Quote of the Month

When love and skill work together, expect a miracle. John Ruskin




Saturday, March 8, 2014

Twitterville Talk #142


All I can say is that it was a whirlwind of a week, as March got off to a great start with celebrations galore for reading.  People were busy attending conferences, heading to conferences this weekend and making plans for conferences this spring and summer.  Twitter is the place to stay connected.  Enjoy a restful weekend.  Take time for reading.  Good luck winning one of the giveaway titles.  I hope you like the tweets gathered here.



If you are looking for those books which tend to take the view of a glass half full, you might want to consider these titles, 50 More Inspiring Children's Books With a Positive Message.
This is a handy explanation of Thinking about Primary Sources.  It explains the difference between primary and secondary sources including a graphic organizer.

File this under food for thought, The Other 21st Century Skills-Why Teach Them.

 Thanks to Debbie Alvarez, teacher librarian and blogger at The Styling Librarian, for these tweets.





Follow this blog for posts during the month of March in celebration of women's history in children's literature, KidLit Celebrates Women's History Month.
The celebration has started but you might want to use this Read Across America video and Hats Off To Reading Classroom Activity Guide.
Here's Reading Rainbow's spokesman reading a book of poems.



The 2014 Golden Kite and Sid Fleischman Awards were announced this week!
Here come the book trailers and author/illustrator chats!





Holly Black has a new trailer for her Newbery Honor award winning book, Doll Bones.

I've once and for all given up having any kind of budget for book buying.  Check this out---Hyperion Books Spring 2014|Preview Peek

 Thanks to John Schumacher, teacher librarian, co-host of the monthly #SharpSchu Book Club, 2011 Library Journal Movers & Shakers, 2014 Newbery Medal Committee member, and blogger at Watch. Connect. Read. for these tweets.






Do you have any of these titles?  55 Science Picture Books For Kids

 Thanks to kbport, fellow educator on Twitter, for this tweet.





Sometimes you aren't ready to like the book that everyone else thinks is wonderful.  Caroline Starr Rose speaks to this in One Day You Will.

 Don't ever doubt the power of reading aloud, The Warmth of a Shared Experience by Cynthia Lord.

 Thanks to the Nerdy Book Club for these tweets.








Those working in the field on a day-to-day basis know this to be true---New Report Hails Librarians as Drivers of Digital Transition.

 Thanks to Shelley (Diaz) Vale, School Library Journal Book Reviews Senior Editor, for this tweet.





Don't forget to tune in to the latest podcast.  This week it's Let's Get Busy with cartoonist Raina Telgemeier.

 Thanks to Matthew C. Winner, elementary teacher librarian, founder of #slmshelfchallenge, co-founder of #geniuscon, a 2013 Library Journal Tech Leader Movers & Shakers and blogger at The Busy Librarian, for this tweet.






One of the funniest dog books the past couple of years is Oh No, George! by Chris Haughton.  Here is the book trailer for his newest book.


Shh! We have a plan: Trailer from chris haughton on Vimeo.


Thanks to Jim Field, a UK based illustrator and animator, for this tweet.







If you were unable to participate in the #TLChat Virtual Cafe this past week, the archived chat is here.


Thanks to teacher librarian, presenter, consultant, and blogger at Van Meter Library Voice, Shannon Miller for this tweet.






In the spirit of the month, check out this informative, rhyming infographic, The Dr Seuss Guide To Twitter (Infographic).

 Thanks for this tweet go to Sue Gorman, Innovation Learning Consultant, K-12 Apple Distinguished Educator and Google Certified Teacher.








Celebrating Dr. Seuss's 110th Birthday announces the creation of a new Dr. Seuss's Birthday Club.  It looks like a fun-filled way to commemorate your birthday.

This looks pretty good to me.



Thanks to Children's Bookshelf of Publishers Weekly for these tweets.








Having met author Lauren Oliver (Liesl & Po) I was curious about this video in honor of her new book, Panic.



Thanks to Lauren Oliver for this tweet.







This new YA release looks intriguing to me.  Watch the trailer for Elusion! at this site.

Thanks to Harper Teen for this tweet.








