A Jubilant Salute

It is our wish for every child to embrace exactly who they are with joy.  We want them to wake up every morning knowing they have the potential to do important things, big or small. We want them to drift off to sleep at night knowing everything about their day has value, even if mistakes happen. They do make a difference.  The world would be less than it should be without them.

Each child is an essential piece in the puzzle of life regardless of their shape or size. Remarkably YOU (Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, February 5, 2019) written by Pat Zietlow Miller with illustrations by Patrice Barton is a lively look at what all children are and what they can be.  It's overflowing with exuberance and at its heart, full of love.

You might be bold.
You might be loud.
Leading parades.  Drawing a crowd.

If your traits are the opposite of bold and loud, think of yourself as a needed audience.  Even if you are young and alone, you can still learn.  You don't have to have the freedom of being older with friends.

Readers are reminded size and age are not factors in the capacity to achieve.  They are challenged to begin using their gifts, those things making them unique.  They are encouraged to join with other like-minded children.  They are asked to address problems, fix them and do it all again.

Perhaps you don't know what makes you the-one-and-only you.  Just do what you love to do.  Are you a reader, a racer, a number collector or an actor in fantastic realms?  You need to greet the world and show them who you are.

Readers are requested to use their skills, share their skills and spread the results of their efforts throughout their community.  It's all about increasing joy.  The more you do this, the happier everyone is.  They are assured their strength is in staying true to themselves and having the courage to be the change.


Through the words penned by Pat Zietlow Miller readers see their talents, known and as yet unknown disclosed in her narrative.  She entreats them to take their savvy and use it for the greater good. Her rhyming and inspirational sentences and phrases cheer for children regardless of who they are and what they can do.  Here is a passage.

So find what you're good at, what you have to give.
Then go share your sunshine wherever you live.


You can't look at the open and matching dust jacket and book case without smiling.  Those six children (plus one canine companion) are part of a playful parade.  Each one is happy to be there as evidenced by their gleeful expressions and highly animated motions.  I'll bet if you listen closely you can hear their laughter.  The full color palette and children from diverse backgrounds are an open invitation to join them and to read this book.

To the left, on the back, the scene continues with balloons crossing the spine.  Attached to the red-haired girl carrying balloons is a little red wagon with pennants strung along the side.  Two upright sticks, one in the front and one in the back, hold another string of pennants.  Beneath this a little boy is hugging a seated dog.  Behind them is another boy riding his bike and holding a flag.  Bringing up the end is a third girl holding a bunch of balloons. 

On the opening and closing endpapers done in hues of blue with a light pattern of character words such as

wise, bookish, fast, share, daring, swim, spell, dream or learn

as a background ten children are engaged in their favorite things.  They are so happy you want to laugh (and you do).  At the beginning this is followed by the red title words on a crisp white background.  On the more formal title, verso and dedication pages four of the children and the one dog are shown getting ready for the parade. 

Rendered by Patrice Barton with

pencil sketches and mixed media, assembled and painted digitally

the illustrations vary in size from double-page pictures, full-page images or a group of illustrations on a single page.  Delicate lines create small details welcoming us to linger at every page turn.  Careful readers will find the same characters in other images.  This allows them to see children discover their gifts.  A little boy who initially watches the parade likes to role play and beats on a drum by the end of the book.  Can you find the child who is experimenting with a sprinkler again in the book?  Another important element is the compassion shown by these children for others of all ages.

One of my many, many favorite pictures spans two pages.  A large tree trunk has been placed along and outside the gutter with the leafy top spreading out to the left and right.  On the left large daisies frame the bottom and left side.  Green grass and gardens filled with flowers provide a background.  Children are potting flowers, loading pots into a wheelbarrow, digging holes, planting seeds and watering flowers with a hose.  To the right, these same five children are now delivering the potted flowers to neighbors.  They walk down a sidewalk talking and laughing.  A woman and child, standing on a sidewalk to their home, receive a pot of flowers.


Without opening the cover or turning a single page you know this book, Remarkably YOU written by Pat Zietlow Miller with illustrations by Patrice Barton, is loaded with merriment.  Readers will feel this contentment spread throughout their minds and bodies as their souls soak up the enthusiasm for being themselves.  You could pair this with Penguin Flies Home,  Rock What Ya Got, Henny or Wild About Us!  I highly recommend this for your personal or professional collections.

To learn more about Pat Zietlow Miller and Patrice Barton and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Both Pat Zietlow Miller and Patrice Barton have accounts on Instagram.  They also both maintain accounts here and here on Twitter.  Pat Zietlow Miller has a post on Picture Book Builders about this title.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.

Heart To Heart

When a dog and their human connect, it's indescribably beautiful.  If you are one of those humans, each day you look at your dog thinking how fortunate you are.  Surely this is a miracle this wild thing chooses to be with me.

It's as if two separate souls become inseparable.  As a human, whether you realize it or not, you have become a member of a pack.  Your dog's loyalty is one of the most humbling experiences you will ever have.  Hello Goodbye Dog (Roaring Brook Press, July 25, 2017) written by Maria Gianferrari with illustrations by Patrice Barton is the story of two hearts full of love, the one for the other.

"Hello, Moose!" said Zara.
There was nothing Moose loved more
than hello.

Hello means many good things, like a ride in the car.  Goodbye is not such a good thing.  Goodbye means Moose and Zara cannot be together.  Goodbye means Zara has to go to school...without Moose.

In Moose's mind, this is unacceptable.  At the first opportunity Moose turns the goodbye into a hello.  An opened door has Moose zooming toward Zara's school.  Guess who's peeking in the window in Zara's classroom?

Zara's classmates are thrilled to have Moose with them.  Mrs. Perkins knows dogs are not allowed in school but Zara assures her Moose enjoys a good real aloud.  And he does.  Of course Moose has to say goodbye again.

Goodbye was being tied up in the backyard.

To a dog, a rope is an invitation to a good chew.

Moose manages to thwart every goodbye attempt replacing it with his own special brand of hello.  He demonstrates his ability to remain calm when being read a book with each subsequent visit until one goodbye too many has Moose creating mayhem as he plays catch-me-if-you-can.  Now Moose is stuck in a goodbye from which he cannot escape but Zara has a big idea.  When an idea comes from love, there are many winners.


When Maria Gianferrari writes about animals, especially dogs, her admiration and yes, love, of them shines in every written word.  The blend of narrative and conversation flows naturally.  One technique employed by Maria which encourages audience participation is each time Moose needs to say goodbye she uses the same phrase,

Moose put on her brakes.

This is followed by the names of the people who are assisting her to leave.  One extra person is added after Moose continues to appear at school.  This circles back to Moose at the story's conclusion.  In one particular part, Maria also increases the action with a series of rhyming words which are a read aloud joy.  Here is a sample passage.

Hello was a pat on the head.
"Dogs aren't allowed in school," 
said Mrs. Perkins.
"Moose will be quiet," said Zara.
"She loves story time."

Moose lay at Zara's feet as Mrs.
Perkins read a story.


The shared love between Moose and Zara glows on the front of the dust jacket (I am working with an F & G.)  Dogs like to place their paws on their humans to stay linked.  Zara is well aware of this.  If the locked glances do not signal their mutual affection, the wagging tail on Moose is a clear signal.  The stack of books between them is a clue of this dog's love of listening to books being read aloud.  The staggering and stacking of the title text along with the three color choices mirrors the stack of books.

To the left, on the back, with the same canvas Zara and Moose are pictured alone.  Zara is reading the book previously on her lap to Moose. Her tail is wagging in sheer happiness.  The opening and closing endpapers are dotted with a zigzag trail of paw prints.  It's a given you will break into a smile looking at the title page.  Moose is standing on her hind legs, tongue hanging out of a grinning mouth.  She is leaning on a tall pile of books with others scattered around her.

Each illustration is rendered in Patrice Barton's signature soft, delicate style.  She opens the story with a two page picture, alternating image sizes to correspond and elevate the text.  Her attention to details is exquisite; a boy draws Moose as Mrs. Perkins reads the story, the chewed rope remains attached to Moose's collar, Ms. Chen is shown eating her lunch with the students, and the trail of food to lure Moose out of the cafeteria is wonderfully typical.

You are going to want to hug all these characters; their animated faces and movements are simply charming. And Moose will have you laughing out loud.  Patrice portrays dogginess with a knowing skill.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a two-page picture. It's when Moose first visits the school looking in the classroom window.  The children are seated in groups around round tables. The looks are their faces at the sight of Moose are full of delight. Moose with her paws on the window sill only has eyes for Zara and she is downright ecstatic. Zara is pointing and smiling.  Mrs. Perkins, holding a book, looks astonished.  Believe me, from personal experience, this moment is depicted with perfection.

As you read this story your heart fills with laughter and lightness. Hello Goodbye Dog written by Maria Gianferrari with illustrations by Patrice Barton gives readers an up-close look at the desire of a dog to be with her human always and of her human's loving response.  Children and adults alike will enjoy seeing themselves in this story.  You will most definitely want a copy on your professional and personal bookshelves.

By following the links attached to Maria Gianferrari's and Patrice Barton's names you can access their websites to learn more about them and their other work.  You can view several interior illustrations at the publisher's website.  Maria Gianferrari has been interviewed at several sites during the past two years, KidLit 411, PictureBookBuilders, and Picture Books Help Kids Soar to name a few.



Maria was kind enough to answer a few questions for me.

I know you are a huge lover of dogs, Maria.  I think readers would like to know a little bit about you and your dog Becca.  Would you tell us how Becca came into your family?

Indeed I am, Margie!! It’s a bit of a magical story. Our friend was about to have a baby girl and my then four-year old daughter, Anya, and I were discussing names. The name “Rebecca” popped into my head. Needless to say, the baby was not named Rebecca, but the very next day I went on Petfinder.com and found our Rebecca—it was meant to be! Here’s the photo that made me fall in love with her.

She was dumped near a highway in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and a lovely couple who already had many pets took her in and brought her to a rescue organization. She was eventually transported to NH where we picked her up. Incidentally, my next fiction book, Operation Rescue Dog (coming from Little Bee in 2018) is about a girl named Alma who meets her rescue dog, Lulu.

As a little girl I was always stumbling, tripping and I did fall down a few stairs more than once.  I was given the nickname Moose because I was not known for my agility.  In this book the dog is named Moose.  Why did you give this dog that name?

I love all dogs, but I especially love big dogs, since they’re generally such gentle giants. I wanted the name to convey her size. One of Becca’s best neighborhood friends is a huge French Mastiff with a delicate name: Scarlett. I just love the irony!

Moose's connection to his girl, Zara, is understandable and completely endearing.  Is this bond between the two based on a personal real life experience or the experiences of someone you know?

Absolutely! It’s based on Anya and Becca. Anya’s an only child, and Becca is like her dog sister and playmate. As I mentioned above, we got Becca when Anya was 4, and Becca was approximately six months old. Now Anya’s 15 ½ and Becca’s 11 ½. This is my mouse pad and favorite photo of them. I’ve dubbed it “best friends.” My Penny & Jelly books are based on their bond too.

(If you want to read about the Penny & Jelly books I talk about them here.)

HELLO GOODBYE DOG BLOG TOUR!

GIVEAWAYS EVERY DAY!!

*Monday, July 24^th:                                   Pragmatic Mom + THREE book giveaway!

*Two for Tuesday, July 25th:              Librarian’s Quest

ReFoReMo

*Wednesday, July 26th:                          Homemade City

*Thursday, July 27^th:                                Kid Lit Frenzy

*Friday, July 28^th:                                      Mrs. Knott’s Book Nook

*Monday, July 31^st:                                   Picture Books Help Kids Soar

*Tuesday, August 1^st:                              Bildebok

*Wednesday, August 2^nd:                      The Loud Library Lady

*Thursday, August 3^rd:                           DEBtastic Reads!

*Friday, August 4^th:                                  Mamabelly’s Lunches with Love

*Monday, August 7^th:                               Writing for Kids (While Raising Them)

EXTRA: August 25^th:                                Kidlit411—Interview with Patrice Barton 

Will Someone See Me...Please

Every day, every week, every month and every year I look.  As each class enters I search the children's faces, I watch their body language and I notice who is left alone.  Nothing is said but the silence is deafening.

