A Home for Ol' St. Nick

One week from today we'll celebrate the feast day of St. Nicholas. On this day, my own family wakes up to stockings filled with nuts, chocolates and small toys, trinkets or in the case of this year: battery operated toothbrushes! The joy! We do this on the 6th of December in keeping with the tradition of who St. Nick was and the legends that surround his name. Unlike many Christian parents I know, I'm 100% at ease with the place of St. Nick in our holiday celebrations. Forget the Easter Bunny, he makes no sense whatsoever... and the kids have ALWAYS known it's us and not some random "tooth fairy" who places money under the pillow upon losing a tooth. You think we'd bypass the pillow tradition for efficiency's sake but there's something deflating about Junior presenting you with a bicuspid and demanding: "Pay up!" No thank you.

But we do foster a healthy and appreciable devotion to good St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children. And I don't think Santa Clause detracts a bit from the Christ Child on Christmas Day if he's given his proper place. There is a book to help you if you're wondering what that place is: A Special Place for Santa: A Legend for Our Time. This book sort of tells the story behind that darling ornament of Christ kneeling before the Infant. It reconciles who Santa is and who St. Nick is and what his place is for Christmas. The illustrations aren't my favorite... I'm allergic to anything that looks like a Saturday morning cartoon... but the text makes this book a good one for parents who don't know how to explain St. Nick to their kids.

Top 10 Best Advent Books

I know it seems odd to offer a booklist on Advent but let's get real here. Do you know how many excellent Christmas books are out there?! It may well be the single most prolific genre of picture books. For that reason, not even I could possibly narrow it down to ten titles. {BUT I CAN NARROW IT DOWN TO 100!!!} So we'll break it up a bit, I'll offer you the books that seem to be more fitting for the season of Advent... then we'll get into the best post-Christmas day books. And apart from even these, I'll then write up a post about my top ten Winter books! Too bad we skipped Thanksgiving... next year life might slow down and the computer might speed up making this blog more active. For now, it is what it is!

Nothing troubles me more about Christmas than the utter lack of focus on Christ obviously... but a close second is the missing and messing up of the season of Advent: that quiet, somber season of hope. The celebrations and frenzied shopping and indulging in treats are really rather inappropriate during this time of waiting, in my humble opinion. That said, there aren't very many Advent specific books out there... so the list I present to you includes feast day books, and the Christmas books that at least have a significant time spent on the time prior to the 25th... if you can't wait until Christmas SEASON (which BEGINS on the 25th) to read in this genre of books (I certainly can't) than at least try to prioritize your reading list to include the more preparatory books before we begin celebrating Christmas itself.

*** Two years later, I'm updating this list.  Look for my new notes in red.***

 The Lady of Guadalupe by Tomie de Paola. You'll find that de Paola has a quite a few seasonal gems here but this one shine specifically. The feast of our Lady of Guadalupe is on December 12th and St. Juan Diego is on the 9th. This book tells the true story of this apparition in a lovely way. (I've been to the cathedral where the tilma still exists today!) Let's not forget this story during this time of hope and preparation for the Christ-Child! I still have and like this version of the Guadalupe story… but one that I've since found I love even MORE is this version by Carmen Bernier-Grand.

 One Wintry Night by Ruth Bell Graham. I shuffled off The Miracle of St. Nicholas (onto my Christmas list) in order to include this title.  This book goes through the entire story of Christmas. The ENTIRE story, from the Creation of the World through the Resurrection of Christ.  It includes many snippets of tales from the Old Testament which would line up beautifully with Jesse Tree readings.  The art is superb and the story inviting when taken nibbles at a time. 

 Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect by Richard Schneider. Alright, this book gets immediate bonus point for saying the word "Advent." Now the Christmas genre is ripe for overly-sentimental, sappy books. I have some of them. And they are fine in moderation. But my four boys get tired of sugary sweetness sometimes and need something a bit more rollicking. Well, this isn't that book. But it is one of the better sentimental ones that has some interesting action included and not just character dramas. It's a fantastic book with a lovely message. Get it.

 Nine Days to Christmas by Marie Hall Ets. I reluctantly bumped off The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey to make room for this book in the Advent Top Ten.  (Don't worry, I have other plans for Toomey on a different list.)  But this out-of-print gem by Ets is so beautiful and evocative and a perfect tale of Las Posadas and a little girl's hopes coming to life.  This book seriously needs to come back in print but until then, a used copy is worth picking up.

