Bone-A Fide Facts

 Studying traditional annual celebrations is a good way to build a bridge of understanding of cultures outside your own. These holidays are steeped in history, many times dating back hundreds of years.  One of the more fascinating festivities for this student of the Spanish language and, subsequently, my students is observed by persons in the United States, Central America and Mexico.

El Dia de Muertos, the Day of the Dead, begins on November first and ends on November second.  These days are for remembering those who have died, honoring their lives and spirits in a variety of ways.  One of the most prominent symbols seen during this time is the calaveras, human skulls and skeletons.  A respected artist, a creator of the calaveras, Jose Guadalupe (Lupe) Posada, is the subject of the distinguished Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras (Abrams Books for Young Readers, August 25, 2015) written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh.  This title was selected as one of The New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2015 in October, 2015.  On Monday January 11, 2016 at the American Library Association Youth Media Awards a Pura Belpre Illustrator Honor award and the Robert F. Siebert Medal were given to this book.  It is also listed by the NCTE Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children as one of their honor book selections.

Skeletons riding bicycles...skeletons wearing fancy hats...skeletons dancing and strumming on guitars.  We call these festive bony figures calaveras.  

More than one hundred sixty years ago Jose Guadalupe Posada was born in a city in Mexico.  His artistic talents were noticed by an older brother, a teacher, who assisted in further art education.  At the age of eighteen Lupe learned the art of lithography and engraving by working in a shop owned by Don Trinidad Pedroza.  While working for Pedroza, Posada began producing political cartoons.  Eventually Posada opened a print shop of his own and began raising his family in the city of Leon.  They resided there for many years until a flood washed away his livelihood.

The three, Posada, his wife and son, relocated in Mexico City.  Don Posada was able to make a name for himself here, eventually opening a shop of his own again.  He also began illustrating "broadsides" with Antonio Vanegas.  Each year they were the busiest during El Dia de Muertos.  The duo created short poems, rhyming poems, with illustrations of calaveras.  Of all the literary calaveras designed during this holiday, those of Posada were the most valued.

He refined his art by learning the process of etching.  The literary calaveras elevated the holiday in obvious representations but some also seemed open to clarification.  What kind of statement was Jose Guadalupe Posada trying to make?

When Posada died in 1913 most people did not know the man responsible for the skull and skeleton drawings.  Other notable artists such as Caldecott Honor award winning Jean Charlot and Mexican painter Diego Rivera worked to bring attention to this man's work.  Thankfully another author and illustrator used his extensive talents to showcase the life and work of Posada for a whole new audience.


The written portion of this book by Duncan Tonatiuh is divided to be as engaging as possible for the reader.  Parts are strictly dedicated to his personal and professional growth.  Sections are shown explaining the steps involved in lithography, engraving and etching.  Tonatiuh also speculates on the meaning behind the images and poems, inviting readers to think and discuss.  He includes the political climate and historical changes in Mexico during Posada's lifetime providing context.  Here is a sample passage.

One of the men Don Lupe worked with was Antonio Vanegas.  He published intriguing stories on large sheets of bright paper called "broadsides."  The tales were about a wide range of topics, including scary creatures, fires, miracles, violent crimes, heroes, bandits, cockfights, and bullfighters.  Donn Lupe illustrated many of these tales.  Paperboys sold the inexpensive broadsides on the streets for a few cents, and people---even people who couldn't read---bought them.  They were fascinated by Don Lupe's drawings!


All of the illustrations were hand drawn by Duncan Tonatiuh then assembled digitally.  On the front of the dust jacket we see a blend of his original art (in the center) and that of Posada.  The framing supplied by the combination of bones and the small red flower is continued to the left on the back surrounding descriptions of the other notable titles by Tonatiuh.  Two interior images toward the back of the book have been placed on the book case; asking us to imagine how Posada would portray calaveras in today's world.  The opening and closing endpapers are done in the rustic orange-red shown on the dust jacket.

A muted color palette in browns, greens, grays, blues, white and black with a little red, purple, pink and orange bring an authenticity to the pictures.  The mix of Posada originals and Tonatiuh's pictures is superb in layout and design.  About midway into the book Tonatiuh gives full pages on the left to the drawings of Posada challenging our perceptions.

One of my favorite illustrations spans two pages.  In this image Tonatiuh depicts vendors selling

pan de muerto (bread), cempasuchil (marigold flowers), alfeniques (sugar skulls), and papel picado (paper cutouts).

