Up And Down...It Circles Around

Water levels in the Great Lakes have been on the rise in the last several years after severe lows ended.  A combination of circumstances leads to a prediction of fifteen trillion gallons of water being added to the Great Lakes by the summer of 2017.  Although water levels earlier this summer were close to breaking records (and did) and the levels remain high they are not expected to surpass records set more than thirty years ago for highest recorded monthly mean in the month of August.

What has prompted this research in Great Lakes water levels?  As a lifelong resident of Michigan I have seen the rise and fall of the water levels from one extreme to the other and quite frankly we have had so little rain the past six weeks the leaves on trees are turning yellow and dropping but a new title in the Let's-Read-And-Find-Out Science 2 series heightened my curiosity.  Droughts (Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, August 1, 2017) written by Melissa Stewart with illustrations by Andre Ceolin showcases and defines droughts.  They can and do happen anywhere on our planet.

When will it rain?  That was the question on everyone's mind.  It had been weeks and weeks since the last real storm.

When this occurs with so little rain (or lack of snowfall the previous winter) and the ground hardens it is a drought.  Droughts can last for weeks or even years.  The lack of water is hard on all life as the levels in lakes, rivers and streams drops.  While it makes sense for droughts to take place in dry climates, they can happen in wet climates like rain forests too.  When precipitation is less an area is in danger of drought.

Our water is constantly cycling from liquid to vapor and back to liquid again.  The oceans hold most of our planet's water.  If you want to know how precious the fresh water available is, try the jug and cup activity noted in the narrative.  It's shocking how little we really have.

A drought is not an overnight experience.  It is a slow but steady process.  The results are deadly.  With so little moisture the chance of wildfires and dust storms increases.  The food chain which includes humans suffers.

 The key to survival during a drought is to plan ahead.  In sites more prone to drought, people plant accordingly.  Scientists monitor from space, check our oceans, and rainfall levels.  Governments have plans in place in case of this kind of event, asking and requiring conservation of water.  The more we work together, the longer we will live together during the fluctuations in our water supply.


Although presented for younger readers when Melissa Stewart writes everyone learns.  She begins by teaching us about what defines a drought and where they can transpire.  And it's not just about rainfall but snowfall too!  Moving into the water cycle she then reinforces the importance of protecting the freshwater available.  This further stresses the value in knowing about, preparing for and surviving a drought.  With care Melissa explains about the consequences of a drought...for all animals and plants.

In addition to the main narrative Did You Know? sections provide more fascinating information.  Also two activities expand our thinking about the world's water supply and how we collect data.  This entire volume contains exactly what we need to understand expressed in conversational text.   Here is a sample passage.

Wind picks up the dry, loose soil and blows it 
through the air.  Sometimes a giant dust storm
forms, causing the sky to go dark.  Dirt and
pebbles pelt people's bodies.  The dust can bury
roads and clog car engines.


The image on the front of the dust jacket and book case instantly brings to mind the hot, dry days of summer but it also serves to remind people a drought can take place anywhere, even an area normally considered a wetland.  By including the human, her canine companion, the rabbit and squirrel it exemplifies that droughts affect everyone.  To the left, on the back, other titles in the series for levels one and two are showcased.

The opening and closing endpapers of crisp white, change to pages with a single, small illustration of rocks in water on a white background and then to two pages of parched, cracked land with dry leaves blowing across it.  Two pages are dedicated to a picture of three people looking over a dry desert landscape under a glaring sun for the title.  Artist Andre Ceolin used Adobe Photoshop to create these digital illustrations.  His use of light and shadow is excellent.

A flow is supplied between the double-page spreads, pages crossing the gutter to generate columns and single pages by including the same individuals and the dog in multiple pictures.  The children and adults shown come from many ethnic backgrounds.  The scientists shown are both men and women.

One of my favorite of many illustrations shows three children and their dog enjoying a day at the lake.  A dock extends into the water with a girl sitting on it.  A boy is doing a cannonball from the dock.  Another boy is already swimming in the lake.  The dog is happily floating in an inner tube.  This picture shows an area with the necessary amount of water as opposed to the opposite picture showing the same scene during a drought.


