So, yesterday was the official kick-off of the Keep Portland Weird festival here in Paris, which meant that I had a reading/screening in the...
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Castle in the Mist is the second installment of the Planet of the Dogs Series. While it is enjoyable to read it after having read Planet of the Dogs, the first book in the series, it can also stand on its own. In Planet of the Dogs the dogs come to the earth for the first time, in order to save the people of Green Valley from invaders from Stone City. The dogs were successful, and the Stone City Warriors have been living peacefully for over a year, with dogs of their own, when Castle in the Mist begins.
The dogs are once more alerted to trouble on earth. Nik and Nikki, the children of the Stone City Warrior leader, Bif, have been kidnapped. Prince Ukko, leader of the Black Hawk Tribe, who has invaded and taken residence in the Castle of the forest people, is unhappy that the Stone City Warriors have turned to peace. He is afraid that the peace will spread, and the lifestyle of himself and his army will be in danger. When Bif refuses his request for one hundred horses and two dogs, he has Bifs children kidnapped and held for ransom.
Having so recently brought peace to the earth, the dogs are afraid that it will now be taken away. Bifs anger and desire for revenge is great, and he will stop at nothing to recover his children. Can the dogs resolve the situation before war brakes out? Can Prince Ukko's hard, black heart be softened?
Castle in the Mist is full of the same elements I enjoyed in Planet of the Dogs and Snow Valley Heroes: beautiful, detailed, soft, mood setting drawings; the fun and antics of the dogs, and the people who are discovering them for the first time; encroaching danger and suspense; the lovely fantasy of a planet of dogs who are so concerned with the people of earth; and the forgiveness, unconditional love and loyalty that the dogs are able to subtly impart.
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(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
In Planet of the Dogs we are introduced to the world long, long, ago, before there were dogs on earth. The dogs have their own planet, where they live in a healthy and helpful society which is presided over by the dog council. When they find out that the people in the peaceful villages of the earth are under threat of attack from the warriors of Stone City, the dogs all agree it is time to act. They have observed enough about the planet earth to know that the adults will not accept them very readily; but the children, who are more open, and can even understand the language of the dogs, should be approached first. Can the dogs win over the people of earth so that they will trust them and let them help, or will the dogs fail in their mission, and the fierce warriors overcome the village?
This is a great story, full of adventure, fun, and fantasy. What child could help but be delighted and enthralled by the thought of dog biscuit trees, and fields of flowers which unbelievably transport you to another world, a world inhabited only by dogs. There is a perfect amount of conflict in the book to keep the story moving along, and yet the kindness and love of the dogs is always there to counteract the encroaching danger.
The book also contains very detailed and stunning drawings, which add to the overall atmosphere of the book.
I would reccomend this book for children from ages four to twelve, and all dog lovers.
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(4 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)
In Snow Valley Heroes the dogs have a great and important challenge.
The King of the North, full of revenge and hatred for having been banished
to the ice castle, has stolen two of Santa's reindeer. His goal: ruin
Christmas for everyone. The dogs, on their own planet, are alerted to this near tragedy, and send down a group of dogs from their own Snow Valley, who are used to the snow and the cold, to deal with the situation.
This was a great story. It has much going for it: Christmas that needs saving; dog heroes working with humans to achieve a peaceful resolution to conflict; great names and customs of the northern tribe of people who live near Santa's village; an icy and cruel heart which is melted by the kindness, love, and companionship of dogs; wonderful soft drawings, capturing the spirit of the dogs and the landscape perfectly; and even a map in the beginning to help visualization of this land.
