A Frog Named Waldor by Jacqueline Rankine-Van Wassenhoven

Illustrated by Annie Zhang
2.5 stars

A Frog Named Waldor is a sweet children’s picture book about a little girl named Jennifer who loves to read, particularly books about water fairies. Now, as I do love fairies and talking frogs are quite irresistible, I was very intrigued by the premise of this story. On a hot July afternoon, Jennifer takes her book to a favourite spot by a pond near the village where she lives, to enjoy some quiet reading time when she is quite surprised to make the acquaintance of Waldor, the talking frog. They talk about water fairies and through a magical twist of fate, Waldor, is just the creature with the power to introduce Jennifer to some real, charming water fairies that he knows!

I believe that author Jacqueline Rankine-Van Wassenhoven had wonderful intentions for this book and there are some lovely illustrations by Annie Zhang (my favourite being the one that depicts Jennifer and Waldor dancing at a musical fairy jam amongst the toadstools), however, the story ends very abruptly, seems unfinished, and just doesn’t quite hit the mark, although it is clear that the author has a lot of love for the subject matter.

The book is only 12 pages long and of those 12 pages, there are five adorable, colourful, full-page illustrations. That being said, my niece and nephew who are 7-years-old, enjoyed it and thought that Waldor was pretty cool, but they wanted to know more about him. This story is more about Jennifer and the fairies than it is about Waldor, so the title of the book is a tad misleading. They also liked the idea of the magic bulrushes that allow Jennifer to ride on the back of Mrs. Nightingale, who carried her home.

For some reason, this book is listed on Chapters.Indigo.ca as costing $32.95 which is an extraordinarily high price to pay for a 12 page picture book. It also seems very overpriced at other online booksellers sites. If those prices are correct, I cannot recommend that you buy this book.

American On Purpose: The Improbable Adventures Of An Unlikely Patriot by Craig Ferguson

4.0 stars

I have been a fan of CBS’ The Late Late Show host, Craig Ferguson, since I first saw him in the 1999 film, The Big Tease, followed by 2000’s Saving Grace: a gem of a comedy written, co-produced, and starring Ferguson that has since become one of my all-time favourites. I never really watched him play Drew Carey’s drunken boss, Nigel Wick, on The Drew Carey Show (1996-2003), although I might have caught the odd episode, but I have been watching him faithfully on The Late Late Show since July 2005.

Craig Ferguson is a wonderful actor and one of Britain’s (and America’s) leading comedians, who has written and performed three albums of stand-up comedy, as well as this year’s DVD - “A Wee Bit O’ Revolution” - filmed at the Wilbur Theatre in Boston. His self-deprecating humour is infectious and almost no subject in his own life is taboo. He’ll discuss everything from his personal vacations, to his failed marriages, lust for Beyoncé, enormous penis, and past alcohol and drug addiction. He’s often “irreverently outrageous, but never mean-spirited,” and he can just as easily make you cry with his emotional intelligence and integrity.

Craig is an exceptionally fine writer and in 2006, his first novel, entitled Between The Bridge and The River was published, receiving impressive sales and positive critical reviews. His latest effort, American On Purpose, is an autobiography, and although I knew about a lot of what was shared in the book because I watch his show regularly, I was still mesmerized by his elegant prose and didn’t want to put it down.

American On Purpose is a poignant and positively witty memoir that begins with an auspicious invitation to perform at the 2008 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in front of the least popular President in the history of the United States, and then revisits 46 of his tumultuous years on the planet in a very fast-paced, enthralling manner. Craig, who is candid about his 15 years as a blackout drunk, was exceptionally careful about what he revealed about his life and sometimes changed names to protect those who might now be uncomfortable or offended if he hadn’t. I was a bit disappointed that he simply wrote that he’d dated some well-known actresses before he met and married his third bride, Megan Wallace-Cunningham, but never revealed who any of them were. He did speak very respectfully and lovingly of all of the serious relationships he had with the women who came before Megan, and I was especially moved by the last chapter in the book in which he talks about the death of his mother in 2008. If anything, I found when I’d finished reading American on Purpose that I was selfishly wanting more details about this remarkable man.

This hardworking, insecure Scottish immigrant who loves the philosophical and emotional concept of America never spares himself: whom he refers to as an uncool, “middle-aged white man with graying hair, a thickening waist, and a creepy laugh.” No matter how much therapy he’s had, or how successful he’s become in many areas of his life, he can’t quite believe that it’s as a result of his own talent and strength of character (which it undoubtedly is!).

“…I’m still doing lame comedy now and the show is doing great. Maybe that’s because it’s my lame comedy. I am my lame self and make the lame comedy my own.”

Craig Ferguson is only two years older than me, and he came of age in the same, debaucherous decade that I did. I can relate to the feelings and experiences that led him from the dreary back streets of Cumbernauld and his intoxicated, punk rock youth, to the relief he felt at being able to pay off over $250,000 of debt after 7 years of sobriety, and his incredulity at now owning a home with a swimming pool in Hollywood, and being a protective, loving father to his 8-year-old son, Milo. For a self-professed control freak, this man is honest, diligent, intelligent, handsome, funny, kind, and sensitive, and there is nothing that I read in American On Purpose that will convince me otherwise.

