On Story Bent

One that has already stood the test of time (decades now, so I think we can fairly definitively say that), I was debating whether it was even worth my time reviewing this one. But there are always new readers. (+ one must be consistent with reviewing, mustn't one? ;))  It's so well written... And though it was a groundbreaker upon publication, personally, I don't think it's stuck around just because it's on mandatory school reading lists. It's a day in the life of a young child, told simply and beautifully, and that immediately resonates. It's one I vividly remember from my own growing up; and I've since seen it genuinely loved and enjoyed by all different children alike -- boys and girls, the quiet ones and the loud and wiggly ones... Their attention is caught and they naturally identify with the little boy protagonist. So yes, altogether a classic and an absolute gem!

Perhaps not quite as much of a family favorite as Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn , this is still an absolutely lovely book. (And seriously, it probably just has to do with seasonal preference... plus the fall colors in the other one are stunning.) This book follows the same outline and I really like how it takes the reader through exploring the seasons in both country and town. This one also has a brother and sister duo experiencing everything together, which is very sweet.  The ending pages are exhilarating. On second thought, I feel like I might've been a little hard on it up above. The text is actually a tad smoother and easier to read than Summer/Autumn  and, as I'm flipping through it while typing this up, I'm falling even more for the restrained color scheme and the soothing simplicity of the illustrations. Definitely going on our favorites list after all. Highly recommend!

Didn't realize till recently that this was actually the very first ever Katie book! It has a good selection of paintings (and I especially love the one from Renoir). Works covered include: The Hay Wain by John Constable Madame Moitessier by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres The Umbrellas by Pierre-Auguste Renoir Surprised! by Henri Rousseau Dynamic Suprematism by Kazamir Malevich As aforementioned, studying  The Umbrellas was really fun -- discussing how he used the colors themselves to evoke the feeling of rain, etc. I do like the Katie books for their immersive nature -- they're absolutely excellent for making the art come alive and connecting with young readers. That said, this one also led to a fruitful discussion about how we should indeed look with our eyes and obey Do Not Touch signs, and some of the reasons for those signs (finger oils, etc.); and also the difference between our world and the magic of Katie's world. ;) It led, too, to some good discussion on appropriate...

This one always reminds me of Owl Moon -- what with the story revolving around the father-daughter duo going through the snowy forest, keeping an eye out for animals -- but the actual content is quite different so both are entirely valuable in their own right. Smoothly written, it's an excellent introduction to the subnivean zone -- that layer between snow and ground, which is an entire world in its own right -- full of hibernating animals and also those hunkering down with the larders they gathered earlier in the year and munching their way through the winter. A few top dwelling animals -- deer and foxes, etc. -- make an appearance as well.  There's a nice glossary at the back where it expands further on each animal mentioned, too.  A great selection for natural history.

Love this book and definitely a favorite for this exact time of year -- winter just breaking into spring. It follows a similar basic outline to Jan Brett's famous Mitten story, but (personally) I find this one particularly charming. It has more of an emphasis on unlikely friends all having to get along together under the protection and the watchful eye of a (very) patient guardian figure. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous (of course ;)) and the ending is very sweet. And, come the ending, the Small Person immediately asked where we can go see musk oxen and was more than a little disappointed at how far we'd need to travel... so all the more reason to enjoy and appreciate having this delightful secondhand glimpse into their home and habitat. :) An all around win and highly recommend!

One of the most well written and engaging in the entire series. There is a bit of overtly intentional mess creation in it, but (as always) Katie is careful to go back over her tracks and make sure everything is scrupulously put right, so I'm comfortable with how it all works out in the end. There are always artistic renderings of lots of other famous pieces on each page, but following is a list of the works specifically explored: Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh Breton Girls Dancing by Paul Gauguin Apples and Oranges by Paul Cezanne Tahitian Pastorals by Paul Gauguin  As aforementioned, this is one of the liveliest Katie books and we ended up really enjoying it and getting entirely invested in the story. It's tremendously vivid and colorful, too! In the recommendation line up, would probably place it just after  Katie and the Mona Lisa and Katie and the Starry Sky. (Note: I just remembered that one of the imitation paintings on page 5 does show a nude swimmer from the back, but ...