Built To Restore

Repeatedly we humans go about our business, small and large, without regard for the effects on others around us.  We rarely tend to give thought to how our changes to the environment will impact those living in the wild.  Our alterations to their areas have a ripple response, upsetting long standing homes on the ground and in trees, feeding practices, and sleeping habits.  

One crucial element of their lives is how and where they move on a daily, seasonal, or yearly basis.  In our efforts to make our travel more advantageous, we have hindered their travel.  Crossings: Extraordinary Structures For Extraordinary Animals (Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, October 13, 2020) written by Katy S. Duffield and illustrated by Mike Orodan is an extraordinary exploration of humans' efforts to make movement safer for the animals who reside with us on this planet.

Over, under, across, through.

Around the world, construction crews build

overpasses, underpasses, bridges, and tunnels---

ways for people to get from one place to another.

These overpasses, underpasses, bridges, and tunnels have greatly hindered the lives of animals.  Innovative thinkers across our globe have imagined, designed, and continue to build solutions.  In the north, along the Trans-Canada Highway, there are forty plus overpasses and underpasses which a variety of animals use.  Some of these animal pathways are fenced to safely direct those that use them.

Did you know that across the ocean in Africa, Kenya to be specific, an underpass now allows two separated groups of elephants to mingle?  Much like a giant spider web, rope bridges across a highway in Australia allow squirrel gliders to skillfully cross, protected from harm.  Have you heard of the red crabs who live on Christmas Island?  In numbers too high to count they leave the interior of the island making for the Indian Ocean to lay eggs once a year.  Bridges have been built for them.

Experts have conceived special little alleys for spotted salamanders, beneath human roadways, for them to use in the spring in the state of Massachusetts.  In Arizona coyotes and a host of other animals wander safely over a highway.  In case you might be wondering how they know where to build these special routes for animals, studies are conducted following prints and the scat left by local critters.

In order for pangolins to be able to get proper food, shelter, and find mates, a shapely bridge over the Bukit Timah Expressway allows them to maintain their lives in Singapore.  Through this book, we visit twelve spaces in twelve places around the world, fascinated by the strides made for our fellow animal companions.  It's an inspirational and hopeful look at what we can do if we make the right choices.

After the introductory sentences, questions and answers, for each entry Katy S. Duffield has a single bold statement on each two-page presentation.  Opposite or under each of these, she adds, in smaller print, a short paragraph offering more details.  Each of these sections are connected by repeating one (or more) of four important words which supplies a nice rhythm to Katy S. Duffield's informative narrative.  Here is one of those bold statements, followed by a partial paragraph.

Titi monkeys tightrope ACROSS blue rope bridges

that keep them safe above a Costa Rican road.

Costa Rica's smallest species of monkey, the

titi, is endangered.  A group of young people,

Kids Saving the Rainforest, found a solution to

help save them . . .

The dramatic open and matching dust jacket and book case quickly capture readers' attention.  The darkness of the overpass extends over the spine to the far, left side.  The setting sun highlights the movement of the adult cat over the road.  Lights from the fast-moving vehicles stream beneath it.  On the left section of the overpass on the back, two younger cats saunter behind their parent.  The color palette here is a prelude to the stunning artwork in the entire book.  The white title text is raised and varnished.

On the opening and closing endpapers, illustrator Mike Orodan features a single titi monkey sitting on a loop of blue rope, its long tail hanging toward the bottom of the page.  It is looking toward the sky in the background.  On the first set of pages the sky is streaked with dawn colors.  On the second set of pages, the sky has deepened in richer hues as the first stars twinkle above the single titi monkey with a child now clinging to its back.

On the title page with a white background, four animals highlighted in this book use the letters in the title text to move.  The majority of the images 

rendered by hand with graphite pencils and Adobe Photoshop

span two pages in breathtaking displays of animals around the globe, the dangers they face, and the structures made to assist them.  For these illustrations we are alternately brought close to the animals or move back for a more panoramic perspective.  

The details in the animals' characteristics are marvelous.  For many of them Mike Orodan uses a fine line of light to outline their forms.  His application of color fashions fabulous scenes.  Shadow and light are used masterfully.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture showcasing the blue penguins found in Oamaru, New Zealand.  A lighted tunnel was built so they could feed at the sea during the day and travel back to their young in the evening without crossing a dangerous highway.  On the left side is a close-up view of one of the penguins now in the tunnel.  On the right side three more penguins are entering the tunnel at different points, their size appropriately shown.  Beyond the opening of the tunnel is an exquisite scene of cliffs, the beach, the turquoise sea and the sky glowing from the setting sun.  That fading sunlight circles inside the beginning of the tunnel and bathes the penguins in gorgeous colors.

You will be educated.  You will be entertained.  This book, Crossings: Extraordinary Structures For Extraordinary Animals written by Katy S. Duffield with illustrations by Mike Orodan, is one to encourage others to take similar steps when presented with these situations.  It will promote discussions and further investigation.  At the close of the book are two more pages with additional information about each of the animals.  There is a selected bibliography and further reading section.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

By accessing the website of Katy S. Duffield by following the link attached to her name, you can discover more about her and her work.  Katy S. Duffield has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Mike Orodan has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images, including the one I mention here as a favorite of mine.

This title and illustrator are featured at author, reviewer, and blogger Julie Danielson's site, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  November 22, 2020

Sizing Up

Whether we are conscientiously aware of it, we are comparing and contrasting throughout our day.  On multiple occasions we calculate how much time it will take to perform a given task and compare it to the time available.  We guesstimate measurements in rooms when decorating, in yards when landscaping, and in cooking meals with or without recipes.  When we are out and about, we gauge distances from one point to another, how close we are to the doe and fawn who suddenly makes an appearance or how high up the hawk is, gliding on an air current.

Sometimes on a clear night, with an overhead sky filled with stars, it is easy to wonder how something so far away looks as though you could reach up and gather a handful.  Your Place in the Universe (Neal Porter Books, Holiday House, September 1, 2020) written and illustrated by Jason Chin is a stellar title focusing on size, measurement, comparison, and distance.  We begin with our feet firmly planted on the ground and gaze outward into the universe.  

These kids are eight years old.

They are about five times as tall as this book,

but only half as tall as . . .

Before you turn the page to reveal the conclusion of the second sentence, in smaller print at the bottom you are told the number of inches tall the average eight-year-old is.  You are informed about the advantage of using inches in measuring.

