Your weekly dose of Emmy and Finn (edition 112)

So, is Finn whispering sweet nothings into Emmy's ear, or is he biting her in an attempt to get her to play with him?



Knowing Finn, it's likely the latter.

Book Review: Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Aura was born after the shift, which means she can see and communicate with ghosts. Not really her favorite thing, until an accident kills her boyfriend Logan. On the one hand she’s grateful that he’s not completely lost to her, but on the other hand, it does make it hard to move on. And the new guy in town – Zachary – really wishes she would move on.

I am always fascinated with the sorts of afterlife concepts authors can come up with, and Smith-Ready really has some fun ones. We learn right off the bat that in Aura’s world, ghosts take the form that they inhabited during their happiest moment on earth (that prevents murder victims from looking chopped up and cancer victims from looking wasted away). When I explained this to a friend of mine, she asked, “But what if their happiest moment was when they were a baby?” That one stumped me, although I do have to say if you’re happiest moment came as a baby…well, that’s just sad.

In any case, there are many creative world-building elements to go along with the pretty unique love triangle of Post-Shifter Aura, Dead Logan and Pre-Shifter Zachary. It’s also a credit to Smith-Ready that she kept me on my toes plotwise – you could never be sure what would happen next. So far no real villains have emerged, but you do get the sense that the government is getting stricter and less tolerant with their policy towards ghosts – mainly because some ghosts can turn into “shades” – giving them a dark power that the living are terrified of.

This is the first book in a planned series, but fortunately you do get some measure of closure. I’m excited to read the second novel SHIFT when it releases May 2011. SHADE is now available in hardcover. Find out more about it at the author’s website.

Book Review: Yes, My Darling Daughter by Margaret Leroy

Something is off with Grace's four year old daughter Sylvie. She is terrified of water, has bad nightmares, and becomes obsessed with a ad from a magazine depicting a seaside town saying she lived there "before".

I loved the atmosphere in this one. Sylvie is creepy, and as her behavior begins to alienate all of Grace's social contacts, Grace's situation gets more desperate. As a last resort, she turns to a psychologist, Adam, who specializes in past life theories to try to help Sylvie.

Even though the book has its imperfections - the relationship/"romance" between Grace & Adam doesn't feel quite right, Grace seems way older than 22, and there are a couple of very convenient coincidences in the plotting - this is still a thrilling, gothic-tinged ride.

YES, MY DARLING DAUGHTER is available in now paperback. I got my copy from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program. Find out more about the book, called THE DROWNING GIRL in the UK, at the author's website.

Buffalo in the Wild + A Contest for a Signed Copy of IS YOUR BUFFALO READY FOR KINDERGARTEN?

As you discover in the new children's picture book, IS YOUR BUFFALO READY FOR KINDERGARTEN? by Audrey Vernick, illustrated by Daniel Jennewein, the goofy and sweet titular Buffalo is certainly ready for kindergarten. But is he ready to face the world?

Let's see:

His first foray into the wild was to visit his birthplace. Here is Buffalo outside the HarperCollins offices in New York City.


While he was in New York, he made sure to check out The Empire State Building (I think he may have knocked over a hot dog stand and eaten all the hot dogs that rolled his way).




Then he went to Brussels, Belgium and just had to see Europe's most famous child statue Mannikin Pis. He told him, politely, that it's not polite to pee in public in kindergarten.



He also went to Barcelona, Spain to see Gaudi's Sagrada Familia Church. It's been under construction since 1882 and work is still going on. Buffalo thinks if they'd just hire a team of hard working Buffaloes, they'd be done long before the expected completion date of 2026.

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And then he jumped back into his book so he could entertain kids all over the world. Here's a little friend of mine. She didn't want to let go of Buffalo even when she was sleeping.

Yep - I think Buffalo's ready to tour the world!

This is where YOU come in! Maybe you want to take a picture of Buffalo enjoying your corner of the globe? You might see the book in your local bookstore or library and snap a photo. Or you could download the Buffalo coloring activity sheet (opens a PDF), make Buffalo look spiffy and then photograph him having an adventure.

Anyone who sends a photo with the Buffalo to lenoreva at hotmail dot com by July 16th will be entered into a drawing for a copy of the book signed by Daniel + a $20 gift certificate to Amazon (US) or Book Despository (International). I'll also post some of my favorite photos here on the blog (with your permission of course) when I annouce the winner. (NOTE: Winner will be chosen in a random drawing).

Thanks for helping us celebrate Buffalo's launch week! Now back to my regular blog programming :)

Author Audrey Vernick shares her 5 favorite picture books

Audrey Vernick is the creative mind behind the buffalo and his first adventure in IS YOUR BUFFALO READY FOR KINDERGARTEN? (as well as his second, coming out next summer). After taking a look at the illustrator's (Daniel Jennewein) favorite 5 picture books yesterday, today Audrey's going to share which picture books she goes back to again and again.

Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran, illustrated by Barbara Cooney

I don't think I've ever said the title Roxaboxen without sighing with delight. Oh, Roxaboxen. A world of thorny cactus, desert glass, a dead lizard, ocotillo swords and little Anna May in jail. Special bonus: Barbara Cooney's art makes me swoon.

George and Martha by James Marshall

You'd think those two hippos in their fancy hats and accessories would be outdated by now, but there's something about their friendship, and their respect for one another, that stands the test of time. And I know it's wrong, but whenever I hear of someone named Martha, my first mental image is of James Marshall's Marha. For reasons I cannot fathom, this is not true of men named George.

Shark Vs. Train by Chris Barton, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

Sometimes, ideas come along that are so spot-on and brilliant that it's almost as though they've been there all along. (I feel that way about certain songs, too.) But it took this combination of writer and illustrator to execute a great idea with such brilliance. And hilarity. And universal appeal.

Teammates, by Peter Golenbock, illustrated by Paul Bacon

I'm a sucker for baseball picture books, and it's hard to choose a favorite. I admire this one so much because of the way it shines a bright light on a single, easily forgotten moment between Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese on a baseball field in Cincinnati, Ohio. Teammates is a celebration of baseball, friendship, and the power of doing what's right.

Big Rabbit's Bad Mood by Ramona Badescu, illustrated by Delphine Durand

A bad mood can suck the funny right out of you. But Big Rabbit's bad mood is personified. It's a character. A hilariously nasty one. Isn't that brilliant? This book is that rarest of things--one that is really funny to read and brilliantly illustrated.

Thanks Audrey!

Audrey Vernick is the author of IS YOUR BUFFALO READY FOR KINDERGARTEN? and SHE LOVED BASEBALL: THE EFFA MANLEY STORY, both to be published by HarperCollins this year. She is a two-time recipient of the New Jersey Arts Council's Fiction Fellowship and a lover of picture books. You can visit her online at http://www.audreyvernick.com/.

Illustrator Daniel Jennewein shares his 5 favorite picture books

Daniel Jennewein, debut illustrator of IS YOUR BUFFALO READY FOR KINDERGARTEN? written by Audrey Vernick, is not only a fanastic illustrator, he is also my husband. Even though we don't have kids (yet at least), we have over 100 picture books on our shelves. Today, Daniel shares 5 of his favorites.

Rotten Island by William Steig
This book is actually my nr. 1 favorite. It is wildly funny and irreverent. In it, Steig introduces many creatures that compete in ugliness and evilness. They roam in the most horrific island imaginable, surrounded by boiling sea. I love its’ originality and freshness. Sample line: "Nothing could make these monsters shake so hard with laughter as to see another one suffering pain. They loved their rotten life. They loved hating and hissing at one another, taking revenge, tearing and breaking things, screaming, roaring, caterwauling, venting their hideous feelings." Don't worry - there is a happy ending!

Where the Wild Things are by Maurice Sendak
My mother read this book to me when I was small and I am so familiar with it that it feels like a person I know. I think the German translation is great and I will always know the text by heart. I also think the book design is spectacular – how the illustrations grow larger as Max is more and more swept into his fantasy world, and then smaller again as he begins to want to return home. This is a classic for good reason, and I'm still not sure whether I should chance seeing the film or not.

Zeralda's Ogre, Tomi Ungerer
Tomi Ungerer is one of my biggest influences, and has been a favorite illustrator of mine since I was a young child. I am a huge fan of most of his books, but this is arguably my favorite. He often introduces horrible characters in his stories that start to grow on you while you read. This particular book is about a cannibal who loves to eat little children and how he meets a little girl called Zeralda who changes his life. By the way, if you are ever in Straßburg, France, you should definitely check out the Tomi Ungerer Museum.

Duck, Death and the Tulip, Wolf Erlbruch
This is a picture book about death, not such a common topic for the genre. I think it is amazing how it deals with such a difficult subject in such a light and accessible way. It is sad and funny and foreboding at the same time. Warning: It can make you cry. Unfortunately the English translation is not able to capture the simple and poetic language of the original German. Still, I think it is quite a powerful book.

Not a Box, Antoinette Portis
This book is based on a great concept and demonstrates the power of imagination. It is beautifully designed by the author Antoinette Portis and the wonderful HarperCollins Creative Director Martha Rago (with whom I was lucky to work with on the Buffalo books). I first became aware of this title when Martha spoke at a SCBWI meeting in Paris a few years ago. She told us that they found this gem in the slush pile! So it can happen. There is also a sequel called NOT A STICK which I like as well.

