Cynthia Von BuhlerBesprekingen

What an interesting idea. I, of course, have no belief at all in the idea of the tarot, but I enjoy the mythology and history of it, and pairing them up with Shakespearean characters, ideals, and quotes, is a brilliant idea. The references run across all of the plays, so this isn't just a mainstream attempt to link Romeo and Juliet into everything. A lovely little trinket.

I enjoyed this racy little graphic novel that features foxy P.I. Minky Woodcock and a cast of historic characters including Nicola Tesla and our former (thank goodness) president's uncle Dr. John Trump, who apparently actually worked for J. Edgar Hoover during WW2.

The School Library Journal lists this title for Grades 3-6. The writing style is narrative and easy to understand. However the text itself is is printed against the textured background of the painted illustrations, which make it more difficult to read, especially on the darker pages. The back matter includes an author's note that also lists some of his sources. The illustrations are oil paintings which look like a product of the age and include a few diagrams to further illustrate the scientific ideas mentioned in the text. This is the only picture book biography of Copernicus that I am aware of and it does a good job of introducing his life and ideas.

While not in depth, this has beautiful illustrations to capture your child’s imagination.

An interesting period mystery with an intriguing cast of real life characters (Houdini, Conan Doyle and Christie all make an appearance). There’s a lot to like here - a fast paced plot, lots of sex and violence and a great vintage art style. Something about the storytelling kept me from being fully engaged though.

The story has a certain energy to it, but is just too loopy and loosey-goosey for my taste. I was a bit thrown that this does not seem to be in strict continuity with the first story, picking up here in 1943 as if that 1926 adventure occurred just yesterday for the main characters.

The art is fun in its fan service manner, but a making-of feature in the back about the intense photo referencing involved in creating it helps explain its stiff quality.

If a third series is made and I review it, no matter how I try to justify it at the time, know in your heart that I just showed up to look at the sexy pictures.

A sassy and sexy young wannabe private detective named Minky Woodcock is inserted into the true and truly weird events leading up to the death of famed magician and spiritualist debunker Harry Houdini in this 1920s historical fiction. In the course of her investigation she trains to be Houdini's stage assistant and frequently disrobes.

The writing is cheesy and the art is pure cheesecake; both are oddly stiff but only the drawings are vaguely compelling. The story often makes little sense and is rife with plot holes. I only read this because I actually want to read the sequel about Nikola Tesla, a man I have always found fascinating. Onward.

Wow! I do not usually read graphic/comic books. A genre that I never really got into. Not that I have not read them but just not as a first. That said, The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini was able to catch my interest right from the cover and first pages. A pulpy tale of a young woman who wants to be a detective takes over for him while he is out of the country. Contacted by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who wants her to investigate Harry Houdini. He wants her to infiltrate Houdini's world and report back to him all to prove that Houdini is a fake.

Minky does just that, gets involved in the world of seances, magic and sleight of hand. Houdini becomes ill and eventually dies of a burst appendicitis. Was it just a fluke or was he poisoned? Now she has to convince Mrs. Houdini not to request an investigation into Harry's death. If his death was an accident, she could collect double indemnity on Harry's life insurance policy. If it is murder, she collects nothing.

This book is filled with the most beguiling artwork, gorgeous, colorful. It just brings the whole story to life, the author tells an interesting story but her artwork is truly impressive. Pulls you right into the world of the 1920's. Seances, magic and fantasy all wrapped up into one book. I loved it and if you enjoy comic books or graphic novels, then I highly recommend this book!!

Quite a charmer. A reasonable guess about what kind of family the painter Ammi Phillips met in New York when he painted this particular portrait. Historical note included. Both history and art come alive. Might be too quiet for some folk, but as another GR reviewer says, it does appeal to at least one 3 year old child.

A mouse and a bat must figure out how to foil their foes, the cats in the home of a princess. The mouse hatches several schemes to make the cats stop chasing him, ultimately realizing that all he needs to do is attach a bell to them so they will never catch the mouse unawares again.

Reading Level: Primary
Genre: Fantas

Based on the Aesop's fable of the same name, the illustrations tell the tale of the sad, sorry mouse who lives in the basement of the castle with his friend the brown bat.

Longing for more than mere crumbs, the mouse devises plans to place bells on the cats in order for the mouse and bat to hear them approach.

After futile attempts, in the end, the mouse and bat find a solution.

This delightful upstairs/downstairs tale is wonderfully illustrated.

