BR02-15: The Frog Prince

"If you promise not to throw me out of the window again..."(p.43)

 The princess in this book is very rude.  Her father, King, said that she has been pampered by her mother and spoiled by her sister.  I don't know whether it is true or not, but she would not keep her word that she would do anything if the frog gave her a golden ball.  And, she throw the frog out of her window.  She was terrible.  When the frog became human, she decided to marry him soon in spite of being another fiance.  She dislike that fiance, but she decided too fast and the prince was a frog thrown by her.  I think she is selfish.
　However, the illustrations in this book are very nice and comical.  Of course, the pictures of the frog are not disgusting.  I want to know your opinion. if you read this book.  Please, try to read this.


Davidson, Susanna. (2007) The frog prince. London: Usborne.

144/12615

BR02-15: The Canterville ghost

"But, however much Washington and the twins begged, she never told anyone what happened in the secret chamber." (p.62)

 This story was written by Oscar Wilde.  Oscar Wilde is famous writer.  I read another his book, Salome.  The story is about princess Salome.  It was a very scarcely story.  Salome would love Jokanaan.  He is the prophet of Judea and he was in the cistern.  He didn't love her.  He didn't see her, too.  Salome wanted to kiss him, but he rejected.  Then she thought to kill him and to kiss to his head, and she did.  I was frightened.
 I thought how scarcely the story of Canterville ghost was before I read the book.  However, the story was not scarcely.  It was a warm story.  The ghost in the story scarce people but he had a reason to do that.  A girl would solve the problem of the reason.
 This book has a lot of good pictures.  The scenes of the ghost being scared of a trick by twins are funny.  You can laugh and feel warm if you read this book, in spite of the name, Canterville ghost.  I recommend that you read this book.


Davidson,Susanna (2004)The Canterville ghost. London:Usborne

180/12471

BR02-14:Christmas around the world

"Children in Syria leave out hay, for the three kings' youngest camel.  In the morning, the hay has vanished and presents are there instead." (p.31)


 Christmas will come soon.  In these days, wherever I go, I can hear the Christmas song and see the decorates for Christmas.  This book showed me the history of Christmas and the customs of Christmas in some countries.  Some of what this book showed are known already.  Others are known yet, maybe.  I could learn about Christmas by reading this book.
 In Japan, Christmas is one event to present someone, to pass the time with lovers, or to eat cake.  And it is not religious event.  In some countries, Christmas is also just a event but customs are not same.  There are many customs in each country.
 Last pages in this book have a recipe to make Christmas cookies from Germany, named Lebkuchen.  The recipe looks easy and the cookie looks delicious.  You can try to make this.  Also, there are many nice illustrations of the scenes of Christmas in each country.  If you read this book, you will be able to enjoy your Christmas more than before, I think.  So, I recommend that you read this book!


Sims, Lesley.(2005) Christmas around the world. London: Usborne

187/12291

BR02-13: A Christmas carol

"Merry Christmas!"(p.54)
 I take the class of the History of English Literature.  And I learned about the original author of this book, Charles Dickens.  He is the second person of the most famous author in UK, only after William Shakespeare.  He was not educated enough but he wrote a lot of great works, and they became famous and popular.  Many English words became to popular and to used among people by using in Charles Dickens' book.
 A Christmas carol is one work of the series of Christmas by Charles Dickens.  It became many movies, such as one by Disney, one in which Jim Carry is.  The story is about turning over a new leaf of a greedy and cruel person.  And, after this book was published and read, the word, "Merry Christmas", was to be used among people, I heard.  And Charles Dickens' Christmas series greatly influenced the customs of Christmas.
 This story moved me.  Greedy and cruel person, Scrooge, were changed by being showed his past, his now, and his future.  Reminding my past days are very important to compare with my nowadays.  I can predict my future by it.  It is very useful to change my habit in nowadays.  I think that A Christmas carol show me those.
 This book is not more difficult to read and to understand than the original one.  There are a lot of illustrations in this book, and they help me to understand the story.  Also, Charles Dickens is a very famous in foreign country, so reading this book is useful for you to talk with foreigner.  I recommend that you read this book!


Sims, Lesley (2003) A Christmas carol. London: Usborne

269/12104

BR2-12:The Goose that laid the Golden Eggs

"The moral of the story about the golden eggs is: Don't be greedy or you might lose everything."(p.47)


 I think this moral is true.  My desire is no limited.  If I can do what I want, what I want next will come.  And it will come one by one.  In this story, the main characters, the couple of Tom and Elena, were satisfied with their poor life.  But after they found a golden egg, they couldn't be satisfied with their life.  They want something more expensive one by one.  And they return to the poor life.  It was their normally life, but they had lost everything.
 This story is one of Aesop's Fables.  These always have a moral at the end.  You will think some after you read this book.  And the illustrations in this book are nice and help  to understand this story.  I recommend that you read this book.


