Chaquala's Children Corner

                    I choose this book to write about because I love Autumn. Fall weather is my favorite, most of all, I hate summer time. I am from Florida, so you guys know about our heat year round, but when the official 100 degree weather leaves, and cool winds come in, and the temps drop to about 75 on a hot day, I'm fine with that. Especially between September and November, hurricane season, because  love windy rainy days, that's my favorite weather of all time.        This story is also, not a story with a plot, common to normal story books. More like a conversation with the summer and everything that it includes, saying goodbye to the things you see and do in summer, and watching the world prepare for the fall time.        Great water colors, cool tones, bright reds and oranges, watching the greens fade away in the book, all...

               Before even reading this story, I picked it up because of the diversity. Not just because I wanted a wide selection of books, but because growing up, although I am a black woman, I have always been obsessed with African culture. And I don't think its because of my heritage, I think its because I see so much over there that I would love to explore. This book, The Everlasting Embrace , is based on a lifestyle in Mali, West Africa, a few friends and I are visiting Capetown soon, but now I am leaning more towards Mali.        Having a child, a little girl at that, I know the meaning and comfort of an embrace and bond between you and your child.        This is story is just detailing the bond between a mother and child. All of the work and things that the Africans go through daily, from carrying water, to smashing and making food, to walking to an...

   I just want to start off by saying, I didn't even remember Taye Diggs was an author. I totally forgot, but any who....        This little story book is adorable. Ever since I read it, I think of my little cousin Noah, and his little sister, Mya. They have a bi-racial set of parents: African American mom and Caucasian dad. And they are the cutest little things.        Underlining the story, pretty much a little boy, with a mixed set of parents, loves himself, and wants everyone else to except him for who he is. He is younger, so of course he had kids at school questioning and picking and teasing him, but he wants the world to know, hey, I am not mixed up, I am just mixed!        I think it is a great story, not just on the racial aspect, but an acceptance type of level. People have to start accepting who they are, if you can change it, do so, if not, just let it ...

       We all know the story behind the princess and the frog, and the magic kiss, and the spell, and blah blah blah. Well apparently there is more to the story, and Jon Scieszka told it all.        So....... And they lived happily ever after! The End!        NOT!!        They were not happy for a long time, and..... this is not the end!        The prince and the princess were driving each other nuts. The couldn't stand each other for the longest time. I guess the romance wore off. With her complaining every 6 seconds, and him jumping off the furniture, turning into a couch potato, he needed to find out why they are the way they are and fix it. And I don't mean marriage counselling, I mean he wants a divorce! Just kidding, but even worse, he wants to be a frog again, so he can be happy alone. So he fled to the woods to find a ...

      This is a Dr. Seuss book, so you already know, its loved by parents, adults, and children. I love the series of books just for myself, but I guess since I have a child now, I can read them to her for her own entertainment as well. ;)        This story isn't really a story, you know how Dr. Seuss books are. But if I had to find a way to summarize and briefly describe what it is about, I would say its about being UP! Not just floating away, but when the day starts, how everything begins to go "up-hill" from there. Good day, beautiful day, sunrise, birds chirping, morning smiles, just an overall happy book, about getting up and starting you day. The animals are waking up, people around are getting up, balloons and kites are up, balls are flying up, waves are crashing up, birds are flying up, everything is up! Until the end, when the narrator reveals he isn't! He's sleeping in for the day. I thought that was hilarious! ...

       Of course, before I started reading, I knew it was about astronomy, but not to this extent. I thought maybe a few words about stars and comets, and maybe her and her father seeing a comet, and him naming it Maria's Comet, but this story book, has lots of words, great pic tures, awesome vocabulary, and is a greats story to read to your children.        Maria is an elder child in a family with two parents, and 8 other children. Her dad is into the astronomic parts of the night life. Whereas, her mother is a housewife, with the kids and dinner, and her older brother is into sailing the waves and seas, not the sky. Maria is into what her dad is into, but she doesn't think her parent would want her, as a girl, to be. But she finally asks to see the stars with him and his telescope. She sees a star, wanting it to be a comet.        The pictures in this children's book remind me of a serie...

