There's "Snow" Better Time To Read

It began in the early afternoon yesterday.  It was not stopping.  The entire landscape looked as though it was dipped in vanilla frosting.  The wind gusts sculpted lovely shapes and rang my three sets of wind chimes.  Winter is back full throttle. 






Late, late last night the snow finally stopped but the winds are still howling.  The big lake, Lake Michigan, is wild and beautiful today.  A walk along the shoreline needs to be done with respect.


Two of three publications released in November 2019 remind us of all the fun-filled activities to be enjoyed outside in winter.  The third book focuses on a hesitate hibernator.  In an alphabetical journey with a new-found friend, he makes his way back home.

When The Snow Is Deeper Than My Boots Are Tall (Godwin Books, Henry Holt and Company, November 5, 2019) written by Jean Reidy with illustrations by Joey Chou will have eager readers ready for a romp in the out-of-doors.  There is something special about an unexpected snowstorm.  It's an open invitation brimming with possibilities.

Jump up in the morning.
Winter's here at last!
Gobble down my pancakes.
Getting dressed so fast. 

Our happy narrator compares the snow depth throughout the story by his size.  It begins as

deeper than my toes are tall.

Before he gets garbed in his winter gear and sets foot outside, it's much deeper.  He joyfully leaves prints wherever he goes.  The family cat and dog join in his snowball fight with the neighborhood children and when he makes a snowman.

It keeps on snowing and the wind is still blowing.  A huge gust snatches his hat and now the snow depth matches the book's title.  This little guy is in need of rescue.

Near but not too near, loving parents pick him up.  The adventuresome boy, dog and cat are carried through the snow until they all take a minute or two or three to leave their shapes in the snow.  A final gaze at a vast starry sky is a prelude to an appreciative snuggle inside by a cozy, crackling fire.


Author Jean Reidy pens a wonderful rhyming story which will have readers clapping and toe-tapping by the second page turn.  Repeating the deeper than phrase but adding to its descriptions asks for reader participation.  Jean Reidy also includes single alliterative action words and the repetition of certain words together to heighten the rhythm.  Here is a passage.

Step!
Stamp!
Stomp!
Run!
Tracks in the white.

Splet!
Splat!
Splot!
Fun!
Snowball fight!


Illustrator Joey Chou using hues of blue and purple contrasting with vivid colors in clothing and interior and exterior scenes of the boy's home manages to portray a winter's snowy, blowy and chilly day with excellence.  On the front of the dust jacket the boy is gleefully swung between his parents as the family pets watch.  To the left, on the back, we are brought in close, to the boy and his pets engaged in making snow angels as two birds fly over them.  Specific elements are varnished to reflect light on the snow and title text.

On the book case in shades of turquoise as a background with large snowflakes in darker turquoise, white and purple, an interior illustration is featured.  It shows the boy romping in the snow, leaving his footprints and handprints.  He moves from left to right into four different positions before running toward the right-hand corner.

The opening and closing endpapers are covered in a bright orange similar to the boy's scarf.  The images, rendered by digitally painting in Adobe Photoshop, are all double-page pictures with shifting perspectives to enhance the pacing.  Several times we get a bird's eye view.  We are brought close to the characters for emotional impact.  Readers will delight in the extra details like the cat and dog paw prints on the frost-covered window pane

One of my many favorite illustrations is of the boy making a snowman.  On the left he is rolling the head toward the two other large snowballs on the right.  His snowball on the left already has eyes, a smiling mouth, a carrot nose and twigs sticking out the top for hair.  The medium snowball has a red bow tie on it.  The cat is peeking out the top.  The largest snowball has yellow boots for feet.  The dog, paws on top, is looking at the cat and his boy and is barking.

To learn more about Jean Reidy and Joey Chou and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Jean Reidy has accounts on Facebook and Twitter.  Joey Chou has accounts on Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  The link is attached to their name.


A Day for Skating (Candlewick Press, November 5, 2019) written by Sarah Sullivan with illustrations by Madeline Valentine is sure to have readers reaching for their skates and searching for the nearest ice.  If you can't walk to it, it's time for a trip.  Then, get ready to glide, twirl and zoom over the frozen surface.

