Author Archives: Anne Peters

My Dad Thinks He’s a Pirate

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Author Katrina Germein and illustrator Tom Jellett return with a hilarious sequel to their first picture book, My Dad Thinks He’s Funny. In My Dad Thinks He’s a Pirate, a father and his family take a trip to the beach to search for buried treasure, while the father reels off line after line and page after page of corny, nautically-themed dad jokes and puns. With a repeating refrain throughout which is nice for early readers, the book ends with a short rhyme informing readers that they’ve just read an entire book!

This book will have both readers and listeners groaning with laughter. However, some of the wordplay in the jokes will have to be explained to younger listeners. For example, “See this earring? It cost one buccaneer.” Still, this book provides a wonderful opportunity to explore the humor of homophones and puns, while instilling an appreciation for the pure joy of language. This book will prove the perfect choice either as a gift from the joke-loving adult or for the joke-loving child. And, who knows? Some of these lines may become treasured family memories on the next trip to the beach.

(Review originally published on Portland Book Review and book donated to Maltby Food Bank.)

Little Red

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Little Red is a truck in Tiny Town who, along with driver Katie, never stops working till the job is done. During a heavy winter snowstorm, Little Red jump starts a delivery van, fixes a broken headlight, bumps a stuck fire truck, fixes a flat tire, fills up an empty gas tank, and even welds a broken hitch on Santa’s sleigh, all while carrying a huge Christmas tree.

After fixing each truck, Little Red is sure he only has on more task of delivering the Christmas tree, until he hears the next cry for help. Because Little Red never quit working, all the trucks in a rainbow of colors are able to join the townspeople at the celebration of the lighting of the Christmas tree.

This is the perfect book for snuggling up on Christmas Eve. A fun repeated refrain of onomatopoeias will keep even little listeners entertained. Meanwhile, Will Hillenbrand delivers a heartwarming message about the joy of helping others and pride in a job well done. This might be the perfect addition for those little people who will find a toy truck or two under their own Christmas tree.

(Review originally published in San Francisco Book Review and book donated to the Maltby Food Bank.)

If I Was a Horse

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On first glance, it is hard to resist picking If I Was a Horse up, with its eye-catching cover of a polka-dotted horse walking down a flight of stairs in a raised, sparkly pink tutu and purple and red parade hat.

On opening the book, the charming illustrations and limited wording depict a child’s fantasy of becoming a horse: running free, eating a sandwich in the kitchen, giving a sibling a ride to school, joining the school swim team, rolling in mud without taking a bath or wearing clothes unless in a parade, and sleeping standing up while dreaming great, galloping dreams.

In a final illustration, readers see the main character no longer as a horse but as a child wearing a familiar polka-dot pattern and enjoying the free range of imagination.

A two-time Caldecott medalist for illustration, Sophie Blackall provides a quiet celebration of flights of fancy that will delight young horse lovers or any child with an active imagination. With such lovely encouragement, who knows where imaginations given free rein might carry them?

(Originally posted on the Los Angeles Book Review and donated to the Maltby Food Bank.)

Llama Llama’s Little Lie

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Anna Dewdney, author of the adorable Llama Llama series of picture books, passed away, but Reed Duncan continues her series with Llama Llama’s Little Lie. Here, a rambunctious Llama Llama roughhouses inside with his friend while Mama Llama works in the garden. When Mama Llama’s favorite photo frame is broken, Llama Llama gets scared and gives a series of wild explanations to Mama Llama, but he knows telling lies is bad.

When Mama Llama asks for the truth, Llama Llama bursts into tears and reveals he broke the frame. Mama Llama tells him she’s proud he told the truth and helps him fix the frame, only to go outside a break a window herself while playing ball!

This is a sweet story which conveys important lessons with the lightest of touches about the value of honesty and the fact everyone makes mistakes. Told in a simple rhyme that is fun to read aloud, this is story that will be read repeatedly for the joy of the language and may have little listeners picking up the words and the lessons along the way.

(Originally published on the Manhattan Book Review and donated to the Maltby Food Bank.)

The Pie That Molly Grew

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In The Pie That Molly Grew, a young girl plants and tends a seed that produces a huge pumpkin, which brings her community together to enjoy it as a pie at a picnic. This is an utterly delightful picture book on several levels.

First, the story mimics the rhythm and rhyme of The House That Jack Built, making it great fun to read aloud. Second, while creating a thoroughly entertaining story, Sue Heavenrich, a former science teacher, offers several learning opportunities, including the plant life cycle, different types of bees and their role in pollination, the value of community, and how to bake a pumpkin pie using fresh pumpkin. For this reason, this book could easily spawn some wonderful conversations and fun real-life activities.

Finally, Chamisa Kellogg provides heartwarming illustrations that make the reader want to plant a pumpkin seed and just see where it goes. In sum, this is a book that will be read over and over again and, with luck, maybe even send its readers into the garden, the kitchen, and their communities.

(Originally published on the San Francisco Book Review and donated to The Maltby Food Bank.)

You Can’t Be a Pterodactyl!

