from an insightful review by Susan Dominus, in the New YorkTimes 

 "...though Roth’s “Divergent” is rich in plot and imaginative details, it suffers by comparison with Collins’s opus. The shortcoming would not be so noticeable were there less blatant overlap between the two. Both 'Divergent' and 'The Hunger Games' feature appealing, but not conventionally pretty, young women with toughness to spare. Both start out with public sorting rituals that determine the characters’ futures. And both put the narrators in contrived, bloody battles that are in fact competitions witnessed by an audience. Even the language sounds familiar..."

Here are excerpts from incisive movie reviews by Manhola Dargis in the NY Times and Ty Burr in the Boston Globe...

…"Veronica Roth, who wrote the book “Divergent” and its two hot-selling follow-ups, tends to avoid mentioning “The Hunger Games,” but the similarities between these young-adult juggernauts are conspicuous in the extreme. “The Hunger Games” is a dystopian tale set in a postwar North America divided into 13 districts; “Divergent” is a dystopian tale set in postwar Chicago divided into
five factions. Each series pivots on a gutsy teenage heroine who fights to the death like a classic male hero..."

Here is the Link to read all of Ms Dargis review.

And here is Ty Burr's impassioned review;

“Divergent” is almost good enough to make you forget what a cynical exercise it is on every possible level. The original 2011 young adult novel by Veronica Roth — reasonably engrossing, thoroughly disposable — reads exactly like what it is: an ambitious young author’s attempt to re-write “The Hunger Games” without bringing the lawyers down on her head. The folks at production company Summit Entertainment are happy to turn the book into a movie because it allows them to crank up the franchise machinery that has worked so well for “Hunger Games,” “Twilight,” and the “Harry Potter” films, only without the bother of creating something fresh." Here is the Link to read all of Ty Burr's review:Globe

 Here is the link to the action filled trailer for Divergent 

Divergent sold $56 million in tickets for its first weekend...the YA market speaks!

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Movies inspire mock weapons for 8-12 year old girls

Here is an excerpt from a fascinating article inthe New York Times article by Hilary Stout and ELIZABETH A. HARRIS

"Heroines for young girls are rapidly changing, and the toy industry — long adept at
capitalizing on gender stereotypes — is scrambling to catch up.

Toy makers have begun marketing a more aggressive line of playthings and weaponry for girls — inspired by a succession of female warrior heroes like Katniss,  the Black Widow of “The Avengers,” Merida of “Brave” and now, Tris of the book and new movie “Divergent” — even as the industry still clings to every shade of pink...

The premier of the movie “Divergent” this weekend is only adding to the marketing frenzy
around weapon-wielding girls. A Tris Barbie doll, complete with her signature three-raven tattoo, is already for sale on Amazon... 

All of this is enough to make parents’ — particularly mothers’ — heads spin, even as they reach for their wallets. While the segregation of girls’ and boys’ toys in aisles divided between pink and camouflage remains an irritant, some also now wonder whether their daughters should adopt the same war games that they tolerate rather uneasily among their sons...

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 Five Hundred New Fairy Tales and a "harsher dose of reality"...

The headline and the article that appeared in the Guardian proclaimed that 500 new fairy tales had been discovered in Germany... a collection of fairytales gathered by historian Franz Xaver von Schönwerth that had been locked away in an archive in Regensburg for over 150 years. 

This was in March 2012. However, I was unaware of the discovery that these tales existed until I recently read the following in Maria Tatar's children's lierature blog, Breezes from Wonderland 

"Returning to blogging after I finish translating The EnchantedQuill, an anthology of nineteenth-century fairy tales collected by Franz Xaver Schonwerth.  Once you read these stories, you will abandon any ideas about the literary transmission of fairy tales–these are tales in the raw, not cooked to suit the tastes of the literate..."

Reading this led me to read Ms Tatar's New Yorker article entitled, Cinderfellas: The Long-Lost Fairy Tales, 

.Here are excerpts from this informative and compelling article::

 "Bavarian fairy tales going viral? Last week, theGuardian reported that five hundred unknown fairy tales, languishing for over a century in the municipal archive of Regensburg, Germany, have come to light. The news sent a flutter through the world of fairy-tale enthusiasts, their interest further piqued by the detail that the tales—which had been compiled in the mid-nineteenth century by an antiquarian named Franz Xaver von Schönwerth—had been kept under lock and key. How astonishing then to discover that many of those “five hundred new tales” are already in print and on the shelves at Widener Library at Harvard (where I teach literature, folklore and mythology) and at Yale, Stanford, and Berkeley.

