Look Out, Goldilocks!

As a collector of stories and the books that house them, over the years it has been interesting to see how one author may interpret a fairy tale or an illustrator may give readers visuals to go with the classic, well-known words.  Of course, different cultures will bring their own individual slant to a story, immersing the reader in a particular language, style of dressing, housing, food and occupations.  Then too, there are those authors and illustrators who fracture the familiar and that's where the fun really begins.

To name a few there are The True Story of The 3 Little Pigs! by A. Wolf as told to Jon Scieszka with illustrations by Lane Smith, The Three Pigs written and illustrated by David Wiesner, Little Red Riding Hood--A Newfangled Prairie Tale written and illustrated by Lisa Campbell Ernst, Snoring Beauty by Bruce Hale with illustrations by Howard Fine and Cinder Edna by Ellen Jackson with illustrations by Kevin O'Malley.  Author/illustrator Mo Willems takes readers down a twisted road with his retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs (Balzer + Bray, September 4, 2012).  It would appear these three particular dinosaurs have read the original version.

ONCE UPON A TIME, there were three Dinosaurs:  Papa Dinosaur; Mama Dinosaur; and some other Dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway.

What's with the dinosaur from Norway?  Where's Baby Dinosaur?  These three then proceed with a purpose; straightening the beds, making sure the chairs are visible. Papa Dinosaur is whipping up a batch of chocolate pudding carefully placed in three bowls, temperatures hot, cold and nearly perfect.

Looking straight at the reader Papa and Mama exclaims in loud dino voices they are off to SOMEPLACE ELSE while a raucous roar issues from the visitor's gaping mouth.  As you may have guessed, fairly soon Goldilocks comes strolling along a path leading directly to their gigantic home.  Hidden in the woods the three prehistoric predators await the perfect moment to claim their prize.

Merrily moving inside with nary a thought to caution or doing as she has been told, Goldilocks gets a whiff of the chocolate pudding left in plain view.  How convenient that the means for her to get to the countertop has been left at the ready. With bowls big enough in which to swim, she does that, gobbling up every single bit of chocolate she can.

Noticing the cleverly placed furniture she would like to rest but golly, they're all too big.  She's disgusted to find the beds are ginormous.  What's a tired little girl to do?  Before she can decide, a noise, no make that loud words, startle her into the notion she might be in the wrong place at the wrong time.


Mo Willems throws out the narrative bait right away with a switch in characters.  He sets the hook and reels in readers with dialogue laden with implications.

"YES!" continued Mama Dinosaur. "I SURE HOPE NO INNOCENT LITTLE SUCCULENT CHILD HAPPENS BY OUR UNLOCKED HOME WHILE WE ARE...UHHH...SOMEPLACE ELSE!"

As the text continues you feel as though you are privy to his special brand of storytelling, mixing up  all you have known to be true.  His asides are hilariously understated.  The perfect conclusion to his version is after The End, two morals to the story, one for Goldilocks and one for the three dinosaurs.


Front and back endpapers, golden in color, are covered with Goldilocks and the Three Cyclops, Goldilocks and the Three Alligators, Goldilocks and the Three Orthodontists, no two alike, each black-printed title crossed out in red, leading readers to believe Mo Willems made many attempts before finding exactly what he wanted. To the left of the title page we see Goldilocks peering, wide-eyed from what at first glance might be a group of trees but are really dinosaur legs.  Willems alters between two page, one page and split-page illustrations depending on the impact desired.

Sure black outlines filled-in with appropriately colored avocado green and brunt orange for the dinosaurs amid boldly colored home furnishings and complementary decor add to the comedy.  Further enticing readers are the small details in the artwork hanging on the walls, large chairs sporting dinosaur feet, a unique table lamp and oh yes, the pigeon tucked in a place or two.  Facial features on all the characters eyes expressing sneakiness, determination, surprise, disgust or disappointment coupled with the mouths are laugh-out-loud funny.


Mo Willems has yet again demonstrated his versatility in this initial retelling of a fairy tale filled with   his special style of using language and pictures to elicit humor.  Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs is one of those books where a single reading will not be enough.  I expect it to be read over and over with gleeful giggles erupting repeatedly.

By following the link directly above you are taken to Mo Willems blog where he is interviewed by a puppet about this title and other fun stuff.  Here is a link to the HarperCollins Everything's Better With Dinosaurs Event Kit.  HarperCollins activity pages for this title can be accessed by following this link.