For those school and classroom libraries with titles in this series already you will want to add Droughts written by Melissa Stewart with illustrations by Andre Ceolin.  For those bookshelves, professional and personal, without any titles in this series, I can think of no better book to start your collection than this one.  It is important and timely.  At the close of the narrative Melissa Stewart has several additional activities to try, a glossary, a special website and five hints on how to save water.

To discover more about Melissa Stewart and Andre Ceolin and their other work, please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  Melissa Stewart has a blog in which she talks about this book here and here.  To view interior pages in this title please visit the publisher's website.  Here is a video about a dust storm which moved into Phoenix, Arizona.




To see the other titles selected by bloggers participating in the 2017 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge hosted by educator Alyson Beecher, visit Kid Lit Frenzy.

Of A Feather...Together Again

If you take a moment or two to watch birds, they have valuable lessons to teach us.  After watering flowers in an otherwise rainless few weeks, they will gather to feast on worms among the wet areas.  They will enjoy this meal together, robins and mourning doves.  Walking down a road or street, looking skyward, you might see a different story unfold.  A group of smaller birds will be chasing and diving after a larger bird.  The large bird has been making a pest of itself probably around a nest.

Companionship is built on similar values; mutual respect for differences allows for shared time together.  Two unlikely friends introduced to readers in Nerdy Birdy (A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, September 22, 2015) written by Aaron Reynolds with pictures by Matt Davies have returned in Nerdy Birdy Tweets (A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, August 1, 2017).  The lure of social media comes at a price.

This is Nerdy Birdy.

Nerdy Birdy loves playing video games.

This is Vulture.

Vulture thinks video 
games are boring.
Vulture loves snacking on
dead things.

It's hard to believe a small, glasses-wearing bird is best friends with a looming vulture but it's true.  Most of all they enjoy teasing each other about their lunches, making silly faces and taking pictures of those silly faces.  As strange as this relationship is, it works until one day Nerdy Birdy starts to play a new game called Tweetster.

Tweetster involves getting friends online.  These friends can or cannot send you messages, play games with you and exchange pictures.  To Nerdy Bird's amazement he soon has hundreds of friends; including a flamingo, an ostrich and even a puffin living in Iceland.

To Vulture this is boring with a capital B.  No matter what she does, even pointing out how she could eat Nerdy Birdy in one big gulp, Nerdy Birdy is hooked on Tweetster.  Vulture flies away.  Hours later Nerdy Birdy notices.

In an effort to continue their friendship Vulture joins Tweetster.  All is well but Nerdy Birdy makes a mistake, sending something to his Tweetster friends without asking Vulture.  Vulture flies away again and does not come back.

An entire week passes and there is no sign of Vulture.  Nerdy Birdy seeks helps and gets startling answers.  Sometimes the best thing is right in front of you. A flight focuses on friendship.  Compromise isn't everything, it's the only thing. Tweet! Tweet!


When author Aaron Reynolds spins this tale of friendship he does so with a sure knowledge of the essence of friends forged in real life as opposed to those garnered only online.  With a sense of humor he points to the chief characteristics of Nerdy Birdy and Vulture, but then follows with those three activities they relish together.  When Nerdy Birdy is captivated by Tweetster, again Aaron uses the technique of three.  Within the story line as a whole a rhythm is generated with actions and conversations in sets of three (or more).

In keeping with the flow of the narrative Nerdy Birdy's mistake becomes a gentle lesson on social media manners as well as reminding readers how friends need to think before they act.  Aaron also covers what a real friend will do to maintain a relationship.  Here is a sample passage.

"Let's do
something
different."

"In a minute."

"This is not fun."

"Did you realize I 
can fit your whole
body in my beak?
I could eat you in
one bite if I wanted."

"Mm-
hm. 
That's
nice."


When you look at Nerdy Birdy playing Tweetster on the front of the matching dust jacket and book case, you know he's hooked.  His entire focus is on the screen; his eyes, tiny wings and whole body give us that signal.  It's a wonderful design element to have a portion of the title as a text message on the new game.  To the left, on the back, a disgusted Vulture is glaring at Nerdy Birdy.  Her neck is extended downward and her large wings are placed on her hips.

