Life Partners-Loss And Love

As an educator who has experienced loss of a beloved being, you are always filled with compassion when a student comes to you expressing sadness at the death of a family member, a cherished animal, or friend.  You cannot know the exact nature of their grief, but you understand it based on your personal heartbreaks.  You listen.  You offer support.  If asked, you can share when deep sadness has touched your life. 

As a librarian, you know which titles can offer the best comfort for each child. Addy's Cup Of Sugar: Based on a Buddhist Story of Healing (Scholastic Press, October 20, 2020) written and illustrated by Jon J Muth is a book for those mourning and missing a special individual.  It's an explanation of how death, as a part of life, connects us.

Addy and her pet kitten were best friends.

They did everything together.

She called him Trumpet because of his meow.  They woke up together.  Neither started their day without the other.

Abruptly, this changed one day.  Addy and her family recently moved.  Trumpet died when a car hit the kitten near their new home.  Addy was heartbroken.  She wanted Trumpet back.  She knew her friend Stillwater, a panda, could help her.

Stillwater, saddened for Addy, offered sympathy and a solution, a medicine.  One of the necessary ingredients was a cup of sugar.  It had to be borrowed from someone untouched by death.  Addy ran to the closest house to borrow a cup of sugar.

There a little girl assured her they had sugar, but her grandfather died the previous week.  From house to house Addy ran, but no one was untouched by death.  Taking a break Addy recalled an antic Trumpet performed.  She told Trumpet she was working as hard as she could to bring him back.  Addy kept remembering and then her mind and heart and the end of the day worked its magic.  In his wisdom, Stillwater knew the medicine Addy needed.

With his words, author Jon J Muth establishes the close bond between Addy and her kitten Trumpet.  He speaks with a heart that knows the strength of affection between humans and animals.  With respect for his readers, he does not sugarcoat the kitten's death, stating it briefly and with truth. His blend of text and dialogue gives his signature interpretation of this Buddhist teaching the capacity for comprehension by his intended audience.  Here is a passage.

Addy ran through the backyards

and beneath the laundry that hung

on clotheslines.  The linen sheets that

brushed against her skin felt like

Trumpet's rough tongue.

She never knew what a cat's

tongue felt like until she met

Trumpet.

On the front, right, of the matching dust jacket and book case, using shades of complementary golden yellow and rich purple, Jon J Muth casts a comforting spell on readers.  We know Trumpet is a shadow of his former self here.  Stillwater, giver of knowledge, stands next to Addy as she embraces the sad reality of her loss.  This image extends to the left edge of the spine.

On the other side of the spine we are shown a portion of a double-page interior illustration.  It is the picture enhancing the text above noted.  On the top part Addy is running across grass along the side of hanging sheets on a clothesline.  Beneath the grass, on the lower half, Trumpet, enlarged, is running with her.  The kitten appears to be sketched in charcoal chalk.

The opening and closing endpapers are covered in the palest of robin's egg blue.  It's nearly white.  On the title page, Trumpet, seated, looks kindly at readers.  A tin measuring cup is placed to the right of Trumpet.  Stillwater's red umbrella hangs on the verso page.  On the dedication page Stillwater, lounging on the grass, is playing with Trumpet.

These images by Jon J Muth were rendered using

watercolor and pencil on d'Arches paper.  

They are single-page pictures framed in white, or dramatic double-page pictures, page edge to page edge.  Conveying a soft gentleness, they invite readers into the story.  We view each visual with different perspectives; some close to Addy and others as if we are standing back from her.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is the first one.  It is a single-page picture.  Addy is squatting on a large boulder, her light brown/blond hair in a braided pigtail down the center of her striped shirt.  Her hands are outstretched and reaching down to Trumpet.  Trumpet is perched on a much smaller boulder, a large rock.  This rock and Addy's boulder are in water with many smaller rocks around them.  Their reflections in the still pool are beautiful.  The light and shadows indicate a sunny afternoon with the slightest hint of light blue wash around the kitten and child.  It is a poignant portrait of shared love.

Addy's Cup Of Sugar: Based on a Buddhist Story of Healing written and illustrated by Jon J Muth is an important book allowing all of us to see how death is inevitable and a part of life.  This book helps us to bear the sadness because we are not alone in this grief.  At the close of the book Jon J Muth, in an Author's Note, talks about the Buddhist legend and his views on life and death.  I highly recommend this book for your personal and professional collections.

