Book Review - Scarlatti's Cat

Scarlatti's Cat

By: Nathaniel Lachenmeyer
Illustrated by: Carlyn Beccia
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books
Publication Date: March 2014
ISBN: 978-0761354727
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: March 2014

Pulcinella cat sat on a red hassock dreamily looking over at Scarlatti as he composed a sonata at his harpsichord. The sun came through the window, toasting her beautiful orange fur. It was nice to hear Scarlatti play, but “what she wanted to do more than anything, was compose.” The notes danced through her head at night and she glanced up at the moon, imagining her paws dancing on that keyboard. In the morning Pulcinella cat sat on a stool in front of the double keyboard. No, that Scarlatti had rules and one of them was that “no one was ever allowed to touch his favorite instrument.” Not ever!

Scarlatti grew famous with his compositions and that meant they would travel. They even “met some of the greatest composers of the day,” including George Frideric Handel. Unfortunately, Pulcinella cat “thought he had very poor taste in pets.” Yes, he had none other than a dog. They moved to Madrid and thoughts of composing drifted away. That was until she spotted a very unwelcome visitor beneath the harpsichord. The chase was on for that mouse and all of a sudden when Scarlatti tried to “shoo” Pulcinella cat away, she “jumped on top of the harpsichord–and landed on the keys.” Would this be the end of her composing career before she even began?

This is the amazing story of Pulcinella cat that will make everyone chuckle. Many people have heard of the great composers, including Giuseppe Domenico Scarlatti, but few have heard of his special cat, Pulcinella. Legend has it that Scarlatti credited her for helping him compose “The Cat’s Fugue” when she landed on that keyboard. The twist at the end is a fun one and perhaps fodder for yet another Pulcinella tale. The artwork is very Baroque-like, capturing the essence of the period, although Pulcinella cat could just be in ‘most anyone’s household these days. Of course Pulcinella will be a most welcome cat on anyone’s shelves as well.

Quill says: This amazingly fun and humorous tale will tickle everyone's funny bone, including that of the most diehard curmudgeon!

Book Review - Sinners and the Sea

Sinners and the Sea: The Untold Story of Noah's Wife

By: Rebecca Kanner
Publisher: Howard Books
Publication Date: February 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4516-9523
Reviewed by: Diane Lunsford
Review Date: March 18, 2014

Rebecca Kanner delivers a poignant and compelling story in her debut novel, Sinners and the Sea, as she casts a light and provides a distinct voice to the nameless, Biblical woman, Noah’s wife.

She is an innocent child who was born with a grotesque birthmark over her brow—a defect that creates a stigma and perception of evil to all who come in contact with her. Committed to delivering her to a worthier life, her father’s mission is to release her from the painful existence that smothers his only child.

When 600-year old Noah arrives in their village, her father betroths his only daughter to Noah. Reality hits hard when the thought occurs he may never see his daughter again as he watches the two disappear over the horizon. Noah and his new bride are destined for Sorum; a community full of violence and sexual sinners. As their lives together unfold and Noah’s wife delivers his three sons (Ham, Shem, and Japheth), she realizes her only true companion is loneliness. Noah converses far more with his God than with her as he preaches God’s message to the ill begotten dwellers of Sorum. Left to her loneliness, Noah’s wife attempts friendship with members of the fallen people of Sorum to no avail. After many failed attempts, she focuses her attentions on the rearing of their three sons. What comes as somewhat of a shock, however, are the signs of their sins despite the self-righteous upbringing they were exposed to.

When Noah’s God informs him of plans to destroy the world by flood, Noah follows His specific instructions to build an ark. The construction of the vessel was the necessary key to the salvation needed for his wife, three sons, their wives and a bevy of animals in order to repopulate the new world. What none of them could possibly know, however, was the perilous journey they would navigate and endure to arrive at their new world. As they secure a stronghold on survival through the formidable forty days and forty nights, divine hope guides them in the end. Perhaps the only faith they needed was to believe their destiny truly was in the hands of the God Noah had spent his life’s devotion toward fulfilling—an unfaltering devotion to deliver His message to the people.

Ms. Kanner has done an admirable job of breathing dimensional life into the nameless character of Noah’s wife. It is an honor to review authors who demonstrate confidence and command of their pen with eloquent style. Kanner is a true companion to her pen and while there are many scenes that depict clear pictures, one in particular truly grabbed my attention: “…Nothing but rain guards the ark. The only footsteps on deck are those of the clouds…” It is a pleasure to read the work of a fellow author who is able to deliver such depth to her work as a result of the careful placement of very few words. In my opinion, Kanner demonstrates her natural-born gift of writing in Sinners and the Sea. This was a well-written and captivating story.

Quill says: Sinners and the Sea is a beautiful account of the importance of faith and perseverance as well as a strong message of learning how to rise above judgments as we endeavor to look beyond those who sit in judgment.

