A Bookfall Of Autumn Goodness

The air is crisp like biting into the freshly harvested apples found in baskets at the farmer's markets.  The skies are crystal clear with a blue so beautiful your breath catches.  The trees are putting on their garbs of rich yellows, oranges and reds.

Autumn is an announcement of winter's arrival but it's also a promise of the beauty which comes in spring and summer.  The annual and perennial flowers have never looked lovelier, recovering from the heat of July and August.  Wonderfall (Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, September 6, 2016) written and illustrated by Michael Hall is an ode to this marvelous season.

Peacefall
A gentle
breeze is
jiggling
me.
I hear
my acorns
drop.
Plink,
plunk,
plop.

In a collection of fourteen poems an oak tree showcases what the season of autumn brings to all the local residents.  Using single words as the title for each poem and exchanging fall for the "ful" at the end of each, we are privy to the tree's observations.  Even from a stationary stance much can be learned and understood.

It is so quiet, as in the first poem, the sound of the acorns falling can be heard.  It's nature's way of saying enjoy the calm but life is still working, hopeful of continuing to another fall.  The sound and appearance of school buses Monday through Friday are a reminder of students' and staff's commitments.  Autumn is at time of celebrations; festivals and parades.

Frightfall is the night when costumed creatures roam the streets collecting treats.  Less than a month later gratitude is expressed and enjoyed inside and outside homes.  Sometimes humans leave food readily discovered by animal bandits.  This is utterly delightfall.

Rampant winds pull leaves from the tree scattering them for workers to collect.  Bare branches extend upward as if to call a greeting to residents leaving for warmer climates.  Ending as we begin in silence, a single word heralds a new season.


An exceeding clever concept by Michael Hall brings our attention to the varied facets of a season within the context of human and animal life.  Free verse, onomatopoeia, alliteration and rhyming fashion a world and time in motion.  With each page turn anticipation is built, as readers wonder how the focus will shift.  Here is another poem.

Forcefall
Whoosh,
whoosh, 
whoa!

What
wild,
whirling 
wind!

The two squirrels seen among the leaves on the front of the dust jacket are featured throughout the book. You can't help but look for them in each image.  The tree branch and leaves extend over the spine toward the left, the back of the jacket, along with a teaser paragrah, an open invitation to read.  A stack of large acorns are spread along the bottom of the book case with one, on the right, falling to join the others.  The background is a textured collage like the bark seen on the jacket.  The opening endpaper is the bold green of a summer leaf.  The rusty shade seen on the tree leaves and acorns appears on the closing endpaper.

Rendered digitally by incorporating textures created with acrylic paint and soft pastels all the illustrations are spread across two pages on a pristine white canvas except for several evening and cloudy scenes.  The backgrounds serve to highlight the bright colors, a signature piece of Michael Hall's work.  It's interesting to note aspects from one image will appear in another visual further into the book.  The bear on the child's backpack becomes the school mascot for the parade.  A farmer on a tractor in the background comes to the front in a following picture.  Careful readers will notice how leaves are used progressively to build a nest for the squirrels in the tree.

One of my favorite illustrations is for the poem, Forcefall.  The tree standing on the right is nearly bare of leaves.  Several are being blown to the ground, falling on an ever-growing pile.  The squirrels' tails are extended by the stiff breeze.  A fox has stopped in front of the tree to look straight at the reader.

Wonderfall written and illustrated by Michael Hall is ingenious.  I can't think of a seasonal collection being complete without a copy of this book.  It will spark discussions and promote creative writing.  At the close of the book Hall includes several pages about how nine different animals shown in the images prepare for winter.  He explains hibernates and migrates.  Two more pages about gray squirrels and acorns follow.  On the last page the tree speaks again talking about dormancy.  I highly recommend this title.

To discover more about Michael Hall and his other work please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  At the publisher's website you can view the first eight pages.  The publisher also has an Instagram post about Hall's other titles.  Enjoy the book trailer.

Wonderfall by Michael Hall (Greenwillow Books) from Winding Oak on Vimeo.

On The Inside

Labels are helpful when wanting to know the ingredients in a particular food product, how often to take a specific medicine, or the needed number of applications for a foolproof fertilizer for the lawn and garden.  These labels are designed to inform and protect. When labels are given to people rather than things their value diminishes.

