The Learning Umbrella

I’ve finished one book from my 8×8 challenge!  I just read Heart of Darkness, and I’m embarrassed to admit I had no idea Apocalypse Now was based on this short novella.  I’m most of the way through the book when I say to DH “I think Coppola stole the idea for Apocalypse Now from this book”, and he basically said “duh, that’s what the movie was based on”.  I can’t say I liked the book, but it’s definitely a good one for discussing and finding metaphors within.  But this “journey into man’s dark and savage self” didn’t speak to me.  I had the Norton Critical Edition, and it was interesting to read literary essays on the book and selections from Conrad’s diary he kept when he was in the Congo.  But the extra insight still left me feeling a bit cold toward the book.

Snow by Uri Shulevitz was a fun book on a grey day when we were dreaming of snow.  In the book, the city starts out grey and dirty looking, and fresh snow turns everything white and wonderful. 

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Allison Jackson is more of a Thanksgiving book, but the humorous twist on the old song can be appreciated all year long.

How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the World by Faith McNulty is one of those wonderful out-of-print books.  It shows a young boy digging a hole - all the way through the planet!  Our favorite illustration shows schematics for a heat-proof “unspace ship”.  Carbon loved this journey through the inner parts of our planet.

We’ve enjoyed all the Let’s Read and Find Out series, and Baby Whales Drink Milk by Barbara Juster Esbensen is no exception on quality.  The book describes how whales are mammals, and for very young children the connection of baby whales drinking milk - “just like we do!” was very clear.