Worth The Wait

Upon waking each morning, many of us have daily ambitions.  Our choices hopefully aim us toward our desired direction.  Although life being what it is, our paths are rarely in a straight line. They are a series of zigs and zags and steps forward and back and back and forward again.

Whether we reach our aspirations for the day, with the fading light and start of night, we all, eventually, crave similar things.  Two autumnal titles draw our attention to this special time.  The first, A Story for Small Bear (Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, October 13, 2020) written by Alice B. McGinty with illustrations by Richard Jones, follows a cub trying to accomplish all that is required so she can receive her heart's desire.

When a late autumn wind

swirled into their den after noontime nap,

Small Bear shivered.  Brrrrr.

Mama knew today was the day to start their winter rest.  First, there was work to be done.  Small Bear needed to help for her wish to come true.  Small Bear had to remain focused. 

Spruce sprigs were gathered to add comfort to their cave.  Small Bear noticed and climbed into her favorite cozy hollow in the spruce tree.  She did not want to leave.  Remember the bitter wind, it blew, reminding her of what the day's end would bring.

There were two more stops.  There were two more tasks.  There were two more distractions.  

Brrrrr.

Small Bear did not want to leave but the icy wind pushed her to find Mama.  Mother and daughter walked to their den.  Inside, Small Bear asked Mama a question.  Her gentle but strong voice beginning with 

Once there lived . . .

was the answer Small Bear wanted to hear.  A promise was kept.

Using a combination of narrative and dialogue, author Alice B. McGinty weaves a tale of family, preparation, and the power of story.  Lyrical, descriptive phrases guide the characters and readers through the final day before a winter's rest begins.  Repetition of specific words and phrases supplies readers with a serene, but at times playful cadence.  Here is a passage.

No dilly.

She knew that's what Mama would say.

Still, she rolled and wriggled and played some more.

No dally, Small Bear thought.

But it was so hard to leave!

The textured, full color images on the open and matching dust jacket and book case ask readers to reach out to the characters, to join them.  On the front, framed by late summer and autumn flowers and leaves, Mama and Small Bear present the perfect picture of parental care.  By placing the bolder colors in the foreground with softer colors in the background, we are drawn into this moment of intimacy within a larger domain.

To the left of the spine, on the back, a portion of an interior illustration is used.  Small Bear is high in a tree, enjoying the acorns.  She has her head turned over her shoulder, watching the sun fading.  Beneath her the words read:

Small Bear wants to play---

but wind is biting,

winter knocking. . . .

Will she save time for stories?

On the pale cream canvas on the opening endpapers leaves in year-end colors are scattered.  The closing endpapers are a reflection of the change in the seasons.  Snowflakes of all sizes fall on a light turquoise background.  A close-up of a meadow scene with a bunny and a bird is placed between the text on the title page.

Rendered

in acrylic and watercolor paint and edited in Adobe Photoshop

the illustrations by Richard Jones highly complement the text, elevating it in realistic, soothing, and marvelous scenes.  We are treated to double-page pictures, edge to edge, full-page images with rounded corners and some elements breaking the frame, smaller visuals in unusual shapes or gathered in geometric forms on two pages to provide pacing.  Perspective is altered to place the characters in their proper settings, but we are never far and sometimes very close to Small Bear and her endeavors.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture.  Small Bear is swimming in the river.  On the left the river winds between two shores, one filled with meadow flowers and the other a small grove of trees.  Mama is ambling to the left in the trees.  Close to us on the right Small Bear moves her paws splashing.  Water birds take flight above her.  The sky mirrors the time of day.

Play comes naturally for this little bear, but the words of her mother guide her toward her one wish before they sleep.  The strength of tale-telling rings true in A Story for Small Bear written by Alice B. McGinty with artwork by Richard Jones.  For a quiet time, bedtime, discussing the benefits of sharing tasks, or for the changing seasons, this book is one you will want to have on your personal and professional bookshelves.

To learn more about Alice B. McGinty and Richard Jones and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  At Alice B. McGinty's website is a parenting guide to use along with this book.  At Richard Jones' website he has pictures from the book for you to see.  Alice B. McGinty has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Richard Jones has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At a publisher's website you can see the opening endpapers, the verso and title pages, and the first two pages.

Some of those things we hold closest to our hearts are as varied and individualistic as we all are.  Others are daily moments we share in common with a multitude of people.  It is in those common hours we find what makes us a part of a larger whole.  Mr. Brown's Bad Day (Candlewick Press, Nosy Crow. November 10, 2020) written by Lou Peacock with illustrations by Alison Friend is a comical and ultimately endearing day in the life of a distinguished tiger gentleman.

