Who Me?

Raise your hand if you've ever been accused of committing an act in which you had absolutely nothing to do with it...whatsoever.  It's bad enough when you may have been an observer and tried to stop the perpetrator, but even worse if you weren't even present when the deed was done.  Despite all your protests to the contrary, the blame has fallen squarely on your shoulders; you're the oldest, smartest, smallest or tallest.  The list of reasons is endless.

Imagine how frustrating it must be for one without the ability to communicate.  It's hard to know what to do when trouble follows like a shadow.  The cheerful protagonist, Lily, introduced to readers in Silly Doggy! (reviewed here) has returned in Adam Stower's latest title, Naughty Kitty! (Templar Publishing).


Lily wanted a doggy,
but her mum said dogs were too messy,
too smelly, and far too much trouble.
So she got Lily something else...

Even though this newest addition to Lily's daily routine will not perform tricks, he's as cute as a button.  How hard is it going to be to feed and pet until he purrs, this sweet little cat?  Within minutes Lily is rethinking her original assessment of her fresh feline friendship.

Utter destruction greets Lily after leaving the kitty alone in the kitchen. How could so much happen in such a short time and where did all the food go?  One minute alone in the living room, yields the same results.  There are rips and tears everywhere.

 As soon as Lily gets one mess picked up, it's replaced by another.  The muss is escalating by the minute.  The cat door is ripped off its hinges, poor King Kong (the goldfish) is terrified, Lily's sausages disappear off her fork as she is watching kitty, there's hairy hair on the beds and phew! what's that stuff on the rug?

On a trip outside to the garbage container Lily and the tiny trouble-maker are startled by the next door neighbor's dog, running into the yard barking.  Picking up the kitten, eyes closed Lily calls for help.  Why, it's a miracle!  Kitty has saved the day...or has he.


There is nothing funnier for readers than text which is contradictory to the illustrations.  Adam Stower has a knack for portraying Lily's thoughts through dialogue and narration in perfect sync with each page turn.  Her lack of understanding, downright bewilderment, at the cause of all these catastrophes is the type of humor appealing to the child in all of us.  Here's a sample of dialogue followed by a thought.

"How could you?
Eight fish fingers, all the sticky biscuits,
plums, pickles, Mum's pink party cake,
Dad's pork chop, the orange pop, two teaspoons
and a washing up sponge!"

And she's just fed him
a whole bowl of Kittibix!


Although the front jacket and cover offer readers a huge clue as to the true culprit (the small kitty sitting on a large paw print), the back jacket and cover tell the tale (a large orange and brown striped tail is curled from beneath the curtain).  The opening and closing endpapers done in shades of blue and gray, much like blueprints, give us more clues as to how the story will unfold and continue even after the conclusion.  Stower has used a letter, postcard, notice and newspaper on the front porch providing an enticing introduction followed at the end with a newspaper resting across a table set for tea proclaiming further hilarity.

Full color illustrations vary in their coverage, two pages or a single page with smaller insets among white space galore.  Dialogue is shown in speech bubbles of different sizes for emphasis. The expressions on the kitty, a true innocent, are priceless.  Subtle and not so subtle hints as to the identity of the real king of disaster are found on the edge of the hedge, along the window ledge, coming in through a doorway, looking over the table top, or in the news coverage on the television.  Hard to miss large paw prints are plentiful.  My favorite illustration is that for the words ...and the bad dog ran away.  Lily is holding the cat by its shoulders staring in amazement, oblivious to the tiger looming over the fence behind her.  The kitten knows though, looking above.


Whether you read this book once or one hundred times, the results will be the same...guaranteed; laughter and grins.  Naughty Kitty! written and illustrated by Adam Stower is the perfect partner for its predecessor, Silly Doggy!  The play on words gives readers an unexpected twist at the end; hinting at the possibility of a third book featuring Lily and her blissful ignorance.

As far as I know this title has not been released in the US yet.  I couldn't wait and received my copy from the UK.  Two different web sites linked in Adam Stower's name above provide information and additional illustrations.

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.

Don't Look Now But It's The...

