Pondering Politeness

When a total stranger offers you a polite greeting there are many ways to respond.  First and foremost is to take into account your surroundings and the time of day.  If it's any given hour during the morning, afternoon or early evening in a place filled with people you can return the greeting, nod, wave or smile.  All those actions are acceptable.

Unless you are unable to talk or understand the language, to do nothing might be considered rude. (Friendly people sometimes forget you might be shy.)  Perhaps there is another reason altogether as to your lack of speech.  Plankton Is Pushy (Scholastic Press, April 25, 2017), a companion title to Barnacle Is Bored (Scholastic Press, May 10, 2016), written and illustrated by Jonathan Fenske is a classic episode in the outgoing versus the reticent.

Why, hello,
Mister Mussel! 

Cheerfully, Plankton is out for a swim in the sea when he encounters Mussel, who looks rather grumpy.  He calmly waits for a response to his greeting.  When Mussel continues to rest on the sand in silence, Plankton repeats his words louder, perhaps thinking Mussel suffers some sort of hearing impairment.

Mussel just sits there wearing the same expression and expelling bursts of bubbles.  Plankton believes Mussel is in need of instructions in etiquette.  He proceeds to perform a scenario in which Mussel replies, giving him possible examples.  He then cheerfully, but with a bit of an instructive attitude, starts over.  You can almost feel Plankton's frustration increase when Mussel does absolutely nothing.

Trying another tactic Plankton speaks more slowly.  The results are identical.  Mussel does utter a sound.  Plankton moves from rage to pleading.

That's when a miracle seems to occur.  Plankton is overjoyed.  Several moments later not one, not two but three surprises are certain to have readers grinning from ear to ear.


As soon as we see Plankton, before he even utters a word, we know he is an upbeat kind of sea creature as he moves along whistling.  In this way Jonathan Fenske introduces us to his personality.  His happy-go-lucky temperament makes it impossible for him to pass Mister Mussel without speaking.

In the timeless tradition of the third-time-is-the-charm he attempts to convert Mussel to displaying similar cheerfulness.  This increases the tension building to the unforeseen consequences and heightening the comedy.  By having Plankton relate the narrative through his first person dialogue we are more intimately involved in the discourse and of course, better able to enjoy the hilarity when it happens.  Here is a sample passage.

So let's say we give this another whirl, okay?

WHY, HELLO, MISTER MUSSEL!

Really?
Nothing?

Grrrrrr.


The opened book case gives readers a very good idea of the state of the relationship between Plankton and Mister Mussel.  The facial features on both of the characters set the scene for a less than amiable meeting.  Plankton is in full lecture mode.  On the back, to the left, a larger version of Plankton is peeking from the spine on the right, hands to his body in disgust.  The bubbles we see on the front are replicated on the back around information about Jonathan Fenske.  Above this a short blurb ends with a question about the book.

Barnacle makes an appearance on the opening endpapers as Plankton approaches a grouchy Mister Mussel.  Making use of every bit of space, the closing endpapers announce a startling finale as we zoom in on the two main characters.  The color palette throughout of purples, gray, pinks, black, white, sand, sea blue and sea green and rage red work wonderfully with the text.

Jonathan Fenske conveys the mood and emotions of the story marvelously through body postures and facial expressions.  Plankton's eyes, eyebrows "hands" and feelers leave no doubt as to his exact state of mind.  This contrasts very well with the same stoic look on Mussel's face leading us (and Plankton) to the ultimate conclusion.  Fenske alternates the visual sizes from two page, to half page and then to single page, all of them edge to edge to supply pacing.

One of my favorite of several illustrations is one of the half-page pictures.  Plankton is giving Mussel a lesson in politeness.  He is telling him to say "Hello" in reply to his "Hello".  He has a sort of sarcastic look on his face as his "hands" form a mouth moving to say "Hello".  Who knew plankton could have so much pizzazz?


You know from your first glance at the book case, you are going to be smiling when you read this book.  Plankton Is Pushy written and illustrated by Jonathan Fenske is a lesson in politeness and in knowing when enough is enough.  The surprises are sure to prompt discussions.  Reading this aloud is wonderful.  It's been student tested with shared laughter as an outcome.

To discover more about Jonathan Fenske and his other work please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  You will enjoy scrolling through his illustrations.  If you go to Scholastic's Instagram account you can click on the book cover and swipe through the first few pages.

