Barking Planet Children's & YA Books

June -- Fantasy, from Dartmoor to Oz, from the Wood Wife to Dorothy

 

                   

                  The painting of Flying Penguins is by Michael Sowa.
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Stories of Real Life

“Why are so many of us enspelled by myths and folk stories in this modern age? Why do we continue to tell the same old tales, over and over again? I think it's because these stories are not just fantasy. They're about real life. We've all encountered wicked wolves, found fairy godmothers, and faced trial by fire. We've all set off into unknown woods at one point in life or another. We've all had to learn to tell friend from foe and to be kind to crones by the side of the road. . . .”
― Terri Windling

The painting, Bird Girls, is by Terri Windling.

 

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Terri Windling --  The Lady of Myth and Moor

I first came to know Terri Windling through books she edited with Ellen Datlow. They were thoughtful collections of re-told wonder tales and fantasy that remained quite magical. I then read her wondrous and magical novel, The Wood Wife. At the same time, I discovered her amazing blog, Myth and Moor. I know of no other website like it. Her blog is a continuous journey through worlds of wonder, from the hills of Dartmoor and the natural world that surrounds her, to other authors, art, and the sounds of music from earlier times -- music that renews the heart. Myth and Moor is abundant, generous, and is clearly the voice of Terri Windling. Here is a link: Terri Windling

The photo is of Terri and her dog,Tilly, on Meldon Hill, Dartmoor.
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Time Shifts

"The calendar turns, the lock-down rolls on, and time is going funny on us. It feels like we've been in lock-down forever; and it also feels like it hasn't been long at all, surely not six weeks since the UK lock-down began on March 23rd.

I've been thinking about the way time warps in so many fairy stories and myths. When we enter a story, and enter enchantment, we are in a place of profound uncertainty where even the steady ticking of the clock is something we cannot take for granted."

Terri Windling -- Excerpted from Myth and Moor

The Avocado Tree Clock is by Rima Staines.

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A Mirror Held Up To The World I Knew

"I hungered for a narrative with which to make some sense of my life, but in schoolbooks and on television all I could find was the sugar water of Dick and Jane, Leave it to Beaver and the happy, wholesome Brady Bunch. Mine was not a Brady Bunch family; it was troubled, fractured, persistently violent, and I needed the stronger meat of wolves and witches, poisons and peril. In fairy tales, I had found a mirror held up to the world I knew — where adults were dangerous creatures, and Good and Evil were not abstract concepts. . . 

Through fairy tales, however, I understood my past in different terms: not as an illness or weakness, but as a hero narrative. It was a story, my story, beginning with birth and ending only with death. Difficult challenges and trials, even those that come at a tender young age, can make us wiser, stronger, and braver; they can serve to transform us, rather than sending us limping into the future.”

― Terri Windling, excerpted from Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Women Writers Explore Their Favorite Fairy Tales

 

The painting of Donkeyskin is by Terri Windling.

 

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The Erasure of Safety and Comfort and Trust

 

"The reason that most people value fairy tales, I would say, is that they do not detain us with hope but simply validate what is. Even people who have never known hunger, let alone a murderous stepmother, still have a sense—from dreams, from books, from news broadcasts—of utter blackness, the erasure of safety and comfort and trust. Fairy tales tell us that such knowledge, or fear, is not fantastic but realistic. Maybe, after this life, we will go to Heaven, as the two little girls who starved to death hoped to. Or maybe not. Though Wilhelm tried to Christianize the tales, they still invoke nature, more than God, as life’s driving force, and nature is not kind."

Joan Acocella, Once Upon A Time, New Yorker

 

The illustration from Brother and Sister is by Alexander Zwick.

 

 

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The Wood Wife

Maggie, a woman poet of 40 years, journeys to the Rincon mountains of Arizona and enters another dimension. The Wood Wife is a very personal book, an intimate story, where reality shimmers in magic realism. The natural world and people Maggie meets are alive and vivid, often in unexpected ways for the spiritual realm is omnipresent. Reality has many levels in this mountain world and, as with shape shifting, many forms. Mysteries and shamanism abound as part of Maggie's daily journey of discovery. Here is an excerpt:

"Her heart seemed to beat to a rhythm that was pulsing in the stones, in the ground beneath her feet. The night was filled with scents and sounds that were strange to her, and heady. There was something primal about this land, a language spoken by the stones and the wind. What had Davis's letter said? The stars, the stones, the very trees reveal the language of the earth."  

I found that The Wood Wife had the ability to transport me from the actual, everyday world, to another --  a simultaneous realm of magic, without my being aware that it was happening. 

The late highly regarded fantasy author, Robert Holdstock, described the book as "A wonderful, elegant fantasy -- sensuous, fascinating, and eerily spiritual."

The Wood Wife was published by Tor Books in 1996. It won the Mythopoeic Award for Novel of the Year.

The cover illustration of the Wood Wife is by Susan Seddon Boulet.

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The Carterhaugh School Featured The Wood Wife

I have long admired the Carterhaugh school.Their post about The Wood Wife, with its insights, information, and passion has added to and reinforced my admiration. Here is an excerpt: 

 

"Our Carterhaugh Book Club selection for March is Terri Windling’s absolutely wonderful novel The Wood Wife! We are SO excited to dive into this one with you – it’s full of art, poetry, deep connection to place, and the subtle, soft magic we both love. . ."

A principle character in the book, a painter, Anna Naverra, is a major influence throughout the story because of both her persona and the work she left behind. Both the character and her art were inspired by the amazing Mexican surrealist painter, Remedios Vara.

"In honor of our new book club selection, we thought we would share a few of our favorite Remedios Varo pieces. One of the things we love most about her work is that each painting feels like a story in progress. We look at each piece and start imagining a whole fairy tale to go with it! You absolutely get this feeling from Windling’s descriptions of Anna’s paintings too (and obviously Davis is inspired to do just that!). . ."

Link: CarterhaughWoodWife

The painting, The Ascension of Mount Analogue, is by Remedios Varo.

 

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Fantasy Is. . . 

"Fantasy is a different approach to reality, an alternative technique for apprehending and coping with existence. It is not antirational, but pararational; not realistic but surrealistic, a heightening of reality. In Freud's terminology, it employs primary, not secondary process thinking. It employs archetypes, which, as Jung warned us, are dangerous things. Fantasy is nearer to poetry, to mysticism, and to insanity than naturalistic fiction is. It is a wilderness, and those who go there should not feel too safe."        Ursula K. Le Guin

The illustration of the Dragons of Earthsea is by Shane Gallagher.
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Alice

‘But I don’t want to go among mad people,’ Alice remarked.
‘Oh, you can’t help that,’ said the Cat: ‘we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.’
‘How do you know I’m mad?’ said Alice.
‘You must be,’ said the Cat, ‘or you wouldn’t have come here.’
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, ch. 6, by Lewis Carroll. 

The illustration of Alice and the Cheshire Cat is by John Tenniel.

 

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The Oz Books -- American Wonder Tales

Reading Alison Laurie's insights about the Oddness of Oz in her book, Boys and Girls Together, Children's Classics from Cinderella to Harry Potter, has motivated me to write again about the Oz books, and L. Frank Baum. I found there was much that I hadn't previously discovered.

I knew that the Wonderful Wizard of Oz was an instant success, with great reviews, following the first printing in 1900. I also knew that the book had sold millions of copies over the years; sparked 13 successful sequels; inspired many stage and film productions; and was translated into a very large number of foreign languages.

However, what I did not know until I read Alison Laurie, was that the Wonderful Wizard of Oz was looked down upon by the entire literary establishment.

All of the illustrations from the book are by W.W. Denslow.

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Subversive Message

Alison Laurie provides insights into the "official" literary establishment position:

"Yes, you can escape from your dreary domestic life into fairy land, Baum's books say: you can have exciting but safe adventures, make new friends, live in a castle, never have to do housework or homework, and, maybe most important of all -- never grow up.

This subversive message may be one of the reasons that the Oz books took so long to become accepted as classics. For more than half a century after L. Frank Baum discovered it in 1900, the Land of Oz had a curious reputation. American children by the thousands went there happily, but authorities in the field of juvenile literature, like suspicious and conservative travel agents, refused to recommend it or even to handle tickets. Librarians would not buy the Oz books, schoolteachers would not let you write reports on them, and the best known histories of children's books made no reference to their existence. In the 1930s and 1940s they were actually removed from many schools and libraries."

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Far Ahead Of Their Time

Early in her observations, Laurie points out unique qualities about The Wizard of Oz that have escaped notice by many:

"Those who recall the story only from childhood reading, or from the MGM film, have perhaps never realized how strange the original book and its sequels are.

For one thing, the Oz books are far ahead of their time both scientifically and politically. They are full of inventions that would not appear on the market for most of the century, among them a robot man, an artificial heart and limbs, a television monitoring system,  anti-gravity devices, and a computer-type news service. . . "  

All illustrations from the book are by W.W. Denslow.

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Early Feminism

Laurie also points out that Baum's books are quite feminist in several regards:

"Dorothy like Matilda (Baum's wife) and Maud Gage (Baum's mother-in-law, a very active feminist and influential suffragette), is clearly a New Woman. Her virtues are those of a Victorian hero rather than a Victorian heroine: she is brave, active, independent, sensible, and willing to confront authority."

Alison Laurie provides many other insights and examples of how the OZ books were innovative and ahead of their time. This included Baum's symbiotic relationship with the talented illustrator, W.W. Denslow.

Alison Laurie is professor emerita of English Literature and Children's Literature at Cornell University. Her books include many well received novels, excellent non-fiction (articles and criticism), and children's literature. She received a Pulitzer Prize for her delightful novel, Foreign Affairs.

A fearless Dorothy confronts the flying monkeys in this illustration by W.W. Denslow.

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The Library of Congress has named The Wizard of Oz as "America's greatest and best- loved homegrown fairy tale."
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A Visionary Landscape

“In Oz, turn-of-the-Century America, (be it Chicago or California) becomes a visionary landscape, and at the same time the visionary is made commonplace. In Oz, a familiar thing like a scarecrow is magically a person, and at the same time, a magical person like the wizard is actually a balloonist from Omaha.” -Jerry Griswold, Audacious Children

 

The Chicago Columbian Exposition of 1893, above, a celebration of America, drew over 27 million visitors. 

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A Buried Universal Note

Insights into The Wizard of Oz Movie by Roger Ebert . . .

"We study all of these details, I think, because 'The Wizard of Oz' fills such a large space in our imagination. It somehow seems real and important in a way most movies don't. Is that because we see it first when we’re young? Or simply because it is a wonderful movie? Or because it sounds some buried universal note, some archetype or deeply felt myth?

I lean toward the third possibility, that the elements in “The Wizard of Oz” powerfully fill a void that exists inside many children. For kids of a certain age, home is everything, the center of the world. But over the rainbow, dimly guessed at, is the wide earth, fascinating and terrifying. There is a deep fundamental fear that events might conspire to transport the child from the safety of home and strand him far away in a strange land. And what would he hope to find there? Why, new friends, to advise and protect him. And Toto, of course, because children have such a strong symbiotic relationship with their pets that they assume they would get lost together.

This deep universal appeal explains why so many different people from many backgrounds have a compartment of their memory reserved for 'The Wizard of Oz.' "

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Movies and Video

 

Miyazaki is on Netflix. The image on the left is from the wonderful Castle In The Sky.

Exceptional Independent Animation: Fantasy lives in many forms. Here are 3 totally different, outstanding, animated videos.

 

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How To Float

Imaginative, provocative, fantasy. . . 

An evocative fantasy of moving design on the cutting edge of imagination from the Toronto based Good Form Studios formed by partners Julian Ablaza and Dylan Carquez.

4:25 flowing minutes.

Link; How To Float

 

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Bendito Machine V Pull the Trigger

Exceptional Sci-fi drama. . . "an acute commentary on humans and their weaknesses, their machines, their dreams and the mysteries of the universe." Producer/creator Jossie Malis, Zumbakamera Films.

"The 5th installment of the machine's saga! "'An exotic traveler from far away. An unexplored territory. A turbulent conflict. The storm will pass.'"

Link: Pull The Trigger Time: 12:28 wondrous minutes

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About a Mother

Totally different in concept, art , and style. 

Produced as a student film in Moscow by Dina Velikovskaya, this film is fun and imaginative.

Follow the link and smile: About a Mother   Time 7:15 minutes 

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Yelodoggie Covid Face Masks by C. A. Wulff are available on Fine Art America 

 

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Do Young Readers Play Video Games?

Perhaps I underestimate the value of video games. I know that there are some good "educational" games. However, I read descriptions and look at video segments that lead me to believe that most video games are cotton candy for the mind. I also read that video games, for vast numbers of young people, are obsessive and time consuming.

There are 2.5 billion gamers world-wide and revenues currently exceed $50 billion!

Last month I posted this: "Opening a new front in the campaign to dominate digital entertainment, Amazon is investing hundreds of millions of dollars into becoming a leading creator and distributor of video games.The Internet giant said it intended to release its first original big-budget game, an ambitious science-fiction shooter called Crucible, in May." Excerpted from a NY Times article by Steve Schiesel. 

The illustration is from the game.

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Animal Crossing/ New Horizons 

Since writing the above about Amazon's major investment in the video game industry, I have read about a new version of a Nintendo Game, Animal Crossing/New Horizons, that is selling, in a short time, well over 11 million games: 

"Animal Crossing has been a thing for almost 20 years, but this year it has exploded. You cannot scroll through any social media feed without seeing one of its benign, big-headed characters in a screenshot or video showing off someone’s beautifully tended desert island. . . People who’ve rarely played games before have been picking it up as a lockdown distraction . . . Since the latest game, New Horizons, came out on 20 March. . . it’s been setting new records, selling 11m copies by the end of March! "   

Excerpted from an article in the Guardian by Keza MacDonald. Here's a link to the game trailer: Nintendo

Keza MacDonald's article casts a benign glow on this game and the phenomenal sales it has engendered. I'm not so sure about it. She is a highly educated woman with 12 years of experience playing games. Perhaps the gamer point of view is limited to gamers and their ever-growing universe. I hope the gamer kids are also reading.

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A Smile

A Funny Video of a Dog Having Dinner.

Perhaps your dog has good manners when she or he eats.

But only Mariele eats dinner in a fine restaurant with elegant manners.

Here is the Link: Mariele

 

 

 

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Brigadoon Service Dogs -- The Human-Canine Bond

Bellingham, in the beautiful North Western area of Washington State, is the home of Brigadoon Service Dogs, a wonderful volunteer organization that provides vital help to the daily lives of many people. 

"Brigadoon Service Dogs is a unique organization. Our mission is to provide trained service dogs for combat veterans, children, and adults with physical, developmental, and behavioral health disabilities to promote a more independent and enriched life. We change lives one partnership at a time. . . 

Brigadoon is one of the few training facilities that trains dogs for children under the age of 16. We train with the child and their entire family to ensure the service dog is a good fit in the home."

The photo was taken at Brigadoon's Volunteer Center of Whatcom County. Visit their website at: Brigadoon.

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Save the Children

Millions of refugee children. Their plight is staggering. Will they live? Will they ever find a home?

"Many Syrian children have lost a close relative or have a parent or sibling, and thousands have been orphaned or separated from their families in the chaos of war. Many have missed years of education, with 2.1 million children in Syria currently out of school. The conflict has devastated the lives of a generation of young people."

Here is the link: Save The Children

 

The photo of the Syrian refugee girl is by Muhammed Muheisen AP.

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The Planet Of The Dogs Series

Castle in the Mist, is very exciting. . . I really recommend these books to all kids looking for some good summer reading. . ,Thomas Jarvis (10), The Magic Bookshelf

We have free reader copies of all the books in the Planet Of The Dogs series for therapy dog organizations, individual therapy dog owners, librarians, teachers and independent bookstores. Email us with a postal address to [email protected] and we will send you the books. 

To read sample chapters of any book in the series, visit PlanetOfTheDogs 

The Planet Of The Dogs series, including Castle In The Mist and Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Tale, is available from many Internet sources and through independent bookstores. 

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

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There is no doubt that every healthy, normal boy...should own a dog at some time in his life, preferably between the ages of forty-five and fifty. -- Robert Benchley

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March -- The Unknown, Witches, Fear and Misogyny

 

Dromberg Druid Stone Circle, Cork, Ireland -- Facing the Unknown

It is thought that Druids led rituals and ceremonies in these rolling green hills around 3,000 years ago during the late Bronze and early Iron Age. Magic and people with powers were a part of life. Life was hard and mysteries abounded. Their perceptions of the known and the unknown have been largely lost to time.

 

Time makes room
for going and coming home
and in time’s womb
begins all ending.

Time is being and being
time, it is all one thing,
the shining, the seeing,
the dark abounding.

Ursula K. Le Guin Hymn to Time (excerpt) 

 

 

The photo of her daughter, Nora, in the fog, is by Julia Soplop at Calm Cradle.

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Witches 

Witches are traditionally women with power, and, often, what we call magic.

I have mixed feeling about witches. I have compassion for the witches of the past -- from Joan of Arc to Salem and beyond --  who have been brutalised and suffered. I have mixed feelings about miracle working saints and relics. I have found the witches in Macbeth and the Wicked Witch of the West foreboding. I like the witches of Phillip Pullman and Glinda the Good Witch of Oz. I respect true healers of many kinds, past and present. Researching and reading about witches today has been filled with new awareness of the fear and misogny behind the perception and treatment of witches.

The illustration from the book cover of L. Frank Baum's 14th OZ book is by John R. Neill. 

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From Baba Yaga to Hermione Granger

This is the title of an excellent Guardian article by Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett on "why we're spellbound by 'witcherature' ." Cosslett, a respected feminist author, critic, and editor, writes in this article about the evolution of current literature involving witches. Among the authors whose ideas are discussed are Lucy McKnight Hardy, Rebecca Hardy, John Updyke and Madeline Miller. Here are excerpts:

"Of course, the literary witch is nothing new. She has existed since storytelling began, from Circe, the first witch in western literature, to Hecate, Morgan le Fay, Baba Yaga, the Weird Sisters, the Wicked Witch of the West and Hermione Granger. At their worst, literary witches are stereotypical and derivative; at their best they are symbols of resistance against patriarchy and the harnessing of feminine power. . .

 

There has been a perennial literary fascination with witches; they are, as Marion Gibson, professor of Renaissance and magical literatures at Exeter University says, 'a shorthand symbol for persecution and resistance – misogyny and feminism in particular'  A witch is a woman who has too much power. Or, to quote the novelist Madeline Miller, a witch is a woman with “more power than men have felt comfortable with.” History teaches us that witches are dangerous and must be brought down, punished and silenced."

Joan of Arc is the classic example here. After saving France, she was burned at the stake as a witch by the defeated British. A brutal death -- and how did this brutality affect the spectators, both women and men? 

The top illustration of the Slavic witch, Baba Yaga is courtesy of the Allen Douglas Studio.

Link to Frances F. Denny's website portfolio of Witches in America.

