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For Parents

I've alluded to Tomi Ungerer before, and I'm by no means the Ungerer authority, but here are a few things to know:

*Tomi Ungerer was called, by Maurice Sendak, a "spectacular graphic genius." Ungerer's only true heir--according to Sendak--was James Marshall.
*Ungerer wrote many, many picture books, and he did his own illustrations--and he is known for defying expectations. In "Otto," for example, you think you're getting a sweet story about a teddy bear, but in fact you're getting a tour of WWII, gun violence, and brutality on the streets. (This is a children's book!) ...."Fog Island" concerns a mysterious Fog Man who has direct access to the magma at the center of the Earth--and who uses this magma to heat water and make fog. "The Three Robbers" has menacing robbers terrifying the countryside with a "pepper-blower"--and a pepper-blower is not something that actually exists in the world. It's just something Ungerer dreamed up.
*I haven't yet read "Crictor" or "Rufus the Bat..." with Joshua, but these are coming soon.

That's the material on deck. My son and I are also enjoying "Moonshot" and "Locomotive," by Brian Floca.....
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