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DIARY OF A WORM AND ZEN SHORTS
My fellow bookworms have asked me why I don’t review children’s books on the Book Beat. My completely inadequate reason is that I haven’t read children’s books – until now. Forgive me for the oversight. I look forward to reading and including reviews of children’s books on this program in the future.
Today, I have two to recommend to you. The first is Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin, pictures by Harry Bliss. This is a picture book for 4 to 8 years olds, but I’m already showing it to Ethan. The pictures are delicious and funny, and so is the writing. Here’s a taste of the worm narrator, “My older sister thinks she’s so pretty. I told her that no matter how much time she spends looking in the mirror, her face will always look just like her rear end.” Isn’t that great?
Another recommendation for the same age group is Zen Shorts, by Jon Muth. Zen Shorts features a giant panda bear named Stillwater who teaches great life lessons to his children friends. The author explains in the back of the book that Zen Shorts are short meditations, ideas to puzzle over – tools which hone our ability to act with intuition. These stories will be great teachers for your children, and with any luck, might be something they remember when they’re in a tough spot later in life.
My first children’s books recommendations on the Book Beat – Diary of a Worm and Zen Shorts. Enjoy! On the Book Beat for KSL Newsradio, I’m Amanda Dickson.
