Itsy Bitsy Spider

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout.

Down came the rain, and washed the spider out.

Out came the sun, and dried up all the rain

And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.

Hi...it's the holidays soon, almost 10 weeks or so and I don't know what to do. Dad says we're going to Phuket for a couple of weeks, I hope I can ride a lot of Jet Ski.

Today I want to tell you all about the ITSY BITSY SPIDER. ITSY BITSY means small and it's the story about a spider who climbs up and then he's getting washed down by rain and then he climbs up again and again and again. Don't confuse it with SPIDERMAN.

My dad says the story is a childrens "classic". Available as a song, storybook, web side etc., check it all out here. There is also a Wikipedia entry.

So what's the punchline: Never give up. Don't be a spider. Eat your vegetables.

Tobias Verdict: Better a big nasty spider than an itsy bitsy spider.

Rating: No rating

Final word: If you see a spider, don't step on it. It eats flies and mosquitos and is a useful addition to any house.

Celina Jaitley & Me

Today there is no book review, but I want to show you a picture of how I met a movie star. Her name is Celina Jaitley. I met her at Pattaya Airpark, they were shooting a music video for her new movie Golmaal Returns. I helped her to order Som Tam, which she liked, but she can't speak Thai. She is former Miss India (in 2001) and is gorgeous, what do you think?

Math Blaster

I like this game because we have it at school and the topic is math and space. In my class we are studying space and all the time when we have free time at school I play the came in the Computer Lab.

I always liked one at home but couldn't buy it in Thailand, but now I have one at home because Dad brought it from a business trip China.

How does the game work?

First of all you click on what level you are on, you type in your name. When you begin, you are on Mars. The game gives you a lot of math questions and you try to answer them before something hits you or zaps you. Every time you finish a level, you go on a harder level. When you finished a lot of levels you get to on to Earth., but that's only if you are really good. I am not yet on that level.

Check it out at AMAZON, there are also some more reviews.

My comment: Fun but gets really hard!

My rating: 4 out of 5

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

This Caterpillar is really hungry, finds food every day of the week like fruit, ice cream, cake, cheese and lollipop, eats it all and finally turns into a butterfly. Children love the book because all the time when he eats through things he makes a hole in them and the hole is actually in the book.

Parents love the book because kids learn to count from 1 to 5 and all the days of the week.

What a great idea, I wish I had it. Wikipedia says it sold 30 Million copies, so Eric Carle, the author, must be a pretty rich guy. Emma Brockes made a great interview and portrait of the "Rock Star of Childrens Books" on the web site of the Guardian. Kids write to Eric at the rate of 10,000 letters a year – he is almost as famous as Santa Claus - but he exists!

Dad says this is one of the most famous childrens books ever and it's in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Wow. I checked the web site of the Museum but couldn't find it. The Museum store has some of his other books and games for sale though.

There also is a Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

You can watch the story on YOUTUBE but better take some time tonight and pull it out tonight and read it with your kids.

My comment: Colorful and delicious!

My rating: 5 out of 5

The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe

First of all, thank you Helma, Granddad, Joan, Tomoko and Stefan for your nice emails and comments!

Now, I like to tell you about this book which we read at my school ISE and the story about three goats who are all named Gruff and who eat all the time on a hill full of grass.

One unlucky day, there is no grass left and the three hungry goats have to cross a bridge to get on the other side of the mountain. When the first and youngest one crosses the bridge a big ugly Troll comes out and says "I am going to eat you...."

For those who don't know: A Troll is a big ugly homeless monster. In England they call them Ogre. The one in this story lives under the bridge. Shrek is also a Troll, but he is much smarter as you will see when you read on.

The goat tells the Troll that it is to small to get eaten and that he has bigger, more delicious brothers. The Troll agrees and allows the goat to go. Then the second oldest goat wants to cross the bridge. The Troll comes out again, this time more hungry and explains to the goat that he's going to eat it. This goat also explains to the Troll that it is to little and that the Troll should wait a while. The biggest and strongest goat is next and when the Troll tries to start snacking on it, the goat attacks the Troll with his horns and down goes the Troll.

So what do we have: Three very smart goats and one very dumb Troll who trusts to much and should have had the first 2 goats for breakfast.

I liked the book because who doesn't like to read about smart goats versus stupid Trolls. In real life similar things like this happen every day...

The book is actually a Norwegian fairy tale. Check out the Wikipedia info if you want more details.

My comment: Eat it while you can and don't listen to the goats!

My rating: 4 out of 5

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

The Fish with the "Shiny Scales"

Everybody knows this one I guess: It's the story of the little fish with the shiny scales.

He is so beautiful that some friends (?) get jealous and want him to give them one. Of course he doesn't like it, so all the friends turn away and he is all alone and very sad.

At some point all the other fish turn away and he is all alone and very sad.

Later he finds the big wise octopus in a hole deep down in the water who tells him to give up his nice scales and distribute them to his friends so they would like him again. Wow, what a message!!!!

Thanks for Sharing!

So little Rainbow Fish goes back up and shares all his scales among his friends and everybody loves him but he ends up with only one scale at the end to keep for himself.

Lucky Rainbow Fish: If he had just one more friend, he would have ended up with NO SHINY SCALES at all. Ummm...

The pictures are quite soft and sweet but the message isn't a real world story.

My comment: Fish & Chips, please!

My rating: 2 out of 5 stars

First Post

Hi:

this is Tobias and I will be the host to some interesting books, games and web sites.