BabyLit's The Secret Garden: A Flowers Primer & Don Quixote: A Spanish Language Primer

Two more classics clothed in cuteness! 

About Little Miss Burnett: The Secret Garden: A Flowers Primer by Jennifer Adamas, illustrated by Alison Oliver: Introducing Little Miss Burnett’s The Secret Garden: A BabyLit Flowers Primer. From crocus to snowdrop, daffodil, snapdragon, and more, your child can be one of the few that is allowed in the secret garden all summer long!

About Little Master Cervantes: Don Quixote: A Spanish Language Primer by Jennifer Adams, illustrated by Alison Oliver: Get to know the “Hombre de la Mancha” in Little Master Cervantes’ Don Quixote: A BabyLit Spanish Language Primer. Learn everything a daring knight needs to know, in two languages! Man, armor, horse, lady, castle, and more! And of course, it wouldn’t be Don Quixote without a windmill! Each spread features English and Spanish translation side by side. ¡Que bueno!

My two cents

I've been a huge fan of the BabyLit series ever since I laid my eyes on them way back in 2012. Cuteness collides with the classics! And with these two new editions The Secret Garden: A Flowers Primer  and Don Quixote: A Spanish Language Primer, the adorable-ness continues.

The appeal of these books is compelling.

The fact that they are based on classics makes them especially appealing to literary fiends that are parents; it introduces elements of the classics to young 'uns in such a fun way. It's a sneaky way to get classics titles in a toddler's subconscious - literary brainwashing in the best way, anyone?

Of course, there is also the learning side to this series. The Secret Garden edition is all about different types of flowers - perfect for the wannabe gardener. Don Quixote is an English-Spanish primer, perfect for bilingual families.

The illustrations by Alison Oliver are the clincher: they are simple, graphic, adorable. Oliver's artwork would look wonderful in a nursery, don't you think? I've pulled out some illustrations in my previous posts, so I hope you check them out! (Here's Don Quixote and here's The Secret Garden).

I can't wait to see what other classics are transformed for toddlers in this series!

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I reviewed two other books in this series - Jane Eyre and Alice in Wonderland. Check out the review and a video HERE.

Little Miss Bronte: Jane Eyre (A Baby Lit Counting Primer)

Little Master Carroll: Alice in Wonderland (A Baby Lit Colors Primer)

I received copies of these books from the publisher for honest review consideration.

I Am Venus by Bárbara Mujica

  
Who are you, Venus? Who are you, Diego?

I Am Venus chronicles the relationship between the great Baroque Spanish painter Diego Velázquez and the woman who became his Venus. Author Bárbara Mujica vividly reimagines the great artist’s rise to prominence, set against the backdrop of political turmoil and romantic scandal. Narrated by the mysterious model who posed for Velázquez’s only female nude, “The Rokeby of Venus,” I Am Venus is a seductive historical novel of the love between an artist and his muse.

The year is 1619, and Diego Velázquez is a rising star at an art academy in Seville run by his father-in-law. But even as his young wife builds him a family, the painter finds himself yearning for a larger canvas, and soon his ambition lands him at the court of King Philip IV, where his star quickly rises, even as Spain finds itself plunged into military defeat and domestic chaos.

But as he gains nobility and privilege, Velázquez encounters the sinful decadence that defines the regime. As he finds himself torn between loyalty to family and the easy seductions of power, Velázquez decides to take on his riskiest painting yet, which could, in a stroke, land him in the claws of the Inquisition.

I Am Venus is a sweeping story of scandal and passion, and a vivid recreation of a corrupt kingdom on the brink of collapse. Reminiscent of Girl with a Pearl Earring, it is a thrilling novel that brings to life the public and private worlds of Spain’s greatest painter.

My two cents

Rokeby Venus
(from Wikipedia)

Great paintings, or portraits in general, are often the cause for much speculation and much imagining. Think the Mona Lisa. Or more recently, the photograph of the Afghan girl on National Geographic's cover.

I am Venus One draws its inspiration from controversial female nude by Baroque Spanish painter, Diego Velázquez. Entitled The Rokeby of Venus (La Venus del espejo), this would have surely meant excommunication during the Spanish Inquisition.

