Feline Follies

It seems like yesterday, but more than twenty years have come and gone since that sunny summer day.  In a tiny town along one of northern Michigan's largest lakes, a few people strolled down the sidewalks.  On one sidewalk, a homeless kitten wandered.  Most people hardly gave it a glance.  I was not one of them.

I stopped and talked to the lost soul for a few minutes.  Walking away, I engaged in the timeless battle of "should I or should I not."  When I turned around to go back, a family of three had stopped to kneel down and chat with the kitten.  The kitten had found its forever family.  A little boy was overjoyed.  A few months later, my remarkable, precious Xena came into my world.

The reality is, we never know when or what kind of animal will become a member of our family.  When they do, most days our joys are multiplied beyond our imagining.  Two recent publications, a month apart, focus on our feline friends.  In the first, Bathe The Cat (Chronicle Books, February 8, 2022) written by Alice B. McGinty with illustrations by David Roberts, a clever cat creates off-the-charts comedy with a little help from magnetized letters.

Come on folks,

it's time to clean!

Upstairs,

downstairs,

in-between.

This family, two youngsters, a baby, and two dads, need to work together because Grandma is arriving at two o'clock.  Their house is chaotic clutter. All the assignments are posted on the refrigerator door.  They are read aloud by Daddy.  The last one,

and I'll bathe the cat,

is not welcome news for the cat.

The wily feline rearranges the letters. When Daddys asks why the children and Dad are wasting time, they look at the tasks listed on the door.  They make no sense at all.

. . . Bobby, bathe the mat.

Sarah, mop the baby,

and Dad will mow the cat. 

Trust me, this cat does not want to be mowed.  Paws switch the letters again.  It is another crazy list.

The crafty cat goes back to the refrigerator.  This list is even more nonsensical, until Daddy makes a discovery.  It is almost time for Grandma Marge to walk through the door.  Will she find mayhem or peaceful perfection?

Author Alice B. McGinty begins this book with a common scenario, getting ready for the visit of a relative.  As her first rhyming phrases unfold, we easily step into their rhythm until the last sentence, a question.  Then, we burst into laughter.  Our laughter increases with every meddlesome moment the cat spends moving the words and fashioning outlandish new tasks which rhyme beautifully.  Here is another hilarious passage.

No, no! That's WRONG! You call this work?!

Have all you people gone BERSERK?

You've scrubbed my fish! You fed the FLOOR?!

MUST I READ THIS LIST ONCE MORE??

The bright shades of orange, pink, green, yellow, and blue we see on the front, right, of the open dust jacket invite happiness regardless of the frantic looks on all the characters, except the cat, of course.  We see here a hectic incident frozen in time.  We are curious to know what has happened.  To the left of the spine on another crisp white background, the child wearing the dinosaur costume is kneeling over the fishbowl.  She is feeding three eager fish.

On the book case the background is white.  On either side of the spine is a single image.  We see the fathers and two of the children chasing the cat that is nearly off the right side.  The baby is smiling and crawling along in the lower, left-hand corner.

On the opening endpapers, letters on the refrigerator spell the tasks to accomplish.  On the left side is a child's drawing of Daddy and Dad.  For reasons readers can guess, the words on the closing endpapers refer to things to do for the cat.  On the left side is a drawing of Grandma Marge.  On the right side is a drawing of the cat.

On the title page, the cat calmly licking one paw with a toy mouse in the other paw sits on top of the ''t'' in bathe.  These images by artist David Roberts ask readers to pause at every page turn.  We need to appreciate the details and the expressions on the characters' faces.  Just looking at the cat's face will have readers giggling. 

Rendered in pencil and watercolor, each two-page visual is loaded with elements extending and enhancing the words.  Sometimes we are brought close to the action and feel as though we are participants.  Other times, we stand back more as observers.  When the cat is rearranging the letters on the refrigerator, we are brought very close which heightens the laughter factor.