We are further acquainted with the tallest bird in the world compared to the children.  This bird is then contrasted with the tallest land animal and the eight-year-olds.  New heights are explored when seeking the tallest living things and the tallest manmade structures which far exceeds those natural beings.

We move to majestic mountains and the tallest peak on our planet.  As we look up miles beyond mountains, we encounter portions of our atmosphere, the edge of space, and the thermosphere and exosphere which extends 6,200 miles 

above Earth's surface.

Comparisons are made to the distance to the International Space Station and the width of our planet.  Although the Earth is very wide it is not as wide as . . .

We journey farther and farther away from our home to those places we can see with our naked eyes and those places in our solar system not yet seen.  In all its vastness our solar system is smaller than the galaxy where it resides. Within this galaxy, The Milky Way, the number of stars is

more than 100 billion.

Do you know how long, even traveling at the speed of light, it will take you to reach the center of our galaxy?  Do you know how far away the nearest galaxy is to our Milky Way?  In a truly mind-boggling display of comparative wonder, galaxy groups are small against galaxy clusters which are small within the cosmic web and the universe as a whole.  In a brilliant use of words, we go from the 

observable universe

back to those four eight-year-old children who now know . . .

With every page turn your fascination grows due to the precise use of language and research of author Jason Chin.  Readers are completely engaged by the rhythmic pause in the narrative as we await what is taller, higher, wider, farther or larger than the previous thing being discussed.  With each expansion our marvel grows as he adds a new dimension to our thinking and the world we can see.  The fine print explanations along with the main narrative are informative and marvelous to ponder.  Here are two connected passages.

Earth is enormous, but it's not

so big compared to . . .

. . . the orbit of the Moon.

The Moon is 238,855 miles away from Earth.  It's so

far away that 29 Earths could fit between the two.  It's

so far that a jet plane going 500 miles per hour would

take 19 days to get there. 

You want to step into the setting shown on the front, right, of the open and matching dust jacket and book case.  It's easy to see yourself on a hill at night exploring the world with those four eight-year-old kids.  I love the diverse group featured.  The wash of sky with the cosmic light behind them creates a perfect atmosphere.  The title text is silver foil.

To the left, on the back, the necks and faces of an ostrich and a giraffe are shown watching the children.  These extend from the far-left side.  The landscape and skyscape span the spine and entire back.  The words on the back read:

Can you find your place

in the universe?

A hue between midnight blue and teal covers the opening and closing endpapers.  On the title page the children have arrived at the hill and are setting up their equipment.  It is still daylight.  On the dedication and verso page, they are almost finished putting the telescope together, leading into the first page.

These illustrations rendered 

using watercolor, gouache, and digital techniques

are as beautiful as the people, creatures, and worlds they depict.  The beings that are alive are highly animated.  Jason Chin accentuates his comparisons in the beginning by placing a monarch butterfly in the pages.  The butterfly gets smaller as the comparisons get bigger.

Careful readers will note the passage of time by watching the background, changing from daylight, to sundown, to dusk and the rising of a full moon.  Until we venture out into space, Jason Chin shows each contrasted thing in the picture with the next larger item.  The children, ostrich and giraffe are tiny next to the tallest living things.  These tallest living things are dwarfed by the manmade structures.  

Many of the illustrations are framed in white, others extend to the page edges.  The double-page pictures are dramatic, highlighting the grandeur of their portrayals.  There is a vertical, double-page picture requiring you to turn the book.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is when the children, the ostrich, the giraffe and books are shown as the full moon rises behind them.  Against the darkening sky the ostrich is left of the telescope with a pile of books around it.  To the right of the telescope, the children are standing on each other's shoulders with the top child holding a copy of the book for the giraffe on the right to read.  The giraffe is looking a tad bit surprised.  Beneath the giraffe, so tiny as to almost be invisible, is the butterfly.

With each reading of Your Place in the Universe written and illustrated by Jason Chin, you will learn some new incredible fact about this remarkable world in which we live. The book is a fine, very fine, work of nonfiction.  At the close of the book are four pages of further information with Jason Chin's artwork discussing Beyond Human Scale, Earth And The Solar System, The Solar System and The Universe.  Do you know what A Goldilocks Planet is?  There is a final page with A Note From The Author, A Note On The Age Of The Universe, A Note On The Illustrations, and Selected Sources.  I can't imagine a personal or professional collection without a copy of this book.

To learn more about Jason Chin and his body of work, please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  Jason Chin has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website there is an event kit and an educator's guide.  You can get a glimpse of several interior images at Penguin Random House.  Please take a few moments to enjoy this video.

Update:  This title and its author illustrator are featured by author, reviewer, and blogger Julie Danielson at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast on November 29, 2020.

To view the other titles selected this week by participants in the 2020 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge, visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher.

One Voice For The River Of Grass

More than six decades ago, I traveled to southern Florida for the first time with my parents and sister.  At five years old it seemed as if I had set foot on a different continent rather than a state 1,400 miles away from my home located in Michigan.  There were lush palm trees, wide sandy beaches and the vast ocean.  It seemed as if there were hibiscus in striking shades of pink and red growing on bushes everywhere. One of the most remarkable memories is a visit we took to Parrot Jungle. (Parrot Jungle has since been closed.) With my arms held out perpendicular to my body, colorful parrots rested there, using them like tree branches.  On the top of my head sat a polite cockatoo. 

My memories of this childhood visit are wonderful but only memories.  Long before my trip another girl was fascinated by what she experienced in a stop with her parents in southern Florida.  But, unlike me, this singular individual came back and dedicated her entire life to protecting a portion of its natural beauty.  Marjory Saves the Everglades: The Story of Marjory Stoneman Douglas (A Paula Wiseman Book, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, September 22, 2020) written by Sandra Neil Wallace with illustrations by Rebecca Gibbon acquaints us with a woman who believed we need to act in light of what we know.  She stood strong to support that which was unable to do so for itself.

Before airplanes and automobiles,

a girl in gold-rimmed glasses sailed

on a steamboat to Florida.

She tasted a freshly picked orange as she savored the company of her father.  What she could not know in that moment, it would be a long time before she returned to Florida or felt the warmth of her father's companionship.  She and her mother returned to Taunton, Massachusetts living with her grandparents and Aunt Fanny.

