Penned Passion

For some people it is far easier to express themselves by writing rather than speaking face to face with an individual or especially a large group.  Writing, for them, allows a full disclosure of opinions and feelings without fear of unwelcome consequences.  It is a relief; a form of happiness to finally confess what may have been carefully hidden and nurtured for a very long time.

When you send mail filled with affection to your heart's desire for the first time, it is done with a great deal of hope.  XO, OX  A Love Story (A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, January 3, 2017) with words by Adam Rex and pictures by Scott Campbell is a tale of a rocky road to love, letter by letter.  You will find yourselves cheering for one character while wondering about the indifference of the other.  You will undoubtedly find yourselves hardly able to keep from grinning and giggling a great deal.

Dear Gazelle,
For some time now I have wanted to write a letter to say how much I admire you.  You are so graceful and fine.  ...

Ox goes on to say that even running from tigers Gazelle looks like she's dancing as a member of a top ballet company.  Before he signs the letter he delivers those three most magical words

I love you
XO,
OX

Gazelle does not reply in kind.

In fact she uses a form letter inserting Ox's name in the blank and enclosing an autographed picture of herself.  To Ox this letter, although not personally handwritten by Gazelle, is a sign that his hope is not unfounded.  He believes she DID reply personally.  This dear reader is where the fun begins.

In return Gazelle sends the exact same letter with the exact same autographed picture.  To Ox this is even more thrilling.  He sees it as an example of her brilliant mind.  She is not only pretty but intelligent.  (Clearly this ox looks at life as a glass full to the tip-top.)

In the third letter sent to Ox from Gazelle she points out she has many faults but being monotonous is not one of them.  This will be the final letter from her to him.  She asks him to not write to her again.
As we have come to expect, Ox's perspective on Gazelle's words is not what she intends.  He writes to her again.

In her most verbose answer yet you get a sharp sense of her growing frustration.  (Of course, the previous letter was not her final letter.)  In two more exchanges we see the steadfast nature and love Ox holds for Gazelle never waver.  Gazelle, on the other hoof, is increasingly showing parallels to Mount Saint Helens.  What will Ox's next letter cause Gazelle to do?  Is this a tale of unrequited love?


Through the letters Adam Rex carefully forms the qualities of these two characters.  They are in complete contrast which is an open invitation to loads of laughter.  Ox is one of those individuals, who once committed, stays true to the course.  His interpretation of Gazelle's words strengthens her annoyance.  She is entirely focused on herself and unable to understand his love for her.  Here is another partial letter.

Dear Ox,
You have made a mistake.  I suppose you cannot help it, since you are an ox and probably have a clumsy brain.
But when I say that I have many faults, people usually like to tell me that I do not have any faults at all. ...


One look at the matching dust jacket and book case and readers know Ox is totally smitten with Gazelle.  This bovine is brimming with affection.  He's ready to write a letter declaring his love.  The white canvas on the front and back draw our attention to Scott Campbell's color palette and the characters.  The text is varnished on the jacket.  To the left, on the back, a smaller Ox, as if we are viewing him in the distance, is dancing along smelling a long-stemmed red rose.

On the opening endpapers twenty-six small images show Ox and Gazelle engaged in various activities.  Ox is a well-rounded gentleman; cooking, reading, painting, playing a guitar, feeding the birds, and clipping his bonsai to name a few things.  Gazelle is...well...primping and looking in a mirror over and over and over again.  On the closing endpapers careful readers will notice a difference in the background colors and the twenty-six activities.

On the title page Campbell uses white space as an element focusing on the huge mail basket full of letters for Gazelle.  Only one has a heart on the outside.  Her assistant, a spectacle-wearing mole, is carrying letters off the right side of the double page picture.  The illustration for the verso and dedication pages is a swirl of pinkish peach clouds forming a large Gazelle.  Ox, with his back to us, is skipping along with a rose as two friendly birds watch.

All of the two-page images rendered in watercolor and colored pencil on paper are light and airy.  The tiny details Campbell includes ask you to pause and reflect on what they say about the individuals.  Both Ox and Gazelle have pictures of her on their walls.  You have to smile at the tiny bug in a floatie in Gazelle's swimming pool.  Twice when showcasing Ox, Campbell groups several smaller pictures together to show his dedication and intent.

  By the expressions on their faces and their body postures, we can feel their moods for every moment featured.  When Ox gets the second identical letter from Gazelle he is gleefully reading on his bed unaware of her intent.  Gazelle's overly dramatic pose on her divan is hilarious as she pens a very short note to Ox.