Thanks Daniel! Visit Daniel's website http://www.danieljennewein.com/ to see his work. You can see some spreads from IS YOUR BUFFALO READY FOR KINDERGARTEN? too. The next Buffalo book comes out summer 2011 and is called TEACH YOUR BUFFALO TO PLAY DRUMS. It is even cuter than the kindergarten book (if such a thing is possible).

He also maintains an illustration blog where he uploads a new drawing everyday.

Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten Release Day: Emmy and Finn meet the Buffalo

Daniel's debut book as an illustrator is finally here! The Buffalo already has his share of fans (just look at Buffalo's Facebook page!), and now it's time for Emmy and Finn to meet him.




If Emmy likes it...

...then Finn has to check it out too.

I hope you'll consider getting a copy for all those kids about to start kindergarten that you know...or just for yourself!

Buy on Amazon (US)

Buy on Book Depository (international)

Tomorrow, Daniel will be sharing his 5 favorite picture books here on the blog, and then on Thursday, we'll hear from the book's author, Audrey Vernick, about her 5 favorite picture books. Then on Friday, you'll get to see some of the places the Buffalo has been spotted in the wild.

Hope you enjoy!

Book Review: The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch

Tilly Farmer loves her life. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, she’s a guidance counselor at the local high school and gets to plan prom every year, and at 32, everything’s in place to try for a baby. But then a chance encounter with a high school friend changes everything. Because old traumas – her father’s alcoholism, her mother’s death, her younger sisters’ carelessness – are all coming to the surface and even Tilly’s relentless happiness can’t keep them at bay forever.

I was really excited to read this one because I loved the high concept premise and surprising depth of TIME OF MY LIFE (read my review). This one’s also got a bit of magic realism – the fact that after meeting her old friend, Tilly can see scenes from her future. All of this is supposed to give Tilly clarity – or so her former friend says. But Tilly just thinks it’s ruining her life, and she wants the visions to stop – especially when she sees her husband packing up the house to move…

You see Tilly is a homebody - someone who loves her small-town life and is unwilling to uproot. This is partly because of her tough family history, and I really sympathized with Tilly for that part of her story. I know all about being the oldest sibling and trying to hold everything together after a tragedy. But that’s about where the sympathy – and my similarities with Tilly – ended.

Though there were a host of things that Tilly said or did that I found incomprehensible, what disturbed me the most was the way she treated her husband, Tyler. He obviously longs to do something more with his life, something that can’t be done in their small town, and has put his dreams on hold for Tilly's sake for years. Tilly won’t even consider moving, and she shuts him out so completely, it’s not hard to feel sorry for the guy. Ok, so he ends up making some pretty cowardly decisions, but despite all the “clarity” Tilly manages to find over the course of the novel, she never recognizes her own failures where Tyler is concerned.

So while I did appreciate Scotch’s deft observations about small-town life and the ways in which we can all get ourselves stuck, my dislike of Tilly eventually left a bad taste in my mouth. I’m still upset when I think about Tilly did at the end. Ugh!! I hope you will like her more than I did!

THE ONE THAT I WANT is available now in hardcover. Find out more about it at the author's website.

This review has been a part of Allison's TLC blog tour. Check out the other tour stops for more (postitive) thoughts on this title.

Book Review: This Gorgeous Game by Donna Freitas

Olivia Peters is overjoyed. Her writing has caught the eye of a famous author/priest who wants to be her mentor. At first, Olivia is so starstruck by her writing idol, she never says no when he suggests getting together to work on her story, even when these meetings become more and more frequent. Soon though, Olivia feels overwhelmed by his attention and starts getting the feeling that his intentions may not be as honorable as they appear.

Intense. That’s the first word that comes to mind when I think about this novel. The atmosphere is heavy and foreboding, even at the beginning. Thanks to a prologue that starts in media res, the audience is already wary of Father Mark at the start of chapter 1, even as Olivia is excited to make his acquaintance.

I really liked how the introduction of Jamie as a love interest for Olivia underlined the fact that something was very wrong with Father Mark. Olivia’s scenes with Jamie are as lighthearted and care-free as her scenes with Father Mark are oppressive.

My only real criticism with the book is the handling of the climax and conclusion. The wrap-up is perfunctory, which robs us of a really cathartic release after such an involving narrative.

THIS GORGEOUS GAME is now available in hardcover. Find out more about it at the author's blog.

Check out Snark & Bark for TV Musings from Book Bloggers

There's a new TV blog in town! Adele of Persnickety Snark recently started Snark & Bark and has asked me to be a part of the team, along with a score of other book bloggers. (Read all about my TV faves in my contributor bio and get to know the others as well.)

I'll be covering the series Mad Men once it starts back up at the end of July, but I just posted on memorable TV supporting characters. So please, go on over and leave a comment!