I very much enjoyed the adventure and spirit of this book, and plan on adding it to our list of Christmas books read each year to help us get in the spirit of the holidays. While this book had many great lessons to teach, they were so buried in the plot and excitement of the story, that they did not come out preachy or off putting. I recommend this book to children and dog lovers alike
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(2 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
My Little Girl is a picture book co-authored by country music star Tim McGraw and song writer Tom Douglas, and illustrated by Julia Denos. Also included is a forward by McGraw's wife, Faith Hill. The story is about a little girl, Katie, who is so excited because her dad told her they were going to spend the day together, just the two of them, and they would have a "spectacular day". Katie spends time preparing for any eventuality - a ball, a trip to Africa - and is ready with her boots and tiara. When daddy calls to her and tells her they are doing "nothing in particular", Katie is very upset. (The facial expression on this page is classic, I have seen this look hundreds of times from my three little girls) They begin their ordinary day, but pretty soon that nothing in particular day turns out to be wonderful.
The watercolor illustrations in this book are really quite wonderful, especially the color palette, and the adorable little girls face, you just want to pick her up and give her a big squeeze. And the hound dog, which follows daddy and daughter on all of their adventures, is posed so deliciously. It never seems like the illustrators get enough credit, when they are the ones who do the most work, and really set the feel of the book. The story is very sweet, and the message is a good one: that spending time with family is what counts, not what you do together. There is a space at the back of the book to write your own daddy and daughter special moments, and the beginning of the book has a place to write to and from and the date. This would be a good gift for fathers looking for something to buy for their daughters.
The only place I felt this book fell short was in the writing. It did not flow very well, and jumped from event to event with no lead-in. But, writing a children's picture book is different than writing song lyrics. I suppose that when you are writing a song there is less call for details and fleshing out of a story. The body and idea of the story were sound enough. My children did not love this book. They were excited to receive it, and looked through it, asking me to read it immediately. But they have not asked me to read it again, which I found rather surprising.
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(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
Incredible book! Beautifully written! It is rare to find a book in which both the writing and the story, and the whole presentation is so well done. This book is on the top of my list of books read this year, and in the top 25 of books ever read. I checked this out from the library, but will definately buy a hardcover copy.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(8 of 14 readers found this comment helpful)
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Castle in the Mist by Robert J. Mccarty
lisalouhoo, February 22, 2009
Castle in the Mist is the second installment of the Planet of the Dogs Series. While it is enjoyable to read it after having read Planet of the Dogs, the first book in the series, it can also stand on its own. In Planet of the Dogs the dogs come to the earth for the first time, in order to save the people of Green Valley from invaders from Stone City. The dogs were successful, and the Stone City Warriors have been living peacefully for over a year, with dogs of their own, when Castle in the Mist begins.The dogs are once more alerted to trouble on earth. Nik and Nikki, the children of the Stone City Warrior leader, Bif, have been kidnapped. Prince Ukko, leader of the Black Hawk Tribe, who has invaded and taken residence in the Castle of the forest people, is unhappy that the Stone City Warriors have turned to peace. He is afraid that the peace will spread, and the lifestyle of himself and his army will be in danger. When Bif refuses his request for one hundred horses and two dogs, he has Bifs children kidnapped and held for ransom.
Having so recently brought peace to the earth, the dogs are afraid that it will now be taken away. Bifs anger and desire for revenge is great, and he will stop at nothing to recover his children. Can the dogs resolve the situation before war brakes out? Can Prince Ukko's hard, black heart be softened?
Castle in the Mist is full of the same elements I enjoyed in Planet of the Dogs and Snow Valley Heroes: beautiful, detailed, soft, mood setting drawings; the fun and antics of the dogs, and the people who are discovering them for the first time; encroaching danger and suspense; the lovely fantasy of a planet of dogs who are so concerned with the people of earth; and the forgiveness, unconditional love and loyalty that the dogs are able to subtly impart.