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Stories Were Told

"People told stories to communicate knowledge and experience in social contexts. Though many ancient tales might seem to us to be magical, miraculous, fanciful, superstitious, or unreal, people believed them, and they were and are not much different from people today who believe in religions, miracles, cults, nations, and notions such as “free” democracies. . ." Jack Zipes, Oxford University Press Blog

The illustration of Saint Bernadette of Lourdes praying to the Virgin Mary is by an unknown artist.

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From Circe to Clinton: Why Powerful Women are Cast as Witches 

This is the title of an insightful Guardian article by Madeline Miller tracing the oppression of women from ancient times through the present. Here are excepts:

"During the 2016 US presidential election, American social media was flooded with images of Hillary Clinton wearing a black hat and riding a broom, or else cackling with green skin. Her opponents named her The Wicked Witch of the Left, claimed they had sources testifying that she smelled of sulphur, and took particular delight in depictions of her being melted. Given that the last witch trial in the US was more than 100 hundred years ago, what are we to make of this. . .

 

In the late 19th century, the suffragette Matilda Joslyn Gage asserted something revolutionary. The persecution of witches, she said, had nothing to do with fighting evil or resisting the devil. It was simply entrenched social misogyny, the goal of which was to repress the intellect of women. . . 

Many of the women accused of witchcraft were so-called “wise women,” older figures, often poor widows, who scratched out a living in the community with their experience as midwives, herbalists and hedge-doctors. Their solitary, vulnerable status and unusual knowledge made them perfect targets for people’s rage and fear when crops failed or babies died. . ."

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Circe -- The Power Of Witchcraft

Madeline Miller, a classics scholar, wrote her own, updated version of Circe (2018), a much lauded book which makes the classic myth more relevant and accesible. Her ideas will go beyond the book world. An 8-part miniseries adaptation of the book has been developed by HBO Max 

The photoshop image of Hillary was posted on a now suspended account on Instagram by a Hillary hater, Cloyd Rivers.

Here is a link to a Guardian profile on Madeline Miller and books 

Here is a link to Leonard Cohen singing Joan of Arc.

The painting of Circe (The Enchantress) is by Edmund Dulac (1911). Illustration: Courtesy of De Agostini Picture Library via Getty Images, via Rhiannon Lucy Gosslett in the Guardian.

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Fairly Take and Fairly Give

"Bide within the Law you must, in perfect Love and perfect Trust.
Live you must and let to live, fairly take and fairly give. . .

Light of eye and soft of touch, speak you little, listen much.
Honor the Old Ones in deed and name,
let love and light be our guides again."

Excerpted from the Wiccan Rede

This illustration of Circe is by John William Waterhouse
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The All Souls Trilogy -- A Crossover Success    

There is a woman, Deborah Harkness, currentIy teaching at the University of Southern California, who has been writing best selling books about witches. The All Souls Trilogy -- A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life -- has an enthusiastic fan base with over 2 million copies sold in ten years! It has been translated into 35 different lanquages. There is a well attended annual convention; this year, it will be held in Philadelphia (Oct 23-25). And there is a TV series. 

I have read A Discovery of Witches, the first book in the trilogy, where the central protagonist, in a fully realized alternate reality, is an academic witch who must deal with vampires, daemons, and people. Diana, the witch, has a heartfelt love affair with a fascinating 1500 year old vampire. The story and the historical detail are well done. 

The books have had many favorable reviews in popular media. However, when reviewed as literature by Jenny Turner in the Guardian or Elizabeth Hand in the Washington Post, the reviews are not favorable. Nevertheless, the enthusiasm of her readers is reflected in the over 2 million copies sold. I consider this to be a crossover trilogy.

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All Souls Trilogy: Harry Potter for Grown-Ups?

This was the headline wriiten by Peter Haldeman in the NYTIMES for his interview with Deborah Harkness about her best-selling books, her background (one of her ancestors was a Salem witch) and her new writing projects. Here are excerpts from his article:

"The trilogy. . .  has also spawned a fan wiki, an annual convention attended by hundreds of adults who self-identify as supernatural and a merchandise line that extends to duvet covers. 'The series has great brand recognition and some of the most loyal fans on earth,' said Laura Tisdel, Harkness’s editor at Viking. 'The books feel like guilty pleasures, but there’s nothing to feel guilty about, because with Deb you’re in the hands of a real honest to god historian.' . . .

Until recently the All Souls brand lacked one critical asset — the splashy television adaptation. But on Jan. 17, Sundance Now and Shudder air the United States premiere of an eight-part series based on “A Discovery of Witches.” (Two more seasons, corresponding to the other books, have been greenlighted.) The show. . . stars Teresa Palmer as Diana Bishop, the Yale scholar and “reluctant witch” whose discovery of an enchanted manuscript attracts the attention of an assortment of magical beings, including Matthew Clairmont — a smoldering-eyed vampire scientist with designs on Diana — played by the suitably hunky Matthew Goode."

Halderman writes much more, finding Deborah Harkness candid, charming, and open to all questions.

The top photo of Deborah Harkness is by Magdalena Wosinska/ NYTimes. The photo of Teresa Palmer and Matthew Goode is from the All Souls Trilogy TV Series.

Here is a link to Roman Polanski's opening scene with the witches in Macbeth.

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55% of YA readers are adults. In fact, the largest (and growing!) segment in the market for YA literature are adults aged between 30 and 44 years (which accounts for 28% of all sales). Source: The Atlantic

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Movies

H is for Happiness

An imaginative, off-beat, family film, H is for Happiness has won audiences and hearts in Australia and will hopefully soon open in the rest of the movie world. Here are excerpts from a review in the Australia Guardian by Luke Buckmaster 

"The freckled, cherub-faced Candice (an unforgettably vibrant Daisy Axon), with her Pippi Longstocking-like bright white teeth and pigtailed red hair, is the sort of character who is compulsively watchable on screen but would probably come across as an insufferable do-gooder in real life.

H is for Happiness is a very different experience, its bright syrupy surfaces the most obvious manifestation of a movie that, while more or less based in our world, has its head very much in the clouds, with regular inferences of the fantastical." Here is the trailer: Happiness

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The Call of the Wild

I am posting excerpts of a review of The Call Of The Wild as I have fond memories of the Jack London book as a young reader; I found the trailer very engaging; and I have great respect for the reviews of Peter Bradshaw

"Beethoven meets Gladiator in this old-fashioned doggy adventure from Disney, which basically jumps out of the screen and starts licking your face. It’s digital in its effects but analogue in its heart.

A big, silly, sloppy, adorable pet St Bernard collie called Buck is forced to toughen up and find his inner survivor-warrior after he is effectively sold into slavery by evil dognappers in early-20th-century North America. He is put to work on a sled team in the freezing Klondike, where the gold rush has drawn thousands of desperate souls searching for riches. . . The result is a bit corny, a bit cheesy and you might feel self-conscious going, “Aww …” at creatures that are not real dogs but laptop fabrications. But it’s a robust and old-fashioned entertainment with some real storytelling bite."

Here is a link to the trailer for The Call of the Wild

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Onward from Pixar

Most reviewers have been very positive about Pixar's new effort. Here is an excerpt from David Sims' review in the Atlantic.

"Onward contains all the elements of a classic hero’s journey: a quest for a charmed object, an expedition through dangerous territory, and encounters with brutish enemies and crafty allies. But the most crucial aspect of the role-playing game is community—the fact that it’s played with friends and relies on teamwork. The writer-director Dan Scanlon’s clear grasp of that makes for a warm, gentle film that doesn’t try to merely dazzle the audience with wild fantasy visuals."

Here is the trailer: Onward

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Jo Jo Rabbit Revisited

This film begins with chilling newsreel scenes of Hitler's rise. This is followed by satirical humor as the war in Germany is seen from the vantage point of a naive, and likeable boy. The humor decreases as the Nazi brutality is increased. The boy suffers and learns as events become even darker. An ubpeat element is the salvation of a young Jewish girl. I found JoJo to be an affecting and meaningful crossover movie. And a hard indictment of Hitler and Nazi Germany.

Here is a link to the trailer: JoJo 

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Classic Internet Children's Books Offer a Window to Childhood in Past Centuries

The internet, through the Library of Congress, has a multitude of free books for kids. These include rare old classics. Perri Klass MD , in the NYTimes, wrote an informative article on this development. Here is an excerpt:

“Well into the 19th century, most of children’s literature in America came from Britain,” Ms. Coleburn (Library of Congress) said. “It wasn’t til the 1830s and 1840s that we really focused on producing American books.” And American children’s books carried different messages, she said. “In British books often the message is, be content where you are,” she said. But with American books, the Horatio Alger story line emerges, she said: “Be a good person and you can improve your station in life and that will make you happy.”

 

The illustration is by Carl Edelfelt.

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Traditional Irish Sayings from the Land of Druids

May you have warm winds/On a cold evening/A full moon on a dark night/And a smooth road/All the way to your front door.

May you always walk in sunshine/May you never want for more/May Irish Angels rest their wings/Right beside your door.

Illustration of an old Irish stone cottage is from the collection of Maggie Land Blanck.

 

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New Kid Wins Newberry Award

"Jerry Craft's Newbery Win Was an Unforeseeable Dream

After a long career that includes creating the pioneering syndicated black comics strip 'Mama’s Boyz', illustrating and often self-publishing over thirty books and graphic novels, and cofounding the annual Black Comic Book Festival in Harlem, cartoonist Jerry Craft was awarded the 2020 Newberry Medal for his middle grade graphic novel New Kid, the first graphic novel to receive the award." Excerpted from Publisher's Weekly

 

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Up On The Woof -- Author Ariel Wulff's blog

"It takes nothing from anyone if you are kind to your dog, so why is it so objectionable? Is it because others think that they are rational and you are not? I believe that I, and others like me, will be on the right side of history. Every day, science discovers more and expands our knowledge about the sentience of animals: that they have an emotional life, that they think and communicate, that they form relationships with others, that they are self aware, that they understand us when we speak to them.

Like children, dogs need us to be responsible and take care of them. . . in a way that ensures they are living their best life. And, like children, they are at our mercy."

The photo, by  Ariel Wulff, is of her dog, Taco, now departed.

 

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Political Disinformation for Kids

The NRA published gun-toting versions of Little Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel.
 
Now, a conservative and religious lady in South Carolina, Kathrine DeBrecht, is writing/publishing disinformation in children's books to help the cause of Trump world in a series with titles like: Help! Mom! There Are Liberals Under My Bed!; and, Help! Mom! The Ninth Circuit Nabbed the Nativity! and more.

All DeBrecht's books made Anne Paddock's list of Ten Books Not To Buy Your Kids. Here is an excerpt from her blog Paddock Post: 

"Most disturbing of all is the recent proliferation of children’s books that seek to demonize people who do not share conservative political views. With no call for tolerance, kindness, or respect, these books are polarizing and mean-spirited (which is surprising because several of the authors pull the Christian card) and will not foster leaders reflecting the diversity of our citizen’s beliefs. . ."     

Cover by Jim Hummel. Click to see Al Gore and Hilary Clinton.

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450,000 child refugees with no destination 

"The Syrian civil war has entered its endgame and it is as gruesome and fraught as any stretch in the hellish nine-year struggle. As the Syrian troops of Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russia, move to clear the last rebel-held enclave in northwestern Syria, some 900,000 civilian refugees — more than half of them children — have been pushed against the Turkish border in the freezing cold." -- Source NYTimes

 

 

Photo of Syrian refugee father and son from NYTimes by Muhammed Said/Andolu Agency/via Getty Images.

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Gun Violence Archive 

"The Gun Violence Archive (GVA) is an online archive of gun violence incidents collected from over 7,500  law enforcement, media, government and commercial sources daily in an effort to provide near-real time data about the results of gun violence. GVA is an independent data collection and research group with no affiliation with any advocacy organization. . . "Visit the GVA homepage to see organized information on US gun violence. In 2020, 692 children, ages 0-11, were shot and either killed or wounded. 

Photo is of a mourning student after the Douglas High School massacre, in Parkland Florida.

 

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Ottawa Therapy Dogs

"Ottawa Therapy Dogs provides invaluable care and support through animal-assisted interventions. We serve people of all ages struggling with physical and mental health challenges. Each year, our therapy dog teams serve people in more than 60 facilities, ranging from hospitals to schools and libraries. The wonderful work done by Ottawa Therapy Dogs  volunteers and their dogs includes working with teachers and kids in the excellent  R.E.A.D. program , where kids with problems become readers.

 

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The Planet Of The Dogs Series

Lesa Holstine is an award winning reviewer, blogger, librarian, and, for over 30 years, she has been a library manager/administrator. Here is an excerpt from her review on Lesa's Book Critiques of both Planet Of The Dogs and Castle in the Mist:

"There are touches of humor in both books, particularly in the description of the Planet of the Dogs. Children will enjoy the names of their homes, such as Poodletown, Muttville, and Hound Dog Hamlet. The dogs sing, and grow dog food on trees. And, there are messages of love and peace in both books. In addition, the stories teach children what dogs give to people; their power of smell, the ability to work together, their loyalty, and the power of love. Most of all, the Planet of the Dog books are about the power, and importance, of love."

The illustration of Billy from Castle in the Mist is by Stella Mustanoja-McCarty.

 

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"And the woman said,"His name is not Wild Dog any more, but the First Friend, because he will be our friend for always and always and always . . ." -- Rudyard Kipling, Just So Stories (1902)

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September -- Retelling Takes Many Forms

" Let’s pretend there’s a way of getting through into it, somehow, Kitty. Let’s pretend the glass has got all soft like gauze, so that we can get through. Why, it’s turning into a sort of mist now, I declare! It’ll be easy enough to get through—’ She was up on the chimney-piece while she said this, though she hardly knew how she had got there. And certainly the glass was beginning to melt away, just like a bright silvery mist.In another moment Alice was through the glass."
The quotation is from Through The Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll- The photograph is an interprtation by Annie Leibowitz.

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The Many Forms of Wonder Tales

Wonder tales have been told and retold since before recorded time. Centuries passed and with time and the spread of literacy, they were written down and published. The stories were enhanced when talented people created inspired illustrations.

In our era, the reinterpretation of wonder tales and legends has taken many forms, from rewriting the original story, to creating in an entirely different medium -- theater  music, dance, film, video, photography, painting and sculpture. The results are often quite extraordinary.

Wonder tales are alive in many forms.

 

The photo is from the Glimmerglass Festival Production of David Lang's The Little Match Girl Passion (influenced by Johann Sebastian Bach’s St Matthew Passion); the production is seen as a tribute to Hans Christian Andersen's original fairy tale.

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Improvisation On a Theme

"Fairy tales, like myths, are a part of our cultural heritage passed from generation to generation, connecting us to the dreams and fears of men and women who have gone on before us. . . The literary fairy tale, like the music of jazz, is an improvisation on a theme. . . Like jazz, it is best appreciated by those with an ear for the original melodie on which it is based. The pleasure lies in savoring the writer's  skill as she or he transforms a familiar story, bringing to it their own unique vision of the tale, and of the world around them."

Excerpted from the Introduction to Black Thorn, White Rose.by Terri Windling and Ellen Datlow.

The illustration is by Inga Moore for The Secret Garden.
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Visual Retellings

Wonder tales have long inspired creative people. Wonderful illustrators added an imaginative dimension to wonder tales affecting the popularity and sales of childrens books. Publishers in nineteenth century England saw the value early on. And gifted illustrators -- some absolutely amazing --  continue to appear. 

In the current era we have developed new forms, animation and computer graphics illustration (CGI), that have, in turn, created new mediums reaching millions of children and adults.

 

When I think of Alice in Wonderland, and Through the Looking Glass, I think of Lewis Carroll; yet, I also think of John Tenniel and his extraordinary illustrations. They are iconic visual retellings of the stories.

And in our era, when I think of Carroll's Alice books and film, I think of Tim Burton. He takes you to a fantastic wonderland very much in tune with the books. Yet, there are many surprises and amazing moments that take advantage of the film medium.  His film, in IMAX 3D, was very successful in finding a large audience despite critics, and a departure, in the latter part of the film, into heavy handed CGI. The film was released in 2010.

 

As the years passed the use of special effects and CGI by Disney and others would grow, often as a substitute for story. The mammoth Disney empire, was, of course, built on retelling wonder tales, and many would say, sugar coated distortions that belie the integrity of the originals. Recent examples of Disney's sugar touch, for me, are Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella.

The top illustration is by John Tenniel. The photo is from Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland.

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Animation - From Classics to CGI

Disney probably comes first to people's minds when the word animation is mentioned. They are certainly the biggest: this year, they have four films that have already generated one billion dollars at the international box office.

However, more and more of their films are made by committee and based on market research. Story and the original wonder tale have faded into the background. CGI rules the day.

The days of their great animated films like Snow White, Bambi, and Pinocchio are long gone.

The illustration is from Disney's film, Pinocchio.

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Wonderful animation today lies with dedicated and creative people who pursue their own vision.

Hayao Miyazaki is an extraordinary creator of wonderful animated films. He has returned from retirement and has been working on a new film, How Do You Live?

Inspired by a Book

"Diana Wynne Jones was a talented and succesful British author, poet, and literary critic. She has been cited as an inspiration and muse for several fantasy and science fiction authors: including Phillip Pullman, Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Penelope Lively, Robin McKinley, Megan Whalen Turner, J K Rowling and Dina Rabinovitch." (Wikipedia)

Wynne Jones wrote many well regaded and popular books for children. One of these was a wonder tale, Howl's Moving Castle (1986). Miyazaki was inspired to make it the basis for an animated film (2004). His version of the story, where surprise follows surprise, was, in itself, an amazing wonder tale. 

Here is a link to the trailer: Howl's Moving Castle

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Far from Disney -- The World of Czech Annimation 

 

In the mid-twentieth century there was a creative animation movement from Eastern Europe that gave us wonderful animation of varying styles and lengths and totally different from the animation, in that era, of Disney, Warner Brothers (Looney Tunes) and TV in general. The Czechs produced a number gifted animators, each with their own style. Below are links to three of these exceptional artists.

 

 

 

Link: Jiri Trnka's Archangel Gabriel and Mother Goose

Link: Krysan's Pied Piper. complete film 

Link: Jan Svankmajer's The Last Trick

Link: Collage of Jiri Trnka's fims.

 

An Art Form

"In Czechoslovakia, animation was both much more generously funded (not least through subsidies from the Ministry of Culture) and taken more seriously as an art form. Major animators such as Jiří Trnka, Karel Zeman, Břetislav Pojar, and Jan Švankmajer were able to sustain remarkably uncompromising creative careers, even occasionally producing full-length features." – Michael Brooke

The top illustration is by Karel Zeman. The middle illustration is by Jiri Trnka. The bottom illustration is by Bretislav Pojar.

Here is a link to a website by Zippy Frames for European and Independent Animation.

