saturday april 26
If you like to dance, or like to laugh at people who dance, then you'll want to check out The Best Dance Moves in the World--Ever! 100 new and classic moves and how to bust them by Matt Pagett. Granted, a book may not be the most effective way to learn to dance, but the illustrations in this one are too great to pass up. From standards like the Twist and the Swim, to a breakdown of Michael Jackson's Thriller choregoraphy, to Cincinnati's own Ickey Shuffle, this book has it all.
And if you're looking for a DVD to give you some tips, try Breakdance: Completely Street, Series 1 or try out the library's new digital video collection and download D's Hip Hop Aerobics, Fitness on Demand.
thursday april 24
Celebrating Spring and our earth, Mother Earth and Her Children: A Quilted Fairy Tale (2007) is a German children's poem with gorgeous needlework illustrations by quilter Sieglinde Schoen Smith. This is a modern translation by Jack Zipes of Sibylle von Olfers' 1907 German book, Etwas von den Wurzelkindern ("Something About the Root Children"). Soon we'll see Mother Earth's ABC.
Smith took Olfers' illustrations and created a gorgeous award-winning quilt based on the original illustrations. She started quilting for comfort after her son passed away, and the book is dedicated to him.
Another lovely book celebrating spring is Monarch and Milkweed (2008) by Helen Frost and Leonid Gore. Beautifully illustrated, the book describes the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly, so closely dependent on the Milkweed plant.
Another one for Spring is Ruth Brown's Ten Seeds (2001), the pictorial countdown from 10 seeds to one sunflower in the garden, naturally giving us ten more seeds.
Happy Spring!
tuesday april 22
The Earth gave us a little wake-up call a few days ago: an early-morning tremble from an earthquake centered 400 miles away in southern Illinois. Like a cat who brushes by your feet wanting some attention, I like to think that the Earth was doing the same, saying, "I need some attention, too." Just in time for Earth Day.
With the resurging awareness of environmental issues, there are tons of 'green' books that are slated to be published in 2008. Here are a few that are already in the Library's collection:
For adults:
The Green Book: The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time by Elizabeth Rogers
Making Kind Choices: Everyday Ways to Enhance Your Life Through Earth- and Animal- Friendly Living by Ingrid Newkirk
For kids:
You Can Save the Planet: 50 Ways You Can Make A Difference by Jacquie Wines
The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming by Laurie David
And, an old favorite:
A Tree Is Nice by Janice May Udry
Happy Earth Day !
Last month, the science fiction community lost one of its great icons when Arthur C. Clarke died at age 90. His passing caused pause for me because of the role Clarke’s work played in my life as an introduction to the world of science fiction, a role Clarke has filled for readers of many generations.
I still have the tattered copy of Clarke’s 2001: A Space Odyssey I bought in the sixth grade at a flea market stall selling used 50-cent paperbacks. I couldn’t say for sure now what compelled me to buy the book, and I probably couldn’t have told you at the time I bought the book why I was making the purchase. More than likely, I had heard of filmmaker Stanley Kubrick’s eponymous film and figured this was the best way to see what all the fuss was about.
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thursday april 17
My seven-week-old daughter and I went to Spring Grove Cemetery today. Unfortunately for her, she slept through her entire first visit and missed the beautiful spring scenery: pink blooms on weeping cherry trees, ducks ambling across tranquil lakes, and monuments to the departed stretching to the sky.
According to Cincinnati Cemeteries: The Queen City Underground by Kevin Grace and Tom White, Spring Grove Cemetery was created in 1845 after several cholera epidemics swept the city. It was designed to resemble a landscaped park that provided dignified burials and a pastoral setting for the bereaved—as it still does today.
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Back in the day, it was called Alternative Music. Since then, the name has changed many times--College Rock, Indie Rock or Pop, New Music, etc.--and this library has done a commendable job of keeping up with many of the polymorphous group of artists who make up this genre, or collection of genres. If you want to learn more of the nomenclature and history, Wikipedia has an interesting article on Alternative Rock. It is a chunky topic, as a subject search in the library's catalog for "alternative rock" yields 375 titles. Like all of my blogs and lists, this one will be highly selective, subjective, and lacking a bunch of great music I have overlooked. If you feel personally offended or frothing-at-the-mouth enraged by something I have left out, please feel free to comment. I have listed the most recent library-owned release to date by each band/artist (or the most comprehensive/representative in some cases).
So here's yet another list from me to you:
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wednesday april 16
Maybe it is those colorful little lines that wind all around, or maybe it is because we don't have a rapid transit system here in Cincinnati. Whatever the reason, I have always been intrigued by maps of subway systems. They look so orderly and functional and efficient, so unlike the reality of transportation above ground.
But, once upon a time, long before I-75 entered our nightmares, a subway system was actually being built in our fair city. Ironically, whenever one travels south on I-75, the remnants of the subway tunnel can easily be seen, below Central Parkway. The work was done during the 1920's, but then the funds ran out, and personal automobiles became more affordable, and America became addicted to oil, and you know the rest. For a history of the project, see The Cincinnati Subway by Allen J. Singer.
For those of us who have traveled on the Metro in Washington DC or the Underground in London, subway systems in other cities hold a certain allure. Other map geeks like myself might want to take a look at Transit Maps of the World by Mark Ovenden, a colorful guide to underground systems from Tokyo to Cairo. For anyone who might be planning a trip, Google Transit is a handy website that offers maps and directions for public transportation throughout the US and abroad.
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