The opening and closing endpapers are a dusty blue color.  On the title page beneath the text, Nerdy Birdy is tap, tap, tapping on the screen.  Rendered in pen and ink and watercolor on paper the illustrations by Matt Davies are filled with subtle and overt humor; Vulture is carrying an Official Hello Bir.... Lunchb... with a large bone sticking out of it, Nerdy Birdy eats Gluten-, Flavor-, Texture- & Excitement-Free Bread Crumbs, and on the screen of the game a bird is squawking Friend Notification.  This Friend Notification is used as a lightly patterned background on four pages.

What readers will enjoy most are the facial expressions on Vulture and Nerdy Bird.  Sometimes they are looking at each other but other times they are looking right at the reader.  They are burst-out-loud hilarious.  For those moments of increased emphasis, Matt switches out the perspective bringing us close to the characters.  The sizes of the images are altered to enhance the pacing; double-page spreads, a group of smaller pictures on a single page, an illustration set in a large visual or framed panels like in a graphic novel.

One of my many favorite illustrations is on a single page.  Nerdy Birdy is standing still, engrossed in the game on his screen.  Above him is Vulture.  All we see are her eyes and beak.  The beak is open and placed on either side of Nerdy Birdy.  She is trying to make a point and he is completely clueless.  She is looking at us as if to say, "Can you believe this?"


This companion title to Nerdy Birdy, Nerdy Birdy Tweets written by Aaron Reynolds with pictures by Matt Davies, is a humorous and worthy narrative about friendship in light of the use of social media.  It is about being "present" when you are with friends.  It is about being sensitive to the feelings of all our friends, virtual and those we can easily see in our daily lives.  This book is definitely recommended for your professional and personal bookshelves.

To learn more about Aaron Reynolds and Matt Davies and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  If you wish to see interior images, follow this link to the publisher's website.  Please refer to the post about the first collaboration to read a fun interview between Aaron Reynolds and Matt Davies.

Heed The Cry Or Catch A Fly

It all comes down to the focus of their attention.  When you work with younger children, sometimes their concentration seems to be superficial; easily distracted by the least little thing (like a flock of wild turkeys crossing the playground during story time.) Other times a brass band could pass by them and they would not even look.  They remain riveted to whatever it is they are watching, hearing or doing.

In this second scenario you might momentarily grab a glance but they make a choice to continue their current fascination.  Toad on the Road: A Cautionary Tale (Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, May 16, 2017) written and illustrated by Stephen Shaskan is about a similar situation.  When an amphibian happens to hop on a thoroughfare, it had better beware.

Toad on the road.
Toad on the road.
Oh no! Oh no!
There's a toad on the road!

This toad captivated by a buzzing fly is about to be joined by a traveler, a very large traveler unable to slow his mode of transportation.  Yikes!  It's a bear riding a bicycle.  A tremendous crash echoes on the highway.

The bear with the destroyed two-wheeler warns the toad to get off the road.  He even asks the rascal what his mother would tell him to do.  Does the little imp listen?  He does not.  Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

Then a car and a van, one after the other, driven by equally alert individuals follow the same route.  The small green scamp is strongly advised to move and move quickly.  Both times a racket booms through the air.  There are now three bent and broken, flipped and fragmented vehicles in a pile.

 Where is the toad you ask?  He's still on the road!  Here comes a truck heading straight for the happy hopper.  With a comical twist, the tale comes to a surprising conclusion.


Author Stephen Shaskan writes with complete confidence in what his intended audience will enjoy.  The rhyming and repetition give us no other option than reading or singing the lines aloud.  They are loaded with liveliness and laughter.  As each animal moves on down the road, only the exclamation is changed to rhyme with them and their vehicle.  Here is a continuation of the first set of phrases.

Who's that coming down the road?
Oh yikes!  Oh yikes!
It's a ...
Bear on a bike!


