We Must Care

 If it were not for the reminder tweets by founding educators Cathy Mere and Mandy Robek, I might have been rushing to get my list ready in time for the annual event of Picture Book Ten For Ten.  Each year readers gather ten (or more) picture books they feel best define a theme.  In 2020 we will be adding links to Mandy Robek's blog.  You can access her blog by following the link embedded in her name. 

 Over the course of my participation in this celebration I've centered on themes of the alphabet, dogs, counting and number books, bedtime, sleep and sweet dreams, robots as main characters, friendship, and bees.  Last year my focus was on books featuring grandmothers and grandfathers.  Links to all the previous posts are in last year's post.

Prior to this writing I had another theme chosen, but the news this week about a portion of the Milne Ice Shelf, in Ellesmere Island, Canada falling away due to climate change makes the peril our planet is facing even more pressing.  The size of the lost ice was greater than that of Manhattan in New York City.  I have chosen titles reflecting ways to protect, preserve, and appreciate our Earth.  They are listed in order of publication date, and then alphabetical by title.  You can find more about each title by following the link attached to it.

1. It began in the most populated city on the continent of Australia thirteen years ago.  It was a single event lasting sixty minutes.  It was an act of faith in people and hope for our planet by its organizers. One year later countries on all seven continents participated.  By 2009 it broke

all records of mass participation, becoming the world's largest grassroots movement for the environment.

This year, 2020, Earth Hour will be celebrated on March 28th, 8:30 PM local time, wherever you live.  Debut picture book author Nanette Heffernan and debut picture book illustrator Bao Luu collaborate to bring readers Earth Hour: A Lights-Out Event for Our Planet (Charlesbridge, January 21, 2020).  It reflects the use of energy in places around the world, the Earth Hour event and how each individual can contribute to the conservation of energy not only on this one day, but on every day of the year.

All over the world, millions of people use energy, every day, every night.

2.  From the sun she is third, sustaining life for all.  For this she is to be cherished.  My Friend Earth (Chronicle Books, February 25, 2020) written by Patricia MacLachlan with illustrations by Francesca Sanna is a love letter to our planet.  The text and images, with flaps and die-cuts, work in marvelous unity.

My friend Earth wakes
from a winter nap.

3. On March 3, 2020 another book was released with a focus on our Blue Planet.  One EARTH (Worthy Kids) written by Eileen Spinelli with illustrations by Rogerio Coelho is a special counting book.  In a rhyming poetic intonation with sweeping cheerful images readers are reminded of the spectacular beauty of our home and how we can honor her.

One wide, sweeping sky.

Two honeybees. 

4.  With millions and millions of people around the world currently confined to their homes under a quarantine or because of isolation, the appeal of the outdoor world and being a part of it has more allure than ever.  Why is it we don't fully appreciate the value of something until it's no longer readily available?  During this time some will be able to go solo in parks or designated walkways or neighborhoods, some will dream of days when nature will envelope them again, others will recall countless adventures in the outdoors, and many can travel within the pages of a book.  HIKE (Candlewick Press, March 17, 2020) conceived and illustrated by Pete Oswald is a nearly wordless trek into the best nature has to offer.  

5.  Having lived near many different small lakes and rivers or one of the Great Lakes in Michigan for more than sixty-eight years, I have witnessed their splendor and their challenges due to the careless hands of humans.  We Are Water Protectors (Roaring Brook Press, March 17, 2020) written by Carole Lindstrom (Anishinaabe/Metis and tribally enrolled with the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe) with illustrations by Michaela Goade (of Tlingit descent and tribally enrolled with the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska) is powerful in both words and artwork.  It speaks to the fierce dedication of Indigenous Peoples to guard our water and invites everyone to stand strong against those who wish to do it harm.

Water is the first medicine, Nokomis told me.

6. From a true story comes The Bear's Garden (Imprint, a part of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC, March 24, 2020) written by Marcie Colleen with illustrations by Alison Oliver.  Through the imagination of a child a dream takes shape.  Through an accident and efforts of many, this dream becomes a reality.

IN THE BIG, BUSTLING CITY, all the people were busy. 

7. Although in northern Michigan at the moment snow is swirling in high winds, for months collective minds here and in other parts of the world have been turning to gardening. Seeds and soil have been gathered.  On warmer days, walks have revealed shoots from bulbs pushing through the dirt and perennials are starting to turn green as buds get larger.  In My Garden (Neal Porter Books, Holiday House, March 24, 2020) written by the late Charlotte Zolotow (1915-2013) with illustrations by Philip Stead is a journey through the seasons.  It is a shared trip through time and the offerings Nature bestows on all of us if we choose to notice.

IN THE SPRING what I love best in my garden

are the birds building nests. 

  

8.  In his newest brilliant artistic entry in children literature, author illustrator Henry Cole does not disappoint.  The conception and illustration of One Little Bag: An Amazing Journey (Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., April 7, 2020) is a wordless display of transformation.  It is a loving tribute to people, their lives and their love of each other and our Earth.

Prior to the title page, Henry Cole in a series of framed single-page pictures, horizontal and vertical panels and two large double-page pictures, takes us through the process of making paper from logged timber to large rolls of paper to the delivery of boxes of paper bags and to the use of a single bag at a small community market. We follow one particular tree through the use of spot color as it makes its way from the forest, to a logging truck, to the paper mill, the processes at the mill, and the packing of one paper bag among hundreds in a box.  The final two-page image before the title page is an amazing display of the interior of a small grocery store highly stocked with all kinds of items.  People walk on wooden floors with carts laden with their groceries.  At the counter is a boy and his father and the brown-colored paper bag.

9.  When we venture into the outdoors, whether at a national or state park or designated forest, we are temporarily residents with the wild.  There are detriments to this adventure but the advantages, even brief moments, can last a lifetime.  The Camping Trip (Candlewick Press, April 14, 2020) written and illustrated by Jennifer K. Mann shadows Ernestine as she goes camping for the first time. It's an experience she and readers will long remember.

MY AUNT JACKIE invited me to go camping with her and my cousin Samantha this weekend, and my dad said yes!

10.  Our rewards from Nature are proportionate to the attention we give it.  The more we look, the more we see.  Every detail is a delightful discovery.

In her newest release, A New Green Day (Neal Porter Books, Holiday House, April 14, 2020), Antoinette Portis asks us to think about alternate descriptions for that which is familiar.  Through her words and illustrations, magic happens.

"Morning lays me on your pillow, an invitation, square and warm.

Come out and play!"

Who is speaking in these first two sentences?  With a page turn we realize we have been welcomed to participate in a guessing game with elements found in Nature.  Sunlight is talking first.

10 +1.  Never has it been more apparent than the beginning of 2020 how vital the outside world is to all living things.  We humans, if not previously so appreciative, are now.  We recognize the value of embracing what has been so freely present.  The urgency of preserving and protecting it is heightened.  

In their first collaboration author Deborah Underwood and illustrator Cindy Derby work to show readers the allure of what we find beyond the four walls of our homes.  Outside In (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, April 14, 2020) looks at the benefits of becoming one with the world around us.  It awakens memories of the past bringing it to the present.

ONCE

we were part of Outside

and Outside was part of us.