 Lucia Child of Light by Florence Ekstrand. Well, I really want to include a couple other books on St. Lucy in this list but to be honest, I've not personally read them yet. They are on my wish list and should be on yours too! Lucia Morning in Sweden and Lucia, Saint of Light. Other than that, I found this little book at a thrift store this year and I love it. It's not a typical picture book; it's a medley really. First is a full story of the legend, sans pictures. Then there are tips and such for how to celebrate the day... keeping in mind that the feast of St. Lucy on December 13th is not a "mini Christmas" nor a specific part of Advent. But this little saint of light ought not be forgotten in the shuffle so I encourage you to read up on her!

The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie de Paola. It's always nice to learn about some of the traditions we take for granted this time of year. Here is a sweet story about a young girl's searching for just the perfect gift for the Christmas procession.

 The Real Santa Claus by Marianna Mayer. I replaced one of my old titles for this one.  This book is absolutely beautiful and helps put the Santa/St. Nick dilemma in its proper perspective—an excellent thing to do on his feast day of Dec. 6th. Being very wordy in between the lovely art though, it's better for older readers, maybe 8+ or so?  For younger readers on the same topic, I'd recommend Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend or A Special Place for Santa: A Legend for Our Time. 

 The Donkey's Dream by Barbara Helen Berger. Again, this one would make my Top Three list overall. It is an incredibly simple story, relaying the walk the donkey takes as it carries the Virgin Mother to where Jesus is born. But the imagery is sublime. And I'm including it in the pre-Christmas list because the analogies in this book could line up perfectly with certain Old Testament readings if you are inclined to do a Jesse Tree during this season. Still probably my very favorite Christmas-time book… would be fitting to read on the feast of the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8th) as it honors Mary so much.

 The Clown of God by Tomie de Paola. We really can't get away from this author can we? And trust me, there are more where this came from. But The Clown of God was the very first Tomie de Paola book I ever purchased once I started really thinking about investing in quality literature. Not only is the story a good story and fitting for the Christmas season, I love how it deals with death. De Paola is one of the few authors who'll touch this subject in a real, no holds barred way... but in a way that is still reverent and readable. (A wonderful, wonderful book dealing with the 'circle of life' so to speak is his Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs.) The Clown of God is worth owning.

 The  Christmas Deer by April Wilson.  I fell in love with this author/illustrator when I found her gorgeous book: Magpie Magic. So I had high hopes for this book that I found this year. The art is beautiful, reminiscent of Jan Brett's style with these wintry images.  But the major reason this book belongs in Advent and not Christmas is precisely because it's an Advent journey... including a tear out, card-stock calendar in back!

Advent is the perfect time to clear and prepare the Way. Advent is a winter training camp for those who desire peace. By reflection and prayer, by reading and meditation, we can make our hearts a place where a blessing of peace would desire to abide and where the birth of the Prince of Peace might take place. -Edward Hays

More than just sheep, hobbits and Russell Crowe

New Zealand has contributed to the world in a fine way. It gives us such delights as excellent wool, scenery from the Lord of the Rings movies, and of course Russell Crowe. (Swoon to some of my favorite movies of his: Cinderella Man, Gladiator, and more recently: The Next Three Days) Something must be going right in that "other" (smaller, more expensive) place down under.

But this country has born to us a superb author as well who often escapes the notice of millions of well meaning booklists that I've read: Lynley Dodd. Lynley Dodd is best known for her mischievous, bumbling dog: Hairy Maclary. Her books are each a rhyming masterpiece and her adjectives--be they real words or not-- are sizzling, stunningly, superb. Indeed, if one was ambitious, these books could be used as vocabulary units all on their own. Joining Hairy Maclary are other snaffling creatures like Slinky Malinky, Zachary Quack and my favorite: Schnitzel Von Krumm. Isn't that a glorious name?! Let's indulge ourselves again: Schnitzel Von Krumm.

As if being a talented writer and poet isn't enough, Dodd illustrates her own books too. While her artwork isn't necessarily the masterpieces of some, it is an exactly perfect accompaniment to the text. Indeed I can not envision someone like Barbara Cooney or Robert McCloskey being able to capture the antics of her animals as well as she does.

