Tor Seidler

There's a lot of wolf books, good, bad, awful, plain, and just forgettable. Where does Firstborn rank on this? You ever binge on things until you never want to read or watch another thing involving it again? That was me as a teen, I consumed wolf books and found disappointments galore. I grew weary, learned to predict every plot, grew cynical.

This is not a wolf book at heart, it's a tale about wolves told by our POV magpie and it's amazing. Not only are there birds, but so much more. It's a show more lovely breath of fresh air needed in a series. This book may only be three years old, but it's got a timeless feeling to it, like it could be from the eighties, nineties, or next year.

I do not blame the book for it, as it's nowhere near as bad as websites and the internet, but the "love story" interest thing involving Lamar, aka the alpha, is vastly not a thing. He wants to be friends, and seemingly grows up and accepts things. There's no real love beyond a friendship on shaky legs. So even that's not really a flaw. I expected a cheesy romance or some iffy romance subplot, but it was beyond that, an accident and guilt and the time fixing such a mistake took. A very mature theme in a small book.

A strong theme in the book is blood, relations, being true to yourself, even if you are expected to be someone else. Even if it earns you disdain and you are judged by your family. Maggie the magpie simply cannot abide by magpie ways and becomes one of the wolves in a lot of ways, Lamar is an alpha against hierarchy and the neglect of other wolves. So much within such a small book. It's breathtaking. show less

Gulliver is a high-falutin' lhasa apso much accustomed to a refined life of premium dog food, classical music, antique furnishings and annual jaunts to Paris with his master, Professor Rattigan. But the posh life comes to a crashing end when Dr. Rattigan decides to marry a woman allergic to dogs and Gulliver is (in his mind) unceremoniously dumped with the doorman's noisy family in hardscrabble Queens. Big and small degradations transform the once snooty Gulliver into a humbled, less show more narrow-minded Gully. Eloquent writing and vivid characters. This reminded me of the inner transformation in "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane." show less

This isn’t my style of book, but I did enjoy the story. It came across almost as a sort of spoof of people; those who found ways to make money without working looked down on the ones who created things with their paws. When a naive young rat accidentally bridged the gap between the two parties, many rats learned a lot. It is a story of love, and sabotage, and war…. This book is perfect for young animal-lovers who also like fantasy.

The Steadfast Tin Soldier, illustrated by Fred Marcellino.

The Steadfast Tin Soldier - Den Standhaftige Tinsoldat in the original Danish - is the melancholy tale of one-legged toy soldier, who stays true to his love for a paper ballerina when chance, or the (possible) machinations of a jealous goblin, take him far from her side. Although the use of a toy figurine is reminiscent of Andersen's The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep, the theme of unrequited love in the story also reminded me of show more his tale of The Snowman.

This edition of the tale, adapted by Tor Seidler and illustrated by Fred Marcellino - who also worked together on Seidler's A Rat's Tale and The Wainscott Weasel - features an engaging narrative and appealing illustrations. I was a little puzzled to see that Marcellino, who was awarded a Caldecott Honor in 1991 for Puss in Boots, chose to locate this tale in a Christmas setting, as the original clearly states that the boy receives a gift of tin soldiers for his birthday. Perhaps he felt that the many Christmas elements - the decorated tree, the piles of gifts, the many visitors - would add to the richness of his paintings? In any case, it was a little odd to see the Christmas setting, although the artwork was quite beautiful. show less