A Rhyming Ritual

When reading aloud the musicality of words will seriously undermine the ability of readers of all ages, but more importantly of younger readers, to sit still.  Once they feel a rhythm made by words they want to move.  They also want to repeat those words, making them into a melodious mantra.  There's been many, many visits to the library with students leaving in a line as they walk down the hallway whispering words as they do their own inventive dance.

In her debut picture book, author Cheryl B. Klein collaborates with artist Tomie dePaola to bring readers Wings (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, March 5, 2019).  A rhyming poetic interlude of twelve single words and various punctuations is enhanced with lively, expressive images.  It's an ode to new life, flight, self-confidence and the sheer pleasure of the sounds made by combinations of letters.

Wings!

Four curious baby birds sit in a nest.  One opens its wings.  This is a first.  Moving from the safety of the group, this brave soul grasps the edge of the nest and gazes at the distance from the nest to the ground.

In a moment of courage, with no instruction or practice, the baby bird jumps.  It does not end as well as it could have.  It hurts.  It's wet.

Something good attracts the bird's attention.  There is a decision to make.  There is an action to take.

Three siblings rejoice at the persistence, ingenuity and generosity of their nestmate.  That baby bird is downright jubilant.  A soul and body soar.


All the emotions felt by this baby bird beat in readers' hearts as the words are read silently or aloud.  Cheryl B. Klein cleverly and with intention strings these words together to tell us a tale of adventure.  All these words rhyme supplying a special cadence.  This beat is enhanced by the insertion of periods, pauses, exclamation points and a single question mark.  This encourages irresistible participation. 


There is not a group of listeners circled around a reader for story time that won't sigh when they see the front of the open and matching dust jacket and book case.  They will readily identify with the baby bird perched on the edge of the nest.  They all know about balancing on the edge of something trying to decide if they should jump or not.  The title text and the baby bird on the edge of the nest on the jacket are raised to the touch.

To the left, on the back, the courageous tiny bird, greets its parents as they rest, side-by-side, on a nearby branch.  A snail seen throughout the book is resting on the ISBN.  Instead of continuing the pale blue seen on the front, a soft lavender is the canvas for the back.  On the opening and closing endpapers is a lighter variation of the bright pink colors used in the baby birds.  A double-page picture for the verso and title pages shows two trees on either side, one holds the nest and on the other the parents rest and watch.

Rendered by collage using Avery full-sheet labels with markers for the color and the background paper was painted using acrylics, these illustrations are a departure from the usual technique in the artwork of Tomie dePaola.  Nevertheless, readers can see hues associated with his work in these images.  The backgrounds alternate between pale yellow, light orange, light pink, pale lavender, pale green and a pale bird's egg blue.  These canvases highlight the vibrant pink, blue, green, brown, orange and purple hues in the palette.

Readers will delight in the perspectives presented by Tomie dePaola.  For the first few pages we are close to the nest and the actions of the baby bird.  At one point, for maximum effect we move closer to the baby bird's face full of discouragement.  For one of the words only a portion of the baby bird is shown.

Wordless illustrations bridge between one word and the next placing emphasis on the pacing.  The book closes with the final of four visuals without words.  Careful readers will note the emotions shown in the eyes of the baby bird throughout the book.

One of my many favorite illustrations is for the word Wrings.  On a pale lavender two-page canvas bright spring green stretches along the bottom.  A blue puddle takes up half of the space.  On the left readers will notice something special moving into the scene.  On the right the curious snail watches the bird, shaking droplets out of its feathers.  You can almost hear the combination of water and wings.


For a theme on rhyming, spring, poetry or birds I highly recommend Wings written by Cheryl B. Klein with illustrations by Tomie dePaola.  I can see this story expanding into creative dramatics with listeners acting out each word.  It would be a wonderful readers' theater.  You could have children expand the list of rhyming words.  You will want to have a copy for your personal and professional collections.  With this book, the theory of less-is-more takes flight.

