Early Reader Extravaganza

Do you remember when the ability to read first happened to you?  Have you seen that realization dawn on the face of a child? The feeling of knowing you can read is nearly indescribable. In that moment for you and others, the world shifts.  It is brimming with endless possibilities and discoveries. 

Some of the best books for early readers have engaging characters, characters who connect with us and charm their way into our collective hearts.  Their everyday lives are akin to adventures.  What they say and do is liberally enlivened with humor.

Author Jonathan Stutzman and artist Heather Fox have created an early reader series with sibling ghosts who are the best of friends.  We were introduced to the duo in Fitz And Cleo (Henry Holt and Company, May 25, 2021) and earlier this year their second book, Fitz And Cleo Get Creative (Henry Holt and Company, March 8, 2022) was released.  The exuberance of these characters will have you grinning from ear to ear and wishing to join them.

Something 

in the 

Attic

THUMP

Was that you?  No, I'm right next to you.

What do 

you think

it is?

I don't know.

It sounds

angry.

In this first of eleven delightful stories, Fitz and Cleo, finally explore the attic.  They find a stray kitty.  Cleo is thrilled and names the cat, Mister Boo.  Fitz is not so thrilled, especially when  Mister Boo's favorite place to sleep is on his head.  

Mister Boo stars in the next three tales as Cleo proclaims the cat's virtues, Fitz babysits Mister Boo, and subsequently discloses the lack of Mister Boo's desirable characteristics.  The trio next share a day at the beach and ice cream.  Star wishing and brain freezing might be involved. 

Fitz and Cleo try to beat the previous record of loop-de-loops via paper airplanes.  Mister Boo is not happy with the results.  Fitz questions the outcomes of a scientific theory and Mister Boo's baseball skills with conclusions not to his liking.  Who knew how cat tails were so useful?  Speaking of science, why can't Mister Boo be an astronaut and get shot to the moon on a rocket?

As the final hours at a day's end are presented, readers find Fitz and Cleo, brother and sister, peering through a telescope at the stars.  After one of Fitz's remarks, Cleo declares this planet the best planet.  Fitz does not understand how she could possibly know that.  Cleo's replies are entirely heartwarming and true.

Head

in the 

Clouds

Grr.

Sigh.

Don't you like the book?

NO!

I LOVE

the book.

That's the 

problem!

In this next series of lively narratives, they begin with Cleo's dissatisfaction with her life compared to what she reads in books.  Ever supportive, Fitz points out the wonderful imagination of Cleo per her love of the "cloud game."  That evening during a roller-coaster kind of movie viewing, Cleo has her best idea yet.  She and Fitz (and Mister Boo) are going to make a movie!

The successive episodes revolve around their creative endeavors.  The value of getting an idea in writing before it vanishes will resonate with a lot of readers as will the practice of writing versus procrastination to accomplish your goals.  Readers will find themselves laughing at an exercise in painting and the importance of winning rock-paper-scissors.  

When Cleo and Fitz look for cast members for the movie, we meet their friends who closely resemble a vampire, a werewolf, and a creature from the Black Lagoon.  The siblings shine in the next two stories, each doing what they do best.  Colorful creativity bursts forth, but does not last due to another type of burst. If only powerful spells and Rube Goldberg Machines really worked as they desire.

In one of the two final stories, readers are treated to an extraordinary movie production.  All the participants reveal their best talents.  We learn the finest gift they have is the gift of friendship.  Faithful to her sweet and wise nature, Cleo utters the final sentence.  And, that's the truth.

Author Jonathan Stutzman has written dialogue between these ghostly siblings certain to echo in readers' minds and hearts.  The personalities of both Fitz and Cleo are found in what they say and think.  Their honesty with each other and their shared love stands out.  Sometimes these disclosures will have you laughing out loud.  Here are passages from the first story in each book.

YAY! Spooky

attic!

Shhh . . .

We want the

element of

surprise.

Spooky attic.

Spooky spooks!

Might be a monster,

might be some kooks.

What are you singing?

It's called

"The Spooky Attic Song"!

It's my favorite.

You just made

it up, didn't you?

Yes, I did.

RUSTLE

SCRATCH

SCRATCH

SCRATCH

Some terrible beast is up

here with us!  It's coming

from over there---shine

your light at it!

GULP

You know that

game you like,

where you

find shapes in

the clouds?

You don't 

like that

game!

Yes! Because cumulus clouds

are not bunnies or dragons,

they're ---

I mean . . .well . . .

do you maybe 

want to play now?

You want to play 

the cloud game?

*sigh* . . .Yes.

What do you see?

OKAY!

Hmm.

That one . . .

. . .looks like me!

Personally, I think it looks like someone

who has exciting adventures inside

her head every day.  Someone who will be

more than ready when real adventures

come her way.

You cannot look at the front of the book cases of these books without smiling.  What Heather Fox has done with her black lines is fashion two ghosts we want as our friends.  The glasses and hat for Fitz and the big purple bow for Cleo are the finishing touches.  On the back of both books is information you would normally find on the front and back flaps of a dust jacket.  Fitz, Cleo and the title text are varnished.

The pattern on both the opening and closing endpapers in the books is a reflection of some of the stories.  On the first set, white outlines on lavender feature ice cream cones, balls of string, rockets, and paper airplanes.  On the second set, white outlines on turquoise spotlight paintbrushes, juice boxes, pencils, and microphones.  With a page turn, in both books, a pictorial interpretation, wordless, starts with the siblings engaged in an activity.  

A series of panels, bordered in fine black lines or wide white borders, full-page images, page edge to page edge and two double-page pictures, edge to edge, for dramatic effect created by Heather Fox invite readers to be participants in each narrative.  We want to jump into the images with Fitz and Cleo and Mister Boo and the other characters.  

Sometimes, you will stop to fully appreciate the extra details included in each image.  Is that an octopus as the ice cream vendor?  The similarity between Cleo's chalk art and Fitz's body as the Rube Goldberg Machine completes its task will not be lost on many readers.

One of my many favorite illustrations from Fitz And Cleo is three wordless vertical panels on a single page.  They are close-ups of the eyes of Cleo, Fitz, and Mister Boo.  It is after they have consumed too much ice cream too quickly.  Brain Freeze has attacked them.  We all know how that feels and their eyes replicate that feeling perfectly.

One of my many favorite illustrations from Fitz And Cleo Get Creative is a double-page picture.  It is a stage setting with shades of purple for the background and speakers.  The stage lights are turquoise.  On a raised light blue platform is Mister Boo on red drums.  On one of the drums is the group's name, Boo Fighters.  To the left of the gutter is Cleo looking gothic but still wearing her big purple bow.  On the right is Fitz wearing his glasses, playing an olive green guitar, sporting a chain around his neck, and instead of his hat, he has a yellow and orange spiked Mohawk. 

