A Kindness Repaid

Each time assistance is supplied to those unable to help themselves, the soul of the world beats a bit stronger.  We do this when water is given to birds in winter when natural water is frozen or in the summer heat with weeks of no rain.  We do this when flowers and trees are planted which benefit insects and the planet.  We do this when someone short or older can't reach something in a store and we climb the shelves to get it for them.  We do this when we place books in Little Free Libraries.  We do this every day in ways we can't remember.  It's a state of mind.  It is no accident that many religions and cultures practice some form of The Golden Rule.

For those who extend kindness to animals, wild and domestic, as children, it is often reflected in their actions as adults. Honey: The Dog Who Saved Abe Lincoln (Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, January 14, 2020) written by Shari Swanson with illustrations by Chuck Groenink shares with readers a childhood event; an event which builds an unbreakable bond.  The love of a dog is a gift, a gift enjoyed every day of their lives.

Young Abraham Lincoln was kneeling deep in the woods when three shrill blasts of a whistle cut through the quiet.

These three whistles signaled his ground corn at the mill needed to be taken home.  Abraham had to hurry but he didn't regret saving a frog from the mouth of a snake.  Thanking Mr. John Hodgen, the miller, he started home hoping to arrive before dark.  Close to their log cabin along Knob Creek, Abe suddenly stopped.  What was that sound?

The boy discovered a dog with a broken front leg.  Relying on knowledge gained from working on his family's farm, Abe splinted the leg using materials from the woods and his clothing. His mother, Nancy, was worried sick when he got home but nevertheless, he was allowed to keep the dog.  Honey, the name Abe gave him, followed the boy everywhere.  They were inseparable.

It was known by the miller that Abe was usually late arriving and leaving the mill with his corn.  Abe was easily distracted by all there was to see.  One day waiting for the corn to be ground, Abraham and Honey wandered into one of the many caves found in Kentucky.  Abraham got stuck between two rocks.  It got darker and darker outside.  Honey knew he had to leave his boy.

A group had gathered at the mill to search for Abe.  His mother was the first to see and hear Honey.  Loyalty and love lead the group to rescue our future president.  Loyalty and love of a dog for their human never falters.


In her debut as a picture book author, Shari Swanson brings a story to readers about Abraham Lincoln sure to find a permanent place in their hearts.  His kinship with the natural world, his appreciation for all living things, is revealed in an expressive narrative woven with facts and through realistically depicted conversations with other people in his life.  Readers will understand the significance of Abe's perceptions in the wild.  What if he had not heard Honey?  Readers will also marvel at the astuteness of Abraham at only seven years old.  Shari Swanson ties the finding of the dog to his helping of Abraham with the slightly altered repetition of a phrase which will have readers nodding knowingly.  Here is a passage.

Abe's father was asleep by the fire when Abe got home, but his mother was waiting up. "Oh, Abraham, where have you been off to this time?"  Didn't you know I would be worried?"
"I found a real honey of a dog.  His leg is broken," Abe whispered.

"Please let me keep him."
Abe looked up at his mother.
"He'll do lots of good things for me," he told her.  "You just watch and see."


Beginning with the open and matching dust jacket and book case, the illustrations for this title were created by Chuck Groenink digitally in Photoshop.  Using a full color palette with attention to detail, readers can readily sense the warmth and affection between Abraham Lincoln and his dog, Honey.  Both the images, the one on the front, right, and the one on the back, left, on the jacket and case show Abe and Honey in one of Abraham's preferred settings, outdoors.  With Honey leaning into Abraham on the front, it's a dog's way of hugging.  By wrapping a single arm around Honey, Abraham is recognizing the dog's love.

On the back, a partial interior illustration is used.  It's the scene in the evening of Abraham walking home after finding Honey.  The dog with a splint on his leg is following along the path behind Abraham.  The boy is looking back at the dog. They are enveloped by the darkening of the grass, shrubs, and trees against a purple and pale peach sky.

In rustic golden-brown hues on the opening and closing endpapers is

A map of the area around
HODGEN'S MILL
where Abe grew up
(Kentucky, Circa 1816).

Specific areas of importance are labeled, and some are highlighted in a much lighter color to draw our attention.  On the title page Abraham and Honey are moving toward readers through a field on a partly sunny day, looking ahead.  On the verso and dedication pages smaller images of Abe and Honey are placed on crisp white paper.

The illustrations by Chuck Groenink alternate in size between double-page pictures, smaller images and full-page pictures.  They complement the pacing of the narrative. The letter L has been placed on the bag of ground corn Abraham carries.  I wonder if the G on other bags refers to the illustrator's name.  In most of the images outside, creatures are inserted into an appropriate place.

I was curious about one image when Abraham arrives home after finding Honey.  I wanted to see if the interior of the cabin was historically accurate. It is from photographs I was able to find.  I was also curious about Nancy Lincoln looking back at her husband as she kneels in front of her son and his new dog.  This lead me, as I hope it does others, to do some research about Thomas Lincoln, Abe's father.

Several of my many, many favorite images are clustered on a single page.  In these pictures we see Abraham and Honey together.  The text reads:

Everywhere Abraham went, Honey went.

Three small pictures are placed on white.  The first is of Honey treeing a squirrel with Abraham close behind him.  In the second one, Abraham looks to be placing a smaller bird back on a branch with Honey watching.  In the third one Honey sits behind Abraham with porcupine quills in his nose.  Abraham kneels behind a trap.  He has released the porcupine, now walking away, from its confines.


When collaborators bring a story to light about a historical figure, it is a happy day for readers.  Honey: The Dog Who Saved Abe Lincoln written by Shari Swanson with illustrations by Chuck Groenink is a book, based on a true tale, readers will remember.  At the close of the book is a Timeline of Abraham Lincoln and His Animal Encounters.  Here readers will find other little-known facts about this amazing man.  A one page Author's Note concludes the book.  I highly recommend (as does Mulan) this title for your professional and personal book collections.

