Book of the Week

It's been a busy few weeks for me-I've hardly been home, but gallivanting all over the place. Yet no matter how hectic things become, I always make time to read.

More Than Punctuation:

We just saw my brother-in-law Conner today along with all of the Thompson clan. Great fun. We haven't seen Conner since Christmas, and during the interim he went on his own exchange to Germany. He brought me back something that I love: an Asterix comicbook!

I acquired a taste for these ones as a kid from my Dad, and I've been hooked ever since. Although the Asterix comics are huge in Europe, they are sadly largely unknown here. When I was little, I loved them for the adventure: Asterix the Gaul going on grand adventures with his pal Obelix, their brave village keeping out the Roman invaders. I found them amusing, but the plot was the thing.

Now though, what keeps me coming back is the humour and goofiness of it all. First there's the names of the characters; Getafix the druid who concocts the magic potion that gives our hero super strength, Unhygenix the fishmonger (take a guess at the state of his wares), and others. Then there's all the puns, a form of humour that I always enjoy. Colourful, expressive pictures. These comics are smart, funny, and well written. Check 'em out. 

Under the Sea:

You know children's book is good when your own tiny tots loudly demand "Again!" the moment you finish reading the last page of a book-even though you have already read said book multiple times. We discovered one such book just last week.

"The Pout-Pout Fish" by Deborah Diesen has a lot of things that I like: it's written in rhyme complete with a refrain, fun illustration, and a story that will make you smile. Here's one that I can actual stand to read ad nauseum (always a big selling feature for me). The Pout-Pout fish, with his pout-pout face is spreading his dreary-wearies all over the place. Despite the best efforts of his friends to cheer him up, nothing seems to work. Is there anything that can snap him out of it? Naturally! But you'll have to read it to find out how for yourself.

Happy reading everybody!