Mr. Brown was a very important businessman.

He always carried a very important briefcase,

and he worked in a very important office.

Mr. Brown made numerous financial decisions daily.  He was in and out of meetings.  Every minute was packed with very important activities.  Regardless of the hustle and bustle of working in the very important office, Mr. Brown never missed taking a break for lunch and bringing his very important briefcase with him.

One day as Mr. Brown was seated on a bench in the park eating his lunch, he did not see a baby grab his very important briefcase and take it away.  When he discovered it was missing, he was frantic.  Luckily, he saw the baby with the briefcase.  He followed it at a brisk walk.

In a quirk of fate, the very important briefcase was snagged on the cart of an ice cream peddler.  As the peddler paused his bicycle, Mr. Brown thought he was getting close to his very important briefcase. Yikes!  The very important briefcase is on the move again courtesy of a student on a field trip.  Every time Mr. Brown gets near his very important briefcase, it moves.  Dapper Mr. Brown is getting very frazzled.

Mr. Brown's day is not good.  Finally, looking worse for the wear, Mr. Brown catches up to the students and their teacher, roaring about his very important briefcase with invaluable items inside.  In the dark Mr. Brown walks home with his cherished possession and its contents.  Once there, he checks inside his very important briefcase.  Time for bed, Mr. Brown.

The sheer fun of this book by author Lou Peacock is how she wraps readers into the wild chase of Mr. Brown trying to retrieve his very important briefcase.  The use of the words very important and the words fortunately and unfortunately repeatedly generates hilarious tension.  We are so involved in the retrieval of the briefcase; the conclusion is the sweetest of surprises.  The blend of text and dialogue is exactly right bringing us deeper into Mr. Brown's dilemma.  Here is a passage.

Fortunately for Mr. Brown, the line was moving quickly  . . .

but unfortunately for Mr. Brown,

when the schoolchildren got off the ride,

they took Mr. Brown's very important

briefcase with them.

And then they went to catch the bus.

When readers look at the open and matching dust jacket and book case, they see from left to right a foreshadowing of events to come.  Against the blue building on the city sidewalk is the teacher and three students.  The teacher is a smartly dressed zebra with a kitten and alligator youngster trailing behind her.  On the front the pup is trying to warn Mr. Brown about the next disastrous step he is about to take.  There are three pigeons, two in flight, on the back.  As if the banana peel is not bad enough, notice the fourth pigeon above the W in the title text.  All the elements on the front of the dust jacket except for the sidewalk and building are varnished.

In lighter hues of blue, lightly shaded and outlines of buildings provide readers with a view of Mr. Brown's city on the opening and closing endpapers.  Light clouds, nearly like fog, cover the blue sky.  On the initial title page are three pigeons resting on the ground, looking for food.  On the formal title, verso and dedication pages, the cityscape is in the background.  Vehicles and city inhabitants move down the street and on the sidewalk.  Mr. Brown walks toward the right side of the double-page picture.  The author's and illustrator's names are placed on the side of a truck like a business name.

Mixed media

illustrations by Alison Friend cheerfully and humorously depict every portion of Mr. Brown's day.  The animals are highly animated with facial expressions revealing their moods.  Full-color images span two pages, single pages and sometimes two horizontal pictures are on a single page.  Readers will find themselves looking for extra details and additional pastimes within the visuals.  Alison Friend alters the perspective in keeping with the narrative as when Mr. Brown and others are standing on the ground looking up at the Ferris wheel ride as his very important briefcase goes higher and higher.  It is as if we are seated on the Ferris wheel looking down.

One of my many, many favorite pictures is a two-page picture when Mr. Brown is pursuing the baby elephant who picked up his briefcase.  The park path winds across from the upper left-hand corner to the lower, right-hand corner.  Mr. Brown is walking across the bridge in the upper, left-hand corner.  Along the way all kinds of children and their parents are engaged in a variety of pursuits.  A dropped ice cream cone (the baby elephant's) is being consumed by pigeons.  An alligator is soaking its feet in the park pond.  You can't look at this picture without smiling.

This book, Mr. Brown's Bad Day written by Lou Peacock with illustrations by Alison Friend, is a day to remember.  We come to understand through a delightfully funny series of mishaps why the very important briefcase has that designation.  I know readers will want to read or hear this book again and again.  I highly recommend it for your professional and personal collections.  Good night.  Sweet dreams.

To learn more about Lou Peacock, the link attached to her name takes you to the Nosy Crow page dedicated to her.  The link attached to Alison Friend's name takes you to her agency page.  Alison Friend has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website and Penguin Random House you can see interior images.

