BitterSweetLife

A guest post by Aidan

A package came in the mail. I said, "Yo pops, what is it?" My dad said, "Do you think it's a ball? Should we open it?" I said, "Yes!"

We did. And it was this book. The One The Only Magnificent Me.

Right away, I wanted to look at it, because of the fantastic pictures. The illustrator, Joel Schoon Tanis, clearly had two goals in mind: One, draw very imaginative, exciting pictures. Two, use every color easily reproduced on paper. And check, check, he nailed 'em both. These pictures are a lot of fun to look at.

The story reminds me of other great authors like Maurice Sendak and Dr. Seuss, which shows that Dan Haseltine has been reading in the right part of the library. Here are a few hints, without giving away the whole story: The boy gets to have wings and a horn and become a flying dragon--but only for a little while. Also, there is a mommy in the story, which is a really nice touch.

Overall, I like this book very much and I have started to memorize some of the best lines. For example, "I wish I had wings." Nice job, Dan Haseltine. I wasn't sure if I would be able to say it, but I can: you are a good writer and a good singer. Jars of Clay must be proud.

This means I can continue to respect you, listening to Good Monsters, your best work in my opinion, while I read The One The Only Magnificent Me. With the power vested in me by my daddy, I am awarding this book three stars in the "children's" category. Don't miss it. ***

[Aidan is a fiery 20-something (months) living in Kansas City with his parents and younger brother, with whom he shares an apartment. He can usually be found watching Jayhawk "paketball," car-watching from his eighth story window, throwing balls, or asking strangers for marshmallows.]