To learn more about Shari Swanson and Chuck Groenink and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Shari Swanson has additional resources for this book on her website.  Shari Swanson has accounts on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.  Chuck Groenink maintains accounts on Instagram and Twitter. You can view interior images at the publisher's website.

One Canny Canine

Their intelligence in assessing any given situation is remarkable.  Every sound and every scent are scrutinized. The most amazing thing is they enjoy bonding with humans.  They become our best friends; sometimes our only friends.  Their antics make us laugh.  Their loyalty makes us cry.

For these and multiple other reasons, dogs and their exploits are legendary.  Despite their instincts and knowledge, they take risks for the benefit of humans.  Not a day goes by without them inspiring and challenging us.  Sparky & Spike: Charles Schulz and the Wildest, Smartest Dog Ever (Cameron Kids, an imprint of Cameron + Company, April 23, 2019) written by Barbara Lowell with illustrations by Dan Andreasen introduces readers to a young Charles Schulz and his clever, crazy canine companion.

Sparky's dog, Spike, is a white dog with black spots.

We quickly learn exactly how wild and smart this dog is.  He rings the doorbell when he wants to come inside.  He comprehends at least fifty words.  If you say the word potato, he brings one to you.

Another truly baffling thing about this dog is his appetite for just about anything.  He eats sharp objects, metal objects, and never gets ill.  One day he swallows a whole, small red rubber ball.

With clockwork precision every Saturday evening around nine, Spike places his paw on Sparky's Dad's chair reminding him it is time to take a drive in the family car.  They go to the drugstore to pick up the comics in the Sunday paper.  (You have to wonder if the dog enjoyed seeing Sparky and his dad laughing so much, he wanted to take that trip each week.)

Sparky (Charles to his teachers) loves to draw and his talent is noticed by them and his classmates.  His real dream is cartooning.  It's tricky, though and after attending an exhibition of comic strips at the library, Sparky is discouraged.  It's Spike who gives him a brilliant idea.  This crazy pooch pal is surely worthy of a spot in the Ripley's Believe It or Not.

Sparky writes a letter with a small drawing of Spike and sends it to Mr. Ripley.  They wait and wait and wait some more to see if Sparky's drawing and information about Spike is printed.  Can you imagine this boy's joy when it's printed?  This is the first official appearance of Spike, the dog sparking the creation of one of the most famous beagles in the history of comics.


Regardless of your age, you'll be captivated by this endearing story written with meticulous care by author Barbara Lowell.  Her concise, straightforward sentences include astounding factual support for the two title words, wildest and smartest.  It's as if we are listening to her tell us face to face this true story a dog and his boy who grows up to write and draw beloved cartoon characters.  Here is a passage.

Every Saturday night at 9 o'clock, for two whole months, Spike signals to Sparky and his dad that it's time to drive down to the drugstore and pick up the Sunday comics.

And every Saturday night for two whole months, Sparky's picture of Spike is NOT in Ripley's Believe It or Not!

SIGH.

That's the way it goes.


Who can resist the front of the dust jacket?  Look at Sparky and Spike run.  Who knows what adventures await them or what the future will bring?  You know from looking at this image, they'll go together.  The style of artwork in this book, as first seen here, by Dan Andreasen is classic reminiscent of older cartoon or comic strip characters.  To the left, on the back, Sparky is writing his letter with the drawing of Spike to Mr. Ripley.  Spike's head rests next to Sparky's right hand as he draws.

An interior double-page picture is placed on the textured canvas of the book case.  From left to right, in four panels, it shows Sparky with a wooden paddle ball, the red, rubber ball bouncing furiously.  In the second panel it breaks loose, lobs into the air and is grabbed by Spike in the third panel.  In the final panel Spike swallows.  Above and below these images are sepia-toned comics from strips during Charles's childhood.  (This design is used again in another sequence to splendid effect.)

On the opening and closing endpapers, Dan Andreasen has drawn significant items from the book; a dog collar, a doghouse, a running faucet, a sack of potatoes, crayons, a dripping paint can, and a fountain pen, to name a few.  A double-page picture spans the title page.  Pawprints wind in loops from Spike's red house on a pale green background from left to right and beneath the text.   

With each page turn we experience double-page pictures, a collection of panels on a single page, or full-page pictures, framed or edge to edge.  There are several speech balloons to emphasize important moments.  Dan Andreasen alters his point of view to enhance the pacing.  One ingenious picture, to accentuate the time spent waiting, shows Sparky, Spike and Sparky's dad driving in the car on sheets of calendar paper being torn off from a small stand.  Clothing, interior and exterior designs of homes, and vehicles represent the historical period very well.  The actual Ripley's Believe It or Not! page is recreated as is Sparky's drawing.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a larger version of the scene on the front of the dust jacket.  Sparky and Spike are running over a grassy field covering two pages.  A few shrubs are behind them.  Above the horizon is a sunny summer blue sky with one billowing cloud.  From the left to the right where Spike is running are pawprints.  Sparky is placed on the left side.  The pure bliss exhibited by this boy and his dog in their body postures and facial expressions is something to hold in your heart.  In a word . . . this is freedom.


Sparky & Spike: Charles Schulz and the Wildest, Smartest Dog Ever written by Barbara Lowell with illustrations by Dan Andreasen is a nonfiction picture book which will resonate with readers of all ages.  For those who've loved the Peanuts comic strip and especially Snoopy, this book is one they will remember for the fascinating facts and the impeccable illustrations.  Readers must read the illustrator's and author's notes at the end.  Dan Andreasen, as a young man, wrote a letter to Charles Schulz and he replied.  Barbara Lowell has black and white photographs of Spike and Sparky.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections. 