When you first look at that toad on the road on the front of the matching dust jacket and book case, you have to laugh or at the very least smile.  His grin draws you into his great mood.  And look at the fly.  He's smiling too!  The scene on the right continues to the left, on the back.  In silhouette the three vehicles with their drivers are shown moving along the highway in the distance.  It's a prelude to hilarity.  Toad green covers the opening and closing endpapers.

With a page turn we see a loop-de-loop trail of the fly buzzing over the tip-top of the toad's head and eyes, looking upward.  On the verso the toad is leaping after the fly as he buzzes around and through the title text on the opposite page.  They both look so happy you can almost hear them giggling.

All of the images, rendered digitally in Photoshop, by Stephen Shaskan span edge to edge across two pages.  As each episode unfolds the perspective moves from farther away and then closer to the toad and the traveler followed by the ensuing pandemonium.  The complete "que sera sera" attitude displayed on the face of the toad contrasted with the looks of dread on the drivers' faces provides loads of comedy.  Readers will also have a ton of fun watching the toad and fly playing; the flight patterns of the insect and the body postures of the toad are full of humor.

One of my many favorite illustrations is when the van is coming down the road right at the toad.  Off to the left, the bear and croc are watching horrified.  The bear wearing the small red bicycle helmet and the croc wearing his top hat are gasping, wide-mouthed.  The croc has a front foot up to his mouth.  The bear is pointing too frightened to look. Their expressions are hysterical.


Once you read Toad on the Road written and illustrated by Stephen Shaskan aloud, expect multiple requests to read it again.  It will be hard for you and your listeners to not start singing the tale.  It's got a beat that pleads for this kind of play.  You will probably want to use it for reader's theater too.  I highly recommend you get copies for your professional and personal bookshelves.  (I think toad on the road will be winding through my mind for days.)

To learn more about Stephen Shaskan and his other work, please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  Enjoy the book trailer premiered at Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher's blog, Watch. Connect. Read.  It's a real toe-tapper and hand-clapper.

A Message Meant For You

As you wind through the woodland paths hiking with no particular destination in mind, it suddenly appears like a signal among the forest flora.  The bright white is hard to miss.  You've been told to never touch it when it's attached to a tree but now it's a gift left for you to treasure or use.  Aptly named, the bark of the paper birch is akin to pages in a composition notebook, waiting for words.  It presents possibilities.

This opportunity is like a question, what will you do with what you have?  I Wrote You A Note (Chronicle Books, June 13, 2017) written and illustrated by Lizi Boyd follows the journey of a message sent.  It considers potential based upon perspective.

I wrote you a note.
Did you find it?

No, the note is not found by the intended recipient but Turtle found it.  Did he read it?  No, he did not but he used it as a sail for his log-style raft.  It started to go faster than he was accustomed to going, so he swam away.

Then Duck discovered the note.  Her ducklings were tired.  A dock would be nice.  Spider needed help crossing the stream.  Bird wanted to strengthen her nest.

The note drifted to six more creatures of forest and field.  Each time they found a unique use for it.  Once it was a book.  Another time it was a sun hat.  It was even a napping tent.

Finally the wind found it.  It rose high in the air, moving about on the currents like a gymnast.  When it landed, a request was fulfilled.


Like the note written by her character Lizi Boyd sends an invitation to readers to participate in the narrative as it unfolds.  She creates a welcoming beat with the question

Did you find it?

followed by the three animals who did find it.  When she precedes

found the note

with the name of an animal, we wonder what they will make.  We wonder why they leave their newly designed object.  Here is a sample passage.

Squirrel found the note.
He folded it in half
and made a book.
But squirrels don't 
sit still for very long.

Squirrel dropped 
the book and
scampered up
the tree.


Looking at the opened dust jacket the scene from the front continues on the other side of the spine.  The rows of delicate flowers and grasses provide comfort for five of the animals who find the note.  It's a nice design element to have the girl writing Lizi Boyd's name on the birch bark.  Also by having the girl wear black and white clothing it's a reflection of the black ink on the white birch bark.  The color palette seen on the jacket is continued throughout the book with the addition of other spot colors.

