Dept. of Darndest Things: Isol, Beautiful Griselda
My daughter Bridget, age 4.5, likes books as much as I do. When I can convince her to write a joint review of a new kids’ title, the result is a dispatch from the Dept. of Darndest Things.
For this, the pilot episode, we read Isol’s Beautiful Griselda (translated from the Spanish by Elisa Amado; Groundwood Books, 36 pp, $18.95, hardcover; available in October).
* * * * *
What is this book about?
Bridget: Griselda. What happens in her life. She loses her head. Well, she starts a head collection first. She tries to stay beautiful.
Did you like the book?
B: I think it’s probably a good book.
What did you like about it?
B: I do like how her head falls off. I do think that’s funny. You don’t have to write that down.
Do you like the drawings?
B: I don’t really like how there are pages like this [points]. I like how they do things in colour, like at the end, when she has the baby. I don’t really like when it’s just black and white.
Is the book funny?
B: I would say… hm. I don’t know. I didn’t laugh while we were reading it. I’m not laughing right now.
Does this book have a lesson?
B: I think it does. Just that it’s not good to try and stay beautiful. Because then you don’t have any friends. You spend all day trying to be beautiful, not all day trying to be nice.
Would you read this book again?
B: Oh, yeah.
What would you give this book on a scale of 1-10, if 1 is the worst, and 10 is the best?
B: I would say a 5.
Jul 25, 2011