A word to the wise---Yik Yak app is wrecking havoc in schools: 11 things parents need to know

 Thanks to Kevin Hodgson, educator, web comic creator, tech liaison with the Western Mass Writing Project and blogger at Kevin's Meandering Mind, for this tweet.





Are you doing an Eric Carle study with your younger students?  These downloadable printable activity sheets might work well with your unit.  The World of Eric Carle

 Thanks to Meg Allison, teaher librarian/ed tech: Digs Inquiry, 1:1 & Divergent thing, UVM Graduate School Instructor, 2013 Global Teacher Fellow, 2013 VT Outstanding Educator and blogger at The Mad River Librarian, for this tweet.





Get ready to be stunned by this beautiful book trailer for Dan Santat's new title, The Adventures of Beekle:  The Unimaginary Friend.



We were all catching our breaths when this tweet entered my feed.



Many thanks to author illustrator Dan Santat (Crankenstein) for these tweets.






Did you listen to this posted by author Aaron Starmer (The Riverman) for World Read Aloud Day?

 Thanks to Aaron Starmer for this tweet.











There's a new Celebri-Dots!  Salina Yoon (Penguin in Love) has contributed to the site.


Thanks to Terry Shay, 5-12 vocal and computer teacher, college adjunct, FableVision Learning Ambassador and blogger at T J On a Journey,  for this tweet.







Africa Is My Home: A Child of the Amistad written by Monica Edinger with illustrations by Robert Byrd is a recipient of a Children's Africana Book Award.

Thanks to educator, author and blogger at educating alice, Monica Edinger, for this tweet.






At a conference this week Richard Byrne presented his Best of the Web 2014.  I'll be checking out some of these in the weeks and months to come.

Thanks to educator, presenter and blogger at Free Technology for Teachers, Richard Byrne for this tweet.





Yesterday a tweet introduced readers to a new release on the horizon, The Mermaid and the Shoe by K. G. Campbell.




Thanks to author Ame Dyckman (Boy + Bot, Tea Party Rules) for this tweet.








Please take a minute to read this fun post by author Corey Rosen Schwartz (The Three Ninja Pigs, Goldi Rocks and the Three Bears), as she lists The 2013 Picture Book Oscars.


Thanks for this tweet, Corey.





Enjoy the collected announcements, quotes, fun tweets and Xena's picks of animal favorites for this week.






























Posted by Xena's Mom at 3:21 AM 0 comments
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Friday, March 7, 2014

In Silence

Everything takes longer now.  Movement is measured with numerous stops to lift her head in the air taking deep breaths through her nose.  As her companion I follow, pausing when she does.  It's not easy but the rewards have been huge.  My aging dog is still teaching me lessons about life.

When you slow down you tend to be more aware of your surroundings; the small details become large.  We wonder about new prints in the snow, our breath clouding the midnight air as trees pop and crack in the woods.  Circles around the moon, falling stars, frosted branches, sugary snow gleaming like diamonds in the sun and the bright call of chickadees fill our wintry nights and days.  Hi, Koo! A Year of Seasons (Scholastic Press) presented by Koo and Jon J Muth with illustrations by Jon J Muth asks readers to appreciate, to marvel at, the everyday, looking at it with new eyes.

In an introductory author's note Jon J Muth speaks about the evolution of the poetic form, haiku.  His final sentence depicts the very essence of this book.

At its best, a haiku embodies a moment of emotion that reminds us that our own human nature is not separate from all of nature.  

 He also adds these twenty-six poems take an alphabetical journey through the seasons with one word in each given a capital letter.

Beginning with fall we look around personifying this season, curious about the change in wardrobe.  Cleaning up leaves, lost items found on a windy day and the contrast between cold rainy days and the warmth of home are musings given to readers.  Two young friends, a boy and a girl, follow Koo into winter.

Snow prints, snowballs, ice, and snowfall keep this trio on the go.  What's that? A cat?  Tiny spots of color herald the newness of spring.  It's time to get outside trading in screen time for playtime.  Oh...the wonders to be seen and understood; puddles, nests, reading to chirping friends and the sorrow of an ended life.

Earthbound stars, a sliver of moon, water catching thrown stones, and sidewalk fantasies lead to the absolute stillness found in listening to Nature breathe; in and out, in and out.  String the single alphabetical words together.  It's a study in seasonal sensations.