The book case is like a piece of birch bark.  The only thing on it is the title text on the front, to the right.  The opening and closing endpapers are a pattern of grasses like at the top of the dust jacket prior to the sky.  They are done in blues, greens, white and gray.  On the title page the blue bird is carrying the piece of bark with the text on it. Prior to the first page and after the final page, a page is devoted to the replication of birch bark.

With the exception of the first and last pages all of the other pictures span two pages.  Parts of the pattern on the endpapers are woven into each image.  The tiny details supply a form of symmetry which in turn generates calm.  Readers will note a portion of the next animal to find the note is placed on the previous page.  This is a fine example of foreshadowing and suggests that readers make predictions.

Rendered in gouache each brush stroke is placed with painstaking care.  Other animals are added to most of the scenes; a honeybee, a frog, a salamander, a woodpecker, blackbirds, a butterfly, a grasshopper, and a caterpillar.  Each picture is a study of a natural setting.

A favorite picture of mine (of many) is of Duck using the note to make a dock for her tired ducklings.  On the left along the bank of the stream, Turtle from the previous page is moving from behind a rock in the background.  To the right in the background the girl is observing a spider web in the grass.  In front of her the small head of a frog is peeking from behind a rock.  Along the bottom the stream stretches from page edge to page edge.  Duck is swimming on the left with one duckling.  The other two are on the piece of birch bark on the right.


Readers, who enjoy titles which expand their thinking, stretching the "what-if", are going to read I Wrote You A Note written and illustrated by Lizi Boyd again and again.  They will pause at ever page turn to take pleasure in each illustration.  This book would be wonderful to explore letter writing, perspective, how certain animals might view a piece of birch bark and as an exploration of the natural world.  Who will you meet?  You will most definitely want a copy of this title on your personal and professional bookshelves.

To learn more about Lizi Boyd and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  If you wish to see an inside spread please visit the publisher's website.  Lizi Boyd is featured at PictureBook Makers.  Several other posts highlight the work of Lizi Boyd during the release of her title, Flashlight.

Measuring Victory

When participants enter a competition it is usually with the express purpose of claiming a victory.  Undoubtedly hours, days, maybe even years, have been dedicated to practicing to perfect their skill.  The intriguing thing is not all the individuals will bring with them the same definition of that victory.

Coming in first place or with the highest score may not be desired by everyone.  For some just being there is the true measure of success.  Mama Lion Wins The Race (Scholastic Press, July 25, 2017) written and illustrated by Jon J Muth presents readers with more than one view on winning and what determines those outlooks.

Mama Lion and Tigey looked out their window into a beautiful morning.

As the duo sip their first beverage of the day, contemplating the upcoming race, Tigey proclaims there are one or two things left before they are ready.  Full of excitement Mama Lion runs to get the car.  With equal enthusiasm Tigey plans their route.

As Tigey tinkers with their car, chatting about the race, Mama Lion notices some flaws in Tigey's cup.  Tigey wants to go for the win.

"Well," said Mama Lion.  "Winning is fun, but it isn't everything."

A huge crowd has gathered in the square for the start of the race.  The Flying Pandinis, two pandas and a turtle, The Knitted Monkeys, three beloved toys named Happy-Go-Lucky, Hans and Bumper and Bun Bun, a rabbit, are there with their vehicles.  As all the contestants prepare for the start Mama Lion makes note of the three prizes on the table.

With a roar of engines the race begins!  Before long Mama Lion and Tigey are in the lead.  As they get farther ahead Mama Lion thinks about the glory of the day, the friendliness of spectators along the route and the speed of the Flying Pandinis.  How did they get so close?

In a blink of an eye, a beauty from Mother Nature lands on the road in front of Mama Lion and Tigey.  Tigey swerves missing it but a wheel come off their car.  Seeing their friends in trouble The Flying Pandinis halt and help.  Bun Bun buzzes by scattering seeds along the road and The Knitted Monkeys are not far behind her.  With their car in fine working order again, Mama Lion and Tigey and the Flying Pandinis are in the race again.

Trickery and a quirk of automotive malfunctioning add twists to the event as the finish line grows closer.  More trickery causes an amazing switch.  Mama Lion and Tigey have a choice to make.  On this day everyone wins.


