Picture Book Review: Fanny

Fanny A Serendipity Book, written by Stephen Cosgrove, illustrated by Robin James, Price Stern Sloan, Los Angeles, 1987.
This is a story of a three-legged cat.  The cat just wants to have friends, but the other animals, especially the adults, influencing their kids, make sure the little cat is not bothered.  "Don't talk to her, you would just embarrass her, besides she has nothing to say."  It takes a little puppy to break through the prejudice.  Puppies are just happy go lucky and don't listen to what others say.  Of course Ruby and Fanny became friends.  You see Ruby was a licking dog, and Fanny licked right back.  Soon the other animals started warming up, and discovered Fanny had a lot to say, and she wasn't embarrassed.  "Being handicapped is only a state of mine."

Picture Book Review: Ming Ling

Ming Ling by Stephen Cosgrove, illustrated by Robin James, A Serendipity Book, Price Stern Sloan, Los Angeles, 1978.

MingLing is a panda.  He is a panda that likes quiet so he can sleep.  As such he becomes grouchy with all the birds, until he drives them away.  But then things are too quiet.  He then meets a parrot who teaches Ming Ling and important lesson.  Could Ming Ling ever get things to where he could enjoy life in the bamboo forest.  I like the conclusion, "If you live in a forest and don't know how to share it, remember a panda named Ming Ling and a very sill parrot.

Picture Book Review: The Dream Tree

The Dream Tree by Stephen Cosgrove, illustrated by Robin James, A Serendipity Book, Price/Stern/Sloan, Los Angeles, 1982.

Serendipity books seem to all be written and illustrated by the same people.  There are about 40 such books.  Most end with a moral lesson.  this one does not.  However it does tell of a caterpillar who becomes a butterfly.  It also explains that sometimes you can't explain how something is, you just have to do it.  Patty Caterpillar wishes a butterfly would tell her what it is like to be a butterfly; but all the butterflies just fly off, "Someday you'll know."  He promises himself to come back and tell the caterpillars what it is like, but somethings are easier promised than done.
I like the artwork.  Robin James uses nice colors.