If you are using Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs as part of a unit to explore fractured fairy tales, try out this interactive student lesson from ReadWriteThink, Fractured Fairy Tales.

Twitterville Talk #69

There's always something new and unusual posted to Twitter.  The best resources from those active in their particular avenue of interest will appear in your feed.  The professional chats are simply amazing.  The personal exchanges are full of life, giving support and adding humor to your day.  Have a good weekend everyone.  The rainy, windy and wild October "monsoons" have moved into northern Michigan, color peaking nearly two weeks early.  It's time to start a new book or read an old favorite.  Enjoy.


From September 30 through October 6, 2012 people have been observing the American Library Association Banned Books Week.  To commemorate this 30th anniversary celebration go to Virtual Read-Out Celebrity Videos.  The Bill Moyers video is outstanding.

This next link is just like the title says.  I could watch this again and again, Meet the hexaflexagon.  It's about to blow your mind.

This is an interesting, interactive infographic about Banned Books.

Thanks to Debbie Alvarez, relocated in Hong Kong for the next two years and blogger at The Styling Librarian for these tweets.

There is something very special going on in schools all over the United States, the #WONDERschools.

This week a teacher librarian, Sherry, who blogs at Library Fanatic, tweeted about a post showing all her school has done using the R. J. Palacio book, Wonder.  The link to that post is here.

Thanks to Sherry.

My favorite revision tool:  Storyboarding was posted by Jo Knowles, author of See You at Harry's, earlier this week.  This technique has so many possibilities for use in the classroom.

Thanks to Jo Knowles for this post and tweet.

Taste Is Your Teacher is another comic by graphic artist/illustrator/author, Stephen McCranie.  McCranie is the author/illustrator of the Mal & Chad series.  He has of late been Skyping with classrooms all around the United States drawing with his viewers, free of charge.

Thanks for your books, the free Skype visits, your reflection comics and for this tweet, Mr. McCranie.




There are many fans who will be happy with this news, 'Little House On The Prairie' Movie In Talks.

Thanks to HuffPostBooks for this tweet.






Creativity abounds;  Nerdy Illustrations Show the Force Is Strong With Dr. Seuss.

Thanks to Children's Bookshelf of Publishers Weekly for this tweet.



I recently posted a review for the first book in the Infinity Ring series, A Mutiny In Time, by James Dashner.  This new series is a blending of science and history.  Scholastic announced this week a site, Infinity Ring Educator Network, which offers supportive materials.

Thanks to Scholastic for this tweet.




Here is another innovative use of technology employing Thinglink, making images interactive.  I posted about this free web 2.0 app here.  This Thinglink is in honor of Banned Books Week, I Read Banned Books.

Thanks to David Etkin, teacher and blogger at Eat the Book for this tweet.





This was one of the best videos I watched all week, 'Harry Potter' editors make dream come true.

Sending bushels of thanks to author of Devine Intervention Martha Brockenbrough for this tweet.




I will always love print books, they were my first connection to reading.  And some books are better in print than others---10 Books to Restore Your Faith in Print  These are beautiful.  I even own one of them.

I can not even begin to imagine the time involved in creating these prints.  Go to Books on Film:  Date Due Stamp Masterpiece

Thanks to Travis Jonker, teacher librarian and blogger at 100 Scope Notes for these tweets.

This is an interesting bit of trivia, The 10 Most Mentioned Songs In Books.

Thanks to author, Greg Pincus, for this tweet.







One of the highlights each month is the Twitter #SharpSchu chat.  This week five picture books were selected for discussion.  Here is the archive, The Sharp-Schu Book Club Met Last Night

So many people are thankful for these two educators, giving of their time to promote the love of reading.

Thanks to John Schumacher, teacher librarian, Library Journal Mover & Shaker 2011, and blogger at Watch. Connect. Read. and Colby Sharp, fourth grade teacher, co-founder of the Nerdy Book Club blog and blogger at sharpread.

These are some of my favorite quotes and tweets of the week.  The last one is important to me.  Any day you get to meet an author or illustrator is a special day.

