MARVELOUS CORNELIUS: HURRICANE KATRINA AND THE SPIRIT OF NEW ORLEANS by Phil Binder and WE ARE THE GARDENERS by Joanna Gaines

We had our second Zoom meeting on June 4 (the first for me!!) and it went quite well. I think we are all learning how to deal with this experience in the best way in our own homes....lighting, placement of computer, how to show pictures, etc. I personally missed the Good Food that usually accompanies our discussions, and look forward to the time when we can continue -- IN PERSON -- again.

First, Michelle read Marvelous Cornelius: Hurricane Katrina and the Spirit of New Orleans by Phil Binder (2015), the story of a beloved sanitation worker in New Orleans before and after Hurricane Katrina. We loved the illustrations which we felt really gave us the feeling of New Orleans, and we also loved a lot of the lyrical language that described Cornelius, his work, and his city. We felt that the story had a folktale-like feeling..perhaps similar to 'John Henry' stories, and that it was well-done. THEN we read the author's note at the back, where we learned that Cornelius Washington was a real man, a diligent and beloved worker for the NOLA Department of Sanitation, BUT that many of the events told in the story did not actually happen, and were just included to make the story better. WHAT??? This note totally destroyed our good feelings about the book, and we felt that it could have been solved if the author had merely stated, at the very beginning, something like, "...based on life and work of Cornelius Washington" We also noted that even though 'Hurricane Katrina' is in the title of the book, only two pages are devoted to that horrific tragedy....which didn't seem exactly right. So -- we liked it, but with reservations.

Caroline read us the second book, We Are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines (2019). We acknowledged the fact that Gaines and her husband Chip are hosts of a reality show on HGTV which deals with home decor, gardening, cooking, and other family endeavors. We liked many things about this book: the fact that the family worked together, the explanations of how they planned their garden, and the trials and tribulations of creating a large family garden, and never giving up. We liked many of the illustrations showing how the plants developed, and the explanations of the various elements that are needed for a successful garden to thrive. We were unhappy however, that there was no real explanation of the time element entailed in creating a garden -- from the first planting of the seeds to the ultimate joy of having actual vegetables to eat. We thought that could be misleading for kids (and families) who might want to try the same activity at their own homes. We also thought that the entire narrative was just too long, and would have benefited from some cuts. We weren't sure that young readers would keep reading all that was written. But -- a book with some good qualities...so -- OK!

So -- not a bad way to spend an hour online doing something we all love: reading children's books!