Mittens, boots, parka, cap.
Crisp cold. Branches snap.
Clear pond, shining ice.
Laced-up skates---check them twice.

An adult, little girl and pet dog head to the skating pond in their car.  At the ice, the little girl struggles to maintain her balance but her companions, human and canine are there to offer support and help.  After the tumble, the trio head inside the warming hut with others for a snack and hot chocolate.

Later, back outside, we watch others skating hand-in-hand, playing hockey, dancing and racing.  Everyone seems to be enjoying their day on the ice.  At dusk, a roaring fire in a brick pit outside is a place to get warm and change from skates to boots.  Others gather by the fire with the adult, little girl and their dog.

Back home there's a warm bath to take off the chill, and a favorite book to read in bed. What's happening at the ice now that everyone is home?  Only the full moon knows for sure.


Through the words written by author Sarah Sullivan is seems as if we are there at the pond and at the child's home at the end.  Most of the two lines rhyme at the end, giving us a descriptive vision of place, time and the emotional mood.  There is a distinctive flow mirroring the actions of the characters until we, like the little girl, are lulled into calm at the conclusion.  Here is a passage.

Good friends gliding in a row.
Holding on and letting go.


Rendered digitally and using watercolor and colored pencil, the illustrations by Madeline Valentine transport us to the pond on the matching and open dust jacket and book case.  On the front the girl and her parent skate together amid a hockey player and group of figure skaters.  The crisp, cold setting is deftly depicted in cooler colors with bright splashes in the clothing worn by the skaters. 

The scene continues over the spine to the left.  Five skaters, hand-in-hand fashion a line whipping around on the ice.  Behind them is the warming hut, the dog and another father and his son. Readers will be pleased to see different ethnic groups represented.

On the opening endpapers, the parent, little girl and dog are riding in their car to the pond down a county road with a snowy landscape behind them.  On the closing endpapers we are at the pond at night.  We can see the warming hut and a portion of the pond.  Deep purples broken with white snowflakes and a large shining moon portray an atmospheric scene.  On the verso and title pages we are treated to an overview of the parking lot, warming hut, ponds with skaters and the bridge.

The majority of the images are double-page pictures with smaller illustrations featuring actions in a short time period.  The expressions on the characters are those of pure joy whether they are on the ice, in the warming hut, cozy around the fire outside or when our main characters are happily at home.  Readers will appreciate the fine line work and details.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a close-up of people gathered around the outdoor fire pit.  On the left are several children and an adult, and the girl, her parent and dog.  On the right a child, skates over their arm, is close to the pit, arms and hands outstretched to savor the heat.  Careful readers will notice new guests off the edge to the right.  They are a hint of things to come.

Links are attached to the names of Sarah Sullivan and Madeline Valentine, so you can learn more about them and their work by accessing their websites.  Sarah Sullivan maintains accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.  Madeline Valentine maintains accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  At Candlewick Press and at Penguin Random House you can view interior illustrations.  Here is a link to a nine-page activity kit found at the author's website.


Bear Is Awake!: An Alphabet Story (Dial Books For Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, November 26, 2019) written and illustrated by Hannah E. Harrison is an enchanting story of an unlikely and unexpected friendship.  A winter's nap is interrupted for reasons unknown.  A girl's morning is interrupted, too, but she handles it with pure perfection.

Aa  awake
Bb  big bear
Cc  cozy cabin
Dd  doorbell ding-dong!

As you might expect, the letter e reveals entirely different responses from the bear and the girl.  The bear is thrilled with his entrance into the cottage.  The girl is surprised out of her mind.  For each letter of the alphabet the story unfolds from one hilarious moment to the next.

The girl decides they need to go on an excursion.  She puts a large hat on the bear, and they set off down the road into town.  The townspeople and children are terrified.  The bear is having a ton of fun and the girl is trying to keep him acting nicely.

