Oh, Those Comic Canines

Through the years we have been entertained by the lovable, laughable antics of dogs in comics and cartoons.  Beginning as early as 1930 Disney's Pluto was the perfect pal for Mickey Mouse.  Near the end of 1950 Snoopy appeared as the loyal friend of Charlie Brown in Charles Schultz's Peanuts becoming quite a prominent character in the series.

Mystery sleuths Fred, Daphne, Velma and Shaggy have been assisted by the ever loyal Scooby-Doo since 1969.  A fresh face was released into the world on January 8, 2013, Stick Dog: a really good story with kind of bad drawings (Harper) by Tom Watson with illustrations by Ethan Long based on original sketches by Tom Watson.  Readers are in for ten chapters, 189 pages altogether, of head-shaking, eye-rolling, rib-tickling fun.

On the first page, front and center, is a profile of Stick Dog, grinning away, tail wagging.



This is Stick Dog.
He is not called Stick Dog because he
likes sticks.  Although, now that I think 
about it, he does likes sticks.  All dogs like
sticks, don't they?  I mean, what kind of 
dog doesn't like sticks?

Our narrator begins with an explanation of the main character's name due to his inept drawing abilities which we are to agree not to point out as readers.  No, we cannot scrunch up our faces like his art teacher or make him follow any Good Writing Rules like his English teacher.  Fun is the story's goal here, after all.

Stick Dog has comfy canine quarters complete with an old cushion he dragged into an unused pipe running under a highway.  His pals, equally free on the streets, are a poodle named Poo-Poo, a Dalmatian called, of all things, Stripes, Karen, a dachshund and a mutt named, of course, Mutt.  The fearless five are gathered on a summer day when a delectable aroma drifts toward them from Picasso Park; someone is grilling hamburgers.

With the goal of obtaining the meat attached to that glorious smell firmly fixed in their collective minds, they set off.  It quickly becomes evident that Stick Dog is the brains of the bunch.  His well-intentioned comrades' character traits surface and slow momentum.

Poo-Poo is immediately distracted by the presence of a menacing, nut-throwing squirrel.  Who knew Stripes could run like a speeding train and strike terror in the group with her stories of sword-wielding warriors. With her ever-present need to feed on chips, potato chips, Karen disappears like a Ninja, albeit a very short one.

With the crew finally gathered together again ankle biting, car driving, cliff diving and superhero flying are not what Stick Dog considers good plans.  With the diplomatic skills of an ambassador he steers his friends toward his more sensible idea.  What none of them anticipate is the fulfilling results.

Author Tom Watson has a definite knack for packing page after page with words sure to elicit loads of laughter.  Shifting between the narrator's over-the-top, this-is-the-way-it-is observations and the dog's meandering thoughts, and what can only be imagined as typical dialogue, is seamless.  It takes no stretch of the imagination to believe that the events can and did occur as described which paves the way for absolute hilarity.  Here are a few passages.

"This is great, just great," Poo-Poo moaned.
"Here I have this devious, conniving
chatterbox practically within my grasp, and
I can't finish the job."


"Will it bother you if we bark at mailmen?
I mean, seeing as you used to have a
human mailman of your own?"

Mutt shook his head and smiled.  "Heck, no.
In fact, I used to bark at Gary all the time."

"You did?" Poo-Poo asked, "You barked at
your own human?"

"Umm, yeah.  I'm a dog---and he was a
mailman. What choice did I have?" Mutt
said, clearly regarding this question as
ridiculous.


Designed to mirror the qualities of a composition book complete with the faint lined paper for the text with larger print and wider spacing, the illustrations of Ethan Long fit nicely into almost all the pages.  With a minimum amount of detail he is able to convey the characters' personalities with his practiced skills.  Readers will be hard pressed not to be continually bursting with giggles. (I could not contain myself.)