Marjory kept to herself, away from those four adults, and she read as much as possible.  She also made a point to venture outside whenever she could during any season.  By the time she was eighteen, she was in college.  By the time she was twenty-four she was married, but it was not successful.  Shortly after World War I started, Marjory returned to Florida and her father.

The Miami Herald was her father's newspaper, and she became a reporter.  Marjory was the only woman reporter and her heart dictated what she wrote.  To make sure her stories were a reflection of realty, she enlisted in the navy during World War I.  She was a part of the Red Cross and traveled to Europe.  When she returned to Florida, she was dismayed to see the changes in her beloved state.  There was talk of draining the Everglades.

Knowing this, Marjory went to work.  She wrote, she studied, and she explored the Everglades, but at forty years old, she had never been inside this wild area until she met Ernest Coe.  Together they ventured into the interior and shared those insights with a hesitant National Park Service.  Still not convinced Marjory had a brilliant brainstorm.  It worked and changed everything for the Everglades.

Marjory had a unique cottage built in southern Florida.  From there she could easily study her beloved Everglades. Her findings led to the publishing of a now famous book.  When the Everglades were threated again, Marjory founded the Friends of the Everglades.  She was 79 years old.  Marjory continued to fight for the Everglades, convincing government officials to restore and maintain its place on our planet.  Marjory Stoneman Douglas lived to be 108 years old.  What a remarkable life filled with remarkable accomplishments.

Each time you read the words penned by Sandra Neil Wallace, you are acutely aware of the meticulous research behind her narrative  Her masterful use of language takes the gleaned facts mingling them with her descriptive imagery of place and time. We feel as though we've been friends with Marjory through the inclusion of her personal quotes placed perfectly within the text.  They serve to enhance the moments of her life being presented.  Here is a passage.

Traveling by houseboat, Marjory meandered through the Glades in a

string of pearls, and a silk dress with pleats as thick as the saw grass

jutting through the shallow waters.

She spotted crocodiles swimming, alligators soaking up the sun, and the

wiry roots of ghost orchids wrapped around the trunks of pond apples.

She saw sea turtles round as rain barrels bobbin through forests of

gumbo-limbo. 

One of the first things you notice about the open and matching dust jacket and book case are the expressions on Marjory's face in both scenes.  Her looks of happiness reveal the pleasure she felt when in the Everglades, fueling her determination to protect this threatened area.  On the front, right, Marjory is at home among all the flora and fauna found when investigating this southern Florida natural paradise.  All you see here is still thriving because of Marjory Stoneman Douglas.  The delicate elements surround her.  The main title text is varnished and raised.

To the left, on the back, Marjory stands in the lower, left-hand corner.  All we see is her upper body.  Her head, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, is raised up to gaze at the multitude of birds of all types gliding across the sky from left to right.  These birds in this sky cover the opening endpapers featuring a lovely quote by Marjory on the right-hand side.  The closing endpapers highlight the rivers of grass.  Here are placed a page of Sources, and a second page for Additional Resources, and Acknowledgements.

On the verso and dedication page illustrator Rebecca Gibbon depicts a crate of Florida oranges.  (You'll want to read the dedications.)  On the title page the text is framed by gorgeous Everglades' plants, flowers, and insects. 

Rendered in acrylic inks and colored pencils

the intricate illustrations flow in a range of sizes on the heavy, matte-finished paper.

The details in each image invite us to stop and observe the world portrayed in each one, just like Marjory viewed the world around her.  Rebecca Gibbon draws us into the visuals with her regard for historical accuracy in the architecture, clothing, and each setting in which we find ourselves.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture.  Marjory is inside the Everglades on her trip with Ernest Coe.  Alone she sits on a grassy piece of land with pale turquoise water encircling her.  Around the water are trees, ferns, and aquatic plants.  Tucked among them are a shy raccoon, a turtle, several kinds of birds and insects.  In looking at this scene, it is easy to imagine sitting there, still as stone, listening to all the sounds made by the Everglades' life breathing in and out.

If you hand this book, Marjory Saves the Everglades: The Story of Marjory Stoneman Douglas written by Sandra Neil Wallace with illustrations by Rebecca Gibbon, to a reader, or if you read it yourself, they and you will be changed.  What this woman achieved in her long life will resonate for generations.  Her life is a call to action, and a testament to the power of one.  There are a lengthy Author's Note, information about eleven animal and plant inhabitants of the Everglades, Marjory's Tips for Protecting the Environment, Learn More about Marjory and Helping the Everglades and a Timeline of Marjory Stoneman Douglas and the Everglades at the close of the book.  I highly recommend placement of this title in your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Sandra Neil Wallace and Rebecca Gibbon, and their other work access their websites by following the link attached to their names.  Sandra Neil Wallace has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.  Here is a link to an Activity Kit and a Curriculum Guide for this title at Sandra Neil Wallace's website.  Rebecca Gibbon has an account on Instagram.  On author Patricia Newman's site there is a LitLinks: Using the Everglades to develop a love of nature post about this book written by guest blogger Roberta Gibson.  At the publisher's website there are a series of interior images, along with the opened dust jacket.  Please take a few moments to enjoy the book trailer.

In The Darkness . . .Delight

Over the decades of having canine companions, you become accustomed to taking treks at all hours of the night in every season of the year.  In the spring, you are the first to note the sound of peepers in a nearby pond.  During summer nights, you are fortunate to find moths fluttering within the beam of light cast by your flashlight.  It's easy to startle forging rabbits or wandering deer during autumn.  The night skies with their profusion of stars in the crystal air of winter are breathtaking 

Darkness reveals its secrets to curious observers.   Night Walk to the Sea: A Story About Rachel Carson, Earth's Protector (Schwartz & Wade Books, September 15, 2020) written by Deborah Wiles with art by Daniel Miyares is based upon a blending of several true events taken from the writings of Rachel Carson.  You will find yourself easily stepping into this story, captivated by the lyrical words and atmospheric images.

It was bedtime in Rachel's cabin

in the woods,

when thunder BOOMED and

the storm roared in.

"I'm not afraid!" shouted Roger.

CRAAAAACK! the thunder answered.

Roger was hardly ready for bed acting like he was the monstrous storm.  Rachel joined him in his romping around the room.  Suddenly, the lights went out.  They were plunged into the darkest dark.  Roger still claimed to be unafraid.  This time it was not true.

After reassuring him of his safety, Rachel lighted a lantern and cuddled with him near a window so they could marvel at the storm. Roger was still not happy in the dark.  When the storm subsided, Rachel suggested they go for a walk.