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The Wonders of Ireland's Song of the Sea

There is a very special man in Ireland. His name is Tomm Moore. A talented artist/animator, he gathered with others of a like mind and began creating/producing imaginative hand drawn animation of Irish folklore and wonder tales. The results have been brilliant. The first two films, The Book Of Kells and Song of the Sea, went far beyond the five and a half million residents of Ireland and both were nominated for the Academy Award. In addition, they were able to finance and distribute both films beyond the big film studio system.

Tomm Moore's  next film, Wolfwalkers, has been purchased for release by Apple. Here is a link to a behind the scenes preview: Wolfwalkers

The illustration from Song of the Sea is by Tomm Moore.

Here is a link to the trailer for: Song of the Sea

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Amazing Animation Talent Keeps Emerging

Here is an eerie interpretation of Rescuing  Rapunzel in a very stylish animated video by Juan Pablo Machado that I discovered on Gypsy Thornton's remarkable  Once Upon A Blog. Gypsy Thornton reports from the frontiers of wonderland, often with dazzling art. In her blog of August 22, she featured a video of Iron Hans by a new talent, "animation student Xun Wang (aka Bunnyisgood) for her MFA thesis project."

Timeless Tales Magazineis an affiliate of Once Upon a Blog: "Timeless Tales is a digital magazine exclusively publishing retellings of fairy tales and classic myths since 2013."  I found a stunning tale, The Face In The Water by Basilike Pappa, in Timeless Tales, wherein the Evil Queen, mother of Snow White, talks to a magic mirror made of a magic lake. A fascinating retelling. I will be returning to Timeless Tales to read more. 

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"The more you can dream, the more you can do." -- Michael Korda
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NEW MOVIES

 

The Angry Birds 2

Review: So Stupid, Yet So Funny said the headline for Bilge Ebi's NY Times review. 
Here is an excerpt: "But as soon as the group arrives on Eagle Island, “Angry Birds 2” mostly tosses story, character and sense aside, and opts for a go-for-broke style of humor. The hoops our heroes jump through become increasingly surreal and hilarious. . . Those hoping for a sharply-scripted, well-proportioned work may be disappointed, but one might ask them why they’re seeing a film called 'The Angry Birds Movie 2' in the first place."

Here is the trailer for The Angry Birds 2

 

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The Peanut Butter Falcon 

Here are comments from Nell Minnow about this unusual film. 

"It is remarkably assured for a first film, with an excellent supporting cast of talented pros and superb cinematography and music choices. Gottsagen, who has Down syndrome, told them he wanted to be an actor, and asked them to write a movie for him...This weird concoction somehow works, thanks in no small part to the acting chops of Shia LaBeouf and the charm of newcomer Zack Gottsagen."

 

Here is a link to read all of her review: Nell Minnow Huffington Post 

Here is a link to the trailer: Peanut Butter Falcon

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The Return

 

The world of Jim Henson and Lyra Belaqua will return to TV very soon.

 

For more information, I suggest viewing these trailers where you will visit extraordinary worlds of fantasy.

 

Here are the links:

 

Link to The Dark Crystal: DarkCrystalNetflix

 

Link to His Dark Materials: HisDarkMaterialsHBO

 

The book illustration from His Dark Materials is on the left. On the right, a scene from The Dark Crystal.

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The new Philip Pullman novel, The Secret Commonwealth, the second volume of The Book of Dust trilogy, will soon be published, on October 3, 2019.

 

Lyra is now 21 and is a graduate of St Sophia's College. She still has the alethiometer, the truthtelling device. A new journey to a source of dust occurs when her daemon, Pantalaimon, is witness to a brutal murder.

 

 

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The Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic is an online center for classes on folk narrative and fantastic literature. It was created in 2016 by Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman, two passionate lovers of Fairy Tales, Folklore, Magic and Myth. They both hold Masters degrees in Folklore from George Mason University and PhDs in English and Folklore from Ohio State University. They have taught award winning university courses on "folklore, fairy tales, folk narrative, nineteenth-century to contemporary British literature, fantastic literature, and composition".

Carterhaugh's classes are interactive. Sara and Brittany are personally involved in all that transpires. I asked them what courses are presently active. Here was Sara's reply:

"Our last live course was Seeking the Witch, which just ended. We are about to launch a live course called Introduction to British Folklore, and later this fall, we'll release a self-guided course called Introduction to Fairy Tales and a live course called Enchant, which will explore different kinds of folklore (narrative, ritual, foodways, and more!) and teach how our own lives are shaped by these forces and how to tap into them to create everyday magic and forge connections with our loved ones and communities."

 

For information on courses, articles and insights, and a sense of the enthusiastic spirit of Sara, Brittany, and their school, I suggest a visit. Here ia link: Carterhaugh School

 

Here is a link to several very informative Testimonials, primarily from students: Testimonials. Included is a very positive opinion piece by Gypsy Thornton, founder and editor of Once Upon a Blog. 

 

The illustration is by Vladaslav Erko for Anderson's The Tinder Box.

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Born Without a Tail

Here is a heartfelt review of an inspiring memoir by C. A. Wulff, a life-long animal lover and animal rights -- especially dogs -- advocate. It begins in her formative years and takes the reader into the present.

"This is an inspiring book about a couple that has taken in and helped many animals needing extra help both emotionally and physically.  . . . Inspiring story, very well written and from the heart. Most animal lovers can connect with some of the stories told. . . .Those that have not rescued pets would find this inspiring, heartwarming and a true pet adventure. Nice to read that in hard times there are those that will still reach out to unwanted, high maintenance and ill or handicapped animals. The sacrifice in the honor of these animals is wonderful to read about" . . . Reviewed by Annie on Amazon

Here is al link to: Born Without a Tail

The cover design is by C. A. Wulff.
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Terrified of the Gun Lobby

"Mr. Trump was spot on with his observation that Republican lawmakers are terrified of the gun lobby, to the point of consistently prioritizing its desires over those of their voters, not to mention the good of the nation. The big question now is whether the president has what it takes to show leadership."

This quote from the NYTimes Editorial Board appeared after Trump reversed course about background checks after talking to Wayne LaPierre, CEO of the National Rifle Association.

The photo of the El Paso Massacre protest is by C. Sanchez, Reuters.

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Canines for Vets

The efficacy of the human-canine bond and trained service dogs to give vets suffering from the devastating effects of PTSD has been proven multiple times. This healing is going on at this moment in the USA and Canada. Canines for Vets is a non-profit organization devoted to this vital work. In addition, they also train and donates service dogs for those with disabilities. Here is an excerpt from their website.

• "Our national program provides quality, trained service dogs to Veterans with service-connected disabilities (i.e., mobility limitations, traumatic brain injury, clinically diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder).

• We serve Veterans from all conflicts/wars." 

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The Planet of the Dogs series

"The fantasy involved in the books is appealing. It involves dream sequences, travel through space and time between planets, dogs who can talk to children and healer-women through thoughts and barking, and seeing information through dreams. The reality involved is also appealing. It involves the universal love of dogs by humans and vice versa, human condition of fighting and war and capacity for love and peace. . . 

While reading these, I kept wishing I was reading them out loud to a couple of kids instead. I could imagine each night reading another chapter and the kids waiting with bated breath for what would happen next. I could imagine the kids greeting their own dogs in the kitchen without talking, just squinting up their eyes real tight and sending "thought messages" to the dog much to the wonder of their parents." from a review by Karen Boss

We have free reader copies of all the books in the Planet Of The Dogs series for therapy dog organizations, individual therapy dog owners, librarians, teachers and independent bookstores. Email us with a postal address at [email protected] and we will send you the books. 

To read sample chapters or to read reviews of any book in the series, visit PlanetOfTheDogs 

The Planet Of The Dogs series (including Castle In The Mist and Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Tale) is available from many Internet sources and through independent bookstores of all sizes. 

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

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“Once you have had a wonderful dog, a life without one is a life diminished.” – Dean Koontz

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July -- Statements of Our Existence

 

                       
                                    

 

                                             The illustration from Snow White is by Catherine Cameron.

 

“The great archetypal stories provide a framework or model for an individual's belief system. They are, in Isak Dinesen's marvelous expression, 'a serious statement of our existence.' The stories and tales handed down to us from the cultures that preceded us were the most serious, succinct expressions of the accumulated wisdom of those cultures. They were created in a symbolic, metaphoric story language and then honed by centuries of tongue-polishing to a crystalline perfection....

"And if we deny our children their cultural, historic heritage, their birthright to these stories, what then? Instead of creating men and women who have a grasp of literary allusion and symbolic language, and a metaphorical tool for dealing with the problems of life, we will be forming stunted boys and girls who speak only a barren language, a language that accurately reflects their equally barren minds. Language helps develop life as surely as it reflects life. It is the most important part of the human condition.” 
― Jane Yolen, Touch Magic: Fantasy, Faerie & Folklore in the Literature of Childhood

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Evil, Innocence, and Snow White

This dark tale of a powerful ruling family begins with three drops of blood in the snow and ends with a tortuous dance of death. The origins of this story are lost in time. It has traveled through cultures with many variations, many forms, but the core remains intact: an evil queen, consumed with fear and jealousy, is relentless in her efforts to destroy innocence and beauty, embodied in the form of her step daughter, Snow White.

Illustration by Franz Jutner Schneewitchen

Beyond the Walls of the Castle

I could imagine this tale being popular for centuries as it was told and retold throughout Europe where ruthless rulers were commonplace, and many tales evolved of cruel behavior within castle walls. I was surprised to learn that Snow White is an international phenomenon, having circulated from Africa to Asia Minor and from Europe to the Americas.

I learned of this in a fascinating article by Harriet Goldberg in The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales that also delineates a multitude of variations that have appeared. For example: "In the Grimms' version, the Queen stepmother has a magic mirror that she consults to verify who is fairest in the land. . . Elsewhere the stepmother consults an omniscient trout in a well, the sun or the moon: she overhears by remarking on the stepdaughter's beauty. a visiting nobleman prefers her daughter; guests declare the girl more beautiful than she. . ." 

Illustration by Arthur Rackham 

Mirror, Mirror

"Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who's the fairest of them all?"

The mirror replied.

"My Queen, you may be the fairest here,
But Snow White is a thousand times more fair."



"'Snow White' may vary tremendously from culture to culture in its detail, but it has an easily identifiable, stable core in the conflict between mother and daughter." Maria Tatar, The Annotated Classic Fairy Tales. 
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The celebrated Disney film of Snow White (1937) is quite wonderful. Here is a link to the exceptional scene wherein the Evil Queen transforms her self into a witch.

The 2012 version, Snow White and the Huntsman, was considered a mishmash except for visuals and computer graphics. Here is a cheeky review by Emily Asher-Perrin: TOR Snow White and the Huntsman; Here is a link to the trailer: Snow White and the Huntsman

Illustration by Disney Studios

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"How very many people struggle, how very difficult some of their struggles are, how little control we ultimately have, how much uncertainty and apprehension we live with, even if we bury them deep."  -- Frank Bruni NYTimes

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Edith Nesbit -- "Riding the Wave of The Future" 

Edith Nesbit (1858-1924) was a gifted writer, who lived a stormy, complex life. A political activist, she lived in England during turbulent times. Traditional life was in an ongoing state of change. The industrial revolution was widespread and led to large population shifts, great wealth and great poverty. The Empire was widespread, always in flux, and employed a vast network of people (including the army and navy). Class consciousness prevailed and World War I was devastating.

Nesbitt wrote more than 60 children's books. Among them: The Railway Children, The Revolt of the Toys, and The Story of the Treasure Seekers.

The painting of Princess Dock, Hull is by John Atkinson Grimshaw.

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Edith Nesbit's Turning Point Books for Children

"Victorian literary fairy tales tend to have a conservative moral and political bias. Under their charm and invention is usually an improving lesson: adults know best; good, obedient, patient, and self-effacing little boys and girls are rewarded by the fairies, and naughty assertive ones are punished. In the most widely read authors of the period. . . the usual tone is that of a kind lady or gentleman delivering a delightfully disguised sermon.

In the final years of Victoria’s reign, however, a writer appeared who was to challenge this pattern so energetically and with such success that it makes sense now to speak of juvenile literature as before and after E. Nesbit. Though there are foreshadowings of her characteristic manner in Charles Dickens’s Holiday Romance and Kenneth Grahame’s The Golden Age, Nesbit was the first to write at length for children as intellectual equals and in their own language. Her books were startlingly innovative in other ways: they took place in contemporary England, and recommended socialist solutions to its problems; they presented a modern view of childhood; and they used magic both as a comic device and as a serious metaphor for the power of the imagination. Every writer of children’s fantasy since Nesbit’s time is indebted to her—and so are some authors of adult fiction. . ."

Alison Lurie

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An Excerpt from The Story of the Treasure Seekers

"We stayed about half an hour, and when we were going away he said again—

‘I shall print all your poems, my poet; and now what do you think they’re worth?’

‘I don’t know,’ Noel said. ‘You see I didn’t write them to sell.’

‘Why did you write them then?’ he asked.

Noel said he didn’t know; he supposed because he wanted to.

‘Art for Art’s sake, eh?’ said the Editor, and he seemed quite delighted, as though Noel had said something clever.

‘Well, would a guinea meet your views?’ he asked.

I have read of people being at a loss for words, and dumb with emotion, and I’ve read of people being turned to stone with astonishment, or joy, or something, but I never knew how silly it looked till I saw Noel standing staring at the Editor with his mouth open. He went red and he went white, and then he got crimson, as if you were rubbing more and more crimson lake on a palette. But he didn’t say a word, so Oswald had to say—

‘I should jolly well think so.’"

The photo is of Edith Nesbit.
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Breaking the Barriers

. . ."One especially radical feature of Nesbit’s tales is her implicit feminism. Her full-length books are full of girls who are as brave and adventurous as their brothers; and even in her more conventional short fairy tales, the heroines never sit around waiting to be rescued. . .In the Victorian fairy tale, class lines tend to be sharply drawn, and the superiority of the upper-class child taken for granted. Carroll’s Alice is glad that she doesn’t have to live in a poky little house like Mabel. . .  Though the main characters in Nesbit’s books are usually middle-class, some of her most sympathetic heroes and heroines, such as Mabel in The Enchanted Castle and Dick in Harding’s Luck, come from a lower stratum of society (Dick from the worst slums of East London). Yet they are often more intelligent, imaginative, and courageous than anyone else in the story. This is also true of her short fairy tales. . ." 

The illustration from the Story of The Treasure Seekers is by Gordon Browne.

Alison Lurie

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The information above is edited from an excellent article, Riding The Wave of the Future, by Alison Lurie in the New York Review of Books. 

Alison Lurie is a highly regarded and pioneering scholar of children's literature, prize winning author, and professor emeritus at Cornell University.

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 J.K. Rowling Recalls Edith Nesbit as a Favorite Author

" 'She's the children's writer with whom I most identify. She said, By some lucky chance, I remember exactly how I felt and thought at 11. That struck a chord with me. The Story of the Treasure Seekers was a breakthrough children's book. Oswald (a boy character in the story from the Bastable family) is such a very real narrator, at a time when most people were writing morality plays for children."

The illustration by H.R. Millar is from Nesbit's The Magic City.

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The Wouldbegoods

"Now my favorite Bastables book is The Wouldbegoods, which is the name of a good-deeds society that the Bastable children create. I love how E. Nesbit turns the moralizing children's novel inside out. In most moral children's stories from the Victorian and Edwardian periods, the children learn to be good. Or, they learn to be good and then they die. But I love the way the Bastables, while trying to copy these fictional children, end up destroying property, setting farm animals loose, draining a canal, and burning down a bridge. And they never learn their lesson."

Excerpted from the Bamboo Bookcase

The book cover illustration for The Wouldbegoods is by Cecil Leslie. 

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Movies

Briefs on 3 current films for young audiences . . .

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Toy Story 4

Excerpt from a review by Manohla Dargis.in the NY Times

"Much of “Toy Story 4” is great-ish. The animation is striking, the jokes amusing and the story sweet, though this being Pixar, the tale is also melancholic enough that the whole thing feels deeper than it is. In other words, the movie is exactly what you expect — not more, not less — from an estimably well-oiled machine like Pixar."

Preview: Toy Story Trailer

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The Secret Life of Pets 2

Here is an excerpt from the review of The Secret Life of Pets 2 by Bilge Ebiri in the NYTimes.

Too scattered narratively to cohere, and yet somehow still funny enough to justify its existence. . . any cat owner who’s had their pet walk all over their laptop keyboard before knocking over a coffee mug will chuckle in recognition. The movie is a time-waster, but (mostly) in a good way.

Here is a link to the trailer: Secret Life Of Pets 2

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Yesterday

I have read reviews and seen the trailer. Yesterday looks like a delightful film filled with the music of Paul McCartney and the Beatles. The film is a comedy fantasy, with time travel and mystery. A fanciful film for young audiences to experience the Beatles' music and have a good time.

Here is the trailer: Yesterday

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Wigger

An unfortunate characteristic of the book business is that wonderful books are often overlooked or lost in the great whirl of competition and marketing. This includes children's books. Rikva Gaichen is an esteemed journalist, prize winning novelist, and mother of a five year old little girl. She discovered a forgotten treasure of a children's book and she wrote a fascinating article about it for the New Yorker: William Goldman’s Strange, Sad, Captivating Children’s Book About a Girl and Her Blanket. Here is an excerpt that occurs after the central character, a little girl named Susanna, has lost her family:

"Finally, it is decided that she will be put in an orphanage known simply as the Home. Through all this, Susanna doesn’t cry. This is because her blankie, Wigger, repeatedly tells her to keep a smile on, and that “a cheery face is worth diamonds.” None of us would give Susanna this advice, of course. But Wigger and Susanna have the loving, bickering dynamic of an old married couple. When Susanna gets down, Wigger complains about what a beautiful and ravishing pink blanket he once was, before Susanna’s ceaseless pulling and rubbing. “I’m just a pink rag . . . a faded glory gone to seed,” he says. These bits make Susanna laugh and feel better, “which was exactly how Wigger wanted her to feel.”

Here is a link to read all of this moving article about Wigger

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Healing and Help in Chicago from the Human Canine Bond.

CANINE THERAPY CORPS HAS APPROXIMATELY 65 ACTIVE VOLUNTEER TEAMS WORKING IN PROGRAMS ACROSS THE CHICAGO METROPOLITAN AREA. More than 5,000 people benefit each year at no charge. 
"The therapy dogs provide immediate and continuous positive feedback in animal-assisted therapy sessions, which catalyzes the motivation participants need to persevere during difficult or painful therapy. Working as a team with their dog also benefits the volunteers. Sharing their love and compassion, working together, and serving the community deepens the bond between the handler and his or her dog." Here is a link to their website: CTC

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Raffy Calfy's Story

Who Chains You Books is releasing the third book in their Animal Protector series on July 15.

Raffy Calfy's Rescue is a story about rodeo animals, authored by Tamira Ci Thayne and illustrated by C.A. Wulff.

Each Animal Protector book teaches children about an animal welfare issue.

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Every Politician and NRA Member Should Watch This Chilling Documentary

This memorable video of 4:42 features a first responder, a doctor.

The NRA successfully fights  changes in gun laws.