Destined to be a hit with dog lovers but sure to garner a larger crowd with the hilarious narrative and drawings in this quest-for-food adventure, Stick Dog: a really good story with kind of bad drawings written by Tom Watson with pictures by Ethan Long wins best in show.  As a read aloud it would be great fun.  In fact I can see using this as reader's theater; it's easy to think of possible voices for each of the characters.

HarperCollins Children's offers the first 36 pages for reading along with a game at this link. If you would like to hear the beginning of the audio version follow this link.

Gazing Goodness

When connections are made between characters and readers it's sometimes hard to let them go when a book reaches its conclusion.  In fact, once my students (or I) get hooked on a series, the wait for the next book is almost unbearable.  Eventually when the new titles arrive names are drawn to see who gets to check them out first.

Fans of the nearly wordless five graphic novels which introduced readers to Owly were thrilled with the first all color picture book, Owly & Wormy:  Friends All Aflutter! (reviewed here).  Jumping with joy is going to be an understatement when they see the latest title, Owly & Wormy: Bright Lights and Starry Nights!(Atheneun Books For Young Readers)  Author/illustrator Andy Runton has penned and pictured another tender tale shared by two of the most unlikely but devoted friends.


With grins all around the story begins even before the title page with the arrival of a package containing a telescope.  As the sun sets Owly reveals his plans for a nighttime adventure although Wormy is a tad bit scared by the dark and the mysterious

CLICKITY SKREEEEE

emitting from the surrounding forest.  Like the true friend he is, Owly has the answer, a lantern and candles.

Problem number one strikes when the leafy branches of their home block any sight of the stars.  But not to worry, Owly has a plan.  Tomorrow they will trek to the hill with a clear view.  Packed for the hike the two drift off to sleep no doubt dreaming of their adventure tomorrow.

Midway through their hilltop lunch the next day, problem number two rolls in with dark clouds and rain.  If he had a middle name it would be prepared, Owly has packed rain gear and finds a cave not too far away.  Ooooo...what's that sound?

CLICKITY...SKREEEEEE......

Yikes!  They scurry out of there in a hurry.  Whew...after the rain stops they set up their tiny tent on the hill, lantern and candles are lit and they're ready to look toward the night sky only to discover...problem number three...the telescope has fallen from Owly's backpack.

Wormy quickly volunteers to stay and guard the encampment (there's no way he's going back toward "those" sounds).  Now clearly lost in the darkened woods, needing to locate the telescope, Owly is starting to get spooked by the noises too.  Silence broken by eerie notes, peering eyes, creatures of the night are coming into sight.

Saddened Owly longs to return to Wormy.  Frightened, Wormy is wondering about shadows and the whereabouts of Owly.  Owly and Wormy realize, as do readers, the darkness can reveal much if we have the eyes and minds to understand.


When you look at the jacket and cover opened, it is impossible not to get caught up in the smiles worn by Owly, Wormy, the bats, chipmunk, opossum, raccoon, snail and fireflies.  This crew of forest creatures are clearly enjoying their nighttime escapade.  After the soft purple endpapers (opening and closing), a turn of page shows Owly's telescope delivered by a snail wearing a MAIL pouch.  You have to love the humor and joy portrayed in this sunny, opening illustration.

Following with the publication data carefully tucked into the tip top branches in the left-hand corner, the title arching like the sunset on the right-hand page, standing on the platform of their tree house (spread across two pages) our two pals are ready to greet their next adventure. Given that most of this story takes place at night Runton uses velvety shades of purple, deep blues, gray and black within and around his pictures drawn and inked by hand with digital pastels for coloring.  As in the previous title he alters his visual sizes and placement to punctuate and enhance pauses, pace and the storyline.  There is a pleasing balance to the flow of the tale.

Rebus-like speech bubbles clarify the "dialogue" between the two friends as well as the newest members of the tale.  The expressions depicted on all the characters are compelling and brimming with emotion; the widening of eyes, the curve of mouth or the lifting of an eyebrow leave no doubt as to what they are feeling.  One of my favorite two page spreads is when Owly brings out the lantern and candles to light up the night for Wormy.