Two booths are placed on the left and right with saleswomen in each.  Across the top between the two booths a string of the cutouts is displayed.  A girl selling the marigolds sits in the center but off to the right.  A woman and her son seek to make purchases.  You can almost hear the conversations.


You will want to have Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh to use for the history, the art, the explanation of an honored celebration and the beauty of the text and images.  This is an exquisite example of the best kind of nonfiction picture book.  This is also one of those books where each reading will reveal a new detail.  At the close of the book is a two page author's note, a glossary, bibliography, art credits, where you can see Posada's work in the U. S. A., an index, dedication and publication information.

To discover more about Duncan Tonatiuh and his other work please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  At the publisher's website you can view other pictures within this title.  A lengthy educator's guide compiled by Lisa Finelli for Vanderbilt University Center for Latin American Studies can be found here.  Five questions for Duncan Tonatiuh can be found at The Horn Book site.  Duncan Tonatiuh was interviewed at EE ME BOOKSHELF.


For additional insights into the Dead of the Dead you can visit the Smithsonian Latino Center interactive site.  More can be found at the National Geographic Education page.

Please stop by Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by Alyson Beecher to see the other books selected by bloggers this week during the 2016 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.

  

The Middle

On the first day when you begin working with a new group of students in a storytelling class, panic is heavy in the air.  Most of them, if not all, believe they have to learn a story word for word. Relief floods the room when they are informed this is not the case.  First there is reading, lots of reading to find a tale which speaks to them personally.  Stories choose you.

Then each selected piece is taken down to the bare bones.  You look for the skeleton, the beginning, the middle and the end. What you add makes it your telling of the story.  With this process comes the realization of the difference between memorization and learning by heart.  One Day The End: Short, Very Short, Shorter-than-Ever Stories (Boyds Mills Press, an imprint of Highlights, October 6, 2015) written by Rebecca Kai Dotlich with illustrations by Fred Koehler explores the creation of story.  Everyone has tales to tell.

For every STORY there is a BEGINNING and an END, but what happens IN BETWEEN makes ALL the DIFFERENCE.

Our young protagonist has nine beginnings and nine endings.  Each is marvelously realistic and ordinary.  To get from the identical One day to the final The End are a series of events filled with the delightful details of a day well-spent.

To school, at school and home again are made better with a delish treat.  A squirrel's teasing leads to a disaster averted by keen detective work.  Hours of hide-and-seek, a craft-fest mess and an adventure equal welcome rest, heartfelt hugs and a new feathered friend.

A mission impossible becomes possible.  Trampling away troubles triumphs.  Rub-dub-a-dub a duo in the tub makes for total merriment.  This little girl has a dream and it comes true story by story.


Leaving home and returning, losing and finding, making and giving, and wanting and doing, leave openings for a myriad of opportunities.  Rebecca Kai Dotlich with her simple sentences and carefully chosen words gives us a glimpse into the beauty of telling our stories.  She shows us how we need to tap into our experiences like her character does.


Upon opening the dust jacket and matching book case readers are greeted by a bold golden yellow background filled with the large block letters ONE DAY on the front and THE END to the left on the back.  The other portions of the title are written in smaller script.  The little girl uses the letters as if they are parts of a jungle gym.  On the front she and her dog are raised and glossy.  Her happiness is contagious.  The beginning endpapers are in a soft orange and the closing endpapers are covered in a light brown.

The illustrations, rendered digitally by Fred Koehler, start to extend and enhance the narrative on the title page.  The young girl, nibbling on a cookie, is looking at the reader from the open doorway of her home.  As she takes a variety of detours on her way to school, chasing after her cat with her dog chasing after a squirrel, her escapades begin in earnest.

The ingenuity of Koehler's technique incorporating the text within the images is brilliant.  Tiny items, individual elements and smaller images form a larger whole depicting this child, her brother, cat and dog in constant motion.  The color palette on a matte-finished paper adds to the spirit of the story line.  Everything...yes everything...flows perfectly.

One of my favorite two illustrations is for the text

One day...
I LOST MY DOG.
I found HIM! 
The end 

On the first two pages the little girl is sitting in a swing reading a book as her dog, nearby, is eyeing a squirrel.  A blue ball with yellow stars forms the "O" in One day.  Then the dog plays with the ball and swims in a kiddie pool.  The squirrel leads him on a race right out of the yard.  The pooch does have to dig a hole to continue pursuit.  With a page turn the girl follows the pawprints which form found.  Guess who's curled up and sound asleep inside the circle of the "d" in found?


One Day The End: Short, Very Short, Shorter-than-Ever Stories written by Rebecca Kai Dotlich with illustrations by Fred Koehler is a fantastic tribute to creativity.  It demonstrates how highlighting the little (and not so little) everyday things in our lives can be great fun for others.  There is something for every age in this book.  One day I read this book.  I read it over and over.  You should too. The End.

To find further information about Rebecca Kai Dotlich and Fred Koehler please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Rebecca Kai Dotlich was interviewed on The Picturebooking Podcast, Episode 028.   Fred Koehler was featured in an article in The Ledger.  John Schumacher, Scholastic's Ambassador for School Libraries, included this title as one of his best books of 2015 as early as May at Watch. Connect. Read.

UPDATE:  February 22, 2016 Rebecca Kai Dotlich is interviewed by author Dianne White at ReaderKidz.

A Bird In The Jungle Is Worth ...

As a visitor or new resident to the western part of Montana, you find yourself saying, "What is that!?"  Perhaps a flash of iridescent black mixed with blue and green catches your eye or a noise akin to a prehistoric insect pierces the otherwise quiet.  During every season of the year you will see the black-billed magpie gliding through the air and landing among your trees.  Adult males range in size from eighteen to twenty-four inches long; half the length is their tail.

As clever as other family members, their singular bird call sounds like a coded message waiting to be translated.  Lately it's very easy to imagine them giving their avian friends notice of Cockatoo, Too (little bee books, an imprint of Bonnier Publishing Group, January 5, 2016) written and illustrated by Bethanie Deeney Murguia.  Humans should be on the lookout for telltale signs in the snow of a feathered-friend hoedown inspired by this new title.

Cockatoo.
Cockatoo?

A solitary cockatoo awakens as the sun rises, hip-hopping in happiness.  To its surprise another bird flutters down, momentarily pausing his wiggling and jiggling.  Who knew there was another cockatoo?  A reached resolution is immediately interrupted.

Two more cockatoos enter the scene wearing tutus!  Suddenly feeling slightly undressed the original two ponder what to do.  The latest generous duo delivers dressy duds.  Four can finally frolic.

There's a new fuss coming from the foliage.  One, two, three and four more enter.  Feet raised, forming a line, this new crew kicks and cavorts with abandon.  It would be great if the group becomes eight.

Wait a minute!  There are nine, ten, eleven and many more.  It's a tweeting, twittering uproar.


As soon as you read the title, that phrase rolls out the red carpet for rollicking word play.  For the majority of the narrative Bethanie Deeney Murguia uses combinations of six plus one words skillfully applying rhyming and alliteration.  As the pages are turned the laughter is guaranteed to increase as the sentences and questions get a wee bit longer and a bit more mixed.

Two cockatoos, too?


It's impossible to look at the matching dust jacket and book case without grinning.  Those chunky, wide-eyed cockatoos within the colorful jungle fauna are ready for action.  On the back, to the left, a third cockatoo with an orange crest and matching tutu is resting, exhausted, against a bowed flower.  The text

Whew, it's a jungle out there.

is a clear "why" inquiry.  You can easily tell from the jacket and case how Bethanie Deeney Murguia uses white space as an important element in her images.

On the opening endpapers in blue and green, cockatoos and toucans are peacefully sleeping among large jungle leaves.  On the closing endpapers the pattern is the same but the colors and facial features reflect a delightful difference.  The initial title page begins the story with a single cockatoo resting in a tree top, a crescent moon outlined in the pale blue sky as dawn breaks.  A larger picture spans across the formal title pages with the cockatoo awake and striding through the jungle.

Rendered in

watercolor, gouache, ink, crayon, and a bit of block printing, all combined in Photoshop (Thank you Bethanie for answering my question.)

the illustrations all cover two pages with the hues of the leaves and trees an indication of the time of day.  As new characters enter the story, readers will note body positions and facial expressions which announce their arrival.  Other members of the dance company are cleverly concealed until the precise moment of their appearance.

