March 2004 Children's Books Reviews

Ten Queens: Portraits of Women of Power
by Milton Meltzer, Bethanne Andersen

Dutton Children's Books

ISBN# 0-5254-7158-8
Suggested Retail Price: $14.99

Meet ten women who were in power in their day. Queen Esther from the bible is presented here in the story of how she influenced the King of Persia. The king selected her because she was the most beautiful woman in his empire. He didn't know and she didn't tell him that she was Jewish. The tale of how she saved her people is an old and respected one that you and your children can learn from this book.

Other famous women like Cleopatra, Eleanor of Aquitaine, (who was portrayed so well by Kathryn Hepburn in "The Lion In Winter") are included. Then we learn about Catherine the Great and Elizabeth the First, just to name two more of the ten queens. The book is dedicated to Eleanor Roosevelt who was a powerful woman and was much admired in her time.

Here are lessons for anyone, but especially girls to enjoy and know that women can have power, too.

Bee Mine: A Pop-Up Book of Valentines
by Olive Ewe, Daniel Moreton

Little Simon

ISBN# 0-6898-4814-5
Suggested Retail Price: $12.95

This is a little gem for Valentine's Day. It is simple and a pleasure. Each pop-up page has a card to open. It's a Valentine card and each card has a jump-up frog or a sheep. Some are filled with elephants and one that is full of cute cats. The paper pop-ups were engineered by Bruce Foster and they are very clever. I don't know who wrote the Valentine greetings, but they make this fun book a delight.