In New Zealand, children there were once able to watch animated versions of Lynley Dodd's books on television. I'll post an example simply so you can get an idea of the text, not because I'm a fan of animated story books. In fact, keep in mind that these books weren't MEANT to be cartoons and as such, the speed and cadence with which the voice-over is narrating is all wrong. It comes out much smoother and more flowing from a kind hearted mother holding the hard copy book, especially if she's able to mimic some kind of European accent. I've done it in English, German and Irish accents so far... I may find it more amusing than my kids but just you try it: there's just something delicious about Dodd's cadence and word choice that begs for an irregular voice. So get thee to the library and place some books on hold and laugh for me when you meet the likes of Bitzer Maloney, "all skinny and bony"...

Top 10 Best Autumn Books

Welll you'll have to forgive the quiet month of September as I've been settling in with my sweet, new bibliozealot: Henry Benedict. Now October is waning by and I've not said a peep about all the excellent fall literature out there. This season offers quite a feast of delights; it'll be difficult to narrow it to just ten. I'm also not going to dwell on specific holiday reads either just to keep the list focused. So come on in from these cold, dark days and grab a steaming mug of apple cider as you snuggle under a blanket with one of these lovely books:

 Ox Cart Man by Donald Hall. Well this was a rather obvious first choice for me as I'm absolutely smitten with Barbara Cooney's illustrations in ANY book. But this story is really great for harvest time, following the natural season of work and self-sufficiency in a rural family. Despite it's extremely simple story line, there's a lot of material here for all kinds of studies should you feel so inspired with your children.

 Autumn Story by Jill Barklem. You may think I'm boring and redundant by always listing a book from Jill Barklem's little series but you're wrong. I've often thought that if I could only have a few seasonal books on my shelf, this whole series would be there. The stories, illustrations, rich botany lessons and sweet characters really are honey for a child's heart.

 Woody, Hazel and Little Pip by Elsa Beskow. It really is no wonder that pagans love Elsa Beskow and put her consistently in their reccommended author lists; she celebrates the magic of nature in a beautiful, spritely way... but I promise that you don't have to belong to any sort of alternative religion to appreciate her work, The art is divine and the story is as sweet as always. It's just pure whimsy and who doesn't love that?!

 Now it's Fall by Lois Lenski. It just occurred to me that my Top Ten Summer list forgot to include Lenski's On a Summer Day.Boo. Because, like Jill Barklem's Brambly Hedge books, these titles would easily win a contest for shelf space if they needed to. Lois Lenski books are small and unassuming and perfect for introducing and celebrating the season with small children. (Probably best for the 8 and under crowd)

 Pumpkin Moonshine by Tasha Tudor. Well, booklovers everywhere will recognize the name of this excellent author-illustrator. This isn't my very favorite title of hers but it is absolutely worthy of mention. The reason why it's inclusion is important in this list is because Pumpkin Moonshine is the only "Halloween" book I know of that isn't "Halloweeny." (You like that made-up word... smooth isn't it?) If you do or don't celebrate All Hallow's Eve, this book still is still relevant to celebrating the season. It's the sweetest, gentle story about a girl hunting for the perfect pumpkin and then carving it. No ghosts, goblins or gore need apply. And no mention of candy either... nice.

 Every Autumn Comes the Bear by Jim Arnosky. One of these days, I'm going to write an entire post on Jim Arnosky and the importance of his books. But let's just start you off with this one, yes?! Good. Don't expect a traditional story with Arnosky, he takes on more of the fly on the wall role in simply narrating a particular scene with a particular animal in a particular time of year. Good stuff this is.

 Apple Picking Time by Michele Slawson. I love this "living book."  It tells the simple story of a little girl picking apples with her family.  The sentiments evoked here are really nice, and it's so great to see exactly where apples come from and how they're picked.  I'm a Washingtonian… so I am predisposed to loving this book.  :-)

 Snowsong Whistling by Karen Lotz. Confession: I don't know anything about Karen Lotz and I wouldn't make a point to seek out her other work because although the rhyming here is fine and fun, it's pretty unremarkable. This books wins a coveted spot on Ellie's Top Ten list because it's Elisa Kleven illustrating. And it's Elisa Kleven illustrating with a fall motif. Imagine the eye candy. (Save this book for a late November day or early December, just before the winter transition...)

 The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger. Here is another one to save for later in the season as we see a little leaf who can't bear to let go of the tree and accept the changing season. There is something very poignant about this and it's touched in a unique style by Berger throughout the stories pages. A gem.