One of my favorite illustrations is at the beginning when the lone cockatoo, on the right, notices the feet and bottom part of the body of another bird, on the left, drifting through the ferns and flowers.  The expression on its face is one of caution and curiosity.  The previous joy is frozen.  There's quite a bit of anticipation in this image.


There are fun books.  There are funny books.  Fun and funny books are the best.  Cockatoo, Too written and illustrated by Bethanie Deeney Murguia is the later.  You are going to want to read it aloud as often as you get requests to do so.  It's a word play wonder!

To discover more about Bethanie Deeney Murguia please follow the links attached to her name to access her website and blog.  At the little bee books website you will find a coloring page and a How to Draw a Cockatoo page.  Simon & Schuster has seven illustrations for you to view.  Bethanie Deeney Murguia is interviewed at BookPage and Ronnie's Awesome List.  Bethanie Deeney Murguia was a guest at Scholastic's Ambassador for School Libraries John Schumacher's blog Watch. Connect. Read. speaking about this title and premiering the book trailer below.

Centered In Peace

Toward the end of December the winter solstice descends in the northern hemisphere.  It's a signal from Mother Nature for the flora and fauna under her care to rest.  As it progresses the calendar for humans begins a new year.  For many it's a time of introspection and seeking balance.

When we step outside away from noise and distractions during this period of calm and quiet using all our available senses, the stillness envelopes us.  Author Susan Verde and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds in their third collaboration, I Am Yoga (Abrams Books for Young Readers, September 8, 2015) show readers how to expand their reflections.  We discover how to tap into the serenity supplied now as well as during the other three seasons.

When I feel small in a world so big,
when I wonder how I fit in,
when the world is spinning so fast ...


Children (and adults) can relate to those three voiced thoughts.  It's when the busyness of the everyday overwhelms our enjoyment of life in general.  We certainly can't control everything the day delivers but we do have the potential as to how we respond.

Three specific actions are chosen by the girl as she inwardly speaks to herself.  Her composure opens the door to possibilities.  She can become more than herself.

In a series of sixteen poses she mirrors the likeness of elements in our natural world, man-made objects, animals and particular people.  As a tree she is tall enough to touch the sky.  She can bring luminosity to the darkness like the light of the moon.  She is strong enough to support another as well as herself.

With purpose she moves from one state of being to the next.  She closes with tranquility. A peaceful perspective is in place.


Susan Verde writes with knowledge about the feelings of a child.  With her words she takes those feelings influencing them through the art of yoga.  She describes the poses in such as manner as to invite readers to participate.  Rather than specifically name the pose, she creates a vision.  Here is a sample.  For the boat pose she says:

I can sail on the sea.
I go with the flow.


The permeating peace seen on the front of the dust jacket continues to the left on the back.  In both illustrations the girl, with eyes closed, is in a yoga pose.  The warm wash of colors in these two images is carried throughout the book by Peter H. Reynolds.  The title text is in foil.  On the book case, two interior pictures are shown.  On the right the girl is in the star pose on a soft golden yellow background.  On the left among hues of blue she is in the half moon pose.  The opening and closing endpapers are a swirl of rosy shades.  The title page is the same visual as the front dust jacket but in black etching with only orange and blue.  Smaller illustrations are placed on the verso and dedication pages.  Each one reinforces a sense of harmony.

Rendered in ink, gouache, watercolor and tea each of the pictures with the exception of two is placed on single pages surrounded by white space. Prior to the poses Reynolds depicts the unrest she experiences in motion and movement.  Each yoga pose is beautifully portrayed, moving in color from oranges and yellows, to green, blue and purple and rose and a blend of these.  For a few of the visuals, the viewpoint shifts bringing us close to the girl or making her much smaller as when placed inside a flower.

One of my favorite illustrations is for the downward dog pose.  The text is placed along the top of the page.  Underneath is grass with tree tops growing toward the bottom of the page.  The girl is bending in place with the sun shining through the v formed by her position.  Her feet and hands are on top of clouds.  The text reads:

I can turn things upside down.
I am playful.


On the first reading of I Am Yoga written by Susan Verde with art by Peter H. Reynolds a sense of calm generated by the text and pictures will wrap around the reader.  No matter their age each will feel as though the practice of these yoga positions is within their capabilities.  In my experience children enjoy creative dramatics.  This book will make for a delightful and memorable storytime.  At the conclusion are an author's note and three pages of pose descriptions with thumbnails of the images.