Both bundled up in stormy weather gear, they set off toward the sea.  Their flashlights gave off a special glow to the woods around them.  Rachel encouraged Roger to listen, look, and learn from what he saw.  Soon they were at the shore.

Roger raced along the sand spooking birds and ghost crabs.  Shortly, Rachel whispered to him, and asked him to turn off his light and close his eyes.  When he opened them, the sea was coated in sparkling gemstone colors. This was when, looking at his feet, Roger saw another wondrous sight.  With Rachel's guidance a rescue was performed, and they returned to the cabin.  A nighttime adventure will be remembered by one little boy and many other readers, with gratitude to Earth's Protector.

Through her reading about Rachel Carson and her own love of the wonders nature holds for all of us, author Deborah Wiles again demonstrates her masterful ability to glean treasures from the past and portray them with lyrically presented truth to her readers.  This narrative is more intimate for us with the inclusion of possible dialogue between Rachel and her great-nephew and adopted son, Roger.  The descriptions of the storm, the landscape, and the sensory experience are both soothing and reverent and exciting and astonishing.  Here is another passage.

They walked past the cinnamon ferns

and reindeer moss

and the drip-drip-drip of glittery raindrops

on the tips of the shiny leaves

that were washed in moonlight.

Their flashlights bobbed cones of yellow light ahead of them.

From left to right on the open and matching dust jacket and book case readers are presented with a portrait of the misty walk toward the sea.  On the left, back, darkness nearly hides the ferns and leaves stretching from the ground.  A single firefly floats above them.  The text here reads:

As the soft dark folded itself around then,

and the sea called out to them like a lullaby,

Roger and Rachel breathed in the salty sea air . . . together.

On the front with their flashlights guiding them down the path, the affection between the two is evident.  Look how Roger leans toward Rachel and she bends to him. The expressions on their faces here, and throughout the book, mirror every emotion.  As your eyes move past them, you can see the delicate details included in this image.  Can you see the cricket, the dragonfly and the raindrops on the trees?

The opening and closing endpapers are colored in flashlight-glow yellow.  On the title page we gaze at a panoramic view of the storm clouds hanging over the cabin tucked in the woods by the sea.  The only light in the scene is from the front window in the cottage.

Each visual by artist Daniel Miyares was

rendered with ink on paper.

From the smaller pictures on the end flaps, to the dramatic double-page images, and the lovely full-page pictures (several only seen from the glow of a lantern), we share in each moment with Roger and Rachel.  The use of shadow and light in focusing our attention on specific portions of an illustration are breathtaking.

When you pause to look at the illustrations your eyes discover all the wonders Rachel and Roger do.  You see the beauty of the forest trees and ferns after the thunderstorm as they walk.  You look up as they do to see an owl resting in the hollow of a tree.  You get down low with Roger as he peers at frogs and insects pausing on blades of grass. 

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture, a bird's eye view of Rachel and Roger as they arrive at the shore.  From left to right is a swirl of darkness with some light from the now shining moon illuminating the laurel and blueberry bushes.  The pathway and stairs are clearly visible.  On the far right, tiny figures, flashlights casting light in front of them, walk toward the sandy beach.  You want to be there with them.  You want to be a part of this grand depiction.

This book, Night Walk to the Sea: A Story About Rachel Carson, Earth's Protector written by Deborah Wiles with artwork by Daniel Miyares, is an engaging request for readers to meet Rachel and Roger and to welcome us into our majestic natural world.  Now, more than ever, we need to seek, and see the world around us, so we can assist in protecting and preserving it for the future inhabitants.  At the close of the book, Deborah Wiles speaks in a section titled:

A Note About Rachel Carson

and This Story.

She also includes a discussion about bioluminescence, selected titles written by Rachel Carson and those written about her.  Her acknowledgements are highly informative, too.  I highly recommend this title for all your collections.

To discover more about Deborah Wiles and Daniel Miyares, and their other work, please visit their websites by following the link attached to their names.  Deborah Wiles has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.  Daniel Miyares has accounts on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.  At the Penguin Random House Education you can view interior images.  

Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to view the selections this week by participants in the 2020 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.  I believe her post will appear later this week.

Recognizing Riches In Rubbish

We know with a certain mindset we see things wherever we go that otherwise might be missed.  If we are actively seeking the little details, beauty, kindness, and the best life has to offer, we will find it.  It is not always easy, but with focus we will discover treasures of all shapes and sizes, some fleeting, and others lasting a lifetime.

There are remarkable human beings who do perceive life as an entire sensory experience.  They are all the more exemplary for their sharing of their discoveries.  In Digging For Words: Jose Alberto Gutierrez and the Library He Built (Schwartz & Wade Books, September 8, 2020)  written by Angela Burke Kunkel with illustrations by Paola Escobar (Rescatando Palabras: Jose Alberto Gutierrez y la biblioteca que creo escrito por Angela Burke Kunkel, ilustrado por Paola Escobar, traducido por Teresa Mlawer), we are introduced to a man whose work is alive in those he serves.  Two separate individuals connect through their shared love of story.  It's a blend of fact and fiction based upon the truth.

In the city of Bogota, in the barrio of

La Nueva Gloria, there live two Joses.

Little Jose stirs in his bed.  The early-morning light wakes

him.  

En la ciudad de Bogota, en el barrio

La Nueva Gloria, viven dos Joses.

El pequeno Jose se despereza en la cama.   La luz de la

manana lo despierta.

A child living in Bogota longs for Saturday.  On Friday, he rides his bike to school, he tries to listen to his teacher, and plays futbol (soccer) with his friends.  He knows tomorrow is filled with promise.

A man living in Bogota contemplates his day.  He did not complete his schooling as a child.  He left to become a bricklayer to help support his family.  We are told he nevertheless read each night with his mother.  

Un cuento at the end of a long day felt like Paradise.

Un cuento al final de la jornada era como estar en el Paraiso. 

In the evening, the boy returns home.  In the evening, the man gets ready to collect the garbage from other areas of Bogota.  He works all night.  What this man, this grown Jose, does is search through the trash for treasure.  His treasure is books.  It all began many years ago when he found a copy of Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.  That book was his doorway into another world.  He has never stopped searching for other doorways.