To discover more about Cheryl B. Klein and Tomie dePaola and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Cheryl's website is highly informative.  She offers thoughtful extensions for her books and her other skills.  Tomie dePaola has a blog linked to his name, too.  Cheryl B. Klein has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Tomie dePaola has an account on Facebook. On October 22, 2018 Tomie dePaola was the featured illustrator at The New York Times Books with a video on Facebook.  This is a lovely look at Tomie dePaola's work.  He reads from a previous title.  Cheryl B. Klein and Tomie dePaola are interviewed by Elizabeth Bird at A Fuse #8 Production, School Library Journal for the cover reveal.  To view interior images please visit the publisher's website.

In Stillness

Slow down, please.  Now, stop.  Find a place to sit down.  Can you hear it?  What?  Nothing.  This is the sound of silence.  Everything and everyone are at rest.  Wrap yourself in it; feel the cozy comfort of being still.  Enjoy it.  Great things come from this state of being.

Sometimes we believe inactivity is a waste of time; a sign of the absence of accomplishments.  In truth, without it we fail to hear our heartbeat, the heartbeat of others and the beat of Earth's heart.  Quiet (Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, October 9, 2018) written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola is a shared walk into serenity.

"My, oh my," the grandfather said.
"Everything is in such a hurry.

A grandfather is strolling with his granddaughter, grandson and family dog among flowers, leafy trees, buzzing bees, other insects and creatures cautiously watching them.  A flock of birds lifts into the air.  The children notice other living things in motion.

Their dog chases a thrown ball.  A nearby frog leaps into a pond.  Look at the trees!  Leaves rustle in a soft breeze.

At the suggestion of their grandfather they all walk toward a bench.  It's time to sit for a few minutes.  While they are there the grandfather points to the flock of birds, now settled in the tree branches.  The pooch has paused for a quick nap.  Residents of the pond are at rest.

Eyes closed the family is as still as everything around them.  Each member realizes quiet allows them to do certain things with ease.  Never underestimate the power of Quiet.


The word choices in the spare text of Tomie dePaola cast a spell of peace over all who read them. The verbs of motion provide a contrast to those representing stillness. An atmosphere of thankfulness permeates the entire walk and rest on the bench.  The grandfather in his conversation with his grandchildren asks them to be mindful of their surroundings.  Out of respect for him, they reply in kind.  Here is another sentence.

"And a dragonfly zooming over the water."


When you hold this book in your hands and look at the front of the opened dust jacket, a hush encompasses your soul.  The presence of white space acts as an element here and on all the pages inside the book.  The soft colors and fluid lines ask us to rest.  When we do, we notice the doves, ladybugs, rabbits, praying mantis on the lily stems and the dragonfly acting as a dot for the "i" in quiet.


Set on a canvas of pure white on the back, to the left, is a dragonfly quietly posed on a bent cattail.  This is extending from the lower, left-hand corner of the page.  The book case is a textured subdued, grass green.  Embossed on the front in metallic soft turquoise is the lily pad and flower seen on the front of the dust jacket.

The opening and closing endpapers are colored in a brighter spring green.  The white outline of a dragonfly in flight on the first and motionless on the second reflects the contents of the narrative.  On the initial title page, the family group is leaving their home.  They are in miniature along the bottom of the page with a large expanse of white above them.  We move in closer to them for the formal title page on a double-page picture.

Rendered in transparent acrylics and colored pencil the illustrations are a beautiful representation of the work of Tomie dePaola and the natural world we enter with this grandfather and his grandchildren.  There is much to see in the first double-page image.  A mole peeks from a hole.  A worm crawls along the grass.  Bees fly, a beetle crawls, a ladybug pauses with a praying mantis and a mother fox curls with two baby pups.

Tomie dePaola outlines each scene in a fine line but in some an element breaks that line giving a sense of motion or the continuation of the area beyond what we can see.  Other creatures are tucked into his images, snails, ants, a squirrel, and a butterfly.  Even in this calm we are accompanied.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a close-up of the dog napping.  This is a double-page picture.  To the left we can see a portion of the bench and the girl's purple dress, knee, hand, leg and shoe.  Looped under the bench is the dog's leash.  A single golden orange daylily curves to the right of the bench.  Stretched from the center of the left side, across the gutter and nearly to the edge of the right side is the dog.  He (she) is lying on his side, front paws extended back in front of the belly.  The back legs are out.  This is the essence of peace.