To learn more about Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds and their other work please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Follow this link to listen to the original song, I Am Yoga, written and composed by Emily Yarrow.  At the publisher's website you can view four interior images and two of the pose description pages.  You can listen to the podcast or watch the video when Susan Verde and Emily Yarrow visit with Rocco Staino at KidLitTV.

To Understand The Truth

The memory is so vivid it feels as though only a few hours have passed rather than decades.  Two members of my family and I were at our first Native American Pow Wow.  It was being held in the largest arena in our state's capital.  We were in attendance with thousands of other people.  Our seats were in the balcony.

A hush fell over the crowd as the cadence commenced.  A line of men walked down the center of the people to the front of the hall.  Large drums were carried.  The sound they created was that of a universal heartbeat.  At the same time my family and I looked at each other with tears in our eyes.  It was an astonishingly powerful experience.

While the drumming remains strong in my mind another Native American tradition is as potent.  Storytelling is a sacred art.  In Hiawatha And The Peacemaker (Abrams Books For Young Readers, September 8, 2015) with words by Robbie Robertson and pictures by David Shannon we enter the wondrous realm of history brought to life by a tale passed from one generation to the next.

A fierce scream echoed through the woodlands...
Was it a dream?  An eerie steam crept up from the ground, and the smell of burning pine filled the air.  

A man stood amid the remains of his village.  His wife and three daughters lost in a bitter battle.  He sought shelter near the river unable to do anything for weeks but think in anger of revenge against the wicked warrior responsible, Chief Tadodaho. His name was Hiawatha.

Early one misty morning, a canoe carved from white stone and rowed by a solitary figure, came toward him.  The stranger did not talk but handed him an offering.  Finally the man spoke, carefully and struggling, about the

Great Law.

It was a new idea of peace among the nations, a plea to end the fighting.  Hiawatha was asked to deliver this wisdom on behalf of the man for his words were strong.  Hiawatha decided to travel with

The Great Peacemaker

and spread the message of the Great Law.

Stepping into and paddling the stone canoe Hiawatha marveled at how it moved on the water. As the two men, Hiawatha and The Peacemaker, journeyed from the Mohawk to the Cayuga, they met with resistance and the destruction of another tribe.  This rekindled Hiawatha's deep anger.

At the Cayuga council the Peacemaker talked this time changing minds with his eyes and words.  When they left two canoes went to the Seneca.  Then three canoes paddled toward the woods of the Oneida.  There was power in unity.

After a revelation three nations, Hiawatha and The Peacemaker returned to the Mohawk but they did not join the others still fearful of retribution by Tadodaho.  The Peacemaker offered proof of the wisdom of the Great Law to the dismay of Hiawatha. The voice of an elder Clan Mother added weight to the actions of The Peacemaker.  The morning proved the insight of her words.

As the four nations confronted Tadodaho and the other men of the Onondaga people a singular song rang out coinciding with a natural event.  Forgiveness healed pain in two men.  Days passed.  The power of The Peacemaker continued to spread until a lone eagle stood guard at the top of the Tree of Peace. To this day the People of the Long House abide by the Great Law.


As soon as you start reading (or if you are fortunate to be a listener hearing this story) the words written by Robbie Robertson where you are will fall away, taking you into the world of Hiawatha through his personal narration.  Eloquent descriptions of place, the conversations and growing relationship between Hiawatha and The Peacemaker, the real and emotional journey taken by one and many and the quiet power of The Peacemaker are completely captivating.  A storyteller's rhythm is established by the initial opposition of each people, the Mohawk, the Cayuga, the Seneca, the Oneida, and the Onondaga and their approach to the two men followed by belief in the Great Law.  The refrain

Together we ...

binds them together as surely as does the Great Law.  The feats of The Peacemaker as related by Robertson are extraordinary.  Here are two passages from early in the book.

The Peacemaker closed his eyes and placed his hand on my back.  Somehow he had the power to move his message through me.  I began to speak his words.  "Peace, power, and righteousness shall be the new way," I said.  "We must join together.  All nations will become one family.  Our people shall have one body, one mind and one heart.  That is the message of the Great Law."

The Clan Mothers nodded in agreement, and a sense of relief spread over me.  But then the War Chief spoke.  "We respect your message, but we cannot join you," he said.  "How can we know if your words are true?  Tadodaho is too strong, too violent.  Our people must be prepared to fight."


