Whatever The Weather

There are subtle signs if you are savvy.  A halo around the moon, the underside of leaves showing in a breeze, a red sky in the morning, and mares' tails (cirrus clouds) are folklore indicators with scientific basis for predicting rain is coming soon.  If birds tend to fly lower than normal, it's usually evidence of the barometric pressure dropping which means a change in the weather is to be expected.  There is also some truth in the proverb, Rain before seven, quit by eleven. If it's raining early in the morning, it has probably been raining during the night.  The front might be ready to move out of the area.

We have had more rain than usual in southern Michigan this spring.  There are still areas under flood advisories and warnings.  Even though the standing water in my yard is gone for now, I had a female duck strolling through my back section this morning.  I wonder if she was assessing the possibility of a future pond.  In a companion title to Snow (Templar Books, October 13, 2015), Rain (Templar Books, an imprint of Candlewick Press, March 28, 2017) written and illustrated by Sam Usher is brimming with distinctive possibilities found on those wet weather days.

When I woke up this morning, it was raining.

This did not quell the excitement the boy felt.  Oh, it did not.  He wanted to go outside immediately.  His grandfather had an entirely different opinion.  Pointing out the fun to be had in the rain like splashing

in puddles

and looking at

everything upside down

did not change Granddad's mind.

After much waiting and even more waiting, the rain continued.  Even the suggestion of an exciting sail across a sea with creatures lurking in the watery depths, the grandfather remained firm in his opinion.  They had to wait until the rain stopped before venturing outside.

It kept on raining and raining and raining.  Granddad kept on writing and writing and writing.  The boy kept on reading and reading and proposing fun things to do in the rain.  All of a sudden, Granddad had to mail a letter.  Guess what?  It stopped raining.

They put on their coats, boots and carried umbrellas, just in case, and started their excursion to the mailbox.  This trek might have involved previously mentioned rainy day fun because Mother Nature had plans of her own.  Granddad, as grandfathers often do, offered wisdom on waiting.


In the first two simply-stated sentences by the boy Sam Usher gives us a peek into his personality.  This boy is ready for adventure.  As the narrative continues the requests of the boy and the replies of his grandfather create a gentle back-and-forth tension.  This makes their subsequent romp in the rain a joyous reward for patience.  Here is a sample passage.

So I said, "Granddad, I'd like to go on a voyage with sea monsters."
And Granddad said, "Let's just wait for the rain to stop."
But did the rain stop?
No!


All those drops of rain seen on the front of the book case are raised to the touch to give readers a wonderful tactile experience.  The duck and nautical flags make more than one appearance within the pages.  To the left, on the back, the first full page image in the book is showcased.  The boy is seated on his bed surrounded by his stuffed animal friends, musical toys and books.  The stuffed monkey seems to be holding a book over his head as protection.  Outside it is raining, splattering on the window pane.

The opening and closing endpapers are in a dark spring green, white, gray and black.  They feature puddles of water on grass.  In the first in the upper left hand corner the boy's stuffed penguin is reflected in the water.  On the later a portion of the penguin with his inner tube is walking into the endpapers.  He is preceded by a bird with an umbrella and the duck is in a puddle on the right.  The bird caring the umbrella, which looks like those tiny paper ones placed in drinks, is shown on the verso with a tiny snail, puddles of water and delicate flowers.

Rendered in ink and watercolor the pictures alternate between single page, edge to edge images, small visuals together on a single page, atmospheric two page illustrations, edge to edge, and single page pictures loosely and more formally framed.  Even though it's a rainy day, Sam Usher conveys warmth in the illustrations highlighting the conversations between the boy and his grandfather.  His lines are fine, smooth and create animation.

The dramatic pages showing the rain outside are amazing.  Each time the water is deeper and deeper, measured by its position on the fence outside their home.  This makes us believe the boy's wishes might come true.  Careful readers will realize the pictures are telling us another story beyond the text.

One of my favorite illustrations spans two pages.  The boy and his grandfather are stepping outside to mail the letter.  A large portion of the picture is them standing on the porch reflected in the standing water.  Off to the left and right sides we see a toy boat, the duck, a floating umbrella, the penguin's inner tube enlarged and a portion of a gondola.  You have to smile at this scene.


Readers will be ready for the next rainy day after reading Rain written and illustrated by Sam Usher.  The pacing supplied by the blend of text and images is marvelous.  The generational portraits are delightful.  You are going to want this title and the previous one, Snow, because I believe there is a third book in this series called Sun to be released this summer.

You can visit these two publishers' websites, Penguin Random House and Candlewick Press, to view interior pictures.  Sam Usher is interviewed at YoungWriters and Playing by the book.