As fluid and evocative as his watercolor illustrations, Jon J Muth's words call forth those singular seconds in our lives we might otherwise fail to notice.  Whether a question, a statement, an observation, or an invitation, the group of words has been thoughtfully chosen to depict the heart of the moment; how it is seen, heard, felt, or tasted.  In all of the poems but one a soft joy reaches out like the best kind of endearment to the reader; lifting our spirits.  In that one poem Muth wants us to consider carefully the results of our actions in the world around us.


The branch filled with cherry blossoms, the pale blues of the sky reaching toward the glow of spring green grass, petals scattered among the blades, are particularly pleasing. Who can resist smiling at the antics of Koo on the front dust jacket or doing handstands with his two friends on the back?  What's even better is the different case beneath.  A cloud filled sky patterns the wide spine.  The back and front is a solid lively green with Koo cartwheeling across the front.  Endpapers in shades of pale purple zoom in on blossoms turned to leaves.

Jon J Muth uses white space to draw readers into each illustration.  A single picture is dedicated to each poem.  Even though each visual is separate from the other they are joined by the color palette in each.  I would happily frame any one to hang with honor in my home; Koo holding on to a lamp post with his umbrella outstretched in the rain dreaming of eating soup at home, shadows stretching beneath lamplight as delicate snow falls, flashlight beams shining on frolicking friends, or Koo skipping stones as his companions play along the water's edge.

One of my favorite illustrations is found on the final page.  Koo is seated on a tree branch with his back to us.  He is so still his pal, the cardinal, has built a nest on his head.  The picture is filled with hues of blue, green and golden leaves framing the panda.  Perfection.  Peace.


When members of my PLN visited Anderson's Bookshops' Author's Breakfast in February Jon J Muth was a featured guest.  After their proclamations I could hardly wait to read Hi, Koo!  It was well worth the wait many times over.  I think this would pair nicely with Matthew Cordell's hello! hello! and Dan Yaccarino's Doug Unplugged.

Please follow the link embedded in Jon J Muth's name to access his website.  Reading Rockets has a series of video interviews with Muth here.  At Literacyhead Jon J Muth is interviewed.  He is one of the artists showcased at their wonderful site.
Posted by Xena's Mom at 12:48 PM 0 comments
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Thursday, March 6, 2014

Energetic Embrace

When teaching in an elementary school for the first time after being at the middle school and high school level for twenty plus years, the first thing you notice is the joyful openness of the students. Their exuberance for nearly everything is astounding, heartwarming and life-affirming.  Another thing for which they are most highly skilled is hugging.  They want to embrace someone the way they embrace life, freely and without reservation.

Australian author Nick Bland's and illustrator Freya Blackwood's first collaboration has already garnered The Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award, Early Childhood 2012.  In late December 2013 The Runaway Hug (Random House) appeared on shelves as the first American edition.  It would seem someone has forgotten the rules of this bedtime ritual.

"Mommy," said Lucy.  "Can I have a hug before I go to bed?"
"Oh, dear," said Mommy.  "I only have one left.  It's my very last hug."
"Can I borrow it?" said Lucy.  "I promise I'll give it back."

 Now the recipient of her mother's final hug, Lucy darts away to locate her dad.  Lucy asks him if he would like a hug.  There is one condition though, he must give it back.  After all, it is her mommy's last one.

Hugs exchanged Lucy charges into another part of the house to continue her give-and-take routine.  First she finds the less than eager older twins.  Next in the kitchen Little Lily is more than willing.  Then she seeks Annie, the mischievous household dog.  Annie's woof to Lucy's question is all she needs to deliver the affectionate embrace.

Oh, oh!  Annie races from the room taking the cherished squeeze with her.  Up and down and all around the house Lucy goes in search of Annie and the hug.  That rascal Annie is hiding. The tears are starting to come.  Dogs will have their way.  Settled in bed for the night Annie has a final request for her mother.


Using a mix of dialogue and personal narrative Nick Bland demonstrates his understanding of a child's gifted imagination.  There is a sense of security and warmth in his portrayals of this shift toward slumber by all the members of the family.  Each time Lucy gets a hug she describes it as long and soft, twice as big, or smelled like peanut butter.  The repetition of a certain phrase creates a gentle cadence.  Here is a single passage.