Stunning is the first word which comes to mind in looking at the dust jacket illustrations rendered in oil by Caldecott honor award winner, David Shannon.  The portraits he presents of Hiawatha and The Peacemaker are riveting and strong.  The edge of The Peacemaker's cloak extends to the spine on the left.  The softer colors of the back image, in the same hues as the front, blend into the spine on the right.  The picture on the back is of The Peacemaker rowing toward shore when Hiawatha first sees him.  It goes to the edge of the back flap.

On the book case two different visuals from the interior portray the strength of Hiawatha's and The Peacemaker's words.  The one on the right is a close-up of the first speech by Hiawatha with The Peacemaker placing his hands on his back.  The other, to the left, is of The Peacemaker speaking to the Cayuga when Hiawatha is consumed by rage.  The opening and closing endpapers are muted steel-gray brush strokes.

On the title page Shannon sets the scenario for Hiawatha's arrival at his destroyed village.  He is shown standing on a hill, carrying a turkey from a hunting trip, looking at a plume of black smoke rising from the trees near the river.  Five double page paintings edged in white began the visual enhancement of the text expressing to the reader a range of deep emotions.  Then single page images framed in white alternate with double page pictures.

When Hiawatha and The Peacemaker are joined by another canoe, Shannon depicts this with a smaller painting at the bottom of the text.  It looks like early Native American art.  His details, the reflections in the water, the facial and body painting, the clothing and jewelry, the interior of the council house and the portrayal of the evil Tadodaho are striking.  By shifting his perspectives we are further connected to every nuance in the tale.  I wonder if the two hands on the back of The Peacemaker's cloak are indicative of his ability to convey his message to Hiawatha.

One of my favorite illustrations is of The Peacemaker's first appearance to Hiawatha.  Here is a man filled with sadness and anger at his great loss, not moving from the edge of the river for weeks, looking up to see a white stone canoe floating on the river toward him.  The stranger's face is painted white with black around one eye and a sun around the other.  The colors surrounding The Peacemaker are early morning yellows and blues with the edge of the woods in the foreground.  It's so calm The Peacemaker and his canoe are mirrored in the water.


Without hesitation I highly recommend Hiawatha And The Peacemaker written by Robbie Robertson and illustrated by David Shannon for all professional and personal bookshelves.  It conveys the strength of unifying for peace, laying down weapons of war and governing together, men and women.  It is founded in truth and marvelously told in words and pictures by two great artists.  At the close of the book a historical note, acknowledgements and author's note offer more information.  The story behind this story is absolutely perfect.  A CD of an original song written and recorded by Robbie Robertson is included with the book.

To learn more about Robbie Robertson and his other work in music please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  The link embedded in David Shannon's name will take you to his website where you can learn more about him, his other books and illustrative work.  Robbie Robertson is interviewed and this book is discussed at CBCNEWS-Arts & Entertainment, Biography.com, and RollingStone. At the closing session of the American Library Association Annual conference in the summer 2015 Robbie Robertson and David Shannon spoke about the making of this book.  David Shannon talks about this book and one particular illustration at TeachingBooks.net.

More Precious Than Gold

Wednesdays have become a significant day of the week.  On this day nonfiction is showcased.  It began in 2012 when an educator decided she needed to fill a gap in her reading life.  Alyson Beecher started the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge on her blog Kid Lit Frenzy.  Today (01/06/2016) she talks about the new challenge, the YMA Pajama Party and includes her Mock Siebert predictions.

This will be my third year participating.  For my first several posts I still have some 2015 books I want to discuss.  As I was reading my choice for this post, I was moved to tears more than once.  Alyson Beecher listed it as one of her Mock Siebert predicted winners and she talks about it on her blog here.  I completely concur.

Year by year our planet and the life of its inhabitants are becoming more fragile.  The Great Monkey Rescue: Saving the Golden Lion Tamarins (Millbrook Press, October 1, 2015) written by Sandra Markle is a story of heroes and their successes.  Within ten chapters and forty pages it documents decades of work and vigilance with an engaging and enlightening narrative.

TRAPPED!
In a small patch of tropical forest, a squirrel-sized golden lion tamarin stops on a high branch and listens.