To learn more about Barbara Lowell and her other work, please access her website by following the link attached to her name.  Barbara has prepared a curriculum guide for this title.  Barbara Lowell has an account on Twitter.  Barbara chats about her work and this book at The Children's Book Council, Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb, Maria Marshall The Picture Book Buzz and  Picture Book Builders.



Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to view the other titles selected this week by participants in the 2019 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.

Fifteen 2018 Nonfiction Titles On My TBR Pile

Since 2014 I have joined others in participating in a Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge hosted each Wednesday all year at educator Alyson Beecher's Kid Lit Frenzy.  For the final Wednesday of this year, I am going to briefly talk about nonfiction picture (sometimes a bit longer) books published in 2018 which are still on my to-be-read stack.  I have listed them in order of publication date.  I have provided links which you may find valuable.  Like my stack of 2018 middle grade books to still read, I will not abandon these fifteen titles.  Four will be selected to highlight the first four weeks of 2019.

Plant, Cook, Eat!: A Children's Cookbook (Charlesbridge, March 6, 2018) by Joe Archer and Caroline Craig

This culinary delight is divided into an Introduction, What Parts of a Plant Do We Eat?, The Miracle of a Seed, How Do Plants Reproduce?, What Do Plants Need to Help Them Grow?, Soil and Compost, What is Garden Compost, Tools and Equipment, Preparing Your Vegetable Patch, Sowing Seeds Indoors, How to Sow into Pots, Sowing and Planting Outside, Everyday Gardening Tasks, Wildlife in the Garden, Garden Pests, Healthy Eating, Get Ready to Cook, Let's Get Started (this shows how to plant a particular food followed by a recipe,), Further Information, Glossary, and Index.  The growing of sixteen foods is discussed.  There are spot illustrations and plenty of photographs.


She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History (Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, March 6, 2018) written by Chelsea Clinton with illustrations by Alexandra Boiger

Women included in this volume are Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz, Caroline Herschel, Kate Sheppard, Marie Curie, Viola Desmond, Mary Verghese, Aisha Rateb, Wangari Maathai, Joanne Rowling, Sisleide Lima do Amor, Leymah Gbowee, Yuan Yuan Tan and Malala Yousafzai.  Opposite the text on the right is a full-page illustration.  A smaller image accompanies the text or the text is placed in a double-page picture.




Drawn from Nature (Big Picture Press, an imprint of Candlewick Press, March 13, 2018) written and illustrated by Helen Ahpornsiri

This book is divided into four sections according to the four seasons beginning with spring.  In this season our attention is drawn to eight aspects of this awakening.  In summer we explore In The Meadow, Swallows Swooping, Crickets Chirping, In the Reeds, Glorious Green Leaves, Buds & Bees and Summer Nights.  Six elements of autumn and six elements of winter close the book.  On every page turn exquisite illustrations are formed from pressed petals and leaves.  Most of them are on white backgrounds but the several on black canvases are stunning.  There is a note from the artist and a glossary. 




Dog Days of History: The Incredible Story of Our Best Friends (National Geographic Children's Books, March 27, 2018) written by Sarah Albee 

My personal copy of this book is buried under one of many stacks in my home or maybe Mulan has it hidden but Alyson Beecher featured it at Kid Lit Frenzy.  Sarah Albee is interviewed by author Deborah Kalb.  The book trailer is premiered by John Schumacher, Scholastic Ambassador of School Libraries, on his blog, Watch. Connect. Read.  

UPDATE:  I found it!  The titles of the chapters are Barking Up the Family Tree, No Bone Unturned, Mastiffs, Mutts, and Mad Dogs, Tough Times, Ruff Times, Enlightenment Dogs, Who Let the Dogs In?, Ad Dogs, Clad Dogs, Sad Dogs, and Fad Dogs, War Dogs and Cold War Dogs, and Nice Work.  In an afterword Sarah talks about What Dogs Have Done for Us?.  She also adds A Note About the Research, an author's note, select bibliography (3 pages), Rufferences, To Dig Up More Sources, To Sniff Out Places to Visit and an index.



Crash: The Great Depression and The Fall And Rise Of America (Little, Brown and Company, April 10, 2018) written by Marc Favreau (The publisher link contains a podcast chat with the author.)

The book is divided into four parts: Fall, Rise, Setback and Victory.  There are ten chapters in total.  Acknowledgments, Source Notes, Bibliography, Selected Primary Sources, Timeline Of The Great Depression, Great Depression Glossary and Index are included at the conclusion.

Marc Favreau chats about his book at the Nerdy Book Club and at YA and Kids! Books Central.

(My parents were nine years old when the Stock Market crashed.  They wouldn't talk about it much but their practice of having multiple items of certain staples on hand has stayed with me.  Let us learn from history.)


Back From The Brink: Saving Animals From Extinction (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, April 24, 2018) written by Nancy F. Castaldo

Full-color photography supports chapters on preservation, whooping cranes, wolves, bald eagles, giant Galapagos tortoises, California condors, American alligators, and American bison.  There are seven pages following The Call To Action.  After this are resources to watch and read.  There are organizations to join and websites to visit.  You are invited to explore.  Back matter further includes notes and a bibliography, glossary, acknowledgments and an index.



Science Comics Rockets: Defying Gravity (First Second, June 12, 2018) written and illustrated by Anne Drozd and Jerzy Drozd (Jerzy's Twitter link)

This promises to be another stellar entry in a wonderful nonfiction series.  This team discusses What Makes Rockets Go, Rockets As Entertainment, Rockets In Warfare, Rocket Inventors, Rockets In The Space Race, Rockets In Exploration, and The Future Of Rockets.  These seven chapters of exciting panels populated by talking animals and people are followed by a timeline, glossary, further reading and acknowledgments.