As this story penned by Jon J Muth progresses one of the things readers realize is they are utterly charmed by the characters.  Through their conversations, thoughts and the narrative, which is downright thrilling at points, we come to understand the innate goodness in their personalities, even those rascal monkeys.  They all have gifts which shine and are interwoven in this story.  Here is a sample passage.

"Pop the trunk and grab our tools!" said Tigey.  "We must get on the road again!"
The roar of an engine drew close behind them.  Gravel crunched and brakes screeched as the Flying Pandinis ground to a stop.
"Hurry, we must help them!" said Baby Panda.
"Yes! Look sharp!" said his sister Bao Bao.  "They are using a number 8 spanner when they need a number 12!"


You can't help but be curious or start to grin as you look at the matching dust jacket and book case for this title.  It's not every day you see what look to be two stuffed animals speeding down a road in a race car.  Clearly Mama Lion and Tigey are happy to be in their vehicle in this race.  The color choices, the predominant red, orange, blue and green, mirror the joy seen in the hands raised in greeting and the smiles on the characters' faces.

To the left, on the back, another perspective of the duo driving away from us is shown with the phrase

There is more than one way to win a race!

A bright grass green covers the opening and closing endpapers.  Mama Lion, a smile curving on her face, stands tall to the left of the text on the title page.

Rendered with Caran d'Ache pencils, Italian writing ink, watercolors, and gouache on Moulin Du Roy watercolor paper the illustrations span single, single pages crossing the gutter or double pages in their glorious, delicate, exquisite wonder.  The two-page pictures are stunning in their perspectives.  On many of the pages the use of white space accentuates the bold black text.

Careful readers will notice the Easter eggs in some of the larger scenes. (I wonder how many there are.  How many did I miss?)  Another interesting thing Jon J Muth does is combining animal and human characters.  To me this makes his books, this story, more inviting and magical.

One of my favorite of many illustrations is when Mama Lion is running to get the car and Tigey is plotting their race route on a globe.  Each one of them are holding their cups, steam rising.  Mama Lion is full of complete bliss as she leaps forward.  Tigey is intently noticing the two red x marks joined by dotted lines.  The background is a pale yellow wash.  From this picture we know this story takes place in Italy.


This title, Mama Lion Wins The Race, written and illustrated by Jon J Muth is overflowing with exuberant delight.  The cast of characters, their values and the gentle reminder of what is most important in a race, in life, surrounds readers like a warm and comforting hug.  This book is one you must have on your professional and personal bookshelves.  You need to read it aloud and share it with others whenever you can.  You will also be pleased to note Jon J Muth thanks those who introduced him to their stuffed friends.  He even names specific people and their toys.

To learn more about Jon J Muth and his other work please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  You might want to listen to his video interviews at Reading Rockets.

UPDATE:  Jon J Muth Talks with Roger at The Horn Book on September 20, 2017.

She Wanted Answers

The year is 1969.  It is the 20th day of July.  All over the United States, anywhere in the world, where you can watch television, people are staring at screens and listening.  It's nearly evening when they hear the words, The Eagle has landed.  Late that night astronaut Neil Armstrong says when walking on the Moon:

That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.

Four days later when astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins safely land their spacecraft, Apollo 11 is an unprecedented historical event.

Many people might not be aware of the persistence, dedication and curiosity of one woman who contributed to the ultimate success of this and the other Apollo missions.  Margaret And The Moon: How Margaret Hamilton Saved The First Lunar Landing (Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, May 16, 2017) written by Dean Robbins with illustrations by Lucy Knisley introduces this living legend.  She believes in herself.  She believes in science.

Margaret Hamilton loved to solve problems.
She came up with ideas
no one had ever thought of before.

Margaret wanted to be prepared for every opportunity so she studied every subject offered.  She excelled in all of them but mathematics was her favorite.  She and her father, a poet and philosopher, had many conversations about the universe.  She found the world beyond our planet fascinating.

Using mathematics, she embraced this fascination, step by step.  When computers became part of her world, they opened up whole new possibilities.  She told computers what she wanted them to do by writing code.  She used the term software engineer to describe her job.  She perfected her skills.

