Book Review of Ann Rachlin's and Susan Hellard's "Handel"

      This is another good book in the Famous Children series.
     Handel, like the rest of us, had so much opposition in life.  But his life story shows the hand of God.  I'll show you what I mean.
     His father wanted him to read books, not study music, and so, as a little boy, Handel wasn't allowed to have a musical instrument in the house!  But his kind Aunt Anna smuggled a clavier into the attic for him to play when his father was out.  She purchased it for him as a birthday present.
     Handel's father had a good job as a doctor and barber.  He worked for a Duke whose orchestra players Handel wanted to meet.  His father said no and left Handel at home.  While his father was out, Handel played so much on the clavier that he became a good musician without any lessons.  One day, he ran after his father's coach and eventually his father let him ride in the coach on the way to work.
     Handel, still a little boy, played the organ each morning in the chapel where the Duke lived.  The organist let Handel play for the Duke.  The Duke gave him some gold coins for lessons and the boy grew up to compose such great music as The Water Music, The Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba, Music For The Royal Fireworks, and The Messiah, all of which can be listened to on Youtube.  I attended a school for girls in England for part of my schooling where we listened to Handel's music after prayers in the morning and it has stayed with me all this time and then some.
  

Here's a book you might like -"Handel"

What do the instruments of the orchestra look like?

Here is Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra.

The Twelve Pixies - Part Forty-Two by Joanne Morris Okano

     Dixie played the French horn.  Wixie played percussion.  Flixie played the trombone.  Madagascar played the violin.  Onton played the marimba.  Onton played the viola.  Linton played the cello.  Winton was the conductor.  Flaxie played the violin.  Waxie played the saxophone.  Traxie played the triangle.  Daxie played the bassoon, and Thraxie played the piccolo.
     Mother and Papa Pixie came to hear them and the baby played on the floor (the baby had been born).

TO BE CONTINUED

Jesus' "Parable Of The Talents"

     When Jesus Christ was on the earth, he often taught through stories known as parables.  One of these parables was the Parable Of The Talents.
     He said that the kingdom of heaven is like a man travelling abroad who called his servants and gave them each talents.  To one servant, he gave five talents, to another servant, two talents, and to another servant, one talent, according to their abilities; and he left on his journey.
     The servant to whom he had given five talents traded his talents for an additional five more.
     The servant to whom he had given two talents gained two additional talents.
     But the servant to whom he had given one talent hid his talent in the ground.
     When the man returned from his journey, he called his servants together to ask what they had done with their talents.
     The first servant told him how he had given him five talents and he had gained five more talents.  His lord said he was pleased with him for being so faithful and invited him to enter into his joy.
     The second servant told his lord how he had given him two talents and he had gained two more.
His lord was also pleased with him for being so faithful and invited him also to enter into his joy.
     The third servant admitted he was afraid and had hidden his talent.  He brought his one talent to the lord.  His lord was displeased.  He took away his one talent and gave it to the servant who had ten talents.
     If you want to read this story in its original form, you can read it in the Bible.
     I learned from this story that I must develop my talents to be pleasing to God.  So I decided to write children's stories on a blog, when I was unable to find a full-time job.
     Bye!

The Twelve Pixies - Part Forty-One by Joanne Morris Okano

     Back at Pixie School - you might be wondering what goes on at Pixie School, I surmise, so I'll tell you - the children played happily in a pixie orchestra.

TO BE CONTINUED

"Are You A Russian Refugee?"

     One day I walked into the Greater Vancouver Jewish Community Centre and asked them very shyly if they had any volunteer jobs.  I thought, "They'll probably throw me out on the street once they find out I'm not Jewish."  The receptionist said they had two  kinds of volunteer jobs.  One was working with the children in Summer Day Camp and the other was working with the old folks.
     "Well, I'm no good with old folks," I said.  "So could I work with the children?  And does it matter that I'm not Jewish?"  To my surprise, they didn't throw me out on the street.

     At Summer Day Camp, I learned Jewish songs and games and worked with the children and had an educational and uplifting experience.  Later, the JCC phoned me and asked if I'd like to volunteer for Winter Camp.  I said yes.  They paid the volunteers an honorarium each.

     Later I needed a job and I told this to a friend, she told the JCC, and the next day I received a phone call from them asking me if I wanted to come in for an interview.
     "What can you do for the JCC?"  the head of the Child/Youth Department asked me.
     "I can do puppetry and tell stories," I replied.
     The end result of this was I got hired in four different part-time jobs.

     One day I arrived at the JCC for work with all my craft materials in several plastic grocery bags to instruct the children with.   I was wearing a big old coat.  At this time, there were Russian refugees arriving every week at the JCC.  A receptionist came up to me and caringly asked me,
     "Are...you...a...Russian...refugee?"

