Taking A Moment

Sometimes, we forget to look beyond ourselves.  We fail to seek what might be hidden from our immediate viewpoint.  In these situations, one of the best alternatives is to step outside and embrace what the outdoors might offer.  If you are fortunate, take your canine companion with you.  They give new meaning to a walk on the wild side with all their senses on high alert.

More times than not, they suddenly stop.  It's in these moments our outlook shifts.  We see, hear, or smell something we might otherwise miss.  Beneath (Little, Brown and Company, January 17, 2023) written and illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld is about looking with new eyes.  It is about opening up our minds and hearts in order to understand the wholeness of someone or something.  This is when we are our best selves.  This is when life is richer and larger.

Finn was in a horrible mood.

Grandpa wanted to talk about it.

When you are in a horrible mood, talking is the last thing you want to do, and Finn was no different.  Grandpa suggested they take a walk.  Finn agreed, reluctantly, as long as staying under the quilt was an option.

This is when Grandpa suggested that even though Finn was hidden, he would remember what he could not see.  Walking among the trees, Finn listened as Grandpa explained there was as much underground as there was above ground.

It was the same for a boat they saw floating on the calm water.  What was moving underneath that boat?  At times, we can make a guess as to what we cannot see, but sometimes we wonder what is being seen, heard or smelled by another animal.  Why are they doing what they are doing?  Why is the fox's nose pointed toward a hole in the ground?

What we see on the outside is only a portion of what might be happening on the inside.  This is true for plants, animals, and humans.  (Do you think it's true for other things like the moon, planets, and stars?)  Last season's leaves are dying, but beneath them new shoots are sprouting.  As daylight turns to dusk and the moon rises, Grandpa offers his final beneath words.  We know Finn tucks these away like the treasure they are because of the reply given. 

As you read these words penned by Cori Doerrfeld, one of the first things you think of is how wonderful it would be to have walked with Finn and Grandpa.  And then, with gratitude, you realize that every time you open the covers of this book, you are there with them on that walk.  We can read their heartfelt and sincere conversations, ponder what they are saying, and wonder about all the beneaths in our world.

With the exception of a few sentences, this entire story is told in dialogue.  This helps readers to connect with Grandpa and Finn on a personal level.  Here is a passage.

"And people?" Finn wanted to know. (page turn)

"Of course!" Grandpa answered.

"Everyone is more than what you see.

"Beneath appearances

are experiences.  . . .

Using digital paint, Cori Doerrfeld created the images for this title beginning with the open dust jacket.  Here, on the front, Finn is strolling through the forest, using the beloved quilt as a hooded coat.  Moss speckles tree trunks as a squirrel and blue jay move and rest above ground.  Beneath Finn's feet is another world of tunnels for chipmunks, a mouse, and food. 

The illustration moves flawlessly over the spine to continue on the back of the jacket.  The tunnels underground continue as homes and pathways for mice, chipmunks and a frog.  Above them, Grandpa travels between the trees with his walking stick.

On the book case, the seasons have passed.  It is now winter.  On the right side, the front, Finn, happily, with open arms is turning to speak with companions.  Behind Finn, are Grandpa and Gramma, holding hands on the left side.  This time Gramma is holding the walking stick.  Snow frosts the surroundings and blankets the ground.

On the opening endpapers is a close-up of a portion of Finn's quilt.  We can see the patterns and prints in the squares.  They contain items from the outdoors in bright, cheerful colors.  On the closing endpapers is the underside of the quilt in squares of blue.  On the left in several of the squares is what we would normally see on the verso page.  On one of the squares in the lower, right-hand corner is a hand-stitched message.  

to Finn

(heart-shape)

Gramma

The pictorial story begins on the title page with a double-page visual.  Beneath a wedding picture of grandfather and grandmother is a sewing machine.  Grandpa is peeking into the bedroom.  Finn is a bump on the bed, totally covered by the quilt.  Through the subsequent double-page and full-page pictures from various perspectives with cut-aways, Grandpa's and Finn's conversations are brought to life.

As they move through the forest, Finn starts to uncover more and more from the quilt.  When Finn asks Grandpa to keep walking, the quilt is removed and wrapped around Grandpa's shoulders.  In the final scene, as they are seated under the stars, they are wrapped together in the quilt.

The facial features on Finn, Grandpa, and the other characters will engage readers.  The details in each scene ask us to pause and think like Finn.  What exactly is beneath us and others at any one time?

One of my many favorite illustrations is a two-page picture.  On the left side, Grandpa and Finn are looking up as we look down at them.  They are placed between a leafy branch and leaves along the top.  On the right side, close to us, is a bird sitting on a nest snug among another kind of tree and its branches.  In a cutaway, we see four tiny eggs in the nest. (The bird might be a cardinal or a cedar waxwing.)

All of us can use a hug when the wrong sort of mood moves into our day.  This book, Beneath written and illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld, is exactly the kind of hug we need.  It asks us to rethink our mood and appreciate that which we cannot see.  This title is certain to promote discussions about our relationships to each other and the world around us.  I highly recommend you place a copy in your professional and personal collections.  

To learn more about Cori Doerrfeld and her other work, please visit her website by following the link attached to her name.  Cori Doerrfeld has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website, Victoria Stapleton talks in a video with Cori Doerrfeld about her artwork in this title.  

Bridging Generations with Grandmothers and Grandfathers August 10 for 10 ##pb10for10

It's always a pleasure to gather books around a common theme.  That's one of the joys in participating in the annual Picture Book 10 for 10.  This year is a ten-year celebration by the creators, Mandy Robeck and Cathy Mere.  By following the link attached to Cathy Mere's name, you can join by posting your list according to the given directions.  All participants and those who garner ideas from the lists are grateful for the work of the originators, Mandy and Cathy.

At the beginning of the past eight years, I generated a list of alphabet books from my personal collection. In 2013 I shifted toward the best dog books.  My sweet Xena choose those titles from my collection numbering more than three hundred.  That year I used an application called Learni.st to host the choices.  This can now only be accessed by using the app rather than the website.  If you use the app Learni.st and search under Xena, the book list, August Ten for Ten Xena's Favorite Dog Books, will appear. Sharing my life now with a new canine companion, Mulan, might be a good time to update that list.  (Note to self for an upcoming year)

In the subsequent years, I made lists of books on counting and numbers, bedtime, sleep and sweet dreams, robots as main characters, friendship and bees. For my 2019 topic I've chosen books about grandmothers and grandfathers.  There is something when unsettling times present themselves to take comfort in those who've weathered many storms.  Their wisdom is a solid foundation on which to place our feet.  Rarely do I stick to the exact number ten for this list.  I usually sneak in one or two extra titles.  This year is no exception.


1.  Baking Day at Grandma's (Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), August 14, 2014) written by Anika Denise with illustrations by Christopher Denise

It's baking day!