If you seek calm, Quiet written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola is a wise selection.  It is breathtaking in its simplicity.  After a read aloud with children or students, it would be interesting to have them speculate on the movements in nature in the other seasons of the year.  This is certain to promote conversations about the value of stillness.  I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Tomie dePaola and his extensive work, please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  At the publisher's website you can view interior illustrations. Tomie is interviewed at Brightly about his work.  Author and teacher librarian Carter Higgins chats with Tomie about this title on her site, Design Of The Picture Book.  Be sure to stop by A Fuse # 8 Production hosted by Elizabeth Bird, Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system, for the cover reveal.  Tomie also chats about this title on NPR's Morning Edition and America The Jesuit Review.  The first is an audio interview and the second is a video interview with some scenes in Tomie's studio.  Enjoy the book trailer.  It's so lovely, you'll hardly be able to wait to hold the book in your hands.

Under The Moon's Gaze

Last night was a full moon night.  This moon is known as the Harvest Moon.  This special moon is closest to the autumnal equinox, the time in our year (in the northern hemisphere) marking the end of summer and the beginning of autumn.  This year the equinox falls on September 22, 2016.  On this date we will have an equal amount of daylight and darkness.

As parents, educators and those who share their lives with pets know, a full moon does dictate a change in behavior, in my experience, with children and dogs.  As the sun sets and dusk arrives, going to bed and falling asleep are not on their minds.  They are ready to continue playing...for hours.

One of the most popular of my Picture Book Ten for Ten posts is one listing ten plus one books guaranteed to encourage rest, sleep and Sweet Dreams.  Two titles have been released in 2016 which would make worthy additions to these selections.  They each invite readers into the presence of peace.

Two cherished personalities in the field of children's literature collaborate to bring us The Moon's Almost Here (Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, June 7, 2016).  The blend of Patricia MacLachlan's words with Tomie dePaola's illustrations will rock away all the day's cares easing listeners toward dreamland.  Let's follows along with the mime Pierrot and his child taking a walk.

The moon's almost here!
Robin sings in her nest.
Babies fly back to her,
Ready to rest.

A sheep nods to her lamb, a hen chatters to her chicks and ducklings follow their mother from water to land.  A colt listens to the call of a mare. Calves trail behind their mooing mother.  And

The moon's almost here.

A tiny winged creature takes flight hurrying in front of the night.  In the warm air beetles' bottoms blink.  At home, a pet settles, their eyes fluttering with dreams.  Another curls into a cozy ball of comfort.

A hand is offered for a final look outside.  Two stand, the younger speaking in gratitude to the night life.  The moon arrives casting her spell of sleep in a luminous glow of light.


The choice to repeat the first sentence over and over again, six times in total, soothes the reader and listener. The following phrases rhyme in a lullaby rhythm.  When you read the words aloud written by Patricia MacLachlan they ease into song, a soft sweet melody.  Here is another sample portion.

The moon's almost here.
Mama duck drifts to shore.
Ducklings swim after:
One, two, three, and four.


From left side to right across the spine on the dust jacket, an entire illustration of rolling hills, a countryside farm, depicts all the animals visited by the parent and child.  It's a gorgeous visual of life coming to rest welcoming the moon rise.  Careful readers will notice the change in the title text's color as it gets closer to the rising moon. The varying hues of blue and green with spot color and the white apparel, painted face of the parent and rise of the moon are part of the signature palette of artist Tomie dePaola.  On the book case an interior image of the mime Pierrot and his child going back outside to look at the moon is featured.  A lighter contrasting shade of blue covers the opening and closing endpapers.

Rendered in acrylic on gessoed Arches 150lb cold press100% Rag watercolor paper the pictures begin to tell a story of their own on the initial title page with the parent, arms spread wide, running to the right. On the title page, unlit lantern in hand he moves toward his child who is walking toward him with outstretched arms.  The remaining fourteen two-page illustrations are marvelous depictions of each stop on the duo's nighttime journey.

Each image is like an individual tableau; gazing upward at the fledglings flying toward the mother robin, a baby chick cuddled in the arms of the child as their father lights the candle in the lantern, the two watching the horses and cows through the windows of their home and the child carrying their cat as the dog looks outside.  One of the pictures, the child's bedroom, contains elements of Tomie dePaola visuals, a heart painted on the footboard of the bed and a checked border at the bottom of the page. There is an air of tranquility in each scene.

One of my favorite pictures is of the dog curled up on its bed on the porch.  A ribbon of stars swirls from his left across the gutter to the right.  He is dreaming of jumping over the moon.  The moon has a face with eyes looking upward at the jumping dog.

The Moon's Almost Here written by Patricia MacLachlan with illustrations by Tomie dePaola is a beautifully rendered poetic invitation to bedtime.  Readers can feel the calm from the pages settling around them.  The final illustration is sure to bring on a sigh if not sleep.  Please follow the links attached to Tomie dePaola's name to access his website and blog.  Each is a joyful depiction of the man and his work.




Known for his titles, Oh No, George! and Shh! We Have A Plan Chris Haughton presents readers with another of his colorful gems.  Goodnight Everyone (Walker Books, August 4, 2016 and Candlewick Press, December 13, 2016) is a sleepy stroll toward the best rest.  It's the end of the day.

the sun is going down and everyone is sleepy

Moving from the smallest creatures, mice, to one of the largest, Great Big Bear, each one is sleepy.  They exhibit their condition with yawning...lots of yawns.  There's one though who is not sleepy in the slightest, Little Bear.

No one wants to play with Little Bear.  Each time he asks his animal friends, the mice, hares and deer, they are simply too tired.  He continues to move around ready to play until...wait...what's that?

Little Bear yawns!  Great Big Bear believes it's truly time to end the day in rest.  Each of the animals is visited.  They are fast asleep, gentle snores filling the air.  A goodnight is called to each one.  A final gesture of affection is given to Little Bear.  The narrator calls out to readers and makes one final observation.


With his simple phrases Chris Haughton establishes a reassuring rhythm.  His use of repetition with certain portions of the narrator's remarks asks readers to participate in response. To further engage us, he adds a few new words to each set of sentences.

the mice are sleepy-----YAWN
the hares are sleepy
they sigh
AH----YAWN

In a dreamy use of the number three we visit three animals three times; when they are yawning, when they don't want to play and when they are fast asleep.  The pause in this cadence is when Little Bear engages with Great Big Bear.  This is sheer delight.


If they were to remove Chris Haughton's name from the book case, by the design, layout and color we would still know it is his book. His use of purple, magenta and blues is striking. The inclusion of white in the title text and in the white of Little Bear's eyes on the front and in Great Big Bear's eyes on the back is a pleasing contrast.  I dare you to look at either of these images without feeling your body start to relax.  On the opening and closing endpapers are stunning depictions of first the southern night sky, replete with constellations, on the left and the sun and planets to scale on the right. On the top of the earth is the forest from this book.  On the back the planets and sun are reversed, top to bottom and on the right is the northern night sky.  Little Bear and Great Bear are faintly drawn with the corresponding constellations within their bodies.

On the initial title page Great Big Bear and Little Bear are seated.  The larger is yawning and the younger is wide awake.  On the verso and title pages is a vivid, layered image in blues, purples, magenta, greens, orange and yellows, spanning from left to right with a large white border.  It shows all of the animal groups peeking forth from their special areas.

With a page turn we zoom in on a portion of the title page image.  At the next page turn there is a great deal of white space on the left.  For each of the animals Chris Haughton has designed a small page, a series of three pages imposed on the large right page.  As each is opened the image increases in size.  For the remaining visuals they vary in size to supply pacing, each outlined in a wide white frame with the exception of one two-page illustration.

One of my favorite illustrations of many is of the mice sleeping. The picture takes up nearly one entire page with white space spanning across the gutter to the edge on the right, providing a place for the spare text in purple.  Shades of green fill the image of four mice curled in sleep in their nest.  One of the mice is leaning away from the others, its body resting on the rim of the nest.  The nest is stretched between stems in the grass. Above their heads a dandelion starts to lose its seeds, several floating away.


