Ziggy HanaorReviews

A boy takes his Bubbe Rosa around Brooklyn and Manhattan as they shop for ingredients for dinner. She struggles with seeing new things in the place of old and her memories flood their conversation. It’s a short read about a Jewish woman in the city, and I love the glimpses of her when she is young and her interactions with an old baker she’s known for years.½

Gr 6 Up—When Benji and Bubbe Rosa set out on a day of errands, Bubbe's old memories resurface, underscoring
their generational divide. With spare text leaving ample space for watercolor-and-ink images, this poignant and
ultimately hopeful graphic novel invites readers to reflect on the lives of others, in all their complexity.

Okay, this is great if you want a story that pretty much manipulates the poor baby joey into leaving the pocket he was supposed to grow in. Honestly, there's no point to the story except the mother not admitting to wanting the joey out of her pocket.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

This was just fun. Gory Rory Fangface is having a bad day, and nothing will make it better. Except maybe a kiss from a parent. The artwork is reminiscent of Mercer Mayer, and I like that. I just overall enjoyed this book and think kids will too.

A beautifully illustrated and presented intergenerational graphic novel that follows 11-year-old Benji and his elderly grandmother, Bubbe Rosa, as they traverse Brooklyn and Manhattan, gathering the ingredients for a Friday night dinner. Bubbe’s relationship with the city is complex & nothing is quite as she remembered it and she feels alienated and angry at the world around her. Benji, on the other hand, looks at the world, and his grandmother, with clear-eyed acceptance. As they wander the city, we catch glimpses of Bubbe’s childhood in Germany, her young adulthood in 1950s Brooklyn, and her relationships; first with a baker called Gershon, and later with successful Joe, Benji’s grandfather. Gradually we piece together snippets of Bubbe’s life, gaining an insight to some of the things that have formed her cantankerous personality. The journey culminates on the Lower East Side in a moving reunion between Rosa and Gershon, her first love. As the sun sets, Benji and his Bubbe walk home over the Williamsburg Bridge to make dinner.

This book is about Marjorie the snail, and she just wants some time alone. However, she can’t be alone when there’s always a trail leading everybody to her. At times, she gets annoyed and frustrated because she needs her quiet time. Help from her friend Bernard will allow her to find the best of both worlds. Overall, I like the story and I get the concept and know children who will take this to heart. However, I’m not the biggest fan of the artwork and think it could be better.½

I went into this thinking it was a picture book and it’s not. It’s a short graphic novel about a boy and his grandmother. His grandmother is a Jew who immigrated from America and her memory isn’t always what it should be. These two spend the day going around New York City collecting things they will need for dinner, but a lot of the stores and things have disappeared. The reader sees many flashbacks of grandmother’s life and her adventures and her not liking modern things. This was a lovely day in the life, and while I may not understand all the Jewish elements, I understand the grandmother and the grandchild. The story was lovely, and the illustrations are quite bleak, which I think fits the story. It makes one feel that time is passing and how the illustrator has done the modern times, and all these grays in browns in the past and bright vivid colors really works and helps set the story off. While I have no idea who I would recommend this book to. I am glad that I have read it and I think it has helped me grow more as a person.

I found Alte Zachen to be a beautiful read.

Bubbe, aging, is confused and angry, and speaks her mind often insultingly. Frustrated with an immensely changed world she misses the comfort and familiarity of her youth, with her husband, their friends, and the old ways.

Benji, her grandson calmly helps her shop and navigate the city. He clearly loves and cares for his Bubbe. He tempers her fears, and outrageous statements, and apologizes to folks she's insulted.

Both sad and hopeful, Alte Zachen's ending is awesome.

Not much of a graphic novel reader, I find the many drawings distracting. In Alte Zachen the graphics added to the context of the story.

A lovely graphic novel of a day in New York spent with a bubbe and her grandson, gathering food for a Sabbath dinner. Past and present change places as the patient Ben gently tries to bring Bubbe into the real world, while still enjoying her memories of her early days as a refugee. The drawing are lovely, in shades of grey, and this would be a welcome addition to the library of any family, Jewish or non, who would identify with the value of building those tenuous bridges.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for this honest review
Alexander the Kangaroo’s mum Nancy is “the best Mum in the world” - but not the neatest. This charming book, with humor to delight both children and adults on every page, is fun for all. Alexander, who is cozy in Mum’s pouch and doesn’t want to leave, grows increasingly overwhelmed by all of the things that Mum drops in the pouch. He tries to organize it, even starting a filing system! When his suggestion for a briefcase goes nowhere, he finally shouts, “I've had enough! This pocket is too CHAOTIC!” and he moves out.
When he moves to his own room, his mom lovingly sews him a furry blanket and gives him an old “mum-smelling” scarf. Tender and fun; this would be a great book for toddlers moving out of their crib, or any younger child who needs a little reassurance moving on and making changes.

Though very wordy, it is a nice book!!

A little fly buzzes happily along, making wavy zigzags through the air in this graphically appealing British picture-book, until a series of other creatures insist that she isn't flying correctly. Their advice on how to do the thing right - flying in a straight line, with a groups of one's friends, or in a sharp dive - only lead the little insect to disaster, until she finally decides to fly in a fly-ish way...

An engaging "flying to the beat of one's own drummer" type tale is paired with simple but appealing artwork in Fly Flies, my first book from either author Ziggy Hanaor or illustrator Alice Bowsher. Although this kind of story has been done before, I appreciated this new take on it. I also appreciated the artwork, done largely in black and white, with yellow accents. Recommended to anyone looking for new picture-books about staying true to oneself, rather than imitating others, or following the crowd.

I probably didn't need another craft book (I already own some of the very best from the last century!); but, I really liked the sound of this one, and had come across positive reviews on other sites; so, when I found it for a couple of quid, my impulse to purchase took the better of me.

So, what's my first impression?

Well, they have certainly packed this book with a lot of projects. I counted well over fifty! But, be warned. Most, if not all but a few, give text based instructions only! Which I found gave me, personally, enough clues to go on; but, I feel that someone with less experience would find it quite confusing.
To aid these people, the author has dedicated a whole chapter at the very beginning of the book to 'how to' (knit, felt, sew, etc.) where they do provide step-by-step illustrations. So, it is hard to fault them too much on this point.
Even so, I still think that there is nothing clearer than actually being shown the various stages, than having to decode a few lines of text.

Just how 'alternative' are these projects?

Making a sock puppet, embroidering a plain jacket, Knitting a scarf, and making a Sausage Dog draught excluder, or even beeswax candles, just seemed a bit - meh!

The cake stand (out of old plates and flute glasses) I had previously come across - but still pretty cool.
Crocheting a net shopping bag from an old bed sheet, was a good idea.
And, cutting a Jack-o-lantern from an orange was cute for a spooky table settings, I guess.
But, retro-fitting a music box mechanism to a roller blind, so that it plays a little tune each time you close it; and making 'steampunk inspired' puppets out of junk, were certainly more the types of projects I expected to find in this book. Shame there wern't more of them.

My conclusion.

It was a bit of a mixed bag to be honest. I was expecting a lot more of that 'Wow!' factor.
As far as recommending this book goes. I still think that it is pretty cool. But, it could have been awesome.