Written and illustrated by Andy Runton Owly & Wormy: Bright Lights and Starry Nights entertains in the best possible way; tucking in the message about embracing the night and what it has to offer within a wonderful story of friendship enduring the ups and downs of life's events.  Publishers, Simon & Schuster offer a glimpse of eleven images from the story at a link here.  Andy and Patty Runton have designed a 30 page lesson plan packet which can be downloaded in .pdf format here.  Be sure you head over to the website linked to Andy Runton's name above for even more graphic goodies plus an Owly T-shirt, hat and plush toy.

Check out this adorable short animated video about Owly & Wormy.

Care To Add Anything?

Even with all the new online applications designed as virtual post-it boards, for organizing schedules and to-do lists, I still find myself making lists with paper and pencil; grocery lists, lists of books I need to read yesterday, household tasks I can not put off any longer or a list of my lists.  During the month of December and even now, people are generating the best of 2012 lists, which as a reader I find invaluable.  There is no humanly possible way to read all the brilliant books written and illustrated in any given year.  I am still determined to read some from 2012 and even 2011.

As a lover of lists I was intrigued with a new web 2.0 application released on November 15, 2012 which was noted in a tweet by Heather Moorefield, Education Librarian at Virginia Tech and former chair of the American Library Association Best Websites for Teaching and Learning committee.  Listerd wants to revolutionize the world of lists.  Not only is this a location to generate lists but it is a platform designed for sharing, collaboration and the rating of items on any given list.

Upon accessing the home page users can visit the Blog to get the latest hints and updates, Discover lists grouped by Trending, Newest or All time plus search by category.  There are currently 21 categories;

• Animals & Nature
• Cars & Auto
• Fashion & Clothing
• Home & Family
• Music
• Religion
• Technology
• Arts & Design
• Education & Books
• Food & Drinks
• Games
• Politics
• Science
• Travel
• Business & Finance
• Entertainment
• Health & Fitness
• Local
• Relationships
• Sports and
• TV & Movies.

Continuing along the top you can Create new list, Sign up, Log in or conduct a keyword Search.  At the bottom another search is available, Browse.  In Browse you search by list title in alphabetical order.  

Listnerd is an online and mobile service free of charge.  Users must be 13 years old.  To use the site or register you must agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms.  

Whether you select Create new list or Sign up you are taken to a screen where you can use your Facebook or Twitter account to log in or create a non-social form of registration.  You provide a username, email address, password, birthday and country to register.  A welcome/confirmation email is sent immediately.

When registered you are taken to your profile page.  At this point you can view your created lists, added items, or votes cast, make and read posts to your wall, read your newsfeed (followers) and adjust your privacy settings.  On the right a running tally is available for your statistics, list of followers and those you follow.  

When you select Create new list another window opens illustrating a four step process in designing a list.  The first step (Basic Steps) asks you to:

• give your list a title
• enter in a description
• pick a category in which your list will be placed and
• choose whether your list will be public or private.

Who can vote (members only or everyone), voting system (1-10 rating scale, thumbs up or down and number of votes per user), who is allowed to add items to your list (everyone, everyone, with approval, only members can add, or members, with approval), and the time limit for voting (never-ending or at this date) are all parts of step two (Settings 'n stuff).  At any point you can go back to re-do your selections.

For step three (Styling 'n stuff) you can upload an image for the header and another for the individual list. There are several selections in step four (Advance stuff).  They are whether all items should have an image, description and URL link.  You can also add up to three custom fields for your list.

When you finalize all the steps your next screen profiles the created list with its title, description, stats and sharing abilities.  Beneath that section you begin to add items to the list.  For each added item you include a title, description, link or image depending on your settings.