       This story is very, VERY minimal! I mean little words in the beginning, then it varies per page, but I like that! Not because its less for the adults to read to the children (although that's a plus in my house), but because its more for the children to see.        This story, The Night World, by Mordicai Gerstein, is about the night time world outside of the house. A little boy's cat is screaming to go outside, before they miss "it." Outside, well inside as well, at night, nothing is the same. The world is different. The house looks different, the yard has no color, the sounds and noises aren't the same... shadows, hooting, darkness. All of the animals are talking about whats about to come, and as a little bit of glow approaches, the animals start to disappear. The sun is out, the day is here, and night is gone, as is the night world.        This story book is more on the mystery an...

       I chose this book because of two reasons: being a Christian the word "Passover" caught my eye, and its Easter time, so the whole religious theme fits!        This story is pretty much about a Jewish family, preparing for their relatives to come over for Passover. The magic comes into play, because of their uncle, Harry, who is a magician with his assistant also being his wife. The children of the story, are amazed by his magic as usual. The story is just a story line, plot , timeline, of the events happenings at traditional Jewish gathering, but having the magic in the family, the kids have to hunt for the sacred bread, matzoh , that they break and partake in after dinner, or sedar . The magician is the one who hides it, and in order for the children to find it, he has them close their eyes, and think of what Passover means to them, what do they see when they think of Passover? and then it appears. Of course en...

       Clara, of course, I kept saying Carla, is a little Spanish speaking, Mexican girl, I believe she is Mexican, because her mother spoke of it a few times. But She is the daughter of a magician's assistant, whom met a famous artist and married. Not that Clara doesn't like him, but she think he looks like a frog.... hence the title. One day Senor Frog/Miguel allowed her to paint with him, now, as a new family, that is something tat they do. She had to learn about art, and paintings, and how it makes you feel, and the differences between realism and what you dream of.        This story, I would put as fictional, because it wasn't based on a real story, you know, nothing from the history books or nothing, BUT!!! I could see it as not fake, because there isn't anything in the story that cant happen. Its about a Mexican family, artists, working, and .... that's it.        I want to say that t...

       Eric Carle! Genius! That's all I going to say...        Well, no it's not, but that's a good start, because these books of his are great for children! Very minimal and simple, but right to the point. The whole series that he has, this one, the caterpillar one, Brown bear what do you see, all of his stories, I love for 2 simple reasons.... His colors in his paintings, and the way he describes beings by what they say and do.        This particular story is just about a busy spider, of course. She has found a spot on a farm yard fence, to spin her web. And many of the farm animals around her, wants to talk and do things, but she is so busy, to even pay attention. Then she is finally done, but once she is, she's too tired to do anything, she falls asleep that night, after catching a huge fly.        As far as what type of genre this is, honestly, I can ju...

              As an adult, I still have those favorite, of all times, childhood stories, those books, that every time I see them, I get excited! I scream and jump up and down like, "Oh my goodness, it's Corduroy! Mom look its Corduroy!" And I get that blank stare back from her, "Quala Ellis, grow up!" Lol!              Corduroy is that book that gives your imagination a run, but also helps your inner child remember what it was like, and how it is about getting what you want.        In the story, there is a stuffed bear, that I first I didn't realize was a live, whom "lives" in this department store, waiting to be bought. One day a little girl named Lisa comes along to buy him, but her mom refuses, and she has to leave Corduroy there, mainly because the mother felt he was damaged, due to his missing button. That night Corduroy ...

       Cultural? Sentimental? Picture book? Relatable? This children's story does it all, from showing compassion and care and love, to showing hurt, pain and sorrow. Edie Colon did an amazing job reflecting her childhood in this story. Based off of what she went through as a child, a young child, the author created a character by the name of Gabriella; a five year old Cuban. The story pertains to her growing up there in Cuba, but during the Revolution, where Fidel Castro is president, and things are turning in a bad direction for Cuba. So Gabriella's parents takes her to live in the Bronx, New York, where she must adapt to "English-American" life, and leave her Cuban past behind her. Along with her former home, she left her grandparents -- Abuelita and Abito. A little later on in the story, her grandparents are reunited with her in the U.S., where they are a family again.        Of course being based off a true story, havi...