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Self portrait
(From Wikipedia)

This has a natural draw for art lovers wanting to know more about Diego Velázquez and the Baroque art period. I've never studied art formally so I found myself Googling Diego Velázquez and was amazed to learn that his work has inspired the work of realists and impressionist artists I am more familiar with, including Manet, Dali and Picasso.

The story paints a picture of an artists' life in Spain during the reign of King Philip IV in the 1600s. There are many art references and historical figures featured in the storyline and in the paintings mentioned.   I was unfamiliar with all of them yet I found it quite easy to follow along, though I did resist the urge to Google every person or art piece mentioned!

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Told from the viewpoint of an old woman, the mysterious "Venus" of the painting, she weaves us a story of Velázquez's life: starting out as an artist, struggling to gain recognition, and eventually becoming lead artist in King Philip IV's court. "Venus" bases this retelling of Velázquez's life on her own observations as well as acute insights and information from others, including politicians, courtiers, ladies-in-waiting, servants, and even prostitutes.

Las Meninas
(From Wikipedia)

The narrator also lets us in on his domestic life. He is married off to the daughter of his well-to-do mentor, which was typical of the time. His wife Juana and eventually his children lead a quiet life of silent heartache, since they take a backseat to Diego's passion and ambition to make it big in the King's court.

With beautiful models posing for her husband and making their way into his paintings, Juana is sure that her husband has had many flirtations - are these real or imagined?

This is all set against Spain in the 17th century, with a king and his royal court mired in extravagance, powerplay, corruption and voracious sexual appetites, juxtaposed against a disillusioned, suffering and poverty-ridden country.

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So who is "Venus"? There are many allusions as to the identity of the woman in the painting but this entire novel is a mystery awaiting your reading. I enjoyed how this mystery unfolded, and the author kept me guessing and speculating throughout. I personally found the revelation very plausible, satisfying, and tragically romantic.

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Uh-ohs: This is told in first person. While the voice is easy to follow along to in the beginning chapter, as the storyline becomes much more complicated, the voice shifts were often strange and jarring. It was rather offputting and interfered with the otherwise smooth flow of the reading.

There are quite a number of lesser characters with smaller stories that may distract you no end -- these  actually made me feel like ... where is this going? Can we get back to the main story please? For example, there's the back story of Juana's old faithful, Arabela. Then there's the whole alleged flirtation and side story of the housemaid who keeps appearing throughout. And that's just the tip of the iceberg!

Verdict: The muse of artist Diego Velázquez's painting tells us the story of her painter. This is an art mystery that will entice art and historical aficionados to learn more about Diego Velázquez's life. With its beautifully descriptive writing and historical insight, I am eager to look for more of Mujica's work.

About Bárbara Mujica
Barbara Mujica is a novelist, short-story writer, essayist and professor at Georgetown University. Her latest novel, I Am Venus (Overlook Press), explores the identity of the model for the famous Rokeby Venus, the only extant female nude of seventeenth-century Spanish painter Diego de Velázquez. Her previous books include the critically acclaimed novels Frida, based on the relationship between Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, and Sister Teresa, about the life of Saint Teresa de Avila, both published by Overlook. A play based on the latter is currently being developed by The Actors Studio in Los Angeles.
Mujica has won numerous prizes for her stories, which have appeared in magazines and anthologies. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Miami Herald, The Dallas Morning Star, and hundreds of other publications.

A Professor of Spanish at Georgetown University, Dr. Mujica writes extensively on Spanish literature. She has twice been named one of Georgetown’s most influential professors by the Academic Council.
Since her son, a U.S. Marine, returned from Iraq in 2008, Mujica has devoted much of her energy to serving transitioning veterans. At Georgetown she is faculty adviser of the Georgetown University Student Veterans Association (GUSVA) as well as Associate Facilitator of the Veterans Support Team, a coalition of faculty, administrators, and students. Recently she has begun writing about issues pertaining to student veterans. For more information please visit www.barbaramujica.com.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the tour!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.

Hardcover: 304 pages

Publisher: Overlook Hardcover (June 13, 2013)

The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

True identity can hold one a prisoner of the past. 