When your list is completed it can be shared via Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Reddit, LinkedIn, Tumblr or StumbleUpon.  Your entire list can be rated and comments can be left.  Each item can be rated by viewers according to their votes and edited or deleted by you.

Here is the link to my completed list titled Xena's Picks of the Litter-Top 20 Dog Books of 2012.  Items in a list can be expanded to see the description, links, etc by clicking on them.

Although I already had eleven views before I was even done, it remains to be seen how the sharing and collaboration of this list will evolve.  But I can state without reservation that I really like using Listnerd.  The developers have made it so easy to create and manipulate a list.  The potential for use in research resources, genre study, student generated favorite lists of books read, a Mock Caldecott or just about anything you can imagine make this an exciting tool for professional or personal use.  

A Dream...

It's been nearly fifty years since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963 during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom delivering his I Have A Dream speech.  Did you know in 1964 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the youngest man to ever win the Nobel Peace Prize?  Did you know that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was first observed as a national holiday on January 20, 1986?  Did you know that on August 22,  2003 the National Park Service dedicated a work, an inscription, marking the spot where Dr. King gave his speech at the Lincoln Memorial?

I did not recall knowing those three facts prior to doing a bit of research.  After I read I Have A Dream (Schwartz & Wade) by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with paintings by Kadir Nelson, I was compelled to know more, needing to step back in time moving slowly forward until 2013.  That is what nonfiction picture books with an interesting,  informative narrative enhanced by unique, outstanding illustrations do for a reader.  They completely engage and ignite the spark of curiosity.  They invite reflection and discussion.


Kadir Nelson selected the last five minutes of Dr. King's speech to illustrate.  The first of seventeen original oil paintings is show on the front and back jacket and cover of this title.  We see a face filled with strength, resolve and vision against a crystal blue sky spotted with clouds.

The front endpapers pick up the faint pale blue on the edges of those clouds; the closing endpapers the darker blue of the sky.  With two exceptions all of the illustrations span two pages, edge to edge.  The title page gives the reader a bird's eye view of the entire area around the Lincoln Memorial on that memorable day.  Off to the left side the publishing information and dedication are displayed in a narrow column of white.  So striking is this painting (as they all are) your eyes immediately look to each and every detail barely noticing the print initially.

I say to you today, my friends, that even 
though we face the difficulties of today and 
tomorrow, I still have a dream. 


Nelson begins with the columns of the memorial on the left, Lincoln in the background and Dr. King squarely in front of the statue looking out toward the people.  For each portion of the speech he shifts his perspective; zooming back to capture the expanse of the crowd on either side of the Reflecting Pool, facial close-ups of people mentioned in the speech, and back to a side view, very close, of Dr. King's face as he says

I have a dream today.

When picturing children grasping hands in a circle we only see two of them completely; hands, running feet, backs of heads of the others indicate movement.  That painting and the one of the two large hands grasped are surrounded in white accentuating their purpose, their meaning.  When Nelson's landscapes, the every valley, and the eight sections of New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Colorado, California, Georgia, Tennessee and Mississippi are shown the color choices and lighting are breathtaking in the grandeur portrayed.

The crowd of children's faces and the snapshot of those faces gathered during the speech are so realistic, full of emotion, you expect them to walk right off the page into your presence.  Bringing the whites and blue of the front and back jacket and cover to the final two-page illustration is a stroke of genius.  Reading this portion of the speech through the eyes of Kadir Nelson's paintings is like walking through a museum of memories; perhaps the very thoughts Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. might have been thinking on that day, August 28, 1963.


I Have A Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. brilliantly illustrated by Kadir Nelson is moving and unforgettable.  There is an official recording of the speech on a CD included with the book as well as the complete speech printed at the back.  With the recording playing, as each page is turned, is like being enveloped in history.

The publishers have designed an excellent resource for this title complete with booknotes and a poster.  This is a link to the Nobel Peace Prize page for Dr. King.  The Seattle Times has created a very comprehensive series of pages about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement.

