Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: manners

  • Sonny Says Sorry!

    Sonny Says Sorry!

    Intended for very young children, this cardboard quarter sized book Sony Says Sorry! is sturdy and colourful. The illustrations are simple and not too cluttered. There are many physical references in the story which will encourage a child to participate, such as sniffing, barking, eating cake and chocolate.

    The story is simple showing the characters opening a box which isn’t for them and eating the contents.  Issues are raised and there are some great conversation starters such as, Is it OK to open someone else’s parcel, Is it OK to eat the contents, How can you make amends for your behaviour, and what can you learn from this? Even at an early age children need to be exposed to thinking about behaviour which promotes respect and care for each other.

    Sony Says Sorry will be a much read book for the very young child and will hopefully promote discussion about friendship and caring for others.

  • Felix Unbound

    Felix Unbound

    Felix Unbound is a captivating read which will delight the heart as the irresistible charm of Felix unfolds in a most entertaining, and intriguingly mysterious manner.

    Tiffany is in a real rage. Anthony has stood her up again with little notice. In her temper, she throws her mobile onto the couch; it skids across floor, knocking over a group of Egyptian statuettes. They lay in a heap looking accusingly up at Tiffany. Seth, a massive mischief maker, falls out of the grate, knocking over the figure of a small cat.

    Tiffany consulting her dearest moggy Felix, asks why all men can’t be like him. Not amused, Felix gets up and leaves via the garden door. A strong wind topples Isis into the mobile phone screen. A rumble of thunder, a huge flash of lightening, with drenching rain falling, and a furious yowl contributing to the uproar, a ball of expanding fur is hurled through an open window.

    Oblivious to the turmoil occurring outdoors, Tiffany, bath finished and feeling much more relaxed, moves to her bedroom only to find a large, gorgeous, slightly furry, perfectly naked male, face down on her bed!

    And so begins a tale of family, convoluted ancestry, tangled webs and the value of true friendship, as Cathy Gunn weaves a tale familiar to many who have often wondered if transmogrification could possibly be real.

    But there is more to Felix than just a gorgeously handsome, charming rouge who can paint the most amazing murals, as well as charm all who come into his ‘patch’. Long-time friends and Tiffany’s family members, all find themselves tangled in Felix’s web of magic, having to face a bit of their own truth to the betterment of each one.

    As the family dynamics become ever more tangled, Felix also begins to realise that life in human form is more complicated than he would ever have thought, especially when Tiffany’s Uncle Ozzy and Emma’s mother Iris, become far more involved than is perhaps good for him.

    Pages turn with rapidity as this artfully crafted story develops a range of characters who fit together well, with several carrying a slightly sinister intent which does add an element of intrigue, trying to work out just what is their intent.

    Felix Unbound is a lovely mix of fantasy, reality and character study throughout tied into a reflection on myth with a modern day connotation!

  • Fucking Good Manners

    Fucking Good Manners

    While the title of this book, Fucking Good Manners is amusing, the “F” word is used four hundred and seventy-five times throughout the text. That is about four hundred and seventy times too many. It distracts from the message and breaks the flow of presentation. However, that would be the only criticism of the contents, the message is important and current, in today’s society.

    Simon Griffin makes a point when he says good manners are not going to solve the world’s great problems. However, they do demand respect for other people. Consideration in listening to another point of view, and quietly digesting it for a response, is better than dismissing it or shouting. Think about this in the schoolyard and in Parliament House! He notes that how you behave in private should be quite different to a public presence. Cultural differences emerge; in Japan excessive eye contact is seen as rudeness, but in the USA, it is deemed as courteous.

    Manners have changed from times past, and Simon takes us back to Moses and the ten commandments. He then moves through the centuries and explains why certain customs developed. Later came the code of Chivalry, where respect for others and being brave and generous was a noble ambition. Courtly manners were necessary for survival, and developed in the court of Kings. The historical perspective of acceptable manners is interesting.

    When we leave our house, we are entering a shared space. We interact with people in many ways and if we can do this pleasantly with people who also share this space, life will be easier for all of us. Helping someone cross the road, or opening a door for someone, or often just smiling, can encourage a positive feeling. Just as we have an impact on the environment by being alive, so we impact on the people around us by our very presence.

