On our library raid yesterday I spotted a book with a geodesic dome on the cover. I couldn’t resist, and added to the pile of 71 books we were bringing home with us.
It’s an interesting take. Turns out that Barrington Stoke, the publishers, are working very hard to design books for reluctant readers. This particular book is shot through with facts, although as many of them are totally accepting of global warming, a theory which does have its detractors, it’s difficult to say whether some of these are facts or propaganda. I don’t think that is the point of this book though – I think the facts are to draw in ppl who might find a story a bit pointless. And I was a bit disappointed to find that there might be a geodesic dome on the front, but it doesn’t feature in the story.
Still, it’s an interesting book, and an even more interesting publishing company. I shall be looking into them and their resources further.
Book 56 of 100. [Read more…] about Connor's Eco den #100Books
from a friend’s last week (accidentally leaving my half finished review copy of 
there in exchange, so that won’t get finished and reviewed til next week now, *oops*). I like Jan Mark – as is obvious by the fact that I’ve already reviewed a couple by her this month, and this looked interesting.
. It could easily be read on a lighter level, but there’s a lot going on – Jan Mark really didn’t hesitate to address the darker side of human nature and society in these books, ostensibly for teens. I can only say that any adults who turn away from them because of those labels are doing themselves no favours at all.
is one of the batch of mini treasures that we picked up, but it’s also a book we’ve had for a while. It doesn’t seem like a first picture book somehow – it’s quite a deep story, and they are detailed, older pictures if that makes any sense. It’s a thought provoking tale at some levels, as well as being a quiet short story about a girl and some animals.
and 
are large format pictures books with flaps that have survived two children so far, though may have to work quite hard to survive Smallest as she seems to take personal affront to anything stuck in books, like library labels or flaps. These are both somewhat moralistic stories in which Kitty discovers the virtues of helping her friends, most of whom are more often found on cat menus rather than Christmas card lists iyswim. So Kitty helps little Rabbit find his teddy, and shares her ball of wool with the birds and mice, and everyone lives happily ever after with smiling Cat looking on. That said, these books are really quite inoffensive, and have been favourites of our family for a decade now.