Carol Chapman (1)

Barney Bipple wanted to be older, talk to his dog, and drive a nice big car. Turns out, when your change your appearance people don't recognize you, when your dog is literally named Snoozer he's not going to have interesting stories when he gets to talk, and when you drive a big fancy car as a kid you get arrested. I liked this story overall, it made me wish I had a cool neighbor or grandma to tell me about magical dandelion wishes, but we never lived near family growing up and my neighbor was in a big biker gang. This is the theme I wish the book took more seriously, the neighbor says very clearly to keep the wishes light, like for furs and diamonds, but Barney doesn't listen and gets in trouble. Having the dog talk or getting a new glove or gum or a frog is fine and relatively small, but a new sibling and a huge radio and a horse? These things would have been too much in reality and would have broke the neighbors rules. There isn't a clear line between wishes that won't get you in trouble and those that will. The art is whimsical and bright and fun, acrylic, watercolor and pen. I enjoyed the use of blown dandelions into magical swirls and twists.… (mere)

Cute, funny Yiddish story about Meshka, the woman who couldn't open her mouth without complaining. One day she contracts "the Kvetch's Itch," which makes everything she says come true. When she complains that her son is as useless as a bump on a kosher pickle, he turns into a pickle. When she moans that her feet feel like ten-pound melons, they turn into ten-pound melons. Finally the rabbi tells her that, though she can never be cured, if she can say positive things for the rest of her life she'll be able to live in peace.

(With my own kids, I would make the point that this doesn't mean you should never talk about things that bother you. But there's a difference between venting occasionally, or expressing hurt or frustration, and always looking at the negative side of things the way Meshka does.)… (mere)