Daddy picked her up and squeezed her as tight as a knot.
The hug was stronger than before, but just as nice.
If ever a dust jacket and book case exuded warmth, Freya Blackwood's work on this book does.  How can you not love the way the text wraps around the word HUG as a pajama-clad Lucy embraces the G?  Do you notice the extra glow around Lucy's face?  That same glow surrounds her and Lily hugging on the back.  Both the opening and closing endpapers are patterned in Lucy's pajama fabric.

 When the first page is turned we are in the bathroom with Lucy and Annie as she gets ready for bed doing three separate activities.  This two page spread is the initial title page.  With another page turn we have the verso and formal title page.  There are six Lucy figures as she gets into her pajamas.  After four pages readers will already find Lucy nestling into their hearts.

A creamy background provides a canvas for these and all the remaining pictures.  Blackwood alters perspective and position depicting the cozy flow of this family in the evening.  She crosses the gutter frequently to great effect.   You will be unable to keep yourself from smiling at the rumpled, cluttered scenes featured.  There is something about her sketchy outlines which are welcoming, conveying the necessary emotions.

In the two pages when Lucy has lost the hug you can really feel her sense of loss with only Lucy, the zebra toy and an article of clothing in the picture.  One of my favorite illustrations is of Lucy running throughout the house looking for Annie.  We can see Annie just ahead of her and hiding.  Blackwood manages to show us the whole layout in these pages.  And I dare anyone not to sigh at the final wordless page.


Oh how I adore this book!  Make sure you share The Runaway Hug written by Nick Bland with illustrations by Freya Blackwood with your children and students.  Everyone needs the hug this book offers.

Please take a moment to follow the links embedded in Freya Blackwood's names to visit her website and blog.  She has more illustrations from this book on her blog.  Here is the link to an interview of Nick Bland at the Creative Kids Tales website.


Posted by Xena's Mom at 6:46 PM 0 comments
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Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Bringing Books To Readers

Happy World Read Aloud Day!  

Earlier this year (February 13, 2014) John Schumacher had a guest on his blog (Watch. Connect. Read.)Pam Allyn for LitWorld.  The post talked about The World Read Aloud Blogging Challenge.  The questions in this challenge could be asked and answered anytime of the year.  Each World Read Aloud Day raises awareness of the importance of reading aloud for readers and listeners.

It also shifts the focus to those children, people, who have no books, no access to libraries or other forms of the written word.  Published in 2010 Jeanette Winter's book, Biblioburro:  A True Story from Colombia (Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division) pays tribute to the life of one man making a difference, bringing books to children who would otherwise have none.  His travels are creating transformations one reader at a time.

Deep in the jungles of Colombia, there lives a man who loves books.  His name is Luis.

Luis loves books so much his house is filled with them.  His wife, Diana, wonders about their growing numbers.  Her worries give Luis an idea. 

Two burros, Alfa and Beto, become new members of the Soriano household.  They will carry Luis and crates filled with books into the mountains to children.  Each week they travel to a different remote village.

These trips are not without their trials and tribulations.  The burros can determine the arrival time when one or the other refuse to move.  Once a bandit stopped Luis, taking a book but warning him money would be necessary next time.

Arriving in a village Luis reads to the gathered children; sometimes handing out masks for them to wear.  Books are eagerly and happily chosen before he leaves.  On his return home in the evening Luis knows the children he visited on this day will be doing the same thing he is before bedtime...reading.


What Jeanette Winter does in this book, making it more of an intimate experience for the reader, is to focus on a specific village Luis visits.  After introducing readers in the narrative to Luis, his wife, Diana, and the two burros, Alfa and Beto, she centers the story on a trip to the village of El Tormento.  Her descriptions of the time of day and surrounding hillside in the jungle help readers to feel as though they are on the burro with Luis.  The insertion of dialogue increases our personal attachment to the story.  Here is a sample passage.

Deep in the hills, the path is lonelier than ever.
Bird songs are the only sounds they hear.
Then, from deep in the shadows,
a bandit leaps out!
"Please let us pass," Luis says.
"The children are waiting." ...