     Shalom!

Kabocha Squash

     Today I made kabocha squash for my children, like their grandmother makes, except I made it with honey instead of brown sugar.  Yum!

The Twelve Pixies - Part Forty by Joanne Morris Okano

     They folded the clothes, and put them away nicely. 
     Papa Pixie took the little pixies out grocery shopping, so Mother Pixie could rest, and bought them all ice cream as a reward for being so good.

TO BE CONTINUED

The Twelve Pixies - Part Thirty-Nine by Joanne Morris Okano

     They washed the gossamer pixie-clothes and hung them out to dry in the sun.

TO BE CONTINUED

God Answers Prayers

     I prayed for a torrential downpour...isn't it great?

The Twelve Pixies - Part Thirty-Eight by Joanne Morris Okano

     And with that, the twelve pixies skipped off to help their mother with the laundry, as she was sick.  She was expecting another baby, and was throwing up a lot.

TO BE CONTINUED

The Twelve Pixies - Part Thirty-Seven by Joanne Morris Okano

    Ah, for the life of a lion.

TO BE CONTINUED

Today

     The weather was muggy today.  I went to a Corn Roast at church.  I took a chilli I had made and entered the chilli contest.  There was also a pie contest. 
     Bye!

Book Review of Ann Rachlin's and Susan Hellard's "Beethoven"

     Famous Children: Beethoven by Ann Rachlin and Susan Hellard is a enchanting picture book for younger children about the composer Ludwig von Beethoven.  It tells how, in text and humourous illustrations, Beethoven used to get into trouble as a youngster, stealing chicken's eggs, and how he didn't do well in school in anything but music.  Fancy that!
     It tells about his early musical training by his strict father, who made him play at night, rather than letting him sleep.  His father became angry with him for not sticking to the notes of the pieces.  Beethoven learned to play the clavier, the viola and organ and did really well.  Ludwig played for the public at a young age, and at eleven years of age composed for the Archbishop.   Beethoven later met Mozart who was not particularly impressed with him at first.
     I like the story of how Beethoven played a concert for his mother's birthday.  It is, in my opinion, the loveliest part of the book, because it is kind.  I also appreciated the detailed description of how Beethoven dressed. 
     The list of his accomplishments is inspiring.
     I like to go to Youtube and listen to some of Beethoven's work such as Fur Elise (Moonlight Sonata), and his Fifth Symphony, Seventh Symphony and Ninth Symphony.
     Although he grew up to have a temper, I think Beethoven was a good person.
    

Here's a book you might enjoy - "Beethoven"

The Twelve Pixies - Part Thirty-Six by Joanne Morris Okano

     For supper, the pixies ate antelope in the field with the lion.

TO BE CONTINUED

The Twelve Pixies - Part Thirty-Five by Joanne Morris Okano

     There have to be some perks for having a father who cleans swimming pools and tames a lion.
     Other things they did in their spare time were trips to the country with Mother.  She studied Herbalism in her spare time after the children were in bed, so she often knew what to do if you were sick.

TO BE CONTINUED

The Twelve Pixies - Part Thirty-Four by Joanne Morris Okano

     Papa Pixie and Mother took the pixies swimming.  The lion paddled in the pool.

TO BE CONTINUED 

The Twelve Pixies - Part Thirty-Three by Joanne Morris Okano

     The ant quickly fetched several of his friends and they carried the pickles home.  They were very grateful and sent the lion a little note, saying, "Thank you".
     Papa Pixie told the little pixies about this when he reached home and they all drew pictures of the event.

TO BE CONTINUED

The Twelve Pixies - Part Thirty-Two by Joanne Morris Okano

     "Pickles are my favourite," said the ant.
     "Oh, no, pickles are your favourite?"  asked the lion in a growly voice.  "I'll give you some."

TO BE CONTINUED

The Twelve Pixies - Part Thirty-One by Joanne Morris Okano

     "ROAR!" said the lion in a pleased way, and Mr. Pixie just about fell over with fright, he was so taken by surprise.
     They went out together on a picnic and ate peanut butter sandwiches and pickles, fruit salad and orange juice.  Out of the grass came an ant, and the lion sat on it.
     "Hey!"  said the ant, stomping his foot.  "Get out of here, this is my spot."
     The lion carefully moved and looked down to see where the very small voice was coming from.

TO BE CONTINUED

The Twelve Pixies - Part Thirty by Joanne Morris Okano

     The next day, Mr. Pixie and the lion were practicing their routine, when the lion licked the spit off its jowls (after chewing on the bone) and said, "Mmm, dat was good!"
     "What?  You can talk?  You're not supposed to talk," said Mr. Pixie, flabbergasted.