I could not locate any website or social media connections for Jon J Muth but I did locate an article here and an interview here in American Libraries.  At the publisher's website you can view excerpts from the book.  This includes the title page.

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.

In Silence

Everything takes longer now.  Movement is measured with numerous stops to lift her head in the air taking deep breaths through her nose.  As her companion I follow, pausing when she does.  It's not easy but the rewards have been huge.  My aging dog is still teaching me lessons about life.

When you slow down you tend to be more aware of your surroundings; the small details become large.  We wonder about new prints in the snow, our breath clouding the midnight air as trees pop and crack in the woods.  Circles around the moon, falling stars, frosted branches, sugary snow gleaming like diamonds in the sun and the bright call of chickadees fill our wintry nights and days.  Hi, Koo! A Year of Seasons (Scholastic Press) presented by Koo and Jon J Muth with illustrations by Jon J Muth asks readers to appreciate, to marvel at, the everyday, looking at it with new eyes.

In an introductory author's note Jon J Muth speaks about the evolution of the poetic form, haiku.  His final sentence depicts the very essence of this book.

At its best, a haiku embodies a moment of emotion that reminds us that our own human nature is not separate from all of nature.  

He also adds these twenty-six poems take an alphabetical journey through the seasons with one word in each given a capital letter.

Beginning with fall we look around personifying this season, curious about the change in wardrobe.  Cleaning up leaves, lost items found on a windy day and the contrast between cold rainy days and the warmth of home are musings given to readers.  Two young friends, a boy and a girl, follow Koo into winter.

Snow prints, snowballs, ice, and snowfall keep this trio on the go.  What's that? A cat?  Tiny spots of color herald the newness of spring.  It's time to get outside trading in screen time for playtime.  Oh...the wonders to be seen and understood; puddles, nests, reading to chirping friends and the sorrow of an ended life.

Earthbound stars, a sliver of moon, water catching thrown stones, and sidewalk fantasies lead to the absolute stillness found in listening to Nature breathe; in and out, in and out.  String the single alphabetical words together.  It's a study in seasonal sensations.


As fluid and evocative as his watercolor illustrations, Jon J Muth's words call forth those singular seconds in our lives we might otherwise fail to notice.  Whether a question, a statement, an observation, or an invitation, the group of words has been thoughtfully chosen to depict the heart of the moment; how it is seen, heard, felt, or tasted.  In all of the poems but one a soft joy reaches out like the best kind of endearment to the reader; lifting our spirits.  In that one poem Muth wants us to consider carefully the results of our actions in the world around us.


The branch filled with cherry blossoms, the pale blues of the sky reaching toward the glow of spring green grass, petals scattered among the blades, are particularly pleasing. Who can resist smiling at the antics of Koo on the front dust jacket or doing handstands with his two friends on the back?  What's even better is the different case beneath.  A cloud filled sky patterns the wide spine.  The back and front is a solid lively green with Koo cartwheeling across the front.  Endpapers in shades of pale purple zoom in on blossoms turned to leaves.

Jon J Muth uses white space to draw readers into each illustration.  A single picture is dedicated to each poem.  Even though each visual is separate from the other they are joined by the color palette in each.  I would happily frame any one to hang with honor in my home; Koo holding on to a lamp post with his umbrella outstretched in the rain dreaming of eating soup at home, shadows stretching beneath lamplight as delicate snow falls, flashlight beams shining on frolicking friends, or Koo skipping stones as his companions play along the water's edge.

One of my favorite illustrations is found on the final page.  Koo is seated on a tree branch with his back to us.  He is so still his pal, the cardinal, has built a nest on his head.  The picture is filled with hues of blue, green and golden leaves framing the panda.  Perfection.  Peace.


When members of my PLN visited Anderson's Bookshops' Author's Breakfast in February Jon J Muth was a featured guest.  After their proclamations I could hardly wait to read Hi, Koo!  It was well worth the wait many times over.  I think this would pair nicely with Matthew Cordell's hello! hello! and Dan Yaccarino's Doug Unplugged.

Please follow the link embedded in Jon J Muth's name to access his website.  Reading Rockets has a series of video interviews with Muth here.  At Literacyhead Jon J Muth is interviewed.  He is one of the artists showcased at their wonderful site.