It's baking day!

It's baking day at Grandma's!

Three bear children happily traipse through the snow to their grandmother's home.  Anticipation whispers promises in the air.  Dressed from head to toe in hats, coats, mittens, scarves and boots they pull their sled from a cottage to a cabin, past the pond and up and down hills.  Grandma Bear is ready and waiting for their arrival.  A crackling fire gets them warm on the outside as quickly as grandmother's greeting warms their hearts. 

Utensils and ingredients are gathered.  Aprons are donned.  A recipe is read. Can't reach the table?  Then stand on a chair to blend everything together.  You can even sneak a taste.

Make sure you have everything on hand to bake Grandma Rosie's Chocolate Cake.  I know readers and listeners will hardly be able to wait to cook and taste after reading this title.  This book is pure one hundred percent comfort.  What a treat it is!  The recipe is on the last page above the publication information.


2.   Nana In The City (Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, September 2, 2014) written and illustrated by Lauren Castillo

I went to stay with Nana at her new apartment in the city.

This story is about a first visit to the city for a little boy.  What's even more unbelievable to him is that his nana is living here now.  Right away the grandson makes two thoughts very clear to readers.  He loves his grandmother but not so much the city.  There is too much activity in the city.  There is too much noise in the city.  There is too much frightening stuff in the city.

After a subway ride and walking down the streets surrounded by tall buildings, the boy is certain this cannot possibly be a good home for his nana.  Regardless of her assurances, he struggles with sleep his first night there.  When he finally drifts off, Nana begins working on her special gift.

This book is, in a word, . . . marvelous.  It could be a cozy one-on-one bedtime story or as a read aloud to a group sparking conversations about grandparents and being brave.  I'm pretty sure every single reader has a special article of clothing they feel is magical.  I can already hear the stories being exchanged.  Be sure to share this as often as possible.  It's not only a classic gem but a Caldecott Honor winner.


3.  A Morning with Grandpa (Lee & Low Books Inc., May 2, 2016) written by Sylvia Liu with illustrations by Christina Forshay

Mei Mei watched Grandpa dance slowly among the flowers in the garden.  He moved like a giant bird stalking through a marsh.

This book gives readers a peek at shared experiences across the generations. Wisdom and patience celebrate with curiosity and exuberance.  Mei Mei's grandfather is practicing tai chi.  The form he is making is called White Crane Spreading Its Wings.  He goes on to explain to Mei Mei that tai chi is a style of martial arts.

When Gong Gong (grandfather) slowly moves through another form inviting Mei Mei to try, she looks more like a hopping frog than a graceful weed grazing the sand in a sea. In reply to her query asking him how she moves, he does not criticize but offers helpful hints.  Her breathing techniques resemble gusts more than gentle puffs.

You might want to have books on tai chi and yoga handy after reading title. The attempts by both to enjoy the preferred meditative exercise of the other are heartwarming; welcoming readers to reflect on them and the building of relationships from one generation to the next.  At the close of the book Sylvia Liu has descriptions of each pose and Christina Forshay includes thumbnails sketches.  On the closing page Sylvia Liu lists eight sources about tai chi and yoga.

4.  Grandmother Thorn (Ripple Grove Press, August 29, 2017), written by Katey Howes with illustrations by Rebecca Hahn

 GRANDMOTHER THORN
lived in the very first house
on the very straight road
to Shizuka Village.  

This original tale addresses a desire for flawlessness.  Day after day this woman worked in her gardens creating a visual masterpiece.  Everything had a place and Grandmother Thorn made sure it remained.  She tirelessly raked her paths in swirls, imitating the flow of water in a silent stream.

Grandmother Thorn valued peace and quiet and a supreme sense of order in her garden.  If it was disturbed, you could hear her voice rise in anger.  The only person never to receive rebuke from her was her elderly friend, Ojiisan.

This is a quiet but powerful look at how we should welcome another viewpoint of "perfection".  It also reminds us we should never stop learning, regardless of our age. This is enchanting with a timeless quality to the story and in the exquisite pictures.


5.  Drawn Together (Disney Hyperion, June 5, 2018) written by Minh Le (Let Me Finish! Disney Hyperion, June 7, 2016) with illustrations by Dan Santat (After The Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again Roaring Brook Press, October 3, 2017)

So . . . what's
new, Grandpa?

This story is a moving, truthful journey taken by a grandfather and his grandson.  Love always finds a way.  A daughter, a mother, drops her son off at his grandfather's home.  The grandfather happily greets his less-than-enthusiastic grandson. At dinner the grandfather eats a traditional meal but lovingly provides his grandson with an American meal.

After dinner the grandfather is watching one of his favorite television shows in a language the boy cannot understand.  Bored, he leaves the sofa going to his backpack.  He takes out a box of markers and begins to draw.  Leaning over his shoulder the grandfather is amazed at what he sees.

When he returns to the room, he's carrying a sketch book, a bottle of ink and a brush.  What the grandfather does next amazes the boy.  They share a passion for art; one new and colorful and the other masterful in fine, detailed lines of black on white.  They are a magician and a warrior existing in a realm of their own making.

No matter how many times you read this book, two words will continuously come to mind--timeless classic. We need books which tell us how to bridge generations.  Both have much to offer the other.  One has the wisdom of experience and the other has the zest of new discovery. The blend is a thing of beauty.


6.  Quiet (Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, October 9, 2018) written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola

"My, oh my," the grandfather said.
"Everything is in such a hurry.

A grandfather is strolling with his granddaughter, grandson and family dog among flowers, leafy trees, buzzing bees, other insects and creatures cautiously watching them.  A flock of birds lifts into the air.  The children notice other living things in motion.

At the suggestion of their grandfather they all walk toward a bench.  It's time to sit for a few minutes.  While they are there the grandfather points to the flock of birds, now settled in the tree branches.  The pooch has paused for a quick nap.  Residents of the pond are at rest.

Eyes closed the family is as still as everything around them.  Each member realizes quiet allows them to do certain things with ease.

If you seek calm, this book is a wise selection.  It is breathtaking in its simplicity.  After a read aloud with children or students, it would be interesting to have them speculate on the movements in nature in the other seasons of the year.  This is certain to promote conversations about the value of stillness. 


7.  Hope (Disney Hyperion, February 5, 2019) written and illustrated by Matthew Cordell

Dearest Grandchild,

You are here.

Like no one else,
now, before, or after.

You are here.

This book speaks to the importance of the connection between generations. It is a love letter from grandparents to a beloved grandchild. These lion grandparents teach of the value of individuals.  Each of us are important regardless of the size of the world and the residents populating it.  There are those who share our traits and beliefs and those who do not but always look for commonalities.