Mackinnon,Mairi.(2006) The Goose that laid the Golden Eggs.　London: Usborne

143/11835

BR2-11:The Gingerbread Man

"I have run away from a farmer, a horse, a cow, a little old woman and a little old man and I can run away from you too!"(p.33)


 I didn't understand the mean of this story.  A little old woman and a little old man wanted children, so they made gingerbread man and the gingerbread man run away from them.  Then, a lot of ones who wanted to eat the gingerbread man followed him.  I didn't understand the end.  A little old man and a little old woman wanted children and they made the gingerbread man, which meant the gingerbread man was like a child of them.  And he run away meant that a child tend to run away from parents.  At the end, he was eaten by clever fox.  It meant that a child who was innocent in the way of the world was a sacrifice of the clever adult.  I thought these and were scared of this story.  Of course, I don't know if the means are right.
 However, the illustrations in this book are very comical and nice.  You can enjoy reading the story with the illustrations, if you read this book.  I recommend that you read this book!

Mackinnon, Mairi.(2006) The Gingerbread Man. London: Usborne

174/11692

BR2-10: The Dinosaur Who Lost His ROAR

"Sid just grinned and stomped on his way."(p.22)

 This is a story about the dinosaur who has loudly roar, named Sid.  He likes scaring other dinosaur.  I think he doesn't mean to anything to hurt others, but, as a result, Others who are scared by Sid become angry and Sid doesn't mind about it.  I don't know which is better, doing anything to hurt or not to hurt.  And, at the end, his loudly roar is useful and he is thanked by others.  As a result, his roar is useful, but he used it to be naughty.  I hope he notice that his roar is useful and he will be thanked if he use it to help others.
 In this book, there are a lot of nice pictures.  The scenes that Sid try to scare others describe his voice comically.  You will understand easy because of the illustrations.  The story is very simple but I think a lot.  I recommend that you read this book.


Punter, Russell.(2007)The Dinosaur Who Lost His Roar. London:Usborne

157/11518

BR2-09:The Castle That Jack Built

"This story is about Jack, a castle, some gold, a dragon, a wagon, a witch, a troll, a frog, a girl, and a prince."(p.2-3)



 You will be able to know what the story is about by above sentence.  This book is about them.  If one character comes to the story, another character will come to the story.  On the other words, one thing leads to another thing.  For example, Jack leads the castle that he built, the castle he built leads the gold that sat in the castle, and the gold sat in the castle leads the dragon who stole the gold...  The story goes rhythmicaly.  But the sentences don't say about the story.  Story goes on illustration.  I could enjoy it.
 This book has nice illustrations.  I said you have to read the story on the illustrations, but they are very comical and nice, so I think that you will be able to enjoy it!  I recommend that you read this book!



Sims,Lesley (2007) The Castle that Jack built. London: Usborne

140/11361

BR2-08:The Happy Prince; The Selfish Giant

'Goodbye, dear Prince.  I am dying,' says the poor little Swallow. (p.30)


I have heard this story, 'The Happy Prince' in Japanese.  It is sad and moving story.  Both of the prince and the swallow are very kind.  The prince's kindness is for the people, the swallow's one is for the prince.  Both of them sacrificed themselves for others.  I don't know that they are happy, but they are very kind or too kind.  After I finished reading this story, I felt a little sadness.  Their wills are not understood by the people.  Only the God knows it.  However, I think that it is true kindness.  Even if the people don't notice it, I should be kind.
 The another story in this book, 'The Selfish Giant', is teaching story, too.  Maybe it says to be kind others, so both stories in this book are the story to be kind others.

 Yes, this book has two stories, so we can enjoy one story and another story.  Both of them are interesting.  Also, it has very cute illustrations.  'The Happy Prince' is a famous story in Japan, too.  Perhaps, you have heard another one, 'The Selfish Giant'.  I recommend that you read them in English even if you have heard them in Japanese.


