From Many, One

The fascinating fact about picture book biographies about the same person is each new one makes the person more whole for readers.  Each author and each illustrator approach the subject from a different perspective, even if similar information is included.  Some picture book biographies focus on the person's entire life, from birth to death, focusing on their choice of accomplishments.  Other picture book biographies feature either their childhood, or adulthood.  Particular milestones reached by the individual, even a single event, are covered by other titles.

In a new title about Benjamin Franklin, we learn of a collective variety of incidents, contributing to a lifetime of remarkable achievements.  In A Ben Of All Trades: The Most Inventive Boyhood of Benjamin Franklin (Candlewick Press, March 17, 2020) written by Michael J. Rosen with illustrations by Matt Tavares, we become acquainted with a young man who had an intense focus.  His repeated attempts to prove a point, enhanced his future more than he could have imagined.

WHAT DID Benjamin Franklin love about books?  Each one was nothing like the other.

What did Benjamin Franklin not love about making candles?

Working in his father's candle making shop, Benjamin deplored the exactness of the trade.  Everything was always the same.  What Benjamin desired was to be a sailor.  His father would not agree to this.

He needed to find a trade for his son, this son preoccupied with swimming, reading and too much thinking.  His latest book fascination was a title from his library, The Art of Swimming. Josiah, though impressed with Benjamin's latest invention, paddles for his hands to make him swim faster, knew he must find something to peak his son's interest soon.

After several days working at a joinery, Benjamin and his father, on their walk home spoke.  Benjamin longed to go to sea.  Josiah, as expected, said no.  Even when Benjamin demonstrated a new swimming technique in the river, his father did not relent.  Two different and new apprenticeships did not appeal to Benjamin.  He was good at both, as he was with whatever he did, but he was bored.  Even after another swimming presentation, Josiah stood silent and firm in his resolve to forbid Benjamin to go to sea.

One day, using the acquired skills from his job training, Benjamin made an extraordinary kite.  With his sister, Lydia, and his friend, John Collins, they went to Mill Pond.  Suddenly an idea struck Benjamin.  It worked splendidly.  Eagerly, he, Lydia and John walked to his father's shop.  Even after an explanation, his father did not approve.

Benjamin was sent to work with his brother, James, who owned a print shop.  Benjamin was there for nine years.  In those years, this youth took what he knew and what he learned and melded them with the best parts of his personality.  Benjamin Franklin died more than 230 years ago, but his talents and his deeds remain.


With his first four sentences, author Michael J. Rosen presents readers with the essence of Benjamin Franklin's personality as well as how his narrative of this time in Benjamin's days will unfold in this book.  By moving back and forth between Benjamin's perfecting of his inventions and his swimming techniques and his father's attempts at finding him a trade, we feel the tension between a young man wanting something with every fiber of his being and a parent who will not allow it.  It becomes apparent, when reading the facts and dialogue as depicted by Michael J. Rosen, that even within the restrictions of this historical period, young Benjamin Franklin's mind was allowed to flourish, regardless of not pursuing the career of his dreams.

In his Notes About Young Franklin and About Creating This Book, Michael J. Rosen addresses what he did and did not include in this book.  This reinforces what readers discover.  Although Benjamin Franklin lived centuries ago, young people today can connect to a boy who took the best of every situation and used it to strengthen his gifts.  Here is a passage.

The two walked without speaking until they
approached the river.  "Father, I've learned the
Leap of the Goat.  It's the feat that shows true
mastery of the swimming arts."
"If you must demonstrate, then you must . . . "
Benjamin raced toward the water.  Floating on
his back, chest inflated, he thrashed his arms
against the sun-bright ripples until his feet
fluttered inches above the river.
Josiah applauded.
Benjamin dressed.
The two walked home in silence. 


In a breathtaking composition, beginning on the front of the open and matching dust jacket and book case, we see young Benjamin Franklin standing on a dock post looking out at the harbor in Boston.  Behind him are buildings and people portraying the architecture, clothing, and transportation of this period.  The scene extends beautifully on the other side of the spine.  A ship flying the British flag spans from the left to the right of this portion of the painting.  The use of light and shadow here is visible throughout the book.  You can feel the salty air on the breeze and hear the cries of sea birds in the distance.  The sound of the horses and wagon and voices of the people fade because you, as Ben Franklin, are looking out toward the sea and your future.

The rich velvety black of the title text is used on the opening and closing endpapers.  On the first page is a quote from Poor Richard's Almanack, 1750.  As referenced in the quote artist Matt Tavares has placed a sundial on a short square pillar among grass and foliage.  With another page turn we are standing behind Benjamin Franklin as he looks out at the harbor.  This view of multiple ships in the water against a golden sky awash is wisps of clouds is stunning.  The yearning of this boy is our yearning.

Rendered in pencil and painted digitally, these illustrations by Matt Tavares transport us to Benjamin Franklin's world as a youth.  When the focus is on Benjamin and his father, the image spans across one page and half of another page.  This creates a wide column for text which Matt Tavares frames in period lines.  He also places a smaller visual (or visuals) beneath or within the text symbolizing an item mentioned in the narrative.

When Benjamin is trying one of his inventions, the illustration is a double-page picture, edge to edge. The one exception to this pictorial rhythm is when Josiah tells Benjamin he is to become a journeyman in his brother's print shop.  It is a dramatic moment.  Another technique of Matt Tavares creating an interpretive cadence is how he shifts a visual's viewpoint.  We are brought close to Benjamin at times and then we are given a more panoramic view.  Sometimes there is a blend of the two.  One thing which is portrayed is the affection Benjamin has for his sibling, friend, and his father and how that affection is returned.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is when Benjamin is experimenting with his kite.  This double-page picture shows the bank of Mill Pond with homes beyond it and the masts of ships rising in the harbor.  Shadows of tree branches play on the roofs from the sunlight.  Lydia and John are running along the path.  This scene is the upper one-third of the image.  The other two-thirds show ripples of water, left to right, as Benjamin is being dragged on his back by the kite.  Above the water on the right side is his smiling face, eyes alight with joy.  His arms are stretched out and up as he grasps the stick with the kite rope wound on it.


This point of view, this portion of this memorable man's life, will resonate with and inspire readers.  A Ben Of All Trades: The Most Inventive Boyhood of Benjamin Franklin written by Michael J. Rosen with illustrations by Matt Tavares is a marvelous title.  You could pair it with Electric Ben: The Amazing Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin by Robert Byrd, Ben Franklin's Big Splash: The Mostly True Story of His First Invention by Barb Rosenstock with illustrations by S. D. Schindler and Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery that Baffled All of France by Mara Rockliff with illustrations by Iacopo Bruno.  In this title in addition to the previously mentioned author notes, there is a note From the Illustrator, and a Bibliography.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional libraries.

To learn more about Michael J. Rosen and Matt Tavares and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Michael J. Rose has accounts on Facebook, and Twitter.  Matt Tavares has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view an interior image.  At Penguin Random House you can view other interior visuals.  Matt Tavares chats on the A Bookish Home Podcast with Laura Szaro Kopinski.


Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher, to view the other titles selected this week by other participants in the 2020 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.

A Pack Of Paw-some Dog Tales

If there was ever the slightest doubt in our minds about the goodness pets bring into our lives, this global pandemic has erased even the merest hint.  Their benefits cannot be measured.  Fortunately for humans, their personalities and habits shape the hours of our days and nights.

For the purpose of this post and to honor my chocolate Labrador retriever, Mulan, all the titles selected have a dog either as the main protagonist or as an important character. Canines as depicted (and in real life) exhibit cleverness, wisdom, and prompt outbursts of laughter.  These beloved creatures are living their best lives.

If there is one joy dogs seek every day, it's at least one long nap taken in one of their favorite places.  Up on Bob (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, February 11, 2020) written and illustrated by Geisel Honor winner (Ball), Mary Sullivan is a dog's earnest endeavor to accomplish this singular daily event.  It does not go according to his plan.

This is Bob.

Up on
the bed
Bob has work
to do.

Bob's young human has left their bedroom.  The books are stacked on the end table.  Several toys are at rest on the neatly made bed.  Another toy is nestled in a cozy pillow chair on the floor.

Bob gets busy with the task at paw.  It's not easy.  It takes several steps, removals, and rearrangements.  Bob does not mind.  Hard work is this dog's middle name.  Perfection is achieved.

