Precious Papas

Even after a hard day of work, he had time for a make-believe adventure.  Lying on his back, knees bent and hands next to his head with the palms up, Dad became an automobile.  Seated on his knees, with hands grasping an imaginary steering wheel, I was the driver.  Our destination and the time to get there was controlled by my feet pushing on his hands, one for the brakes and one for the accelerator.  As the driver I would honk the horn with ease and as the automobile, he made appropriate engine, wheel and road sounds.  What grand trips we took!

Making these magical moments happen is a gift fathers give to their daughters and sons.  Side by Side: A Celebration Of Dads (Phaidon Press Limited, March 11, 2019) written and illustrated by Chris Raschka showcases fathers and their children living in treasured tandem.  These generous gestures, these shared minutes or hours, live on from generation to generation.

In this title six fathers and their daughters or sons enjoy three different activities sparingly named. In the first two the pair each play a part in an inseparable pastime or as opposites in a common theme.  In the third scene their pursuit is labeled

Side by side.

A crown-wearing daughter is royalty.  Her father is assigned to make her laugh as jester.  A boy is scooped into his father's lowered arms.  One is the crane and the other is the cargo.  When rain falls this father and his son stand together beneath an umbrella.

A dad sits reading in an outdoor chair.  His daughter, magnifying glass in hand is looking at something in the grass.  They are

Base and explorer.

There is a mountain to be climbed and a game of checkers to be played. The role of teacher and learner is switched before a twosome soars on swings.  Fathers offer the comfort of a cozy place to lay our heads.  Whatever the endeavor, they are here . . . always.


Using the principal of less is more, Chris Raschka elevates it to excellence in this book.  Three words describe each scene simply.  By having the title text conclude the third feature, it supplies a rhythm and a connection between all six fathers and their daughters and sons.  We are soothed and lulled by these words.


One of the first things readers will notice about this book is the trim size.  The width (6 1/2 ") is designed to be held easily by hands of all sizes.  The height (11") is reminiscent of The Tall Book series published in the 1950s.  When the dust jacket is opened the white canvas continues on the other side of the spine to the left, on the back.  The only items pictured are the shoes of the father and daughter shown on the front.  Although the illustrations are in full color, the use of primary colors grabs our attention.

On the book case in loose squares and rectangles, Chris Raschka has created a pattern of twenty-four different elements with a heavy emphasis on oranges and yellows in the designs.  The title text is placed in one of the shapes.  The lines, drops, flowers, dots, circles, crosses and curly leaves on stems exude joy.

On the opening and closing endpapers pairs of hats for fathers and daughters and sons and pairs of shoes for fathers and daughters and sons, are shown, respectively.  There are twelve sets each.  Readers will enjoy matching the hats and shoes to the characters inside the book.

Chris Raschka's signature artwork on heavier, matte-finished paper radiates from the double-page pictures with exuberance.  His flowing, loose lines and blend of soft and darker shades portrays with perfection the affection between the fathers and their children.  This not only envelopes readers but draws them into each scene.  After the first three fathers and their children but before the second set of three, a two-page image shows each parent and child enjoying ice cream or popsicles from a vendor.  It's as if they all arrived at the park at the same time.  Each duo is framed separately along with the seller.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is for one of the

Side by side 

settings.  A father and his daughter are lying on beach towels in the sun.  They are lying on their backs with their bare feet extended toward the reader.  They are wearing shorts, tops and sunglasses.  He has a red towel and a red umbrella over him.  She has a purple towel and a green umbrella over her.


Surely every reader will find an occasion captured in this book, Side by Side: A Celebration Of Dads written and illustrated by Chris Raschka, which replicates one they've had or will trigger the memory of a similar experience.  You can hold the love expressed in these pages in your hands even after you've finished the book and set it aside.  I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Chris Raschka and his other work, you might want to look at an earlier post on a website linked to his name.  Chris Raschka has an account on Twitter.  He regularly posts his artwork.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  Please enjoy this video from September 2018 where Chris Raschka shares his process.

Unexpected Educator

One of the most classic cases of a substitute teacher's name striking fear in the hearts and minds of students in the classroom is found in children's literature.  In the case of this woman you can certainly judge her character by her appearance. Her frumpy black dress, striped stockings and black clunky shoes accentuate her exaggerated facial features and hair.  When you combine this with her unwavering sense of discipline students have no choice but to behave with robotic-like goodness.

Miss Viola Swamp first stepped from the pages of Miss Nelson Is Missing written by Harry Allard with illustrations by James Marshall in 1977.  To this day it would be hard to have an inclusive list of books about classroom teachers without mentioning her and this book.  A more recent title also broaches the subject of what happens when the regular teacher is absent.  Dear Substitute (Disney Hyperion, June 19, 2018) written by Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick with pictures by Chris Raschka has a distinctive presentation. 

Dear Substitute,
Wow. This is a surprise.
What are you doing here?
Where's Mrs. Giordano,
and why didn't she warn us?

As the morning begins each element of the usual routine and special activities enjoyed on a Tuesday are addressed by the little girl.  She writes to them as if they are recipients of a letter.  Regret and empathy are expressed for the mispronunciation of students' names during attendance.  Mrs. Giordano is missed.

It's discouraging to have sacrificed what you want to do in order to complete your homework only to discover it will not be collected on the due date.  A weekly trip to the library is not made.  The substitute has another plan. 

The classroom pet, a turtle, is not going to have his tank cleaned.  Our letter writer asks Elmo to be patient.  Classroom rules are not followed.  An earned turn at being line leader is ignored.  Lunch may be the only ordinary thing about this day until the eyes-in-back-of-her-head substitute catches the girl breaking a lunchroom rule.  How is this fair?

A change during story time further unsettles the girl.  This is when an extraordinary shift in the day happens.  This is when the student makes an unforgettable discovery about the day, herself and the substitute teacher.


Every reader, regardless of their age will identify with the apprehension voiced by the protagonist.  Authors Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick tap into the emotional state of the girl and her universal worries with keen insights.  They are well aware of the importance of stability during the day in a classroom but they are also savvy enough to realize the benefits of creative change. 

By having the girl write letters to each portion of her day, a deeply personal level is achieved in the story.  These letters build upon each other leading us to the surprise.  Here is another letter.

Dear Class Rules,
We have you for a reason.
And one of the rules should be:
the whole day can't be
changed around by a sub named Miss Pelly.
"Pelly like a pelican," she told us.
And then she laughed---again.
Miss Pelly doesn't take anything seriously.


Upon opening the dust jacket readers are treated to a view of the endearing student writing the letters.  The carefree swing of her pigtails invites us to know this girl and comprehend her disquiet in this situation.  The border of apples and pencils, well-known symbols of classrooms and teachers, supplies an additional sense of welcome.  The color choices by Chris Raschka are cheerful contributing to the spirited and heartfelt messages of the girl.  To the left, on the back, Elmo, the classroom turtle is showcased, enjoying a clean tank. 

On the book case in bright loose squares are thirty portraits of students from all racial and ethnic backgrounds.  On the opening endpapers the lower portion of students' bodies are highlighted as they casually stand in a hallway.  On the closing endpapers is a view of items found on a teacher's desk.  The use of color is limited to those objects.

On the verso and dedication page Chris allows readers to see the reason for Mrs. Giordano's absence.  Tongue protruding from her mouth in concentration the girl is writing beneath the text on the title page.  Each page turn is a study in the signature style of Chris Raschka who rendered these illustrations in watercolor and gouache.

His loose lines and brush swirls of hues depict the emotions conveyed in the narrative.  His choice of colors enriches the moods as well as the time of day.  His shifts in point of view place emphasis on stronger feelings.  When the girl is near tears, all we see are her eyes, nose and some hair.  Some of his images are on single pages; others span two pages.

He frames the text in curtains, scenes from around the school or with elements in his pictures.  Humor is present in his clever details.  He gives Miss Pelly the shape of a pelican.  The girl is shown as a fish.

One of my many favorite illustrations is of the letter addressed to 

Dear Story Time.

In this picture spreading across two pages Miss Pelly is seated on a rosy red rug on the right-hand side.  Her red glasses, cheeks and lips are mirrored in the flooring.  She is seated, head bent and reading.  Clustered around her along the top, sides and bottom are the feet of the students on their rugs, seated and listening.  This is a turning point in the story.


The beautiful blend of words of Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick with the artwork of Chris Raschka gives readers a treasure to hold in their hands with this book, Dear Substitute.  We are privy to a transformation.  We realize people might not be what they appear to be at first glance (except for Miss Viola Swamp).  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Liz Garton Scanlon, Audrey Vernick and Chris Raschka, please follow the links attached to their names to access informative websites.  At the publisher's website there is an educator's guide to download.  At Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher's Watch. Connect. Read., the cover is revealed with a post by the authors.  At the blog, For the Love of KidLit, Liz and Audrey are interviewed.  This title is one of several new books focusing on school featured at author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.

We Are Family

It's interesting to see the variety of definitions for the word home depending on the source.  For the purpose of this post I am referring to

the social unit formed by a family living together from Merriam-Webster

and

the place in which one's domestic affections are centered from Dictionary.com.

There is an interesting article from 2012 in the Smithsonian which states in the heading home is

also an idea---one where the heart is.

Home is a place where your heart is heard and protected.  Above all else it is a sanctuary filled with the love of those in residence.

Beloved author Vera B. Williams passed away on October 16, 2015.  There was one last book she wanted to release into the world.  Not sure if she had the strength to complete the pictures she asked a fellow author and illustrator, Chris Raschka, for help.  Home At Last (Greenwillow Books, September 13, 2016) written by Vera B. Williams and illustrated by Vera B. Williams and Chris Raschka, a tender story of adoption and family, is the result of their collaboration.

Lester tripped over the laces of his new shoes just as he went out the door and down the steps of the children's center.

He could hardly wait for the arrival of Daddy Albert and Daddy Rich, his new parents.  He could hardly wait to see their dog Wincka again.  It had taken a year for the adoption process to be completed.

As he climbed into their car, which he absolutely loved, he carried his little blue suitcase and his most prized yo-yo.  Daddy Albert and Daddy Rich helped him unpack and get settled in his new room.  He was assured he would never need his big suitcase again.  He was home.  Lester was reluctant to give up his little blue suitcase filled with his action figure collection.  He wanted them near...just in case he needed protection.

Every night one of his dads would read him a story or tuck him into bed.  Every night Wincka would follow them out of the room.  Every night Lester would appear in his parent's bedroom carrying his suitcase.  He just could not stay settled in his room no matter what they did; no hot chocolate, no toast, songs, stories, kind words or lots of conversations could fix the hole in his heart.  He did not tell his parents what he was really thinking.

Daddy Rich and Daddy Albert had talked a long time before adopting Lester and they were talking now about his late night walks into their bedroom.  They set up rules for Lester.  He had to stay in his own bed except on special Sunday mornings when no one had to go to work the next day.  Rich bought a new bike for Lester and spent the day playing with him.  Albert was not so patient.  One night, he became angry at Lester for not staying in his own room and waking them up.

When Lester began crying, Daddy Albert felt his heart melt and questioned the child.  His parents listened to him talk, telling them the truth.  They were worried.  There was one member of the family not worried and he took steps on four furry feet to make things right for his boy.  Now dear reader, this is not the end of this story but I'll let you enjoy the rest on your own.  With that being said, I guess you know who saved the day, made another life whole and at home...at last.


Everything about this story penned by Vera B. Williams is beautiful.  Her descriptions of Daddy Rich and Daddy Albert leave no doubt as to their personalities and parental love they have for this boy they are bringing into their lives.  The care they give to making him a part of their home is exactly what all members of a family need.  Her descriptions of Lester's hopes, fears and the reason for his living in the children's center will resonate with every reader.

Her inclusion of specific moments like Lester tripping over the untied laces of his new shoes, Lester checking to make sure Wincka is following them, Daddy Rich playfully pretending their attic is haunted, Lester talking to his action figures, and playing with his four new cousins during a sleepover so much they hardly slept at all bring this story into sharp focus.  The words spoken by Daddy Rich, Daddy Albert and Lester in comments and conversation are as real as sunrise and sunset.  Here is a sample passage.

When Daddy Rich and Daddy Albert finally opened their very sleepy eyes and saw their new son, Lester, standing by their bed, they would say, "What's wrong?  What's the trouble, sport?"  Daddy Rich would feel Lester's forehead for fever and ask if he was too cold or too hot or hungry.

A few times Daddy Rich and Daddy Albert, followed by Wincka, even took Lester into the kitchen and fixed him hot cocoa and toast.  His daddies sleepily slurped up the cocoa and Wincka sleepily crunched up the toast, because it was not cocoa and toast Lester wanted.


When opened the matching dust jacket and book case immediately fill your heart with the cozy comfort found in the two images.  You know Lester has found a home with Daddy Rich and Daddy Albert and Wincka in the illustration on the front.  To the left, on the back, is a close up of the hero of the house with Lester.  Lester, eyes closed, has his arms around Wincka in a huge hug.  I think I see the wisp of a smile on the dog's face.

A collage of words,

home, who will take care of me, mommy, daddy, keep me safe, hug me, Grandmother and love,

covers the opening and closing endpapers in shades of black, purple pink and white.  Across the title page is a picture of the dormitory, a row of beds, with Lester sitting on one, waiting.  The sizes of the illustrations flow with the narrative shifting from two pages, to a single page, a half page or several smaller ones on a single page.  The signature color palette and loose lines of Chris Raschka are clearly evident.

In his illustrations there is motion and emotion with an underlying color of golden yellow casting a feeling of warmth.  Changes in perspective match the narrative perfectly.  Careful readers will notice the tiniest of details; lattice work on a balcony, the gas burners on the stove, books stacked on the shelves next to Lester's bed, and the tear on Lester's cheek.

One of my favorite pictures of many is of Lester and Daddy Rich biking around the neighborhood.  It is a half-page illustration.  The park is spread out behind them.  In front of them on the left a man is seated on a bench reading a newspaper.  On the right a man is scooping out ice cream to waiting children.  Lester and Daddy Rich are just finishing up their ice cream cones, standing next to their bicycles.


This is the kind of book. Home At Last, written by Vera B. Williams with illustrations by her and Chris Raschka which clearly defines home and family.  It's about where hearts reside in true affection.  This is an important book.  Home At Last is where children can see themselves and others in the pages of a book.  (We Need Diverse Books)

To learn more about the life of Vera B. Williams and her work please follow the link attached to her name to read her obituary at Publishers Weekly.  Publishers Weekly also has an article about the process of completing this title.  There is an enlightening and wonderful post with additional links and artwork at author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson's blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  At the publisher's website there is a link to a five page article about the collaboration between Vera B. Williams and Chris Raschka.

A Common Ground

It seems as though in the circle of life those at the beginning and those at the end embrace everything around them with a similar energy and outlook.  When beings are seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching something for the first time it's charged with emotion.  Unless the circumstances are threatening, it's usually with a sense of wonder.  As our days become numbered, even if those somethings have been seen, heard, smelled, tasted and touched before or perhaps many times, they become sharper, clearer and more meaningful.

The very young and the very old know how to live in the moment.  In Old Dog Baby Baby (A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, October 11, 2016) written by Julie Fogliano with art by Chris Raschka we are gifted with a portrait of this shared experience.  It is a love letter to seeking joy.

old dog
lazy
lazy
lying on the
kitchen floor

One look at an old dog and you know they have the wisdom of their ages in their faces.  They know when to sleep and when not to sleep.  Watching them rest in ease grants the viewer a feeling of peace.  Comfort caresses them and youthful dreams envelope them.

Although their body posture may not initially acknowledge it, if their space is shared with another, they will be fully aware.  When a baby comes creeping along the kitchen floor, a happy exclamation pushing aside the curtain of quiet, the old dog lifts up her head and looks.  Canine sniffs and canine kisses supply a greeting received with glee.

The two, baby and old dog, play with abandon, touching and clutching, pushing and pulling.  Both are grinning.  It's a best buddies' romp.

As you may expect at their respective ages, it is not long before a change takes place.  The once dynamic duo is done.  Look.  Where there was one, now there are two.  Listen.  Can you hear it?  This is a moment for everyone; a bit of the divine.


 Simple but enlightened words written by Julie Fogliano convey the essence of an old dog, a baby and their happy meeting.  Surely she is a student having studied the behavior of babies and old dogs.  Their mannerisms and behaviors are adeptly defined.  Words are repeated for emphasis and pacing.  Words rhyme to create a lively and sweet beat.  Here are two passages.

old dog dreams
old dog twitches
old paw scratches
old ear itches

baby fingers
baby toes
"puppy! puppy!"
baby goes

When Chris Raschka paints we see life in every brush stroke.  Every line is with intention and purpose.  Upon opening the matching dust jacket and book case, the baby and dog are stretched perfectly over the spine to the left on the back.  The affection they have for each other is evident in the child's smile and in the dog's patience.  The basic color palette of red, green, blue, yellow and white of the title text and the child with the white, black and gray of the dog conveys the gentleness and playfulness of the narrative.  A burnt orange covers the opening and closing endpapers.

On the title page the baby is leaning over a green chair, finger touching the old dog's nose as it sits on the other side.  Raschka begins his interpretation of the narrative with a two-page picture on the verso and dedication page.  A child is seated at the kitchen table looking at a photograph album with the old dog sleeping on the floor.

All of the images span two pages with the exception of seven single-page pictures.  All supply us with varying perspectives.  With a page turn we zoom in on the girl and old dog as a woman stops to speak with her.  We get a glimpse of another woman via a single foot and red shoe in the upper, right-hand corner.  With a second page turn we are very close to the dog, now beneath the table.

When the girl leaves we can see she has been viewing pictures of the dog as a puppy. As the baby crawls through the door, our view is larger showing the kitchen counter, an appliance and another table.  On this table is a family photograph, two women, two children and the dog, and a potted flower. It's this dedication to detail and design which makes these illustrations remarkable.

One of my many favorite images is of the old dog and baby rolling on the floor.  Raschka has chosen to only show us the upper portion of their bodies.  On the left, upper section of the visual the dog is positioned with his head upside down, ears flapped to the sides and tongue hanging out, paws pushing.  The baby is on the right toward the bottom.  Arms are wide open, eyes are closed and a huge grin is on the child's face.  You can almost hear the giggles and soft woofs.


Old Dog Baby Baby written by Julie Fogliano with art by Chris Raschka is the best of both worlds, baby and old dog with the heart of a puppy.  The warmth of a happy home in which joy can be freely expressed is evident on each page.  I've lost count of how many times I've read this book.  You'll lose count too.  It's a book to be shared often.

To view two interior pages please follow this link to the publisher's website.  Julie Fogliano maintains a page on Facebook.  Chris Raschka can be found on Twitter.  Julie is interviewed at the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation site.  Lydie Raschka, Chris's wife, talks about his artistic life at The Horn Book.  Chris Raschka is interviewed at Reading Rockets in a series of videos.

Passing Through Time, Poetically Speaking

When we need it the most, winter sheds sleep yielding to spring.  The cold slowly gives way to warmth. Snowfall is replaced with welcome rain showers.  Spots of green appear in brown, leaf-coated gardens.  Silence is filled with song.

So it is with National Poetry Month in April.  We need this timely tribute to a body of literary verse regardless of the selected style.  Having already committed to reading more poetry for several weeks, I find myself forming fresh descriptions of my daily sensory experiences.  The beauty is rising to the top as perceptions are verbally altered.  With several memorable poetry collections to their credit author Paul B. Janeczko and illustrator Chris Raschka bring us another treasure in The Death Of The Hat:  A Brief History of Poetry in 50 Objects (Candlewick Press, March 10, 2015).

In a four page introduction Janeczko converses with us about the divisions in poetic literary eras.  Reflections are made about the political climate during specific time frames.  He is the informed teacher and we are the eager students.  For the purpose of his selections the ages presented here are:

Early Middle Ages 400-1000
High Middle Ages 1000-1500
The Renaissance 1500-late 1600s
The Enlightenment late 1600s-1785
Romantic Period 1785-1830
Victorian Period 1837-1901
Modern Period 1900-1945
Postmodern Period 1945-present
Contemporary

To begin these gathered poems about objects, Janeczko includes a poem by Eloise Greenfield.

Things
Went to the corner
Walked in the store
Bought me some candy
Ain't got it no more
Ain't got it no more

Went to the beach
Played on the shore
Built me a sandhouse
Ain't got it no more
Ain't got it no more

Went to the kitchen
Lay down on the floor
Made me a poem
Still got it
Still got it

We make friends with a moth dining on words and a goose lost from the flock. The comfort in the continuity of grass is revealed.   A sword, a grain field, a candle and the moon entering an unexpected opening bring us into the age of The Renaissance.  We marvel at the majestic magic of the sun and the enlightening joy of peach blossoms.

A discourse on the dread of hearing drums is softened by Robert Burns' A Red, Red Rose.  A truly wondrous nod to an alphabetical member, A Riddle, On the Letter E, by George Gordon, Lord Byron will have you amazed at the profoundness found in two lines.  I wonder if I've ever read a better characterization than The Eagle by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

Shivers from Edgar Allan Poe, luminosity from Mary Elizabeth Coleridge and entanglements from Christina Georgina Rossetti will keep you reading.  Emily Dickinson will have you longing for travel by train and William Carlos Williams will have you doing the same for a wheelbarrow colored red. Trees of the heart and trees in the city, a cat caught in moonlight's cycles, stars, driftwood and boxes and bags divulge their secrets.

We cheer at the portrayal of fungus by Sylvia Plath and sigh at e. e. cummings's celebration of a single day.  Collectors of stamps will remember fondly the insights noted by Pablo Neruda.  Oh how I wish I still had one of my father's hats, just one, as lifted in words by the title poem, The Death of the Hat, by Billy Collins.  Janeczko chooses to close with Famous by Naomi Shihab Nye.  It's a brilliant assessment on the importance of one thing to another.  Here is the last verse.

...I want to be famous in the way a pulley is famous,
or a buttonhole, not because it did anything spectacular,
but because it never forgot what it could do.


When I think of Paul B. Janeczko two words come to mind, collector and connoisseur.  His created anthologies for readers include some of the finest examples in the chosen categories.  We are the better for reading those words he values most.  As I read poem after poem in this collection it was not only a journey through the history of poetry but one through those poems I have read repeatedly.  It was like being back in all those literature classes, enjoying every syllable.


I think I could watch Chris Raschka paint for hours.  His lines are fluidity filled with emotion. When you open the dust jacket the yellow from the front extends to the left (back) tying the two separate images together.  A picture of a walking man from Robert Louis Stevenson's My Shadow is featured.  The man resting his chin and side of his face in his hand on the front is a compilation of those men in hats from the title poem.  Beneath the jacket, the book case is a solid, smooth spring green with a pattern of stamps taken from an Ode to a Stamp Album by Pablo Neruda.

The opening and closing endpapers are absolutely breathtaking.  The first is a scene with rain in blues and golden yellows and grey clouds.  A formation of geese is flying toward light.  On the second the lost goose from an interior poem has joined the others as a red sun sets in the lower right-hand corner.  This goose is also seen repeatedly throughout the book flying toward a much-needed destination.

The rain on the opening endpaper is falling on the double-page title illustration.  A man, his back to us, is wearing a hat and carrying an open umbrella.  On the dedication pages, table of contents and introduction pages, Raschka has placed different objects handwriting labels beneath them.

As each poem dictates Raschka varies his visual sizes.  They may cover a page with partial framing.  Glancing to the right the framing envelops the accompanying poem.  Smaller images may surround a given selection.  With a page turn we gasp at a two-page depiction for Grass.  Elements cross the gutter to bridge one age to another or one poem to another.  White space is utilized to excellent effect.

You must see the illustrations for So Breaks The Sun, I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, Street Lanterns, the Railway Train and The Red Wheelbarrow.  These are my favorites for the brush strokes, details and color choices.  I would gladly frame any of them to hang in my home.  I can see children taking their fingers and following the lines.


This book, The Death Of The Hat:  A Brief History of Poetry in 50 Objects selected by Paul B. Janeczko with paintings by Chris Raschka, is a must have for every collection.  There are poems here for all readers regardless of their poetic tastes or their ages.  I have read many of them aloud today.


To learn more about Paul B. Janeczko please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  At the Candlewick Press website you can view an interior image.  At TeachingBooks.net various links are offered for further study about both Janeczko and Raschka.  Reading Rockets has a collection of video interviews of Chris Raschka.  Update:  Here is an interview conducted by author and blogger Julie Danielson at Kirkus with Paul B. Janeczko.

Just In Case...

When you have a dog there are several blocks of time in your day delegated to taking walks.  The difference in these blocks of time depends on the age of the dog.  When they are younger greater distances are covered in a shorter amount of time.  As they age twice as many minutes are given to one-sixth of the distance.  These slower walks with lots of stops and starts allow for the best kind of observations of your surroundings.  The simplest thing which captures your attention can lead to wonderful flights of the imagination.

As far as I'm concerned the value of daydreaming is without question.  It's the key to some of my best ideas.  It's the reason I've seen wonderful artwork and writing done by students.  If You Were a Dog (Farrar Straus Giroux, September 30, 2014) written by Jamie A. Swenson with pictures by Chris Raschka gives our minds permission to pretend.

If you were a dog, would you be speedy-quick,
lickety-sloppidy, 
scavenge-the-garbage,
frisbee-catching, ...

Readers get to place themselves within the characteristics of seven animals in the course of two questions asked of them.  For those who have canine companions or have taken the time to observe them, the other descriptions in the initial inquiry will bring smiles and knowing nods of recognition.  The next sentence wonders if you would do what dogs might do.

Cat fur, tongues, delectable meals, and day-to-day work and play follow with their duly-noted behavior toward the aforementioned dogs.  We bear witness to the fun and frolic of fresh water or ocean-going fish.  Little birds and big birds feeding, flying and watching lift us to new heights.

We can almost feel ourselves growing smaller as we become a butterfly, caterpillar, bee, grasshopper or cricket chirping out a familiar melody.  Quickly our hearts beat faster as we spring into action above and below the water as frogs.  Then we get to stretch our thoughts back into time as we roam, romp and roar the lands as a mighty dinosaur.

Even if it's only for the moments within the pages of this book, we understand the opportunity handed to us to be more than ourselves.  As humans, kids or kids at heart, can we do all those things these animals can do?  Or can we do a little bit more?


On her website Jamie A. Swenson tells the story of her inspiration for this book; one of the visitors to her library many years ago planted the seed that would not stop growing.  Through her selection of spirited words she not only understands each of the animals presented but she knows her audience.  With little stretch of YOUR imagination you can picture the amount of fun she must have had creating the text for this title.  Each of the phrases mirrors the definitive characteristics and actions of the animals.  Each section closes with the same sentence summoning listeners to participate.  Here are a couple more portions of passages.

If you were a bird,
would you be a
trout-snatching,
swooping,
soaring,
sky-circling, ...

Would you spring and zing
and hop all day?
BOING, BOING, RIBBET!
Some frogs do.


Using cooler colors as a backdrop with splashes of warmth Chris Raschka extends a hand through his illustrations on the matching dust jacket and book case, asking readers to open the book.  There is an uplifting sincerity which permeates his work here and in all the images in this title. Smaller visuals have been placed on the jacket flaps and above the dedications.  The dog on the front imagined by the child covers the title page in shades of warm brown with outlines in the same blue as seen on the jacket.  The plain red orange color on the opening and closing endpapers is used frequently within the interior.  Everything flows together.

When the first question is set forth, each of the hyphenated descriptors is given its own loosely outlined space on a page expertly designed to direct our eyes from one to the other.  The second inquiry and repetitive reply spreads across two pages supplying the closing beat to the text's tempo. The entire color palette inspires readers to dream.

One of my many favorite illustrations (besides the dogs, of course) is of the cricket.  I'm not sure I've ever seen Raschka use this color combination in previous titles.  It's a close up of a cricket on blades of grass at night.  Loose musical notes are near it.  Hues of brown, blue, golden yellow and peach create a marvelous atmosphere.


I know this book, If You Were a Dog written by Jamie A. Swenson with pictures by Chris Raschka, will be a story time favorite.  I can already hear the howls, hisses, splashes, swooshes, chirps, ribbets, and stomps.  You have to wonder what other animals readers and listeners will imitate.  This would be a great title to use to invite audience participation, reader's theater or to spark drawing and writing adventures.

To discover more about Jamie A. Swenson please follow the link embedded in her name taking you to her website.  Here are links to two interviews of her about this book, Elizabeth Caulfield Felt's Blog and The Storyteller's Inkpot.  If you visit the publisher's website eight more images can be viewed.  If you haven't watched these Reading Rockets videos about Chris Raschka, here's your chance to do so.

Of Apples And The Art Of Compromise

Due to modern technology and transportation, many grocery stores carry apples every month of the year.  Regardless, there is something ultimately more satisfying about going to nearby orchards and getting the fruit right off the tree. It's somehow crispier, juicier, sweeter or tarter.  Still warm from the making, apple doughnuts are a culinary treat bordering on the divine. It's one of the many perks of autumn in northern Michigan.

Old deserted homesteads, vacant fields, conservancy parks and small farms are dotted with at least one, if not more, apple trees.  You can't drive the country roads without seeing them.  In author illustrator Chris Raschka's new title, Give and Take (A Richard Jackson Book, Atheneum Books For Young Readers), a farmer and his dog discover more than apples on their daily walk.

Every morning a farmer said to his dog, "Let us inspect the apples."

Together they head toward the trees.  Noticing the apples are ripe for the picking, the man fills his basket to the brim.  Imagine his surprise when a wee little guy calling himself Take pops out from the bushes.

He promises the farmer, who already believes his life to be perfectly fine, a finer life.  A stop at a neighboring farm has the farmer replacing his apples with pumpkins; many, many pumpkins.  He is also told to take a hike.  Finally arriving home exhausted, the pumpkins are used to make a concoction neither the farmer nor his dog like.  All he really wants is an apple.

The next morning the apple-loving farmer tells Take to take his leave.  Thankfully, our friendly fellow finds more apples to fill his basket.  A second time he is startled when a wee little guy calling himself Give leaps out of the tree.  With as much zeal as Take he assures the farmer, who already believes his life to be superbly sweet, a sweeter life.

Whispered advice later, the farmer, is again home with absolutely nothing.  Upon waking he tells Give to get out.  A third tree, the greenest, is visited on this day.  Now the farmer and his furry friend depart with a basket of apples, and...two argumentative wee little guys... and a plan. 

Why he has the grumbling gents with him is genius.  Stopping at the mill on the way home yields encouragement freely given and taken in conversation.  A tantalizing twist ends the tale.  

As surely as if he said Once upon a time, Chris Raschka leads readers into his story with the opening sentence, establishing a rhythm.  This storytelling beat continues with each encounter with the wee little guys; a promise, a response, another promise and an unsatisfactory result.  The three visited trees are the best of their kind.  It's even more fun when the outcomes all involve subjects beginning with the letter p. 

Cheerful banter, humorous exclamations and skillful use of repetition keep the reader eagerly turning the pages at the proper pace.  You can almost hear the voices of each of the characters; their personalities evident by the descriptive interactions.  Here is a sample passage.

Just then a tiny little man dropped out of the branches.

"Muttering Mutsus!" said the farmer.

"Who are you?"

"I am Give," said the tiny man.  "If you will listen to me, your life will be sweet."

The bright white on the matching dust jacket and book case as well as interior pages provides the ideal background for Chris Raschka's black ink and watercolor illustrations.  Shades of pink, peach, red, green, gold and orange focus on individual elements in each picture.  Varying line widths contribute to impressive layout and design.  

Raschka alters perspective from visual to visual, sometimes on a single page.  An illustration on the left might cross the gutter to the right drawing attention to another picture.  Everything, every single thing, the patterns on the farmer's clothing and basket, the facial expressions on all the characters, borders and no borders, the blend of text and images, flows flawlessly. 

One of my favorite illustrations is toward the beginning when the farmer and his dog visit the first tree, seeing the ripe apples.  Our eyes follow his pointing finger enjoying the display of fruit moving to the other page.  There we see the farmer's hand reaching to pick an apple.  Even without the text a story is being told.

Reminiscent of a classic folktale, Give and Take written and illustrated by Chris Raschka is a charming story of finding middle ground; to do so might supply a fine and sweet conclusion.  Listeners will be eager to join in when phrases are repeated.  I think this would be a great book to use for reader's theater.  It's as fresh, fun and delicious as a newly picked apple.

Here is a link to a series of video interviews with Chris Raschka at Reading Rockets.  At TeachingBooks.net Chris Raschka pronounces his name and gives a short history of its origin.

Cherished Creatures

Within a heartbeat they can tell you.  Not only do they have an answer but they want to know what yours is.  No matter how many books the library may have or resources you provide, it's simply never enough.  Truthfully over the years I have learned more than I ever knew I wanted to know about a large variety of animals because of students' quests to discover everything about their favorite animal, domestic and wild.

The extent of their interest is not limited to facts either; each having an uncanny ability in their individual style to recreate their animal visually.  How exciting for all of us that Eric Carle and thirteen other illustrators decide to share their choices.  What's Your Favorite Animal? (Henry Holt and Company, January 2014) not only answers the question but entertains with text and pictures by each.

I have always liked all animals.  

So begins the story Eric Carle tells of his cat who liked to chase and fetch a string bean until she decided it was better off tucked away from view.  A ladder would definitely be needed to see eye to eye with Tom Lichtenheld's animal friend after a trip to Africa or the zoo.  You will be hard pressed not to gasp and utter yikes after seeing the smile on Mo Willems' crawling critter's face.

A Christmas tradition with a happy ending, especially for the main course, is a tale with timeless appeal as revealed by Peter Sis.  Giving us a whole new perspective on one of nature's slowest movers, Chris Raschka reminds us patience has great rewards.  Nick Bruel's Bad Kitty is up to his typical tricks.  Could it be because of a favorite animal choice?

Let's see now.  Who could possibly like a high-jumping bunny, these-pillows-are-my-spot dog, or a boastful elephant?  It might be Rosemary Wells, Lane Smith, Jon Klassen, Susan Jeffers, or Peter McCarty?  Or perhaps one of them has voiced their love of a duck (without a hat) or a herd of wild white horses?

A memory of cows coming to life at night, a kinship felt with penguins and a colorful connection to leopards fill the pages by Lucy Cousins, Steven Kellogg and Erin Stead. (No, I did not put them in order.) Just when you think you might suffer from happiness overload due to the wonderful words and colorful pictures on these pages, the final two host childhood pictures of each artist with a short biographical sketch.  Who could ask for anything more?


An amusing incident, a whimsical poem, a message of hope, personal reflections from now and then, and tales full of hilarity reach out, pulling readers into the realms of these fourteen individuals who, fortunately for us, populate the children's literature community.  All the wit and wonder we love about their work is condensed into these two page spreads; how they choose to speak about their favorite animal is a direct reflection of them as authors and illustrators.  You will find yourself alternating between a slow smile, a giggle, a guffaw, a sigh, and nod of understanding more than once. These fourteen people say much with few words.


Eric Carle's notable cut-paper collage decorates the front dust jacket with a list of the contributors and their animals on the back.  Upon removing the jacket readers see all fourteen creatures spread across both sides of the cover with the artists' signatures next to their work.  The pristine white background makes all the elements pop off the pages.  Sunny golden opening and closing endpapers brushed in paint announce the total joy to be found in this book.

Even without their name as part of the text or a signature within the illustration, each visual clearly identifies the creator; vividly displaying their unique styles and mediums.  The deft paper cuts for a cat's fur, the fluffy cloud cleverly becoming a beehive hairdo for the ruby-lipped giraffe, the loose swirls of orange, amber and blue making a home for a snail, small delicate lines and softened brush strokes bringing the essence of penguins to the page or cow paintings papering a wall as a boy dreams one into life, not only feature an animal but the considerable talents each illustrator brings to this book and everything they do.  Every single one is a masterpiece.


This variety in selected animals, narratives and illustrators is exactly what makes What's Your Favorite Animal? by Eric Carle and Friends a true treasure that everyone should read and own.  It's like holding an art gallery in your hands.  The end flap states:

All royalties from this book will be donated to The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art which was founded by Eric and Barbara Carl in 2002.  

Links to each of the contributors' websites (when possible) have been placed in their names above.  Follow this link to the publisher's website for a peek inside this title.  Enjoy the videos collected by some of the artists.  If you have other videos you would like me to include feel free to leave a link in the comments below. 

Where Am I?

It is a bright, sunny day in the early autumn.  Ferns and maple, oak, ash and birch leaves are wearing their seasonal colors.  As you walk along the path, your eye catches something unique farther into the woods.  You decide to keep the route most traveled in sight as you seek to get a closer look.

When you finally arrive at the spot, seconds vanish turning into minutes as you marvel at your discovery.  Looking up and around you realize nothing is familiar.  The track seems to have disappeared.  With a sinking feeling you realize you are lost.

How quickly we can become distracted from one goal by another.  If you are a dog, despite numerous hours of training, the chitter-chatter of a squirrel is too tempting to resist.  Charmed as we all were with her canine antics in A Ball for Daisy, the lovable pup is even more endearing in the companion book titled Daisy Gets Lost (Schwartz & Wade Books) written and illustrated by Caldecott Medalist, Chris Raschka.

Using a similar limited color palette of red, blue, and yellow with black, gray and brown, Chris Raschka adds in hues of green for Daisy's newest adventure in this nearly wordless book.  The jacket and cover offer an introduction to the setting as well as reacquainting readers with the contagious exhilaration of Daisy.  Her full body illustration on the title page looking directly at the reader is an open invitation.

The two-page picture spread across the verso and first page provides us with a close-up of an excited running Daisy, tongue hanging out, sheer happiness evident in every brush stroke.  We get the merest glimpse of her blue ball (from the first book) at the bottom and a small triangular patch of her girl's dress on the left side.  A series of four narrow visuals extend edge to edge on the next two pages; Daisy is playing throw and fetch with her human in the park.

Go get it, Daisy!

Daisy is able to get the ball but comes to a complete standstill when noticing an acorn-holding squirrel directly in front of her.  Time is frozen.  Daisy abandons her ball.  The squirrel tosses the nut.  The race is on.

Scampering through the trees the squirrel easily outdistances Daisy; even looking behind with a devil-may-care glance to make sure the dog is in pursuit.  Daisy gets to the tree the bushy-tailed taunter has climbed, panting and eager.  After a few moments realizing she and the squirrel are not meant to meet, it dawns on her to look around.

In an illustration filling both pages we readers get a bird's-eye view of Daisy in the center of the trees looking forlorn with her girl nearby in the open searching for Daisy.  The girl calls for Daisy and finds her blue ball.  As she calls and looks, Daisy runs and wonders.

Daisy stops, lifts her head and howls, long and mournfully.  There is nothing better than finding what you have lost.  There is nothing better than love or...perhaps another squirrel chase.


I continue to be astonished by the array of feelings and movement Chris Raschka conveys through his gifted use of watercolor, gouache and ink.  Pausing to truly look at any of the pages in this book, each line, its position and thickness, the color choices, the blending of his washes, all contribute to this story feeling alive.  It's as if what he wants his characters to feel is traveling from his mind to his hand to the page.

His choice in illustration size and perspective generates flawless pacing.  The two pages with four smaller illustrations for the girl on the top and for Daisy on the bottom as they run, look, stop and listen depict each and every little nuance of their moods.  Even though the face of the girl is not shown we know and understand.  Raschka gathers in all the shared experiences of his readers as people and their connections to dogs placing them with care on the pages of this book.


 Daisy Gets Lost written and illustrated by Chris Raschka is simply beautiful, brilliant.  It's no wonder Martha V. Parravano talks about it at Calling Caldecott.  You don't have to be a dog lover to appreciate and enjoy this story.  Everyone understands being lost and found, being loved.

Follow this link to the publisher's website for a look at some of the illustrations inside of this book.

An Unlikely Pair

In the animal kingdom there is no lack of unusual friendships.  After a tsunami struck in December of 2004, a rescued baby hippo was placed in Haller Park, Kenya where he quickly sought out the company of an 130-year-old tortoise. Owen and Mzee were inseparable for more than three years.   At the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee a stray dog wandered onto the 2,000 acre property.  For more than a decade until her untimely death, Bella and Tara, an elephant, were fast friends.

Even more unexpected is the bonding of animals who are part of each others food chain.  Acclaimed author James Howe has penned a tender tale, Otter and Odder: A Love Story (Candlewick), of a curious attachment formed by an otter and a fish.  Caldecott Medalist, Chris Raschka provides luminous illustrations for the title.


The river sparkled 
the day Otter found love.

As with many living beings love happens when it is least expected; certainly not when one is looking for their next meal.  But to Otter's utter surprise staring into those starry eyes, he knew something out of the ordinary had happened.  He asked her (he hoped it was a girl) name.

Gurgling a reply (after all they were under water) Otter heard Myrtle, a fitting name for such a lovely fish.  Her only thought was of gaining freedom from his firm hold on her scaly body.  But looking deeply into his eyes, Myrtle was overcome with an emotion new to her, love.  How could this be?

Oh, the joy of finding such a companion.  Swimming, playing, storytelling, feeling the sun shining on them and star watching filled their days and nights.  Together they felt whole.

As is the way of the world such a relationship raised a ruckus with the river folk.  The talk began and escalated until the seed of self-doubt was planted and well tended.  Otter and Myrtle knew the way of the otter would only end badly for her and her kind.

The tone of the chit-chat changed as everyone but Otter felt good about his abandonment of such a ridiculous affection. Just as he had not been looking for love, Otter did not know he was looking for wisdom.  But it found him.  Would wisdom find Myrtle too?


There is a simple, poignant beauty to the use of language by James Howe in this story moving us along like the current on the river where his characters reside.  He captures us as love captured Otter, swift and sure, and we are glad, no eager, to see and experience every high and low this flow presents to us.  His words are like a breeze through the reeds, water tumbling over rocks, or a sudden splash.  Here is a single passage.

But then in his eyes
she saw the sparkling river reflected
and a tender and lonely heart revealed.


How is it that the seemingly childlike illustrations by Chris Raschka glow with the sophistication of a master?  Every line, every subtle shade of color, every brush stroke is full of purpose and...magic.  Watercolor and pencil in his hands fashion a soft, inviting warmth.

The jacket, cover, opening and closing endpapers, title, publication and dedication pages introduce readers to the watery wonderland and its occupants.  Two-page spreads bleeding to the edges, single pages framed in white and a final two-page spread framed in white enhance the pace of the narrative.  Eyes and mouths convey every shift in emotion.  Design and layout beckon to the reader at each turn of page.


Otter and Odder: A Love Story written by James Howe with illustrations by Chris Raschka is a story to be read and read again.  The melding of words and art is full of heart with the feel of a classic.  I love this book as much as Otter and Myrtle love each other; more than anything else or despite what anyone says.

This is a link to the publisher's website with a picture of the first page. (Click on view an inside spread.)  By following this link you can read James Howe's Author's Note.  It's well worth your time to read it.
 

Sweet Nothings That Mean Everything

When watching those that are near and dear, time shared together day in and day out, some facial expression, an action or reaction might trigger something other than their name to spring forth from our lips.  Or perhaps a nickname has been passed down through generations.  Whatever the reason, those words provide confirmation to the recipient of affection on the part of the speaker.  Little Treasures:  Endearments from Around the World (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children) by Jacqueline K. Ogburn, pictures by Chris Raschka, crosses a spectrum of languages and countries bringing those phrases of love to readers.

All over the world, mothers and fathers, grandparents and cousins, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, love their children very much and call them by many different sweet names.

Turning and scanning the pages readers are treated to seventeen different sets of expressions arranged either by language or country.  Beginning with English-speaking families, America, England and Wales, we read baby-cakes, poppet and flossie.  For each of the groupings translations from the country/language of origin are given in English along with the pronunciation in parentheses.  Around our globe animals, ducky, possum, my flea, little mouse, or my chick, food, lambchop, my little cabbage, or dumpling or a more abstract thought such as happiness have found their way into the spoken words of those who love their children.

Primary colors splash across beige pages replete with the distinguishing artwork of Chris Raschka.  Orange endpapers promise a warmth that literally glows on each and every spread depicting truly huggable children and their families from the four corners of our planet.  Woven into, what can only be described as a portrayal of sheer happiness, are small creatures mentioned in the text as endearments, little mice, various bugs, and several versions of the sun. 

Generally the families are spread along the top of a two page spread, illustrations done in ink watercolor, and gouache, as the individual children are peppered beneath, text above and below them.  Laughter, shyness, wide-eyed wonder, or sleep are fully expressed by the children as they stand, run, crawl, lean or sit.  Raschka's children are the vivid visualization of each little treasure.

At the close of the book Ogburn acknowledges a host of friends and friends of friends that contributed to the quality of this title.  Her About the Book addresses the road she followed, the research involved, in selecting those endearments found within this book. 

Readers, young and old alike, will find much to enjoy in Little Treasures:  Endearments from Around the World words by Jacqueline K. Ogburn, pictures by Chris Raschka, as they roll the pronunciations around on their tongues and store the words of love within their minds and hearts.  I know this is going to be a favorite with the children in my world.

Thanksgiving Treasures--Tradition

With each season, each holiday there are those books that are read again and again; they are as much a part of perennial traditions as are those more commonly observed.  Two of my prized Thanksgiving titles are The Greatest Table: A Banquet To Fight Against Hunger written and edited by Michael J. Rosen and Simple Gifts by Chris Raschka.  Both are more than ten years old but still hold freshness and meaning as if they had just been published; classics to the core.

In 1994 Michael J. Rosen and Share Our Strength, one of the nation's leading non-profit organizations dedicated to ending childhood hunger by 2015, together featured the illustrations of sixteen guest artists as they pictorially portrayed a poem written by Rosen.  The volume is attractively crafted with a hardcover slip case in which the sixteen leaf fold-out book is housed; the leaves representing those of a table around which we are all invited.

Across the double title page a host of people, all ages, all nationalities, each carrying food are in motion toward the table.  Richard McGuire is the artist. 

The greatest table isn't set
inside a single home---
oh no, it spans the continents,
and no one eats alone.

Beginning with five stanzas four lines each, Rosen welcomes and explains. The renowned Patricia Polacco pictures a homey dining room scene with her Babuska and four children, representative of a blending of cultures, seated together ready to enjoy a meal.

The next fourteen leaves containing two lines each are visualized by Guy Billout, Brian Pinkney, Diane Goode, Dena Schutzer, Kevin Hawkes, David Wiesner, Eve Chwast, Anita Lobel, Robert Sabuda, Chris Van Allsburg, Lois Ehlert, and Lisa Campbell Ernst in colorful, interpretations exemplifying their personal specific style. Demonstrating his versatility Robert Sabuda, usually known for his paper engineering skills as a pop-up book artist, presents a graphic that looks very much like hand-colored woodcut printing.  Not being one to disappoint is Chris Van Allsburg who chooses to illustrate his two lines with a screaming child in a high chair bowl spilling its contents.

In closing are two stanzas:

The next time you sit down to eat,
the greatest table's set,
connecting you with each of us
who hasn't eaten yet.

So if you're hungry,  join us here,
pull up another chair.
We'll all scoot over, make more room;
there's always some to spare.

Complimenting this closing using a two-page spread Floyd Cooper portrays an Asian group of varying ages kneeling on mats, hands resting on their laps, attired in the formal wear of their country about a table filled with dishes of noodles chopsticks on each. 

Simple Gifts is a song of the Shaker people.  It is best remembered as a hymn but many believe that it was to be sung quickly, cheerfully as a dance tune. Chris Raschka lends his own illustrative

interpretation in a title of the same name in 1998.

Hand-lettering the lyrics (which I believe is inviting and adds intimacy), using oil crayons on pastel paper Raschka brings bold, full double page spreads to each line of the song.  Heavy black lines are filled with every tone and hue reflecting the autumn time of year; comfort and warmth radiate off the pages.   He chose a joyful cast of characters, a cat, a blue jay, a squirrel, a turtle, and a rabbit, to lead readers across the pages.

He finishes with a short explanation of Simple Gifts followed by the music and lyrics. 


Bringing us beauty, magic and meaning, children's book illustrators are something to be thankful for not only today but always.  For their gifts to all of us I am, and will continue to be, grateful.

Without Words...Pictures Say It All

Beginning in 1992 with Charlie Parker Played Be Bop, Chris Raschka has a long list of noteworthy books bearing his illustrations as well as those he has penned himself.  As mentioned previously on this blog in 1994 his book, Yo! Yes? received the Caldecott Honor award.   Hello, Goodbye Window written by Juster Norton illustrated by Raschka won the Caldecott Medal in 2006.  In March 2012 the world will know what his nomination as the United States representative illustrator for the Hans Christian Andersen Award will reveal.

A Ball For Daisy, a wordless picture book, by Chris Raschka done in ink, watercolor and gouache is beautifully brilliant.  Using the bold basic blue, yellow, and red of an artist's palette, black and brown softened with grays and washes, Raschka conveys with every stroke of his brush personality, emotion and story flow.

As soon as readers are introduced to Daisy we get a sense of her playful exuberance and innocence with that wagging tail and doggy smile.  Awake or sleeping her red ball is her favorite thing; her constant companion.  The two are in continuous motion except when they rest upon Raschka's two tone green striped sofa; his combination of two of the predominant colors.

I absolutely love the sequence of pictures when Daisy is sleeping on the sofa, she at one end and the red ball at the other.  She awakens, yawns and looks straight at the reader as if saying, "What am I doing away from my ball?"  She moves next to her round friend and continues her nap.  It is perfectly precious.

One day her little girl takes this little white bundle of happiness and her ball for a walk to the park.  During a game of throw and fetch the ball goes over a fence.  When her girl brings it back another dog, a brown dog gets the ball before Daisy.  Again she glances at the readers, eyebrow lifted, asking with unseen words, "What gives?  What is this intruder doing with my ball?"  Daisy is not happy and before she gets her most favorite thing in the world back---it pops!

Raschka's two page spread of eight square washes shows a range of feelings and reactions from Daisy at this dilemma; cocking her head, listening, looking, shaking the red pieces, howling and utter sadness.  Crestfallen head hanging Daisy and her girl leave the park. 

Daisy does not know how to get comfy for her nap without her ball despite consolation from her girl.  Raschka uses a purple wash just this once to convey Daisy's downheartedness.

The next day on their walk to the park Daisy and her girl are met by the other girl and the curly furred brown dog.  To Daisy's delight there is a new ball, a blue ball.  Nothing could be better than a new ball and a new friend; when one door closes there is the opportunity of another to open.

Mr. Chris Raschka, your distinctive artwork lends itself to redefining wordless picture books.

How Lucky Can You Be?

Earlier this week I discovered a title, published in January that I had somehow missed, on the shelves of one of my favorite local bookstores.  It is not the usual size of books for my younger readers, but they are going to like it because it is the perfect size for them.  Nearly eight inches square with a heavy cover and heavy pages, Fortune Cookies by Albert Bitterman with art by Chris Raschka is a true gem.

The narrator of the story, a young girl, going to her mailbox discovers a package.  Inside is a red box decorated with blue Chinese characters; a box of seven fortune cookies.  A small tag pictured beneath the box says: to Fortune from Uncle Albert.

Fortune cookies are like little boxes themselves holding secret predictions of what the future may or may not bring to the recipient.  Beginning with Sunday and continuing throughout the week by means of a pull-tab tucked within each pictured cookie, a unique message is revealed. 

On Sunday my fortune said:  Today you will lose something you don't need.  And guess what?  My tooth came out!

As the week progresses events unfold which either by fate or choice of the child closely connect with the fortunes.  The story flows and follows back to the beginning with no cookies left but the reality that our "luck" remains.

Albert Bitterman is the pen name of the owner of Reading Reptile, an independent children's bookstore with considerable popularity in Kansas City, Missouri, Pete Cowdin.  Fortune Cookies is his first book, but let us hope that it is the first of many.  Whether his fortunes were carefully selected or worded from his life experiences, they present possibilities; outlooks, if you will, on how to respond in a given situation.  In the competent hands of Bitterman, those thoughts, reactions and their outcomes are linked one to the other at the exact pace necessary for the intended audience.  A pace that leads them to a surprisingly, purr-fect conclusion.

Artist, Chris Raschka, is the winner of the Caldecott Medal for his illustrations in Juster Norton's title, Hello, Goodbye Window and a Caldecott Honor winner for his book, Yo! Yes?  This March he was nominated as the United States representative illustrator for the Hans Christian Andersen Award.  It is the highest international award.  Winners will be announced in March 2012.

In Fortune Cookies his watercolor visuals surrounded by large white space are much like the fortunes tucked inside the cookies.  His unique style blends well with the story displaying the character's emotions just as one would expect; readers feel her happiness, disappointment, delight, sadness, thoughtfulness, and glee.  I particularly liked his choice of red for the girl's dress.  In Chinese culture it represents good fortune and joy. 

For readers, parents and educators this book has much to offer.  Children can speculate on what the possible fortune or the next situation will be.  New fortunes can be written by individual readers and tucked into origami cookies.  This can be paired with other Chinese New Year celebrations or studies of the Chinese culture.   It presents a golden opportunity for teaching sequencing or days of the week.  More importantly though, it can be read for the fun of pulling out each fortune again and again.

I will be getting two more copies; another one for school and one just for me.