Using acrylic paint with pen and ink Jeanette Winter depicts a true sense of place and people.  The matching jacket and case reflect the subject of the book filling the illustrations with flora and fauna found in the Colombian jungles.  On the back surrounded by white space Luis sits on a rock reading as butterflies land on his hat and shirt.  The opening endpapers are a bright turquoise; the closing endpapers a rich lavender. 

All of the pictures in this book extend from edge to edge across both pages using the same radiant color palette as seen on the cover.  Butterflies are featured on every visual (as are many other creatures) including the final evening spread.  Given the symbolism attached to them, this is particularly pleasing.  

One of my favorite illustrations is wordless.  Luis is seated on a rock reading to a group of children wearing pig masks.  The burros are watching as vivid orange butterflies land and fly about the people.  In small light turquoise ovals like speech bubbles we see the pictures from the story Luis is reading.  


Biblioburro:  A True Story From Colombia written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter is one of those very special books illuminating the life of single individual who choose to share his passion with others.  Who knows how the lives of those children he brings books to will be changed?  Jeanette Winter provides more information on a single page author's note at the book's end.  Here is a link to the publisher's website offering viewers a glimpse of more pages from the book as well as a video.


Another wonderful book which recounts the travels of Luis Soriano Bohorquez is Waiting for the Biblioburro (Tricycle Press, an imprint Random House Children's Book, 2011) by Monica Brown with illustrations by John Parra.  In this fictional story of a little girl named Anna, we learn her teacher has left their village.  No one is there to teach the children any longer, to give them new reading materials.  Ana makes up stories to fill her longing for books, entertaining her younger brother.  

One day, she hears the sound of burros clip-clopping into her village.  It's a man carrying a sign reading Biblioburro.  He explains his moving library, reads stories to the children and lets them choose books to borrow.  

At the suggestion of Luis, while waiting for his return and wondering when it will be, Ana writes a book about the two burros.  Guess what is placed in the book carriers when the Biblioburro leaves after his next visit?  A reader.  A writer.  Children are being changed.


In her author's note Monica Brown reveals how she came to write this book after getting to know Luis Soriano Bohorquez.  Beneath her author's note is a glossary of the Spanish words she wove into her narrative adding an authenticity to the telling.  The way she has written this book is to show the beautiful circle made by Luis's generosity.  One reader is reaching out to many; they in turn are reaching others.

There is a folk art quality to the illustrations created with acrylics on board by John Parra.  Pictures vary, extending edge to edge, across one or two pages.  His colors are more centered in earth tones.  His images of how reading fuels the imagination are simply beautiful.  I am especially fond of the two pages showing the days of the week in Spanish, time swirling about, as Ana waits for the return of the Biblioburro.  The inclusion of her parents, flora, fauna and elements from her daily life is excellently designed.

Please follow the links embedded in the author and illustrator names above to their websites.  There is much more about their work there.  


For further reading and information about Luis Soriano Bohorquez please visit this link to Teaching kids to read from the back of a burro at CNN and this link to a PBS documentary point of view page, Luis Soriano:  News Updates from the Back of a Burro.  Random House has many pages devoted to this book at their website linked here.  Included are a teacher's guide, an excerpt, a look inside and related links.  







I thank Alyson Beecher for hosting this challenge each week at Kid Lit Frenzy.  My reading of nonfiction picture books is increasing by leaps and bounds.


Posted by Xena's Mom at 4:31 PM 3 comments
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Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Digital Storytelling Using Narrable

This past Saturday a member of my Twitter PLN, Donna Baumbach, former edtech/edmedia professor at the University of Central Florida in Orlando and the co-creator of WebTools4U2Use, sent out a tweet about a recent post by Kathy Schrock, Educational Technologist, DEN Guru, Adobe Education Leader, a Google Certified Teacher, a Sony Education Ambassador, and a Discovery Education STAR.   This post on her site, Kathy Schrock's Katch of the Month, Web-ulous Tools, showcased five of her current favorite web based tools.  One of them used for digital storytelling looked interesting.

In the about section at the site it states:

Narrable is a storytelling platform for the images and voices that matter.  We believe that storytelling is at the core of human behavior, relationships and understanding.