You know the feeling you get sometimes, the feeling you are being watched?  Bob quickly realizes he is not alone.  The ideal is no longer in balance.  Bob is unable to sleep. He pretends he is asleep, hoping to once again be alone.

Suddenly, without warning a certain Someone begins to duplicate Bob's previous preparatory actions.  It seems Bob has a partner desiring his same superiority.  Oh, the lengths those will go who are seeking a soothing snooze.


Her use of language and choice of words is done with explicit intention.  Mary Sullivan uses short, but specific sentences.  Her repetition of words in these sentences and the repetition of the sentences later in the narrative, invite reader participation through the supplied rhythm.  This type of writing also allows for deliberate pacing, building toward tension and release with a satisfying resolution.  These three phrases are a perfect setup for an unplanned twist in Bob's routine.

There.
Everything is perfect.
Now Bob can sleep all day. 


The image on the front, right, of the open dust jacket placed on a crisp white canvas features Bob on the polka-dotted bed sheet with a rascal feline looking ready to pounce.  The heart shown on the letter U is part of the pillowcase.  The color of the dots on the sheet are replicated in the title text letters.  To the left, on the back, on the same sheet, several toys look as if they have been thrown from their original positions.

On the book case the pattern of the pillowcase spans from the left, over the spine and nearly to the right where the sheet starts.  You can see the tiny heart tag on the right in the upper portion.  A tell-tale shadow in a leaping posture is seen on the back.  On the opening and closing endpapers the polka-dotted pattern of the sheets is shown.  The title page is a repeat of the front of the dust jacket with the characters replaced by the pillowcase.

Digitally drawn and colored by Mary Sullivan the illustrations are full-page, double-page pictures or single page images with large borders of white.  Perspective is shifted to slow pacing and build drama.  The eyes of the characters convey every emotion and elevate the humor.  The heart tag on the pillowcase is purposefully placed.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is accompanied by the text Now Bob can sleep all day.  This is one of several images which convey a pronounced contrast between the text and the image.  We are close to Bob, eyes now closed in contentment, as he is curled between the sheets with his head resting on the pillow.  His body curled in supreme peace is shown on the left with the white blanket stretching to the right edge.  What Bob can't see, but readers can is the Someone, ears poking over the edge of the bed.


If you are looking for laughter in a situation readers can readily understand, Up On Bob written and illustrated by Mary Sullivan is a superb choice.  Mary Sullivan has a gift for pacing, word choices and humor.  She knows her characters to the core.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Mary Sullivan and her other work, please follow the links attached to her name to access her website and blog.  Mary Sullivan has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Mary Sullivan has an interior image from this book on her Instagram account.



There is an irresistible, irrepressible urge in most dogs to chase.  They love to go after balls of all shapes and sizes.  This has been proven again and again as evidenced by televised sporting events when play has to stop because a dog has entered the game to go after a ball.  Humans with canine companions know this to be true, too.  How many times have we thrown a ball to have our pooch pals race after it, get it, and then head for the proverbial hills?  In This Little Pup (Albert Whitman & Company, April 1, 2020) written and illustrated by Laura J. Bryant, her first book as both author and illustrator, we get to follow a thrown ball and its pursuer as they traverse through numbers and colors.

One blue ball . . .

This blue ball arches and falls and arches and falls past two cows, brown cows.  As they watch the ball zip past them, along with the pup, these cows notice a trio of amphibians. These green leapers join the ball as it soars over pigs, four in number and colored pink.

Each time the ball passes a group of creatures on the farm, their number increases as their colors change.  They also engage in an activity typical to their personalities.  As the ball moves the entire farm ends up in a noisy uproar.

In one brief pause all the animals, including the farmer, his wife, and their child, watch and wait.  The little pup takes a giant jump.  You'll have to read to discover what happens to the one blue ball.


The placement of the words written by Laura J. Bryant provides readers with a call and response effect.  We are introduced to the animals at the end of one sentence.  They are repeated at the beginning of the next sentence followed by their action and the introduction of a new critter.  This is a wonderful reinforcement of the numbers and colors we meet.  It is a welcome request to join in the farmyard fun.  It is stopped at one point for emphasis and a shift in the cadence.  This shift builds a gentle tension until we have a satisfying conclusion.  Here is a phrase, the following sentence and new phrase.

Five white sheep giggled
and six purple butterflies . . .

fluttered away.
Seven orange kittens were on the hunt . . .


The double-page image shown on the matching dust jacket and book case acquaints readers with the pup on the front and his human child on the back.  Both are full of energy and focused on the blue ball.  On the back, to the left, the child moves as quickly as possible toward the pup.  A large blossoming tree spreads from the top left corner and stops just before the spine.  Its trunk on the left is shown on the grass with delicate flowers around it.

On the opening and closing endpapers Laura J. Bryant begins and ends her visual narrative with a blend of rolling hills.  On the first the sun is rising.  The pup with one eye open is looking at the blue ball.  The sun is setting on the second set.  The pup is sound asleep with the blue ball in the grass nearby.  A two-page picture of the pup sitting in the grass beneath a sunny sky with the ball, nearly as large as it is, showcases the title text, the author's name, and publisher.

The first illustration, a two-page image, is wordless.  Careful readers will realize all the creatures we meet in the following pages are shown in this initial scene.  The child has the blue ball.  The pup patiently waits.  Each subsequent two-page picture is highly animated with lifelike representations of the creatures.  Each of the animals exhibit different personalities based upon their body positions.  All of them appear to be content based on their facial expressions and actions.  These full-color illustrations are textured and detailed.

One of my many, many favorite pictures shows the four pink pigs rolling and rolling and rolling in the mud.  They are blissfully happy.  The mud covers most of the bottom half of the two-page image.  Above it is a thin strip of green.  Following its dotted-line arches, the ball is about to bounce off the right side.  The pup, leaping into the air, is coming from the left side.  You can't look at this picture without smiling (or maybe rolling in the mud or chasing the ball).


Certain to be a much-requested title and a storytime favorite, This Little Pup written and illustrated by Laura J. Bryant is a playful romp among farmyard friends.  Familiar animals help readers identify colors and numbers as the pup tries to get the ball his human child threw.  This would be wonderful as a reader's theater.  I can't imagine a personal or professional collection without a copy of this book.

To learn more about Laura J. Bryant and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.



Another attribute of our dog friends is their determination.  In short order we humans learn to trust their instincts.  Their sensory perceptions are much higher than ours.  If they won't go where we want to go, we consider and learn to turn around in another direction.

Sometimes, though, they stop in their tracks and won't budge.  They go into full I'm-in-charge mode.  Hound Won't Go (Albert Whitman & Company, April 1, 2020) written by Lisa Rogers with illustrations by Meg Ishihara is a highly humorous event told in lively rhyming words with equally lively images, both full of charm that firmly stays in your heart.

Light flashes.
Hound dashes.

Nosy hound
sniffs ground.

This dog smells something special.  This is no ordinary smell.  This is pure heaven.  Hound decides, right in the middle of the crosswalk, he has to stay for as long as possible right here.

People on bikes move around him. He scratches an itch.  People in their cars can't move.  He is oblivious.  To make it even worse, now Hound gets ready to nap.  Nap?! In the middle of the road?!

Nothing will get this dog in motion.  His human tries every trick possible.  Horns honk, Hound snoozes.  Just when everyone around him is certain he is glued to the pavement, Hounds races into action.  He is not happy with what is happening.

He is running so fast his paws barely touch the ground.  Within what seems to be mere heartbeats, he is home and inside.  His human, thankful not to be in the middle of the street any longer, cares for her companion. The duo cuddle as she changes a single word in the title expressing her deep affection.


A familiar pulse is created by author Lisa Rogers with the last word rhyming in every two lines.  Two to four-word phrases have readers toe-tapping between bouts of laughter.  This beat subtly leads readers to a dynamic change of pace before intentionally bringing us back to a comforting cadence.  Here is another couplet.

Tug the rope?
Hound says nope.


As soon as you look at the matching and open dust jacket and book case, you know this dog has a mind of its own.  It's plopped down with no desire for motion.  The manner in which illustrator Meg Ishihara has our eyes focus on Hound is a wonderful point of view.  The bright colors in the title text and leash and the human's shoes assist in her design.  To the left, on the back, Hound is alone and has shifted his position.  He's itching in front of the car.  Three couplets from the text are placed on white to the left of Hound.