Book Review - Sea Slime

Sea Slime: It's Eeuwy, Gooey and Under the Sea

By: Ellen Praeger
Illustrated by: Shennen Bersani
Publisher: Arbordale Publishing
Publication Date: February 2014
ISBN: 978-1628552102
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: March 2014

A colorful clownfish peeked out from inside a sea anemone and watched the ocean come alive with activity. A school of fish hurriedly passed overhead while a zebra moray eel kept watch as a colorful parrotfish approached. There was something else interesting in the water, something “gooey” and very icky. It was sea slime, a substance that “slips, slides, and sticks.” Some creatures don’t use that slime, but instead are made up of it. Take for example that jellyfish that is hanging down in the water. Its “whole body is see-through slime.” Amazing, but true!

Everyone knows that snails and slugs can be very gooey and slimy. They are really slow creatures and in order to go “faster, a sea slug travels over its own slippery goo.” Perhaps the sea butterfly is a creature you’ve never seen before, but it too uses that slime. In order to catch critters to eat, sea butterflies “blow a bubble of mucus like a parachute of sticky goo.” If any little critter gets caught on it, look out! The sea butterfly has its lunch when they “slurp up their bubble of slime.” Yuk! Some use that ocean goo to protect themselves, some to capture food, and some use it to travel.

This is a fun book about “eeuwy, gooey” ocean sea slime kids will love. Of course that yuk factor is something a lot of young students are drawn to. In this book they will learn how sea creatures learn to use that disgusting slime to their advantage. The gross factor is there, but the learning one is there as well. Some of these deep sea creatures may be familiar while others such as the vampire squid and the hagfish might not be. The artwork is quite vibrant, colorful, and is very appealing. My favorite is the two-page spread of several different types of moray eels. In the back of the book are four pages of activities, including an all-time favorite, “Make Your Own Slime.” There are additional complementary resources on the publisher’s website.

Quill says: This is a great book with lots of eeuwy, gooey sea creatures that has great kid-appeal!

Book Review - The Shape Family Babies

The Shape Family Babies

By: Kristin Haas
Illustrated by: Shennen Bersani
Publisher: Arbordale Publishing
Publication Date: February 2014
ISBN: 978-1628552119
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: March 2014

Wedding bells were ringing and soon “a rectangle and a rhombus fell in love” and were married. They were all excited when they learned they were going to have a baby, but were wondering what it would look like. Perhaps the baby would look like Mother Rhombus and “have four equal sides.” But then again, it just might look like Father Rectangle and would “have four right angles.” They were all excited and could hardly wait until their baby arrived. It was a big surprise when they got to the hospital and found out that the big surprise was not one, but three babies! There was something very unusual about one of them though.

Rhombus Jr. looked exactly like her mother and Rectangle Jr. looked like his father. The third baby was, well ... rather different and they didn’t know quite what to name their third beautiful baby. She looked like both of her parents with “four right angles and four equal sides.” It was a puzzling situation and they decided to consult the family. Cousin Triangle thought they could name her Polygon while Cousin Trapezoid thought Parallelogram was as good a name as any. All kinds of names were suggested including Quadrangle, Quadrilateral, Rectombus, and even Rhombangle. None of them seemed quite right, but someone had to know what to name that baby!

This is a fun tale that will help young students learn about geometric shapes. The tale of the Shape family will help them learn not only the names, but also what they are comprised of. For example, when Aunt Hexagon talks about naming the baby, she says that “She has four angles. We could name her Quadrangle.” Like all the other characters in this book, her body is shaped like the shape she’s describing. Some of them have background illustrations showing a visual mathematical representation. The artwork is simple, thus bringing the shapes to the foreground. There are four pages of activities in the back of the book. Additional complementary activities can be accessed on the publisher’s website.

Quill says: This is an excellent book that will help young students learn about basic geometric shapes!

Book Review - First Fire

First Fire: A Cherokee Folktale

By: Nancy Kelly Allen
Illustrated by: Sherry Rogers
Publisher: Arbordale Publishing
Publication Date: February 2014
ISBN: 978-1628552072
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: march 2014

The stories of how things came to be began to flow out into the air under the nighttime skies. The stars twinkled as the children listened to their father’s tales of when the “world was new” and there was no fire to be had. The spider, snake, and birds looked over the water as “the Thunders hurled a lightning bolt.” The skies lit up with a dazzling display and a sycamore tree soon lit up in flames. It was very cold and the animals needed that fire spreading through the sycamore’s branches, but how could they get it? The “council of animals” met and decided that they did indeed need that fire and someone had to go get it.

The raven volunteered and quickly spread his white wings and flew toward the flames. Raven leaned forward peering into the flames trying to figure out how to return with the fire. Instead “the heat scorched Raven’s feathers black.” Legend says that is why the raven’s feathers are black. “I’ll get the fire,” shouted Screech Owl. Off he went to the burning branches of the sycamore tree. A sudden flash of flames quickly burned Owl’s eyes. Legend says that is why “Screech Owl’s eyes shine red in the bright light.” Neither Raven nor Screech Owl were able to bring back the fire, but could one of the other animals do it?