After a trip to the market and back at the cottage, a pancake breakfast makes for two happy people.  The more she learns (from reading a book she got when they visited the library), the girl knows the bear must go back to his home.  The trip is partially fun filled, long and a tiny bit sad.  Now tucked in for his long winter's nap, the bear (and readers) will notice the treats and promise left behind.


Every carefully chosen word by Hannah E. Harrison moves us through this delightfully charming narrative laden with humor.  The single words, double words, triple words and one group of four are sometimes alliterative but nevertheless, fashion a cadence.  Together this collection of alphabetically arranged words do tell a story but they leave plenty of room for the marvelous illustrations.  Here are the words for the letter o.

Oo  oblivious officer
       outlandish outfit


As soon as you look at the front of the matching dust jacket and book case, not a second later, you'll be filled with merriment.  That bear and that girl are having the most fun either of them have ever had.  Notice the shadows made by their arms and legs as they form their snow angles and their footprints and paw prints in the snow.  To the left, on the back, still on a background of white, an interior image of the girl tying the hat on the bear is placed between text that reads:

What would you do if A Bear Came to the Door?

A. Run!
B. Scream!
C. Give the bear a warm hat and head to the library for advice.

On the opening and closing endpapers, with a blue-on-blue color scheme, a map of the community, the girl's cabin and surrounding woods, the stream, mountains and bear's home are shown.  There is one difference between the first and second set of endpapers.  Readers will have fun with the added detail.

Illustrator Hannah E. Harrison begins the pictorial story on the title page with the bear still sleeping inside his den but by the first page turn, a squirrel has moved to the top of the den when the bear wakes up. 

The artwork for this book was created with Winsor & Newton Designers gouache on Strathmore 400 series 184 lb. mixed media paper with vellum surface.

The image sizes vary between double-page pictures, full-page pictures, and several images on a single page.  Readers won't know whether to burst out laughing (which they will undoubtedly do) or point out all the tiny elements Hannah E. Harrison includes in her pictures.  The bear is using a single sharp claw to ring the doorbell.  The bear glances back at the lion on the library steps.  The baby touching the bear's fur during story time is completely at ease.  All the children are watching the bear or carrying on as usual.  The librarian is the one looking rather uncomfortable.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is on a single page.  The bear and the girl are in the supermarket at the check-out counter.  The cart is ahead of the girl and the cashier; the items are already in a bag.  The big, bulky bear is squashed into the seat, wearing the seatbelt and cautiously waving one paw at the cashier.  The cashier is trying to ring the cash register and take the girl's money while keeping an eye on the bear.  The girl, her back to us, is holding out her money.  This is the nice part of the letter n.  (You should see the naughty scene on the previous page.)


Follow the link attached to Hannah E. Harrison's name to access her website and learn all about her other enchanting books.  Hannah E. Harrison has an account on Facebook.  You might enjoy this interview of Hannah E. Harrison on Brightly.  At the publisher's website you can view the title page.


When The Snow Is Deeper Than My Boots Are Tall written by Jean Reidy with illustrations by Joey Chou, A Day for Skating written by Sarah Sullivan with illustrations by Madeline Valentine and Bear Is Awake!: An Alphabet Story written and illustrated by Hannah E. Harrison are three fabulous books for a winter theme whether they are read separately or together.  They offer multiple opportunities for story stretcher activities.  All of them are lively and full of cheer.  Who could ask for anything more?  I highly recommend all three for your personal and professional collections.

Countdown To 2019 #1 Friends

Distance and decades do not weaken the bond between them.  Unexpected circumstances do not deter these individuals.  Strength, courage and good fortune are offered in the face of weakness, fear and adversity.  They tend to place others first and themselves second.


Friends appear when they are least expected and most needed.  They know us better than we know ourselves.  In the following three volumes published in 2018, friends come in all shapes and sizes.

Friends Stick Together (Dial Books for Young Readers, April 10, 2018) written and illustrated by Hannah E. Harrison (Extraordinary Jane and Bernice Gets Carried Away) is a classic case of the attraction of opposites.  What's one to do when another wishes you would disappear?  You don't give up.