On the opening and closing endpapers Meg Ishihara has placed a series of smaller images of Hound on a pristine white background.  They are in a repeating pattern of two loose rows.  Hound, nose to the ground, is shown on the title page.

Each illustration, full-page or double-page picture, portrays hound and those people around him with realistic facial expressions and body postures.  You get a very real sense of everyone's growing frustration at Hound.  The comedy is in the contrast between their moods and Hound's lack of concern.  As the saying goes---Ignorance is bliss.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture.  It's a close-up of Hound in the middle of the crosswalk.  On a canvas of gray, a yellow line stretches above Hound.  He has rolled on his back, hind legs and tail stretched out.  His front paws are resting on his belly.  Only one eye, open, is visible.  His ear is flopped over the other eye.  His red leash stretches up and off the right side of the page.  This picture is priceless and speaks truth.


If you want to add merriment to any mood, Hound Won't Go written by Lisa Rogers with illustrations by Meg Ishihara is the title you must choose.  The mix of words and artwork is simply enchanting and depicts truths.  You'll definitely want to add this title to your personal and professional collections whether your focus is on dogs or humor.

To learn more about Lisa Rogers and Meg Ishihara and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Lisa Rogers has an account on Twitter.  Meg Ishihara has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view interior illustrations.  It was an honor to host the cover reveal here at Librarian's Quest with an informative and entertaining interview with Lisa Rogers.



For those of you not spending your life with a canine companion, trust me when I say, they have distinct skills necessary to mend any rift.  They have an uncanny ability to alter your life within seconds with a look or an antic.  They know you, the real you, better than you know yourself.

In a recent collaboration author Joanna Cotler and artist Harry Bliss combine their considerable talents to bring us a book about a canine exhibiting the best they have to offer any living being.  Sorry (Really Sorry) (Philomel Books, April 7, 2020) brings us into a day on a farm with Cow starting off on the wrong hoof.   The ripple effect is in full force.

Cow was in a nasty mood.  Usually she
was content to munch grass, rub up
against fences, and play with her farm
friends.

Her current mood was based solely on mud.  She detested it in and on her hooves.  For no reason, other than her grumpiness, Cow kicked mud on Duck.  Duck's outlook of the day changed in a flash.

When Frog, noticing Duck's dirty exterior, asked her to go for a swim, she replied with disgusting names.  She refused to sincerely apologize.  Hearing Bird singing Frog continued the meanness.  Bird was shocked at the Frog's disregard of her song and insincerely spoken sorry.

Ill-tempered words and actions continued to spread from animal to animal.  Bird hurt Goat.  Goat hurt Pig.  Pig was desolate.  Dog heard Pig's sobbing.  Inquiring as to what was the matter, Pig was downright unkind.

Dog just sat there. Dog started to point out what Pig had forgotten.  Soon their temporary distance closed.  The ripple started to shrink and reversed until a group gathered at the pond, but as in life, the story was not quite over yet.  There was always a new surprise right around the fence.


There is a pleasing harmony made by the narrative and dialogue written by Joanna Colter.  Her story flows with ease between the two, bringing us closer into the animals' disgruntled attitudes with their conversations.  Readers will effortlessly understand the precise tone of the word sorry spoken without honesty.  This is a real depiction of circumstances we've observed or experienced.

Even though the pattern of the tale from animal to animal remains the same, the words and conversations are altered to reflect their specific relationships. This builds on the intensity of each situation.  It also offers a chance for each incident to rewind with kindness reflected in their gestures.  Here is a passage.

Bird flew up into a tree.
There was Goat, perched on a branch.

"This is my'
branch," said
Bird.  "Get down!"

"But we always
share this tree,"
said Goat.

"Not anymore," said Bird, and
she beat her wings until Goat,
tumbled to the ground.


The artwork by Harry Bliss as first seen on the matching and open dust jacket and book case supplies readers on the front with two pals posed in peace.  Pig and Dog, based upon their expressions, have a deep affection for each other.  To the left, on the back, the canvas is a bird's eye view of the farm.  Placed on this view are four circular portraits of Duck, Pig, Cow and Goat.  Beneath each one is a quote by the character depicting their current moods and thoughts.  For example, Pig says:

"I'm not sorry that I love this book!"

On the opening and closing endpapers detailed etchings of the characters in black are placed on a brown background.  One of the gifts of apology is shown also.  It's a worm sandwich.  On the title page, the animals' faces frame the text.  Frog perched on Goat's head, foot on its chin, is looking up at Bird flying above the words.  Another pastoral scene from above spans across the verso and dedication pages.

Rendered in black India ink and watercolor the illustrations are exquisite in their lines and textured color.  They are a combination of realism and cartoon-like representations.  They are signature Harry Bliss images.  The sizes of the pictures alter to accentuate pacing.  At times for emphasis the character not sorry at all is placed in a circle before the narrative continues.  We are near each of the animals when their moods shift.  This makes the story very personal.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is when Dog simply sits next to Pig as she sobs and snorts.  The text is placed above and below the illustration.  Pig is lying on her belly in the dirt in front of the barn.  In the foreground Dog sits with her back to us.  Her face is turned to the side to focus on her friend.  It is the ultimate dog position and look.


This book, Sorry (Really Sorry) written by Joanna Cotler with pictures by Harry Bliss explains how crankiness, unstopped, can alter more than a single individual's day.  It also presents how an act of kindness can turn all those frowns into smiles.  Kindness is truly contagious.  Saying you're sorry with sincerity is freeing.  Readers and listeners will request this book frequently.  You'll want a copy for both your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Joanna Cotler and Harry Bliss and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Joanna Cotler has an account on Instagram.  Harry Bliss has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Joanna Cotler and Harry Bliss interview each other about this book and their work at Publishers Weekly.  You'll need to take the time to read it.  It's wonderful. At the publisher's website you can view the title page.



Dogs and digging go paw in paw.  They will dig anywhere and in anything.  They love to make huge holes to bury an array of items or to simply see how far they can go.  Sometimes they will dig because their super sniffers smell something underground.  (My previous dog, Xena, dug at the painted figures on her kiddie pool.  She also hauled huge rocks from underwater in Lake Michigan and buried them in holes she dug in the sand.)

Some dogs, admittedly, like to dig more than others.  It's a personality trait or perhaps a trait of a particular breed.  Roy Digs Dirt (The Blue Sky Press, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc., April 7, 2020) written and illustrated by David Shannon is as the title suggests a play on words about a dog who loves dirt and everything that can be done in dirt.

Roy digs dirt.

He digs dirt before breakfast, after lunch,
and before and after dinner.

Nothing makes this dog merrier than dirt.  He does everything possible, whenever possible in dirt.  This makes Roy happy most of time.

Roy happens to think dirt makes his appearance more stunning.  Roy buries everything he can find in dirt just for the sake of being in dirt.  Sometimes he digs in dirt to find other things buried.  He's like a pirate with paws.

Even though you might find it disgusting, Roy thinks anything found in dirt is to be eaten with relish.  If it's there, it's to be consumed.  Dirt is a total sensory experience for Roy.  There is one thing about dirt Roy does not like.  What could it be?

Dirt when wet makes mud.  Roy loves mud, but not the bath that follows.  Roy does not like being clean. Without dirt, Roy still finds things to dig.  (I'm not sure his humans appreciate this, though.)

In the backyard all the landscaping creates a jungle for Roy and other domestic and wild critters.  This does not make Roy happy at all. It's his jungle and his dirt.  After one nighttime encounter Roy is back in the bath.  Phew! Do you think Roy digs in his sleep?  Each day begins and ends the same for Roy in his dirt-filled version of heaven.


You would think the use of one word, repeatedly would become tedious but not when used by a master wordsmith like David Shannon.  It's the repetition that gives this book its joy.  It's the repetition that ties readers emotionally to Roy.  We not only feel his obsession but we, unbelievably, understand it.  The use of language generates a series of highs and lows, mostly highs, in this dog's day.  In essence, where there's dirt, there is supreme happiness.  David Shannon does not disappoint with his final line either, pure perfection in its double meaning.  Here is a passage.

When it rains, Roy digs mud.  Mud
might be even better than dirt.
Mud is like dirt gravy.