 National Park of the U. S. A. (Wide Eyed Editions, June 21, 2018) written by Kate Siber with illustrations by Chris Turnham

The book begins with a table of contents which is a map of the United States.  It is divided into seven sections.  Each section is given a portion of the book.  A more detailed map of each section shifts focus to the national parks in those areas.  The flora and fauna, physical features and points of interest are placed over two pages.  The illustrations, design and layout are fantastic.  You'll probably need more than one copy of this title.






What's The Difference?: 40+ Pairs Of The Seemingly Similar (Chronicle Books, July 10, 2018) written by Emma Strack with illustrations by Guillaume Plantevin

With sections titled Animals, Food & Drink, Geography, Fashion, Human Body and City comparisons are made.  There are 42 in total.  Some of the pairs are deer and reindeer, noodles and pasta, tornado and hurricane, tights and stockings, vein and artery and newspaper and magazine.  An index is provided.  For each duo there are large images on each of the two pages with three small circular pictures beneath these pictures.


Dog Science Unleashed: Fun Activities To Do With Your Companion (National Geographic Kids, August 7, 2018) written by Jodi Wheeler-Toppen with photographs by Matthew Rakola

Lucky readers learn about Sniffing Out Senses, Fit Fido, Clever Canines, and Pampered Pooches.  Within those chapters there are wonderful revelations.  For example under Fit Fido we are educated about the portions of a dog's body used for exercise, how to calculate how much blood is flowing and record your dog's heartbeat, fashion a tool for listening to their heartbeat, how to take their respiration rate, record how exercise affects our canines, experiment how their four feet work together, explore how they drink plus an in the LAB section.  There is an in the LAB section in each chapter.


Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein (Tundra, August 28, 2018) written by Linda Bailey with illustrations by Julia Sarda

This title is a 2018 Booklist Editors' Choice & Top of the List, Publishers Weekly Best Children's and YA Books 2018, and a New York Public Library Best Books for Kids 2018.  There is a lengthy three-page author's note.








Paul Writes (a letter) (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, September 11, 2018) written and illustrated by Chris Raschka

It's not often there is a book accessible to children focusing on a specific facet of a religious faith.  Chris Raschka focuses on the Christian Paul the Apostle and letters he wrote. For each letter Chris Raschka makes a reference to the exact verses found in the Bible.  His hand lettering and images of the Apostle are beautiful.  Here is a link to a free digital poster.





Go Show the World: A Celebration of Indigenous Heroes (Tundra, September 11, 2018) written by Wab Kinew with illustrations by Joe Morse  

Through a lyrical and conversational technique, we learn of Sacagawea, Jim Thorpe, Dr. Susan LaFlesche Picotte, Beatrice Culleton Mosionier, Frances Pegahmagabow, Te-Wau-Zee, Dr. Evan Adams, John Herrington, Carey Price, Waneek Horn-Miller, Tecumseh, Crazy Horse and Net-No-Kwa.  After the narrative there is an author's note and short biographies.  The double-page pictures are breathtaking.  Link to Sheridan Sun article about the illustrator.



Science Comics Solar System: Our Place in Space (First Second, September 18, 2018) written by Rosemary Mosco with illustrations by Jon Chad 

We are taken through the solar system with an Introduction, Takeoff, The Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Leaving Mars & Asteroid Belt, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Beyond Neptune. An engaging cast of characters, animal and human, present facts and entertain in a wide range of full-color panels.




The Wondrous Workings Of Planet Earth: Understanding Our World And Its Ecosystems (Ten Speed Press, September 18, 2018) written and illustrated by Rachel Ignotofsky

This intricately detailed volume in words and illustrations has section headings of Introduction, Levels Of Ecological Organization, Biome Map, What Is An Ecosystem?, The Flow Of Energy, The Classification of Living Things, How Living Things Interact, What Makes A Healthy Ecosystem, Succession, Microecosystems, Microscopic Ecosystems, North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australasia, The Polar Ice Caps, Aquatic Ecosystems, The Cycles Of Nature, and Humans And Planet Earth.  A glossary, sources, acknowledgments and index are supplied.




A First Book of The Sea (Candlewick Press, September 25, 2018) written by Nicola Davies with illustrations by Emily Sutton

In a series of informational poems found in Down By The Shore, Journeys, Under The Sea and Wonders we travel and explore the sea.  Some of the poem titles are Sand Castle, Lighthouse, Shore Crab, Limpets, Sargasso, Bottom Trawling, Flashlight Fish, and Shipwreck.  Emily Sutton's illustrations are stunning, including a gatefold.




I've never been very good at sticking to a set number when making a list and truthfully Mulan insisted I add this title.  It is a middle grade novel, fiction based upon historical fact.

Strongheart: Wonder Dog Of The Silver Screen (Schwartz & Wade Books, February 6, 2018) written by Candace Fleming with illustrations by Eric Rohmann

Strongheart became a silent movie star of considerable fame in the 1920s.  In this 245 page book on matte-finished paper larger text is interspersed with the artwork of Eric Rohmann.  This promises to make this a fast and engaging read.  Candace includes a lengthy The Truth Behind This Tale, two pages of actual photographs, a bibliography and notes at the conclusion.  This is a A New York Public Library Best Book of 2018 and A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2018.

Teaming Toward Triumph

As a human fortunate to have shared her life with four canine companions, it is without reservation I declare they save lives.  When my beloved Xena passed away on November 30, 2015, she took a part of my heart but left behind a larger portion filled with unconditional love and loyalty which humbled me.  Today another dog, a wild child of one year and six months, is softly snoring at my feet as I write.

Almost five years ago on April 15, 2013 during the Boston Marathon a bombing injured more than two hundred people and three individuals lost their lives.  No one is the same after an event like this.  It scars you on the inside and for those more than two hundred people; it scars you on the outside.  Authors Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes were injured.  Jessica is a double amputee and Patrick is an amputee.  Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship (Candlewick Press, April 3, 2018) with illustrations by Scott Magoon is the story of a girl named Jessica, a younger version of adult Jessica Kensky based upon her truths.  It speaks of the unbreakable bond formed with a service dog named Rescue.

