Body Of Work

You simply can't live in it without viewing it as a miracle every single moment.  Your body automatically ensures you breathe in and breathe out.  It pumps blood throughout an intricate system of veins and arteries to and from your heart.  Consumed food and liquid is turned into fuel.  Bones and muscles allow us to perform any number of tasks like walking, holding hands, or winning an Olympic gold medal.  Our nervous system receives data and determines the best possible response.

In command of the nervous system (and our bodies) is our brain.  Brains! Not Just a Zombie Snack (GodwinBooks, Henry Holt and Company, August 31, 2021) written by Stacy McAnulty with illustrations by Matthew Rivera, through the voice of a zombie chef, takes us on a tour of our brain and provides other intriguing information about the human body.   Learning and humor are appetizing items on this menu.

Don't worry.

I'm not going to eat your brain.  I

gave it up hours ago.

Knowing our brains are about 75 percent water makes them (and water) even more remarkable.  They are not one of six hundred plus muscles we have in our bodies.  They are essential.

Did you know we have no nerves in our brains?  They are nerve message receivers.  Our five senses send communications to them.  

When you compare our brain weight to the weight of a sperm whale's brain, our brains are comparatively large.  Our brains are absolutely loaded with neurons and glial cells which keep our neurons functioning.  The more you learn the stronger your neurons are.

Our brains have special parts: the stem, the cerebellum, and the four sections found in the cerebrum.  They are wrinkled indicating a certain level of intelligence.  Our zombie chef pleads one final time for a little taste or a tiny whiff of our brains; insisting she would be helping us conserve energy.  She leaves us with one more illuminating, mind-boggling fact.

Readers will gobble up the words in this book faster than a zombie can smell the presence of your brain due to the inviting blend of hilarity and knowledge author Stacy McAnulty supplies us.  Using a zombie chef is highly ingenious.  The contrast between the chef providing us with facts and making a meal of our command center engages readers from the first page to the final page.  Here is a passage.

So what makes human brains

yummier than whale brains?

Let's take a closer lick---I mean LOOK .  .  .

a closer look at the human brain.

Has a zombie ever looked as friendly (or as eager to meet you) as the zombie chef on the front of the matching dust jacket and book case?  Her clothes may be a bit worse for wear, but she looks professional.  The bold, bright color palette is engaging and welcoming.  

To the left of the spine a sunny yellow canvas highlights these words:

To read this book about brains,

you will need to use your

brain, while keeping your delicious

brain away from---you guessed it---

a brain-loving zombie!

There is also a chalk board menu on the wall over a breakfast of fried eggs and mushrooms along with a cup of tea with honey.  The items on the menu board are altered to read bran and breakfast for the word brain.  On the opening and closing endpapers thirteen animal brains, including human, are showcased.  A vibrant two-page picture of the chef's kitchen is shown for the verso and title pages.  The dedications are there, too.

Double-page visuals and single-page illustrations alternate throughout the book enhancing the pacing of the narrative.  Additionally, six panels are created to elevate the contrast between the information and commentary given to readers by the zombie.  Backgrounds shift in color depending on where the zombie chef is inside her cafe.  Sometimes, we are close to the zombie chef for emphasis and other times, we are given a wider view.

These illustrations by Matthew Rivera are filled with details like the steam from the toaster being a placeholder for the dedications.  Readers will see fairly normal ingredients lining the zombie chef's shelves but some other food looks a bit questionable.  There are several crows and mice frequently seen in the images.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture.  Chef Zombie is close to readers.  Her upper body and face fill most of the left side.  She is holding a specials menu in her left hand, as well as a scoop. (Hmmmm. . .) On the specials page it advertises CEREBELLUM with the words FRESH & SEASONAL underneath.  Matthew Rivera has drawn an outline of a human head with the cerebellum colored differently than the stem and cerebrum.

The presentation of information in the witty text and lively visuals in Brains! Not Just a Zombie Snack written by Stacy McAnulty with illustrations by Matthew Rivera makes this an outstanding work of nonfiction.  There is no doubt this chef knows of what she speaks.  At the close of the book is an author's note, Brain Facts, and a list of sources.  Make sure you have this title on your personal and professional bookshelves.  

To discover more about Stacy McAnulty and Matthew Rivera and their other work, please access their websites by following the link attached to their names.  Stacy McAnulty has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Matthew Rivera has accounts on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.  Stacy McAnulty, Matthew Rivera, and Lori Kilkelly are guests of Kirsti Call and Kim Chaffee on Picture Book Look.  At Macmillan Publishers you can view interior images.

Sometimes you read a nonfiction picture book and think----Where was this book when I was in school?  The author and illustrator, using their combined talents, have made something difficult easier to understand.  The Secret Code Inside You: All About Your DNA (Little Bee Books, September 14, 2021) written by Rajani LaRocca, MD with illustrations by Steven Salerno approaches cells, genetics and DNA definitively and distinctively.

Why aren't you fuzzy like a dog,

or buzzy like a bee?

Why can't you eat ants with your nose,

or breathe beneath the sea?

We readers read several more questions making references to fish, sharks, lizards, and nocturnal animals with night vision.  Our characteristics are compared to those of frogs, spiders, egg-laying creatures, and those that use their wings to soar.  A page turn begins an explanation.  We start with cells.

Cells are much too small to see with our naked eyes.  Inside each cell are directions for how each thing is to grow.  These directions, 

a secret code,

are called DNA.

They look like twisted ladders.  They determine what we will be.  They decide which characteristics will combine to make us unique.

Parts of the secret code are named genes.  We get genes from our parents and both of their parents.  As we continue to read, we are remined of exactly what the secret code does.  DNA gives us our physical characteristics, but what we decide to do with those is entirely up to us.  Readers are offered four possible scenarios with choices.  

YOU choose . . .

The rhyming couplets penned by Rajani LaRocca, MD are a welcoming cadence.  Inside some of those couplets are additional rhyming words.  Explanations of cells, DNA, physical characteristics we inherit, genes, proteins, and chromosomes are skillfully explained and woven into the sentences.  You'll be amazed at how much you will learn!  Here is the second passage of two initially addressing DNA.

It looks like twisted ladders,

or tiny, twirling noodles.

It makes us into people,

instead of into poodles.

Opening the matching dust jacket and book case is like opening a gift.  It is the gift of YOU.  The canvas and designs on the front, right, and on the back, left, extend into the jacket flaps.  Elements from several illustrations frame the text on the front.  Each one is highly animated.  You want to jump into this book!

To the left, on the back, in shades of teal for the background, enlarged cells and DNA provide a pattern behind the main item.  It is a girl looking straight at the reader.  Her hands are on her hips.  A quiet smile lights up her face.  Her shirt in pale purple is covered in DNA.  Her pigtails stand out on either side of her head.  Inside the braid of those pigtails are DNA.

The opening and closing endpapers in bright teal are covered in rows of DNA.  The enlarged DNA continues on the verso, dedication and title pages along the bottom.  Within the DNA we see a child  progressively growing.

Each illustration by Steven Salerno whether it is a partial page, a full page, or a dramatic double-page picture asks readers to participate.  We kneel with an anteater, swim with sharks, and ponder why a chicken lays eggs.  The colorful landscapes and backgrounds are layered with intricate details, diagrams, and labeled enlargements.  You'll gasp at some of the page turns.  In a word, every page turn depicts energy. 

One of my many favorite illustrations is for the explanation of chromosomes.  It is a double-page image.  The girl shown on the back of the jacket and case is the main element.  We see her upper body and face enlarged.  The gutter divides her.  On the left in yellow and gold we see two sets of great-grandparents, her mother's parents, and her mother.  This side of her face is yellow and the chromosomes on her shirt are blue.  On her right side, in blue and purple, we trace the genes of her father, his parents, and their respective parents.  Her face is blue and the chromosomes on her shirt are yellow.  Within the braids on her pigtails the DNA in varied colors is shown.

Once you've read The Secret Code Inside You: All About Your DNA written by Rajani LaRocca, MD with illustrations by Steven Salerno, you will understand why this book is valuable at numerous reading and age levels.  At the close of the book are two pages of DNA Facts and a list of three websites to consult.  This is followed by a two-page Banana DNA Experiment.  In the lower, left-hand corner of the closing endpapers is a Selected Bibliography.  I highly recommend this title for all your collections.

To learn more about Rajani LaRocca, MD and Steven Salerno and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  Steven Salerno has many images from this book on his site.  Rajani LaRocca, MD has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Steven Salerno has accounts on Facebook and Tumblr.  The book trailer was premiered at librarian, lecturer at Rutgers, and writer John Schumacher's Watch. Connect. Read.  Rajani LaRocca, MD was recently featured at author Anitra Rowe Schulte's site and at Publishers Weekly.  At Simon & Schuster you can view interior images.

Covered With Life

When you stand on the shore of a large body of water, gazing across its expanse, something happens deep inside you.  Being in the presence of this greatness is humbling but soothing.  It helps you to realize as small as you may be, you are a part of something greater than your eyes can see.  This water spread before you is alive.  It sustains life on our planet.

We wade and swim in it.  We walk along its sandy or stony beaches looking for treasure.  If we are fortunate one of the creatures living in this water will reveal itself to us.  That's a memory to cherish.  Ocean! Waves For All (Henry Holt and Company, May 5, 2020) written by Stacy McAnulty with illustrations by David Litchfield is the latest entry in the Our Universe series.  Ocean has a lot to tell us, so let's listen and learn.

Dude, I am OCEAN.

You know my many names:
Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic,
Indian, Southern.
It's all excellent me.

Even though we've given Ocean many names, it is one large body of saltwater covering our entire planet.  Seventy-one percent of Earth is covered by Ocean.  Ocean represents no country but welcomes everyone.  Did you know Ocean is older than the air we breathe?  Ocean was here before any land masses.

First life, so tiny a human eye cannot see it, began in Ocean.  Today the largest animal on the planet lives in Ocean.  Do you know what it is?  Ocean is home to the largest landform found anywhere in the world.   Ocean is a super liquid highway, boasting ships numbering in the tens of thousands using it every day.

Like our atmosphere has layers, so does Ocean.  There's one named the Twilight Zone.  It is 656 to 3,281 feet deep.  The pull of the moon creates tides, high and low, on Ocean.

Ocean has several messages for us.  We need to get serious about exploring all Ocean has to offer.  Comparisons are made between how we've made more discoveries about Mars than we have about Ocean.  Ocean is disturbed about all the plastic pollution and the melting of glaciers.  Ocean's closing words are a hopeful request, and a reminder.


Readers will find themselves smiling at the first word, Dude.  Throughout the narrative, author Stacy McAnulty uses words from the 1980s heightening the entertaining delivery of the information Ocean tells us.  Each placement of these words is as natural as the voice using them.  The facts shared by Ocean (Stacy McAnulty) are exactly what we need to know, but they also invite us to further educate ourselves.  We learn history, world records, basic facts, the role of the ocean in our lives, the wonders to be found and a plea for protection.  This is all done in a highly engaging conversational style.  Here is a passage.

And more humans have visited
outer space than my deepest spots.
Awesome for outer space. Bummer for me.
Ninety percent of my waters are
completely dark, cold, and yet totally rad.

Come explore my secrets.


The beautiful underwater world seen on the front of the dust jacket continues on the other side of the spine when it is opened.  There the fish, and plants are darker and more pronounced than on the front.  On the back on the surface of the ocean, a cargo ship heads toward the left edge.  When we met Ocean on the front, he seems eager to see us.  His eyes and mouth indicate he can hardly wait to speak.  His hands beckon to us.

The image on the book case is a reverse of the introductory image when the narrative begins.  It's done in hues of blue, pink, and purple.  Ocean is waving to us with one hand and pointing to himself with the other hand.  Among the ocean plants is a turtle, a shark, several jellyfish, and schools of smaller fish.  Around Ocean's face the colors are lighter, but on the edges, they are darker, richer.

On the opening and closing endpapers we are treated to two different dazzling displays of the multitude of life to be found in the ocean.  On the closing endpapers we are much deeper in the ocean.  Divers are exploring the depths and the unusual creatures.

Artist, David Litchfield,

created with pencils, ink, watercolor paints, and digital art tools

the illustrations for this book.  They are a stunning array of double-page pictures, vertical panels, a book super-imposed on Ocean, and single-page images framed in white.  In all of them we see Ocean's eyes and mouth and usually his hands.  One time he is holding a magnifying glass.  The size of his face varies according to the illustrative interpretation of the text.  Readers will find themselves pausing at every page to savor the included details. It's fun to see which residents can be identified.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is when Ocean is reminding us of his importance.  He mentions his role in climate and his vital importance to all life.  In this double-page picture Ocean is spread across most of the two pages.  His face is on the left along with one of his hands.  Here icebergs are featured along the top with two whales.  On the bottom is a sandy beach with people enjoying the water.  As our eyes cross the gutter a thunderstorm rages on a portion of the top and a moon rises among stars on the far right.  Ocean's second hand seems to be holding up the thunder clouds with lightning zigzagging down and rain falling.  Along the shore here is a woodland scene with a male and female deer standing on the water's edge.


This book, Ocean! Waves For All written by Stacy McAnulty with illustrations by David Litchfield, is wonderful for the facts, the words used to inform readers and the images.  This book, like Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years, Sun! One In A Billion and Moon! Earth's Best Friend, is upbeat, captivating, and inspiring.  At the close of the book Stacy McAnulty chats with readers, offers more items of information, challenges us, and provides sources.  You will want to add this title to your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Stacy McAnulty and David Litchfield and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites. David has interior images on his website.  Stacy McAnulty has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. David Litchfield has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter.  This series has its own website.  Here is a link to activity kits from the publisher.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  You will really enjoy this conversation between the two creators.



Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to view the other titles selected this week for the 2020 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.

Always An Ally

Day and night, if the sky is clear, it is there to be seen.  It is white against a brilliant blue sky in early evening or at morning's beginning.  Against the night's darkness, it glows white, golden yellow, orange and sometimes red, depending on the time of year, atmosphere or its location.  Shapes and sizes shift during its monthly cycle.

It is a constant companion to Earth and all living things on the planet.  Moon!: Earth's Best Friend (Henry Holt and Company, June 11, 2019) written by Moon (with Stacy McAnulty) and illustrated by Moon (and Stevie Lewis) is a lively, informative discussion by and about our natural satellite.  It's the third book in the Our Universe series; Earth!: My First 4.54 Billion Years (Henry Holt and Company, October 24, 2017) and Sun!: One In A Billion (Henry Holt and Company, October 23, 2018) are the first two titles.  What new fun, fantastic moon facts will we learn?

Look up.  Look up! LOOK UP!
It's me.  Moon!
I'm Earth's best friend.

Moon takes us back, back, back to the beginning.  When Earth was new, a huge rock (think planet size) crashed into us.  The debris from this collision, some 4.5 billion years ago, became Moon.    Twenty-seven point three days pass for Moon to circle Earth once and for Moon to spin around once.  Did you know we always see the same side of the moon?  Can you name the eight phases of the moon?

Moon is the only Moon but there are other moons attached to other planets.  Our moon ranks fifth in size.  Even though Earth and Moon are permanent pals, Earth is larger giving her a greater gravitational pull.  Moon averages about 238,855 miles from Earth.

Even at that distance Moon keeps Earth in balance and controls our high and low tides twice a day.  Moon has bragging rights in the entire universe about contact with humans . . . men.  Some footprints are still there, along with items left there by visitors.  Nail clippers?

During eclipses the Earth and Moon take turns hiding and shadowing.  Day and night determine the type of eclipse, solar or lunar.  One of the most important truths Moon wants us to remember is Moon is always there.  We can take comfort in this whether Moon is visible or not.

Moon's charming conversations through words with Stacy McAnulty focus on a friendship formed from nearly the beginning of Earth's existence.  As each virtue of Moon's contributions to this relationship is revealed, little asides define terminology.  Humor is evident as the narrative compares the weight of a cow on Earth to the weight of a cow on the moon and continues with a commentary about cows, nursery rhymes, jumping and the distance between the Earth and Moon.  Each cheery observation is presented with satisfaction and loyalty.  Here is a passage.

BFFs help each other out.

I keep Earth from being too wobbly.
This might be the most important thing I do,
and you probably didn't even know about it!  


When you look at the open dust jacket, one of the first things you notice is the happy disposition of Moon.  Placed in a starry sky, Moon is content and proud to be Earth's best friend.  To the left, on the back, the background continues.  Moon is waving at us from the lower, left-hand corner.  Above Moon text provides an introduction to the book.  Covers of the two previous titles with a starred review quote are also included.  Portions of the images and text are varnished.

On the open book case, the back, on the left, is identical.  On the front Moon is much closer.  A portion of her right side moves off the case.  Moon's left arm is raised toward Moon's smiling mouth.  The opening and closing endpapers are a pale dusty blue.  On the dedication page Stacy McAnulty, Stevie Lewis and Moon have statements.  Moon's appearance on the title page looks as though secrets are about to be shared.

Rendered using

colored pencils and digital tools

the illustrations by Stevie Lewis alternate between full-page and double-page pictures.  Regardless of their size, each element contributes to the sheer delight Moon conveys in telling us about the friendship with Earth.  If what we are told is less than happy news, an emotion is appropriately presented. Earth looks a little worried by all the man-made satellites zooming around her.  This is followed by Moon in three different positions around Earth chatting about facts while swirling colorful celebratory ribbons.

Readers will find that the images heighten the narrative.  In the portion about cows, nursery rhymes, jumping and distance, the humor of the words is depicted in multiple cows in space wearing helmets.  When showing how Earth would function without Moon's gravity, Earth looks like she's been on a merry-go-round too long.

One of my many favorite illustrations spans two pages.  Earth is centered on either side of the gutter in a starry sky.  Around Earth are the eight phases of Moon.  The text reads:

But you probably noticed I look different every night.
Fun, right?

Check out
my PHASES!

For each phase Stevie Lewis gives Moon a new facial expression.  The phases are labeled, and one contains a fun fact.


This new entry in an engaging, entertaining and enlightening series, Moon!: Earth's Best Friend written by Moon (with Stacy McAnulty) and illustrated by Moon (and Stevie Lewis), is fabulous.  Moon's point of view in describing attributes of this perpetual union makes this book a stellar choice for a space, planet, Earth, Moon or bedtime themes.  I can't imagine a professional or personal collection without a copy of this title.  At the close of the book is a short author's note to Fellow Moon Gazers, a Two Truths and a Myth with Moon, Moon by the Numbers, All in a Name (different kinds of moons) and Sources.

To learn more about Stacy McAnulty and Stevie Lewis, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Stacy McAnulty has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Stevie Lewis has accounts on Instagram and Tumblr.  I believe you will find this interview of Stevie Lewis on She Explores very interesting and also this one at 24 Carrot Writing.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.


You'll want to take a few moments to view the other titles selected this week by participants in the 2019 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge by visiting Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator, Alyson Beecher.

This Blue Planet

Every time you witness a sunrise or a sunset you are reminded of the wonders waiting to be seen on this Blue Planet.  The rustle of dried, crumpled oak leaves clinging to a branch, the crunch of snow beneath your boots on a bitter, cold afternoon, the notes of birdsong, the chattering of local squirrels, the gentle rippling of water as you wade across a stream and the smell of blooming lavender on a summer's evening as fireflies blink off and on are cherished memories of treasures offered by our Earth.  This place we humans and a host of creatures call home is remarkable.

No one can extol the virtues of our home more than Earth.  Earth!: My First 4.54 Billion Years (Henry Holt and Company, October 24, 2017) by Earth (with Stacy McAnulty) and illustrated by Earth (and David Litchfield) is a humorous, lighthearted and informative look at the third planet from the sun.  Let's join Earth now for fun and facts.

Hi!  My name is 
Earth.
Some people call me
Gaia,
the blue marble,
the world,
or the third planet from the sun.
You can call me
Planet Awesome.

Earth quickly acquaints us with a favorite activity, spinning.  Some spins take a day.  Other spins take a whole year.  Moon is Earth's best buddy.  They go everywhere together.  Earth has the time needed for Moon to spin around Earth down to the second.

When you're 4.54 billion years old, it's tough to remember babyhood but Earth says:

But I've been told I was a hot mess.

After that it rained and rained and rained.  It rained for thousands of years.  Earth was in for even more surprises, islands.  These islands connected and then divided into what we now call continents.  We have seven.

Earth shows us a timeline, a huge ruler, designating the arrival of air, plants, bugs, dinosaurs, mammals, birds, flowers and finally humans.  Another secret is shared.  Earth loved the time of the dinosaurs; all 175 million years.

Earth tells us about all the disasters like eruptions of volcanoes, ice ages and asteroids.  On the upside Earth has stayed the same under the surface.  There's still a crust, mantle, outer core and inner core.  Earth shares a final confidence.  Humans are captivating.  There's never a dull moment with humans.  We do tend to be careless with Earth sometimes but Earth believes in us.  Let's honor this respect!


As soon as Earth begins to chat with readers through the words written by Stacy McAnulty, it's as if we are gathered together enjoying a picnic in a grassy meadow under a spreading Sycamore tree.  Earth's pride is evident in the statements made about its position in the solar system and the galaxy, the daily and yearly spinning accomplishments and the beauty of flowers.  Humor is found in asides made about Pluto and comments about other animals' interest in Earth as opposed to human fascination with Earth.  Here is a passage.

Some used to say I have eight siblings,
but Pluto is more like the family pet. 


Rendered in pencils, ink, watercolor paints, and digital art tools the illustrations starting with the opened dust jacket shout out a big hello to readers.  Earth is slowly spinning among the stars, smiling and waiting to talk with us.  To the left, on the back, she is peeking up from the lower, left-hand corner.  She's reading:

Read this book about Earth,
written by Earth, while you float through
space on---you guessed it---Earth!

To readers enjoyment David Litchfield has given us a different book case.  The background is a blend of green and golden hues sprinkled with stars.  Earth, on the back and to the left, is again looking at the same words as on the dust jacket.  But on the front she is much larger spanning from edge to edge looking upward, grinning and her hands are near her mouth as if she just can't believe how fortunate she is.

The opening and closing endpapers are a blended blue, green and golden array replete with stars.  On the title page Earth looks as if she can hardly wait to share her secrets with us.  Earth is a constant character on every page turn but two.  Her size is in keeping with the narrative and other elements David Litchfield uses in his design.  She may be extending a hand to point out important features, joining her siblings (and the Sun), having fun with the Moon, or taking a journey through time in a photo album.

In his portrayal of Earth David Litchfield endears readers to their residence.  Her mannerisms, facial expressions and hands are spirited and inviting.  On the final three two-page pictures Earth extends from page edge to page edge.  Superimposed on her enlarged eyes, mouth and continents are smaller elements relative to the text.  These are wonderful, emotional portraits.

One of my many favorite images is of Earth as an infant.  On the photo album page which is tilted and extends across the gutter to the left, the caption at the top reads:

Explosive.  Gassy!  Very cranky.

Earth is shown as red hot, frowny-eyed and with crossed arms.  A pacifier is stuck in her mouth.  Under one of the corner tabs it reads:

BABY EARTH

On the far left present-day Earth is shown smiling and holding and looking at the album.


For any readers, even your youngest readers, Earth!:  My First 4.54 Billion Years written by Stacy McAnulty with illustrations by David Litchfield is a must for all your collections.  With comedy, captivating conversation and interesting information Earth tells us a lot about Earth.  At the close of the book Stacy McAnulty speaks to alien visitors about Earth.  She further includes items about the continents, Earth's location and life.  There is also a list of sources.

To discover more about Stacy McAnulty and David Litchfield and their other work, please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  Stacy has activity pages associated with this title at her site.  You can see illustrations at David's site different from those found at the publisher's website.  Stacy McAnulty is a guest at author Tara Lazar's Writing for Kids (While Raising Them).  Stacy is interviewed at WeGrowMedia.  David maintains accounts on Tumblr and Instagram.  I hope you enjoy the videos.





Please be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by Alyson Beecher to enjoy the books selected this week by other participants in the 2018 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.

A Conversation with Stacy McAnulty and a Cover Reveal

Happy Monday morning to you, Stacy.  On Saturday the wind was howling (again) and the rain was so heavy it left standing puddles around the neighborhood (again).  The wet, windy outside made the cozy warmth of inside even more comfortable and appealing.  I’m not taking any chances on the weather today.  While it would be great fun to talk with you as we walk our dogs, let’s settle in cushy chairs for a chat.

Your journey from having a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering and working in the field for almost a decade to writing for children has been one of many years of hard work and eventual success in writing picture books and chapter books for younger readers.  On May 1, 2018 your debut middle grade book is set to be released by Random House.  I am curious about the switch from writing picture books and chapter books for younger readers to a middle grade novel.  What prompted this?

Ha, maybe I’m finally growing up. Actually, it’s probably because my kids are growing up. I originally tried to break into publishing by writing novels intended for adults. But every night, I was reading to my young children and loving it. I was the one asking, “Can we read one more? Please.” It slowly dawned on me that I wanted to write for kids. Now my daughters are long out of diapers and borrowing my clothes, my son--the baby of the family--is learning long division, and we’re all falling in love with new books. So the stories I want to write are changing too. Though I continue to read and write picture books.

According to data at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the chance of getting struck by lightning in a single year is 1/1,083,000 and if you live to be eighty years old the chance of being struck by lightning in your lifetime is 1/13,500.  Your main character in The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl is struck by lightning.  How did you decide this would be the event to change her life?  Could you explain to us why this happened when she was eight years old? Do you know someone who has been struck by lightning?  

Thankfully, none of my family or friends has been struck by lightning. Me neither. (Knock on wood.) For the story, I needed a major event that was realistic and rare, and also something that the reader could imagine. We’ve all experienced thunderstorms. They occur across the globe. In the book, the main character is struck by lightning at the age of eight, which is four years before the story begins. She is changed by the zap within days and learns to live and thrive with her newfound abilities, basically for those four years. She’s homeschooled and happy, but then her grandmother sends her to middle school, and suddenly she doesn’t know anything.

This lightning strike changed Lucy Fanny Callahan.  Would you tell us about the changes?

