5 Second Blog Post

We had the opportunity to meet the lovely and talented Monica Ali when she stopped by our Seattle offices while on tour for her new book. We were so thrilled by meeting her that the three of us wrote about it in our Books Blog. Here is an excerpt:

Fans may recall Ali's debut novel, Brick Lane, which was centered around Islamic immigrants in pre- and post-9/11 England. Brick Lane was nominated for The National Book Critics Circle Award in 2003 and was also shortlisted for The Man Booker Prize. Monica Ali's latest book is set in a well known region of Portugal where she and her family sojourn for a few months of the year. When asked about the inspiration for Alentejo Blue, she confided that some of her neighbors might see a bit of themselves in the characters and narrative. But, she's hopeful that they'll recognize how she's transformed them within the context of the story. Read the entire post

Book Description

Alentejo Blue is the story of a village community in Portugal, told through the lives of men and women whose families have lived there for generations and some who are passing through. For Teresa, a beautiful girl not yet twenty, Mamarrosa is a place from which to escape. For the dysfunctional Potts family, it is a way of running from trouble (though not eluding it). Vasco, a café owner who has never recovered from the death of his American wife, clings to a notion that his years away from the village, in the States, make him superior. One English tourist fantasizes about making a new life in Mamarrosa; for her compatriots, a young engaged couple, Mamarrosa is where their dreams fall apart.

At the opening of Alentejo Blue, an old man reflects on his long and troubled life in this seemingly tranquil place, and anticipates the homecoming of Marco Afonso Rodrigues, the prodigal son of the village and a symbol of the now fast-changing world. When Marco does finally return, villagers, tourists, and expatriates are brought together, and their jealousies and disappointments inevitably collide.

Customer Reviews:

I agree with Liz.......2007-10-01

I have to agree with you Liz. I have just finished this book, but only as a result of grit and determination. There are some snippets of beauty hidden in her descriptions of everyday people and their antics, but I also felt like I was somehow missing out on something, so much so that I checked to see if my copy was indeed a complete one and had all of its pages.
It is a collection of mini stories that don't really start anywhere, and then don't really go anywhere. You are left thinking "well, what about...?", but then a few seconds later you realize that you don't really care after all.

So disappointed!.......2007-01-13

I bought this book because I was born and raised in the Alentejo and I was so anxious to read about familiar places and perhaps to better understand my own culture.
I hate to say this but I read perhaps 20 pages, if that. Nothing made sense to me, and there was no flow. I actually returned the book to the store.
So sorry to say this but I would definitely not recommend it to anyone.

I can only give this one star and one star is TOO MANY!.......2006-10-04

Books and the appreciation of the written word is an intergral part of my profession. So,both for work, and for pleasure, I read avidly. The joke is that I, personally, keep amazon in business. When I heard of this book, set in the Alentenjo, I hurried to order it. It arrived yesterday, and here I am , done already and feeling it was a TOTAL waste of time and money.

Ali has no clue how to create a story- oh sure, the novel begins intriguingly enough with João finding the man he had craved for years hanging from a cork tree, a suicide at age 84, but then NOTHING is ever developed with this story line. João shows up again as a blithering old man with a pet pig, and then again drinking a toast to Rui, but it does NOTHING to help connect the myriad of other characters and their "stories"(term used loosely!)who pop up out of nowhere with no tie in to anything that has already happened, save for the fact that they all live in Mamarrosa!
I read the first 120 pgs (already struggling to do so) but had to fight to finish the book for the remainder.
I have never said this about a book, but will say it here and wish I could use a stronger adjective (read: "expletive"). Alentejo Blue is a piece of TRASH.

Please do not bother!!!

Don't bother.......2006-07-25

This book is terrible. It takes place in Portugal which lead me to buy it. I love Portugal and the people. This book really didn't have much to do with Portugal other than a few words inserted here and there. I doubt the author has ever been there. The story line has no flow to it and it is way to choppy to follow. I hated it!