One of my many favorite illustrations takes place outside the characters' home.  The home with its hues of orange door supplies the background.  On the left, Bobby is bathing the welcome mat with a CAT SHAMPOO BOTTLE next to the large orange bucket.  Behind him and to his right, Daddy is vacuuming the lawn.  On the right, Sarah is mopping a laughing baby.  Dad is looking perplexed as he stands next to the lawn mower.  The cat, tail with fur on end, is running off the right edge.  It just heard the sentence

 Mow the cat?

If there is one thing we know to be true, it is laughter can be the best medicine, especially the laughter of children.  This book, Bathe The Cat written by Alice B. McGinty with artwork by David Roberts, is one readers will read often and listeners will beg to have it read repeatedly.  I highly recommend you have a copy in both your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Alice B. McGinty and David Roberts and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  Alice B. McGinty has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  David Roberts has an account on Instagram.  At the publisher's website, you can view interior images.

Who can resist the allure of a kitten?  Those little bundles of fur are some of the most magical of baby animals.  Their curiosity for whatever is around them and their ensuing shenanigans can melt the iciest of hearts.  Author Florence Minor and her husband, artist Wendell Minor, present all the delightful, memorable aspects of these adorable babies in their newest collaboration, Smitten with Kittens (Charlesbridge, March 8, 2022).

Who isn't smitten

with a kitten's sweet MEW

and all the cute things

that kittens will DO?

The first meal of the day gives kittens the energy they need to play.  Outside, they love to chase butterflies.  Inside, they look in a mirror wondering about the handsome being they see.

If they happen to wander into the bathroom, it will only happen once or at least their humans will keep the toilet paper in a safer location in the future.  The television supplies endless entertainment for kittens.  The birds are the stars, but they don't seem to fly into the room. 

Tucked into the smallest cubbies, kittens hide and expect you to seek.  They run and romp and run and romp until their energy is gone.  Then, they get cozy and rest.  They dream of doing what they do best.

Within a single sentence or two, using rhyming words, Florence Minor creates joy we willingly embrace.  Her pacing asks readers to participate in the narrative, guessing what the second rhyming word is.  Throughout the entire narrative, we smile at the behavior of the kitten she so aptly describes.  Florence Minor has gifted us with the experience of being a kitten.  Here is the first of two sentences.  I wonder what the second rhyming word will be.

Kittens make trouble

whatever they DO---

rolling, more rolling . . .

In looking at the open and matching dust jacket and book case, we stop for a bit to relish the artwork of Wendell Minor.  Rendered

in graphite on paper and digital,

the illustrations are rich in texture and authenticity.  Every line vibrates with the liveliness embodied in kittens.  Wendell's masterful command of light and shadow raises the reader's pictorial experience.

On the front, right side of the jacket, the title text is raised.  There are also seven paw prints in varnished white on the right side of the front.  To the left, on the other side of the spine, a charcoal kitten is in a pounce pose.  Its expression is pure playfulness.

On the opening and closing endpapers are a series of ten kitten poses.  It is as if particular seconds are paused in time.  They are nearly photographic, but soft in their quality.  They are graphite on white.  Every single one is stunning.

On the initial title page, two kittens look up from the inside of a cardboard box.  One is resting their front paws on the edge of the box.  On the formal title page a large image of a kitten begins on the left, crosses the gutter, and extends to the center of the right side.  The kitten is curled and napping.  It is curled around a red toy mouse with white hearts on it.

White space is an element in these images drawing our attention to the kittens.  The kittens are shown in a variety of activities and poses.  We might see their entire body or only a portion.  Color is used sparingly as an accent.  

One of my many favorite illustrations is a two-page picture.  Three kittens are seated in a row with their backs to us.  One is to the left of the gutter; the other two are to the right of the gutter.  They are facing a television screen placed on a large surface.  They are staring intently at a bright red cardinal flying close to them among the clouds.  Their tiny heads are cocked slightly to indicate their concentration.