The lightning strike rewires Lucy’s brain, and she becomes a mathematical genius. The medical term is acquired savant syndrome, and it’s a real thing. I’ve read cases about normal people after a head injury having sudden genius talents like the ability to do math as accurately as a calculator, or learn any language after hearing it a few times, or playing the piano without any lessons. Not only can Lucy add, subtract, multiply, and divide any numbers as fast as she hears them, she also memorizes numbers without effort and sees math in everything. For the four years before the story begins, she’s dedicated herself to learning higher-level mathematics. But the genius of savant syndrome always comes with a tradeoff. For Lucy, it’s OCD.  

I have to ask: What is your favorite element in the final art for the book’s cover?  

Tough question! There’s so much to love--the torn paper, the hand lettering, the lightning bolts, and the random math equations. I made a few small changes to the math for accuracy. And the cover has my name on it! I still can’t believe I’m going to be a novelist. Cue up Frank Sinatra, “Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you…”

Here’s the cover folks!

I hope you don’t mind answering a few more questions.  We are both fans of our furry friends, dogs.  In fact your picture book, Excellent Ed, is one of my favorite dog books.  I know readers will want to know if a dog plays a part in this middle grade debut novel.  What can you tell us?

Aw, thanks for being an Ed fan. Yes, there is a dog in the novel. Actually, there are several dogs, but one plays a starring role. Unlike you and me, Lucy has not been around pups. It’s a new and challenging experience for her. But dogs have a way of winning over even the weariest of humans.

Do you currently have a dog as a member of your family?  Breed?  Age? Name?

I have three dogs. They spend their days with me in my office while the rest of the family is off at school and work. I’m lucky. Every day is bring your dog to work day for me. There’s Pepper, a German Shepherd, who is almost nine. Jack is the big mutt (over seventy pounds) and he’s about seven. Our newest addition is a small, fluffy Chihuahua mix, who is about a year old. Her name is Munchkin. When we adopted her I had hopes that she’d snuggle on my lap as I write. Nope! She’d rather hang with the big dogs.

My students always want to know if an author has children, what their names are and their ages.  Would you share this with us, please?

I tell people I have those three furry kids and three non-furry kids. Cora is my oldest and she’s in tenth grade. Lily is the easy-going middle child, who is in eighth grade. And then there is Henry, a fourth grader. So three kids in three different schools with three different start and end times keep me hopping.

Thank you Stacy for chatting with me today about your middle grade novel debut, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl and for the honor of revealing the cover.  I promised myself I would read it closer to the release date but I’ve already read chapter one.  Readers are in for a treat.  I’ll have to shelf it or I’ll finish it in a single sitting.

If you are interested in learning even more about Stacy McAnulty (I was), please feel free to visit WeGrowMedia with Dan Blank, Mile High Reading with Dylan Teut, Literary Hoots with Emily, Picture Books Help Kids Soar with Vivian Kirkfield and Cracking The Cover.  Stacy’s website is here.

Here is the description for this title as seen in the Random House catalog.

Middle school is the one problem Lucy Callahan can’t solve in this middle-grade novel perfect for fans of The Fourteenth Goldfish, Rain Reign, and Counting by 7s.

Lucy Callahan was struck by lightning. She doesn’t remember it, but it changed her life forever. The zap gave her genius-level math skills, and ever since, Lucy has been homeschooled. Now, at 12 years old, she’s technically ready for college. She just has to pass 1 more test–middle school!

Lucy’s grandma insists: Go to middle school for 1 year. Make 1 friend. Join 1 activity. And read 1 book (that’s not a math textbook!). Lucy’s not sure what a girl who does calculus homework for fun can possibly learn in 7th grade. She has everything she needs at home, where nobody can make fun of her rigid routines or her superpowered brain. The equation of Lucy’s life has already been solved. Unless there’s been a miscalculation?

A celebration of friendship, Stacy McAnulty’s smart and thoughtful middle-grade debut reminds us all to get out of our comfort zones and embrace what makes us different.

What's A Dog To Do?

By their very nature our canine companions are pack animals.  When they become a part of our families they instinctively long to be participatory members.  They want to have a job to do.  When their task is completed to the best of their ability, they wish to enjoy all the benefits of being a part of Team Dog and Human.

There can be one or usually several duties at which they excel.  Excellent Ed (Alfred A. Knopf, May 17, 2016) written by Stacy McAnulty with illustrations by Julia Sarcone-Roach is a pooch with a problem.  He's not quite sure how he fits in with the Ellis family.

All the Ellis children were excellent at something.
Except Ed.

