Little Turtle’s Book of the Blue (The Big Book Series) by Yuval Zommer
Despite what adults may find as its indistinctive style, the illustrations in Little Turtle’s Book of the Blue may make it a favorite book for young children who love the sea.
Little Snail’s Book of Bugs (The Big Book Series) by Yuval Zommer
... Every other page contains simple words, all in caps, that describe each insect’s movements as it is introduced. “BUZZ, BUZZ,” “YUM, YUM,” “WRIGGLE WRIGGLE”—these words draw extra attention and, perhaps, induce word recognition in little minds.
Lessons from Down Under
… Last month we returned to Melbourne with our kids. I couldn’t help comparing Melbourne and Durham, and in the process Australia and America, and noting things that would improve our county and country. I have a two-page list but have space here for only two of the most far-reaching comparisons …
Look: A Picture Book by Gabi Snyder and Samantha Cotterill
... The ending brings simple closure to this simple story and will touch adult readers even if it doesn’t connect with the children they are reading to; and the demonstration of patterns throughout the rest of the book is sure to make it a useful tool in kindergarten and first-grade classes.
Will the East Coast Learn Anything from Hurricane Florence?
In the wake of Hurricane Florence, one question plagues me (again): Are we going to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in FEMA and other public emergency funds to rebuild homes along the hurricane-battered coast, only so we can do it all over again when the next hurricane/tornado hits? Or will we finally adopt the common-sense, economically sustainable long-term solution: Don't Build/Rebuild Along the East Coast?
The Lion King at DPAC Boasts a Top-Notch Cast and Spectacular Production Values
Much like "The Festival of the Lion King" performance that comes with tickets to Disney World's Animal Kingdom theme park, the Broadway musical features actors in animal costumes as well as giant, hollow puppets. The Lion King (musical), which has been on Broadway since 1997, is Broadway's third longest-running show in history and the highest-grossing Broadway production of all time. But unlike the movie or amusement-park production, The Lion King (musical) puts its audience in the center of the life-sized animals that are integral to its Hamlet-like plot and message.
The Second Time Around: To Circumcise or Not to Circumcise
Everything about this pregnancy was different…
Discrimination Against Edible Plants
An article about an HOA’s attempts to force a Durham family to remove the edible garden they planted in their side yard.
Letters to My Mother, Myself
This article was written for the Raleigh News and Observer for Mother’s Day. It recounts my mother’s and my frustrating experiences throughout my childhood and adolescence and how they molded us into who we are.
Mix A Pancake by Christina Rossetti and Monique Felix: A Review
Mix a Pancake, the latest book illustrated by Monique Felix for Creative Editions, an imprint of The Creative Company, is a kitten-filled visual feast akin to the Little Golden Books that have lined children’s bookshelves since 1942. This comes as no surprise, given that The Creative Company, itself, was founded just 10 years earlier, in 1932.
Who Pays for Schools?
…For virtually a decade, several NC counties including Chatham County, Orange County, and Chapel Hill/Carrboro, have been legally permitted to levy ‘builder impact fees’ (solely on new development) for schools, while Durham and the rest of NC have been prohibited from doing so…
See This Little Dot by Jane Yolen and Laetitia Devernay: A Review
True to its mission of pairing clear and compelling written content with “the most brilliant illustrations,” Creative Editions—an imprint of The Creative Company, founded in 1932—can be proud of their next thought-provoking and eye-catching creation in Jane Yolen’s and Laetitia Devernay’s newest picture book, See This Little Dot.
The Game by Bekah Brunsetter Explores the Impact of an MMORPG-Addicted Spouse on His Marriage
Though based on Aristophanes' Lysistrata, The Game is set in current-day Troy, North Carolina, not ancient Troy in Asia Minor. It features five women of differing generations and circumstances, who have formed a support group for women whose partners are addicted to the massively multiplayer online role-playing game(MMORPG) aptly called The Game.
The UNC Science Expo – Reuniting Our Left and Right Brains
…As I tell kids, we are all born scientists. Our experiential knowledge is a blank slate, and we delight in the experiments and rational conclusions we conduct in order to live in this world. But we tend to lose this delight as we age, which is sad on so many levels…
To Walk the Sky: How Iroquois Steelworkers Helped Build Towering Cities
“…details the history of the Mohawk men from eastern Canada’s Caughnawaga reserve who supported their families by constructing some of the longest and tallest bridges and buildings in Canada and America.”
Mrs. Doubtfire at DPAC Is WONDERFUL!
I had my doubts about going to see the Durham Performing Arts Center's presentation of the 2021 Broadway musical comedy Mrs. Doubtfire. I couldn't imagine anyone holding a flame to Robin Williams' performance in the movie. But I was more than pleasantly surprised -- at some points, nearly ecstatic -- by two-time Tony nominee Rob McClure's multifaceted performance as Daniel Hilliard, the man-child protagonist of the production.
Evil Spy School the Graphic Novel by Stuart Gibbs
“As with Gibbs’ other five book series, Evil Spy School is fun, fast-paced, and entertaining. Though fantastical to us adults, the plot of Evil Spy School contains precisely the kinds of twists and turns that engage elementary and young middle-school minds…”
Jesus takes back seat to Easter Bunny?
The pervasiveness of hypocrisy seems greatest at Christmas and Easter, when Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny vie for importance with Jesus Christ and the integrity of Christianity.
Jeffrey Blair Cornell Gives a Passionate Performance as Hercule Poiret in PRC's Murder on the Orient Express
PlayMakers Repertory Company's production of Ken Ludwig's 2017 stage adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express, based on the 1934 novel by Agatha Christie, offers Agatha Christie fans the opportunity to introduce her work to the young people in their lives (PlayMakers recommends 10 years and older), most of whom have likely never heard of the prolific author.
Tomorrow's Lily by Chris Raschka
“Tomorrow’s Lily is a short, beautiful poem, written and illustrated by two-time Caldecott Medal winner Chris Raschko, that takes the reader through the days of the week as a single, magnificent, short-lived flower blooms on a long-stalked lily plant each day.”