In His Own Mind

Heroes walk among us every single day.  They come in all shapes, sizes and ages.  Some might not even be human.  Always ready for action they can transform from ordinary to extraordinary in a single second.  We may not even be aware of the shift in their identity.  It is hidden from us; only a vision in the mind of the courageous champion.

As adults we sometimes forget how brave children are to leave their homes, venturing out to learn in school classrooms.  For the little guys and gals attending school for the first time as kindergartners it can be daunting.  Super Saurus Saves Kindergarten (Disney Hyperion, June 27, 2017) written by Deborah Underwood with illustrations by Ned Young follows Arnold as he challenges a perceived formidable foe.

Kindergarten was starting in two days, 
and Arnold was busy making plans...

Arnold's plans did not include what students would normally take in their backpacks or what they would wear.  His plans were how to escape.  He would do anything not to attend the first day of school.

Arnold was convinced his teacher was

Zorgo the Evil Genius.

He was sure all the children would be snacks for Krok the pet T. rex of Zorgo.  As Arnold's conversation continued with Emily, he became super-charged with conviction.  He would not go or stay in his classroom because he was

SUPER SAURUS!

Over the course of the next two days, Arnold gathered his gear, gizmos and gadgets.  He was packed and ready for whatever happened beginning with a ride to school as a captive in a submarine.  (Mom and Dad drove him in the family car.)  He ran as soon as the vehicle stopped but did not get very far.  Plan B was to use his Sticky Shoes to scale the building.  Again his flight was thwarted.  He had no choice but to face Zorgo.  

Every activity designed, music, art, free and circle time, by Mr. Z was perceived as a confrontation with Zorgo.  Super Saurus was in full-blown hero mode.  At snack time the greatest challenge yet arrived uninvited.  Super Saurus put his super smarts into action.  Kindergartens never fear, when Super Saurus is here.


A fabulous blend of voice by the narrator, realistic conversations and Arnold's thoughts by Deborah Underwood has readers cheering for Arnold and Super Saurus.  His character traits of planning, determination and doing the right thing for others compel us to keep turning the pages. You have to admire the patience and good nature of Arnold's parents and his teacher.  Here is a sample passage.

His ship screeched to a halt.  He couldn't leave
all those innocent children in Zorgo's clutches!
There was only one thing to do.

Super Saurus narrowed his eyes. He
straightened his mask.  He marched up
to Zorgo.  "I challenge you to a duel!"

"We're singing right now," said Zorgo.  "How about after snack time?"


You can almost hear the blast of superhero music swelling in the background as you look at the matching dust jacket and book case.  Super Saurus charging through the lined school paper, arms raised and smiling, is ready for action.  We know for what he is prepared by his own drawings shown on the left and right of his body.  The bright bold colors seen here are used throughout the book.

To the left, on the back, Arnold aka Super Saurus has drawn a particularly hilarious scene between him and Zorgo.  The three speech balloons reveal the strength of his confidence in his abilities and his desire to avoid school.  On the opening and closing endpapers, on a white background, more childlike drawings reveal the abilities of Super Saurus.  We can see his Rescue Rocket, his Super Sticky Shoes and his Super Saurus Scuba Suit all in use.

On the title page the text is placed on paper on an easel.  Arnold is facing it, crayon raised and ready to make some art.  On the dedication page Super Saurus is chatting with his fellow classmates.  Rendered in acrylics on illustration board (and acrylics and colored pencils on watercolor board for Arnold's drawings) all the pictures are highly animated and cheerful.  Ned Young uses his space superbly to highlight the story.

His images span two pages, single pages or are grouped on a single page.  When the story focuses on Super Saurus the text is placed in a yellow box rimmed in red with black text.  Readers are going to love the Super Saurus and Zorgo clothing, special effects and alternate world.  There will be page turns with significant pauses.

One of my favorite pictures of many is on a single page.  Arnold dressed in his Super Saurus garb, a mask and cape, is packing his backpack.  He has it placed on the living room sofa as he stands on an arm.  A rope around the outside holds his Super Sticky Shoes, boots dripping in maple syrup and peanut butter.  He stuffs his Rescue Rocket constructed from cardboard boxes into the opening at the top of his backpack.  His flippers and a fishing pole, for deep sea rescues, are part of his first-day-of-school gear too.  The vivid hues and details (wrinkles in his denim shorts, texture in the colored rocket) contribute to the overall charm of this (and all the) illustration (s).