Stormy Weather Wisdom

A big change in the weather sends out signals.  The wind knows.  The clouds know.  All the animals know.  Access to the latest forecast is not always readily available, so if humans look at the wind, clouds and animals, they know, too.

For some storms planning and doing are essential for survival.  Noah Builds an Ark (Candlewick Press, March 12, 2019) written by Kate Banks (Pup and Bear) with illustrations by John Rocco (Blizzard) follows a family as each member prepares for days of wild weather. One member realizes the planning and doing needs to be extended beyond their house.

Noah spied it coming from afar.  It started with a cloud peeping over the hill like a curious ghost.  A storm was on the way.

As his father went to gather tools and materials to make their home storm ready, Noah was watching salamanders, beetles, mice and ants in their back yard.  They felt the change in the air.  Noah decided to get his wagon and his tools to make something storm ready for these creatures.

Noah took off the wagon's wheels.  He attached sides and a roof to the wagon. He built a ramp and a secure door.  Noah made an ark for his animal friends.  Inside their home, Noah's mother and sister were getting food and water prepared for his family.  Noah did the same for the animals.

Knowing they were going to have no electricity, Noah's mother got candles and matches.  Noah secured a flashlight to the inside of the ark.  When he was called inside to safety, Noah asked the animals to come to the ark.  And they did.  Noah pledged to set them free when the storm passed.

As the storm raged, humans inside Noah's home huddled.  Inside Noah's ark, the animals huddled.  Each group, humans and animals, did what living beings have done for centuries, they passed the time with food, water, shelter and each other until exhausted they slept.  The storm angrily lasted for four days and four nights.  What of Noah?  What of the creatures on the ark?  A promise is made.  A promise is fulfilled.


A story of compassion unfolds through the beautiful language penned by Kate Banks.  Her descriptions of setting using simile are vivid.  In presenting the animals each verb matches their characteristics.  She creates a pattern between what the humans are doing in preparation and what Noah is doing for the animals.  She continues this by telling us what each group does during the storm.  It's a gentle comparison showing a connection between all living beings.  Within the narrative, making it more personal for readers, dialogue is placed, adding to the flow of the story.  Here is a passage.

Noah hurried into the house to watch and wait.  Suddenly the sun snapped
off its light.  A curtain of darkness drew across the sky.  The rain tiptoed at
first, pitter-patter, pitter-patter. And the wind whooshed and shooshed.
Then there was a silence so grand you could hear a tear drop.


One of the first things you notice when looking at the front of the dust jacket is the look of pure contentment on the face of Noah.  The animals gathered around him sense his affection for them based upon their closeness.  You expect this scene to quietly come alive.  One of the other things you notice is the placement of light and shadow.  This image glows.

To the left, on the back, on the other side of the spine, the fencing and stone wall continue.  On the far left is a flowering bush.  On the dandelion spotted grass rests the completed ark, waiting for voyagers.  The book case is an entirely different scene, more shadows than light, spanning from left to right.  We are peering inside the ark during the storm as rain pelts from the sky.  Hummingbirds, toads, a grasshopper, beetle, spider, mice, a snake and a salamander are waiting in the dimness.

A burnt orange covers the opening and closing endpapers.  For the initial and formal title pages John Rocco begins with a bird's eye view of buildings and back yards.  A single bird is swooping over the area.  With a page turn two birds fly over the roofs as the double-page picture unfolds in front of us.  Each illustration, in pencil and watercolor and rendered digitally, is either a two-page picture, a full-page visual or a smaller image(s) surrounded by white space.  The size of the illustrations enhance the story's pacing.

Careful readers will notice how John Rocco carries details from one illustration to the next illustration; the birds land in Noah's back yard, one next to him and the other in a bird bath.  How many pictures feature the grasshopper companion Noah speaks to?  For emphasis the point of view shifts bringing us deeper into the lives of Noah and his family and the lives of the animals.

One of my many favorite illustrations is on a single page.  Noah has just completed the ark.  He is kneeling in the grass between the stone wall and the ark.  It's the expression on his face which is most striking.  You wonder what he might be thinking.  It would make for an interesting conversation.


There are those who have a kinship with animals unlike others.  The animals know who these people are.  This boy is one of them.  Noah Builds an Ark written by Kate Banks with illustrations by John Rocco is a tender story of a child who considers those lesser than himself.  It is a story of stewardship.  It is a story of compassion.  I recommend this title for your professional and personal collections.

To discover more about Kate Banks and John Rocco and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Kate Banks has an account on Twitter.  John Rocco has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view an interior image.  There are other illustrations at Penguin Random House.

From The Sea

When you get into the groove of a daily routine, you usually fail to notice some worthy sights in the scenery of your world.  We tend to focus our thoughts on the past or the upcoming future instead of living in the present. We also are not looking for anything out of the ordinary.

We would never expect to see a giraffe loping along the side of the road in the northern Michigan woods.  It would be a rare happening to see an alligator strolling down the street in Times Square, New York City.  The debut children's book of author Lucy Branam with illustrations by Brazilian artist Rogerio Coelho, Roof Octopus (Sleeping Bear Press, March 1, 2018), is a marvelous, imaginative exploration in the unexpected.

It started with a tap at the window that woke Nora up.  Out she looked and there it sat.

It was not a pigeon.  It was not a bald eagle.  It could not fly.  It was not anything anyone would normally see on the roof of an apartment building in the middle of a city.  It was a HUGE octopus!

She rushed into the kitchen to tell her parents.  At first they did not believe her but then a tentacle came into view outside the window.  Down at street level all the neighbors and Nora's family were looking up and offering a variety of opinions as to the reasoning behind an octopus occupying the apartment building roof.

Nora, unlike the others, befriended the octopus.  It's liked Nora too.  Ignoring the octopus did not cause it to leave.  It was there all day and all night.  It started to help the neighbors with their daily chores.

The thing it did which the children loved the most was when a tentacle would curve in the air and provide them with a swing.  One day, filled with joy and affection for the octopus, Nora asked it to come to her school for a visit on the following Friday.  Can you wonder how she felt when it said yes? Can you understand how shocked she was when the octopus was gone the next day?  Would she ever see the roof dweller again?


There is nothing so welcoming to readers as the beginning of a narrative which quickly leads them to a stunning situation. Author Lucy Branam does this with complete ease taking us into the story with her realistic descriptions and perfectly normal dialogue.  Readers will readily identify with Nora's acceptance of an octopus on her apartment roof.  Adults will knowingly nod at the adult characters' assessments of the current state of affairs.  Here is a passage.

Nora cleared her throat.  "Excuse me, there's an octopus on our apartment."

Her father stopped pouring batter and looked out the 
window. "An octopus ON our apartment?"

Her mother looked out too.  "I don't see anything."  Then a 
tentacle dropped down from above and wrapped itself
around the fire escape railing.


If you don't gasp when you look at the matching opened dust jacket and book case, you're not looking closely enough to the intricate artwork and excellent design and layout.  The placement of the other buildings, the arches in the windows on Nora's apartment building, the curled tentacles on the octopus and the crescent moon all contribute to a glorious first look at this book.

To the left, on the back, on dark blue is an interior image.  It's a more panoramic view of the building with the octopus on the roof.  The neighbors are attempting to ignore it.  The opening and closing endpapers are a pristine white.  On a white background the text on the title page is a shade of purple.  Beneath the words are a row of rooftops in a variety of colors with the sun touching the tops, giving them a glow.  On the book's final page those buildings continue along the bottom.  Above them is the publication information.  There are three tentacles curled down from the top.

All of the illustrations span two pages.  Readers will stop at every page turn, astonished at all the tiny elements in each image replete with elaborate details.  Everything inside and outside the apartment building is colorful, reflecting a beautiful and stylistic architecture.  Rogerio Coelho alters his perspective giving us a more far-reaching view and then bringing us close to the characters.  Both of these approaches bring us deeper into the story.

There is a special uniqueness to the shapes of the people heads and their facial features.  It does not detract but enhances the narrative.  Rogerio Coelho presents us with people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.  It enriches the telling of this tale.

One of my many favorite illustrations is when the octopus stays on top of the apartment roof all day and all night when it first appears.  Rogerio Coelho gives us a bird's eye view of the cityscape with the buildings, streets and cars.  Birds glide through the air during the day on the left.  At night the crescent moon hangs in the sky on the right.  Nora's apartment building begins in the middle of the page on the left, crosses the gutter and continues about a third of the way on the right.  The octopus is sitting on roof, covering it completely with tentacles dropping over the edges and curling.  With a smile on its face the octopus is sleeping.  The colors shift from left to right from day to night.  It's a very clever way to portray the passage of time.


There won't be a single child reader who will not believe this story is the absolute truth.  They have a gift of suspending reality in the best possible manner. (And adults will wish it would happen, too.)  Roof Octopus written by Lucy Branam with illustrations by Rogerio Coelho is sheer delight.  At the very least you'll be checking your roof more often.  And you will be much more aware of living in the moment.  Otherwise you might miss something extraordinary.  You will want to have a copy of this on both your professional and personal bookshelves.


To learn more about Lucy Branam and Rogerio Coelho and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their website and blog respectively.  Lucy maintains an Instagram account. Rogerio Coelho has several interior images on his blog.  At the publisher's website you can view the first eight pages.  Lucy Branam is interviewed at Chapter 16, a community of Tennessee writers, readers & passersby.

Odd Couple Kalinka and Grakkle Blog Tour

Living beings act in surprising ways.  Time and again there will be stories of animals, sometimes enemies, who pair for survival.  People, total opposites, will spend lifetimes together.  Somehow they are able to overlook their differences and find small windows of togetherness. 

Sometimes those small windows of togetherness open when the two are experiencing their worst moments. Kalinka and Grakkle (Peachtree, April 1, 2018) written and illustrated by Julie Paschkis (Flutter & Hum: Animal Poems, Aleteo y Zumbido: Poemas de Animales Henry Holt and Company, August 18, 2015) is about a decidedly odd couple.  They give new meaning to the word opposites.

Kalinka was a little yellow bird with a neat cap of red feathers.  
"I'm such a good bird", she said to herself.
"Good as gold, with a cherry on top."

Her neighbor, Grakkle, was big, green, hairy, cranky and an all-around messy kind of monster.  Kalinka took it upon herself, after flying in Grakkle's open window, to begin to put the chaos in his home in order.  All Grakkle said over and over was:

"Grakk!" 

Grakkle wanted no help at all.  He did want his Auntie Grumble's homemade ginger cookies.  He did want to rest his feet in a bucket of pickle juice.  He did want to snooze in his best chair, his only chair.
The problem was Kalinka.

Eating every single one of Grakkle's cookies except for crumbs was not a good idea.  She picked up his stuff but was clueless as to where it should go.  Putting pencils in a box of spaghetti and mail in a toaster was not wise at all.  You had better believe there was a whole bunch of

"Grakk!" 

being said by a very frustrated monster.

Finally Kalinka did the one thing which sent this monster into a frenzy.  He had a fit.  She ended up in a dire situation.  Her tidiness wouldn't save her now.

"Grakk!"


On the first page Julie Paschkis clearly defines the two characters in appearance and demeanor.  Before you even turn to the next page, you know there will be tension.  What you do not know is Kalinka will misunderstand every single one of Grakkle's Grakk! exclamations.  She thinks he's perfectly happy with everything she does. 

The narrative blends well with Kalinka's happy chatter and Grakkle's angry mumbles.  This supplies humor and leads us wonderfully to a startling twist.  Here is a passage.

Grakkle swatted at the bag.  He belched and scratched his head in confusion.  His hair stood out every which way.
"This beast's appearance is appalling," said Kalinka.
"Luckily for him, I do have a way with hair."
She perched on his head and got to work.
"Gr-r-r-r-rakk," grumbled Grakkle.
"You're welcome," said Kalinka, tying a bow in his matted hair.


It will be interesting to see what readers believe they are seeing on the opened, matching dust jacket and book case.  What is all that curly green?  Are those the outlines of hands on the right and the left on the spine?  Kalinka is already busy speaking.  To the left, on the back, within a white background (on the green) and gracefully framed in signature Julie Paschkis lines and flowers are words spoken right before Grakkle's temper explodes.

The opening and closing endpapers are a soft white with larger yellow dots. (Grakkle's wallpaper)  On the initial title page Julie includes a dedication and features Kalinka and the hands of Grakkle.  She continues with this design but uses Grakkle's tail as a perch for Kalinka on the formal title page.

Rendered in ink and gouache the illustrations, most of them on two pages, employ delicate lines but also manage to convey Grakkle in all his monster glory.  He is indeed a monster and his home is a mess. His expressions as Kalinka goes about her merry way are a huge signal of events to come.  Julie Paschkis uses lines and dots, flowers and leaves to separate text and wonderful patterns on items in Grakkle's house, even if they are patched.  The inclusion of the black pot-bellied stove with a tea kettle simmering adds a bit of old-world charm.

One of my many favorite illustrations is on a single page.  It shows the kitchen table covered in a beautiful patterned cloth.  Chairs are placed to the left and right.  In the upper right-hand corner a bit of curtain billows out.  Kalinka is perched in the center of the table.  She has nearly finished consuming all of the ginger cookies.  Grakkle wearing his vest and belt and with arms upraised is about to go crazy.  He's horrified and angry at the blissful unawareness of Kalinka.


Kalinka and Grakkle written and illustrated by Julie Paschkis will promote all kinds of discussions about what binds friends together.  Readers will see that sometimes the wrong kind of help can make matters worse.  They will also see that even the grumpiest grump has a soft spot.  This title would be an excellent addition with other odd couple books at story time and of course, books about friendship.  Julie's artwork will endear readers to the characters.

To learn more about Julie Paschkis and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  On the Peachtree blog, here and here, Julie talks about this book. Julie chats about the evolution of this title on the Books Around The Table site.

Friends In Deed

The tips of tulips are poking up through the soil.  Some days there is a hint of warmth in the wind.  The next day snow covers everything before noon but vanishes within several hours.  There are new notes in the birdsong. The robins are here.

Ever since 1931 the American robin has been the state bird of Michigan.  Their presence after winter, rather than the calendar, is a sure sign spring is arriving.  This Is the NEST That ROBIN Built (with a little help from her friends) (Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, March 6, 2018) written and illustrated by Denise Fleming commemorates the season and animals of the forest, field and farm in her creative take on a familiar rhythm and rhyme.

This is the SQUIRREL
who trimmed the twigs, not too big,
that anchor the nest that Robin built.

For anyone with a dog, young and ready for action, no one will be surprised to notice its presence in the next line unraveling the string in a stolen weaving.  In a more quiet moment we are taken to the horse, gladly giving straw.  Can you guess the contribution of the Pig?

Moving into the meadow, a tiny creature collects.  One with longer legs and ears selects the choicest greenery.  A shelter for welcoming new life is shaped.

Delicate ovals with a distinguishing color are nestled in their new home.  Soon open mouths and downy heads poke above the rim.  Where is their meal?  Where is their mama?

As the days of spring grow in number, the young robins increase in size.  Fluff turns into feathers.  A proud parent watches wings spread.


You can't help reading this narrative penned by Denise Fleming aloud.  As each of the six animals play a part in assisting Robin to build her nest, the items are described with words which extend the musical quality of the text.  The verbs are full of action, trimmed, anchor, brought, wraps, shared and covers.  Once Robin lays her eggs, Denise takes the story's focus to the inside of the nest.  In a wonderful original conclusion gratitude is given and a salutation is sung.  Here is a partial passage.

This is the HORSE
who shared his straw, rough and tough,
that covers the string, long and strong, . . .


Happiness fills your heart when first looking at the matching dust jacket and book case created by Denise Fleming.  It announces the beginning of new life and a shift in the seasons.  For this most recent title Denise experimented with a new illustrative style; combining print-making techniques with collage bringing to readers her signature attention to detail.  You notice the layers used by Robin in constructing her nest and the attentive ladybugs and beetle among the materials.  What will readers think of Robin's eye?

To the left, on the back, is a blend of shades of green and shapes of leaves signifying boughs on the tree.  A pale spring green covers the opening and closing endpapers.  With a page turn at the beginning (and the end) we see a layer of grass along the bottom of a brilliant blue sky dotted with clouds. With another page turn, at the front, Robin is placed in the sky on the left with the book's dedication on the right.  The title and verso pages are a rich and vibrant depiction of leaves and ladybugs.  (At the close of the book, those same two pages of grass and sky are replicated but extend the ending.)

Each image is a two-page picture brimming with texture and animation.  The six animals are not always alone on their pages.  They share the space with ladybugs, a rooster, mice, insects, and a hungry frog.  A praying mantis peeks over the edge of the nest.  (When Denise illustrates it's a tribute to Mother Nature.)

To increase interest the point of view alternates.  We are close to the squirrel and dog but for the horse we are very close as he bows to look at a mouse.  As the narrative draws toward the ending a beautiful gatefold displays the combined efforts of the animals and Robin.

One of my many favorite illustrations is of the rabbit.  Denise has captured this creature mid hop and stopping and bending to munch on some choice grass.  The animal's body extends from the left across the gutter to the right.  An array of grass and weeds fills the left side and moves to the right.  Readers will be looking for the ladybugs shown here.  The texture on the rabbit's body will surely have readers reaching to touch the pages.  You expect the nose to twitch.


As soon as the matching dust jacket and book case are shown and the title is read, readers and listeners will feel the beat growing inside them.  This Is the NEST That ROBIN Built (with a little help from her friends) written and illustrated by Denise Fleming is sure to have everyone smiling and singing by the book's end.  It's a wonderful title to use in comparison to the original cumulative tale, during a study of the seasons or an exploration of birds and other animals working together.  You could pair this with Robins! How They Grow Up (Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, February 7, 2017) written and illustrated by Eileen Christelow.  I highly recommend this book for your professional and personal collections.

To discover more about Denise Fleming and her considerable work in children's literature, please follow the link attached to her name.  For activities extending this title, you'll want to visit this link.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  Author, reviewer and blogger, Julie Danielson, features Denise Fleming and this title on her blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  Enjoy the book trailer and additional video.