Breathe The Open Air

There are bugs that bite.  There are butterflies. There are stinky-spraying skunks.  There are sun-dappled does.  There is an itchy poisonous ivy.  There are trillium, lady's slippers, violets, daisies, maidenhair ferns and water lilies.  There is the odor of smoke that clings to your hair and clothes.  There is the sweet smell of pine trees.  There is sand that is not sand, and you sink.  There are minnows, crabs, clams, and rocks to see in the shimmering water.  There is the sharp crack of twigs in the middle of the night. Bear?  There is the calming chorus of crickets.  There is the humid foggy morning.  There is the crystal-clear, star-strewn sky at night.  There are the bumps in the ground suddenly felt through your slowly flattening air mattress.  There is the snuggly warmth of your sleeping bag.  There is the tent which defies your every effort to stay erected.  There is the tent which envelops you, providing shelter from the elements.

When we venture into the outdoors, whether at a national or state park or designated forest, we are temporarily residents with the wild.  There are detriments to this adventure but the advantages, even brief moments, can last a lifetime.  The Camping Trip (Candlewick Press, April 14, 2020) written and illustrated by Jennifer K. Mann shadows Ernestine as she goes camping for the first time. It's an experience she and readers will long remember.

MY AUNT JACKIE invited me to go camping with her and my cousin Samantha this weekend, and my dad said yes!

A new sleeping bag and flashlight are only two of the many items Ernestine and her dad gather for this excursion.  Aunt Jackie wants her niece to be prepared.  It's not easy but Ernestine gets everything into her duffel bag.  She's ready and waiting.

When her Aunt Jackie and Samantha arrive, she's excited, but also worried about her dad getting lonely.  The two girls enjoy various activities, including simply staring out the window, on the long ride to Cedar Tree Campground.  The first thing Ernestine realizes when they stand on the shore of the lake is Cedar Tree Campground is huge and . . . silent.

It's hard work, hot and sweaty work, for Ernestine and Samantha to set up the tent.  Swimming is an option, but Ernestine is slightly scared about the fish she sees in the water.  Waiting on the shore is much safer.  After lunch, Ernestine's anticipation grows when they plan a hike, but she is amazed at how strenuous it is.  There is a lot to explore and discover until they come down the hill after hiking.  The best part of dinner that night is dessert.  Ernestine tastes her first s'mores.

Soon the trio are cozy and comfortable in their sleeping bags inside the tent until reading is over and the lantern is turned off.  Samantha and Aunt Jackie are snoozing in seconds.  Ernestine tosses and turns and tosses and turns.  Homesickness descends.  Wisely, Aunt Jackie makes a suggestion.  Wishing on a falling star can change everything.

The next morning, a hearty breakfast bolsters courage.  Packing up and loading the car seem harder.  The ride home is much quieter.  A welcoming hug opens the door to conversing about happy tasty recollections.


Told in first person Jennifer K. Mann allows readers to feel the thrills and the misgivings of this first-time camper.  Through a combination of thoughts, lists, instructions, observations, and conversations we become participants in this narrative.  The use of language by Jennifer K. Mann is marvelous in portraying sincerity.  Here is a passage.

First you roast your marshmallow over a campfire.

Mine is perfect.
Mine's on fire!

Then you make a sandwich.
---graham cracker
---marshmallow
---chocolate
---graham cracker

And then you eat it.  S'mores are scrumptious!


In looking at the open dust jacket, readers are given their first hint of the illustrative technique employed by Jennifer K. Mann for this book.  It's a delightful mix of picture book and graphic novel.  Many times, a group of smaller visuals will convey portions of a single event.  For the front we are given snapshots of the entire weekend.  To the left, still on a canvas of sky blue, is a larger image of Aunt Jackie, Samantha and Ernestine climbing up a steep hill.  Ernestine is looking less than happy.

For the book case a stunning, wordless interior spread is used.  It's nighttime at Cedar Tree Campground.  Done in deep midnight blue, black and white, it's a portrait of the trio, holding hands and standing on the shore of the lake.  Above them is a starry sky with a crescent moon.  The lake is so smooth, stars shine in its water, too.

On the opening and closing endpapers are black ink drawings of items needed when you go camping.  They are placed on a rusty brown background.  They are all labeled.  With a page turn we see along the bottom of two pages a cityscape on the left which blends into a wooded scene on the right.  We can see a tent among the trees.  This is the illustration for the verso and title pages.

Rendered in pencil on tracing paper, then digitally collaged and painted, these illustrations vary in size to accentuate pacing and enhance the story. We enjoy a double-page picture, a series of three square images in a vertical column opposite a gathering of items to be packed, six panels of varying sizes on two pages and then a wonderful panoramic setting with four insets.  Some of the illustrations coincide with text and dialogue.  Others tell their own story without words.  In this way Jennifer K. Mann is able to convey a range of emotions and moods. When Ernestine is flashing back, the pictures are shown in shades of blue.

Readers will enjoy the detailed, fine line work.  Characters' expressions will promote empathy and laughter.  The clothing worn by Ernestine, Samantha and Aunt Jackie provide a pleasing contrast to the great outdoors.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a two-page picture after the trio first come to the campground.  Spread before them is the lake, rolling hills on the opposite shore and clouds spanning the pale blue sky.  Jennifer K. Mann has pieced together what appears to be pages from a specific book to form the hills.  On the lake a bright red canoe is guided by two people.  On either side of Ernestine, Samantha and Aunt Jackie are tall evergreens, lowers shrubs and ferns with some water plants along the lake.  In the foreground is the grassy campsite and their loaded and parked car.  The color of the car is a hue of orange.


You can expect to hear frequent requests to go on your own outing after reading the heartwarming and splendid The Camping Trip written and illustrated by Jennifer K. Mann.  The voice of the protagonist rings with truth, touching our minds and hearts.  The images take us exactly where we need to go.  I hope everyone will place a copy of this book in both their personal and professional collections.  This is happiness you can hold in your hands.

To learn more about Jennifer K. Mann and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her personal website.  Jennifer K. Mann has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.  You can view interior images at the publisher's website and at Penguin Random House.  Jennifer K. Mann and this book are featured at author Kirby Larson's Friend Friday. If you would like to see the stunning book case, it's revealed at Let's Talk Picture Books on the Vimeo shown below.

The Camping Trip by Jennifer K Mann from Let's Talk Picture Books on Vimeo.


Update:  Today, June 23, 2020, this title is featured by author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.

From The Woods

When you get to the conclusion of a book and wonder what happened, you know you have to read it again immediately and then again and maybe one more time.  You wonder if you need to separate what's perceived as real from what might be pure imagination.  You search for veracity. With these repeated readings you can form your own opinions. You believe what you want to believe and what you need to believe.

With books like this even after having formed a viewpoint, later it may shift as you bring new experiences to the reading of it.  Camp Tiger (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, May 21, 2019) written by Susan Choi with illustrations by John Rocco is a title with spellbinding words and illustrations.  It is in a word, unforgettable.

Every year, my mom and dad and brother and I go camping at Mountain Pond.  

It's a lengthy journey off the beaten path, ending on a road that's more rock than road until Mountain Pond, water between tree-covered mountains, appears.  The family camps at the far end of the pond.  They are alone here as school will start in September when they return home from this trip.  The narrator is not excited about beginning first grade. 