Even before all the scientific studies, we knew in our deepest selves the power of laughter; feeling an overall sense of well-being the harder and longer we laughed.  Shared laughter with children, students, is the best of the best; the sound of their immediate joy, heavenly.  Having a sense of humor fine-tuned to the slightest nuance in a narrative or picture makes them the perfect candidates for the enjoyment found in a good story.

The popularity of graphic novels has thankfully grown by proverbial leaps and bounds in the past several years.  Their ability to hook those reluctant to read, with tightly woven narratives (some wordless) and artwork stunning in layout, design and detail, is a source of pleasure for all who want to bring more members into the reading community.  When looking through the nominations for the 2012 Nerdy Book Club Award for graphic novels, Bird & Squirrel On The Run! (Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic) written and illustrated by James Burks caught my eye; a title already on my TBR pile.




WHAT A...
...PERFECT...
...DAY...
...FOR...
...FLYING!

Zooming through the trees the delight of Bird is obvious as he extends joyous greetings to one and all.  Nearby Squirrel is on a mission scurrying with infinite care from point to point, ever alert to danger, to get one final acorn for his winter stash.  All is well until Bird swoops down and nearly scares him to death.

Speaking of death...Squirrel is sure vigilance is necessary to:  1. keep the Cat from enjoying him as a meal and  2. make sure he has enough acorns stored to fend off starvation during the winter. Squirrel turns down all invitations to fly with Bird determined to make it home with his last load.  But Bird flies back into his life much sooner than he thought he would.

Due to his devil-may-care curiosity Cat is now hot on Bird's tail.  Squirrel becomes a reluctant hero but looses all his food.  Circumstances have left Squirrel with no choice.  He has to travel south with Bird.

Neither the raging waters of a river and waterfall, the thunder and lightning of a ferocious storm, the deepest dark of an underground home, the vicious attack by a swarm of bees, the sudden cold of snow showers, the dangers of a slithering snake nor the horrors of a hungry hawk can dissuade Bird from his over-the-top optimism.  Squirrel, on the other hand, is nearly paralyzed by his persistent pessimism.  Of course Cat, in possession of at least some of those nine lives, is constantly prowling ready to pounce when they least expect it.

This clash of personalities with danger lurking around every corner leads to a humorous adventure that's an action bonanza.  The tenuous friendship of Bird and Squirrel (more on Squirrel's part than Bird's) is tested again and again.  Readers will be on the edge of their seats wondering if the two can, however briefly, assume some of the other's personality traits in order to complete their trip.  Will they be able to plunge with pleasure into the Great Unknown?


Within the first few pages the stark contrast of descriptive dialogue written by James Burks for his characters leaves no doubt in the reader's mind as to how each views life.  The non-speaking role (except for some loud meows) of Cat as an adversary heightens the differences between the two.  The playful, sometimes taunting, even sarcastic, verbal exchanges provide for laugh-out-loud moments.

Here is a single example after they've driven off a bridge into the river.  Bird begins the conversation.

WOOHOO!
HIGH FIVE!
WE LOST
THE CAT.

ARE YOU INSANE?
WE ALMOST DIED.
AND NOW WE HAVE
NO SUPPLIES.

BUT WE GET TO
FLOAT DOWN THE
RIVER ON A LOG,
AND THAT'S
PRETTY COOL.
JUST LISTEN TO
THE SOOTHING
SOUND OF THE
RUNNING WATER.

ACORNS
TO OAKS!
IT'S A WATERFALLLL!

WOOOHOOOOOO!


Using bright realistic colors Burks brings us panel by panel, page by page, into the madcap escapades of these two seemingly mismatched pals.  The first two pages with the goggle-clad yellow Bird zipping up and down and around the trees zooming in and out on his flight pattern sets the stage for the ensuing events. Following his pure delight is the furtive, frightened, overly cautious movements of the blue acorn-helmet wearing Squirrel intent on reaching his goal undetected.  Their squarish body shapes (not to mention Squirrel's head looking like a nut when he wears the helmet) add to the comedic effect.  When the plump feline enters the scene with the exaggerated mouth size, an emotional impact is guaranteed.

