holgagraphy... hippo's butt

This photo was taken at the San Antonio Zoo with an Holga camera by ChickRocks.

Bookworm - "Oscar and the Very Hungry Dragon"

“Oscar and the Very Hungry Dragon” by Ute Krause is about a hungry and near-sighted dragon that desires to eat a ‘fat juicy princess.”.   After waking up from being asleep for what seems like hibernation, he descends into a village but sadly there was no princess.  So what’s the next best thing?  The village elder decides to have a lottery with the children of the village and Oscar is the lucky winner!  However, the dragon is not at all impressed with the boy.  Oscar is skinny and puny but CLEVER so he tricks the dragon into letting him cook.  The dragon thinks that over the course of time, Oscar will fatten up and be turned into a hefty main course.  Oscar becomes a culinary genius.  He cooks delicious meals and the dragon cannot resist the enticing smells, he begins to eat and eat and quickly forgets about eating the boy.  After a visit with the eye doctor and brand new eye glasses, the dragon becomes furious at the site of the newly chubby Oscar.   He grabs the boy between his claws and is about to swallow him when Oscar yells something that changed the dragon’s mind forever.  The boy convinces the dragon to cook for him if he is not eaten.  From that day on, the dragon and Oscar become friends and together they open a village restaurant named Café Dragon House.

About the book:

“Oscar and the Very Hungry Dragon”  is a 40 page hardcover book.  It was published in 2010 by NorthSouth.  The reading level is ages 4-8.  IBSN-10 is # 0735823065.  The book is available here. 

About the author/illustrator:

Ute Krause was born in Berlin, Germany but has lived in many countries around the world, including the United States.  She studied film and television drama.  Krause makes, writes film scripts, and directs short films and documentaries such as “Take Me Back to Cairo” and “The Moffels –  The Arrival”.   She has illustrated over 150 children’s books and currently 13 of her own.  

Reflection:

In times of trouble or an unfortunate turn of events, don’t give up.  Face the opposition.  What if Oscar had given up?  The dragon would have eaten him and end of story, but NO!  He thought of something quick and clever.  Oscar remembered his mother’s cooking and enticed the dragon with his hidden talent.  First, the boy had to work hard.  Even though he dearly missed his family and his life was in jeopardy, he didn’t give up.  Second, it takes time.  Oscar’s superb cooking skills slowly won the dragon’s heart (by way of his tummy).  Sometimes through pain there is gain and growth.  

Bookworm - "Crow"

“Crow” by Leo Timmers is a beautifully illustrated children’s book that shows the importance of self acceptance.   Crow is a large black crow seeking friendship.  While perched on a telephone wire, he spots some colorful small birds but quickly realizes that they are scared of him because of his physical appearance.  He comes up with a brilliant idea and with brushes and paint buckets in hand, Crow paints himself to resemble each bird.  Unfortunately, his plan backfires and the small birds are terrified of him.  This rejection brings Crow to tears, which consequently washes the paint away.  Later, when the small birds see Crow again, they are ecstatic because they think that Crow scared the multi-colored large birds away.  Based on this assumption, Crow and the small birds become instant friends. 

About the book:

Crow is a 30 page hardcover book.  It was published in 2010 by Clavis Publishing.  The reading level is ages 4-8.  IBSN-10 is #1605370711.  The book is available here. 

About the author/illustrator:

Leo Timmers was born in 1970 and lives in Belgium.  He is a trained Graphic Designer and began by illustrating books and now writes them too.  He has won numerous awards including the Children’s and Youth Jury Award in 2005 for “Just in Time” and “Supermouse”.  Timmers’ books have been published in over 16 countries.  For more information on Leo Timmers, click here.  

Blogging Your Way

A few weeks ago, I decided to enroll in an e-course called “Blogging Your Way” offered by Holly from Décor8 and co-taught with Leslie from Creative Mint.  I feel privileged to be part of this e-course.   Holly and Leslie have offered a wealth of information and I’ve connected with hundreds of talented blogger students from all over the world. 
Just recently in a weekly podcast, Holly spoke about the F word – FEAR.  Fear can either be a brick wall in your path or a catalyst for great things.  I choose to push through my fear of blogging.   Over the next few weeks, I’ll continue to revamp my blog and slowly be adding quality articles about subjects that I’m truly passionate.  
As a teacher, one of my favorite moments of the school day is when I gather the students around me for story time.  I enjoy seeing my students’ reactions to the story and illustrations.  I probe them with questions, ask them for their thoughts and predictions, and often times we have lengthy discussions about the ‘WHAT Ifs’ and ‘WHYs.’ 
Therefore, it makes sense that my first addition to my blog is a weekly book review.  Each week on Friday, I’ll be choosing a children’s book and offering a mini-review.