I'm Rupert.

I like reading 
dictionaries,
listening to
classical overtures,
and eating cucumber
sandwiches with no crust.

The next character we meet is Levi.  He is not a rhinoceros, but he is a tickbird.  Corny jokes, armpit farts and popping wheelies are a few of his favorite things.

One minute he isn't in Rupert's classroom and the next minute he is on Rupert's nose.  Levi is one obnoxious bird and he won't leave Rupert alone.  Rupert doesn't really have many friends but Levi chases everyone away.

Rupert starts a campaign to get rid of Levi.  Rupert tries once, twice and three times to vanquish this pest.  Finally, the truth works and Levi leaves.

Levi does not appear at school the following day; not in music, or gym class and not during lunch.  Guess what?  Rupert is miserable without Levi.  There is a path to take.  Will Rupert follow it?


Author Hannah E. Harrison begins slowly and with intention acquainting us with the two main characters.  They are total opposites which brings in the humor.  It intensifies in a combination of narrative and conversations.  When each character reaches their point of no return, we are hopeful and totally engaged in the story.  One clever bit of writing by Hannah E. Harrison is the inclusion of two different definitions of symbiosis at the beginning and at the end of the story.  This ties every portion of the story together.  Here is a passage.

During lunch, he makes a big to-do
about eating my ticks, and grosses
everyone out.

"Yummy!
Tastes like chicken!"

"Just kidding,
tastes like tick!" 


What people remember the most about the artwork of Hannah E. Harrison in her books is her portraits of her animal characters.  Their animated body positions and facial expression endear them to us.  When we look at the front of the matching dust jacket and book case, we can already see the distinction between Rupert and Levi; the one is straight-laced, and the other is happy-go-lucky.  We are already curious about events to come.

To the left, on the back, Levi is standing with his arms spread wide and says:

"A friend is a
friend through
TICK and thin!" 

The opening and closing endpapers are different.  The first is a blue and white check.  The second is shades of golden yellow-orange in an argyle pattern.  Rendered with acrylic paint on Bristol board the illustrations shift in size to place emphasis on portions of the story and assist with pacing.

There are collections of small images, full-page pictures, and illustrations in circular shapes with elements extended beyond their borders.  Sound effects inserted in the visuals add to the emotional engagement of readers.  Although all the items in the illustrations are valuable Hannah E. Harrison makes sure our attention is drawn to the animals.

Her animals look and act as if they could walk off the page at any minute.  Their physical traits are realistic, but how many rhinoceros do you know that own headsets for listening to Beethoven?  You can hardly contain your laughter at Levi making arm farts when he's on the back of Rupert.

One of my many favorite pictures is a bird's eye view of Rupert on the spinning roundabout.  He is hanging on tight as can be with most of his body off and above the ground as it circles.  He is hoping Levi will fly off. This takes up most of the full-page picture on a grassy background.


While enjoying the antics of Levi and the annoyance of Rupert, readers also see the value in having a friend, even if at first we are not sure of their intentions.  Friends Stick Together written and illustrated by Hannah E. Harrison is an excellent selection for an introduction to symbiosis and friendship.  By following the link attached to Hannah E. Harrison's name, you can access her website.  At the publisher's website you can view interior illustrations.  Hannah E. Harrison is interviewed at Brightly.



Being a new student in a new town is rarely easy for any gal or guy.  If you happen to be a child genius, it's even harder to acquire friends.  Albie Newton (Sterling Children's Books, May 1, 2018) written by Josh Funk with illustrations by Ester Garay is an exploration of the dynamics of friendship.

Little Albie Newton
was a thinker from the start.
He built a mega-stroller
after taking his apart.

Before attending school, this brilliant boy counted to infinity and learned multiple languages with ease.  A cheerful song was sung by his classmates on Albie Newton's first day in the classroom and that gave him an idea.  He would build a gift hoping to make new friends.

