Ho Ho Humph

It's hard to believe six days have passed since December 25, 2016.  It will be another three hundred fifty-eight days until the next Christmas celebration.  Surely the time will pass quickly with months, days, and hours filled with the expected and unexpected.  While you are waiting for this holiday to approach there is a title you need to consider reading.

We can all agree laughter is truly an antidote to many things, not all but most. When the jolliest elf of all is in a grumpy slump something needs to be done.  The Day Santa Stopped Believing In Harold (Tundra Books, a division of Random House of Canada Limited, October 11, 2016) with words by Maureen Fergus (Buddy and Earl, Buddy and Earl Go Exploring) and art by Cale Atkinson (To The Sea and Explorers Of The Wild) is the ticket to hilarity.  There is a ton of trouble at the top of the world.

One stormy night close to Christmas, Santa and Mrs. Claus were sitting in their cozy little log cabin at the North Pole.  

Instead of going over the line-up of reindeer on his team, Santa was sad and sulking.  Mrs. Claus repeatedly asked Santa what was wrong before he finally admitted the truth.  He no longer believed the boy named Harold existed.  He believed Harold's parents were trying to trick him into thinking the child was actually real.

To say Mrs. Claus was shocked was an understatement.  Santa began his list of reasons noting the letter to him appeared to have been written by Harold's mom.  He then went on to point out the late night snack for him.  Santa was certain Harold's dad had left it for him.  As he grew more adamant, Mrs. Claus made a very valid point.

When the news of Santa's quandary swept through the toy departments, the elves were stunned.  Merpin, the Elf Supervisor in the Computer Gizmo Department was no help whatsoever.  Santa set off to seek the counsel of his reindeer.

As Santa laid out the facts of the matter, his team listened in silence.  Finally Donner stated the obvious.  There had to be proof.  At this point the story switched to Harold's home where a similar situation was unfolding.  Harold had a plan.  Santa had a plan.  Neither one of them planned on the results.


As soon as you read the words

Santa was supposed to be going over the roster for this year's sleigh team.
Instead, he was moping.

you know something is amiss. Santa simply does not mope but Maureen Fergus has a knack for bringing a humorous new viewpoint to what we believe to be true.  It's this comedic contrast which propels the story through all its surprises.  With careful, honest and insightful conversations we gain perspective on the issue at the North Pole and in Harold's home.  Here is another passage.

"Stop!" interrupted Santa in a choked voice.  "Don't say another word.  You don't need to keep pretending on my account because...because...I don't believe in Harold anymore."
Mrs. Claus stared at Santa as though he'd suddenly sprouted antlers.


The grouchy looking Santa carrying and wearing signs on the matching dust jacket and book case is uproariously funny.  His BIG round body and tiny feet and hands plus the look on his face are sure to cause bouts of laughter.  On the back, to the left, we get the rear view of the same image.  On the back of the sign it says

I WANT TO BELIEVE

Cale Atkinson rendered the artwork

in Santa's Workshop with Photoshop.

The opening and closing endpapers in a matte-finished paper are identical to the pattern on Santa's shirt under his red coat.  It's a lively print in reds and greens with stripes, diagonals, snowmen, hearts, stars, dots and squares.  Much of the background canvas is a faint stripe pattern like wallpaper.  Prior to the title and verso pages, we see Santa's cat playing Scrabble with Harold's turtle.  Foreshadowing.  The dedication and title page information is placed inside Christmas tree ornaments.

Atkinson alternates between double-page pictures, single page images or a group on two pages to show the passage of time.  His details are marvelous; a bucket of coal next to Santa's fireplace, Mrs. Claus wearing reindeer slippers, Santa drinking hot chocolate from a cup with a Santa-hat-wearing narwhal on it, and Mrs. Claus's skirt covered in holly outlines.  The facial expressions on all the characters' faces are absolutely spot-on.

One of my many favorite illustrations is Harold in his bedroom.  On the background canvas in blue on blue is a series of miniature robots.  His bed is covered in a purple spread with a purple pillow.  On the floor are several Santa Claus books and a picture of Santa's face surrounded by question marks.  On the wall are a bunch of clues connected by string.  Harold, minus a front tooth, is reading a copy of Santa Enquirer.  His turtle is next to him, smiling.


Be sure to get a copy of The Day Santa Stopped Believing In Harold words by Maureen Fergus and pictures by Cale Atkinson to add to your Christmas collection.  Readers young and young at heart are going to get lots of chuckles out of this story.  It's good to know even Santa can have doubts.  It makes him all the more believable.

To learn more about Maureen Fergus and Cale Atkinson and their other work please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Cale Atkinson also maintains Tumblr pages.  You can get a glimpse inside the book at the publisher's website.

