Tag: Imagination

Book Review: Meet Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

What child doesn’t turn a junk heap into a whole magical world of race cars, rocket ships, and airplanes, and spend their days saving the world from horribly evil enemies? Jeremy and Jemima Potts were no different, and when their favorite rusty old wreck of a car is about to be destroyed, they just can’t let that happen. Fortunately, they have two dollars and an inventor for a dad.

With some junk of his own and a little imagination, Mr. Potts transforms the old car into a thing of beauty with a slight stutter in the engine. With their new friend Truly, the family takes Chitty for a test drive around the countryside, but Chitty isn’t just any old car. She has ideas of her own, and before long her antics land Jeremy and Jemimah in a battle to save their precious car from the selfish Baron Bomburst.

This delightful book is an early reader adaptation of the original Ian Fleming book based on the 1968 movie version of the story. It’s bright-colored illustrations will draw children into the Potts family adventure and inspire wonderful backyard escapades. As a bonus, the original novel is still sold on Amazon, along with sequels written by Frank Cottrell Boyce and the movie starring Dick Van Dyke as the eccentric Mr. Potts.

The Map

It was the worst excuse for a map I had ever seen. Trust Lin to come up with something like this. Too much imagination, not enough sense, that girl.

That square might be the airport, I thought. Or if I was holding it upside down, maybe it was the fairgrounds. Given the giant question mark in the middle, I wasn’t holding it upside down.

What was that question mark about anyway? Who uses punctuation on a map? Lin would probably call it a challenge, but seriously. I just want to get where I’m going, not waste half an hour and twenty bucks worth of gas playing guessing games.

Next time I should probably just ask for written directions. Although, knowing Lun, she’d find a way to make that just as pointless. Could a map be written in poetry? If not, she’d probably try.

I wadded the fake parchment with unnecessary vigor and tossed it into the back seat. Time to ask for directions. “Excuse me, could you direct me to Knight’s Row? It must be, I’m supposed to look for the fourth gate west of the Great Hall. No, I’m not trying to be funny. Wait, come back! Hey, I just need directions!”

The address, Lin. Next time, just tell me the address.

Book Review: Hans and Peter

Hans and Peter are best friends with opposite problems. One hates living in the basement, one hates living on the top floor. They dream of building a beautiful house with no basement or top floor where their families can live together.

One day the boys take a walk and find an empty shack on an abandoned construction site. Who could it belong to? The boys have the perfect idea; they could fix up the shack to be their own little house.

With several amusing mishaps and the help of some encouraging friends, the boys spend their days making their dream happen. The shack may not be the house of their dreams, but they are so proud to show it off to their friends and families. Even the owner of the shack approves of their work and promises them a job building real houses when they grow up.

This book is such a delightful inspiration for children. Hans and Peter encourage young readers to work hard for what they want, to learn from their mistakes, and to ask for help when they need it. It also serves as a reminder that the imagination of childhood, when encouraged, forms the foundation of adult success. This is a favorite in our household and I hope it remains one for years to come.

Dreamcaught

FB_IMG_1590687224460She flew above the world, reveling in the wind that buffeted her. She didn’t know how, she only knew she was. The river tossed her against the rocks; her head hurt and water filled her lungs. “Hush, dear, don’t cry,” her mother soothed, stroking her hair. “Everything will be alright, you’ll see.” She buried her head in Mother’s lap, breathing the scent of lemon and fennel lingering on her clothes. The hands stroking her hair turned to claws that raked her skull and back, drawing screams of pain and betrayal from her aching throat. She ran, the breath ragged in her lungs, her muscles seizing and tripping her. She could feel the beast’s breath on her neck and fell, strength gone, waiting for its jaws to close on her throat. Her mother’s hands picked her up and she flew.

Daniella and the Lions

FB_IMG_1590513867980Now, then, Leo, it is time for our story. It’s bedtime, you know, and you must lie down quietly and listen. Teddy came to keep you company and remind you to be good. Zara, don’t you mess up, now, you know Leo hates it when you crowd.

Now, what shall we read tonight? I know your favorite story, Leo! Here it is, Daniella and the lions. Daniella was only four, but she had a special gift. She could talk to lions. Every day she went to the zoo to visit and talk to the lions who lived there. They wanted to know all about her, and she wanted to know all about Africa. Sadly, they didn’t know about Africa because they had been born in a zoo like this one, but Daniella didn’t mind. She brought a book from the library and told them all about it instead.

All the zookeepers knew Daniella and enjoyed her visits. They often let her help them feed the animals, and sometimes they let her give tours. No one knew that she could actually talk to the lions, and Daniella kept her secret, but the zookeepers noticed that the lions behaved much better when she was around.

One day, the biggest lion escaped from the zoo. All the zookeepers and the visitors and the mayor and the council and the police and the firefighters and animal control were very upset. They ran around in a tizzy, huffing and puffing and getting red in the face. When Daniella went to the zoo that day the lion keeper told her what had happened and asked if she could help.

Of course Daniella could! She asked the other lions where Leo had gone, and they told her he had decided to go and see Africa. He wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Well, no one believed Daniella when she told them, because of course no one knew she could talk to lions. She knew she would have to find Leo all by herself, and she had an idea where he might have gone to find Africa.

Daniella went to the Museum. Sure enough, when she arrived the lady at the desk shakily pointed toward the savannah exhibit, her hair standing on end and her dress all in a tangle. Visitors to the museum hid under benches or ran screaming for the door. No one wanted to be around with a lion on the loose.

They all yelled for Daniella to run away, but of course she didn’t listen. She went right in and found the biggest lion staring at all the stuffed lions and giraffes and zebras. He was astonished that they were not in cages, and very excited by the stuffed lion chasing the zebra. He wanted to stay there all day.

Daniella scolded the biggest lion for scaring the whole town and told him it was time to go back to the zoo. The lion pouted and growled, but Daniella put her arms on her hips and gave him “the look.” He closed his mouth and followed her without more argument.

Everyone shouted with excitement when Daniella and the lion marched through the gates of the zoo together. They asked her how she managed it, and Daniella just smiled. And every day she still went to the zoo to talk to her friends.

Now, Leo, no more story tonight. You really must go to sleep. You too, Zara, and all the rest of you. No more begging, Teddy and I have to go home now. We’ll be back tomorrow, and I’d better not hear that you ran away to Africa again!