This is a great picture book biography. It's a little bit odd as illustrations go, and the pages can be a bit text heavy for an intermediate level reader, but the information is presented in kid-friendly language and is extensively detailed enough to leave any reader knowledgeable about the subject. Much better than some of the other texts that I've read by Mr. Fradin which can occasionally get too technical for my readers to stay interested in. I'd recommend this as a solid addition to a school library.

Using the classic Aesopic fable, Belling the Cat - in which a council of mice considers how best to confront their traditional feline enemy - as a jumping-off point, Cynthia von Buhler weaves a tale of a intrepid mouse hero, and his quest to leave his squalid basement home, and enjoy the blessings of life in the castle above. To do this, of course, he must contend with the Princess's spoiled pet cats - all eight of them! Luckily, Mouse is not one to give up easily, and together with his friend Brown Bat, he tries and tries again, until the solution becomes apparent...

Given the almost universal praise heaped upon this book, by both professional reviewers and goodreads friends, I confess that I approached it with high expectations. Too high, perhaps. I was conscious, while reading it on my train-ride this morning, of a sense, not so much of disappointment, but of disconnection. Although I enjoyed the story, and found the illustrations - the castle settings were made using wood and plaster, peopled with cutout paper-doll characters, and photographed by von Buhler - immensely creative, somehow the end-product didn't do much for me. The characters looked rather flat (probably because they were), and the story itself left me unmoved. Still, those who appreciate this style (fans of Lauren Child's Goldilocks and the Three Bears, for instance), will find much to occupy them. Definitely one I'm glad to have read, given my interest in Aesop, and fractured fairy-tales, but it won't be going on any "favorites" list.

This book does a great job of simplifying the discovery that the earth orbits the moon by giving analogies that children can readily understand. Additionally, the author does a good job of defining terms that may be a stretch for children reading the book. The background knowledge of Copernicus is given in a clear manner, which makes him seem like a “normal” person. In my opinion, this is important, as it allows children of modest backgrounds to see that others from similar backgrounds have found significant success. Additionally, the development of facing the dilemma of publishing a work that contradicts the church is very well done. The idea that we should pursue ideas that do not go along with the norm is a phenomenal message for children.

Personally, I love this deck of tarot cards - each of the major arcana are depicted by a relevant character from one of Shakespeare's plays, and each of the minor arcana include a relevant quote from one of Shakespeare's plays. The book included with the deck is extremely informative, and gives an in-depth explanation as to why each character and quote were selected. The descriptions include both an explanation of the meaning of the card within the tarot deck, as well as an explanation of the play the character or quote was lifted from. As both a lover of tarot and of Shakespeare, this is a very beautiful blend of those things.½

The Cat Who Wouldn't Come Inside is a visually spectacular feast for the eyes! Done with a real doll house (done up like the author's residence) and using clay figures for the narrator and cat, this is one of the most unique and visually appealing books I've looked at in a long time. In addition to strong visual appeal of the pages, the book is done in a faux padded leather cover with wallpaper end papers (given the charming touch of cat scratches) which makes this book a step above the average picture story book that are normally put out for children these days.

The story itself is quite short, it does happen to be 8 pages over the 32 you normally see these days. As the story starts out, our narrator sees a stray cat outside on a cold and wintery day and tries to coax him inside the house without success. As each day passes, the narrator offers milk...then milk and tuna...then milk, tuna and so on, until practically the entire house is out on the porch to make the cat feel more welcome and comfortable out in the cold. At the end, the cat invites the woman out onto the now very house like porch. It's a charming book, full of love for animals and with a very warm and old-time feeling. The very end, the author places an end note about the story being inspired by a stray she tried form many, many years to coax into her own home...this end note is quite sad and younger children might not benefit from hearing that the cat FINALLY came in only to die in the owners arms...but it IS quite a lovely touch!

Overall, I give it four stars and would definitely buy this for my permanent collection if my children were not passing the age that this would get read again and again...but I will definitely buy copies to give as gifts. The book as an old world feel from cover to cover and is such a charming and sweet story that small children cannot help but love it! The Cat Who Wouldn't Come Inside would probably be best enjoyed by kids ages 3-6, maybe all the way up to age 8...but not much beyond and for older kids, probably not more than one time. For younger readers/listeners, the short story with the humor of the house slowly moving out to the porch for the love of the cat and the repetitive nature of the text (the litany of gifts offered and use of the woudn't come inside phrase...small kids usually LOVE this type of repetitive phrasing because over time it allows them to easily get in on the story telling) combined with the rich photographs and the charm of the claymation type woman and cat make for a splendid combination that may be destined to become a classic!