One look at the grinning, tongue-hanging-from-his-mouth dog, Roy, on the front of the matching dust jacket and book case and readers will hardly be able to keep from laughing out loud.  It seems that Roy has dug a huge hole and has momentarily decided to peek over the top at us.  His perky ears and gleeful demeanor rarely change, except for baths.  To the left, on the back, the title is cleverly spelled in a series of tunnels revealed in a cutaway.  A mouse or mice have dug the letters.  On top of the dirt, on the left side, Roy is looking down the hole, nose and paw extended.  He is getting ready for a digging marathon.

Across the white opening and closing endpapers is a zig-zap of muddy paw prints.  These paw prints continue over the text on the title page until with a page turn, we are presented with the verso and first page featuring a huge pile of dirt on the left with Roy digging like a champion on the right.  His dog bowl, labeled with his name is nearby.

The illustrations are a spirited perspective, front and center, of a dog's fascination with dirt.  Every movement and expression on his face reveals how much he digs dirt.  We are treated to single page close-up viewpoints, or double-page images littered with "treasure" or conveying a fear of bathtubs.  Some two-page visuals display several different actions to contribute to pacing or to elevate the narrative.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations spans two pages.  We are looking down on Roy about to take a bath.  The tub, with the facets at the top of the page, fills the left, crosses the gutter, and fills the right side.  We can see a few partial items on the left and right sides.  Roy is stretched as far as he can, lifting himself over the water.  His front paws are braced on the left and his back paws are braced on the right.  Who knew this dog could reach so far?  In the lower right portion of the right side a rubber ducky floats.


No matter how many times you read this book, Roy Digs Dirt written and illustrated by David Shannon, you'll find yourself either grinning or giggling or laughing aloud.  Children will love this book every single time you read it.  If they happen to disappear, look in the dirt.  They, like Roy, will be rolling around in it.  Make sure to have a copy in your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about David Shannon and his other wonderful work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  David Shannon has an account on Instagram.  Please take a few moments to watch this video recorded and posted by book shop, Politics and Prose.





One of the biggest worries of most humans is losing their canine companions.  Sometimes dogs get distracted by their super sensory powers and forget to stay with their people.  Sometimes people lose their focus, forgetting about their best friends.  When this happens, once either the dog or human realizes their other half is missing, it's hard not to panic.  Where'd My Jo Go? (Sleeping Bear Press, April 15, 2020) written by Jill Esbaum with illustrations by Scott Brundage is based on a true story about a trucker who leaves a rest stop without their canine partner.  This tale will have you turning the pages faster than you thought possible.

Always together,
wherever they go.

Jo and Big Al,
Big Al and Jo.

Jo has stopped for a rest.  She asks Big Al to hop back inside the truck, telling the dog she will be right back.  Big Al is not quite ready to ride, there are too many things to do outside.

Jo comes back to the truck, starts it up and heads out from the rest stop, not noticing that Big Al is missing.  Big Al is happily engaged in a variety of situations, doing what dogs do.  Big Al's final romp in a flower bed has him running back to the parking lot.  Where is Jo?

Big Al can't believe Jo is gone.  Big Al decides to wait for Jo.  Waiting and remembering all their shared moments, keeps Big Al firmly planted in the parking lot.  As the afternoon drags on, Big Al gets worried.  At the next stop Jo is flabbergasted to find Big Al missing.  Soon it is night.  The busy parking lot is now empty.  It's cold.  It's lonely.

Suddenly a car, lights shining, pulls into the lot.  A boy sees Big Al all alone.  Big Al cannot resist the friendliness of the boy.  Where is Jo?  Wait!  There's another light shining in the lot, heart hammering Big Al hopes.  Is it Jo?


With the right amount of rhyming and timing Jill Esbaum draws readers firmly into the narrative.  We, unlike Big Al or Jo, sense the terrifying turn of events.  It's this knowledge that propels us forward.  For a moment we find the same happiness as Big Al being all dog, but then the fright he feels hits us front and center.  When Jo can't find Big Al, our sense of doom doubles.  The technique of showing the passing of time as afternoon turns into evening builds the suspense.  Here is a passage.

It's gone!
The truck's gone!
Holy cow!

Where'd my Jo go, anyhow?
Could I find her?  Should I---
                 No!
SIT. STAY. Wait for Jo. 


Our eyes are immediately drawn to the dog on the front of the matching dust jacket and book case.  Sitting alone in the parking lot of the rest area, trucks stopped, Big Al sits and stays and waits.  Head raised; he is hopeful for the return of Jo.  His body, ears, eyes and nose, his entire demeanor is excellent.  To the left, on the back, on a canvas of white is one of Big Al's memories of Jo chasing him.  He is running away with an article of her clothing as she tries to pack.  It's red.  Big Al is also shown standing on his back legs, front paws resting on the ISBN.

The opening and closing endpapers are a pristine white.  Rendered in full color by Scott Brundage the images are laden with emotion.  On the title page is a small picture of Big Al sitting on Jo's lap as she sits behind the wheel in her truck.  Scott Brundage switches his perspectives and illustration sizes to heighten the impact of the text.

Double-page pictures, single-page pictures crossing the gutter leading to a series of smaller insets on a full page or single-page visuals contribute to the flow of the story.  The personality of Big Al is revealed in his movements, his expressions and how he interacts with people and this place, this rest area. The eyes of Big Al clearly are a window to this dog's soul.  We are fully engaged in every mood and moment through the pictorial presentations.

One of my many, many favorite pictures is on a single page.  It's a close-up of Big Al.  He is looking outward, perplexed at Jo's missing truck.  Ears upright, head slightly tilted and worry creasing his brow, Big Al ponders this predicament.  His face is framed in white space.  The white space is framed with watercolor-like brush strokes.  His red collar hangs straight on his neck, his name tag resting on his chest.

Through their combined talents, Where'd My Jo Go? written by Jill Esbaum with pictures by Scott Brundage breathes life into a story inspired by fact.  Every page turn builds toward the resolution.  We understand this dog and the connection between him and his human through his thoughts and actions.  Readers and listeners will find this story heartwarming and satisfying.  On a page titled The Rest of the Story, author Jill Esbaum tells readers how this story was born.  I highly recommend this title for both your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Jill Esbaum and Scott Brundage, please access their websites by following the links attached to their names.  Jill Esbaum has accounts on Facebook and Twitter.  Scott Brundage has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. This title is showcased at PictureBookBuilders and at author Kathy Temean's site.  At the publisher's website, you can view interior pages.



One of the great mysteries of dogs and relationships is how they will react in the presence of other dogs or other pets.  At first glance it seems as if they will be best friends or bitter enemies, but this can change.  It is as if they are better at compromise than humans.  They have mastered the art of give and take . . . usually.

In a highly humorous look at this understanding of relationships, Cat Dog Dog: The story of a blended family (Schwartz & Wade Books, April 28, 2020) written by Nelly Buchet with art by Andrea Zuill uses a minimum of words with expressive artwork to take readers on a journey of discovery.  Every moment, every incident, is brimming with perceptions.  These perceptions are those of the characters and our points of view at what is being told to us.

Dog

In the beginning all we know is a single small white dog lives alone in bliss with her human man.  She has a bounty of toys, and a canopied bed.  Her dad adores her.

In another home, a woman lives with her larger playful dog and a proud cat.  Sometimes the cat tolerates the dog and other times, it does not.  The cat rules the household.

Very quickly the dog sees that its dad has packed all their belongings in boxes and loaded them into a truck.  They are taking a trip.  Soon they arrive at the home of the mom and her dog and her cat.  The two humans hug in blissful happiness.  The trio of pets are not entirely sure about this situation, although the larger dog is ready to romp.

There is unpacking, a tiny disaster, walks, dinner time and shocking adjustments at bedtime.  Then there is a much larger shared disaster by Dog, Dog, and Cat.  It is not a comfortable time for any of them.  Months and holidays pass and one winter evening in front of a crackling fire Dog, Dog, and Cat are sleeping, happily unaware of a striking new development.  Readers are given a hint.  With the final page turn, readers will howl with laughter.


This narrative is told using only three words repeatedly, dog, dog, and cat.  It's the order in which they are placed by debut children's book author Nelly Buchet that will completely captivate readers.  Occasionally for dramatic impact and added interest a single sound effect or the name of another animal will be introduced.  Each time one or more of the carefully placed words are read, readers will feel tension and humor growing.  It's sheer genius.