Polite Protocol

Certainly since the dawn of time, elders have served as guides for those younger than they are.  As parents or siblings it's almost an instinctive sense of duty. While most recognize the educational importance of making one's own mistakes, there are some things which must be done with the utmost care given to a prescribed sense of order, a code of conduct.

For whatever reason older sisters take this task to heart especially when it comes to younger brothers. It's a pleasure to present How to Behave at a Tea Party (Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, September 9, 2014) written by Madelyn Rosenberg with illustrations by Heather Ross. Julia's little brother Charles has got a lot to learn; she's just the sister to show the way.

First, you open the invitation.

Overall grubbiness will not be tolerated; attention needs to be given to those places most likely to attract extra dirt.  Proper attire with emphasis on formal and fancy is required.  It would be unthinkable to attend without the quintessential hat.

Certain guests are not welcome at the suitably set table.  Oh...my...it seems those previously uninvited friends have arrived.  Er...it might be a good idea not to eat the flowers or for that matter the tablecloth.  At this point the demeanor of the hostess is deteriorating slightly.

Teacups must be held delicately.  Only certain food will be served with the exception of the dog being allowed his bone. The cornerstone magic words of manners are to be used at all times. Oh...oh...Julia is looking a tad bit more frazzled; her quiet mode of instruction has been replaced with frenzied pleas of can't, don't and no...no...no. YIKES!

Now that all the rascals, Charles, Rexie the dog, the frog and the irritable McKagan brothers, have retreated Julia can begin anew.  There are several teeny, tiny problems when following decreed tea party decorum.  It's too quiet.  It's too orderly.  It's up to the banished troublemakers to put a new spin on the best way to celebrate this time honored tradition.  Bring on the moat maker, the castle creator and daring, darling dragon!


Oh, how I love the way Madelyn Rosenberg uses words to convey the best part of any given situation. She paints pictures of personalities, transports us into best laid plans gone awry and supplies ample opportunities for us to grin, giggle and guffaw.  You can feel the tide turning and the tension building as prim and proper shifts back and forth between hilarious havoc.  Here is a single passage.

You must say "please"
and "thank you".
You must NOT slurp like a moose.
Or burp like Uncle Victor. 


The title is telling readers one thing but the dust jacket/book case front illustration depicts an entirely different scenario.  Clearly this tea party is going to be anything but ordinary.  I can hardly contain my laughter when I look at it.  On the back is featured an interior picture on the pouring and drinking of tea.  Rendered digitally the visuals begin their interpretation of the story on the title page, verso and first page as Julia writes the invitation and delivers it to her brother Charles, innocently playing with his toys on the floor.

As Julia narrates Heather Ross shows readers exactly what is happening.  Charles is not cleaning his ears but Rexie's with a toothbrush and Rexie is cleaning Charles's nose with doggy kisses.  Initially Julia is blissfully unaware which sets the stage for one comedic situation after another.

The wide-eyed looks on all the characters (except the teddy bear who stares like a deer caught in the headlights), small upturned noses and mouths shaped in an array of emotions will have readers in stitches.  Younger readers, who notice the smallest details, will be totally captivated by the expressions and antics of the frog.

One of my favorite set of illustrations is for the text

Next you put on fancy clothes.  Wear a fancy hat.  Underwear does not count as a hat.

As Julia dons a hat and ruffled cape, Charlie and the frog head for the hills.  Rexie is smitten with wearing a pink tutu.  Julia does manage to snare Charlie placing a sailor cap on his head; prompting an outburst of laughter from the frog.  Purple, lace-edged underwear labeled Tuesday ends up draped over the frog's left side.


From the first time I read this book and each subsequent reading, I have had a smile on my face every single minute.  How to Behave at a Tea Party written by Madelyn Rosenberg with illustrations by Heather Ross is an adorable accounting of the misinterpretation of manners.  Sometimes a girl just has to go with the flow...or in this case...the frog. Be ready to hear a chorus of read it again.

For more information about Madelyn Rosenberg and Heather Ross follow the links embedded in their names to find their official websites. Here is a very special link to a blog post titled To Catch a Frog by Madelyn Rosenberg.  Today on Twitter people have been posting the cutest photographs of tea party attire and settings.  Here are only a few.  Follow the hashtag #howtobehaveatateaparty .

