An About Face

Throughout our lives, regardless of our age, it's perfectly normal to set, accomplish and shift goals.  We greet each day working to fulfill these ambitions.  And we dream dreams outside of what we see as possible, elaborate ponderings dependent on miracles.  These keep us hopeful.

During these mental, and sometimes vocal deliberations, our closest companions endeavor to help us.  They elevate our hope into the realm of maybe-this-could-be-real.  Cowie (A Paula Wiseman Book, Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, January 7, 2020) written and illustrated by Elizabeth Rose Stanton is another charming, heartfelt title by a wise and talented woman who has given us Henny, Peddles and Bub.

This is Cowie.

Everyone called him Cowie

because Cowie loved everything about cows.

Their physical attributes and mental view of life were revered by this donkey.  More than anything else, their position in the grass, 

the green, green grass

on their side of the fence,

was cherished by Cowie.  By grazing in the grass, they avoided carrying humans and other goods on their backs.  And they definitely didn't pull any wagons.  

Cowie made up mind.  If he wanted to be a cow, he had to do cow-like things.  He tried several activities, but he still felt more like a donkey than a cow.  Then he tried to say MOO.  Yikes!  It came out backward.  No matter how many times he tried, the sound was reversed.  How does something like this happen?

His two friends, Duckie and Mousie, sensed their friend's sadness.  Their first approach was to speak their sounds in reverse, but this did not make Cowie happier.  They thought maybe something was physically wrong with Cowie.  Everything was checked from bottom to top.  He was A-okay except when he tried to moo again it came out 

OOOOOOOOM.

After a couple of ideas and more attempts, Cowie's two pals knew exactly what to do.  And they did it . . . with considerable effort.  And you, readers, will laugh and laugh and laugh.

When Elizabeth Rose Stanton brings another of her gentle, lovable creatures into our lives, we welcome them willingly.  In the persona of Cowie, we connect with the dilemma of wanting something which seems improbable.  As the reasons for his love of cows are told to us, we understand his desires.  Who among us has not wanted to emulate another, so as to be like them?  As the story progresses with a blend of narrative and conversation, we are utterly surprised and completely delighted with his two friends' resolution.  In fact, it's guaranteed you'll laugh out loud.  Here is a passage.

Out came:

OOOOOM

Everyone stopped chewing

and swishing and mooing

and looked at Cowie.

I am making too much of a donkey of myself, he thought.

I will never be a cow. 

The use of white space as an element in this book is outstanding.  As you can see on the front of the dust jacket, even though the colors of the animals are soft, the white space lifts them up, as it does with the varnished title text. (All the animals are varnished on the front, also.)  To the left, on the back, an interior image from the book has been placed.  It is the scene which accompanies the text previously noted.  All the cows are looking at Cowie with astonishment.  Cowie's back is to readers, as he faces the group of cows.  

The opening and closing endpapers are the same hue of blue as the title text on the front of the dust jacket.  (I am awaiting my hardcopy, so I am working with an F & G.)  Before the verso and title pages, Elizabeth Rose Stanton has placed a cowbell, looped with a pale blue ribbon, in the lower, right-hand corner.  This is a foreshadowing.  The image from the front of the dust jacket appears on the title page.

Rendered in pencil and watercolor, the illustrations are endearing and expressive.  Elizabeth Rose Stanton also adds labels to two of the pictures to place emphasis on Cowie's reasons for loving cows.  Her delicate lines, shading with the colors and facial expressions reveal her skill in using this medium.  Careful readers will notice the inclusion of two previous characters in one of her pictures.

The care given to details is marvelous.  When Cowie is sad, Mousie offers up a daisy and a tiny chick offers him a worm.  When Duckie and Mousie are examining Cowie for any physical problems, Elizabeth Rose Stanton's refreshing sense of humor is seen in this series of images.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is on a single page with a crisp, white background.  Cowie is seated with his red halter hanging to the ground and his red-ribboned tail trailing behind him.  Duckie is seated in front of him with a wing raised in question.  The tiny chick is standing on his tail.  Mousie is on top of Cowie's head with arms raised in triumph with a glowing lightbulb above Mousie's head.  Cowie has his eyes raised up toward Mousie. 