As they unload their gear from the car to set up the site, the family talks about the things they are apt to see.  During the setting up of a tent, the mother freezes.  Her family does, too.  A tiger walks out of the woods.  He's big, but not too big.  He's thin.  He talks!

He asks if they have a spare tent; his cave is cold.  When they have it erected, the youngest boy unzips it.  The tiger enters first and he follows him inside.  When he asks his mother to zip them inside, she tells him to do it himself.  She's been doing that more lately.  The child snuggles against the tiger as they chat.

During their two-day stay the tiger shares in their activities.  On the last night the tiger accompanies the boy to look for shooting stars; just the two of them in the canoe on the pond.  The next morning, an emotion threatens to overshadow the joy of the weekend for the narrator.  Arriving home before bedtime, a memory is preserved.

Award-winning author of books for adults, Susan Choi has written an enchanting story of the last lingering moments of summer and a treasured childhood age.  Her descriptions of place, family and being on the cusp of change are an exquisite blend of first-person narrative and dialogue.  These initial descriptions of the ordinary make the appearance of the tiger extraordinary and perfectly natural at the same time.  When humor finds its way into the tale, we willingly laugh with the family.  Here is a passage.

Inside the tent, the tiger lies down so he's shaped

like a C and puts his head on his paws.  I wrap my arms

around him and bury my face in his fur.  He smells like 

sunshine and pine needles.

"Tigers live in Africa," I tell him.

"Not Africa, Asia," he says.

"This isn't Africa or Asia," I tell him.

"No," sighs the tiger.

Accomplished artist John Rocco renders images so beautiful you'll have to remind yourself to breathe.  He begins with the illustrations on the open and matching dust jacket and book case.  By blending the partial face of the tiger into the landscape, the imagery is magnificent.  The title text looks to be formed from the clouds billowing up between the two sides of the forest.  The family with our narrator in the lead is striding into a memorable end-of-summer adventure.  

An interior picture is used for the back on the other side of the spine.  The families red SUV carrying their red canoe looks small on the rocky road along Mountain Pond.  The pond is indeed like a mirror between the forested mountains.  

On the opening and closing endpapers in shades of darker forest green, items taken on a camping trip are spread across two pages.  Some of them are cast iron pans, silverware, a fishing net, a fishing lure, sleeping bags, tents in bags, fishing rods, canoe paddles, a lantern, a utility knife, a first aid kit, a compass, an axe, a flashlight, a canteen, matches, hiking boots, a rope, binoculars and a backpack.  Curling up from the bottom of the center of the right-hand side is the tiger's tale, bright orange with black stripes.  It is an astonishing contrast.

The illustrations are rendered

using a watercolor sketch and wash pencil and then adding the color digitally.

On the initial title page, camping gear is placed beneath the text.  On the verso and title pages a cityscape on the left, with clouds layered like whipped cream behind it, leads to mountains on the right.  Along the bottom a road is empty except for the family's red car, lights shining in the early morning.  Several small horizontal visuals on a single page highlight the journey to Mountain Pond which is given a full-page picture.

In another part of the story, four pictures, two to a page, wordlessly convey what can only be defined as magical. John Rocco shifts his illustration sizes to accentuate the story but also to elevate it.  Double-page pictures add drama as does the use of liberal white space in other images.  The details, the use of light and shadow and the altered perspectives ask you to pause on every page.  And you do . . . with great respect and awe.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is for the text previously noted. Across two pages, inside the blue tent, shown with a textured and faint-light splashed background, are the tiger and the younger boy.  The tiger is curled in the C shape nearly from one edge to the other.  The boy hugging the tiger is cozily shaped within the C.  Both of their eyes are open.  By the expressions on their faces, they are content and comfortable in each other's company.

After you've read this book once, twice and at least a third time, you'll long for a camping trip like this one.  Camp Tiger written by Susan Choi with illustrations by John Rocco is sheer wonder in words and illustrations.  You'll want to share it often with as many people as you can.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Susan Choi and John Rocco and their other work, please access their websites by following the links attached to their names.  Susan Choi has accounts on Facebook and Instagram.  John Rocco has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  At the publisher's website and on John Rocco's website you can view a few interior images.  At Picturebooking with Nick Patton John Rocco talks about this book in a podcast.

Annual Animal Antics

In the northern hemisphere the longest day of the year marks the summer solstice.  It is the season most welcomed by many; especially those who've endured a long cold winter.  It is a time of annual celebrations, rituals and change-of-pace activities.  For some, summer isn't summer without first watching an old favorite movie.  For others it's a time to enjoy outdoor sports; hiking in the woods or going to a baseball game.  Gardeners, vegetable and flower, are working before dawn and after dusk.  Friends and families gather for reunions and much-awaited vacations.

Many memorable vacations involve camping.  Throughout the United States campgrounds abound in state and national parks with fairly modern to downright rustic conditions.  They are located in forests, mountains and along lakes, rivers and streams.  Most people are unaware of an entire population also awaiting summer and all those vacant human homes.  With huge hilarity in every respect The Great Indoors (Disney Hyperion, April 9, 2019) written by Julie Falatko with illustrations by Ruth Chan gives us the inside scoop on the highly anticipated annual antics by animals of the forest and field.

The bears always arrived first.

The four bears, a father, mother, teenager and baby, bring their suitcases inside the recently empty home of a human family who left for a week of camping.  The teenager calls dibs on the bathroom for preening.  In short order the next group arrives.  It's the beavers.

They stake a claim on the kitchen.  Based on their bags and conversations, they will be providing the meals for the entire group.  Following them are the deer who definitely have a flair for dancing, disco dancing to be precise.  No one questions the skunks desire for resting on the couch and exulting in the electricity.  The first night features the group gathered around the television served by the beavers' most excellent cuisine. 

Each subsequent day finds the bears, deer and skunks participating in their favorite activities, construction, music and social media, with complete uninterrupted abandon. They are well-fed by the zealous beavers.  They are feeling total bliss until the inevitable happens  Now they are victims of too-much-of-a good thing.

There is chaos in the kitchen.  A skunk drinks more than its share of coffee.  Someone is tasting the butter.  In fact, there is not-so-merry mayhem in every room in the house. A cacophony erupts.  It's time to head home in the outdoors.  With echoes of see you next year resonating in the now-deserted rooms, the humans return.  Surprise!


With a talent for finding the funniest side of any situation and flipping the ordinary to extraordinary, author Julie Falatko, starts building anticipation with her first sentence.  Alternating between pure narrative and priceless animal conversations, the gentle tension grows.  The animals are basking in all the modern conveniences the humans have abandoned for a week.  It's a total comedic contrast.

As the initial happiness starts to wan, the laughter factor increases.  You know with the shift in the statements made by the animals, something is going to happen.  Here are some sentences.

The skunks flopped onto the couch.
Ah, the simple life.
When you want light,
you just flip a switch.
So simple.

Just a small toaster fire!
You're not 
supposed to put
nacho cheese in
the toaster!


Upon opening the dust jacket readers get a full view of a portion of the interior of the human's home.  (The scene on the front extends over the spine to the left edge on the back.)  By the wide-eyed looks and grins on the animals' faces, we know shenanigans are in the offing.  The placement and font of the title text is akin to the beginning of an epic movie.  The objects not usually associated with animals are varnished.