Our indy strikes again! Thanks @tnebeker RT: Sandy and I bond over a cup of tea: #howtobehaveatateaparty pic.twitter.com/kpcbNVsZtx
— Madelyn Rosenberg (@madrosenberg) September 9, 2014

Are YOU ready for the Tea Party? Celebrate .@madrosenberg's latest! http://t.co/5LhUrwV39D #howtobehaveatateaparty pic.twitter.com/2zIoxgPonl
— Cece Bell (@CeceBellBooks) September 9, 2014

Out today is a smart, hilarious how-to picture book for your kid: #HowToBehaveAtATeaParty http://t.co/bb1PDIx5lW pic.twitter.com/AK82EyIXn1
— HarperChildrens (@HarperChildrens) September 9, 2014

It's release day for #howtobehaveatateaparty. How YOU would get ready? Hat? Monocle? Other? Show us! Details: http://t.co/rjkDtBhMF6
— Madelyn Rosenberg (@madrosenberg) September 9, 2014

Enjoy the book trailer.  I am about to savor my final cup of tea for the day.

Craving Cookies and A Super Surprise

You wait patiently as the butter softens on the counter along with the eggs warming to room temperature.  You watch as the flour, salt, and baking soda are combined together and set aside.  Your excitement increases as the butter is creamed together with two sugars and a teaspoon (plus a little more) of vanilla.  When the eggs are finally added, you know it's almost done.

Shifting from one foot to the other, you wonder why it takes so long to add the dry ingredients.  Then you hear the package being opened.  Quickly two cups, okay, maybe two and half cups of those delicious morsels are poured and stirred into the batter.  Teaspoon by teaspoon, shapes are placed on the cookie sheet, which is then slid into the warm oven.

The longest ten minutes ever in the history of time is finally completed.  As the door opens, the most intoxicating smell in the world wafts through the kitchen.  You gaze longingly from your mom to the cookies. A nod is given. You never forget the first time you taste one, as all the flavors melt in your mouth.  There is nothing quite so good as a home-baked chocolate chip cookie.

If you think the need for these delectable delights is relegated to only humans, think again.  Once any living being gets a whiff of their aroma, the need to eat them is irresistible.  Tea Party Rules (Viking, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.) written by Ame Dyckman (Boy + Bot) with illustrations by K. G. Campbell (Lester's Dreadful Sweaters) tells the tale of a cub who has caught cookie fever.


Cub was playing in the woods
when he smelled something delicious.
He followed his nose through the
bushes and found...

Wily woodland creature that he is, Cub has found a plate covered with cookies.  It seems he is not alone in this discovery either.  There is another bear sitting in a chair right next to those tempting treats.

Unlike Cub, this bear is of the stuffed variety.  So when Cub tries to engage the bear in conversation, he is met with silence.  In fact he falls off his seat when Cub touches him.

Cub now knows the cookies are all his.  As he is about to savor the first bite of one, he hears someone coming.  Uh, oh...

Cub does the only thing he can think to do.  He masquerades as the teddy.  Let's stop here a moment.  There's a lively, young bear taking the place of an inanimate toy?

A young girl is ready for her tea party to begin.  The table is set.  The cookies are on the plate.  She has brought the tea and a bouquet of fresh flowers.  When she carefully peers at her bear, he seems to be a tad dirty.  This will not do.  Readers are introduced to Tea Party Rule number one, cleanliness.

Cub has no choice as he is carried inside by the girl.  He tolerates a bath because he wants those cookies in the worst way.  He endures rules two and three because all he can think about is consuming those cookies.

Oblivious to the discomfort Cub is enduring, the prim and proper girl goes about  HER preparations according to HER rules.  Again outside the girl pipes up, voicing her fourth and final rule.  This is the proverbial straw that breaks this little guy's back.   Cub is, after all, a bear.  Girl responds as only she can, playing by the rules. GAME ON!


Ame Dyckman's passion for play in her storytelling makes its presence known by the time the first page is turned.  Techniques such as blending the narrative with Cub and the girl speaking their thoughts aloud, repetition of key phrases, pausing to complete sentences and word emphasis, all promote the feeling we readers are there watching this friendship, however improbable, form.  The atmosphere hums with anticipation.  Giggling and guffaws are a given.


