Even for fans of winter, the combinations of snow, wind, freezing rain and the Polar Vortex of 2019 have been a challenge. It takes a hardy soul to enjoy winter sports in wind chills at negative fifty or below. Navigating through snow even with snowshoes or skis is tricky when there is an icy crust several inches thick on top. The longer this lasts the more appealing is the desire to huddle under a pile of blankets. On October 10, 2017 a lovely, lyrical book exploring the idea of sleeping through the wintry months was released. William's Winter Nap (Disney Hyperion) written by Linda Ashman with pictures by Chuck Groenink sets aside all the outdoor elements, replacing them with affection found inside a cozy cabin among friends. You'll want to join them.
In a house on a hill
that's tall and steep,
there's a boy named William
who's ready to sleep.
After William goes through long-nap rituals with covers tucked under his chin, he hears a gentle knocking on his bedroom window. A winter weary creature, a chipmunk, asks to share his bed. After exchanging yawns and saying good night, they prepare to drift into dreamland. Guess what? There's more rapping, a bit louder.
A grateful porcupine meanders inside and crawls beneath the blankets until . . .
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A badger at the door makes four. There are again more yawns and well wishes for a good sleep. Mere minutes pass before a slight sound at the window announces the presence of a raccoon. Needless to say, it's getting a bit crowded in William's bed with the number totaling five.
Everyone is sleeping when a loud noise cannot be ignored. A note appears under the door. The occupants of William's bed don't want to make any more room. William is more than willing but when he peeks outside, he has a huge surprise. It's a bear. Sadness is replaced with compassion and a feeling of more-the-merrier fills a room and a bed with warmth.
This month a wondering world gets to visit with William and his slumbering friends again. William Wakes Up (Disney Hyperion, February 5, 2019) written by Linda Ashman with pictures by Chuck Groenink takes us back to the cabin months later. The deep snows have vanished and preparations for a celebration begin. On a quiet morning,
sleepy and still,
William looks out on
a moss-covered hill.
A sound in the distance causes William to spring into action. There is a cake to make. William calls to his bedroom companions but the only one to heed his request is Chipmunk. After the long nap Chipmunk works well but still feels sleepy. They need more help.
Now William and Chipmunk try to wake the others. Only Porcupine responds. With the cake baking, Porcupine helps to spruce up the kitchen until the size of the job overwhelms this pal.
Badger and Bear hear and get out of bed one by one. As fast as they are able the living room is cleaned and festooned. The cake is frosted and prettily edged with icing. The five companions are clearly tuckered out. They all try to get Raccoon to help, but he still snoozes.
A cheery noise outside announces the arrival of the special guest, Bluebird. The mention of a single word has Raccoon suddenly sitting up and taking notice. The other animals who worked hard are not amused. William makes a suggestion and Raccoon is more than willing to comply. Spring has sprung!
Readers gravitate toward a book inviting their participation. Author Linda Ashman uses repetitive incidents and phrasing to welcome us into both stories. In the first each animal makes a sound declaring their presence and asking to come inside. William's answer is the same, as is the subsequent yawns and two comforting good nights. In the newest book William's refrain for help is repeated as is the numbering sequence before each animal replies.
In each book every two lines rhyme at the end. This along with the other cadences built by words builds anticipation. Readers wait for the second word. Readers wait to say aloud the known phrases. Linda Ashman also combines narrative with dialogue further inviting readers into her stories. Here is a passage from each book.
It's quiet---just the clock's tick tock.
But, wait---what's that? A
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.
"Oh, what a lovely cozy place!
Could you spare a smidge of space?"
Will says, "Yes, we'll scooch a bit.
There's room for three---I'm sure we'll fit."
Then Chipmunk conks out on the floor.
"There's WAY too much for us to do.
We'd better wake the others, too."
"Wake up! It's spring!
Today's the day---
a special guest is on the way.
Rise and shine! No time to lose!"
One rolls out. Three others snooze.
All the illustrations, the first title rendered in pencils, charcoal, ink and Photoshop and the second in pencils and Photoshop, by Chuck Groenink create a particular emotion enveloping readers. The color palette in each is reflective of the season, darkness and quiet and lightness and sounds of awakening. On the front of the dust jacket for William's Winter Nap William is happily sharing his bed with the first four animal companions. They are all blissfully unaware of Bear's arrival. The scene on the front of the dust jacket for William Wakes Up shows the animals exactly as they were featured in the final image in the first book. The light outside the window is significantly brighter. On the back of each dust jacket an interior scene is highlighted in a framed circle. On the front of both dust jackets the title text is varnished and raised.
Both book cases are different than the dust jackets. On the first a portion of the quilt on William's spans both the front and the back crossing the spine. On the companion title in pastel shades of green, yellow, blue and pink with white is a meadow filled with grass, ferns and flowers. It covers both the front and the back. The opening and closing endpapers are in purple with white snowflakes in this first book. In spring green with white, a pattern of tiny ferns and flowers covers the opening and closing endpapers in William Wakes Up.
Beneath the title text William's home is shown in a soft geometric shape, one in winter and the other in spring. Beneath the dedication Chuck Groenink places a circular picture featuring an important character. Illustration sizes vary between full-page pictures, double-page visuals in loose shapes, loose circle shapes on single pages, images placed on liberal amounts of white space and dramatic two-page pictures. Chuck Groenink shifts the perspective for maximum emphasis.
Readers will be keenly aware of the animals' and William's moods based upon their eyes and body postures. There is humor in these same elements, too. Readers will enjoy noticing all the extra details.
Two (one from each book) of my many, many favorite illustrations are when the Raccoon comes to the window in the winter and when Porcupine wakes up in the spring. In the first one it's as if we are outside with Raccoon. The night is painted in purples and blues. Large flakes of snow are falling on already snow-coated evergreens, the tree branches extending to William's window and the roofs of his home. We can see the back of Raccoon, a tiny figure perched on the tree branch. William is peeking out from the lighted window. This is a single-page picture.
The second illustration spans two pages. On a white background with the floor running along the bottom, William's bed and a small chest next to it are placed. William is on the left with his hands and arms up and open as he calls out for the animals to wake up. Chipmunk is mirroring his motions and voice while standing on Bear's head. The bed extends from the middle of the left side to the right, almost to the edge. Bear, Badger and Raccoon are sound asleep. Porcupine climbs down one of Bear's arms hanging over the side of the bed. Badger is on top of the quilt covering Bear with another quilt on top of him. Raccoon is at the other end of the bed, snoring.
Story time, bedtime or anytime, these two books, William's Winter Nap and William Wakes Up written by Linda Ashman with pictures by Chuck Groenink, will have readers asking for you to read them again and again. They will joyfully learn the refrains to read or chant them along with you. Both books would make wonderful readers' theaters. I highly recommend them both for your personal and professional collections.
To discover more about Linda Ashman and Chuck Groenink and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites. Linda includes extra images from the first and second books. Chuck includes illustrations from the first book on his site. The publisher supplies an educator's guide for William's Winter Nap and William Wakes Up. Both Linda Ashman and Chuck Groenink have accounts on Twitter. Chuck Groenink has an account on Instagram. Author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson showcases the first book at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. There is an author's post about publishing and these books at Picture Book Builders by Linda Ashman.
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