This grandchild will go where others have gone.  This grandchild has a choice wherever they go despite what others have done.  This grandchild has the ability to rise like a star.  It won't always be easy to glimmer when darkness descends but the grandparents ask their grandchild to look for hope.

First, I read Hope several times.  Then I read it after reading Wish and Dream.  Then I read it again.  It is assuredly wonderful alone conveying all the desires grandparents have for their grandchildren.  It cheers for grandchildren, all children.  With that being said Hope plus the two previous titles are a timeless trilogy.  You can't read them and not feel the overwhelming power of wishes, dreams and hopes.


8.  Stardust (Nosy Crow, an imprint of Candlewick Press, February 12, 2019) written by Jeanne Willis with illustrations by Briony May Smith

When I was little,
I wanted to be a star.

This title is a tale of a little girl who dreams of stars.  She is also searching for something everyone needs. The members of her family thought her older sister was a star.  When her sister found a precious lost item, made something and won a contest, she received top-notch praise.  The younger child could not seem to earn that kind of recognition.

In fact, after her most recent loss, she burst into tears.  That night sitting outside and watching the stars, our protagonist wished out loud to be one of them.  Her grandfather heard her.

Who has not felt less than they should in a family, classroom or community setting? This book allows readers to see we all have something special to offer this world.  We have the potential to make our dreams come true, even if we want to be a star.


9.  Sea Glass Summer (Candlewick Press, May 21, 2019) written by Michelle Houts with illustrations by Bagram Ibatoulline

Some years ago, a boy named Thomas spent the summer at his grandmother's island cottage.

This book is about a memorable summer of discoveries, dreams and stories.  Early during this visit, Thomas's grandmother gifted him with a magnifying glass which had belonged to his grandfather.  Thomas loved to look at found objects through that magnifying glass.  As they walked along the shore, his grandmother found a piece of sea glass.

Thomas was intrigued by her explanation of the sea glass's possible origin.  He was even more fascinated by a saying his grandfather had about sea glass.  A story was attached to every piece.

Sea Glass Summer is a marvelous integration of the past and present through thoughtful, truthful words and exquisite artwork.  This title captures the magic of summers then and now and connects them and other events through story.  There is a soothing harmony in this book.


10. Where Are You From? (Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, June 4, 2019) written by Yamile Saied Mendez with illustrations by Jaime Kim

Where are you from?

they ask.

This title gives readers the best and only responses of true worth after a little girl is questioned by her classmates.  Adults want to know if her parents are from here or from there.  When her reply prompts them to continue to question her, she is confused. She decides to ask her grandfather, her Abuelo,

because he knows everything.

Walking together with his granddaughter, Abuelo stops for a moment to think. He tells her she comes from the Pampas, the gaucho and the brown river.  He further describes the meaning and value of each geographical feature and person.  He continues this journey by taking her to mountain peaks and oceans painting pictures with his words of the flora and fauna dwelling there.

The child, like those who questioned her, wants more.  She needs a specific place.  His response is certain to cause gasps in all readers.  Without a doubt, his granddaughter stops for a moment as joy and warmth fill her soul.  As Abuelo takes her home and holds her close, he speaks of universal, timeless beliefs which will resonate with all of us.

Lovingly written by Yamile Saied Mendez and lovingly illustrated by Jaime Kim, this book, Where Are You From?, tells readers all they need to know about their origins.  At the close of this title, readers will realize the human heart is a landscape large enough to include everyone.


There will come a time as adults when we need to offer loving support to children who have lost their grandparents.  These books, one older and one new, are two favorites of mine.  Follow the links attached to the title and publisher to get more information about them.

The Hickory Chair (Arthur A. Levine Books, February 1, 2001) written by Lisa Rowe Fraustino with illustrations by Benny Andrews 














Grandpa's Stories: A Book of Remembering (Abrams Books for Young Readers, April 2, 2019) written by Joseph Coelho with illustrations by Allison Colpoys

#CountMeIn

Resting easy can disappear.  There are times, sometimes more often than others, when sleep is elusive.  There's lots of tossing and turning and dozing in and out of dreams.  No one is alone in this.  It happens to everyone at any age. 

Readers do have an advantage in these instances.  For whatever reason, when sleep takes a vacation, we turn to books any time of the day or night.  In light of the events in America during the first weekend of August 2019, early on Sunday morning I began a book and finished it before noon.  I read it again, cover to cover on Monday.  This book, Count Me In (Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, August 27, 2019) written by Varsha Bajaj, is an important and relevant book, especially now but also because its message is timeless.

CHAPTER 1
KARINA 
CHRIS DANIELS AND I are like separate planets orbiting in the same place.
Like the planets, we have our own paths, and I like it that way.  Mine is full of photos and stories, and his is full of basketball and hyenas.
Like Venus and Earth, we are next-door neighbors.  We've been in the same school since I moved to the neighborhood in third grade, but we've been in the same class only once-fifth grade.
Then, of all the crappy karma, there he is, on the first day of seventh grade, in five out of my seven classes at Spring Hill Middle School.

In this first of alternating chapters, we are introduced to Karina Chopra, a granddaughter of immigrants from India.  Both she and her parents were born in the United States of America.  She has been the target of bullying and racism.  She does have the support of loving parents who own and run a sandwich shop, a best friend named Ashley, her passion for photographs, her interest in reading and her Papa, her father's father, who is coming from California to live with them in Texas.

The voice of Chris Daniels speaks loud and clear in the next chapter.  He does not want Karina to think he is

one of the mean dudes.

He recounts, as did Karina, the incident in sixth grade when she is targeted on the bus ride home from school.  He is upset about it and speaks by phone that evening with his older brother, Matt, away at college.  He also confronts the boy, a member of his basketball team, who lead the bullying on the bus and wrote a racist note to Karina in class.  Karina has no knowledge of Chris's thoughts on this.  They haven't said a word to each other in years.

This silence between them changes because of two seemingly unrelated events, the arrival of Papa on Labor Day weekend and a note sent to Chris's parents about his less than stellar performance in math class.  After a week at Karina's house, Papa is a relentless, restless efficient bundle of energy.  Karina's mother discovers her school needs volunteers to tutor math students.  When Papa tutors, Karina will stay late at school with him.  Papa is assigned by the teacher to Chris.  The connection between Papa and Karina is already strong but through the tutoring it grows between Papa and Chris.  The three build a bond on common interests and a growing respect for their individuality.

One afternoon after tutoring, walking to Papa's car parked on the street by the soccer field, a car slows down and stops next to Karina, Chris and Papa.  The man steps out and begins to throw racial remarks at Papa.  They are asked for their phones which are thrown into the bushes and the man pulls a knife. In an effort to protect the children, Papa is severely injured.  A woman across the street, taking her trash cart to the curb, scares away the man by yelling at her husband to call 911.