It wasn't long before everyone realized Albie was super smart.  They would do one activity and he would do another.  They were painting shapes on paper during art and Albie created a masterpiece like those seen in museums.  Soon he was working alone, gathering discarded items and sneaking away with materials others were using.

During reading time the noise from Albie's newly established science lab rang out over the entire school.  Albie just kept working.  His classmates were at the proverbial end of their collective ropes.  They were mad.  Shirley stopped them in their tracks.  Wait a minute!

She asked them to look at Albie's creation.  It was a spectacular sensation.  (I couldn't resist the urge to rhyme.) In a heartbeat they knew this wasn't going to be a normal year.  Albie was going to take them into their wildest imaginations.


Readers are quickly invited into the story of Albie with the cadence Josh Funk builds through his use of language.  Every two sentences or phrases has a rhyming word at the end.  What is striking about Albie is he does not flaunt his intelligence but uses it instead to form friendships.  Readers will also appreciate the wisdom Josh gives to Shirley; the ability to see deeper into Albie's persona.  Here are two passages.

Kai and Jane played dress-up
till they heard a giant 

CRASH!

Albie dumped the garbage bin
and sifted through the trash.

Arjun ate his snack and finished Albie's cleanup duties
as Albie built a science lab (and found a cure for cooties!)


The bright red used as a canvas for the matching dust jacket and book case spreads cheer to all who see it.  Albie looks like someone you want to know.  All the gadgets and gizmos surrounding him peak your curiosity.  Who are the cat and red-haired girl?  What is the significance of the watch?  Portions of the front of the jacket are varnished.

To the left, on the back, text further invites us to open the book.  Images of Albie, his drawings and new friends have us wondering what will happen next.  On the opening and closing endpapers all kinds of tools, scientific experiments, drawings and pictures, placed on a green background, hint at what is to come and what happens.  The two sets of endpapers are different.

Illustrator Ester Garay rendered the illustrations digitally.  On the title page the text is fashioned from tools Albie might use in his inventions.  Each image, sometimes two on a page, full-page, or double-page, is lively and filled with fun-loving details.  The hamster in the classroom is also singing to Albie on his first day at his new school.  The pictures and posters on the classroom wall make you wish you were a student there, too.

One of my many favorite pictures spans two pages.  On the left, Shirley, the red-haired girl is peeking around a barricade of blue storage crates.  She watches Albie hard at work on his invention.  Albie has built a lab from other furniture in the classroom.  He, wearing special glasses, is totally focused on his latest project.  There are lots of pieces of objects around him.


When I think of Albie Newton written by Josh Funk with illustrations by Ester Garay I know there are children who can readily identify with him from personal experience.  This book shows readers there isn't a single right path to friendship.  This is an excellent choice for a theme on friendship, inventions and determination.  To learn more about Josh Funk and Ester Garay, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Josh is interviewed at Jena Benton's website.  The cover for this title is revealed at educator Pernille Ripp's website.  The book trailer is premiered at KidLit TV.  Josh has accounts on Twitter and Instagram.  Ester has an account on Instagram.



Oh, the comfort many find in a treasured toy.  Stuffed animals make wonderful friends.  They can go wherever you go.  They listen to your out-loud-thoughts, wishes, dreams, happiness and sadness.  Their silence absorbs everything and provides constant reassurance.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if they could talk and walk?  Brave Enough for Two (A Hoot & Olive Story) (Henry Holt and Company, June 12, 2018) written and illustrated by Jonathan D. Voss is about a girl and her toy owl and their remarkable adventures.  Courage comes in many forms.

Hoot was Olive's very best friend in the whole wide world.  But as you know, best friends don't always like the same things.

Their definition of adventure was one of their differences.  Olive liked to read about them.  Hoot preferred the action of experiencing them in real life.  Hoot decided he was going to change Olive's outlook.

One day he took her to something he made, hoping to make her braver.  It was a basket big enough for two, topped with a huge bundle of balloons.  Olive worried about the heights they would climb.  Hoot told her it would go up but not scary up.  They went so high everything appeared in miniature below them.  It was amazing but for Olive it was a bit frightening.