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In You Can’t Be a Pterodactyl, after Tommy’s teacher tell the class that they can be anything they want, Tommy says he wants to be a pterodactyl, the whole class laughs, and the teacher tells him he must pick something else. Tommy, however, holds tight to his dream despite the negative comments of others at his school and the laughter of mean kids on the bus.

At home, Tommy’s dad asks the most logical question of all: why does Tommy want to be a pterodactyl? With thought, Tommy realizes he wants to rise above problems, but come down and help when he wants. With this new understanding, Tommy’s dad supports and encourages Tommy’s dream, and Tommy grows up to fly Pterodactyl Sea Rescue!

This is a heartwarming story that tells children not to give up their dreams, even when the world sends conflicting messages. Instead, hold on and wait for those who listen and provide support. Even the dreams others think are the craziest can be realized in some way. What a wonderful message to give our youngest dreamers.

(Originally published on the Seattle Book Review and donated to The Maltby Food Bank.)

Ross Gay’s Inciting Joy: Essays

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In Inciting Joy, Ross Gay suggests that finding common ground in our sorrows creates joy. That joy creates solidarity and love, and possibly, our future survival. Thus, these essays emphasize repeatedly our connection to everything and everyone around us in the present moment and our connection to both the past and future.

Rejecting the capitalistic notion of pervasive scarcity and ownership, Gay emphasizes community, gratitude, and sharing. He finds these in a community fruit orchard without locked gates, in a basketball court where everyone is a guest, in a university classroom where grades and learning objectives are set aside, and in cover songs that carry on through time without being owned by a given singer, among other places.

That said, Gay, the bestselling author of The Book of Delights and four volumes of poetry that received several prestigious awards, is at heart a poet, and these essays also clearly evidence his love of language, wordplay, and rhythm. Even his choice to refer to everyone by their first or nickname creates another subtle sense of our connectedness. In short, these essays offer a new, thought-provoking way to view our society and future.

Originally published on San Francisco Book Review.)

Karen Armstrong’s Sacred Nature

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In Sacred Nature, Karen Armstrong brings a theological perspective to our impending climate crisis. She argues that we currently perceive God, humanity, and nature as three separate, essentially unrelated entities. When we see nature as separate from both humanity and God, it becomes easier to dominate and abuse. Armstrong, however, returns to the roots of some of our oldest religions – Daoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam – to find an earlier understanding of this relationship in which the creative life force some term God infuses both nature and humanity with humanity is integrally tied to nature. By seeing everything and everyone as infused with the sacred, Armstrong hopes we may find a path forward to avert the approaching climate disaster.

A former Catholic nun and author of numerous books on religion including The Case for God, A History of God, Islam, Buddha, and The Great Transformation, Armstrong presents a fascinating, well-researched, and cogent argument for rethinking our currently dominant, theological paradigm. Those readers concerned with the future of the human race can only hope Armstrong’s call for change will be heeded before it is too late.

(Originally published on Manhattan Book Review.)

Gillian Jerome’s Nevertheless: Walking Poem

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In Nevertheless, Gillian Jerome walks through life in Vancouver, British Columbia, with her eyes wide open. She takes in everything: the freckles on a dying loved one’s head, the man asleep on the sidewalk with a half-eaten pork bun, her own vivid dreams, the oak leaves which are the color of tangerines, a man drawing a totem, a woman with a swollen foot surrounded by irises and poppies, and thimbleberries and western anemones. Through these and other observations, Jerome explores grief, separation from her partner, friendship, marginalized communities, mistreatment of indigenous people, new love, environmental degradation, and the maturing of her child, among other topics. In all of it, be it good, bad, sad, or bittersweet, Jerome finds beauty, meaning, and poetry. Along the way, she crafts some unforgettable lines: “Sometimes your heart’s a wavelength, the only arrhythmia of the night—” or “where I sat for elongated minutes in the quiet lake glimmering in the gold-green August light.” Nevertheless is a delight to read and a delight which readers may find themselves reaching to savor over and over again.

Originally published on Manhattan Book Review.

Kirsten Miller’s The Change: A Novel

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The Change: A Novel by Kirsten Miller

n the small, coastal community of Mautauk, three women discover they possess latent, supernatural powers, which suddenly surge to life as they go through menopause.

Like her grandmother, Nessa hears the voices of the dead crying out until they find peace. Jo, a former high-powered executive forced to contend with patronizing men, discovers that rage and hot flashes give her extraordinary strength and heat. Harriett, who faces both her husband’s infidelity and the glass ceiling of her male-dominated advertising firm, magnificently transforms into a green goddess serving out ingenious revenge.

When they realize that the police refuse to investigate a possible serial killer who preys on young girls from impoverished backgrounds, Nessa, Jo, and Harriet know what they must do.

Without doubt, The Change is an extreme feminist fantasy. However, it is also delightful, sarcastic social commentary and very possibly just what we need. In a world that sickeningly resembles The Handmaiden’s Tale, Kristin Miller has written the perfect antidote. When it all becomes too much to take, turn off the news and social media and curl up with this novel. It will provide a respite and the energy to fight on.

(Originally published on Manhattan Book Review.)