Disjointed stories, disappointing read.......2006-07-25

I wanted to like this book, but I, like several other reviewers, had to struggle to finish it, and it is a short book. Although the jacket blurb promises that all the characters will be "...brought together, and their jealousies and disappointments inevitably collide." as though Mamarrosa were a unifying point for all the characters and their stories. This does not prove to be the case. Nothing cataclysmic happens at the end. The much-heralded return of Mamarrosa's prodigal son does not add to the plotline. In fact, who is Marco Alfonso Rodrigues? There is little or no background on his life before he left the village to explain why everyone has such expectations of him. He says little, most of it obscure. His leavetaking is anticlimactic. Perhaps as Vasco says, "You know, the moment I saw him, I said to myself 'hippie'. And that is what he is." And perhaps Marco Alfonso is a hippie, albeit one with more serenity about him than the other old hippie expat, China Potts, who is addled by alcohol and marijuana.
Nothing in particular is revealed/resolved in the end, no plotlines tied up, except perhaps the relative reunification/redemption of the expatriate Potts family, the only expat characters who seem to interact much with the villagers. Several of the stories just peter out: does Teresa, the village girl ultimately leave the village for the au pair job in France? Do Huw and Sophie postpone their wedding, or break off their engagement in the end? Teresa has slept with her sweetheart, Francisco for the first time (She wants to leave the village as a woman.), but then afterward with Vincente who is engaged to her friend Clara. What is that about? Francisco is supposed to be her sweetheart, but after they spend the night together, he seems less interested in her. (My mother cautioned me that many men are like that.) Teresa's original plan is to break off with Francisco when she leaves anyway. Although she never does tell him this, he almost seems to have anticipated her. It seems that sleeping with him, her first experience, merely now makes her available to sleep with anyone. Was that her intent in leaving the village as a woman? None of the characters seems to have any particular purpose in life, except for Teresa who wants to leave for the au pair job, but even she seems to be unclear as to what she ultimately wants. Antonio is content to be an auto mechanic; Vicente and Clara who are engaged, do not seem to be really bonded, at least Vincente isn't.
Huw and Sophie don't seem to be all that sure that they should marry at all.
Ali introduces a different story every chapter, but one needs to get fairly far into the chapter to discover who is being introduced; how each new character or pair of characters fits into the story is unclear. What are they supposed to find in Mamarrosa? If this were a book of short stories, it would not matter, but these stories are all supposed to intersect in the village.
This book has been touted as one of the literary sensations of this summer. I cannot see what all the shouting was about.

Average customer rating: Her Camps Point of View (POV) Puritanical virtues alive and well, but the economy? Monica RULZ Ha ha ha! Monica's Story

Monica's Story Andrew Morton Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks ProductGroup: Book Binding: Mass Market Paperback General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books Political | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books General | United States | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books Clinton, Bill | ( C ) | People, A-Z | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books General | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books Look Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Similar Items: Monica Speaks! The Starr Report: The Findings of Independent Counsel Kenneth W. Starr on President Clinton and the Lewinsky Affair Uncovering Clinton: A Reporter's Story A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President Because He Could ASIN: 0312973624

Amazon.com

Though it's a legal document, the Starr Report, published in late 1998, reads like a racy novel about the most powerful man in the world, President Bill Clinton, and a young intern, Monica Lewinsky, who's portrayed as a spoiled Beverly Hills brat performing oral sex on the president while he talked to colleagues on the telephone.

Andrew Morton, the author of Diana: Her True Story, spent several months interviewing Lewinsky after the scandal broke; the result is Monica's Story, which asserts that the picture the Starr Report paints of Lewinsky is totally incorrect. Morton believes she and the president had an emotional, mutually satisfying relationship, which, if circumstances had been different, would probably have remained secret. Although he covers much of the same territory as the Starr Report, he adds details of conversations Lewinsky and Clinton had in an attempt to show the depth of the relationship. In chapters with titles like "Grunge, Granola, and Andy" and "Terror in Room 1012," he paints a portrait of a "child-woman" who is sexually liberated but also intelligent, loving, and well mannered. "[She] could be anybody's sister," he insists, "anybody's daughter."

The book is most interesting, however, in its descriptions of the political intrigue, lies, and deception resulting from Kenneth Starr's investigation. Leading the evil band is Linda Tripp, described as a black-hearted, shameless manipulator who betrayed Lewinsky and spurred the scandal for her own personal gain (she was planning to write a book about Clinton). He also examines the media's hatred for Lewinsky--particularly that of women writers who became obsessed with her weight and body shape. "Just as the O.J. Simpson trial exposed the racial fault line running through American society," he argues, "so the Monica Lewinsky saga has spotlighted the underlying misogyny that still permeates American life." Monica's Story is gripping stuff--porn, fantasy, farce, political commentary, and tragedy all rolled into one. --Dale Kneen, Amazon.co.uk