At the close of every shift, Jose brings home gathered books, placing them in stacks and on bookshelves, his library.  On Saturday, the younger Jose runs like the wind with the other neighborhood children to enter Paradise at the older Jose's home.  There they spend hours looking through all the collected books of all shapes and sizes covering a wide range of subjects and interests.  That night the labors of Jose, the garbage collector, will be enjoyed by children all over La Nueva Gloria, until next Saturday when they, like Jose the child, will again enter Paraiso.

Readers will gravitate to the narrative supplied by debut picture book author, Angela Burke Kunkel.  She combines the story of a fictional child with that of the real Jose Alberto Gutierrez.  Given the work of Jose Alberto Gutierrez, the fictional child is apt to be true.

The writing of Angela Burke Kunkel is clear, concise, and lyrical.  Spanish words are a part of the story, carefully placed so their meaning is easily discernable.  So vivid are her descriptions, we find ourselves seated next to Jose as his trunk makes its nightly runs, and we find ourselves running along with Jose toward his Saturday destination.  Here is a passage in English and Spanish.

A few pages to read, a few hours to dream,

and then it is a new day.  Tonight, he revisits

Macondo, a magical village deep in the jungles

of Colombia, and he is lost in a place where

times moves by its own rules. 

Varias paginas que leer, varias horas para

sonar, y asi comienza un nuevo dia.  Por la

noche, nuevamente visita Macondo, un pueblo

magico en lo mas profundo de la selva de

Colombia, y se pierde en ese lugar, donde el

tiempo transcurre a su ritmo.

When you look at the front, right, of the open dust jacket you see a man and a boy, smiling.  Stacks of books frame them on either side.  From the pages of an open book, we see the stories each find in their books depicted.  It's easy to imagine this very scene happening each day in the library Jose Alberto Gutierrez has made for the people in his barrio.  To the left, on the back, a garbage trunk moves through the nighttime streets of Bogota.  The words read:

Jose scans the sidewalks as he drives,

squinting in the dim light.

He searches the household trash

for hidden treasures . . . books!

Mientras Jose manejo su camion de basura,

escrudina las aceras de la ciudad

entrecerrando los ojos bajo la tenue luz.

Busca entre la basura de las casas

tesoros escondidos . . . !Libros!

On the book case in a wash of muted yellow with streaks of blue, we see the younger and older Jose.  The child is on the left, bending down to pick up a book.  A trail of five books lead to the far right with the older Jose, carrying a stack of books, as he runs off the right edge.

On the opening and closing endpapers artist Paola Escobar begins and concludes her visual interpretation.  On the first beneath a stary sky, brilliant with several larger stars, and a crescent moon, Jose drives his truck, lights shining in front of his vehicle.  Beneath a streetlamp, a can holds bags of trash.  Next to the can is a stack of books.  On the second, the scene is the same, but empty of the truck, the trash, and the books.

These illustrations by Paola Escobar rendered digitally are filled with details of life in the barrio of both the child and the man.  Their size alternates in keeping with the narrative and its pacing.  The eagerness of the boy and the contemplative and determined nature of the man are vividly portrayed.  The two-page pictures are marvelous, giving us multiple perspectives, allowing us to see realty and the magic found in story.  

One of my many favorite pictures is an overview of the cityscape of Bogota at night.  Beginning in the upper, left-hand corner Jose and his truck wind back and forth and back and forth from stop to sop from left to right to the left of the gutter, crossing the gutter, and then winding back through the city up into the hills to the right of the gutter.  Beneath the streetlamps are the garbage cans.  We can see Jose stopping, carrying bags to his trunk, and searching for books.  This gives us a superb overview of the enormity of this man's accomplishments, night after night, book by book.

I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections, supplying both the English and Spanish editions, for your readers.  There is a beauty in both, in the use of language, and in the illustrations.  This book, Digging For Words: Jose Alberto Gutierrez and the Library He Built (Rescatando Palabras: Jose Alberto Gutierrez y la biblioteca que creo) written by Angela Burke Kunkel with illustrations by Paola Escobar, translation by Teresa Mlawer, is a powerful reminder of the power of one.  At the close of the book is an author's note, descriptions of books featured in the narrative, and selected online sources.

To learn more about Angela Burke Kunkel and Paola Escobar, please follow the link attached to their name to access their respective sites.  Angela Burke Kunkel has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Paola Escobar has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Angela Burke Kunkel is highlighted at KidLit411, The Soaring '20s, and at author Tara Lazar's Writing for Kids (While Raising Them).  At the publisher's website you can view interior images in both the Spanish and English editions.  Angela Burke Kunkel is interviewed about this book by Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher, at his site, Watch. Connect. Read.

To view the other selections this week by participants in the 2020 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge, please visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher.

They Lifted Their Voices

Women of distinction on an international, national, community or familial level achieve this designation by taking a stand.  They stand firm in their beliefs and in following their individual calling.  No challenge, large or small, deters them from their life-long pursuits.  They are an inspiration to many during their lives, and for those who follow in their paths.

During the recent Democratic presidential candidate process, one of the women who later withdrew is now running as the Democratic candidate for Vice-President.  Kamala Harris: Rooted In Justice (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, August 25, 2020) written by Nikki Grimes with illustrations by Laura Freeman looks at this accomplished woman's life from her birth to present day.  It gives readers a deeper understanding of how her beliefs and calling were shaped. 

Eve slammed the door when she

got home from first grade.

"Eve!" You know we don't slam doors

in this house," her mom said.

"What's going on?"

Eve is upset about an incident at school.  When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she said she wanted to be President.  Another classmate, a boy, said girls can't be President.  

With this introduction, the mother begins the story of Kamala Harris.  During the narrative, from time to time, Eve and her mother converse about a word or an important event Kamala experiences.  We first learn of the meaning of Kamala's name.  The explanation of a lotus flower's beauty and roots is an apt comparison.

Kamala's mother was born in India and her father was born in Jamaica.  She was born in Oakland, California.  Even as a baby, yet unable to walk, Kamala was a part of her parent's involvement in seeking social equality.  She and her younger sister, Maya, learned the same lessons when visiting their maternal grandparents in Zambia when her grandfather was a diplomat.

When Kamala was seven her parents divorced.  From her new home in Berkeley she was bused to school at Thousand Oaks Elementary where she met students from diverse ethnic and social backgrounds. Her days were filled with studies, outside interests including evenings at a cultural center showcasing Black Americans in the arts and literature.  Kamala, her sister, and mother were deeply involved in their local church, the girls attending on Sundays when they did not visit their father.

