A Review of Children’s Fiction - Watership Down

(Puffin Modern Classics)

Watership Down is excellent children’s fiction, written by Richard Adams and published by Puffin Books. The book is an excellent children’s book which I thoroughly enjoyed reading for the second time. A classic to be found at any children’s books online store. Now that I have just finished the book I am not at all surprised that this book was ranked the 42nd greatest book in a survey of the British Public by the Big Read in 2003.

The book starts with a premonition by one of the rabbits that their warren will be destroyed and so the five rabbits decide to abandon their home. This is the beginning of their epic travels across the country and their close scrapes in the search for a new home. 

There has been quite rightly criticism for the role that female rabbits play in the book. The females do not have anywhere near an equal role to the male rabbits. The only role that the females bring is to allow for reproduction to take place. If there is reproduction then the longevity of the Watership down warren is then assured.

The book certainly has green credentials, through the rabbit world that the reader is taken into. I do not think there is any doubt in this. The only question is how green is the book? Is the book all green or almost green? Finally, I come down on the side of almost green despite the destruction of the rabbits their environment and warrens.

Dinosaurs Love Underpants - a book for kids - will make you all laugh

Dinosaurs Love Underpants, published by Simon and Schuster, a book for kids is written to entertain and to make your child and you both laugh. Without doubt it will make you laugh and for sure will become a bedtime favorite story for your two year old.

The book is written by Claire Freedman and illustrated by Ben Cort who both have a crazy creativity and imagination. It is this kind of imagination that helps children fall in love with books. This is what helps to make children avid readers for the rest of their lives.

The second time I read this book for kids, I noticed the sense of humor coming through in the words, which I had missed in my first read of the book. The dinosaurs have very expressive faces and who sometimes look fearsome. Their faces tell you exactly if the dinosaur is winning or losing in the grand battle.

Tomorrow morning, when I put on my underpants I am certainly going to think of them differently, before I go off to check out children’s books online.

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Does Caffeine and Pregnancy Mix?

(Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

What do you think about drinking caffeine during pregnancy? I used to have an application on my iPhone (before I switched to the Droid) to a pregnancy board. I noticed that many people seemed a little fanatical about not drinking any caffeine at all during their pregnancies while others are more lax. I would fall into the more lax category. I don’t drink coffee but I do partake in diet Pepsi daily (since I am addicted). My doctor said two a day was perfectly fine so I stick to her recommendation.

I drank diet soda the entire time I was pregnant with my first son and he is actually quite bright and in perfect health. I do understand that soda is not healthy at all but I do not drink anything except diet Pepsi and water so that is my justification. I think the key is everything in moderation. Do you have a different perspective?

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