This is a collection of my writing and correspondence with a few bits of poetry and random thoughts mixed in. I started this blog after learning that some of my letters had an uplifting quality.
In the pages of this blog you will find my real life trials and tribulations, the nature of what I think is truth, and the dust and grit of my real life.
'The Inch High Samurai' retold by Ralph F. McCarthy is a little
book of Japanese folklore that goes about telling people not to let their faults slow them down. This telling has little in the way of danger and is likely not a full layout of the original story but is a perfect pep talk for your little person. The Japanese artwork is very nice, rich, and full of color. The book, however, is small for a children's book and is not an easy thing to read to your child if you want to have story time. All and all, this is a book that make the perfect gift for the child who loves to read. Who should read this book? Everyone. Books read: 132 of 5000
'The Adventure of Momotaro, The Peach Boy' retold by
Ralph F. McCarthy is a story from Japanese folklore about a boy who was born from a giant peach found floating in a river and then was adopted by an elderly couple.
The primary theam of the story is revealed in the second act when Monotaro puts together an army and has to work to make them get along. The problems are rather slim and the story is more feel good than anything else. Still, this is a children's book and being such it will have little in the way of substance.
Another point to understand about this book is that it is small and would be hard for a parent to read to a child for that reason. Something to be said is that this book has the Japanese calligraphy which is a plus.
Back in high school I preformed a theatrical poetic reading of
'Arrow to the Sun' but not the version by Gerald McDermott. This is a story of the Pueblo people native to North America, and the artwork is in the same style as the culture this story derives from. That said, I feel that a more in depth interpretation or at least a bank of facts at the end of the book would have made this a better read. I was left wanting more, and for a book this large I think more could have been given. There were some pages where no words were present and we the reader just had to fill in the story. That's not necessarily a bad thing. It's just that there could have been more. Who should read this book? Everyone Books read: 94 of 5000
'Black Duck and Water Rat' by Percy Trezise & Mary Haginkistas
is the story of how the Platypus came to be according to Australian aborigines. In this case a river rat takes a Black Duck as an unwilling wife and she is the mother of all Platypodes. If you're thinking of getting this book for your children it is a little on the violent side and the idea of a rat forcing itself on a duck is just bizarre. On the other hand this book is nicely illustrated and something I had never heard of before. Who should read this book? Adults Books read: 71 of 5000