She hears a sound, the call of another tamarin. Perhaps this family will be the one she can join.  She needs to find a mate.  Four families later and none will have her.  Not one of them needs a breeding female.  She continues her search the next day until she comes to the edge of the forest.  She has nowhere else to go.

Brazil's Atlantic Forest in South America is the only place on earth, outside of zoos, the golden lion tamarin calls home.  Of the original forest only ten percent remains today.  The habitat of these creatures is shrinking at an alarming rate.  These monkeys make essential contributions in the life of this land.

As early as the 1960s it was noted their population was diminishing to the point of extinction.  Over the next twenty years an important discovery was made about the way golden lion tamarins live and reproduce together.  They have a set family rather than a large group.  Zoos (first the National Zoo in Washington, D. C.) did seek to change the way they housed the golden lion tamarins.  During these years the zoo population around the world increased from 122 to 500.

The next hurdle was to increase the population in Brazil.  Animal scientists and zoo keepers trained their monkeys to live in the wild.  Great pains were taken to safely introduce them into their natural habitat by creating safe havens.  Would it work?  Knowing predators and seeking safe food proved to be overwhelming for the newest members of the forest family.

Around 1990 an exciting discovery was made which momentarily turned the tide.  This coupled with the ever-growing support of the people in Brazil was a huge boost for the monkey population numbers.  It was too good though.  Once again they were running out of enough room to live.

Two men from an organization called SavingSpecies conceived an innovative idea.  Conservationists and volunteers worked for years (more than five) to make this idea a reality.  Did our original female golden lion tamarin ever leave the edge of that forest and find a new family?

With the first chapter Sandra Markle has our attention.  This young female is fenced-in by lack of space.  Our attachment to her plight is immediate and firmly in place.  Markle continues with a history of saving these monkeys spanning more than four decades.  The concise chapters elevate our involvement, inviting us to consume the pages as if we are reading a thrilling survival story.  What makes these even more intriguing is that it is the truth.  In addition to the narrative, informative extras describe the special habitat of the golden lion tamarin and the specifics of their family dynamics.  Here is a sample passage.

To train the tamarins, zoo caretakers began hiding food in the trees.  The monkeys had to poke under bark and look in tree holes to find their meals.  Fruit was no longer peeled or cut up.  The tamarins had to figure out how to eat what they found.  As they would in the real forest, the tamarins also now drank from bowls attached high-up on the tree trunks.  Zoo workers hoped this training would give the monkeys a better chance of surviving in the wild.

If you want to recommend a captivating true life story brimming with named and unnamed heroes, The Great Monkey Rescue: Saving the Golden Lion Tamarins written by Sandra Markle is an excellent choice.  As a nonfiction picture book read aloud selection it would be a fantastic.  At the close of the book is a conversational author's note, a Did You Know? section, a timeline spanning from the 1960s to 2014, a glossary, a Find Out More list of resources, an index and a list of photo acknowledgments.  Every single page has an outstanding photograph or map from a variety of perspectives.  All of them are captioned.

To learn more about Sandra Markle please follow the link attached to her name to access her blog.  At the publisher's website you have several options to view interior pages.  You can click on the tiny magnifying glass under the dust jacket picture to see the front and back of the jacket and two pages.  If you select the gray Look Inside tab you can see the first eleven pages.

Remember to go to Kid Lit Frenzy to see the other selections by bloggers this week.

A Monstrous Middle Ages Appetite

With the American Library Association Youth Media Awards less than a week away, my mind has been not only on all the possible winners for 2016 but on the past medal and honor winners.  I've been doing a mental inventory of all those stellar titles along with the books which, in my way of thinking, came close to being recognized.  It's an exciting time of year when the spotlight shines on children's literature as a whole.  The value of all authors and illustrators and their impact on the reading lives of children is at an all-time high during this wondrous week.

In 1997 The New York Times selected ten titles for their Best Illustrated Books choices.  In 1998 the Caldecott committee chose three Honor books.  There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback was the only book to be on both lists.  This past year debut picture book author Penny Parker Klostermann gave readers a variant on that classic rhyme.  There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight (Random House, August 4, 2015) illustrated by Ben Mantle is the jolly journey of a fire-breathing fiend hoping to appease a huge hunger.

There was an old dragon
who swallowed a knight.
I don't know why he swallowed the knight.
It's not polite!

