Everyone can use a good read. That's the great thing about recommendations-it helps you sort out the good from the not so good. Personally, most books I love have been suggested or given to me as gifts. Not all, but a sizeable percentage. Thus, my biased and passionate book list continues!
Letters All Over:
Mar Dunn's debut novel "Ella Minnow Pea" has become one of my very favorite novels. Recommended to me by my cousin Mikyla (who is even more fanatical about books than me, if that is possible) since havind read it the first time, I have suggested it to all and sundry. It is truly a fabulous book, written in the oft neglected epistolatory style (all in letters). The story takes place in the tiny island of Nollop, named for the man who wrote the sentence "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog." It's famous as it is the shortest sentence that contains every letter in the alphabet. Nollopians have a keen interest in emulating the esteemed Nollop and life is tranquil until letters from the memoralized phrase on the statue begin to fall off. The island council begins to ban said letters forthwith. This leads to interesting situations and interesting correspondence as the story progresses. Ella Minnow Pea, our heroine, leads the rebellion to restore sanity once again.
This is a book that makes you think, laugh and appreciate the expressive power of the English language. Extodinarily well written.
Points for anyone who can write a sentence with all twenty-six letters as well as Mark Dunn!
Wacky Weather:
I've loved the book "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" by Judi Barrett since I was a kid, so when I heard that a movie of it is due to come out soon I had my hopes. Yuck! Saw the preview and forget it! I was so appalled at what what I was afforded a glimpse of that it left me clutching my copy of the bok wondering what on Earth possessed the producers to butcher the story like that! Come with me and enjoy the real story of the town of Chewandswallow.
In the land of Chewandswallow all the food falls from the sky. Wind blowing in hamburgers, snow of mashed potatoes and magnificent Jellos setting in the West. But when the weather take s turn for the worst, the town's inhabitants must rely on their wits to survive the tomato tornadoes, ice cream avalanche and other edible disasters. I know that I often rave about illustrations, but the ones in this tall tale flesh out the story in a way that the text could not; baseball games cancelled on account of pie, a squirrel with a fried egg landing on its' head, nad much much more.
Enough talking about it, I'm going to go read this one to my kids!
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2 comments:
I know! I was horrified when I saw the preview for the movie! The only thing it holds in common with the book is the title.
Mind you, I don't think the book would translate so well into a big movie. it doesn't really have a story, it's just entertaining. I could see why they would want to make a movie cause who wouldn't want to animate hamburger rain? Still, bad, bad idea.
Hollywood can't think up their own ideas so they are left to poach on those who can imagine up their own stories. Tall tales never have enough substance for a full-length movie, but then why would you want it to? That ruins the essnce of what it is.
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