 Newgrange rests on a hill in Ireland.

It was in place 3000 years before Christ, a thousand years before Stonehenge, and 500 years before the pyramids.

In Ireland, it is known as a Thin Place...

Author Bonnie McKernan writes of Thin Places on her blog..."where time stands still, beauty enthralls, the bigger picture is glimpsed... 

Do you remember that stretch of road or river or mountainside you immediately felt a connection to? A place where the draw was so visceral it elicited a feeling of peace and excitement concurrently? It might have resulted from sensory delights like the sun on your face, fresh air in your lungs, a spectacular vie w—or from a scene that stirred your imagination or recharged your faith. However this attraction defined itself, you were thoroughly transfixed, wanting to stay longer and feel more.

Early Celtic Christians once called such experiences thin places, where the veil between the natural world and spiritual realm seems especially transparent—where time stands still, beauty enthralls, the bigger picture is glimpsed… where one feels closer to an omnipresent God..."

In a future blog, I will write more of Thin Places and the myths, folklore and fairies of Ireland.

Here is a link to see a brief National Geographic video on Newgrange. 

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The importance of children's books in opening the mind to the door of life and the world of imagination is beyond measure. The importance of a dog in the life of a child is also beyond measure. It was from thoughts like these that the Planet Of The Dogs Series evolved - Read Sample Chapters at: Planet Of The Dogs 

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Fairy tale legends often have a timeless quality...

Boy, Snow, Bird...Snow White for Adults

Helen Oyeyemi has transformed Snow White into a critically acclaimed book for adults that deals with timeless questions, identity and mystery. Here is an excerpt from a top flight reviewer,  YVONNE ZIPP, fiction critic for the CS Monitor 

"Helen Oyeyemi upends the whole Snow White story, tossing out apple, dwarves, glass coffin – and replacing them with an unsettling book that casts a spell of its own...

As with her fairy tale counterpart, Boy Novak (a young woman) is fond of her own reflection.“Nobody ever warned me about mirrors, so for many years I was fond of them, and believed them to be trustworthy,” says Boy, who would gaze into them, kissing her reflection or setting two mirrors opposite one another to create an endless series of reflections.

Her daughter and stepdaughter have the opposite problem: Sometimes their reflection doesn’t show up at all.

All three women learn the ways that mirrors can lie during the course of the story, most of which is set in the 1950s in a fictional Massachusetts town called Flax Hill. The novel hinges on several plot revelations, which I am not going to spoil. This is one book where I would recommend you not read anything in advance, even the back cover: Just go buy it."

               
                 Illustration for the Grimm's Snow White by Walter Crane. 

"Someday you will be old enough to read fairy tales again."- C.S. Lewis

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Therapy reading dog owners, librarians and teachers with therapy reading dog programs...You can write us at [email protected] and we will send you free reader copies from the Planet of the Dogs Series.

Read sample chapters of all the books in the Planet Of The Dogs series by clicking here:Sample Chapters  

Our books are available through your favorite independent bookstore or via Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Powell's, the Book Depository and... 

Librarians, teachers, bookstores...Order Planet Of The Dogs, Castle In The Mist, and Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Tale, through Ingram with a full professional discount.

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"As a parent and a teacher, therefore, I argue for the continuance of books in an age marked by visual technology. There remains nothing like the feel of a book in the hand, nothing like the security offered by a book in the bed ( an experience recorded in the West from at least the twelth century)...If there is a future to children's literature, it must lie in the artifacts of writing and the place of reading in the home. To understandthe history of children's literature is to understand the history of all forms of literary experience."-

Seth Lerer writing in "Children's Literature, A Reader's History from Aesop to Harry Potter".

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National Puppy Day was March 23..."a day to celebrate the magic and unconditional love that puppies bring to our lives. It’s also a day to help save orphaned puppies across the globe and educate the public about the horrors of puppy mills, as well as further the mission for a nation of puppy-free pet stores. While National Puppy Day supports responsible breeders, it does encourage prospective families to consider adoption as a first choice"...To read more, visit the site of Colleen Paige, who founded National Puppy Day nine years ago. 

