Goodwill Find! Fantasy: The Coelura, Anne McCaffrey, illustrated by Ned Dameron

Found this at the Goodwill, in the children's section, which I disagree with slightly - I don't think the story would hold a child's interest very well, being a glorified love story.

The Coelura
Anne McCaffrey, illustrated by Ned Dameron
ISBN: 0312930429 (this illustrated edition from 1987, original story from 1983)
Read November 5, 2014

I want to say this is a good book, because the story and the world and the illustrations (let's be honest here and say that my delight was MOSTLY because of the illustrations) were so much fun to jump into for a short afternoon read.  I read it over lunch, it's only 156 paperback-sized pages, and many of those pages are illustrations.  If it weren't for the copyright page, I'd be highly temped to say that the illustrations came first, and the story was created as an attempt to mesh them all together, but knowing the story was written first makes me somehow gleefully happy at the bonkers illustrations of characters, environments, and poses that Dameron decided needed interpreting.  His vision of the protagonist at age 14 is especially delightful, and very reminiscent of the eighties.

So, is this a good book?  Sadly, not really.  The language is stilted and grasping for "alienness" in phrases and descriptions, the characters all speak and act like they're college theatre majors doing their first Shakespeare production, with lots of expansive gesturing (in the text, as well as the illustrations) and very proper, very formal, very unrealistic dialogue.  The plot isn't any great shakes either - in 120 pages, it ought to be trim, but a lot of time and energy are wasted on the wordy dialogue-laden intro, then the follow-up manages both to totally fulfill cliche expectations while missing a giant Chekov's gun in regards to one specific character which changes the entire climax and denouement of the story (in my opinion for the worse).  Also, egregious editor fail:  bells "peal" and one can "peel" fruit.  Different words, different meanings.

Summary: (spoilers?)
Caissa is the "body-heir" of a planetary regional governor (no more specifics, just that he's obviously rich and important and part of "society" in this place - our descriptions of jobs and titles are forever maddeningly vague) and thus will inherit all of his wealth and glory and positions, in addition to whatever she manages to accrue on her own.  Her "womb-mother" is obsessed with fashion and the high-life, and doesn't spend much time on this small world with nothing other than hunting and a small court of provincials.  Mom leaves one day in a huff, declaring that she's still owed part of her "contract" that dad hasn't fulfilled, and Caissa is now curious.  She discovers that there is a missing species on the planet, but meanwhile she just had her first serious proposal to be a mother to a body-heir of another society person (her dad is adamant that she consider the proposal for political reasons that STILL, even after finishing the story, remain unclear), and she's so miffed by his inept and condescending advances that she runs away to fly her personal aircraft out in the wilderness to seethe and pout.  Out there on her own she hears a faint distress beacon from the restricted islands which are connected to the missing species, finds a crashed ship, and the rest of the story proceeds according to exactly what you're thinking it will, discovering the "missing" species and their purpose and value, establishing a love-interest, and putting very shaky legs on a mystery/conspiracy.  There are random detours and red-herrings that spawn at random intervals, flap around wildly to be sure to be noticed, and then are utterly ignored.

So, good story?  Not exactly.  It was a bit frustrating, and more amusing to read than actually good or interesting, but it was a fun experience, and there were those excellent zany illustrations to pore over!

Picture Book Bonanza 2/3: Molly Idle's Flora and the Flamingo, David Wiesner's Mr. Wuffles!

Flora and the Flamingo
Molly Idle
ISBN: 9781452110066
Read February 3, 2014

Wordless Picture Book, Lift-the-Flap Picture Book

This was a cute story, but I think that the combination of wordless AND lift-the-flap pushed it a little too far into 'trying too hard' territory for me.  Also, the book is pretty much entirely pink (with a flamingo, I can't rightly blame it for that, but I also hold that I'm more critical of it because it's pink).  Flora is a pear-shaped person in a swimming cap, suit, and swim-fins on her feet, and the flamingo is - well - a flamingo.  Flora is also attempting to copycat said flamingo, who isn't entirely happy about her attempts.  Things get a little rocky when the flamingo performs a maneuver that ends Flora up in the drink, but amends are made, leaving girl and bird to dance and splash together in harmony.  Not entirely to my taste, but I especially liked the cherry-blossom borders on the pages, the amount of character representation possible with a pair of black swim fins, and Flora's expressive eyebrows.


Mr. Wuffles!
David Wiesner
ISBN: 9780618756612
Read February 3, 2014

Wordless Picture Book

Have to say from the start that this is NOT my favorite of Wiesner's works (that one for me goes to Flotsam  for general amazingness, or to Hurricane for personal impact) but that said, this one is a cute romp.  Mr. Wuffles is a grumpy black cat who, like all cats, prefers toys that aren't toys.  Unfortunately for some very seasoned travelers, they are the newest "toy."  After Mr. Wuffles damages their spaceship, they must join forces with the denizens behind the cupboards, learning each others' languages (actual languages, which can be actually learned by the reader - this part made me think of Weslandia and Dinotopia) and developing blended technologies to help with the rescue/escape/taunt the cat mission.  I love the bugs - they're very William Joyce's Leaf Men in shape and plot function, but more expressive.  The aliens are adorable, and I love their determination and fright when faced with Mr Wuffles in all his enormity.  Technically, this isn't a wordless picture book, as the aliens and bugs do speak, but I'm willing to give it some wiggle room for a nifty idea and a lovely presentation.  The last panel, with the additions to the bugs' wall of history, was killer.

The Mind Trap, G Clifton Wisler

The Mind Trap, G. Clifton Wisler.  ISBN: 0525673156.  Published 1990

Read July 19, 2013

 

Final book of Antrian Messenger Trilogy (The Antrian Messenger, The Seer) featuring Scott, an alien child with psi abilities trying to survive on earth.  This one has him visiting Earth on his birthday because he's lonely, and getting captured by evil scientists experimenting on kids with psi abilities (all with alien ancestry).  

 

Weirdly flat - nothing bad happens to the kids being studied by the scientists (although other non-character people were discussed having been "studied" to death), Scott and his "guardian" alien have nearly unlimited powers, and the scientists are paper-thin.  

 

Nifty concept, especially contrasted to the recent Man of Steel movie which also focuses on an alien child with nearly unlimited powers trying to do the right thing while growing up on earth.  Sadly, not an excellent rendition of said nifty concept. 

Have not, and most likely will not read the previous two installments.