Back Blurb of The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafón: Barcelona, 1957. It is Christmas, and Daniel Sempere and his wife, Bea, have much to celebrate. They have a beautiful new baby son named Julián, and their close friend Fermín Romero de Torres is about to be wed. But their joy is eclipsed when a mysterious stranger visits the Sempere bookshop and threatens to divulge a terrible secret that has been buried for two decades in the city's dark past.

His appearance plunges Fermín and Daniel into a dangerous adventure that will take them back to the 1940s and the early days of Franco's dictatorship. The terrifying events of that time launch them on a search for the truth that will put into peril everything they love, and will ultimately transform their lives.

My two cents

I have heard nothing but raves about Ruiz Zafón's books so I was slightly wary ... because what if I hated it? Ha! Apparently that wasn't a problem as I read this practically straight through! I just came up for air and water, so to speak. It was a Friday, and I just got back from work ... plopped in a chair and started reading, reluctantly put it down to eat some dinner ... gosh it was good! I continued to race through this until I finished in the wee hours of the morning.

At the heart is the mystery of one man's true identity. It opens in a gloomy bookstore in the 1950s, in post-Civil War Barcelona. A dodgy stranger comes in, buys the collector's edition of The Count of Monte Cristo (the most expensive book in the bookstore!) and asks Daniel Sempere to deliver it to Fermín. The intriguing inscription: For Fermín Romero de Torres, who came back from the dead and holds the key to the future. Thus begins Daniel's uncovering of Fermín's dark past.

The story is told in flashbacks, with Daniel narrating, and events span from the dark days of Franco's dictatorship and the resulting civil war from the 1940s up to the book's present day 1950s. With Fermín wanting to marry and live a legitimate life, he has no choice but to make his true identity known -- even if it means divulging terrible secrets and truths of even the people closest and dearest to him.

While I was reading, I wasn't quite sure how to describe it; the words historical fiction, mystery and fantasy don't do it justice and I am hard pressed to categorize it so neatly. What I am sure about it that this book has a lot going for it:

• It feels like a more modern take of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's lushly descriptive storytelling with hints of magical realism. I have yet to figure out the Cemetery of Forgotten Books storyline but the quick introduction to it is more than enough to intrigue me. 
• The themes are age-old: identity, revenge, redemption ... all brought to life in Ruiz Zafon's fascinating characters. Aside from Fermín, I particularly enjoyed the characters of his seemingly mad mentor David Martin, the pious Isabella, and the self-centred governor-writer Mauricio Valls. 
• This is a book after the bibliophile's heart. There are especial references to Alexandre Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo. I couldn't help but go "wow" as Ruiz Zafon deftly introduced this classic and put his own spin on it. (Obviously I am a Dumas fan and I obviously don't want to give too much away either.)
• The storytelling is absorbing. I couldn't put this down because the pacing was well executed: characters coming into their own; different pieces of the truth coming together slowly yet not quite ... so of course I really didn't have a choice but to keep going!
• While I don't know much about Spain's history, the similarities with various Latin American country histories with dictatorship rules have always fascinated me. (I remembered a similar -- and really good read -- Perla by Carolina de Robertis which was set in Argentina.) 
• The ending, my goodness, the ending! It just begs for the fourth book, and I just lapped it all up with the resolve to hunt down Ruiz's two other books (Shadow of the Wind, The Angel's Game) so I can get all these stories straight.
• Lastly I have to rave about the gorgeous cover of the copy I have -- gilt embossing, dramatic red and black imagery, and ragged page edges. It captures the ambiance of the story: one of the sheer beauty of humanity yet with a menacing darkness to it.

Verdict: A lush historical fiction mystery with touches of magical realism where a man's identity is at stake. A story any bibliophile would really sink their teeth into, and revel in! Highly recommended (and please don't be mad if you also end up having to look for the two other books in this cycle)!

A quick disclaimer: I don't have the backstories of the two other books in this cycle of books, called the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. The first page explains that while each book is self-contained, the three are interconnected in their characters and storylines.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in order to participate in this blog tour.

Check out the rest of the tour here.

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