Into The Wild

The more you know, even the smallest piece of information, about animals in your immediate world or on the planet, the better able you are to protect and assist them.  With spring in full swing now, our state bird, robins, can be seen everywhere.  This year, thanks to reading Robins! How They Grow Up, I know the adversities they face in migrating, the males will arrive two weeks before the females and the females will tend to build their nests in the same spot year after year.  Lesser Spotted Animals: The Coolest Creatures You've Never Heard Of acquainted me with the seriousness of the population levels of the black-footed ferret with only a few sustaining populations in the world found in the United States.

Last year we were introduced to the fascinating world of insects and invertebrates in The Big Book of Bugs (Thames & Hudson, April 6, 2016).  In a companion volume, The Big Book Of Beasts (Thames & Hudson, March 16, 2017) written and illustrated by Yuval Zommer we venture into a marvelous collection of mammals.  Each page turn will remind you of the familiar but is guaranteed to present something new and astounding.

Can you find...
...this mystery paw print
15 times in the book?
Watch out for imposters.

Issuing this invitation will have readers eagerly seeking the paw print in question amid each image.  Even on the two pages dedicated to the Who's Inside? (contents) they will be looking at the bodies of twenty-one animals framing the text.  Twenty-six chapters, two pages each, start with an overview of mammal families followed by descriptions of the advantages of certain claws and jaws and the value of voice and smell in survival.  The strength of termite mounds is nothing like ant hills, needing the long claws on anteaters to tear apart the rock hard surface.  Beavers secrete goo smelling like vanilla to create boundaries.

The next nineteen chapters focus on specific mammals from the named families.  Along the left side of the two pages, vertically, their habitat is disclosed.  Usually five small sections containing one, two or three sentences point to particular details about the named creature.

It would seem a fox's favorite food stands no chance of survival.  They can hear an earthworm or a mouse moving underneath them.  With a built-in cushion on their bottoms, baboons can sleep sitting up.  Not all bats rely on sound to navigate; the fruit bat has great eyesight!  Did you know the organs of a sloth are attached to its ribs?  This keeps them from pressing into their lungs as it hangs upside- down.

Wolves don't only howl, hunt and live in packs but can form seventeen different facial expressions.  I wonder why brown bears have fur between their toes.  Can you imagine a sound so loud it can be heard five miles away?  That is a lion's roar.  Eating every part of an animal, as hyenas do, can affect the color of their poo.

Can you visualize having see-through eyelids for swimming?  Beavers do.  Look out bees?  A honey badger's stink will hypnotize you.  Beware of male hippos. (You'll have to read this book to discover why to avoid them.  It's not what you might think.)

Twenty-one paw prints and their animals are shown on two pages followed by discussions of mammals from the Ice Age, populations in danger of extinction and those mammals who wander into our communities.  How would you like to walk out of the grocery store and have a baboon steal your sack of food?  In case you did not locate all fifteen paw prints the pages are shown for each one.  This captivating title closes with definitions and an extensive index.


Sifting through extensive information Yuval Zommer selects those details most likely to be remembered by readers for their uniqueness.  In a series of conversational statements, beginning first with a question, we are given valuable insights into individual mammals and overviews of special areas.  Zommer has a gift for making learning entertaining.  Here are some sample passages.

How grumpy is a baboon?
Baboons are crafty and quarrelsome and get into lots of fights.  They are very intelligent and share 91% of the DNA with humans.

Did you know...
...a sloth can turn its head all the way around until it's looking over its shoulder.

Glow in the dark
A wolf's eyes have reflective parts that makes them glow in the dark!


The varnished animals and text seen on the opened book case are only a tantalizing hint of the revelations inside this title.  The intricate elements on each mammal seen here are continued throughout the book.  The body postures and facial expressions will have you expecting to hear a chorus of sounds at any minute.  On the opening and closing endpapers in a swirl of golden yellow are trails of various paw prints.  Portions of beasts are seen on the initial and formal title pages.

Each of the dedicated two pages is filled with animated scenarios.  The delicate lines form inclusive presentations for each mammal; it's a blend of captured moments. The exquisite layout encourages exploration; our eyes moving from one portion of the image to another.  On the pages for the armadillo we follow along with the animal as it eats ants, burrows, carries its young and curls into a ball to protect its soft stomach.

For each of the habitats Yuval Zommer is careful to include the proper flora and additional fauna.  With ease he takes us from the South American Savannah to a forest in North America and then to the African Savannah.  We hang with the sloth in a rainforest, stalk with a tiger in the Indian jungle and howl with a wolf in the Canadian woodlands.  Mushrooms, beetles and birds native to the Canadian forest keep a porcupine company as a fox wisely leaves rather than feeling the poke of more quills.

One of my favorite of several illustrations is for the beavers.  Across the top we are in the woods working with the beavers cutting down trees with moose nearby.  A small owl perches on a log.  In the center is a lodge showing the construction.  Beneath this are the water and a sandy shoreline.  In every instance the beaver is fully alive.  In this visual, as in all of them, Yuval Zommer, maintains a realistic color palette.