This video is award-winning Kadir Nelson speaking about his illustrations for this title.

Excerpts of the speech copyright 1963 by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., copyright renewed 1991 by Coretta Scott King, and the Heirs to the Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Again...Again...Repeatedly

A book is a gift you can open again and again.

Garrison Keillor

What is it that makes us return to our favorite picture book titles?  Do we go back, even though we know exactly what is going to happen, because the story, the beginning, the middle and the end, is in perfect alignment.  Could it be the words, the narrative, the dialogue, create a kind of song in our minds, painting a picture even without the illustrations?  Or might another visit be due to the stellar artwork, the fresh color palette, intriguing layout and design?

I believe it to be when the combination of all of these is so striking, that not only is the book memorable, but you as a reader sense a kind of magic, a cosmic connection.  When I first lifted the cover of Open This Little Book (Chronicle Books) by Jesse Klausmeier with illustrations by Suzy Lee I had no idea what to expect. (I rarely consult the jacket flaps until after I read the book.)  Within a few seconds I began to feel a pull, a pull taking me right into the center of the book.


Open this...

Those first two little words offer much.  It seems so often when growing up we hear the opposite.  "Stop!" "Don't open that!"  This phrase is different; freeing, warm and inviting.  So we do as it requests.

In the Little Red Book, the Little Green Book, the Little Orange Book, the Little Yellow Book, the Little Blue Book and the Little Rainbow Book readers are introduced to Ladybug, Frog, Rabbit, Bear and Giant.  Each character is reading a book about the next as the volumes, inset in one another, continually get smaller.  As we move from book to book the characters move into the next title until a problem arises.

The pages of the smallest book cannot be turned by the hand of Giant.  But what are friends for? A book is began and finished with the story within read; to each character's individual and personal joy.

As first the Little Rainbow Book, followed by the others, is closed Giant, Bear, Rabbit, Frog and Ladybug return to their original settings.  When readers turn a page and read:

You close this little red book...

they, like the characters, are transported to a place where a passion can be pursued in the company of like-minded beings.  Read.  Read again.  Share. Read another. This is a timeless, treasured circle with no end.


According to an interview at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast Jesse Klausmeier first conceived this book when she was five years old.  There is a child-like wonder in the simple sentences linked together; a curiosity about what will happen next to whom.  When she chooses story, the reading of a story, to bind these characters together in friendship, the repetition of the words creates a spiral circling outward to surround you.  You, the reader, become a participant in the tale.


Every single time I read this book I discover something new in the illustrations.  Suzy Lee's interpretation is meticulous; right down to the tiniest amazing detail.  Using pencil and watercolor with digital manipulation she begins on the jacket and cover; a lofty view of a tree trunk on the left whose branches stretch as shelves providing space for books and readers alike. Her opening endpapers are rows of tiny gray raindrops on a soft creamy white background switching to a variety of colors, like a rainbow, on the closing endpapers.

Initially Lee opens using a limited palette, black, white and red with a hint of green.  As each little book is opened small spots of the other colors are added.  As the characters return home the use of color increases plus careful readers will see not only the gift of color but the gift of something else bestowed upon each. The pure happiness exhibited by Lee's Ladybug, Frog, Rabbit, Bear and yes, even Giant in each setting is marvelous to behold.


I've lost count of the number of times I've read Open This Little Book by Jesse Klausmeier with illustrations by Suzy Lee.  What I do remember is my excitement building at each page turn.  When I finish I know I am grinning from ear to ear wanting to shout from the rooftops "I love this book!"

Please follow the links embedded in this post to visit the official author and illustrator websites.  Suzy Lee did an interview at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast linked here.

I went right to my bookshelves and pulled off copies of Look At My Book: How Kids Can Write & Illustrate Terrific Books by Loreen Leedy, Making Mini-Books by Sherri Haab (Klutz) and The Elements of Pop-Up by David A. Carter and James Diaz because this title is guaranteed to inspire creativity.  You might also want to visit the web 2.0 application, Zooburst, to make virtual books.  It was an American Library Association 2011 Best Websites for Teaching and Learning.

