Mary Dodson Wade

I liked this book for many reasons. First, I thought the illustrations were very well drawn and represented the Chinese culture well. They looked genuine and created a great amount of mental images while reading the story. The plot was very organized and flowed well through the beginning, middle, and end. Since the characters were animals it made the story kid friendly and easy to understand. The language is slightly more sophisticated, which is why it would be more appropriate for a 3rd or show more 4th grader. The book gives a good story about the Chinese culture regarding the new year which pushes readers to think about other cultures and traditions they have. The message of this book was to learn about the Chinese New Year and tell the tale about how the animals got assigned to each 'year' in the twelve years. show less

This book was entertaining, educational and talked about folktale that dates back to the thirteenth century. It was well illustrated, told beautifully, and since the Chinese calendar is something students are slightly familiar with, it’s great to expand upon the knowledge they may already have. I think this is a great book and will serve students well.

I've always been proud of my state (Texas), but here lately, I've wanted to learn all I can about Texas Independence as well as the Alamo. This book was my starting book into written literature on the Alamo (besides what I learned in my Texas History classes at school).

The introduction in the beginning of the book by the book's editor, Mary Dodson Wade, was very informative and interesting. What follows are eyewitness accounts. I wish there was a bit more of these accounts. It's a very short show more book, but what I did read was interesting. I also wish there was some clarification that some parts didn't happen that way such as Potter's account at seeing Dickinson die whilst holding his infant daughter which isn't true. Dickinson died, but his wife and his daughter lived. I did enjoy the illustrations in this book although there aren't many which didn't bother me.

If you're looking for a great starting point to read up on The Alamo, this book would be fantastic. It's a fast and short read. I would definitely recommend it. show less

Henrietta King: Loving the Land by Mary Dodson Wade, illustrated by Bill Farnsworth

Short, clipped sentences briefly tell the story of Henrietta King, wife of rancher Richard King, who eventually ran the ranch after his death. Oil paintings illustrate the various events in Henrietta King's life.

I didn't feel the story really explained who Henrietta King was; it mentioned frequently that she "loved the land" but didn't say why or what she did that showed it. It says "she used her money to do show more good things" but the section at the end simply says "Henrietta gave land and money for hospitals, schools, and a railroad. She took care of the people who worked for her. She gave land to build the new town of Kingsville and owned many companies there." The book talks about her wealth and the land she owned, but says her son-in-law, Robert Kleburg, actually ran the ranch.

A timeline, glossary, and further resources are included.

Verdict: This book could supplement a unit on Texas history and Henrietta King, but on its own the lack of information is frustrating and the short, bland sentences are not interesting, although the lush oil paintings are beautiful.

ISBN: 978-1-933979-64-9; Published September 2011 by Bright Sky Press; Review copy provided by publisher show less