The Big Book of Beasts, like the first title, written and illustrated by Yuval Zommer is an informative, interesting collection of mammal facts.  It will most assuredly keep readers of all ages completely captivated.  Readers will be inspired to seek further material on these mammals.  You will want at least one copy on your professional shelves and one for home too.

To discover more about Yuval Zommer and his other titles please visit the website provided by following the link attached to his name. Enjoy the tweets below where Zommer shares more interior images.

The armadillo is in my 'top 5 favourite beasts', find out who else and why on the WorldBookDay blog: https://t.co/BZ7qfbP0Og pic.twitter.com/aLdUaRlFKt

— Yuval Zommer (@yuvalzommer) March 11, 2017

The porcupine made it to my 'top 5 favourite beasts', find out who else and why on the WorldBookDay blog: https://t.co/Nq3xWXwJWP… pic.twitter.com/pi1Sd57ZkQ

— Yuval Zommer (@yuvalzommer) March 12, 2017

Brown Bears and where to find them: ....pages 26,27 of #TheBigBookofBeasts pic.twitter.com/en48nSyyNo

— Yuval Zommer (@yuvalzommer) March 24, 2017

The foxes... seen in my back garden and on pages 14,15 of #TheBigBookofBeasts @WstLondonGarden pic.twitter.com/u7HAh3ytUe

— Yuval Zommer (@yuvalzommer) March 25, 2017

The sloths (...or that wknd feeling I can't afford to have yet) pages 20/21 #TheBigBookofBeasts @WstLondonGarden pic.twitter.com/TNd8LSrrA7

— Yuval Zommer (@yuvalzommer) March 31, 2017

Please take a few moments to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to view the titles selected by other bloggers participating in the 2017 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.

Not A Single Solitary Sound

You have had this wish, this yearning, for as long as you can remember.  You have thought about it every single day.  You have longed for the moment when all the essential details fall into place making this dream come true.  Finally it's going to happen but the opposite of what you have imagined transpires.  Everything goes horribly wrong.

When your deepest desire vanishes like a puff of smoke and not always all at once, but little by little, it can be downright discouraging.  In the case of this newest title, BE QUIET! (Disney Hyperion, April 4, 2017) written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins it can be out-of-this-world frustrating.  Three rascally rodents we met in Hotel Bruce (Disney Hyperion, October 18, 2016) are back in their own book.

FINALLY!  I get my very own book to star in.  This is going to be great!

I'm going to make it a wordless book.  They are very artistic.

This book will have NO WORDS at all.  Starting...NOW.

Beginning on the endpapers the story opens.  It continues with more but most definitely, according to Rupert, the final text on the title pages.  The bespectacled mouse with a mustache is sure this is going to be wonderful until a familiar friend strolls up asking him what he is doing.  Nibbs can't stop talking about not talking.  Rupert is clearly getting agitated.  When Thistle walks up Nibbs speaks but Rupert is silent.  His body posture signals deep irritation.

The more Nibbs and Thistle converse about not speaking and the value of wordless books, the angrier Rupert gets asking them to be quiet!  Then they start a discussion about the merits of pictures in wordless books.  Rupert mentions strong illustrations.  This is all the talkative twosome need to go off on another tangent.

They introduce strength in images.  Is that a grumpy bear we know as Bruce?  The sweet cuddly kitten turns out to be a very risky idea.  A green vegetable, a serious portrait and potatoes...yes potatoes make an appearance.  The invention of a silent superhero with the appropriate sound effects has Rupert stomping his feet and shouting.  Nibbs's and Thistle's misunderstanding of Rupert's words will have you laughing out loud.

He is sure his two pals have no comprehension about the meaning of be quiet.  An exploration of

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

by Nibbs and Thistle causes Rupert to erupt in a rage.  (A chainsaw and a felled tree figure prominently.)  Completely clueless and a narrow, determined vision don't work well together...or do they?


Ryan T. Higgins sense of humor is evident on every single page, even as early as the dust jacket.  His pacing provides us with anticipated and delivered hilarity.  The contrast between what Rupert wants, which truthfully is a simple request, compared to the misdirected musings of Nibbs and Thistle is comic perfection.  The entire narrative is told in dialogue with short, simple but meaningful sentences.  Here is a sample passage.

Yay!  This book is going to be so fun!
Quiet, you! This book will be more than FUN.  It will be visually stimulating.

What does "vishery strigulating" mean?
I think it means we're going to poke our readers in the eyeballs with pictures. ...


I don't think it's possible to look at the opened dust jacket without laughing.  Rupert is already in a rage and Nibbs and Thistle are on a totally different mental plane.  Nibbs with the chain saw making a hole in the tree, cleverly placed on the spine, foreshadows a turning point in the plot.  The two figures on the back will be revealed in one of the conversations.  Note the detail on the chain saw blade.