Seek And Find

There is something a bit mysterious about wading through waist-high weeds in a vacant lot, jumping across stepping-stones in a stream and building lean-to forts in nearby woods when you are a younger gal or guy.  If there is no one else around you can easily imagine yourself to be the first person to make new discoveries.  In the seconds of a single thought you are in a place far removed from home.

Moving slowly you listen, look, smell and touch as if you have entered an alien world. Explorers Of The Wild (Disney Hyperion, April 26, 2016) written and illustrated by Cale Atkinson (To The Sea, Disney Hyperion, June 2, 2015) follows two individuals roaming through a nearby forest.  They are seeking but not sure what they will find.

I love to explore!
It's my favorite thing to do!

Two narrators are expressing their excitement to readers.  They are in separate sections of the same woods.  One of them gets down low to see new sights.  The other lifts and looks beneath a large log.

Care is taken by both as it darkens in the denser areas, tree tops blocking the sunlight.  They each remember words of caution from their parents.  Like masters of their profession, explorers, they are ready for whatever happens.

As they scamper and tumble around, running along as fast as they can, they both suddenly stop.  A boy has met a bear.  A bear has met a boy.  YIKES!  They are both shaking down to the tip of their explorer toes.

When the reality of who they are is replaced with the pursuits they have in common, the fun escalates.  No matter the size of their find, together makes it better.  This day is a day to remember.


The feeling of anticipation when you set off on a new adventure spills from the pages of this book.  Even though the explorers are a boy and a bear Cale Atkinson skillfully portrays the emotions and actions they both enjoy with similar enthusiasm.  The intended audience will see themselves in each sentence (and so will older readers as they recall their pasts).  Each phrase that speaks to their eagerness builds toward the screeching halt in their activities.  When they resume together Atkinson raises the level of their happiness.  You want to cheer for this twosome.  Here is a sample passage.

My parents tell me to be careful.
They say you never know what
you'll run into in the wild.
I say I'm an explorer 
and explorers are prepared for anything.


On both the back and front, left and right, of the opened dust jacket Cale Atkinson portrays the boy and the bear together.  On the right this scene foreshadows their shared affection for exploring the outdoors.  On the left Atkinson has created another new scene of them first seeing each other.  They are peering around a grassy hill as a mother robin and two baby robins in a nest watch them.  In each image tiny creatures of the woods are observing the boy and the bear.  Atkinson introduces readers to the color palette he uses throughout the title on the dust jacket; the rich greens and browns with spot color for the flora and fauna of the forest and the duo's attire.

The book case is a composition book in a darker green.  It's definitely showing signs of wear and tear.  The label on the front has been crossed out to reflect the title and characters in the book.  The title text on the front and a drawing of animal tracks on the back have been taped to the cover.  An identical opening and closing endpapers feature a wonderful, childlike (one of the best I've seen) maps of the day's adventures; to name a few places, ELEPHANT ROCK, THE CAVE MAZE, MOSS VALLEY, WATCH OUT FOR SLUGS!!, BIGGEST TOAD IN THE WORLD and POISON IVY! The map is drawn on lined notebook paper.

The illustration on the title page is a blend of the boy and the bear looking in two different places in the woods.  Other creatures are sharing the space with them.  Until the two discover each other, Atkinson cleverly has a tree going down the center of the gutter to separate the actions of the two but make it appear as if it is a single picture.

For the following eight pages a single visual spans two.  Then masterful design joins smaller illustrations together with a stream, a log, a tree, and dotted lines for a path.  This pattern is followed somewhat in reverse as the two go back to their homes at the close of the day.  The exuberance the fellow explorers experience separately and together is fully depicted in their facial expressions.

Many, many of these illustrations could be a favorite.   One of them is when they recognize they are explorers.  It is a double-page picture.  On the right the boy and the bear are standing side by side, feet spread apart, a hand on a hip and another holding a walking stick.  Trees and flowers are spread before them as a bunch of butterflies fly around them.  (Butterflies have always meant change to me, so I really like seeing them here.)


Explorers Of The Wild written and illustrated by Cale Atkinson is a book for everyone of all ages.  It reminds us to get outside to discover all things big and small.  Shared experiences are better with like-minded people.  And a new day holds the promise of new adventures with a new friend.

To learn more about Cale Atkinson and his other work please follow the links attached to his name to access his website and his Tumblr pages.  Cale Atkinson is a guest at All The Wonders, Episode 255 talking with teacher librarian Matthew Winner.