On a special farm in the countryside, a pup named Rescue was in training.  He was learning to help people who could not see.  But he was worried.

This pup was worried because he had been told he was better suited to be a service dog.

"Service dogs work beside their partners, instead of in front of them."

Rescue wanted to be the best he could be.

A girl in a nearby hospital was also worried.  She had lost one leg and was in danger of losing her right leg.  How was she going to be the best she could be?

On the farm Rescue trained and worked hard.  At the hospital Jessica was adjusting to life with a prosthetic leg.  Although they both made huge gains, Rescue and Jessica were still uncertain about their future.  All this changed on the day they met.

They taught each other what they had learned on the farm.  Back in the city, they were a team with Rescue providing assistance and Jessica making sure Rescue got to be a dog.  One night Jessica was not at home but she was back in the hospital.  Rescue never left her side as she slept.  Now Jessica needed to adjust to life with two prosthetic legs.

Every step of the way Rescue served Jessica as she invented a new normal.  They were inseparable (and still are). Dogs are sent here to deliver happiness.  Jessica knows this to be true.  So does Rescue.


An appealing technique used by authors Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes is to tell the story of Rescue and Jessica separately for the first portion of the book.  This allows readers to develop a strong relationship with both Rescue and Jessica.  We feel a deep kinship with each of them.  As their individual narratives unfold, we begin to secretly cheer for them to form a partnership.  When this happens we know these two beings will bond for life.

Using a blend of narrative and dialogue makes this story more realistic.  Also key phrases are repeated when speaking of Rescue and Jessica prior to them meeting. The number of sentences and paragraphs used create a natural storytelling rhythm from page turn to page turn.  Here is a passage.

Rescue was proud of all he had accomplished,
but he still worried.

He was named in honor of a brave firefighter.

He had big shoes to fill.

Rescue wanted to help people, just like his
namesake. 


Using a pale background with familiar images of the Boston cityscape, illustrator Scott Magoon is able to highlight Rescue and Jessica using bolder colors with pops of red in them and in the title text.  It's clear to see them as a team with their eye contact and heads tilted toward each other.  This image is certain to generate discussion even before the story is read.  Children are curious, having a need to know.

To the left, on the back, Rescue is featured in his dog house.  A tennis ball rests between his paws.  Leaning against the house are a pair of crutches.  (I am working with an F & G from the publisher.)  On the title page Rescue as a pup is trotting toward the reader beneath the text.

Rendered digitally each image is textured, timely, animated and brimming with emotion capturing the moods of Rescue and Jessica.  Rescue is so perfectly portrayed you expect him to leap into your lap for a snuggle.  Jessica in and out of the hospital is featured exactly as you would expect anyone to be in her situation.  Her facial expressions denote worry, uncertainty, happiness and victory.  (According to an illustrator's note the brother of young Jessica shown in most of the pictures is based upon Patrick Downes.)

The image sizes and perspectives vary in sync with the rhythm of the narrative.  Some of them cover more than a page and others are much smaller and grouped on a single page.  Readers will pause on pages to notice the details such as the inclusion of a particular constellation in the surrounding dark in the hospital room after Jessica's right leg was removed.

One of my many favorite illustrations is when Rescue is still on the farm in training.  It spans a single page.  Set in a meadow with a forest behind it is a house for ducks.  Heading up the ramp is a mother duck followed by five ducklings.  On the outside of the house a sign reads:

FRESH EGGS TODAY

Rescue's trainer is leaning against the left side of the home.  Rescue is pulling a rope to open the door of the house for the ducks.  He is wearing his blue training cape, collar and muzzle.


No reader will remain unmoved after reading Rescue & Jessica:  A Life-Changing Friendship written by Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes with illustrations by Scott Magoon.  Your admiration for the skills acquired by both the dog and his human (and Patrick) will grow page by page.  In the face of seemingly unsurmountable odds these two prevail like the champions they are.  This book will indeed serve to inform readers about persons with disabilities and their service dogs.  I highly recommend this title for both your professional and personal collections.  At the close of the book is an author's note and acknowledgments.

To learn more about Jessica Kensky, Patrick Downes and Rescue follow @rescueboston on Twitter.  They are also on Instagram.  Please follow the link attached to Scott Magoon's name to access his website.  Scott highlights this title on more than one page at his site.  He is also running in the 2018 Boston Marathon to raise money for Rescue's Racers.  At the publisher's website you can view an interior image.  Candlewick Press also has a teacher's guide and nine pages of questions and answers with Jessica Kensky, Patrick Downes and Scott Magoon which are a must read.  At another publisher's website, Penguin Random House, you can view additional pictures.  At Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher's site, Watch. Connect. Read., you will enjoy the discussion with Scott Magoon.  Also there are three videos you need to watch.  They will further endear you to this title. 

UPDATE:  Please read this article in the Boston Globe on March 30, 2018.

Woof-tastic Facts And Features

No one can pinpoint the exact origin but its use can be traced back over two thousand years ago.  It is a lunar calendar based upon a cycle of twelve years.  Each of the twelve years is named for an animal.  One commonly held myth is there was a race.  The first twelve animals to finish became a part of this calendar forever.  The order of their completion of the competition makes for an interesting story.

The Chinese zodiac, this lunar calendar, is today an important part of the Chinese culture.  This year on February 16, 2018 the Chinese New Year celebrating the Year of the Dog begins.  For all my canine companions, past and present, this is an occasion for rejoicing. There is no better way to do so, than by reading the captivating Dogs: From Predator to Protector (Science Comics series) (First Second, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press, October 31, 2017) written and illustrated by Andy Hirsch.