The opened book case is a peaceful scene in the forest.  Fallen trees have made a bridge over a brook.  Rupert is on the left side peeking from behind one of the logs.  On the opening endpapers as he walks along the top of the log, he speaks to readers about his hopes for a wordless picture book.  On the title page one of the geese from Mother Goose Bruce and Hotel Bruce is flying in an airplane pulling a sign with the title text.  The goose appears again on the closing endpapers, seated on the ground, in another woodland place with Nibbs and Thistle chatting about the book.

This book was hand-lettered by the author... And the images were rendered using scans of treated clayboard for textures, graphite, ink, and Photoshop.  Bold black lines but also tiny details are a signature style of Ryan T. Higgins.  He uses a full color palette in keeping with the setting of his story alternating between single pages, edge to edge, a single image loosely framed with white space, and two page pictures for heightened comedy.

The facial expressions and body postures of the characters enhance the humor.  There is never any doubt, regardless of the text, as to the mood of Nibbs, Thistle and Rupert.  When Rupert looks directly at the reader near the end, we know he has reached the end of his proverbial rope.

One of my favorite of many illustrations is at the beginning when Nibbs first approaches Rupert.  The two of them are standing on the log bridge over the brook.  We have zoomed in close to them.  Nibbs has his paws over his mouth horrified that he is talking about talking.  Rupert is assuming the hands-on-hips posture in disgust.  His book is already in jeopardy.


When I first read this book it was aloud as an F & G to a classroom of third grade students and their teacher.  We laughed ourselves silly.  Now in the possession of a hard copy of Be Quiet! written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins, it's funnier than ever, even after multiple readings.  The humor does not lessen.  Every classroom and school library will want at least one copy.  I highly recommend it for your personal collections too.

To discover more about Ryan T. Higgins and his other work please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  At the publisher's website is a set of activity pages.  Ryan is interviewed at Jena Benton, Writer & Illustrator.  Matthew C. Winner, teacher librarian, chats with Ryan at All The Wonders, Episode 346.

Focus On The Hocus Pocus

The room is darker.  Did the sun go under gathering clouds?  Your dog is staring at you and whining.  Didn't you just take her outside?  Your legs are asleep.  When was the last time you moved?  You look at the clock startled to see it's hours later; the afternoon replaced with early evening.  You look at the object in your hand realizing you've been lost...in a book.  You were captivated and captured by the writing, setting, plot and characters.  They invited you into their world and there was nothing else you would rather do.

Little more than one year ago readers were introduced to a resourceful, determined and caring eleven-year-old orphan in Audacity Jones To The Rescue (Scholastic Press, January 26, 2016).  The second book titled Audacity Jones Steals The Show (Scholastic Press, January 31, 2017) written by Kirby Larson is as suspenseful and charming as the first in the series.  You simply can't stop reading it once you start.

If you, dear reader, have not this very day observed at least three instances of the magical, the mysterious, or the miraculous, do set this book down right away.  Find a story more to your disposition.  Perhaps something about chalk.

Chapter One
A Somber Ceremony

Audacity Jones peered around the corner, examining the great hallway of Miss Maisie's School for Wayward Girls with utmost care.
"Is the coast clear?" asked someone standing behind her.
"Clear?" echoed the three small voices belonging to the triplets.
Audacity scouted left and right.  Not a kid-leather boot nor starched pinafore to be seen in either direction.  The dozen other Wayward Girls were no doubt hard at work on the morning lesson.

Audacity and Bimmy just informed Lavender, Lilac and Violet of their plans to leave Miss Maisie's School for Wayward Girls to assist Cypher, now a member of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, in his first solo assignment in New York City.  Next Audacity must convince Cypher of the need for Bimmy and Min, her constant companion and most unusual cat, to accompany her.  With all missions accomplished, Cypher, Audacity and Bimmy board the train to New York City.  Cypher forbid Min from going but resourcefulness is a strong virtue in this creature as is her ability to converse with other animals, even elephants.

As the foursome move toward their destination a citizen of the city is fretting in the early morning hours about an upcoming performance unlike any previously done.  He has employed a person of the highest scientific intelligence to assist in his next trick, the vanishing of a full-grown elephant.  Theo Quinn seems to be hesitant to reveal more than small portions of the idea at a time.  Harry Houdini has sought the services of a particular Pinkerton man to protect this Theo Quinn, the idea and Theo's silence for which he has paid a great deal of money.

Cypher's plan to have him, Audacity, Bimmy and Theo (a remarkable young woman to Houdini's surprise) pose as jugglers so they can be near Houdini at the theater puts them in the thick of the crowd of performers at their hotel and the Hippodrome.  It makes all their efforts more difficult especially when Theo disappears.  Someone wants Houdini to fail.  Someone will do anything to make this happen.