You will want to add Super Saurus Saves Kindergarten written by Deborah Underwood with illustrations by Ned Young to your books-about-school collections.  Readers will feel a connection to Arnold and applaud his endeavors.  There is nothing like imagination and creativity to save the day.

To learn more about Deborah Underwood and Ned Young and their other work please view their websites by following the links attached to their names.

Derriere Duds

There are some words, whether you shout them from the rooftop or whisper them so quietly only a dog could hear, which will trigger a supreme case of giggles if not outright guffaws.  These words do not need to be said in any formal setting such as storytime when the word is part of a title or used within the narrative.  You can walk by a group of younger guys and gals quietly working and say the word as you pass.  As soon as they hear it, they will stop and ask a question hardly able to contain their mirth.

One such word which comes to mind is underwear.  In Monster's New Undies (Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., June 27, 2017) written by Samantha Berger with illustrations by Tad Carpenter I do believe laughter will fill the air as soon as the cover is shown and won't stop until after the final word is read.  An entire book about underwear?!  Be still my storytime heart.

Of all days I dread, 
not one can compare
to the day that we shop
for NEW underwear.

This monster detests shopping for underwear to the degree he is willing to have small, old, and torn undies.  He is even fine with wearing nothing.  He has one pair left, his favorite pair.

Then the worst thing possible happens.  Using them like a sling shot, his final favorite pair falls into pieces.  At this point he realizes wearing nothing is a tad bit chilly and a wee bit embarrassing.

So without further ado, it's off to find another pair with mom at Undie World.  Yes, readers, there is an entire store dedicated to underwear.  There are pairs patterned in everything under the sun and under the sea.  There are more sizes than this monster thought possible but nothing, not a single one, is to his liking.  One monster, his mom and a store clerk are discouraged...totally.

Then his monster eyes spy what might be a miracle tucked nearly out of sight.  Could it be?  Monsters gather.  Monsters gasp.  Breaths are held as an inspection and a moment's reflection reveal a truth.


Humor fills Samantha Berger's heart.  As she writes it spills to the page, bringing merriment to this story.  Within every paragraph she supplies a final rhyming word in lines two and four.  The mix of rhythm and comedy elevates the reader's experience.

Each reader can identify with the monster as he anguishes over the loss of a favorite article of clothing.  Experience tells the monster (us) shopping to find something equally beloved is fruitless.  Here is another sample passage.

THESE are my undies!
A sweet work of art!
SNAP!
UH-OH!
My undies!
sniff
They just fell apart!


Readers will enjoy the dust jacket and book case created by Tad Carpenter.  Using a limited color palette throughout this title we are introduced to the colors on the dust jacket first; lime green, red, blue, black and white.  Plainly we can see Monster is happier than happy with the underwear he is wearing.  To the left, on the back, everything is identical except we are viewing it from the back of Monster.

The book case is done in the blue hue.  Monster is pictured identical to the dust jacket on both the front and back but he and his shadow are alone.  On the opening endpapers a red canvas features all kinds of underwear in blue and white.  There are white stars placed among the underwear.  The closing endpapers have the blue as a background shade.  Monster and company are showcased in red and white.  Without revealing more, you will understand the significance of the characters highlighted once the title is read.

On the verso and title pages Monster is wearing a bathrobe on the right carrying a blue ducky as drops of water fall from his body.  On the left is an old-fashioned bathtub with puddles of water on the floor.  Most of the illustrations rendered by Tad Carpenter span two pages followed by two (or four) single-page pictures.

Monster's expressions, large, wide eyes and two-tooth grins and grimaces are true crowd-pleasers.  Notice the details included by Tad Carpenter.  On his dresser Monster has a lamp with a skull for a base.  At Undie World there is a 50% sign next to the door.  The logo for Undie World looks surprisingly similar to Monster's favorite style.

One of my many favorite pictures spread across two pages.  The canvas is black, a textured black, based upon the illustrator's technique.  Across the top, on either side of the gutter, are four pairs of blue and white underwear.  Beneath them are another four pairs.  Monster's head is larger, closer to us.  It takes up a little more than a third of the bottom.  His huge eyes stare at us on either side of the gutter.  His horns are upright.  He is definitely frowning.


