BOOK REVIEW #11 (The Story of Chocolate)

A thousand years ago, chocolate was a big secret.

(page 3)

This book has six stories. The first story is about the first chocolate drinkers. It was monkeys. They lived in the rain forest where was full of tropical plants and there was the small cocoa tree, and they spat out the bean of cocoa. Then a farmer discovered by turning bean into a drink, and their group called Myans. And Mayan kings began to drink it every day. But it was hard to preparing cocoa beans, so most people allowed drink it on a special day.

Hundreds of years later, a group of merchants arrived in a Mayan village.

(page 13)

This group, Aztecs, journeyed for days to find exotic goods for their emperor. Then they found cocoa beans and they knew how to make the chocolate drink so they served it to their emperor. He was delighted. Then they bought beans from Mayans and grew cocoa. But poor people couldn't drink it. Eventually, chocolate drink passed into legend.

In 1519, a Spanish explorer named Cortes set out with an army to fight the Aztecs.

(page 19)

The third story is about the time after many battles. Emperor Montezuma wanted to make peace and he served chocolate drink to Cortes. So he brought cocoa beans to Spain. And he served a drink for his friends. Then chocolate gossip spread fast. But it was very expensive so only rich people buy the drink.

Lots of goods could be made more easily including chocolate.

(page 25)

The fourth story is about machine which can put out bar of chocolate. In 1847, the boss of an English chocolate maker came up with bar of chocolate. Meanwhile, a man developed milk chocolate in Switzerland. These chocolates were popular very much.

By the 20 th century, people had learned how to make milk chocolate smoother, creamier and even more tasty.

(page 34)

The fifth story is about diversification of chocolate. A man who is the boss of American chocolate maker thought bars were boring, so he tried squirting glossy chocolate into little peaks. He called them "Kisses". In addition, various chocolate were produced by some chocolate makers. And some of small companies made amazing chocolate by hand.

Some of today's chocolate companies are gigantic. But most of them began as small family businesses.

(page 42)

The sixth story is about success story of own business. John opened a shop which sold his own drinking chocolate, it was so popular. And he set up a cocoa and chocolate factory. His products are sold around the world. Also, there were many family business were successful. For example, M&M which company developed chocolate drops coated by sugar that wouldn't melt in hand. It is famous chocolate.

I didn't know a history of chocolate. I surprised at chocolate has a many history. And I thought that chocolate is a very popular sweets from of old. Now, there are a lot of kind chocolate and we can buy it easily. Compared to old days, I think it is very convenience.


Dynes, Katie. (2004). The Story of Chocolate. Usborned.

BOOK REVIEW #10 (Stories of Princes & Princesses)

Colin was the clumsiest prince in the kingdom

(page 3)

This book has four stories about princes and princesses. The first story is about Colin who is clumsy prince. A princess asked him to marry, but her father didn't permit it and he gave testes. But Colin couldn't pass them, so he had to leave the palace. That night, he heard a scream which is the princess. He leaned out of the window, then the flower pot dropped on the head of the princess thief. He rescued her, so the king permitted their marriage.

Prue liked being a princess, except for one thing. She didn't want to marry a prince.

(page 12)

The second story is about Prue who didn't want to marry a prince. The king gave her choice of princes, but she didn't choice. So he got her married off a beggar. He was very kind, but very poor. And Prue was used to servants. When she went to the castle to work, she saw her husband gave a speech to his guest in the ballroom. Then she knew that he was the prince. And they celebrated a wedding in the castle.

Once, a poor prince named Sam lived in a tiny castle.

(page 26)

The third story is about Sam who fall in love with a rich princess, Sara. He sent her his tree and bird, and he worked at her palace. He made an effort to be liked, but she and the king didn't like him. But she did want the rattle which he made, so she kissed him. The king saw it, and he was very angry. So Sara and Sam were turned out of the palace. Sam took Sara to live in his tiny castle, and they married.

Percy was the rudest, dirtiest, smelliest prince in the country.