Twitterville Talk #83

This marks the end of the first full week in 2013.  Talk about the upcoming American Library Association Youth Media Awards and possible winners has heightened.  Recommendations on new 2013 publications are increasing.  The constant sharing of resources is amazing between everyone related to books (in any form) and reading.  Technology trends are being predicted.  Yes, Twitter has been busy.  Enjoy your weekend, look for the hidden question giveaway and take time to read.

One of my educator friends, Katherine Sokolowski, a fifth grade teacher and blogger at Read, Write, Reflect wrote a post this week called The Power of Laughter.  Staying with the passion behind her post I decided to begin my post this week with a video recommended by an author in a tweet.

Thank you to C. Alexander London, author of the An Accident Adventure series and a new series, Dog Tags for this tweet.






Sometimes I think we've lost sight of what our priorities should be; of what we should value most highly.  This video says much about the importance of libraries.

Thanks to the author of The Great Molasses Flood (among many others), Deborah Kops, for this tweet.






The National Education Association has provided a page on their website Classroom Resources for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

What author has a new website?  Dave Pilkey!  Head on over and check it out.


Thanks to John Schumacher, teacher-librarian, 2011 Library Journal Movers & Shakers, and blogger at Watch. Connect. Read. for these tweets.




To celebrate the start of a new year an educator and blogger has posted this list, Jen's 2013 Bookish Un-Boring List!  There are certainly some great ideas here to expand your reading goals for the year.

Thanks go to Jen Vincent, teacher and blogger at Teach Mentor Texts for this post and this tweet.




Mark this date on your calendar--January 27, 2013.  It's the next title talk at 8PM EST.  Use the hashtag #titletalk

Thanks to Donalyn Miller, author of The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child and classroom teacher, for this tweet.






This looks to be not only very useful but easy to understand--Twitter For Educators Beginner's Guide

Thanks to librarian and blogger at The Adventures of Library Girl, Jennifer LaGarde, for this tweet.





Earlier this week author Jo Knowles, See You At Harry's, wrote a blog post titled Live Your Life: A Theme and a Challenge for 2013.  It's well worth a reread for two reasons; it's heartfelt and well written and it was inspired by the illustrated NPR interview of the late Maurice Sendak.

Thanks for the tweet and for this post to Jo Knowles.




And once again I am looking for the elusive money tree as this came over the wire---Maurice Sendak illustrations to go up for auction.  Other very notable illustrators' work is to included.

Get a load of the first two authors writing for a new series---Scholastic to Roll Out New Multi-Platform Series.  I think I might have gasped, laughed, clapped or all three.

Nancy Farmer Returns with 'Scorpion' Sequel This should be very good.

There are some very excellent titles on this list, A Literary Tour of Historical Y.A.


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




Author Madelyn Rosenberg, Happy Birthday, Tree! (reviewed here), has posted a wonderful list of resources for celebrating the Jewish observance, Tu B'Shevat.  As she states in her post, Birthday of the Trees, there are other times of the year, actually every day, to honor our leafy friends.

Thanks to Madelyn Rosenberg for this post and tweet.




The Nerdy Book Club Jr site is up and running again.  It is a collaborative blog for student readers.  An author can be any elementary student (K-6).  Spread the word.

Thanks to fourth grade teacher Tony Keefer for this tweet.

Candlewick Press continues to spread the joy in their We Believe In Picture Books! campaign.  Here is one of this week's videos by author/illustrator, John Rocco winner of a 2012 Caldecott Honor award for his title, Blackout (reviewed here).





In case you missed the outstanding TED video, How A Boy Became An Artist, by author/illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka it is included in this guest post he recently did at the TED Blog titled 10 great children's books destined to become classics.  