It's a challenge to look at the front of the matching dust jacket and book case and not burst out laughing.  The positioning of the three animals above the three words, their facial expressions and the wagging of the larger dog's tail, tell a tale.  It's as if the trio are about ready to spring from the image.  To the left, on the back, on a canvas of muted golden yellow, we see the woman and man and the three animals standing in the open doorway of their home.  It's a point filled with expectations and anticipation.

On the opening and closing endpapers, the same shade of green seen on the jacket and case is used as a canvas.  A thin black line, like a path, stretches from left to right.  Racing across the page is the small white dog on the opening endpapers.  On the closing endpapers the same dog is chasing the racing cat.  The larger dog prances in the lead, holding a blue stuffed toy bear in its mouth.

With a narrative built on only three words, the artwork of Andrea Zuill shines like an intricate, textured, distinctive beacon displaying insight, interpretation, comedy and story brilliantly.  Every page turn has readers pausing to notice each exquisite detail.  There is meaning in each placement as well as foreshadowing.  Rendered using ink, compiled digitally, and colored in Photoshop each illustration, large or small, alone or paired with others is a layer, a deliberate portion of a wonderful whole.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is on a single page.  It is surrounded by a large loosely framed white space.  The words, in order, are Cat Dog Dog.  It's nighttime.  The cat is curled in comfort inside the white dog's canopied bed.  The white dog is seated on the floor at the foot of the bed looking at its dad.  The dad is wide-awake, sandwiched between the woman and her large dog.  That dog is lying on its back, front legs curled, and back legs spread open, with its head at the foot of the bed.  Its rear is pointed toward the man.  The mom is calming reading a book.


If you are looking for the height of hilarity and the power of words and illustrations carefully paired, this book is an excellent choice.  Cat Dog Dog: the story of a blended family written by Nelly Buchet with art by Andrea Zuill is outstanding in every aspect.  It will be a much requested read aloud.  It needs to be shared often.  It should find a place on every personal and professional bookshelf.

To learn more about Nelly Buchet and Andrea Zuill and their other work, please visit their websites by following the links embedded in their names.  Nelly Buchet has an account on Instagram.  Andrea Zuill has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view other images.  Here is a link to Nelly Buchet's YouTube channel where she has placed a series of quick book teaser trailers.  Nelly Buchet and Andrea Zuill are interviewed about this title and their work at author Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations.

A Double Dose Of Laughter

Regardless of your age, laughter can lift you up.  It can take an upside-down day, turning it right side up.  If you can share this laughter, the happiness it creates escalates.  Presently, it's a bit difficult to spread this form of joy with anyone other than those with whom you are sheltering or virtually, BUT . . .

When you think of authors and illustrators who make books filled with playful plots and comical characters, let us imagine they are there with us when we open the covers of their books.  As we laugh at their stories, it is as if they are laughing with us.  With this way of thinking, laughter is always shared.  Two April releases, graphic novels for younger readers (and readers young at heart), are welcome bursts of friendship and fun.

In the first title, Baloney And Friends (Disney Hyperion, April 14, 2020) written and illustrated by Greg Pizzoli, a crew of companions exhibit distinctive personalities.  It's their differences that make them dynamic.  None of them are without imperfections but together they form a flawless friendship.

A one-page full-color graphic in horizontal panels informs readers they will be enjoying a Get Started introduction, three stories and three two-page mini-comics.

Baloney + Friends
Get Started
(An Introduction Of Sorts)
Hello!
I'm Baloney!
This is my book.
All about me!
And me, too!
Oh. Hi, Peanut.

In this back-and-forth conversational exchange, we meet Baloney, Peanut, a blue horse, Bizz, a black, white, and yellow bee, and Krabbit, a cranky purple rabbit.  Baloney tries over and over to present his book and friends to readers, but he is constantly interrupted.  When it finally appears as though he can proceed without delays, Peanut is missing.  When you have to go, you have to go. (a bathroom break)

In the first story Baloney's magic show and trio of tricks are loaded with misconceptions.  What Baloney predicts does happen, but certainly not by magic.  His friends' responses are varied.  These in contrast to Baloney's actions are comedy gold.

Avoiding what you fear and overcoming that fear is addressed with candor and humor in the second narrative.  In musings Baloney reveals his hesitancy. In chatting with his friends, they become aware of his concerns.  It's Bizz's questions and then understanding which propel Baloney to be his best self with victorious though hilarious results.

To close this trio of tales Baloney and Peanut have a heart to heart chat about those things which make you feel sad.  An effort to lighten Baloney's mood only serves to display the depth of his despair.  As this is acknowledged, Baloney steps forward as true friends do.  Heart to heart is an art best buddies learn together.

In between the three stories the mini-comics range in their focus.  We are present during an arcade duel for player dominance, a rare peek at a hungry hero's craving for cookies and a closing championing the power of good stories.  Endings are the best beginnings.


By giving voice to these four characters, Greg Pizzoli illuminates those qualities which make each individual unique.  It is their singularity which endears them to us.  In them readers will see their strengths and weaknesses.  In these three stories and three mini-comics, Greg Pizzoli, through his written words, allows us to understand the benefit of embracing the complete individual, even if they are a work in progress.  (I'm looking at you, Krabbit.)  Although, to be fair, Krabbit elevates the laughter factor.  Here is a passage of dialogue.

Come and see the marvelous . . .
the masterful . . .
the magical . . .
The One And Only
Baloney!

Gasp!
A magic show! (Peanut)

Oh fun!  (Bizz)

Whatever . . .  (Krabbit)


As soon as you see the front of the book case, you'll start to fall in love with these happy-go-lucky friends.  Well, there is a scowl on Krabbit's face, but that's pure Krabbit.  The wide eyes, in the case of this book, are the secret to the soul of these characters.  They want us to be a part of their story.  The title text, Greg Pizzoli's name, the characters and the silver starburst are varnished.

To the left, on the back of the book case, the foursome is featured in four squares inside a larger square.  Above and below them is text you might see on the flaps of a dust jacket.  There are also glowing endorsements from two other admired author illustrator voices in the children's literature community, Ben Clanton and Laurie Keller.  Several elements here are varnished as well.

In a pattern of darker orange on lighter orange is a series of drawings of the fabulous four in a variety of positions.  Every so often the words:

Baloney
And Friends

are placed within the sketches. After this, prior to the title page, is a circle with the four friends and their names fashion a circular frame.  The title page is designed with a photograph of the pals.

Greg Pizzoli's panels shift in size to emphasize pacing and drama.  The color of the framing around the panels changes from white, to pale orange, purple, green, blue, black, royal blue, and red.  Sometimes the panels are outlined in a thin black line; other times the edges are scalloped or the image bleeds edge to edge.  Several times the characters appear outside a panel to designate their position with respect to each other or in reference to a memory.

Readers will recognize the masterful ability of Greg Pizzoli to create a range of emotions through his lines.  His facial expressions leave no doubt as to what his characters are feeling.  This is how we connect easily with the personalities.  This is why we love to laugh at their stories.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is on a single page.  Baloney is on stage dancing in his black pants, black bow tie and black top hat and holding his magic wand.  He is throwing a glass previously filled with ice cubes in the air.  They magically (with the use of a heater and hair dryer) turned to water.  In front of the stage Peanut is clapping and saying

Amazing!

Bizz utters disgustedly

Oh, come on!

And Krabbit, as you might expect says:

That's
NOT
magic!

Their faces tell the whole story.


This book, Baloney And Friends written and illustrated by Greg Pizzoli, is a first-class graphic novel everyone will want to have on their personal and professional bookshelves.  Regardless of the number of times you read it, you'll find yourself either laughing or sighing more than once.  Greg Pizzoli makes books you want to hold next to your heart. At the close of the book four pages are dedicated to teaching you how to draw these characters.

To learn more about Greg Pizzoli and his other wonderful work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website. Greg Pizzoli has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Greg Pizzoli has a YouTube channel.




In the first book in a new series readers get to meet two lovable animated animal creatures plus two of their friends.  Fox & Rabbit (Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams, April 21, 2020) written by Beth Ferry with illustrations by Gergely Dudas is a gathering of adventures, one connected to the other, by friendship, fun and the letter F.  Each of the five stories is titled with three alliterative words.  The three words are a welcome to readers to participate.