(page 36)

The fourth story is about Percy who was a very lonely prince. He had no friends and he didn't like children and animals, but he wanted to marry a princess. So he captured a princess, but she got engaged to another prince, Harry. And Harry went to Percy's castle to rescue her, Percy tried to stop him. But Harry was strong, so he was no match for Harry. Moreover, Harry's soldiers gave him a bath. Then Harry rescued her and married and Percy was invited to their wedding.

I think that there were various princes and princesses in this book. I was surprised at the four story. I thought that Percy was so dirty, why he was a prince?! And I like princess and prince story such like Disney, so it is the first time to read a story about dirty prince. It was interesting.

Rawson, Christopher. (2003). Stories of Princes & Princesses. Usborne.

BOOK REVIEW #13 (Stories of Dinosaurs)

The Dinosaurs World Wrestling Final was one week away. Kevin was fighting Mac, the masked Megalosaurus.

(page 3)

This book has three stories about dinosaurs. The first story is about Kevin and his small trainer, Reg. They went through special training for the fight. But Mac and his trainer was so spite, so his trainer carried on a war of nerves everyday. On the day of the fight, Kevin tripped over his tail and fell down stairs. Mac and his trainer made a fool of him, so Reg got really angry. He scuttled around Mac, he felt dizzy and went down. As a result, Reg and Kevin won this fight.

Tonight, the Raptor brothers, Mike and Albie, were opening their new restaurant.

(page 19)

The second story is about Mike and Albice. Opening day of their restaurant, they had foods stolen. But there was first customer who came from the Good Grub Guide. Then Mike brought a lot of bundle of plants and he cooked these. But it taste was terrible, so the customer got out. As he left, a strange looking dinosaur ate it, he liked it very much. He was a herbivorous dinosaur, then Mike and Albiece made a good trade as vegetarian restaurant.

Daisy wasn't enjoying her school trip to local museum.

(page 34)

The third story about Daisy and the baby dinosaur. The famous explorer showed them an egg of Hadrosaur. Then he lost a balance and knocked over the egg. The egg rolled in Daisy's bag and hatched. The baby dinosaur shot out of her bag, and ran away. Then he snuggled up to a model Hadrosaur. And he cried, the sound was so calming. So the curator decided to give the Handrosaur's calming voice concert.

This book was excited. I want to hear the voice of Handrosaur. And there were various dinosaurs in this book, so I don't feel fear. I don't have go to the museum of dinosaur, so I want to go the museum someday.

Punter, Russell. (2006). Stories of Dinosaurs. Usborne

BOOK REVIEW #12 (Stories of Monsters)

Ben Boggle lay awake in a cold sweat. How could he sleep with a monster under his bed?

(page 3)

This book has three stories of monsters.The first story is about Ben and the bed monster. He thought that he could catch a monster who was under the bed. He read a book about monsters and he could find food which the monster likes. It was chocolate cookies, so he prepared a chocolate cookie and he trapped the monster. But the monster was so small, so he felt sorry for her. The monster was not stupid, so he put her in his breast pocket. And he went to school. Then he called on by teacher, she told the answer to him. So he could answer correctly.

Frankie was fed up. All her friends had gone to the mountains to ski and she had to stay behind and help her mother.

(page 18)

The second story is about Frankie and the ice monster. She heard that the ice monster carried off Frankie's friends in the mountain, so she decided to rescue them. She followed the monster's footsteps and she reached a cave of ice where he lives in. She saw the monster and her friends who frozen like icicles. She made a hot chocolate drink and smelled sweet in the air. The monster couldn't hold back and drank it. Then he thawed and she could rescue her friends with safety.

Tom loved to listen to his Grandpa Jess tell creepy stories about the old days.

(page 37)

The third story is about Jess and the swamp monster. He was a farmhand, when one of his cows went missing. He searched it but he couldn't find. Then he found the muddy trail which leading to the middle of the swamp. He went to the store to buy bottles of bubble bath. He took a shortcut through the swamp. Then he was caught by the monster. But bottles of bubble bath cracked when the monster squeeze him, and it went all over the monster. The monster was frothed, he could escape.

I think this book was very exciting for me. I like Monsters Ink and such stories very much. I want to see a tiny monster and put it my pocket. I envy Ben. And I thought that Frankie was so cool.

Punter, Russell. (2004). Stories of Monsters. Usborne.