To the left, on the back, along the wall are a vase in blue and white with a dragon on it, a chair and a row of four sets of slippers.  On the wall are two photographs from previous family trips.  (Perhaps the vase and picture of the Canadian Parliament building are nods to Ruth Chan's childhood.  Other items in the home refer to the Chinese culture and language which is wonderful to see.)  Spread across the book case is an entire floor mat reminiscent of Twister.  Three deer, one bear, three beavers and two skunks are showcased.  It's funnier than funny to see them stretched out as a beaver works the spinner.  It should be noted one of the skunks is using an electronic devise.

Ruth Chan incorporates the endpapers in her visual interpretation of this story.  On the opening endpapers as the sun rises the family leaves the quiet country setting of their home.  On the closing endpapers the setting has expanded.  We are now in the forest.  There are two signs of the indoors' camping trip.  Readers are sure to burst out laughing.

On the title page the family car has vanished.  Two bears, father and mother, are peering from behind a tree and a bunch of bushes.  On the verso and first page we move close to the front door as father bear walks inside the house.

Most of the illustrations rendered by Ruth Chan span two pages.  To supply pacing smaller illustrations are group together on single pages and perspectives are shifted.  At one point, it's as if the roof of the home has been removed so we can look into all the rooms at once.  Readers will be pausing on every page to look at all the details, tiny text and facial expressions mirroring emotions and the hair styles on the animals.  (Can you spot a picture of Ruth's dog and cat?)

One of my many, many favorite pictures is of the chaos in the kitchen as the week is ending.  It's a close-up of the sink, countertop and oven.  One skunk is asking if another little stinker drank all the coffee.  At the jittery aspect of said skunk, standing on the open oven door, there is no doubt it did drink the coffee.  On the left a deer is licking a stick of butter.  A beaver, on the right, trying to make something wants to know who keeps licking the butter?  A blender is shooting out a beverage (no lid) and the freezer door is wide open.  No one looks happy but readers will be giggling and grinning.


For the laughter, for a unit on summer vacations, camping or a theme of role reversal The Great Indoors written by Julie Falatko with illustrations by Ruth Chan is a rib-tickling romp showing what happens when the outdoors comes inside.  This collaboration between Falatko and Chan is filled with comedy.  You will want to have a copy in your professional and personal collections. 

To discover more about Julie Falatko and Ruth Chan and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Julie Falatko has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Ruth Chan has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  The cover reveal for this book is hosted by Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries John Schumacher at Watch. Connect. Read.  He chats with both Julie and Ruth.  Julie Falatko is interviewed at Critter Lit.  Ruth Chan is the featured illustrator for The New York Times Books live Facebook chat.

An Excellent Excursion And The Art Of Empathy

There are characters in stories who make a mark on your heart permanently.  Frequently when seeing or hearing other individuals in real life, the first thing you think is of one of these fictional beings. You do so because the attributes of the characters are superbly mirrored in these individuals.

If one of these heartprint personalities plays a part in multiple stories, you have the privilege of watching them become the very best they can be.  If one of these characters happens to be a dog, you have the opportunity of learning to be the best you can be.  On February 9, 2016 readers met an exuberant, ambitious and dedicated professional in Fenway and Hattie (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House).  In each subsequent year this Jack Russell terrier and his human girl returned in Fenway and Hattie and the Evil Bunny Gang, Fenway and Hattie Up To New Tricks and on May 7, 2019 the fourth entry in this series written by Victoria J. Coe, Fenway and Hattie In the Wild, is set to be released.

Before we're even out the door, I know
something has changed.  

This is no normal walk for Fenway and his human, Hattie.  Her father, Fetch Man, is coming with them.  They travel to a part of the neighborhood new to Fenway.  A house owned by a man with a delectable smell, glazed doughnut, welcomes them.  They soon leave carrying objects stinking of pine trees, burnt marshmallows and wild animals with musky odors.  The next day when Food Lady, Fetch Man and Hattie pack the car to the brim and travel a long, long distance, Fenway is sure this is an enormous change.  He's right.

Fenway and his family, and to his surprise Hattie's next-door neighbor and best friend, Angel, her parents, Tool Man and Muffin Lady and their two dogs, Patches and Goldie, have arrived at the same place.  It's a campground complete with wild woods.  Immediately Fenway is alert to all possible dangers which might befall his beloved Hattie and her family.

Our beloved canine quickly learns that the dynamics between the short humans and the canines accompanying them supply their own kind of challenge.  As the newcomers to this annual before-school-starts-three-day outing, Fenway and Hattie have to navigate becoming members of already established groups.  For Hattie, although the beginning is a tad rocky, she seems to be accepted.  Fenway, on the other paw, is not so fortunate.  It seems the dog, Coco, canine companion to Marcus, is as much of a trouble-maker and bully as he is.

Each group activity, meals, field day races, hiking, canoeing and daily play at the dog park presents opportunities and obstacles in Fenway's attempts to first protect and comfort his human and second to be joined in his quest for fun and food.  Added to this is the presence of a nasty intruder who enjoys stealing from the campsites.  Fenway's every attempt to solve this mystery is met with human and canine hurdles he finds hard to jump.

Tension mounts as Fenway's heart seems to steer his intentions in the wrong direction.  Hattie knows what she needs to do, but will she do it?  A hair-raising conclusion in the dark of night confirms what readers have come to know about this courageous canine and his human.


As I was reading large portions of this book for the third time, I stand in awe of the writing of author Victoria J. Coe.  Her initial and continuing vision of telling these stories from Fenway's point of view not only raises the entertainment level for readers but allows us to learn along with the characters.  We have seen Hattie grow in her relationships with her peers; she is learning to stand by her beliefs and extend compassion to others.  Fenway's enthusiasm for life in general and his desire to be on the job protecting his human pushes us to be more canine.  We need to notice the details life gives us.  We need to experience our world in a more sensory capacity.

Being aware of what Fenway is thinking (and dreaming) broadens our perspectives.  The conversations between the dogs, Patches and Goldie, and the newly introduced campsite comrades, Lucky, the Chocolate Labrador and Coco, the Pomeranian, paint perfect pictures of their personalities.  These insights allow us to make comparisons with humans. The names assigned humans by Fenway, the human dialogue, and the descriptions of time and place all contribute to a story full of energy; the same kind of energy which fills Fenway's soul.  Here are a few of my many marked passages.

Things are changing so fast these days, my guard is totally up.  Fetch Man and Food Lady keep saying a word I used to hear when we lived in the city---"skool."  I can't remember what it means.  Every time they say this, Hattie's breathing speeds up and she smells worried.  It's almost as if another change is coming and we're both afraid to find out what it is.

There's hardly any light, except for small bright spots on the ground.  It's noisy, too, with chirps and trills and buzzes I've never heard before.  And scents of wood and leaves and pests like squirrels and chipmunks.  Plus strange animals that smell even worse than bunnies.  My paw just misses stepping on a tail that slithers away through the brush.  At least I think it was a tail? 