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
Planet of the Dogs by Robert Mccarty
lisalouhoo, January 17, 2009
In Planet of the Dogs we are introduced to the world long, long, ago, before there were dogs on earth. The dogs have their own planet, where they live in a healthy and helpful society which is presided over by the dog council. When they find out that the people in the peaceful villages of the earth are under threat of attack from the warriors of Stone City, the dogs all agree it is time to act. They have observed enough about the planet earth to know that the adults will not accept them very readily; but the children, who are more open, and can even understand the language of the dogs, should be approached first. Can the dogs win over the people of earth so that they will trust them and let them help, or will the dogs fail in their mission, and the fierce warriors overcome the village?This is a great story, full of adventure, fun, and fantasy. What child could help but be delighted and enthralled by the thought of dog biscuit trees, and fields of flowers which unbelievably transport you to another world, a world inhabited only by dogs. There is a perfect amount of conflict in the book to keep the story moving along, and yet the kindness and love of the dogs is always there to counteract the encroaching danger.
The book also contains very detailed and stunning drawings, which add to the overall atmosphere of the book.
I would reccomend this book for children from ages four to twelve, and all dog lovers.
(4 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)
Snow Valley Heroes a Christmas Tale by Robert J Mccarty
lisalouhoo, January 6, 2009
In Snow Valley Heroes the dogs have a great and important challenge.The King of the North, full of revenge and hatred for having been banished
to the ice castle, has stolen two of Santa's reindeer. His goal: ruin
Christmas for everyone. The dogs, on their own planet, are alerted to this near tragedy, and send down a group of dogs from their own Snow Valley, who are used to the snow and the cold, to deal with the situation.
This was a great story. It has much going for it: Christmas that needs saving; dog heroes working with humans to achieve a peaceful resolution to conflict; great names and customs of the northern tribe of people who live near Santa's village; an icy and cruel heart which is melted by the kindness, love, and companionship of dogs; wonderful soft drawings, capturing the spirit of the dogs and the landscape perfectly; and even a map in the beginning to help visualization of this land.
I very much enjoyed the adventure and spirit of this book, and plan on adding it to our list of Christmas books read each year to help us get in the spirit of the holidays. While this book had many great lessons to teach, they were so buried in the plot and excitement of the story, that they did not come out preachy or off putting. I recommend this book to children and dog lovers alike
(2 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
My Little Girl by Tim Mcgraw
lisalouhoo, December 3, 2008
My Little Girl is a picture book co-authored by country music star Tim McGraw and song writer Tom Douglas, and illustrated by Julia Denos. Also included is a forward by McGraw's wife, Faith Hill. The story is about a little girl, Katie, who is so excited because her dad told her they were going to spend the day together, just the two of them, and they would have a "spectacular day". Katie spends time preparing for any eventuality - a ball, a trip to Africa - and is ready with her boots and tiara. When daddy calls to her and tells her they are doing "nothing in particular", Katie is very upset. (The facial expression on this page is classic, I have seen this look hundreds of times from my three little girls) They begin their ordinary day, but pretty soon that nothing in particular day turns out to be wonderful.The watercolor illustrations in this book are really quite wonderful, especially the color palette, and the adorable little girls face, you just want to pick her up and give her a big squeeze. And the hound dog, which follows daddy and daughter on all of their adventures, is posed so deliciously. It never seems like the illustrators get enough credit, when they are the ones who do the most work, and really set the feel of the book. The story is very sweet, and the message is a good one: that spending time with family is what counts, not what you do together. There is a space at the back of the book to write your own daddy and daughter special moments, and the beginning of the book has a place to write to and from and the date. This would be a good gift for fathers looking for something to buy for their daughters.
The only place I felt this book fell short was in the writing. It did not flow very well, and jumped from event to event with no lead-in. But, writing a children's picture book is different than writing song lyrics. I suppose that when you are writing a song there is less call for details and fleshing out of a story. The body and idea of the story were sound enough. My children did not love this book. They were excited to receive it, and looked through it, asking me to read it immediately. But they have not asked me to read it again, which I found rather surprising.
(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
lisalouhoo, November 9, 2008
Incredible book! Beautifully written! It is rare to find a book in which both the writing and the story, and the whole presentation is so well done. This book is on the top of my list of books read this year, and in the top 25 of books ever read. I checked this out from the library, but will definately buy a hardcover copy.(8 of 14 readers found this comment helpful)