Philip Stead saw Erin's illustration of bears waking in And Then It's Spring, ran upstairs, & wrote Bear Has a Story to Tell #HBAS12
— The Horn Book (@HornBook) September 29, 2012

Mac Barnett says he's "very conscious that the story's not finished" when he's done writing, narrative continues with illustrations #HBAS12
— The Horn Book (@HornBook) September 29, 2012

Week 6 Quote = “Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.”-Seneca#thewonderofwonder #WONDERschools
— Deb Tyo (@ChocolateAir) October 1, 2012

"Dogs make us better people." -Patricia MacLachlan
— John Schu (@MrSchuReads) October 2, 2012

It is amazing to watch all of you discuss picture books. Picture books are ALIVE.#SharpSchu
— John Schu (@MrSchuReads) October 4, 2012

writing tips? READ a lot of books! #sharpschu
— Tad Hills(@tadhills) October 4, 2012

@loveofxena @brianwyzlic @mcleanandeakin It was great to meet you!
— Lauren Oliver (@OliverBooks) October 5, 2012

What Goes Around Comes Around

Have I mentioned before, when you love the world of literature, especially those books written for children and young adults, every week all year long is like waiting for and celebrating your birthday?  With every new release the anticipation is immeasurable, the rewards boundless.  When noting that a new title has been written and illustrated by two of your favorites, it's hard not to laugh out loud.

In February of last year author Candace Fleming released one of my all-time favorite biographies, Amelia Lost: the Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart (Schwartz & Wade Books) (my review).  Eric Rohmann wrote and illustrated Bone Dog (Roaring Brook Press) (my review), easily in the top ten of my every-growing collection of dog titles, which was released that summer.  These two outstanding names in children's literature combined their talents to release a new book this past month, Oh, No! (Schwartz & Wade Books).

There is a tiger who hungrily eyes a frog, chasing him through the bamboo.

Frog fell into a deep, deep hole.
Ribbit-oops!
Ribbit-oops!
Frog fell into a deep, deep hole.
Ribbit-oops!

As the trapped amphibian cries out Oh, no! the striped feline smirks from the treeline.  Mouse offers help but holding out her hand, stretching down has her tumbling into the earthy pit, too.  A double cry of Oh, no! sings out.  Loris and Sun Bear each try, joining Frog and Mouse for their efforts.  Oh, no!

Monkey swinging and laughing to his heart's content (not offering any help whatsoever) miscalculates and oops! There's a tree there?  Now there are five members of the tropic clime stuck, with no hope of escape, a possible meal, delectable morsels for the drooling tiger.

To the surprise of everyone the ground begins to shake, rumble and roll.  Can Tiger hang on? Is a rescue in the works?  Now who's on the outside looking in?  Oh, no!  


Simple phrases perfect for young listeners and readers crafted by Candace Fleming, create a beat the ear will love to hear and the mind will love to read.  At the right moment perfectly-placed rhyming words add to the cadence.  Each of the verbs exclaimed by the hole's occupants extenuate their characteristics.

Repetition of key words describing animals' actions heightens the feeling of watching this in real-time.  Readers will feel themselves running, leaning, crawling, crashing, falling and calling.  They will know the uncertainty of the situation in which the forest friends find themselves.


As soon as you pick this book up you know you are in for a treat.  A heavy paper jacket when unfolded sets the scene.  As you run your hands over the two pages the Tiger, Loris, Frog and Mouse are raised and more shiny than the softer jungle landscape pictured.  Wrapping around the cover the jacket flaps blend with the endpapers which begin and complete the tale. Without a word of narrative read or spoken the story continues through Rohmann's illustrations across the title and verso pages.

Eric Rohmann uses a warm, earthy color palette of greens, blues, browns, grays, golden yellows and oranges continuing with the sturdier stock for all the two-page spreads.  His technique of fashioning relief prints using the reduction method is flawless, details in expression and movement are clever responses to the text.  I like how he shows just the slightest hint of Tiger lurking with curve of tail or part of his paws.  On Sun Bear he pays close attention by lengthening the claws on this endangered creature.  By altering the readers' perspective when viewing pages, it makes for a tantalizing invitation.


Oh, No! with words by Candace Fleming, pictures by Eric Rohmann is a joy to read silently and even better when read aloud.  It is the ultimate example of the tables being turned.  I found myself wanting to pair this with Sam and the Tigers by Julius Lester, illustrations by Jerry Pinkney.

Explore both the author's and illustrator's websites by following the links embedded in their names above.  Fleming has a reader's theater for this title.

This is one of those books I believe will stand the test of time.