For readers who want a book to hug because they love the characters, one they'll want to read over and over, and one which will make them giggle, Cowie written and illustrated by Elizabeth Rose Stanton is a superb choice.  While we'll not always be who we want to be, good friends can lend a paw or wing to make even our most unlikely dreams a reality.  They'll have to add a healthy dose of silliness to the mix, too.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Elizabeth Rose Stanton and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Elizabeth Rose Stanton has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.  Enjoy this video interview.

In The Middle

Family dynamics are constantly shifting to accommodate the ebb and flow of the personalities of individual members.  No two family dynamics are the same.  With that being said, sometimes the middle child in more than one family struggles to be noticed.  It seems the majority of favorable attention is given to the oldest and youngest siblings.

Most children would rather not be invisible.  A little bit of love can make all the difference.  Bub (A Paula Wiseman Book, Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, January 16, 2018) written and illustrated by Elizabeth Rose Stanton is about a little monster in the middle of an older sister and a new baby.

This is Bub.

His real name is Bob.

Unfortunately for Bob when writing his name on the first day of school, he didn't close up the o.  (It's surprising how a tiny error like that can have a lasting effect.)  Bub's family consists of Maw, Paw, his sister Bernice and The Baby.

In case you're wondering why the baby is called The Baby, it's because Maw and Paw still have not selected a name.  They shout and argue about names too much.  This loudness makes Bub cranky.  He knows they can be quiet because when Bernice is practicing her violin, they shush him.

The Baby demands constant consideration.  It is freely given by Maw and Paw regardless of Bub's presence.  One day, one day when Bub is already cranky, Bernice and The Baby say the wrong things to Bub.  This little middle monster makes a decision. 

A necessary change goes unnoticed for nearly an entire day.  When attention is finally given in the form of a written message, a reply arcs and loops through the air.  Love finds a way.


Straightforward and succinct sentences written by Elizabeth Rose Stanton appeal to readers of all ages.  The descriptions of the baby-naming campaign, the praise given to Bernice and affection showered on The Baby strike a collective chord in siblings' hearts.  When Elizabeth Rose Stanton introduces little bits of dialogue, we are endeared further to Bub.  Here is a passage.

And when Maw and Paw could
not agree, they could be extra LOUD.
GERTRUDE!
GISELLE!
GABRIELLA!
GLADYS!
This made Bub feel grumpy.

How about Bea?  (Bub)


One of the first things you notice when unfolding the dust jacket is the soft white canvas.  Elizabeth Rose Stanton uses white space masterfully here and all through the title.  It is an essential element on every page allowing her fine lines, delicate colors and pops of red to radiate a certain charm.  The significance of Bub holding the purple crayon will become apparent.  The same hue used in the title text covers the spine.  When our eyes move to the back, the left, Bub's family including the cat, greets readers with smiles and open arms.  (I am working with an F & G.)

On the opening and closing endpapers two colors appear; first pale green and then white.  They are reversed at the conclusion.  On the opening endpapers a small folded paper airplane is at rest in the lower right-hand corner.  An A+ mathematics paper for Bob is placed in the center of the left-hand side of the closing endpapers.  Bub stands amid crayons, papers, a pencil and his whistle beneath the text on the title page.

Rendered in pencil and watercolor the illustrations vary from single page pictures to two page images.  The attire of the characters and their facial expressions are comical and winsome.  That single tooth peeking out from each smile is grin-worthy.  What readers need to notice are the six portraits hanging on the wall in the living room.  From left to right are a space alien, Frankenstein, Henny and Peddles from Elizabeth's first two books, a monster family member and a one-eyed purple guy (The Purple People Eater?).  Their expressions change as the climate in the family changes.  You'll laugh out loud when the parents are shouting.

One of my many favorite illustrations is on a single page.  Paw is standing behind Maw.  Maw is holding The Baby.  Bernice is blowing Bub's whistle.  Her violin and its bow are on the floor next to her.  Bernice is blowing on the whistle so hard, the ribbons on her dress are falling off the fabric.  Hearts are coming out from the whistle.  The others are shouting BUB!!


This book, Bub written and illustrated by Elizabeth Rose Stanton, is for every child who feels invisible in their family.  It is also for those who have never felt lost as a family member.  It reminds them of the importance of each individual.  We need to be aware of each other exercising empathy.  This book will resonate with all of your readers.  I believe it will generate the best kind of discussions.

To learn more about Elizabeth Rose Stanton and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Elizabeth has a blog here.  You can find her on Instagram and Twitter.  To view interior illustrations please visit the publisher's website.  Elizabeth is interviewed about her work at Dani Duck Artist Obscure.