Book Description

Behind the headlines, there was one fascinating woman. This is her story.Monica Lewinsky. You know her name, you know her face, and you think you know her story: the pretty young intern who began an illicit affair with the President of the United States-- a liaison that ignited an unprecedented political scandal and found Bill Clinton as the second U.S. president to ever be impeached. But there is much more to the Monica Lewinsky story than just that. Now, Andrew Morton, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Diana: Her True Story, takes you beyond the headlines and the sound bites to discover the real Monica Lewinsky, a woman as interesting, intelligent, and misunderstood as they come.Read Monica's Story and you'll discover:* How a difficult childhood shaped Monica's tumultuous adult romances* Her relationship with Bill Clinton: how she saw a side to him few know-- and why she sometimes still misses her "Handsome"* The betrayal by Linda Tripp-- and how Monica's trusting nature snared her in Tripp's treacherous web* The horror of Kenneth Starr's exhaustive and intrusive inquiry-- how it affected her and her family, and how it still haunts her* Where Monica will go from here: What are her career plans? Will she realize her dream of marrying and starting a family in the wake of the scandal?* And much, much moreWith sixteen pages of photos.

Customer Reviews:

Her Camps Point of View (POV).......2007-03-25

Monica Samille Lewinsky appears to be either incredibly naive or incredibly childish. This book is not a page turner. If you are interested in her camps' POV... then you may like this book. The author says her "disorderly routine and her neurotic behavior over weight perfectly explain why she never cleaned the notorious blue Gap dress that was stained with the President's semen" (page 11).

She is characterized as very naive. She documented every little detail as if it was major, which appears that she had a motive for the future use of this information. It gave me thoughts that she was contemplating possible blackmail, book deals, and/or movie deals.

Yet again... she was either incredibly smart, naive, or silly.

Puritanical virtues alive and well, but the economy?.......2004-03-27

This book was quite dumb, and all that it does is emphasize how dumb people can be. If you're a Republican right-winger who's more interested in a president's, a man's, sexcapades than what he does with the economy, then read on by all means. This mindless book was made for you.

Monica RULZ.......2003-08-16

Any woman in her early twenties, who has ever fallen in love with a man who is married and forbidden by conventional ethical and professional standards, will find empathy in this book.

Whatever side of truth or political scenario this book attempts to portray, I primarily read it as a romance and enjoyed it more than ever. The book's appeal lies in the dynamics of the affair between the young intern and the president, rather than any political truth-finding. Maybe, there are too many 'truths' out there, and who are we to judge which one is true. This is Monica's version, so why quibble about absolute realities?

The book certainly does a good job of revealing her a human figure rather than a man-hunting slut responsible for the impreachment of Clinton.

Why marvel Marie Antoinette and Josephine, and not Monica? I admire Monica Lewinsky as a person who enjoys poetry, loves life, watches her weight, experiments with men, and most of all braves what the world thinks of her. I really think people ought to stop thinking of her as a sex symbol.

Tragic as the love story's end is, Monica RULZ!!!

Ha ha ha!.......2003-06-07

This book was quite ridiculous. Although I applaud the author on his efforts, the book was among other things boring and without depth. The story somehow tries to paint Monica as highly intelligent, sure of what she wanted and able to speak her own mind. But she is also supposed to be lost, confused, and have low self esteem. Am I the only person who sees the contradiction here?

I honestly picked up this book simply because it was in the library and sounded interesting. I am not truly interested in either politics or gossip. Although I knew information about the Lewinsky scandal (who didn't?), I never defended one side or the other. I don't think Lewinsky is an evil women who should be burned at the stake. I also think that some people are too quick to criticize her without considering the fact that we've all done something we aren't proud of in our lives. I think she was truly in love with the President and that she didn't try to set him up. However this book goes way too far in trying to make her sound innocent. Any decent person will own up to the fact that they have done something wrong. But this book made Monica into the hurt little victim, without taking any responsibility for her own actions. The thing that bothered me the most was that no one ever considered Hilary or Chelsea seriously in the story. Monica somehow seems to almost completely write them out of the picture as if the family didn't matter. Of course she does mention that she followed Hilary's actions so she could know when the President would call her. For someone who is so intelligent it is surprising to me that she never considered what effect it would have on other people (namely the Clinton family) if she and the President actually did get married, something she often daydreams about in the story. Does she expect to just lovingly become Chelsea's stepmother? Although the author tried to avoid this he truly ended up making Monica sound extremely neurotic.