Readers of all ages will enjoy reading and rereading Smitten with Kittens written by Florence Minor with artwork by Wendell Minor.  At the close of the book are two pages with ten Fun Facts about kittens.  For cat and kitten lovers and for those wishing to enhance their appreciation of our feline friends, you'll want to have a copy of this title in both your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Florence Minor and Wendell Minor and their other work, please follow the link embedded in their names to take you to their shared website.  Florence and Wendell also share professional Facebook and Pinterest accounts.  Florence Minor has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Wendell Minor has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. At the publisher's website, you can view an interior illustration and download an activity sheet.  At Penguin Random House, you can view additional interior images.

Picturing Possibilities

Each individual expresses their sensory perceptions in a manner distinctive to them.  At times, their impressions will coincide with those of other beings.  Frequently, they stand alone with their ideas.  They understand how their impressions and ideas relate to others through looking, speaking, listening, and reading.

Most individuals are eager to develop the skills necessary to observe with their senses and to articulate and react to what they encounter.  This learning, though, can be a challenge.  Aaron Slater, Illustrator (Abrams Books for Young Readers, November 2, 2021) written by Andrea Beaty with illustrations by David Roberts is the newest title in The Questioneers series.  Readers will be charmed by Aaron Slater's view of the world, his love of stories, and how he shapes his own tales.

At the end of the garden, in the soft, fading light,

when the day turns to dusk and the dusk into night,

the sweet scent of jasmine floats into the air

to mix with the music of laughter, and there . . .

Aaron D. Slater soaks it all in

with his flowery blanket tucked under his chin.

For each of four summer Aaron and the flowers in the garden grow.  Aaron has a spot for his own planting and his own drawing with chalk on a pathway made of slate.  The best part of those summer days are the books being read aloud to Aaron.  With all his heart, he wants to be able to write stories.

Aaron knows he needs to read, but he simply can't make sense of the letters and words they spell, although he has loving help.  When his first day of school arrives, he knows he will be reading lickety-split.  He does not read, not even by the end of the year.

Aaron believes with a sinking sensation; he is not like his fellow classmates. All those things that make him Aaron D. Slater are set aside.  He decides to become invisible.  At the start of second grade, his new teacher, Miss Lila Greer is about to change Aaron's plan to not stand apart.  She wants them to author a true story, sharing it the next day.

Aaron does not get a wink of sleep all night.  He goes to school and stands in front of his classmates, all thirty-three, when his name is called.  His start is slow, but with his eyes closed a story unfolds as his words pour forth.  When he finishes, the gals and guys in his class are stunned.  Tears slide down Miss Greer's face.

And Aaron, embarrassed now, gives her a paper with no words and stands outside in the hallway.  The next exchange outside the classroom between this teacher and her student is a thing of beauty.  A smile and two words send hope surging into a soul.

Composed of rhyming couplets, this narrative by Andrea Beaty is like stepping into your special space.  It is that place where all things are possible, you feel serenity and security, and you can hear the music of your heartbeat.  Through Andrea Beaty's words we watch how Aaron grows within a home filled with warmth, and how it fosters his love of story.  Through her descriptions we feel his sadness, his frustration, and his glorious realization of his gift.  Here is a passage.

And so Aaron does what young Aaron must do.

He works on his story like the rest of Grade Two.

He writes through the evening.

He writes through the night.

He writes and he writes

till the dawn's early light.

Then he drags off to school with his shoes filled with lead

and his stomach in knots and a pain in his head,

and he waits for his turn with his heart filled with dread.

On a canvas of blue and white graph paper, flap edge to flap edge, the talent of Aaron D. Slater unfolds for readers on the back, left, and front, right, of the open dust jacket.  Look at the expression on Aaron's face on the front; his look of satisfied joy is heartwarming.  His artwork is a reflection of his summers in the garden and the stories he loved listening to as he and his siblings rocked in the porch swing.

On the back, Miss Lila Greer is riding a blue dragon next to a black swan wearing a crown.  They fly amid other airborne flowers, birds, and pencils.  Beneath them are several favorable quotations about The Questioneers series.

On a background of white, the book case is covered in flowers.  They are a variety of sizes, shapes, and an array of colors.  In the lower, right-hand corner Aaron stands, colored pencil in hand, drawing the petals on another flower.  You want to walk in this child's garden.  It is bursting with happiness.