When she was in middle school, Kamala's world took another turn when her mother got a job in Montreal, Canada.  Trading sun for snow was a huge shift.  Kamala returned to the states to attend college at Howard University where she won her first election.

Month after month, during her time at Howard University and in the subsequent years every choice, every career decision, lead Kamala Harris to her present place in politics as the second African American woman to be voted into the United States Senate.  Her focus, learned from her family, has been service for the people she represents. In less than two months, we will all see if her dedication will be amplified.

The literary technique of having Kamala Harris's story told through the conversation between a mother and her daughter is highly effective when used in the masterful hands of author Nikki Grimes.  Her careful research is obvious in the specific details she includes.  She takes readers step by step, using her gift with words, to build this distinctive woman's life layer by layer.  Here is a passage.

Once, when tiny Kamala was fussing,

her mother couldn't figure out

what was the matter.

"What do you want, little girl?" she asked.

"Freedom!" said Kamala,

and a waterfall of laughter

sputtered from her mother's mouth. 

The strength of Kamala Harris's character, the people who shaped her life, and her commitment to serving people and this country is depicted with excellence on the front, right, of the open and matching dust jacket and book case.  The design is eloquent in every respect, as are the color choices.  The text is raised.  

To the left, on the back, a much younger Kamala is seated at a neighbor's table, a red-and-white checkered tablecloth in front of her.  Her head is tilted as she listens to the woman (who we can't see) speak.  Behind her are portraits of famous African American woman and African face masks on the wall.  (This is a portion of an interior illustration.)

The opening and closing endpapers are a bright yellow.  On the title page a younger Kamala Harris, wearing a backpack, is headed to her home.  Two signs in the yard display the title and subtitle.  

These illustrations by Laura Freeman rendered digitally are bold, rich, and warm.  They are double-page pictures and single-page pictures, edge to edge.  Our focus is always maintained by the vivid depictions of Kamala, regardless of her age or the setting in which she finds herself.  Laura Freeman has portrayed her so well, we expect her to come to life at any moment.  If we pause at each illustration, we can see the individual elements included which are all a part of who Kamala Harris is today.  

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is at the beginning of the book.  It is when Eve's mother is starting the story of Kamala Harris's life.  Across two pages is a collage of large lotus flowers, left to right, among teal water with floating smaller lotus flowers and pads.  In the first large lotus flower is baby Kamala grasping a small lotus blossom.  In the second large flower is little girl Kamala, eyes closed, as she smells a larger lotus blossom she holds in both hands.  On the other side of the gutter, a much older Kamala, among large lotus petals, is studying.  This leads us to present day Kamala.  She fills nearly half of the right side, smiling, and with her eyes wide open.  The lotus pattern is overlaid on her clothing.

This woman has left her mark in each portion of her life which is clearly defined in Kamala Harris: Rooted In Justice written by Nikki Grimes with illustrations by Laura Freeman.  Each time you read this title; your respect continues to grow for her commitment to her calling.  You are inspired.  At the close of the book is a timeline of significant occurrences in her life.  A small list of sources is included.  You'll want to have a copy of this book in your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Nikki Grimes and Laura Freeman and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  Nikki Grimes has accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.  Laura Freeman has an account on Instagram.  The cover reveal for this book was hosted by Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher, at Watch. Connect. Read.  I believe you will enjoy the conversation between Nikki Grimes and John Schumacher.  At the publisher's website you can view multiple interior images, several of which are my favorites.

This next woman's words still ring with clarity in the music she made.  You can't read or hear her name without one of her songs keeping you company throughout the day in your mind.  You might find yourself humming one of her tunes.  Her voice, like her persona, is larger than life.

As the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame her place in the world of music is forever etched in history.  R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, August 25, 2020) written by Carole Boston Weatherford with art by Frank Morrison is a tribute in words and art to the power of a single person to effect change for the greater good on a worldwide scale.  Even at this moment, I can hear her singing. 

B-L-E-S-S-E-D

Cradled by the church, rocked by an ebony sea,

Aretha says a little prayer each night on bended knee.

This introductory sentence is the first of fifteen single hyphenated words followed by one or two explanatory sentences. We learn of the strong foundation of faith present in Aretha's life.  We learn of the family's move to Detroit where the parents and children lift their voices in Gospel song.

Aretha's parents separate, but her musical talent soars.  She is a gifted pianist, playing by ear.  She also listens to her father's voice in the fight for equality across the spectrum.  

At the age of fourteen, Aretha records her first album.  Her father knows true talent when he hears it, a voice able to span 

three-plus octaves.

This woman is not only a strength in the world of music, but a source of power in the civil rights movement.  She gives concerts for free to raise funds.  A moment everyone will remember is her singing of "My Country 'Tis of Thee" at President Barack Obama's inauguration.  Throughout her life Aretha Franklin returns to the foundation from which she rose, deep in her religious beliefs, the Queen of Soul, using her gift from God.

The manner in which author Carole Boston Weatherford unfolds her appreciation for Aretha Franklin in this narrative is akin to a call and response.  A single definitive word is presented, followed by a factual, but lyrical rhyming description. Only twice during this book does she break this cadence to use quoted phrases.  Here is another passage.

G-I-F-T-E-D

Young, gifted, black, Aretha hears a melody.

Then she plays the tune by ear---plinking perfectly.

You cannot help but gasp, at least inwardly, if not aloud, when you view the opened dust jacket of this book.  Artist Frank Morrison displays Aretha Franklin young, vibrant, and definitely a queen from left to right in a majestic depiction.  Her feathered coat, continuing over the spine, barely flows past (on the left) her hand holding a microphone.  In a word, this is beautiful.  The single word main title is raised in gold foil.

On the book case on a canvas of rich, golden brown, orange, and red is a child on the front.  Her lovely, black hair frames her smiling face.  In both her hands she holds an album reading:

QUEEN OF SOUL

with the face of a singing Aretha above the words.

On the opening endpapers is a collage, as if we are looking down, of album covers, records and a record player.  Two people, one a child, and the other older are holding albums.  On the closing endpapers is the image from the book case.

These illustrations rendered in oil paint by Frank Morrison are stunning.  Across the title page is a double-page picture of a pink Cadillac from fins to front.  With a page turn the verso and dedication pages feature Aretha and her siblings playing a game of hide-and-seek at their home in Tennessee.  

