Michelle Dionetti

Nostalgia. A young girl reminisces on the silly tales her grandfather told. As a young boy, her grandfather and his brothers would work in the coal minds during very frigid weather. To cheer them up, her grandfather told them that it gets so hot that peaches grow out of the coal! Her grandfather goes on to help build the Brooklyn bridge and build a family of his own. Although they were physically poor, they were rich with the stories that their grandfather told them. The illustrations add to the feeling of nostalgia and leave you reminiscing about your family life.… (mais)

This is a book about a young girl, Thalia, who lives in Chicago with her family. She feels that her family doesn't listen to her. Through drawing a blue bug on the concrete, she begins to take an interest in expressing herself through art. A friendly neighbor helps by supplying some art supplies, and an artist is born. Her family sees her work, and they also are drawn into her new found expressions. She creates a picture of "Thalia and the Blue Bug" and enters the drawing in a local art contest. We don't know if she wins a ribbon or not. It doesn't really matter though, as Thalia's self image has changed and the perceptions of her family towards her have changed as well. I recommend the book. Read it to a child, and watch the wheels spin!… (mais)