    Griffin writes about our behaviour and attitude in places such as shops and cinemas, the workplace and on social media. It is a timely reminder that we are not the most important being in the world, and lack of consideration for others should not be a way of life. This is an excellent reference book and so important in today’s society, where many people have not even thought about how annoying their phone conversation might be to others.

  • # GUY CODE

    # GUY CODE

    Long overdue, this etiquette book for the modern man should be placed on the compulsory, must read list, especially for students who are about to graduate and move into the everyday world of business and a far more mature lifestyle.

    In today’s world of instant everything, from pizza to friendship and love via the wonderful world of technology, learning the basic requirements of society are becoming far more challenging. Regardless of what your younger life has been, how casual the lifestyle of family and friends appears to be, there are still, interestingly enough, rules of how to go about making a seriously good impression.

    Many of the older generation grew up with these ‘rules’ as the norm, but as lifestyles have changed, become so much faster and ‘relaxed’, so too the basic tenants of good behaviour gone with them.

    Following on from her first book #GirlCode, Launerts has continued on into the world of the adolescent and young adult males, to help guide them through the many pitfalls of making a good impression, whether it be with the girl you are seeking to impress, fronting up for your first job interview, or attending your first formal dinner party.

    As motivation to succeed is very strong in the younger generation, and the old adage than ‘manners maketh the man’ still does seriously apply, it would certainly pay off to read up on etiquette.

    Gaining social confidence in today’s cyber world is not easy; having face to face contact in the real time world can be often be confrontational; learning to read the body language and signals used unconsciously by us all in various social and work based situations can be awkward, embarrassing and can make for a very anxious time.

    With GUYCODE Michaela Launerts uses her skill base to help leavers develop a strong set of social skills that will help with their presentation, social confidence and self-esteem. She strongly promotes ‘young people learning manners, social graces and how to conduct themselves in professional and social circles in an integral part of one’s development’ and it is, most definitely!

    Regardless of where you are heading in life, manners truthfully do make the man and will in many, many instances, gives the edge as far as selection of employment, professional and social standards and influence in society is concerned.

    Try it out and see just what your new look and style achieves; you may be pleasantly surprised but remember, good manners cost nothing at all, but can reap unsought rewards as you travel through life.

    Definitely worth the investment!

     

  • The Windfall

    The Windfall

     

    Set in India, this is the story of two people and their extended family, who in midlife have a dramatic change to their world. The language used by the author reflects beautifully, the thoughts and emotions experienced by the characters. Speaking of the main character’s mother, Diksha says, “Once a week they went out for dinner, and Mr Jha’s mother would dress in the latest fashion of the town and push her feet into sandals with high heels and stiff straps that made her ankles bleed and she loved it.” This gently flowing language explains and sets the tone of the story.

     Mr Jha is the main character. He began a website some years previously, and developed and built it up. Now an international company has bought the site for millions of dollars. Mr and Mrs Jha have always lived with their son Rupak in a housing complex, where they watched Rupak grow up and also watched their neighbours wash, iron, cook and argue. Windows were never closed and the close proximity of each apartment meant there was little privacy. This is the way they have always lived, and now Rupak is going to study overseas, Mr Jha has decided it is time for he and his wife to move. Not to another country or city, but to the elite side of Delhi, where each house is isolated and the silence is overwhelming.

     The humour in the tale comes from the way the husband and wife gradually adapt to their new way of life, and the old habits which still persist. Mr Jha notices that even though they have a bidet now, Mrs Jha still keeps her mug in the bathroom…. The neighbours are a mystery to Mr Jha, who wonders if he should get a pool because the other houses in the street have one. The lounge that he has specially imported from Japan with Swarovski crystals embedded in it is very impressive, but rather uncomfortable to sit on.

     As time passes, Mr and Mrs Jha gradually adapt to the new neighbourhood and the exclusive club. They begin to see the nasty, insincere people who are shallow and needy, and realize they have a wonderful relationship, and a greater degree of groundedness which will always serve them well.

     Now they have recovered from the shock of absolute wealth and the idiotic way it makes some people behave, they are determined to find contentment and fulfilment in their lives. This is a gentle story and a delightful reflection on custom and culture from another country.