Each of the following double-page images are glorious paintings portraying significant portions of her life story.  We see these occasions from multiple perspectives, as observers or participants.  The range of real emotions on the people's faces increases the very personal points of view.  With his artwork, Frank Morrison takes us completely into the experience.

One of my many, many favorite paintings is for the passage above noted.  We are looking directly down on a young Aretha Franklin.  At the top of the page, the piano keyboard extends from edge to edge.  Aretha's fingers are placed on the left and right side of her body on the keys.  We see her arms, elbows lifted, coming from the sleeves of her yellow dress.  We see the skirt of her dress spread out over her legs as she sits on a black bench.  All we see of her face is the top of her head.  The floor is wide-boards and wooden.  Along the lower edge of the image is a fringed, red patterned rug.  It's like we've stepped back in time.

This ode in pure poetic perfection enhanced by powerful paintings will be read and treasured for years to come.  In R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul written by Carole Boston Weatherford with art by Frank Morrison we get informative glimpses into greatness.  At the close of the book there is an author's note which further informs readers.  There is also a list of Chart-Toppers: Aretha Franklin's Biggest Hits.  I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal bookshelves.  You might want to pair this title with A Voice Named Aretha written by Katheryn Russell-Brown with illustrations by Laura Freeman.

To discover more about Carole Boston Weatherford and Frank Morrison and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  Carole Boston Weatherford has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Frank Morrison has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view the entire dust jacket, back to front.

Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to view the other titles selected this week by participants in the 2020 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.

Baby Love

There are special individuals in our midst who devote their lives caring for the youngest beings born into our world.  Their minds are focused through preparation and knowledge.  Their hearts have a huge capacity for patience and love.  They are known for their complete dedication and persistence in preserving what is best for those under their protection.

Most of them do this without any expectation of reward other than the happiness and well-being of those they foster.  One such person, a woman, who lived from 1912 to 1994 was Helen Martini.  Her life is fabulously depicted in Cubs in the Tub: The True Story of the Bronx Zoo's First Woman Zookeeper (Neal Porter Books, Holiday House, August 4, 2020) written by Candace Fleming with illustrations by Julie Downing. 

Helen and Fred Martini longed

for a baby.

A baby to bottle-feed and burp.

A baby to rock and soothe and croon

lullabies to.

A baby to love with all their hearts.

Fred worked at the Bronx Zoo.  Helen was at home hoping to be a mother.  Her dream came true one day, but not in the way she expected.  Fred brought home a lion cub the lioness refused to acknowledge as her own.  Cuddling the cub, Helen named it MacArthur.

All her preparations for a child were used to care for this feline baby.  The cub grew and Helen kept track of his every accomplishment. The cub was exactly what Helen and Fred needed in their lives, and they were exactly what this cub needed in his life.  Soon he was large enough and healthy enough to be sent to another zoo.  After two months in their home, Helen was devastated by the loss of his presence.  But . . .

Fred came home one evening with three sickly tiger cubs.  Helen knew what to do, and she named them Raniganj, Dacca, and Rajpur.  After one week under Helen's watchful eyes, with Fred's help when he was home, the cubs improved.  They developed into separate individuals with separate characteristics.  After three months, Fred told her they had to go back to the zoo.  This time, Helen was going with them.

During the day, their enclosure open to the public was turned into a playroom.  That first night Helen stayed with them until they fell asleep, hurrying back the next morning.  No one seemed to pay any attention to Helen, so she put a plan into action.  What she had done was finally noticed, she was given the title of "keeper of the nursery."  This was a first for this zoo, a woman zookeeper.  Raniganj, Dacca, and Rajpur grew into adults, confined to a large enclosure outside of Helen's nurturing, but Helen remained to care for many more of the youngest beings born into our world.

Readers easily identify with the beginning Candace Fleming uses to introduce us to the story of Helen Martini.  We know what it is like to wish for something, prepare for it, and then have it disappear.  In this beginning she includes three details.  This rhythm of three is used throughout the book with facts woven into the narrative cadence.  Through her research, direct quotations, repetition of key phrases and adept writing Candace Fleming brings us directly into the world of Helen Martini. Here is a passage.

Helen cradled the baby close.

She marveled at the tiny buds

of his ears and the tender pink

undersides of his toes.

MacArthur.

I'll name you MacArthur.

In looking at the images on the front (right) and back (left) of the open and matching dust jacket and book case, several words come to mind, playful, layered, and warmth.  Helen Martini, when the cubs were in her care in her home, allowed them to be themselves.  These illustrations show the blend of animal antics, and human-made items amid historically accurate settings, inside and outside. In each of the three pictures affection for the animals, and the love between Helen and her husband are clearly evident. 

On the back, left, are two horizontal pictures.  On the top Helen and Fred are positioned at opposite sides of the cage at the zoo housing the three two-year old tigers.  Helen holding a birthday cake with two lighted candles, is watching as Fred blows on a party whistle.  In the lower and larger illustration, we watch as Helen and Fred walk arm and arm through the gates into the Bronx Zoo.  

On the opening and closing endpapers the color used in the main title text on the jacket and case is the background hue.  On the title page the three cubs are in highly animated positions above, below and between the text.  The canvas looks like a light, two-toned delicately printed wallpaper.

Illustrator Julie Downing shifts her image sizes from full pages extending over the gutter, to pages of smaller panels, to full-page pictures, and dramatic double-page visuals. Some of her smaller images are wordless.  In several of her illustrations, elements break the border to add movement.  Two pages include a series of eight black and white photographs with black corners adhering them to a printed background.

Julie Downing's images are a mix of bold, darker colors, faded hues, and line drawings.  Her portrayals of the animals are realistic.  Fred and Helen are two people you would enjoy having as neighbors. In a word these illustrations are endearing.  

One of my many, many favorite pictures spans one and one-half pages.  A column of white on the far left is created for the text.  We are looking at a scene in the bathroom of the Martini home.  Pale delicate rosy wallpaper covers the upper walls.  The tub and sink are pink.  Pink towels with large M monograms hang from the sink.  Light pink tile is over the tub.  Pink boards line the lower wall around the sink.  Fred is leaning over the sink in a t-shirt and pajama bottoms, shaving as he looks in the mirror.  Helen in a purple bathrobe, her hair in curlers and a scarf is holding a towel near the tub.  Delicate hand washables hang on a line over the tub.  Two of the tigers are playing in the tub.  The third tiger has two paws resting on Helen.  Its back two paws and the back portion of its body break the frame.  This is an ordinary morning with extraordinary tigers in it.  Who could look at this and not smile?

