Mr. Pusskins is back—and this time his complaints are legitimate.  The small white kitten recently adopted by his owner Emily is nothing but a troublemaker, yet only Mr. Pusskins sees her true nature.  Wrongfully accused of perpetrating the mischief, Mr. Pusskins is summarily banished from the house.  Will Little Whiskers confess?  If you’re looking for [...]

I thought I would have lots of time to catch up on some reading during my maternity leave…. silly me. I have not picked up an adult book in months. Books have become a world I can share with my daughter as she sits on my lap with wide eyes and a big smile on [...]

I’m a huge folktale fan, so I found this unusual picture book combining snippets of the popular fairy tale told in 17 different geographical regions to be very original and appealing.  Gouache illustrations depicting the plot’s details as told in countries including Korea, Mexico, Indonesia, Iran, Poland, and Zimbabwe make one curious about other world [...]

I tend to view books and articles about Arctic exploration to be dull, but I found The Lamp, the Ice, and the Boat Called Fish to be very interesting and suspenseful.  This amazingly- and intricately-illustrated picture book written following extensive research is based on a true story and includes black and white photos of the Inupiat family [...]

Some books are like a fine wine - they only get better with age. I recently re-read the Judy Blume classic Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret and I would have to claim this book as one which only gets better as one gets older.

For all of you anti-feline folks, I did give you a three-month break…
Meet Mr. Pusskins:  grouchy, unappreciative, condescending, and beyond bored.  Dissatisfied with a cozy, tranquil life with his young owner Emily, Mr. Pusskins leaves home for adventure and nonstop fun.  But how will he ever find her again once he starts feeling cold, lonely, [...]

Here’s a classic that I’d never felt compelled to read before, likely due to my ambivalence towards the popular film adaptations of it.  Expecting to be simply mildly entertained on my commute via the audio version, I was, in fact, enthralled.  Like so many other famous texts, I discovered that Peter Pan is not the [...]

Since today is the first official day of winter, I thought I’d write about a picture book I discovered recently that features snow prominently.  Set in Alaska in modern times, this fictional work describes the continued practical and spiritual importance of bowhead whales to Inupiaq culture by spotlighting a young boy named Amiqqaq and his [...]

The House in the Night is a perfect picture book to read on a winter’s evening with its themes of nighttime adventure, coziness, and the comfort of one’s home and family.  I don’t know much about kids, but I think it might be a great one to read if you’re trying to curb a child’s [...]

This is one of those stories that I distinctly remember considering reading in fifth grade, but then ultimately spurning in favor of other choices. I particularly enjoyed the datedness of this tale of two siblings who run away from their comfortable suburban Connecticut home to New York City and camp out secretly in The Metropolitan [...]