book reviews (all genres)

[review] Disgustingly Delicious by Soledad Romero Mariño and Montse Galbany

~ jama ~ 5 Comments

Hungry? May I interest you in a warm bowl of Stewed Cow’s Intestines, a very smelly Fermented Bird, or even better, a crunchy Fried Tarantula?

Chances are good you’ve yet to eat any of these rare delicacies. Well, what are you waiting for?

Here’s your chance to get a little taste: in Disgustingly Delicious: The Surprising, Weird and Wonderful Food of the World (Orange Mosquito, 2023), Soledad Romero Mariño and Montse Galbany serve up a tantalizing platter of 19 international dishes that’ll make your mouth water and your stomach growl (well, maybe) . . .

Our guide for this culinary adventure is backpack-toting Anna, who at the outset shares a quote from Andreas Ahrens, Director of the Disgusting Food Museum in Sweden:

Disgust is always subjective. It depends on where you were brought up. It is as if we are brainwashed from a young age about what is disgusting and what is not.

So true — it’s important to keep in mind that there are people out there who consider something we love to eat disgusting too!

From Frog Shakes in Peru to Giant Tuna Eyeballs in Japan, we learn how these foods are sourced and prepared, along with facts about historical origin and cultural relevance. Dishes span five continents: North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

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[cuddly review + giveaway] Bless Our Pets by Lee Bennett Hopkins and Lita Judge

~ jama ~ 52 Comments

Today we’re featuring a brand new Lee Bennett Hopkins poetry anthology on the eve of what would have been his 86th birthday. With an official pub date of April 16, it’s great to have one of Lee’s last edited books to help us celebrate National Poetry Month.

Back in 2015, when I asked him to be a HotTEA of Children’s Poetry for a short series I was running, this is what he said:

“You literally have me in stitches knowing I might be a HotTEA.  Of course I will get a photo to you as soon as.

I’ll have Charles take a photo of something very special with me and tea, a drink I adore…especially hot tea!”

He then sent a photo, asking, “Is this HotTEA enough? If not, I’ll send another.” Plenty hot, but he ended up sending another anyway. Both were so hot I needed oven mitts to handle them. 😀

Though Lee liked various teas, a particular favorite was Twinings of London Ceylon Orange Pekoe. He also wanted to make sure I noticed the purple flowers on his teacup.

Lee is deeply missed and this new book feels like a birthday gift from him to all of us.

With fourteen poems selected by Lee, lovingly illustrated by New Hampshire artist Lita Judge, Bless Our Pets: Poems of Gratitude for Our Animal Friends (Eerdmans BFYR, 2024) is a book to hug and hold close.

Poets include:

• Ann Whitford Paul
• Rebecca Kai Dotlich 
• Linda Trott Dickman
• Eric Ode
• Ralph Fletcher
• Sarah Grace Tuttle
• Kristine O’Connell George
• Darren Sardelli
• B.J. Lee
• Charles Ghigna
• Lois Lowry
• Prince Redcloud
• Joan Bransfield Graham
• Lee Bennett Hopkins

We read about thirteen different furry, feathered, and scaled animals, from puppies to parakeets, goldfish to gerbils. Mostly written in the first person addressing the pets themselves, the poems are a mix of free verse and rhymers. All express the singular love of cherished pets in tender, gentle, intimate terms, citing the endearing traits and antics that make them special.

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[review + recipes] V&A Introduces: Beatrix Potter by Katie Woolley and Ginnie Hsu

~ jama ~ 13 Comments

“There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story. You never quite know where they’ll take you. Mine took me here. Where I belong.” ~ Beatrix Potter

Spring is Beatrix Potter time.

Every year as Easter rolls around, I enjoy rereading some of her Peter Rabbit tales and looking for new Potter-related books to add to my growing collection. Happily, there’s always more to learn about this remarkable woman, the world she created via her imagination, and the beautiful countryside she worked so hard to preserve for future generations.

Recently I stumbled upon a charming mini book, the latest title in the popular “V&A Introduces” series that celebrates icons in the world of art and design in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Love the pansies endpaper!

Beatrix Potter: Artist, Conservationist, Pioneer by Katie Woolley and Ginnie Hsu (Puffins Books, 2022), is a beautifully illustrated introduction to Potter’s life and accomplishments that includes original photographs and fascinating backstories to several of her most beloved tales.

Carefully curated facts are presented in twelve sections, giving readers a good sense of how unique Beatrix was as a fully self-realized creative who defied societal convention and attained financial independence:

  • Young Beatrice
  • Writing and Drawing
  • Escape to the Country
  • The Tale of Peter Rabbit
  • The Lake District
  • The Tailor of Gloucester
  • The Businesswoman
  • Hill Top Farm
  • Love & Marriage
  • The National Trust
  • Country Living
  • A Lasting Legacy

Peter Rabbit fans will enjoy learning how Beatrix became a master storyteller. As was typical for a girl from a wealthy Victorian family, she was looked after by a nanny and had lessons with a governess. She inherited a love of art from her parents, got lost in stories, and practiced drawing characters from the books she read.

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[tasty review] The Neighborhood Surprise by Sarah van Dongen

~ jama ~ 7 Comments

Have you ever planned a surprise for someone, only to be surprised in return?

In Sarah van Dongen’s heartwarming debut picture book, The Neighborhood Surprise (Tiny Owl, 2021), kindness, community, diversity, and of course, mouthwatering food – are all on the menu.

Young Koya and her friends, Hassan and Alex, are upset to learn that one of their elderly neighbors, Mrs. Fig, is moving to a retirement home. They love to visit her because she tells them “exciting stories from the past,” sews them cool costumes for dress-up, has the cuddliest pets, and best of all – bakes “the most delicious cookies.”

How can they show her how much they’ll miss her? Koya suggests a surprise goodbye party. They could invite the entire neighborhood for a potluck!

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[perky review] Taxi, Go! by Patricia Toht and Maria Karipidou

~ jama ~ 13 Comments

Good Morning! It’s a brand new day, and everybody in the city has something to do, somewhere to go. Who will help them get there?

Speedy, spunky TAXI, that’s who!

Look, here he is now 😀.

Cabs are resting in a line.
Wake up, Taxi. Rise and shine!
Fill the tank, Check the tires.
Roof light on — now for hire!

Taxi . . . GO!
Get on your way —
today will be a busy day!

In Taxi, Go!, a zippy new rhyming picture book by Patricia Toht and Maria Karipidou (Candlewick, 2024), we follow spiffy red Taxi from morning till night as he transports passengers young and old to a variety of destinations.

After his morning fuel-up, he first picks up a woman who can’t be late for an important business date. Taxi races ahead, weaving left and right through an alley-way as “Heavy rain comes crashing down.” When sirens wail, Taxi has to STOP! for an emergency rescue (cat up a tree).

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