The excellent Ellis guys and gals were able to eat at the table, ride in the van, sit on the couch and use the indoor bathroom. The five children had gifts; soccer player, math masters, ballet dancer and cupcake maker.  While Ed did his best to match their superior skills, his results were not quite the same.  Does cupcake taster count?

Ed's canine mind is whirling with ideas.  He wants to be able to eat at the table, ride in the van, sit on the couch and use the indoor bathroom.  A checklist is forming in his head.  His first possible superior skill could be breaking stuff.  That backfires when Elaine rushes into the family home with an announcement of breaking a soccer record for the season.

Two more times, Ed is sure he has discovered what he does best but the Ellis children are better as he assess their news.  It looks as though he won't be allowed a seat in the van or the cozy comfort of the couch.  At this point, Ed is feeling a little dejected.

When Ed being Ed shines in several situations, his doggy logic begins to understand why there are better places for him to be than at the table, in the van or on the couch.  With each event Ed can feel his excellence growing and his place in the family assured.  But...


Readers can readily see why Stacy McAnulty has dogs at the top of her Things I Love list on her website.  Her affection and understanding is apparent in the narrative.  When Ed is comparing his abilities to their excellence the humor begins to unfold.

Edith was an excellent soccer player.
Ed preferred to carry the ball in his mouth.

She establishes an enticing storytelling rhythm with Ed wanting to be excellent, thinking of what his excellence is and then discovering he is not quite as excellent as one of the Ellis children.  It is during these portions of the story readers are privy to wordplay through double meanings.

By having the tale told by a narrator and Ed's point of view in combination with dialogue from the Ellis family members, we are completely immersed in every moment.  Here is another sample passage.

Just then, Ernie dropped half of his peanut butter
sandwich.  Ed gobbled it up.
"Wow, Ed! You are excellent at cleaning the floor," Ernie said.
Yes, I am an excellent floor cleaner.
Maybe that's why I don't eat at the table?


My enthusiasm for the illustrations in this title begins on the matching dust jacket and book case.  The golden glow seen on the front and back of each is carried throughout the book.  There is nothing more endearing than seeing a dog on their back, eyes wide, mouth open and tail thumping in sheer happiness.  This is the essence of dog.  On the back, to the left, the Ellis family is pictured all looking down at Ed as Emily hugs him.  Ed's eyes are closed in contentment.

The brilliance of the artwork rendered in acrylic paint, watercolor, crayon and grease pencil created by Julia Sarcone-Roach continues on the opening and closing endpapers.  In the first set the Ellis family has placed a red and white, striped sweater on Ed.  In three rows, left to right, twelve small pictures altogether, we see Ed trying to get that sweater off.  His body contortions are hilarious.  This continues across the two title pages and the page opposite the first page of the story.  Ed sits triumphant and sans sweater at the beginning.  The closing endpapers feature Ed in totally canine bliss in ten different positions.  The golden yellow hues with green are predominant.

To enhance the pacing of the text Sarcone-Roach alters her image sizes.  We see a group of eight across four pages followed by several single page pictures.  As Ed discovers his excellence the perspective changes bringing us closer to the characters.

Throughout the narrative the expressions on all the Ellis family faces are full of warmth and sincere kindness.  Ed's looks as depicted by Sarcone-Roach are eager, full of fun and guaranteed to have you burst out laughing.  She captures the looks, tail wags, perky ears, woebegone body postures and true delight perfectly.

One of my two favorite illustrations is of Ed leaning over the arm of the couch watching the Ellis children seated together.  They are reading a book spread across their laps.  One of the children is holding a bowl of popcorn.  His tail is thumping in anticipation of enjoying their company and also that popcorn.  The second image I really like (there are more actually) is when Emily and Elmer walk through the door.  Ed's body is stretched toward Elmer, giving him a doggy kiss.  Both children are hugging Ed.  In each of these pictures Sarcone-Roach through her skills conveys the mood of the moment masterfully.


Dog lovers' hearts are going to fill with love every time they read Excellent Ed written by Stacy McAnulty with illustrations by Julia Sarcone-Roach.  Other readers and listeners are going to ask it to be read over and over again too because it's superb storytelling in words and images.  It's about the excellence of being exactly who you are.  This book deserves and receives four paws way up!

To learn more about Stacy McAnulty and Julia Sarcone-Roach along with their other work please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  By following this link to the publisher's website you can view interior illustrations from the book.  Scholastic's Ambassador for School Libraries, John Schumacher, chats with author Stacy McAnulty at his blog, Watch. Connect. Read.