One of my favorite of many illustrations is of Ox sitting on a park bench.  A big green tree is behind him and low bushes stretch out to the right.  He is wearing his overalls, white shirt and a beret.  With a cup of coffee in one hand, he is writing a letter to Gazelle with the other hand.  A paper bag of bird seed is next to him on one side.  On the other rests a picture of Gazelle and his guitar.  Birds are pecking at his feet.  A tiny bug watches.  In the pond in front of him, ducks, a fish and lounging frog complete the scene.


I can't stop smiling whenever I think of this book which I read on its release date.  XO, OX  A Love Story with words by Adam Rex and pictures by Scott Campbell is comic correspondence at its finest.  You must have this book on your professional and personal bookshelves.  And read it aloud whenever you get the chance.

To learn more about Adam Rex and Scott Campbell and their other work please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  From Adam Rex's website you can go to his blog.  He also maintains Tumblr pages with his books.  At the publisher's website you can view interior pages.  Adam Rex is interviewed at KinderLit.  There is lots of art and process art by Scott Campbell at author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson's site, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  Scott Campbell has lots of art and process art here.

Dear People on the Internet,
I love you so much I've written a book for you. It's called XO, OX: A Love Story, illustrated by @scottlava. pic.twitter.com/1wHQJoE0Nl

— Adam Rex (@MrAdamRex) January 3, 2017

Roguish Rabbits On The Rampage

When you and your four-month-old canine companion are the first two beings to walk the park after a snowfall you are both taking in the messages left by the wild inhabitants.  You can see the tracks of many deer, rabbits, birds and paw prints looking suspiciously like those of a fox.  Nose to the ground your furry friend is zig-zagging all over the path inhaling the scents left behind by those very animals.  Over and over her nose sticks into a deer track like its ambrosia, then she'll lift her head to perhaps get a whiff of the same smell on the breeze.

On February 9, 2016 readers met a happy-go-lucky Jack Russell terrier and his short human girl.  Fenway and Hattie (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC) written by Victoria J. Coe with spot interior illustrations by Kristine A. Lombardi gives readers insights into the mind of this dog through the story told from his perspective.  Both Fenway and Hattie are challenged by their move from the noisy city to the quiet suburbs in this first book.  In a companion title, Fenway and Hattie and the Evil Bunny Gang (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, January 24, 2017), Fenway's vigilance and professionalism are tested constantly as he tries to protect Hattie and her family from new nasty intruders.

I'm out in the Dog Park behind our new
house, enjoying a refreshing roll-around in the grass
when I pick up the despicable smell of rodent.  It can
only be one thing---a squirrel.

First chasing a pesky squirrel from their Dog Park, Fenway is now happily engaged in play with Patches and Goldie, the dogs of Muffin Lady, Tool Man and Angel, their next door neighbors.  While Hattie and Angel are chatting about Angel's new jacket and tickets to Fenway Park (which momentarily intrigues Fenway), he decides to take a short cut through the vegetable garden to get an edge on Goldie and Patches but stops dead in his tracks.  What is that terrible stench?

Not only is the smell hideous but something has been digging in the dirt and has ruined all the new little plants.  There's only one dog for the job of discovering these villains and it's Fenway.  As he sets out to track down the culprits, the damage is discovered by Food Lady.  She is not happy at all.  Fenway gets blamed for the mess and Hattie is scolded for not watching her dog.  Hattie lifts him up just as he locates some tiny pellets.

Relegated to the front yard, Hattie and Fenway notice their neighbors, Whisker Face and Round Lady, coming home across the street.  Hattie bounds over to them and seems excited by the result of their conversation.  Fenway, on the other paw, smells that particular foul odor all over the couple.  It would appear there is a gang of these evil creatures throughout the neighborhood.

Fenway keeps pursuing the smell in the garden and discovers more damage, a hole under their fence. He's even more determined to protect his family and the yard even though Goldie and Patches tell him the critters are called bunnies and supposedly harmless.  It hardly seems like they are harmless when Fenway keeps getting blamed for their destruction.

Just when Fenway thinks it can't get any worse it does.  The object of the happy conversation with Whisker Face and Round Lady ends up in their home.  Fenway does not believe what Goldie and Patches tell him.  It just can't be true.  On top of all this Hattie seems more distressed than she should when she looks out her bedroom window and into Angel's back yard.  What is going on in Fenway's humans' home?

Several disasters set events in motion which only Fenway (and Hattie) can fix.  Fenway knows he must do that which goes against his most basic desires.  But...he will do anything for the happiness of his human.


When Victoria J. Coe writes about dogs for dogs, readers are inside the dog's skin, living their lives and thinking their thoughts.  She seems to have an almost supernatural connection with them sensing the world as they do.  Each situation is viewed, smelled, tasted, touched, and heard as only a dog can.  She ties us so closely to the character of Fenway we find ourselves wondering how his humans could fail to understand what he has to do.

