For the grownups, The Vanishing of Katharina Linden by Helen Grant (Delacorte, 2010), reviewed in the Washington Post (8/23/10). There's a lot to recommend this novel to adult readers of children's books, especially ones that have something to do with the Grimms (and there are an awful lot of them, readers and Grimm books alike): the heroine, 10-year-old-Pia (and her only friend, StinkStefan), the setting, a small town in Germany; and the local folklore and traditions that inform the whole story. PW describes it as a "charming horror novel" (4/12/2010). I try to stay away from horror novels of any sort, but just look at that gorgeous yellow cover.
Mouk and Moomin
Publisher's Weekly recently reviewed Around the World with Mouk by Marc Boutavant (Chronicle), describing Mouk's world as a "Richard Scarry/manga mashup" (Children's Book Reviews, 11/23/09) There's more, including international travel to Finland and reusable stickers, but really, what else does one need to know? It's on the list. I also like the Boutavant-illustrated All Kinds of Families! by Mary Ann Hoberman (Little, Brown).
Speaking of Finland, PW also reviewed (same date) the reissue of Tove Jansson's The Book About Moomin, Mymble, and Little My (Drawn and Quarterly). A Moomin picture book? Oh...my.
Moomins in the house
Question: Anamaria's dream vacation involves a trip to which Scandinavian themepark?
Hint: It's based on a series of children's books.
Answer: Moominworld!
I love the Moomins. They're part of my childhood canon, along with a surprising number of other Scandinavian children's books (you would be forgiven for thinking the answer was Astrid Lindgren's World). PW reports that the Moomin books by Tove Jansson are being re-released for their 65th anniversary next year (by Square Fish, the Macmillan imprint responsible for repackaging the books in Madeleine L'Engle's Austin and Time series with new cover art by Taeeun Yoo). There will be new preschool Moomin books, too. I'm excited (I haven't read all eight of the original books and can't wait to get my hands on them) and a little bit anxious, too.
Do you remember the Moomins?
A Spree in Paree
[We're celebrating April in picture book Paris. Please comment with your favorite picture books that are (even remotely) about Paris, and I'll add them to my list and post them next week. Merci!]
Thank you to Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect for recommending A Spree in Paree by Catherine Stock (Holiday House, 2004); we checked it out from the library last week and have toured the city alongside Monsieur Monmouton's farm animals many times since. The animals are typical tourists: the sheep go shopping on the Rue de Faubourg Saint-Honore, the goats enjoy the flowers in the Luxembourg gardens, the cows gaze at paintings of cows in the Louvre (that one cracks the kids up), and at the end of the day the pigs take everyone to dinner at a three-star restaurant. It's absolutely delightful, and you can read it right here courtesy of Lookybook:
Do the animals go to New York next? Yes, they went last year. A Porc in New York (Holiday House, 2007), is also available on Lookybook: note the parallels between the animals' trips to Paris and New York (this time the sheep go shopping at a famous New York department store, the goats ride the carousel in Central Park, and they all have dinner in Chinatown); and the promise that next time we see them, they'll be back on their farm with an American visitor for Monsieur Monmouton.
[I was just thinking I might like to see more of Monsieur Monmouton's little farm myself (with my husband and children, of course) when I noticed that author and illustrator Catherine Stock is essentially his next-door-neighbor. We might even rent her cottage in Rignac. Someday!]