This is a fascinating, fun look at a Cherokee legend that explains how we got fire. The Cherokee storyteller in this tale is relaying to his own children things he heard from his elders. We learn how Raven, Screech Owl, Hoot Owl, Horned Owl, Racer (a racer snake), and Spider attempt to capture the fire and light from the sycamore’s branches and return with it. We then learn how each animal was changed by his attempt. The tale will be quite memorable as children will not only learn about legends, but also how they are passed on from generation to generation. The artwork lights up the pages with excitement and brings the tale to life. Newly independent readers can tackle this beginning nonfiction book with a bit of assistance with words such as “sycamore.” There are four pages of activities in the back of the book. Additional complementary activities can be accessed on the publisher’s website.

Quill says: If you are interested in Native American culture, you'll love to learn about these Cherokee legends!

Book Review - Daisylocks

Daisylocks

By: Marianne Berkes
Illustrated by: Cathy Morrison
Publisher: Arbordale Publishing
Publication Date: February 2014
ISBN: 978-1628552157
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: March 2014

A young hand was getting ready to plant a packet of daisy seeds after the trowel had turned over a bit of soil. A few seeds in each hole should do, but a few of them took to the air, including Daisylocks. Not quite satisfied where she was to be planted, she wanted to go elsewhere. There had to be a “better place where Daisylocks could live and thrive,” so she asked Wind to take her to other habitats. Perhaps there would be just the perfect place for her to grow and become a beautiful daisy. Wind would lift Daisylocks into the air and their journey would begin. Would it be in the desert, the mountains, the wetlands, the rainforest, or the beach?

Wind picked Daisylocks up and they began to explore. The first stop found them among the desert tortoises who were walking on dry, parched soil. The cacti flourished, but it was no place for a daisy. Wind picked Daisylocks up once again and “whooshed her all the way to a treeless plain that was partially covered with ice and snow.” The cold was too much for Daisylocks and no way would her roots be able to sink into the “frozen ground.” Unsatisfied, they continued on their journey. Wind would take her to the ends of the Earth, but where was that perfect, special place for her to grow?

This is an excellent tale to introduce the young reader to Earth’s habitats. Of course Daisylocks is only one type of seed, but as the young reader works his or her way through the book they will see flora in other habitats. The illustrations are filled with flora and fauna which inhabit mountain, desert, wetlands, beach, and rainforest habitats. It’s almost more of a visual experience with which to begin to explore Earth’s ecosystem. The book is very vibrant and alive, a fun one to find and identify an assortment of plants and animals. In the back of the book is a brief overview of “Plant Parts” and several activities, including some that can be downloaded and printed from the publisher’s website. This would be an excellent book to read and discuss in the homeschool or classroom setting.

Quill says: If you are doing a unit on habitats, this is a perfect book for your young readers to read and explore!

Book Review - Kali's Story

Kali's Story: An Orphaned Polar Bear Rescue

By: Jennifer Keats Curtis
Illustrated by: John Gomes
Publisher: Arbordale Publishing
Publication Date: February 2014
ISBN: 978-1628552089
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: March 2014

The polar bear den was a winter wonderland, filled with ice and snow. There was only one thing missing and that was a mother polar bear to take care and raise the cub she left behind. A little snow covered nose peeked up through the entrance to the den. “GRRRR,” he exclaimed as a man removed him. The little orphaned cub would not survive without help and it was time to leave. Vroom, vroom! The cub was whisked away to a nearby village where they would try to help him. It was there the cub received his name, Kali (pronounced Cully), named after the village. There was only one problem ... he was unable to eat.

Little fuzzy Kali was loaded into a large dog crate to head to North Slope Borough to visit the wildlife vet. He was healthy, but “like human newborns, the baby bear drank from his mother, not a bowl or a cup.” Kali needed to take yet another trip, but this time it was by plane to the Alaska Zoo where they could tend to him. Open wide! The “milk” from that bottle was “filled with fatty puppy formula and whipping cream.” Kali began to play with everyone, rolling in the snow and checking people out. He began to eat solid foods, learned to swim, and practice his hunting skills in preparation for yet another move. Where would he go next?

This is the amazing true story of Kali, the orphaned polar bear, everyone will fall in love with. One of the real draws of this book are the outstanding photographs of Kali from the time he peeked out of that den until he ended up at the Buffalo Zoo with Luna. A large portion of the book looks as if it were an actual photograph album, something that will make it accessible to all, including emergent or non-readers. The tale brings Kali’s story to life, animating him and making him into the loveable bear that has excited so many people. In the back of the book is an interesting look at the “Polar Bear Life Cycle” and several activities, including some that can be downloaded and printed from the publisher’s website. This would be an excellent book to read and discuss in the homeschool or classroom setting.

Quill says: Kali is just one of those little creatures that everyone, young and old, will instantly adore!