In the next twenty chapters we are privy to how this hate-based attack changes everything for Karina and Chris, Papa, their families, friends, their immediate community and the greater community of the United States of America.  It involves the positive power of social media to enhance change, the response of middle school friends in beginning something small which grows to something large, and how good people rise in solidarity against hate.  Hate seems to always be present, but the resilience of people, of these children, to stand up against it, is never to be underestimated.


For educators who have worked with middle school students, the words written by author Varsha Bajaj ring true.  By using the technique of alternating chapters between Karina and Chris, we are able to follow the evolution of their thinking and their relationship as loyal friends.  The short chapters engage readers and help to build tension prior to the attack.  They bind us to the resulting personal and very real issues after the assault.

The inclusion of conversations between all the characters heightens our interest, revealing the personalities of each individual.  We are fully committed to their stories.  We understand all the facets of family life and interactions between parents and children.  The presence of compassionate and concerned adults, teachers, the journalist, the law enforcement officers and rehabilitation personnel, and an older sibling is welcome.  (As a child who was raised to believe that each generation's purpose is to make this world better for the next generation, it is important for the intended audience of this book to realize there are people, despite a wide range of situations in which they find themselves, who will assist them.)  Here are a few of the many passages marked in this book.  (I am working with an Advanced Reading Copy.)

"What'd you do?" he asked.
What could I have done?  I had asked myself that question.  I was sitting on the bus with the guys from the basketball team, and I had only waited forever to be able to sit with them---to be one of the guys.  If I had said something at the time, what price would I have had to pay?
The middle-school bus is a monster that no one has slayed, as far as I know.  Being quiet---biting your tongue, swallowing your thoughts and words---is how you survive.  So far, those tactics have worked for me.
"Doing the right thing is hard," he said when I was silent.  "But Chris, at least you know what is right and wrong."
I did know the difference, but was that enough?  Did I need a new game plan?

Then more quietly but with steel in his eyes, Papa says, "Karina, we are not going to let that hater take us down."
I hold back my tears.  I nod in agreement.
"That man will not win.  He will not defeat us," he says.  "I have traveled too far for that."
Dad adjusts Papa's blanket and puts his hand on his shoulder to reassure him.
Papa's words make me feel less scared and alone.  This morning, the path was as dark as the night before.  It's as if Papa has turned on a flashlight and shown me the way forward.  If he is going to fight, so am I.

Like Mr. C says, you have to be able to imagine a better world to make it a reality.


This book, Count Me In written by Varsha Bajaj, takes us beyond news reports we may read or hear.  It takes us into the hearts of individuals who experience a hate crime.  It does this in the context of home, school and community situations weaving all together, the good and the bad, flawlessly.  I highly recommend this for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Varsha Bajaj and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Varsha Bajaj has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can read an excerpt.  Varsha Bajaj is showcased on author Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations and at CBC Diversity.

UPDATE:  Varsha Bajaj speaks at Brightly about racism and hate.  Varsha Bajaj is interviewed at CBC Diversity.

You Belong

As an educator, as a teacher librarian, all the children in any given school in any given year enter your classroom, the school library.  They arrive from an assortment of families, economic conditions, ethnic and racial backgrounds with a range of personalities and potential.  They are all beautiful, important and of immeasurable value.

Depending on the community in which they live, some of them for reasons of physical characteristics, language, clothing, cultural or religious practices feel as though they don't belong.  They are asked questions they are unable to answer to the satisfaction of other children or adults.  Where Are You From? (Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, June 4, 2019) written by Yamile Saied Mendez with illustrations by Jaime Kim gives readers the best and only responses of true worth.

Where are you from?
they ask.

A little girl is questioned by her classmates.  Adults want to know if her parents are from here or from there.  When her reply prompts them to continue to question her, she is confused. She decides to ask her grandfather, her Abuelo,

because he knows everything.

Walking together with his granddaughter, Abuelo stops for a moment to think. He tells her she comes from the Pampas, the gaucho and the brown river.  He further describes the meaning and value of each geographical feature and person.  He continues this journey by taking her to mountain peaks and oceans painting pictures with his words of the flora and fauna dwelling there.

She also is a part of wild unexpected weather found in this portion of the world as well as the calmer ebb and flow of sunshine and rain.  Each sentence from Abuelo to his beloved little girl speaks of the land and the people and the histories attached to both.  The child, like those who questioned her, wants more.  She needs a specific place.

His response is certain to cause gasps in all readers.  Without a doubt, his granddaughter stops for a moment as joy and warmth fill her soul.  As Abuelo takes her home and holds her close, he speaks of universal, timeless beliefs which will resonate with all of us.


There is not a child (or an adult) who reads the words written by Yamile Saied Mendez that will not feel a connection.  The desire to know who came before us in our families is strong but even more urgent when others press us for answers other than those we know.  Abuelo's descriptions are lyrical and simply lovely; almost like a lullaby.  Through his words we walk through all aspects of a land, its inhabitants and the history of its people.  Each of these portrayals, like layers, are designed to lead us back to the girl's original question.  This makes Abuelo's final words more potent.  Here is a passage.

You're from mountains so high
they tickle Senor Cielo's belly,

where the condor roosts his family
and the jaguar prowls the night.


In a word the image seen on the open and matching dust jacket and book case is bliss.  You can see the shared pleasure in each other's company on both faces.  The path through the field with birds against the afternoon sky contributes to the golden emotional glow.  The field stretches over the spine to the far-left edge.  There are color variations in the grass as if a gentle breeze is blowing.  Even more birds in the same flock are shown flying.  On the jacket the title text, the child and her grandfather are varnished.

On the opening and closing endpapers a vista of mountains and an ocean spreads edge to edge.  In the first a palette of green shades and yellow depicts the start of a day with the large sun rising between peaks and glistening on the water.  Birds are flying from both directions.  On the final endpapers hues of purple color the sky, mountains and water.  A darker golden yellow and orange paint the setting sun.  Birds are again flying from both directions.  Both scenes present serenity.

The pictures rendered in watercolor and digital techniques to create the digital illustrations by Jaime Kim are brimming with animation.  The sizes move from full-page pictures to double-page pictures when the little girl is chatting with Abuelo.  With each page turn you can sense the mood and emotions intensifying by Jaime Kim's use of color.

To enrich the warmth of the narrative Jaime Kim alters her points of view.  Sometimes the pair are viewed close-up or as part of a larger landscape.  Their attire might change depending on the sentences.  They are seen riding horses and wearing appropriate attire when gaucho is mentioned.  Sometimes the reader is given more of a bird's eye view of a scene as in the plaza with reference to Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo.  Readers will finally notice the sky changing color as dusk descends on the pair.  This enhances the final sentences and the final image.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations spans two pages.  It is night.  A few golden stars sparkle in the deep blue and purple sky.  This spreads as a canvas on the two pages.  Along the bottom of the page, outlined in those blue and purple colors, are grasses from the field enlarged as if we are peering through them lying on our stomachs.  On the right behind some of the grass the grandfather and his granddaughter sit.  Their backs are to us.  They are looking up.  One of Abuelo's arms is around the little girl; the other is pointing at the North Star.  Simply precious.