With Cub and the girl eyeing one another, ready to grab the single cookie, framed in tiny birch branches, on the front jacket and cover and the question asked and answered on the back, readers can sense fun just around the corner.  Opening and closing endpapers have readers gazing through a birch forest, looking for nature's residents hidden among the trees.  On the title page, edge to edge, across both pages, we are still in the woods but now we see a mother bear sleeping with a cub, as another wakes up.

Rendered in sepia marker and colored pencils, K. G. Campbell's illustrations are spirited, brimming with humor and an enchanted extension of the story.  Each is set amid liberal amounts of white space; his artwork is so detailed, so delicate, it's like the white is gently holding each picture. The visuals in turn flow around and become one with the text.  The looks on the faces of Cub, the little girl and her cat will have readers roaring with laughter.  I adore both the two page spreads in the little girl's bedroom as she implements her rules.  When she's carrying Cub and her cat back outside to the tea party setting, I'm grinning, grinning big and wide.

Tea Party Rules written by Ame Dyckman with illustrations by K. G. Campbell, is one of the best tea parties you will ever have the pleasure of attending.  It's impossible not to fall in love with the characters.  Wouldn't it be fun to plan a tea party with your students having them bring in their stuffed animal friends, dressing up to fit the occasion?  You could make up your own tea party rules.

To learn more about the author and illustrator follow the links to their websites embedded in their names above.  Ame has been interviewed at The Little Crooked Cottage, The Styling Librarian, and by Nicole Y. Walters.  The most exciting thing is happening below!

Today...yes today....Ame is sharing with the world her brand new book trailer for Tea Party Rules.  It's short, sweet and full of laughter and love, just like she is.






I am thrilled and thankful she agreed to answer some questions below.  Enjoy.

AME:  Thanks so much for having me on Librarian’s Quest, Margie!  I’m very excited to be here!  And—(YES, Cub!)  Cub is visiting today, and he’s very excited, too.

MARGIE:  I would like to know more about how you felt about the illustrations the first time you saw them.  What did you like best about them?  Did you and K.G. talk at all before you saw them?

AME:  Seeing K.G.’s illustrations for the first time was a RIOT!  K.G.’s a GENIUS with facial expressions—there’s so much humor in them!  I love all the little jokes he added, too—the bubble bath bottle, the artwork in the girl’s room, etc.—and I still crack up EVERY time I see Cub in that frilly pink dress.  (Sorry, Cub!  But I’m sure you can laugh about it by now, no?  Oh.  Moving right along…)  Sadly, K.G.’s far, far away on the other side of the country, so we didn’t really talk before first sketches except for an e-mailed “Hey, K.G.!  I bet you’re gonna ROCK it!”  And he did!  But I hope the two of us can hang out sometime soon.  OW!  (Why did you poke me, Cub?  Oh.)  Make that the THREE of us!

MARGIE:  I think the forest of birch trees adds to the lightness and fun of your narrative.

ME:  AFFIRMA—I mean, AGREED, Margie!  Kids enjoy looking for the hidden animals in the end pages.  I THINK I’ve found all of them!

MARGIE:  Did you and Husband Guy make the trailer?  It's the perfect amount of text and pictures to get people to read the book.

ME:  We did!  We cleared a few extra nights in our schedule by having cookies and tea for dinner, and—uh-oh.  (I was just kidding, Cub!  OF COURSE we didn’t eat cookies without you!)

AME:  Thanks again, Margie!  Cub can’t wait to try your chocolate chip cookie recipe!  (NO, Cub!  Those are MY car keys!)  Looks like I gotta go!  Happy reading, everybody!

This is my favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies.  I clipped it from the Traverse City Record Eagle more than fifteen, probably twenty, years ago.

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup sugar (I use raw with a little of the white)
2 eggs at room temperature (brown, cage-free, organic)
1 package (3 oz.) cook and serve vanilla pudding (not instant)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I use two)
Zest of one orange, reserving the juice
1 cup dried cherries
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour (unbleached)(I add 1/4 cup more to make the cookies less flat.)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 package (12 oz.) chocolate chip morsels (Ghirardelli)

Grate orange and chop zest finely. Squeeze orange and pour juice over dried cherries. Simmer until cherries are soft, or you can microwave them for 1 minute.  (I never do this.)  Drain cherries; set aside.  Combine flour and baking soda.  Mix butter, orange zest, sugars, eggs, pudding mix and vanilla together until creamy.  Gradually add flour/soda mixture.  Combine fully then fold in cherries and chocolate morsels.  Let dough rest in the refrigerator for one full hour. (This is important.) Place large teaspoons full of dough on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in 375 degree oven for 15 minutes.  (Watch the time though depending on the humidity and your oven. It might take fewer minutes.)