These books, Fitz And Cleo and Fitz And Cleo Get Creative, written by Jonathan Stutzman with artwork by Heather Fox, are pure happiness.  Readers will find themselves smiling, giggling, laughing, and sighing at the shared antics and inventiveness of these two ghosts and their Mister Boo.  They are wonderful for silent reading or as read aloud titles.  I highly recommend them for both your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox and their other work, please visit their websites by following the link attached to their names.  They have a joint website for these titles linked here.  There are activities to download. At the publisher's website, you can view interior images for Fitz And Cleo and Fitz And Cleo Get Creative.  Jonathan Stutzman has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Heather Fox has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  To introduce their series, Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox wrote a post at librarian and writer John Schu's site, Watch. Connect. Read.

There are several explanatory tales in folklore about why dogs chase cats.  You have to wonder if there is some veracity in these stories because it seems canines and felines struggle with compatibility even today.  If one or the other of them has been the sole companion of humans, they are wary of the introduction of the other into the family dynamics.  Frank and the Bad Surprise (an Arthur A. Levine Book, Levine Querido, April 5, 2022) written by Martha Brockenbrough with illustrations by Jon Lau is about a cat that fails to understand what his humans were thinking.  Are they crazy?

CHAPTER 1

The Bad Surprise

Frank the cat had it good.

He had a nice house, lots of toys,

all the Whiskies he could eat, and a 

window that looked out at the world.

One beautiful morning Frank was looking out that window and saw his humans returning to the house.  He was excited to see them carrying a box, but the box was not good.  The box was bad.  Inside that box was a puppy.  Frank immediately went to the computer keyboard composing a letter to his humans. (Are you laughing yet?)

After mailing that letter, Frank fell asleep in the sun knowing his humans would comply.  His nap was disturbed by that rambunctious puppy.  This unruly canine did not understand basic rules.  Frank retaliated.  He found himself in his crate, but still able to type away on the computer keyboard writing a letter.

His humans forgot he was in "jail" until he meowed at the sight of the puppy eating his beloved Whiskies.  He did not forgive his humans and wrote another letter.  The next morning Frank did the only thing he could think to do, he ran away.  He felt sorry for his humans, but what else could a cat do when a puppy enters their domain?

Frank thought he knew the world from his window watching.  He did not.  It was too much of everything that was not good, loud yappy dogs, mean people, rain, thunder and lightning, and smelly garbage.  Soon he found himself sitting in the rain on the sidewalk outside his home.  The storm woke up the puppy.  It started barking.  Frank imagined it was laughing.  It was not.  Frank wrote one new letter.  (Yes, his humans noticed him and he was back inside.)

Using a blend of narrative, Frank's thoughts, his comedic letter writing and human commentary, Martha Brockenbrough, in seven short chapters, acquaints readers with Frank and the puppy, who he names at the book's end.  The letters written by Frank are full of hilarity.  You can tell his mood with each writing by his signature line.

As a human who shares her life with both cats and dogs, Martha Brockenbrough writes with the sure knowledge of their interactions. Through her words she deftly depicts the regality of this cat and joyful abandon of the puppy.  Here is a passage.

Chapter 2

The Rules of Naps

There is nothing bad about a nap.

A nap in a warm spot is cozy.  A nap

feels the way warm bread and butter

taste.

Frank loved naps more than any

other thing.

Frank's humans knew not to 

wake him from a nap.

They knew that was against the

rules of naps.

The puppy did not care about

the rules of naps.

As soon as you look at the front cover of the book case, you can see the contrast between Frank and the puppy.  Frank is moving with uncertainty, or perhaps total disbelief. The puppy could not be happier.  This is grim versus grin.  The sign hanging from the mailbox designating this as book one is a nice design touch. On the back of the case is text normally supplied on the front and back flaps of a dust jacket.  There are two small pictures of Frank doing his favorite thing and discovering the "bad surprise."

On the opening and closing endpapers with dark turquoise on lighter turquoise are rows alternating between a dog bone and a cat ball with a bell.  On the title page are Frank and his two humans sitting on the front porch of the house before the arrival of the "bad surprise."  The puppy and Frank sit in opposite corners on the verso and dedication pages.

These illustrations were rendered by Jon Lau

by painting the characters, objects, and backgrounds using poster color paints on sheets of BFK Rives printmaking paper.  He then scanned the paintings and assembled the illustrations in Adobe Photoshop, much like a digital collage.

The size of the images vary in accordance with the pacing and presentation of the narrative.  There are full-page pictures, edge to edge, and smaller pictures on a single page, sometimes several grouped together.  There is one atmospheric scene on two pages when Frank learns a valuable life lesson.  Toward the end of the book are more double-page visuals when the best lesson of all is understood.  Readers will readily be able to discern the mood of Frank, the puppy, and the humans by their facial expressions.

One of my many favorite illustrations is when the puppy is breaking the rules of naps.  Frank is still mostly asleep, curled in coziness.  The puppy has leaped on top of him, paws on his chest.  The puppy is licking Frank's nose.  This is a smaller image on a single page with a light spring green background, focusing solely on the puppy and the cat.

That Frank and the Bad Surprise written by Martha Brockenbrough with artwork by Jon Lau is the first book in this series is a GOOD surprise for all readers.  We can hardly wait to see what new adventures Frank and the puppy will celebrate together with their loving humans.  Who knows what surprises await this twosome?  You'll want to have a copy of this funny and fun title on your professional and personal bookshelves.

To discover more about Martha Brockenbrough and Jon Lau and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  Martha Brockenbrough has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.  Jon Lau has accounts on Instagram and Tumblr.  At the publisher's website, you can view some interior pages with art and text.

Lift Your Arms

Nearly thirty-seven years ago, I read a book with a collection of stories, many remaining in the coveted places of my heart.  Some of those narratives became a part of storytelling in my school libraries at the high, middle, and elementary levels.  In the past few days I reread the entire collection of tales found in the book authored by Virginia Hamilton with illustrations by Leo and Diane Dillon.  The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales is divided into four sections focusing on

animals, real, extravagnat, and fanciful, supernatural and other slave tales of freedom.

These stories are rich in tradition and cultural history, educating and entertaining us about a resilient, noble, determined, and hopeful people.  The last tale in the book takes the name of the title, The People Could Fly.  Without fail, each time I read this story tears well in my eyes.  These tears are jubilant for the people who could fly and heartbroken for those left behind.  

In her closing paragraph, Virginia Hamilton says:

"The People Could Fly" is a detailed fantasy tale of suffering, of magic power

exerted against the so-called Master and his underlings.  Finally, it is a powerful

testament to the millions of slaves who never had the opportunity to "fly"

away.  They remained slaves, as did their children.  "The People Could Fly" was

first told and retold by those who had only their imaginations to set them free. 

At the close of their newest collaboration, The Year We Learned To Fly (Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, January 4, 2022) written by Jacqueline Woodson with illustrations by Rafael Lopez, Jacqueline Woodson makes reference to the words of Virginia Hamilton and the artwork of Leo and Diane Dillon in their 1986 Coretta Scott King Award winning title. (It also received a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award that year.) For all those who find themselves in a time and place they would rather not be, this book reveals a gift.  It shows us how to use this gift, a gift we all possess.