STORY ONE
FAIR, 
FIREWORKS 
& FRED

 I see a whale.
Me too.
I see a
carrot.
Me too.
Now I see a
crab.
Me too.

I just made that up.
I didn't really see a crab.
Stop copying me.

I wasn't copying you.  I was
just being nice.

Humph.

In this first verbal exchange as Fox and Rabbit are lying on their backs gazing at clouds, we get an early glimpse into their personalities.  This duo sees and smells cotton candy which leads them to a fair. Immediately Rabbit wants to ride the Ferris wheel, but Fox is not excited.  Rabbit says he will win Fox a stuffed toy to hold when he rides the Ferris wheel.  Guess who wins all three games?  Guess who wins a stuffed toy lion?  Guess who ends up holding the stuffed toy lion when they finally ride the Ferris wheel at night?  Fireworks lead to a new name.  Rabbit still has to satisfy a yearning.  The result leads us into story two, but not without even more laughter at the expense of the late arrival of a turtle.

The next day, story two unfolds with an eager Fox ready for a day at the beach.  At every stage of this tale, Rabbit over prepares.  Fox presents the only thing necessary, a single item beginning with the letter F.  Rabbit stalls all day long about going in the water.  For every reason Rabbit supplies to not going in, Fox counters.  Rabbit eventually decides he loves the beach (and the water) a lot, so they stay for the sunset.  A gift floats to them in a bottle on the darkened water. 

The next day after weighing the pros and cons of their next trek into the unknown, Rabbit loads up a backpack and Fox carries a single item, a flashlight.  They have three geographic challenges with weather and fauna adding to the mix.  As they reach their goal, it's not what they expected but they learn some surprises are right in front of us all the time.

Sparrow, an already accepted foodie, steps in to assist Fox and Rabbit in their next endeavor.  As a guide Sparrow is the best.  Fox and Rabbit work harder than they thought possible all day.  Then there are days and days of watering and waiting.  When they see the outcome of their labors they are overjoyed until disaster strikes.  Forgiveness starts with the letter F and it's the foundation of friendship.

At the close of this first book of heartwarming discussions and feats, the charming companions watch a startling discovery grow.  From this a construction project and hours of time in the kitchen equal a backyard business.  Just when it looks as though this is a zinger, Sparrow turns it into a pleasant surprise.  As usual Turtle arrives at the end and the final line is the bow on this perfect present for readers.


As you read these five stories you can't help but think of all the fabulous fun (two letter Fs) Beth Ferry had finding words beginning with the letter F.  You can't help but wonder at the joy she felt creating the conversations between Fox and Rabbit.  Their banter is a linguistic delight.  They counter and contrast each other.  They question and answer each other.  They bring out the best in each other.

To tie the stories together, Beth Ferry frequently uses a phrase such as

Are you sure?
Sure as sunshine . . .
Sure as sand . . .

and the appearance of Turtle heightens the hilarity of each episode.  To enhance the personalities of Fox and Rabbit a cadence is established with repeating words and instances in their dialogue.  This is the glue that adheres and deepens their affection.  Here is one wonderful conversation of many.  Fox is speaking for most of the page.

Hurry up!
What's taking
so long?
The sun will be
setting soon.
Do you want to
pack the
toilet too?
Fred is getting 
antsy.
Ta-da!
I'm ready!
You're not bringing 
anything?
Oh, yeah.
Because flip-flops start
with F.


When you open the book case, on the right you can sense the total bliss Fox and Rabbit are feeling in the moment of being together in a field of dandelions.  This moment is extended in the image that begins on the spine and spans across the back.  In this picture the pale blue sky is filled with floating dandelion fluff.  Rabbit and Fox with Fred, the toy stuffed lion, on the ground are looking up as they stand in the same dandelion field.  Above them text like you might read on the front flap of a dust jacket is placed.  The characters, the title text and some elements on the back are varnished.

The opening and closing endpapers are pale blue.  For the initial title page dandelion fluff drifts on the same blue.  For the formal title page, the picture on the front is expanded, spreading over two pages.

Illustrator Gergely Dudas rendered these images

with graphite and ink and colored digitally.

Opposite each chapter page on the right, Fox and Rabbit are placed in a circle introducing readers to their following escapade.  Gergely Dudas places a series of small images on full-page pictures, places a series of panels on a single page, supplies wonder with full page pictures and generates his interpretation of the narrative with several series of wordless panels.  Most of the images are loosely bordered with a fine black line.

Readers will be fascinated with the combination of body postures and facial features on Fox, Rabbit, Turtle and Sparrow.  They convey a range of emotions.  The pacing is impeccable.  The humor is rich and true. 

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is when Fox and Rabbit are at the beach.  In a series of eight small square panels placed as two columns on a larger area of sand on most of the page beginning on the left, we are privy to a conversation and three wordless pictures at the end.

The conversation begins with Rabbit as Fox goes swimming again:

I'm going to dig for
treasure.  This was
probably
a pirate 
beach once.

Call me if you find
something good!

And by good I
mean gold!

Or silver.

Or gummy worms.

As Rabbit digs with Fred watching next to the hole, we see less of his body until only his ears are above ground.  Then on the far right is a cutaway of that beach area.  Rabbit is way, way down.  He must have dug for a considerable amount of time.  This picture leads into another comedic conversation when Fox returns from a swim.


Between the chatting of these two friends, Sparrow and Turtle, readers know they've met the best kind of individuals.  Fox & Rabbit written by Beth Ferry with illustrations by Gergely Dudas is a book, whether placed on your personal or professional bookshelves, that will have the well-loved look in short order.  We readers are fortunate another title is set to be released this year. 

To learn more about Beth Ferry and Gergely Dudas and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Beth Ferry has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Gergely Dudas has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  The cover reveal for this book is hosted by Dylan Teut,  executive director of the Plum Creek Children's Literacy Festival at Mile High Reading.  Dylan Teut interviews Beth Ferry.  Betsy Bird, Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system, at School Library Journal, A Fuse #8 Production, interviews Beth Ferry about this book.

Embracing The Night And Its Creatures

One of the numerous benefits of having a canine companion is the late-night jaunts.  Depending on the weather and phases of the moon, gazing at the sky reveals wondrous marvels, patterns of stars and the sighting of a planet.  In stillness there are sights and sounds in each of the four seasons; spring peppers singing a chorus, fireflies signaling in a series of affectionate blinks, the crackling of fallen leaves beneath walking feet or paws and the sharp crack as sap freezes in tree branches.  In the darkness coyotes howl and owls hoot.

Other creatures of the night drawn out by darkness flutter fondly toward light.  You're Invited To A Moth Ball: A Nighttime Insect Celebration (Charlesbridge, April 7, 2020) written by Loree Griffin Burns with photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz is a doorway into an exceptional experience.  Through words and pictures we travel into the magic this special night reveals to all participants.

What's that?  You don't know what a moth ball is?
Please come anyway!  You can learn as we go.

A moth ball is an event designed to attract and enjoy moths.  You'll be astonished to know--

There are more than 150,000 different moth species, and hundreds of them---possibly thousands live where you do.

When a party presents an opportunity to meet more moths than you normally see, it is a special situation.

There is necessary equipment to host this unique party.  You'll want to have a source of light so you can navigate, a notebook, a pencil, a means to capture moments digitally or on film, and perhaps a magnifying glass so you can look closely at a moth's characteristics.  To attract moths, you'll need something on which they can rest, a light to bring them to you, and a sweet treat they'll love.

The more you know about moths, the more you can appreciate them.  Did you know moths tend to like ultraviolet light the best?  Some moths, like other insects and birds, love to sip on nectar.  Did you know the main difference between butterflies and moths is their antennae?  What feature is never seen on moth antennae?  By studying each physical attribute and the habitat of your moths, you can more easily identify them.

Once darkness descends moths gather near your light source and your enticing snack.  Approach them with respect.  Write down what you see.  Carefully capture them with pictures.  Express gratitude to all the attendees.  When will you arrange for this summer sensation?


Through engaging conversation author Loree Griffin Burns presents to children, actually readers of all ages, the step by step process for an entertaining and educational evening.  Her inclusion of materials and setup is easily understood.  She then allows for a pause in the process explaining more about the insects to be observed at the moth ball.  Her factual paragraphs have specific headings.

We then find ourselves in the midst of the moth ball.  Loreen Griffin Burns guides us through the excitement.  Then in another series of paragraphs we are presented with further details about moth balls, moths, supplies and setup.  Here is a passage from one of the additional paragraphs and the main narrative.

IDENTIFYING MOTHS
. . .
There are other clues, too.  Different moth
species live in different habitats.  A moth's life
cycle, particularly the caterpillar stage, depends
on the plants available in its environment.  So
noting the habitat in which you found your moth
(woodland? wetland? meadow?) and the types
of plants and trees in that habitat can sometimes
help you identify your moth.

Some people never, not once in their
whole lives, connect with moths this
way.  So take your time.  Soak it all in.


The full color nighttime scene on the front of the open jacket, a real photograph, has the quality of a watercolor painting, full of soft texture.  The lighting at the hanging sheet for the moths and in the nearby tent create an air of mystery and enchantment.  To the left, on the back, on a black background, are eight different moths.  They form a circle around the words:

Let's go mothing!

Those same moths with one more appear on the left side of the open book case.  On the front of the book case a large moth, wings spread is placed.  All of them look as though they could fly away within the blink of an eye.

On the opening and closing endpapers is a velvety black.  On the initial title page two moths hover over what appears to be the heading of an invitation.  With a page turn seven moths spread over two pages are shown to the left of a formal invitation designed for the title page.

Each photograph by Ellen Harasimowicz is an enlightening visual feast.  The image sizes vary to accentuate the text.  They are full-page pictures, one-and-one-half-page photographs to create a column, small insets with labels, two page horizontal illustrations with labels, a gallery of three grouped on a single page and two-page photographs, page edge to page edge.  Each one, usually featuring children, brings readers into the day of preparations and the evening of enjoyment.  We are shown a variety of points of view, too.

One of my many, many favorite photographs is a full-page picture.  It's at night.  A child wearing a headlamp is standing on the bottom railing of a wooden fence.  She's looking at an area where a treat was left for moths.  In the background, to the right, the lamp inside the rounded tent is glowing.  You can feel the warmth of the summer night.  You can hear the crickets chirping.  And for one brief moment, you're that child hardly daring to breathe as you watch the moths on the fence post.


For those longing for a new adventure and respect of insects who love the dark, You're Invited To A Moth Ball: A Nighttime Insect Celebration written by Loree Griffin Burns with photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz is a stellar selection.  At the close of the book is an Author's Note, a Photographer's Note, a Glossary and Resources for Further Reading, Bibliography, and Websites.  This book is a welcome resource for your personal and professional collections.  It's a chance and a challenge to become a better citizen scientist.

To learn more about Loree Griffin Burns and Ellen Harasimowicz and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  At Loree Griffin Burns website there are resources for teachers.  Loree Griffin Burns has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  Ellen Harasimowicz has accounts on Facebook and Instagram. Maria Marshall interviews STEAM authors on her blog, including Loree Griffin Burns and showcases this title.  At the publisher's website you can view an interior image and there are resources to download.  Here is a link to a chance to win a Moth Ball Starter Pack sponsored by the publisher.  At Penguin Random House you can view additional images.  At Teachers Books Readers Loree Griffin Burns is interviewed.  Please take a few moments to watch this video.



Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to see the other titles selected this week by participants in the 2020 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.

Friendship Lost. Friendship Found.

In our collective memories most of our first (and sometimes our only) best friends are not human.  We may find an animal in the wild who visits us, or we visit.  Perhaps we hold a special place in our hearts for an animal who has resided in our homes, currently or in the past.  For many the comfort and confidence provided by a toy is the key to our contentment.  If in the presence of a wild animal, an animal who lives with us or a beloved toy we feel all is right with the world, then this individual is the truest of friends.

This special kind of friendship is cherished.  If it is taken from us, we do whatever is necessary to regain it.  And that journey, if we are fortunate, reveals rewards we can never have expected.  In her first longer book, the start in a series, author illustrator Lauren Castillo generously gives us Our Friend Hedgehog: The Story Of Us (Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, May 5, 2020).  These nine chapters plus an introduction are 128 pages of heartwarming enchantment certain to resonate with generations of readers.

Sometimes you make a friend and it feels 
like you have known that friend your entire
life.

For a long time on an island lived Hedgehog and her friend Mutty, a toy stuffed dog.  They were inseparable living a life of soothing satisfaction. Their lives were suddenly upended on the day of the Terrible Storm.  Mutty, in a swirl of wild wind, blew from the island and Hedgehog.

Shaking off her deep despair, Hedgehog left the island, swimming to the forest.  Despite calling and calling for Mutty, he was not found.  Deciding to rest on a pile of leaves for the night, Hedgehog found herself plunging down a hole.  Wow!  Hedgehog landed in Mole's home.  The kindly creature with a flair for languages had a plan for finding Mutty.  The newly formed duo headed through tunnels, seeking Owl, who resided at Lookout Point.

Owl, displaying definitive wisdom and astute physical qualities, bolstered the saddened Hedgehog and her new pal, Mole.  A notebook, a drawing, and a flight to gather ideas was the next phase of this quest.  Three hearts and heads provided companionship and clarity.  At Beaver's dam, amid his gruff denials, a discovery was made.

A rousing ride on the river, a treasure-hunting mother and a lost photograph pointed the group of animals toward a home on a hill.  A girl, Annika Mae Flores, held the key to Hedgehog's happiness.  Collected clues created a new tale, a tale of friends rescuing each other and themselves.


To have this narrative told in the voice of Annika Mae Flores, means she is the kind of person with a tender and listening heart.  It indicates as an author Lauren Castillo wanted this character to hear all the other stories before creating a single story of the further adventures of this cast.  It is as if Annika Mae Flores is a weaver gathering threads to fashion a beautiful tapestry of their shared lives.

Each chapter heading with a minimum amount of words describes a character, an object, or a feeling.  In these chapters Lauren Castillo uses language to depict places and events vividly.  Her dialogue shapes the characters' personalities for readers.  Here are several passages.

She took a deep breath, jumped in, and set
off on a journey to find her dear friend.
The river was rough, but luckily Hedgehog
was a good swimmer.  She could swim all
the strokes, including the backstroke (which
was her favorite.) 

"Hooty hoot, who goes there?" called
Owl.  Owl never missed a trick.
"Guten Tag, Owl! Good day," said Mole.
"This is my new friend, Hedgehog.  She
needs our help."
"Help?" Owl perked up.  "What kind of
help?"
"I lost my best friend, in the . . . " Hedgehog
trailed off, beginning to weep again.
"Foggy weather is terrible for hide-and-
seek, my little hoglet."
Mole spoke for Hedgehog.  "We are not
playing hide-and-seek, Owl.  We are talking
about a friend in peril."
"Hmm, peril?" Owl pondered.  "You mean
very serious and immediate danger.  Well,
I do happen to have fast wings and excellent eyes.


(Please note I am writing this blog post using an ARC.)

In a pleasing scene of the area near the river, Lauren Castillo has framed the friends in greenery teaming with life.  Tiny ladybugs, several butterflies and a comical snail join the companions.  Each of the friends, Hen and Chicks, Beaver, Hedgehog, Mutty, Mole, Annika Mae and Owl are exhibiting their most endearing qualities within a full color palette.

To the left, on the back, with their backs to us sit the friends.  With a large sunflower on the left and a tall marsh flower on the right, they are seated in between them.  First is Hen and Chicks (One chick is perched on the sunflower.), then comes Owl, followed by Annika Mae, Mutty, Hedgehog with an arm around Mutty, Beaver and finally Mole. Above them the introduction is placed.

On the opening endpapers is a map of Hedge Hollow.  Hedgehog's Island, Mole's Hole, Owl's Lookout, Hen and Chicks' Marsh and Beaver's Dam are shown and labeled.  On the top of the hill with the river winding around and behind it is Annika Mae's House.  This is followed by an initial title page with Hedgehog and Mutty seated and facing each other.  Hedgehog is on the left on a white canvas, facing the formal title page.  With a page turn, opposite the publication information, is the dedication page.  This dedication says a lot about Lauren Castillo and this book.