Update:  Saturday October 6, 2012  Thanks to the embedded tweet below which came over the wire in the wee hours of the morning when I should have been sleeping but I'm glad I wasn't, there is an additional resource available for this title.  Thanks to John Schumacher, librarian extraordinaire.

Oh, No! activities for the classroom: randomhouse.com/teachers/wp-co…
— John Schu (@MrSchuReads) October 6, 2012

Post What You Know, Learn As You Go

Richard Byrne, educator and blogger at Free Technology for Teachers , posted on May 23, 2012 about a new curation tool, Learnist is Like Pinterest for Learning, which is still in beta, invitation only, format.  I sent in a request to use the application, holding a spot using my Facebook account, and received an email confirmation the same day.

Within the email invitation is a thought summing up the purpose of this tool.

...our site is about humans helping other humans curate the web into useful information for the purposes of learning.

Even without an invitation you can search the Learnist site by typing in a term at the top or clicking on the microphone icon to speak the keyword.  You can also search by categories, toggling from one of the twenty-two areas to another as listed beneath the search box.  When I typed in the terms, school library, I received numerous hits.  A board can be viewed, liked or followed.

By mousing over a listed board it can be clicked and viewed.  To like or follow a board you must be registered.  I selected to view a board titled, Cite Textual Evidence.  At the next screen you have a variety of options.

On the right the title of the board is shown along with the name of the board's sponsor, the category, the number of views and the dated it was created.  A summary is shown with the possibility of posting this board on a variety of social networks, liking and following it.  The people who are following this board and who have liked it are shown.

As with liking and following this board, you must also be registered to add a tag to the current tags and to add a comment.  Beneath this area are boards related to this topic.  On the left are the individual curated items, numbered, showing a link, with the ability to be added to an additional board, posted on social networks, liked and commented on.



After you have registered and logged in to the right of the search box (at the top of the home page) and your profile photograph is a down arrow.  The options here are:

• profile (interests, following, followers, likes, progress, boards and boards followed)
• manage tags (suggested tags for you to follow)
• notification settings (how you want any interactions and/or activity on your board(s) sent to you)
• help
• add bookmarklet (drag the icon to your browser toolbar for instant additions to a board)
• sharing (how anything you do in Learnist will appear on your Facebook timeline)
• logout.

On the left side of the search box is a "+ Add" button.

This button opens up a screen with the choice of adding a learning to one of your boards, or create a new board.  As the image on the left indicates you can add an item from a URL or from your computer.  As a new user I clicked create a new board.

At the next window you fill in the board name, category, collaborators(name or email address) and a 240 character description.  When the new screen appears,  you can add learnings to your board by using the add button at the top of the page, the bookmarklet (if added) on your browser tool bar or by finding items on other boards.  For either of the first two choices when selected, you will add a URL (or the bookmarklet does it for you).

When you click next an image from the choices shown can be added.  When adding an image if you do not wish to use the choices shown, you can do a Google search for an image, add in a URL for a particular image or upload an image from your computer.




 At the final screen accessed by clicking next, a heading can be confirmed or changed, a board can be selected and a description can be included.  This description can be in bold, italics, or underlined.  Two bulleted list choices are available.

Please note:  I have discovered two additional advantages of Learnist today when I was working on my board.  When you are at the screen filling in the description for an item, if you mouse over the image on the left you can still change it with a click even though you have left the image selection window.  Secondly, if you wish to change the order of your learnings, go to the dashboard where all the numbered items are listed.  To the right of the board heading are two small icons.  The pencil icon allows you to edit the board entry information.  The other icon which looks like a line with two arrows opens another window.  In this window you can click and drag learnings to new positions.


I created a fairly extensive Learnist board on possible titles to use during a Mock Caldecott discussion for 2013.  You can share your created board via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, StumbleUpon, Reddit, Digg, Edmodo and by sending a link in an email.  Here is the link to my board.  Each full item (learning) can be fully viewed by clicking on the title or mousing over the image and clicking.


Unlike curation tools such as  Scoop.it which pulls in items from the web based upon your keywords or Storify where you search various web venues according to terms, Learnist allows you to add learnings to your board after finding a specific website, video, image, document or other form of media.  I like the collaborative, interactive elements which are in place.  The numbering of the items creates a progression in the learning on each board.

One of the best parts is students can access a board and view the learnings without having a Facebook account.  The Learnist team has recently added apps for iPhone and iPad.