To the first person who tweets or leaves a comment after this post with the correct answer I will send them a copy of Phillip Hoose's Moonbird: A Year On The Wind With The Great Survivor B95  The question is:  What is the name of Jarrett J. Krosoczka's new chapter book to be released on May 7, 2013?

Thanks to Jarrett J. Krosoczka for this tweet.



This is almost unbelievable but then take a look for yourself---Paper Computer Makes Rounds at CES.

Thanks to author James Iver Mattson for this tweet.

When you next talk to your students about poetry, think about using this wonderful video by author, Jacqueline Davies, the author of The Lemonade War series.  Thanks to HMHKids for this tweet.







If you are looking for a good resource for the upcoming Presidential Inauguration look no further---The 'Our White House' Inauguration Celebration Kit for Kids has some great ideas.

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



Our Library of Congress is an amazing resource; Infographic--Teaching with the Library of Congress

Thanks to Donna Baumbach, retired professor at UCF in Orlando.







And the winner is...The Charlotte Zolotow Award

Interesting post about students wanting to read versus knowing how to read---The Reading Race



Thanks to Professor Teri Lesesne, educator and blogger at The Goddess of YA Literature for these tweets.



This is a unique version in a completely different setting of Barrie's Peter Pan---Peter Panzerfaust, Peter Pan Comic, Displays New Take On Classic (PHOTOS)

Thanks to HuffPost Books for this tweet.




It is with great sadness that I write of the death of Caldecott Medalist and two time Caldecott Honor award winner, Gerald McDermott.





 Here are a few of my favorite quotes and thoughts from Twitter this week.

The danger of research is that looking up 1 fact about ancient languages can lead you to browsing CIA jobs and shopping for a coffee table.
— Jeramey Kraatz (@jerameykraatz) January 5, 2013

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.
— Phil Torcivia (@PhilTorcivia) January 6, 2013

I know things are going well when my students ask me about how I'm progressing with my reading goals. #titletalk
— Colby Sharp (@colbysharp) January 7, 2013

Now and then, it strikes me as peculiar that one seemingly normal adult can say to another seemingly normal adult: "Do you tweet?"
— Sandra Boynton (@SandyBoynton) January 7, 2013

Best question of the day: "Do you have the ARC for Extreme Babymouse? I don't want to wait until tomorrow." -3rd grader
— John Schu (@MrSchuReads) January 7, 2013

I love that special moment during a read-aloud when you & your students are so hooked that time's forgotten. Good writing causes that!
— Cynthia Alaniz (@utalaniz) January 8, 2013

Why do we need to quantify everything in education?Kids are not numbers.
— Teri Lesesne (@ProfessorNana) January 9, 2013

"I prefer to search library stacks because when I work to learn something, I remember it." -Harper Lee tmblr.co/Zkm-MvbLs_Yr
— SchoolLibraryJournal (@sljournal) January 9, 2013

The following tweet should be marked on your calendar.

Getting ready 4 #SharpSchu Book Club w/ @origamiyoda & @michaelwbuckley! See ya 1/16, 8PM EST! @colbysharp @mrschureads twitter.com/AmeDyckman/sta…
— Ame Dyckman (@AmeDyckman) January 10, 2013

I don't know how teachers do it. I'm exhausted.
— Barbara O'Connor (@barbaraoconnor) January 10, 2013

Today I'm starting research on Florence Nightingale - Jack and Annie might be meeting her on the River Nile!
— Mary Pope Osborne (@MaryPopeOsborne) January 11, 2013

"Read like a wolf eats." - Gary Paulsen
— Kurtis Scaletta (@kurtisscaletta) January 11, 2013

And Then The Sun Came Up

Twelve years ago I became acquainted with one of the first books written by Lauren Thompson other than her delightful Mouse's First series.  The title was One Riddle, One Answer (Scholastic Press, March 1, 2001).  One Starry Night  (Margaret K. McElderryBooks, October 4, 2011) is the first title she authored which I reviewed on this blog.  To me from those titles, plus others, I have come to believe Thompson truly has the gift of conveying much with a few carefully selected words.