The opening and closing endpapers are covered in blue-on-blue graph paper.  For the initial title page, stenciled, block letters in black are placed over Aaron's flowers.  On the verso and formal title page, on graph paper, Aaron, his back to us, draws.

These illustrations by David Robers on white are striking in their emotional portraits.  In the first, double-page picture we meet Aaron D. Slater, wrapped in a blanket and cuddled on the porch swing with his mothers and two siblings.  A third sibling, a sister, sits nearby in a rattan chair strumming a guitar.  Two cats are close to the group.  In a cozy spot above the branch holding the swing is a mother bird with three baby singing birds in a nest.

These pictures rendered 

with watercolors, pen, and ink on Arches paper

are two-page images or single-page visuals.  There is one wordless, double-page picture which is certain to have you cheering and laughing.  David Roberts uses white space superbly.  

The facial expressions displayed by Aaron will endear you to him immediately.  Careful readers will notice familiar faces in Aaron's classroom.  The clothing, physical characteristics, abilities and looks on the faces of all the other students in the building and in Aaron's classroom are fabulous.  Readers will see themselves in this school and in Aaron's family.  Also superb is the manner in which David Roberts depicts dyslexia.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a single-page page which slightly crosses the gutter to the left.  Aaron is four years old.  He and his siblings are swinging in the porch swing hung from the tree.  Patterned pillows add to their comfort.  One of his brothers is reading aloud from a book titled Mythical Beasts.  Aaron's eyes are closed, and his imaginings are drawn in colored pencil over his head.  Next to him is his sister, listening and watching.  At the other end is an older brother with his eyes closed, too.

In this moving story about a boy who struggles with dyslexia and finding how to express his best self, readers, even those without dyslexia, will identify with the challenges we all face in following our dreams. At the close of Aaron Slater, Illustrator written by Andrea Beaty with illustrations by David Roberts are must-read author and illustrator notes.  I can't imagine a collection, personal or professional, without a copy of this title.  You might want to pair this title with A Walk in the Words written and illustrated by Hudson Talbot.

To discover more about Andrea Beaty and David Roberts and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  Andrea Beaty has accounts on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter. David Roberts has  an account on Instagram.  You can view interior images on the publisher's website as well as a video of the illustrator speaking about this book.  There is an event scheduled for November 17, 2021 (linked here) where both the author and illustrator will be present to speak about this book.

Wide-Eyed And Wide Awake

We all know children are the last people to admit they are sleepy.  Even if they can hardly sit or stand upright, they would rather give up dessert for a year than admit they are tired.  They live life to the fullest and simply don't want to end any of their days.  You have to love their energy and attitude, even if you long for them go to bed and fall asleep.

Give a child a game especially with a challenge and it's an invitation they can't refuse.  DON'T BLINK! (Random House, April 3, 2018) written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal with illustrations by David Roberts openly asks for reader participation.  It's the best kind of dare.

Here's how it works.
If you can avoid getting to the end of this book, you can avoid bedtime, simple as that.
(It's a pretty sweet deal, actually.) 

The true test is the tricky part.  Every time you blink you have to turn a page.  You don't want to turn pages, so you definitely can't blink.

Now we all know as soon as you've been told not to do something, you have a difficult time not doing it.  It's as if all of a sudden you have to do the thing you are not supposed to do. Of course, readers will be unable to stop from going to the next page.  The narrator, the owl, is flabbergasted that a page is turned.  He believes you blinked.  You are warned again.

NO BLINKING!

As each page is turned (you can't help it), the owl continues to issue his statement.  You are getting closer and closer to completing the book.  We know what that means.  Game over.  Bedtime.

In his infinite wisdom the owl suggests you do the opposite of blinking which is staring.  A variety of subjects are presented for your attempt at staring.  With each new tactic (and there are many), the reader is getting nearer to the end of the book.  With a final exclamation

Holy pillow puffs!

an entirely new approach is suggested.  This clever twist will have readers wondering, smiling and requesting "read it again" unless they are already on their way to dreamland.