 Waiting for Winter by Sebastian Meschenmoser. This book is another one to save for those late November days, unless winter comes earlier in your part of the world. I'm in love with these illustrations; they are scribbly pencil drawings and really give a nice life to the season as squirrel and a few friends try to beat out mother nature and see this thing called "snow". It's quite funny what they consider to be snow and the kids will giggle. The best part is that when that magical white stuff finally does fall, the text in the book stops... it spends the last few pages just letting you watch the story unfold and end. I love it.

Browsing Richard Scarry

"Browsy" can be a very bad thing. No one likes browsy people in line at McDonald's for instance; they've had the same menu for decades and people need to simply choose to have a McNasty with cheese or without and then get out of line. Ooh! And it's frustrating being behind a browsy person at a potluck when you've already had to wait in a 20 minute line for food--at that point, you'll take ANY food-- but Browsy Betty over here is carefully choosing which celery cut looks freshest and slowly choosing the unbroken chips one by blessed one out of the bowl. My husband gets very browsy when he's in the wood section of a home improvement store. He carefully examines the different grains and inspects the knots and smells each piece to make sure they didn't misclassify their treated vs. untreated cedars. Oy.

And then browsy can be a good thing. I am browsy at bookstores... no, not browsy-- delightfully and deliberately lazy and timeless sinking into the books. I also tend toward a browsy attitude when I'm at a garage or rummage sale or at the grocery store unless children are in tow: when my brood is with me, I get what I need and get out of there as fast as I can.

In children's books, browsy is almost always a good thing. Well, when I'm reading a chapter book aloud and there's a quick, indiscriminate sketch on a page, I tend to get mildly annoyed if a kid wants to look at it for what I deem to be too long of a time. Or if my two-year-old keeps wanting to turn BACK the page to talk about the bird or bathtub or whathaveyou... and I'm trying to push through the book just for the sake of a naptime routine, browsy isn't a welcome word. Generally though, I encourage my children to drink in all the wonders and delights of a beautiful illustration and enjoy noticing all the details of a fun book.

Richard Scarry is the king of browsy picture books. I can't say he's the "best" illustrator in a purely artistic sense, but he wins the award for best, most fun details for all the pages in every book he's produced. My children love noticing the mishaps of Huckle and counting all the bunny children or looking for Goldbug. You've got to get some Richard Scarry. If you like, save browsy books and bring them out only for those 'needed' situations:

• In the waiting room of any kind of appointment.


• For the potty when you just need Gilbert to relax and be distracted long enough to let it all go.


• For any kind of outing in public where you are in a confined space and babies are frowned upon.


• So you can escape for ten minutes and take a shower.


• When you need to impress your inlaws with how quietly Gilbert can sit and focus on a story.


• So you can escape for ten minutes and create a brother for Gilbert.

You get the idea. Every home shouldn't be without special books that are kept novel in order to maximize the quiet time you get from them. I recommend Richard Scarry...

not in keeping with the goal of this blog...

(Newest baby will be here any day so don't expect a lot of 'action' on the blog in the next several weeks or so; it's easiest if you sign up to be my "follower" and get notified of a new post.)

So I want to share with you my biggest influences in the homeschooling book world. I realize not all of you homeschool and I realize this has not a lot to do with children's literature directly. But I was thinking about it and really, the ideas and thoughts contained within the following books help to shape my views on what children's literature should do and be. Within the entire genre of non-fiction, I've probably read more books about homeschooling than any other specific topic over the past 9 years (yes, I was reading and passionate about homeschooling even while still pregnant with my first child!). There are literally dozens I could write about. And I've gained something from each one. That is why they are important books. Besides, it's my blog and I can write about whatever I want to. :o) In no particular order:

So I'm not a true hue, dipped in blue Charlotte Masonite, but if I had to identify myself with any one method out there, I would most closely fall into this realm: living books, avoiding twaddle, basic excercises in copywork, narration and dictation, lots of nature study. With A Charlotte Mason Companion, Karen Andreola has made Miss Mason's 6 volume series on education quite accessible and readable to the American reader. There are a couple other books about Charlotte Mason philosophy out there and really, they are all pretty good (espcially For the Children's Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School). But this one is my favorite simply because of the depth and breadth into which it goes. I felt like I got a lot of bang for my buck.
Now, you really can't go wrong with any John Holt title. He will turn you upside down on your entire thinking about what the typical perceptions of children are. He has been a great influence on me. I think it was in Teach Your Own book that Holt explained the simple error people make in quickly labelling children as dyslexic. (By the way, I've been part of entire week-long workshops dedicated to learning about this 'disability' so I've a pretty good grasp on what we're talking about here.) For example, a banana is a banana whether you point it right or left or turn it upside down. To a child, the letter "b" is a b whether to circular part is facing the wrong way or not. Very few teachers take the time to explain that letters aren't tangible, interchangeable items... and instead we look at the writing in dismay and remark that Sally has dyslexia. Anyway, it's a great book.
Most homeschooling parents go through some kind of overload crisis: they look at what's working for this family or the great methods that family employs, or they get overwhelmed with all the curriculum choices out there and they start over-thinking every little decision they make. Ruth Beechik to the rescue. The Three R's is simply a reminder to reclaim simplicity as the best mode of learning. It is very encouraging and I try to re-read it every few years to remind myself that I'm not going to academically ruin my Kindergartener if he's not reading by age 5. Good, simple techniques in this book.
This book was the catalyst to my actual excitement to homeschool. Real Learning by Elizabeth Foss is all about inspiring you that you can do an excellent job educating your children at home; it is full of great resources, ideas and suggestions that'll make your life easier and help you realize that your education goals are attainable. I love this book and loaned it to someone and it's been missing ever since (can't remember who!)... a testament I suppose that the book was a good one.
This is pretty much a classic by now. I first got this book when I was doing some teaching with Mother of Divine Grace and I think the introduction alone makes this worth the read. While not necessarily espousing a traditionally "classic" education, some have called Mrs. Berquist's methods in Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum more "neo-classical"... and I happen to think they are great and many families utilize her curriculum ideas with great success.
A Little Way of Homeschooling is a very refreshing read indeed. This is my latest home education book I've read and I loved every word of it. In fact, I wrote an entire review of it in the upcoming Autumn issue of Soul Gardening... so read about it there! This book gives confidence and hope to overwhelmed mothers. It offers a fresh perspective on the education of children and I highly recommend it.
Finally I offer Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto if you are in need of convincing that government schools aren't all they're cracked up to be. This book is what really helped to get my husband 100% on board with homeschooling. Gatto was the New York State and New York City Teacher of the Year and upon receiving his award, he took the opportunity to rail on the entire public school system. You can read the text of that speech here. Gatto has written a couple other books giving a black eye to public schools as well. They are worth the read. Do note that I am a supporter of free public education! I think it is a hallmark of a great nation to offer this to its citizens. I do however think it's pretty much rotten to the core in regards to how it's set up and the beauracracy that's running the show. It makes me sick how we shortchange children. (Don't mistake me for blaming this on individual teachers and staff who are doing their best within the system to make a difference. They are to be commended for their efforts... the blame goes deeper.) But I digress.

Okay, thanks for indulging me on this little detour from children's literature. Enjoy these starter books and then I'll give you some more! Someday, I'll be thrilled to write a post about my favorite "Books about Books" someday... oh how juicy of a topic for a bibliozealot! But for now, back to your regularly scheduled program...

A keeper... reluctantly

I avoid a commercialized childhood as much as possible in our home. There are a number of reasons for this but the primary one is admittedly aesthetic. I don't like cartoon characters plastered all over our toys and I don't like my children to serve as walking billboards with whatever fad or name brand is in. The same is true for our bookshelves. You won't find Barney or Elmo on the shelves and Curious George is only there because he was cool before the media exploited him.

Anyway, I recently did a purging of our shelves and weeded out some unneccesary books. Mind you, I never have to give away bad books, because we never buy them in the first place. But we occasionally acquire books that are really just mediocre for one reason or another and they get the seasonal axe simply so I can focus on what our real treasures are (and so I have room for more books on the shelf).

There is one annoying little book we own that I can't bear to get rid of. It's my two-year old's favorite... she requests it before every nap time even if I've hidden it and placed other delights in front of her. I think I picked it up at Goodwill and gave it to her in the cart to keep her occupied while I shopped but she didn't want to part with it come checkout time so I paid the 40 cents or whatever to keep it... fully intending on ditching it asap. Peek-a-Boo featuring the baby Looney Tunes. I won't link it. Don't buy it. She adores lifting the flaps of the tunes' Halloween costumes and giggles like it's new each time she finds Baby Sylvester or Baby Taz underneath it. Who knew it would be such a hit?!

At any rate, if you are eager for feeding this kind of delight, I recommend another board book in its place: Peek-A Who? by Nina Laden. Now this one is great and has the same suspense type of deal with a very satisfying ending. One advantage is that it uses little, sturdy grip holes, not the flaps. I don't know about your kids, but flaps or other precarious parts do not belong in OUR toddler books! I hope to replace my Peek a Boo with this one someday... maybe she'll go for it? At least you should...