In a few moments, you will meet a dog named Rudy, a scraggly, friendly little guy with four legs who loves balls and his human, who excels at meeting new dogs and people, and who, interestingly enough, dabbles in time travel.

Through Rudy's commentary we humans will come to develop a greater understanding of dogs' natures.  Rudy starts at the dog park, one of his most favorite places on the planet.  Surrounded by all kinds of breeds and mixes of breeds, he dives into a discourse on classification taxonomy acquainting us with the trickiness it can involve when it comes to dogs.  With pure pup persistence he presents comprehensive explanations of genetic inheritance (DNA, chromosomes, alleles) digging into Mendel's Law of Segregation, Law of Dominance, and the Law of Independent Assortment.

Next Rudy takes us into the realm of Charles Darwin's natural selection.  Evolution is described as being a trait most likely to cause a species to survive which is passed to the next generation and the next and the next.  It has to do with how dogs look and how they act.  Did you know there was a trait to be less frightened of humans or friendlier toward humans?  There was actually a scientist, Dmitry Belyaev, who quietly studied this trait attempting to speed up domestication by experimenting with silver foxes.  It worked!

Rudy sustains our fascination by delving into genetic diversity and the impact of environmental conditions.  He talks about dogs' eyes.  The length of their snout is a huge influence on perspective.  Have you ever wondered why dogs favor yellow tennis balls, Rudy tells you the truth.  Dogs' hearing and sense of taste are off the charts but they shine the brightest with their noses.  Did you know a dog can detect the odor of a fart in an airship hanger?

Dogs understand when we point.  They perceive moods and mirror them.  They learn to perform jobs like guardians of flocks or herds or sled dogs.  They are selectively bred for physical characteristics which leads into a discussion of purebred canines.  Not one to leave a topic without a thorough representation Rudy speaks about personality traits and genetic groups.  We are able to understand how nature and nurture go paw in paw.

As Rudy has been chasing through time to retrieve his yellow tennis ball, we soon find ourselves back in the present day.  Barking and tail wagging are a dog's way of talking to us, if we would only look and listen like their other pooch pals.  And in the event they can't pick up a scent, these intelligent beings can use landmarks.  Hey Rudy!  I see you've found your human again.  Fetch!


The amount of information Andy Hirsch imparts to readers through Rudy is astonishing.  There is a natural progression from one point to the next just like a dog who is searching for an end goal.  This is a brilliant approach by Andy Hirsch.  Rudy's narrative ranges from that of an engaging professor to a best friend who whispers best kept secrets.  Here are some passages.

Alleles can even be codominant, meaning both traits are expressed.  Your genes are a big, messy mix of all sorts of allelic interactions!

The process of evolution is often slow, sometimes weird, and undeniably awesome. 
It can turn toes into hooves . . .
pinholes into eyes . . .
and predators into playmates.

We dogs are extremely athletic.  Real jocks.  Maybe you don't think of us that way because---
KOFF! KOFF!
---we don't run the quickest quarter mile . . .
. . . but we've got stamina!
Once we start racking up . . .
. . . we can't be beat!  In fact, for anything over ten miles on land, dogs are maybe
the fastest animal in the world!

But dogs drool from their mouths, not their noses!  What good are smell molecules there?
. . . Wanna hear a secret?
Dogs have a second way to perceive smells:  the vomeronasal organ!
This rests on a small bone between the nose and the roof of the mouth, and li'l ducts help captured molecules find their way here.


Can you see the faint outline of DNA on the background of the opened front of the book case?  This hints of facts to be covered within the book.  It also supplies a placeholder for text.  Rudy jumping for his beloved tennis ball announces its importance as he travels through time.  All those happy pups ready to join in a game of fetch frame Rudy wonderfully.  To the left, on the back, a faint outline of an interior image of howling dogs on a rooftop during a full moon provides the canvas for material you might find on the flaps of a dust jacket.  Pure white covers the opening and closing endpapers.  A short biography of Andy Hirsch is seen beneath a happy-go-lucky-tail-wagging Rudy on the final page.

On the two page span for the title text a row of dogs look eagerly at the reader.  Rudy is among them, paw lifted and ready to speak.  When you think of the size and placement of the panels drawn by Andy Hirsch one word comes to mind, energy.  The perspective in each frame changes in keeping with the pacing of the text.

Hirsch may frame his images with fine black lines, have elements stray past the borders and place pictures overlapping other pictures.  Explanatory, colorful diagrams help to visualize Rudy's words.  Text is placed along framed images or appears in speech balloons.  You can't help but turn the pages as fast as possible to discover what Rudy will reveal next.  And you will find yourself smiling and laughing repeatedly.


Dogs: From Predator to Protector (Science Comics series) written and illustrated by Andy Hirsch is a stellar addition to an outstanding series.  Readers may read through this in one sitting or read portions of it at a time.  One thing is certain.  They will be reading it repeatedly.  They will also be sharing their newfound knowledge to any available listening ear . . . even if it's their canine companion who will probably understand every single word.  At the close of the book a glossary and further reading (books, journals, web) pages are included.  Rudy also has a few words to tell us about dog adoption and giving dogs loads of love.

To learn more about Andy Hirsch, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  At the publisher's website you can view eight interior pages.  Andy Hirsch is interviewed at Live Science about this title.  Please enjoy the video of Andy Hirsch at Comics Alternative.




If you would like to make a display of books about dogs for the Chinese New Year this video explains the value of the Chinese zodiac.

Please take a few moments to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to view the selections this week by other participants in the 2018 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.

Flourishing Friendships Forever

Once you've shared your life with a dog, you can't imagine spending the rest of your days without canine companionship.  Their presence adds a sensory quality to every experience.  You find yourself looking at this world with a fresh and better perspective.  You learn to live in the moment.