I can't imagine someone not falling asleep after reading Goodnight Everyone written and illustrated by Chris Haughton. ZZZzzzzz.... Oh, sorry....I dozed off for a moment.  Chris Haughton says at his website this is indeed a book about sleep but also a book about scale.  It is fascinating to read about the development of this book on his blog here.  On both his website and blog there are numerous images.  On the publisher's website is yet another image.

Through The Ages, A Hero Remains

One character's name appears over and over in world literature.  Most readers and listeners of nursery rhymes, folktales and fairy tales can name him.  He can jump over a flaming candle stick, pull out a plumb with his thumb, eat no fat, build a house, fetch a pail of water, grow a stalk that reaches into the clouds from a magic bean, paint frost or triumph over giants.

In the eastern mountain regions of the United States his stories are so numerous they warranted their own collection.

Jack, of the Jack Tales, embodies some of the common characteristics of culture hero.  He is the third son---the magic number.  He is the honest, straightforward, guileless one who never suspects the tricks and deceptions of others.  He is the western European hero who lacks all sophistication but is exceptionally clever. 

                                   (Storytelling:  Folklore Sourcebook Norma J. Livo

                                     & Sandra A. Rietz, 1991, page 25)

Leaving home to search for wealth, success or a home of his own is a common theme in the Jack tales.  Master storyteller Tomie dePaola in his most recent title, Jack (Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), September 16, 2014) spins his own singular version for our youngest readers. 

This is a story about Jack.

Jack lived with his grandpa

on a tiny farm way out

in the country.

Jack has decided to seek a life for himself in the city, hopefully making new friends.  He is not sure how to do this but his grandfather is positive the king can offer sound advice.  Wearing new shoes, Jack journeys toward the King's castle.

Creak, Creak, Creak, Creak, Creak...

That's the sound Jack hears as he walks down the road.  The first being he meets is a peeping chick.  The curious bird wants to know where Jack is going.  When the chick hears the answer he wants to come along.  Jack is only too happy to have the company.  Now there are two sounds as the duo head toward the city.

In short order a duck, a goose and a dog have joined the travelers.  Each with their unique tones makes a cheery tune as they continue on their quest.  Other curious animals ask to become part of the group.  Eleven animals trail behind and with Jack as he gets his first sight of the homes and buildings at his destination.  A cawing crow serenades the adventurers adding his voice to the chorus.

At the entrance to the royal residence a friendly guard greets Jack and his companions.  When Jack questions the King about finding a home in the city, the King, having heard about the band headed in his direction, offers him a key and some encouragement.  Jack and his new pals gladly welcome the challenge. A feast for one's eyes, ears and heart assures everyone the neighborhood will never be the same.

Simple sentences with faithful attention given to word choices mark the voice of a gifted wordsmith.  Tomie dePaola clearly understands his audience.  Each time Jack meets an animal a new sound is introduced but the same questions are asked and answered in a refrain promoting participation by listeners.  It's interesting to note after the chick joins Jack the 

"I'm going to the city to ask the king for a house,"

answered Jack.

changes to 

"We're... .

In my way of thinking this says something about the character of Jack and his willingness to be a friend.

The matching dust jacket and book case not only introduce readers to Jack but give a before and after glance of the two different locales in which he resides.  The back or image on the left is of the street in the city where he and his friends find their home.  A lighter wash, in the same shade as Jack's coat and the author's name on the front, covers the opening and closing endpapers.  Jack's home in the country is shown on the title page and the first two pages.  Tomie dePaola inserts a decorative dedication into the landscape.

All of the double-page illustrations are rendered in Tomie dePaola's signature color palette 

with acrylics on Arches 140 lb. cold-press handmade paper that was first coated with gesso.

The animal sounds were created with specially made rubber stamps reproduced from hand-lettering.

On the second reading of this book I think I gasped aloud when I discovered how deftly dePaola had included more elements from nursery rhymes, fairy tales and childhood games in each of the pictures.  I was initially enjoying his admired use of line, facial expressions and animated creatures, tiny bugs, a worm, a snail and birds, and folkloric items like hearts, when I noticed a hill being climbed by two familiar people.  What a gift to readers this is!

One of my favorite illustrations is of Jack and his companions arriving in town.  They are shown in silhouette in a line on the road looking at the city.  All their voices are raised making their individual sounds.  In the foreground dePaola has placed a gated stone wall (Guess who's sitting on that?) with townspeople in front of yet another fence.  

Children and those young at heart are going to relish Jack written and illustrated by the esteemed Tomie dePaola.  This is one of those wonderful books which get better with every reading.  I can already hear children peeping, quacking, honking, woofing, oinking, mooing, croaking, meowing, baaing, neighing and hooting.  When you add in the crow and the creaky new shoes, it's a musical menagerie.  Finding all the tiny extras Tomie dePaola has inserted is pure bliss. 

For more about Tomie dePaola and his huge body of work please visit his website by following the link embedded in his name.  You might enjoy reading these three interviews with Tomie dePaola after he received The Society of Illustrator's Lifetime Achievement Award.  They are here, here and here.  I thank you with all my heart Tomie dePaola for all your books, maintaining a connection with my Mom and for being a common bond between the two of us.  You will always be remembered with great affection.

For The Little Guys And Gals...

There is nothing quite like having your library filled with a kindergarten class.  At the beginning of the school year, you seriously wish you could clone yourself when they are learning to browse for books.  Many lessons involve breaking into song for showing them how to save their spot with a marker, explaining the fiction and nonfiction areas, the difference between an author and an illustrator and getting settled in the story area.

When it comes to reading aloud you couldn't ask for a more captive audience.  The sound of their oohs, aahs and laughter is the best music in the world. If what you are reading has the slightest cadence, they will soon be responding with body movements to match the beat.  Little Poems for Tiny Ears (Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Group(USA) ) written by Lin Oliver with illustrations by Tomie de Paola will have listeners grinning, giggling, singing and sighing in no time at all.

These twenty-three rhythmic rhymes cover a variety of aspects and activities from the babyhood realm.  The startling discovery of seeing someone exactly like you doing everything you do in tandem when first looking in a mirror, the numerical fascination with ten toes, the built-in buffer of behinds when learning to walk or cruising the neighborhood in a vehicle powered by parents are examined with the open enthusiasm of a child.  A nose, a sneeze and a tongue are placed, defined and described with transparent truths.

What's that noise?  What's that you said?  There's simply no sense to these sounds except to the one making them.  Friendly dogs and cuddly cats are constant companions and communicators. The advantages of sitting in certain places are featured with eager energy.

Silly games, clanging kitchen utensils, and moving mobiles provide endless entertainment.  Daily rituals, diaper-changing time, nap time, bath time and bed time, are titled and shared with delightful musings.  The three "b"s, belly button, beard and blankie are all part of this creative welcoming collection.

You can almost hear the childlike voices reciting these poems as they are read.  Lin Oliver combines her keen observations of human behavior and stellar writing skills to deliver verses as lively as the subjects. There is a sense of sincere respect for these marvelous moments shared by children as well as a gentle joy, a touch of humor, in each of Oliver's selections.  Here is a single poem.

Blankie
Without my blankie,
Me so cranky.
When it's by me,
Me all smiley.


The beautiful layout and design found on the front extends to the back of the matching dust jacket and book case; the row of square blocks continuing with fifteen more, alternating background colors, stretching to an enlarged back book flap.  In what can only be described as brilliant, this longer jacket flap unfolds covering the front of the book.  It can be secured in place by a variety of stickers provided in the back of the book; a gift inside and outside.

Using transparent acrylics in his signature palette of pastel shades, Tomie dePaola frames each of his single or two pages illustrations in a double border with tiny inverted shapes resembling photograph corners in the four respective spots.  His children's faces from diverse ethnic backgrounds are animated with the full range of emotions you take joy in seeing.  Tiny stars, confetti-like shapes, dots, and hearts are sprinkled on many of the pages.  Exquisite details encourage participation; pictures on the walls, stuffed animals, bugs and butterflies, balls, teddy bears and blocks, dolls, toy cars, and rubber duckies.  You want to jump right in the pictures with these children as they tell their poetic tales.

One of my many favorite illustrations is for the poem, My Car Seat.  The steps necessary to get ready to go are depicted with absolute charm.  Everything is there, the stuffed animals, the dangling overhead toys, the striped hat on the boy's head and the necessary bag of cereal.


You couldn't ask for a better book on a day in the life of babyhood than these twenty-three poems, Little Poems for Tiny Ears, written by Lin Oliver with illustrations by Tomie dePaola. You will be grinning from ear to ear before you have even finished the first one.  I guarantee you will be able to hear the soft laughter of little children in the background.

For more information on the author and the illustrator, please follow the links embedded in their names to their official websites.

Nature Knows

Hours spent walking in the woods of northern Michigan, the past thirteen years with my canine companion, Xena, have taught me to be aware of her perceptions of our surroundings.  A sudden pause, nose uplifted, a refusal to walk in one direction or growling barks heighten my attention, my guard.  A unusual silence without insect chirping, frog croaking or birdsong is also a very clear signal.

For the sake of preservation creatures in our natural world are instinctively aware of shifts from the norm; keen observers every one.  Thousands of years ago in a small town located in Judea our feathered flying friends knew uncommon events had transpired.  Author/illustrator Tomie dePaola has written and painted a profoundly respectful portrayal of The Nativity for younger readers, The Birds of Bethlehem  (Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Group).

Every morning, 

the birds of Bethlehem

gathered in the field to

glean any corn that might

be left from the harvest.

Pairs of birds, named for primary colors, a mix of same and the absence of color, have paused in their eating to share news much like their modern human counterparts gathered at the local coffee shop.  Yesterday extraordinary events were noticed, pieces of a greater whole.  Green bird and his mate relate how they have never seen such a long line of people walking along the hilltops.

Each bird in turn with their partner has a tiny tale to tell; yellow bird, blue bird, red bird, brown bird and white bird.  Perhaps due to the gathering of people it was noticed the town's inn was full; so full a man and his wife were taken to a stable.  According to red bird and his mate, an Angel appeared to a group of shepherd's tending their sheep, bidding them to go as fast as they could to Bethlehem to see a child lying in a manger.

Two more, roosting in the same tree, that same evening heard and saw a chorus of Angels proclaiming joyful news from the Heavens.  Amazed by the sight, the final pair of birds, the white birds, followed the shepherds to the stable.  Tied together, these tiny tales, create a remarkable story; a story which cannot be ignored by the flock who seek to see its ending.


If readers were to think of birds and their place in the scheme of the animal kingdom, they might assign them the duty of messenger; greeting the sunrise with song, sounding the alarm when predators approach young or their noisy chatter in flocks racing to their roosts at night.  Tomie dePaola's use of birds to tell his story feels exactly right.  His simple narrative is like a whispered conversation, an expectant hush falling over the gathering as each recounts the wondrous things they have seen and heard for the very first time.


Tomie dePaola's artwork is uniquely his own.  The silver foiled letters on the front jacket sparkle like the stars, the Star, on the Holy Night.  Rich shades of midnight blue, stars scattered across the pages, cover the endpapers.  Illustrations rendered in opaque acrylics on handmade watercolor paper have a texture to them; sand, wind, dry dusty heat.

Although his birds are green, yellow, blue, red, brown and white, the shades he has chosen for each are more those one might associate with the Mediterranean area.  All of the illustrations are two page, left to right, edge to edge, a panoramic sense, alluding to the greatness of this story.  The details of the arched window over the checkered base, the small figures of Joseph leading Mary on the donkey in the line of people on the hilltop, the heart-shaped leaves on the trees and the Star looking like a rose window over the stable contribute to dePaola's rich rendition of The Nativity.


Tomie dePaola's The Birds of Bethlehem shines as brightly as the stars on that night so long ago, eloquent in its simplicity.

Please follow the link embedded in Tomie dePaola's name above to enjoy all the extras at his website.  This is a link to the Community of Redwoods Monastery recipient of dePaola's dedication along with one of the residents, Sister Veronique.