That was the year we learned to fly . . .

It began in the spring.  Storms raged nonstop.  A sister and her brother were confined to their home.  Their grandmother advised them to

use those beautiful and brilliant minds of yours.

She continued telling them exactly what they needed to do.  They did it, leaving their home and exploring their city, now blooming with a glorious array of flowers.  

Summer arrived.  The twosome could not agree on anything.  It seemed the only thing they were good at was arguing.  Their grandmother, in her wisdom, repeated her words.  Holding hands, sister and brother, forgot their anger.

As the shorter days and longer nights of autumn came, the girl and boy knew they could leave whenever they desired.  Their grandmother had taught them what had been passed from generation to generation, beginning with the people torn from their homes in Africa and brought across the water on ships.  Dreaming was believing.  You were (are) never alone in needing to fly.

The family moved in winter.  Everything and everyone was different.  The new neighborhood children were not friendly, but the sister and brother used remembered the words of their grandmother.  Their generosity was contagious.

Although author Jacqueline Woodson takes us through a year, season by season, of boredom, anger, loneliness, and newness, the awakening of the children's gift through the wisdom of their grandmother could aptly apply in any given situation at any given time.  In fact, as established through her poetic words used to design a cadence, the grandmother makes reference to others who might be in the same circumstances as the siblings.  These beautiful poetic instructions are enhanced by the repeated mention of another phrase.  Both combine to fashion a text that lifts readers as high as they desire to go.  Here is a passage.

That was the autumn our rooms felt too big and lonely

with only us in them and the darkness coming on so fast.

But while we hugged ourselves against the too-quiet of it all,

we remembered

that we didn't have to be stuck anywhere anymore.

When you look at the girl gazing upward on the right side of the matching and open dust jacket, you wonder what has her attention.  Are her feet on the ground or is she already flying?  What does the background indicate to you as a reader?  The wash of pastel colors seen here on the front extends over the spine to the left, back, of the jacket and case.  There, along the bottom, are three brilliant butterflies.  Above them are excerpts from starred reviews for the previous collaboration by these creators, The Day You Begin.  The text on the front is slightly raised and varnished.

Readers will be intrigued by the opening and closing endpapers.  They offer, prior to the reading of the book, an opportunity for discussion.  Both sets of endpapers show the same tree in the same setting.  The tree is placed on the right side.  On the lowest, right-hand branch a single cluster of leaves hangs down.  That is where the similarities end.  The background colors differ, as do the hues used in the ground.  There are additions in the closing endpapers.  What do they indicate?  Do these endpapers refer to other images within the book with leaves in them? (Personally, I love the leaves whenever they appear.  I have my theories.)

These illustrations by Rafael Lopez 

were created  with a combination of acrylic paint on wood, pen and ink, pencil, and watercolor, and put together digitally in Photoshop.

Each of them, double-page pictures, are full of color, emotion, and the frustration and exuberance of any given moment.  We understand how confined the children feel as the storm batters their apartment building and the other buildings in their community.  We feel deep respect for the depiction of their grandmother dressed in shades of orange, red, and purple wearing a regal and tradtionally-patterned dhuku,  And when the children fly we are there with them, uplifted and enjoying the vivid hues of the flowers and trees.

Careful readers will notice one particular bird and butterfly which seem near to the sister and brother in many of the pictures.  Rafael Lopez includes a bit of humor through the family dog.  When the children cannot seem to decide who should feed the dog, the dog, holding his dish in his mouth, patiently waits.  In two of the double-page illustrations, Rafael Lopez includes imagery from historical events woven into first, the girl's hair, and second, as portraits placed in large leaves clustered near the ground on the left of the following picture.

One of my many favorite two-page visuals is for the words referring to autumn. (It is the text above-noted.)  It is in the evening.  The background is a wash of purple hues with a bit of green and black.  The children on the right, appear to be reading in bed.  The quilt extending along the bottom of the left goes up and over the shoulders of the girl.  The orange red leaves on the quilt start to float off and around the two children.  This creates a cozy, tent-like image.  The girl is seated.  Her brother, under the covers, is in front of her.  She is holding the book she is reading aloud in front of him.  It is The Day You Begin.  There is a golden glow around and above the shoulders of the girl.  

This book, The Year We Learned To Fly written by Jacqueline Woodson with artwork by Rafael Lopez, is a marvelous tribute and an invitation to everyone.  We all have 

brilliant and beautiful minds.

With them we can accomplish as much as we can imagine and more.  What will we do with this ability?  I highly recommend you place a copy of this title in both your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael Lopez and their other work, please access their websites by following the link attached to their names.  Jacqueline Woodson has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Rafael Lopez has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view the title page. and verso.

Whatever The Weather

All manner of people come and go in our lives daily.  Some are there for the briefest of moments.  Others are there for decades.  They bring us laughter and sadness.  They challenge us and support us.  Some dislike us for no understandable reasons.  Others, most if we are fortunate, shower us with warmth and love.

We know at an early age; everything is better together.  The positive is multiplied and the negative is halved.  If it were possible to hold sheer happiness in our hands whenever we desire, then More Than Sunny (Abrams Books for Young Readers, May 11, 2021) written and illustrated by Shelley Johannes is exactly the title necessary for this accomplishment.  This debut picture book by a beloved author illustrator (Beatrice Zinker: Upside Down Thinker) is the quintessential representation of heightened joy through shared experiences.

*knock

knock *

An older sister and the family canine companion are eager to start their day.  They wake up a younger brother, pulling him outside.  The day is sunny, early and full of birdsong.  As they move through their world, other descriptors follow them and the word sunny.

At the pond, it is muddy, and a family of ducks follows them.  As the day and season warms, the sister and dog want to explore some more.  It is humid.  What's with all the bugs?!  They are thankful for a gentle breeze and each new discovery at the pond, in the meadow, and off the dock.

When the rains come, all three still go outside, enjoying those creatures who love the rain the most.  Back home, their wetness is absorbed by a loving parent.  Spring and summer are wonderful memories as autumn leaves pile on the ground spiraling up and down in the winds. Geese formations point to the south against a darkening sky.

Heavy snowflakes fall on two extended tongues.  Pleading leads to a walk in the snow.  Silence reveals gentle wonders.  Mom, children, and their dog play until late in the day when daddy arrives.  More fun ensues.  Four angels leave an impression in the snow.  Now it is time to go.  Stories and snuggles and 

*knock

knock* 

In a reversal, one final glowing glory is displayed.

A knock at a door always holds an element of surprise and anticipation until we realize who is there.  This is a wonderful way to lead readers into the merriment of this story.  Author Shelley Johannes skillfully uses punctuation, short phrases, and rhyming to supply readers with the best each season can offer.  Here are two paired passages.

it's MUGGY . . .

AND BUGGY!

BREEZY

AND BUZZY . . .

SUMMER 

AND FUZZY!

On the front and the back, right and left, of the open dust jacket, we meet the siblings and their dog as they embrace the day.  You can see in both of the images; the brother is not initially as excited as his sister.  She is the personification of sunshine; her arms shooting up and out like rays.  On the front the brother, dog, sister, and text are varnished.

