Michael Mullin (3)

I was giggling within minutes of starting the first of three stories in this book. To be honest I think this first story was also my favorite! I have always known that nursery rhymes, fables, legends, and fairy tales have throughout time been altered. This was first brought to my attention when I read the real account of "The Three Little Pigs", while not a story portrayed in TaleSpins, it was a true rather horrifying lesson for me.



As I was saying, the favorite for me was "8: The Previously Untold Story of the Previously Unknown 8th Dwarf". This is the one that after giggling and finishing the story I felt the need to read it aloud to my older kids. Who in turn also laughed through it!



I love that 8th dwarf, even though his life ends up being full of nasty tragic treatment. I almost fell off my chair at the portrayal of Snow White entering the house, and her encounters with the "witch" were absolutely priceless! The ending however caught me off guard, as well as the kids. We NEVER thought about that when Snow White went into her sleeping slumber.



This is a story that caused our family to open up and talk about how stories that get handed down can easily be altered by a sentence or meaning, and how it continues until we have the more innocent looking ones that you hear today.



I read the other two stories alone, and they were equally as fascinating. I enjoyed fitting each tidbit or clue to different characters or Fairy Tales. Although I am going to come off as a complete idiot for not catching it sooner- the last story "Jack'd", it took me a bit to realize the first words from the graffiti artist's.



The middle story, "The Plight and Plot of Princess Penny", showed me more of some very valuable lessons to be learned. This story or lessons were much more entertaining than what I could preach to my kids, especially my daughters.



I absolutely loved reading TaleSpins and I would/will recommend it to anyone. If you enjoy a quirky twist on the good ole fashioned fairy tale, then you will enjoy it too.… (mais)

This book is actually a trilogy of fairy tales, retold from a different perspective. The first fairy tale is called 8: The Previously Untold Story of the Previously Unknown 8th Dwarf. You may think you know the tale of Snow White backwards and forwards, but Creepy - the eighth dwarf who lives in the cellar - is going to set you straight.

The second fairy tale is called The Plight and Plot of Princess Penny - where a teenage princess named Penny hires the same witch who cursed 'The Frog Prince'. Penny wants to exact revenge against a Mean Girl who's been harassing her.

The third fairy tale is Jack'd. So, how did the giant, the boy thief and those magic beans actually cross paths? Learn how that entire tale truly went down.

I must say that while most of the books I read generally have adult story lines, I also like reading young adult books on occasion. It doesn't matter to me, just as long as the story is interesting reading. Anyway, this book is a trilogy of fairy tale re-tellings - which is a type of fantasy that I really enjoy reading. I also thoroughly enjoy reading stories that happen to have a moral behind them. So, I give TaleSpins by Michael Mullin an A+! and will certainly keep my eyes open for more from this author in the future.… (mais)

Thanks to Goodreads friend Jim for recommending the book Larry Loves San Francisco!. My library didn't have that book, a board book, but I was able to borrow this one.

The book's cover says 3 & up, but I'd recommend it most for slightly older kids. Kids who are beginning independent readers might get the most out of it.

There is a fairly good tour of San Francisco landmarks so it's a good book for children who live in San Francisco or who have visited/will visit San Francisco, and it's especially good for boys named Pete or Larry.

Even though I wasn't concerned about how things would end up, I had a hard time thoroughly enjoying this story about a lost dog on his own. When I had my dog, one of my big fears was she'd get off her leash and go running and be missing. But, that's me. Kids might be able to simply enjoy the adventure and the sights.… (mais)