Here is the link:Columbine

Photo credit NY Daily News
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Planet Of The Dogs

This excerpt takes place just as the Stone City Warriors, under the leadership of Bik, are about to emerge from the Dark Woods and invade Green Valley. . .

“What’s going on here?” demanded Bik. At that moment huge, ancient tall trees crashed to the ground with a thunderous noise, blocking the road just ahead.

Howling, barking, and growling sounds filled the air as dogs rushed from hiding places and ran toward the warriors and their horses. More huge trees crashed down, warriors were thrown to the ground, and dogs were running and jumping everywhere. Riders were crashing into each other as they tried to control their frightened horses and retreat to a safe area.

Bik shouted to Ivan, “Take charge here. I must see to the safety of my children.” With great skill, he turned his horse to search for Nik and Nikki, who were further back, riding in a horse drawn cart. As he struggled to go back up the road through the confusion of riders, supply wagons, and barking, growling, running dogs, Bik’s anger turned to fear. Not for himself, but for his children.

We have free reader copies of all the books in the Planet Of The Dogs series for therapy dog organizations, individual therapy dog owners, librarians, teachers and independent bookstores. . . email us with a postal address at [email protected] and we will send you the books. 

To read sample chapters or to read reviews of any book in the series, visit PlanetOfTheDogs 

The Planet Of The Dogs series (including Castle In The Mist and Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Tale) is available from many Internet sources and through independent bookstores of all sizes. 

The illustration from Planet of the Dogs is by Stella Mustanoja McCarty.
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"To his dog, every man is Napoleon, hence the constant popularity of dogs."  

Aldous Huxley

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April .. Reality Has Its Limits, Imagination Is Boundless

 

 

                                                   

                                      

   "The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless."
                Jean-Jacques Rousseau -- The painting is by Andrea Kowch 

 

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Fantasy and the Real Magic of Fairy Tales  

"By entering the world of fantasy and imagination, children and adults secure for themselves a safe space where fears can be confronted, mastered, and banished. Beyond that the real magic of the fairy tale lies in its ability to extract pleasure from pain. In bringing to life the dark figures of our imagination as ogres, witches, cannibals, and giants, fairy tails may stir up dread, but in the end they always supply the pleasure of seeing it vanquished."

Maria Tatar in her Introduction to The Annotated Classic Fairy Tales.

The illustration is by Jakub Rozalski.

 

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"Throw Out The Rules and Read Fairy Tales"

 

“Those enchanted princes can do anything,” says the wife of the fisherman who catches a wish-granting flounder that happens to be an enchanted prince. This is not a truth universally acknowledged in our humdrum world, so lacking in magical fish. And yet here, in this one story, the power of enchanted princes is axiomatic, as fundamental as gravity. You can hear trouble coming in the wife’s words, as surely as if this story were by Sophocles. This is one of the “Children’s and Household Tales” collected by the Grimm brothers in the early 19th century. In that fictive world, trouble comes abruptly and in threes."

Verlyn Klinkenborg writing in the NY Times about the Brother's Grimm Fairy Tales, and Phillip Pullman's retelling.
The illustration from The Fisherman and His Wife is by Alexander Zick.

 

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Told and Retold

The early centuries, when enduring fairy tales were told and retold, were troubled times for virtually everyone.

Our primary source of fairy tales comes from Europe where wars, droughts, hunger, and sickness were never ending as were mysteries, visions, and powerful religious movements.

Wonder stories were told wherever people gathered: in open market places, in farmhouses, and by camp fires. The stories told were a wecome source of entertainment, relief, and hope.

In the world of the imagination, a child can outwit a giant or an ogre; a young woman can escape cruelty and oppression -- even incest. And magic is always in the air.

The illustration of Princess Tuvstarr is by John Bauer.

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Confronting the Abominable -- Tales of Incest

I understand that oral tales from bygone times -- later written down  -- are, as Jack Zipes writes," grounded in history. . . they emanate from specific struggles to humanize bestial and barbaric forces, which have terrorized our minds and communities in concrete ways. . . The fairy tale sets out to conquer this concrete terror through metaphors."

Donkey Skin, as retold by Perrault, dealt with incest -- a dark and bestial behavior. It spoke of the abusive power of kings, of beauty, courage, and magic. It ended on a note of hope. These were mainstay elements in many fairy tales. I found the story to be quite remarkable as it was the first time I had encountered a fairy tale dealing with incest. In Donkey Skin, the King states unequivocally to his daughter that he will have her as his wife.

The following excerpt occurs after the death of the beautiful Queen:

"For a time the king was inconsolable in his grief, both day and night. Some months later, however, on the urging of his courtiers, he agreed to marry again, but this was not an easy matter, for he had to keep his promise to his wife and search as he might, he could not find a new wife with all the attractions he sought. Only his daughter had a charm and beauty which even the queen had not possessed. Thus only by marrying his daughter could he satisfy the promise he had made to his dying wife, and so he forthwith proposed marriage to her. This frightened and saddened the princess, and she tried to show her father the mistake he was making . . ." 

I learned that Donkey Skin had been classified as ATU 510 B, Unnatural Love, and I have subsequently learned that there are many stories from earlier times that tell of royal incest and paternal abuse of power, and that Donkey Skin has many elements derived from these earlier stories.  

 

The top illustration is by Nadezda Illarionova. The bottom illustration is by Harry Clarke.

Here is a link to Perrault's story: Donkey Skin 

Here is a link to a scene in the 1970 Jacques Demy film version of Perrault's  tale wherein The King (Jean Marais) tells his daughter (Catherine Deneuve) that he will marry her: Donkey Skin Part1

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Incestuous and quasi-incestuous relationships

"Incestuous and quasi-incestuous relationships were hardly unknown at the court of Louis XIV. The king himself had married his first cousin, Maria-Theresa of Spain, largely for political reasons. His brother Philippe, Duke of Orleans, had married another first cousin, Henrietta of England, before marrying a more distant cousin . . .   Various aristocrats at the court followed these royal examples for financial or other reasons . . ."  Excerpted from an article posted by Mari Ness on: Thor.com   

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The Culture and the Times

Fairytales are a reflection of life. The stories that proliferated in medieval (950-1450) Europe were told -- and recorded -- in a world where brutal wars were a near constant among the ruling elite. Religion condoned and indeed fostered war, including crusades in Europe and the holy land in pursuit of power. Miracles, saints, and visions, including those of Joan D'arc, influenced events and lives. And for nearly 500 years, Islamic conquest ruled Spain until driven out in the late fifteenth century. Still, Muslim rule continued across North Africa, through the Middle East, and all the way to India.

Famines occurred on a regular basis and, in the fourteenth century, nearly one half of the people, rich and poor, were killed by the black death. Also known as the Great Plague, it swept relentlessly across the land from 1347 to the early 1350's, from the Eastern Mediterranean to Britain and Sweden.

Life was hard and uncertain. Children and women were often exploited and treated cruelly; sexual abuse was commonplace.

The illustration is from the 15th century book, the Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry.

 

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Incest and the Medieval Imagination

"Medieval incest stories are so numerous that it is impossible to even mention them all let alone discuss them in detail . . . " This is an excerpt from the book Incest and the Medieval Imagination by scholar and author Elizabeth Archibald. Among the many incest stories discussed by Ms Archibald is a story -- in novella form -- entitled Apollonius of Tyre.

This tale appeared in the late sixth century, and has many attributes characteristic of early wonder tales: it can be traced back to ancient Greek and Roman times; multiple versions have been found; there were translations into many languages (in this case, 13). In all cases, beauty is held in very high regard; higher powers (in this case, the gods) affect events; and Kings abuse their power.

Here is a link to Elizabeth Archibald's scholarly book,Incest and the Medieval Imagination

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The Frenzy of Lust

Here is an excerpt from the dark beginning of Apollonius of Tyre:

While her father was considering to whom best to give his daughter in marriage, driven by immoral passion and inflamed by lust he fell in love with his own daughter, and he began to love her in a way unsuitable for a father. He struggled with madness, he fought against passion, but he was defeated by love; he lost his sense of moral responsibility, forgot that he was a father, and took on the role of husband. . . Since he could not endure the wound in his breast, one day when he was awake at dawn he rushed into his daughter's room and ordered the servants to withdraw, as if he intended to have a private conversation with her. Spurred on by the frenzy of his lust, he took his daughter's virginity by force, in spite of her lengthy resistance. When the wicked deed was done he left the bedroom. But the girl stood astonished at the immorality of her wicked father. She tried to hide the flow of blood: but drops of blood fell onto the floor. "

The top illustration is by an unknown Medieval artist. The bottom illustration is from the Garden of Earthy Delights by Hieronymus Bosch

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Straparola, Basile and Many, Many More

In a post entitled, The Father Who Wanted to Marry His Daughter, D.L. Ashliman cites 74 incest story variations ranging from Scotland and Ireland, to Lithuania and the Ukraine. Asliman's list includes stories from the pioneering collections from Italy: Doralice from The Facetious  Nights (1550) by Straparola (Italy); and, The She Bear from The Story of Stories (1643) by Basile (Italy). Both of these stories have many elements found in Donkey Skin and other later tales such as Cinderella.

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All Kinds Of Fur

The Brothers Grimm wrote a version of Donkey Skin that was close to that of Perrault. One of the differences is that the Princess tries to stall her father by asking for, in addition to two extremely beautiful dresses, " 'a mantle of a thousand different kinds of fur and hair joined together, and one of every kind of animal in your kingdom must give a piece of his skin for it.'  But she thought,' To get that will be quite impossible, and thus I shall divert my father from his wicked intentions.' " Thus the name of the tale: All Kinds Of Fur (in German, Allerleirauh).

Here is another excerpt from the Grimm's version: "Now the King had a daughter, who was just as beautiful as her dead mother, and had the same golden hair. When she was grown up the King looked at her one day, and saw that in every respect she was like his late wife, and suddenly felt a violent love for her."

Here is a link to the Grimm's Version, All Kinds of Fur, translated in 1884 by Margaret Hunt: All Kinds of Fur

Andrew Lang in his Grey Fairy Book (1900) softened the story of Donkey Skin and changed the king's daughter into an adopted daughter. His version is otherwise close to Perrault's. 

The illustration above for All Kinds of Fur is by an unknown artist.

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They Stamp Our Minds and Perhaps Our Souls

"We all know that fairy tales are tied to real life experiences more than we pretend they aren’t. We ward off fairy tales and pretend that they are intended mainly for children because they tell more truth than we want to know, and we absorb fairy tales because they tell us more truth than we want to know. . . . They stamp our minds and perhaps our soul . . ."  Jack Zipes, The Oxford University Press Blog

The illustration from Rumpelstiltskin is by Paul O Zalinsky.

 

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A Very Old Classic Wonder Tale of Boundless Imagination from England

The origins of Jack and the Beanstalk have been traced back 5 thousand years by scholars. It is still told and retold, in books and other mediums. It personifies the classic wonder tale elements of courage, magic, danger, obstacles, ogres, smart thinking, and an outcome that gives hope to the listeners -- or readers.

"Your duty requires you to win it back for your mother. But the task is a very difficult one, and full of peril, Jack. Have you courage to undertake it?"

"I fear nothing when I am doing right," said Jack.

"Then," said the lady in the red cap, "you are one of those who slay giants. You must get into the castle, and if possible possess yourself of a hen that lays golden eggs, and a harp that talks. Remember, all the giant possesses is really yours." As she ceased speaking, the lady of the red hat suddenly disappeared, and of course Jack knew she was a fairy.

Jack determined at once to attempt the adventure; so he advanced, and blew the horn which hung at the castle portal. The door was opened in a minute or two by a frightful giantess, with one great eye in the middle of her forehead. As soon as Jack saw her he turned to run away, but she caught him, and dragged him into the castle. . ."

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The Imagination 

As great scientists have said and as all children know, it is above all by the imagination that we achieve perception, and compassion, and hope.

Ursula K. Le Guin

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A Very Special Animated Film Based on Norse Mythology

This delightful video made me feel good. And adding to my reaction was the realization that it was made by a team of students in an Animation Workshop at VIA University College in Denmark. The running time is 7.24 minutes. The excerpt from the full synopsis below appeared with the video on Vimeo. 

Forget Me Not

"Deep in the Norwegian forest, there is an old man, living an orderly and quiet life. Closed off from the rest of the world, he spends his days together with his lifelong friend, a troll. Together they share an everyday routine, drinking tea and taking care of each other. One day the troll begins to hint that the time has come for him to leave the comfort of their home. . ."

Here is a link to the video: Forget Me Not

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THE FORGOTTEN FAIRY TALE GENIUS OF ÉDOUARD LABOULAYE

Smack-Bam, or The Art of Governing Men is a recent book presented by Jack Zipes. Zipes has translated, edited, and written a very informative introduction to fairy tales by a multi-talented writer, Edouard Laboulaye (1811-1883). Laboulaye was a French lawyer, a jurist elected to the national assembly, and the man who originated and followed through with the gift of France to the USA, The Statue of Liberty. He was active in the anti-slavery movement and a zealous supporter of the Union effort. Laboulaye wrote poetry, essays, novels, a 3 volume history of the USA, as well as fairy tales. Zipes feels they have been too long neglected by scholars, including himself; Zipes also feels that they are actually adult fairy tales:

 "His fairy tales, however, ostensibly published for and dedicated to children, were actually too sophisticated to be classified as children’s literature or to be read by children. . .  Given his extraordinary past, I believe it is time to reconsider Laboulaye’s achievement as a writer of unusually wry fairy tales filled with biting social commentaries, philosophical reflections, and strong notions of social justice."

Here is an excerpt from the introduction to Laboulaye's fairy tale collection, Contes Bleus (1863)

"In the happy country of fairies, one leaves it only to find one’s way back. One suffers only to become happy, whereas pain is for us an enigma and life a struggle without end where the better people are the first to fall. There, in the country of fairies, one does not get old, and one always loves. Here, no sooner does our heart barely recover from those foolish acts of our youth than it turns serious and begins to love an object worthy of our heart. Then, our face becomes wrinkled, and our hair turns white leaving us with the feeling of ridicule. There, in the country of fairies, one knows everything in one hour or one day. Here, we pursue truth at the cost of our lives as it evades us. It flees like the marvelous bird, and when, at last, after 30 years of pain, we feel it near us, when our hand lowers to seize it, another hand more powerful freezes us and carries us off to the country from which nobody has ever returned. . ."

The illustrator(s) of the book cover and of Laboulaye's tale, Yvon and Finette, are unknown.

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MOVIES.

Dumbo

Alas, the reviews for Disney's Dumbo are mixed. They range from delighted to hard knocks. Tim Burton's creative imaginative is, by and large, appreciated. Here are excerpts (via Rotten Tomatoes) from two critics whom I respect: Peter Travers in Rolling Stone -- "This live-action re-imagining of Disney's 1941 animated classic may be the sweetest film Tim Burton has ever made. It's also the safest." Full review;
Here is an excerpt from Owen Gleiberman in Variety: "The character of Dumbo is still touching, but the tale of entrapment and rescue that surrounds him is not. It's arduous and forgettable, done in busy italicized strokes. Full review

Here is a link to the trailer: Dumbo

 

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The Juniper Tree

The revival of The Juniper Tree movie from Iceland, originally released in 1990, received a very positive NYTimes review from  Glen Kerry 

"In watching a newly restored version, I was struck not only by Björk’s distinctive charisma at 24 years old but also by the talent of the film’s writer, director and editor, Nietzchka Keene. This was Keene’s first feature, and she would die of pancreatic cancer in 2004 with just a couple of other directing credits to her name.

This film is adapted from a tale by the Brothers Grimm — one of the gnarly unexpurgated ones, not the bowdlerized kind long served to American kids. Two sisters, Katla (Bryndis Petra Bragadóttir) and the younger Margit (Björk), find themselves homeless after their mother is burned as a witch. They wander, and in an environment far-flung from their former dwellings, Katla enchants a young widower, Johann. . ."

The film seems to depart substantially from the original Juniper Tree. Here is a link to the JuniperTree trailer.

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Wonder Park

Critics were not kind to Wonder Park, a movie about a young girl who designs her own amusement park. Here is a summary of the reviews from Rotten Tomatoes:

"Colorful and energetic but lacking a compelling story, Wonder Park is little more 
than a competently made diversion for very young viewers. 

Here is a link to the: Wonderpark Trailer

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Meanwhile, the plight of refugee children continues. . . 

Save The Children

"As violence consumed Syria, desperate families fled their homes, many ending up in Lebanon. Now, one in four people in Lebanon is a Syrian refugee. Before the Syrian crisis, poverty in Lebanon was already widespread. Many Lebanese children had little access to health care and basic services. Now the strain on the country’s limited resources is putting both Lebanese and refugee children in peril." 
Here is a link to Save the Children

 

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Reading to Your Toddler? Print Books Are Better Than Digital Ones

“The tablet itself made it harder for parents and children to engage in the rich back-and-forth turn-taking that was happening in print books,” a researcher said. Thus begins an article by Dr. Perri Klass in the NYTimes: Reading to Toddlers

The illustration is of Talk to Me, a free book for new mothers

 

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Love on Four Paws

The service dogs provided by Love on 4 Paws change people's lives through training and the human canine bond.

Here is a link to a touching and informative video of a boy, Leo, who suffers from brain aneurysms, his loving mother, and Henry, his wonderful service  dog: DogHelpsBoy

 

The photo is of Leo and Henry. 

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The Animal Protector Series from Who Chains You Books

 

The Animal Protector Series shines a spotlight on animals in need of human protection, using fictional animal characters and action-packed storylines. Often, the highlighted animals are those whose plights have been ignored or overlooked by humans in today’s society. 

 

One of the hallmarks of this refreshing new series is that the animals take steps to become their own heroes, and find their freedom again with the aid of caring people. 

 

To date, there are four books planned in the series: the first, out now, is Smidgey Pidgey’s Predicament, and follows two pigeon siblings who are birdnapped in New York City. What will become of Smidge and Ridge? Will they ever get home again?

 

The second,Spittin’ Kitten’s Speed-Away,  follows a tiny orange kitten determined to bring help for his starving siblings and Mama; he soon gets stuck in a car engine and ends up miles away from home. Will the little guy ever find his family again? 

 

Books Three and Four feature the plights of rodeo calves and hermit crabs, with more storylines planned for 2020. The series, written by Tamira Thayne and illustrated by C.A. Wulff and Rhonda Van, is perfect for ages 9 and up. The books include vocab builders, and are great for humane education efforts; the series makes a wonderful gift for the young reader and animal lover in the family.

The charming illustrations are by Barking Planet author C.A.Wulff, and are from the soon to be released book three, Raffy Calfy's Rescue.

 

Here's a link to WCY books: http://www.whochainsyou.com  P.O. Box 581, Amissville, VA 20106

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Why Am I ?

Why Am I ? – a joyous Yelodoggie Book by C.A. Wulff – celebrates self-empowerment and the benefits of inclusion. It helps children recognize and appreciate differences and to embrace that which is unique in each of us.