Wild,Oscar; retold by Moore, Elizabeth Ann. (2003). The Happy Prince; The Selfish Giant. Genoa:Black Cat

199/8447

BR2-07:Goldilocks and the Three Bears

"I'll never, ever be naughty again!"(p.46)


 I heard that the blond hair means beauty but silly.  The character, Goldilocks, are the very person.  She had very beautiful golden hair but very naughty.  Her naughty was very bad, for example, she gave her little brother a haircut.  Also, she wouldn't believe the parents' words.  Therefore, she wouldn't believe the comment on the out of forest, "Beware of the bears!"  At the end, when she was naughty and fell asleep in a house,  the inhabitants of the house, three bears, came back.  Then, she would believe parents' words.  I think that I can't believe the things only to hear, but I must believe the things to see.  However, I have to think that the words I heard can be true.  Of course, I don't have to believe the words perfectly.
 This book has very nice illustrations.  Goldilocks and other characters are very comical.  The illustration of little brother of Goldilocks given haircut by Goldilocks is very poor fellow about his hair... The story is very fun and I like it!  I recommend that you read this book.


Davidson,Susanna.(2007)Goldilocks and the Three Bears. London: Usborne

183/

BR2-06: Life in the Trees

"This snake is asleep on the branch."(p.10)


 In this book, there are some lives to live in trees, such as birds, koala, snake, caterpillar, and frog.  The fact there is a frog lives in trees surprised me!  Of course, I knew that there is a koala in trees.  The above sentence shew me the fact snake is asleep on branch.  It also surprised me.
 This book is very easy.  There are a lot of pictures and a few sentences.  However, the things in this book are very interesting.  I wanted to know the things more!  You can want to do!  Oh, caterpillar is disgusting a little, so you must be careful to open pages...  Almost all are very interesting!  I recommend that you read this book!


Winesap,Cory.(2004) Life in the Trees. South Yarra: Macmillan Education Australia

119/4269

BR2-05: Percy and the Pirates

"We steal for Crook'cos he's the best

           Then put the treasure in his chest."(p.16)

 I think Percy is a smart boy and the captain of the pirates, named Crook, is a stupid man.  He killed his crews because they took a little treasure from bringing treasure.  The Captain Crook wanted all treasure and didn't give the crews anything.  I thought the crews must want to get something because they worked to get treasure.  But he killed them and there are just two people, Percy and Captain Crook.  If other crews are alive, Captain Crook wouldn't be taken in by Percy.  It was the natural consequences of his own misdeed.

 In this book, Percy, his family, Captain Crook and the other crews in Pirates ship are drawn in nice pictures.  Using colors is good.  I recommend that you read this book.

Punter,Russel. (2007) Percy and the Pirates. London: Usborne

126/4150

BR02-03:The Peach Boy

"Every Monday, the old woman went to the river to wash their clothes."(p.5)
 This is an old story in Japan, named "Momotaro".  It is very famous in Japan and of course, I know.  I know this story but in English, I notice some differences from the Japanese story.  In Japanese, the time the old woman went to the river is not written "every Monday" but written "in one day morning".  And it continues that the old man went to the mountain to lawn mowing and the old woman went to the river to wash their clothes.  However, in English, it is not written anything about the old man.  Of course, it is not necessary but I have heard the sentences for long time, so I feel difference between English and Japanese.  I also haven't known that Japanese "Kibidango" said dumpling in English.
 This book has some nice picture.  The Ogre King is drawn like king and it is interesting.  In Japan, it may be not a king.  If you read this book, you can feel such difference between Japanese and English.  So, I recommend that you read this book.


Frith,Alex. (2009) The Peach Boy. London: Usborne

176/856

BR02-02:Owls

"One by one, they take off and fly away."(p.45)

 I'm sure that if you read this book, you must like owls.  This book looks having story, but maybe this is just written about owls.  I could know some kinds of owls, such as pels owl, eagle owl, and snowy owl.  This book also said about owl's life, for example, about some interesting nest.  One is in rabbit burrows.  One is inside a big spiky plant.  And it said about egg, baby, and owl's growing.  Owl's babies are very cute.  The scene babies practice to fly is very good.  At the last, the babies fly away and become adults owls.

 In this book, there are a lot of nice pictures.  The pictures of owls are very cute.  I'm sure that you think so, too.  I recommend that you read this book.

Courtauld,Sarah. (2009) Owls. London: Usborne

131/680

BR015 : The Billy Goats Gruff

"His heaby hooves went clunkety-clop, clunkety-clop andthe bridge strained under his weight."(p.42)

 I knew this story named "The Three Goats Gruff".  In Japanese, Gruff was translated to "Garagara-don".  The younger brothers are clever and the oldest brother, Biffer, is strong and reliable.  I want to be like him.  I read this story when I was a child and maybe, my father read me.  I was a little scary about the troll but I liked this story very much.  Japanese "Garagara-don" was good sound for little me.  I asked my father to read the book before I slept.
 I remember that, in the Japanese book, the troll is drew scary, so I was scaring.  However, in this book, the illustrations are very comical and cute.  It is easy for me to read this book.  If you know the Japanese version, you will read this book more enjoyable, but if you don't know, you'll read enjoyable.  So, I recommend that you read this book.