To the left, on the back, is one of the interior illustrations.  The brother, still wearing his pajamas and his yellow boots, carries his toy stuffed turtle, as his sister, holding his hand, runs out the door of their house.  Their dog leads them off the steps and outside into the yard.  The red door of their house contrasts with the pale blue of the early morning sky.

On the book case a fabulous double-page picture is presented on either side of the spine.  To the left is a close-up of the red door to their home.  The brother and sister are leaning out the opening of the door, heads back and tongues stretched to capture the first snowflakes of winter.  

These illustrations rendered

with pencil and mixed media on tracing paper and finished digitally

by artist Shelley Johannes are brimming with exuberance and pure delight.  Their size and perspective are altered to accentuate the pacing.  Every page turn yields more energy.

The details in the clothing, facial features, body postures and the settings welcome us into each visual.  The sister is so thrilled she does not have her shoes tied.  In the summer, the toys on the brother's rug in his bedroom reappear in real life.  Do you see the ladybugs, butterflies, and caterpillar?  On the stormy day, a fort is made for the dog from books and a checkerboard.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations spans two pages.  It shows the passage of time.  On the left side, a dock ends on the left.  On the right side, a dock ends on the right.  This dock is positioned near the center of the two pages.  Beneath the dock is green-blue water of a pond or lake.  Above the dock is a blue sky filled with wispy clouds.  On the left, the siblings wearing yellow life vests are leaning over the dock watching the water and their fishing lines which vanish under the surface.  On the right, their poles with the lines reeled in rest on the dock.  Now, sister and brother are on their backs, cloud gazing.  In both scenes the sister is talking.  

When you read More Than Sunny written and illustrated by Shelley Johannes, you will feel your spirit lighten.  Hopefully for many readers, the activities of the sister and brother will be a reminder of shared exhilaration or future marvels to relish.  I highly recommend this book for your personal and professional collections.  It is one to gift often.

To learn more about Shelley Johannes and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  The book trailer can be viewed here, also.  Shelley Johannes has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  The cover reveal is hosted with an interview by Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher, at his site, Watch. Connect. Read.  Shelley Johannes is featured at author illustrator Jarrett Lerner's site.  Travis Jonker, teacher librarian extraordinaire, chats with Shelley Johannes on his site 100 Scope Notes at School Library Journal.  At the publisher's website there are some downloadable extra resources.  There is also a video there for you to enjoy at the publisher's website.

You Had No Say

Unless you are an only child, you've experienced the roller coaster ride of sharing your world with a younger or older, sister or brother.  If you are the oldest child in the family, it seems as though you are expected to be the example of propriety.  When something goes wrong, you are blamed in part, even if you are totally innocent.  On the other hand, you are given privileges and opportunities your younger siblings are not.  If you are the youngest child, many times you are your parents' little sweetie pie, unable to do anything wrong. Unfortunately, you hear too many times, wait until you are older.

To be the middle child is an entirely separate experience.  It usually does not offer you any privileges or any protections.  The Middle Kid (Chronicle Books, March 23, 2021) written and illustrated by Steven Weinberg presents a day in the life of a middle child.  In between bursts of laughter, you will reach a new appreciation for all middle children or if you, like Steven Weinberg, are a middle child, you'll find validation.

6:59 AM

CHAPTER 1

GOOD MORNING!

Sniffle.

SNORE.

Sniffle, sniffle-waaaaaaa . . .

So begins a decidedly noisy day.  The quietest one in the group, and still oblivious to the surrounding sounds, is the family dog.  Not wanting to stay silent any longer, the middle kid yells out a greeting.

The breakfast table is a hullabaloo centered in demands.  The results are not good for the artwork of the middle kid.  By chapter three of nine, he is told by his older brother to be tough.  What the older brother fails to tell him is how dark and confining this lesson is.

The next scenario demonstrates how a teacher's adventures on a trip to New Zealand can find their way into a creative escapade with stuffed toy animals, yarn, and a bannister.  Needless to say, what is initially a joint project between the middle kid and his younger sister, ends poorly.  Shortly after midday and chapter four and one half, life improves.

A compassionate mom has a plan.  It is a breather trip to the middle kid's favorite place.  And then, off he and his siblings go to do one of his favorite things.  He is perfect to explore their recent discovery.  Now, he has a secret that is all his.  A popsicle incident does not add up, but this does not deter our intrepid artist and architect.  His finest hour is designed to draw attention, the right kind of attention.  And it does.  Good night.  Sleep tight.

With affectionate truth, author Steven Weinberg, spins a sixty-two-page tale of navigating sibling dynamics.  To create and maintain pacing and gentle tension, each chapter heading includes a specific time of day.  These short chapters are full of blended realistic dialogue and casual narrative. Here is a passage.

9:01 AM CHAPTER 3---> YOU GOTTA BE TOUGH

This morning, my big brother tells me, "You gotta

be tough."

 "I AM!" I yell.

"No," he says.  "You are loud.  Loud is not tough."

I turn around.  I have things to draw.

He grabs my shoulder and says, "I will teach you

how to be tough.  Because I am tough.  And I have

your back."

That might be the nicest thing he has ever told me.

Then he stops looking so nice.

The front of the dust jacket speaks volumes about the fate of being a middle kid in this happy-go-lucky family.  You can't help but laugh at the fact even the dog gets a slice of pizza!  The clever design of using the pizza box as a placeholder for the text adds to the fun.  Numerous elements are varnished.

To the left, on the back, is a portion of a double-page interior picture.  The middle kid is enjoying some alone time in the basement, papers, books, crayons, scissors, and shoes spread across the floor.  He has drawn a masterpiece mix of reality and imagination.  It is the ultimate sanctuary.

Beneath the dust jacket, the book case is a recreation of a traditional black-and-white-speckled composition notebook.  In the larger framed square is the book's title.  For name it reads Steven Weinberg.  For school, it is Lafayette Elementary, and the grade is First.  Each is written in different colored crayon.

On the matching opening and closing endpapers are two original pages from the composition notebook.  In pencil are words of warning, scribbles and a large x.  With a page turn at the front the middle kid is carrying an armload of supplies with the faithful dog trailing behind and looking hopeful at a discarded shoe.  The dedication:

To My Big Brother and little Sister 

is written in crayon.  On the title page there is a lot happening as the three siblings and the pooch pal gather around a rug on the floor, paper written in crayon spelling out the text. The table of contents and introduction are written on composition pages.

The illustrations

were rendered in watercolor, pencil, art from a few centuries ago, digital media, and a whole lot more.

They are bold, highly animated, emotionally expressive and displayed in a variety of perspectives.  The facial features, especially the eyes, allow us to gage every moment.  Steven has placed his signature watercolor backgrounds in many of the images along with his fish and fishing artwork.  Bengal, the tiger, looks a bit different because he is.  