This relationship, unlike any other you have, is never long enough.  Each dog in your life grows the capacity in your heart for love.  Made for Each Other: Why Dogs and People Are Perfect Partners (Crown Books For Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, January 23, 2018) written by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent with photographs by William Munoz chronicles the beginning and evolution of this exceptional bond.

Dogs and people, people and dogs---we've been buddies for thousands and thousands of years. 

In the first of three parts scientific discoveries and studies reveal dogs and wolves might have gone their separate ways as many as 27,000 years past.  This association may have started because humans offered easier access to food through garbage or perhaps communities realized wolves howled warnings when predators were near.  It is believed wolves and people may have hunted together. 

Wolves, and ultimately dogs, needed to relinquish certain habits and characteristics to reside with humans but they also retained other instincts.  Today specific dogs have specific specialties.  They will safekeep their pack, herd, hunt and retrieve. 

In the second section the affection we hold for dogs and they for us is explored.  Working with dogs and MRI machines, a doctor was able to prove a particular portion of their minds and our minds respond with happiness and love when given certain stimuli. (For dogs it's food and human family members.)  Petting dogs benefits them and us in powerful ways.  Their interpretation of human faces and our interpretation of barks and tail wagging make communication possible. 

Our time spent with dogs is constantly changing as we learn more about them.  There are doggy day care centers and day spas.  Dogs provide therapy for special needs and humans assist dogs with impairments.  Dogs and people play together, work together and love together in greater numbers than ever before in history.


Meticulous research is evident in the information provided by award-winning author Dorothy Hinshaw Patent.  She places facts within the twenty separate but combined conversations in the three parts.  Each is linked to the other in a comprehensible flow.  Here is a passage.

The Loving Touch
Doesn't it feel good to pet a dog, especially one with soft, silky fur?
Well, you're not the only one who feels good---so does the dog!
Petting a dog increases helpful hormones in both your blood and the
dog's, including oxytocin, which helps you feel relaxed, lowers your
blood pressure, and slows your heart rate.  


The front and the back of the dust jacket (I'm working with an F & G) supply readers with two portraits of dogs and younger people captivated by the company of each other.  To the left, on the back a boy dressed in a super hero costume is hugging his pooch pal who happens to be wearing a red cape.  They're both grinning.

The opening and closing endpapers are an extreme close-up of a dog's nose, whiskers and closed mouth.  Out of focus but still visible on either side are the eyes.  This is a nod to the superior senses of our canine friends.

Throughout this title the photographs of William Munoz showcase the closeness between humans and dogs and the qualities of wolves and dogs.  The images are grouped in collages, on single pages, placed as insets on single pages or span two pages.  There are comparative charts with photographs.  These photographs are fully animated, full of realism, humor and affection thereby enhancing the text. 

One of my many favorite pictures is beneath the title page for Part Two: The Science of Love.  Light is shining behind a woman holding her dog as if it is sunrise or sunset.  They are facing each other.  Both of their heads are thrown back and they are laughing.  It's a memorable moment beautifully captured by William Munoz.


Consistently one of the most popular collections is the one filled with books about dogs.  Made for Each Other: Why Dogs and People Are Perfect Partners written by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent with photographs by William Munoz will be a welcome and well-read addition to this portion of professional libraries and for personal collections at home.  A contents page, source notes for each part, additional sources (books and interviews with scientists) and an index complete this sixty-one page volume.

To discover more about Dorothy Hinshaw Patent and her other considerable body of work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  William Munoz maintains a Facebook account highlighting his work.  At the publisher's website you can view the first twelve pages including the wonderful endpapers.


Please visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by Alyson Beecher to view the titles selected this week by other bloggers participating in the 2018 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.

Happy One Year Birthday, Mulan!

Exactly one year ago today a pup with a tail which never stops wagging was born.  Even when she was too small to come home with me, her tail was always wagging.  It wags when she looks out the window.  It even wags when she is sleeping.

It's not just her tail but her entire body which is always on the move.  She lives in the moment ready to romp.  Everything she does she does with her whole heart.

This dog does things none of my dogs have ever done before.  She has the appetite of a goat, eating everything.  She snores as loud as a human.  She watches television, movies and videos on my computer screen.  She stands next to me when I am working in the kitchen.  (It's like I have an assistant.)  When I wake up in the morning, her head is next to mine on the pillow.  There is hardly ever a dull moment in this home.

To celebrate her birthday and honor her exuberant personality I am giving away seven picture books, one for each human year of her life.  Most of them are recent publications except for one which is one of my favorite dog picture books.




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.










Stay A Girl, a Dog, a Bucket List (Feiwel and Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC, July 18, 2017) is the newest offering by collaborative sisters, Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise.  It honors the unbreakable bond between a dog and their human.  It honors the beauty of the canine condition.

They are the ultimate example of "love at first sight."  I Got a New Friend (Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, May 23, 2017) written and illustrated by Karl Newsom Edwards celebrates this mutual affection. As soon as you open the book it reaches out and envelopes you.




On January 23, 2017 the American Library Association announced their annual Youth Media Awards in what is one of the premiere events in the children's literature world.  Twenty-one separate categories honor distinguished works and their creators.  One of the categories is the (Theodore Seuss) Geisel Award.  It is given to

the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States during the preceding year.

This year there was one award winner and four honor selections.  Of those honor selections I have previously written about The Infamous Ratsos and Good Night Owl.  I did read the winner We Are Growing:  A Mo Willems' Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! Book written and illustrated by Michigan author illustrator Laurie Keller.  It definitely qualifies as one of the most hilarious books of 2016.  Upon reading one of the other honor books, Oops Pounce Quick Run!: An Alphabet Caper (Balzar + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, February 16, 2016) written and illustrated by Mike Twohy, it's easy to see why the committee gave it notice.




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.