In this particular story Fenway shines brighter than ever but Coe deftly weaves other elements into his narrative.  She addresses human responsibility for completing tasks, jealousy between pets and humans, the give and take in relationships and the value of differing personalities.  Both Fenway and Hattie are growing as individuals.  Here are some sample passages.

Panting wildly I chase him through the grass.  My sides are heaving, but I will not give up!  I'm gaining on him!  I'm about to grab his flouncy little tail---
But that nasty squirrel hurls himself onto the side fence.  He scurries to the top and dives into the Dog Park next door.
"And don't come back!" I bark, thrusting out my chest in victory.  Ridding the Dog Park of squirrels is a tough job.  But luckily, I'm a professional.
I rush back to Hattie, who's headed toward the porch.  I jump on her legs.  "Great news!" I bark.  "The nasty squirrel is gone."
She scoops me into her arms, showering me with kisses.  She must be awfully grateful I saved her from the dangerous threat.  Again.

"Hattie!" Food Lady sounds upset.  She
sprints across the porch, nearly tripping over Hattie's
tangled jump rope.
"FEN-way!" Hattie cries, her voice high with alarm.  She charges at me right toward the danger!
I free my hind leg and dart around the ripped zucchini leaves.  That nasty creature could still be at large.  Anything could happen!  "Nobody panic.  I'll find the troublemaker!"  I get back to sniffing like crazy.
Food Lady speeds through the grass.  "FEN-way!" she snaps.  Her arms wave.  Her eyes bulge.  She's clearly even more upset by the danger than Hattie is.

How can I play at a time like this?  That Evil Bunny Gang might be plotting their invasion.  They could be tunneling into the Dog Park at any moment.  I have way too much work to do.


The action is nonstop.  The humor will have you laughing out loud.  The love will have you looking for the nearest dog to hug.  Fenway and Hattie and the Evil Bunny Gang written by Victoria J. Coe with spot interior illustrations by Kristine A. Lombardi will have you flipping pages as fast as you can wondering how this bundle of energy is going to prove to his humans how professional he truly is.  You will be talking about this book as often as you can to readers.  I would plan on multiple copies.

To discover more about Victoria J. Coe please visit her website by following the link attached to her name.  If you follow the link to my blog post about the first title you can view many more additional resources.  On July 21, 2016 Victoria J. Coe was interviewed at It's All About the Journey.  Both the cover reveal for this title and the premiere for the book trailer were unveiled at Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries John Schumacher's blog, Watch. Connect. Read.  You'll enjoy the conversations and glimpses into this book.  Teacher librarian Jennifer Reed writes on her blog, Reederama, about an activity she did after sharing portions of this book with her students.  Educator Michele Knott shares her thoughts about this book on her blog, Mrs. Knott's Book Nook.

U R The Raisin My ♥ Is Happy

Who doesn't love a little mystery or a puzzle to solve?  Secret code books have consistently been popular titles in the nonfiction section of school libraries.  Students are amazing in their ability to discover answers because they think outside the box without the constraints adults seem to acquire.  Not only do they like to decipher problems, especially if they can be seen as a game or quest, but they like to create them for someone else to figure out.

Queen of colorful collage illustrations, Caldecott Honor winner for Color Zoo, and maker of marvelous titles for the very youngest readers, Lois Ehlert, has a new book.  Heart to Heart (Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, January 3, 2016) is like holding happiness in your hands.  Its cleverness is cozy and comfortable; a rebus brimming with puns.

On the first two page illustration we read in our minds

I've been thinking of you.

Ehlert shows it as

I've (two string beans side by side as cross-sections showing the beans) thinking of U.   She follows this with a question shortened by using two single letters in place of two words. 

An avocado continues to express the affection one being feels for the other.  This individual is quiet but has decided to speak playfully perhaps roaming the stalls of a market for inspiration.  From endearments an invitation is declared with hope for an affirmative answer.

An explanation follows as to the emotional state felt by the speaker before finding this soul mate. Then more pages are dedicated to fruitful revelations of devotion.  Seeing this kindred spirit generates complete bliss in the narrator

from my head down tomatoes (A trio of tomatoes is pictured.)

Vegetables are part of further inquiries.  These are followed by two objects from the outside natural world before the vegetables make an appearance again as final sentences offer possibilities.  Will 1 ♥ reach another ♥?


Considering how long it took me to fashion the title of this blog post, I can't even begin to speculate on the amount of time each sentence formed with vegetables, fruits, numbers and single letters took the masterful Lois Ehlert.  As you read each one you can't help but wonder how she might have done this.  The entire narrative is a conversation, a love letter, to the other individual.  What's fabulous is each thought is flawlessly tied to the next one without feeling forced.  It's completely sincere and open although very funny.  To provide pacing she sometimes splits one sentence between two pictures.  Here's one of those sentences shown in two separate images.