Right when I'm beginning to wonder if the cat stole their tongues, the Boston cocks her head.  "You're not that dog Fenway, are you?"
I stand a little taller, my tail high and waving.  "I sure am!" I say.  "Have you girls heard of me?"
The Boston looks at the Border Collie, who's already slinking away.  "Um, sort of," she mutters.  Next thing I know, she's skulking off too.
My tail sinking, I turn to the ladies.  "Nobody likes me.  Do I smell flowery or something?"
Before they can respond, I notice Coco and her gang sauntering past, and suddenly, everything is crystal clear.


This fourth title, Fenway and Hattie In the Wild written by Victoria J. Coe with spot interior illustrations by Kristine A. Lombardi, is totally woof-tastic!  It's got all the ingredients for a delicious treat; action, intrigue, building relationships of all kinds and the wonderful, beating heart of a fearless, positive and hilarious dog.  The best part is it can be consumed repeatedly.  I highly recommend this title, this entire series, for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Victoria J. Coe and her other work, please visit her website by following the link attached to her name.  Victoria has many extras at her site for all types of readers.  Here is the page devoted to this title.  Victoria has accounts on Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can read an excerpt.

Can't Stop Talking

There are more than a few educators who believe it's true.  They know just before and after a full moon, their students will be a little "more" of everything.  On those days when a class comes to the library, it seems as if every single student is talking.  They all have thoughts to share . . . vocally and at the same time.

Usually there are only one or maybe two people a week who can't stop talking.  They are well-known by their classmates and for the most part fondly accepted.  Author Tammi Sauer and illustrator Dave Mottram introduced readers to such an individual in Wordy Birdy (Doubleday Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, February 8, 2018). Fortunately, this bird with a gift for gab has great friends.

Meet Wordy Birdy.
Wordy Birdy has lots to say.
It starts the moment she wakes up.
See?

Every tint of the sunrise sky is noted.  Wordy Birdy even stops to greet herself in a mirror.  She chats about her likes and dislikes.  The questions are non-stop.  Does she ever listen for the answers?  No. No. No.  Her forest friends, Rabbit, Raccoon, and Squirrel, realize this quirk in her behavior, continuously commenting.

One morning Wordy Birdy needs to listen. She does not.  She ignores warning signs.  Squirrel asks her to stop.  Rabbit tells her to turn around.  Wordy Birdy keeps walking and talking.  Raccoon begs her to

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! 

This walking and talking non-listener finally notices a lot of darkness ahead.  She notices big white circles and large white triangles.  Several loud roars later, it dawns on her trouble is too close for comfort.

In her time of need her trio of companions courageously suggests a course of action.  Does she heed their words?  Will she live to talk another day? 



Apparently, she does because this month a companion title is released.  This bird is as chatty as ever.  Wordy Birdy Meets Mr. Cougarpants (Doubleday Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, February 5, 2019) written by Tammi Sauer with illustrations by Dave Mottram will have talkers and non-talkers alike sharing loads of laughter.

In case you haven't heard, this is Wordy Birdy.

I LOVE my name.
Wordy Birdy. Wordy Birdy. Wordy Birdy.
Hey! That rhymes!

This bird is unable to breathe without speaking.  She is also always on the move.  One fine day she and her three trusty pals go camping.

After enjoying the hike, setting up their tents and snacking on s'mores by a comfy, crackling fire, Wordy Birdy is still offering non-stop observations and declarations of love about everything and everyone in sight.  As you can imagine, much later Squirrel, Raccoon and Rabbit are exhausted and ready for bed.  Wordy Birdy is not.

Wordy Birdy is excited to commence snacking on pickles, bean burritos and mashed potatoes.  With the mini-feast consumed Wordy Birdy should desire to shut her eyes along with her three companions.  She does not. 

Telescope to her eye, she spots the perfect stars, wishing stars.  In the middle of wishing for everything from a pony to a tuba, Wordy Birdy discovers a rather large, hungry cougar stalking into their camp.  Does Wordy Birdy finally choose to stop talking?  Before you answer that question readers, remember this is Wordy Birdy. 



Both titles are overflowing with comedy.  With the skill of a master wordsmith Tammi Sauer blends short narrative sentences with character dialogue.  There is an ongoing discourse between the two.  Repetitive questions are answered with repetitive replies; supplying readers with an engaging cadence.  We are a part of the story.  You might also encounter a pun.  Here are two passages from the first and recent book.

But she never stops talking long enough to get the answers.
Wordy Birdy is not the world's best listener.

Oh, puh-lease. (Rabbit)

Are we talking
about the same
bird here? (Raccoon)

Okay. Okay. Wordy Birdy is
terrible at listening.

That's more like it. (Squirrel)

She never listens to anybody.


Late that night, Squirrel rubs his eyes.

Time for bed, everybody. (Squirrel)

Squirrel goes to bed.
Rabbit goes to bed.
Raccoon goes to bed.
Does Wordy Birdy go to bed?


If you don't wonder what's going to happen next by looking at the front of the matching dust jackets and book cases, you'll might want to check for a pulse.  The expressions on Wordy Birdy's face and the look the cougar is giving readers are completely giggle-worthy.  Careful readers can see the outline of words lining the background canvas of both books.  The title text is varnished on the jackets as are the characters.  The title text is also raised. 

To place emphasis on the chattiness of Wordy Birdy, to the left, on the back conversations are replete.  On the first Wordy Birdy is standing with her three pals talking to readers.  Raccoon has a reply ready.  On the second book, Wordy Birdy Meets Mr. Cougarpants, five photographs placed on a yellow background with leaves, are labeled with more Wordy Birdy chatter.

On the opening and closing endpapers of the first book, the story starts and ends, verbally and visually.  The characters and their conversations in speech bubbles are shown on a white background.  On the new title a series of different photographs, without captions, cover the opening and closing endpapers.  They feature the friends and those things Wordy Birdy enjoys the most.

With a page turn illustrator Dave Mottram begins his pictorial enhancement of the text with a double-page image for the verso and title pages.  Wordy Birdy is displayed as her exuberant self exclusively on a white canvas.  In the second title Wordy Birdy, Rabbit, Squirrel and Raccoon are seated around a campfire with the forest and starry sky surrounding them.

Keeping in mind the narrative and pacing, Dave Mottram alternates between double-page pictures and a few full-page images.  Readers will pause with each page turn to notice the included small details; a paw print on a sign, a hidden sign slowly revealed, a shadow that moves from illustration to illustration and the zipper pull on Wordy Birdy's backpack.  Most hilarious are the facial expressions and body postures on the characters.  They are burst-out-laughing excellent.

Two of my many, many favorite illustrations, one from each book, are in the first Wordy Birdy is blissfully unaware of any danger despite Rabbit's warning.  In the second title it's when everyone notices the cougar at the campsite.  First trees frame the characters and line the forest path.  On the left Squirrel, clinging to a tree trunk, is speaking.  Wordy Birdy is pointing and talking about a pinecone, a sign (reading WRONG WAY), a rock and a leaf.  On the right Rabbit is frantically pointing for Wordy Birdy to turn around and retrace her steps.  I love the mop of hair on top of Rabbit's head.

In the second image on the right items from the campsite have flown in the air.  A mug, juice box, telescope. frying pan, Bag O' Burritos, lantern, cup, jar of pickles, camera and another cup border a huge speech bubble reading:

WHAT!?!