Readers of all ages are going to enjoy learning about this woman and her achievements in Cubs in the Tub: The True Story of the Bronx Zoo's First Woman Zookeeper written by Candace Fleming with illustrations by Julie Downing.  The conversational narrative and charming images pair wonderfully in their presentation of information.  At the close of the book is a page plus a bit more of facts in a section titled A Quieter Kind Of Hero.  There is a Selected Bibliography and Source Notes.  This is an excellent title to use in a biography study, a focus on women pioneers, or women working with animals.  I highly recommend this book for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Candace Fleming and Julie Downing and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their respective websites. Julie Downing has a wonderful page dedicated to this book on her website.  Candace Fleming has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Julie Downing has accounts on Facebook, and Instagram.  At the publisher's website is an educator's guide.

Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to view the title she selected this week, participating in the 2020 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.

Happy Hearts

For those who stand or sit with stillness in their yards, open meadows, shady forests, or next to cheerful streams, nature will send rewards. She sends hummingbirds to sip sweet nectar from flowers in your gardens.  She sends two scampering red squirrels, so caught up in fun, they nearly run right into your legs.  They chatter at you as they find sanctuary in nearby trees.  They see you as a challenge.  You see them as a gift.

Our animal friends carry on their lives as they have for generations, adapting to changes and honing their instincts.  When we see them with happy hearts, and intent on frolic, they are also becoming their best selves.  Play in the Wild: How Baby Animals Like to Have Fun (Roaring Brook Press, June 30, 2020) written and illustrated by Lita Judge is a companion title to her Born in the Wild: Baby Animals and Their Parents and Homes in the Wild:  Where Baby Animals and Their Parents Live.  It's a lively exploration of animals and their antics.

Pounce, leap, chase, and slide.
Young animals like to play.

In the first of nine sections pertaining to animals and their play, we are given lively examples of head butting, running in circles, wrestling, and winter fun.  The otters, red river hogs and red pandas are seen embracing moments of joyful abandon.  In the subsequent eight sections, more specifics are noted.

So animals are aware that advances are playful rather than fighting, they have techniques for inquiry.  Kelp held in the mouth of a swimming sea lion pup is an invitation to another pup.  Play is a means for locating a meal.  Arctic foxes jump, jump and jump some more in anticipation of leaping up and coming down to catch food scurrying beneath the snow.  Various forms of play abide by certain rules.  Some things are allowed, others are forbidden.

In some animal communities play strengthens the group.  In gray wolf packs, youngsters master skills through play which will later allow them to work together as adults to survive as a single unit.  Some of their play continues for the rest of their lives.  Play is practice for attracting and keeping a mate.  Many males will fight each other as adults, so their pretend fights as babies are a prelude to securing a mate.

If during play, one animal baby hurts the other baby, they have learned to say they are sorry.  If a gorilla bite hurts another gorilla, the injured party will stop until the other one comforts them.  Play builds stronger bodies, thus insuring a greater chance of endurance and continuity.  In conclusion readers are told, animals do play for the sheer joy of it.  You'll know this is true if you ever notice a raven and a coyote doing something extraordinary.  The raven dives at the coyote.  The coyote chases the raven.  If the coyote is not fast enough, the raven waits.  Aren't animals wonderful?


Using spirited language replete with action verbs author Lita Judge acquaints readers with animal play.  For each portion there is a short introductory sentence or two.  The capers of three other creatures, in detail, are offered in support.  Lita Judge is well aware of her intended audience for this book, selecting those facts most likely to remain with her readers.  These pieces of information many times coincide with the play of children.  Here is a sample of a section title, its introduction and one of the animals.

Play can be practice for finding a mate.

Male animals often have to compete with one another
to breed.  The competition can be fierce, so many young
animals develop important skills through play-fighting.

Nubian ibex kids spring vertically in the
air, jump on each other, and knock heads.  These
rounds of "King of the Mountain" may prepare
male billies for the challenges they face in
adulthood.  Adult male ibexes compete for a 
mate by crashing their long horns into each
other like battering rams.


Your heart will fill with happiness simply by looking at the open and matching dust jacket and book case.  The baby elephant splashing through the water, birds flapping to avoid her, is learning to celebrate when goodness is presented.  To the left, on the back, along the top three otters slide down a snowy slope.  Two are starting on the left and all we see of the third is the back legs and tail on the right.  At the bottom center of the image, a fourth otter is staring at readers as if to ask us to join in their sliding.

A dark bird's egg blue covers the opening and closing endpapers.  On the initial title page, two baby cheetahs climb over a patient parent.  On the verso and title pages a double-page picture features a grassy scene with a pale blue wispy sky.  On the right a wolf cub playfully grasps a tail in its mouth. 

Lita Judge's paintings span two pages, full pages and smaller three images are grouped on two pages.  Lightly brushed backgrounds or white heighten her exquisitely detailed depictions of each of the animals and the settings in which they are placed.  She brings readers close to the activities giving us a sense of being in the moment.  All the animals are in motion.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is on a single page.  It takes place in a snowy setting.  Here two red pandas are wrestling.  On the left, the one is rolling on the ground, legs and arms moving to keep the other one away.  The one on the right is standing upright on its back legs.  Its arms are outstretched.  It is ready to leap on its playmate.  Their faces signal their merriment.


Readers will enjoy every single moment of the information, conversations, and artwork in Play in the Wild: How Baby Animals Like to Have Fun written and illustrated by Lita Judge.  It's a delightful new nonfiction book by a gifted person clearly dedicated to presenting the animal world with meticulous care to her readers.  At the close of the book are five pages of more information about each of the twenty-seven animals.  This is followed by a glossary of twenty-three words in which readers might not be familiar.  There is a list of written sources and recommended websites.  I highly recommend this for your professional and personal collections.  You could pair this title with Play Like An Animal!: Why Critters Splash, Race, Twirl, and Chase by Maria Gianferrari and illustrated by Mia Powell.

To discover more about Lita Judge and her body of work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Lita Judge has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.  At Macmillan's website you can view multiple interior images.


Even though educator Alyson Beecher is taking a much-deserved hiatus from her blog, Kid Lit Frenzy, please take a few moments to view previous blog posts about the 2020 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.