Goodbye Status Quo!

Our lives are governed by rules, by laws, principles of etiquette.  Some are written, others are understood.  Within the structure of these guidelines, individual beliefs play an important part.

For some following what is, what always has been and will continue to be so, is easy.  For others, it's confusing, frustrating and not where their heart directs them.  Mr. Tiger Goes Wild (Little, Brown and Company) written and illustrated by Caldecott Honor award-winning Peter Brown (Creepy Carrots!) is about being brave enough to break the mold.

Everyone was perfectly fine
with the way things were.
Everyone but Mr. Tiger.

Propriety was pushing Mr. Tiger to his limits.  It was simply too ho-hum, too confining and left no room for play.  The beauty in being a tiger is being wild after all...right?

So Mr. Tiger decided to try something a bit different.  Instead of walking upright like all his fellow friends, he boldly lowered his body to stride out on all fours.  Not surprisingly, it was the right thing to do.

Mr. Tiger was shedding the skins of confinement.  And he liked it.  He liked it so much he did more and more each day.  He ran, he chased, he climbed and he roared a very loud roar.  Let me tell you though, there was a lot of tut-tutting going on by his fellow townies.

The day he jumped into the fountain in the central square, loosing all his clothes, was the final straw for his up-to-that-point tolerant pals.  Sternly asked to leave, he joyfully departed for the wilderness.  Away from the buildings, streets, clothing, and orderly lifestyle, Mr. Tiger went completely wild!

The freedom was exhilarating but something was missing, the comfort of the familiar.  Making his way back to his town, friends and home, he made a startling discovery.  Mr. Tiger's fearlessness had paved the way. ROAR!


In direct spare statements and examples our narrator makes it quite obvious that Mr. Tiger is ready for change.  Peter Brown's word placement and pacing create the same tension and energy for the reader that Mr. Tiger is feeling.  By placing dialogue in speech bubbles along with the narration the story becomes more personal.  We are intimately involved.  We want to roar (and will probably do so with abandon).

Toward the end of June Peter Brown and I exchanged a series of tweets.

ROAR!!! My very first copies of Mr. Tiger Goes Wild arrived! It might have been worth all the hard… http://t.co/rKIWRf2QDE
— peterbrown! (@itspeterbrown) June 25, 2013

@Loveofxena Why YES, the case cover IS different! I was wondering if anyone would notice that little detail...
— peterbrown! (@itspeterbrown) June 25, 2013

It's the care given to every facet of this book, which makes readers want to go wild themselves.  Peter Brown even goes wild in the illustrations created by trying a new technique, using a different combination of mediums, India ink, watercolor, gouache, and pencil which are digitally composited and colored.  If you look closely you will notice the fifth color, orange, which was included in the printing of the book on paper.

The jacket is a double page spread with Mr. Tiger in the wilderness.  The quote on the back,

There is a time and place for everything---
even going wild.

alludes to the changes which will occur as does the front and back cover, a textured pattern of stripped tiger fur, rough to the touch.  The opening endpapers of taupe, gray bricks are a sharp contrast to the closing endpapers done in hues of green in the stylized ferns found in Brown's forest.

The placement of elements on each of the illustrated pages, whether they are two page, single page or several smaller ones on an individual page, is impeccable; the conversation between Mr. Deer and Mr. Tiger,  the movement of Mr. Tiger as he gets his wild idea, the tall building he climbs in the gutter of two pages, or a potion of his, now, unclothed body running off the right page.  Liberal use of white space draws the reader's eye exactly where it needs to go.  Mr. Tiger's facial expressions convey his moods precisely.  One of my favorite illustrations is the two-page spread of toucans in the air, fish in the water, the series of waterfalls cascading over cliffs , trees, ferns and Mr. Tiger roaring.  You can feel joy in the air.

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild written and illustrated by Peter Brown is your ticket to a roaring good time. It's an invitation to be yourself, to be brave and perhaps change those around you.  Some rules whether written or understood are meant to be broken.

