The Underneath

by Kathi Appelt
New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2008.

Several stories strand together in this poetic tale. An abandoned, pregnant cat takes refuge with a lonely hound. A drunk called Gar Face - the owner of the hound - goes hunting daily and becomes obsessed with a huge alligator. A snake trapped in a jar under an old pine tree bides her time waiting for... what?

I started listening to this on audio, and while I liked the reader, I soon realized that the tone of the story was too contemplative for me to listen well and pay attention. Yet the story is meant to be read aloud. The sound of the words and phrases and sentences (and sentence fragments) beg for listening. It's the sort of book that a child might have to be begged to read, but a good reader could have them sitting spell-bound as the various story lines are revealed and eventually come together in a taut climax.

Pete & Pickles

by Berkeley Breathed
New York: Philomel Books (Penguin Young Readers Group), 2008.

This is the story of the unlikely friendship struck up by Pete, a pig, and Pickles, a circus elephant who shelters in his house one night. I picked this up on a whim after the pages I work with told me it was her favorite book. I absolutely loved it! The artwork is lovely and detailed. I enjoyed the humor conveyed in images, such as the pig-centric furniture in Pete's house, and the expressions on the animals' faces. The alliterative writing gives the story a good flow for a read aloud, and the pictures and story work together to present a really adorable, humorous tale. If I ever start collecting picture books to read to my kids someday, Pete & Pickleswill be near the top of the list.

A Neglected Children's Classic

The Wind in the Willows
by Kenneth Grahame

Somewhere alongside a river lives a Water Rat and a Mole, two friends who take pleasure in the simple things, like taking a ride in Ratty's boat and having a picnic. Their friends Toad, Otter and Badger, living near the river and in the Wide Wood, join them in various adventures throughout the seasons.

Somehow, when I was young and reading The Chronicles Narnia and all the Thornton W. Burgess tales, I missed this children's classic featuring Mole and the Water Rat, pompous old Toad and the sturdy Badger. I would have loved it as a child, but I still enjoyed it as an adult. I especially loved Toad, his faddish delights and mood swings from deepest despair to puffed up self-display. This was a truly charming read, by turns familiar (due to a movie I saw as a child) and new. The episodic chapters and long, meandering sentences lend themselves to a read-aloud.