There are several other surprising threads woven into the main tapestry of this tale; an inheritance, a baby elephant, and an unexpected circus performance.  Audacity's ear buzzing is most welcome in assessing the veracity of villains Billy Bottle, Helmut, an elephant trainer, and one Wylie Wurmer posing as the Great Oberon, a famous magician.  A hazel-eyed street vendor, Bert, the theater manager and Jamie Doolan, assistant elephant trainer, work their own kind of miracles.

You literally cannot turn the pages fast enough to reach the resolution of not one, not two but three scenarios.  You find yourself holding your breath, waiting to see if each small piece falls into place.

"Look at this life---all mystery and magic.
                       ---Harry Houdini


One of the first names which come to mind when you think of outstanding middle grade historical fiction is Kirby Larson.  Her ability to blend details of the past into her narrative is indeed magical.  You step back in time, soaking in the descriptions of specific scenes, the architecture, the clothing, the methods of travel and the way people spoke.

We flawlessly move from one character to another, chapter by chapter, adding to our knowledge of them and their place in the overall story.  Their thoughts and conversations disclose their personalities.  Each character, good and bad, is fully alive.  Enjoy these sample passages.

Billy Bottle watched from the shadows as Mr. Houdini parted company with Theo, possibilities scurrying through his mind like rats through a dark alley.  Houdini thought he was Mr. Muckety-Muck, did he?  Maybe he'd like to be taken down a notch or two.  And Billy was the man to do it.

What Billy heard when he eavesdropped through the vent weren't dull as dirt as Theo's conversations with all them scientist types.  This time he could almost follow the conversation, and it perked his spirits up considerable.


Bimmy tugged on the dark curl over her right ear.  "Oberon wasn't robbed."
"You see, I warned you about jumping to conclusions," Cypher said.
"Oberon wasn't robbed because that wasn't Oberon."  Bimmy put her hands in her lap.
Audie's fork clattered to her plate.  "What?"
Cypher closed his eyes, as if in prayer.  "Ladies, if I may---"
"Oh, this is so thrilling!"  Theo clapped gleefully.  "I must get out of my laboratory more often."
Bimmy glanced at Audie and then at Cypher.  "Do you remember in the cab I told you Oberon and I had performed in the same circus?"
"Oh, yes!"  Audie's eyes sparkled with the memory.  "He gave you a rabbit.  Which you set free in the woods."
"Clever girl," Theo approved.  "Animals deserve to live in their natural environments.  I myself once rehabilitated a small barred owl.  Though it does return to my window from time to time, it seems to have fully embraced its natural state.  Quite remarkable, really."
Cypher rubbed at his temples with vigor.  "This is all fascinating, but might we return to the subject at hand?" Keeping a conversation on track with these three was more difficult than herding camels!


Oblivious to the workers' hopes, the cat forged ahead, motivated by one reason only:  the sad aroma signaling her new friend, Punk.  She turned down a dark hallway, and down a darker set of stairs.  Ahead was an enormous door behind which bubbled a stew of animal scents, including that of the baby she sought.
With purpose, Min padded forward.
Only to be stopped by a snarling pair of Dobermans.


Rejoice readers!  Audacity Jones Steals The Show written by Kirby Larson is a page-turner extraordinaire.  The final four paragraphs will have you longing for another book in the series with the air thick with mystery.  In an author's note Kirby Larson explains this book in its historical context; no specific dates are mentioned in the narrative.  You will enjoy her acknowledgments too!

To learn more about Kirby Larson and her other work please visit her website by following the link attached to her name.  She further clarifies this book in a Friend Friday post.  Author Barbara O'Connor talks about this title on her blog, Greetings from Nowhere.

Gracias A Todos

When we meet people from the past, people who lived and died during our lifetimes and those still living among us today, our world becomes larger, more colorful and fascinating.  Their example elevates our thinking; these people who made this place we share better, raise us up.  If they can do it, we can do it.

Author Margarita Engle continues to enlighten readers in her most recent title Bravo! Poems About Amazing Hispanics (Godwin Books, Henry Holt and Company, March 14, 2017) with illustrations by Rafael Lopez.  Highly respected individuals for their contributions find a place in the pages of this book.  Some of them will be familiar to readers, others will be new and welcome acquaintances.

The first of eighteen poems is:

JUAN DE MIRALLES 

1713-1780

Cuba

I believe in the good cause

of American independence from England.

Thousands of soldiers from Spain

and all regions of Latin America

are fighting side by side

with George Washington's men,

as we struggle to defeat the British. ... 

As a close friend of George Washington, he helped the troops to combat scurvy by sending ships to Cuba to bring back fresh fruit.  Born a few years after Juan De Miralles dies, Felix Varela leaves Cuba in fear of his life.  Kindness saves him and the Irish immigrants settling in New York after the potato famine who he assists.  The medicinal skills and courage of Juana Briones, a rancher in California earned her the name of the Founding Mother of San Francisco.