Whenever U turnip, (A turnip is featured.) (page turn)
lime (A picture of a lime is shown.) ha P U R there.


Younger gals and guys are going to gravitate toward the six inch by six inch trim size of the title immediately.  This dimension, the vibrant colors, heart symbol and the number 2 are an open invitation...read me, read me, read me.  To the left on the back of the matching dust jacket and book case on a background of golden yellow, Ehlert was written

Who do U ♥?

The title page is part of the opening endpapers.  The publication information is part of the closing endpapers.  Classic background colors used by Ehlert are different with every page turn, turquoise, red, pink, darker turquoise, red again, purple, grass green, golden yellow and back to red before another color shift is shown.  Her fonts for words and single letters and numbers are larger for her intended audience.

Next to each vegetable and fruit she has spelled out their name.  Cut papers form the rebus elements.  I can easily hear listeners calling out the specific items before the sentences are read.

One of my favorite two illustrations of several is near the beginning of the book.  On the darker turquoise canvas a sliced avocado is followed by

 crush on U,

before you turn the page.  Red reaches out to you with the words and symbol saying

but my ♥ is shy.


Whether you snuggle up close and read this one on one or with a group of students in a story circle or projected on a white board, Heart to Heart written and illustrated by a true children's literature treasure, Lois Ehlert, is a book you will joyfully place on your professional and personal bookshelves.  This offers the opportunity to talk about words, how to play with words and objects, how to express friendship and declare love.  This book is a classic gem.

To see interior images of this book please visit the publisher's website.  To learn more about Lois Ehlert and this title you might enjoy reading a recent interview at Publishers Weekly.  Lois Ehlert was interviewed by author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson at BookPage several years ago.  She was also showcased at The Horn Book about the same time.  Earlier interviews at Reading Rockets can be viewed here.  

Crack...

A box without hinges, key or lid, yet...

golden treasure inside is hid.

When wandering in the wild whenever you find a nest filled with eggs or an egg with no nest or parents in the area, unless you have prior knowledge of its coloring, you have no idea what this egg represents.  There is a tiny life inside; growing and waiting to burst forth into the world.  It's the not-knowing which gives an egg its magic.  It offers us the opportunity to wonder and discover. 

Unless eggs happen to be on an animal's diet, if found they might approach them with the same curiosity as we humans do.  What is this?  Does it belong to someone?  What's inside?  Beloved and esteemed author illustrator Kevin Henkes released his fiftieth title on January 3, 2017.   Egg (Greenwillow Books) is full of all those little moments which make life as wonderful as it can be.

egg

egg

egg

egg

crack

crack

crack

egg 

In those first eight images placed in four squares on two pages we know one very important thing.  Not all eggs are cracked up to be as presented.  Three of the four eggs are opening, issuing forth the joy held inside.  The fourth simply is.  

After the three colorful little birds have flown away we watch the fourth egg and wait and wait and wait a whole bunch more.  The avian trio return, puzzled.  They huddle.  They snuggle.  They are still as can be hoping to hear a sound.  Then the suspense lures them to do what comes naturally.  They peck and peck and peck a whole bunch more.

crack

YIKES!

Three colorful little birds fly far away.  One infant becomes sadder and lonelier by the minute.  One by one, the trio, overcome by inquisitiveness, comes closer with caution. 

It's not exactly a tree branch but it's green like leaves and it moves.  This is something worth chirping about to all who will listen.  A foursome of friends glides and rides on water watching a sunset.  Or perhaps it isn't the sun...

Single words used in repetition supply a subtle rhythm pointing to the noticeable difference in the fourth egg.  When Kevin Henkes does this, he creates mystery.  We as readers realize the passage of considerable time when he uses the word waiting seventeen times in a wonderful and masterful sequence.  It's a perfect lead into the return of the feathered friends.  

Only fifteen different words on used in this title.  It is their frequency and position in the story which fashion impeccable pacing.  As you enjoy the tale told, you also feel amazement growing at the brilliance of this work.

Kevin Henkes' use of brown as a framing and outlining color adds a softness and warmth to all the illustrations rendered in brown ink and watercolor paint.  When you open the dust jacket to the left, on the back, are a pale pink, pale yellow, pale blue and pale green eggs.  The text beneath them is 

crack      crack     crack     ?

When you first see the illustration on the front all you want to do is reach out and hug those little birds and the pale green egg.  They as well as the text are varnished.  On the book case a large brown cloth spine reaches out to a pale blue background on each side.  Egg in slightly larger letters tops the front.  The elements are the same on the front and back hinting at the ending.