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 Circling the Waggins 

Have you ever wondered what sort of chaos ensues in a home full of rescue pets? Author C.A. Wulff  lets readers experience the surprises, the laughter, and the wonder of it all in her book “Circling the Waggins; How 5 Misfit Pets Saved Me from Bewilderness”, a personal account of just such a household.Wulff’s pack of dogs, cats and mice all have unique personalities, some of them intriguing, nearly all of them challenging – even for a veteran of rescue! Circling the Waggins examines the bonds we create with pets, no matter how big or small, and how our pets affect and enrich our lives.

Wulff’s honest story recounts the ups and downs of letting furry family members into our hearts. Circling the Waggins is available in print and for kindle.

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"Imagine having a mother who worries that you read too much. The question is, what is it that's supposed to happen to people who read too much? How can you tell when someone's crossed the line." ” 

Helen Oyemeni, Boy, Snow, Bird
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Podcasting at the Children's Literary Salon

The New York Public Library annouces their  next Children's Literary Salon to be held on Saturday, April 19th at 2:00 p.m.: The Topic is Podcasting Children’s Books: Ins and Outs, Ups and Downs

These fascinating discussions are lively, informative and free...This event will take place in the Stephen A. Schwarzman building (the main branch of New York Public Library) in the South Court Auditorium. 

For any questions and comments please contact Elizabeth Bird at [email protected].

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Here's another excellent article for dog lovers at Way Cool Dogs...

 

 Six Reasons Why You Should Adopt A Dog From A Pound 

You should adopt from a dog pound — whether it is a nearby dog shelter or your local pound — as it is one of the best ways to acquire a new and loyal companion. Unfortunately, many people opt to purchase their dog from breeders or pet stores, which often get their dogs from puppy mills and other unlicensed breeders.

Many dogs in a dog pound remain homeless and are often put down due to overcrowding. If you’re thinking about getting a dog, consider the following reasons for adopting a mixed breed from a dog shelter or dog pound:

Mixed breeds are healthier dogs

Mixed breeds are, in general, far healthier and longer lived than purebred dogs. Many purebred dogs are prone to diseases caused by genetic vulnerabilities which have been aggravated through centuries of  inbreeding. A mixed breed is far less...   Read about all six reasons at this link: WCD

The illustration is by Stella Mustanoja McCarty from Castle In The Mist

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Listen to the Wind in the Willows -- free 

 

Thanks to the BBC, an audio version of Kenneth Grahame's  The Wind in the Willows  is available to all -- at no charge.  This link also offers several other free recordings of enduring children's stories.

The classic story of Mole, Ratty, Toad and Badger is told in 10 episodes and read by Bernard Cribbins. The reading is delightful, very British, and accompanied by music and sound efects. Lesson plans and discussion ideas for educators, home schoolers, and librarians accompany the audio readings.

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Bringing the World of Reading to Kids

Two hard working women believers in the canine conection organized and continue to guide Nor'wester Readers. Wendi Huttner, a mom and a breeder/ trainer of Labradors, and Deborah Glessner, dog lover and retired librarian. A grass roots, hands on organization, Nor'wester is a vital part of their Pennasylvania community in bringing the world of reading to kids.

Here are some of the Nor'wester Canine Book Buddies, volunteer therapy reading dog teams participating in the Northampton Township Library program. "Several Nor'wester Readers teams volunteered at the Expressions Day Camp, a camp for boys and girls (age 4-18) with high functioning autism, Asperger's Syndrome, non-verbal learning disabilities, and other types of social challenges. 

The Book Depository

Free Worldwide Shipping of the Planet Of The Dogs Series 

Free Worldwide Delivery
The Book Depository (Guernsey) is an international bookseller shipping our books free of charge, worldwide, to over 100 countries. By working with various world postal authorities and other carriers, we are always looking to add more countries to this list.

All books available to All: Currently, The Book Depository is able to ship over nine million unique titles, within 48 hours, from our fulfilment centre in Gloucester, United Kingdom. This figure is increasing every day. Apart from publishers, distributors and wholesalers, we even list and supply books from other retailers.

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 “There is no psychology in a fairy tale. The characters have little interior life; their motives are clear and obvious.” Phillip Pullman in his Introduction to Fairy Tales from the Brother's Grimmm  

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What should you do,  what can you do, if you see an injured dog or one in distress?

For answers, examples, true stories and more, visit Sunbear Squad...Let the experience of compassionate dog lovers guide you...free Wallet Cards & Pocket  Posters,  Informative and practical guidance...Visit SunBear Squad

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"A man may smile and bid you hail

Yet wish you to the devil;

But when a good dog wags his tail,

You know he's on the level>"

Author unknown

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