The looks on all the characters faces, the combination of eyes, mouths and general body language, are hilarious.  Extra details endear readers to the duo; Squirrel having a red bike with a cart attached for hauling nuts, Bird wearing a sink plunger as a hat when they begin their journey.  Then too, there's the faint trail of smoke coming from the Cat's tail hours after he's struck by lightning.  Lucky for Bird and Squirrel, without their knowledge, Burks has given him troubles of his own.


Who doesn't love to laugh?  Written and illustrated by James Burks Bird & Squirrel On The Run! is pure fun; perfect for readers of any age.  Shared troubles on the road south bring about changes, all for the good of a friendship founded and forged on differences.  This is one graphic novel not to be missed.

For more information about James Burks follow the link to his website embedded in his name above.  Here is a link to a page on his blog for drawing Bird.  I thought Bird's idea of a theme song for the friends was pretty cute, so here is a link to my version of his tune.

It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's A...Squirrel?

When you grow to love the characters in a book, the news that the author and illustrator are collaborating to create a second is cause for jubilation.  If the second title is as good as or even better than the first, a reader begins to hope, hope for yet another.  When the third volume appears you want to  climb the tallest tree with a megaphone and shout out the good tidings to anyone who will listen.

Since their initial entry into the world of children's literature with Those Darn Squirrels, followed by Those Darn Squirrels and the Cat Next Door, the duo of author, Adam Rubin, and illustrator, Daniel Samieri, have become known for their absolute hilarity.  Third in the series, Those Darn Squirrels Fly South (Clarion Books) is no exception. There is a marvelous magic in the number three.

Old Man Fookwire lived at the edge of town in a beautiful forest full of birds and squirrels.

If you looked up the definition of cranky, crabby and cantankerous in the dictionary, I give you one guess as to whose picture would be there.  Yes, indeed...Old Man Fookwire.  That guy seems to find fault with nearly everything except for the birds in the forest.  Seasons permitting, he paints pictures of them for hours each and every day.

With winter in the offing, he is not looking forward to the snowy, blowy days without their company.  Of course, he won't be entirely alone.  Oh, no, those darn squirrels will be wreaking havoc as per usual.  Unbeknownst to Old Man Fookwire, the inventive fluff-tailed creatures are hard at work on another of their ingenious plans.

Mr. Never Smiles is flabbergasted to hear strange sounds following the faint cries of his birds fluttering southward.  It's those darn squirrels in all sorts of flying contraptions!  Why should the birds have all the fun of frolicking in the sunny climes?

Weeks go by with Old Man Fookwire settling in for a long winter.  He is suddenly wakened by the strangest phone call.  It would seem that a trip needs to be made in his 1957 sports car.  

It's doubtful anyone will ever be able to explain what happened at the end of that journey south.  Maybe it was because of those darn squirrels but when Fookwire arrived, he did something that even surprised him.  A word of warning, whatever you do, keep the squirrels away from your car.

Witty, declarative sentences string together to form an outlandish story told matter-of-factly which in turn induces loads of laughs.  Adam Rubin's gift of gab is further exemplified in the names of his bird types (not to mention the name Fookwire), his keen descriptions of place and events and sometimes in his use of a repetitive form for emphasis.  His ability to speed up, slow down, shift from one character's scene to another without losing the flow makes for jim-dandy reading.  Here is a single passage.

Fookwire pouted as the sound of flapping wings

faded into the distance.  He turned to go inside---

and heard a rustling in the trees.  A rustling

followed by a whir.  A whir followed by a buzz.

Rendered in watercolor, gouache and colored pencil, Daniel Salmieri's illustrations truly heighten and extend the prevalent humor.  His cover and jacket clearly predict the eventual "family" gathering on the warmer southern sands.  His title page features blue sky and a sandy beach with the bottom portion of a chunky tree in the center, showcasing a carved title, author and illustrator names with the "Fly South" written on paper tacked to the tree, six squirrel tales sticking out from behind.

Old Man Fookwire is characterized with long skinny arms and legs, bald head, glasses propped on a pointy nose and a mouth which from time to time appears almost beakish.  Perhaps he is assuming the qualities of the feathered friends he so admires.  Incredible detail in the squirrels' workshop as they perfect their modes of flight, following their take-off, travel, landing and celebration are fantastically funny.  Salmieri most definitely creates motion and mood expertly.  