Bingham, Jane.(2007) The Billy Goats Gruff. London : Usborne

(150/7954)

BR014:The Midnight Ghosts

"An invisible hand was writing on the dusty mirror." (p.23)

 This is a scary story.  The main characters, Sally and Adam, were invited the big house, where their relatives lived.  However, their relatives were strange.  One liked mathematics like joke, another liked disgusting food and more.  It was curse.  Also, in Sally and Adam's room, invisible hand appeared, which was a victim of the curse.  I was scary when I started to read it, but reading more, it wasn't scary.  Sally and Adam found the way to break the curse.  It was exciting adventure story at the end.
 In this book, there are many pictures which make you scary and excited.  Maybe, you can enjoy reading this book if you read it.  However, if you don't like a scary story, you prefer not to read it.

Fischel.Emma.(2004). The Midnight Ghosts. London:Usborne.

(126/7804)

BR013: The Snow Queen

”Then I shall let you go," said the robber girl, as proudly as a queen herself.(p.45)


　This is a story about a boy named Kay and a girl named Gerda.  The boy was caught by the Snow Queen.  The girl wandered the world to look for the boy.  The girl was helped by a lot of people and animal, such as crows, princess, a robber girl, pigeons, reindeer and more.  In this book, animals can speak, and there are magics.  The boy was caught because of the Snow Queen's magic.  The magic is little scary.  The people who helped Gerda are very kind.  I liked this story and the character who is reindeer named Ba.  The story was very fun.
 This book has a lot of nice illustrations.  I liked them.  The illustration of the Ice Castle was very beautiful.  I hope you like it.  I recommend that you read this book.


Andersen, H.C. (2004) The Snow Queen. London: Usborne.

(136/7678)

BR012: Macbeth

" 'Macbeth, the soldier!  Macbeth, the general!  Macbeth, the king!' "(p.3)


 This is a story written by William Shakespeare.  I watched the movie in a class named the introduction of English literature and read the book written in Japanese.  This is a tragedy and is counted the forth tragedy in William Shakespeare's works.  This is on the Middle Ages, and witches, king, and soldiers are appeared in this story.  This is very exciting story.  Also, this is a little scary.  The title, Macbeth, is a name of principal character.  This is a story about his prosperity and his corrupt.
 In this books, there are some photographs.  They are scenes from the movie, and they help you to read this book.  Shakespeare's works are long and difficult to read, but this book is short and easy to read.  I recommend that you read this book.  If you read this book and feel interesting, I also recommend that you watch the movie.


Shakespear, William. McCallum, Alistair. (2006). Macbeth. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

(149/7542)

BR011: WILD HORSES

'Most people think of cowboys as Americans.  But in a way, the first cowboys were actually French!' (p.23)


 Horses are beautiful.  I like it very much!  After I read this book, I knew that there were a lot kinds of horses, and how people treated them.  The information that first cowboys were actually French surprised me.  Also, I felt a little angry for how people treated horses.  If horses increased and it was not good for people, hoses were killed.  If people who like hoses said something to protect horses, horses increased.  However, it can be said not only about horses but also about other lives.  And maybe, I received some wealth by such things.
 Any way, if you read this book, you will be able to learn more information about horses.  The illustrations of horses are very beautiful and very nice.  You will like it.  I recommend that you read this book.


Stanley, George EDward. (2001). WILD HORSES. New York: Random House

(134/7393)

BR010:Sleeping Beauty

'And you, Sleeping Beauty, are the Princess of my dreams,'  he says.(p. 21)


 I heard this story, but I hadn't heard the whole story.  I was lucky because I had a chance to read this.  This is a fantasic story.  In this story, there are fice fairies, which are Fairy Daisy, Fairy Iris, Fairy Sunflower, Fairy Poppy, and Fairy Weed.  I remembered that Fairy Weed gave the Princess bad present because she was angry for not inviting the party, but that is not written in this book.  I remembered the wrong information..?  Also, one thing that I wondered is "Is poppy so popular?"  I think pthers, such as tulip, are better.  Why the auther choose the poppy?  Perhaps, this four flower had any means, but I didn't understand.
 This book has nice illustrations.  Yes, many of them are nice, but some are a little scary.  They help you to read and to understand this story.  I recommend that you read this book!


White, Catherine, E. (2008) Sleeping Beauty. Genoa: Black Cat Publishing.

149/5522