Lovingly written by Yamile Saied Mendez and lovingly illustrated by Jaime Kim, this book, Where Are You From?, tells readers all they need to know about their origins.  At the close of this title, readers will realize the human heart is a landscape large enough to include everyone.  I highly recommend this book for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Yamile Saied Mendez and Jaime Kim and their other work, please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  Yamile Saied Mendez has an account on Twitter.  Jaime Kim has an account on Instagram and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images from the beginning of the book.  There is also a printable activity, a family tree to complete.  Here is a link to a letter written by Yamile Saied Mendez about this book.

A Universal Connection

Each month during the new moon going outside very late at night or very early in the morning, when the rest of the world is sleeping, the number of stars spread across the darkened, cloudless sky is spectacular.  It's a display only Mother Nature can produce.  If you are fortunate one of those stars will decide it's time for you to make a wish.  They will fall arching toward the horizon.

There are those who gaze at those stars and wonder what it would be like to walk among them, much as you would wander through a meadow of daisies.  Stardust (Nosy Crow, an imprint of Candlewick Press, February 12, 2019) written by Jeanne Willis with illustrations by Briony May Smith is a tale of a little girl who dreams of stars.  She is also searching for something everyone needs.

When I was little,
I wanted to be a star.

The members of her family thought her older sister was a star.  When her sister found a precious lost item, made something and won a contest, she received top-notch praise.  The younger child could not seem to earn that kind of recognition.

In fact, after her most recent loss, she burst into tears.  That night sitting outside and watching the stars, our protagonist wished out loud to be one of them.  Her grandfather heard her.

He told her she was already a star.  In a story to her he offered an explanation as to this truth.  He took her back, back, back in time.  There was nothing.  Slowly he brought her forward describing how everything and everyone was and is connected by stardust.

She asked him another question.  His answer warmed her on the inside, until she sparkled on the outside.  She never stopped.


With her first sentence author Jeanne Willis invites readers to remember past wishes and hold fresh wishes in their hearts.  She continues by showing us several examples, three, where the little girl feels like her dream of being a star is never going to come true.  By having the grandfather offer support and a special story to his granddaughter, this narrative bridges generations.   Weaving dialogue into the first-person narrative makes it more personal for us.  Here is a passage.

When Nana showed us how to
knit, the scarf I made for Granddad
was full of holes.

But the scarf my sister made for Nana wasn't.
"It's perfect.  You little star!"
said Nana.


Rendered in mixed media by Briony May Smith, the illustrations, beginning with the open matching dust jacket and book case, radiate warmth and a golden light.  The scene on the front, right, extends over the spine with the trunk of the tree reaching into the lower left-hand corner.  Additional delicate flowers in shades of blue spring up near the trunk.  In the distance nearby homes dot the hillside, windows gleaming in the night.  The title text and a ribbon of stars on the front of the dust jacket are done in silver foil.

On the opening and closing endpapers the darker yellow-orange color becomes the canvas.  Prior to the verso and title pages, the little girl is place on a creamy white background, seated and reading an astronomy book.  She is wearing her star-shaped barrettes.   On the verso and title pages a pathway leads into the hillside community at night.  It's done in hues of blue, green, white and yellow.

Each of the images span double-pages, reaching out and wrapping around readers.  They are familial scenes with parents, grandparents and the two daughters.  In one we enjoy a backyard picnic with a swing hanging from the big tree.  Careful readers will see a black cat in several of the pictures.  Many of the illustrations have at least one book in them.

When Granddad is telling his story, the settings in space, the sea and a jungle are breathtaking.  The featured children and their parents come from diverse backgrounds.  Another thing not mentioned in the text but added by Briony May Smith is the gift Granddad gives to his younger granddaughter.  This is a beautiful extension of the story.  We see him carrying something when he hears her making the wish.  It isn't until her final question and his answer we see it opened and laying on the nighttime meadow.  Readers will be fascinated with all the details found in every visual.

One of my many favorite illustrations is when Granddad and the little girl are under the sea.  Across two pages Briony May Smith has placed sea creatures of all shapes and sizes in shimmering colors of yellow, green, blue and purple.  There are mammals, dolphins, with sea turtles and jellyfish.  A shaft of light shines on the single word of text.  Granddad is stretched out with his legs crossed and his arms behind his head.  A smile tugs on his mouth.  He is wearing the holey scarf.  The little girl is extending her nose to give a nuzzle to a dolphin.  I love how Granddad and his granddaughter are wearing their ordinary clothes in all these special settings.


Who has not felt less than they should in a family, classroom or community setting?  Stardust written by Jeanne Willis with illustrations by Briony May Smith allows readers to see we all have something special to offer this world.  We have the potential to make our dreams come true, even if we want to be a star.  This is a welcome addition to your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Jeanne Willis and Briony May Smith and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Briony May Smith maintains an account on Tumblr, Instagram and Twitter.  At Nosy Crow and Candlewick Press you can view interior images.

In Stillness

Slow down, please.  Now, stop.  Find a place to sit down.  Can you hear it?  What?  Nothing.  This is the sound of silence.  Everything and everyone are at rest.  Wrap yourself in it; feel the cozy comfort of being still.  Enjoy it.  Great things come from this state of being.

Sometimes we believe inactivity is a waste of time; a sign of the absence of accomplishments.  In truth, without it we fail to hear our heartbeat, the heartbeat of others and the beat of Earth's heart.  Quiet (Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, October 9, 2018) written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola is a shared walk into serenity.

"My, oh my," the grandfather said.
"Everything is in such a hurry.

A grandfather is strolling with his granddaughter, grandson and family dog among flowers, leafy trees, buzzing bees, other insects and creatures cautiously watching them.  A flock of birds lifts into the air.  The children notice other living things in motion.

Their dog chases a thrown ball.  A nearby frog leaps into a pond.  Look at the trees!  Leaves rustle in a soft breeze.

At the suggestion of their grandfather they all walk toward a bench.  It's time to sit for a few minutes.  While they are there the grandfather points to the flock of birds, now settled in the tree branches.  The pooch has paused for a quick nap.  Residents of the pond are at rest.

Eyes closed the family is as still as everything around them.  Each member realizes quiet allows them to do certain things with ease.  Never underestimate the power of Quiet.


The word choices in the spare text of Tomie dePaola cast a spell of peace over all who read them. The verbs of motion provide a contrast to those representing stillness. An atmosphere of thankfulness permeates the entire walk and rest on the bench.  The grandfather in his conversation with his grandchildren asks them to be mindful of their surroundings.  Out of respect for him, they reply in kind.  Here is another sentence.