Yelodoggie travels far and wide, seeking to answer the question Why Am I different ?...Why Am I Yellow ?

Why Am I ? opens the imagination and perspective of children to the world around them.

We continue searching for a publisher who will love Yelodoggie and Why Am I ?, recognize its potential, and launch it into the world. This is a book for our troubled times. Our primary motive is wide distribution.
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NRA News: Thomas the Train joins the KKK   

Here are excerpts from the story in the NYTimes by Danny Hakim

Last September, the National Rifle Association’s famously combative spokeswoman, Dana Loesch, provoked widespread outrage when she took to the gun group’s streaming service to mock ethnic diversity on the popular children’s program “Thomas & Friends,” portraying the show’s talking trains in Ku Klux Klan hoods. Now, growing unease over the site’s inflammatory rhetoric, and whether it has strayed too far from the N.R.A.’s core gun-rights mission, has put its future in doubt.

The site, NRATV, is a central part of the organization’s messaging apparatus. Since its creation in 2016, it has adopted an increasingly apocalyptic, hard-right tone, warning of race wars, describing Barack Obama as a “fresh-faced flower-child president,” calling for a march on the Federal Bureau of Investigation and comparing journalists to rodents.

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 The Planet Of The Dogs Series

The Planet of the Dogs series of children’s books tell the stories of the first time dogs came to planet Earth to teach people about unconditional loyalty and love -- and to help bring peace from invaders. Here is an excerpt:

"He was loading his wagon with animal hides in the Stone City market place, when three warriors, dressed in black and green and leading a riderless horse, rode up. The leader of the group looked down at him and said, “You will follow us now to the fortress. Our chief wishes to speak with you...They rode outside the wooden walls and stone towers of the city, past the great meadow where three huge standing stones had been erected, and over the bridge that crossed the Dark River. Gable saw a black cloud of men on horseback racing across the far edge of a meadow. When he asked who they were and where they were going, he received no answer, only a hard look. Ahead lay the great stone fortress, with the Dark Mountains rising behind it. The sight of the place gave Gable cold chills." 

We have free reader copies of all the books in the Planet Of The Dogs series for therapy dog organizations, individual therapy dog owners, librarians, teachers and independent bookstores. . . email us with a postal address at [email protected] and we will send you the books. 

To read sample chapters of any book in the series, visit PlanetOfTheDogs 

The Planet Of The Dogs series (including Castle In The Mist and Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Tale) is available from many Internet sources and through independent book stores of all sizes. 

The illustration from Planet of the Dogs is by Stella Mustanoja McCarty.

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"When a man's dog turns against him it is time for a wife to pack her trunk and go home to mama." - Mark Twain 

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February: Fear and the Celebration of Courage in Wonder Tales

               
"I went away in my head, into a book. That was where I went whenever real life was too hard or too inflexible.” -- Neil Gaiman in The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

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Give Them Hope  

Neal Gaiman wrote the following statement about hope: "What makes children's fiction children's fiction? What makes fiction for adults? What do people respond to and what do I respond to. One of the keys to children's fiction for me is you owe it to the world, and you owe it to the kids, to give them hope." 

The illustration is by Morgan Weistling.

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Alternate Reality

Neil Gaiman takes readers to alternate realities, beyond time as we experience it. In his books and short stories, we often journey to the past where we encounter the darkside and evil. There are obstacles and dangers to overcome. Gaiman's books appeal to a worldwide audience of both young adult and adult readers. This is in addition to his children's books.

Many adult and young adult readers are very passionate about, and feel a heartfelt connection to, his books and to Gaiman himself. Several of his books have been made into well received radio, television and film productions.

Gaiman has been an avid reader since childhood and is a public advocate for books, writers, and libraries. He is also an advocate for refugee children. He is an excellent public speaker who makes very real connections with his audiences.

He has a multitude of videos on YouTube and Vimeo that attest to his ability to engage an audience, his close relationship with readers, and his unique persona. They are informative and disarmingly candid. 

The photograph of Neil Gaiman is by Alan Amato.

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A Master of Fear

"(Gaiman) is a master of fear, and he understands the nature of fairytales, the relation between the writer, the reader and the character in the tale. The Ocean at the End of the Lane, like Coraline and like The Graveyard Book, has a young central character – a resourceful and determined child – who finds his world transfigured by terror and strangeness . . .  .The narrator of The Ocean at the End of the Lane starts his story with that feared disaster of childhood, the seventh birthday party to which no one came. . . Fairytales, of course, were not invented for children, and deal ferociously with the grim and the bad and the dangerous. But they promise a kind of resolution, and Gaiman keeps this promise."

Excerpted from A.S. Byatt's excellent Guardian review of The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

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The Origins of the Book

Neil Gaiman explains, during his book tour for The Ocean at the End of the Lane, that the book was an "accident". He intended to write a short story for his wife, the composer and singer Amanda Palmer, whom he deeply missed. She was in Melbourne and very focused on making an album. Gaiman kept writing and the book took on a life of its own. 

At the time he spoke, the book had received great reviews and was number one on the NY Times book list. The video is quite intimate and includes many insights into the book (" the kid will be very much like me "), and into Gaiman himself.

Here is a link: The Ocean talk. He also discussed the Origins of the The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the NY Book Expo.

 

The illustration is by Nuriko-Kun/DeviantArt

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A Novel About Survival

"The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a novel of childhood and memory. It's a story of magic, about the power of stories and how we face the darkness inside of us. It's about fear, and love, and death and families. But, fundamentally, I hope, at its heart, it's a novel about survival." Neil Gaiman

The illustration of The Ocean at the End of the Lane is by Shane Gallagher/DeviantArt

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"There are times when dreams sustain us more than facts. To read a book and surrender to a story is to keep our very humanity alive."

Helen Fagin -- Scholar, Author, 100-Year-Old Holocaust Survivor, and cousin to Neil Gaiman; thanks to Maria Popova and her very special website, Brain Pickings.

 

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Fear and Courage

I first encountered Neil Gaiman in Coraline, the story of a little girl who finds a secret door in her family's new house; the door leads to a passageway that brings her to an eerie parallel reality. At first, she is intrigued and enchanted by this world. Intime, she realizes that she is in great danger. She escapes as dark forces begin to overwhelm her, and in the process, helps others. The animated movie version was extremely well done.

This link will take you on a visit to Gaiman in his USA home: CBS Interview 

This link will take you to a conversation with Caro LLewllyn  where a very candid Gaiman discusses his youth and Coraline.

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Survival

Coraline was also my first Gaiman book where a child is the main protagonist. Two of the Gaiman books that I have since read, The Ocean at the End of the Lane and The Graveyard Book, are each about the ordeals of  boys. And like Gaiman himself, both boys, being great readers, are often transported to the world of the imagination. And like Coraline, they are books about survival. 

Coraline,The Graveyard Book and The Ocean at the End of the Lane are very different from each other, but they share a common problem: young lives are endangered and the worlds they live in are interwoven with an alternate reality.

Nobody Owens

I was initially not interested in reading The Graveyard Book.The concept of a boy raised by ghosts in a cemetery had no appeal for me. However, I respected the multiple awards the book received (Hugo, Newberry, Carnegie and more). And then, in the course of writing this blog, I read several reviews which led me directly to the book and to the world of the Graveyard -- to the enigmatic Silas; to the wondrous Mrs Lupescu; to the boy, Nobody Owens; and to an alternate world of incredible danger. I was won over. 

Here is an excerpt from the book, an excerpt where a reader can find a sense of the dimensions of Gaiman's vision of life in the Graveyard. It is a moment about 2/3 of the way into the book wherein the boy, Bod Nobody (now 12 years old), is protesting that he can go out in the world and take care of himself and learn about his past despite the dangers and the evil that await him beyond the graveyard. 

"I can learn. I can learn everything I need to know, all I can. I learned about ghoul-gates. I learned to Dreamwalk, Miss Lupescu taught me how to watch the stars. Silas taught me silence. I can Haunt. I can Fade. I know every inch of this graveyard." 

The Graveyard Book is a terrific adventure, the story of very human boy, Bod, raised and taught since infancy in a graveyard by ghosts and spirit beings.  As the years go by, he deals with a wide range of problems, from teen age bullies to the evil Jacks of all trades, assassins from ancient times. One of them murdered Bod's family, and because of an ancient prophesy, made in the time of the Pharaohs, they are all on a mission to kill Bod.  

His journey is extremely arduous and filled with unexpected twists and turns. However, Bod has the courage and wits to survive the dangers of the dark side, and in the end, to prevail.

The book cover of Coraline and the top two illustrations are by Dave McKean.

The illustration of the Jacks of all trades (assassins) is by Chris Riddell..

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Unforgettable Enchantment

Here is an excerpt from the NYTimes review by Monica Edinger, a dedicated teacher of 4th graders in NYC, blogger (Educating Alice) of children's literature, and author:

“The Graveyard Book,” by turns exciting and witty, sinister and tender, shows Gaiman at the top of his form. . . I read the last of 'The Graveyard Book' to my class on a gloomy day. For close to an hour there were the sounds of only rain and story. In this novel of wonder, Neil Gaiman follows in the footsteps of long-ago storytellers, weaving a tale of unforgettable ­enchantment."

The illustration is by Dave McKean.

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Neverwhere

"I wanted to talk about the people who fall through the cracks, to talk about the dispossessed — using the mirror of fantasy, which can sometimes show us things we have seen so many times that we never see them at all — for the very first time,” --  Neil Gaiman in his introduction to the revised edition of Neverwhere

The statement above, encompassing many dimensions, was my key for reading the great, sprawling, sometimes uneven, epic that is the book of Neverwhere.  

Richard Mayhew, the young protagonist of Neverwhere, is a nice young man who is living the life of many upward bound young people. And like many others, he doesn't really connect to the world he lives in. And when his good heart impels him to help a desperate young woman named Door, whose life in in danger, one thing leads to another and he enters  another dimension -- Neverwhere -- an alternate reality that exists underneath London where darkness, danger, cruelty and fear abound. This is the story of Richard's courageous journey through Neverwhere.

 

Richard's Loyal Friends

Neverwhere affords Neil Gaiman a playground for his incredible imagination. The book is filled with a plethora of characters, many of them fascinating. Door, a young woman of fantastic powers and considerable charm, is saved by Richard in the early part of the book, and he joins her in the quest to find who murdered her family. Hunter, a striking woman, is the epitome of a fearless and skilled bodyguard. And the splendid Marquis de Carabas is a facile facilitator of nearly everything.

 

The illustration of Hunter, Door, and Richard is by fulreavr/Deviant Art

The Marquis de Carabas

The Marquis de Carabas is, like Perrault's cat, facile, glib, smart, manipulative, brave, and loyal -- when it serves him well. He is a fascinating character; instead of magic boots, he has an incredible coat. Here is Gaiman's description of the coat, taken from an addendum to the revised Neverwhere, entitled, How The Marquis Got His Coat Back.

"It was beautiful. It was remarkable. It was unique. It had thirty pockets, seven of which were obvious, nineteen of which were hidden, and four of which were more or less impossible to find -- even, on occasion for the Marquis himself. . . In addition to its unusual pockets, it had magnificent sleeves, an imposing collar, and a slit up the back. It was made of some kind of leather it was the color of a wet street at midnight, and more important than any of these things, it had style." 

Here is a YouTube video excerpt introducing the Audience to The Marquis

The illustration of the Marquis is by Ka-ren, Deviant Art. 

Mr Croup and Mr Vandemar

Gaiman has created two over the top despicable villains, Mr Croup and Mr Vandemar that threaten Richard and his allies throughout Neverwhere, ultimately torturing and killing The Marquis (he later recovers). They incorporate an inhuman disdain for life, suffering, pain, and cruelty. And they exist in a different dimension of time. Here is an excerpt of an angry Mr Croup on the phone with their employer, while Mr Vandemar, nearby, is listening and eating live frogs which he is stuffing into his mouth.

"Sir, might I remind you, that Mr. Vandemar and myself burned down the City of Troy. We brought the Black Plague to flanders. We have assassinated a dozen kings, five popes, half a hundred heroes, and two accredited gods. Our last commission before this was the torturing to death an entire monastery in sixteenth-century Tuscany. We are utterly professional." 

The illustration of Mr Croup and Mr Vandemar is by Chris Ridell.

All of these characters, and over a hundred more, are integral to the surreal world of Neverwhere and Richard's quest to discover who murdered the family of Door.

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Return to Neverwhere

Neil Gaiman, is currently writing a sequel to the extraordinary Neverwhere. The title of this new book is The Seven Sisters.

 

Gaiman said that he had been prompted to write the sequel both by the changes in the world over the past 20 years and his work with the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). Under the latter’s auspices, he has visited refugee camps in the Middle East and spoken to people displaced by the conflict in Syria. . . Here is a link to a David Barnett article in the Guardian with information regarding The Seven Sisters.

The photo was taken of Gaiman and Syrian refugee kids when he visited a UNHCR refugee camp.

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An Alternate Neverwhere

I was recently reading  Neverwhere when I encountered KTO's traveling outdoor theater surreal presentation/experience Quixotage. This is like a visit to an alternate Neverwhere. KTO's street theatre incorporates music, dance, and elements of circus into surreal living theatre performances. This tradition lives on, in Eastern Europe and especially in Poland.

 

The extraordinary KTO Theatre, under creative director Jerzy, is based in Krakow. They travel, they are a theater on the road, and have been witnessed by over one and a half million people. 

 

The photo is by Witold Siemaszkieuicz.
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"We like to think we live in daylight, but half the world is always dark; and fantasy, like poetry, speaks the language of the night." -- Ursula K. LeGuin

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Movies

The Kid Who would be King

I haven't seen this film, however the action-packed trailer looks like a hot fantasy movie for young boys, combining revenge of the underdog with the legend of Arthur. Here is a link to the trailer: Who Would Be King 

Here is an excerpt from a review by Blige Ebiri: "What ensues is a brisk, well-mounted children’s fantasy, with Cornish giving the story an entertainingly apocalyptic spin. . . The action is creatively staged, without ever getting too intense or scary for young viewers. And the script balances humor, pathos and wish fulfillment as it portrays Alex’s rise from mopey dreamer to confident warrior, without overdoing the mythic portent."  Link: Blige Ebiri NYTimes
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Watership Down and Disney's Plans for the Near Future

I posted last month about the film of Watership Down, a wonderful, multi-dimensional creation of the world of rabbits and their struggle to live. True to the book, the film does not sugar coat the story of the rabbits quest for a life free from fear and danger. Netflix produced the film and it can only be seen there at this time. Netfix will continue to produce wonder tales with integrity as they are now working with Guillermo del Toro to produce Pinocchio.

I wonder if Disney's market driven decision makers will respect the original wonder tales in their upcoming productions of live action adaptations of their "classic" animated films. The next six film "classics" scheduled by Disney are: Dumbo, Aladdin, Mulan, and Maleficent, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

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Lego 2

Opening in February, Lego 2 has excellent reviews. Here is a link to Peter Bradshaw's in the Guardian. Here is the trailer for LEGO 2

 

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Wynken, Blynken, and Nod -- Amanda Palmer

Neil Gaiman is married to an artist and musician, Amanda Palmer, an exciting performer and singer, and judging by her music and videos, a charismatic, candid, warm, and generous spirited woman. YouTube has many engaging videos of Palmer, including several with her husband. One of them, recorded at the Boston Book Fair, wherein she is interviewed by Neil is interesting and revealing; more insights into this very special woman are found in her Ted Talk. A favorite Amanda Palmer creation of mine is a lovely musical fantasy of the classic Wynken, Blynken, and Nod which features the recently born child of Amanda and Neil. Here is a link to this amazing video: Wynken Blynken and Nod Amanda Palmer

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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 . . . 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."

Goodreads review excerpts by Author Bob Tarte (Enslaved by Ducks)

 

 

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Giving Books to Underprivileged Children

There is a website, The Literacy Site Store, that contributes books to kids based on visitor clicks. They also sell or facilitate sales for a variety of merchants which funds books. Last year, visitor clicks funded 389,872 books for children in need. Purchases at The Literacy Site store funded an additional 16,179 books.

First Book, an affiliate of The Literacy Site Store, announced a current plan to distribute 1.5 million books to underprivileged kids. Here is an excerpt from their announcement: "First Book, the nonprofit social enterprise focused on equal access to quality education for children in need, today announced the launch of OMG Books Awards: Offering More Great Books to Spark Innovation, a program that will unlock more than $4.7 million in funding to distribute 1.5 million brand new books and eBooks to children living in low-income communities."

The photo (NYTimes) was taken in the Children's Zone Academy in Harlem; the book was distributed via First Book. 

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Refugee Children

Twelve million  Syrians have fled their homes in fear. Half of them are children.

An estimated 4 million children have been born in Syria since 2011, meaning that half the country’s children have grown up only knowing war. It is details like this that are lost in most headlines about Syria, especially those generated by the White House.

The USA was settled and built by immigrants, most of them escaping fear and oppression, all of them seeking a better life. And the majority, were seeking a better life for their children.

 

The photo is from Alweiwei's incredible documentary, Human Flow. Here is a link to an excerpt (2:26).

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The Yelodoggie Search

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We believe that Why Am I, C.A. Wulff's wonderful new Yelodoggie book should have a big marketing push and wide distribution. Kids 4-8 love it and we are hoping it will be the beginning of a series. Accordingly, this new year marks the beginning of our renewed search for a publisher who will also love the book, embrace its potential, and launch it into the world.

Why Am I is a joyous Yelodoggie book that helps children recognize and appreciate differences and to embrace that which is unique in each of us.

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Planet of The Dogs -- Excerpts

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

In Waggy Valley, on the Planet of the Dogs, dogs were coming from everywhere for the special meeting called by the dog council. This was the first time in many years that a special meeting was being held where all dogs were invited. In every direction, as far as the eye could see, the roads were filling up with dogs of all kinds -- big dogs, little dogs, dogs with long shaggy hair, dogs with neat short fur. . . 

Led by Miss Merrie, the dog council came running out to the top of a low open hill at the end of the valley. The council had dogs of all ages and types so that all the dogs felt represented. They lay in a circle around their queen.

 Miss Merrie was a very wise toy poodle who had lived a long time. Not since she was a puppy had there been a gathering like this. Like the other dogs, she was wagging her tail in greeting. It soon became very quiet except for the sound of the moving air created by all those wagging tails. After some welcoming woofs, Miss Merrie told the dogs why they had been asked to come to the meeting.

 ' There is trouble on Earth, the Planet of the People. Some people have become mean and greedy. They take things from other people and often hurt them. They need to learn again about love.' A chorus of howls erupted when the dogs heard that people had forgotten about love ". . .

You can read sample chapters of all the books in the series, Planet Of The Dogs, Castle in the Mist, and Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Tale, at www.planetofthedogs.net. The books are available free to therapy dogs and their owners (via [email protected])

The illustration from Planet Of The Dogs is by Stella Mustanoja McCarty. 

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"Man is troubled by what might be called the Dog Wish, a strange and involved compulsion to be as happy and carefree as a dog."

