This children’s book is a perfect example of a good reason why people need to learn to share the load when putting on a performance. Prudence is so good at everything, that everyone lets her do everything…too bad no one got to see it. One person can’t do it all…even if they are good at everything they try. I think this is a nice story for kids to relate to; about how much better it is to use teamwork than to try to do everything yourself. Perfection isn’t everything it is cracked up to be!
The book was written by Peter Harris and illustrated by Deborah Allwright, both from have roots in London. It was copyrighted in 2003 and published by Gingham Dog Press an imprint of McGraw-Hill Children’s Companies. www.MHkids.com
Skinny Dip is the story of a salacious marine scientist who seemed to have conned his way into his degree. His life’s work is about saving the Florida everglades; which in fact he care absolutely nothing about. Chaz Perrone has only one true love and that is himself. He has been hired secretely to work for a Florida multi-millionaire tomatoe farmer who is adding to the destruction of the everglades by the run off from his farms; he needs Chaz to doctor the water quality test results to keep him in business.
Chaz takes his beautiful young wife on an anniversary cruise to celebrate their second anniversary. He has ulterior motives (murder) because he thinks that she has found out the truth about his illegal activities. He “helps” her into the ocean off of the rail of the ocean liner. This is where the myterious workings begin to take an interesting turn. Revenge behaviors take root in this story in a variety of ways…not all of them are credible…but, fantasy-wise…the twists and turns are somewhat entertaining.
While the story has a way of keeping you tuned in….i myself could have done without the crude language and the overkill on his deviant personality. I understood in the beginning how bent Chaz was….by the end of the book…i felt that the author had almost turned him into a cartoon character of himself. He goes into a field of study that is far removed from his real interests; and, doubled with his character’s deep fear of the dangers involved with his job…it seems a bit unbelievable that he would be able to maintain his job long enough for the story to take place.
However, the issue of the destruction of the everglades is important enough to learn about by reading about people who serve their own interests before the issue of our healthy environment; there really are some people with that type of character. If you are bothered by extreme crude language or behavior…this book isn’t for you…if you can overlook it to follow the thread of the story…it is an interesting read.
Carl Hiaasen is the author and he lives in Florida. He knows the area well. So, it is good that this book brings an awareness to the public about the fragile balance that must be maintained for the health of Florida everglades. He has authored over ten books and has also written for the newspaper the miami Herald. This book was published in 2004 by Alfred A. Knopf. www.aaknopf.com
Diary Of A Fly is a wonderful mix of facts and funny stuff. The illustrations are cute and humorously drawn. Both adults and kids will find this book fun.
The book was written by Doreen Cronin; and, it was illustrated by Harry Bliss. They make a great team. The story is about a young female fly who is finding out what it takes to be a super hero. She is starting out her diary on the first day in fly school; and, she has 327 brothers and sisters. No wonder she wants to stand out in a crowd! Her friends explain a few facts about life to her…all about the food chain and all (of which she is a part of). 
We learn alot about Fly and all of her great abilities.
Diary of a Fly will help children to see that we all play a part in the world we live in.
This book was published by Joanna Cotler Books; an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. It was copyrighted in 2007 by the New York Times bestselling team of Doreen Cronin and Harry Bliss. It is a hard cover picture book written for children from ages 4-8. There are two other books in this series…Diary of A Worm…and Diary of A Spider. You can see the trio of books here: www.diaryofbooks.com.
You can visit the author’s website at : www.doreencronin.com or you could visit the illustrator’s website at: www.harrybliss.com . Enjoy!!!
Rain Forest is a children’s book that is written by Jinny Johnson. The into was written by Dr. Nalini Nadkarni as well as some quotes that are scattered throughout the book alluding to her experiences in the rain forest.
This book is one of those rare books that comes to life as you turn the pages. The pages are filled with photographs of life that most of us will never see or experience. It is vibrant with colorful plant life and animal life.
Much of the rain forest is a mystery. There is various life forms on the ground level, in the trees and on top of the trees or in the canopy. There is the hairy pink toed tarantula, gorillas, anteater, flowers, beetles, river dolphins, parrots, tribal people, howler monkeys…and really, so much more. You have to see this book.
We get to see how Dr. Nalini as well as other scientists explore all levels of the rain forest. Each page is filled with interesting facts about the plants, animals and trees. As much fun as it is to see and read…Dr. Nalini makes sure that she tells us how important the rain forest is to people all over the world.
The rain forest is important to the stability of the world’s climate. Many of the plants in the forest canopy is being tested and researched for making medicines. The book even touches on the people of the rain forest and how they live in a somewhat hostile environment. The book has interesting pages and filmy see through pages which amazingly have different pictures on each side.
It is a fun book to read and experience. I think both boys and girls will enjoy this book and seeing a glimpse into a world that they often hear about on the news and in school.
Rain Forest is published by Kingfisher, a Houghton Mifflin Company. It was copyrighted in 2006