Even if the label for someone is good, it might tend to stop us from truly knowing them.  If we are told over and over we are one thing, it might be hard to uncover who we are and how best to use our gifts.  Red: A Crayon's Story (Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, February 3, 2015) written and illustrated by Michael Hall follows a crayon's journey to self-discovery.

He was red

So says pencil, chief narrator of this tale.  For reasons obvious to the reader or listener Red lacks the ability to be as the paper wrap suggests he should be.  Everything he draws is blue.

His teacher believes practice is the answer.  His strawberries look like weird-shaped blueberries.  His mother tries her best by encouraging Red to mix with others like Yellow.  She is hoping to see a nice orange orange.  It's not quite ripe yet.

Silver and Gray, Red's grandparents, make him a gift of a scarf to ward off the chill they are certain he is feeling.  It's going to take more than apparel to make this crayon red.  It seems every crayon in the box has an opinion but nothing seems to work.  Even when other members of the art table, tape, scissors and a sharpener, get involved the result is the same.  What Red reads is not what Red sees.

But...on a very special day, a day Red will always remember, a new pal in the pack, Berry, asks Red to color the ocean beneath the boat.  Red denies he can do it because he is red after all but with Berry's encouragement Red draws wavy water.  And it's blue.  And it's easy for Red to do!

Red can't stop now; everything he creates is correctly colored.  Pencil and the box crowd change their words as fast as a finger snap.  His teacher finally understands uttering a prophetic truth.


With those first three words Michael Hall captures our undivided attention; conflicting with the image seen, a bright blue crayon wrapped in a Red crayon label.  With nearly all the narrative phrases he includes comments from another crayon or group of crayons adding an emotional layer to his story.  These candid observations readily define their personalities.  Here is a sample combination.

His mother thought he needed
to mix with other colors.

Why don't
you two
go out
and draw
a nice,
round
orange.

A really
big one. (Yellow)

A really
orange
one! (Red)


Opening the dust jacket of the F & G the solid blue on the front carries across to the left and extends into each flap.  The comments of the orange and yellow crayons at the bottom on the front announce the contrast between the color and the color tag.  On the back the berry and purple crayons make comments foreshadowing the story's outcome.  The blue used in Red on the front is used again on the title page.  A stark white background provides a canvas for the pencil's words

As told by me!

 written in gray on black paper taped to the page.  In the lower left corner a portion of scissors can be seen near scraps of black paper.  This is clearly a story told by items of interest to artists.

The illustrations are placed on either a black or white background with lots of empty space drawing readers' eyes toward the individual elements and the text.  All drawings made by Red, Scarlet, Yellow, the other students in class, and Berry look as if they have been drawn using crayons.  Simple but purposeful in layout, the perspective does not shift except at the explicit turning point.

One of my favorite illustrations is for the phrase

But he didn't catch on.

Green draws a

Green frog!

Black draws a

Black sheep!

 Brown draws a

Brown cow! 

Red draws an ant that is blue.  For his text we read...

Red...
aaack!


If you've ever felt like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole, Red:  A Crayon's Story written and illustrated by Michael Hall is a perfect pick.  It's a story highlighting the journey necessary to find your true self.  It's about that one person who might help you make the discovery.  This is a story when shared will be appreciated by any age.  Wonderful!

If you are interested in learning about Michael Hall and his other work please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  This link takes you to the book trailer reveal by author, New York Public Library's Youth Materials Collection Specialist and blogger at A Fuse #8 Production, Elizabeth Bird.  Here is a link to 7 Reasons Why Your Child's Bookshelf Needs RED courtesy of the publisher.  My posts for his other titles, Perfect Square and It's An Orange Aardvark can be read by following the links.  

Colorful Creativity

Have you ever heard something wondering what it could be?  From wondering your mind goes to possibilities.  If the noise is repeated possibilities leap to certainty.  This conviction as to the source can trigger emotional responses; laughter, happiness, unease, fear, sadness, astonishment, or inquisitiveness.

There is great power in imagination.  It's an Orange Aardvark! (Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers) written and illustrated by Michael Hall chronicles five carpenter ants who are trying to determine the cause of a singular sound.  Among the quintet opinions range from positive to negative and everything in-between.

Boom! Rumble, rumble.
Did you hear that?
What was it?
Uh-oh...
Yawn.
Huh?

Following this speculation the silence is broken.  One of the more adventurous ants is making a hole in their home, a stump.  The need to see outside is strong; curiosity is not going to kill this cat...er...ant.