 Narrable is designed with educators in mind.  They state that:


  • Storytelling with Narrable draws out higher order thinking skills
  • Use Narrable to ignite natural creativity and engage your students and
  • Belonging to the Narrable Community means experiencing support that makes sense.
A phone number is posted inviting personal contact.  In the Terms it is requested that you be 18 years of age to use this service or at least 14 years old with parental/guardian consent.

When you access the home page you can sign in, sign up or get support. At the support page you can search for answers by keyword or browse by topic.  To sign up I selected the red button.  I was taken to an educational pricing page.  For an individual teacher it is free.  Two other options are listed, classroom and site license.



You can sign up using your Facebook, Yahoo! or Google accounts.  I elected to use my email.  You use the same screen for signing in and signing up.  As you can see the student login is separate.  They use a username and password.  After giving your name, email address and a password, you are asked to check you have read the terms of service and privacy policy.




A confirmation email with a link will be sent to you immediately.  The next window opened is your profile page.  In the upper right-hand corner you can go to the support page or begin to create.  On the left-hand side your choices are to change your profile picture, view your Narrables, alter your account information, review the pricing plans (as a teacher you have unlimited solo Narrables as opposed to an individual who has five free Narrables), view your statements if you have one of the paid accounts and sign out. 


When you click on create in the upper right-hand corner, a new screen opens.  You begin by uploading images from your computer or browsing your Facebook account.  Multiple images can be uploaded.  Image order cannot be changed but images can by deleted by mousing over and choosing the x.


You can have fifty letters in your title.  Any photograph can be dragged down to be the title slide.  After you have uploaded all the images you desire for your story click on save.


At the next window you can manage your Narrable (select privacy settings, to collaborate you need to upgrade), invite (upgrade necessary) or share on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest, via email or by using an HTML code to embed it.  By clicking on the tiny icon in the upper right-hand corner you are able to change your title, reposition the image or delete the Narrable.  



To add audio to your images click on the blue arrow to scroll through your Narrable.  As people go through your Narrable they can hear what you have to say by clicking on the picture.  In the upper right-hand corner of each image you can edit the image and add audio by selecting the appropriate icons.  Once added audio can be deleted if you happen to change your mind.  At any time you can click on the plus sign at the bottom of the page to add photographs.



This is the image which appears when you click on record audio.



Here is the Narrable I made to test out this online application.




I can certainly understand why Kathy Schrock has chosen this as one of her five favorites.  This site is easy to navigate, uploading of images is fantastic and adding audio couldn't be easier. I highly recommend this application, Narrable, for digital storytelling.

It could be used to demonstrate a step by step process.  To document a day, week, month or year in the classroom, this would be perfect.  It could be used to give mini-booktalks on books grouped by theme, genre or to introduce a unit of study like the Mock Caldecott.   
Posted by Xena's Mom at 11:30 AM 0 comments
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Monday, March 3, 2014

Deep In the Hearts of Texans

When his footprints filled up with water the Great Lakes formed.  It was next to nothing for him to lasso a tornado.  She liked to ride the Mississippi on the back of an alligator.  Folks say her holler could be heard from one end of the river to the other.  Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill and Sal Fink, the daughter of none other than Mike Fink, the keelboat man, are personalities who populate American tall tales.

We enjoy their exaggerated character traits and accomplishments whether they are from the minds of storytellers or people from the pages of history.  With such titles as Swamp Angel (Dutton, 1994, Paul O. Zelinsky, illustrator, Caldecott Honor book), and Dust Devil (Schwartz & Wade Books, 2010, Paul O. Zelinksy, illustrator) to her credit, Anne Isaacs has penned another book, Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch (Schwartz & Wade Books) brimming with larger than life characters.  With illustrations by Kevin Hawkes (Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen, Westlandia by Paul Fleischman) readers can step into a Texas circa 1870.  Of course, this won't be like anything they've ever previously read about this mighty state.

On the Fourth of July 1870, the widow Tulip Jones of Greater Bore, England, inherited thirty-five million dollars and a ranch at By-Golly Gully, Texas.  She moved there at once.

