[hungry review + giveaway] Pie-Rats by Lisa Frenkel Riddiough and David Mottram

Ahoy There, Me Hearties!

‘Tis time t’ swash yer buckles, hoist the Jolly Roger and twirl yer tricornes. We’re sailin’ the high seas in pursuit of PIE!

Arrrrrrrrr yer ready? 🙂

As someone who’s devoted her life to “the quest for pie,” I can safely say that Pie-Rats! by Lisa Frenkel Riddiough and David Mottram (Viking, 2024) is prime booty. Served up with heaping helpings of gastronomic gusto, this upper crust yarrrrn about a motley crew of ravenous rodents will have dessert-loving landlubbers begging for more.

Pie-rats sail the
starry night, 
seeking treasures
baked just right.

Pie-rats don't want gold
doubloons -- their bounty comes
on forks and spoons.

Aye, rats after me own heart, they arrrrr. Could there be a nobler mission? Of course not. From the poop deck, hear them cry:

PIE, PIE, PIE, PIE!

So intense is their hunger for pie, they see different flavors in the clouds — “Pumpkin, apple, that one’s cherry./Plum, pecan, a slice of berry.”

What’s more, rain, gusting winds and choppy seas do not deter them in the least – what’s a “little squall” when it comes to PIE, PIE, PIE, PIE!? Oh, now it’s a typhoon? Bring it on, you lily-livered scurvy dog!

AVAST! TYPHOON!
Rock to and fro.
Pie-rats roll like
pastry dough.

Splashing, crashing,
skitter, scream!
Holding on for
Boston cream.

Drenched and dripping,
ears to flank.
Feeling like they walked
the plank.

From the ratlines, 
hear them cry:
     PIE, PIE, PIE, PIE.

twice as mice: Stuart Dunkel’s classical whimsy

“My life has been dedicated to the pursuit of beauty. It is an exciting, never ending challenge with prismatic possibilities.” ~ Stuart Dunkel

Mouse in the house! Actually many mousies, thanks to Boston artist Stuart Dunkel. Recently, I was minding my own business browsing the internet when I heard a distinctive “squeak” and could sense the animated twitching of tiny whiskers.

Oho!! There he was, my new little friend, raising a single raspberry in glorious triumph:

I have been obsessed with him ever since.

Who is he, and how did he become Dunkel’s muse?

Artist and oboist Stuart Dunkel.

Art is actually Stuart Dunkel’s second career. Born in New Jersey (1952), he’s also a classically trained oboist (Juilliard School of Music) who’s performed with top orchestras in Boston, New York, and Hong Kong. After retiring from his three-decade musical career in 2002 at age 42, he transitioned to fine art.

Up until then, he’d been painting in his spare time and had started a small company to produce reeds for the oboe. Just as he had with music, he took a disciplined approach to his craft, receiving formal training (The Boston Museum School, The Academy of Realist Art, Seattle, WA, and private study with other realist painters).

wendy cope’s orange: this juice is worth the squeeze

Here’s an appeeling little poem to cheer you up. 🙂

“Orange” by Lu-Yong.

THE ORANGE
by Wendy Cope

At lunchtime I bought a huge orange—
The size of it made us all laugh.
I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave—
They got quarters and I got a half.

And that orange, it made me so happy,
As ordinary things often do
Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park.
This is peace and contentment. It’s new.

The rest of the day was quite easy.
I did all the jobs on my list
And enjoyed them and had some time over.
I love you. I’m glad I exist.

~ from The Orange and other poems (Faber, 2023)

*

[review] Disgustingly Delicious by Soledad Romero Mariño and Montse Galbany

Hungry? May I interest you in a warm bowl of Stewed Cow’s Intestines, a very smelly Fermented Bird, or even better, a crunchy Fried Tarantula?

Chances are good you’ve yet to eat any of these rare delicacies. Well, what are you waiting for?

Here’s your chance to get a little taste: in Disgustingly Delicious: The Surprising, Weird and Wonderful Food of the World (Orange Mosquito, 2023), Soledad Romero Mariño and Montse Galbany serve up a tantalizing platter of 19 international dishes that’ll make your mouth water and your stomach growl (well, maybe) . . .

Our guide for this culinary adventure is backpack-toting Anna, who at the outset shares a quote from Andreas Ahrens, Director of the Disgusting Food Museum in Sweden:

Disgust is always subjective. It depends on where you were brought up. It is as if we are brainwashed from a young age about what is disgusting and what is not.

So true — it’s important to keep in mind that there are people out there who consider something we love to eat disgusting too!

From Frog Shakes in Peru to Giant Tuna Eyeballs in Japan, we learn how these foods are sourced and prepared, along with facts about historical origin and cultural relevance. Dishes span five continents: North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

[cuddly review + giveaway] Bless Our Pets by Lee Bennett Hopkins and Lita Judge

Today we’re featuring a brand new Lee Bennett Hopkins poetry anthology on the eve of what would have been his 86th birthday. With an official pub date of April 16, it’s great to have one of Lee’s last edited books to help us celebrate National Poetry Month.

Back in 2015, when I asked him to be a HotTEA of Children’s Poetry for a short series I was running, this is what he said:

“You literally have me in stitches knowing I might be a HotTEA.  Of course I will get a photo to you as soon as.

I’ll have Charles take a photo of something very special with me and tea, a drink I adore…especially hot tea!”

He then sent a photo, asking, “Is this HotTEA enough? If not, I’ll send another.” Plenty hot, but he ended up sending another anyway. Both were so hot I needed oven mitts to handle them. 😀

Though Lee liked various teas, a particular favorite was Twinings of London Ceylon Orange Pekoe. He also wanted to make sure I noticed the purple flowers on his teacup.

Lee is deeply missed and this new book feels like a birthday gift from him to all of us.

With fourteen poems selected by Lee, lovingly illustrated by New Hampshire artist Lita Judge, Bless Our Pets: Poems of Gratitude for Our Animal Friends (Eerdmans BFYR, 2024) is a book to hug and hold close.

Poets include:

• Ann Whitford Paul
• Rebecca Kai Dotlich 
• Linda Trott Dickman
• Eric Ode
• Ralph Fletcher
• Sarah Grace Tuttle
• Kristine O’Connell George
• Darren Sardelli
• B.J. Lee
• Charles Ghigna
• Lois Lowry
• Prince Redcloud
• Joan Bransfield Graham
• Lee Bennett Hopkins

We read about thirteen different furry, feathered, and scaled animals, from puppies to parakeets, goldfish to gerbils. Mostly written in the first person addressing the pets themselves, the poems are a mix of free verse and rhymers. All express the singular love of cherished pets in tender, gentle, intimate terms, citing the endearing traits and antics that make them special.