In life there is usually no black or white area. Most situations can not be interpreted as completely right or wrong. All people live in a gray area, meaning sometimes they do the right thing and other times they don't. In this book we apparently meet the first person who doesn't, because Monica Lewinsky lives totally in the white area. I wish I had picked up a book with much more depth.

Monica's Story.......2003-06-03

Not indepth reading, but remember the story and the people it includes. The book details Monica's emotions to conincide with what headlines the public knew. Worth reading, if you are interested in what took place (obviously from her side). Many facts and the Starr Report excerpts to legitimize assertions.

Average customer rating: I enjoyed this book Classic in the making Sacrifice The Time Anything for Love You will need to keep tissues near by ...

Sacrifice the One (Urban Christian) (Urban Christian) Monica Carter Manufacturer: Urban Books ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback General | African American | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Action & Adventure | Anthologies | Fairy Tales | Family Saga | Gay & Lesbian | Historical | Horror | Medical | Men's Adventure | Metaphysical | Movie Tie-Ins | Political | Religious & Inspirational | Sea Adventures | Sports | War | Westerns United States | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Similar Items: Blessed Trinity Into Each Life (Urban Christian) (Urban Christian) The Ex Files: A Novel About Four Women and Faith My Soul Cries Out (Urban Christian) (Urban Christian) In Greene Pastures (Shelton Heights) (Shelton Heights) ASIN: 1893196941

Book Description

Seta is a good girl gone bad. She's tried for years to gain her father's love and attention, but all he does is ignores her. And she's tired of it. So if being good won't get her anywhere, she may as well be bad.

Seta's high school years bring a series of bad decisions, alcohol, sex and a host of other things she uses to escape the pain she feels. Not even a praying grandmother can keep her from the path she is so set on taking. Seta's quest for acceptance leads her to one secret so terrible, she hopes no one ever finds out.

Will her quest for one thing cause her to lose everything?

Customer Reviews:

I enjoyed this book.......2006-06-25

The story of parent and child is always an interesting one, how much love is desired when the parent doesn't give any back. This story left me with that question. I hope I never have to find out the answer the way this poor child did in this story. It was so well written that I felt as if I was a neighbor watching the everything going on in this household. Ms. Carter is an excellent writer!

Classic in the making.......2006-02-11

Ms. Carter is one of the better storytellers I know. Her stories are tight and circular and thick with real plot. Sacrifice the One is no exception. As you follow Seta and her father Robert through their grief, acted out within their troubled relationship with each other, it seems unbelievable that a grown man would resent a child's birth as deeply as Robert did with Seta and that Seta would react by hurting herself as she does, but it does occur more often than we realize. I think Ms. Carter touched on a topic that many would not want to face. And she addressed it very well and without alot of hype and drama.
There are many stories out there that deal with big headline topics but oft-times it's the underlining things like grief, resentment and dejection that make the best of themes. In Sacrifice The One, the basic human emotions are touched and built on.
I look forward to Ms. Carter's next book as it promises to be another uniquely spun tale, using the human element as a foundation -- rich with plot and very enjoyable as I have found all her books to be. I would go so far as to call Ms. Carter a cozy writer who I feel has a classic touch on her pen, one you would normally find on much older more established writers. With that in mind, I believe she'll be around telling good stories for a long time.

Sacrifice The Time.......2004-11-07

Monica P. Carter's Sacrifice the One is the story of Rosetta Armstrong-Seta for short, a young woman who struggles to find identity and family in all the wrong places. Seta's mother dies a few days after Seta's birth, which thereby leaves her grieving father, Robert, to rear Seta alone. Robert does his best to raise Seta until he uncovers a letter from his  wife. This letter changes Robert' s  view of his daughter and Seta's childhood forever. As Seta grows, she is left to grapple with not only the loss of her mother, but also the abandonment of her father. Out of a thirst for love Seta stumbles down a few wrong turns that may cost her a future she has worked hard to obtain.
 
I rate novels on a five point criteria: plot, character, resolution, style, and conflict. Plot- .5 points. There was a beginning, middle, and end, but this book didn't really begin until Chapter Sixteen. The first chapters were character background and should have been left out and put in throughout the book in a more subtle way. Character-.5 points. All the characters were underdeveloped. Resolution-.5 points. The only thing I liked about this book was that Seta had to fix her own mess. Kudos to Carter for that! Conclusion-.5 points. Epilogues are indicators that the author didn't really work through plotting. Everything should have wrapped up in the conclusion. Style- 0 points. Too much showing; not enough telling. The book read like a synopsis not a novel. Overall 2 pens.
 