Her home in Florida was a refuge for poets. His poems voicing freedom caused him to be imprisoned at sixteen.  They were friends united in their beliefs, both born and died in Cuba.

Sometimes our path is not known until we are older.  Ynes Mexia, a botanist, shows us how determination can create opportunities.  His method of painting birds and the results show us how to love Nature's creatures.  Perhaps this woman, the first to fly an airship (even before Wilbur and Orville Wright), soared with those very birds captured on canvas.  Her teaching methods focused on the use of English, Spanish, Tewa and Tiwa and her cookbooks blended the old with the new.

A storyteller and a cowboy, Arnold Rojas, kept his culture alive.  Pura Belpre was the first Puerto Rican hired in the New York Public Library System.  Her name is attached to the prestigious award given to Latino authors and illustrators each year by the American Library Association.  Another first was held by George Melendez Wright, chief of the Wildlife Division for America's national parks; protecting and preserving animals under his care.

A woman rises up to champion for women's rights and care for children in poverty.  A man, stricken with asthma, looks for cures through research.  Another man takes his "noise" and makes music.  Remembered for his tireless peaceful protests to better the life of farmworkers, his name is synonymous with labor and civil rights.

His life was lost in a tragic airplane accident flying to assist those in need but his baseball records cannot ever be changed.  Roberto Clemente was the first Latino to reach 3,000 hits.  He was a mentor to many; reading and writing whatever he could find as his family moved with the crops.  He was the first Latino leader of a University of California campus.  Tomas Rivera.

Imagine this.  You and others are seated in a small, comfortable theater in the round.  In the center is a stage; also seated are persons born as early as 1713 and who died as recently as 2011.  A hush falls over the room.  It remains as each one of these eighteen people read the poems, in their own voice, as written by Margarita Engle.  As the final sentence

Sometimes the best way to teach is by example.

is read the silence stays for several heartbeats until as one the entire audience stands and delivers their applause.

This is exactly how you feel when reading this title.  You are drawn into the lives of these individuals by the words chosen by Margarita Engle.  For each person she gives us their name, their birth and death dates and their country of origin.  As they talk to us those sterling moments of their lives are revealed as is the journey they took to accomplish their achievements.  Here is the portion of another poem.

JULIA DE BURGOS

1914-1953

Puerto Rico

Six of my twelve brothers and sisters

died of hunger, but my gentle mother

took me for long walks

beside a river

of beautiful dreams.

I learned to love nature and the island,

even though we were so poor that I

had to climb into classrooms

through a window, because we

could not afford school tuition. ...

Opening the dust jacket you can see the black background for the title text extended to the spine and the left two-thirds of the back.  Four more geometric portions of portraits are displayed to the left of the spine vertically.  Each face, on the right and the left of the jacket, conveys the full emotional intensity of the person, capturing them at their best.  On a turquoise background on the front and a purple background on the back of the book case, Rafael Lopez features a girl first and then a boy benefiting, like all who read this volume, from the variety of lives depicted.  The girl is lying on her back holding an open book over her face.  Drops of water, a rainbow of colors, fall from the pages.  The boy is seated, knees up with a book held in his hands.  His head and neck are rainbow striped with a strip in the middle black with stars.

Each of the people are given an entire page for their portrait.  The backgrounds reflect the time period and their successes.  A portion of the background appears next to their name on the opposite page along with a small image acting as a symbol of their remarkable deeds; a fruit with leaves formed of American flags for Juan De Miralles, a stylized bird standing on a paint brush sprouting leaves for Louis Agassiz Fuertes and a fashionably dressed smaller version of Aida De Acosta with wings.  These illustrations rendered in 

a combination of acrylic on wood, pen and ink, watercolor, construction paper, and Adobe Photoshop

belong on the walls of an art gallery or museum.  They are stunning!

One of my favorites of many is Juana Briones.  Behind her is a golden canvas with a symbolic sun, rays extended, over her right shoulder.  She is standing tall facing us, part of her long hair back and up.  In her right hand she holds a basket filled with herbs, balanced on her hip.  In her left hand she holds a small decorated pot.  To the left and right of her are two large floral herbs.  A small layer of purple extends along the bottom.  She is wearing a striped black and gray skirt, white, round-necked blouse and a shawl knotted in front.  Her face is full of quiet strength.

I have read these poems over and over, the warmth and greatness of these people filling my soul.  Bravo! Poems About Amazing Hispanics written by Margarita Engle with illustrations by Rafael Lopez is a book needed on all professional and personal bookshelves.  This book will inspire you to research more about each person. At the close of the book Margarita Engle lists more influential Latinos on two pages.  Four more pages expand on the information about the eighteen notable Latinos in this book.

To learn more about Margarita Engle and Rafael Lopez please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  Rafael Lopez has several pages from this book showcased on his site.  He also maintains another website here.  At the publisher's website you can see some pages not shown at Lopez's website.  Margarita Engle wrote a post for the Nerdy Book Club, January 20, 2017.

