goldentortoisebeetle's reviews
281 reviews

I rented this book because I love the art of Júlia Sardà Portabella. I imagine it was fun for her to create a board book with so many little hidden secrets and cutouts! For me, the structure of the book detracted from the detail and delight of her illustrations.

I remember reading this book as a child, but it was a new treat to return to it as an adult. I appreciate the additional cultural context of this being an adapted Ukrainian folktale - the illustration frames,  clothes, and house of Nicki and his Baba are all the more beautiful. It also has that very classic folktale structure which is predictable but very fun to read. I also appreciate the illustration frames hinting at what will come next, fun foreshadowing for readers!

I started renting and reading TSH books in late 2024. I was so enchanted by her style. I kept combing through my public library for more of her work, and found this little autobiography. It's perfect! It gives me a glimpse into the author's life, as she tells it. 

Something I wondered about after seeing a photo of TSH is her sexuality. In this telling of her life, she marries a man and has a child, then later divorces him and spends the rest of her life living with different female artists and their children. Her wikipedia page says "For about the last decade of her life, her romantic partner was teacher Jean K. Aull." All this being said, I'm adding her to my rich pantheon of queer children's books authors, along with Margaret Wise Brown, Maurice Sendak, Arnold Lobel, Tomie dePaola, Tove Jannson, and many more named and unnamed.

I learned that "Self-Portrait" series is actually a collection, with a few other children's book authors / illustrators. I think I'll rent those as well.

The perfect book to introduce kids to the wonder of spiders!! With extra science in the back for adults!!! I also LOVE the fold out pages.

A very comforting classic. It makes me nostalgic for the Pooh movies and cartoons I used to watch.

This book fucking rocks!!! It's about growing up with two different cultural backgrounds. And about how multiple narratives and perspectives can be true! I imagine it would be easy for a child to digest, as it's masterfully put together. The illustrations are also quite lovely - I enjoyed the intricate borders in the European dragon section.

I like the quippy and dry and irreverant way this book is written, it's clever and conversational and sometimes non sequitor. And of course, Júlia's illustrations are incredible. There's a limited, muted palette, but everything is deeply gorgeous and full of detail. Sometimes the way people are drawn reminds me of Egyptian hieroglyphics? There's also a considerable amount of pig shit in this book, which I found amusing. It was a clear and constant reminder of the reality of owning livestock - it kept this out of the fairy tale realm for me. Which is appropriate, as it is supposedly a true story.

A classic! I really like the way the rabbits are drawn. I hope Big Anthony learned not to mess with people's stuff!!!

A hello and goodbye story. A beautifully illustrated tale of change. I enjoyed the fold out page at the end. I enjoyed the nod at modernization, of old ways going extinct except in story and memory.

A small anecdote and apology amd life lesson. I know why it won awards. Generational trauma, first and second generation immigrants, the lens of food.