TO BE CONTINUED

The Daddy-Long-Legs Outside The Window - Poem by J.M. Okano

     It's a rainy day
     And there's a bug
     Outside the window.
     I wonder what he's thinking
     (Or she, as the case may be).
      "I have a hard time wondering
      Why you want to know my thoughts,
     'Coz I'm a bug,
     But if you must know,
     I'm cold and I wish I were inside!"  says he.
     "My mother and my father are inside,
     I think,
      And that's all I can think about,
     As I shiver outside.
     Oh, woe is me!"

The Twelve Pixies - Part Twenty-Nine by Joanne Morris Okano

     "Thank you, Somerset," said Mr. Pixie.
     Next, after several tries, Mr. Pixie had the lion dance on its hind legs to bite on a stick which he held up in the air.
     He set a table with a tablecloth and place settings.  The lion's place setting had a plate with a giant beef bone on it.  He tied a table napkin around the lion's neck and the lion sat at the table and gnawed on the bone.  Mr. Pixie sat opposite him and ate a meal of a cheese sandwich.
      "You're a winner," said the employer and hired him.
     When Mr. Pixie arrived home that night, he was good-exhausted, not I-don't-know-how-I'm-going-to-go-on-exhausted.
                                                                      TO BE CONTINUED
          

Photo of Spiderweb

My father, Hendrik Verwest gave me permission to show you his lovely photo.

Here is a video I found on Youtube about Hardworking Spiders..

The Twelve-Pixies - Part Twenty-Eight by Joanne Morris Okano

     Somerset brought Arnold Pixie a tissue to dry his tears.  It hurts, being bitten by a lion!
                                                               TO BE CONTINUED

Book Review for Megan McDonald's book, "Judy Moody Gets Famous"

     "Judy Moody Gets Famous" starts off with a Spelling Bee Queen Bee, Jessica Finch.  Well, if Jessica can be famous so can she, thinks Judy.  She tries to get her picture in the Moody Hall of Fame on the refridgerator but can't find anything newsworthy to tape up there.
     Her teacher, Mr. Todd, suggests Judy could become famous for getting along with him, if she'd just be a better student, after she gets in trouble again.
     She does well in Science class when the very-interesting-to-her mealworms are passed out for study, until she accidentally lets one fly from the eraser on her pencil onto Jessica Finch.  Oh oh.  This gets Jessica into trouble initially but Judy is honest and owns up...and learns what "infamous" means.
     The book is very good on providing humourous opposition to her plan for achieving fame and the suspense builds.
     This book is number two in the series written by Megan McDonald and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds about Judy.  I liked this one as much as the first book in the series and enjoyed the way it wittily ties in with the first book, "Judy Moody".
     I read "Judy Moody Gets Famous" in two sittings.  It is an easy read and also very funny, like the first book.
    

Here's a book you might like - "Judy Moody Gets Famous"

The Twelve Pixies - Part Twenty-Seven by Joanne Morris Okano

     "May we try that again?"  he asked.

TO BE CONTINUED

The Twelve Pixies - Part Twenty-Six by Joanne Morris Okano

     Next day, Mr. Pixie tried out as a lion tamer.  The lion bit him.  Mr. Pixie said, Ouch!

TO BE CONTINUED

My Son Told Jokes All Day Long

     None of my children had autism or ADD or ADHD as far as I know and I did preschool with them at home.  I ate the meals listed in Gail Sforza Brewer's book for pregnant mums for my last two babies.  With my third though, I do remember eating a lot of chocolate pudding.  After he was born he was fat and he told jokes all day long as soon as he could talk.  I don't know if that had anything to do with the chocolate pudding.

New Hair Colour

     Today I dyed my hair light brown.

The Twelve Pixies - Part Twenty-Five by Joanne Morris Okano

     "So what did you do all day, Daddy?"  asked Thraxie, when his Dad was lying on the sofa, resting his back after a hard day's work.
     "I brushed swimming pools out, dear," said Daddy.  "Now, tomorrow morning, I have to go and look for another job to do along with this one, because this job is only part-time."
     "What kind of job do you think you'll try for, Daddy?"  asked Wixie.
     "Oh, a Lion Taming job, maybe.  I've always wanted to be a Lion Tamer," replied Daddy nonchalantly.

TO BE CONTINUED

The Twelve Pixies - Part Twenty-Four by Joanne Morris Okano

     "I don't like the looks of this," said Mr. Arnold Pixie to himself.
     He found part-time work as a swimming-pool-cleaner-outer.  It was hard work getting all those algae, insects and leaves out.  By the time he returned home, he was exhausted.

