Leaving Legacies---One Woman At A Time

Women, like all people, need to find their own path.  Numerous times the course they select is one never previously traversed.  They outwit obstacles and break through barriers.  In this way, they form an easier access for those who decide to follow them in the future.  These women are worth remembering.

At times, these exceptional woman seem to exhibit behavior so far from the expected and accepted norm, they are labeled as outlandish.  What Isabella Wanted: Isabella Stewart Gardner Builds a Museum (Neal Porter Books, Holiday House, September 7, 2021) written by Candace Fleming with illustrations by Matthew Cordell chronicles the life of one such woman.  This woman was the quintessential being listening to a different drummer.  

On a tree-lined street in Boston,

in an old mansion,

at the top of the stairs,

in a second-floor room,

empty frames hang,

waiting . . .

These introductory phrases prior to the title page pique readers' interest.  As the title suggests Isabella Stewart Gardner did whatever her heart desired.  Can you imagine walking zoo lions up a prominent street in Boston?  Life in this Boston was much too restrictive for Isabella, so she left.

She toured to grand cities in Europe and Asia.  There, in those cities, she found her personal form of adventure reflected in gorgeous and precious art and architecture.  Whatever medium an artist used, Isabella had a need to acquire it.  She now possessed paintings by Rembrandt and Vermeer.

Buyers for Isabella continued to purchase items, at times using questionable methods, on the other side of the Atlantic to be displayed in her home on Beacon Street in Boston.  Isabella eventually decided to create a museum for the public to enjoy all the collectibles from her travels and the efforts of her agents abroad.

Did she fashion this museum in her home on Beacon Street?  No!  Isabella purchased land and had a four-story home built.  She oversaw every aspect of the venture.  She placed every single item for viewing in a perfect Isabella space.   In 1903, there was a Grand Opening.  Isabella made sure everything stayed in its perfect Isabella space.

For twenty days each year for decades, Isabella welcomed people to her museum.  When she died, she left the museum for the people of Boston to enjoy as long as everything stayed in its perfect Isabella space.  And it was so, until one of the greatest unsolved art heists was committed by a devious duo.  To this day . . . waiting.

With every reading of the words written by Candace Fleming in this title, the story of this woman's life is just as compelling as the first time you read it.  You find yourself drawn into the narrative by the keen sense of time and place and specific descriptive incidents.  The recurring phrase of 

exactly as Isabella wanted

acts as a rhythmic bond between portions of this woman's life.  In fact, as you read this narrative, it is like reading a poem.  There is a beautiful cadence created by the word choices and sentence structure.  Here is a passage.

Every decision---choosing the land, drawing up plans, hiring the workers---

                                                                                           was hers.

And every day at the worksite she clambered up ladders,

scurried across scaffolding, hacked at beams,

plastered walls, supervised, complained,

gave orders to . . .

do and redo, set and reset,

brick and rebrick, build and rebuild

an Italian palazzo that rose up

on that empty swampland---

the Fens---

with courtyard,

and cloisters,

and intimate rooms,

exactly as Isabella wanted.

The pastel palette selected by artist Matthew Cordell for the dust jacket conveys the vitality of this woman's spirit.  Her uplifted arms depict the grandness for which she viewed life and art.  Here, on the front, she is shown with some acquisitions of art.  Do you recognize the two large paintings?

To the left of the spine, on the back, Matthew Cordell features a close-up of Johannes Vermeer's The Concert as it was displayed in Isabella's museum.  Viewers could sit in a chair to further appreciate its beauty.  This was, of course, by design by the amazing Isabella Stewart Gardner.  

When you remove the dust jacket the background scenes remain the same.  But . . . now Isabella is gasping in horror, eyes wide and hands to either side of her face.  All the objects on the front are gone, leaving the walls, frames, and tables bare.  On back, the frame holding the Vermeer painting is empty.  (It was a decision of the museum to do this after the theft.)