...From Sea To Shining Sea

Katharine Lee Bates taught English literature for forty years at Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts.  As the story goes in 1893 after a trek by wagon, mule and foot to the top of Pike's Peak, she was so inspired by the landscape spread before her, she wrote a poem in her journal. Two years later it was first published and has since evolved into one of our nation's most cherished songs, America The Beautiful.

For eight years my two favorite books of this song were both published in 2004.  In his debut picture book illustrator Chris Gall depicts the poem in stunning visuals.  Here are two sentences from the review at Kirkus (March 1, 2004)

Gall, an actual descendant of Bates, illustrates the four verses of this country's other national anthem with bold, clean-lined, heroic American scenes, from a sturdy rural couple contemplating their "amber waves," to firefighters raising a flag over the ruins at Ground Zero.  This broadly idealistic art is infused with a spirit of inclusiveness, as blind Justice towers over a woman in judicial robes, a Tuskegee Airman poses heroically atop his fighter, and in the concluding spread, East meets West in more ways than one at Utah's Promontory Point.

In the middle of October paper engineer, Robert Sabuda gave readers his interpretation.  In a starred review Kirkus (October 1, 2004) states:

The wizard of pop-ups has created a masterpiece---in design, in execution, in boldness of vision, and in artistic and historic integrity.  

In an effort to fill my book gap challenge, several days ago when participating in one of my favorite pastimes, browsing in a bookstore, my attention was completely captured by a new joyful cover of a book titled, America the Beautiful Together We Stand (Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc.).  Ten notable illustrators, Bryan Collier, Raul Colon, Diane Goode, Mary GrandPre, John Hendrix, Yuyi Morales, Jon J Muth, LeUyen Pham, Sonia Lynn Sadler and Chris Soentpiet have each contributed in their unique illustrative styles to give a new vision to this poetic song.  The result is as varied and resplendent as the land in which we live.


Beginning with O beautiful for spacious skies, the luminous paintings of Chris Soentpiet display a group of happy, shouting, singing children from all ethnic backgrounds holding and waving small American flags with fireworks blossoming above them.  The play of light on each of the faces is a joy to behold.  The detail is nearly photographic.

The pastel painting of Mary GrandPre lights up For amber waves of grain, showing children at play.  A large tree branch in an open field has become their ship adorned in colored cloths for sails and flags birds flying in the sky around them.  They are joined by a happy barking dog.

Raul Colon's distinctive use of watercolor paper, watercolor washes, etching, colored pencils and litho pencils breathes beauty into For purple mountain majesties.  His representation of these words is one of the finest I have ever seen.   Mountains provide a backdrop for five children, (equal in size to the mountains) engaged in activities, basketball, paper airplane flying, skateboarding, baseball and jumping rope.

Sonia Lynn Sadler's usual medium is colored scratchboard.  Her depiction of Above the fruited plain! is a gathering of people from all walks of life of all ages gathered around a large quilt which they are stitching together.  The pieces of the quilt are pictures of Americana from East to West.  Everything is outlined in a fine white line accentuating this colorful array.

America! is shown in a powerful image by Bryan Collier in his technique of watercolor collage.  A faint dark sky blue image of our flag provides the background for tree branches showing faces.  Prominently displayed is a young child hands firmly grasped in front over the tree.

The second America! done in soft greens by Jon J Muth shows a forest glen.  His watercolor artwork focuses on two children tending to a newly sprouted tree.  One child is kneeling next to it as the other carries a watering can, a small turtle crawling away to the left.  A feeling of serenity permeates.

With shades of red overtone, Yuyi Morales renders her signature illustration in acrylics.  God shed His grace on thee is vividly visualized by a close-up of workers in a field of green taking a break in their labors, eating and drinking, small children with them.  As two hummingbirds flutter by, music drifts out from the portable radio in one of the worker's pockets.

Diane Goode's pen and ink drawings highlighting And crown thy good in pale teals, browns, a brighter green, red, white and blue intricately depict historic moments and accomplishments.  Towering over these is a young adult handing off a crown of laurel leaves to another four, hands linked.  All are balanced on stepping stones in water.

LeUyen Pham who in an interview stated she likes to keep people guessing about her medium, brush pens, watercolor, gouache, pencil or computer, has masterfully painted rows of children not only resembling the American flag but the shape of the United States.  Her illustration is on the front cover and interprets with brotherhood... .The playful pyramid nearly rings with laughter.

