Review: Find Momo by Andrew Knapp

Find Momo
by Andrew Knapp [jPB Knapp]

This is an adorable book by photographer Andrew Knapp that combines the fun of “Where’s Waldo?” with the cuteness factor of “Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund.” The dog in this book is a Border Collie named Momo who “hides” in all of the photos taken at locales throughout Canada and the United States. The best part of this book is that there are “clues” given at the back of the book that show you exactly what area of the photo you need to look in to find Momo. I also love the stories about Momo that are included throughout the collection of photos. This book is catalogued as a children’s book, but it can be enjoyed by any age level. There is another book by the same author as well called “Find Momo Coast-to-Coast,” so if you enjoy this book, there is another one to read as well.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Crusoe, the Celebrity Dachshund: Adventures of the Wiener Dog Extraordinaire, by Ryan Beauchesne, Crusoe, the Worldly Wiener Dog : Further Adventures with the Celebrity Dachshund, by Ryan Beauschene.]

[ official Find Momo page on the official Andrew Knapp web site ]

Recommended by Kim J.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Music Book Review: Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? by Steven Tyler (as an audiobook)

Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?
by Steven Tyler [downloadable audio version]

I’ve been a fan of the band Aerosmith for many, many years. And I’ve always thought their front-man, Steven Tyler, was one of the most charismatic lead singers out there. He clearly owns the stage the minute he sets foot on it. What I maybe didn’t quite realize was what a brilliant guy he is. He’s extremely well-read and articulate. This book was very enjoyable, interesting, amusing! Steven Tyler is definitely a Wordsmith of the Most Insanely Entertaining sort!!! He was born to be a poet and a singer, and we are ALL lucky that he found his calling and was able to live out his calling. I’m always pleased to hear background stories of how songs came about, what the dynamics of a band’s relationship are, etc. I’m bummed that I’ve never been able to see Aerosmith in concert, but reading about their shows almost makes me feel like I was there!

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock.]

[ publisher’s official Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? web page ] | [ official Steven Tyler web site ]

Recommended by Tracy T.
Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Review: The Greatest Game Ever Played (on DVD)

The Greatest Game Ever Played
[DVD j Greatest] 

Let’s clear up four things right now:

1. I DO NOT like golf. I like miniature golf with windmills, fake alligators, and other fun obstacles but that’s the extent of it.
2. I’m not a Shia LaBeouf fan.
3. Golf is what you put on the TV to take a nap by.
4. Did I mention I’m not a golf fan?

But I thoroughly enjoyed this film.

Based on the novel by Mark Frost (The Greatest Game Ever Played: Harry Vardon, Francis Ouimet and the Birth of Modern Golf), who also wrote the screenplay, and directed by the late Bill Paxton, this film is the true story of the 1913 US Open and the upset victory of a poor kid over the top two golfers in the world.

ZZZZZ.

No really, this was exciting. I was so enthralled with Ouimet’s story I even watched all the bonus features and looked him up online. Shia LaBeouf did a fine job in this role.

During this time period golf was the territory of the wealthy, the snobs, the upper class. Former caddies were not allowed to play with their betters. The family was poor, Ouimet had tried to supplement the family income with caddie tips, and his father didn’t approve of him playing golf. After Ouimet won, the number of golf courses tripled in the US.

So many odds were against this kid while he fought against prejudice, the wealthy, and his father to even be allowed to play in the Open. Not to mention, now he’ll be playing against his hero, Vardon.
The human element and drama made this an exciting story. This didn’t have to be a golf story it was simply the background – and you don’t need to know anything about golf, or even care about golf to be pulled into this tale.

This has been catalogued as a juvenile DVD, but it could just as easily be considered an adult, so don’t let the label put you off.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the Miracle book series by James Patterson: Miracle on the 17th Green, Miracle at Augusta or Miracle at St. Andrews] [Also available in traditional print format.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official The Greatest Game Ever Played web site ]

Recommended by Charlotte M.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you watched this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Review: Once Upon a Time: The Complete First Season (on DVD)

Once Upon a Time: The Complete First Season
[DVD Once] 

Once Upon a Time puts a twist on your average fairy tale by mixing them all together. Meet Emma Swan. On her 28th birthday she makes a wish not to be alone. Suddenly, a child named Henry knocks on her door and claims to be the son she gave up for adoption years ago. He tells her he is from Storybrooke, Maine and the people who live in Storybrooke are different…they’re fairy tale characters stuck in a world with no happy endings. And the worst part is they don’t even know it. When she drives him back she meets his mother Regina (who he claims is the evil queen) who happens to be the Mayor of the town. She starts to bond with Henry and decides to stick around. As the season continues Henry continues to try to convince her that magic is real, Regina does all she can to scare her away, and little by little Emma starts to believe.

I’m a huge fairy tale fan and this show is so unique because while you can connect each character to their own original background story the beauty is really the twists it takes to mix them all together.
[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Enchanted, Grimm, Sleepy Hollow or Charmed (all on DVD).]

 

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this TV series ] | [ ABC’s official Once Upon a Time web site ]

Recommended by Carrie R.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you watched this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Review: Does it Fart? by Nick Caruso and Dani Rabaiotti

Does It Fart? The Definitive Guide to Animal Flatulence
by Nick Caruso and Dani Rabaiotti, with art by Ethan Cocak [591.5 Car] 

I’ll have to admit, I first checked this one out because I was amused by the title. But it turned out to be a fascinating little book, filled with intriguing facts about the animal world. The concept behind the book started with a question of legitimate scientific curiosity that zoologist Dani Rabaiotti was asked and didn’t personally know the answer to: “Do snakes fart?” She turned to a scientific expert, and their correspondence on Twitter led fellow researcher Nick Caruso to create the hashtag #doesitfart, which soon revealed that a lot of scientists get asked that type of question for the animals in their areas of expertise.

This book is the result of a huge collaboration across various fields of animal biologists. It answers the question “Does It Fart?” about 80 different animals, ranging from tiny insects like the beaded lacewing and millipede to the monstrously huge whales, with plenty of stops along the way at quirky critters like sloths, bearded dragons, honey badgers, sea cucumbers, the woodlouse and hamsters. Not to mention humans (you already know the answer to that one!) Each animal gets a page of text — first the answer to the titular question, then some scientific background about how that species’ biology works and why it does or doesn’t generate flatulence that is both audible and/or smell-able.
Approximately 1/3 of the entries in this book are accompanied by cartoonish illustrations of various animals “tooting their own horn”, shall we say. The back of the book includes a 9-page glossary explaining many of the scientific terms used elsewhere in the main content, as well as an acknowledgments page listing all the various animal specialists whose research contributed to the book.

You may laugh at the title, but if you give this book a chance, you’ll actually learn some very interesting things about the animals you share this planet with. For instance, I had no idea that one of my favorite animals, the sloth, did not fart. Their digestive system processes food so slowly that it does not produce intestinal gasses, unless it is malfunctioning, in which case the gasses are absorbed into their blood stream and bodily tissues. They may, in fact, be the only mammal that does not fart — although not enough studies on all animals species have been conducted to verify that.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try What Shat That? A Pocket Guide to Poop Identity, by Matt Paget (not in the libraries’ collection).]

[ publisher’s official Does It Fart? web site ] | [ official Nick Caruso Twitter Feed | official Dani Rabaiotti Twitter Feed ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!