Discover EXPLORERS OF THE WILD today! 🐻 https://t.co/nJhGo1NfVW 🌲 #kidlit @DisneyHyperion #explore pic.twitter.com/Wsu2Vufko2

— Cale Atkinson (@2dCale) April 26, 2016

Just put up my printable explorer Discovery Journal on https://t.co/S0c0uy8TbT! Anyone care to test it out? 🌲 pic.twitter.com/kVDs2RvwZI

— Cale Atkinson (@2dCale) May 11, 2016

What's the process of creating an EXPLORERS OF THE WILD spread? well something like this:🌲 @DisneyHyperion #kidlit 🐻 pic.twitter.com/xOjc3WPdUw

— Cale Atkinson (@2dCale) May 9, 2016

Curious what EXPLORERS OF THE WILD looked like in the beginning? 🐻 Well, it looked like this -> #kidlit #process pic.twitter.com/Cotm8pk6h9

— Cale Atkinson (@2dCale) June 1, 2016

From The Deep A Deeper Friendship

The best time to search for treasure is in the spring.  With the extremely cold winters and lower water levels, more area freezes.  The ice dredges up gems from the rocky and sandy bottom of Lake Michigan. Petoskey stones are plentiful.

The closest I have come to discovering living riches are glimpses of white-tailed deer splashing in the waves, seagulls looking for free food and drifting and diving ducks.  To the Sea (Disney Hyperion, June 2, 2015) written and illustrated by Cale Atkinson explores being in the moment.  To find someone who is not used to being seen by others changes everything for both beings.

This is Tim.  

It's raining as Tim walks down the steps after school is out for the day.  At the bottom of the steps he spies Sam.  Sam is a blue whale who has lost his way.

Tim is the only one to notice Sam.  He knows what it's like to feel invisible.  They're both happy to spot each other.

Tim understands whales like water so he goes back inside his classroom to get a glass of water for Sam.  The other students don't say a word to him but it doesn't bother him anymore.  Sam sees him.

Tim wants to be Sam's friend and Sam wants to be Tim's friend.  Sam explains to Tim about not knowing how to get back to the sea.  Tim makes a promise before he heads home.

Tim can think of nothing but Sam that evening.  He has to figure out a way to help his new friend.  Sam is thrilled when Tim returns to him the next day, plans in hand.  Of the three ideas, the duo settles on the third.

Tim is determined to keep his vow to Sam.  He works and works and works.  Sam holds on and holds on and holds on.  The two best buddies are a blur as they rush toward the sea. Yikes!  Someone else is lost.  Will they be found?


Cale Atkinson uses words, easily understood words, which ring true to his intended audience.  The short sentences direct the slow easy pace.  They make the unbelievable seem as right as rain.  Atkinson combines his narrative with the comfortable conversations between Tim and Sam.  The straight-to-the- heart feeling of some of his sentences will have readers nodding in agreement.  Here is one of them.

They both felt
better knowing
they weren't 
invisible.


The bright limited color palette, the mix of vibrant oranges with greens, blues and black, seen on the dust jacket is the reader's first clue to the uplifting story to be found within the pages.  And it's not every day you see a little guy riding on the head of a blue whale.  On the back, to the left, we see Tim working as hard as he can to get Sam back to the sea.

The book case is a marvelous illustration from left to right of Tim standing in front of Sam outside the school building in the rain.  They are both as happy as can be.  The opening and closing endpapers are done in the warm orange with a lighter hue for the gathering of whales featured.  I wonder what the name of the one in glasses is.

Crossing the gutter from page edge to page edge is the title visual.  We see the school on the left with the windows shining with light in the rain, a swing set and Tim looking at the stranded Sam.  The verso and first page is a close up of Tim walking out of school; the hood on his rain coat up.

Alternating between single page visuals and two page images, Cale Atkinson brings us gently into the meeting of Tim and Sam building emotion with each page turn.  Body posture and those dark eyes heighten the mood.  Assigning the paler orange, except on the orange pages, as the text color is perfect.  When Tim is showing Sam his plans for getting him to the sea, the childlike drawings are absolutely joyful.

One of my many favorite illustrations is on a single page.  Tim is returning home after he has met Sam.  He leaves a light on at school so it shines on Sam all night.  Two glasses of water, a rubber ducky and a goldfish in a bowl are there to make Sam feel loved.  Sam and the building are behind Tim who has been placed at the bottom of the page.  His face is glowing with happiness as he looks right at the reader.


Delightful as a read aloud and cozy as a snuggly blanket when you read it by yourself, To the Sea written and illustrated by Cale Atkinson is a splendid debut work.  You can use it with titles on friendship, titles about the sea or as a reader's theater.  Read this often.  Share it as much as you can.

To learn more about Cale Atkinson follow the links attached to his name to access his website and his Tumblr pages.  This tweet reveals even more goodies about this title thanks to Cale Atkinson.

🐳🐳Here is my full #TotheSea #MakingOf formatted nice and readable in Storfiy! Hope you enjoy! http://t.co/O7jdGzsFik @DisneyHyperion ^u^ 🐳🐳

— Cale Atkinson (@2dCale) June 25, 2015

Next be sure to visit Watch. Connect. Read. hosted by teacher librarian extraordinaire John Schumacher.  He premieres the book trailer and chats with Cale Atkinson about this book.  There is artwork to enjoy too!  More artwork and an interview are featured on Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher.