The thing about being outdoors is that in a matter of minutes something wild can happen. We are surrounded by the possibility of sensory situations. We can either seize these moments when they appear or dread the prospect of this occurrence.
The same can be said of any situation in which we find ourselves, regardless of where we are. We might be nervous or worried, but once we are in that moment, if we are doing something we love, everything and everyone else disappears. That passion we hold close to our hearts is released. Something Wild (Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House, February 28, 2023) written and illustrated by Molly Ruttan connects to that apprehension all of us feel at times. It shows us how that apprehension is transformed into something unexpectedly marvelous.
Ever since she was small, Hannah
loved to play her violin.
To hear the music she made, sent Hannah's heart soaring. But . . . Hannah did not want to play her violin in front of anyone else. The day of her recital Hannah was so afraid to stand on a stage with an audience spread before, her heart's desire was for
something wild
to appear and save her.
Before she even left the house, in her mind's eye, she dreamed a group of special someone's would sweep in on a breeze and steal her recital clothing. Or perhaps, a colony of rabbits would leap through a hole in the floor near the kitchen and whisk away her violin. You cannot be in a recital without a violin.
Unfortunately, neither of those things happened. On the way to the recital with her family, Hannah kept wishing. Nothing rose from the watery fountain either.
Now behind the curtain at the recital, Hannah was next. On the stage, her fear blossomed. Hannah and her violin were a perfect match. (When you love something, sometimes that love guides you.) And in that moment, every draw of the bow on strings
since she was small
created a remarkable memory.
First, author Molly Ruttan helps us to understand Hannah's love of making music on her violin. It is a lifelong passion. Then, with adept descriptions, she reveals her true fear of playing on stage. Using a series of repetitive phrases, we experience her lively imagination and the subsequent disappointment three times. This cadence binds us in a universal experience with Hannah. We identify deeply with her. This leads us to rejoicing at the exuberant ending. Here is a passage.
It was almost time to leave.
Every time Hannah thought about
being on stage, her stomach lurched!
She felt a little queasy.
If only something wild would happen . . .
How can you look at the open and matching dust jacket and book case and not smile? The child playing her violin is joyful amid creatures from the wild. They look as if they are finding pleasure in her music. Next, readers will be wondering how a dolphin, rabbit and blue birds are together as this girl shines under a spotlight.
To the left of the spine, on the back, curls of waves continue with the dolphin's tale held high. Rocks form a base beneath the water. On the far left is another tree. Peeking around the trunk is another rabbit.
In golden and white lines on a paler golden background, dolphins and smaller fish swim, rabbits leap, and birds glide. Careful readers will also see other objects important to the story. On the title page, a small illustration between text shows a very young Hannah trying to pull away from her mother's hand to stay and listen to a street musician play his violin.
These images by artist Molly Ruttan were
brought to life with charcoal, pastel, acrylic paint, and digital media.
Their sizes, full pages, edge to edge or surrounded by significant white space, mirror Hannah's moods while leading us to luminescent double-page visuals. Just as Hannah wishes for something out of the ordinary to happen, readers will see a circle of light forming around the very thing she craves. Humor abounds in the reactions of the characters when the
something wild
takes place in her imagination.
Careful readers will see that while Hannah is focused on the upcoming recital, other stories are genuinely taking place around her. I believe readers, unlike Hannah initially, will love to look at the audience and see what everyone is doing. A gorgeous, wordless two-page picture will have readers cheering.
One of my many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture. Hannah is standing near the bottom of a staircase after wishing for
something wild.
To her left, in the kitchen area, her family including the dog are aghast at what they are seeing in front of them on the right side of the visual. A family photograph and a picture near the sink on the walls are askew. The father was thrown the tickets to the recital in the air. The only one enjoying the ruckus is the baby seated in a highchair. A group of animals have captured the violin in its case and are stealing it away.
After every reading of Something Wild written and illustrated by Molly Ruttan, I cannot help myself. I am smiling. My heart is filled with joy for this girl and anyone who has felt the jitters or outright fear before performing or speaking to a group. A lot of readers will be empathetic to her situation and will laugh out loud at her beautiful creativity. This book is certain to promote lively discussions. Please be sure to place a copy in your professional and personal collections.
To learn more about Molly Ruttan and her work, please visit her website by following the link attached to her name. Molly Ruttan has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. There is a book trailer for you to view and share with others. This book is celebrated at author illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi's site, author Vivian Kirkfield's site, Good Reads With Ronna and writer and illustrator Jena Benton's site.
Fear always finds a way to wiggle into our lives. Most of us have one thing that escapes our bravery. Some fears seem as though they've been a part of us from the beginning. Other worries are sneakier. Seemingly, all of a sudden, what we once did without a thought, we now avoid.
Sometimes those things we dread, old and new, are vanquished. The answer to dispelling them may be closer than we can know. Courage Hats (Chronicle Books, March 22, 2022) written by Kate Hoefler with illustrations by Jessixa Bagley follows two individuals as they face fear in their own, but same, unique manner.
Not everyone loves a train.
That's the world.
Even though trains are not a favorite mode of travel, sometimes you have to ride one to get where you are going. Mae, a little girl, did not want to ride a train. Bear, a younger bear, did not want to ride a train. Mae did not want to go through forests where bears lived. Bear did not want to go where people resided in the cities.
Mae and Bear decide to make their own courage. They make hats to wear. Mae's hat makes her look like a bear. Bear's hat makes him look like a person.
Bear and Mae find each other on the train. Bear looks like a grown-up human and Mae looks like a cub. Each is comfortable with the other one.
They play with Mae's tea set. They eat Bear's snacks. Every moment they spend together sharing what they see from the train windows expands their view of the world in the forest and the city. At their destination, several surprises are revealed.
The simple sentences penned by Kate Hoefler resonate with truth. The use of identical words in different order supply readers with the similarity between the girl and the bear. The repetition of phrases uttered by each with small word changes further binds the duo. Each faces their fear by discovering togetherness eases that worry. The cadence provided by Kate Hoefler's words is not unlike that of a train moving down the tracks. Here is a passage.
No matter how you feel about a train,
someone else feels the same way.
You're lucky if that someone has a blanket and snack.
When you open the dust jacket, the design of the sides of the train extends flap edge to flap edge. The train windows continue on the back, with the only break being the spine. Bear is not the only animal riding the rails. To the left of the spine, on the back, a wild boar is reading a book opposite a human male passenger. A male deer with antlers is seated opposite the writer we see on the front, right side, of the jacket. Truthfully, Bear and Mae wearing their hats and smiling as they watch the world pass outside the train is pure happiness.
On the book case, the train design is used again. On the front, right side, we see Bear walking to the left as does Mae seen through another window. On the back, three bunnies are looking outside as another person writes. In the final portion of a window, on the left, a bear wearing a hat is resting.
The opening endpapers in purple with white polka-dots is the same pattern on Mae's headband. On the closing endpapers, in lavender with white polka-dots, we see the same markings as on Bear's blanket. On the verso and dedication page, we are looking at the top portion of Bear and Mae in their hats along the bottom of the page.
to render these pictures. Each page turn presents readers with a double-page or single-page image, edge to edge, or a single-page visual in a circular shape with elements outside the frame. In several illustrations, Jessixa Bagley alters her perspective giving us a bird-eye view outside and inside the train. There are also several wordless images, a group of four smaller pictures, a double-page image, and a single-page illustration. These are wonderful dramatic pauses.
The textures in each illustration are soft and inviting. The full-color pictures are full of fine lines and delicate details. Readers are certain to enjoy the variety of expressions on the faces of Mae and Bear.
One of my many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture. In the foreground, close to us, are the backs of Bear's and Mae's heads, hands and paws resting on the window sills, as they watch the world outside the train. (They are still wearing their hats.) It is a pastoral landscape with rolling hills in shades of green, golden yellow, and brown. Birds fly in both directions across a pale blue sky.
We are reminded in this book, Courage Hats written by Kate Hoefler with artwork by Jessixa Bagley, there is usually someone needing the same kind of bravery we are seeking. The rhythmic words, at times lyrical observations, paired with the wonderful drawings and paintings will find a permanent place in many readers' hearts. You will want to place a copy of this book in both your personal and professional collections.
Author Kate Hoefler has an account on Instagram. To learn more about Jessixa Bagley and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website. Jessixa Bagley has accounts on Instagramand Twitter. This book is highlighted by librarian and writer John Sch on his blog, Watch. Connect. Read.You will love his conversation with both Kate Hoefler and Jessixa Bagley. Author, reviewer, and blogger, Julie Danielson features this book on her blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. Kate Hoefler is interviewed about this book on Max's Boat. At the publisher's website, you can see more interior images.
At times, overwhelmed, we decide to walk away from a challenge. It is easier and more favorable than an uncertain outcome. We believe we are not what is expected of us. In their collaboration, Mac Barnett & Marla Frazee Present The Great Zapfino (Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, April 5, 2022), this duo encourages us to take a leap (literally) of faith in our abilities.
Behold:
THE GREAT
ZAPFINO!
A ringmaster announces the death-defying deed The Great Zapfino is about to perform. Climbing a ladder to a platform ten stories in the air, this man will leap and land on a small trampoline. The audience barely breathes watching Zapfino climb the ladder.
Zapfino, clad in striped clothing and wearing a cape, stands on the edge of the diving board. He stands there and stands there. He does not leap. He climbs back down and runs far and fast from the circus. He boards a plane and flies to a new seaside city. There, he takes a job in a tall building as the elevator operator.
Zapfino is good at his job, chatting with people and making friends to and from each floor. At night, he enjoys in his small room a meal of toast before looking out his window from the top floor. Day in and day out, he finds himself loving his job and his simple afternoons and evenings.
One late afternoon, he falls asleep before taking the toast out of the toaster. It catches on fire, filling his room with smoke. He knows the only way to avoid disaster is through his window. The fire department has arrived. Below, the firepeople hold a small trampoline. We have come full circle.
Behold!
This narrative conceived by Mac Barnett is as stunning as the described and realized feat of Zapfino. The majority of the text is found in the ringmaster's introduction of this circus performer prior to his
LEAP for LIFE.
This introduction allows us to see what potential is within Zapfino, waiting to be released. Two other times the word Zapfino appears alone and then along with the single word which asks us to pause and observe. Here is a single sentence from the ringmaster's opening.
Zapfino will dodge peril
and brave calamity in an impossible
feat of derring-do!
Beginning on the matching and open dust jacket and book case, the artwork
rendered in black Primacolor pencil on Dura-Lar matte film
for all the images in this title by Marla Frazeeis a fantastic feast for our minds and hearts. The billowing curtain proclaiming The Great Zapfino is pulled aside by a man who is unsure of his greatness. On the front the text is raised to the touch. On the back, on a soft white background, is Zapfino walking toward an as-yet-unknown destination. He is carrying a box that appears to hold a toaster. In the other hand, he holds a bag of bread. His cape with the large "Z" floats behind him.
The opening and closing endpapers are a matte black finish. On the title page, Zapfino stands before the circus tent opening. Above the opening is the title text and the author and illustrator names.
With every page turn, we find scenes in various perspectives in the signature style of Marla Frazee. A small Zapfino walks into the enormous tent. As he climbs higher on the ladder, the trampoline, ringmaster and audience get smaller and smaller. In the first depiction of him on the end of the diving board, the last sentence is read. This is the moment of Zapfino's decision. This is the moment the wordless images of Marla Frazee tell a impressive pictorial story.
For his thinking about whether to leap or not there is a series of six small pictures. In the last one, the facial expression of Zapfino really does speak volumes. In each subsequent scene, we seek the figure wearing the striped suit and cape. When he gets the position at the seaside building, his garb during work hours changes.
To show his success as an elevator operator, nine small illustrations on a single page portray the interior of the elevator and the array of people Zapfino services. Exquisite details depict the inside of his room and how his afternoons and evenings unfold. The next time his work is presented to us, it is a series of twenty interior views of the elevator. (No wonder he falls asleep without taking the toast out of his toaster.) The two-page picture of smoke swirling from the window of Zapfino's room as he stands on the ledge outside his top-floor residence with all the tiny people below will take your breath away.
One of my many favorite illustrations is a single-page picture. We are shown the top five floors of the building at night. Stars cover the sky on the right. The last window on the top floor has a light shining in it. Zapfino, head up, leans out the window, enjoying the night. He is a man at peace.
Readers of all ages, individuals and groups, will request to read Mac Barnett & Marla Frazee Present The Great Zapfino over and over again. Each time you read it, the thrill of Zapfino's success will warm you from the top of your head to the tip of your toes. Readers understand fear disappears when it needs to the most. I highly recommend you place a copy of this title in your professional and personal collections.
To learn more about Mac Barnett and Marla Frazee and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their respective websites. Mac Barnett has an account on Instagram. Marla Frazee has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. Please enjoy this interview of Marla Frazee at KidLit411. This title is showcased at author, reviewer, and blogger Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. The interview with Marla Frazee is fabulous as are all the process pictures and artwork. (WOW!) This book in a conversation with Barnett and Frazee is featured on NPR Picture This. At the publisher's website, you can view interior illustrations including the open dust jacket.
For some reason, the move from daylight savings to standard time has been a struggle in 2021 (and 2022) for some individuals. It seems the canine community, in this home and in the households of neighbors, is refusing the necessary adjustment. Waking, walking, eating of meals, and sleeping remain on daylight savings hours. This makes their humans' schedules a tad bit off every single day.
This situation, coupled with my dog's acute awareness when a deer, fox, or rabbit happens to be nearby, has diminished our actual time of rest. There is nothing like a dog's loud barking to make you sit upright out of a sound sleep in the middle of the night. . .or is there? After reading Everybody In The Red Brick Building (Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, October 12, 2021) written by Anne Wynter with illustrations by Oge Mora, it is apparent we are not alone. Uninterrupted bedtime rest is not necessarily the norm.
Everybody in the red brick building was asleep.
The slumber of the people in the red brick building was suddenly disturbed by a loud vocal outburst by Baby Izzie. It did not go unnoticed by Rayhan. He was decidedly worried about his parrot. The startled bird let out a boisterous screech.
Those two unusual noises instigated a late night game by three pals during a sleepover. (Did Natalia just shoot a rocket out her bedroom window?) In short order, a cat made a mad dash from her sleeping space to the top of a car. This action triggered the car's alarm.
Parental responses were swift. The participants in these nighttime romps began to settle to a new set of sounds. A street sweeper and falling acorns combined to begin a symphony.
A breeze created another melody. A dozing feathered friend added harmony. Like the very best of stories, this one circled back to the beginning.
Author Anne Wynterwrites with the sure knowledge of a storyteller. Each time a new character is introduced, a clamorous noise is associated with them. This noise is repeated with the additional commotions, adding layers and building toward the loudest sound, the car alarm in the street. This technique is employed again as we circle back to the beginning. Readers cannot help but participate in this late night awakening and lullaby. Here is a passage.
Woken up by a WaaaAAH!,
a Rrack! Wake Up!,
and a Pitter patter STOMP!,
Natalia dropped from her bunk to
launch her brand-new light-up rocket.
As soon as you look at the matching dust jacket and book case, you wish you lived in the red brick building. The entire image spans from flap edge to flap edge on the jacket and edge to edge on the case. The characters in the windows on the front, right, of the jacket and case are lively. The hint of nighttime sky we view on the front extends across the back, left, in brush strokes of shades of blue. Beneath this expanse, colorful homes line the bottom, windows dark. The text on the front of the jacket is varnished.
A pale turquoise covers the opening and closing endpapers. The night sky is the background for the title, publication information, and dedication pages. In this night sky, stars leave white-line trails behind them.
used acrylic paint, gouache, china markers, patterned paper pastels, and old book clippings to create the collage illustrations for this book.
The selected colors reflect the more subdued lighting of nighttime, yet they are still a vibrant blend of hues. Each double-page picture calls out to the reader, asking them to stop and notice the detailed depictions.
The facial expressions on the characters convey each mood superbly. We see upset, worry, glee, triumph, and fright before calm settles over each individual. Closed eyes and whispered conversations signal calm. For most of the images, we are close to the actions of the characters. Sometimes a group of smaller insets are on a double page spread to indict the quick passage of time and shift in events.
One of my many favorite illustrations shows readers four windows in the red brick building. The first four windows, on the left, give us a peek inside the homes where the parents have intervened. This is a huge shift in the progression of the action. The parrot squawks a goodnight, a father clicks off a flashlight, a mother comforts a fussy baby, and a girl reclaims her rocket as her mother presses the off button on her car alarm. The next set of four windows on the right are dark. The lights are off, but we can still see elements from the earlier pictures. Wonderful.
In a universal sense and on an everyday level this title, Everybody In The Red Brick Building written by Anne Wynter with illustrations by Oge Mora, allows us to see that the world or our home, family, or friends send disruptions to what we consider normal. And, despite those disruptions, peace is restored. I highly recommend this title for both your personal and professional collections.
To learn more about Anne Wynter and Oge Mora and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites. Anne Wynter has accounts on Facebook and Instagram. Oge Mora has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. At the publisher's website there is a Home and Community Classroom Kit which includes this title and three other books. Anne Wynter is interviewed at Picture Book Builders and Kidlit in Colorwith respect to this title. This book is showcased at We Need Diverse Books with an interview of Oge Mora.
Sometimes, thankfully not every time, something unforeseen or annoying can keep us from falling into much needed sleep. A branch rubbing against your window by a shift in the wind's direction is bothersome. You make a mental note to trim it as soon as morning arrives. In Awake (Roaring Brook Press, October 19, 2021) written and illustrated by Mags Deroma something unforeseen happens to a little girl and her furry friend, Oscar. Something usually not in her bedroom has taken up residence.
In a big, big city, on a busy city street, there is a pretty tall
building. At the tipity-top of that tall building is my bedroom.
Just before turning out her light, a very sleepy girl and her dog are suddenly not so sleepy. The girl notices a spider. It's surprising how you can go from dead tired to eyes-wide-open awake in a flash.
Sleep is impossible when you share your room with a spider. There is nothing available to end its life. It cannot be thought away.
Still, the girl persists in imagining all manner of options to rid her room of that spider. Her schemes, in her mind, grow larger and larger. Wait! The spider is moving.
Quick as a wink, the glass on her nightstand is grabbed and encloses the unwelcome guest. It is then, on closer examination, a change occurs. With understanding, fear leaves and is replaced with compassion.
With the protagonist as narrator, author Mags Deromaencourages readers to identify deeply with the little girl. The words in her sentences fashion a welcoming cadence. Her descriptions of place and time are those easily identified by many of us. Here is a passage.
I know! The WATER SPOUT!
Just like the RAIN,
I'll WASH the spider out!
But
then out comes
the sun . . .
and dries up
all the rain . . .
and that big hairy
spider CANNOT come
up the spout again,
thank you very much!
The limited color palette used throughout the book is introduced to readers on the dust jacket. These muted shades lend a warmth to the darkness of night. The use of red here and in the interior portions of the book is highly effective. On the front, both the little girl and Oscar, her dog, have their gaze on the intruder. The placement of the text, spider and the characters is marvelous!
To the left of the spine, which replicates the red-and-white stripe of the little girl's pajamas, is a sky dotted with stars surrounding the tall building. In the front and to the right side of this building, street lamps glow. The only other light we see is from the arched window of the little girl's bedroom. She is petting Oscar.
The book case is entirely black with one exception. On the front are only two very large eyes. They are the eyes of the spider.
On the opening endpapers amid what could be a horizon at dawn or dusk are lines of hues of orange. On the right side in a column are phrases to ponder. The word OPEN is used three times. It is followed by symbols of eyes, mind, and heart. The final three words say:
TO BE AWAKE.
On the closing endpapers amid a starry sky are seven cut-out pieces of paper. They advise readers on how
TO RELOCATE a SURPRISE GUEST.
Readers are instructed on the necessary materials, giving the guest a name,
(TAKE A
DEEEEEEP
BREATH!),
and the step-by-step process.
On the title page, on the right side we are close to the little girl as she brushes her teeth before bedtime. Through the doorway we see Oscar, nose to the floor, next to the spider. On the left side, the verso, on black is the dedication and publication information. The publication information is in the shape of a spider web done in white. Clever.
These illustrations by Mags Deroma were
made with paint and soft pastels on a gazillion pieces of cut paper, all collaged together.
Each picture is full of details, asking us to absorb the atmosphere in each scene. Some are more highly charged emotionally than others. There are double-page illustrations and single-page visuals. Sometimes we are brought close to the action and other times we stand back to view the city, the little girl's bedroom, or all her ideas for eliminating the spider.
At one point we are slightly above the capture of the spider. All we see is the little girl's arms and hands on the glass over the spider. There is the top portion of her head. And a bit of her emotionally charged movement flickering in the lower, right-hand corner. A single word is on this two-page illustration. This, in turn, opens to a gatefold, four pages of a spectacular view of the city. There are layers of buildings, bridges, and a city street shimmering with lights. On the street directly in front of the tall building, the little girl's home, we can see the names of the businesses. Along the bottom of the page is the window sill of the bedroom. The spider peeks out through the glass. On the right side, in the corner, is a spider web. (Earlier in the story, careful readers will notice Oscar as he tries to give a specific book to his little girl.)
One of my many favorite illustrations accompanies the third sentence in the book. It is the second double-page picture. On the left, the little girl is kneeling on her bed, wearing her pajamas, ready to pull the chain on her bedside lamp sitting on her nightstand. Oscar is lying on the wood plank floor, with his eyes closed. Around her bed are several books and a round bin holding treasures. Other items are hanging on her wall. They seem to indicate her sense of adventure and imagination. On the right is the wall with two arched windows in her bedroom. We can see a small section of an easy chair.
There is nothing more off-setting than discovering you are sharing your bedroom with a creature not to your liking. Awake written and illustrated by Mags Deroma describes this event to perfection as well as taking us through the thought process of the little girl as she tries to resolve her problem. That she shares this experience with Oscar makes her and her story more endearing to readers. This book will promote discussions galore and will be asked to be read often. Plan on placing a copy on your personal and professional bookshelves.
To learn more about Mags Deroma and her other work (This is her picture book debut.), please follow the link attached to her name to access her website. Mags Deroma has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. At the publisher's website, you can view interior illustrations.
Every babysitter, sibling, parent or caregiver is aware of the myriad of challenges faced when shaping children into a bedtime ritual. Having them follow that ritual is an even harder challenge. Just when you think everyone is starting to snooze, there will be the sound of bare feet on floors or giggles or the classic asking for a drink of water. Forty Winks: A Bedtime Adventure (Abrams Books for Young Readers, October 26, 2021) written by Kelly DiPucchio with pictures by Lita Judge is a lovable, engaging and humorous view of patient parents and their thirty-eight mouse children settling down to sleep.
"It's time for bed!" the Wink parents said
Their routine was the same every night.
Mama and Papa lined up their big brood,
all thirty-eight children in sight.
Each child is called by name, thirty-eight alliterative, rhyming names. First, the entire crew enjoys a drink and two kinds of snacks. They eat at different speeds and with different styles. From there, as you can imagine the mess, they head to pails full of suds for their nightly baths.
Now spotless from head to toe, they dress in cozy flannel pajamas. Brushing of teeth ensues, two mice at a time at the sink. Mama reads each of the Winks a book. (Whew!) Of course, they want one more.
Prayers are said as they snuggle into bed, some more quickly and quietly than others. As a whole they are restless, not ready to rest. Some moments later, Mama and Papa believe they are all slumbering when someone asks for a drink of water.
How many of the Winks do you think then need a drink? Later, much later, as they burrow into their bedding, all forty of the family of Winks fall sound asleep. Outside their home, sunlight brightens the horizon, until . . .
By the time you get to the third page in this narrative by Kelly DiPucchio, you find yourself smiling. That smile stays with you until the end of the book, and then, a little bit longer. The rhyming rhythm of the words, especially the thirty-eight names mentioned twice, wraps around you and lifts you up. Alliteration is in abundance. Here is a passage.
The loud, hungry pack was served up a snack
of cider and crumb cake and cheese.
Some sipped and some slurped,
some gobbled and burped,
while others said "thank you" and "please".
From left to right on the open dust jacket, artist Lita Judge, has featured all forty of the Winks. They are all in their pajamas . . . well, most of them are. Some are wearing fuzzy slippers. Their antics are hilarious as you can see by the front of the dust jacket. A couple of them are already asleep. Having them climbing among the title text mirrors their energy throughout the bedtime routine. The text and the mice are varnished.
On the book case, an interior illustration is used. We are looking down on most of the sleeping Wink mice. Continuing in full-color, we see them nestled in beds, single, double, and bunk, a large stuffed turtle pillow, a toy airplane, cars from a train, and in the basket of a floating air balloon. A circus tent is there for them to play and sleep inside. Slippers, toys and some stuffed toy animals are on the floor. Many of them are holding stuffed toy animals or each other. Some of their artwork hangs on a string stretching across the round window.
On the opening and closing endpapers all forty Winks are showcased in portraits. The frames around them are pale yellow. They are a fantastic complement to the watercolor washed sky-blue background.
On the verso and title pages, the entire family is spread along the bottom with the exception of several mice in the airplane, balloon basket, and climbing down a ladder from the balloon. They are, as is to be expected, highly animated and happy. These illustrations in a variety of sizes
were made with pencil and watercolor.
The physical characteristics of the mice are realistic as Lita Judge nursed a baby mouse left on her doorstep, by a concerned neighbor, back to health. Their facial expressions conveying their moods and their body postures depicting total exuberance are certain to have readers stopping to be sure not to miss a single intricate element. Every line made and every color chosen work together beautifully.
One of my many favorite illustrations is a single-page picture. Ten of the Wink youngsters are gathered around a table, devouring their snacks of cider, crumb cakes, and cheese. Most are seated on stools, one is on the floor, and another is standing on a stack of books on a chair. A blue cupboard is behind them to the right. Something has spilled on the floor. One of the little mice, walking off the page to the right, has stepped in it and leaves footprints. Readers will pause to look at their clothing. One of them is wearing an outfit that looks like a tiny bear cub.
This book, Forty Winks written by Kelly DiPucchio with pictures by Lita Judge, is assuredly an enchanting extension of the title's definition. It presents an everyday event multiplied by thirty-eight. It is a read aloud treasure. I wonder how many of the names you will remember when asked to list them at the end. Your collections, personal and professional, won't be complete without a copy of this title.
To learn more about Kelly DiPucchio and Lita Judge and their other work, please access their websites by following the link attached to their names. Kelly DiPucchio has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Lita Judge has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter. At the publisher's website you can view interior illustrations. There is an article about this book in The Oakland Press (Michigan).
For the first post in this series, Sweet Dreams, here is the link.
Each day circumstances present opportunities for us to discover potential personality traits or increase (or decrease) those we already have. We may be shocked at what is revealed. It is in these revelations our confidence grows. Our comfort in expressing ourselves is deepened and widened.
We come to understand there is more than one definition for certain attributes. Be Strong (Roaring Brook Press, August 10, 2021) written by Pat Zietlow Miller with illustrations by Jen Hill, a companion title to their Be Kind (Roaring Brook Press, February 6, 2018), addresses this very concept. A young girl struggles with being strong and its various meanings and power. Her ultimate understanding benefits everyone.
My school gym has tall walls.
I never noticed them before.
But, today I have to climb them.
Classmates make it to the top of the wall without struggling. Tanisha cannot get beyond the bottom. She does not have the strength to pull herself up.
Some days, trying to lift the simplest things, are hard for her. Her family tells her to be strong. This is how you get through the tough times in life.
When she asks for help, Dad, Mama, and Grandma Zee give her real-life examples of strength. Being strong is sacrificing your time to help others, speaking up again and again to right a wrong, and committing to a goal. At school and home, Tanisha notices moments to put their advice in action.
Dad, Mama, and Grandma Zee each offer one more suggestion. Sometimes the tasks she attempts seem daunting, but first one thing, then another thing, and finally a third thing keep her going. And Tanisha learns the most important definition of being strong. What do you think it is?
To begin, Pat Zietlow Miller gives us a problem. Climbing a rock wall is a situation many have faced, so we can easily find ourselves identifying with the protagonist. She uses this to present other perspectives on being strong, other than the obvious physical one. In the characters of Dad, Mama, and Grandma Zee and their instances, we see applications for being strong. These applications are (or may be) present in each of our communities. Pat Zietlow Miller establishes a rhythm in her storytelling by repeating three two-word phrases three times, connecting separate portions of the narrative. Here is a passage.
Grandma Zee says being strong means not giving up.
Like when she started running.
At first, she barely jogged a block.
She worried people would laugh.
But she keeps going.
Day after day.
Block after block.
Even when it rains.
One look at the children holding up the sign displaying the title text on the front, right, of the open and matching dust jacket and book case sends a strong impression. The diverse ethnicity and colorful array of clothing suggest differing personalities who have united in a common cause. Of particular interest is the purple hue surrounding them. Purple can imply royalty or in this case, future leaders strong in the knowledge of themselves.
To the left of the spine, on the back, Tanisha and Grandma Zee are featured on a pale and tiny herringbone pattern of white and gray. They are seated on mats and working on touching their toes. Over their heads are the words:
Together, we can be strong.
The people and the area closest to them on both the front and the back are varnished on the dust jacket.
The opening and closing endpapers are covered in the bright orange shade shown on the front of the jacket and case in the one child's clothing. Tanisha and Grandma Zee are presented on the title page using a part of an interior illustration. Together, they lift a heavy backpack, each grabbing a strap.
gouache on paper and retouched with Adobe Photoshop.
The image sizes, full-page pictures, double-page pictures, and two smaller pictures on a page, supply readers will different perspectives. At times we are observers, watching Tanisha being strong enough to be on stage playing her accordion. Sometimes we are standing with Tanisha, as if we are her shadow. These are intimate but brief time periods with this character.
In several of the illustrations, Jen Hill uses white space as an additional element allowing the other elements to seek and hold our attention. The tiny features on the characters' faces convey a range of emotions. This is no easy task, but Jen Hill does it splendidly.
One of my many favorite illustrations is on a single page. It is in the school cafeteria. Two circular tables are placed next to each other. Around these muted-yellow tables are deep purple blue chairs. The cafeteria trays are an orange red in color. Groups of students at both tables present a diverse representation. We see Tanisha's strength at work on the table closest to us, toward the bottom of the page. She is placing a sign on the table. It reads:
make a friend.
Endearing readers to these characters and their circumstances in Be Strong written by Pat Zietlow Miller with illustrations by Jen Hill is accomplished by the realism portrayed in word and images. We know people who encounter these same happenings. And this title offers hopeful, doable solutions readers can use in their own situations. I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.
In accessing their websites by following the link attached to their names, readers can learn more about Pat Zietlow Miller and Jen Hill and their other work. Pat Zietlow Miller has accounts on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter. Jen Hill has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Vimeo. At Macmillan Publishers you can view interior images. Pat Zietlow Miller has a guest post at PictureBookBuilders about this title. She has a video interview at Action News 2, Wisconsinabout this book and her other work.
Like the word, strong, the word courage has multiple meanings. For some individuals, courage is instinctive. For others, it is learned. I Am Courage: A Book of Resilience (Abrams Books for Young Readers, September 7, 2021) written by Susan Verde with art by Peter H. Reynolds is the sixth book in a series by these two talented collaborators. The focus on a single word is enhanced through a first-person narrative of affirmations.
When there are challenges in front of me,
when I feel unstable,
like I might fall . . .
This child's voice tells us that in spite of obstacles and hesitancy, there is a can-do attitude found within them. Like the engine in the classic The Little Engine That Could, this child keeps going. Bit by bit with a heart full of faith, this child realizes possibilities. They state:
I am courage.
Instinct, recognition of one's strengths, and endurance, even in the face of fear, keeps this child moving forward. A stumble does not stop this person because they have learned to ask others for help. All these things give this child the courage to use their experiences to support others.
This confidence helps this child to continue no matter what happens. This child constantly looks to their core for courage. This, in turn, inspires others.
I becomes we. The qualities of one become the qualities of others. The journey of one becomes the journey of many . . . together.
You cannot read the words written by author Susan Verde in this book without, page by page, feeling a spark inside you grow brighter and brighter. Through the mindset of this child, we look at each setback as a test to ace. Throughout the narrative after a series of thoughts, Susan Verde follows with two word:
I am.
She does use courage after those two words several times, but she also uses words synonymous to courage or words in support of courage. This is how the story flows toward a conclusion embracing other persons in their quest for courage. Here is a passage.
I can know there is no shame
in sharing. I tell my story.
I can step in when others are struggling.
I know how to help.
There is much to be learned when removing the dust jacket and opening it up. For this book, the illustration on the right, front, introduces us to the main character, the voice in this story. This child, wearing a shirt with a symbolic flame within a shield, is the picture of resilience fueled by courage. The body language says I stand strong. In fact, this child radiates this attitude. The first three title words are done in foil.
On the back, to the left of the spine, the child with their bike is joined by two other children with their bikes and a canine companion. Each is carrying a flag bearing the flame. As a reader we wonder how one becomes three (plus one more brilliant being).
Also, by removing the dust jacket, we view a stunning book case. It is done entirely in black and shades of yellow. From left to right, with the bikers riding to the right in a row, they appear as a force, a force for good. The flags are now on the back of each bike. The dog is carrying a flag in its mouth. There is a wide band of black at the bottom representing the path. The children and their bikes are in black except for a lighter yellow inside the wheels. The background is a marbled golden yellow. (We later realize this is an interior image.)
A rose swirl, a center spiraling outward, covers the opening and closing endpapers. Perhaps this is a depiction of the deep down of which the protagonist speaks. Each illustration by Peter H. Reynolds was
created using traditional and digital inks, gouache, watercolor, and tea.
These double-page and full-page pictures tell their own story. Peter H. Reynolds uses a boy traveling on his bike to elevate the text by Susan Verde. He begins with a palette of purple and blue hues transitioning to light, bright, white and yellow as canvases. He works the dog into the story, first as something possibly to fear, but an accident changes this outlook. As presented, we cannot help but relate to the three children.
One of my many favorite illustrations (besides the book case) is a single-page picture. Night has fallen and stars pinprick along the top of the page. Between a grove of trees, a small tent is pitched. In the foreground the three children sit on big rocks around a small campfire. The two boys sit across from each other, the dog, head on paws, next to his human. The fire lights the face of the girl who needs help. The main character is telling his story of courage and resilience.
You will want to keep this title, I Am Courage: A Book of Resilience written by Susan Verde with art by Peter H. Reyolds, ready to read repeatedly. At the close of the book is an author's note and four yoga poses and breathing exercises to inspire you to be your best self. You will want to have a copy of this book in both your professional and personal collections.
To learn more about Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds and their other work, please access their respective websites by following the link attached to their names. Susan Verde has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Peter H. Reynolds has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. At the publisher's website, you can view interior images. There are activity sheets to download.
Each morning a stroll through the gardens reveals the presence of night visitors. Their tracks are embedded in the dirt. Stalks and branches from flowers and shrubs lay on the ground, nibbled and left. Other plants have been eaten to their roots. There is an abundance of white-tailed deer in our neighborhood.
Truthfully, watching them wander through the apple trees across the street or seeing them stop and stare at us as we walk in the morning never stops being magical. Sharing this space with them is a gift. Masterful, award-winning author illustrator Yuyi Morales made a new book, Bright Star (Neal Porter Books, Holiday House, September 7, 2021), for us. In this title we, using a blend of Spanish and English, are presented with beauty, borders, barriers, and the value of all individuals.
Child,
you are
awake!
Breathe in,
then breathe out,
hermosa creatura.
You are beloved. We hold your light in our hearts. The world has many things to notice, some easily seen and others more of a challenge.
Exploring together we will find flora and fauna, rich and rare. Wait! Pay attention, something is amiss. For now, stay hidden. Stay safe.
If we get separated, we still hold your light in our hearts. If you are fearful or restless, let those around you know of your fright and frustration. You will be heard. Then, be still. Use your senses to make discoveries.
If those discoveries pave a new path, follow it. Using your mind, fashion a different tale, your tale. It will be a tale told by those who always hold your light in their hearts.
With each page turn, one to four sentences, simple but thoughtful and intentional, written by Yuyi Moraleswarmly welcome us into the narrative. The Spanish and English words are perfect partners in this lyrical dance. The use of punctuation provides an added liveliness. We willingly participate in listening to the words and reading them aloud. Here is the passage we read after a page turn.
So you search!
You are ready,
cosita pequena.
Let's go!
Vamonos!
Looking at the background on the open and matching (reversed images) dust jacket and book case is like being enveloped by an autumn sunset sky. On the dust jacket, it and the entire image, extend flap edge to flap edge. The white-tailed deer, a fawn, peering between the cactus on the Sonoran Desert is still, observant. What does it see? The rays around the raised title text are embossed in gold foil. The author illustrator name is raised on the textured fabric.
The cactus crosses the spine and another one frames the face of a little girl. She is looking directly at readers. It is as if she is asking us a question. On the book case, the image on the back of the jacket is on the front and the front image moves to the back of the book case. The fawn and the child are one and the same.
The fabric shown on the front of the jacket covers the opening and closing endpapers. Yuyi Morales has woven threads in golden yellow and forest green along the top and bottom of the pages. She has embroidered five large stars, made by crossing perpendicular lines. They are in earth colors. On the far-left edge on the opening endpapers and on the far-right edge on the closing endpapers is a mass of pink sewn dots, mirroring the color of the cactus flowers.
On the title page, a double-page picture features cactus on either side and a hummingbird on the right.
The artwork for this book was created using acrylic paint on paper,
photographed textures, digital painting, as well as weaving and embroidery.
Each two-page image in this book asks us to stop. They are a complete sensory experience. The representations of flora and fauna are breathtaking. The backgrounds in the illustrations indicate the narrative mood as well as the time of day. What do we see in these visuals?
As she did with her words, each element in these images is arranged with intention and considerable thought. The scene of the destruction around the building of the border wall and the animals wondering how to continue with their instinctive journeys is particularly poignant. The placement of a wordless picture is perfection. For the final two page turns, the fawn becomes the girl child. Deer are embroidered on the front and back of her shirt. In the last visual, several of the children have featured animals on their shirts.
One of my many favorite illustrations is for the text above cited. The sky and desert floor are nearly identical in color, as so often happens on a clear, calm morning. Cactus and small shrubs are peppered on the sand. A roadrunner, a jack rabbit, a ground squirrel, and a lizard join the fawn and its mother. Several insects and birds are present. One of the birds is the hummingbird. On the left the fawn stands eager to move. It jumps three times with a blur of movement; until it joins its mother on the right.
At the close of this book, Bright Star written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales, in an author's note are eleven supportive statements and paragraphs beginning with
I made this book because . . .
In reading this book, you realize Yuyi Morales has accomplished her reasons and more. This book is deeply moving and timely. You can't read it once. You will want to share it often and widely. Be sure to have a copy on your personal and professional bookshelves. At the close of the book in an acknowledgment is a list of videos and films, books, online sources, organizations, and people that assisted in the creation of this title.
To discover more about Yuyi Morales and her other work, please visit her website by following the link attached to her name. Yuyi Morales has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. The cover reveal and conversational thoughts by Yuyi Morales and Neal Porter was hosted by John Schumacher, librarian, lecturer at Rutgers University, and writer, on his Watch. Connect. Read.site. Yuyi Morales is showcased at Publisher's Weekly where she shares the process for making this book. At the publisher's website are additional bonus materials. At Penguin Random House you can view the endpapers. Here is a link to Yuyi Morales reading her book aloud on video at KidLit TV. If you are interested here is a link to an event with Yuyi Morales speaking about this book.
The first time you stand on the shores of one of the Great Lakes or a sea or an ocean, the vastness of the water spread before you is a stunning revelation. Being near something so large the opposite shore is not visible, shifts your perspective. You always knew it was immense but now, while having a special beauty, it's a bit daunting.
Your respect for this watery vision grows and little trickles of fear zing through your body. You wonder about the safeness of leaving the shore. Don't Worry, Little Crab (Candlewick Press, April 7, 2020) written and illustrated by Chris Haughton explores with knowledgeable insight the emotional ups and downs of venturing into new territory.
Little Crab and Very Big Crab live in a tiny tide pool.
Today is a very special day for the duo. Today Little Crab is going to THE OCEAN. He is excited. He can hardly stand the suspense.
From their tide pool they trek over rocks, other pools of water and seaweed. His confidence expanding after these short accomplishments, Little Crab declares his first-class ability as an adventurer. This all changes when he gets his first glimpse of THE OCEAN. A very small
Oh
sums up his thoughts.
He begins a series of suggestions for remaining on the cliff which are countered by Very Big Crab. When the first wave crashes over them, fortunately both crustaceans hug the rocks. Whew! Another larger wave rushes toward them. Will Little Crab stay fast?
Little Crab survives that wave but he's ready to head home. Big Crab gently urges him to take one step and then another step and still one more step. Little Crab can't believe it, he's in THE OCEAN!
A gigantic wave approaches and the twosome dive. A world of wonders spreads before Little Crab. A crowd of friends introduces themselves. Little Crab moves from one delectable moment to the next. The biggest surprise of the day, for him and readers, comes at the end of the day. It's marvelously truthful.
What readers, regardless of their age, appreciate about Chris Haughton is his masterful ability to convey large feelings with few words. He blends dialogue into the straightforward narrative. Alliterative sound effects accompany his storyline. Punctuation provides pacing and emotional drama. We find ourselves drawn deeper and deeper into his words. Here is a passage.
"Maybe it's better if we don't go in the ocean," says Little Crab. "Don't worry," says Very Big Crab. "It will be OK." But the waves are getting bigger . . . Look! A huge wave! Hold tight! Here it comes!
The teal canvas on the matching dust jacket and book case spreads edge to edge, including the flap edges. It's an ideal background for the white text and brilliant colors used in the creation of Little Crab. His size on the front, right side, proportionality indicts how small he is. To the left, on the back, Little Crab and Very Big Crab are shown side by side with their large eyes looking to the right. On the front Little Crab and the text are varnished.
A darker ocean blue covers the opening and closing endpapers. Using a lighter blue, Chris Haughton outlines two different beneath-the-sea scenes on each set of endpapers. The initial title page is a replication of the front of the jacket and case, but Little Crab is placed on white with teal letters. The formal title page is a two-page image of the vast ocean, rocky crags and splashing waves. On the dedication and verso page Chris Haughton places this quote:
"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." --- Anais Nin
The distinctive digitally fashioned illustrations of Chris Haughton span double and single pages. Regardless of the image size, Chris Haughton varies his point of view to accentuate the narrative visually. He alternates his background from shades of blue to white. Most of his pictures have large white borders. Chris Haughton's use of color is vivid, imaginative and highly appealing. Readers will be captivated by his ability to depict emotion with shifts in the crabs' eyes and placement of their claws.
One of my many, many favorite illustrations spans two pages with a wide white frame around it. On the left a portion of rock generates a triangle from the upper left corner to the gutter. On this is Little Crab. He appears large because we are very close to him. A tiny bit of one of his claws is in THE OCEAN. It's fairly calm with the remnants of white foam on top. Behind this is a teal background. Little Crab's eyes are large with astonishment as he realizes he's in THE OCEAN. You can feel his supreme bliss.
Sometimes if we approach our fear step-by-step with the help of a friend, our bravery builds until we can experience more joy than we imagined. Don't Worry, Little Crab written and illustrated by Chris Haughton is a book with a jubilant blend of words and expressive visuals conveying the journey of one tiny crab in a single day. I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.
To learn more about Chris Haughton and his work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website. At his website you can view numerous interior images from this book. On his blog he outlines the making of this book. I believe you will enjoy his illustrative process. Chris Haughton has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. You can view an interior image at the publisher's website and others at Penguin Random House. Here is a link to an Activity Kit. Teacher librarian and author Travis Jonker features this book and Chris Haughton on his blog at School Library Journal, 100 Scope Notes. Please enjoy the book trailer.
In times of great adversity, the people on this planet tend to seek calm in our natural world. During the current crisis of a pandemic around the world, the arrival of spring in the northern hemisphere is a welcome declaration of hope. Despite what is happening in the human world, nature stays the course. The sighting of a first robin, a sliver of a rainbow or the tips of tulip leaves poking through the dirt send our spirits soaring.
Like spring itself, bursting forth with new life, many March releases in children's literature embrace the wonders of our outdoor environment. Nesting (Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, March 3, 2020 written and illustrated by Henry Cole focuses on the annual ritual of robins becoming a pair, building a nest and how the hatched eggs grow and prosper to become part of the flock. A marvelous color palette will fully fascinate readers.
It is an early spring morning. The ground is covered with frost. From the branch of an apple tree, a robin starts to sing.
He sings a warning to other males and sings an invitation to a nearby female. Together the new duo finds materials to fashion a nest in a discovered nook. Completed it provides a place with purpose for the female.
She lays one, two, three, four eggs. They are a brilliant blue against the nest. Calmly she cares for those eggs, as the baby birds grow inside. When they finally hatch, they rely completely on their parents. They need to be fed and fed and fed some more. Their parents are busy flying to and from the nest.
This nest shelters the tiny birds from a brief storm. It harbors them when a sneaky snake wants them for food. Like fierce warriors the male and female robins chase the intruder away.
Soon feathers form on the babies and they grow, crowding each other out of the nest. As fledglings they learn to fly and find their own food. When spring turns to summer and summer turns to autumn the robins prepare for winter and their long flight south. Even as the snow falls, we know they will return in the spring to chase away males and call for a female to begin the cycle once more.
The beauty of these birds is presented in the simplicity of the language used by Henry Cole. Each moment in this life cycle is described in careful detail to replicate the scene for readers. Henry Cole also establishes a rhythm in the use of his words similar to the rhythm of robins in each season. We are very much a part of their lives. Here is a passage.
The nest is finished. It is perfect. It is just the right size and shape. The mother robin settles into it and sits quietly.
The most striking, visually arresting, aspect of the matching and open dust jacket and book case is between the three robin's eggs and the nest. If you've ever seen robin's eggs in the wild, Henry Cole has depicted this in stunning reality. The title text on the jacket is done in copper foil.
To the left, on the back, on a cream background, three baby robins, now with feathers, are struggling to find a spot in the nest. They have outgrown their home. On the opening and closing endpapers is a canvas of brilliant robin's egg blue.
The title page is a vast display of the bare branches of a single tree reaching out from left to right on a double-page picture. The male robin is flying toward it from the lower, right-hand corner. All the images by Henry Cole are rendered in
Micron pens and acrylic paints.
For the most part they appear in black and white. The illustration sizes range from double-page pictures to single-page visuals framed in fine lines, to groupings of smaller images on a single page, a series of vertical panels on two pages or clusters of rectangles on two pages and full-page pictures, edge to edge. For the slightest bit of shading, the robin's egg blue is sometimes used as spot color. The most impressive use of this blue is in the eggs. The delicate lines used by this artist and his details are nearly photographic.
One of my many, many favorite illustrations spans nearly two pages. It's as if we are looking from the bottom of a tree up to the bird's nest in the nook where is rests. Leaves swirl in the wind as lightning cuts a jagged edge through the sky. The nest is firmly in place with the female robin faithfully sitting on the babies to protect them. This is in black and white. A column is created on the left by the expanse of the image from left to right crossing the gutter.
As an introduction to spring as a season of rebirth, a study of birds or robins in particular, Nesting written and illustrated by Henry Cole is excellent. One page at the end is devoted to five more facts about robins in an Author's Note. I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.
To learn more about Henry Cole and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website. Henry Cole has an account on Facebook.
There is no doubt about the value of bees as essential elements in world ecology. Due to their drastic reduction in population, more people have entered the field as keepers of bees. Kaia and the Bees (Candlewick Press, March 10, 2020) written by Maribeth Boelts with illustrations by Angela Dominguez explores life with a young girl whose father is a beekeeper.
I'm the brave type. Like hottest-hot-pepper brave. And furry-spider-in-the-basement brave.
Despite her bold claims, Kaia was not brave around bees. Being stung once was enough to instill fear in her. And to make matters worse, her dad, a beekeeper, had thousands of bees in hives on the roof of their building.
Her father, knowledgeable about bees, explained to her their value but she never went with him to the hives. Did she tell her friends about her fear? She did not. They thought she was an expert like her dad until one day her dread was revealed.
Her friends' reaction to her fear made Kaia mad and determined to face her foe. She donned protective gear and followed her dad, also in a suit, hood and gloves, to the roof. As her father explained the bees and hives to Kaia her bravery increased. Then she made the mistake of removing her glove. Kaia was stung again! She did not go back to the roof.
Soon it was time to get the honey from the hives. Kaia, her mother and father worked all day in their kitchen, filling jars with honey. A quiet conversation with her father, another insect incident and final understanding completes this story of bees and courage, and a parent and their child.
Written with the experience of being a keeper of bees, Maribeth Boeltsuses a blend of first person narrative and dialogue to convey Kaia's story. Each of the characters are realistic in their demeanor so as to connect with readers. Maribeth Boelts' ability to weave information into the story of Kaia and her fear of bees is outstanding. Here is a passage.
The honey flows, and I want to draw a picture. But no crayon is that golden, and you can't draw the smell of warm, sweet honey filling our apartment.
Kaia's face, deftly portrayed, front and center on the right of the open and matching dust jacket and book case, asks a question of readers. We want to know why Kaia appears to fear the bees. We want to know why Kaia is near bees. The use of purple and golden yellow, complementary colors, is a pleasing design choice.
To the left, on the back, on a purple canvas, Kaia is standing to the left of her father as he lifts a frame of bees from the hive. Both are wearing beekeeping apparel. In the upper, left-hand corner is a large portion of honeycomb with two bees working on it.
The opening and closing endpapers are an enlarged honeycomb in rich golden-yellow shades with three bees hard at work. These three are placed in the corners. One is coming in from the bottom of the page.
colored pencil on illustration board, with color added digitally
are as bright and bold as Kaia. The full-color images on a crisp white background invite readers into the story. A variety of perspectives and image sizes supplies readers with a captivating and pleasing visual glimpse into facing a fear.
One of my many favorite illustrations is a full-page picture, edge to edge. On a very pale blue background we are close to Kaia. With her gloved hands on either side of her face she is facing forward, gazing at a bee drinking water. You can see she is becoming more relaxed around the bees. She is excited to see the bee in its own setting.
Kaia and the Bees written by Maribeth Boelts with illustrations by Angela Dominguez is a book to be enjoyed for numerous reasons. It's a story of bravery. It's a story of beekeeping. It's a story of how to care for those who can't care for themselves. I highly recommend this book for both your personal and professional collections.
To learn more about Maribeth Boelts and Angela Dominguez and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites. Maribeth Boelts has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. Angela Dominguez has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. At the publisher's website and Penguin Random House you can view interior images. At the publisher's website is an Author's Note you can download and print. Maribeth Boelts is the guest blogger for March 2020 at The TeachingBooks Blog. Illustrator Angela Dominguez talks to us about this book in a video.
