November & December 2009 Media Selections
Picture Books
Chipmunk at Hollow Tree Lane - Victoria Sherrow (1994)
A part of the award-winning Smithsonian's Backyard series, this book is an informative and engaging glimpse into the life of a chipmunk as it prepares for the cold winter by gathering nuts and berries, building up its nest, and interacting with other forest creatures such as toads and crows. The city child will enjoy the visit to the forest, but even the child who is used to having chipmunks in his backyard will still learn more about the little creature. The illustrations are colorful, busy, and involved, conveying the sense of wonder and interest that children often have about the natural world. This is a wonderful book to read together in the autumn as a way to discuss how Mother Nature provides ways for the smallest creatures to weather the long, cold, winters. There is also a section at the back for parents and educators, including additional facts about chipmunks, a short glossary of terms, and a guide to the illustrations.
Possible Drawbacks: Children who expect an actual story-like plot might be disappointed with the straightforward, factual descriptions of a chipmunk's autumn habits.
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Autumn - Gerda Muller (2005)
This is a Dutch picture book that consists entirely of lovely illustrations - there is no accompanying text. The peaceful, lovely drawings depict autumn scenes in soothing, earth-toned colors. There are depictions of children working on autumn crafts with materials gathered from nature, children playing in the woods and fields, flying kites, making jam with a mother-figure, splashing in puddles, and more. This is a wonderful book for children young and old; even non-readers will get plenty out of them. And older children will be urged to stretch their imaginations to make up stories from the scenes instead of it being presented to them in words.
Possible Drawbacks:There is little ethnic diversity in the illustrations; although there are some members of minority races, the bulk of the drawings are of Caucasian children. However, the book is European so it's not too far off the mark that many children would be white. Some children might be frustrated by the lack of text.
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Mama, Do You Love Me? - Barbara Joose (1991)
A little Inuit girl wonders whether her mother would love her even if she did various naughty things. Her mother reassures her that no matter what she does, she will always be loved. The book is not only a sweet, comfortably repetitive story, but also a rudimentary primer on Inuit culture - typical foods, clothing, transportation, and more. There is an extensive glossary for a book of this length. However, the fact that the glossary is actually longer than the story runs the risk of making the book more of a lesson plan than a lighthearted bedtime book - although once the lessons are learned, it can indeed be a lovely book to share between a parent and child.
Possible Drawbacks: Young children might be frustrated that there are so many unfamiliar terms in the story.
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Novels for Children & Young Adults
The Faerie Door - B. E. Maxwell (2008)
The story shadows two characters - Victoria and Elliot - who are brought together by fate and given a mission to save the realm of the Faeries. Victoria is a girl from the upper classes of Victorian England, and Elliot is a young boy growing up in 1960's America. Victoria steps through a portal and ends up in Elliot's time, where they befriend one another. Their time together is cut short when Elliot's mother is attacked by a shadowy knight figure. In their flight to get away from the knight, they are transported to the realm of the faries, where they are told they have to separate and fulfill two quests. What follows is an account of their magical adventures, complete with monsters and toymakers, magical palaces, queens, dragons, and all the elements of a classic fairy tale - and it is just as enjoyable for the adult as for the young reader.
Possible Drawbacks: Although the writing is exquisite and there is great attention to detail, the story can be drawn out at times. There are also some elements that might bother sensitive children, such as the apparent murder of one main character's mother, elements of cannibalism, child abuse, battles, etc.
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Fire Dreams - Mallory Loehl (2001)
Geared toward younger readers, the Magic Elements Quartet set of books focuses on several children who venture into the realm of each element in turn through the use of magic scrolls. In this book, Sam, Polly, and Joe travel to the realm of fire to complete a very special mission. Having already traveled to other elemental domains, they are prepared for the journey. The story concept is original and offers many avenues to explore. However, Ms. Loehl seems to stop short of taking it as far as she could have. She imagines a unique landscape for the realm of the fire element. While it introduces the young Pagan to the elements and the concept or astral travel, they might also take integrate her own imagery into their future Pagan dealings. Instead of discovering for themselves what the fire realm might look like and mean for them personally, they might take Loehl's setting as fact - complete with great shaggy monsters and robots. The imagery might appeal to some children whereas it might not work for others. This book would be a great offering to a young reader who doesn't have the attention span for a more complicated story, or one who is reluctant to learn about the elements. This adventure might just be the kick to get them started.
Possible Drawbacks: This may not be as enjoyable for the adult or older children as some other fantasy books are. The story is rather simplistic and there is an overall feeling that the story could have been developed in much more detail.