Halloween Hullabaloo

Over the years I have added many books to my personal collection to use with my students in the library.  I do love celebrating holidays and my shelves are a reflection of this joy.  Halloween is nearly here. I would like to share all the titles (all picture books except one) I have used over the years which I own.

I have categorized them loosely by grade level (K-4).  Keep in mind these groupings are for read aloud.  Depending on your students you can move them around. I know there are many more titles.  If you would like to recommend your favorites, please feel free to leave the title with the author and illustrator in the comments.

It is my hope to eventually create another Popplet with scary stories which I have learned to tell. These will extend to higher grade levels.

To view this Popplet full screen click on the icon in the lower right-hand corner.  You can move the screen through the grades by clicking and dragging.  Zoom in for the excerpts from the books as well as seeing the author, illustrator and title information.   Have fun with your students. Enjoy.

If the embedded version does not work, here is the link.

A Dog...A Home

If you think about it, people tend to use the terms house and home interchangeably.  To me a house is the structure, the building.  What's inside, the people, the feeling of hospitality, warmth, and love, are what make it a home.

When a piece is forever lost from a home, those left feel the emptiness until the spot can be filled.  In her debut book, Sarah Lean, deftly weaves a story of a family's loss in  A Dog Called Homeless.  Searching for a new normal is never easy.

My name is Cally Louise Fisher, and I haven't spoken for thirty-one days.

Cally has just seen her Mom but no one will believe her.  The family is gathered graveside to honor the one year anniversary of her death; the same day as her Dad's birthday.  Scolding Cally for having an overactive imagination does no good because she knows her Mom has something to tell them.

Glued to his computer screen, trying to top the best score on a video game during every spare moment, her 13-year-old brother, Luke views her as more pest than sister.  Plopping down on the sofa, watching one detective show after another, when home from work, her Dad seems to have no time to spend with her.  Feeling frustrated for the lack of conversation at home about her Mom, Cally has become too talkative, disruptive, at school.

Everyone at home and at school, classmates, teacher and special needs counselor, are therefore surprised when Cally volunteers for a day of sponsored silence to raise money for a children's hospice; needing to prove to one and all she is better than they believe she is.  Seeing her Mom again, this time with an Irish wolfhound at her side, gets Cally into further trouble.  In town to run errands with her Dad and brother, she offers help to a homeless juggler, Jed.  When Jed walks away, her Mom appears at his side.

On the day her Dad tells Luke and Cally their home has been sold and they're moving into the top floor of an apartment, Cally sees Jed again...with the dog.  Even though her self-imposed quiet has passed Cally has chosen to not speak, her silence saying volumes if only someone would understand.  Someone does understand.  On the first floor of their new home lives Sam, blind and nearly deaf, with his Mom.

Sam and Cally...Sam, Cally and the dog Cally has named Homeless...Sam, Cally, Homeless and Jed...Sam, Cally, Homeless, Jed and Cally's Mom are all tied together with heart and promises, with love.  The strength Cally and Sam find in their friendship sustains each as they face what no child should have to face.  One event after another builds to an ending (not without those breath-holding moments) which surprises but offers hope, hope for healing.

Even now, when rereading a single sentence, paragraphs, pages, even whole chapters, the writing of Sarah Lean continues to speak in a language as powerful as it was the first time.  Each character's role, whether big or small, their dialogue and interactions, is integral to the story.  Her vivid descriptions of place bring you into the story, side by side with the characters.

Here is a sampling of her writing from this title. (This is one of those porcupine books; so many sticky note markers for good spots.)

So I said, "Dad? What if I can't help it and I say something?
He squeezed me.
"I won't mind.  You'll be doing your best."
He went off in a dream, opened the curtains, sent the dust fairies into the shadows.
So that was it.  My best didn't sound like much.  He was just the same as all the others who didn't think I could do it.
"I'll mind," I whispered to the invisible spinning dust.  And those were my final words.

Just then I made my one and only rule for not speaking.  I was allowed to laugh.  Because laughing isn't words.  Nobody knows what you are saying, but everyone knows what you mean.  Even a dog.


Having been moved to tears more than once, it is my belief this story will resonate with every single reader.  A Dog Called Homeless by Sarah Lean envelopes you until the final page, lingering, finding a spot in your mind and soul.