For those of you familiar with the writing of Amy Krouse Rosenthal (or even if this is the first of her books you read), you will be astounded at the way in which she finds the universality in any given area.  She has an innate manner in reaching out to all readers creating a genuine and shared experience.  In this particular title she involves readers through the dialogue of the owl.  He talks directly to us on every page guiding us to avoid bedtime with ample doses of humor.  Here is a passage.

JEEPERS!
You BLINKED again.
I thought you wanted to stay awake!
You do realize that each BLINK
gets you closer to you-know-what?!


Look at the front of the dust jacket.  Look at those large eyes.  Despite the words of the title, don't you want to blink?  This owl is a definite attention-grabber.  The limited color palette used in this first image is maintained throughout the book.  If you look closely, the tag on the body of the owl is the illustrator's name, David Roberts.  To the left, on the back of the dust jacket, the owl is starring at a toy zebra, trying not to blink. 

The opened book case is on a canvas of black.  The illustration on the back is identical to the dust jacket but on the front there is a distinctive difference.  It hints at the book's conclusion.  The opening endpapers are bright yellow and the closing endpapers are black.  These are other indications at the twist the story will take.

On the title page the text, DON'T BLINK!, appears within the owl's eyes.  The liberal use of white space accentuates the words, expressions and body language of the owl.  A slight change in his arms and eyelids conveys the exact mood being depicted.  It also will have you laughing out loud.  An ingenious technique employed toward the end of the book has the elements in the visuals shown as if they are within an eye, an eye slowly closing in sleep.

One of my many favorite illustrations is when the owl (Is he a beloved stuffed animal?) is asking the reader to

STARE at the person next to you.

That person happens to be a toy zebra, casually sitting upright.  The chunky body, stripes, rounded-ears, large nose and wide eyes are guaranteed to make you smile.  This picture (all the pictures) is surrounded by white.  It is on a single page. 


No matter how many times this book, DON'T BLINK! written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal with illustrations by David Roberts, is read laughter is sure to be part of the story.  Readers will be commenting in response to everything the owl says.  You might want to pair this with Good Night Owl (Disney Hyperion, April 19, 2016) written and illustrated by Greg Pizzoli.  This is a surefire winner for story times and bedtimes.  I hope you place a copy on your personal and professional bookshelves.

To learn more about the late Amy Krouse Rosenthal and David Roberts and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their sites. David Roberts maintains an Instagram account.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.

Attired In Truth

The splendor of storytelling is one story always leads to another story.  Some part of a tale may trigger a past experience in the mind of the reader or listener.  Another item may light the spark of an entirely new variation on the same narrative.  Each of us are filled with stories, a reflection of our daily circumstances and the customs and cultures in which we live.

Elements from and references to fairy tales, a rock solid foundation, are found throughout other forms of literature.  The Chinese Emperor's New Clothes (Abrams Books for Young Readers, December 26, 2017) written by Ying Chang Compestine with illustrations by David Roberts offers a captivating new look at Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale, The Emperor's New Clothes.  Ingenuity can come at any age.

By now, you have probably heard the old folktale about the emperor's new clothes.  Two sly tailors fool a vain emperor into believing he is wearing magical clothes, when in fact he is parading through town buck naked.  The truth is that the story took place here in China, and without any tricky tailors.

A little boy named Ming Da became emperor at the young age of nine.  His much older ministers, believing him to lack experience, took beautiful silk, rice, gold and gems from the emperor.  The boy, in fact, needed the silk to make clothes for those who had none, rice to feed the hungry and the value of the gold and gems to manage his kingdom.  He wanted to stop this but couldn't think of a way to do so without harming his kingdom and its people.

A New Year's Day tradition of wearing new clothes to ward off evil spirits gave the boy emperor an idea.  He asked his two tailors if they would assist him in defeating his corrupt counselors.  Together the trio devised a remarkable plan.