The soft yellow of Isabella's gown is the canvas color for the opening and closing endpapers.  Prior to the title page, the first words, as shown above, are placed on a modern-day view of the museum, the glass-covered center courtyard, an outside seating area, and inside room view.  The information on the verso, dedication, page is put inside frames.  Another view of happy Isabella inside her museum is on the title page.  

These illustrations by Matthew Cordell were

created using pen and ink (Hero 9018 fountain pen with Noodler's Black) and watercolor on Canson cold press watercolor paper.

The fine lines, a signature technique of Matthew's work, depict historical elements and fabulous facial expressions.  Even though he is not mentioned in the text, Matthew includes Isabella's husband, John Lowell "Jack" Gardner in some of the images.  He accompanied her on their extensive travels until his sudden death at the age of sixty-one.  Readers will want to pause on other pages to notice included elements like the food and beverage served at the Grand Opening in 1903.

The image sizes vary from page turn to page turn.  Their size is indicative of the narrative, elevating the pacing.  Some of the pictures are framed with fine lines.  Others extend page edge to page edge.  They are highly animated, as was Isabella.  The final two-page illustration is

exactly as Isabella

would have wanted it.

One of my many favorite illustrations is the left portion of a double-page picture.  Here Isabella is standing outside in a Venice courtyard.  Large square tiles are beneath her feet.  Gardens and sculptures surround her.  Extending above her are several stories with arched windows and separate balconies.  Her head is lifted in joy, a smile on her face.  Her arms are raised and spread open.  Her enthusiasm is contagious.

When you read this book, What Isabella Wanted: Isabella Stewart Gardner Builds a Museum written by Candace Fleming with illustrations by Matthew Cordell, one word keeps floating in and out of your consciousness---fascinating.  This woman's life was completely fascinating.  And the mystery of what happened to the artwork is equally fascinating.  In an author's note, Candace Fleming describes more about Isabella, her art collecting, and the museum.  She does address the theft.  And she recommends visiting the museum in person or virtually.  A bibliography and source notes are included.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

To discover more about Candace Fleming and Matthew Cordell and their other work, please visit their respective websites by following the link attached to their names.  Candace Fleming has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Matthew Cordell has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website is an educator's guide.  In accordance with this book, Matthew Cordell appears on KidLit TV Ready Set Draw! Draw a Self Portrait.  Candace Fleming speaks about the book in a video on the Holiday House Instagram account.

We have to eat to live, but what we eat is vital.  We look for balance and freshness in the ingredients.  Food preparation is essential to capturing the necessary balance and freshness.  It is also an art.  Many believe, the most important aspect, ingredient, is love.  Niki Nakayama: A Chef's Tale in 13 Bites (Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, September 14, 2021) written by Jamie Michalak and Debbi Michiko Florence with illustrations by Yuko Jones tells us about a girl who believed in her dreams when others did not.  Her success supplies encouragement to all who know her story.

In a Los Angeles kitchen, a woman tells a story while cooking.  If you were to 

visit her restaurant, you'd be served thirteen dishes.

Each of the thirteen bites contributes to the whole that is her story.  Niki Nakayama was born in America to parents born in Japan.  Her home was the blend of two cultures, Japanese and American.  This was tasted in the food served.

Niki believed that food was only a part of the experience.  It was the group that sat at the table which completed the meal.  Niki loved to create her own recipes, but at the age of twelve she found herself working in the family business.  And it seemed as if her parents only supported her brother's successes, regardless of her hard work.

A trip to Japan after high school graduation changed the course of Niki's life and the promise of fulfilling her dreams.  She wanted to replicate what she discovered.  She needed to attend chef's school.  Despite her parents' objections, she did.  Hard work, study, and another trip served to expand her passion for cooking.

A request was granted, and a promise was made.  Niki Nakayama finally proved herself to her parents, but her deepest dreams were still not being met.  Courage fueled a decision.  Today Niki Nakayama has another restaurant, a restaurant where stories are told with her food.   

The technique used by authors Jamie Michalak and Debbi Michiko Florence to present the life of Niki Nakayama in thirteen bites is as inventive and unique as the cooking of Niki Nakayama.  It supplies a gentle tension and sense of anticipation for readers with every page turn.  Often, they will use the same phrase 

"I'll show them."

to signify her determination, again and again.  Those words were an impetus for her.  Here is a portion of the passage for bite six.