 Tulip Jones did not come alone.  Accompanying her were three trusted female servants, Linsey, Woolsey and Calico, and twelve tortoises named for the months of the year.  They must have made quite a sight on the ship sailing across the Atlantic and eventually arriving in Texas.

Despite it being one of the hottest summers on record, the four women got to work planting a garden.  If you think the vegetables from the garden were normal, think again.  The rind from one of their watermelons was big enough to use as a hay shed.  I'll give you one guess as to what happened to those tiny tortoises.

The quiet and calm enjoyed as they settled in was rudely interrupted when word spread of the widow's wealth.  It seemed every man in Texas was single and wanted to marry Tulip Jones.  Can you imagine having one thousand men show up at tea time every day?  The first order of business was to hire a proper baker.  Charlie Doughpuncher became a member of the ranch team.

During the day the widow turned as many suitors away as politely possible.  In her kitchen each evening Charlie would listen to her complaints while offering up his fresh baked goods.  After several days, at her wits' end, Tulip came up with a plan.

Her faithful ranch hands, Linsey, Woolsey and Calico, weren't willing to put all their "tea leaves in one cup" coming up with another secret idea all their own.  Three challenges later the two courses of action collided in an unparalleled feat of sewing ingenuity.  As night fell Tulip Jones found herself the sole occupant of By-Golly Ranch.  This hardly seemed a fitting end to this tale. ....And it was not.


Oh, how I enjoy the tall tales of Anne Isaacs.  She has a way with words whipping up the most outlandish events but making readers believe they happened exactly as she describes them.  Only in her mind could tortoises not only become huge but the bigger they grow the faster they run.  In her stories, the Rio Grande flows backward and cake batter is stirred by paddling in a canoe.  Tulip Jones' nightly conversations with Charlie are hilarious, loaded with her insightful observations.  The characters' names match the place and time and are guaranteed to produce grins galore.  Here is a sample passage.


"That Tumbleweed Thompson is so clumsy he couldn't hit the ground with his lasso," she told Charlie one night.  "And Big Toe Anderson has nothing on his mind but his hat!"
"Try this," Charlie said comfortingly, and he offered her a blueberry scone fresh out of the oven.
Even a casual glance at the matching dust jacket and book case illustrated by Kevin Hawkes, will have you going back for further scrutiny.  It's not every day you see giant tortoises ridden like horses traveling through a cactus covered desert.  On the back framed in a tied lasso are two of the more misguided suitors, downright varmints, with conniving, leering smiles on their faces.   The opening endpapers feature an arid landscape with a stagecoach speeding from one side to the other.  On a post hangs a sign warning readers about exaggeration and the laws of Texas.  A wily vulture sporting a cowboy hat points a claw toward the notice.  The closing endpapers show the hilly ranch lands occupied by the twelve grazing tortoises and a lonely hare watching.

Hawkes uses the title page and verso to start the story visually prior to the narrative beginning, showing Tulip Jones and her trio of friendly servants getting the news of her inheritance.  Every page is teeming with humorous details; the solicitor irked by the bird on his hat, an armadillo and chicken using parasols to keep off the hot Texas sun, an owl has made a hole in one of the suitor's hat's as a home and a rattler has wound around Sheriff Arroyo's hat wearing a smaller version of the same hat.  The Open acrylic and Prismacolor pencil illustrations throughout vary in size and presentation.  They may cover two pages or a portion of one.  Rope is used as a framing and dividing element to good effect.

The line of rather grubby-looking suitors sitting astride all sorts of four-legged transportation is one of my many favorite illustrations.  The details have me laughing every time I look at this picture.  Who could resist a tobacco-spitting guy holding a cactus in a pot rimmed in hearts or a farmer with barbed wire wrapped around his hat holding a dead squirrel?


If reading Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch written by Anne Isaacs with illustrations by Kevin Hawkes, doesn't have you longing for time in Texas, I don't know what will.  This is one rooting, tooting rip-roaring ride of a story as big as the Lone Star state.  It has my highest recommendation as a read aloud treat.