One of my many favorite illustrations is a single-page picture.  The middle kid, his little sister, and the dog are on the floor behind the upstairs bannister.  The little sister is crying in dismay.  The dog has its paws over its eyes.  The middle kid in the center is gleefully throwing Bubba, Bo, and Fred over the railing.  Bengal is about to join them.  Bubba, Bo, and Fred are large at the bottom of the page.  They are so close; portions of their bodies are off the page.  One of Steven's beautiful fish paintings is hanging on the wall on the main floor.

You will be grinning from ear to ear the entire time you are reading The Middle Kid written and illustrated by Steven Weinberg.  It's a warm and funny family portrait, with a heartfelt nod to all those middle children.  I highly recommend it for your collections, personal and professional.

To learn more about Steven Weinberg and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Steven Weinberg has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Steven Weinberg penned a guest post about this book at the Nerdy Book Club.

The More The Merrier

If you ask a child if they've ever dreamed of having their own home without adults, most will reply with an enthusiastic yes.  Some want siblings to share in the adventure.  Others wish to have close friends join in this exciting endeavor.  For many this vision is one held in their hearts and minds for years.  It is a home they carry with them.

For all those children who hold this dream close, a new collaboration by award-winning creators breathe life into that dream.  The Ramble Shamble Children (Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, March 9, 2021) written by Christina Soontornvat with illustrations by Lauren Castillo follows a family of five who happily live without adults.  The siblings work together in all things, even when a shared idea reveals an essential wisdom.

Down the mountain, across the creek,

past the last curve in the road,

five children lived together

in a ramble shamble house.

Each day the children were busy with their designated tasks.  There was a garden to tend.  There were crows to chase away.  There were chickens to feed.  There was mud to savor.

When it was time to eat, each child helped prepare the meal.  There was one exception.  There was still mud to savor. 

These children were always working but working together lightened the load.  At day's end, they snuggled together in the oldest girl's bed to listen to her fantastic tales.  One day, their idyllic lives shifted when they read a book.

Their ramble shamble house needed to change to be a proper house.  The four older children worked all the next day to make their house and yard proper.  When they were done, it did look different, but no one was adjusting to the changes.  And where was mud-loving Jory?!  The children living in the ramble shamble house discovered one of the most valuable secrets of a proper life.  

With each reading, the words in this story penned by Christina Soontornvat cuddle deeper into your reader's heart.  She describes an inviting setting with each individual having a purpose.  She uses the words always and proper to great effect, as familiar and comforting storytelling beats.  In a magical manner, layer by layer with a pleasing blend of dialogue and narrative, Christina Soontornvat casts a spell and teaches readers one of the oldest truths.  Here is a passage.

"Hold on," said Finn.  "Has anyone see Jory?"

"Isn't he in the mud puddle?" said Locky.

"Oh no!  We propered it up!"

Jory?

Jory?

Jory!

Look at the children on the front, right, of the open and matching dust jacket and book case.  Each one of them are merrily engaged in exactly what they enjoy, hiking, juggling, reading or playing in the mud.  The pastoral, sunny setting amid mountains and surrounded by a forest provides warmth and security.  The title text, varnished on the jacket, fits in the scene perfectly as crows fly from the letters.  

To the left, on the back, a dark teal supplies a canvas.  There we see the twins holding gathered carrots and running.  Near them, a hen perches in a basket with three eggs on the ground.

A soft midnight blue covers the opening and closing endpapers.  There, a flock of crows dips and flies in a line.  They are the same hue as that of the title text.  On the title page our focus is on the house, nestled among evergreens in a clearing.

These images by Lauren Castillo rendered

by combining ink drawings and Gelli monoprints in Adobe Photoshop

span two pages, edge to edge, single pages, edge to edge, lovely illustrations set and loosely framed on a single page and two smaller pictures on one page.  These pictures show the five children moving and working in unity.  They hike across the verso and dedication pages.  They garden, chase, feed, and play in the same area.  We view these visuals as more panoramic or close to the children, depending on a desired effect to enhance the story.  We are drawn into each moment by the facial expressions on the children's faces.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations brings us closer to the five siblings.  It spans two pages.  We are close to the front porch of the ramble shamble house.  Finn stands on the second step up on the porch.  He is juggling three eggs as the hen in the basket watches.  On the sidewalk leading to the porch steps, Merra works on the salad with lettuce and tomatoes next to her, on paper and in a bowl.  The twins, Locky and Roozle, run, on the right side, carrying carrots freshly picked from the garden.  Jory, behind them, sits in the mud, totally content.

You will get requests to read this book, The Ramble Shamble Children written by Christina Soontornvat with artwork by Lauren Castillo, over and over again.  It makes a dream seem possible.  It exudes warmth like a beloved blanket.  You'll want to have a copy on your personal and professional bookshelves.

To learn more about Christina Soontornvat and Lauren Castillo and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  At Lauren's site she has additional fun resources and images for this title.  Christina Soontornvat has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.  Lauren Castillo has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view the title page.  There is a cover reveal and interview with both Christina and Lauren at Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher's Watch. Connect. Read.

Up And Into

As you sift through your memory files, some of those labeled the first time are easier to recall than others.  Some are clearer because they are unforgettable.  It was a sensory experience as you looked at items not previously seen, inhaled specific smells, listened to new sounds, touched familiar and unusual things, and perhaps, tasted something unique.  It was as if you had entered a distinctively different world.

These are recollections held by many who step into an elevator for the first time.  You enter a small room in one place and in a short amount of time, you arrive at another spot.  Even when you learn about the mechanics of its operation, it still seems a bit magical.  Lift (Disney Hyperion, May 5, 2020) written by Minh Le with art by Dan Santat is the newest collaboration by the team who created the marvelous and memorable Drawn Together.  In this title the enchanting essence of our first elevator ride ascends to a wondrous level.

MONDAY
Hi, my name is Iris.

Iris is a fan of pushing elevator buttons, especially if she needs cheering.  Day after day, week after week, it is her job to push the elevator buttons from the lobby to their floor or from their floor to the lobby.  One week, though, on a Thursday, Iris's little brother reaches out and pushes the button.  WHAT?!

Her parents are deliriously happy.  Iris is not, not one little bit.  On Friday, it happens again, inside the elevator.  In a very un-Iris-like fit of anger, she pushes all the buttons.  Her little brother loves this.  Her parents do not.

When they get to the lobby, Iris is fascinated by the broken elevator button the maintenance man discards. (He is fascinated playing with her brother.) She grabs the elevator button out of the waste basket.  When Iris gets back to her room, she tapes that button to her wall, and pushes it, probably out of habit and desiring happiness.

Can you imagine her surprise when it dings?  Can you imagine her surprise when a door opens?  When Iris walks through that door, her heart races with the sheer joy of an explorer.  The doorbell to their apartment ringing distracts her, and she returns to her room, closing the door.

A babysitter arrives as her parents leave.  An evening of food and fun is in the offing.  Iris tolerates every moment until she is finally alone in her bedroom for bedtime.  She is not sleepy at all. It's safe to say after pushing the button again, this experience takes Iris to new heights, until her brother's crying brings her back to her room.  Iris knows a favorite book which will soothe his heart.  On Saturday, the next morning, you won't be able to stop smiling at the unfolding of events.  They are heartwarming.  They are unprecedented, hopeful, and inspirational.


