Ping Zhu

The Strange Birds of Flannery O'Connor by Amy Alznauer and Ping Zhu is a fascinating book that will appeal to children and to fans of O'Connor.

As a children's book the story is both interesting and empowering. I am assuming that a parent or adult reading this to small children use books to educate which means there will be context given to anything out of the norm for that child. Someone mentioned the chicken being killed, it isn't exactly graphic and there are far worse things taking place in Disney stories, so as long as this isn't being used in place of interaction but as a supplement to interaction, there is nothing here to be worried about. Put the bubble wrap away, your kid will be fine.

While you won't want to find O'Connor's stories and start reading them all to your 6 year old, this may just put the idea of reading stories into their mind. O'Connor's childhood makes for an interesting and positive story that can speak to children (and many of us adults). Different is just that, different. Yet even in our differences we share many similarities. What we do may be different but why we do them is usually a common motivator for all of us. We can find many lessons here to expand on, and the story will keep the child's interest.

I recommend for those who take the time to read to/with their children and, even more important, talk with their children. Knowing that someone who became famous and successful had an early life like this can only be an empowering concept for a young mind. Unless we as adults find ways to soil it.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via Edelweiss.… (mere)

~review copy

Well, this is interesting and very different. What you receive is a long fold-out made of fairly sturdy paper. Think concertina. There is lovely stylized art in vivid colors --orange, black, white, yellow, blue-- on both sides. There is no text.

On one side you see preparation activities for 'Swan Lake'. Ballerinas stretch and practice. One sits before a mirror with a palette of makeup beside her. There's a stage direction and wardrobe.

On the reverse side there's the final stage and an audience. But also scenes that show us how this audience got there. Phone calls and gather information.

The connection to the Swan Lake ballet is tenuous. This really could be any ballet, and I would use this piece as either a decoration, or to discuss the production of ballets with little ones. It would also be a cute gift for a little one who is a ballet class enthusiast, or you could even use it as a coffee table book.… (mere)