Helen Foster James

Sheer delight! This lovely picture book captures the essence of a charming little girl who dearly loves her Daddy. She is all girly with frilly clothes, beads, hats and behavior. She excitedly goes about preparing for a tea party with her Daddy so it will be ready when he arrives home.

Having raised three girls, I know their charm and their ability to throw themselves into the business of being a little girl and lovingly looking forward to their Daddy's arrival at the end of the show more day.

Illustrated in soft, yet distinct pastels the cuteness and charm of this little girl is captured. The sweet love between daughter and father is evident. She is not just going to have a tea party, she is going to party with her Daddy (and Teddy Bear).

Not included in the story, but quite evident from the little girl having all the tools to be so girly (beads, dress, tea set, bling, boa, etc.) that she has a mother that has shown by example the joy of being a girl.

The rhyming story simply leaps from the page with joy and the last line resonates...... 'Daddy, tea is best with you."

I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are my own and freely given. show less

I loved this book. It has simple, lyrical rhymes highlighting things local to New Mexico.

A beautiful alphabet book that holds so much more for adults and bigger kids as it has finer details on each page such as facts or history relevant to that letter. The art is beautiful and full color, tasteful and intelligent.

We picked this copy up at the library, but I'm thinking this deserves a place in our permanent collection. Highly recommended to anyone who lives in, or has been to New Mexico!

This is a lovely book exploring the experiences of one boy (a composite character) coming from China to become the "paper son" his parents paid for. Although I liked the picture book in general, the pace felt rushed for the format and without pre-teaching, students will not understand the significance of the location or context of the events. This leaves the reader with a lack of character development and little understanding of the motivations. The illustrations by Wilson Ong are beautiful show more but I would have appreciated one or two similar to the last - showing the characters in identifiable locations as a visual aid for young readers. Overall, this book could be a valuable part of any classroom library when used in conjunction with non-fiction titles to provide background information and context. There is a somewhat useful explanation of Angel Island at the end of the book, but overall the lack of bibliography and other media to link the story to primary sources prevents it from being a stand-alone resource. show less

We're off to New Mexico next week. How best to learn about the wonders of this place? How about taking a look at the wonders a child might seek out?

And so E is for Enchantment.

My thoughts? A perfect overview. I know now to look for ristras (those strings of chili peppers that ward off the wicked) and pueblos (including Taos, apparently) and kokopelli (flute player petroglyphys). And more.