The final two pages, From sea to shining sea! drawn by John Hendrix are extraordinary.  On the left we see an old sea vessel floating above the clouds manned by children garbed in attire from various time periods.  As the clouds part on the right mountains turn in a landscape showcasing a geographical tableau replete with all manner of buildings and landmarks as his circular, starry, stylistic  fireworks are placed across the golden sky and page.  Every time I gaze at this illustration I see something new, something particular to our country.

When unfolding the jacket from the cover readers are treated to a vertical colorful portrait display of all forty-four presidents; a poster.  Rich, blue endpapers, front and back, display rows of white stars.  A turn of page lists each of the illustrators in alphabetical order alternating the color of their names in red and white on the same blue background.  After the simple title page the series of exquisite nearly two page illustrations begin, each interpreting a portion of the song.

Alternating first on the right side, then on the left, each pictorial representation leaves a small column in which a presidential quote appears.  Above each quote is a significant national landmark or symbol. At the close of the song these items are listed in the order they appeared with an explanation.  The final two pages include all four verses of the song, a small paragraph titled Our Democracy followed by a Thomas Jefferson quote and a small biographical paragraph about Katharine Lee Bates.


This is by far the longest review, assessment, of any book for which I have posted on this blog.  I wanted to focus on the artwork of each individual illustrator knowing how much time each invested in their depiction of their given words.  America the Beautiful Together We Stand is an absolutely gorgeous array of artwork; an exhibition of various mediums from masters in the field of children's book illustration.

I can see multiple uses for this title; a study of the poem becoming a beloved song, a study of various artistic styles and mediums or examining the representations for the words each illustrator chose.  I have embedded links to each illustrator's website or if they had none, the most recent discussion of their work.  This title comes highly recommended; it's stunning.

The answer, my friend...

The answer, my friend,

is blowin' in the wind

The answer is

blowin' in the wind

I was still in elementary school when singer, songwriter, poet, Bob Dylan wrote the lyrics in 1962 for his song, Blowin' In The Wind.  It was a year later when it appeared in his album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.  It seems as though that song has always been humming in the back of my mind; in the mind of American culture ready to spring forth when needed.

Using watercolor paints like a magician Jon J Muth breaths life into Dylan's lyrics for a younger audience in the title of the same name, Blowin' in the Wind (Sterling, November 1, 2011).  All the elements on the book's cover appear throughout the eloquent lavish illustrations spread across two pages.  Muted gray/white washed lines on front endpapers become trees in an autumn forest a single paper airplane floating through as our eyes move to the right.

A young boy in a striped shirt holding a large red ball gazes out a window at a paper airplane across from the title page.  We see him again on a road among many roads stretching to the horizon from a sparsely wooded slope watching that paper airplane as the first two lines of Dyan's song are read.

A wide expanse of sea and sky with a small red boat upon the water surround the small plane as it flies to the next pages.  Passengers in the boat are the boy in the striped shirt and an older girl. The next two pages show a hilltop with an old war cannon next to a small boy holding a red balloon and a young pig-tailed girl picking flowers as the small red boat drifts in the distance with the airplane tucked into a cloud-filled sky.  When the refrain appears on the fourth pictorial expanse all the children are in the boat, one pointing toward the airplane.

As each verse is read readers journey with the children following the flight of the paper airplane through mountainous Arctic waters, along a wall peopled with figures hands upraised as one drops down a guitar into the water, as the guitar is found, then as the guitar is broken and solace is offered by the boy with the ball and back up to the hillside where the cannon is now covered with flags from different nations.  With the final rendering of many paper airplanes seen against blue sky powder-puffed with clouds, the text of the last two lines is seen.  The closing endpapers show the children running along a shoreline at sunset following a white dove whose reflection in the water is the paper airplane.

Artist Jon J Muth has written a note at the book's end explaining his introduction to the song and why he chose to use the paper airplane throughout his interpretation.  His thoughts on the song's value are voiced in this note but readers have already seen those thoughts revealed in his illustrations.

Music historian and author of Mystery Train:  Images of America in Rock 'n' Roll Music, Greil Marcus also leaves readers with a note.  Embedded in the front cover is a CD recording of the original lyrics sung by Bob Dylan.

Each title illustrated by the hand of Jon J Muth is to be savored to fully appreciate the stunning, visual representations held in our hands.

Muth Masterpiece

In Zen Shorts, a Caldecott Honor book, and the companion, Zen Ties, readers were introduced to children, Karl, Michael and Addy along with their wise advisor and companion, a giant panda, Stillwater.
The foursome are together again in Zen Ghosts, a tale to be shared at Halloween or really anytime.