After the Table of Contents is The Cast.  Here we meet all the characters, left to right in a row.  Before each chapter begins a double-page picture displays the essence of what readers can expect.  Taped to (placed on) this image is a meaningful photograph.  Above each chapter beginning is a stamp done in black.  It is a single symbol representing the chapter.

These illustrations rendered

using pen, pencils, watercolor, and Photoshop

shift in size to punctuate the pacing.  They may be a cluster of three small illustrations on a single page, single-page pictures, double-page pictures or a full-page visual extending over the gutter.  The attributes on the characters are detailed and textured.  (You'll find yourself wanting to hug all of them, even somewhat grumpy Beaver.)  The elements in their homes will have readers stopping to notice each one.  They have been carefully placed with purpose.  Lauren Castillo has used white space with excellence.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is across the top half of two pages with the narrative underneath it.  We are inside Mole's Hole.  On the left buttons are on the walls acting as hooks.  To the right of them is a handheld mirror upside down.  There are several acorns and a mushroom.  To the right of the gutter is Hedgehog looking at Mole on the right.  She is standing in the doorway to a tunnel.  A wreath of leaves arches over this opening.  This picture exhibits a friendship forming.


This enchanting tale of single stories becoming part of a greater story is one of the most heartwarming stories of 2020. Our Friend Hedgehog: The Story Of Us written and illustrated by Lauren Castillo is one of those books you'll read over and over again for the joy which builds from beginning to end.  Like life, there are moments of sadness and struggle, but love and companionship triumph.  We can all be grateful to Lauren Castillo for giving us this marvelous book you'll want to have on your personal and professional bookshelves.

To learn more about Lauren Castillo and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her personal website.  Her blog is linked here.  Lauren Castillo has accounts on Facebook,  Instagram and Twitter.  Lauren Castillo and this book are featured on teacher librarian extraordinaire Travis Jonker's blog, 100 Scope Notes at School Library Journal.  You'll love seeing all the process artwork.  At Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries John Schumacher's Watch. Connect. Read., Lauren is showcased for the cover reveal and conversation and book trailer premiere in a second post.  Both are linked here.  Last week Lauren Castillo did a virtual book launch with an interactive video presentation at Midtown Scholar Bookstore. We could comment during the launch and ask questions later.  It is linked here.

UPDATE:  Please take a few moments to read this interview about this title with Lauren Castillo in Kirkus.  Lauren Castillo has created several printable activity sheets for readers linked here and here.

Two By Three By Two And A Half Feet

Meeting a person from the past for the first time in a children's picture book is a gift to be enjoyed and shared.  When this person has an astonishing accomplishment attached to their life, it makes this encounter even more relevant.  Your sense of gratitude to the author and illustrator for this book, for their work on this book, is enormous.

My first lasting memory of Henry Box Brown is when I read Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad (Scholastic Press, January 1, 2007) written by Ellen Levine with illustrations by Kadir Nelson.  Kadir Nelson was awarded a Caldecott Honor award in 2008 for his masterful use of pencil, watercolor, and oil in his artwork.  My next unforgettable introduction to this remarkable human being is in Box: Henry Brown Mails Himself To Freedom (Candlewick Press, April 14, 2020) written by Carole Boston Weatherford with illustrations by Michele Wood. You cannot read the words in these narrative six-line poems and look at these pieces of artwork without pausing at each one, visibly moved.

The book begins with powerful words written by Henry Box Brown from his Narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown.  They speak of him born into slavery in a land which has documented all are to have lives of liberty.  In the first poem

WIND
As autumn breeze blows maple leaves
While I sit on my mother's lap.
Slavery is a cruel wind, she says,
Sweeping children away from parents,
Scattering families far and wide.
She shivers and holds me close.

the words of Henry Box Brown are echoed.  The accompanying illustration to this and the next poem, WORK, is a stunning scene of Henry, his mother and another brother, together beneath tree branches with drifting autumn leaves.

Cruelty delivered to other blacks on other plantations are told to Henry and his brothers.  By the time he is fifteen, Henry is taken from his family to work in a tobacco factory in Richmond, Virginia.  Here, among lots of people, evidence of slavery is seen everywhere.  Henry speaks of Nat Turner, rules, written and unwritten, and horrible beatings by factory overseers.  We learn of the planting, harvesting and delivery of tobacco, and of the discovery of brightleaf by an enslaved blacksmith, Stephen, in 1839.

Joy comes into Henry's life with his wife Nancy and their children, but it is not easy for them.  The constant fear of permanent separation hangs over them.  Nancy and the children are sold more than once but Henry figures out a way to have them near him.  He does so more than once.  A fourth child will soon be born.  Henry looks at Richmond, a hub of transportation, and dreams of freedom.  In an act of heinous inhumanity, Nancy and the children are taken to be sold.

Henry finds solace in his church and with friends.  Softly spoken words of an underground railroad give Henry courage to form a plan.  Again, trusted men assist Henry.  Henry is now inside a box three feet long, two feet wide and a little more than two and a half feet deep.

Unfortunately, as the box is moved from one form of transportation to another, the movers fail to observe This Side Up written on the side of the box.  At one point, Henry faints from the pain of his body pushing against his head.  After more than twenty-seven hours, Henry is a free man.

In the subsequent years, Henry deals with the dilemma of finding and buying freedom for his wife and children.  Henry wants his story to be shared, but in the midst of his panorama presentations he must leave the United States to save his life.  In England Henry shifts his persona in performances involving magic.  Happiness descends on Henry again and after twenty-five years he returns to North America to live out his life.


It's Henry's voice in these poems written with meticulous care and research by Carole Boston Weatherford that pierces your soul with their clarity.  All the poems, with the exception of one with six words, have six lines.  This is done with intention by Carole Boston Weatherford as a reflection of the six sides of a box.  The inclusion of special details gives readers a real, sensory portrait of Henry's life.  Here is another poem.

HEAVEN
For one last glimpse of my loved ones, I watch
The slave chain pass, bound for North Carolina.
Father! Father! my child yells from a wagon.
I see my wife, grab her hand, and walk four miles with her.
We shall meet in heaven, I whisper.  Then she is gone.
Lord, what more have I to lose?


The design and layout of the open and matching dust jacket and book case depict the confines of Henry's life and his success at freedom.  Each of the four featured images represents a critical point in his journey.  In an illustrator's note Michele Wood says:

The palette I chose includes blue, green, pink, red, and neutrals, which are colors of the 1800s.

To the left, on the back of the jacket and case, a rich deep, almost purple blue, provides a canvas.  In the center a black rectangle is a place for one of the poems.  Within the pages its title, not shown here, is COURAGE.

The opening and closing endpapers are black. The first poem of six words forms the number six and is titled GEOMETRY.  It appears prior to the title page and an illustration of Henry, as an adult, on the left.  This particular illustration is formed from smaller box shapes.

The illustrations, single-page pictures, framed and unframed, single and portions of the next page visuals, and vertical panels rendered in mixed media transport readers into a heart-wrenching past, but also supply us with hope held in a multitude of hearts.  Each image is layered with textures, color and emotion found in facial features and body postures.  Every detail holds meaning.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is when Nancy and Henry know they are spending their last moments together.  It is in the interior of their home.  Blue is used prominently.  Henry, on the right, is bent and holding his wife.  Nancy, on his left, is reaching into his embrace, arms wrapped around him.  Her dress flows behind her in a quilt-like pattern of checks in cream and others with a white flower on blue.  Two windows, like stained-glass, showcase symbolic elements.  Both Henry and Nancy have their eyes closed to hold in the memory of this moment.


This book, Box: Henry Brown Mails Himself To Freedom written by Carole Boston Weatherford with illustrations by Michele Wood, is a book to be widely read and often.  These poems and artwork are an impressive achievement in conveying not only a single life, but the time in which it was lived. At the close of the book are pages titled:  Timeline, Bibliography, A Note From The Illustrator and A Note On Numbers And Language.  I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Carole Boston Weatherford and Michele Wood and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names.  Carole Boston Weatherford has accounts on Facebook and Twitter.  Michele Wood has an account on Twitter.  Michele Wood is featured on author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  Candlewick Press has designed a Teacher Tip Card linked here.  At Penguin Random House you can view interior pages.  I encourage you to take a few moments to listen to Carole Boston Weatherford reading a poem from this title.



Update:  This video was released on June 19, 2020.  The illustrator speaks about the book.