The Little Book of Joy by His Holiness the Dalai Lama & Archbishop Desmond Tutu

 

 

Jama's Alphabet Soup does a weekly post called "nine cool things on a Tuesday" – always interesting. In the last one she featured this children's book

 

So, having got in from my trusty library, I can recommend it. Of course, anything that both the Dalai Lama and the late Desmon Tutu have put their name to has to be special.

 

 This may be aimed at children but its message is universal.  As they say, " If you just focus on the thing that is making you sad, then the sadness is all you see.  But if you look around, you will see that joy is everywhere."

 

The illustrations are accomplished as well.

Getaway by Renee Erickson with Sara Dickerman

 
 

Even though I get lots of cookbooks out from the library (saving myself heaps), I rarely find one good enough to post about.  Well this one really stood out.

 

The cover doesn't really do it justice.  The photography is simply stunning.

 

And it doubles as a travel book as well.  There are 6 locations – Rome, Paris, Normandy, London, Baja and Seattle.  You really get the authentic feel of these places and their food – as judged by the first 4 – I haven't been to Baja or Seattle.

 

So to journey with food without leaving home give this one a go.

What Cats Want by Dr Yuki Hattori

 

So you want to understand why your cat does what it does, or rather what it refuses to do – well, this little illustrated book might just have some answers for you.

 

I felt it wasn't totally relevant to NZ conditions – we can let cats outside without worrying about predators but other that that it was a good read.

 

The author is a cat doctor from Japan – but the book has been well translated and the illustrations are fun.

I Will Judge You By Your Bookshelf by Grant Snider

 
 

The Comic Books review said of this graphic book 'This playful, self-aware collection of strips and gags on the joys and frustrations of reading and writing is equal parts lighthearted and sincere.'

 

I couldn't agree more – the book was such fun – I'm now on the lookout for his earlier book The Shape of Ideas.

 

Get your library's copy and if you agree buy it to give it to a bookworm or writer that you know.

 

How to Read A Book by Kwame Alexander, Illustrated by Melissa Sweet

 
 

Ok, I'm officially into Melissa Sweet and her illustrations.  And this has lovely writing as well.

 

I can't put it better than Jama of Jama's Alphabet Soup who said 'In How to Read a Book (HarperCollins, 2019), Newbery Medalist Kwame Alexander and Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet celebrate books with a tantalizing banquet of juicy words and captivating art, illuminating the sensory, intuitive, and wildly imaginative aspects of the reading experience.'

 

This would be a great gift for book lovers of all ages.

 

I've posted about Melissa's work here and here.

The Right Word by Jen Bryant and Melissa Sweet

  

The last book written/ illustrated by Melissa Sweet that I read was so good I looked out what else she had done.

 

So this is a book about Roget and how he came to create his famous Thesaurus.  It's aimed at children but I enjoyed it thoroughly.

 

So get it from the library and enjoy!  You might even find yourself reaching for a thesaurus!

 

The Art Book (New Edition) published by Phaidon

 

There's a new edition of The Art Book out.  If you love art, this is a must for you.  The original edition was great but this is even better.  The size of the book has been reduced to an A4 without losing quality of the images. There are still 579 pages.

 

There were quite a few new artists and images, some of which I'll be posting about.  Hit up your library and check it out.

Some Writer! The Story of E.B. White by Melissa Sweet

 
 

This fantastic book is going to my Top 20 book tab!  I found it that good.

 

This is a biography of E.B. White of Charlotte's Web fame.  It is said to be written for children – but I found it suitable for adults as well.

 

The author writes well and has done fabulous illustrations as well as photos and copies of White's letters and extracts from drafts of his books.

 

White's life was interesting as was his approach to writing.  This is a book you could give to anyone and be sure they would be uplifted.

 

White was born in Mt Vernon, New York state but gained much of his inspiration from a rural part of Maine.

 

You will be seeing some of White's quotes coming up soon.

Strange Planet by Nathan W Pyle

  

Strange Planet is a little book that packs quite a punch.  It took me a while to work out what it was about.  The author is a New Yorker with a huge imagination.

 

The humour in how people from another world would interpret ours is very strong.

 

At the end of the book there are some pages of pictures of what the strangers are seeing and naming.

 

This started off as an Instagram series.

 

Read and enjoy – give it to someone needing a lift!

Lost in Translation by Ella Frances Sanders

 

If you are looking for a perfect gift for a word lover in your life, look into this little illustrated book.  Its subtitle is An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from around the World.

 

There are 50 odd words from all sorts of languages that are illustrated and explained.  I've shown you just one because I plan to share some others over the next little while.

Cook Korean! A Comic Book with Recipes by Robin Ha

What happens when an illustrator gets interested in cooking Korean food?  Well, you get a comic book which also has recipes in comic form.  Lots of fun!

I recommend it even for people who can't eat Korean food.  There does seem to be garlic in almost everything – which I don't tolerate at all well…sigh.

Do give it a go.  I've now ordered up one of her other comics to see if I enjoy it as well.

The boy, the mole, the fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy

At first glance I wasn't sure what to make of this book.  It arrived as a birthday gift from my sister.  My better half looked at the cover and asked whether it was a kids' book.  He knows I've been posting about them.

But no, The boy, the mole, the fox and the horse is for adults but could be enjoyed by kids as well.  It is a quirky, gently humorous but very wise book.

The text is like a handwritten illustrated letter.  I've chosen a page so you can get the general idea.  But in difficult times like the current, I suggest you get your hands on this book and keep dipping into it to keep your spirits up.

I'm not sure it would work on Kindle – but maybe??

I'm very grateful to have had this book on the second day of our nationwide lockdown.  Chicken soup for the soul.

Midnight Chicken by Ella Risbridger

The subtitle of Midnight Chicken is "& Other Recipes Worth Living For".  This book is not a memoir but is also not at all a standard cookbook.

The author pulled herself out of depression by learning to cook.  She writes quirky recipes and there are no photos.  But there are charming illustrations.

On the cover there are Things to Remember

"This book has three main morals, and I urge you to remember them and apply them liberally

1 Salt your pasta water

2 If in doubt, butter

3 Keep going"

I've copied  5 recipes – which isn't too bad – for Pocket Potatoes, Trashy Ginger Beer Chicken, Marmite Spaghetti, Miso Ginger Aubergine and Lemon Possets.

A lot of the recipes include lashings of garlic, otherwise I would have tried many more.

Give this a go – I think you will be drawn in by this engaging book.