Portions of their tents are visible.  On the right a terrified, wide-eyed Rabbit and Raccoon are standing, frozen to the ground.  Equally frightened is Squirrel who jumped up and is being held in Raccoon's arms.  Behind this stars shine in the night sky.


You won't be able to read Wordy Birdy and Wordy Birdy Meets Mr. Cougarpants written by Tammi Sauer with illustrations by Dave Mottram just once.  You will read, or be requested to read, them repeatedly.  You won't be able to stop smiling or bursting out loud with laughter.  Not only are these two books hilarious but they show the value in knowing when to listen and when to speak out.  At the core of both is the power of friendship.  I highly recommend them for both your personal and professional collections. 

To learn more about Tammi Sauer and Dave Mottram, please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  You can find Tammi and Dave on Instagram.  They also have accounts here and here on Twitter.  At Penguin Random House you can view interior images from Wordy Birdy and Wordy Birdy Meets Mr. Cougarpants.  For the release of the first book Tammi Sauer has a guest post on humor at Picture Book Builders.  Tammi Sauer was interviewed at Critter Lit on July 26, 2018.

Starry Memories

No camping experience is complete without at least one night of star gazing.  During the summer in the northern hemisphere away from the city lights, the best time for viewing stars is before, during and after a new moon.  It is the darkest time of those short nights.  In 2018 there has been no lack of events to witness in our night skies. In fact in four days, the Perseid meteor showers will begin their amazing show.

During a night of star gazing the topic of navigating by the stars usually makes its way into a conversation.  For those residing north of the equator, one particular star never sets.  It helps us all to find the four compass points.   First Star: A Bear And Mole Story (Holiday House, May 1, 2018) written and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand, a fifth book about these two lovable characters, takes us on a single night journey.  It's brimming with an explanatory tale, a revelation about an important constellation and the joy of an affectionate bond.

Mole gazed up.

Looking up at the sky Mole has a question for Bear.  He wants to

see the stars turn on.

Bear replies with a suggestion of hiking to Camp Tiptop.  Mole gets their blanket (tent) and they both fill their backpacks with necessary items.

They climb and climb until getting to the top of this rocky mountain.  Once they are there, Mole has another question.  He is concerned about getting lost in the dark.  He decides he wants to go back home.  Again Bear answers.

Bear knows a good story can dispel fears.  He takes Mole back in time to First Father Bear, First Mother Bear and First Little Bear.  They lived as bears do today but at night, it was darker than the darkest dark. 

First Little Bear and First Mother Bear make a large bright light with Earth's materials.  First Little Bear continues using more of Earth's materials spreading smaller lights all over the night sky.  Then First Father Bear does the most amazing thing of all. He gives a name to his accomplishment before doing one more thing.  As our two companions, Bear and Mole, gaze at the stars, the nighttime sky gives them a final surprise.


For our younger readers (and those young at heart) Will Hillenbrand has penned a narrative ringing true to their tender hearts.  First we come to understand the affectionate relationship between Bear and Mole. The comfort Mole feels in asking questions and Bear's patience in answering are indicative of this bond.

With ease, through their dialogue, Bear weaves a story of his own about the origin of celestial bodies.  Several of Bear's thoughts are downright profound.  At the conclusion Will continues by adding a bit of universal folklore about stars.  Here is a passage.

So, First Little Bear helped his mother
dig up white clay.

They shaped it into a ball.  The ball was Moon.
Moon shone brightly.

"Look, Bear, I 
see a funny face
on the Moon!"
called Mole. 


When you first open the matching dust jacket and book case, the friendship between Bear and Mole is apparent in the way Bear holds Mole and the ease Mole feels in Bear's arms.  The joy they feel at sharing this nighttime adventure is evident and shining in their happy expressions. You will come to understand the choice by Will Hillenbrand to depict his stars as small circular shapes but you will also notice the star on the lantern carried by Mole and the use of a star to dot the "I".

The starry sky extends over the spine to the left edge of the back.  An outline of Ursa Minor points toward our pals.  Readers will enjoy running their hands over the jacket to feel the textures.  The title text, Mole's lantern glass and the little bear on the back are raised and glittery.

A pale blue covers the opening and closing endpapers.  Beneath the text on the title page, Mole stands looking upward and holding his lantern.  On the verso and dedication pages, Mole crawls from under their blanket tent.  On the underside it is patterned in stars.

Rendered in direct impression and pencil most of the illustrations span two pages.  Several smaller images are grouped together to indicate the passage of time on a few pages.  During the telling of the origin story two of the pictures show the bears from the past larger than life in the sky with Bear and Mole seated on a log, much smaller and in the lower right hand corner.  Will Hillenbrand's shifts in perspective are marvelous.  His vertical two-page picture will have readers gasping. (So will the following two illustrations.)

One of my many favorite illustrations is the one for the text noted in the above passage.  It stretches across two pages.  An uneven faint outline in black frames the night sky on all four sides.  On the left First Mother Bear and First Little Bear are shaping the ball glowing in the sky.  They are standing on clouds.  On the right three evergreen trees rise in the meadow grass like black lace.  To the left of them sitting on a log are a smaller Mole and Bear.  They are looking skyward as if watching the work of the First Bears.  Mole's lantern glows on his left.


The marvelous charm of First Star: A Bear And Mole Story written and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand wraps around readers like a cozy blanket.  Perfect for a bedtime story, a story about friendship, and the origin of celestial bodies, this book will become a favorite. You might want to have a bear and mole puppet handy to try a reader's theater with your group of children.  You could also pair this with books about camping like Molly Idle's Camp Rex, or titles about nighttime exploration like Flashlight by Lizi Boyd.

To learn more about Will Hillenbrand and his other work, please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  At the publisher's website you can access a lesson plan to use along with this title. Enjoy the videos.

I Must Have My BFF

True friendships are a valued state of being, sometimes fragile but still with the strength of steel should circumstances present themselves.  At times we look at friendships, ours and others, wondering how the relationship endures. The individuals involved are totally opposite, two sides of the same coin.

These companionships are worth noting because they reveal the complexity of personality characteristics.  They also, if we are being truthful, supply us with endless happiness at the comedy the contrasts provide.  When we met a reluctant bear and an over-zealous duck in Goodnight Already! (Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, December 2, 2014) we knew this was a duo destined to find a cherished place in our reader's heart held open for laughter.  In the following title, I Love You Already! (Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, December 22, 2015) both members of this twosome freely admit, even momentarily, how important their affection is for each other.  Come Home Already! (Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, December 5, 2017) written by Jory John with illustrations by Benji Davies will have you smiling as soon as you see the dust jacket and you'll be laughing out loud at the book case.  The story inside will have your sides aching from pure glee.

"Another glorious morning 
full of possibility!"

Duck, beverage in hand and munching on breakfast, can hardly wait to see what his best buddy, Bear, is doing.  Once at Bear's home knocking at the door and listening at the keyhole result in silence.  It's only when Duck looks up he finds an explanation for the quiet.  Bear has gone fishing . . . for a week.

Duck is aghast.  He can't believe he wasn't invited to go.  He wonders how he will survive an entire week without his friend.  Meanwhile . . .