With limited, but conversational and heartfelt text, Minh Le, using the voice of Iris, brings us into a week in which every single one of us can identify.  He does this with his keen insight into children and their feelings.  We have felt Iris's pride and her frustration.  Minh Le doesn't only know his intended audience, he understands others who will be reading this book.  He has a gift of connecting generations.  His pacing and word choices are designed to build anticipation (and to supply us with a bit of comedy).  Here are two sentences.

When we get back home, I just want to be alone.
I wish I could be anywhere but here.


Looking at the front of the open dust jacket, you know this book is going to be extraordinary.  You can see the normalcy of Iris's room behind her, but what surrounds her is astonishing.  There is also a hint of foreshadowing here.  Notice the placement of the letters of Minh Le's and Dan Santat's names.  They are elevator buttons.  Dan Santat's attention to detail, layout and design is already apparent.

To the left, on the back, of the dust jacket on a canvas of muted green is the discarded elevator button, taped to Iris's wall.  We have zoomed in close.  The button is lighted.  Beneath it is a Carl Sagan quotation reading:

"Imagination will often carry us to worlds that
never were. But without it, we go nowhere."

On the book case we are looking at the door from two different points of view.  On the front, we are standing in Iris's bedroom looking at the door.  Light glows around all the edges.  On the back, we are in an alternate world, a rainforest.  We are looking through the doorway into Iris's apartment.

On the opening endpapers Dan Santat has placed Iris standing in the light of the doorway after pushing the button.  Her wide-eyed look tells a story all its own.  On the closing endpapers Iris stands with her little brother on that Saturday morning, looking through the doorway and standing in the light.  Their expressions are of supreme joy.

After the opening endpapers, a page turn reveals the title page which is the lobby of the building.  There is a big L above an elevator button.  In front of the out of service elevator is the title in large block letters.  Iris's mom holding her little brother, Iris, and her dad carrying groceries are waiting in front of the elevator door. Their backs are to us.  Prior to the closing endpapers is a two-page image which will have you gasping like Iris and her little brother.  It is also the dedication page with publication information beneath it.

In this book the illustrations are a series of geometrical panels (wide framed in black), full-page images, combinations of vertical panels and horizontal panels, squares and rectangles and heart-stopping double-page illustrations, edge to edge with no borders.  There are series of images without words, interpreting the narrative flow.  Dan Santat shifts the perspectives to bring us close to the characters or farther away.  Each of these decisions places emphasis on emotional impact.  Sound effect text heightens moments.

The facial expressions on the characters are pure perfection. (I can't begin to tell you how many times I burst out laughing.) Dan Santat leaves no doubt in any reader's mind as to what the characters are thinking or feeling.  It's when you are looking closely at the characters that you notice other intricate elements.  Iris quickly realizes that a twig from her first elevator journey is still stuck in her hair when she greets the babysitter.  The name of the game the babysitter brings is Out Of This World.  The little brother's tiger stuffed animal is named Iris.  I wonder how many people will notice the lamp on Saturday morning in Iris's bedroom.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations (without giving anything away) is a series of three.  It is three horizontal pictures on a single page.  It is after Iris has pushed all the buttons.  Of course, the elevator stops at every floor, dings and the door opens.  As it opens, we see Iris's dad holding her brother, Iris, and her mom.  Her dad is resigned, as he holds a gleeful youngster.  Her brother cheers and flings back his hand holding his toy stuffed tiger in the second scene.  Iris is mad in all three.  Her mother's mood ranges from angry, to impatient and then to why me?  (I am laughing right this minute.)


This book is the answer to many questions.  It raises your mood and shifts your outlook.  Lift written by Minh Le with illustrations by Dan Santat is to be read often and widely.  We need this book for its universality and truths, insight and humor, and for its tribute to imagination.  I highly recommend this for your personal and professional collections.

To discover more about Minh Le and Dan Santat and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  Minh Le has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  Dan Santat has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  The book trailer for this title is premiered with a conversation between Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher, and Minh Le and Dan Santat at Watch. Connect. Read., John's site. (The book trailer is a treat to be enjoyed repeatedly.)  At a publisher's website you can view a Q & A with the creators and a praise sheet of their two books can be downloaded.  Minh Le and Dan Santat are interviewed about this book at The Roarbots.  I believe you'll want to read it.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like . . . 2019 #3

On this first Tuesday of December many people around the world are making preparations to celebrate holidays during this month.  These holidays have deep historical roots based upon religious beliefs and traditional customs observed for generations.  The challenges more people than we can imagine face during these plans and festivities differ in degrees of difficulty.

One of the greatest hardships is to have those we love separated from us not by their passing, geographical boundaries, or unforeseen circumstances but by walls built by the hands of humans.  Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story from the Border (Farrar Straus Giroux, September 10, 2019) written by Mitali Perkins with illustrations by Sara Palacios is a tale of ingenuity; this cleverness a result of what children do best.  They are keen observers.  They hope.

Abuela stars in all of Mama's stories, but my only memory is a voice calling me "angelita."

Five years have passed since this little girl heard her grandmother's affectionate word for her.  Today Maria and her younger brother Juan are traveling to the border separating Mexico from the United States with their mother.  It is La Posada Sin Fronteras. 

Mama is knitting the finishing touches on a scarf Maria has made for her grandmother to wear home.  Juan carries a picture he drew on cardboard for his grandmother.  It is of Mary and Joseph unable to find room in the inn.

When the bus carrying friends and family members arrives at the border two large fences, with a space in-between them, stretch into the ocean.  A limited number of people for a limited amount of time are allowed by border patrol officers to pass through the gate of the first fence to find their loved ones who have arrived from Mexico.

When the time arrives for Maria, Juan and their mother to meet Abuela, they are excited to see her and share words of news and affection in person.  A priest reads the story of Christmas and leads those present in carols.  When their time is up, Maria tries to push the scarf through the small holes in the fence.  A guard forbids it, returning the scarf to her.

Outside the gate Juan bursts into tears realizing he did not give his picture to Abuela.  Looking at the area around her and watching several seagulls gives Maria an idea.  Wind and suggestions of encouragement assist her endeavors.  Love soars.


With her words, author Mitali Perkins pens a story of abiding affection, family and persistence.  Simple conversational sentences in Maria's voice take us willingly on her family's journey to the border.  The mix of narrative and dialogue lends authenticity to the story.  The selection of specific words takes us deeply into these memorable moments.  Here is a passage.

Mama's words trip over Abuela's. Cousins, chickens, corn---everything in the village has grown.  Abuela drops kisses on our fingers. (Only fingers will fit through the fence, as people reach for each other.)  She is short, brown, plump, and jolly.  Hugging her would feel like hugging a chunk of cookie dough.