The knight came riding on a horse.  Disturbed by the energetic equine the dragon devoured him too.  In search of further food, the dragon blazed the bottom of an innocent squire.  The smell must have signaled to his stomach because this is where the squire landed.

A cook and a book he held dear were the next to go quickly followed by a fair maiden snatched from a high tower.  Royalty must have proper housing so the castle was hastily consumed.  To quench his undoubtedly ever-growing thirst, this dragon drank and drank and drank until he drained the moat.

By this time, the old dragon was having second thoughts about his gluttonous gobbling.  With skill he produced a gigantic superb burp.  Out came one, two, three, four, and five portions of his enticing feast.  To avoid listening to the

clippity, clippity, clippity, clop

of the annoying horse, the beast dug deep and belched out the knight's peppy pal.

This, my friends, left the knight still not in sight.  The wily dragon relieved of his ballooning belly made a fateful final decision.

 It's not polite! 


Rhyming words take us on an exuberant escapade.  More importantly Penny Parker Klostermann extends the story with additional descriptive elements, making each member on the menu more interesting to us.  Her purpose for the dragon swallowing the first unfortunate six are a mix of reason and the ridiculous.  Here is a sample passage.

There was an old dragon
who swallowed a cook---
A savory cook and his recipe book.
He swallowed the cook to fatten the squire. ...


The image on the matching dust jacket and book case extends from flap edge to flap edge.  The bib around the dragon's neck coupled with the look on his face makes us fairly certain the knight might be in a wee bit of trouble.  To the left, on the back, is an arrow sign with the word

 DRAGON

 pointing to the grinning large orange guy.  On the rock is a

To Swallow 

list.  Knight, at the top, is already crossed off with steed, squire, cook, lady, castle and moat following.   On the ground is a shield with a bite out of it, a knight's helmet and a bone.  A green frog sits on top of a

Beware Dragon

sign.

The opening and closing endpapers, the first in shades of green and the second in hues of rose tell a tale of their own.  It's a map of the kingdom with a path winding through the landmarks.  There are notable changes in the two beside the color.  The four pages dedicated to the title, the verso and dedication begin the story.  All is not as merry as it seems.  Danger is in the offing.  The wanted poster is a clear hint.

Ben Mantle using full color, shadows and light, brings us back to the old world.  His details add levity to the narrative.  In the first scene, spanning two pages, bones, helmets, bitten and scorched signs, a lance, and an outline are evidence of the dragon's intentions toward the oblivious knight and his trusty, hoofed companion.  After the knight is eaten a large dark circle gives us a look inside the dragon's stomach as the horse peeks safely from around a rock elevating the comedy.

Alternating between double pages for his pictures, single pages and a group of smaller images, Mantle asks us to pause.  The black background illustrations, inside the stomach, are hilarious.  Each person and thing lands differently with flourish and fun on the previous occupants.  The details on the facial expressions, the consumed beings' antics on the inside and the shape of the capital letter T are full of medieval mirth.

One of my favorite illustrations is after the dragon has swallowed the moat.  On the inside of his stomach all the current residents are filled with fear.  The horse, squire and cook with his book are holding on to the top of the castle tower.  The lady is inside the tower.  A frog is speaking to her.  Is he asking for a kiss?  Floating in the water is the cook's kettle.  The knight, looking as wide-eyed as the others, sits inside it as alligators swim hungrily around waiting for a bite.

You must include There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight written by Penny Parker Klostermann with illustrations by Ben Mantle in your personal and private collections.  It asks to be read aloud often with enthusiasm.  I can hear the laughter already it will elicit.

To learn more about Penny Parker Klostermann and Ben Mantle please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Klostermann has numerous activities you can use with this book.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  Penny Parker Klostermann is interviewed at author Tara Lazar's Writing for Kids (While Raising Them), writer Michelle Barnes' Today's Little Ditty, Picture Book Builders, and the Children's Book Review about this book.  There is a question and answer session with Ben Mantle at The Mudwaffler.  Penny Parker Klostermann is the featured author at All The Wonders on Let's Get Busy, Episode #122.  There is even more good news thanks to the tweet shown below.

There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight activity kit: http://t.co/6FHCkqJk0c pic.twitter.com/d1OcexXCoG

— John Schu (@MrSchuReads) August 7, 2015

Update:  February 5, 2016 Penny Parker Klostermann is interviewed at HenryHerz.com-->Kidlit, Fantasy & Sci-Fi