If you’re not already aware of the incandescent beauty that is TV’s Craig Ferguson, you are really missing out, because every day that Craig Ferguson is on the air is a great day for America! I will wait with anticipation for more of his brilliant writing in the future.

Origins Of The Name 'Scully'

I chose the name Scully Love Promo for my internet promotion business and subsequent book and CD review blog because I named it after my Goldendoodle (who is my kid in a fur coat), Scully. She is all about giving unconditional love and Scully Love Promo is all about spreading the love about artists that I appreciate and believe in. I thought it would be fun to research the origins of the name Scully and this is what I’ve discovered:

ORIGINS OF THE NAME SCULLY

First name origin & meaning:

Scottish: Town crier; herald

First name variations: Scullee, Sculley, Scullie

Last name origin & meaning:

Irish: reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Scolaidhe ‘descendant of the scholar’, from scolaidhe ‘scholar’.

The Irish surname Scully is the Anglicized form of the Old Gaelic name O'Scolaidhe. This name ultimately derived from an Old Irish word meaning, literally, "a student". Hence, the name is of nickname origin, deriving from a personal characteristic of the original bearer. During the Middle Ages, nicknames were very popular in Ireland; they were terms of affection and endearment, and the name 'Scolaidhe' was usually given to one who was a student or who was noted for having great academic ability.

The family name Scully was first found in county Westmeath and Leinster where they had been seated as early as the twelfth century but were driven out during the Anglo-Norman invasion of Strongbow in 1172 and their lands were confiscated and they were driven in to counties Tipperary and Cork (Province of Munster). Despite this some of the names are still numerous in Leinster.

On leaving Delvin (County Westmeath) the most significant family of this name in medieval Ireland settled in Lorrha, in the southern county of Tipperary where they became erenaghs of the church of St. Ruan. Erenaghs were powerful lay lords whose families held church titles and property from generation to generation.

It was no doubt an offshoot of these which gave its name to Ballyscully, a place on the other side of the Shannon. Another branch of the Scully sept settled near Cashel in South Tipperary in the seventeenth century. This family gave their name to Scully's Cross which is a magnificent ecclesiastical memorial near the Rock of Cashel where the Scullys have the privilege of interment.

A branch of the Scully family retained its lands in County Dublin up to 1256 when the property of William O'Scully passed in to ecclesiastical possession.

Scully is used sometimes in north Connacht as a synonym of Scullion or Scullin (O'Scolláin). Scullin is now rare, but Scullion is fairly numerous in north east Ulster. The O'Scullions were erenaghs of Ballyscullion in the deanery of Rathlowry, diocese of Derry.

The name Scully occurred in many references, but from time to time the surname was spelt Scully, Scally, O'Scully, Sculley, Sculey, Skally, Skully, Skulley, Scholey, Skholey, Scullee and these changes in spelling frequently occurred, even between father and son. It was not uncommon to find a person's name spelt several different ways during his or her lifetime, firstly when he or she was baptized, another when that person was married, and yet another appearing on the death certificate.

The best known Scullys were Tipperary men. James Scully was the proprietor of Scully's Bank of Tipperary, one of the few private banks to weather the financial crises of 1820 and 1825. These crises occurred when the British and Irish currencies were combined following a controversial Act of Parliament and numerous small banks were forced out of business. It is of interest to record that this very reputable institution, Scully's Bank of Tipperary, was acquired by John Sadlier of scandalous and notorious memory.

Denis Scully (1773-1830), political writer and Catholic advocate, and his son Vincent Scully (1810-1871), well-known Irish politician and author, were of the same Kilfeacle family.

James Scully (b. 1865), American poet, was born in county Cork.

Vincent Scully (b. 1900), Canadian cabinet minister, was born and educated in Ireland.

In North America some of the first migrants which could be considered kinsmen of the sept Scully and of the same family were Peter, John, Martin and William Sculley all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1870; Ben, Edward, John, Joseph, Martin, Mathew, Michael, Owen, Patrick, Peter, Thomas and William Scully all arrived in Philadelphia between 1800 and 1870.

http://www.louisscully.com/html/scully_name_origins.html

Scully has also been the surname of:



• Actress Gillian Anderson’s character (Dana Scully) on the American television series The X-Files (this is who I named my dog, Scully, after)
• A British television series
• The Scully family of the British television series Neighbours
• British TV presenter Hugh Scully
• UFO author Frank Scully
• Physicist Marlan Scully
• American journalist and speechwriter Matthew Scully
• Irish poet Maurice Scully
• Irish-American painter Sean Scully
• Architectural history professor and writer Vincent J. Scully
• Major League Baseball announcer Vin Scully
• A Marvel Comics villain and enemy of The Punisher