"And a dragonfly zooming over the water."


When you hold this book in your hands and look at the front of the opened dust jacket, a hush encompasses your soul.  The presence of white space acts as an element here and on all the pages inside the book.  The soft colors and fluid lines ask us to rest.  When we do, we notice the doves, ladybugs, rabbits, praying mantis on the lily stems and the dragonfly acting as a dot for the "i" in quiet.


Set on a canvas of pure white on the back, to the left, is a dragonfly quietly posed on a bent cattail.  This is extending from the lower, left-hand corner of the page.  The book case is a textured subdued, grass green.  Embossed on the front in metallic soft turquoise is the lily pad and flower seen on the front of the dust jacket.

The opening and closing endpapers are colored in a brighter spring green.  The white outline of a dragonfly in flight on the first and motionless on the second reflects the contents of the narrative.  On the initial title page, the family group is leaving their home.  They are in miniature along the bottom of the page with a large expanse of white above them.  We move in closer to them for the formal title page on a double-page picture.

Rendered in transparent acrylics and colored pencil the illustrations are a beautiful representation of the work of Tomie dePaola and the natural world we enter with this grandfather and his grandchildren.  There is much to see in the first double-page image.  A mole peeks from a hole.  A worm crawls along the grass.  Bees fly, a beetle crawls, a ladybug pauses with a praying mantis and a mother fox curls with two baby pups.

Tomie dePaola outlines each scene in a fine line but in some an element breaks that line giving a sense of motion or the continuation of the area beyond what we can see.  Other creatures are tucked into his images, snails, ants, a squirrel, and a butterfly.  Even in this calm we are accompanied.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a close-up of the dog napping.  This is a double-page picture.  To the left we can see a portion of the bench and the girl's purple dress, knee, hand, leg and shoe.  Looped under the bench is the dog's leash.  A single golden orange daylily curves to the right of the bench.  Stretched from the center of the left side, across the gutter and nearly to the edge of the right side is the dog.  He (she) is lying on his side, front paws extended back in front of the belly.  The back legs are out.  This is the essence of peace.


If you seek calm, Quiet written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola is a wise selection.  It is breathtaking in its simplicity.  After a read aloud with children or students, it would be interesting to have them speculate on the movements in nature in the other seasons of the year.  This is certain to promote conversations about the value of stillness.  I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Tomie dePaola and his extensive work, please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  At the publisher's website you can view interior illustrations. Tomie is interviewed at Brightly about his work.  Author and teacher librarian Carter Higgins chats with Tomie about this title on her site, Design Of The Picture Book.  Be sure to stop by A Fuse # 8 Production hosted by Elizabeth Bird, Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system, for the cover reveal.  Tomie also chats about this title on NPR's Morning Edition and America The Jesuit Review.  The first is an audio interview and the second is a video interview with some scenes in Tomie's studio.  Enjoy the book trailer.  It's so lovely, you'll hardly be able to wait to hold the book in your hands.

In Gratitude For Grandfathers

Yesterday, June 17, 2018, the third Sunday in June, was celebrated as Father's Day around the world.  It is a time to honor and remember those who have figured prominently in our lives.  Of my dad the memories are abundant. Not a day passes without something he said or did coming to mind.  Of my two grandfathers I have much less. These two necklaces, more than one hundred years old, and a rattle he made for my mom are all I have to remember my mother's father.  Mom believed he might have been Native American but he died from an accident when she was four. I have words from my dad's dad which have sustained me on more than one occasion.  Barely one when he was in the hospital, having suffered a heart attack, I was outside in the hall putting up a fuss because I could not see him. He said, "You can't keep Margie down."  He never came home.

These men in our lives, whether they are living or have died, have and will influence us. In our youth we may feel as though they can't possibly understand us.  Sometimes it seems like we have no common ground. Drawn Together (Disney Hyperion, June 5, 2018) written by Minh Le (Let Me Finish! Disney Hyperion, June 7, 2016) with illustrations by Dan Santat (After The Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again Roaring Brook Press, October 3, 2017) is a moving, truthful journey taken by a grandfather and his grandson.  Love always finds a way.

A daughter, a mother, drops her son off at his grandfather's home.  The grandfather happily greets his less-than-enthusiastic grandson. At dinner the grandfather eats a traditional meal but lovingly provides his grandson with an American meal. When the grandson asks his grandfather

So . . . what's
new, Grandpa?,

the elderly gentleman replies in his native language.  The meal is finished in silence.

After dinner the grandfather is watching one of his favorite television shows in a language the boy cannot understand.  Bored, he leaves the sofa going to his backpack.  He takes out a box of markers and begins to draw.  Leaning over his shoulder the grandfather is amazed at what he sees.

When he returns to the room he's carrying a sketch book, a bottle of ink and a brush.  What the grandfather does next amazes the boy.  They share a passion for art; one new and colorful and the other masterful in fine, detailed lines of black on white.  They are a magician and a warrior existing in a realm of their own making.

When the dragon of doubt threatens to rise up, the duo conquers it with courage.  They are content in the knowledge of their shared inventiveness and talent.  They know they've discovered a new language; a language without words.


We quickly realize the boy, while being polite, is not as happy as his grandfather about the visit.  With his first two sentences Minh Le allows us to understand the reason.  They do not speak the same language.

We sense the frustration of both until the boy begins to draw and the grandfather reveals his sketch book.  Minh's carefully chosen words at the boy's surprise send a surge of excitement into the story.  As his narration continues we know it's a discovery born of love for one another and love of making art.  The final sentence will leave you breathless, if not in tears.  Here is one of Minh's other partial sentences.

All the things we could never say come pouring out . . .


When first looking at the unfolded dust jacket ablaze in magnificent art, extending flap edge to flap edge, you know the child and the older man share more than affection.  You are filled with wonder and questions about the story waiting to be read.  The collage of techniques, the use of circles (no beginning and no end), and the combinations of color leave you astounded and brimming with joy.

The book case, a weathered and worn dark color, has the word SKETCH in chalk on the front.  The opening and closing endpapers represent the work of the boy and the work of the grandfather.  In the first a young wizard is leaping over a vibrant, bold landscape.  In the second a meticulous painting of an ornate fish swimming among the waves is presented in black on white.

Dan Santat does not waste any space in telling his visual interpretation of the story.  On the dedication (verso) and title pages the mother has stopped the car and is standing by the open driver's door.  Her son is slowly making his way to his grandfather's house. The first six panels are wordless but we are well aware of the situation.

Rendered in traditional mixed media and composited on the computer each illustration brings you deeper and deeper into the narrative. Using panels of varying sizes two, three or four to a page, Dan Santat fashions a pacing which is building tension that will burst forth with a dynamic two-page picture; their combined art with each other in a stance of action.  It's the beginning of one "oh my goodness" double-page image after another.  The details, the color and black and white elements, the title font, the Thai writing (by Dan Santat's mother) and the facial expressions and body postures will have you gasping.  Which the switch comes, you will be cheering out loud.

