Children's Book Reviews
Page One of TwoAhmed and the Oblivion Machines by Ray Bradbury, Illustrated by Chris Lane
Avon Books, December 1998.Hardcover, 30 pages
ISBN: 0380977044.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
Ahmed, a young boy, is dying of thirst
in the desert after having
lost his father and caravan.
Crying for the loss of his father and
his future, Ahmed's tears land on the statue
of a God buried beneath the sand,
which, to his astonishment, comes
to life. The God, Gonn-Ben-Allah,
relieved to be awakened from thousands
of years of slumber, tells
Ahmed he is the one he has been waiting
for, and they must go on a
journey. Gonn-Ben-Allah shows Ahmed the
history of flying through visions as
Ahmed and the Gonn-Ben-Allah fly
through time. Gonn-Ben-Allah shows Ahmed
man's failures in flight throughout
time including the wings of Icarus which
were held together by wax that
melted in the sun, young men who
build wings and fall to their death
and other early attempts at flight
that end in disaster -- however, all these
brave attempts eventually led to
mankind's success.
After telling his tale and teaching Ahmed
the values of human exploration and
discovery, Gonn-Ben-Allah leaves Ahmed, who
finds his father and begins dreaming
of his own future, envisioning himself
inventing an aircraft of his own.
This masterful tale from renowned Fantasy/SF author Ray Bradbury, teaches the value of life's experiences and the importance of curiosity and discovery. Delightful images of flying machines and Gonn-Ben-Allah by illustrator Chris Lane, help liven up this children's fantasy. Children will love this tale of time and flight which is a wonderful introduction into the fascinating and imaginative worlds of Ray Bradbury.
Cow Moo Me by Stephen Losordo, Illustrated by Jane Conteh-Morgan
Harper Growing Tree, September 1998.Board Book, 14 pages.
Reading Level: Baby through Preschool
ISBN: 0694011088.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
Cow Moo Me is a charming board book full of
rhyming words about a series of animals and
their functions in life. The book opens with the
nonsense rhyme, "Cow moo me/cow moo you/
cow moo milk/cow moo moo/." The rhymes are
accompanied by colored collage paper cut out illustrations
which give the pages a colorful, silly and happy appearance.
The joyful pink pig lolling in a mud puddle is especially
funny and should appeal to very young children.
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