On the right of the open and matching dust jacket and book case, readers see a scene filled with joy; the joy is one of excitement at seeing a missed grandmother and for the gifts being made for her.  The tiny prints and patterns on the pillow, lampshade and rug are a reflection of the culture from which this family comes.  The heart pillow speaks to the strength of love in this family.

The background on the wall in the home is continued as a canvas to the left, on the back.  Within a large oval with a loose border, artist Sara Palacios has placed an image of the sandy beach, the ocean, a blue sky with wisps of clouds, seagulls, the white lighthouse on the Mexican side of the wall and palm trees.  Into this setting she shows Juan happily cheering his sister as she runs in her efforts to bring his gift to Abuela.

On the opening and closing endpapers Sara Palacios has given readers a beach view of sand, palm trees, ocean, sky and seagulls. These endpapers in the front host the title page on the right.  At the conclusion of the book, they supply a space for the publication information on the left.

Sara Palacios alternates her picture sizes from full-page pictures to double-page pictures, to smaller visuals for dramatic effect and a group of three double-page horizontal illustrations to highlight the passage of time in quick sequence.  Her perspective shifts from more panoramic positions, straight at readers, to panoramic places with a bird's eye view.  She brings us close to Maria's family to make us a part of their story.  The expressions on all the people's faces reflect their happiness and everyday tendencies, too, such as the siblings of another family teasing each other.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a single-page picture. Abuela is close to the fence on her side.  Juan, Mama and Maria are walking toward her and nearly at the fence.  All their faces are full of joy.  Mouths are open and smiling calling out words of love and greeting.  Maria proudly wears the scarf.  Juan is carrying the picture.  Mama has her knitting bag over one shoulder and carries her purse in her other hand.  Other families to the left of them are calling out to loved ones.  Pure bliss pours from this page.


Whether readers are familiar with Las Posadas or not, this book, Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story from the Border written by Mitali Perkins with illustrations by Sara Palacios, tells of a single day during this holiday and one family's minutes during an amazing achievement. This title offers the opportunity to discuss different holiday celebrations around the world and brings this holiday closer to children in the United States.  There are numerous possibilities for additional activities and research.  An Author's Note offers further information. I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Mitali Perkins (This is her debut picture book.) and Sara Palacios and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites. Mitali Perkins includes many references for this book on her website.  Mitali Perkins has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Sara Palacios has an account on Instagram.  At the publisher's website you can view interior illustrations. The cover, short sentences from the author and illustrator and process art are revealed by teacher librarian Matthew C. Winner on his blog.

Centered

If you are the youngest or the oldest in your family, at school or your workplace or even in an array of places in the public arena, you know there are advantages and disadvantages in both circumstances.  These benefits and detriments will shift and change with time.  It's a distinct possibility when younger you often wish to be older or bigger, but once you are older and bigger, you can't turn back the clock.  Eventually we all discover each age and our place in it is to be appreciated.

Regardless of where you are or who you are with, if there are more than two, there is at least one who cannot claim to be the youngest or oldest.  This individual is in a distinct position.  Bunny in the Middle (Christy Ottaviano Books, Henry Holt and Company, July 2, 2019) lovingly created by author Anika A. Denise with illustrations by her husband Christopher Denise is an endearing tribute to all children whose years number not lower or higher than the others but are perfectly in-between the two.

When you're in the middle . . .
you're not the oldest
and you're not the youngest.  

You have the ability to help and the promise of help when you need it.  Sometimes being in the middle demands you take a stand to protect what you have.  Other times being in the middle requires you to give up something you value.  You have the gift of knowing.

You, as an in-between being, will be looked to as a leader.  In other instances, it is better to follow.  With this understanding comes the wisdom to be alone when necessary. 

There are unavoidable situations as a middle individual.  It's not often you get brand new things when those from older sibling will suffice.  Having your own room is entirely out of the question.  (Sometimes you wonder if sharing isn't your secret middle name.)

All these occasions can be experienced with compassion because as a middle you have more than one thing the youngest and oldest don't have.  This knowledge gives you the best of both worlds.  It gives you what every heart desires.


Using eleven wonderfully paced and spaced sentences Anika A. Denise composes a story of comfort and contentment.  With great care she presents instances in which readers will readily identify not only as a middle, but as the youngest or oldest.  Her word choices present a melodic, soothing cadence. Here is a single sentence.

When you're in the middle . . .

you know when to hold on,

when to let go . . .

and how to solve sticky situations.


You simply cannot look at the matching dust jacket and book case without inwardly or outwardly sighing.  These three bunnies balancing on a log bridge are utterly enchanting.  Their clothing, body positions and facial expressions are inviting.  We want to join them as part of this picturesque summer afternoon.  The soft texture and intricate details in the artwork here (and throughout the book) by Christopher Denise further enhance each moment.  This illustration continues along the spine.

To the left, on the back, on a sky-blue canvas, the siblings are seated together in a large overstuffed floral-patterned armchair.  The oldest is reading a copy of Hop Stars.  The middle child is looking at readers and waving one paw.  Looking at a stuffed teddy bear dropped on the floor, is the youngest child.

The opening and closing endpapers are a glorious summer scene in a lush green meadow filled with daisies.  The characters are placed near the top of the pages.  In the first on the left the youngest and middle are together looking intently at a butterfly.  The oldest one, on the right, with one paw casually on her hip, is watching them. On the closing endpapers the butterfly has moved to the right.  The youngest bunny is still on the left but is now holding a bouquet of daisies.  The middle and oldest child are watching the butterfly.  They are each holding a few blossoms.

The illustrations were rendered

with paper and pencil, Adobe Photoshop; and Procreate on iMac and iPad.  The artist also used an Apple Pencil and Wacom tablet.

On heavier paper, using white space with excellence, the images span two pages and single pages.  Each one welcomes readers to pause and become further acquainted with the characters and the settings in which they live.  Christopher Denise varies his points of view to enhance the text and pacing.  He brings us close to the bunnies but then moves back to let us see the larger area where they reside.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations (I love them all!) is for the final phrase in the sentence previously noted.  The three bunnies have made pink frosting for the baked cupcakes.  We are close to them.  On the right there is a portion of the interior of their home with sunlight shining in a window.  Otherwise the canvas is mostly white with some pale, pale green as light reflecting from the walls.  On the left, wearing the newly acquired white chef's hat is the youngest bunny standing on a chair and ready to scoop out frosting with one paw.  A red-and-white checkered towel and sifter is near her.  The large bowl crosses the gutter and extends nearly to the right edge.  There standing on a chair behind the bowl is the middle bunny with closed eyes, holding a wooden spoon and licking the pink frosting on it.  Bending over the bowl with a spatula in her paw is the oldest bunny on the far right and more in the foreground.


As Anika states in the end flap

"We created Bunny in the Middle . . . to celebrate the unique, sometimes challenging experience of being in the middle.  Middle kids are often sensitive, thoughtful, brave, peacemakers, risk-takers . . . the dear ones. 

Anika A. Denise as author and Christopher Denise as artist have completely and with much affection given us a book that wraps us in a hug.  No matter where you are, youngest, middle or oldest, you will be charmed by these three bunnies and especially by the one in the middle.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.  This is a book to share repeatedly.

