Vanita Oelschlager

Give me sunbeams dazzling!

(Full disclosure: I received a free electronic copy of this book for review through NetGalley.)

I'm a child of New York, where winters are cold, miserable, protracted affairs. By the time spring arrives (some time in May!), we've long since run out of places to pile the snow, and even the promise of weekends spent snowboarding aren't enough to ease the seasonal depression. I moved to Missouri more than a decade ago, but even these mild winters are sometimes more than show more I can bear. The cabin fever kicks in mid-January, when all the fun holidays have come and gone, leaving nothing but grey skies and biting air in their wake.

So, Ivy? I feel ya.

Ivy in Bloom is an adorable little picture/poetry book that's sure to lift the spirits of children and adults alike. It's March, and cute-as-a-button Ivy Van Allsberg can't wait for spring to bust up her winter monotony. The story kicks off with longing poetry penned by Vanita Oelschlager, and then transitions into lines sampled from the greats: Charles Dickens, Walt Whitman, Robert Frost, and Edna St. Vincent Millay, to name a few.

(While the poets aren't credited in the body of the text, so as not to interrupt the flow, the back matter reprints the poems, with the borrowed lines highlighted. It's a neat way to get younger readers interested in poetry without overwhelming them, I think.)

As lovely and cunningly crafted as the text is, the artwork might just be my favorite part of the book. Kristin Blackwood's illustrations are cute as all get out, and she does a skillful job of reflecting the changing tone of the story. Dreary shades of grey give way to rich browns and (eventually) vibrant, life-affirming greens and yellows and reds as spring blossoms.

Read it: from the bottom of a cozy dog pile; with a cup of warm tea; when you've had your first daffodil sighting of the year.

http://www.easyvegan.info/2016/03/16/ivy-in-bloom-by-vanita-oelschlager-and-kris... show less

Family is as Family Does

(Full disclosure: I received a free electronic copy of this book from review through NetGalley.)

If you have a momma and a mommy, who fixes things when they break?

Oh, Mommy has all the tools. There's nothing she can't fix or make.

The young and super-adorable protagonist of this picture book lives in a non-traditional family, a same-sex household with two moms. As they play on the beach, his friends ask which of his moms - momma or mommy - help him with various tasks. show more Just as in a family with one mom and one dad, we come to see that each parent has different strengths and talents: Mommy makes a mean rice and beans, while momma is aces at climbing trees. (But kiddo empties his own pockets, mkay!) Of course, both moms are there when he needs to talk; there's no shortage of tender loving care in this family.

When I reviewed A Tale of Two Daddies back in April, I hadn't realized that Oelschlager and Blanc had already written a sequel. Happily, A Tale of Two Mommies shows much greater racial diversity than the original: the MC is a little boy of color, and one of his friends looks to be of Asian descent. (The third member of the trio is a cute little red-headed girl.) The two mommies are presumably white, making this a nice selection for families of interracial adoption, as well as those headed by same-sex couples. It also helps to bust up gender roles, as the moms perform both "masculine" and "feminine" tasks.

Of course, this isn't to suggest that A Tale of Two Mommies is just for adopted kids or LGBTQ families: children from all backgrounds can benefit from its simple yet compassionate message. Non-traditional families are just like yours, at least in the ways that count most.

As a vegan, I could have done without the panel on fishing, but otherwise I recommend A Tale of Two Mommies wholeheartedly.

http://www.easyvegan.info/2015/07/22/a-tale-of-two-mommies-by-vanita-oelschlager... show less

A Tale of Two Daddies is a wonderful, charming, little story that brings to light some very important issues (in a very friendly way!).

Our little friend has two Daddies - Poppa and Daddy. Poppa is good at braids, Daddy takes care of her when she's scared. They split all of the important Daddy related items, because she has two wonderful Daddies to help her out! She explains to her new friend all of the fun ways Poppa and Daddy help her.

The book is very simple and sweet. It's perfect for show more young readers and is a wonderful way to explain to kids why their friend might have two Moms or two Dads. The book is progressive and positive, and I love that. It works in all of the best ways.

I absolutely love the cartoon-y pictures. I think it fits the theme well and is very engaging. There's lots of colours and not too much to drain your attention away from the story. Near the end of the book, it gives a little example for how the art was made and that made this story even better. I thought it was very cool to see how they made the effects be softened!

Overall, this is another must read gem in the children's fiction department. Pick up this picture book, because it is so totally worth it.

Five out of five stars.

I received this book for free through NetGalley. show less

I’m not certain what I expected from Vanita Oelschlager’s Postcards From a War, something amateurish and maudlin, I think. What I got was a strikingly illustrated book that used the letters and postcards sent by a soldier to the Homefront during World War II to speak to today’s children whose parents have been deployed to far-off shores.

In this slender book, Matthew’s mother has been deployed into a warzone. To soothe Matthew, his grandfather shows off the letters and postcards that show more his own father — Matthew’s great-grandfather, Army Major Wilfred Bauknight, who shipped off to serve in the Pacific Theater — sent to him when he was just 6 years old. That 6-year-old boy, Brian Bauknight, was the big brother of author Vanita Oelschlager, and the postcards and letters — many of them with charming doodles and pictures — were actually written by her father when he was shipped to the Philippines.

Although written for children, adult readers will appreciate the beautiful sepia-toned illustrations and the honest portrayal of children’s fears of war, the possibility of death and dismemberment, their loneliness, and the dread of the unknown. Postcards From a War is a must-have for the children of service members.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and VanitaBooks, LLC, in exchange for an honest review. show less