Barnyard Boogie

Many Saturday nights the air in our home brimmed with excitement.  The doorbell rang announcing the arrival of the babysitter.  My parents emerged from their bedroom to answer the door, dressed for an evening of dancing.

Dad wore cowboy boots, a special white shirt with elaborate embroidery, decorative buttons down the front and on the cuffs and a bolo tie.  Mom wore a puff-sleeve blouse, a matching skirt with coordinating trim and several petticoats to make the skirt stand out and swirl as she moved.  Hours of do-si-do, allemande right, allemande left and honor your partner were about to begin.

Elizabeth Rose Stanton who introduced us to Henny, a chicken with human arms, released her second children's title early this year.  Peddles (A Paula Wiseman Book, Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, January 5, 2016) is a pig with thoughts taking him beyond the boundaries of the farm.  Peddles dares to dream.

Peddles was just a pig.

For the most part Peddles did the everyday things pigs do.  As he did those everyday pig things, his mind wandered.  He dreamed about eating pizza instead of slop.  He imagined speaking in English instead of the usual grunting and snorting.

Peddles may have looked normal but his vision was extraordinary.  When he looked at birds, frogs and stars this pig left terra firma, if only in his mind.  Despite all this wishing everything remained the same until one night.

As his pals slept, Peddles left the group. He heard voices lifted in joy and saw people moving inside the barn.  A happy hoedown was happening.  And Peddles, being the kind of pig he was, got an idea.

Oh, he tried with all his heart to put his plan into action but nothing worked.  He looked and looked for the final items.  Then he found exactly what he needed but something was still missing.  Then they found him!


The first sentence in this book and the use of a single word suggest to us this may not be an ordinary story.  By using the word just Elizabeth Rose Stanton cracks open the door of possibility.  As she explains how normal Peddles is, she is carefully widening the entrance into the potential for difference.  As Peddles' open-mindedness is revealed we can feel our spirits lifted by the bliss he experiences.  Her fun-filled verbs and adjectives take us into Peddles' world. Here are several sample sentences.

Peddles heard whooping and hollering.
He saw twirling and whirling.


How can you not adore Peddles by looking at the front of the dust jacket?  I can already hear the sighs of readers uttered aloud.  The white canvas on the jacket, and for nearly the entire book, supplies the ideal background for the pencil and watercolor illustrations rendered by Elizabeth Rose Stanton.  To the left, on the back, we are given a hint as to what sparks Peddles' big idea and resolves his dilemma.   On the book case in the same blue as the title text, two circular visuals have been placed.  They show Peddles looking between his legs from the front and the back.  You won't be able to look at these without smiling.

The darker pink on Peddles is used as the opening and closing endpapers opposite the introductory title page and final wordless page of the book.  Stanton gives us another hint as to the items Peddles needs to reach his goal in a tiny image under the dedication.  The front dust jacket picture is repeated on the formal title page.

The delicate details in the illustrations bring readers further into the story.  We either discover a kinship with Peddles or begin to feel brave enough to implement our intentions.  With her images Stanton enlarges the story.  In her narrative his pig friends say

"Get your head out of the clouds, Peddles," and stop being so spacey."
This gave Peddles even BIGGER ideas.

Yes, there is planet Earth with Peddles the astronaut floating among the stars.  Without spoiling anything Stanton does include several other humorous touches sure to elicit bursts of laughter from readers.

One of my favorite illustrations of many is a double page image of Peddles and his porcine companions at night.  The two pages are washed in hues of light blue with white stars.  Along the bottom in a row we see the faces of pigs snuggled in sleep, except for one on their back with their legs in the air.  On the far right is Peddles, ears up and alert and one eye open.  The text reads

until one night...


Peddles written and illustrated by Elizabeth Rose Stanton invites us to dream, be open to possibilities and when an opportunity presents itself, don't give up.  I know you are going to get repeated requests to read this aloud.  I'm certainly glad I have a beloved pig puppet.  You might want to have some country western or square dance music handy too.

To learn more about Elizabeth Rose Stanton, her books and art work please visit her website and blog by following the links attached to her name.  Elizabeth Rose Stanton can be found on Twitter at @PenspaperStudio and on Facebook.  At the publisher's website are six additional illustrations for you to view.  Please take a few moments to read this interview at HENRYHERZ.COM--->KIDLIT, FANTASY & SCI-FI.  