I commend Carter at trying to tackle paternity neglect as an issue. However, I hope that she takes the time to build a solid story that will make the reader think about this issue longer instead of glossing over it or not reading the book at all.
Dee Stewart
R.E.A.L. Reviewers

Anything for Love.......2004-10-09

In her sophomore offering, SACRIFICE THE ONE, author Monica P. Carter introduces readers to the Armstrong family. Rose Armstrong had almost everything that her heart desired. She had a wonderful marriage with her husband Robert, a nice home, and a good family. The only thing that was missing is a child. After many unsuccessful attempts at having a child, against doctor orders, Rose becomes pregnant and vows to have the baby even if it kills her. Ultimately, Rose succumbs and Robert is left with their baby, Rosetta Love, "Seta."

At first Robert is overly protective and obsessive with the baby, but when he uncovers secrets regarding Rose and her pregnancy, he lashes out at the only person around him, his baby girl. He takes her to live with her grandparents and tries to sever all ties.

Seta grows up trying to be the perfect daughter in order to gain her father's love and attention. She becomes an honor roll student and a star athlete. When she sees that being good is getting her nowhere with her father, she begins to rebel by drinking, hanging out with the wrong crowd, and searching for the love and acceptance she never received from him. Seta soon learns her actions have consequences and that she has to live her life for herself, with or without her father.

Monica P. Carter has crafted an excellent novel that deals with grief, love, lies, and loss. The characters were true to life and the story enthralled me from beginning to end. I recommend SACRIFICE THE ONE to anyone looking for an emotional, family-oriented, quick read.

You will need to keep tissues near by ..........2004-10-02

There was nothing more important to Rose Love than being a mother. After several attempts, Rose and her husband, Robert, finally conceive a child. Unknown to Robert, Rose has chosen to carry the child despite health concerns expressed by her doctors. Tragically, Rose loses her life after a difficult childbirth. Robert goes into a deep depression after his wife's death. His depression soon spirals into anger when he finds out his beloved wife had chosen to have the baby despite the potential risks.

In the middle of this tragedy is the beautiful baby girl, Seta Love. Emotionally rejected by her father, Seta is raised by her maternal grandparents. As she grows older, her desperate need for her father's love leads to bad decisions, such as drinking and premarital sex. The only security Seta seems to find is in her love for basketball and a growing faith in God.

Readers will find this novel to be an emotional read! Seta's pain and vulnerability is so raw at times, the reader can easily find herself identifying with the rejection and longing for love. The way Seta's deceased mother is able to reach her daughter beyond the grave is truly a testament to the power of love. While reading Sacrifice the One, be prepared to wipe tears from your eyes not once, but several times.

Average customer rating: "Give A Big Girl Some Love" True Love I Enjoyed This Book Big Girls Don't Cry Good Stories, But...

Big Girls Don't Cry (Living Large) Donna Hill , Brenda Jackson , Monica Jackson , and Francis Ray Manufacturer: Signet ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback General | Romance | Subjects | Books Multicultural | Romance | Subjects | Books Hill, Donna | ( H ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books Look Inside Romance Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Similar Items: Living Large Let's Get It On A Whole Lotta Love The Best Man: Four Sensuous Novellas Unfinished Business (Madaris Family Novels) ASIN: 0451213769

Book Description

From the acclaimed bestselling authors of Living Large and A Whole Lotta Love come four romantic and sexy stories celebrating big, bold, and beautiful women.

Customer Reviews:

"Give A Big Girl Some Love".......2007-10-07

The men in this anthology/novella: Michael Evans, Tyler Savoy, Shepard Fraser and Neal Dunbar are men who don't let the certain size of a woman dictate their feelings. Tricia Spencer, Megan James, Cherise Givens,and Cara Scott...Big Girls Rule!!

True Love.......2007-01-12

True love has got to exist after reading 'Big Girls Don't Cry'. It was nice to read that big women are found sexy. And to be honest I like the way one of the stories touched on someone having a eating disorder. It was refreshing to read this over something like Zane or Wahdila Clark.

I Enjoyed This Book.......2006-03-07

I really enjoyed this book.

Although the stories were condensed,
I really loved reading about
accomplished, Plus Size women
of color.

