Bette Killion

This fable takes the idea that little ones (our very own children) are afraid to go to sleep or afraid of the dark. The colorful Thai Argus pheasant is the little one that can't sleep in this story and he is afraid of things in the darkness. One of them being that something will eat him - tigers or panthers - if he goes to sleep and isn't alarmed in time to get away from them.

Little Lek Longtail has an exceptionally long and beautifully colored tail and this proves to be a source of not only pride but provides him with a coping skill as well. Bette Killion allows Little Lek to have a longer and more colorful tail than the real Thai Argus pheasant, but the real bird does have a rather spectacular tail and he does perch in trees as Little Lek does. Ms. Killion has aptly provided a bedtime story that will surely help children of the world learn to cope with their fear of the dark while learning about an unusual bird that lives amongst the dense foliage of the Thai rainforest.

The Thai Argus pheasant is a bird native to Thailand which is tropical. The illustrations are lush greens as one would expect the foliage to be in a tropical land. And Little Lek's feathers are bright and colorful. Beatriz Vidal allows the lush illustrations to flow uninterrupted by words and white space allowing the text its own space keeping the illustrations intact.

At the back of the book the author provides facts about the Argus pheasant that are very interesting and will provide a nice teaching opportunity.

I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review of my personal opinions. I was not compensated.… (meer)

Lek Longtail is a Thai Argus pheasant with a beautiful tail, and author Bette Killion has written a beautiful tale about him, gorgeously illustrated by Beatrtiz Vidal. Wisdom is nicely understated in the text, and the images hide secret characters too, perfectly matching Lek’s fears—will a tiger find him at night when he sleeps; or a panther; how will he survive? Lek’s mother tries to comfort him, but sometimes a child, or an Argus pheasant, has to work things out for himself. In this story, Lek watches, learns, and thinks, then provides his own solution.

There’s something very satisfying in reading about a bird that learns from a man. Perhaps we aren’t the enemy of nature after all. Perhaps we, like Lek, can be proud and still kind to our world. And perhaps, like Lek, we can find our own solutions to our problems. At least, the children reading this book might be inspired to try.

Lek Longtail is a gorgeous book with an appealing storyline, thought-provoking concepts, fascinating details, and a very cool appendix of well-presented facts that will help it grow with the child.

Disclosure: I was given a copy by the publisher and I offer my honest review.… (meer)

“Once upon a time” begins this pleasantly new fairytale, colorfully illustrated with the muted tones and intricate detail of books from a time before computers, filled with almost-glowing renditions of rainbows in every shape and kind, and written with that smoothly absorbing language of true fairytale. There’s a castle, a princess, and a reason for sorrow and hope. There’s a wonderful quest to create a forever-rainbow. And there’s a wealth of cool characters, interesting rainbow images, and fascinating ideas to intrigue parent and child. A pleasingly simple science experiment weaves its way into the tale, and a wise lesson is taught at the end, revealing true happiness comes, not from possessions, but from the heart.

Parents and children will enjoy the old-fashioned, comfortable feel of the text and illustrations. There’s much to talk about in every scene—much to find and much to imagine. And there’s sure to be a person somewhere in the tale who looks like the reader or the reader’s best friend. A simple science lesson on the final pages offers a pleasing bonus too, making this the perfect combination of ancient and modern—a wholly new book with a wholly timeless feel.

Disclosure: I was given a free copy by the publisher and I offer my honest review.… (meer)

Pinocchio
By Little Rainbow Books (1994)

I liked Pinocchio published by Little Rainbow Books for three reasons. First, I liked the significance of the little, blue fairy. The fairy gave life to the wooden puppet, punished him for lying, helped him on Runaway Island, and turned him into a real boy. Specifically, at the wave of her magic wand, the fairy can do anything. Although unrealistic, the fairy is exciting, and she keeps readers anticipating. The second thing I liked was the use of personification. For example, life-like traits were given to a little puppet (Pinocchio); he giggled and wiggled. In addition, ‘Sly Fox’ was able to shake his head and laugh, and the fish snored. Finally, I liked Geppetto’s immediate shift from a poor, old craftsman to a father. Geppetto sold his only coat to buy Pinocchio (his son) a schoolbook, and he searched tirelessly for Pinocchio. Ultimately, Geppetto would do anything for Pinocchio like most parents would for their children. Overall, the “big idea” of Pinocchio is to signify the act of caring for others. Although—at first—Pinocchio was selfish and wanted to be a ‘real boy’ and have fun, he realized the importance of helping others like his father. In my opinion, ‘caring’ is a quality that all children must strive to obtain.… (meer)