Below Where We Go

Below where we go, things grow.  Below where we go, other objects move and go.  Below where we go, there are things for us to know.  Let's search.  Let's seek.  Come along and take a peek.

There is much to investigate above the planet's surface but take away mere inches or dig down miles; secrets are revealed, seeds and roots send signals, animals of all sizes build and burrow, manmade transportation travels, and portions of the earth flow, shift and shake.  Thunder Underground (Wordsong, an imprint of Highlights, March 28, 2017) poems by Jane Yolen with illustrations by Josee Masse welcomes readers to wonder about that which is not readily seen, heard, tasted, touched or smelled.  Whether read silently or aloud these twenty-one poems take us on a joyous journey of discovery.

UNDER
---ground
Beneath our feet,
a world apart,
is found our Earth's
fast-beating heart.  ...

In this first poem we pay tribute to the life-giving forces underground.  We are also asked to gather wise words creating a foundation for us to expand our understanding.  Basements are a good place to start; sending electricity and heat to our homes and storing food and memories.

Did you know scientists have heard corn converse?  Perhaps they are talking about the noise made by beetles wishing they were as quiet as ants.  Maybe they are marveling about the earthworm casseroles made by the moles.

Stepping into cities and down the stairs to subways, we speed from place to place.  Other dark corridors here hold mechanical parts which keep the body of the city breathing.  From here we venture back to the countryside to contemplate Three Things I Know About The Roots Of Trees.

If we move dirt, we'll make holes into history; lost cities, lost treasures, lost species.  Time covered them for us to find.  Our Earth never sleeps; hot to the core, waiting for the next event.  What will it make for us to explore?


For decades her work has been a huge part of my reading life; picture, middle grade and adult books.  Her words, carefully chosen, never stay on the page but come out to surround you, pushing aside the here and now and forming a new world.  Jane Yolen uses language like a potter does clay.  She is a master.  In this title each poem stands alone but is also a part of the collective whole.

She creates beats with rhymes on every other line, she makes word lists like links in the strongest poetic chain, she fashions metaphors, and she composes onomatopoeia and alliteration.  She presents the world to us through a different lens.  Here are two portions of two poems.

OH, TO BE AN ANT
...
Their mega-city
cambered, chambered,
tied by endless highways,
byways made by workers,
hauling dirt four times
their weight.
Not architected by one will,
but thousands working,
                never
                        still. 

SUBWAY
I like the sound the subway makes
deep in its underground den.
I like the growling as it goes
from street to street,
               and then
I like the squeals its iron wheels
make coming 'round again. ...


Charming is a word which comes to mind when first looking at the opened matching dust jacket and book case.  The underground scene stretches over the spine to the far left with a fox hidden in foliage watching the children.  I already know what younger readers will do when they see the rabbits snug and cozy in their warren.  The color in the boy's pants and the girl's dress is the hue used on the opening and closing endpapers.

Rendered in mixed media Josee Masse continues her under and above ground portrayals on the title page featuring a mother fox above two pups nestled but lively below her.  With a page turn the level of the ground continues to the verso and contents pages.  Ants still crawl along the top edge and bones and stones litter the layers of dirt.  A shovel rests against the base of a hole which holds the text for the contents.  On the far right at the top, the mother fox pushes dirt into the hole with a back paw.

Josee Masse enhances the words of Jane Yolen with her attention to detail and visual storytelling skills.  Readers will enjoy watching the girl and boy as they first gather items in the basement to use in their explorations.  With every poem, stop they make, they learn and gather more.  Sometimes we are given a larger view of where they go or we move in closely with them absent from the scene as in the case of the beetles, ant and earthworm poems.  We only know they are there from the flashlight shining above one of the ant hills.  It's fun to look for them and their companions in each picture.  All of the images span two pages.

One of my favorite of several illustrations highlights two mole poems.  Half of the image shows tunnels underground housing stashes of worms with three moles moving about and babies curled in a little hole.  Off to the right a mother rabbit sleeps with two little ones.  Above ground on the left the boy is reaching down to touch one of the mole's noses with his finger.  On the far right we see the girl's red boots, legs and part of her skirt.  A little rabbit is looking up at her.  Plants and grass are growing along with top with roots reaching into the ground.  A page turn reveals how Masse continues this scenario.


Readers will be actively engaged in the poems and illustrations found in Thunder Underground written by Jane Yolen with illustrations by Josee Masse.  Creativity abounds as we venture under the ground.  At the conclusion of the book, Jane Yolen includes Notes On The Poems: Both Scientific And Personal.  You will want to add this title to your personal and professional bookshelves.  It's guaranteed to promote further research and poetic writing.

To learn more about both Jane Yolen and Josee Masse please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  You can find more information about Josee Masse here.  Jane Yolen is interviewed at Reading Rockets.