To learn more about Anika A. Denise and Christopher Denise, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Both have links to blogs from their websites.  Anika A. Denise has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Christopher Denise has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. Anika A. Denise is interviewed at Critter Lit.  At the publisher's website several interior images are there for you to view.

Seeing Double

There will be times when a book is released, and to your surprise it's a companion to a title from the previous year.  At first you can't believe you missed the first book. (Where were you?  Under a rock?)  As quickly as possible you locate a copy through your public library.  Not only do you believe it's excellent, you know the intended audience will enjoy it, too.  You buy a copy for your personal collection.

Look (Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, July 10, 2018) written and illustrated by Fiona Woodcock cleverly tells a story of a sister and brother spending a day at the zoo.  Her narrative includes words with the letter pair oo.  Each pair is incorporated into the accompanying illustration.

Prior to the title page

Cock-a-doodle-doo! 

is being sung by a rooster.  He is perched on his house on the following verso page.  On the title page LOOK is placed on three rolling hills with a rising sun for the second letter "o".  The children, with their backs to us and wearing their pajamas, have raised their arms in a good morning stretch.

For each of the subsequent pages words describe their breakfast, their footwear, and how fast they drive toward their destination.  They exclaim hooray! on their arrival with their faces as the letters "o".  Three animals are seen, and they dance with the third, doing a boogie.  

More animals are present, butterflies swoop and primates present themselves to the children.  As the sister and brother wander, they carry balloons, find flowers which cause sneezing and satisfy a craving for a sweet treat which sadly meets with an unfortunate mishap.  At home they ready themselves for bed, read, and drift off to dreamland. 

Outside a night bird calls as our natural satellite shines.  A shower of falling stars ask us (for those awake) to LOOK.  We've come full circle. 


There are more than thirty words selected by Fiona Woodcock to tell this tale. There is usually one word per page (illustration), but that pattern is not strictly followed to create a pleasant pacing. Each word used is carefully chosen to provide readers with an interesting narrative with plenty of action.


The front of the dust jacket is a hint of events to come, asking readers to seek words with the double "o".  The array of colors in the balloons is used throughout the book.  To the left, on the back, a large faintly colored red circle on a white canvas frames the sister and brother.  She is behind him saying LOOK!  Her glasses are the double oo.  On his hat it says IT'S A and then BOOK! is across his face.  He is looking through binoculars which form the double "o".  Two beautiful large butterflies are placed on each side of the book case on a background of white.

To coincide with dawn and night the letters "o", spread across the opening and closing endpapers, change color.  On the first the shades are red, yellow and orange.  On the second they are red, blue and purple.

The artwork and hand-lettered text was created by hand-cut rubber stamps, stencils, BLO pens, and additional pencil line work, all composited digitally.

Fiona Woodcock alters her point of view to emphasize the narrative.  She begins by bringing us close to two single-page pictures and then gives us a wider view for a double-page image.  Her placement of the elements and the words changes to create an inviting rhythm.  Readers will be eagerly Looking for the double "o" words.  The heavier matte-finished paper is an ideal texture for her artwork.

One of my many favorite illustrations spans two pages and includes two words.  On a light background colors like tiny confetti (or sprinkles) are patterned as a canvas.  Three flowers from the previous page are in the lower, left-hand corner.  Next to them are the brother and his sister.  Above them in cursive the large word drool stretches over the gutter.  On the right a hand is reaching up from the bottom of the page to grab an ice cream cone.  The top of the ice cream is the letter "o" for the word scoop.  An ice cream scoop utensil held by the vendor is placing that scoop on the cone.



This spring the second book, which lead me to Look, was released.  Hello (Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, May 14, 2019) written and illustrated by Fiona Woodcock follows the siblings on another adventure. The letter pair ll and the formed words take us from the family campsite to an amusement park for the day and safely back to the tents.

Prior to the title page a bird's eye view shifts to a close-up perspective as our eyes move from left to right.  On the left side the sun rises with hello inside it.  Three tents are next to the mother's red car.  On the hill on the right a rabbit watches the scene below it.  The rabbit's ears supply the ll in the word yellow.

On the verso page the brother leans out from his tent with two little bunnies next to him.  His sister stands in front of the rising sun with HELLO beneath her.  The shadows of her two legs become the ll pair.

As the trio travel to the park the geography changes through using pairs of ll words.  A fabulous adjective depicts how excited they are to enter the park.  Words describe five different rides and exhibits and their reactions.

A mischievous brother causes an accident, but they still manage to have fun along the seashore later.  They peer at sea creatures and collect shells until their mother returns.  As night falls, they enjoy a snack courtesy of the crackling fire.

A soothing melody lulls the twosome to sleep. Well, almost both of them.  The younger brother has one more thing he wants to try.  He remembers how the day began with a greeting and a hippity-hoppity companion.


With every page turn readers will be fascinated by how Fiona Woodcock takes nearly forty words to fashion a fun-filled day.  It's exciting to see how their vacation is enhanced by the outing to the amusement park by the seashore.  The decision for determining each word creates a cadence of rising and falling action connecting readers to each event in the story.


On the front of the dust jacket the brother and sister with their hands raised as they float on the water informs readers of the happiness they hold in their hands.  These two are going entertain us from beginning to end.  To the left, on the back, a large yellow inner tube supplies a place for the siblings.  The brother with his hands raised is the double "l" for hello and the legs of his sister help to spell
all.  This is on a white canvas.  On the light background of the book case are two llamas; one is blue on the front and the other is a darker blue with purple on the back.  (You'll need to read this book to discover why they are there.)

On the opening and closing endpapers a series of the letter l are placed almost like zigzags.  On the first set the colors are blue, yellow and green.  Blue, red and purple hues are used on the second set of endpapers.

Readers will see with each page turn some of the images are connected to previous illustrations and following pictures, flowing flawlessly.  As the family leaves the tents behind on the left and travel toward the park, we see it in the distance on the right.  On the next page it is magnified like a bold statement across two pages.  Several of the rides seen in this expansive view appear later and much closer to readers.  (It will be interesting to see if readers can see some elements from the first book in this second title.)

One of my many favorite illustrations spans two pages.  It is for the word gallop.  Six merry-go-round horses ride from left to right, some more prevalent than others to give the impression of motion.  The letter g is to the left of the gutter.  The poles from the sister's and brother's horses provide the ll pair.  The duo is looking directly at the reader.


Both Look and Hello written and illustrated by Fiona Woodcock are imaginative and ingenious stories certain to actively engage readers.  Without a doubt readers and listeners will be eager to alter or expand these stories or write their own using words with pairs of letters.  I highly recommend both titles for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Fiona Woodcock and her other work, please follow the links attached to her name to access her website.  The second link takes you to a page for Hello.  You can view additional images there.  Some of them are different from those found at the publisher's website.  Fiona Woodcock has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  Fiona Woodcock and these two books are showcased at author, reviewer, and blogger Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast here and here.