Anne's Kindred Spirits

Anne's Kindred Spirits. Kallie George. Illustrated by Abigail Halpin. 2019. 64 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: The day dawned bright and cheery at Green Gables.

Premise/plot: Anne Shirley is staying at Green Gables. Her dreams are starting to come true. But will she find a bosom friend? Will she find a best, best friend and kindred spirit? Perhaps. Okay, she does! Her name is Diana. But life still has its hiccups. Marilla misplaces a brooch—a family heirloom—and blames Anne. Anne confesses to the crime so that she can go to the Sunday school picnic. But will Marilla let a “naughty” girl go? In this one, the two must learn how to communicate better!

My thoughts: I love the original novel. I do. I’ve read it dozens of times. I know all the twists and turns. I love all the twists and turns. I appreciate the adaptation. It is a gentle adaptation that is faithful to the original at least in spirit. It presents a few episodes at a time, and illustrates them perfectly. I love, love, love the illustrations!!!

The original novel may not hold the attention of many young readers (as a read aloud). The chapters may prove too long for their attention span. The language may be a little too descriptive and flowery. But this adaptation shares the heart and soul substance of the original with a new audience. Little ones can grow into Montgomery’s original text.

© 2019 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Anne Arrives

Anne Arrives. Kallie George. Illustrated by Abigail Halpin. 2018. 72 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: One sunny afternoon in June, Mrs. Rachel Lynde looked out her window.

Premise/plot: This is an early chapter book adaptation of L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables. That is it’s an adaptation of the first handful of chapters. It begins with Mrs. Lynde, Matthew, and Marina being surprised. Anne is a girl orphan and not a boy one like the Cuthberts requested! It ends with Anne apologizing to Rachel and being allowed to stay after all. (We don’t get so far as the brooch, the Sunday school picnic, meeting Diana, etc.)

My thoughts: I never thought the story would itself so easily to illustrations. But it does! The illustrations are lovely and delightful!!! They capture the emotional tones of the story quite well. Joy, wonder, anger, love, heartache, etc. The text is not identical to Montgomery’s. It is an adaptation. I had my doubts that anyone could “improve” upon the original. But George’s text fabulously suits young readers. The original text requires a good attention span as a read aloud choice. And it’s not one that most young readers can pick up and read on their own.

I loved the art and text!

© 2019 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Sweet Moon Baby

Sweet Moon Baby: An Adoption Tale. Karen Henry Clark. Illustrated by Patrice Barton. 2010. November 2010. Random House. 32 pages.


On a summer night in China, a baby girl was born. She was perfect.
"We have barely enough rice to feed ourselves," the father said.
"She should have pretty things," the mother said.
"She should learn to read," the father said.
They were happy and sad at the same time.

I'll start with the good news. I loved, loved, loved the illustrations. I thought they were amazing. I just wanted to keep looking at them over and over again. So beautiful, so expressive, so right. They reminded me of my first love--Umbrella. And you can't really get higher praise (from me) than that. While I didn't love the fact that the moon had a face in a few of these illustrations, overall, I was quite happy with how this one was illustrated.

Sweet Moon Baby is both odd and sweet. (It's not often those two combine--in my experience. Odd and funny get along better in some ways.) It's an adoption tale. Readers see the biological parents (in China) decide to give their baby girl up for adoption. HOWEVER, instead of being a realistic story about adoption, it is a gentle (though odd) fantasy. Where readers first see the parents set their baby girl afloat before the adoptive parents find her--still floating--after months (if not years) of searching.

I did enjoy reading about the adoptive parents. The book did a great job in introducing them. There were times it was just beautiful. Words full of hope and faith and love.

On the other side of the world, a husband and wife could not sleep. They wanted a daughter. Still, she never came. They made a garden to keep busy while they waited for her. "Maybe she will like carrots," the wife said. "Maybe she will like peas," the husband said. Still, she never came.
Next they planted fruit trees. "In case she likes pie," the wife said. "In case she likes climbing," the husband said. Still, she never came.
They built a house with a room just for her. "Perhaps she will like pretty things," the wife said. "Perhaps she will like books," the husband said. They were happy and sad at the same time.

On the baby's journey she encounters many, many animals. And these animals protect her, guide her. (Of course, the baby is depicted as still being asleep.) The last page reveals--through illustration--that each of the animals that helped her on her journey can be found in her room--as stuffed animals. Which perhaps indicates that this story of how she came to be part of her new family has evolved through retelling. I could see it working as a fanciful story her parents told her, or even as a fanciful (imaginative) story she's told her parents. Or, it could even be a collaboration. I can almost picture the family sitting around together talking. The interaction, the interruptions. (Tell me more! And then what happened?!) In that way, it almost works for me.

There were elements of this one I liked. There were many places where it almost worked for me. But. In the end, I'm not quite sure about it.


© Becky Laney of Young Readers

God Found Us You

Bergren, Lisa Tawn. 2009. God Found Us You. Illustrated by Laura J. Bryant. HarperCollins.

In God Found Us You a Mama Fox recounts the story to Little Fox of how he came to be hers, of how 'God found us you.' It's one of those sweet-adoption stories. (You probably know the sort.)

Little Fox cuddled up to Mama Fox one night and said sleepily, "Mama, tell me again about the day I came home."

She's happy to oblige. (She probably tells this story over and over again, I've no doubt!) Here's a little snippet,

"I started seeing you everywhere, in the leaves of the giant oak and in the bark of the pine. Even in the stars! Oh, how I longed for the day that you would arrive, when God would find us you."

This becomes the refrain of the book, everything always points back to the phrase, when God would find us you. Which is a nice touch for Christian families who have adopted.

Overall, I liked it. I thought it was a sweet story with a good message, a welcoming and reaffirming message. I enjoyed the illustrations by Laura J. Bryant. I thought they complemented the text well.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Ten Days and Nine Nights

Heo, Yumi. 2009. Ten Days and Nine Nights. Random House.

Ten Days and Nine Nights is an adoption story. It's a sweet countdown of days (and nights) for the whole family as they await the newest member of the family to arrive. Our little heroine is a young girl. She and her father wait at home while her mother goes on a very special trip. Here's how it starts off, "I mark a circle on the calendar. I have ten days and nine nights. Daddy and I say goodbye to Mommy. I have nine days and eight nights." It continues on with everyone in the family joining in this special countdown celebration. One of my favorite scenes? Her practicing holding a baby (doll). The text reads, "I practice. I have six days and five nights."

But this isn't a one-sided story--though the text focuses on life back at home--the illustrations show the mother on her journey. The steps she is taking day by day.

There are so many things that I enjoyed about this one. It's sweet. It's satisfying. It's simple. It's refreshing.

I love the illustrations. They're just so right for this tale. (Which is only right since Yumi Heo is both the author and the illustrator.)

© Becky Laney of Young Readers