I recently read three books featuring animals:
The Monkey, the Hen, and the Swan
Baby Monkey, Private Eye (192 pages, published on 2/27/2018) is the latest picture book by Brian Selznick.
Most of you probably know this amazing author and illustrator. If not, I highly recommend you to start with The Invention of Hugo Cabret.
Baby Monkey is like a little mystery for young children. I enjoyed the cute story, but mostly the amazing illustrations. If you look closely, they are packed with fascinating details. Don’t worry if you missed them, they are listed and explained at the end of the book.
At the end of December, I finally read The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly (134 pages, published on 11/26/2013, translated from the Korean).
This is Sprout’s story. Sprout is a hen who is supposed to lay eggs every day. But she’s getting old and sick and can no longer do so. So she hatches (sorry, couldn’t resist) a plan to experience freedom outdoors with the other animals of the farm. She will meet friends and mostly enemies, but one day, something special will happen to her, that will give her a new incentive to live.
it’s a beautiful story about freedom, identity, and motherhood, though sad as well.
The previous book is more for adults, whereas the next book is by a favorite children book author.
I totally fell under the spell of Charlotte’s Web, so I decided to read more by E. B. White, and chose The Trumpet of the Swan (252 pages, first published in 1970).
You have probably all read it. It’s a beautiful book about friendship (between a young boy and a swan), love, about handicap (imagine being a swan and not being able to sing), resourcefulness (to overcome one’s handicap), and honesty. Louis the Swan, as a honest swan, is going to have to work really hard to fix a difficult situation.
There are all kinds of beautiful passages related to landscape and life outdoors.
Besides, the book is full of humor, especially in the dialogues between Louis’s parents!
My next plan is to read Stuart Little, and a biography of the author. Any recommendation?
HAVE YOU READ THESE BOOKS?
Which biography of White would you recommend?
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS IN A COMMENT PLEASE
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Other books featuring some sorts of animals:
Words And Peace 
We’ve read The Invention of Hugo Cabret, and Trumpet of the Swan together, (the girls and I), so I welcome your recommendation of the Baby Monkey… book. His illustrations are captivating.
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Have you read the other books by Selznick? they are all amazing
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I love E B White. I have read Charlotte’s Web many times, Stuart Little once. Hugo Cabret is amazing!
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Two great authors! I have devoured all the other books by Selznick as well
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I recently translated The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly into English as a practice and I really came to love this sweet book!
Lotte Han | http://www.lottelauv.blogspot.co.uk
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oh cool, translation practice exercises are great! I have translated some novels fro English to French myself.
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Controversy has suddenly arisen around Baby Monkey. I’m checking it out and reading it for myself to see what I think soon.
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??? what’s controversial about it??
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Brian Selznick presented at a conference I went to last year when the Baby Monkey book first came out, and he was downright hilarious. The book is adorable too!
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awesome! I would definitely love to meet him
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Well, thanks for sending me here after noticing I too had read The Hen who Dreamed she could Fly. You’ve definitely added Baby Monkey to my list.
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Cute. I like his other books very much, he is an amazing artist
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I’ve just ordered one from the library. So thanks.
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Wonderful, so glad you did
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