TO BE CONTINUED

Book Review of Megan McDonald's book Judy Moody

     I like Peter Reynolds' illustrations, especially the Table of Contents and the delightful illustration of Judy Moody in a bad mood descending the stairs on her first day of school, which made me chuckle.  This book made me laugh when she ate a shark.  Did you laugh too?
     My favourite part of the book is where Judy sings to her Venus Flytrap.  In case you don't know what a Venus Flytrap is, it is not an animal, it is a plant which eats flies.  Yes, I know.  I also liked the doctor doll Judy received.  It sounded adorable and I chortled with laughter.  I found this book easy to get into.
     This is the sort of book you might like if you like pets. Judy goes to the pet store quite a bit.
     Judy gets invited to the birthday party of a boy she detests, Frank Pearl who eats paste (not a recommended activity, children - paste-eating, that is.)  She puts off going but somehow she gets there.  The paste-eater's party sounds hilarious and made me laugh and laugh.  Frank Pearl shows a side of himself Judy hadn't expected.  Very interesting.
     The book goes on being funny and very original.
     If Share and Tell is your favourite thing, you'll get a kick out of this book.   I love this part.  It even made me want to do Share and Tell and I'm an adult.  This book is a winner.
    

Here's a book you might enjoy

Summer

     If you don't enjoy summer, how can you face winter?

This music is Summer from The Seasons by Glazunov.

The Twelve Pixies - Part Twenty-Three by Joanne Morris Okano

     Meanwhile, Papa Arnold Pixie had to find a new job, because he had been laid off.
      "Mr. Pixie,  I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but you've been laid off," said his boss.

TO BE CONTINUED

The Twelve Pixies - Part Twenty-Two by Joanne Morris Okano

     Shoshana, of course, being older (by a few months) did not attend school.  No, she travelled to the outback of Australia and designed boomerangs for a company out there.

TO BE CONTINUED

The Twelve Pixies - Part Twenty-One by Joanne Morris Okano

     They swam at school in Physical Education class, and they were ace at that.

TO BE CONTINUED

The Twelve Pixies - Part Twenty by Joanne Morris Okano

     After getting home again, Shoshana played her ukulele and sang, Brigham strummed his guitar, Paul played his saxophone, while Somy and the pixies played with Somy's action figures.  What a happy day they had.  Mother did the laundry and all was back to normal.

TO BE CONTINUED

The Girl Who Made It

     Once upon a time there was a fair maiden who lived in a solitary place and cut fabric for a living.  She was having a fabulous life except that she wasn't  making much money.  She was making so little money she could hardly afford to buy toe-boots let alone boots for the whole of her feet.  So she devised a plan.  She decided she would paint paintings and put them up on her wall.  When people came round to her place of residence they might see the paintings and want to buy them.
     So time went on and gradually her dreams came true.  And that is the end of the story.  Oh, yes, and she did buy some boots and a lot of other things besides and married a handsome prince and lived happily ever after.

THE END

The Twelve Pixies - Part Nineteen by Joanne Morris Okano

     They all went surfing at the beach, to surf music in the background.

TO BE CONTINUED

Book Review of Katherine Hannigan's book, Ida B

     What jolly things Ida B does with her time!  I like the note she sends on her raft.  She makes a cat house.  She puts a mask of dishwashing detergent on her face and that leads to all sorts of things.(This sort of mask is not recommended.  Please don't try this at home.)
     She has a beautiful conversation with her father about the earth, wonderful, witty and wise.  They live on a farm and he is hoping to pass the land on to her one day.
      But then things change.  Ida B's plans don't work out and she has to go back to school instead of being homeschooled because of an unforeseen event.  She is assuming she will be miserable about going to school but school turns out to be quite different from how she thought it would be.  (She had attended school before and it hadn't suit her.)
     I hadn't finished reading the book yet but I could hardly put it down (I am in the middle of moving and had to put it down to move).
     I was rather interested in the style of homeschooling Ida B was doing.  It was the kind where the parents give lessons any time any where, including at the dinner table or at the grocery store.
      The full title of this book is Ida B...And Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World. 
     

Here's a book you might like - "Ida B"

The Twelve Pixies - Part Eighteen by Joanne Morris Okano

      I'm moving again, children, so just a short snippet of a story today!

      They all went down to the beach where they saw a ring of girls with pigtails dancing and so they joined in, in the circle and celebrated their arrival. 

TO BE CONTINUED

The Twelve Pixies - Part Seventeen by Joanne Morris Okano

     Dear Children, as you may have read in the Comments in Part Sixteen of the story, reader Shoshana requested that she be included in the story, too, as she would like to go to the pixies holiday destination.
So, without further ado, I will tell you that the time came at the end of the summer when she and her brothers, Somerset, Paul and Brigham came along with the pixie family to hold the little ones' hands so they wouldn't get lost, to Baja California.
                                                                  TO BE CONTINUED