Art comes to life in this picture book

A fun and educational book for youngsters ages 5-8

Jon Dykstra | Apr 26 2017 | comment

The Hero of Little Streetby Gregory Rogers
written for ages 2-7 | recommended
published in 2012 | Roaring Brook Press | 32 pages

This is a favorite because it has a Dutch flavor, and so do I. The story begins with our hero – a little boy with a Charlie Brown-esque look about him – managing to lose a trio of bullies by popping into a museum. And since he's there anyway, the boy decides to take a look.

After he contemplates some modern art pictures and sculptures he comes across a room full of masterpieces, including Jan van Eyck's Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife. While passing by the piece our hero catches the eye of the Giovanni's little dog, and down he comes, right out of the painting!

The two of them then dance and jump and chase one another through the museum, until they come across a sheet of music lying on the ground. Where did it come from? Ah, wait! The two of them notice that it must have been dropped by that lady at the piano - that lady in Jan Vermeer's painting Girl at Piano. So in they jump, right into the picture, and return the music to the grateful girl. This leads to some more dancing, accompanied by the girl at her piano, before our hero and his dog head off further and deeper into this painting, opening a door and entering Little Street, Delft in seventeenth century Holland!

To say this is an inventive book doesn't suffice! An art-loving parent could use this to introduce their children to some of the masters, and anyone of Dutch heritage could use it to show what the Netherlands looked like three centuries ago. Young children will love it for the sheer rollicking adventure. It ends with our hero back in modern day, but now equipped by his time-traveling artistic adventure with just the tool he needs to help him with those bullies.

Jon Dykstra blogs on books at ReallyGoodReads.com.

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April 26, 2017

"HPV vaccine is cancer prevention". That is the official word from the US government's leading health body, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Well, the CDC gets a B+ for good will, a C- for accuracy, and a F for truthfulness.

The vaccine prevents HPV, not cancer. As Carolyn Moynihan argues in today's lead article, "'No' is the best vaccine and there are still people who protect their physical and emotional health in that way." What the CDC knows and should be saying is that promiscuity spreads HPV and makes it more dangerous. So why aren't they campaigning against promiscuity? Your guess is as good as mine. Any suggestions?