It started to rain.  It started to storm.  Olive was afraid they would get lost.  As suddenly as it appeared, the thunder, lighting and rain left.  (Whew!)  Hoot got them safely to the ground, one balloon at a time.

Full of ideas, Hoot had another plan.  They took that basket and used it like a boat on a river.  It was going much too fast.  They barely made it to shore.  When they did, Hoot went quiet.  He had a tear.  His stuffing was coming out.  In a beautiful reversal of roles, Olive knew exactly what they needed to do.  And they did.


With gentleness and truth Jonathan D. Voss pens a story of friendship all would welcome.  Each character recognizes their insecurities, but the other is there to bolster them.  They do this with confidence, shown in the repetition of certain phrases.  In a marvelous blend of narrative and conversations these characters find a special place in our hearts.  Here are two passages.

"I've never been in a boat before,"
 said Olive.

"Then it will be the first time for
both of us," said Hoot.

"Will we go fast?" asked Olive.

""Maybe just a little," said Hoot,
tying a flag to their new ship's mast.

The boat bobbed and spun like a carnival ride.

"What do you think?" asked Hoot.

"I think we are going faster than
just a little!" said Olive.


The view on the front of the dust jacket moves across the spine to the back.  It's a peaceful pastoral scene with gorgeous clouds and birds which you can almost hear singing.  Although Olive likes her adventure in books, she certainly looks determined in our introduction of her.  Placing Hoot riding in the red wagon allows us to be surprised when he comes alive in the story.  The single yellow balloon is a delightful bit of foreshadowing. The title text is varnished.

On the book case a wide, rich red (the shade seen on the dust jacket) creates a cover for the spine.  To the left a single balloon floats in the air.  On the right Olive is still pulling Hoot in the wagon but her stride has changed.  The hues for these images are like old photographs, sepia-toned, in an album.

The pattern on the opening and closing endpapers is in two shades of green.  It looks like wallpaper.  A closer examination shows Olive holding Hoot's hand as they walk away from us.  This is in the center of a leafy frame.  On the verso page entwined leaves form a corner border.  Olive and Hoot peek at each other around the trunk of a tree in the opposite corner.  The basket and two balloons, in full color, are under the text on the title page.

The artist used watercolor with pen and ink on Arches Hot Press Watercolor Board and added color digitally to create the illustrations for this book.

Each picture is brimming with whimsy.  Jonathan D. Voss shifts his perspective and image sizes.  He often extends the illustration over the gutter to make a column for text.  A smaller image in brown accompanies the narrative.  Sometimes we are right next to the characters, other times it's as if we are birds watching them from the sky.  And we often feel out breath catch when a double-page illustration is spread before us.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a double-page visual.  From left to right a vista of rolling hills, plowed fields and hedgerows are spread before us.  A clearing sky still holds stormy clouds, but a wide rainbow extends from the left, over the gutter and disappears to the top right.  Just off center to the right, on the right, Olive and Hoot ride in the basket with the colorful balloons keeping them afloat.  Their backs are to us.  Readers will long to join them.


Tender and loving, this story, Brave Enough for Two (A Hoot & Olive Story) written by Jonathan D. Voss, is like having a best friend you can keep on your bookshelf to help you whenever you need it (of even if you don't).  We would count ourselves very fortunate to have either of these two for a friend.  Read this aloud often and share it widely, please.  This is Jonathan D. Voss's author/illustrator debut.
To learn more about Jonathan D. Voss, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  At his site and the publisher' website, you can view interior illustrations.  Jonathan maintains an account on Twitter.

Attitude Adaptation

Some days are harder than others; they are out-and-out challenging.  You are so down; it's hard to see up.  It's been purposed repeatedly developing an attitude of gratitude makes all the difference even if the silver lining you find is the tiniest of slivers.

Anticipation and expectations can also figure into our perceptions of any given moment.  It's tough when you go into a situation believing it will be one way and everything is seemingly contrary to your assumptions.  Birthday parties are supposed to be fun for everyone.  A kitty in Bernice Gets Carried Away (Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, July 14, 2015) written and illustrated by Hannah E. Harrison (Extraordinary Jane, February 6, 2014) is struggling with her current state of affairs.