Where's Walrus? is the first title (written) and illustrated by Stephen Savage clearly demonstrating his wordless wizardry with which I was familiar.  Again he charmed me with his newest title released this fall, Little Tug.  Whatever his medium, Savage depicts an invitation to his readers, a sense of warmth.

When these two notable artists first collaborated with Polar Bear Night (Scholastic Press, October 1, 2004) the results were, and still are, extraordinary; the title winning numerous prestigious awards.  On December 5, 2012 when Stephen Savage tweeted about a book trailer for a new work by he and Thompson, I quickly watched it.  For a person like me who enjoys picture books, understanding the process employed by either the illustrator or the author increases the bond between the creator(s) and the reader.

 

Within a week Savage tweeted about an interview explaining the steps taken in creating his various works given at the blog Pen & Oink.  At this point I had not held a copy of Polar Bear Morning in my hands but I could hardly wait; something told me it would be golden.  Like a sunrise on the new year on January 1, 2013 Polar Bear Morning (Scholastic Press) written by Lauren Thompson with pictures by Stephen Savage was revealed to the world.


THE MORNING IS CHILL AND BRIGHT.
From her cozy den, a polar bear cub peeks out
at the snow and ice and clear blue sky.

Serenaded by the calls of wheeling seagulls overhead the little polar bear continues on her walk over the icy landscape.  But wait...what's that tumbling down a hill?  It's a cub covered in snow.  A greeting is made in silence.

Much as the moon followed polar bear in Polar Bear Night, she follows this new little snow cub.  Climbing up and rolling down hills, they move toward the sea as fast as they can.  Seals, whales, and walruses each enjoying morning's first light are passed by in a rush.

Before they know it, the vast expanse of the sea is spread before them.  What's a polar bear to do?  Jump in, dive and swim in perfect tandem.  A floe is found for the friends.


Although I have never visited the far northern regions in which the little polar bear lives I have been a resident of northern Michigan for many years.  I have logged thousands of miles worth of walks in the snow along the shores of Lake Michigan.  With her spare text in this narration Thompson captures the sensory experience "to a tee."  As a reader you feel the cold, smell the water, and see the brightness of the sun's reflection on the snow and icy waves.  The descriptive exhilaration of the two cubs at play is irresistible.  Without rhyme Lauren Thompson instills a type of cadence in her writing bringing readers into the rhythm of life in the Arctic, into the rhythm of two-like minded creatures.


As is my custom when I first held Polar Bear Morning, I opened the jacket and cover.  The cheerful contrasting colors of the front, yellow and orange with the blues and stark white are tempered with the back illustration, blues and white feature the new cub, only head and feet showing beneath a snowy coating.  The title page in shades of turquoise has polar bear peering at the readers, his sleeping mother next to him, followed by the next two pages of him peeking out the darkened cave into the daylight.

All of Stephen Savage's linocut illustrations, printed on Thai mulberry bleached rice paper using water-based ink, span across both pages, a reflection of the extent of polar bear's habitat.  This is counterbalanced by the textures created through his illustrative technique which generate an intimacy with the reader; you want to touch every single page.  Most of the pictures are done in varied hues of blue and blue-green except for the coloring on the animals until Savage surprises with a background representing the morning sky touched by the rosy rays of the sun.


Author Lauren Thompson and illustrator Stephen Savage have collaborated to give we readers another endearing gem.  The setting may be chilly but the story is full of heart; the kind of heart that will warm you from the tip of your toes to the top of your head, through and through.  One can only hope polar bear might have another adventure.

Links are embedded in each of their names taking you to their respective websites.  Links attached to each of their titles provide my previous reviews.  Here is a link to an interview of Stephen Savage at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast with Julie Danielson on Monday of this week.  It is outstanding.