Small pale blue, yellow, pink and green squares separated by a fine brown line present a pattern for the opening and closing endpapers.  A single informal title page edged in a larger brown line holds space for Egg.  The formal title page spans two pages with Kevin Henkes' name and the publisher's name on the left and a large Egg on the right.  In the spaces of the e and g letters are pale pink, yellow and blue.  The verso and dedication pages feature a single illustration, the sun over the letters,

for s.k.

To provide the storytelling cadence, the ebb and flow of the narrative, Henkes may break up a page into equal squares, use a single large image on one page, or divide a page into sixteen spaces.  It's his choice when to use these panel sizes on his pages and whether he includes words or not, that draw readers completely into his story.  We can readily identify with all the characters.

One of my favorite illustrations of many is the special surprise! page.  It is framed in a wide brown line.  A portion of each little bird is shown.  The pink bird is coming in from the corner of the left edge.  The yellow and blue birds are looking in from the right.  Front and center, wearing a huge grin, sitting in the cracked and open shell is the newborn.  At the sight of this creature, the eyes on the birds are wide, wide open.  I guarantee readers will gasp and laugh at this scene.

Egg written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes, even though 2017 is young, will be one of this year's best books.  It welcomes discussion about expectations, patience, trust, compassion and friendship.  I recommend you share this as often as you can and get copies for your professional and personal shelves.  I'm heading to the book shop to get more myself.

To discover about Kevin Henkes the person and his other forty-nine books please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  I enjoyed reading these two posts at The Horn Book, Kevin Henkes Talks with Roger, December 1, 2015 and Kevin Henkes - Twenty-five Years July 1, 2005.

A peek at Kevin Henkes' 50th book, EGG, a graphic novel for preschoolers! @GreenwillowBook #harperpreview pic.twitter.com/bQs1ODAPvn

— HarperStacks (@HarperStacks) May 20, 2016

Surprise! pic.twitter.com/n8BNHxwVLd

— John Schu (@MrSchuReads) January 27, 2017

UPDATE:  This video was posted recently.  I always enjoy hearing an author read their books.

A Man And A Horse Show The World

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.

                                                             Aesop

The other day driving home in the early afternoon from a trip to the veterinarian either a very old or ill raccoon was starting to cross the road on my right.  Slowing to a crawl I was able to give him a wide berth, hoping to eliminate any fear the creature may have felt.  Looking in my rearview mirror and up ahead in the opposite lane I could see cars coming from both directions.  I put on my brake lights again to warn the driver behind me and flashed my lights at the driver ahead of me.  Almost afraid to look but wanting to know, I watched with a huge sense of relief and overwhelming gratitude to see the two drivers create a corridor of safety for the raccoon.

The more often more of us realize we need to be champions for those who need us the most, the better the entire world will be but most importantly our animal companions will and should be the benefactors.  Step Right Up: How Doc and Jim Key Taught the World About Kindness (Lee & Low Books Inc., October 15, 2016) debut title by Donna Janell Bowman with illustrations by Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award winner Daniel Minter presents the unique story of a man's kindness and the remarkable acts it inspired.  This is a rare book unlike any you may have encountered before or are likely to encounter in the future.

Spring 1889 stretched a blanket of wildflowers over Shelbyville, Tennessee, but William "Doc" Key barely noticed.

On this day a beloved horse Lauretta, a true Arabian saved from a cruel life in a circus, gave birth to a colt.  It was clear the colt was not quite right but Doc Key was not one to ever give up on a life that needed his help.  This gift of Doc Key's began when he was a child.

He grew up as a slave owned by John and Martha Key but they allowed him to be educated with their sons.  His affinity for healing and kindness toward creatures gave him the freedom to visit other farms and assist with their animals.  He learned how to combine natural remedies from his mother.  After the Civil War Doc's skills grew affording him the opportunity to marry, build a home, a hospital for horses and produce Doc's Keystone Liniment.  His continued success as a businessman created the circumstances for him to expand his holdings.  He eventually began to travel selling his medicines and providing entertainment.  This is how he came to own Lauretta.

Doc loved the colt giving it his utmost care.  Not only was the colt curious but it was clever.  It soon could do everything a dog could do.  As a yearling the colt did not want to leave Doc especially after Lauretta died, so Doc invited the horse into his home.  He watched everything Doc did, trying to imitate him.  Eventually he grew into a large stallion, no longer the size to be inside a house.  When he needed to go back to the stable Jim was so upset Doc moved in with him, setting up his office and a cot there.

As you can probably surmise Jim began to accompany Doc when he traveled selling his medicines.  One day when they were at home, Doc's wife made a startling discovery.  This was what led to the education of Jim.  What this horse with this man mastered over the course of years is nothing short of marvelous.  At the Tennessee Centennial Exposition in 1897 the world was able to finally see what Doc and Jim already knew. 