Enjoy Peter Brown speaking about Mr. Tiger Goes Wild.




Follow this link to a Q & A with Peter Brown at Publishers Weekly.  Peter Brown was interviewed at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast about the process for bringing this book to readers.  Follow this link to begin the blog tour of Mr. Tiger Goes Wild.  This link has a couple of fun activity sheets.  This links to a new post Peter Brown composed for his blog, Mr. Tiger Gets Styled.

And whatever you do, remember to Roar! at least once this weekend.

A Tea-rrific Time

It would seem that our lives are composed of rituals; certain practices done at specific times of the year, month, or even every day.  During the month of August it might be staying up into the early hours of the morning to watch the Perseid meteor shower, growing up it was new shoes before school started in September, or each night not being able to go to sleep until you've told members of your family good night, I love you.  These routines give comfort, a sense, whether true or not, that all is right with the world.

I'll wager that most people can barely begin their day without a first cup of coffee, or in my case, a cup of tea. In Asian cultures there are beautiful ceremonies for the preparation and serving of tea.  Low tea and high tea are British terms used to distinguish between the times tea might be served.  When you host or attend a tea party there is an etiquette to be observed.  In Tea Rex (Viking, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.) written and illustrated by Molly Idle adjustments to tradition prevail in a rather BIG way.

When hosting an afternoon tea for a special friend---
greet your guest at the door.

If a grinning Tyrannosaurs rex, invitation in hand wearing a teeny, tiny purple bowler hat and purple and yellow polk-a-dot bow tie, happens to be filling the open door frame, this could present the first of many...er...challenges during the event.  Having him follow you to the parlor is not going to be easy when he can hardly squeeze through the door.  With meeting the other guests and finding one's spot at the table complete, the polite conversation begins.

In response to shenanigans involving cutlery on the part of the younger brother, Mr. Rex lets out a mighty loud roar of approval.  Offering food, despite its variety, and the pouring of tea proves to be rather problematic.  The guest's enthusiasm for both is a tad over the top.

Mayhem quickly follows on the heels of one mishap after the other. Appropriate music and dance (more like riding  on a roller coaster at the amusement park) concludes the tea party. Whew!  With the special guest barely, in every sense of the word, out the door, a surprise is delivered to the hosts, actually, a bunch of BIG surprises.


Sentence by sentence in a most prim and proper form, Molly Idle provides a narrative which reads like pages from Miss Manners.  With little stretch of the imagination you can almost hear the voice enunciating each and every word chosen with care.  The pauses between page turns elevate the disparity between what is read and what is seen in the illustrations.


On the front jacket and cover we are treated to a snapshot of a very special occasion but a picture on the back, a circular inset, tells a different story, the real story.  The palette of colors displayed on the jacket and cover are used throughout on illustrations rendered with Prismacolor pencils. Opening and closing endpapers provide charming close-ups of an invitation and thank you note sent by Cordelia to Mr. Rex, the opened envelopes against his bowler hat, the notes held by his versatile tail.

The details in the decor, the characters' attire, the table setting and facial expressions (oh, those eyes) only increase the hilarity.  The "before the roar" and "after the roar" differences are the first of many.  For example in a series of three visuals for When everyone is settled, you may serve refreshments.  Be sure to offer several choices---and cater to the individual tastes of your guests, we see all the characters seated at the table hands and feet reaching toward delectable delights followed by the disappearance of all including a portion of the plate and then "whoosh", the teddy bear in attendance is about to be consumed too. My favorite of them all is the double page spread of what's left of the parlor after the party as Cordelia and her brother push (it's a tight fit) Mr. Rex out the door.  All sense of decorum has vanished.


With delicate, dramatic illustrations drawn to illuminate and accentuate Tea Rex by Molly Idle is most memorable.  The very idea of dinosaurs and tea parties is so foreign to our way of thinking, the humor begins immediately and grows page after page.  You'll be looking for a free date to have your very own afternoon tea.  Who will you invite?

Please stop by Molly Idle's website.  A link is embedded in her name above.  This is a link to Molly Idle Picks Kid-Friendly Dinosaur Books at BOOKish. (Thanks to John Schumacher for tweeting this link.) This book trailer is only the start of a wonderful reading experience.