When Ming Da asked his ministers to view his new clothes he prefaced it with a single statement.  Dishonest people and honest people would see the garbs differently.  One would see resplendent fabric decorated with exquisite handiwork and gems.  Others would see burlap.

Can you imagine the moment when the boy stepped out in the open dressed in a rice sack adored with ink and juice drawings?  The ministers had to say yes when the boy asked if they wanted identical attire as beautiful as his was.  News of the making of magical clothing spread quickly throughout the kingdom.

As the ministers checked on the progress of their apparel, they kept asking about the lack of quality.  The tailors' replies lead each one of them to try to outdress the other.  This was a crucial part of the strategy of the emperor and his tailors.  Their understanding of the ministers' character lead to an outcome best for the members of the kingdom.  Children (and their tailors) have the hearts of heroes.


To this reader Ying Chang Compestine reveals her gift of recognizing what her readers want and need as well as respecting them regardless of their age.  Her narrative introduces us to the characters and brings us into the place and time but the addition of dialogue heightens the humor and growing tension.  Through the selection of word choices the true nature of the ministers, the emperor and his loyal tailors is apparent.  Here is a passage.

When Ming Da stepped out, the ministers stared at the boy emperor, mouths agape.

"Most excellent, don't you think?" Ming Da spread his arms wide.  "Feel the sleeves!"  He shook his arms.

The Trade Minister broke into a cold sweat.  He stroked the rough sack.  "Um, it's softer than the finest silk!"


You'll be hard pressed not to softly utter an "Oh, my goodness" when looking at the opened dust jacket.  One of the first things you will notice here (and throughout the title) is the attention given to detail in keeping with Chinese cultural history.  The dragon's head and partial body peering through the window with Ming Da is a well-known figure in New Year's Day parades.  If you unfold the flap on the right the entire scene continues with the body becoming longer.  From the left flap edge the body weaves across the bottom of the page with the pale sage green crossing the spine and connecting to the front.  Above the dragon's body on the back, to the left, is the structure of the room in which the window is placed.  The same hues of red, yellow and green seen here are used within the body of the book also.

On the book case the interior wordless two-page picture of the New Year's Day parade is shown.  The opening and closing endpapers are done in two shades of the rose red.  They are patterned in dragon scales.  On the title page the emperor's palace spans from page edge to page edge.

Rendered in watercolors, pen, and ink on Arches paper and others in pencil and graph paper these illustrations by David Roberts are playful, gentle and exquisite.  The blend of fine and bold lines provides a superb contrast.  David Roberts is a master of perspective.  You are drawn into his images such as the small child on the large throne, the boy emperor looking out his high window at the children begging in the street or the tailors speaking with the Agriculture Minister during one of his visits to see his new clothing.  In this scene the elaborate architecture supplies a wide frame around the three figures.  It is reflected in nearby water.

The clothing worn by all the characters is appropriate and in keeping with their economic status.  You will find yourself smiling more than once at the expressions on the characters' faces.  And careful readers will be looking at every picture for the tiny white mouse and cricket. 

One of my favorite of many illustrations is on a single page.  Ming Da is secretly listening to his tailors speak with the Trade Minister.  Ming Da is in the foreground.  An ornate panel separates him from the three others.  Light from the other side of the panel casts a shadow in front of Ming Da.  As the young tailor holds up the minister's clothing and speaks, it is clear the minister is angry.  Ming Da has a knowing and hopeful expression on his face.

This title, The Chinese Emperor's New Clothes written by Ying Chang Compestine with illustrations by David Roberts, is a welcome volume in the realm of fairy tales.  Readers will find themselves drawn to the cleverness of the boy emperor and his tailors (especially with what they draw on the clothing).  At the close of the book Ying Chang Compestine in an author's note explains her childhood and the origin of this story.  It is followed by an idea for making Your Own Chinese New Year Parade Robe.  I highly recommend this book for all your collections.

To learn more about Ying Chang Compestine and David Roberts and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names.  David Roberts was a guest at author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson's blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.   Ying Chang Compestine maintains an account on Twitter.