Each dish was a work of art.  Each bite burst with flavor.

The tomato's scent brought back memories of a long-ago picnic.

The corn soup tasted of a warm, lazy day.  Together, the courses

told the story of summer.

Niki learned this storytelling feast had a name:  kaiseki.

We can see on the matching front, ride side, of the dust jacket and book case Niki's love of food and food preparation at an early age.  Her zest for exploring her own versions of foods is seen in the tray stacked with wonton pizzas.  Behind her are ingredients for both the sushi and the pizzas.  On the dust jacket, to the left of the spine, on the back, Niki is peering through the doors of her present-day restaurant from the kitchen into the main dining room.  Here we read a short blurb and remarks about this book by Newbery Medalist, Linda Sue Park.

On the back of the book case a depiction is placed on the white background.  Four courses of the many served to Niki Nakayama in Japan are visible.  Each is an exquisite design, a blend of food and a season.  They are a tribute to our natural world and the stories found there.

On the opening endpapers we see thirteen separate kinds of food on individual dishes or bowls on a warm muted golden canvas.  The title text is positioned on a Menu on the right side.  With a page turn, a double-page picture holds on the left the dedications and publication information.  On the right side, the narrative begins.  The illustration is of Niki Nakayama in her restaurant standing in the opening between her kitchen and the dining room preparing food, knife in hand.  To the left, on the ledge, a potted orchid grows.

Each illustration by Yuko Jones takes readers on a charming journey.  She moves from double-page images to pictures placed inside serving dishes, and then to a single-page visual.  When Niki travels to Japan each location she visits is delineated on a map with loops and black and white dashes.  Circular pictures offer readers a view of her savoring different delectable foods.

Yuko Jones shifts her perspectives for emphasis.  Sometimes two separate points of view are woven into the same illustration.  At one section of the tale, we are looking down at patrons in Niki's restaurant.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a double-page visual.  Here Niki has decided what she will do after closing her successful sushi restaurant.  Spread across the two pages is a bright, sunlit sky with the sun and radiating rays on the left.  Beneath this is a sea of water, gentle waves rolling on a beach on the right.  On the left a high wave frames the back of Niki.  She, attired in her chef's hat, shirt, and apron, is stirring a bowl of pasta.  Three smaller circles holding images are tucked in the waves on the right.  They are portions of previous pictures, a reminder of the progress she has made.

This book, Niki Nakayama: A Chef's Tale in 13 Bites written by Jamie Michalak and Debbi Michiko Florence with illustrations by Yuko Jones, is a testament to perseverance, following your heart, seeking love and laughter, and bursting through boundaries placed on women.  At the close of the book under Ingredients is a two-page timeline of significant moments in Niki Nakayama's life.  The closing endpapers are committed to descriptions of Kuyashii and Kaiseki and the Wonton Pizza Recipe.  Timely and impressive, this title will serve to enhance both your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Jamie Michalak, Debbi Michiko Florence, and Yuko Jones and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  Jamie Michalak has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  Debbi Michiko Florence has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  Yuko Jones has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  This title is highlighted at the Nerdy Book Club, PictureBookBuilders, School Library Journal A Fuse #8 Production, and Jama Rattigan's Jama's Alphabet Soup.  At Macmillan Publishers you can view interior images.  You might want to look through Niki Nakayama's Instagram feed.

Wee Wonders

Perspective and point of view shape more than we are aware.  Numerous times student discussions lead to a whole new approach to a lesson.  These students present a thought, or an idea previously not considered.  It is refreshing and mind-blowing.  What's not to love about that?!  It is apparent we need to continuously and consciously alter how we see things, the grandest landscapes, and the tiniest elements in those landscapes.

Early this year a cast of characters drove into the children's literature realm.  Road Trip! A Whiskers Hollow Adventure (Candlewick Press, February 9, 2021) written and illustrated by Steve Light takes us into a tiny community within a woodland world.  Four friends travel toward a desired necessity.  Points along their path disclose more than destinations. 

 

It was a beautiful day in Whiskers Hollow,

more beautiful than a hubcap shining in the sun.

Bear rambles down the road in his trusty truck.  Usually a good driver, Bear crashes into an acorn resting on the middle of the branch.  Now, he needs a new headlight.  

For this, Bear races toward Rabbit's house.  He asks his help in finding a new headlight.  Rabbit would rather eat, regardless of the time of day.  Bear assures him a snack is in his future.

Bear and Rabbit speed to Mouse's house.  Bear requests Mouse's assistance.  Mouse is a tad bit anxious.  He agrees to go, bringing his tried and true first-aid kit.

When they arrive at Donkey's house, he is ready to go.  Donkey, a perpetual optimist, leads the way on his scooter.  He knows how to find Elephant's Old Junk Tree.

Nothing stops the foursome, even when they reach Elephant and his tree full of treasures, discovering there is no headlight for Bear's truck.  As long as they are there and together, they have fun.  An unexpected slip, a muddy plunge, and a watery solution are revealing. Sometimes when looking for one thing, you are reminded of something else just as essential.

With four words, nearly as powerful as once upon a time, at the end of his third sentence, author Steve Light, opens our minds and hearts to the approach of a charming storytelling event.  Declarative sentences and equally straightforward dialogue, welcome us into the story of these four friends.  Repetitive phrases link phases of the narrative together fashioning a comfortable cadence.  In these companionable conversations, much is shown to us about the personalities of Bear, Rabbit, Mouse, and Donkey.  Here is a passage.

The three friends arrived at Donkey's place.

"Let's go---road trip!" said Bear.  "I need a new light for my old truck.

Can you help us find the way to Elephant's Old Junk Tree?"

Donkey knew the way because Donkey loved junk.

"Follow me friends!"

When you open the dust jacket, one of the first things you notice is the image spans from left to right with a break for the spine placement.  On the back, left, a large gray tree trunk is the canvas for portraits of the four friends, introducing them to readers.  On the branch which extends into the center of the right side hangs a sign.  This sign offers pictorial directions to Elephant's Junk Tree.  Two tiny crickets are seated on the top corners of the ISBN.  One is reading.  

On the front, the four are driving with haste to find a replacement headlight for Bear's trusty truck.  They all lean into this journey, following Donkey.  Notice the body posture of Donkey filled with calm confidence.  It is here we come to understand how small Whiskers Hollow and its inhabitants are.

On the book case, illustrator Steve Light presents a series of roadways tree to tree, tree branch to tree branch.  They pass by windows and doors in multiple homes.  There are stoplights, tow trucks, and vehicles of all shapes and sizes.  You will notice a large portion of activity revolves around the removal of the acorn responsible for Bear's crash.

On the opening and closing endpapers is a muted spring green.  Carefully labeled and drawn with intricate detail is a map of Whiskers Hollow in black.  All these sites hold infinite possibilities for future excursions.

With a page turn, a double-page image shows us on the left a cutaway of the interior of Bear's Den.  Above it a tree branch stretches to the far right.  Bear drives with quickness on that branch on the title page.  In the O of Road an acorn is shown.  An acorn is used for the dot on the exclamation point.

Rendered 

in pen and ink and gouache

the illustrations, ranging in size and perspective, are a study in the art of exquisite elements.  Fine lines take us deep into Whiskers Hollow.  We leave our world behind, shrinking to miniature.  Each page turn is an invitation to pause and study the image(s) before us.

One of my many favorite pictures is a single-page illustration.  It is framed with wide white space and a thin black line.  The color palette is spare.  There are hints of blue, yellow, and brown, black and white.  The four friends are sitting together on an enormous pile of junk.  They are enjoying snacks, beverages, and each other.  It is a scene of peace in the presence of those who love you just as you are.

Whether read with a large group or one on one, this book, Road Trip! A Whiskers Hollow Adventure written and illustrated by Steve Light is an precious possession to be savored repeatedly.  Readers will wish they could step into this marvelous world and enjoy all it offers along with the four friends, Bear, Rabbit, Mouse, and Donkey.  You'll want to add a copy of this gem to your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Steve Light and his other work, please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  Steve Light has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter.  Interior pictures can be viewed at Penguin Random House.  Steve Light chats with author, reviewer, and blogger Julie Danielson about this title at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  You will love, love, love the conversation and artwork.  The virtual launch was held at Books of Wonder.

Instead of shifting to a tiny world within our world, a small creature decides to collect everyday human items.  To her, what we take for granted is a gift.  Dakota Crumb: Tiny Treasure Hunter (Candlewick Press, July 6, 2021) written by Jamie Michalak with illustrations by Kelly Murphy is certain to have you looking at your surroundings with new eyes.  You might decide to start your own assortment of special objects.  

IN THE GREAT, BIG CITY,

in the great, big museum,

a clock tick-tocks past midnight.

Doors are locked.

Guards keep watch.

All is still, until . . .

From the shadows, an individual moves.  It's a mouse.  Her name is Dakota Crumb.  She is a hunter of treasures.  Tonight, she carries a map.  Tonight, is the night she will locate with courage a 

famous priceless treasure.

She needs to carefully move past ancient warriors.  Wait a minute!  Someone has left a remarkable painting (stamp) which she adds to her bag.  In a room filled with gigantic beings from lore, she spies another forgotten figure (It looks familiar.)

Past a caretaker, intrepid Dakota moves, map in paws.  In the Egypt room, a wicked cat is seated, guarding all the ancient articles.  Behold!  There is the treasure of all treasures, exactly where it is supposed to be.  (It tastes like grapes.) 

As a new day dawns, silent paws take this gatherer home.  Does she sleep?  No, she does not.  Today is special.  To her friends, by day, she is Miss Crumb, proprietor of Mousehole Museum.  As the great big city sleeps, by night she is a hunter of the greatest gifts left behind.

With each page turn readers are more attached to this character and her exploits.  Author Jamie Michalak uses simple sentences for maximum results, creating a mysterious pacing.  Alliteration, rhyming and sound effects add to the suspense.  Verb choices elevate the nighttime atmosphere.  Here is a passage.

Whoosh!

WHOA!

Too slow.

Dakota escapes by a whisker.

Heave ho!  Into Dakota's sack it goes!

Tick-tock goes the clock.

But where's the treasure?

Dakota checks her map and travels on.

Dakota Crumb's wide-eyed look on both the front and back of the open and matching dust jacket and book case gives us a clue to her inquisitive and persistent nature.  Standing on the edge of a framed human masterpiece, she is ready to swing into action, looking to make sure it is safe.  The graduated color of the title text heightens the tension.  It partners with her sweater shade.  The main title text is varnished.

To left, on the back, on the pale teal background, Dakota is swinging through the air like Indiana Jones.  Her body posture and facial expression indicate her confidence and joy.  On the opening and closing endpapers is a muted midnight blue.  Prior to the title page, on a crisp white background, Dakota Crumb is next to a magnifying glass, her bag, a treasure, and her "grappling hook".  This image is tucked into the lower right-hand corner.

On the title page, a double-page picture gives readers an overview of the great, big city.  The museum is on the right.  Purple hues are prevalent.  Golden yellow lights glow in windows.  A large white moon hangs down from the top edge on the left.

Many elements, other than those, Dakota Crumb, finds are shown in the illustrations.  Do you notice any objects which seem out of place?  The double-page visuals give us an overview of the museum interior, take us close to Dakota Crumb, and offer a variety of perspectives.  We look down on a scene.  We look up toward the ceiling. We scurry, climb, and scamper next to Dakota Crumb.  Rendered by Kelly Murphy using

pen and ink, colored digitally  

these pictures convey a real sense of time and place.

One of my many favorite pictures accompanies the text above noted.  Across the left side and most of the right side a tense moment for Dakota Crumb is showcased.  On the left, she quickly scoops up the statue and puts it in her bag.  A broom sweeps up other debris and perhaps other treasures.  On the right we see the feet and lower portion of the legs of the caretaker.  In the low light shadows increase the anxiety Dakota must be feeling.  In the lower right-hand corner, we move into another moment.  Dakota Crum holds her map, figuring out her next move.

Dakota Crumb: Tiny Treasure Hunter written by Jamie Michalak with illustrations by Kelly Murphy is a puzzle, a scavenger hunt, and a memorable midnight excursion fraught with exciting moments.  Readers will be guessing what her next discovery will be as they notice other possible collectibles in the illustrations.  At the close of the book Dakota Crumbs proposes readers return to the story and locate more than forty other objects.  This book is certain to be a story time favorite.  Be sure to have a copy in both your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Jamie Michalak and Kelly Murphy and their other work, follow the link attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Jamie Michalak has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Kelly Murphy has accounts on Behance, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website there is an eleven-page activity kit you can download.  At Penguin Random House you can view interior images.  At teacher librarian, lecturer, and author John Schumacher's Watch. Connect. Read., Jamie and John chat about this title.  Jamie is also interviewed at GoodReadsWithRonna.  Jamie Michalak has a guest post at the Nerdy Book Club regarding this book.

Food For Thought---Frank And Bean Blog Tour

Two words with similar sounds have completely different meanings.  Being alone is empowering, reminding us to seek and experience our best qualities in silence, contemplation and creativeness.  It's energizing.  In some respects, lonely is the opposite of alone.  It's a feeling of being lost, unsure and out of balance.  It's an unwelcome weight.

When people see someone alone, they might believe they are lonely but a verbal exchange, a short conversation, can reveal the truth.  Sometimes in this conversation the two individuals discover wonderful attributes about each other.  Two perfect personalities exhibiting this possibility are being introduced to the children's literature realm soon.

Frank And Bean (Candlewick Press, October 8, 2019) written by Jamie Michalak with illustrations by Bob Kolar will have readers nodding their heads in agreement between bouts of laughter.  Humans generally consume these two items of food together, finding them to complement each other.  Frank and Bean, as fictional characters in this early reader, are complete opposites.  In four concise charming chapters, we meet this duo and join them as a friendship forms.

Chapter 1
Frank
This is Frank.
This is Frank's tent.
This is Frank's pencil.
This is Frank's spork.
This is Frank's secret notebook.
Everything here is Frank's.

Being alone is exactly what Franks wants so he can write his private thoughts in his notebook.  He moves from the croaking frog and the hooting owl and even startles himself when he wanders into a pond.  Seeking solitude and quiet is not as easy as he thought.  None of the night creatures respond to his wishes for a good night, so lying in his tent he tells himself good night.

The next morning quietly eating his breakfast Frank is surprised by a loud honking.  It's a bus, Bean's bus.  It's loaded with all sorts of things to generate noises, loud noises.  Bean has a trumpet, a drum, a triangle, a motorbike and a gong.  He plays more than one of those instruments.  He rides his motorbike.  Frank is frustrated and keeps trying to get Bean to stop.  Bean is so loud he misunderstands Frank's requests, substituting words.  Before Frank's knows what's happening, Bean is at his tent expecting pie.  (Frank said goodbye.)

As the two chat Bean discloses the nature of his quest to Frank.  Frank, in turn, explains to Bean, the shortest and easiest way to complete his search.  Of course, Bean being Bean, interrupts repeatedly with noise, antics and his own request of Frank.  Frank must eat a jelly doughnut hole.

SQUIRT!
SPLAT!

As the final chapter begins Frank is snuggled in his tent attempting to sleep when Ben's trumpet echoes through the campsite.  Frank, going to Bean's bus, implores him to be quiet.  After a second endeavor for silence, Bean shows up at Frank's tent.  Remember the word lonely.  This is Bean on this night.  A frank discussion takes the best of both these beings and supplies readers with a perfect complementary resolution.


As you read through the narrative and the dialogue, you can't help but wonder how much fun Jamie Michalak had writing this book.  She gives us very clear descriptions of the personalities of both Frank and Bean through examples.  The contrast in their traits is a source of comedy.  Repetition of sentence structure provides a cadence for readers.  It is in the fourth chapter, Jamie Michalak gets to more profound statements, statements ringing true for readers of all ages.  Here is a passage.

"I am Frank," says Frank.  "What are you doing here?"
"YOU WANT ME TO CHEER?" yells Bean.  "OK. HOORAY FOR FRANK!"
"I did not say cheer," says Frank.
"Turn off your bike so I can talk with you."
"MOO?" Bean shouts.  "DO I HEAR A COW?"


I don't know about you, but when I look at Frank and Bean on the matching and open dust jacket and book case, I can't help but grin. Their facial expressions here (and throughout the book) reflect their true natures.  Frank looks quiet and studious.  Bean looks boisterous and ready to romp.

The sky filled with a few clouds, the evergreens and forest trees continue on the other side of the spine.  The frog mentioned in the story is sitting on a rock in the lower left-hand corner of the back.  The text framed by the clouds reads:

Some friendships are
just meant to be.

The opening and closing endpapers are striped in two hues of golden yellow.  The stripes are similar in size to the stripes on Frank's tent.  On the title page Frank's secret notebook and Bean's hat are featured between the text.  Under the Contents text Frank is pulling a tiny wagon loaded with his goodies.  It is labeled Frank Furter.  This is one of the many humorous details illustrator Bob Kolar includes in his images for this title.

Frank's tent is a mini version of a circus tent with an initial "F" on the roof with a red circle, knob, on the tip of the top.  Bean's bus has large windows on all its sides.  The lettering reads Bean The Musical Fruit.  There is a "B" on the front of it.

The illustration sizes vary according to the text, pacing and emphasis on the activities of the characters.  They alternate between full-page pictures, insets on crisp white backgrounds, and double-page pictures.  It's guaranteed readers will be giggling and guffawing.

One of my many, many favorite pictures is a double-page picture.  It's Frank's first night in the forest.  A few clouds remain in the darker sky, but stars frame the top and curve down the sides.  There are several evergreen trees, one large tree for the owl and a pink tree in full bloom.  The frog is sitting on his rock.  A few crickets surround the area.  Frank's hat with the head lamp, his secret notebook, pencil and spork are laying on the ground right outside the tent.  Frank, due to his height, is mostly outside the tent.  He is wearing a striped nightcap and his glasses.


Excellent for the intended audience but certain to be enjoyed by readers of all ages, Frank And Bean written by Jamie Michalak with illustrations by Bob Kolar is a topnotch early reader.  The use of language and the lively, joyous images work a special kind of spell.  You'll want a copy of this for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Jamie Michalak and Bob Kolar and their other work, please visit their respective websites by following the links attached to their names.  Jamie Michalak has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  The link to her blog is here.  Bob Kolar has an account on Instagram.  At Candlewick Press and at Penguin Random House you can view interior images.  I was honored to host the cover reveal for Frank And Bean.  Both Jamie Michalak and Bob Kolar discuss their work and this book.

Here are two interior images provided by author Jamie Michalak done with skill and hilarity by Bob Kolar.

Jamie Michalak has a guest post on author Jarrett Lerner's site as part of this blog tour.

Frank And Bean Cover Reveal

For many residents of the United States, especially those experiencing blizzards less than a week ago, it’s hard to think of the arrival of the vernal equinox.  Regardless of the mounds of snow observed around our homes, a shift in seasons is coming in two days. This means winter’s rest is ending, albeit slowly.

It’s a time of fresh new beginnings.  Birdsong swells as many return to their seasonal homes.  Tiny bumps of fuzz pop out on pussy willow branches. Once the snow completely recedes bulbs nestled in the cool, dark earth push shoots upward revealing their brilliant greenness.  To further herald spring it’s a distinct pleasure to host children’s literature creators Jamie Michalak and Bob Kolar at Librarian’s Quest. They are collaborating on a new early reader title, Frank & Bean.  We are excited to reveal the cover but first let’s get to know Jamie and Bob and their work on this book a little bit better.