It may happen when you enter an event for the first time or it may happen every single day.  Is it the color of your eyes, hair or skin? Are you too tall, too short, too thin, or too heavy?  Are you too young or are you too old?  Is it because you are too smart or not smart enough?  If you feel isolated even though people are all around you, you can't help but wonder why.  In October 2013 a book addressing this aloneness, The Invisible Boy (Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's Books) was released by author Trudy Ludwig with illustrations by Patrice Barton.

Can you see Brian, the invisible boy? Even Mrs. Carlotti has trouble noticing him in her classroom.

Mrs. Carlotti's attention is focused on those making the most noise; those speaking the loudest or whining the most.  These students are in sharp contrast to Brian.  Brian is the silent type.

At recess he longs to be picked for a kickball team.  He is the last one standing.  They begin the game without him.  At lunch his classmates talk about a party they attended.  Brian was not invited to the party.

In the afternoon Brian chooses to do his most favorite thing rather than play board games or read.  Brian draws and draws.  In his pictures dragons stand on tall buildings, space aliens do battle, pirates claim treasure and heroes find friendship.

At the start of the next week, Justin is introduced to the class.  Brian welcomes Justin, a new student, with a quiet smile.  In the cafeteria the students gather around Justin making fun of his lunch and of his eating with chopsticks.  Brian does not laugh along with them.

A clever, friendly drawing is left in Justin's cubby the next morning.  On the playground another artistic picture is noticed.  In the classroom a group project expands from two members to three.  One student, one person, can truly make a difference.


Using an unseen narrator and dialogue, Trudy Ludwig gives readers a very clear idea of how Brian is treated in his classroom each and every day.  The language used by the boys and girls and the events portrayed are not unlike those happening in schools everywhere.   Specific examples are woven into the story; each one making Brian feel more and more like a ghost than a real live boy.  Here is one passage.

When the bell rings for recess, Micah and J. T.
take turns choosing kids for their kickball teams.
The best players get picked first.
Then the best friends of the best players.
Then the friends of the best friends.
Only Brian is left, still waiting and hoping.

In a very realistic series of scenes, she also clearly depicts, with the use of a narrator and dialogue, how change is possible.


Rendered in pencil sketches painted digitally, the illustrations of Patrice Barton pair beautifully with the story. On the front of the matching jacket and cover, Brian is alone doing what he loves best.  On the back we see him at work in his classroom drawing during Choosing time.  This picture is smaller, circular in shape.  On the opening endpapers everything is white except for an illustration tucked in the lower right-hand corner of Brian, alone, with his piece of chalk drawing a shape.  The closing endpapers glow with the images of six happy children chalk features extending from their bodies.  Brian is busily drawing as Justin looks on holding a piece of chalk too.

Barton alters her image sizes to flow with the text.  Readers are treated to two-page spreads, close-ups of expressive students, smaller visuals clustered together and single pages.  There is a youthful friendliness to her illustrations; drawings may appear on notebook paper or be layered with tape as if in a sketchbook.  For those times when Brian is feeling invisible he is shown in grays, black and white.  As Justin befriends him his appearance is more and more colorful.

Facial expressions and little details like the sharks drawn on Brian's lunch bag or the speech bubbles in Brian's drawings don't detract from the seriousness of the story but add to the realness.  One of my favorite illustrations is of Justin finding the drawing in his cubby.  The classroom area is depicted in softened outlines of bookcases, cubbies, backpacks, growing plants, and hanging artwork.  Off to the right is the enlarged drawing made by Brian.  The kindness in this picture leaves the page reaching out to the reader.


The Invisible Boy written by Trudy Ludwig with illustrations by Patrice Barton is an important book.  It is a book about living in the present, noticing others and reaching out with a single act of goodness for someone else.  I encourage you to read this book and to share it with others.  This is one of those heartprint books.

For more information about Trudy Ludwig and Patrice Barton please follow the links embedded in their names to their websites.  If you would like to see more pages from the book, follow this link to the publisher's website.