The only thing better than laughing out loud when you are reading a book by yourself, is to read it aloud with others, sharing in the laughter.  Those Darn Squirrels Fly South by Adam Rubin with illustrations by Daniel Salmieri is guaranteed to provoke gales of giggles and glee.  I dare you...I double dog dare you...to read this and not have an ear to ear grin plastered on your face more than once.

Guard Your Chocolate! She's Back!

You have nannies who fly in with the East Wind holding an umbrella,  ask you to list your favorite things, live in the Plaza Hotel with Eloise or have a magical walking stick and warts that vanish when a lesson is learned.  But there is one particular nanny in a class all by herself; first because she's a pig and second because nothing she does is anything short of audacious with a capital "A".  Readers were first introduced to this particular, prominent porcine in The Adventures of Nanny Piggins written by R. A. Spratt, illustrated by Dan Santat. 

We can all join in the the joy experienced daily by the Green children, Derrick, Samantha, and Michael, in welcoming her back in Nanny Piggins and The Wicked Plan (Little, Brown and Company) written by R. A. Spratt with illustrations by Dan Santat, released less than a month ago.  Mr. Green is still his heartless, slightly insane self, but now instead of hoping for a human nanny, he has decided he will find a wife.  Boris, the ten-foot-tall, ballet-dancing bear from Nanny Piggins's circus, her brother (don't ask, just read) is now an integral part of events; still remaining undiscovered by the distant elder Green. 


In twelve action-packed, never-a-dull-moment chapters, Nanny Piggins attempts and succeeds in one harebrained scheme after another.  Because, it goes without saying, Nanny Piggins always has a plan, even if formulating one as she goes along.  It begins with the Green children, Boris and Nanny Piggins actually babysitting an infant girl belonging to Mrs. Pettigrain, one of Mr. Green's prospects for wifedom.  Imagine when the porker's plan for play involving a television commercial works out for everyone but Mr. Green. (tee-hee)

Pretending to be pirates, ends up not digging a hole to China but involving a prison break and sticky buns. Whether Dead Man's Gorge is lined up with cannons (one stolen), an old family cookie recipe theft is resolved, personal ads go haywire, the medicinal uses of cake are punctuating a point or sniffing out a fortune for Chef Pierre, these characters are living lively lives.  Of course, Nanny Piggins delivers her own brand of justice when she is summoned to jury duty.

Her old nemesis, Nanny Anne, is back on the scene, arrogant as ever; rest assured the international Westminster Nanny Show is never going to be quite the same. When a gypsy queen sets her sights on Mr. Green, the riotous rescue pulls out all the stops.  Nancy Piggins is quite the persistent pig; always getting her cake (preferably chocolate) and eating it too, even if she bakes it herself.

R. A. Spratt, has perfected her personalities in this sequel to the first title with hoot-hollering dialogue and delectable descriptions. Her two page, Previously On Nanny Piggins..., is a genuine segue into this title, a title replete with small type asides sprinkled throughout adding to what I call the laughter factor.  While Nanny Piggins may have an unorthodox method of nannying, she does pass on true wisdom on occasion.

Here are a couple of passages to showcase the writing of R. A. Pratt. (I really wanted to show you more but hope these will entice you to get a copy of the book ASAP.)

Simply put, when Nanny Piggins blasted out of the cannon, the children had no idea where she went.  All they saw was a streak of pink pig flying across the sky at the speed of light.  She passed over Dead Man's Gorge and kept flying until she was a tiny pink dot disappearing over the horizon.
"Uh-oh!" said Derrick.
"Oh no!" said Samantha.
"Cool!" said Michael.
Boris did not say anything because he was too busy whimpering with his paws over his eyes.

But it was not just Nanny Piggins's appearance that won him over.  He also fell in love with her educational theories.  He approved of her decision to take all the school's required English texts and run them through a wood chipper.  Both because the pages provided excellent mulch for the school gardens and because she allowed the children to read books they might actually enjoy, having formed the radical theory that if children were allowed to enjoy reading, they were likely to read more.

What truly takes this title to the top are the illustrations by Dan Santat.  His full-color cover reaches out and grabs you.  Distinctive black and white graphics inside are tingling with emotion and humor.