It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jamie and Bob.

From your previous titles, Jamie, I know humor plays a big part in your books.  How did you decide on these characters and their names? Would you tell us a little bit about their personalities?

I didn’t have to look far for inspiration when it came to the characters — I live with them! My youngest is chatty, like Bean, and obsessed with donuts, drums, and anything loud. My oldest is more like the quiet, outdoorsy, oatmeal-loving Frank. I’d wanted to write a book starring food, and once I hit on the names, Frank and Bean popped into my head.

As keen observers of life, I realize author’s glean ideas for their books just about anywhere. How was the focus of this story formed? Did a single incident supply the spark?

I was inspired to write this book after seeing many children, including my own, on phones and other devices. I wondered how they’d cultivate their imagination and create when they’re never bored. At its heart, Frank and Bean is about sparking creativity by carving out the quiet space needed to hear the stories within. I hope this book will inspire kids to write their own story, poem, or maybe even a song like Frank and Bean’s!

Reading the title, Bob, without any images, readers initially will have no idea of the physical characteristics of Frank and Bean.  Would you tell us how they developed? Which one did you visualize first, Frank or Bean?

Frank came first. A walking talking hotdog seemed pretty normal in my world. I had to decide whether he would have a bun or not.  He just seemed naked without it. Bean was a little more difficult. The size relationship was throwing me. A bean is usually much smaller than a hotdog. I guess a bean doesn’t usually go camping, ride a motorcycle, eat donut holes, and play the trumpet either. He ended up being a really huge bean.

Did the manuscript dictate the setting shown on the cover?  

Yes, it’s a camping in the woods adventure story.

What medium did you use for the cover and the artwork within the book, Bob?

Artwork was created digitally. I do most of my stuff on the computer now. I spent most of my childhood watching cartoons. Maybe working on the computer just reminds me of watching TV.

Are you more like Frank or Bean, Bob?

Oh, I’m totally a Bean. I’m loud and annoying. I spend most of my time having fun or thinking about how to have more fun. I have a short attention.... hey look, a squirrel!! What was the question?

Which character resembles you, Jaime?

Frank. I have a secret notebook and love the outdoors and quiet time, too. But my good friends are wild and crazy Beans, and I never pass up karaoke.

Just for fun, what is your favorite comfort food, Jamie?

Like Mercy Watson, I love hot toast with a great deal of butter on it. Some of my all-time favorite memories are of eating freshly baked bread. (Oh my gosh, I really am a Frank!)

Bob?

I really like food.  I like almost all of it.  Breakfast foods are all definitely in my comfort category. If I had to pick one, it would be a piece of sourdough toast. (only because I just had one and I have that short attention span)

Thank you, Jamie and Bob, for taking the time to chat with me about this brand-new book you are making together.  I have been waiting to reveal this cover so I can hear peals of laughter resonating around the planet. I can’t even think about it without laughing.

Here’s to the arrival of spring in two days.

Here’s to Jamie Michalak and Bob Kolar and

Frank and Bean

This title published by Candlewick Press is set to be released on October 8, 2019.

To learn more about Jamie Michalak and Bob Kolar and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Jamie Michalak has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Bob Kolar has an account on Instagram.

Jamie Michalak is the author of many children's books, including the highly acclaimed Joe and Sparky early readers series: Joe and Sparky, Party Animals!, Joe and Sparky Get New Wheels; Joe and Sparky Go to School; and Joe and Sparky, Superstars!, which Kirkus Reviews called a "little treasure" in a starred review. All are illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz. Jamie Michalak lives in Rhode Island.

Bob Kolar is from Cleveland, and now lives in Kansas City with his wife Lisa. As a kid, his big dream was to be a jungle guide, astronaut, or a farmer. So, naturally he went to art school and became an illustrator, designer, and writer. He did a corporate job there for a while, but now he just creates books, toys and fun stuff for kids. Bob also teaches a little bit at the Kansas City Art Institute.