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Dr. Julia E. Antoine began writing professionally at the age of 19. At that time, she wrote short stories for the local radio station in her home town. She gave up writing when she moved to the United States to attend college. She has since earned several degrees, including two Masters and a Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Northeastern University in Boston. During the course of her schooling, she wrote and published a working curriculum for a career school, a business manual and its answer key, as well as other literary work. In 2010, she revisited her first love, writing for fun and enjoyment. Dr. Antoine writes children's books under her given name and romance novels under her pen name, Ju Ephraime.
Visit her at: http://www.too-clever.com or on her blog at http://www.too-clever.blogspot.com
Reviewed by Fiona Ingram for Readers' Favorite
Too Clever II: A Tropical Christmas Story by Dr. Julia E. Antoine is a very unusual kind of Christmas story, and one that will fascinate young readers who are used to a traditional holiday celebration. This is a very sweet and enjoyable story about a young boy, Johnny, and how Christmas is celebrated on his tropical island home in the Caribbean. Young readers who have read Too Clever 1, the first book in Antoine’s series, will have met Johnny already and they will enjoy learning about his home, and a lifestyle and culture so very different from theirs. But what is not at all different is the amount of fun in the planning and preparation for the Christmas holiday season and the wonderful food that will be eaten. Johnny loves watching his mother make the special Christmas starch cake hat for the top of the tree. He can hardly wait for Christmas and the start of the celebrations. There’s only one cloud in Johnny’s sky; he wishes there were more presents under the tree. There will only be one for him, and one each for his parents. Or will there?
Young readers and, I’m sure, parents and teachers will be fascinated by the story which gives such lovely unique cultural details and an insight in various customs and traditions. The decorating of the tree with dried fruit, the delicious sounding dishes prepared for this special occasion, the number of holidays that follow on after each other, the very hot weather with it being a tropical island, and details of how Johnny, his family, and his community live. There are nice themes for youngsters to think about such as family life, spending time with the people you love, appreciating what you have, not being wasteful, and finding ways to preserve the environment. Listening to your parents and learning from them are also important points. Working together to create a good life and helping each other are highlighted in a gentle, subtle way. Young readers will learn a lot about Johnny’s life, which often isn’t easy, and his parents have to work hard.
Bright, simple illustrations and even photographs give young readers a peep into this very different life style. The way people all over the world celebrate Christmas may have differences, but the spirit of love, unity, and togetherness remains the same. This is a wonderful book for parents and teachers to use for discussion points. There is a wealth of fascinating material to keep young readers interested in the story and perhaps keen on learning more about children in other countries with unique cultures. I really enjoyed it!