Each chapter beginning features one of his spot illustrations foreshadowing events.  Within each chapter is a full page illustration framed by straight lines and embellished corners.  It's a good thing I was not snacking or sipping a drink when the picture of Nanny Piggins with bananas stuffed up her snout, blasting across the gorge or Boris trying to hide under a rug, a third of his size, came into view.


I can say in all honesty I laughed aloud more times than I can remember reading this title. The side of my copy, filled with small sticky notes, looks much like a porcupine with quills spread.  I highly recommend Nanny Piggins and the Wicked Plan by R. A. Spratt with illustrations by Dan Santat for an individual read or as a read aloud.  You might want to play the sound track from The Pirates of the Caribbean as an announcement to a read aloud each time before you begin; the episodes are that good.

Oh, and be sure to visit R. A. Spratt's website for more information about Nanny Piggins.  It looks like there are more books in her future. Dan Santat's website is linked above, too.  He is the creator of the book trailer below.

Positively Perfect Perkins

As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth is Lynne Rae Perkins latest novel.  It is definitely going on Mrs. Culver's Top Twenty list for next year.  As I write this I am smiling as I look at the cover, read through the chapter headings again or recall the characters and their exploits. 

To begin sixteen year old Ry bound for summer camp is riding the rails through Montana.  When the train stops for some minor mechanical repair Ry decides to disembark.

Wait a minute.  Was the---had the train just moved?  Ry turned his head to look at it straight on, but it sat on the tracks, as still as the lumpy brown hill he was climbing.  As still as the grass that baked in gentle swells as far as he could see and the air in the empty blue sky.  He must have imagined it.  Nothing had moved.  Everything was the same.  but there it was again.  Was it because he blinked?  Maybe it was the water in his eyes; it had wobbled up his vision.  He picked out a post alongside the tracks, directly below the line where the logo on the train changed from red to blue.  As he watched, the red and the blue shifted almost imperceptibly to the right above the post.  Then perceptibly.  The train was moving. 

Oh, yes, Ry is stranded in the middle of nowhere Montana with his backpack still on the train. He left the train to call his grandfather after finally reading a letter from the camp which stated:

  We are so sorry.  The Summer ArchaeoTrails Program will not take place.  A statistically improbable number of things have gone wrong and the camel's back is broken.  Your money will be fully refunded as soon as I sell my car and remortgage my house. 

Gazing out at the wide-open space, wondering just how he is going to find a place with people and after taking stock of what he has in his pockets, Ry remarks,

But at least I have my health.

It is just this kind of wit, humor and dialogue that moves Ry's story forward with readers happily in tow eager to see what new unlikely event will befall Ry. 

Of course his Grandfather, who is at the family home in Wisconsin taking care of their two dogs, Peg and Olie, is not answering his calls.  Why is that?  Taking the dogs for a walk turned into a race through the woods after the pair sighted a doe only to have the earth beneath Grandpa Lloyd's feet fall into an eight foot sinkhole twenty feet wide. The fall has left Grandpa wandering with a concussion and memory loss.


Where are Ry's parents?  They are sailing around the Caribbean with their own mishaps, the least of which includes the theft of their cell phone by a local monkey. 

Peg and Olie are having an adventure of their own that the reader shares via comic book style graphics.

By walking to the nearest town, Ry meets Del.  Del is a self-made, self-employed, jack-of-all-trades, well traveled kind of guy.   He is the bridge that provides the connection between all these incidents.  It is Del that volunteers to take Ry to Wisconsin to solve the puzzle of Grandpa Lloyd not answering the phone.  It is Del that has a friend with an airplane that can take them to an island in the Caribbean.  It is Del's  former girlfriend, for whom he still has deep feelings, that has a boat that can take them to the island of St. Jude where he can hopefully locate his parents.

Each of  the little additional occurrences that transpire as they journey toward this goal are more far fetched than their predecessors.   As a reader one finds oneself shaking their head and asking, "What are the chances of that happening?"


Lynne Rae Perkins delightful illustrations peppered throughout the book add to the cohesiveness of her writing about these likable characters and the outlandish happenings that fate lays before them.  There is nothing quite so fine as a slice of life from Perkins' finely crafted pie.