In a moment of serendipity I happened to read this book for the first time while listening to Josh Groban's new Stages CD.  This is the song that was playing.  Sometimes life can be breathtakingly perfect.

Being You

Being different, an individual in a crowd of sameness, based upon a personal decision is not the same as having no voice in the matter.  When you find yourself in the position of being unlike those around you, through no fault of your own, the choice shifts.  You can either choose to embrace your uniqueness or not.

Whether by instinct, as a means of survival, or both, the animal kingdom abounds with examples of adaptations.  I must admit, though, to not having seen one quite like the resilient character in Elizabeth Rose Stanton's debut picture book.  Henny (A Paula Wiseman Book, Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers), realizing she is no ordinary chicken, decides to high-five life.

Henny was not a typical chicken.
Henny was born with arms.

One can only imagine the hen house chatter when Henny hatched but her mother, clearly surprised, gives Henny the same affection as her other chicks.  Having arms has its advantages and disadvantages.  Having arms can bring uplifting joy or humiliating sadness.

When you are a chicken with arms you tend to worry about which hand you will favor in completing tasks, the style of clothing best suited to your needs or taking care of underarm odor.  Blending in (or not), finding her place, on the farm requires the use of mail order catalogs, cardboard boxes and being in the right place at the right time.  Henny's differences come in pretty handy when Mr. Farmer needs assistance.

Sleep is replaced with dreaming of all the things Henny can do with her fingers, hands and arms; things normally taken for granted by others.  Little things like plugging her ears, unusual things like carrying a purse or big things like joining a circus fill Henny's mind with possibilities.  When daring to wonder, like Henny, the everyday can be accomplished by exalting in your differences.


Steeped in gentle humor, Elizabeth Rose Stanton tells Henny's story in simple sentences.  We experience her moments of joy, heartbreak, concern and curiosity.  As the tale progresses an undercurrent of optimism becomes more obvious.  Words like worry, imagine and could define Henny's growth.  Her true nature emerges filling us as readers with her distinct outlook in extraordinary circumstances.  One of my favorite sequences in the narrative uses a wonderful technique; one activity builds on another and yet another.


True to nature, after opening up the jacket, smiling at the waving Henny on the front, and having my grin grow as I looked at her mother's astonished gaze at the newborn Henny on the back, I removed the jacket.  Underneath the rich red of the title spreads across the front and back case acting as a background frame for a white circle in the center of each.  As if inside a spotlight, we see Henny standing, looking at us calmly with clasped hands resting on her stomach.

The opening and closing endpapers are integral to the story.  On the first we see the title in red over a single egg; the later revealing the triumph of Henny.  Contributing to the lightness readers feel when reading this book is the liberal use of white space.  Elizabeth Rose Stanton's pencil and watercolor illustrations, all carefully positioned on each page, literally glow.

Often we see a single sentence centered on a single page making an important point.  The placement and quantity of sentences and pictures, alternating in size and framing, on a page provide a pacing which encircles readers with Henny's buoyant personality. Facial features and the positions of Henny's arms add to the overall charm of this title, welcoming us into Henny's real and imaginary world.  One of my favorite two pages is the series of pictures where Henny realizes she can offer Mr. Farmer help.  We never see more of Mr. Farmer than the lower portion of his body, drawing our attention to Henny's good deed for the day.


When Henny written and illustrated by Elizabeth Rose Stanton is read, each individual will leave feeling a little bit better, a little bit happier, and a little bit more prepared to greet the day with a smile and hope in their heart.  Look out world, this cheerful chick has big plans.  Share Henny one on one or with an entire class, but make sure you do share her story.  It would be fun to have students imagine what other accomplishments or adventures Henny might do or have.

To look at additional artwork or read more about Elizabeth Rose Stanton please visit her website and blog linked above in her name.  John Schumacher, interviewed Stanton at Watch. Connect. Read. and premiered the book trailer shown below.  Follow this link to a recent interview of Stanton at Miss Marple's Musings.  For a peek at more illustrations from the book head over to the publisher's website linked here. UPDATE: Julie Danielson interviewed Elizabeth Rose Stanton at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast on April 13, 2014.  UPDATE: Henny is interviewed at The Little Crooked Cottage.  It's lots of fun.