From that day forward Doc and Jim shared Jim's talents with audience after audience.  There were those who did not believe but they could not disprove what kindness multiplied had brought forth in Beautiful Jim Key.  Their show caught the attention of humane societies who began to benefit from the proceeds.  Jim's mathematical skills were uncanny.  He won spelling bees competing with children around the country.  The two became so famous that Doc was able to insist that all people be allowed to sit where they desired in his shows regardless of their race.  Finally at ages seventy-three and seventeen the man and his horse went back to Shelbyville for a well-earned rest.

With her introductory sentence author Donna Janell Bowman takes us back in time to Tennessee.  We are there with Doc at the birth of Jim.  Her careful research is evident in the details included which invite us to know Doc and Jim on a more intimate level.  It's equally important actual quotes are inserted in her narrative.  Readers will be fascinated with the process used to "educate" Jim and the results as recounted by Bowman are nothing short of astounding.  Here are two sample passages.

"He was a knowing colt, I tell you," Doc said.  "He showed me he could fetch, and proceeded to try to do the other tricks the dog could do."  Jim learned to sit, play dead, act sick, and roll over on cue.

When Jim was about a year old, Lauretta died.  Doc was heartbroken, but he also worried about Jim.  The orphaned colt needed looking after night and day.  So Doc coaxed Jim up the porch steps and through the front door of his house.  The young horse made himself right at home.

Rendered masterfully as linoleum block prints painted with acrylic all of the artwork beginning with the matching dust jacket and book case is beautiful.  What is most appealing about the jacket and case illustration, in addition to the color palette, title text design and historical accuracy, is the apparent affection between Beautiful Jim Key and Doc Key.  Here, and throughout the body of the book, the intricate line work is exquisite.  The opening and closing endpapers are a rich rustic red.

On the title page Daniel Minter features the letters spelling  J I M tucked around an apple beneath the title text.  A peaceful pastoral scene across two pages of a barn and a fenced-in pasture with horses grazing provides space for the publication information and dedications.  Many of the pictures span two pages or are on single pages framed in small rich rustic red lines.  There are three single page visuals stretching page edge to page edge.

All of the illustrations glow with a golden light.  Readers will be first drawn to the eyes on the people, full of expression.  Readers will also notice each time Doc is shown his hands are poised in gentleness regardless of what he might be doing.  

One of my many favorite illustrations is a single page picture.  Doc is kneeling in a bed of straw cradling the new colt, Jim, in his arms.  The colt is very thing and weak.  Behind them both, resting but watchful, is Lauretta.  Doc's eyes are closed as he caresses the animal.  This illustration is like looking at a circle of love.

Step Right Up: How Doc and Jim Key Taught the World About Kindness written by Donna Janell Bowman with illustrations by Daniel Minter is one of the finest nonfiction books of 2016.  It was chosen as a recommended title by the National Council of Teachers of English Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children.  At the conclusion of the book there is a four page intriguing Afterward.  Following that is an extensive listing of quotation sources and author sources like books, newspapers, websites and other sources.

To learn more about author Donna Janell Bowman and illustrator Daniel Minter and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Author Cynthia Leitich Smith highlights this title on her blog, Cynsations, for the cover reveal and a new voice interview with Donna Janell Bowman.  At the publisher's website you can view a teacher's guide, an interview with Donna Janell Bowman and Step Right Up Kindness Pledge printouts are available for students.  Daniel Minter is featured in an earlier post at The Brown Bookshelf: United In Story.

I am thrilled to be participating in another year of reading excellent nonfiction for children.  I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Alyson Beecher, an outstanding educator who is hosting the 2017 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge on her blog, Kid Lit Frenzy.  Be sure you visit each Wednesday to enjoy the other titles selected by participating bloggers.

Master Of Many

As a child spending a day at the Potter Park Zoo was an event to be remembered.  Even as an adult, strolling among the exhibits I felt a sense of peace and wonder.  There is a part of me, a part I hope all of us holds, that wishes these animals were free to live full and happy lives out in the world in their natural habitats but I have come to recognize the importance of the best kind of zoo.

It would seem residents in a zoo might be looking for that one thing at which they excel.  Or like some individuals in the human realm, they might discover a passion for more than one pursuit.  Hippopotamister (First Second, May 10, 2016) written and illustrated by John Patrick Green is a graphic novel designed to have you grinning from ear to ear as soon as you look at the dust jacket.  

The old City Zoo was falling apart.

It was nearly vacant except for the animal occupants and let me tell you, they were looking the worse for wear.  At the hub of this lackluster facility lived Red Panda and Hippopotamus.  Red Panda, at his wits end, declared to his friend, Hippopotamus, he was leaving the zoo.  He was going to live among the humans disguised as a human.

Hippopotamus could hardly wait for Red Panda's visits, regaling him with news of the human world and his variety of jobs.  Hippopotamus finally admitted to Red Panda his desire to live in the human world.  Could Red Panda help him find a job?  

