No Biting, Louise is the latest from Margie Palatini, the author of several funny children's books. Louise is an alligator (it never states that specifically, she could be a crocodile, I suppose) who is in a "biting, gnawing, chomping" stage. Parents of "biters" are all too familiar with this stage in childhood development. Louise cannot resist biting other animals' hindsides and/or limbs when they come close. Even Grandmama Sadie gets her finger caught in Louise's sharp chompers. The turning point in the story, when Louise learns to stop biting, comes and goes. Just like that, she stops biting. I felt let down with this lack of resolve in the storyline. The author missed a golden opportunity to have Louise learn her lesson when, earlier at the beach, Louise grabs hold of one particular animal who gives Louise some little souvenirs as reminders to not bite him again. The best part of this book is the illustrations. Reinhart does a wonderful job bringing Louise and her family to life. Bright, bold, sharp figures and colors on every page will hold any child's attention.
Stand Tall
By Siena Siegel
by Joan Bauer
Putnam, 2002, 182 pgs Realistic Fiction
Tree is 12 years old and over 6 feet tall. That would be great if he were a basketball player, but he is not. Dealing with his unusual size is not Tree's only challenge. Tree's parents have recently gone through a divorce, and his grandfather has had his leg amputated as the result of an old Vietnam War injury. The strength of this book is the characterizations. All of the main characters are dimensional and sympathetic. Bauer sets the characters in real and often funny family situations. Best of all is the character of Tree. He is boy with a heart to match his stature. This is a great book for boys or girls ages 9-12, as a read aloud or for individual reading. This book could also be a good Rx book for children whose families are going through divorce, or for anyone who feels like they don't fit in.
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