It was a horrible, dreary day, and it suited Bernice's mood just fine.

Bernice and a group of friends are attending a birthday party.  Adorned in party hats the animals are chatting and waiting for the pieces of cake to be passed to them.  Bernice is the only one to get a piece without a frosted decoration. Humph!

The other six partygoers manage to snag a frosty drink but not Bernice.  She gets an odd flavor and it's definitely not cold.  When pinata time rolls around our increasingly frustrated cat is on the outside looking at the all the goodies gained by the others.  Double humph!

In a determined move, Bernice races toward as a bunch of balloons on strings being carried toward the celebrating creatures.  In a shocking turn of events, after she grabs them all, she is lifted higher, higher and higher.  Before she even has time to think, the balloons are stuck on the grumpy cloud threatening to rain.

As she looks down at everyone looking up and then looks up, her point of view, now a bird's eye view, transforms her thinking and heart.  Slowly but surely Bernice makes one choice after another choice.  Her actions cause a reaction in the bear, rabbit, fox, pig, goose and turtle.  Enlightening!


Using the storytelling technique of three, Hannah E. Harrison creates a rhythm in her narrative.  Bernice dislikes three incidents during the party before she takes action.  She completes three acts of kindness before another major turn toward the conclusion.  As readers we know something is coming but we're not quite sure what will happen.

Readers can see themselves on their worst days in the character of Bernice.  Each disappointment deepens her grouchy mood.  I find it interesting that rather than continuing to pout or stomping off in a snit, Bernice makes a daring decision.


Although Bernice, paws on hips and scowling, is looking rather cranky on the matching dust jacket and book case, readers might feel compelled to smile or laugh because they are well aware of feeling the same way.  Her expression coupled with the title also raises at least one question.  What is Bernice going to do?  The choice of words opens up more than one possibility.  To the left, on the back, we are given a sneak peek at the resolution with a new illustration. The opening and closing endpapers are in the same shade as the title text on the front.

On the title page Hannah E. Harrison begins her story with a row of animals carrying gifts to the party.  Bernice, happy at the moment, brings up the rear.  Their bright colorful clothing and cheerfully wrapped packages herald a joyful beginning.  Everything changes with a page turn.

The verso and first page showcase a gloomy day.  Bernice, arms crossed, is pouting beneath a tree.  The others are chatting near the table.  Careful readers will see the hint as to the reason for the bluebird's sadness.  All the illustrations, rendered in acrylic paint on Bristol board, are rich in detail; the cranky squirrel living in the tree, the signs around his hole, his artificial turf and lawn ornament, are sure to supply laughter.

The facial looks on all the animals' faces along with their body movements but especially those of Bernice convey every mood.  The background scenes also mirror the emotional temperament of the cat.  They are glorious.  Harrison alters her image sizes from two pages, to single pages edge to edge or framed in white and singular illustrations on a background of pure white.

One of my favorite pictures is a single page image, edge to edge.  All of the guests and the birthday bear are seated around the table.  Everyone has received a piece of cake with an icing rose.  Bernice's eyes are alight with anticipation.  Each rose is a different color coordinating with the hues on the party hats and clothing worn by the animals.   You can almost hear the eager chatter.  It's a sharp contrast to the weather and the next picture.


Written and illustrated by Hannah E. Harrison Bernice Gets Carried Away will have readers laughing at the disparity between her experiences and those of the other birthday party participants.  Through words and pictures we come to understand how lessening one's load can bring joy to others.  Unexpected glee is highly contagious.

To discover more about Hannah E. Harrison and her other work please visit her website by following the link attached to her name.  At the publisher's website they share the title page illustration.  Hannah E. Harrison is interviewed at Picture Book Builders by children's book author, Tammi Sauer. Update:  Penguin posted this brand new video on Twitter today (July 30, 2015).  Enjoy.

A Place For All

One of my favorite quotes is attributed to Albert Einstein.