A Choice To Make

Every day when we wake up is an opportunity; an opportunity to make a difference.  We make a difference with a goodbye hug for family members, a smile at a stranger, a wave to a neighbor and words of encouragement to those we teach.  A single act of kindness can change a day not just for one individual but for many.  That single act is like the proverbial pebble dropped in water; it ripples outward.

Cultivating a habit of being kind is one of the single best things we can do for others and for us.  Be Kind (Roaring Brook Press, February 6, 2018) written by Pat Zietlow Miller with illustrations by Jen Hill is a gentle story of a child discovering the many ways to express kindness.  It begins with an unfortunate incident.

Tanisha spilled grape juice yesterday.

It was splattered down the front of her new dress.  Her fellow classmates laughed except for one.  She remembered the words of her mother and tried to help.  It didn't work.

After snack time, during art, the girl painted violets.  As she made this picture she thought about what she could have done immediately for Tanisha.  She wondered how we define kindness.

It could be in the act of giving, helping or paying attention.  She remembered when she gave, helped and paid attention.  Her mom also told her to use people's first names when greeting them.  It's a way to show you care about them as individuals.

Being kind is not always easy but for those receiving your kindness, it's invaluable.  It can spread farther than you can imagine.  It can circle back to you.  It can change the world or, at the very least, it can help the memory of a ruined new dress to fade, replaced by gesture of kindness.


Readers are immediately drawn into the story with a problem.  They have either witnessed this identical incident or it's happened to them.   Pat Zietlow Miller cleverly uses this technique to create a connection and as a point to build her narrative.   Told in the first person point of view we are able to understand how the child, the girl, expands her knowledge of what it is to be kind.  Readers realize kindness can be quick and simple but lasting or take a bit more time.  Here is a passage from this narrative.

Maybe it's giving.
Making cookies for Mr. Rinaldi,
who lives alone.
Letting someone with smaller feet
have my too-tight shoes.
(He might win races in them, too.)


Opening the matching dust jacket and book case gives readers two separate views of kindness.  On the front the narrator of this story is holding an umbrella for Tanisha.  Perhaps the yellow color selected by artist Jen Hill reminds us kindness can be a bit of sunshine on a rainy kind of day.  The characters, the title text and raindrops are varnished.  The small brush of purple watercolor separating the author's and illustrator's names is significant also.

To the left, on the back, a background is supplied with vertical rows of interwoven threads in a cream hue.  I like to think this represents how we are all tied together.  Upon this an image within a loose circle shows a girl comforting another girl who has just broken her glasses.  A rich shade of purple covers the opening and closing endpapers. 

Each illustration flows into the next; the size shifting to create pacing.  Most of the pictures are placed on a single page.  In several of the scenes the focus is on the full color used for the people with the setting fading to a background of outlines and light colors.  The people, with an emphasis on children, in these images are from all walks of life and from varying races.  Fine lines delineate their facial features portraying appropriate emotions.

One of my several favorite illustrations is on a single page.  In the upper left-hand corner is the girl.  All we see is the bottom of her signature purple jersey, her black leggings and bare feet.  In front of her just slightly right of the center is a young boy on his hands and knees.  His hands are holding the tops of black high-top shoes.  He is looking at the girl with affection.


Yesterday was Random Act of Kindness Day; started in Denver, Colorado in 1995.  Can you imagine how wonderful the world would be if every day was Random Act of Kindness Day?  Be Kind written by Pat Zietlow Miller with illustrations by Jen Hill is an excellent title to use to promote discussions on kindness.  You will want to add this title to your professional and personal collections.  It can be paired with If You Plant a Seed, Sidewalk Flowers, or Mama Lion Wins The Race.

To learn more about Pat Zietlow Miller and Jen Hill and their other work, please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  Jen Hill has interior images from this title on her home page.  Jen Hill has numerous links to her other social media accounts as does Pat Zietlow Miller.  At the publisher's website you can view illustrations from this book.  At the Nerdy Book Club Pat features the book trailer for Be Kind.  She talks about other books showcasing kindness.  She provides a link to a Pinterest board of picture books about kindness.  At Picture Book Builders Pat talks about this book.  Jen Hill is highlighted at Brightly.

Measuring Victory

When participants enter a competition it is usually with the express purpose of claiming a victory.  Undoubtedly hours, days, maybe even years, have been dedicated to practicing to perfect their skill.  The intriguing thing is not all the individuals will bring with them the same definition of that victory.

Coming in first place or with the highest score may not be desired by everyone.  For some just being there is the true measure of success.  Mama Lion Wins The Race (Scholastic Press, July 25, 2017) written and illustrated by Jon J Muth presents readers with more than one view on winning and what determines those outlooks.