James Thurber

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December -- Celebration, Joy from the World of Story

                                                         The illustration is by Lennart Helje

 

Letters from the North Pole

Every Christmas, over the years between 1920 and 1942, four children received a letter, in an envelope bearing a stamp from the North Pole, from Father Christmas. 

They were the beloved children, John, Michael, Christopher, and Priscilla, of J. R. R.Tolkien. John, the first-borne child, was 3 years old when the first letter arrived in 1920.

The letters told wonderful tales, with illustrations, of Father Christmas and his life at the North Pole. There were stories that involved North Polar Bear, Snow Elves, Red Gnomes, and Goblins. The Goblins tried to invade the Storerooms but were thwarted by the Elves. One of the Elves, Ilbreth, became Santa's chief assistant.

The letters were edited by Baillie Tolkien, second wife of his youngest son, Christoper, and published as a book.There have been several editions, beginning in September, 1976, 3 years after Tolkien's death. Here is a link to the Introduction to the Letters From Father Christmas.

Here is the message in the first letter to John: "I heard you ask daddy what I was like. and where I lived. I have drawn me and my house for you. Take care of the picture. I am just off now for Oxford with my bundle of toys -- some for you. I hope I shall arrive on time: the snow is very thick at the North Pole tonight. Your loving Father Christmas."

The illustrations are from the letters sent to the children by Tolkien.

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Charles Dicken's Awakened The Christmas Spirit in England 

The industrial revolution brought both prosperity and poverty to England.  Landed gentry became wealthy business owners with a lack of regard for human welfare. A rising, comfortable,  middle class developed alongside desperation, prostitution, and child labor.  Charles Dickens never forgot his painful years as a poor boy working for many years under very harsh conditions. His imaginative fantasy,  A Christmas Carol, was a wonderful story, and created great change among people. 

"In the mid 1800s, Christmas was a dying holiday, much as it is today. Many of its traditions were being neglected, and even the idea of "Peace on earth, good will to men" was considered passe. Then something extraordinary happened: Charles Dickens published "A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas." It was an instant success, and launched one of the biggest comebacks in history: not of Dickens, but of Christmas.". . . Waitsel Smith

I recently reread A Christmas Carol and was once again caught up in this powerful story of fear, awareness, and celebration that had such a huge impact. Here is an excerpt that takes place when Scrooge meets the third ghost/spirit.

"Ghost of the Future!” he exclaimed, “I fear you more than any spectre I have seen. But as I know your purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was, I am prepared to bear you company, and do it with a thankful heart. Will you not speak to me?”

It gave him no reply. The hand was pointed straight before them.

“Lead on!” said Scrooge. “Lead on! The night is waning fast, and it is precious time to me, I know. Lead on, Spirit!”

The Phantom moved away as it had come towards him. Scrooge followed in the shadow of its dress, which bore him up, he thought, and carried him along.". . 

Here is a link to read it all: the Project Gutenberg's free ebook of the original Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. 

The illustration is by Harry Furniss.

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Humane Relationships

"At their best, the storytelling of fairy tales constitute the most profound articulation of the human struggle to form and maintain a civilizing process. . . The more we learn to relate to other groups of people and realize that their survival and the fulfillment of their interests is related to ours, the more we might construct social codes that guarantee humane relationships. -- Jack Zipes on The Art Of Storytelling Show

                                  

 

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Here is a link to the Reading of Dickens' Christmas Carol  by Neil Gaiman at the    NY Public Library  

 

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 Event of Joy

This post has become an annual event on this blog. I have looked at many terrific Flashmob musical events, but, for December, I keep returning to this extraordinary video . . .

People and musicians gather one by one, and then more and more people, in a wonderful video that celebrates the Joy of the season with music. This is also a timeless testament to humanity and hope. It builds, non-stop, to 6 wonderful minutes.

Here is the link to Joy... Ode To Joy 

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Kwanzaa

"Unlike Christmas and Hanukkah, Kwanzaa was not born out of religion. Instead it is a largely social and communal holiday that grew out of the civil rights movement. . . it is now looked at as a chance for people of all races and backgrounds to celebrate African culture the same way we celebrate Irish and Mexican culture on St. Patrick’s Day and Cinco de Mayo. . .Families celebrate Kwanzaa in many ways. Celebrations typically include a feast on Dec. 31, accompanied by dancing, African drums, singing, storytelling and more. Many also partake in the kikombe cha umoja, or unity cup, which is passed from person to person. . ." 

Here is a link to read more from an informative article by Tyler McCarthy, quoted above, about Kwanzaa

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A Rescued Christmas Tale Classic  

Mr Dog's Christmas at the Hollow Tree Inn, written by Albert Bigelow Paine (1861-1937),  is a wonderful Christmas book and a rescued treasure. Paine was a prolific writer, his work ranging from lauded biography (Mark Twain and Joan of Arc); to popular travel journals; and to delightful children's stories and books. He created an entire world of stories of the Deep Woods and The Hollow Tree.

Over the years, the story, originally published in 1898, became lost to most of the world. However, it remained a favorite in the family of Betsy Cordes for three generations, and was read aloud, every Christmas Eve. Under the guidance of Ms Cordes, and with the wonderful illustrations by Adam McCauley, Mr Dog's Christmas at the Hollow Tree Inn has been given a new life.

 

Here is a quotation from the book: 

"But by and by Mr. Dog thought about something else. He thought it would be too bad, too, for them to be disappointed that way. You see, Mr. Dog liked them all now, and when he had thought about that a minute he made up his mind to do something. And this is what it was—he made up his mind to play Santa Claus!"

Here is a link to the Picture Book Review for an excellent in-depth visit with Mr Dog and his friends.

Here's a link to learn more or to order this delightful Christmas book: Mr Dog's Christmas at the Hollow Tree Inn.   

The illustration is by Adam McCauley. 

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The Ghost Dog of Christmas Past

Circling the Waggins, a wonderful book by C.A. Wulff, is a journey into the heart and mind of a dedicated pet lover who shares her experiences, concerns, and deep emotions with the reader.The setting is a cabin-home in a national park forest. The characters are several adopted dogs, cats, and, for a while, domestic mice -- and two compassionate women. Here is an excerpt:

"I feel like we are haunted by the ghost dog of Christmas past. The season brings a million reminders of our Troll, a dog who had loved Christmas more than any other time of year. He would get excited at the first signs of holiday decorations, and his eyes would shine with a child’s wonder. On Christmas morning, he would race to be the first dog under the tree, to tear at the packages full of biscuits and rawhides. Each of the dogs would tear at a package, but Troll unwrapped with such gusto and fervor, that they would all abandon their presents to stand back and watch him, and then make off with whatever treats he had revealed." 

Here is a link to a Goodreads review of Circling the Waggins

The photo of Troll is by C.A. Wulff.

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United by Festive Tales of Fantasy

"This time of year, the stories that most unite us are fantasies in which we are not (except as small children) asked to put our faith. Unlike, say, the biblical accounts of Adam and Eve and the birth of Jesus, these festive tales generally do not draw masses of faithful who insist as a point of dogma on their literal truth. On the contrary, either our playful seasonal stories are clearly understood from the start to be fictional or, in the case of Santa Claus, they become fictional in time."

Posted by Maria Tatar, quoting Stephen Greenblatt, on her Breezes from Wonderland Blog.

The illustration is by Jenny Nyström. 

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Movies

Becoming Astrid

A new film based on the early life of Astrid Lindgren has received excellent reviews by critics and audiences alike. I have long admired Lindgren's talent, her writing achievements, and her life. "Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002)  was a gifted, prolific, independent Swedish woman -- a single mother -- who wrote a very large number of successful children's books. She is best known for her Pippi Longstocking series. Her books have been translated into 70he August, 2018, posting of this blog.

Here is the Trailer: Becoming Astri languages. One hundred and sixty five million have been sold.

I wrote about Astrid Lindgren in td. 

The photo is of Astrid and her daughter taken by an unknown photographer.

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Laurel and Hardy

Peter Bradshaw, writing in the Guardian:  ". . . the melancholy twilight of comedy gods, Laurel and
Hardy (with) brilliant impersonations by Steve Coogan and John C Reilly (that) lift the muted charm of this biopic about their troubled music-hall tour of Britain. . ." 

This is a film for mature audiences as the review and trailer reveal: Laurel and Hardy.

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Holmes and Watson

This one is for kids. Silly slapstick fun with two funny men: John C. Reily and Will Ferrell. Reily transitions from Oliver Hardy to Dr. Watson. Total irrelevance to Conan Doyle.

Here is a preview:Trailer: Holmes and Watson

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Mirai

Mirai opened to excellent reviews and audience reaction. Here's an excerpt from KennethTuran in the LATimes: "Without any preamble, Kun's courtyard refuge turns into a kind of magic zone where no-limits fantasy and recognizable reality unapologetically intertwine in a way that is quintessentially Hosoda."

Here is a link to the trailer for: Mirai

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Fantastic Beasts :The Crimes of Grindelwald  

"The team behind “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” throws an awful lot at the screen during this clotted two-hour-plus diversion, the latest installment in the J.K. Rowling-verse. As is often the case in a Rowling production, evil is ascendant, seeping through both human and magic realms like poison gas.

Mostly, though, because Rowling builds worlds, what “Grindelwald” has is a great deal of story. The movie is chockablock with stuff: titular creatures (if not nearly enough), attractive people, scampering extras, eye-catching locations, tragic flashbacks, teary confessions and largely bloodless, spectacular violence. It’s an embarrassment of riches, and it’s suffocating. . ." By Manhola Dargis  in the NYTimes

Here is a link to the trailer: Fantastic Beasts, The Crimes of Grindelwald

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Therapy Dogs and Veterans Helping Veterans

This excellent documentary (4 minutes15 seconds) takes the viewer into the world of veterans with PTSD and other disabilities whose lives have been helped in tangible ways through PPH therapy dogs. Here is a link to this excellent, upbeat video: PPH Video

Paws for Purple Hearts uses therapy dogs trained by veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) to help their comrades with combat-related injuries... "PPH is built upon the trusted and time-honored tradition of Veterans helping Veterans...  These programs have changed the lives of many Veterans struggling with PTSD.

 Here is a link to their website Paws For Purple Hearts 

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Why Am I ?...A Yelodoggie Illustrated Story Book

With the arrival of the Christmas season we continue our search for a publisher who will love Why Am I ?, recognize its potential, and launch it into the world.

Why Am I ? is a joyous book that helps children to understand and appreciate differences and to embrace that which is unique in each of us. 

Why Am I ? teaches tolerance. We believe that Why Am I ?, C.A. Wulff's wonderful new book, should have wide distribution. Kids 4-8 love it and we see it as the beginning of a series.

 

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SAVE THE CHILDREN

In this season of hope for all of us who are fortunate to have access to wonders like the world of children's literature, I think of the ceaseless work being done by Save The Children to bring hope to millions.

"Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. Around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm.

We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.

In 2017, we reached over 49 million children directly through our and our partners' work. Follow this link to read our latest Save the Children Annual Review."

 

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Reading As Doorway to a Better Life

Mommy and Me and Talk to Me are two delightful complimentary books available to new mothers. Over 65,000 have been donated thus far, primarily to medical organizations that put them in the hands of new mothers. 

Flint, Michigan, had a terrible problem with their city water supply and many infants and young children ended up with lead poisoning.  A female pediatrician discovered the situation and brought it to the nation’s attention. The Yeager Family Foundation has partnered with her and in 2017 provided over 4,300 copies ofTalk To Me to help young children in Flint begin their journey on the road of reading.

The University of North Carolina is using their books in their outreach programs for young families throughout the State, and they were able to incorporate them into their support efforts for families adversely affected by this year's devastating hurricane.

 

For more information regarding these very special books visit the Yeager Foundation Website.

 

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Did the dogs really save Christmas?  An interview with Santa.

 

Interviewer: Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions and clarifying things.

Santa: I’m happy that the story is finally coming out.

Interviewer: Is it a true story?

Santa:  Absolutely.

Interviewer: Why haven’t we known about it before?

Santa:  I think it was lost in the mists of time…It took place hundreds and hundreds of years ago.

Interviewer: Is it true that there was to be no more Christmas?

Santa: I’m sorry to say that it’s true. Until the dogs arrived.

Interviewer: The dogs?

Santa: It was a surprise to all of us in Santa Claus village. None of us, and that includes all the elves, had even heard of dogs.

Interviewer: Is that because you were so far North and rather isolated?

Santa: Well, that and the fact that dogs has just started arriving on planet earth. Prior to that time, there had been no dogs on Earth.

Interviewer: Really! Where did they come from? And how did they find you?

Santa: They had started coming down from their own planet – the Planet of the Dogs. They came down to help people. Somehow, they had heard we were in trouble, and one day, there they were, just like that.

Interviewer: How many were there? And what about the snow and the cold weather? Didn’t it bother them?

Santa: I never counted, but there sure were a lot of dogs. And most of them loved the snow. There were a few others that weren’t that happy with our weather, but they kept warm enough one way or another. And there were two nice kids, a brother and sister, who were with them. They could talk to the dogs and seemed to guide them.

Interviewer:  I don’t understand how two kids and a big bunch of dogs could save Christmas. . .

You can read the rest of this brief interview with Santa and sample chapters of Snow Valley Heroes on www.planetofthedogs.net

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Joy to the World from

the Planet Of The Dogs

 

 

 

Photo of his dogs, Darcy and Caboose, courtesy of Richard Bradley (A Rock In My Shoe).

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"Because of the dog's joyfulness, our own is increased. It is no small gift."
-Mary Oliver

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November -- Courage, Luck, and Hope

 

 "Both the oral and literary forms of the fairy tale are grounded in history: They emanate from specific struggles to humanize bestial and barbaric forces, which have terrorized our minds and communities in concrete ways." Jack Zipes from his introduction to Spells of Enchantment.

The photo is of a Russian peasant family before 1918. 

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Courage, Magic, and Amazing Outcomes

Fearless Ivan and His Faithful Horse Double-Hump by Pyotr Yershov as retold by Jack Zipes

Until I read this wonderful story of a courageous, flawed, simple, and very likable young farmer, Ivan, and his magic pony, Double Hump, my only encounters with Russian wonder tales was in the form of ballet, music, and illustrations.  Like other classic tales, because Ivan is fearless and good-hearted, he is rewarded with Double-Hump, the magic little horse. I have found magic to be a great enabler in Russian wonder tales. Fearless Ivan, with the aid of Double-Hump, is able to overcome an extraordinary series of obstacles and dangers. And the ending is a very satisfying delight. 

Yershov published the original version of this tale in the form of a poem in 1834. He borrowed from many Russian tales and the poem became a popular favorite. It remained so through the ensuing years despite efforts to suppress it in the mid-nineteenth century. This, no doubt was precipitated by the fact that the Tsar in the poem is a cruel and incompetent despot.

Jack Zipes has included several pages of relevant historical and biographical information. The charming illustrations by Russian artists are from the Jack Zipes book,Tales of Wonder, Retelling Fairy Tales through Postcards. 

Several Ballets of this tale have been created over the years in Russia.

Here is a link to one of these ballets. This version was produced by the famous Marinsky Theater in St. Petersburg with music composed by Radion Shehedrin: The Little Humpbacked Horse.  

Film studios in Moscow made a first class animated film of this wonder tale in 1977; here is a link to The Magic Pony.

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Discovering the Russian Fairy Tale Heritage 

After reading Fearless Ivan, and learning more about the poet, Yershov, I have gone on to read several more Russian tales from the past. They are all new to me and  are quite different, especially in structure, from Western European tales as exemplified by the Brothers Grimm.
 
I have found them to be filled with magic and incredible, episodic stories. They are involved with nature, mystical events, surprises and danger. Vasilisa The Beautiful is a classic example.

Life is hard in this tale, even for the beautiful. For there are envious and cruel people. and there are fierce and powerful forces in the forest like the ancient evil witch,  Baba Yaga.

There are times and events when courage alone isn't enough. A gift of magic is needed. This was the case of Vasilisa the Beautiful. where the spirit of her mother always looked over her. Here is an excerpt from the book wherein her dying mother give Vasilisa her magic doll and eternal protection.

" 'My little Vasilissa, my dear daughter, listen to what I say, remember well my last words and fail not to carry out my wishes. I am dying, and with my blessing, I leave to thee this little doll. It is very precious for there is no other like it in the whole world. Carry it always about with thee in thy pocket and never show it to anyone. When evil threatens thee or sorrow befalls thee, go into a corner, take it from thy pocket and give it something to eat and drink. It will eat and drink a little, and then thou mayest tell it thy trouble and ask its advice, and it will tell thee how to act in thy time of need.' So saying, she kissed her little daughter on the forehead, blessed her, and shortly after died."

As in the Cinderella tale, Vasilissa's father goes on a journey, leaving her with a scheming, evil, stepmother and her two cruel daughters, who send Vasilisa to the powerful evil witch, Baba Yaga.  This is a powerful witch who kills. However, the doll protects Vasilissa through many dangerous events until finally, in the end: "Vasilissa rose and went at once to the Palace, and as soon as the Tsar saw her, he fell in love with her with all his soul. He took her by her white hand and made her sit beside him. 'Beautiful maiden,' he said, 'never will I part from thee and thou shalt be my wife.' "

Translation by Post Wheeler, from the book Russian Wonder Tales; posted by SurLaLune  

https://www.surlalunefairytales.com/russian/russianwondertales/vasilissa.html

SurLaLune is not available through this blog because of security blockage.

The illustration of the book cover is by Ivan Bilibin. The illustration of Vasilisa and Baba Yaga is by Forest Rogers. 

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The Russian Counterpart to the Brothers Grimm

In the 1850's, a Russian scholar, Alexander Afanasyev, published over 600 Russian and Slavic Fairy and Folk Tales. Here are excerpts regarding his work from Wikipedia:

"Alexander Afanasyev became interested in old Russian and Slav traditions and stories in the 1850s ('folklore' as an area of study did not exist at the time). . . His early scholarly articles, drew upon the so-called Mythological school that treated legends and tales as a mine of information for the study of more ancient pagan mythology. In such an interpretation, he regarded the fairy tale Vasilisa the Beautiful as depicting the conflict between the sunlight (Vasilisa), the storm (her stepmother), and dark clouds (her stepsisters). A great archivist, his works provide copious information, evidence, documents, and passages of the old chronicles relating to Old Russian culture, history and tradition, as well as other Indo-European languages, folklore and legends, in particular German traditions (he knew to perfection German as well as all SlavIn  languages and ancient ones)."

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Russia

 Russia, where Afanasyev collected over 600 wonder tales, was for centuries a land of near constant conflict, with a society dominated by nobles, where rulers led by the sword, and where the peasants who worked the land were serfs, people with no freedom . . .a country with distances so vast that its territory, from east to west, extends over eleven time zones. The Orthodox Church was powerful and restrictive.The Tsars ruled with large armies and large conquests. At this time, the country, except for travel by nobles, was isolated from the West; industrialization had not occurred, and there was no middle class. 

