Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

7 Vests and One Cool Bird

Little Robin’s Christmas. by Jan Fearnley (

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I enjoyed the illustrations immensely in Little Robin’s Christmas. This story by Jan Fearnley is sweet. But it did not hit the right note with me. The point of the story is obvious (be kind to others) and the ending was a bit forced for my liking. The cameo by another person we associate with the color of red and a winter holiday was a little disappointing. Little Robin has seven vest and each day he puts a new one on. But as he goes […]

Everybody judges from the point of view of his own inadequacy.

Holiday by Stanley Middleton

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Another Booker prize winner from the early days of the prize, 1974. This smallish and subtle novel is on the one hand, a fairly good novel, but also one that I am not certain is worthwhile of the prize. Maybe for the year, but it oddly split the prize with Nadine Gordimer’s The Conservationist, which is a weightier and more serious novel, but also one I liked less. Part of my thinking with these early days of prizes is that we have amazingly good writers […]

Sundown is near, but the Passover plate is not here!

Pippa’s Passover Plate by Vivian Kirkfield

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If you are looking for a book that will teach you about the celebration of Passover, Pippa’s Passover Plate by Vivian Kirkfield is not it. This is more for the young child who celebrates the holiday already and therefore familiar with the practices, symbolism and meanings behind things such as the Seder plate. There are some pieces of information about the celebration (the plate needs to be found before sundown and at the end what goes on the plate) but without explanations to why they […]

I’m not kitten, two new Bad Kitty books are on the way

Bad Kitty Does Not Like Thanksgiving by Nick Bruel

Bad Kitty: Searching for Santa by Nick Bruel

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Bad Kitty Does Not Like Thanksgiving is like all the Bad Kitty books. Therefore, if you are a fan of Nick Bruel’s title kitty you will laugh and laugh. You will think the naughty holiday antics of Bad Kitty beyond funny. If you are not a Bad Kitty fan, you will sit there and wonder why this bad cat (and I do not mean in the cool and fun way) has been written about at all. My reader copy did not have them, but the […]

In your Easter Basket!

How to Track an Easter Bunny by Sue Fliess

E Is for Easter by Greg Paprocki

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How do you track the Easter Bunny? Follow the black jellybeans, of course! (Just don’t eat them). Seriously, this new picture book How to Track an Easter Bunny by Sue Fliess (with some out there illustrations by Simona Sanfilippo) is a “you will love or “eh” this book” kind of book. The rhyming text and the sugar popping Easter colors will make it or break it for you. It is politically correct (the Easter Bunny she) and the text is modern but does has a slight classical feel. The […]

26 ways to say Love

L Is for Love: A Heartfelt Alphabet by Greg Paprocki

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L is for Love: A Heartfelt Alphabet is one of those odd little gems that looks like it is from 1950 but is very 2018. The illustrations show you the alphabet of love and friendship. The illustrations are casually modern. Nothing is forced, and things flow with the diversity of people (bi-racial copy, people of color). In fact, the P is for Poetry shows the girl reciting “How do I love thee?” (Or I assume she is…. She is kneeling, with paper in hand, boy […]



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