One of my many favorite illustrations is for the text quoted above.  Along the top of the two pages is an intricate and eloquent fish moving from right to left. Beneath it on the left is the grandfather dressed in traditional warrior clothing brandishing a paintbrush as if it's a spear. He is facing left.  On the right and facing right is the grandson, holding his wand and extending it to create his own special kind of magic.  He is colorful as are the circles around and below him.


No matter how many times you read Drawn Together written by Minh Le with illustrations by Dan Santat two words will continuously come to mind--timeless classic. We need books which tell us how to bridge generations.  Both have much to offer the other.  One has the wisdom of experience and the other has the zest of new discovery. The blend is a thing of beauty. I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Minh Le and Dan Santat and their other work, please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  Minh Le visits the blog of Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher's Watch. Connect. Read.  You will enjoy the video created by Dan Santat about this title and the conversation between Minh and John.  Both Minh Le and Dan Santat talk about this title at Publishers Weekly and at The Horn Book with Roger Sutton.  Minh Le is interviewed at author Cynthia Leitich Smith's blog Cynsations by author Traci Sorell and on NPR, All Things Considered.

UPDATE:  Dan Santat visits Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, the blog of author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson.  You will really enjoy the shared process art.

All Is Not Lost

When your family unit is shaken to its core you enter a form of suspended reality.  As a child when the only parent who has cared for you is suddenly removed from your life, it is particularly devastating.  The only place you have ever called home now belongs to someone else.

To make an unbearable set of circumstances even worse, your beloved dog is gone.  Chasing Augustus (Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, September 19, 2017) written by Kimberly Newton Fusco is the story of a girl weighed down by unbearable sadness but fueled with grim determination to find the other half of her soul.  Nothing is going to stop her.  Nothing.

My grandpa Harry says vinegar runs through my veins and I am too impatient for my own good.
He says I stomp around like a moose half the time and I am proud, prickly, and rude.
Also, I am thin as an eel and, come to think of it, not much better to look at, either.

This is how we meet Rosie.  She lives with her grandfather in a tiny apartment with windows that shake when the trains roar past. Her dad now resides at St. Camillus.  One day on his way home with Rosie from the donut shop he owns, he had a stroke.  Her mom, who left when Rosie was a baby and is now an attorney in California, sold their house and gave away Rosie's dog, Augustus.

It's the first day of summer vacation after a less than stellar year of fifth grade.  Rosie, on her dad's rickety boyhood bike she calls the Blackbird, is going to explore every nook and cranny of their community and follow every lead until she finds Augustus.  Riding out to the sand pits, a major source of income for their town and the grit which spreads everywhere but builds resolve in the people's characters, is not the best idea.  Caught in a terrible storm, barely escaping with her life, Rosie's grandfather calls a halt to her plans. 

Banned from riding Blackbird, forced to help Mrs. Salvatore, who lives in their building, and befriend one of her new foster children, Philippe, Rosie is at her wit's end.  Another chatty child two years younger living in an apartment, Cynthia, desperate for friendship and lacking any parental care, rounds out this unlikely trio.  As if her summer cannot get any worse, Harry discovers Rosie's report card.  After a visit to the school and a conversation with Mr. Peterson, the sixth grade teacher every student wants, Rosie has a notebook to fill with her story.

Rosie's sleuthing leads her to believe Augustus is being held captive by Swanson, an eccentric, silent woman who lives on the outskirts of town.  Now this intrepid gal needs a whole new set of plans; which she has to alter more than once.  Readers will learn along with Rosie things are not always as they appear, neither are people.

Looking for the other half of your soul takes help you have a hard time accepting.  Looking for the other half of your soul can lead you where you don't want to go.  Looking for the other half of your soul is not easy but the right thing rarely is.


After reading the first three pages written by Kimberly Newton Fusco you, regardless of your age, are connected to Rosie . . . and her no-nonsense, Marine-voiced grandfather Harry.  They both have been placed in circumstances not of their choosing but whether they admit it or not, you know they love each other.  Their pure willpower is constantly at odds as they both strive to survive the situation as best as they can.

Kimberly Newton Fusco's characters are as real as any collection of people shaped by life's twists and turns.  There is a balance between Mrs. Salvatore's cleanliness and caring and the physical environment in which they all live and from which they come.  There is a balance between the quiet of Swanson and the bullying noise of Avery Taylor, high school hockey player.  There is a balance between the pure crankiness of Rosie, the talkativeness and helpfulness of Cynthia and the skittishness of Philippe.  There is a balance between Rosie's dad now and his words ringing in her mind.

Rosie's thoughts and point of view are blended with the conversations of the other characters' voices in what can only be described as marvelous.  The depictions of events, past and present, the nature of the community, the time of day and the weather transport you into this story.  When you are reading this book, everything else fades out of focus as the clarity of the tale draws you to its center.

For readers with canine companions, for those who have loved dogs and for anyone else with hope and compassion in their hearts, the words used to portray Rosie's love of Augustus will have you nodding knowingly and at times on the verge of tears.  (And even for those with hardly a sliver of hope or compassion, these portions will reach out and envelope you.)  Kimberly Newton Fusco knows dogs and people and the bonds which are made between them.  Here are some passages from the book.

My grandpa forgets how much you can love a dog or he would never say that.  My dog slept on my bed and I fell asleep to his heart beating. . . . That's when I learned the real way of things:  When you lose your dog, there's a hole in your heart as big as the sun.  Your head aches all the time and you are so empty inside because you are half the girl you used to be.

I pull the Blackbird out of the toolshed behind our apartment building and lean it against the fence.  Already the wind from the storm coming bends the thin maples on Main Street until they are looking at their feet.  They could use a pep talk.

When I walked into my papa's room, the floor sagged under all the sadness.  My papa didn't hug me and he didn't read to me and he didn't whisper in my ear the way he did every single night of my whole life when he tucked me in:  I am right here and I will never leave you.
That was the day my heart jumped right out of my chest and whirling hornets took its place.  

He learned to be my mama/papa and bought me oodles of books and read them to me in my bedroom under the eaves.  We had reading celebrations with donuts and frappes when we finished a book and we baked a six-layer cake (with raspberry filling) when I read my first fat chapter book.
I was the youngest kid in the history of our town ever to get a library card---or so my papa bragged to everyone at the donut shop.  We kept pages and pages of lists of all the books we read, and when we discovered The World Book, we started making up cusswords.


Once you've started Chasing Augustus written by Kimberly Newton Fusco you have to finish it as quickly as you can.  You have to know what happens to Rosie and the other individuals who touch her life.  You have to know what happened to Augustus.  And once you've finished this book, this story and these characters will stay in your heart.  They are there forever.  I highly recommend placing a copy of this title on your professional and personal bookshelves.