 

 

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Russian Fairy Tales Far from the Ancient Slavic Myths

Post Wheeler, a journalist, scholar, and diplomat translated and published Russian Fairy Tales in 1912. Here is an excerpt from his insightful Introduction:
"The only things the skazki (folk tales) picture that are common to Russian country life today are those things which in Russia never change-the wide, windswept steppe and dense forest, the love of animal life and the comradeship of the horse, the dread and terror of the long winter cold, and the passionate welcome given to the springtime sun. What ever else they may tell the student is in a tongue now unintelligible to the peasant, who has least of all been aware that, in these centuries-old repetitions there have been handed down to a new era pictures indelible, though blurred and indistinct, of an ancient age, of times, customs, religion and deities no longer his own.

For the beginning of the skazki (folk tales) we must go back to the remote time when the early Slavonians, parting from the parent stock in Central Asia, reached the Russias, developing there their myth-mass and setting up their hierarchy of Pagan gods. . ."  

 

The illustration from a Russian wonder tale is by Ivan Bilibin.

 

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Mythology and Folk Tales 

Jeremiah Curtin was a nineteenth century American scholar, passionate ethnologist, and translator who was conversant in more than 10 languages. His studies encompassed Russian and Slavic cultures. In 1890 he published Myths and Folk-Tales of the Russians, Western Slavs, and Magyars. 

Here is an excerpt from the Introduction to his book:

"There are masterpieces in literature filled with myths, inspired with myth conceptions of many kinds, simply colored by the life of the time and the nations among which these masterpieces were written and molded to shape by artists, made strong from the spirit of great, simple people, as unknown to us as the nameless heroes who perished before Agamemnon. How much mythology is there in the Iliad and the Odyssey, in the Æneid, in the Divine Comedy of Dante, in the works of the other three great Italian poets? How much in Paradise Lost? How could “King Lear” and “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” or the “Idylls of the King” have been written without Celtic mythology? Many of these literary masterpieces have not merely myths in their composition as a sentence has words, but the earlier ones are enlarged or modified myth-tales of those periods, while the later ones are largely modeled on and inspired by the earlier."

 

The myth of the firebird has many variations and lives on today.The illustration on the left, Feathers of the Firebird, is the identifying visual from the blog of popular author Sophie Masson.

The illustration on the right is by Anna and Elena Balbusso for a new version of the tale, Ekatrina and the Firebird, by Abra Staffin-Wiebe. You can read it on this link: TOR

There is also an exceptional animated Firebird  based on the music of Igor Stravinsky, with animation by the brilliant  Paul and Gaëtan Brizzi for Fantasia 2000. The Brizzi Brothers worked for Walt Disney Animation from 1994 to 2000. I was transported by this film sequence (8:52).

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We Must Endure

 “'We must endure, Alyosha.' That was the only thing she could say in response to my accounts of the ugliness and dreariness of life, of the suffering of the people — of everything against which I protested so vehemently. I was not made for endurance, and if occasionally I exhibited this virtue of cattle, wood, and stone, I did so only to test myself, to try my strength and my stability."

Maxim Gorky

 

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 Movies

Here are trailers for 3 new-to-me movies of interest.
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The Nutcracker and the Four Realms 

A new retelling  by Disney including new music. Opening November 2 .Link:  Nutcracker 2018 Trailer

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The Grinch 2018

The Grinch is again creating havoc for Christmas. Opening November 9. Link: The Grinch 2018 Trailer

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The House with a Clock in its Walls

The trailer looks like silly, flawed fun for young teens. From Rotten Tomatoes: Critics Consensus: An entertaining PG detour for gore maestro Eli Roth, The House with a Clock in Its Walls is a family-friendly blend of humor and horror with an infectious sense. . . 

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Room to Read. . . millions of books for millions of kids

This is a wonderful program. Here are excerpts from their website. 

"Room to Read seeks to transform the lives of millions of children in low-income communities by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Working in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations and governments, we develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children, and support girls to complete secondary school with the relevant life skills to succeed in school and beyond. . .  

"Our Girls’ Education Program ensures that girls complete secondary school and have the skills to negotiate key life decisions. Our program reinforces girls’ commitment to their own education, works with girls to develop essential life skills and increases support for girls’ education among their parents, school staff, and communities."

Here is a link to the Room to Read Literacy Program 

Here is a link to the Room to Read website

The photo is from a Room to Read classroom in Cambodia.

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How To Change The World in Thirty Seconds

An Audacious Title -- What Does It Mean?

"If you love animals and are dismayed when you see stories of animal abuse and cruelty in the news; if you ever
wished you could do something about it, but you just didn't know where to start, this book has you covered. Just 30 seconds a day on the Internet can not only make a difference, but can also change the world. . . . for novices as well as experienced animal rescuers.  Combining case histories with practical tips, this guide demonstrates how to use the Internet to advocate for dogs; from simple clicks to more advanced methods."

The above is from Amazon; the excerpt that follows is from an Amazon review:

 "While there is a focus on animal rights activism, the information provided extends to various causes and campaigns. Despite being an online activist for a long time, I found so many new resources and websites to use! Well-worth reading."

 

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 Fences for Fido - Unchained. . . one dog at a time

"Fences for Fido is an award-winning, non-profit organization that builds donor-funded fences free of charge for families who keep their dogs on chains, tethers and in small enclosures. We also provide:

• A warm, insulated dog house
• Spay/neuter services
• Critical vet care

In the past 9 years, Fences For Fido has unchained over 1600 dogs in NW Oregon, central Oregon and SW Washington!"

Here is a link to a terrific video montage of Joyous Dogs after a visit from Fences for Fido.

 

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USA. . . I am hopeful

More than 800,000 people registered to vote this year as part of National Voter Registration Day, which fell on Sept. 25.

I am hopeful that the midterms will be a step to the light and away from the darkness that has come to the USA.

The photo is by Elena Shumilova.

 

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Why Am I ?

Why Am I ? – a joyous Yelodoggie Book – celebrates self-empowerment and the benefits of inclusion. It helps children recognize and appreciate differences and to embrace that which is unique in each of us.

Yelodoggie travels far and wide, up and down, inside and outside, from outer space to the waters of the sea –gaining confidence and leaving his insecurities behind – while seeking to answer Why Am I different ?...Why Am I Yellow ? 

Why Am I ? opens the imagination and perspective of children to the world around them.

We continue searching for a publisher who will love Why Am I ?, recognize its potential, and launch it into the world. This is a book for our troubled times. Our primary motive is wide distribution.

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Reading, Imagination, Children, Libraries

"Fiction is the lie that tells the truth.

We all have an obligation to daydream.

We have an obligation to imagine . . .

Individuals make the future and they do that by imagining that things can be different."

The quotation is from Neil Gaiman's new book, Art Matters Because Your Imagination Can Change the World. The book is Illustrated by Chris Riddell; you can read it all by clicking this link: Gaiman Guardian.

 

 

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 Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Tale  

"What would happen if someone kidnapped a couple of Santa’s reindeer so that he could not deliver his presents on Christmas Eve?  The dogs from The Planet of the Dogs have returned. 

Daisy and Bean from Green Valley head north to help the dogs rescue Dasher and Dancer, and they meet a host of new friends in the process.  But will they make it in time to save Christmas?  All of the “Planet of the Dogs” books are well written.  Not only are they fun to read. . . The short chapters are perfect to keep the attention of the target audience.  Dog lovers will especially like these tales, but everyone else can enjoy them too.  Snow Valley Heroes has the potential of becoming a favorite holiday story for both children and adults."

Review by Wayne Walker for Home School Buzz, Home School Book Review, and Stories for Children Magazine

The Planet of the Dogs series of children’s books tell the stories of the first time dogs came to planet Earth to teach people about unconditional loyalty and love -- and to help bring peace from invaders. To read sample chapters of any book in the series, visit PlanetOfTheDogs 

The illustration from Snow Valley Heroes is by Stella Mustanoja McCarty. 

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"Man is troubled by what might be called the Dog Wish, a strange and involved compulsion to be as happy and carefree as a dog."

James Thurber

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October -- Light In The Darkness

  

 

                                     

  The tale of Little Thumb  emerged, like many oral tales, from very early times. He was the youngest and   smallest of seven brothers, the children of a poor woodcutter and his wife. Little Thumb, with his  courage  and clever thinking amidst great dangers, casts a light in the darkness, prevailing as he does  over starvation, fear, and even death itself. The wonderful illustration of Little Thumb and his brothers  going into the forest was created by Edmund Dore for inclusion in Charles Perrault's iconic book (1697) of 8 fairy tales. It was the first written version of this tale.

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I Often Wonder . . .

What was it like, in the centuries when wonder tales were told and passed on, for a peasant woman to walk out of her house in the damp early morning, hoping that the invaders had been turned back and that her husband was still alive.?

What was it like for a father to call his sons from the fields and run together into the woods and hide from the ruthless military?

What was it like for a family, carrying food and their youngest child, as they ran up a rocky hillside to seek shelter behind the walls of the city?

For most of the western world and beyond, survival was an ongoing part of life.

Oral tales were entertainment and escape.They often brought laughter, and always brought hope. They were light in the darkness. 

The painting is by Pieter Bruegal.

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Sara Maitland Took Me to Twelve Forests 

Sara Maitland lives in an isolated shepherd's cottage in Galloway, Scotland. She is known as a feminist, and as an accomplished writer who pushes the boundaries. Her books, diverse and wide ranging, fiction and non-fiction, have been well received and include prize winners. Titles range from Far North to On Becoming a Fairy Godmother.

In Her Own Words: "I write fiction – mainly short stories now – mostly hyper- (or magic) realist, exploring the boundaries of beauty and terror. I use a lot of old stories (myths, fairy stories, folk tales etc.) to my own more contemporary ends. I have recently got very interested in “the new nature writing” and issues around ecology and sustainability. I am presently writing a book about Forests and Fairy Stories (which is a cross over fiction/non-fiction work) . . ." Scottish Book Trust

Sara Maitland has always had a strong interest in spiritual life and since her divorce from from an Anglican priest (after 21 years) she has embraced a life involving silence and meditation. Here is a quote and a comment by author Kathleen Jamie from her Guardian review of Maitland's  A Book Of Silence.

 "What I want to do is live in as much silence as is possible at this moment in our history." It's not complete isolation - although she has no near neighbours, she has the internet and a car - but she is aiming for a prayerful life of "80% silence".

"There is an interior dimension of silence, a sort of stillness of heart and mind which is not avoid, but a rich space."  Sara Maitland

The photos are of Sara Maitland in Galloway. Here is a link to many excerpts from her writings on citydesert 
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 World of Magic Opens Before Us . . .

"Wilhelm Grimm, wrote that fairy tales were the 'last echoes of pagan myths. . . A world of magic is 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) belong to our national poetic heritage..." 

Seth Lerer -- Children's Literature, A Reader's History from Aesop to Harry Potter

The photo was taken in a forest in Rääsepori; Finland.

 

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 Sara Maitland and The Northern Forests 

"Forests to these northern European peoples were dangerous and generous, domestic and wild, beautiful and terrible. And the forests were the terrain out of which fairy stories, one of  our earliest and most vital cultural forms, evolved. The mysterious secrets and silences, gifts and perils of the forest are both the backgound to and the source of these tales."

The above quote is from a wonderful book by Sara Maitland, Gossip From The Forest, The Tangled Roots Of Our Forests and Our Fairytales. Maitland writes about forests with insights and knowledge. She visits and camps in 12 UK forests, one each month, all with a history, and she rewrites 12 Grimm tales, one for each forest. The history and ecology of each forest, past and present, comes alive in this remarkable, lovely, book. 

 

Fairy Tales from Sara Maitland's Forests

The rewritten fairy tales from this book that I have read thus far are imaginative and very well written -- they flow -- while honoring the concept(s) and core of the originals; the "gifts and perils" of the forest are woven into the stories.

For instance,The Seven Swan's Sister, rewritten by Maitland, contains the primary plot elements of the original, but the focus of the tale is now on the ordeal of the courageous sister, a "young woman with a fierce integrity". Throughout the tale, she embodies hope, ultimately freeing her brothers from the spell. The forest protects, shelters, and nurtures her for much of the story.  

 Here is a link to Gossip From The Forest.

Here is a link to an article Maitland wrote on the Top Ten Books Of the Forest.

The illustration from the Seven Swan's Sister is by Mercer Mayer.

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The Great Forests

Here is a link to an awesome video of the great forests of Finland. The music, inspired by the forests, is  Finlandia, by Sibelius. There is no narration. Time: 9:37

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 Almost Beyond Belief

Ruth Franklin is from a family of Holocaust survivors. Growing up, she heard stories and had experiences that left her with unresolved thoughts and emotions. The Diary of Young Girl, by Anne Frank, was a very important book in her life. Franklin's literary accomplishments are many and include the much lauded, A Thousand Darknesses: Lies and Truths in Holocaust Fiction (2010).

In a provocative New Yorker article entitled, Transported, How should children's books deal with the Holocaust?, she quotes this telling observation by scholar and author Jack Zipes: "Both the oral and literary forms of the fairy tale are grounded in history: They emanate from specific struggles to humanize bestial and barbaric forces, which have terrorized our minds and communities in concrete ways." 

Franklin's article is comprehensive and deals head on with the basic problem: "The essential difficulty in writing convincing fiction about the Holocaust is that the events are so horrific that they seem almost beyond belief. What if the best way to make them feel real is to render them through the realm of imagination?"  She writes that this was the solution that Jane Yolen found with her breakthrough book, The Devil's Arithmetic (1988).

Four years later, she published Briar Rose, a rewritten version of the centuries old tale first made famous by the Grimms, wherein the tale of Sleeping Beauty becomes a template for this version of the story where fantasy frames the horrific events of Chelmno.

In March, 2018, 30 years after the publication of The Devil's Arithmetic, Yolen has published her third Holocaust novel, Mapping the Bones. "Although it uses “Hansel and Gretel” as a loose model, just as “Briar Rose” used “Sleeping Beauty,” the fantastical element operates mostly at the level of allusion, and the book unfolds as a historical novel."

Franklin concludes her exceptional article in part by quoting an Afterward written by Yolen for The Devil's Arithmetic: “ 'Fiction cannot recite the numbing numbers, but it can be that witness, that memory.' We may emerge from these books without grasping the true horror of their stories. But at least we’ve learned how to listen to them." 

The top photo is from the movie The Devil's Arithmetic.

Here is a link to the trailer for the movie

Here is a link to the Partisan Waltz, music of the Polish Partisan's who fought the Nazis: Partisan Waltz

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Reading Briar Rose Today

After reading Nancy Franklin's article, I felt compelled to read Briar Rose. I am not from a family of Holocaust survivors; however, I have naturally had compassion for everyone who suffered because of those horrendous events of WW2, And I had friends who lost many cousins, aunts and uncles in the holocaust. 

I have now read Jane Yolen's Briar Rose. It is a compelling book; a unique achievement, a timeless crossover YA novel.  A brilliant revision of Sleeping Beauty. There were several moments in the story that touched and moved me deeply. Yolen's ability to deal with the horrific events in a balanced way is remarkable.

The photo is of children who suvived the holocaust. Lambach Camp, Germany.

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Folklore Is a Reflection

"From mouth to ear to mouth, the old tales went. It was a generational art, a regenerational art, passed on and on. Each story was a cultural heirloom, preserving traditions in strange and sometimes original ways. Cinderella, arising from somewhere in preliterate China, brought along vestiges of footbinding with its emphasis on the tiny shoe. The briar in Sleeping Beauty encapsulated the Druidic language of trees, which sees the briar as signifying eroticism….Folklore reflects the society that creates it." 

Jane Yolen Courtesy of Terri Windling 

The illustration of Puss and Boots is by Carl Ofterdinger. 

 

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MOVIES 

Smallfoot The trailer looks like simple fun. The critics are mixed. : Here is the Critic's Concensus from Rotten Tomatoes: "Smallfoot offers a colorful distraction that should keep younger viewers entertained - and a story whose message might even resonate with older audiences. Here is link to the trailer: Smallfoot

 

Mary and the Witches Flower A film made by talented people who worked under Miyazaki. This excerpt from A.O. Scott of the NYTimes in accord with the opinion of the majority of critics on Rotten Tomatoes: 

Based on “The Little Broomstick,” a durably popular novel by Mary Stewart, and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, “Mary and the Witch’s Flower” is a charming children’s entertainment that sometimes seems to have been genetically engineered from other such entertainments. The rustling forests and voluptuous clouds recall the work of Hayao Miyazaki, and Mary herself shows an obvious kinship to the young witch in “Kiki’s Delivery Service.” Here is a link to the Trailer: Mary and the Witch'sFlower

The illustration is from Mary and the Witch's Flower

Mary Poppins returns  for Christmas. Here is the trailer.

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Refugees and Migrants in Children's Books...

 

Monica Edinger has a wonderful blog: Educating Alice. She is a fourth grade teacher in New York City, and an authority on children's literature. She is also the author of “Africa Is My Home: A Child of the Amistad.” She recently reviewed 6 picture books dealing with refugees and migrants. The following is an excerpt from her blog: 

I had the great privilege to review six timely migration-centered picture books for the New York Times, Please check them out here."

 The cover illustration is by Julie Morstad. The book is  Camille Andross. 

 

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Little Man, Little Man

"A James Baldwin Book, Forgotten and Overlooked for Four Decades, Gets Another Life." This is the heading for an article with welcome news by Alexandra Alter in The NY Times. Here is an excerpt from the article: 


"The story unfolds from the perspective of a curious, irrepressible 4-year-old boy named TJ, who loves music and playing ball, and navigates a neighborhood where gun violence, police brutality, alcoholism and drug addiction are looming threats — an outside world that even his warm home life with loving parents can’t shield him from...

Now, roughly four decades later, Baldwin’s relatives have resurrected the work, with a new edition from Duke University Press, and it could scarcely be more timely. It’s arriving at a moment when children’s book authors and publishers are more frequently placing black and brown children at the center of narratives about everyday life, often taking on charged social issues like mass shootings, addiction and police violence against African-American youth. They are finding an avid audience among young readers growing up in an increasingly diverse nation.

Some Baldwin fans and scholars hope that with the new edition, Little Man, Little Man will rightfully assume its place in the canon of African-American children’s literature, alongside works by Langston Hughes, Julius Lester, Walter Dean Myers and John Steptoe."

 The photo of boys in Harlem is by Ruth Bernhard.

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 LitWorld Opens the Reading Door

"Litworld is currently running programs in 27 countries, working with 57 partner organizations.

Our programs encourage sharing stories, building community, and cultivating a love of reading and writing to help literacy skills grow stronger. Literacy for LitWorld means reading, writing, speaking, and creating. We focus on outlets for creative expression, the value of the read aloud to immerse children in language and reading, and ways to amplify young people's stories to dignify their experience and give them a voice in the world. The power of people’s own stories and a wide range of diverse children’s literature are cornerstones of our programming."

The photo is from Kenya.

Here is a link to a delightful 2 1/2 minute LitWorld Video

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The Canine Therapy Corps

The canine/human connection is awesome.