Sometime in 1964 Margaret approached the group at NASA working on getting people to the Moon.  She knew programmed computers could help.  If a solution was found for every conceivable problem, the missions could be accomplished.  Margaret became the Director of Software Programming for NASA's Project Apollo.

Her code for Apollo 11 when stacked was taller than she was!  All went well until just as the Eagle was to land on the Moon; warnings sounded but Margaret was prepared.  She had found answers, step by step.  On this date in 1969 Margaret Hamilton was only thirty-three years old.


Each concise sentence written by Dean Robbins compels us to read the next one.  His narrative of her life's work unfolds almost like a mathematical equation which is ingenious writing.  Robbins has selected those things about Margaret Hamilton which increase our admiration for her accomplishments with every page turn.  His repetition of certain key phrases generates a gentle storytelling rhythm.  Here is a sample passage.

Margaret taught herself to write code that performed more and more complicated tasks.
She programmed computers to track airplanes through the clouds...
...and even to predict the weather.
She made them do things they had never done before.


The inquisitiveness which was the essence of Margaret Hamilton's pursuits is perfectly pictured on her expression seen on the front of the matching dust jacket and book case.  It is what propelled her toward her achievements especially for the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon.  The combination of more realistic depictions with the drawings of spacecraft and mathematical equations is a wonderful design choice.  To the left, on the back, Margaret is shown lying on a hill at night, looking at the stars and a crescent moon.

The opening and closing endpapers are ablaze with stars on a midnight blue sky.  A full moon hangs in the upper left-hand corner.  A rolling lawn spreads toward a single home on the right.  Leaning out an upper window is Margaret.  On the closing endpapers original photographs of Margaret throughout her life are shown.

Rendered in ink and paper and colored in Adobe Photoshop the illustrations by Lucy Knisley appear in a variety of sizes and shapes.  The verso and first page are combined on a large chalkboard with Margaret working a mathematical problem.  Then Knisley moves to a single page picture followed by a group of smaller images.  Each visual works to enhance the text and heighten the pacing.

Readers will connect with the emotions portrayed on Margaret's facial expressions as she strives to implement her ideas.  The details Knisley includes are significant as are the real computer pages and the rocket launch on the television screen.  The night sky with the labeled constellations is breathtaking.

One of my favorite of many illustrations is on a partial page.  Margaret is thinking about the Moon; wondering about the distance there in miles and the miles in its orbit around our planet.  When she thinks about how fast it travels and how big its diameter is, she is suspended in space, eyes closed behind her glasses as she embraces the Moon.


This book, Margaret And The Moon: How Margaret Hamilton Saved The First Lunar Landing written by Dean Robbins with illustrations by Lucy Knisley, about the inspirational life of a remarkable woman will motivate every reader to seek their own vision.  It will also promote further investigation about Margaret Hamilton.  (I've spent hours doing more research.)  This is the beauty of a well-written nonfiction picture book.  At the close of the book an author's note, bibliography and additional reading are included.  I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal bookshelves.  This book has been nominated for the Amelia Bloomer Project.

To learn more about Dean Robbins and Lucy Knisley and their other work please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  At the publisher's website readers can get a glimpse inside this book.  Dean Robbins is interviewed at Deborah Kalb's blog.  One of the resources at the end of the book is this post at WIRED, HER CODE GOT HUMANS ON THE MOON---AND INVENTED SOFTWARE ITSELF.  You will enjoy this article at Space.com about this title and the writing process.  It was a pleasure to listen to this video and read the information at Makers about Margaret Hamilton.  This is the link to the NASA page about the Lunar Landing.



Please take a few minutes to read about the titles selected by other bloggers participating in the 2017 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge located at Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher.

No Matter The Weather

You're walking back to your car after a quick stop to purchase a few items.  Suddenly the voice, growing more persistent of late, tells you to stop and look up. (Read Now by Antoinette Portis and you'll know what I mean.)  This is why on a blazing hot afternoon on the first day of August you find yourself taking pictures of clouds with your phone while standing in the parking lot of a big box store.  You hope with all your heart, they are a prelude to much-needed rain.
 

Rain will soften the ground, hard as cement.  Rain will ease the stress of the wild animals needing to quench their thirst.  Rain will help the towering trees whose leaves are drifting down far too early for lack of water.  This Beautiful Day (A Caitlyn Dlouhy Book, Atheneum Books For Young Readers, August 1, 2017) written by Richard Jackson with illustrations by Suzy Lee reminds us of the magic to be found in a joyful heart with a little help from music.

THIS beautiful day...

Three siblings are lounging inside on a dreary rainy day with their dog accompanying them.  Clearly they are at a loss of what to do when one of them reaches to a radio twisting the dial for a bit of music.  He then leans forward in his bean bag chair arms raised and ready.  Before you can say let's dance, they are twirling and turning to the tune.

Hats and umbrellas are grabbed as the trio opens the doors and continues to lift their legs and gallop to the beat.  To them this day is filled with possibilities as they splish and splash through puddles, hooting and hollering with glee.  Certainly all the fun they are having is sure to draw the attention of others.  And it does.

Other neighborhood children carrying colorful umbrellas follow the lead of the brother and his sisters.  All the celebratory noise they make gets the attention of the sun.  It pushes the clouds away.

Eight children and one dog are cheering, laughing and playing as if this is the best day of their lives.  And isn't this the way to live?  They all tumble home, for snacks and a little bit of relaxing.  Come on Mom!  Join the jamboree!

Oh, the uninhibited elation these words written by Richard Jackson generate for readers.  His use of this beautiful day repeatedly ties his happy-go-lucky verbs together in an uplifting tempo.  To complete his symphony of delight lines end in rhyming words. Here is a continuation of the first line.

has everyone dancing

and spinning

and swinging around,

has all of us stamping

and stomping

our feet 

on the ground. ...

When you open the dust jacket, which matches the book case, you will be thrilled to notice that Suzy Lee continues the image on the front to the edge of the flap.  There we read the words:

COME ON IN,

the weather's

fine!

To the left, on the back, two of the siblings and the dog are leaping into the air as clouds scatter on a blue sky.  A single red umbrella drifts toward the right hand corner.  The opening endpapers are black, gray and white.  Rain pours from smudgy rain clouds.  On the closing endpapers the ending of the story continues.

With a page turn from the opening endpapers Suzy Lee starts the story opposite the title page.  The younger sister sits in a cardboard box staring out the window at the rain.  The older sister is slumped in boredom in front of a sketch pad and crayons.  This is done in black and white as is the first wordless image opposite the verso.  The dog sleeps in front of the French doors as the brother turns on the radio.

All of the illustrations span two pages.  As the children begin to dance the color blue is added to the black, gray and white.  The more fun they have, the more blue there is with pale green appearing.  As the clouds vanish more color is used.  

The depiction of the children, their facial expressions and body movements, is marvelous to the point you will find yourself wanting to join them.  Every single line and brush stroke is pulsing with pure jubilation.  When the umbrellas rise into the sky it's as if they are moved by this wonderful emotion.  

One of my many favorite illustrations I will let you discover for yourselves.  Suzy Lee takes us into a brief bit of suspended reality, a touch of magic.  Another of my favorite pictures is when the three siblings are splashing in the puddles.  The two older ones with the dog in the middle are jumping with total merriment, laughing and holding their umbrellas high.  Behind them the younger sister is marching and kicking out water in front of her as she holds her umbrella.  The dog is standing on its hind legs, leaping with its head raised, ears flapping and front paws close to its chest.  There is not a single person who can look at this without smiling.

This book, This Beautiful Day written by Richard Jackson with illustrations by Suzy Lee, is bursting with energy.  Readers will not be able to sit still when reading or listening to this.  Be ready to dance, rain or shine.  You will want to have a copy of this on your professional and personal bookshelves.  You have to read it...repeatedly.

To learn more about Suzy Lee and her other work please visit her website by following the link attached to her name.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images. Please enjoy this interview with Richard Jackson at Bookology.  Author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson features Suzy Lee on her blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.