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Non-fiction books reviews part 8 - crotchet animals, sad poetry and dying languages for children

 This is part eight in a series of non-fiction book reviews, based on the idea that the books I request tell you everything you need to know about me. Today we have some poetry, a children's book from UNESCO and a craft book, because one of these would not be complete without a craft!

Wonderful World of Amigurumi - 15  Adorable Amigurumi Creations - Khuc Cay    (Publishes 8 March 2024)

Khuc is an experienced designer, with their own website and  many adorable pattern on Ravelry (Ravelry: Pattern Search). This book is clear and informative, with very cute patterns. It begins with a comprehensive introduction to this style of crochet,  including what tools the crafter needs, and continues to detailed, well written patters. Mainly the design (of both the projects and the book) feels clean, like a craft space just after it's been tidied, when you are ready to sit down and start working or playing.

The patterns themselves are for very cute creatures, including an anthropomorphic mushroom, adorable monkey and an anglerfish that I really want to make.     

I read this during the (thankfully brief) period when I was able to crotchet but not knit due to an injury, and it was very comforting to know that there is still so much cuteness and fun in the crafting world.    

What I Should Have Texted - Pierre Alex Jeanty (Publishes 5 March 2024) 


I'm not sure I would call this poetry - but maybe that's a reflection on me, rather than on poetry. This books takes the form of a series of text messages between the protagonist and their ex, and then "fills in the blanks" with what they are thinking and feeling. I didn't really enjoy this, it felt juvenile.and self-indulgent to me. We only see the relationship after it was over, so I have no reason to care that it's over. It's like when someone breaks up after being together for years and then tries to tell you that the never really loved the person anyway, and the relationship was always terrible, and I'm like, well you must have at one point, because you didn't HAVE to marry them. Also, if you really don't want the person in your life at all, you can block their number at any point, rather than reading these text and talking about what a terrible person they always were. It would have made for a much shorter book though. Maybe I'm unsympathetic  and have no romance in my soul. Or maybe my frustration and annoyance with this book means that it is effective art, because it made me feel something, even if what I feel is like screaming. I did like the idea that we send a word or a sentence in a message and there is a whole world of context and hurt and love underneath it.   

What Makes Us Human  Victor D.O Santos (Releases 05 March 2024) 

I requested this children's book because it was released with UNSECO and I thought it was about languages. In fact it's a poetic riddle that has us turning pages to find out what connects all humans. It raises interesting questions and challenges that humanity is facing right now - for example it mentions the predicted extinction of half of all human languages by 2100. This is well within the lifetime of children who might be reading, or having this book read to them now. This is a fairly distressing fact. It's also a children's book, so not a whole lot of scope for explaining genocide, centralisation, cultural imperialism, mass migration through climate necessity and so on. On a smaller level, I felt there needed to be a "what can you do" in order to empower children to assist, rather than just leave the problem sitting there. I didn't read this to a child, I suspect a child would look at the well drawn and interesting pictures, enjoy the text and move on.                                                                                                                         

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