Ellen Jackson (1)

Cinderella gets the twin treatment in this picture book retelling from author Ellen Jackson and illustrator Kevin O'Malley. While Cinderella bewails her much put-upon state, and the fact that she is worked like a servant by her cruel stepmother and stepsisters, her practical next door neighbor Cinder Edna, in the same exact position, takes a more positive, can-do attitude. Cinder Edna turns lemons into lemonade, learning useful skills from her drudgery and finding the time to do work for the show more neighbors as well, to earn her own money. When the king gives a ball, neither girl is permitted to go, but both manage it—Cinderella with the help of her fairy godmother, Cinder Edna with her own work and gumption. Both girls meet a prince, both fall in love, and both are sought afterward by their beau, but only one lives happily ever after...

I've been reading quite a few Cinderella retellings recently, both of a traditional and a transplanted/fractured kind. While I tend to prefer the former, there are some cases in which the latter turns out to be a delightful surprise. Shirley Hughes' Ella's Big Chance: A Jazz-Age Cinderella, for instance, was a lovely version, one which transplanted the story through time, and also offered an alternative ending. When done right, this kind of things can be quite charming. Unfortunately, Cinder Edna doesn't fall into that category, most likely because the storyteller seems to have a healthy—or perhaps one should say, unhealthy—dose of contempt for the original tale and its heroine. Here Cinderella is dim, full of self-pity, too reliant on the help of her fairy godmother, too attracted to shallow characteristics in her prince, etc, etc. Her manifold flaws are contrasted with the down-to-earth Cinder Edna, who wins the true prize, according to the narrator here. The result is a book that is very unappealing, both because it has a nasty, self-righteous undertone, but also because it misunderstands the story it is retelling, and ignores Cinderella's traditional virtues—her kindness, her patience in the face of extreme provocation. As should be obvious, I didn't enjoy this one from a storytelling perspective, and I also didn't particularly enjoy it visually, as the illustrations weren't to my taste. I'm quite disappointed, as I have enjoyed other books by both these creators, and requested this one through interlibrary loan. Unfortunately, not recommended. show less

Author Ellen Jackson and illustrator Robin Page team up in this informative and beautiful counting book about octopuses (or octopodes, as they're known in my house). The main text is in rhyme, and describes different things about octopuses, from their three hearts to their six arms, their five years to their nine brains, while each two-page spread also has a longer aside with more detailed information about that topic. Number ten is actually quite extensive, covering ten different kinds of show more octopuses worldwide, including the: Giant Pacific Octopus, Seven-Arm Octopus, Blanket Octopus, Common Octopus, Mimic Octopus, Dumbo Octopus, Blue-Ringed Octopus, Larger Pacific Striped Octopus, Veined Octopus, and Octopus Wolfi. The book closes with some octopus craft and recipe ideas...

As a confirmed lover of all things octopode, I expected to find Octopuses One to Ten delightful, and I was not disappointed! I appreciate these kind of dual-narrative picture books, with a simple text that can be appreciated by younger children and a more complex, information-packed one from which older children can derive benefit. This allows the book to be enjoyed by a wider range of age groups, and makes it both entertaining and educational. I also appreciate books which include related crafting and recipe ideas at the rear, and the ones presented here seemed fun and easily doable. The subject itself is fascinating, and I learned a number of things I hadn't known before. Some of the octopus species profiled were known to me—the Giant Pacific Octopus, Common Octopus, Blue-Ringed Octopus (which is VERY poisonous)—but some were not, so that was also fun. Finally, the accompanying artwork, done in Adobe Photoshop, was very appealing. All in all, a lovely little book, one I would recommend to young octopus fans, and those seeking titles for them. show less

Author Ellen Jackson and photographer Nic Bishop, who previously collaborated on Looking for Life in the Universe: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, joined forces again in this examination of the work of scientist Alex Filippenko, whose research involves supernovae, dark energy and black holes. Following Filippenko and his graduate students as they travel to the Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea in Hawaii, and then the Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton, California, the book also show more gives basic background information about space, astronomy, and the big bang theory, discussing how the research being undertaken by Filippenko and others uses information gained about supernovae to track the speed at which the universe is expanding. The book concludes with extensive back matter, including lists of further reading and resources, more information about the author, photographer and subject of the book, a glossary and an index...

Published in 2008, The Mysterious Universe: Supernovae, Dark Energy, and Black Holes is part of Houghton Mifflin's Scientists in the Field series, to which Jackson and Bishop's earlier book also belongs. It is the second title in the series I have read, following upon Sy Montgomery and Nic Bishop's Saving the Ghost of the Mountain: An Expedition Among Snow Leopards in Mongolia, and is the ninth book overall I have read from Jackson, whose work spans a number of different genres within the world of children's literature. In any case, I found it a good basic introduction to these topics, and thought it did an excellent job on a number of different fronts, from highlighting the titular mysterious nature of the universe—so fascinating to think that 96% percent of the universe is made up of matter and energy we cannot see and do not understand!—to emphasizing the fact that much of what we think we know in these areas is theory rather than fact, as we do not currently possess the ability to prove these ideas. I was also impressed by the extensive back matter, which provides additional resources. Recommended to young star watchers and astronomers, and to those looking for a good general introduction to space, physics, and supernovae. show less

Wendy the Witch is delighted when her father, who is a self-taught man himself, permits her to go to school with the other children, but she soon finds that he and her teacher, Miss Crispus, have taken a dislike to one another. As the two begin a war of spells, enchanting each other into various objects, Wendy must undo the damage with her spell-cruncher. Eventually she puts her foot down and insists that the two meet, with unexpected results...

Originally published in 1996 and long show more out-of-print, The Wacky Witch War is a sweet little witchy confection, and I suspect that I would have loved it, as a young girl. It has plenty of witchy charm, and pairs an amusing story from author Ellen Jackson with delightfully quirky artwork from illustrator Denise Brunkus. I'm familiar with both of these creators - I've read other picture-books from Jackson (Beastly Babies, The Autumn Equinox), and know Brunkus' name because of her work on the Junie B. Jones chapter-book series - but only recently learned of this early venture together. Being interested in witchy picture-books, I immediately sought it out, and it did not disappoint. Younger children will enjoy watching Wendy be the mature one, in comparison to the adults in her life, and will appreciate the expressive illustrations, which are dominated by shades of purple, yellow and green, and which contain a wealth of witchy details. Recommended to picture-book readers who enjoy witchy fare. show less