Mr. Topper, the Potbellied Pig

Many people have potbellied pigs as pets, but Mr. Topper, the main character in Liam Maher's book, is homeless. He wants someone to take care of him, but can't find anyone willing to do that. Then he gets an idea; he'll pretend he can bring magical good luck to whoever takes him in.

After several failed attempts, a kind-hearted person finally welcomes Mr. Topper into his home. But when his benefactor falls on hard times the pig really wants to bring him good luck. Is there any way he can help the kind human?

No spoilers intended here, but a child who has recently lost a tooth will probably especially enjoy this book.

Perhaps it's because the author grew up in Ireland that the story reads like a classical folk tale, the sort that never goes out of style. Even the illustrations by Vanda Lavar remind me of pictures in books I enjoyed way back when I was a kid and I think children today will enjoy this book a lot.

Stella, The Fire Farting Dragon

Kids will love this picture book! It's a funny story about a dragon who wants to win a contest, but is nervous and can't stop farting fire. She could be publicly humiliated!

What will happen if she follows the advice of her human friend Allen? "No matter what happens, keep flying," he tells her.

I love the illustrations by Jack Foster (who also illustrated one of my books) because they're just as amusing as the story.

The author, J Aday Kennedy, is "differently-abled" and has plenty of experience with persevering in spite of difficulties, but the book isn't at all preachy-teachy. Stella, The Fire Farting Dragon is just plain fun!

One Pelican at a Time

Nancy Stewart's book, One Pelican at a Time, has already won some awards although it was only published a few months ago. It's about two girls, Britt and Bella, who discover a pelican covered by oil from the Gulf Oil spill and help to save it. The girls wisely got help from adults, but what they did themselves mattered a lot.

I asked the author, who lives in Florida near the Gulf of Mexico, what influence her own experience after the famous disaster had on writing this book. Here's what she told me:

"Our condo is on Clearwater Beach, a part of Tampa Bay. Fortunately, we did not have any oil spill residue. But just being a part of the gulf community was enough to be impacted emotionally. We love it and respect the marine life found there, so it wasn't any stretch of the imagination to empathize. Because of this and coupled with all the live shots of the oil spurting from the well and at the surface, the book was a natural. In fact, Lynda Burch, my publisher and I thought the book was crying out to be written. So I wrote it."

The book is well written and the lovely illustrations by Samantha Bell convey the story perfectly. Kids who read it will enjoy discovering what two children like themselves were able to do to make a difference in the world. I hope a lot of readers will be inspired to make a difference themselves. I asked Nancy Stewart for some suggestions and she said, "I believe the things to do with kids that will have the most impact are things they can really do. Every day. Things such as: turn off water while brushing teeth (three gallons used each time we don't), turn off lights when leaving a room, (I always tell little ones in school visits, each time they turn off a light they are helping save a polar bear), take short showers and unplug appliances after using them. And there are so many more. In fact, I have a power point I made as a presenter at the Illinois Reading Council Conference in March. It's on my website for anyone to use. It's called, Let's Help Kids Save Our Planet. If anyone wants it, s/he is free to use it.

The web address is: www.nancystewartbooks.com

My blog site is: http://www.nancystewartbooks.blogspot.com

I believe many young readers will be inspired by this book to make a difference in the world.

Missing Mothers

Mother's Day makes me miss my mother, who died a few years ago.

It also makes me think of all the people, especially kids, who don't get to see their mothers. Some never even knew their birth mothers while others were separated from them by divorce, put into foster care, or sent to live with other relatives.

Even though they may see their mothers at times, lots of other children don't live with them. Others do live with their mothers, but those may be addicts, abusive, or have serious health problems so they can't parent effectively.

It's sad that thousands - perhaps millions - of kids have never experienced a healthy family life and that makes it less likely that they'll be able to provide one for their own kids.

But it can help a lot if kids have other mother figures who are good role models, even if they don't live with them. A stepmother, foster mother, grandmother, aunt, or even a teacher or neighbor can help to love and nurture a child and be an example of what a parent should be like. Even people from healthy families with wonderful mothers of their own can benefit from knowing other people like that.

Did you have any women in your life who were good role models for you? If so, Mother's Day is a good time to express your appreciation.

Memories

Last week I blogged about heirlooms that remind us of things in the past. Since Sunday will be Mother's Day this is a good time to talk about memories of our mothers.

I remember my mother placing my new baby brother in my arms as I sat in my little rocking chair and allowing me to feed him from his bottle.

As we drove to California I remember her calling out, "Westward Ho! That's us, kids."

Of course I remember the morning she told us our father had died of polio the night before.

And I remember her beautiful singing as she cooked dinner.

Those are only a few of the many memories I have of my mother. What do you remember about yours?

The Giant-Slayer

Iain Lawrence's book, The Giant-Slayer is excellent! It's part historical fiction, part fantasy, and ... oh, oh! If it's part historical fiction that means I'm really old because I actually remember things that happened at that time. My father died of polio when I was six years old. Polio truly was like a terrible giant threatening everyone.

The book takes place in the early 1950s during the polio epidemic and is about a girl, Laurie, who uses her amazing storytelling ability to inspire kids in a contraption called the iron lung. (That machine was used to help polio victims breathe by contracting their chests when muscles in that area had become paralyzed.)

As someone who lived during the era I can testify that the details are realistic.

But the important part of the book is the fantasy. Laurie's stories, involving mythological creatures from many cultures, carry the other kids and the reader away from the medical unit and into an exciting other world. As the children participate in the story, they become part of it.

But what will happen when Laurie, herself, gets polio? Can she survive?

Anyone who appreciates the value of Story or who simply wants to be carried away to other worlds will enjoy reading this book.

Heirlooms

According to my old Webster's New World Dictionary, an heirloom is "a valuable or interesting possession handed down from generation to generation."

Heirlooms help people in families remember their history and the people who made it.

Some of the interesting things that were handed down to me are my mother's high school yearbook and my grandmother's hand painted salt and pepper shakers.

I've also saved toys and books from my own childhood, shared them with my kids, and now they're available for my grandchildren.

While some heirlooms may be too valuable or fragile to use, it seems wasteful to keep most of them tucked away for protection. If the platter my great aunt painted gets broken someday I'm sure she'd rather have that happen than for it to remain hidden and unused. And my mother would be pleased to see me actually wearing the costume jewelry that reminds me of her.

I believe some things exist for purely practical reasons, but many others are here to be appreciated for their beauty, and because they remind us of people we love.