Timeless tale of Springtime renewal
582614
My children loved this book and we found ourselves out searching for signs of spring.....A great story for all ages...I loved it as much as my children.....
4730225
Some lessons are timeless and never get old in the retelling and it just so happens that The Shy Butterfly by blogger extraordinaire Penny L. Howe is just such a book that has a perennial message to .

The story is of the titular shy butterfly who leads a sheltered life, happy in the shadows and afraid to experience the joys of the world but then he meets Monarch butterfly who sets out to coax him to come into the sunlight and find out what he's been missing.

This edifying tale is really wonderful, a feel good story with a wonderful moral for children and a reminder to us adults who get to mired in the inconsequentialities of life and forget what it truly means to be (and sometimes how to be) happy.

So besides having the charm to appeal to everybody with its directly written way, it is a strikingly well written book, with oodles of pizzazz

The accompanying drawings offset the text with their enchanting simplicity, the hand drawn look of the illustrations make the book feel more homely and a real creation of love.

This is a real labour of love and one which should be in every home, a proper oasis of inspiration in these times of worry, this is one to go back to again and again.
2444033
Intrigue - romance - good old-fashioned values - beautiful sentences - believable characters. Having grown up in the Midwest, this book brought back all the seasons, smells, rhythms and beauty of prarie living. Bess  Streeter Aldrich's prose is timeless - I am thankful to have discovered her  work.  What a pleasant surprise!
3611836
I bought this book for my grandmother in 1969.  After she died the book came back to me and I will keep it the rest of my life.  I grew up in a place where almost everyone hung out clothes, summer and winter.  This small book of delightful photographs and charming text captures not only the fact of hanging out clothes and other, surprising, items, but the creativity and artistry involved in hanging them out.  The sheets blowing in the wind recall to me the fun and joy of running through the lines of sheets, watching the shadows forming and and fading, the pleasure of listening to the soft flapping of the sheets giving voice to the wind.  When city officials and housing associations began banning clotheslines they thought they were "improving" -- something -- I really don't know what: a curious development in a country that claims to value individual expression.  This lovely book documents those days when everyone had solar dryers that not only dried clothes but imparted that wonderful outdoorsy sweet fragrance that no artificial smell added to a dryer can match.
391078
This is a delightful book that I revisit every year or so, usually when planning my own garden. It inspires and uplifts!
4514549
Every year, as the winter starts to take its cruel toll and the SEASONAL Effective Disorder really sets in, I rent a copy of Enchanted April, invite my best friends over, (especially the gardeners), and have a good (drunken) party watching everyone in Enchanted April blossom out into a newer, freer spring in the most spectacularly floral setting. The only thing that comes anywhere close to it for 'feel good' rating is Room With a View, and perhaps Antonia's Line, which also makes me want to throw off my shackles and go Bohemian and barefoot through fields of lavender. I want it on DVD so that I can zero in on the fine details of it. Also, the VHS at the local rental wore out. I'd buy it instantly, but they are currently only available in VHS and this is too temporary a copy to satisfy my need for a SAD cure.
892662
I keep this book in my Easter/spring stash.
Every year when we pull it out again it is a favorite.
Fun, suspense-filled story.
4544397
Denise has woven a tale for young and old to read!  Colorful characters and bright, colorful images share a  timeless message.  The tale is a beautiful weave, reminding us to love our neighbor as ourselves!  Thank you, Denise!
3818127
Every time I get out Bob and Otto to read for my preschool story times, I have to marvel all over again at this little gem.  At first glance, it certainly doesn't look like a natural read aloud - there just seems like a lot going on with it's split panel illustrations and occasional word bubbles.  It doesn't take but a bit of practice to realize however, that this little story packs quite a punch and can make a big impact on your spring themed story times, or even story times with a friendship theme.

The characters in the book are large, brightly colored and full of charm.  Even when they appear in multi panel spreads, it's easy for the group to follow along. This worm and caterpillar are beautifully simple and they have an important tale to tell that expands on the value of friendship and the importance of being proud of who you are. Did I mention that there's a great little nature lesson here?  The caterpillar usually gets all the attention, but here we get an ode to the lowly worm and his work ethic.  It's a great portrayal of how things work together in nature to achieve some pretty marvelous results.  Nothing is heavy handed, and the end result is just a beautiful little story that speaks to the heart of a child's imagination, while introducing the beauty of two of nature's most well known creatures.  An enthusiastic recommend for preschool through grade 1.
4336367
Just revisited this gem of a coming-of-age novel after about 20 years, and it's still every bit as striking as it was back then. Scout Finch will always stay as one of my favourite characters of all time as she witnesses the goings-on of Maycomb county where she is growing up in post-Depression America way in the Deep South where prejudice against the blacks was still rampant.

Written almost 40 years ago, the issues of what makes a person human, what courage means, how bigotry and ignorance begets prejudice and becomes a threat to the individual, the family and society, are all still valid issues we're grappling with today.

Narrated through the innocent perspective of a child, the novel is so much more poignant for the unadulterated logic a child possesses and becomes a foil for the folly and terror of man's ways.

Saying any more than this about this timeless classic would only take time away from actually reading the novel. Please read it.
957988
I collect books on the seasons to bring out throughout the year and decorate our playroom. Many of these seasonal books are the same, and like another reviewer said, the illustrations looked lovely, but I was afraid of finding a tired cliched non-story, describing spring with not much imagination. I am so glad to be proved wrong. In addition to the lovely illustrations, the story really engages the child, and gives a blueprint of what they can do to look out for spring. Others books that provide layouts for kids to actively explore the seasons are Wong Herbert Yee's seasonal series and Winter is Coming by Tony Johnston.