The Canine Therapy Corps, based in Chicago Illinois, has approximately 65 volunteer teams working in a wide range of programs across the Chicago Metropolitan Area.

The variety of services they are providing is quite wonderful. They include: autism; children who have suffered sexual abuse; children with severe emotional and behavioral problems; people trying to overcome chemical dependencies; unaccompanied immigrant minors; hospital patients of all ages; veterans with PTSD and depression; and more.   

The Canine Therapy Corps makes an ongoing difference and has eased pain for thousands of people.

 

 Here is a link to:  Canine Therapy Dogs

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 Parade of Misfits

The selections in Parade Of Misfits give an amusing and sometimes raw glimpse into the life of Cayr Ariel Wulff as an animal advocate. She is an excellent writer who can tell a hilarious story about lobster Halloween costumes, but effortlessly segue into the joy and melancholy of Christmas with canine companions past and present. Adorable pictures are included! -- Cherry Ophelia reviewer on Amazon

 

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Never Again

I hope that the coming November elections will bring people into the government who will help the Gun Control movement and the Refugee Crisis despite the NRA and bigotry.

Here is a link to a father of one of the students murdered in the Parkland, Florida, massacre. He is speaking briefly at a memorial service. GunControl

The photo is of student pallbearers at the funeral service for their 35 year old geography teacher, Scott Biegel, killed in the the Parkland School massacre. Photo by Charles Trainor Jr., Miami Herald/TWS.

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“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” 

 Mark Twain

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Why Am I ?

Why Am I ? – a joyous Yelodoggie Book – celebrates self-empowerment and the benefits of inclusion. It helps children recognize and appreciate differences and to embrace that which is unique in each of us.

Yelodoggie travels far and wide, up and down, inside and outside, from outer space to the waters of the sea –gaining confidence and leaving his insecurities behind – while seeking to answer Why Am I different ?...Why Am I Yellow ?

Why Am I ? opens the imagination and perspective of children to the world around them.

We continue searching for a publisher who will love Why Am I ?, recognize its potential, and launch it into the world. This is a book for our troubled times. Our primary motive is wide distribution.
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 Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Tale  

"Banished to the Ice Castle, the King of the North seeks revenge. What better way to get revenge than to ruin Christmas?  When Tip and Top, two of Santa’s elves discover that Dasher and Dancer are missing, the Dog Council calls upon Daisy and Bean to help some of their friends from the Planet of Dogs travel to earth to save Santa’s reindeer. . . 

There is so much to like about Snow Valley Heroes. . . McCarty has brought together many captivating elements to create a beautiful story.  The illustrations provided by Stella Mustanoja McCarty are absolutely stunning and add a great deal to an already charming story." Cheryl Malandrios Children and Teens Book-Connection. 
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We have free reader copies of all the books in the Planet Of The Dogs series for therapy dog organizations, individual therapy dog owners, librarians, teachers and independent bookstores. . . email us with a postal address at [email protected] and we will send you the books. 

To read sample chapters of any book in the series, visit PlanetOfTheDogs 

The Planet Of The Dogs series (including Castle In The Mist and Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Tale) is available from many Internet sources and through independent book stores of all sizes. 

The illustration from Snow Valley Heroes is by Stella Mustanoja McCarty. 

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"In the world which we know, among the different and primitive geniuses that preside over the evolution of the several species, there exists not one, excepting that of the dog, that ever gave thought to the presence of man."  Maurice Maeterlinck

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September -- This Land Is Your Land, This Land Is My Land

                    

                      

                                                            The illustration is by Thomas Hart Benton                                                                   

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Mark Twain's writings embodied the still evolving, complex life of the USA in the 19th century. From river journeys to jumping frogs, his 28 books, stories, and articles were written for adults and read by multitudes of all ages. They were what later became known as crossover books. He deplored and laughed at pomposity and hypocrisy. And his imagination was inspired by, and grounded in, reality.

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A River Fantasy That Became a Classic

Mark Twain said that when the conditions for writing were in place, his imagination did the work and the writing flowed. Huckleberry Finn, his fantasy journey of a white boy and a black man on the Mississippi river must have been born in, and flowed from, his imagination in this way. The book became a classic that crosses the boundary of time.

"It's lovely to live on a raft. We had the sky, up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them, and discuss about whether they was made, or only just happened- Jim he allowed they was made, but I allowed they happened; I judged it would have took too long to make so many.” ― Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

The painting is by Thomas Hart Benton   

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Mark Twain. . .the Man from Hannibal, Missouri 

"He was also sympathetic to just how absurd and unreasonable the expectations of adults could be. As a boy, Twain himself was a notorious truant who skipped school religiously. He witnessed murders, befriended prisoners and slaves, and attended minstrel shows. Rather than irreversibly corrupting him, these childhood experiences informed much of his fiction. A more “sivilized” upbringing would have bored Twain and impoverished the nation’s literature. 

Twain sympathized with education reformers in the 1880s who opposed corporal punishment in schools. But he also sympathized with people who opposed school altogether. Mandatory universal education was a recent development at the time, and Huck represents the impossibility and undesirability of forcing all children to attend school. . .

Twain himself was only willing to go so far in his public statements about race. He decried racism and slavery privately, and he knew that the sympathetic depiction of the character Jim in Huck Finn might limit his readership in the Southern states. . . Late in life, Mark Twain wrote a devastating and outraged essay called 'The United States of Lyncherdom,' but he withheld its publication until after his death." -- Nick Romeo in the Daily Beast

The illustration by E.W. Kemble is from the first edition of Huckleberry Finn. 

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Huckleberry Finn . . .excerpted from an 1885 review

" In Tom Sawyer we saw Huckleberry Finn from the outside; in the present volume we see him from inside. He is almost as much a delight to any one who has been a boy as was Tom Sawyer. But only he or she who has been a boy can truly enjoy this record of his adventures, and of his sentiments and of his sayings. Old maids of either sex will wholly fail to understand him or to like him, or to see his significance and his value. Like Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn is a genuine boy; he is neither a girl in boy's clothes like many of the modern heroes of juvenile fiction, nor is he a 'little man,' a full-grown man cut down; he is a boy, just a boy, only a boy. And his ways and modes of thought are boyish . . .  so Mark Twain understands the American boy, and especially the American boy of the Mississippi Valley of forty or fifty years ago. The contrast between Tom Sawyer, who is the child of respectable parents, decently brought up, and Huckleberry Finn, who is the child of the town drunkard, not brought up at all, is made distinct by a hundred artistic touches, not the least natural of which is Huck's constant reference to Tom as his ideal of what a boy should be. . ."   

Cover by E.W. Kimble

 

 

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“Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot.” 

Mark Twain -- Preface to Huckleberry Finn

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Huck Finn's America

"No book (Huckleberry Finn) is as regularly ransacked. Bowdlerized, when not outright banned, from the moment of its publication in 1884, it has been read like a rune and interrogated for its embodiment of American anxieties about race and freedom and language, the call of the open road (or river). 'The brilliance of Huckleberry Finn,’ Toni Morrison wrote, 'is that it is the argument it raises.'. . .

Mr. Levy is excellent on Twain, on his drawl, his gait, his evolution on race matters — from youthful racism to passionate believer in the reparations owed former slaves — and even better on his contradictions. Twain, Mr. Levy reminds us, a friend to Frederick Douglass and benefactor of black college students. . . "

Parul Sehgal in her review of Huck Finn's America by Andrew Levy

The photo of the Mississippi river is courtesy of 1 Mississippi, Blue Stem Communications- 

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"Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.” -- Mark Twain
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Opinions of Huckleberry Finn by Four Writers

 

“It is an American epic and one that supplies an understanding of the country." (Waldo Frank, W. H. Auden)

"I believe that Huckleberry Finn is one of the great masterpieces of the world. … To say that some of the plotting of Huckleberry Finn is imperfect or that some of the episodes are unconvincing is as irrelevant as it would be to complain, as one critic did, that Coleridge’s Ancient Mariner was ‘improbable.’” (H. L. Mencken)

“There are, indeed, incoherencies in Huckleberry Finn. But the book survives everything … all is imbedded into a powerful mythic image.” (Robert Penn Warren)

From an article by Professor Tom Quirk, University of Missouri in Mizzou 

The illustration is by Edward Ardizzone.

 

Here is a link to an excellent, brief (3:19), and insightful video biography of Mark Twain.

 

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                 From the Mississippi to the Yellow Brick Road

                                                 The painting of the Medicine Man is by Morgan Weistling.
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L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of OZ was an original fantasy. It was also a reflection of life in nineteenth century America, a time of ongoing growth and change, of invention, railroads, and possibilities. It was a time of optimism and turmoil, of hype and hope.

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Go West Young Man

After his marriage to Maud Grange, the problems of family finances, and the call of opportunity in the ongoing opening of the West, took Baum from the east to Aberdeen, Nebraska (1888-891). Unfortunately, this was a time when a great drought and concurrent hard economic times would shadow his efforts to start a new life.

In Aberdeen, he opened an ill-fated retail store that subsequently failed. He then opened and wrote a weekly newspaper, the Aberdeen Weekly Pioneer. This was a logical step as he had written frequently since boyhood, including a variety of newspaper jobs. Despite his efforts, the newspaper was unable to support Baum and his family of four sons.

The great drought in Aberdeen was to later influence Baum's description of Dorothy's world in Kansas. Here is an excerpt from the opening of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz:

"When Dorothy stood in the doorway and looked around, she could see nothing but the great gray prairie on every side. Not a tree nor a house broke the broad sweep of flat country that reached the edge of the sky in all directions. The sun had baked the plowed land into a gray mass, with little cracks running through it. Even the grass was not green, for the sun had burned the tops of the long blades until they were the same gray color to be seen everywhere."

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Moving On

The family, now with four sons, moved to Chicago (1891) where Baum wrote for the Evening Post. He also created, wrote, and published a trade publication, The Show Widow.  This was during the time period when the City of Chicago presented the largest world's fair in the world, the Columbia Exposition (1893). A world of marvels, abounding in neo-classic beaux arts architecture, the fair was a celebration of the American experience. It was visited by 27 million people and is thought to have been an inspiration for the Emerald City of Oz.

Baum's fortitude finally brought him success and fame. Mother Goose in Prose, in 1897 was his first successful book. The illustrations were by Maxfield Parrish. His next book, Father Goose in Prose, in 1899, was an even bigger hit, and best selling children's book of the year. The illustrations by WW Denslow were an important part of the book's success. Baum was on his way.

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"Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses longing to be free..."

From the poem the New Colossus, by Emma Lazarus(1847-87)

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The Yellow Brick Road

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published in 1900,and also became the #1 best selling children's book for that year. Many sequels followed over the years (14 to 17 -- reports vary) and over 40 other books under a variety of pseudonyms. A play, produced in 1902 of the Wizard of OZ was a big hit and toured the USA. 

Like Lewis Carroll and Hans Christian Andersen in Europe, Baum created an original fantasy that broke with the past. Traditional fairy tale elements -- an arduous journey, overcoming dangers, abundant magic, a hopeful ending -- are major elements in the story. However, Baum also created a highly imaginative and original tale, highly influenced by the non-stop events in 19th century America. The book was, of course, the inspiration for the iconic movie of 1939 with one major difference: the events in the book really happened, whereas the the events in the movie were Dorothy's dream.

 

 

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 Turning Point

Just when it looked like evil would triumph.. .

"But Dorothy they did not harm at all. She stood, with Toto in her arms, watching the sad fate of her comrades and thinking it would soon be her turn. The leader of the Winged Monkeys flew up to her, his long, hairy arms stretched out and his ugly face grinning terribly; but he saw the mark of the Good Witch's kiss upon her forehead and stopped short, motioning the others not to touch her.

'We dare not harm this little girl,' he said to them, 'for she is protected by the Power of Good, and that is greater than the Power of Evil. All we can do is to carry her to the castle of the Wicked Witch and leave her there.' "

L. Frank Baum -- The Wonderful Wizard Of OZ

 

The illustration is by W.W. Denslow.

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The Visionary is Made Commonplace

“In Oz, turn- of- the- Century America (be it Chicago or California), becomes a visionary landscape, and at the same time the visionary is made commonplace. In Oz, a familiar thing like a scarecrow is magically a person, and at the same time, a magical person like the wizard is actually a balloonist from Omaha.” -Jerry Griswold, Audacious Children

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Movies

Christopher Robin

The consensus seems to be that there are shortcomings to this movie, but that the wonderful charm of the original characters prevails.

"Even though the story around him is at times questionable, the performance and realistic animated rendering of this character is the perfect distillation of Winnie-the-Pooh's essential, philosophical self."

Excerpted from the review by Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service.

Here is a link to the trailer for Christopher Robin

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Dog Days

I've read many reviews and this appears to be a light, sentimental movie for people who find small dogs endearing. Here's an excerpt from Tomris Laffly's review on Roger Ebert.com:

"Anyone who's ever felt altered by an animal companion will easily find something to love in this shamelessly happy, defiantly nice film."  Here is the trailer for Dog Days. 

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Ottawa Therapy Dogs

"Humans and animals share a powerful bond. That bond can be a source of comfort, peace and relief for those who suffer from physical or emotional pain. Handlers volunteer with their therapy dogs to improve clients’ physical, emotional and communication abilities. Therapy dogs can sometimes achieve results when other therapies have failed. Some of the healing benefits of therapy dogs include reduced blood pressure, anxiety, stress and loneliness."

The wonderful work done by Ottawa Therapy Dogs ranges from hospitals and palliative care facilities to schoolrooms. Here is a link to a video to see their R.E.A.D. program helping kids to become readers.

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Ever Onward...

The Fight Against Gun Violence Continues. Here is an update by Lois Beckett in the Guardian

"To vote National Rifle Association-backed candidates out of office, a coalition of gun violence prevention groups has launched a $1.75 M campaign to register 50,000 young voters before this November’s midterm elections. Part of that money is going to nearly a dozen local groups, including March for Our Lives Phoenix, who are working to register 18- and 19-year-olds to vote. . .

The Our Lives Our Vote campaign is backed by Everytown for Gun Safety and Giffords, two gun violence prevention groups, and NextGen America, an advocacy group founded by the billionaire Tom Steyer, a major Democratic donor. The coalition says it has registered 27,000 voters through online and mail-in voter registration drives, focusing on 10 states where National Rifle Association-backed politicians are on the ballot. It’s now dedicating $600,000 to local groups organizing voter registration drives, including two groups run by high school students. . . ".

The photo is by Evelyn Hochstein for The Guardian.

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America the Beautiful

America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

Katherine Lee Bates 

The illustration is by Thomas Hart Benton

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Books of Young America in the GoldenAge

Jerry Griswold, writing in Audacious Kids, points out significant differences between major children's book classics from the USA and England during the Golden Age. Among the great stories In England in that era were The Wind In the Willows, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan. Among the American books that Griswold considers are Hans Brinker, The Wizard of Oz, Little Women, Pollyanna, and Huckleberry Finn. Here is an excerpt wherein he discusses the differences:

"Unlike English counterparts during the same era (1850-1914), American children's books do not offer Arcadian paradises . . .Instead, the world of America's literary juveniles is clouded over by familial problems: its heroes and heroines are orphans (mistreated, impoverished, neglected, and dispossessed) who come from "broken homes", who are adopted into second families where they are likely to be unloved and to encounter parental surrogates who are antagonistic and have to be overcome."

Jerry Griswold -- Audacious Kids, The Classic American Children's Story

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Born Without a Tail -- The New Edition

In the first edition of her book, Born Without a Tail, C.A. Wulff takes us on a journey from childhood through adulthood, sharing tales, (mis)adventures and insights garnered
from a lifetime of encounters with a menagerie of twenty remarkable animals. The new edition has a prologue about Wulff's journey into advocacy; and, it also has several additional photos. Here’s a review by an Amazon reader:

Cayr Ariel Wulff's artful story-telling shines in this delightful memoir of life amid a pack of
frequently ill-mannered though always lovable dogs. Throw in an odd assortment of cats, and chaos ensues as Cayr and her partner get in over their heads, bite off more than they can chew, and generally find themselves railroaded by those who REALLY run the show: their beloved pets! I couldn't put this book down until I'd finished! 

Here is a link to The New Edition of Born Without A Tail: 

The book cover is by C.A. Wulff; the photo is of Wulff and Waldo, now departed. 

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Alice is Back

The Morgan library in New York City is a truly fascinating place, especially for book lovers. On September 22, the Lewis Carroll Society of North America will hold their fall meeting at the Morgan, a get together with an excellent agenda for all Alice lovers. 

I would think that two of the featured guest speakers will add a unique extra dimension to the meeting: Michael Patrick Hearn and Adam Gopnik. Hearn is recognized as a top scholar of children's literature. His books include The Victorian Fairy Tale, The Annotated Huckleberry Finn, and The Annotated Wizard of Oz. Gopnik is a leading leading writer for the New Yorker, known for his imaginative and insightful articles.

The illustration is by John Tenniel.

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Wonder Tales

"Rarely do wonder tales end unhappily. They triumph over death. The tale begins with "Once upon a time" or "Once there was" and never really ends when it ends. The ending is actually the beginning."

Jack Zipes -- Spells of Enchantment: The Wondrous Fairy Tales of Western Culture

 

The book cover is from a publication of Jack Zipes' collection of over 300 fairy tale postcards.

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Why Am I ?

Why Am I ? – a joyous Yelodoggie Book – celebrates self-empowerment and the benefits of inclusion. It helps children recognize and appreciate differences and to embrace that which is unique in each of us.

Yelodoggie travels far and wide, up and down, inside and outside, from outer space to the waters of the sea –gaining confidence and leaving his insecurities behind – while seeking to answer Why Am I different ?...Why Am I Yellow ?

Why Am I ? opens the imagination and perspective of children to the world around them.

We continue searching for a publisher who will love Why Am I ?, recognize its potential, and launch it into the world. This is a book for our troubled times. Our primary motive is wide distribution.
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 The Planet Of The Dogs Series

The Planet of the Dogs series of children’s books tell the stories of the first time dogs came to planet Earth to teach people about unconditional loyalty and love -- and to help bring peace from invaders.

"The fantasy involved in the books is appealing . . . The reality involved is also appealing. It involves the universal love of dogs by humans and vice versa, human condition of fighting and war and capacity for love and peace . . . While reading these, I kept wishing I was reading them out loud to a couple of kids instead. I could imagine each night reading another chapter and the kids waiting with bated breath for what would happen next. . ." Karen Boss -- excerpted from her Amazon review.
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We have free reader copies of all the books in the Planet Of The Dogs series for therapy dog organizations, individual therapy dog owners, librarians, teachers and independent bookstores. . . email us with a postal address at [email protected] and we will send you the books. 

To read sample chapters of any book in the series, visit PlanetOfTheDogs 

The Planet Of The Dogs series (including Castle In The Mist and Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Tale) is available from many Internet sources and through independent book stores of all sizes. 

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

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 "If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the primary difference between a dog and a man."--- Mark Twain

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