The following book reviews appeared in the print issue of Ponca City Monthly magazine. Get full access to all online articles, videos, and content by becoming a paid subscriber. We offer free and paid subscription plans. Find rack locations to pick up your free print copy here, or subscribe here to get online access plus exclusive content.
Chloe and Maude
by Sandra Boynton
Reviewed by Lorrie Layton
My family – all four of us – love Sandra Boynton’s books. The illustrations are fun and a bit silly. The text is fun, silly and bouncy. A few of our favorite Sandra Boynton books are:
Moo, Baa, La La La! (Lots of silliness)
Barnyard Dance (Read it like you’re calling a square dance!)
Blue Hat, Green Hat (Our boys called this one “The OOPS Book.”)
But Not the Hippopotamus (It’s not fun to be excluded.)
Oh My, Oh My, Oh Dinosaurs! (Opposites)
We can all quote several of Ms. Boynton’s books. But enough about us.
Sandra Boynton’s newest book is Chloe and Maude. It’s comprised of three small stories about two adventurous little cats who are great friends, but not much alike at all.
Chloe loves to draw. She draws dragons, castles, families, forests, spaghetti, elephants and trains. Maude doesn’t like to draw, because her drawings don’t look like what they’re supposed to be. (It’s not a green jump rope; it’s a snake!) Of course, it doesn’t help that everyone can easily tell what Chloe’s drawings are supposed to be.
Chloe is quieter, while Maude tends to be LOUD! Chloe likes to pretend; Maude likes things the way they are. You should check out when Chloe decides to pretend that she’s Sophia. Maude really doesn’t handle that well. (Sophias don’t hike, bike or bake – but Maudes do!)
Both girls love to play SCARY MONSTERS! They’re also both a little bit afraid of the dark . . .
These three small stories celebrate the joys and frustrations of friendship, as well as discovering how to be great friends even if you’re almost nothing alike. Chloe and Maude is a fresh, lovely and boisterous frolic I think you’ll enjoy with your little ones.
The Thursday Murder Club
by Richard Osman
Reviewed by Lorrie Layton
The first I knew of this series was when the second book came out, but I couldn’t get my hands on a copy of the first book, The Thursday Murder Club. Now that we’re four books into the series, I finally had a chance to read the first book – so here we go!
The members of the Thursday Murder Club are residents of Coopers Chase Retirement Village, a luxury retirement village located in the lovely countryside of Kent, England. There’s Ibrahim the psychiatrist, Joyce the ER nurse, Ron the labor activist and Elizabeth the spy, who combine their individual talents to review and solve cold cases. When Tony Curran, the contractor who built Coopers Chase, is bludgeoned to death just hours after being fired by the center’s developer and owner, Joyce and Ron feel obligated to share with the police that they saw the two men arguing the day of the murder.
Recently, the group met Donna, a police constable who wishes she was hunting serial killers, when she visited the center to discuss “Practical Tips for Home Security” with the retirees. Elizabeth manages to get Donna assigned to the team working the Curran homicide, so they’ll have access to information uncovered during the investigation. It will also allow them an avenue to share with the police information they uncover in their own investigation.
A few days later, the Thursday Murder Club, Donna, her boss and sixty-odd other retirees are present when Ian Ventham, the center’s owner, is murdered. This is exciting and unbelievable – two murders within a week, both tied to Coopers Chase Retirement Village! Of course, the only thing to do is to pitch in and help the police with their investigation of both murders.
I’m looking forward to reading the rest of this series!
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