Sophie asks her mother and father when Spring will come, and they answer her by directing her to use her five senses to discover spring. How fun! After reading, my daughter was excited to do the same. Sadly, we don't live in such a dynamic climate, where the seasons change so dramatically. However, today while on a walk outside she was so happy to catch a raindrop on her tongue just like Sophie.

Additionally, I'd like to point out that I love books on the seasons that discuss the changes between season and not just elements and symbols of the seasons themselves. It makes for great lessons for the kids and also deepens the story presented. Another book that did this well this year was Sleep Tight Farm.
1050358
An entertaining mix of mystery, myth and romance makes "Faun", a delighful, suspenseful read. The author obviously has spent much time in Italy and each scene successfully evokes the sights, sounds and heat of a Roman summer. The idea of re-imagining Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Marble Faun" is fun and gives a timelessness to the story. The characters are all well drawn and memorable. Highly recommended.
3727316
Joseph Hesch's One Hundred Beats a Minute is a real gem. I read the kindle version but I will be purchasing the book so that I can curl up with it or take it with me in my bag. I enjoyed the poems about nature, especially Spring, because they are always drawn into how they connect with us and our relationships, more than just the weather. He covers many subjects, some that made my eyes misty and some that made me smile, about healing, break-ups and regret, passion and longing with memories. There is a restlessness in some of his poems that I can really relate to, and somewhere in there is a poem with a connection between a squirrel and writer's block. You're going to have to read it to see that for yourself.
1802399
In a garden surrounded by a tall fence, tucked away behind a small house in the smallest of towns, is an apple tree rumored to bear a very special sort of fruit.  This is a story of that enchanted tree and the extraordinary people who tend it.

The Waverleys have always been a curious family, endowed with peculiar gifts that make them outsiders even in their hometown of Bascom, North Carolina. A successful caterer, Claire prepares dishes made with her mystical plants--from the nasturtiums that aid in keeping secrets to the snapdragons intended to discourage the attentions of her amorous neighbor. Meanwhile, her cousin, Evanelle, distributes unexpected presents whose uses become uncannily clear. They are the last of the Waverleys--except for Claire's sister, Sydney, who fled Bascom the moment she could, abandoning Claire, as their own mother had years before.

When Sydney suddenly returns home with a young daughter of her own, Claire's quiet life is turned upside down. Together again in the house they grew up in, the sisters soon realize they must deal with their common legacy--if they are ever to feel at home in Bascom...or with each other.

(Synopsis above borrowed from Shelfari since it was beautifully written and captured what I wanted to say. )

What a fun little book!  I loved every minute of it!  I must be a sucker for magical realism.  The way that Claire is able to imbue the essence of the plants into a dish and allow those that eat it to feel the effects is wonderful.  I love Evanelle and all her quirkiness.  What an interesting life she must have, needing to give folks something, but not knowing it's intended use.  And, although Sydney left Bascom years ago, she and her daughter belong there.  They are Waverley's through and through.  This is a book that I'd love to own as it's a fast favorite.  I was so enchanted with it, it's one I'd like to read again already.
705536
I don't know how many times I have read it. But every time it is good to be reconnecting to a beautiful classic full of joyful moments crafted by a gifted story teller.
2287118
This is a fantastic read. You'll be transported to a time and place full of nostalgia and beauty! A classic love tale that will leave you grinning from ear to ear. This is a must read!
2137583
When weather is rainy and cold I like to curl up on the sofa with a feel-good book. An advance readers' edition of "The Charm Bracelet" by Viola Shipman (aka Wade Rouse) was the perfect treat on a stormy weekend. Neither too fluffy or intense, it's a steadily paced story of three women in one family each at different stages of life. Lolly, a lifelong resident of delightful Scoops, Michigan, is 70 and missing her only daughter and grand-daughter. Arden Lindsay escaped both her mother and Scoops long ago seeking the kind of life so many vacationers appeared to have. Now divorced and in an unfulfilling job at a celebrity e-magazine, Arden feels guilty when she receives a charm from her mother with a note that reads (in part): "Hope you can visit this summer. I miss you and love you with all my heart!" Lauren is at the end of her junior year in college, regretting her major while feeling pressured to complete it, when she also receives a charm from her grandmother with a note that says: "This charm is to a life filled with adventure! Remember... YOLO!"

Predictably, the three women are reunited in Scoops for a few weeks around Memorial Day. To Lolly, it's a chance to reconnect while imparting her own family history and lessons before they're lost forever. Arden needs to come to terms with her feelings about her mother, her former life in Scoops and decide how to create more joy for herself. Lauren must find the strength to pursue her greatest dream. All three women have an opportunity to get to know one another in new ways with more open hearts and minds. The author does a wonderful job of bringing each character to life. There are elements of each that readers will like and facets of each that are less than flattering... in other words, they're characters many can relate to. I also enjoyed vividly descriptive writing about Scoops, Lost Land Lake and the shore of Lake Michigan.

While other readers might hone in on the charm bracelet theme itself--and you might want to start a bracelet tradition of your own--I saw the charms as symbols for something deeper. The stories each of us has within us are important to pass on and share. That's really what this novel seemed to be about in my mind. Lolly is a mother and grandmother determined to provide a solid, lasting heritage while she still can. Of course, I also loved the supposed meanings of the charms.

The copy I received was, as stated, a pre-publication copy. There were a few grammatical errors or words used that didn't make sense in context. Those will hopefully be corrected before hard copy print. Some of the book seemed a wee bit syrupy sweet, and a few parts were completely unrealistic, but as a whole I really enjoyed "The Charm Bracelet" and would recommend it. Your mileage may vary, of course. I'll be buying a few copies for family and friends when the novel is released.