There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.

This seems to go hand in hand with my thoughts on the difference between extraordinary and ordinary.  The more you know, the more you come to understand there is a line barely visible between the two.  Simply stated it relies on point of view.  What may be counted as normal for some is unusual for others.

I would venture to say most people who have been chosen by a dog, who have had the very good fortune to share their life with a canine companion, can relate to this connection being anything but typical or predictable.  Every single day is an adventure.  Every single day is important because each living thing has value.  In her debut picture book author/illustrator Hannah E. Harrison invites readers into life under the big top in Extraordinary Jane (Dial Books for Young Reader, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA)).

Jane was ordinary, in a world that was extraordinary.

Jane, a sweet fluffy little dog, lives in a circus.  Her mother can pose on the back of a galloping horse.  Lifting an elephant in the air is an everyday accomplishment for her father.  Being shot out of a cannon or walking along a high wire are feats her siblings achieve with ease.

Jane can do none of these things.  It's not like she hasn't tried but her efforts fall short of their goal.  Being up high makes her woozy.  Listeners usually wish for earplugs when she tests her musical talents.  In fact, attempting one particular skill leaves most of the residents in the circus bandaged and bruised.

Jane is friendly.  Jane is helpful.  Jane is a sweet fluffy little dog.  Her caretaker, the ringmaster, watches, learns and loves.  Barnaby Beluchi is a very wise man with a pure point of view.


The simplicity of the words used by Hannah E. Harrison delightfully beckons readers to her story of Jane.  It's a timeless storytelling technique establishing an intimate bond between the teller and the reader or listener.  Her word music will have readers cheering for and identifying with the lovable pup.  She designs a cadence by repeating what Jane is in contrast to what others around her are capable of doing.


Readers initially are drawn to the matching dust jacket and book case resplendent in an array of soft colors.  The single illustration, spanning across the front and back, of the clothed, costumed and animated characters, with the exception of Jane, portrays those who most definitely enjoy their lives as members of the circus.  Six different full length portraits of Jane set within intricate oval frames pattern the opening and closing endpapers.  Every single one is guaranteed to create a smile.  Hannah E. Harrison chooses to continue this on the next page, front and back.

The formal title page shines the light on three circular pictures, the ringmaster on the left and the circus tent on the right with a close-up portrait of Jane in the center.  The verso and first page of the book includes a series of circus posters highlighting the outstanding artistry of all the circus members except Jane. A turn of page shows the inside of the tent; three red rings in place, with all the acts in full swing.  Jane sits patiently observant off to the side.

Rendered in acrylic paint on bristol board each visual glows against the pristine white background. This white space acts to draw your focus to important elements in each picture.  The altering of perspective on all of the illustrations makes you feel a part of the story; the close-up of Jane's mother on the horse's back, her six sisters balancing on the high wire as the ringmaster looks up from below or Jane looking down at everyone as she tries the trapeze.

Humor plays a key component in these pictures; Jane leg raised scratching as her mother balances on the horse, Jane head down, paws over her eyes before her brothers are shot out of the cannons and the looks on all the circus members' faces as they sit in a row in the emergency ward.  What readers will come to understand is the love Barnaby Beluchi feels for Jane, noticing his looks of affection as she plays her part in the circus day or his gentle care in giving her a bath.  The color palette, the layout, the details, facial features...well everything...works to generate a feeling of goodness and warmth.

I think one of my favorite two pages is the series of four small pictures of the ringmaster with Jane.  He has removed his red coat and top hat to bathe and towel her dry.  As he sits in his chair she then brings his hat to him.  When she sits up in front of him, the look on his face is total joy.


Author illustrator Hannah E. Harrison has delivered a treasure to each of us who read Extraordinary Jane.  It's a superb choice for a read aloud.  I can almost see the looks on the listeners' faces and hear the collective sigh at the story's conclusion.  Sharing this title with others is a pleasure you don't want to miss.  I will be adding this title to my Mock Caldecott list for 2015.

Please follow the link embedded in Hannah E. Harrison's name above to access her official website.