More reflective than frightening but spooky nonetheless, Zen Ghosts begins with the young siblings getting costumes ready the day before Halloween.  Stillwater asks them after the trick or treating to meet him at the big stone wall promising to take them to a storyteller.  After a journey to his home along an unfamiliar path they find themselves before a giant panda storyteller who surprisingly enough appears to bear a close resemblance to Stillwater.  But how could that be?  He is sitting next to them waiting to listen to the tale.  Holding up a brush the panda says, I am going to draw you a story...

Strokes of his brush reveal the lives of Senjo and her beloved Ochu, friends through childhood.  Surely they are meant to spend all their days together loving one another as husband and wife but the fates have other plans for them.  But can those destined to be together ever be separated? 

As Jon Muth states in his author's note at the book's end this is a great ghost story.  But he goes on to share his purpose for writing and illustrating this particular Buddhist koan.  His very thoughtful comments and questions about children facing the issue of duality early and throughout their lives are beneficial and enlightening just as they are meant to be.

Watercolor illustrations soft, inviting and begging to be touched create the perfect mood for this latest Zen book.  The initial endpapers of ghosts and jack-o-lanterns come-to-life scampering across a neighborhood street are sure to entice a quiet smile as will the two-page spread showing all the children trick or treating.  Showing the pirate owl on the closing endpapers offers readers the opportunity to continue contemplating the story within the story.  Mr. Jon Muth through his carefully rendered visuals and spare text has presented we lucky readers within another volume to be treasured.

Canine Caldecott Contenders?

Each year at Charlevoix Elementary School in the Library Media Center our 3rd and 4th grade students participate in a Mock Caldecott Election.  During the course of the year I review potential Caldecott nominees narrowing it down to 10 or 12.  Sometimes we actually pick the same winner as the American Library Association committee.  Criteria for selection is excellence in the artistic medium that is used, excellence in pictorial compatibility with the story, theme or concept, and will the illustrations appeal to the audience for which they were intended--children. 
Two of my favorite author/illustrators, Mo Willems and Jon J Muth , who individually have received Caldecott awards,  have collaborated to create city dog, country frog.  In this union Willems is the author using spare text that conveys the changing of the seasons as well as the deepening, timeless friendship of a dog and frog.  His word selection captures the essence of "dogginess" and "frogginess" perfectly as they share favorite activities with one another. 
Beginning with the endpapers Muth gently beckons us to pass through spring, summer, fall, winter and into spring again.  Few can match his talent with watercolor paintings that express emotions spanning the spectrum of unbridled joy, contentment, acceptance, longing, patience and unconditional love.  His trademark use of the subtle shifting of colors, attention to detail and interpretation of text through illustration are portrayed beautifully in That was spring.; That was summer; and That was fall.  In the first what could be better than a dog paddling in a pond with a frog on his head or in the second when the two are caught in a gentle rain with the frog holding a huge leaf over dog's head or in the last with dog asleep curled up on their meeting rock with frog sitting beside him reaching out his hand to touch dog's shoulder.
 I am seriously considering purchasing several of these books so I can frame some of them to hang for artwork, that is unless I can find them available for purchase elsewhere. 





Snook Alone is written by Marilyn Nelson, who has won a Newbery Honor award, a Coretta Scott King award and the Michael L. Printz Honor award.  It is illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering who is known for his illustrations in The Tale of Despereaux, Finn Throws a Fit! and The Story of Fog Belly Rat Bone.

From the cover design, to the endpapers, to the title page and throughout the body of the story watercolor illustration interprets the story of Abba Jacob, a monk, living on an island with his rat terrier, Snook.  As the story unfolds in a journal-type format the reader becomes part of this duo's daily world enjoying their lives just as much as they enjoy one another.  Detail creates a sense of presence and immediacy; the reader is there on that island seeing it through the eyes not only of the monk but his companion, Snook.  When they become separated during a storm, each on separate islands,  text and pictures combine creating a sense of tension, sadness and constant longing, love and above all else hope.  Holding this book was like holding a piece of some one's personal history; like discovering a long-hidden treasure in an attic. It is priceless. 

These two books represent what is best in books being published for our children.  They will stand the test of time being remembered and passed on from generation to generation; enjoyed by all ages.   What more can I say?  Simply put--I love them!