To learn more about Kimberly Newton Fusco and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Kimberly maintains a blog.  You will want to read her post about the inspiration for this book.  You can read several of the early chapters in part one at the publisher's website. 

Have You Read The Instructions? Sputnik's Guide To Life On Earth Blog Tour

On October 4, 1957 the Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite into space.  It was called Sputnik 1.  Although there are different reports as to whether it could be seen by the naked eye or needed the assistance of binoculars, I distinctively remember as a little girl standing outside with my parents and younger sister watching it move across the sky.  On November 3, 1957 Sputnik 2 was shot into space by the Soviet Union.  This time the vehicle had a passenger, a dog named Laika.

Renowned British author, Frank Cottrell Boyce, takes a huge "what-if" about these launches, specifically the second of the two, as a basis for his newest title, Sputnik's Guide To Life On Earth (Walden Pond Press, June 20, 2017).  Is it possible the dog Laika survived her mission in space? If so, how would we know?

Before you start anything, make a list.  That's what my granddad says.  If you're making a cake, make a list.  If you're moving house, make a list.  If you're running away to sea, make a list.

In one of his grandfather's more lucid moments he recognizes what his grandson, Prez, just handed him.  He believes it to be a list with twenty-seven items on it but it is more than a list.  It's the twenty-seven chapters of this book, an extraordinary story of a life-changing summer.

It begins with a doorbell ringing at the home of the Blythes family, on a farm called Stramoddie.  Prez, who is not speaking at all, is staying with them for the summer after recently being placed at the Children's Temporary Accommodation.  (His grandfather is unable to currently care for him.)  This family is highly talkative so they, unlike Prez, don't even hear the doorbell ring.  When he answers it, Sputnik is standing there.

I have to describe him, because there's a lot of disagreement about what he looks like.
Height and age---about the same as me.
Clothes---unusual.  For instance, slightly-too-big sweater, kilt, leather helmet like the ones pilots wear in war movies, with massive goggles.
Weapons---a massive pair of scissors stuffed into his belt like a sword.  There were other weapons, but I didn't know about them then, or I definitely wouldn't have let him in. ...

You might like to know at this point the home on the farm called Stramoddie has no doorbell.  Sputnik looks like a dog to everyone else and he can read Prez's mind.

We quickly come to understand Sputnik has otherworldly powers; like making a toy lightsaber work as if it is real. (Annabel's birthday party is epic.)  He can use gravity like it's currents of air. But the most important thing about Sputnik, other than he is not a resident of Earth, is he is here to save Prez from eminent death.  This planet is about to be eliminated.

Sputnik and Prez have as long as the summer to find ten things worth seeing or doing on Earth.  They are writing a new guide to replace Laika's guide. (Sputnik has met the dog.)  Prez wonders if the map his grandfather made for him of their travels on the seven seas and the places they visited when he was a baby can assist them.  Basically he is worried sick.

With every chapter the exploits of Sputnik increase; grocery shopping without the benefit of money, using a digger to travel as fast as a rocket, concealer cream with unusual properties, a television remote changing things more than channels, and breaking less-than-savory people out of jail to name but a few.  Then, the summer is over, there are only nine things on the list and Prez has to return to Temporary.  Sputnik is staying on the farm but his work is unfinished.

Events begin to happen at lightning speed with the conclusion in sight; an amazing discovery about the map, a race on scooters, a death-defying encounter with a high tide and the revelation of the sea chest contents.  The laughter continues but the promise of greater things is fulfilled.  You will never look at a post-it note the same way again or read an instruction manual without wondering if you are missing something exceptional.


The tapestry of this tale is tightly woven with a multitude of threads.  Frank Cottrell Boyce explores the loss of memory in the elderly, the loss of home for a child, the beauty of a loving family, and the use of facts from the past to create a believable present.  Prez's voice rings with authenticity as each character is introduced through thoughts, conversations and actions.

With chapter titles like Spicy Chicken Wings, Lightsabers, Milk, Chicken and Mushroom Pie, and Curtains you are never sure how the chapter will unfold but the episodes do circle back or surround the introductory word or words.  The final sentence in many of the chapters begs you to continue;

"Didn't I mention?  Earth is about to be destroyed."
"Oh, no. No, no, no.  I have big plans for this pee.  Very big plans."
We were already running away.
But things don't always go according to plan.

The underlying current which keeps you turning pages in the midst of serious situations is the hilarity.  Frank Cottrell Boyce uses humor masterfully.  Here are some sample passages.

Annabel swung around to take a bow.  Her best friend saw the blade of light coming toward her and ducked just in time to stop it decapitating her.  But not in time to save her thick blond ponytail, which fell at her feet like a dead gerbil that was slightly on fire.  Everyone stared at it in horrible silence.
The lightsaber could have cut her head off.
"Said I could fix it, didn't I?" said Sputnik, smiling more than ever.  "Smell that burning hair!  This is a great party."
We have to stop this.  Someone could get killed.
"Why give her a lightsaber if you don't want her to use it?"
It's supposed to light up and twinkle!  Not cut things in half!
"Twinkle?  Where's the fun in twinkling?  This is a fantastic party.  I was told Earth parties were good, but I never realized they'd be this good.  I never realized they'd involve so much fire and destruction.  These kids are having a great time."
He was right about that.  Having your hair cut by a fully functioning lightsaber was the new face painting.  


"Well, that's something I love about your species.  How everyone helps to make an idea better and better until after about a hundred years it's completely brilliant.  Fish and chips are like a big knot tying everyone together.  We can put that on the list.  Fish and chips outside can go in the Companion."



Truthfully when I finished the final page of this book I was totally speechless for a few moments, stunned by the sheer genius of Frank Cottrell Boyce's writing and this story.  I repeatedly laughed out loud for long moments of time and I shed a few tears more than once.  Sputnik's Guide To Life On Earth is a book you must read.  Then you have to tell as many people as you can about it.  Finally you have to recommend they read it aloud.  Make sure you have at least one if not more copies on your professional bookshelves.  I know I will have at least one copy on my personal bookshelves and several to give away.

If you wish to know more about Frank Cottrell Boyce, please follow the link attached to his name to access a website.  This title was released earlier in the UK.  At the Panmacmillan site you can read an excerpt.  At The Guardian there is an article about the scrapbook made by Frank Cottrell Boyce for this book.  It is a fascinating read with illustrations.

June 5   Educating Alice                                                                     
June 6   Walden Media Tumblr
             Kirsti Call
June 7   Litcoach Lou
June 8   Novel Novice
June 9   The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia
June 11  Librarian's Quest
June 12  Next Best Book
June 13  Mrs. Knott's Book Nook
June 14  The Book Monsters