Keep up the good work!

Big Girls Don't Cry.......2006-02-24

Dr. Love by Donna Hill
Tricia Spencer, a self proclaimed "big girl as long as she could remember," is a workaholic. She's busy getting her company ImageNouveau Advertising off the ground. She's so busy in fact, that she hasn't taken time for herself or her health as she soon finds herself flat on her back in the middle of a staff meeting. At the hospital the handsome Dr. Evans is assigned to her case. Will he be able to help Tricia see the importance of taking care of her health and personal life?

The Perfect Seduction by Brenda Jackson
College professor Megan James is back home in Virginia to care for her mother and new stepfather's ranch as they honeymoon for three weeks. She plans to spend her time engaged in some much needed R and R before its back to California and the next semester of school. That is until she finds herself face to face with her first love Tyler Savoy, a man whom she hasn't seen since he broke her heart over a decade ago. Megan feels that Tyler owes her a debt. Older, wiser, and equipped with a "voluptuous figure with an abundance of curves that were in all the right places," Megan intends to collect. But what happens when Tyler turns the tables on her plan? Who will pull off the `perfect seduction?'

Through the Fireby Monica Jackson
Cherise Givens has a "lush body with a wonderland of curves" and she knows it. She's a take-charge woman, and when she sees a man she wants - she gets! After all, "her weight never cost her any man worth having." So she is taken aback when she can't seem to get the reaction she wants from Shepard Fraser, an artist she's hired to provide paintings for her beauty salon. What transpires when the two find themselves in a life or death situation with only each other to depend on?

His Everything Woman by Francis Ray
For the right price, "poised and voluptuous" Carla Scott will be your hired wife. She cooks, cleans, shops, and decorates. No task is too big or too small. The full-figured owner of Cara Innovations is known as the Domestic Diva. As Neal Dunbar, the new owner of a home, looked around at the 50 plus unpacked boxes, he knew immediately that she was the perfect woman to bring order to his home. Will Cara become more than simply his `hired wife?'

Big beautiful bold women are back in this third anthology about living and loving large. Readers that couldn't get enough of A Whole Lotta Love will be happy to see some continuations of related characters. While all four were fun sexy tales, Brenda Jackson and Francis Ray's stories outshined the others. If you enjoyed Living Large and A Whole Lotta Love you will enjoy these. Again, job well done ladies.

Reviewed by Toni Mac
for BBW Reviews

Good Stories, But..........2005-07-15

While I am glad there was a book published honoring plus-sized women looking for romance, I am a little disappointed that only one hundred or so pages were dedicated to each story and that each one was not very well developed. I would have rather seen much more transition and maturation in the characters than what was in each of the stories.

Not to take away from the efforts of the authors, but I really wish they would have written full-length novels for each of the stories, because it seems as though they take their time at the beginning of the stories and rush to an ending, which is characteristic of these types of books, but I believe they chose to put even less effort into the middle and endings because it is just a "book about fat girls."

Overall, I liked the stories. They had interesting plots and were very cute, but they just didn't "play out" well in that I don't think enough space/pages were allotted to allow their full development of the characters and the plots themselves.

Average customer rating: Pizza at Sally's Delivers! Mr. Cookie Baker- our all time favorite! Mr. Cookie Baker Again, again! Great Bed Time Story

Mr. Cookie Baker Manufacturer: Dutton Juvenile ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Careers | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books Fiction | Math | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books Similar Items: Pizza at Sally's Apple Farmer Annie Zinnia's Flower Garden Crepes by Suzette Truck Driver Tom ASIN: 0525477632

Book Description

As sweet and satisfying as holiday baking, here is a beautiful update of Monica Wellington's Mr. Cookie Baker. In this book, youngsters can follow the process of measuring, mixing, baking, decorating, and eating cookies. With six new full-color pages, a handsome new jacket, educational tie-ins, and more recipes, this is the perfect supplement to early math units on sequencing, sorting, measuring, and telling time. The simple, straightforward behind-the-scenes view of a bakery makes it a splendid addition to Monica Wellington's other nonfiction for the very young, such as Zinnia's Flower Garden. Yummy in any season!

Customer Reviews:

Pizza at Sally's Delivers!.......2007-09-30

Some writer/illustrators can take a good idea and turn it into something a little special. "Pizza at Sally's" might have been a rather formulaic, linear account of pizza making, but Monica Wellington treats us to a superior pizza book. The winning ingredients include a unique artistic style, a clear, engaging story, and a tasty concluding payoff for either the rapacious or the reluctant reader.

