I have had the luxury of traveling and reading the past few days. I read and watched the following in one glorious spurt:
I preferred the books and movies with animals & the magic of our thriving universe in them over the ones with just humans in this lot though.
- Forgotten Beasts – by Matt Sewell
- 100 animals to see before they die
- Ice Walker – A Polar Bear’s Journey through Fragile Arctic – James Raffan
- Birds, Beasts & Relatives – by Gerald Durrell
- The One & Only Ivan – by Katherine Applegate
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – By Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Back from the Brink – Documentary at the Boston Science Museum
- Moons: Worlds of Mystery – Documentary at the Boston Science Museum
- Kung Fu Panda – 2 – Dreamworks Animated Movie
Granted that the 7 Hs of Evelyn H was a fast read. The narrative style pulled us along with just a hint of intrigue keeping us going till the very end. The story itself appeals because it is a story of someone trapped in the endless trap of fame and glory, and the constant insecurity of ratings and popularity. It is, though, a reminder of the things valued by plenty of humankind, and the reminder of love in a tumultuous world. The interest in another’s life, is a never-ending case of human interest, and the story does justice to that indeed. There are several well-written lines in there on human nature. I must say I have never been enamored by the Kardashian-type of celebrity life shows, so my review is somewhat lukewarm for this one.
The heart-lifting tale of The One & Only Ivan was up next – the gorilla who saves his little elephant friend Ruby, after making a promise to an older elephant friend, Stella. Based on a true story, this is the kind of story that tugs at heart strings. Katherine Applegate’s writing is a class apart. I have been a fan ever since I read The Tale of Despereaux.
I wonder, sometimes with a tinge of envy I admit, about how animals, birds, and marine creatures live without the trappings of economics and finances, and social influences and so on. They navigate by the cosmos as much as we do – In Ice Walker, the author, James Raffan follows the life of a polar bear, Nanu, as she grows, hunts, mates, and raises her young in the polar ice caps. How surely she knows the changing seasons, and the direction in which to lead her cubs for food and sustenance, is beautifully written and portrayed. The bright stars that we peek at, is so much more for these creatures. How far we have come as humans, and how much more left to go? Nanu is killed by humans, and her surviving cub is forlorn.
On the way to view the Statue of Liberty, we stopped and watched plenty of statues of liberty along the way. Boston Public Gardens hosts the marvelously made statue of Make Way for the Ducklings by Robert McCluskey.
New York’s Central Park hosts many statues : Alice in Wonderland & Hans Christiaan Andersen with a swan are marvelous reminders of life and the marvelous influences of imagination. I wonder how many people worried about the economics and finances of the economies, their lives, and their jobs stopped to take deep breaths and believe in magic once again as they make their way past these statues of liberty.
It seems only fitting to finish this marvelous post on the different things that sustain human minds and lives with a Seussism or two.
And Always Remember
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed)
KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS
Oh the Places You’ll Go – Dr Seuss
Or this one?
Expand Your Horizon
The more that you read,
The more things you will know,
The more that you learn,
The more places you’ll go
– I Can Read With My Eyes Shut – Dr Seuss
Nourish-n-Cherish 