Mama Lion and Tigey looked out their window into a beautiful morning.

As the duo sip their first beverage of the day, contemplating the upcoming race, Tigey proclaims there are one or two things left before they are ready.  Full of excitement Mama Lion runs to get the car.  With equal enthusiasm Tigey plans their route.

As Tigey tinkers with their car, chatting about the race, Mama Lion notices some flaws in Tigey's cup.  Tigey wants to go for the win.

"Well," said Mama Lion.  "Winning is fun, but it isn't everything."

A huge crowd has gathered in the square for the start of the race.  The Flying Pandinis, two pandas and a turtle, The Knitted Monkeys, three beloved toys named Happy-Go-Lucky, Hans and Bumper and Bun Bun, a rabbit, are there with their vehicles.  As all the contestants prepare for the start Mama Lion makes note of the three prizes on the table.

With a roar of engines the race begins!  Before long Mama Lion and Tigey are in the lead.  As they get farther ahead Mama Lion thinks about the glory of the day, the friendliness of spectators along the route and the speed of the Flying Pandinis.  How did they get so close?

In a blink of an eye, a beauty from Mother Nature lands on the road in front of Mama Lion and Tigey.  Tigey swerves missing it but a wheel come off their car.  Seeing their friends in trouble The Flying Pandinis halt and help.  Bun Bun buzzes by scattering seeds along the road and The Knitted Monkeys are not far behind her.  With their car in fine working order again, Mama Lion and Tigey and the Flying Pandinis are in the race again.

Trickery and a quirk of automotive malfunctioning add twists to the event as the finish line grows closer.  More trickery causes an amazing switch.  Mama Lion and Tigey have a choice to make.  On this day everyone wins.


As this story penned by Jon J Muth progresses one of the things readers realize is they are utterly charmed by the characters.  Through their conversations, thoughts and the narrative, which is downright thrilling at points, we come to understand the innate goodness in their personalities, even those rascal monkeys.  They all have gifts which shine and are interwoven in this story.  Here is a sample passage.

"Pop the trunk and grab our tools!" said Tigey.  "We must get on the road again!"
The roar of an engine drew close behind them.  Gravel crunched and brakes screeched as the Flying Pandinis ground to a stop.
"Hurry, we must help them!" said Baby Panda.
"Yes! Look sharp!" said his sister Bao Bao.  "They are using a number 8 spanner when they need a number 12!"


You can't help but be curious or start to grin as you look at the matching dust jacket and book case for this title.  It's not every day you see what look to be two stuffed animals speeding down a road in a race car.  Clearly Mama Lion and Tigey are happy to be in their vehicle in this race.  The color choices, the predominant red, orange, blue and green, mirror the joy seen in the hands raised in greeting and the smiles on the characters' faces.

To the left, on the back, another perspective of the duo driving away from us is shown with the phrase

There is more than one way to win a race!

A bright grass green covers the opening and closing endpapers.  Mama Lion, a smile curving on her face, stands tall to the left of the text on the title page.

Rendered with Caran d'Ache pencils, Italian writing ink, watercolors, and gouache on Moulin Du Roy watercolor paper the illustrations span single, single pages crossing the gutter or double pages in their glorious, delicate, exquisite wonder.  The two-page pictures are stunning in their perspectives.  On many of the pages the use of white space accentuates the bold black text.

Careful readers will notice the Easter eggs in some of the larger scenes. (I wonder how many there are.  How many did I miss?)  Another interesting thing Jon J Muth does is combining animal and human characters.  To me this makes his books, this story, more inviting and magical.

One of my favorite of many illustrations is when Mama Lion is running to get the car and Tigey is plotting their race route on a globe.  Each one of them are holding their cups, steam rising.  Mama Lion is full of complete bliss as she leaps forward.  Tigey is intently noticing the two red x marks joined by dotted lines.  The background is a pale yellow wash.  From this picture we know this story takes place in Italy.


This title, Mama Lion Wins The Race, written and illustrated by Jon J Muth is overflowing with exuberant delight.  The cast of characters, their values and the gentle reminder of what is most important in a race, in life, surrounds readers like a warm and comforting hug.  This book is one you must have on your professional and personal bookshelves.  You need to read it aloud and share it with others whenever you can.  You will also be pleased to note Jon J Muth thanks those who introduced him to their stuffed friends.  He even names specific people and their toys.

To learn more about Jon J Muth and his other work please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  You might want to listen to his video interviews at Reading Rockets.

UPDATE:  Jon J Muth Talks with Roger at The Horn Book on September 20, 2017.