Sarah Lean has a website completely devoted to this title.  (Link here)  An excerpt from the beginning is provided along with further reading about topics touched upon within the story.  There is an outstanding downloadable PDF resource for discussion with activities.

El Lugar Tranquilo

Up until college I never had to make new friends or be in unfamiliar surroundings.  After graduation seeking a position lead to moving more than once; four new school districts, communities, neighborhoods, colleagues and friends.  As an adult I had to abandon my shyness letting my passion for what I do take over.  Knowing this I can understand how hard it must be for someone coming into a new country, a strange culture and learning another language when they are young.

How a child adjusts to new circumstances is dependent on support of family, their new school environment, teachers and classmates and, in some instances, the power of imagination.  At times they (we) may dream of a more comfortable spot.  In the newest collaboration by Sarah Stewart and David Small, The Quiet Place (Farrar Straus Giroux, September 18, 2012), a little girl creates her own kind of beauty in her new home.

It is mid-spring in the year 1957.  Isabel, her older brother, Chavo, with her mother and father have left Mexico for the United States to live in a city near Lake Michigan.  In a series of letters, so she can practice her English, she writes back home to her Aunt Lupita, a school teacher.

She recounts the landscape in her journey, of making snow angels in a late winter snow and how speaking and reading Spanish makes her feel safe. Understandably, she is shy at school and although her teacher does not speak her language, she welcomes Isabel with a smile.  Something wonderful happens, too.

Her father buys a refrigerator and gives Isabel the box; her own sanctuary for writing letters and keeping her books.  Even a sudden rainstorm cannot discourage her quest for boxes. Every time her mother cooks for children's birthday parties is a new opportunity to bring home one of those cozy cubbies.

Her supportive family helps and allows her creativity to flower; a single room grows to many.  Each celebration leads to another until it is Isabel's special day.  Gifts of words, the practice of writing, paint, paper, pencil and perseverance are reflected in Isabel's joyful one-of-a-kind quiet place.


Twelve letters sent to Mexico, concise, conversational thoughts filled with emotion, convey to readers the true ups and downs felt by a child trying to fit into one life while longing for her old one.  We journey with her, seeing a blending of the two worlds, past with the present.  Sarah Stewart writes as if her heart is the heart of this young girl.

Words are carefully chosen, as if done by a person learning to think, write and read in another language. A single sentence tells us Chavo has a way with words, Father is thinking how to help his daughter adapt and Mother is understanding in so many ways.  We readers feel compassion and admiration for Isabel because of Stewart's ability to say much with little.

Here are a couple of her sentences from this story.

Chavo said, "We left a sea of blue at our feet and entered an ocean of blue over our heads."

Writing to you is easier than speaking to all the new people in my life. That is because I know you love me.


David Small begins and ends this story on the book's endpapers.  His impressive ink drawings are further brought to life with watercolor and pastel chalk wonderfully evoking a captured moment.  His altered perspectives are a ready invitation; the green landscape of the Mexican village nestled beneath the mountains with a close-up looking into the back of the retreating car, Isabel squatting, elbows to knees, and gazing at the snow angel or looking into the newly acquired refrigerator box with the house, delivery men and truck in the background.

His attention to those tiny, poignant details adds much to his two page spreads throughout the book.  At the Mexican border we see Isabel extending her arm out the car window, teddy bear in hand so he can see what everyone else is seeing, or at the diner counter (1950s Formica pattern) Chavo is reading an edition of Life magazine or when we see the created quiet place, a doll is wearing the same dress as Auntie Lupita in the farewell scene.  Isabel's teddy bear can be found in nearly every illustration.

Four illustrations, in addition to the endpapers and title spread are without text but they continue the story beautifully.  The four-page fold-out near the book's end is a stunner.  Isabel's quiet place is revealed in all it's colorful, imaginative glory.  It's a tribute to her Mexican culture, her resilience and joyful spirit.


The Quiet Place written by Sarah Stewart with illustrations by David Small is a gentle, graceful, story about coming to a new country and starting over surrounded by a loving family who embrace their heritage and their new community.  I love everything about this book; absolutely everything.

If you follow this link to Macmillan  there is a mini-slide show of illustrations.  This link  to Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast shows the illustrative process David Small used for this title. There are some gorgeous drawings.

These are links to interviews given by Sarah Stewart and David Small prior to the release of this title.
To get to their main website follow the link embedded in David Small's name at the beginning of this post.