Biking For The Best

The uphill climb is tough; it's you against the road.  It's a challenge to not stop pedaling until the top is reached.  Before too long you start to whisper the childhood mantra, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can." (The Little Engine That Could by Walter Piper)  Once you crest the peak and enjoy the view, you give a little push and fly down the other side.  It's a reward for a job well done.

Growing up bicycles were our main transportation everywhere; every single day, mile after mile from the small community, we would ride to the countryside.   Hardly anyone had cars even when they were seniors in high school.  I owned my first car after graduation from college.  In nasty weather a bicycle is not the best way to get from place to place but otherwise it's great exercise, low maintenance, no insurance, no expense for gasoline and easy on the environment.

Pedal Power: How One Community Became the Bicycle Capital of the World (Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC, March 28, 2017) written and illustrated by Allan Drummond salutes the significance of one.  One person can make a difference.  If one person connects with other like-minded people, change can and will happen.

Today, if you visit the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, you'll see people on bicycles buzzing about everywhere:

Any place a bike can go, they will be there.  They are used by young and old alike for a variety of purposes.  There are bikes designed for specific people and specific tasks.  The number of bikes is far greater than the number of cars.

Bikes rule the road.

More than thirty years ago, Amsterdam streets and roads were filled with cars roaring to and from their destinations.  It was risky navigating the traffic on a bike.  Maartje Rutten decided to do something about this dangerous situation for two-wheeled riders.  Like a chain reaction, the word spread from person to person.  People protested all across the Netherlands.  At first people (of all ages) were upbeat and positive, drawing attention to their cause but that all changed.

Headlines were made with the death of a young girl who was simply going to school on her bike.  Her father gathered statistics which surprised and angered people.  It was bikers versus automobile drivers as the amount and tenor of protests increased.  The car owners were even angrier when they were told they could not drive in Amsterdam on Sunday in order to save fuel.

A Sunday with no automobiles on the road was exactly what Maartje needed.  A brave move was made.  It ended (or maybe it began) at the police station.  The results are seen today not only in Amsterdam but around the world.  Power to the pedals powered by people.


In his Author's Note Allan Drummond addresses the evolution of this title.  As in many cases, when you are researching one thing, it leads you to a revelation of another.  In this instance it took him to Maartje Rutten.

Short, simple statements take us from the present to the past and back to the present again.  Single sentences are separated over two pages to provide a cadence.  Bicycle bells ringing and conversation bubbles add to the upbeat, informative narrative.  Key points from research are woven into his perspective; parties in the streets, meeting the Dutch prime minister in front of his home and the key part played by children.  Here is a sample passage.

"Something's wrong," said Maartje.  "The roads belong to all of us, not just cars and trucks."

Her friends agreed.  "Cities like Amsterdam need bikes."

Everyone began to speak up.

Word got around and people started protesting, not just in Amsterdam but all over the Netherlands.


The loose, delicate lines, meaningful details and warm, soft color palette associated with books written and illustrated by Allan Drummond are prevalent on the matching dust jacket and book case.  The scene on the front shows cyclists from the past enjoying a ride over a bridge in Amsterdam after they have made progress.  To the left, on the back, is an interior image of Maartje, two children and two other protesters when she proposes her grand idea.  It's raining but she is determined, holding a sign with the power fist as a part of a bicycle.

Drummond's opening and closing endpapers and dedication/publication page are marvelous illustrating how bicycles have impacted the world, how they are used, types of bicycles, and famous cyclists.  He wastes no space using crisp white backgrounds to highlight his visuals.  To supply emphasis and pacing he alternates between many small images over several pages to one illustration spanning two pages.  Sometimes we feel as though we are in the picture, other times we are observing the scene.   Regardless of the perspective these illustrations are alive with motion and mood. Text is placed above, below and within the images.  Drummond's research is evident in the architecture, clothing, bicycles, protest signs and items pertinent to the time period featured.

One of my favorite illustrations is at the beginning of the book.  It's a bird's eye view of the city of Amsterdam today.  Portions of buildings frame the background and right side.  Rooftops line part of the bottom of the image with birds in flight.  Bicycle riders are everywhere.  There is hardly any traffic; a streetcar, two cars and a small freight truck.  Bike bells are ringing.  The truck driver calls out:  After you!  This is a scene of happy comings and goings.


With Earth Day arriving in seventeen days, this title, Pedal Power written and illustrated by Allan Drummond, will serve to inform and inspire.  Like his previous title, Green City, we become acquainted with committed people who are working to build a better environment for their day to day living.  Along with his Author's Note he has listed five interesting, supportive sources.  I enjoyed reading several of them.  They can be used to expand discussions.

To learn more about Allan Drummond and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Here you can see a few images not shown at the publisher's website.  At the publisher's website you can view several interior illustrations.


Make sure you stop by Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by Alyson Beecher to view the other titles selected by bloggers participating in the 2017 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.