Crooning On The Range

As soon as you catch a glimpse of certain illustrators' work, it's hard not to smile.  There are some where a longer look will bring on gales of laughter before you even open the cover.  You've established a previous relationship with their pictures; the emotion reflected in a character's eye or a toothy grin are all you need.

The first time I read What Will Fat Cat Sit On? (Harcourt, 2007), I closed the back cover, flipped it over and read it again, laughing even more than the first time.  I could hardly wait to share it with every single class.  It was the same with Rhyming Dust Bunnies (Beach Lane Books, 2009).  In fact books penned and pictured by Jan Thomas are pretty much guaranteed to tickle your funny bone.

Looking at the cover of her new title, Let's Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy (Beach Lane Books), you can't help but smile.  The back cover features the cowboy and the two cows out on the range, a wolf silhouetted against the moon.  Guitar in hand next to the one cow carrying a folded blanket, the other holding a teddy bear, the cowboy asks, Who's ready for a lullaby?

Without missing a beat the story begins on the opening endpapers (and concludes on the closing endpapers).  Readers are treated to a two page spread of  a nighttime scene with our three characters.

Time to hit the hay, little cows.

The rhyming lullaby begins with the two cows, hooves clasped heads nodding to the tune as they relax.   YIKES! What was that?  He should have said good night, right?  I mean, it rhymes with tight, right?

What's with Eeeeek!  Sleep is definitely not on the cows' minds now.  They are looking decidedly startled.  Brave cowboy is frightened by what appears to be a gigantic spider.

It's only a flower, of course.  Let's start again.  Verse one, verse two, verse three and with eyelids drooping the bovine buddies are again surprised by a scream from their singer.  Is it a snake or a stick?

The man-about-the-ranch can't even begin until they reassure him a third time about a huge moving shadow's identity.  When another shadow approaches, he assumes nonchalantly there is absolutely nothing to fear.  He's learned his lesson.

One look at the cows and the reader knows what their now fearless leader does not.  Eeeeek! is heard once more but who's screaming now?  With a comic twist that will leave readers howling our brave cowboy croons the complete tune.  Well...almost.


Jan Thomas fills forty pages with fun through her well-paced, strategically-placed words.   Her use of alliteration heightens the tension in brave cowboy's questions.  Her technique of contrasting the cowboy's dialogue with that of the cows' replies toward the end provides for even more hilarity.  Like the best of comedians her punch line is priceless.

All of the illustrations in this title are spread across two pages using bold black outlines characteristic of Thomas titles.  Liberal use of  deep blue and purple backgrounds frame her larger than life characters.  Spoken entirely in dialogue, prominent speech bubbles hold the narrative.  Red is used to highlight emotion in the text to great effect.


The popularity of Jan Thomas books can be attributed to the pairing of her spare text with her expressive illustrations.  I can promise you one reading of Let's Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy will not suffice.  Get ready for multiple readings and copies.  You might also want to locate your cowboy hat and boots.

Please follow the link to Jan Thomas' website embedded in her name.  There is a link to a three minute audio musical introduction complete with narration and the singing of the lullaby.  It will make for a rollicking ranch read aloud.

Ahoy! Batter Up!

I will readily admit it was the cover that caught my eye.  Two groups of men, who should not be seen together, yelling at one another over a large baseball centered between them was intriguing to say the least.  The title was the final irresistible element.

What could the great American pastime of summer have to do with pirates and cowboys?  Pirates at the Plate (Creative Editions) story and illustrations by Mark Summers, written by Aaron Frisch, is one of those books where history is blended with the glories of imagination.  It's where the improbable will have readers wondering if such an event could, or in fact, did happen.

Welcome to the ballyard,
fans.  We're in the bottom of the
22nd inning, score knotted at 47
runs apiece, Pirates at the plate.

The pitcher for the cowboys is none other than Wild Bill but believe it or not, Hopalong Cassidy is warming up in the bullpen.  The Cowboys are in a tad bit of trouble.  Long John Silver is at bat, Calico Jack is on second and (shiver) Blackbeard is next up.

Oh, oh...Long John Silver swings and hits a blazer hard and long into center field.  Giving it all he's got the Cisco Kid is reaching, reaching and reaching.  Will he get it?  He snags it and throws it to the infield.

The tide seems to have turned.  Calico Jack is in serious trouble with Long John Silver running around the bases like a freight train, stealing them as he goes.  This game is clearly getting out of control.

The umpire calls a halt, managers from both sides leave the dugouts.  Before you can say, "You're out!", the two teams engaged in a name-calling contest, are chasing each other around the field.  Wait!  Did you hear something?  Dinner?

Aaron Frisch is a well known name in children's and young adult nonfiction having authored books about sport teams which are rarely on the shelves, depending on the season.  Reading his narrative is like gathering around the radio listening to a favorite team playing baseball on a hot summer day. There is a rhythm to his words, an easiness that reels the reader in immediately.

He has a definite command of the lingo not only for the sport but also for terms associated with the members of the respective teams; throwing heat, windup, hoosegow, bow-legged landlubber.  Cadence is created with the occasional use of alliteration; big-bopping Blackbeard.  Skillful wordplay brings fun and humor to the tale.

The work of illustrator Mark Summers has garnered him numerous awards.  One, the Hamilton King Award for Best Illustration of the Year 2000, was given by the Society of Illustrators, New York. His medium is engravings in scratchboard.

In this title, not only are his illustrations stunning, they extend the text brilliantly.  When we read, warming up in the bullpen, Summers gives us a picture of a cowpoke next to a campfire, hands extended over the flames, surrounded by bulls in a pen.  His single page visuals, framed in white, are a study in a particular character, Wild Bill, Long John Silver, Captain Hook.

Every turn of page gives readers a new marvelous view of his artistic capabilities.  Sometimes his two page spreads will extend just over the center washing off into white space.  At other times the full two pages are used.  He varies placement of text using it as an element in his design.  When you believe he uses white space liberally to highlight his engravings, he throws in another pleasant surprise.

Illustrator Mark Summers' textured, realistic scratchboard engravings teamed with the language of author Aaron Frisch light up the scoreboard in Pirates at the Plate.  With International Talk Like a Pirate Day on the schedule in two days (September 19th every year), this title is guaranteed a grand slam.  Getting into the swing of the words, adapting the attitude of the players, as a read aloud this is a sure winner.

(The ending is top-notch.)

If you want to see more of the outstanding work of Mark Summers, follow the link attached to his name.  The link to the book's title, above, will take you to the publisher's site so you can see inside the book.