Make sure to follow the links embedded in Anne Isaacs' and Kevin Hawkes' names to access their websites.  Follow this link to the publisher's website to take a peek at more pages from the book.  For more artwork by Kevin Hawkes and a Q & A with author Anne Isaacs, head over to Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast hosted by Julies Danielson.
Posted by Xena's Mom at 7:10 PM 0 comments
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Saturday, March 1, 2014

Twitterville Talk #141

When people on Twitter claim to those not on Twitter that it's like PD 24/7 they are not kidding.  Anyone who thinks educators and people in the kidlit community don't work on the weekends, needs to spend some time on Twitter to see that people are exchanging ideas non-stop.  The conversations between authors and authors and illustrators and illustrators are fascinating and...fun.  Enjoy what I've gathered here.  Enjoy your weekend.  Take time for reading.  The giveaways are at the bottom.  I will be doing weekly drawings.




Here's another delightful interview with Kate DiCamillo, 2014 Newbery Medalist and National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, Kate DiCamillo:  Hope from a superhero squirrel.

 Kevin Henkes On Children's Literature---a Wisconsin Public Radio interview makes for a great resource in an author study.

Are you ready for book trailers and author/illustrator chats?  Here they are!





















Make sure you are ready for World Read Aloud Day by downloading the classroom activity kit.

 This Mini Interview:  K. G. Campbell might be perfect for an author/illustrator study as well as this Flora and Flamingo:  Meet-the-Author Book Reading.

 The free Children's Book Week poster and bookmark are up on their site.

Did you miss the #SharpSchu Book Club chat on Wednesday?  The archives are here.

Don't miss this list, Top Ten Graphic Novels for Youth: 2014, from Booklist.

 Fans of her body of work were extremely pleased with this news, 'Goodnight Songs' Collects Never-Seen Margaret Wise Brown Works.

The 2014 Hopkins Poetry Award Winners Announced.

 Here are three outstanding links to use during March, Women's History Month; Women's History Month for Teachers, Women's History Month (Scholastic), and Women's History Teaching Resources.

 Thanks to John Schumacher, teacher librarian, co-host of the monthly #SharpSchu Book Club, 2011 Library Journal Movers & Shakers, 2014 Newbery Medal Committee member, and blogger at Watch. Connect. Read. for these tweets.






This is a great article on the purpose, the tradition, of storytelling, Around the Campfire by Donalyn Miller.

 In case you've been wondering about the School Library Journal 2014 Battle of the Kids' Books Monica Edinger offers an explanation, Battle of the Kids' Books.

Thanks to the Nerdy Book Club for these tweets.







When working on research with your students, this is a great list of 10 Of The Best Bibliography And Citation Tools For Students And Teacher Researchers.


Thanks to educator and blogger at Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day..., Larry Ferlazoo for this tweet.








When working on your next Mock Caldecott election you might want to discuss of the points raised in this article, Just Enjoy the Pictures:  Hand-Crafted Versus Digital Art

Thanks to The Horn Book for this tweet.








The new podcast is up on his blog, Let's Get Busy with author Katrina Moore

 Thanks to Matthew C. Winner, elementary teacher librarian, founder of #slmshelfchallenge, co-founder of #geniuscon, a 2013 Library Journal Tech Leader Movers & Shakers and blogger at The Busy Librarian, for this tweet.






Here is the first book trailer for her new book, Water Can Be.



Thanks to poet and children's writer, Laura Purdie Salas (Book Speak! Poems about Books) for this tweet.








Tweeted as the best darn book trailer you'll see all day, watch the premiere of The Meaning of Maggie.

Please take the time to review this list, Top 100 books by Indigenous Masters.


Thanks to Elizabeth Bird, New York Public Library's Youth Materials Collections Specialist and blogger at A Fuse #8 Production, for these tweets.







The Undead Poll is Now Open!  at the School Library Journal's 2014 Battle of the Kids' Books.

 Thanks to the Battle Commander for these tweets.








I know more and more people are using infographics in their classrooms.  Several of the applications mentioned in this post have been reviewed on my blog.  This is an excellent resource, Infographics Kit.

Thanks to Donna Baumbach, former edtech/edmedia professor at UCF in Orlando for this tweet.






The Spring 2014 Kids' Next Indie List has been released.

Thanks to Candlewick Press for this tweet.






Enjoy the quotes, fun tweets in a series, tweets from conferences and Xena's pet picks.





























Posted by Xena's Mom at 8:59 AM 2 comments
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