Several of the other residents give replies in support of his endeavor.  One does not.  This particular ant is the exact opposite of the window maker.  This particular ant is certain an aardvark is lurking outside ready to gobble them up as an entree.  The three, who earlier liked the idea of an exterior view, switch sides backing the prophet of doom.

When the luminous color of orange gleams through the opening, the naysayer is positive it's an aardvark.  With sure knowledge he proclaims

Aardvarks turn orange when they're hungry for ants, you know.

Not to be deterred in his quest, the industrious insect constructs another cranny.

Into this latest peephole a brilliant blue fills the space.  You-know-who has an answer ready; still convinced an aardvark is watching and waiting.  In his description not only does the aardvark alter skin tones when desiring dinner but wears bedtime attire at the same time.

As the bold bug continues boring through the wood, six holes expose six different hues.  The contrary character never shifts his opinion as each shade shines; not even when the four discover the radiant truth.  Who knew aardvarks like grape juice?


Lively language forms a rhythm at each page turn.  Michael Hall assigns responses to each of his animated ants; one likens the colors to another thing, another gives one word descriptive reactions, a third keeps adding shades to his answers as the fourth envisions their worst nightmare.  Repetition of three exclamations after each gloomy guess, adds to the participatory fun of this cumulative tale.  Here is one passage.

Thunk!
Ah! It's orange and blue.
Blue like the ocean.
Cool!
Oh no, no!
It's worse than I thought.
It's an orange aardvark and ...


The entertainment begins when readers first glance at the matching dust jacket and book case.  Michael Hall's bold palette, not to mention the orange aardvark, is certainly eye-catching.  On the back the insects wearing construction hats feature the trio of repeaters along with the spunky craftsman.  Compiled digitally using acrylic-painted textures and torn paper, the illustrations begin the story four pages prior to the title page.

Each time a hole is made in the text, a hole appears on the page aligned with a new color.  The personalities of each ant pop off the page as their eyes, mouths and legs change.  Readers will be unable to contain their laughter as the persistent pessimist adds to his perception of the perceived adversary outside.  Hall's layout and design with his combined colors are marvelous.

One of my favorite illustrations is the two-page spread of five colors revealed.  Four ants are on the left with four holes cut away.  The productive ant is on the right amid five circles of shaded color with five holes.  Even with the one ant beginning his warning, this page is filled with exuberance.  You can feel something good is about to happen.


Cheerful and charming, It's an Orange Aardvark! written and illustrated by Michael Hall is one of those books that are pure delight from cover to cover.  I can already imagine reading it aloud speaking in a particular voice for each ant.  I can already hear listeners requesting it again and again.  I can already picture early readers sharing it with younger friends and siblings.  This book is a treasure.

Please follow this link embedded in Michael Hall's name above to visit his official website.

Square This and Square That

On September 18, 2010 I posted for the Elementary Pick of the Week, Michael Hall's book, My Heart Is Like A Zoo.  In that post I said, Hearts like love can assume many forms.  Come explore the metaphoric feelings, shapes and colors galore while wandering through the digital art of Michael Hall's animal world.  That book as is the My Heart is Like a Zoo web site are delighful, inventive and collaborative.

Perfect Square, the newest title by Hall is his previous book's equal and then some.  There is so much to love about this book.  Eye-catching and bold cover colors, book shape and size are inviting but the real hook is the white smile on the red square.  Why, readers ask, is the book smiling?

The first two pages explain that the red square of paper is perfect.  It has four equal sides and corners that are alike.  On the next two pages readers read---And it was perfectly happy.  The red square is smiling.

As readers follow the red square through the days of the week beginning with Monday it changes shape and then color through no actions of its own but those of unseen hands, initially.  Much like the quote, When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, our (see how I have taken ownership in the reading of this story) red, yellow, green, turquoise, blue, purple, and then red again squares chooses to create objects, places or natural formations from those alterations.

It is on Sunday, finding itself red again and waiting, that the brilliant choice of the square is what binds all the weekly modifications together into a spectacular view of how parts can make a pleasing whole.

Michael Hall's book, Perfect Square, is perfect and readers will be perfectly happy reading it again and again.  I can envision it now, readers of all ages will be heading to their craft boxes, craft cupboards or piles of colored paper to let their imaginations go where they may.  For educators this, as does My Heart is Like a Zoo, offers numerous opportunities for combining writing with creative energy.  Please follow this link to the publisher's website to view interior pages in this title.  Enjoy using this Teaching Guide for several of Michael Hall's titles.