Bear is traveling on a well-known path through the woods to his favorite camping spot next to a lake.  He is happier than happy to be alone.  He is soaking up all the peacefulness of his surroundings.

Back at inside Bear's home Duck is unsuccessfully trying to convince himself he will be perfectly okay.  He tries to occupy himself but nothing works.  He's bored.  He's alone.  He wants Bear to come home.  At the lake Bear is having another set of numerous problems.  To make it worse, it's raining.

True to his nature, Duck, efficient, organized and energized, has a plan.  Surprises are in store for both friends . . . and readers.  Duck's parting words on the last page bring on the Bear stare we know so well.  It's certain you will be closing the book laughing loud and long.


As in the previous two titles Jory John begins with Duck going next door to Bear's house, he uses the technique of grouping phrases to further define a situation, in these groups of phrases he will repeat one of them followed by

"Wait, I already
said that."

or

"You already said that"

and at some point there will be a loud exclamation.  In this story a switch is in play.  Duck and Bear are separated in the beginning.

We alternate between their two versions with a subtle tension developing until they are joined by a single soft word.  This is the point when you feel a change is coming.  There has already been humor galore in the two narratives but you know it's going to be heightened.  You know another truth about the relationship is going to be revealed.  Here are a few sentences when Duck discovers Bear is gone.

"Bear's gone fishing?
He's back next week?

BEAR'S GONE FISHING?
HE'S BACK NEXT WEEK?

He's gone fishing?
Without me?
But . . .
but . . .

NEXT WEEK?!


The look on Bear's face on the front and back, right and left, of the unfolded dust jacket has him in a continuous daze whenever he thinks about Duck or is in the presence of Duck.  The feathered talk machine never gives him one peaceful moment.  The banana hanging on the end of his fishing pole is a bit of a hint at events to come.  On the back Bear and Duck are walking along carrying camping gear, the one in silence and the other chattering nonstop, a wing extended to make a point.

Across the book case, as a canvas, is a pattern of small orange and yellow diamonds.  In the center of the front and back are dark forest green larger diamonds.  On the right Bear,, wearing his red hat with flaps, is holding his pink bunny.  He is scared.  On the left we see the same picture but Bear's back is to us.  Behind him is Duck with a wing tip to his lips, forming Shhhh...  (I dare you to look at this and not laugh.)  The opening and closing endpapers are orange.

On the title page Bear is already walking, gear on his back and map in hand.  On the verso and dedication pages we see the sun rising over the evergreens behind the two neighbors' houses.  Benji Davies uses each page to begin his visual interpretation.

Depending on the setting the background colors from page to page vary between yellow, pale blue, orange, spring green, darker teal, forest green, rainy day blue, and night sky blue.  Benji Davies alternates his image sizes and perspectives to flow with the narrative pacing.  Readers will enjoy the added details; the duck springing out of Duck's cuckoo clock, the map Bear uses to get to his favorite camping place, the presence of Bear's little pink stuffed bunny, the titles on books, and the banana.

There are many, many funny and favorite pictures in this book.  Two of my favorite ones are of Duck climbing into Bear's house through the kitchen window over the sink.  He's so at ease with entering, one foot on the counter and one wing holding up the window.  The other picture is of Bear at the lake.  His back is to us next to the water on one side and a large evergreen on his other side.  A wire tent frame is zig-zagged across his back.  Tent stakes and a hammer are scattered on the ground. He is trying to stretch out the tent with his paws and one of his feet.  It is not going well.


It's like a breath of fresh air to have this duo back in another book.  Come Home Already! written by Jory John with illustrations by Benji Davies will have you smiling and laughing no matter how many times you read it.  And you will go back and revisit the other two books too.  Readers are going to thank you for reading it during story time and ask you to read it again.  You will certainly want a copy for your professional collection and your collection at home.

To learn more about Jory John and Benji Davies and their other work, please access their respective websites by following the links attached to their names.  Jory John has a Tumblr account.  Benji Davies also has a blog.  You can watch the child friendly book trailer at the publisher's website.  Jory John is featured at Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries John Schumacher's blog, Watch. Connect. Read. and at Brightly.  Miss Marple's Musings showcases Benji Davies.  This past summer musical wizard Emily Arrow released a song about the second title.  Enjoy.

A Night In The Woods

Let's go camping!  When those three words are uttered, regardless of your age, a thrill builds within you.  Past memories or visions of possibilities fill your mind.  Basements, attics and garages are searched for the essential equipment.  Proper preparation and packing are vital.  There's nothing worse than being in the middle of the woods and realizing you've forgotten the bug spray, matches or toilet paper.

Four years ago readers were entertained by brother Sam and sister Lucy when they spent a day with their dad in Gone Fishing: A Novel in Verse (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, March 5, 2013), debut title by author Tamera Will Wissinger with illustrations by Matthew Cordell.  Gone Camping: A Novel in Verse (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, March 28, 2017), a companion volume, is as full of family fun as the first poetic excursion.  So grab your duffel bag, bring your gear and be of good cheer; never fear, wild wonders are near.

A night of packing, making a list and checking it thrice, and dreaming of daytime fun keep Sam and Lucy busy as can be.  As Lucy drifts off to dreamland, she does worry about things, noisy, creepy things, which might invade their canvas chamber.  Bright and early on the following sunrise, Lucy and Sam get a huge surprise.  Mom and Dad are not going!  Grandpa is taking their place.  Dad is sick, sick, sick.

Grandpa races to make it on time.  He's not mom and dad but he has plenty of pluses.  Before long a car laden with laughter and bundles passes under a welcoming arch in the woods by a lake.  Stuff moves from vehicle to a cleverly, carefully pitched tent.  Lucy is still skeptical about safety from crawling critters but she has her own special spell.

Before nightfall hikes are hiked and bugs, worms and slugs are nabbed in bottles.  (There will be fishing in the morning.)  A bonfire lights the night and camping goodies are gobbled up.  The spooky trek down the trail to the bathrooms is made single file with lots of hands held.  Wait! What was that?

A noisy chorus sounds; Grandpa snores in rhythm with the frogs, crickets, branches and waves.  Sweet dreams are in store for the tucked-in trio.  Look who's up with the sun.  Nighttime jitters zero, Lucy one.  It's an early morning shoreline cast and reel for scrumptious breakfast fare.  Swim, swim, swim, pack, pack, pack...when are we coming back?

You'll be a part of this family as soon as the first of forty-four poems rolls off your tongue.  

Sam

PROVISIONING

Tercet Variation

Late night.

House bright.

Everybody packs tonight.

Summer:  Here.

Trip:  Near.

Mom and Lucy check our gear.

Map out.

Plan our route.

Dad named me chief camp scout.

One more.

Final chore.

Duffel mountain near the door.

Next day.

No delay.

Campsite:  We are on our way!

Can't you feel the rhythmic beat filled with excitement?  This is the gift Tamera Will Wissinger brings to her poems as she tells the story of this newest family adventure.  Whether the form is a list poem, a dramatic poem for two or three, a lament, a cinquain, a counting poem, couplets or another style, she uses language like a master tying them together in a flawless flow.  Each one is as spirited as the family member(s) giving voice to their thoughts. Here's another poem for you to enjoy.

Lucy

GOODBYE, LAST NIGHT

Aubade

Little light, a little lighter.

