HOMESCHOOLER Mom

Foto saya
a mom of homeschool twinnies (boy and girl), an ex architect, a lecturer, a crafter, and a children book's author and illustrator. loves drawing, crafting, illustrating, making pretty things..

Hi there...

Thanks so much for taking time out of your day to stop by my little space! i am happy to share my daily activities (homeschooling, green living, writing, ilustrating & crafting) and hope you enjoy it...

-Dini-

dkwardhani@yahoo.com



Kamis, 10 Januari 2013

The Three Little Pigs: An Architectural Tale (Book Review)

The Three Little Pigs: An Architectural Tale
by Steven Guarnaccia

In this quirky, artsy retelling of “The Three Little Pigs,” the pigs and their homes are nods to three famous architects—Frank Gehry, Phillip Johnson, and Frank Lloyd Wright—and their signature homes. 


Moral of the Story (http://architecture.about.com/)
Just as in the original fairy tale, Guarnaccia's pigs must outwit a big bad wolf who keeps huffing, puffing, and blowing their houses down. First the wolf demolishes a house made of scraps (the Gehry House by Frank Gehry), and then the wolf destroys a house made of glass (the Glass House by Philip Johnson). Finally the architect-pigs find safety in a house made of stone and concrete (Fallingwater by Frank Lloyd Wright). Now you might wonder how it is that Fallingwater, with its legendary structural problems, proved stronger than houses by Gehry and Johnson. Is the author telling us that Wright's vision is more enduring? That modernist architecture is flawed? Never mind. Guarnaccia's Three Little Pigs is meant for children. A search for deeper meanings would spoil the fun.

And this book is fun! Guarnaccia's cartoon-like illustrations are engaging and the antics of the three pigs are amusing and inspiring. The moral - as in the original fairy tale - is that bullies can be defeated if you are clever and hardworking.





Senin, 07 Januari 2013

The Curious Garden (Book Review)

Title: The Curious Garden
Author & Illustrator: Peter Brown
Publisher: Little Brown and Company
Publication Date: 2009
Format: Hardback, 40 pages
Genre: Ghildren's book, Picture book

Book Description
April 1, 2009 P and up
One boy's quest for a greener world... one garden at a time.

While out exploring one day, a little boy named Liam discovers a struggling garden and decides to take care of it. As time passes, the garden spreads throughout the dark, gray city, transforming it into a lush, green world.

This is an enchanting tale with environmental themes and breathtaking illustrations that become more vibrant as the garden blooms. Red-headed Liam can also be spotted on every page, adding a clever seek-and-find element to this captivating picture book. 
http://www.amazon.com/

The book is about a young boy named Liam, who one day goes wandering through his very industrial city. A city without trees, or flowers, or any sorts of growing things. As Liam is exploring he comes across some railroad tracks that have long been abandoned and notices a small patch of wild flowers growing there. The wild flowers are dying, and in obvious need of some TLC so Liam comes back the next day and tends to them. He comes back everyday after that and through his careful attention and ministrations his little garden begins to grow healthier and larger. Very soon his garden has gotten a mind of its own. Once again, no spoilers for the end! Read it and see what happens.

(http://anabundanceofbooks.blogspot.com/)

Brown includes a note at the end of the story stating that the inspiration for this story was the High Line Park in Manhattan.  Once an abandoned elevated train track, it's now a city park with community programs and gardens. 

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