Dogs are proof wolves and humans developed a close connection but the when, where, and how is still being debated.  In From WOLF to WOOF!: The Story of Dogs (Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, April 12, 2016) written and illustrated by Hudson Talbott, a possibility is offered to readers.  Let's open the covers of this book as if we are turning back the hands on the clock of time.



A dog's heart is huge; filled to the brim with unconditional love.  As humans we can only strive toward the love they have perfected so well.  They ask for little but give much.

When opening the front and back covers of Elisha Cooper's new book, Homer (Greenwillow Books, May 29, 2012), eyes moving from left to right across the two-page spread, we see the body of a yellow lab, soulfully gazing forward, a half smile playing about his mouth.  Above the curve of his back we read, Have you ever loved a dog? One day in the life of Homer has a great deal to tell readers.

Care Of A Companion

Unless you have two or more dogs at once or you stagger the time they enter your family and if you are fortunate, there will be considerable years between one puppy and the next.  This gap, although most welcome, makes it seem at the arrival of a new dog as if it's the first one to ever be residing in your home.  How could you have forgotten the weeks of sleepless nights during housebreaking?  Did all your other canine companions combined chew as much as this dog?  You're certain you would be wealthy beyond imagining if you had a penny for every time you wished you had as much energy as this new bundle of fur.

It's time to refresh your skills and knowledge of canine communication.  Our Very Own Dog (Candlewick Press, January 10, 2017) written by Amanda McCardie with illustrations by Salvatore Rubbino is a charming and informative title about welcoming a dog into your home.  It's never too early or too late to learn what we can do for them and what they always do for us.

A dog came to live with us when I was four.

Sophie introduced herself by placing her nose on the four-year-old girl's hand.  To make her new home inviting the family provided her with her own space, a place to eat, toys, a collar and leash.  Our narrator tells us the benefits of having toys for chewing and a properly fitted collar with correct information engraved on the tags.

As a rescue dog Sophie was hesitant around the girl's father but how he looked at her and the tone of his voice won her trust and will win the trust of your pooch pal, too.  Giving dogs a proper meal, especially their favorite foods further builds the bond.  Although we can't speak dog and they can't speak human, there are simple, effective means of being understood.  Did you know dog's whiskers are useful "feelers"?

When words were consistently connected to favorable activities, even when softly spoken, Sophie perked right up.  (I know it to be true a dog can hear a package of cheese being opened from one side of the house to the other.)  Sophie like all dogs enjoyed being with other canines, racing in the park and sniffing everything for new messages.  Our young guide makes sure we know proper dog responsibilities like scooping poop and keeping dogs on leashes.

A dog's sense of smell is so keen we have to be ever vigilant in keeping certain things away from their reach.  A plate full of sausages were not meant to be Sophie's dinner but she consumed them regardless.  Grooming and petting varies for all dogs but Sophie much preferred the idea of leaping into the tub with her little girl rather than getting a bath herself.  A jumping-in-all-the-mud-puddles kind of day taught Sophie's family one final thing about her.  It was the best thing of all.


Readers will be easily enveloped by the story of Sophie's arrival and her place in the family at the little girl's home through the first person narrative penned by Amanda McCardie.  The added conversations presenting particulars relative to points in the story flows flawlessly.  This is an excellent way to educate readers in the context of real life situations.  Here are some sample passages.

Sophie loved to chase a ball.
She'd run so fast that her ears turned inside out.
Go, Sophie!

She'd drop the ball for you to throw---
then snatch it up herself.

Dogs can't sweat to cool down the way we do (except on the pads of their paws).
Panting helps to cool them when they get hot.


You'll want to give Sophie and her human girl big hugs as soon as you see them featured on the matching dust jacket and book case.  Rendered in mixed media these illustrations (and those throughout the title) by Salvatore Rubbino radiate welcoming warmth.  The smooth brush strokes and varied pressure generating texture are superb.  Using a crisp white background heightens our focus on the family and Sophie.  To the left, on the back, we are treated to two interior scenes from the book with the girl and Sophie playing throw and fetch.  Here is where we can also see Rubbino's attention to detail in the bee near a flower and a bird picking up a twig for nest building.

On the opening and closing endpapers spread before us like a patterned gallery are thirty-six different dogs in varying poses. I know the one carrying a slipper will bring on the smiles.  On the verso and title pages Salvatore Rubbino begins his pictorial interpretation.  The parents have just walked into the home carrying a crate with Sophie inside.

With each page turn we enter deeper into the world of Sophie and her new family, alternating between two page pictures, small images grouped on single pages and illustrations extending across the gutter to the next page.  The body postures and facial expressions on all the characters are endearing.  The items in the little girl's home and the clothing worn by everyone make you want to jump right into this story.  These are the kind of people you want as neighbors.

One of my favorite of several illustrations is the walk leading to the park.  Across two pages with shifting perspectives, back to front, we see people participating in all forms of activities.  Many of them are accompanied by their dogs.  If you wanted to frame happiness, this would be a wonderful portrayal.


This title, Our Very Own Dog written by Amanda McCardie with illustrations by Salvatore Rubbino, will be a splendid addition to your professional and personal bookshelves.  The incidents in the story are delightfully normal making the factual comments simply the best.  At the end of the narrative the author speaks about finding out as much as you can about dogs before you bring one into your life.  She offers five body language emotions exhibited by dogs, three useful titles and an index.  She points out the two types of fonts found in the book, one signifying the continuing narrative and the other for separate pieces of information.

To learn more about Amanda McCardie and Salvatore Rubbino please follow the links attached to their names taking you to the pages about them at the Walker UK website.  At the Candlewick Press website you can view my favorite illustration.  You will find more about Salvatore Rubbino at Children's Book Illustration.  Author, reviewer, and blogger Julie Danielson highlights Salvatore Rubbino and his first book on her blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.

Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to take a peek at the titles chosen this week by other bloggers participating in the 2017 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.