Bit of bright, now burning brighter.

Dark is shifting---drifting away.

Goodbye, last night.  Hello, today.

Did it rain?  The forest is glimmering.

Leaves and pine needles are shimmering.

How lucky to see the sun's first ray.

Goodbye, last night.  Hello, today.

When you open the dust jacket and look on the left the dotted trail of a firefly zigs and zags from the spine to the far left.  A red fox leaps from the spine, an eye on the unsuspecting chipmunk watching the trio pitch their tent.  You can see from their smiling faces, this is going to be a wonderful two days in the woods.  Using the sun for the letter O is the kind of detail, Matthew Cordell works into his illustrations.  Foliage spans the spine from top to bottom.  Dark green covers the book case and a rich midnight blue is the canvas for the opening and closing endpapers.

Black and white images rendered in pen and ink with watercolor heighten the light and spirited story on every page.  Matthew adds a crescent moon and stars to the dedication page and a flashlight, candy wrapper and bonfire to the contents page.  Each poem has a single page visual or one which extends from one page into another as when Lucy is thinking of Nighttime Critters beneath the text on the right with her thoughts featured in a picture on the left.

The expressions on Sam's, Lucy's and Grandpa's faces add a great deal of humor to the narrative.  You will probably laugh out loud more than once especially at the Song Of The Beanie Weenie Barbecue, By Lantern Light, Tent Mates or Beware.  If necessary to the poem we may zoom into a particular scene (Lucy imagining the creepy crawlies) or be given a bird's eye view (the trio hiking on a winding trail). Take a few moments to notice the little details like the license plate on Grandpa's car.

One of my favorite of many illustrations is when Grandpa, Sam and Lucy are traveling down the road to the campground.  On the right a forest of trees reaches out with birds flying overhead.  At the bottom of the page a fox races along the roadside.  On the left is the car with a load of gear roped to the top.  Sam and Grandpa are chatting in the front seat.  Lucy is looking out the back window, wide-eyed and a tad bit worried about the night ahead.

I really enjoyed this book, Gone Camping: A Novel in Verse written by Tamera Will Wissinger with illustrations by Matthew Cordell, the first time I read it but every time I read it, I love it more.  The poems are wonderful when read aloud and the illustrations pair with them perfectly.  At the back of the book Tamera talks about rhyme, rhythm and poetry techniques like alliteration, hyperbole, imagery and simile (to name a few).  She also explains forty-four different types of poetic forms and stanza patterns.  Make sure you have the first book to pair with this one and have fun during National Poetry Month in April.  This title would work splendidly.  

To better acquaint you with Tamera Will Wissinger and Matthew Cordell and their other work please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  Matthew Cordell also has a blog.

Prehistoric Pandemonium

Now that spring has officially arrived, most of the snow finally melting, it's hard not to think of summer.  I'll bet there are people already planning their vacations, many reserving spots at their favorite campgrounds.  It's time to take stock of the gear, perhaps upgrading to a larger tent, better cook stove and more comfortable sleeping bags.

During my scouting years we learned basic survival skills, sharing many an adventure with neighborhood girls at different designated camps.  Older and out of college, hiking into the remote areas of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, I spent a fairly sleepless night worried about bears and only a tiny tent for protection. Camping across the north and south west might have been the best two summer weeks I ever spent.

What I've never done (but the idea is certainly fascinating) is go camping with prehistoric pals.  If I ever had the opportunity, I might want to take the newest release of Caldecott Honor winner (Flora and the Flamingo) Molly Idle along with me.  The characters introduced with great hilarity in Tea Rex have returned in Camp Rex (Viking, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA)).  Get ready for a camping trip that is truly out of this world!

Searching for an outing to enjoy with your friends?
Consider camping!

All camping aficionados can attest to the benefits of the fresh air.  Without a doubt it is the best kind of exercise for shaking away the winter cobwebs.  There are, of course, certain types of protocol to be observed.

These rules of the road (so to speak) are never more important than when your best buddies are a Tyrannosaurus rex, a Pterodactyl, a Stegosaurus, a Triceratops and a teddy-bear-toting little brother.  Sticking together and following the trail can be a tad bit tricky.  Once the tents are erected at the ultimate spot, discovering the joys of the forest are next on the agenda.

This too poses its own set of problems if you lack understanding of the local plants and animals.  (Shaking a beehive is not a good idea.)  Since there has yet to be a canoe made large enough to accommodate gigantic lizards, be prepared for the consequences.  As the day closes a group effort is needed to gather materials for building a fire for cooking, heat and light.  No...no...no...not that much wood!

With songs, stories and sounds of the night life filling the air some are able to fall asleep, tuckered out from the day's activities.  One is not as lucky as the others but when morning comes, friends offer support.  Who knows what another day will bring for this merry band of camping companions?


An unnamed narrator introduces the adventure proceeding in a most proper manner to delineate the steps necessary for a successful outing into the wilderness. It's the implications created by Molly Idle's precise use of language which set the stage for the contrast between the text and illustrations. It's calm, cool and collected versus comical chaos.

Precise details on the characters and within the settings, shadings in the coloration providing texture and expressive facial features begin on the matching dust jacket and book case.  Using wood for the letters in Camp is a nice touch as is the crown over Rex.  Perhaps Molly Idle is getting us ready for the surprises within the book by giving us this illustration on the front which contrasts with the campfire scene later in the story.  The opening and closing endpapers picturing a scouting (camper) hat, a Wilderness Guidebook, a compass, a canteen and two daisies are distinctly different from one another telling a tale before the first page is turned.

Alternating between two-page visuals edge to edge and single page, half page and a page with three illustrations bordered in white and a fine blue line, Idle keeps in splendid sync with her text.  At each reading more humorous details reveal themselves; the "coonskin" cap worn by the Stegosaurus, her younger brother's teddy bear seems to get in on all the action, the owl giving the Pterodactyl the evil eye, and the canoe oars being used as firewood.  There are extra stories in all the illustrations!

One of my favorite illustrations is the previously mentioned campfire scene.  All the characters are gathered around the fire, roasting marshmallows, singing at the top of their proverbial lungs (even the teddy bear's head it tipped up in song).  Where the marshmallows are placed will have you roaring with laughter as will the antics of the raccoon.


Camp Rex written and illustrated by Molly Idle is fun...fun...fun. It's a must have for all those storytelling sessions about camping and summer activities.  As a read aloud it's exquisite; the difference between the reader's (narrator's) voice (prim and particular) and the pictures will have listeners giggling continuously. You'll never hear the word camping again without getting a big grin on your face; this title will remain in your memory for a long time.

Please visit Molly Idle's official website by following the link embedded in her name.  On Sunday visit John Schumacher's blog, Watch. Connect. Read. and Colby Sharp's site, Sharpread, as they feature Molly Idle and Camp Rex in a trifecta.  It might involve a book trailer.  Here is the link to her post at the Nerdy Book Club.  Have fun!  Also for more interior pictures and an interview check out the Penguin Teen Tumblr.  

@Loveofxena @colbysharp The pterodactyl's name is Alan, the triceratops is Rosemary, and the stegosaurus is Clarence :) #CampRex #funfact
— Molly Idle (@MollyIdle) April 27, 2014