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Warriors: Into the Wild - Erin Hunter (2003)
The author has a very obvious love of Nature and the wilderness, and this is reflected in every page. The protagonist, Rusty, chooses to leave the safety of his domestic "kittypet" life and take his chances living with a band of warrior cats. He takes on the new name of Firepaw to represent his new identity. His clan is one of four neighboring cat clans, and they have to figure out their relationships and loyalties. But perhaps the biggest threat to Firepaw's new clan comes from within, from an ambitious warrior desperate to seize power, no matter the cost. There are many themes in the books which can be related to various Pagan paths. There is an honorable warrior code all the cats must all follow, and when the members of another tribe break the code, bad things fall upon them. The meeting where the cats from various clans meet up is similar to a traditional Nordic thing meeting. The leader cats look toward the Starclan (their ancestors) for aid and initiation. The healers work with herbs and magic. There is beautiful wordplay which the cats use to describe various aspects of Nature, such as names for the seasons and times of day (Greenleaf, Sunhigh, etc.) and the cats are encouraged to live in harmony with Nature and embrace their natural selves.
Possible Drawbacks: Sensitive children may be bothered by some of the fight scenes; there are also several deaths and injuries.
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Websites
Family Wiccan Traditions
This is a site with notes on how to create your own family's special and unique spiritual tradition, or family coven. Lydia Crabtree is one of the founders; she is a lovely and intelligent lady that the webmistress had the pleasure of meeting and taking a workshop from. She has a new book coming out in early 2010 which we look forward to reviewing.
Living in Seasons
This is an absolutely beautiful site that refreshes the soul at each visit. Living in Season is for anyone who is weary of the frantic pace of modern life, who wants to slow down, connect with the natural world, and live a life filled with heart and meaning. Each season has its own flavor, captured in the folklore of seasonal holidays, preserved in rituals and recipes, ceremonies and songs. This quarterly Living in Season e-zine helps you connect with the seasons through our articles, online courses (with suggestions on spiritual practices and creative pursuits that match the energy of each season), books and e-books on time management and the seasons. (A former site by the author is The School of the Seasons. It is no longer regularly updated but the archives are still a wonderful resource.)
Down to Earth Forums
This is an absolutely refreshing site for anyone who wants to learn skills of home-crafting and self-sufficiency. The author, Rhonda Jean, is a lovely crone - meant in the most respectful and positive way possible. Rhonda Jean is truly a wise elder who makes it a point to teach the younger generations her knowledge. She advocates simple living on her blog of the same name and she opened up a forum to go along with it as well. She talks about gardening, green cleaning, raising chickens, caring for your home and loved ones, cooking and baking, and generally living a meaningful, peaceful lifestyle. Drop in at her forum for a cup of virtual tea and some conversation!
The Fox and the Child (2009)
This is a fascinating change of pace to most children's movies that have come out in recent years. The film traces the footsteps of a young girl who sets out to befriend a fox. She manages her mission but not before learning patience and facing several dangers. This is a wonderful movie because it shows the exquisite beauty inherent in Nature without shying away from its darker sides as well. Viewers will be fascinated as she braves wolves but also enjoy watching her make simple toys and games out of the materials she finds in the woods, and see her really get to intimately know the wilds that surround her, and indeed practically become one of the forest creatures herself. The only problematic aspect of the movie comes in the last quarter hour. The storytelling had been so exquisite up to that point that when the twist comes and she begins to act out of character, it becomes almost too forceful and contrived. Although it's a perfectly reasonable ending that the girl must learn her lesson that wild creatures will never be tamed, but the narration that tries to drive a moral lesson into the final scenes was a disappointing ending to an otherwise flawless film.
Possible Drawbacks: The slow pace of the storytelling might bore children used to a faster pace. There is little dialogue outside of the narration. Sensitive children might be disturbed by several scenes, especially the last fifteen minutes of the movie.
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The March of the Penguins (2005)
Everyone who missed this movie when it was playing in theaters several years ago and hasn't rented it at least once is missing out. The film showcases one of the biggest triumphs of the natural world - the survival of the Antarctic penguins. Through shockingly dire weather conditions, the penguin parents manage to hatch chicks - even if it takes hundreds of miles of walking or up to four months of doing without food, standing in 100 mph winds, and braving sea lions. Despite some inevitable heartbreaks and losses, there are many funny and touching moments as well - such as the playful escapades of the fuzzy baby chicks, or the joyful reunions of the penguin couples. The scenes that depict the tender caresses between the parents before they go their separate ways will stay with the viewer. At slightly less than an hour and a half, the film is short enough to stay engaging without becoming drawn out.
Possible Drawbacks: The documentary-like tone might be a put-off for some viewers who would prefer more of a plot. Sensitive viewers might be disturbed by some of the natural elements in the movie, such as when a penguin gets caught by a predator or a mother's grief as her baby chick succumbs to the cold.
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Loreena McKennitt - A Mediterranean Odyssey (2009)
Loreena McKennitt invites her listeners on a journey to the Mediterranean, where her haunting vocals are accompanied by all of the instruments she is normally surrounded by, but she is also accompanied by lyras, harps and other traditional, regional instruments. This is actually a set of two CD's; the first CD contains studio recordings and the second CD is a collection of recordings of life performances from her Mediterranean tour. Apparently all the songs on the studio CD have already been released on various albums, so the loyal fan might not get any new surprises in store, but to someone who has yet to own a McKennitt CD, this is a wonderful one to start with. Wonderful as background music to set an atmosphere, and also perfectly suitable for active listening. It would even be great to set the mood for a ritual, or a sensual evening. High recommendations for this set!
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