The illustrations, "colored copies of photos, labels, and other ephemera" pasted on gouache-prepared paper have a toy-like quality, as if your Lego decals leapt from signs and trains onto the pages.. Coupled the informal font, the look is a relaxed photo realism. The combination is much warmer than most of the computer-generated images I've seen. Photos of Sally's (she's the pizza maker) tomatoes complement shiny drawings of patterned green leaves, and tall background buildings with luminescent colored windowpanes hint at the urban setting. "Sally the pizza maker grows tomatoes in her community garden in the city." This is an exciting setting for non-city kids who have never seen a rooftop garden. Wallington also skillfully mixes farm scenes with their destination: The neighborhood stores where Sally buys her pizza ingredients. There's a beautiful, atmospheric picture of the cheese shop with giant company labels hanging from the wall, and Wallington adds an unexpected lower panel that shows us the cows grazing many miles from the cheese shop interior. It's a bold montage that works extremely well.

At 11:00 AM, Sally--with her ubiquitous cat smiling up at her--begins making pizza! It's homemade of course, "Cut, chop, stir, and simmer. There are good smells in the air. Sally makes her tomato sauce." Yeast, oil, salt, and flour start the pizza dough, and we see a mixture of foods and measuring devices on one 2-page spread. At this point, I began to ponder a very serious question: Does Sally belong to the "through the dough" school of pizza-making, or whether she disdains such dramatics? (These two methods are hotly debated wherever pizza is taken seriously.) Culinary merits aside, I was thrilled to see that Sally twirls the dough--"Whoosh"--up in the air. Finally, "everything is ready to put together." As she layers the ingredients (the cat with its paws on the counter), Wellington uses some artistic license to bend health code regulations), hungry kids wait with great anticipation.

And the verdict? The pizza certainly looks delicious, and you can almost smell it as Sally slides it into the fiery oven. However, Sally's customers are the best judges, and the youngsters grab slices and close their eyes in pizza ecstasy. When the shop closes at 9pm, the chalkboard says "Arrivederci," and Sally and her little feline helper relax and enjoy a slice together. A truly kid-pleasing book might include Sally's pizza recipe as an après-story treat, and, as with the entire book, Ms. Wellington does not disappoint. There's much to savor in this sensational book!

Mr. Cookie Baker- our all time favorite!.......2003-02-28

... "Mr cookie Baker" is a MUST read! the boys love to pretend play as we "roll out the cookie dough" and "add colored sprinkles". They identify the children in mr Cookie Baker's shop with names of their school friends. "Mmmm...what a delicious smell!" is one of their favorite lines. ...
An easy read - but, oh, so much to it!

Mr. Cookie Baker.......2002-05-07

My nephews loved this book! We read it multiple times each time they came to visit. I often used it in my kindergarten classroom as well. It provides many learning opportunities. The pictures offer a lot of discussion for language development and the book is a great lead in to a cooking activity. Now it is one of my two year old son's favorite books. He talks about it when we cook together, play with play dough, and play in the play kitchen.

Again, again!.......2001-01-27

My daughter (almost 3) is obsessed with this book. We got it out of the library and it's now been returned and she keeps asking for it. I'm going to have to purchase it. It spurred us to make cookies ourselves (something we'd never done--although we did not make the dough from scratch), and it is a jumping point for all kinds of conversation about cooking, working, buying and, most importantly, SLEEPING (as Mr. Cookie Baker has to go to bed at the end of the day himself). I would highly recommend it!

Great Bed Time Story.......2000-07-06

My daughter, 2-years and 9-months has to have this story read every night. The pictures are great and the last words are "Good Night." It's a very simple story, but it provides great images for role-playing. Get ready to bake cookies!

Books:

1. Tad Lincoln's Father (Abraham Lincoln)
2. The Abs Diet: The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Stomach and Keep You Lean for Life
3. The Abundance Book
4. The Accusers
5. The Adult Years: Mastering the Art of Self-Renewal
6. The Bedford Reader, Ninth Edition
7. The Border Trilogy: All the Pretty Horses, the Crossing, Cities of the Plain (Everyman's Library)
8. The Clinton Crack-Up: The Boy President's Life After the White House
9. The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical
10. The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography (Oprah's Book Club)

Books Index

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