As children, if we are fortunate, there will be someone young or old who will ignite a spark within us for the natural world. They will teach us to notice and value every aspect of the landscape around us. We will learn everything large and small, seen and unseen, has a place. The Keeper of Wild Words (Chronicle Books, March 10, 2020) written by Brooke Smith with illustrations by Madeline Kloepper presents an affectionate relationship between a grandmother and her granddaughter. This relationship blooms into an appreciation for and preservation of words and what they represent.
At the end of a long cinder lane, surrounded by meadows and pine trees and sky that wrapped around and back again, Brook ran up to her grandmother's door, swung it open, and she belonged.
On this day she had a request for her grandmother. Brook needed something for the first day of school, something special for show-and-tell. Her grandmother had a request of her, too. Her grandmother, Mimi, was an author. Mimi had a list of words, words that were disappearing because they were not being used. She asked Brook to protect these words by being The Keeper of Wild Words.
Mimi showed the list of words to Brook asking her to take a walk, from light until dark to discover the words. As soon as they began, the first word, WREN, uttered a melody to capture their attention. Flowers sprang from the ground, fruit grew on prickly vines and seeds from large trees were at her feet.
At a nearby pond tiny MINNOWS and a BEAVER swam. Herbs around the pond offered a sharp, savory treat as a water bird took flight. Bright-patterned insects and a bounty of wildflowers fluttered and blanketed her path.
A rare sight of STARLINGS flew in unison where Mimi and Brook rested. From the meadow into the forest, they walked. Quietly they moved to cherish the flora and fauna, not disturbing either. A final sighting, a final word, not only brought the day full circle but gave Brook a loving look at the origin of her name. That evening a grandmother and her granddaughter paused, remembered and celebrated wild words.
Like the world seen in this book, the words written by Brooke Smith are connected in a constant and enchanting chain. Each one serves as a priceless piece in a larger whole. Each time a word is disclosed, the scene is described with poetic joy. There is a blend of narrative and dialogue making the shared day and evening personal, intimate. Here is a passage.
POPPIES in the corner of the yard suddenly popped open! Paper petals reaching to the sun.
When you open the dust jacket the foreground of the flowers, close to the reader, extends over the spine to the far-left flap (and on the right). The area on the other side of the path where Brook and Mimi walk also extends over the spine to the flap edges. Portions of the dandelion floating in the air on the right, float on the left, too. A tiny butterfly glides on the far left. By the body language and facial expressions on Brook and Mimi we are aware of their close relationship. The title text is varnished.
On the book case is a pattern of flowers, ferns, leaves, birds, feathers, animal prints, seeds, and a nest. They are tiny. They look as if they have been gathered by a naturalist for safekeeping.
On the opening endpapers Brook, wearing her bicycle helmet, rides past a group of flowers, ferns and shrubs to her grandmother's house. The verso and title pages are a continuation of this floral design. A wren is placed on the left. On the right, the text is written on a piece of notebook paper tucked into the grass.
mixed media and Photoshop
spans two pages, except for two single-page pictures. At times we are shown a larger, nearly panoramic view and then brought close to the characters in a natural setting for emphasis. The colors and lines are soft. The details are delicate. Even inside Mimi's home we are a part of nature.
One of my many favorite illustrations is when the twosome is first beginning their walk. On the left, Mimi and Brook have stopped among bunches of violets. In a closer perspective dozens and dozens of red poppies nod from the right across the gutter to the left. In the center of this setting a full sun, rays extended, shines.
Not only is The Keeper of Wild Words written by Brooke Smith with illustrations by Madeline Kloepper a tribute to words and our natural world, it is a daily adventure between two like souls. At the close of the book is a two-page Author's Note. This is followed by an envelope adhered to the binding in which to store your own wild words. The closing endpapers feature a notebook paper on the left and items of nature on the right. This book is a wonderful choice for your personal and professional collections. It inspires us to write down and seek our own wild words.
To learn more about Madeline Kloepper, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website. Madeline Kloepper has an account on Instagram. At the publisher's website you can view interior images. At this link you can listen to a portion of the audiobook on SoundCloud. Courtesy of this video by Let's Talk Picture Books you can view the book case.
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.
We start as the sun starts to rise on a neighborhood in the suburbs. A dad, still clad in his pajamas and holding a cup of coffee, gently wakes his child up. Slow to wake, the child suddenly jumps from bed remembering what this day will bring. The child and their father, dress and pack, and drive from their home, through the city and into the country.
The road takes them higher and higher until they reach a trail head. Putting on their backpacks, they head up the path into the forest and into the mountains. They observe birds and wildlife as they are observed in kind. Pictures are taken, sketches are made and each turn on the trail reveals new fun like a thrown snowball and challenges like crossing a log over a swift river.
After resting and snacking, they continue to climb. Now wearing helmets, they scale rocks to top a ledge with a spectacular view. Later, on more level ground, readers will be intrigued to see them pause. An item is removed from the child's backpack. A picture as proof is taken.
As shadows lengthen and the sun starts to dip from the sky, the duo reaches their car. A celebration of their accomplishments is enjoyed before the drive home begins. The car moves down the mountain, into the city, the suburbs and into their driveway. Nighttime rituals fill this home with warmth as one final deed of the day chronicles their HIKE.
Pete Oswald has conceived a story of companionship and exploration with memorable achievements in a single day. He offers, through this book, a means for others to partake in comparable activities. He shows us how to treat each other and our world with respect and love.
On the matching and open dust jacket and book case, readers gaze in complete admiration at the design of the title with the father and child climbing up the letters. Small moments in their day are depicted in each letter. By placing these elements on white our focus is directed at the characters and the title.
To the left, on the back, is a majestic forested mountain scene. Bald eagles float in a sky wispy with clouds. The text here reads:
A father and child head out on a hike, keeping a cherished family tradition alive.
On the opening and closing endpapers in shades of brown is a map of the trip from their home to a star shown in the mountains. From the opening endpapers a page turn shows the parent and child, dressed and carrying their backpacks, standing side by side with their walking sticks in hand. The title page, a two-page picture is a bird's eye view of their home with the cityscape and mountains in the background as the sun rises.
Pete Oswald rendered these pictures digitally with the few words, sounds, lettered by hand. Images are single page, double page, and groups of smaller illustrations to indicate the passage of moments. Sometimes with a minimum of details a great deal of emotion is conveyed as when we are only shown one hand reaching for another hand after a frightening deed. Like real life, these glimpses are powerful and meaningful. We are aware continually of the mood of the child and father through their expressive faces. In each scene Pete Oswald has captured the rich and rare experience of being a part of nature. His images are sensory in every aspect.
One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture. It is a bird's eye perspective of the father and child walking on the path in the forest. Tall trees and grass stretch from either side of the path. Flowers, like stars, are sprinkled throughout the setting. In the upper left-hand portion of the visual a fox slowly moves. On the other side of the path, on the left, a female bird perches on a nest with three eggs high in a treetop. On the right, near the gutter, the male bird brings another twig to the nest. The duo walks toward the upper, right-hand corner of the page. You know they walk in silence except for the sounds of the forest.
This book, HIKE conceived and illustrated by Pete Oswald, is a glorious day spent with nature. To hike in the woods in the mountains is a unique undertaking but to do so with someone you love, it's extraordinary. This is cleverly and creatively presented by Pete Oswald. I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal bookshelves.