Of course, Red Panda could find him a job but first Hippopotamus needed to change his name to Hippopotamister if he wanted to blend in as a human.  Their first job was as construction workers.  They don't exactly conform to the skyscraper being built.  Red Panda's work looks like a cobbled-up mess from a dumpster.  Hippopotamus builds an elaborate castle. Hmm....  As you can imagine, they were fired.

Their stints as hair stylists, chefs, bankers and dental hygienists yielded similar results.  Red Panda had a knack at nothing and Hippopotamus excelled at everything.  The outcomes were shocking and marvelous.  Eight more trades were tried until one particular morning Red Panda declared they needed a day off. (I think the human world needed a day off from this duo too.) 

They decided to visit their zoo.  As they meandered down the paths Hippopotamister with his newly acquired skills began to notice certain details. He was most definitely thinking but Red Panda could hardly wait to get out of there.  More positions were tried until the roles were reversed in one final place.  The twosome parted ways but not on good terms.

Back at the zoo Hippopotamus rested on his rock wondering and wondering.  Late at night changes happened.  In the morning the zoo citizens were dumbfounded.  No one was more surprised than Hippopotamister with what happened next.

With a flawless blend of text by an unseen narrator and dialogue between and by Red Panda and Hippopotamus, readers are treated to the humorous story created by John Patrick Green.  Whenever the narrator makes a statement it is followed with supportive points generating a cadence.  Comedy is present in every situation when Hippopotamus wonders if he will be successful at a job in which he knows nothing and Red Panda offers his "sage" advice.  Here is the exchange between the two at their first job.

I've never done anything like this before.  How do I know I'm doing a good job?

Relax, Hippopotamister.  You'll be a natural, like me.

Well, I don't want to make any mistakes.

No one expects you to be perfect, Hippopotamister.

What in blazes?

We're building a skyscraper!

Look at what you've done with the supplies.

The array of hats around Hippopotamus on the front of the dust jacket and above Red Panda on the back, to the left, is just a hint of the hilarity to be found within this book.  The washed sky blue background draws the readers' attention to the colors of the companions and the headwear.  On the spine Hippopotamus is wearing the chef hat at the bottom.  It's his noncommittal expression contrasted with Red Panda's yippee-here-we-go-again look which is another suggestion of the comedy about to begin.

On the book case John Patrick Green has cleverly shown on the right Hippopotamister looking rather dapper in a city setting and on the left, Hippopotamus is standing in front of the zoo gate.  On the opening and closing endpapers we get a bird's eye view of twenty zoo exhibits but the contrast between the two is striking; a before-and-after look.  Careful readers will spot Red Panda and Hippopotamister in their roles.  Who is on top of the wart hog?  The change in the penguins is funnier than funny.

John Patrick Green alters his panel sizes to provide pacing and interest.  They are all framed in white with the exception of those images extending edge to edge across two pages.  His wordless pictures are sure to prompt explosions of laughter.  The expressions on the faces of Hippopotamus and Red Panda are another wonderful source of giggles and grins.  Truthfully nearly every page turn provides an opportunity for major smileage.

One of my many favorite illustrations is after the pals have been working in the bank.  This wordless two page picture shows Red Panda in a scuffle with the bank manager on the left.  He thinks the gentleman's mustache resembles walrus tusks.  On the right Hippopotamister has balanced the books with his amazing mathematical skills.  Green also shows next to his adding machine and balance scales on his desk a stack of books, much like a house of cards, perfectly balanced.


Hippopotamister written and illustrated by John Patrick Green is fantastic fun!  No wonder it is one of School Library Journal's Top 10 Graphic Novels | 2016.  On December 30, 2016 it garnered one of the 2016 Nerdies in the Graphic Novel category.  You are going to need several copies of this title on your professional shelves and at least one for your personal shelves.

To learn more about John Patrick Green and his other work please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  You can view some interior images at the publisher's website.  First Second has a five question interview of John Patrick Green.  Geek Dad has an exclusive look at Hippopotamister.  The Beat Comics Culture interviews John Patrick Green.  Green wrote a guest post for the Nerdy Book Club.  John Schumacher, Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, participates in a comic interview with Hippo at Watch. Connect. Read.  At Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast the blog of author, reviewer and blogger, Julie Danielson, she interviews Red Panda and Hippo in a cartoon.

Gastropod A Go Go

The arrival of the mail every day is a neighborhood event.  After the postman's little truck stops and starts and stops and starts at every mailbox and finally leaves one street to make deliveries down another, front and side doors on houses open with residents walking out to see what was left for them.  You can pretty much determine the contents from their body postures as they return to their homes.