(Theoretical) Library Pick of the Week

This is theoretical because we've not actually checked this book out. It was on our holds queue and I was devastated when I couldn't pick it up. Truth be told, we are currently blocked from the county library system. Apparently they don't tolerate a $40 bill. See, when your library charges 25 cents/day/book for overdue items, this really, really adds up when you are checking out 30-40 books at a time. Now, there is no excuse really, we live within walking distance to our local library. But the trouble is when we "lose" a book (it's under a mattress or behind the piano) and another user has holds on it, it is unable to be renewed... and accrues late fees. Couple that with an unfortunate incident involving a wiggly boy, a large glass of water and a $20 book, and your account quickly goes into the delinquent status. (As I type we are racking up fees for one errant book: Babar Visits Another Planet-- because it is unable to be renewed since our account is delinquent and it is nowhere to be found) Meanwhile, the library keeps sending me notices that I have holds to be picked up which agonize me that I can't pick up until our account is paid off--maybe next payday. But I digress.

I am certain that A Butterfly Is Patientis a fantastic book in the same vein as this author's other two mentioned books here: An Egg Is Quietand A Seed Is Sleepy. I loved how the other two books wove readers into a spell of story and science and found the illustrations and prose delightfully engaging... these would certainly be worthwhile books to invest in full price for both the sake of its beauty and its academic merit. A Butterfly is Patient was released this May and after a 30 second perusal at a small bookstore on the Oregon Coast, I was convinced it merited mention even if I've not read it in its entirety yet. So look for it and its predecessors as soon as you're in the mood for delight!

In Praise of Tintin

So Garfield has been banned from the house. There comes a time in most families with boys where the comics get ripped out of the Sunday paper before the parents even wake up... so giddy they are to read the fresh strips from Peanuts, Garfield, The Family Circus and the like. This translated to my children checking out full collections of comic books at the library which I've tolerated for the past 6-7 months or so. One can resist twaddle only so much after all...

But once the kids started mimicking Garfield's bad attitude, and laughing about John's busty girlfriend commenting about the need to shave her legs, and seeing "Shut up!" in there, I've put the kibosh on that cat being allowed in our house anymore.

Thankfully there's The Adventures of Tinitinto fill in the void. The boys have had a growing interest in Tintin for close to a year now and it's coming to a full apex where they read each adventure from start to finish in one sitting, wide eyed and willing to sacrifice sleep and play in order to finish whichever new comic they've checked out. For those who are unfamiliar with Tintin, here's a brief excerpt from Wikipedia to fill you in:

Set during a largely realistic 20th century, the hero of the series is Tintin, a young Belgian reporter. He is aided in his adventures from the beginning by his faithful fox terrier dog Snowy (Milou in French). Later, popular additions to the cast included the brash, cynical and grumpy Captain Haddock, the highly intelligent but hearing-impaired Professor Calculus (Professeur Tournesol) and other supporting characters such as the incompetent detectives Thomson and Thompson (Dupont et Dupond). Hergé himself features in several of the comics as a background character, as do his assistants in some instances.

The comic strip series has long been admired for its clean, expressive drawings in Hergé's signature ligne claire style. Its "engaging",well-researched plots straddle a variety of genres: swashbuckling adventures with elements of fantasy, mysteries, political thrillers, and science fiction. The stories within the Tintin series always feature slapstick humour, accompanied in later albums by satire, and political and cultural commentary.

These are true, blue adventures with great characters and great endings... the kind of stuff with which boys should grow up (though the PC police will have their objections to the stark "good guys" vs. "bad guys" dichotomy, period-typical prejudices and use of weaponry). For all this and more, I am still happy to welcome Tintin into our home.

On December 23rd of this year, Steven Spielberg is releasing an animated Tintin movie in 3D which looks very promising and exciting. Certainly it needs a preview before the littles are allowed to watch it (Reading about gun fights and watching gun fights on a sensory overloaded movie screen are two different things.) but I am hoping it'll be fine for my 7 and 9 year olds to see with their father.

One should absolutely NOT consider seeing the movie without first becoming familiar with the beloved comics themselves first! (I feel the same way about almost all book-to-movie adaptations... but especially important stories like Narnia, Lord of the Rings, The Little Princess, etc.) Watching the trailer I can't help but think, "Thundering Typhoons! Look at that phenomenal animation!"