Book info:
Title: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: The Poetry of Mister Rogers
Author: Fred Rogers, Luke Flowers (Illustrator), Josie Carey (Contributor)
Genre: Nonfiction/Poetry
Release Date: March 19th, 2019
Publisher: Quirk Books
Source: ARC received from Publisher which did not influence my opinion
My rating: 4 stars
Synopsis:
For the first time ever, the beloved songs from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood are collected here in a charmingly-illustrated treasury, sure to be cherished by adults who grew up with Mister Rogers, and a new generation of children alike.
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood had a revolutionary impact on children's television, and on millions of children themselves. Through songs, puppets, and frank conversations, Mister Rogers instilled the values of kindness, patience, and self-esteem in his viewers, and most of all, taught children how loved they were, just by being themselves. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood reimagines the songs from the show as poetry, ranging from the iconic ("Won't You Be My Neighbor?") to the forgotten gems. The poem are funny, sweet, silly, and sincere, dealing with topics of difficult feelings, new siblings, everyday routines, imagination, and more. Perfect for bedtime, sing-along, or quiet time, this book of nostalgic and meaningful poetry is the perfect gift for every child--including the child in all of us.
My Review:
As the synopsis points out, this book really made me so nostalgic. So many of the songs/poems that were in the book I could hear being recited or sung in Mister Rogers' voice. I recently saw the documentary about Mister Rogers, and this book is coming out at the perfect time to tie in with those who were now thinking about their childhood, or else wanting to share those memories with children of their own. Obviously the poetry and songs are very simple, just the way they worked on his show, and for singing to kids. I really enjoyed this as I said, and I can't wait to share it with my 7 year old niece and one year old nephew. A great add to any children's library, full of fun poems and songs you can sing with them!
Book info:
Title: Geekerella
Author: Ashley Poston
Genre: YA Contemporary, Fairy Tale retelling
Published: April 4th, 2017
Source: Edelweiss e-galley from publisher, Quirk Books
My rating: 5 stars
So, if you are a long-time follower, you know that I'm not a huge YA contemporary reader. But, when I saw there was a dachshund in this one, and that it was a fairy tale retelling, AND had to do with a comic-con type of event, I was instantly intrigued. As you can tell by my 5 star rating, I also was not disappointed!
This is a Cinderella story/retelling, so it reminded me a bit of my 2015 NaNoWriMo project, which was also a Cinderella retelling, modern YA contemporary style, and like mine, this one even included a country club. However, this book did such a great job at really hitting all the little story details that fit in with the fairy tale. And we got both sides of the story, both our Cinderella - Elle, and our Prince Charming - actor Darien Freeman who plays Prince Carmidor in the new movie based on Elle's favorite sci-fi series. That makes the story unique in itself, although my project also did both sides. Again, not quite as good as this one though! Elle's father died a few years ago, but not before remarrying a woman who is the perfect evil stepmother, and not only that, she has twin step-sisters who are definitely also evil, for the most part, one of them might actually have some redeeming qualities.
The big convention for the space show, Starfield, was actually started years ago by Elle's father and mother. But she hasn't been without her father. This year she wants to go, after all kinds of things make her interested. She has made a new friend, the girl that works with her in the food truck called "the Magic Pumpkin", more Cinderella details. The friend is kind of a fairy godmother too in that she is able to help Elle get her "outfit" ready for the comic-con. There is also the little dachshund, the one that lives next door, that Elle rescues from being chained outside and neglected. You gotta love him.
And then of course there is Darien, who not only has to fill in one of the biggest roles ever, he doesn't want to mess it up, because he is also a big fan of the show. And due to his "teen hunk" status, many people, especially bloggers, are sure he will fail, and are posting it all over the internet. Darien's life isn't as sweet as you'd think. He has to deal with his rabid fans, a dad that has become more into making his son a successful movie star, but not worried about his son's happiness, and friends from the past, who were only out to sell stories about him.
Darien and Elle will meet at the convention, Elle not really impressed with him, as she is one of those bloggers predicting his failure. Yet Darien will be intrigued with her right away, until he finds out she is one of those bloggers. The two of them will have lots to overcome, including a moment of being separated, and Prince Charming, excuse me, Prince Carmidor, searching for Cinderella, I mean Elle.
A funny, sweet story, one I'm glad I got the opportunity to read, and highly recommend!