An enduring favorite on elementary school library shelves are The Jolly Postman and The Jolly Christmas Postman written by Allan Ahlberg with illustrations by Janet Ahlberg.  So well-loved are these books they are continually being replaced and multiple copies are a part of the collection.  Children love to open the envelopes, look at what is inside and read them over and over.  SNAIL MAIL With Pull-Out Postcards (Hodder Children's Books, September 8, 2016 UK, Hachette's Children's Books, April 4, 2017 US) written and illustrated by Sharon King-Chai is a charming, colorful ode to waiting for the delivery of news from a missed companion.

Hi there! I'm SAM, the Seashell Snail.  I live by the seashore.

Sam has a mama, a papa, a brother named Tiger and several starfish and crab friends.  He also has a Teddy bear.  This family is anything but slow, loving one adventure after another.  On this particular day, Tiger is off on a special trip.  He gives Sam his word he will write to him every single day because Sam loves

SNAIL MAIL.

On Monday Postman Perry brings a yellow, green and black envelope to Sam.  Tiger has written clues on the outside of the envelope asking Sam to guess where he is.  When Sam opens the envelope he pulls out a postcard with BRAZIL in the corner.  A turtle, eel, whale, dolphin and Tiger are dancing the Samba.  In his chatty message to Sam, Tiger talks about the Carnival.  A stamp in the upper, right hand corner highlights one of the new Seven Wonders of the World found in Brazil and another features the country's favorite sport.

Sam's family dons their floats and dances on the waves as his friends do the same underneath them.  On the next day, Tuesday, during seahorse racing Postman Perry presents another envelope to Sam.  Clues on the outside lead to AMERICA.  Tiger is thrilled to be playing with a band called ROCK and SOUL.  Not wanting to miss out on any of the fun, Sam and his friends form their own musical group.

The envelopes and postcards come on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  Each day Sam learns about a new country and what you might see there but on Saturday Postman Perry does not come.  Did something happen to Tiger? Sam is about to get the surprise of his happy life.


The words selected and used by Sharon King-Chai form simple sentences easily understood by the intended audience.  Each of the family members introduces themselves in speech bubbles.  Otherwise Sam is narrating the story.  To demonstrate the active lifestyle of this family of snails whenever the mail is received they are engaged in an activity.  After Tiger's postcard is read, they try to duplicate what he has done.  Not only are readers learning the days of the week but they also tour to five other countries, learning greetings in their language.  Here is another sample passage.

On Thursday, I'm rock climbing when Postman Perry delivers my fourth SNAIL MAIL.
KITES! What a good idea.  We make our own and spend the day flying them...
higher
and 
higher!
OOPS! 


When readers open the book case they are welcomed with two different bright and cheerful images.  On the back, to the left, is the publication information on a canvas of vivid blue.  The snail family and a starfish surround the text along with a splash of water.  The postal colors of red, white and blue extend from the front, over the spine and to the back.  The text is done in red foil on the front and spine.  Just look at the joyful faces of Sam and Postman Perry!  You know good things are going to be found in this book.

On the opening and closing endpapers Sharon King-Chai has drawn a map of the world.  She includes papa, mama, Tiger and Sam as well as those friends Tiger meets in his travels.  For every country he visits she has written a salutation in their language.  At the bottom framed and in capital letters is

SNAIL TRAIL.

Each time a word is written in capital letters it appears to have been stenciled letter by letter, by hand.  Many of the images span two pages.  Single page picture stretch edge to edge or are framed in generous amounts of white space.  The envelopes are secured to vibrant backgrounds in keeping with the county from which they have been sent.

Rendered in mixed media the illustrations are replete with lively details and some are quite humorous like the seagull flying over a starfish and leaving a dropping on its head.

The snails are paper cut outs, layered and juxtaposed with a variety of marks created in ink, paint, pencil, potato stamps, leaf and seaweed prints, photography, collage and digitally manipulated.  

Papa born in France has a mustache and wears a beret.  Mama wears a white ribbon in a bow.  Both Sam and his Teddy are wearing blue bow ties.

One of my many favorite illustrations spreads across two pages.  The text is placed on a narrow white border at the top.  Notes swirl in the rockpool as a crab, starfish, seahorse and Sam make music.  Sam is wearing large square sunglasses.  The crab, starfish and seahorse might be mirroring other rock stars.


SNAIL MAIL With Pull-Out Postcards written and illustrated by Sharon King-Chai is sheer bliss.  Readers are guaranteed to love opening the envelopes and reading the postcard messages.  The information found on the postcard in the note and on the stamps is sure to prompt more research on those named counties.  I would plan on multiple copies.

To discover more information about Sharon King-Chai and her other work please visit her website by following the link attached to her name.  At her website is a link to her Etsy shop.  This title is showcased at the North Somerset Teachers' Book Award website.