Expect laughter, lots of laughter, when you read Monster's New Undies written by Samantha Berger with illustrations by Tad Carpenter quietly to yourself, one-on-one or to a group.  It's packed with fun.  It would pair nicely with Ballet Cat Dance! Dance! Underpants! by Bob Shea.  

To learn more about Samantha Berger and Tad Carpenter and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Both have accounts on Instagram too.  Scholastic in Canada has two interior pages to read and view.  Teacher librarian Travis Jonker who blogs at School Library Journal, 100 Scope Notes, included this title in his 10 to Note: Summer Preview 2017.

Honoring Differences And Similarities

Even within the smaller social units like a family there are differences and similarities in the way each individual makes decisions about what they eat and wear, how they spend their free time or what work they are required to do on any given day.  As groups grow to include classroom, work places, local communities, states and countries the differences expand but commonalities remain.  We are one world family on this planet called Earth.

The more we understand about members of this one world family, the more our compassion will grow.  This Is How We Do It: One Day in the Lives of Seven Kids from around the World (Chronicle Books, May 2, 2017) written and illustrated by Matt Lamothe presents a typical day for each of these children.  How do their days contrast with your day?  What things are alike?

My name is

This is how the book begins.  We are introduced to the seven children learning their formal names and nicknames.  They also tell us their ages; ranging from seven to eleven years old.  This information appears beneath the name of their countries, Italy, Japan, Uganda, Russia, Peru, India and Iran.

In discovering where they live three reside in apartment buildings and four others dwell in individual homes.  The child in Italy has a vineyard in his backyard.  The home in Peru was built by the child's father located in a village in the Amazon rainforest.  The children then acquaint us with the members of their respective families.

Some of them can decide what to wear to school each day, others wear uniforms.  Many readers would be more than willing to have their breakfasts for dinner.  Four of the children walk to school but the paths they follow vary; some pass through large cities, another a local community and one winds through eucalyptus and banana trees.  Of their seven teachers only one is a male.

The child in Japan wears white indoor slippers in her classroom.  The child in Peru shares his classroom with two grades and their day ends at one o'clock.  Each of them writes their names differently using a different alphabet except for three who use the Latin alphabet.

Their school lunches are displayed.  Whenever they get to play we see how much they enjoy the out-of-doors even though they are engaged in no two similar activities.  This holds true for how they contribute to the family chores.  What will readers take away about when and with whom the children eat?  As the evening progresses, bedtime follows.  The final line unites them and us.


The technique employed by Matt Lamothe for presenting this information generates a cadence and a thread tying each section together.  It creates equality as it supplies a means for discovery.  Many of them start with the same words.  Each paragraph is as if the child is speaking directly to the reader; a conversation across the miles.  Here are two sample paragraphs.

Italy
We do many activities 
outside the classroom,
like visit parks and
forests, go to museums
in other cities, and put
on a musical at the
end of the year.  We
have school from eight 
o'clock to four o'clock.

Uganda
My brother, mom, housemaid,
and I usually eat dinner
around ten o'clock at night at
our big wooden table.  We have 
matoke with g-nut sauce,
and milk to drink.


Rendered digitally the illustrations are fully animated and replete with details.  From the matching dust jacket and book case to each individual picture, readers will be fascinated with the design and layout.  The matte-finished paper showcases the full color visuals.  From the front where we see children and people who cross the journeys of their daily lives to the left, the back, where each country is named with the children's names, we find ourselves stopping to enjoy the elements in each image.

On the opening and closing endpapers is a map of the world using a limited color palette.  Portraits of the children's faces are within circles with lines drawn to their country on the map, including the author.  The names, city and country are shown.  The verso and title pages are a graphic mix of circles and blocks of four.

This theme of four is followed throughout the title.  Sometimes a page will be divided into four or into three with one of the children's examples occupying two of the places, either vertically or horizontally.  For variety and emphasis Matt expands his illustrations to include an entire page opposite two images on a single page.  The final picture spans two pages...as it should.

One of my many favorite illustrations from my favorite series, This is how I go to school, is for the country of Japan.  This little nine-year-old girl, Kei, walks down a street filled with homes, past city shops and apartment buildings to be assisted by a crossing guard.  The intricate details are fascinating revealing architecture, street and city planning and life styles.  Notice all the writing.


This book, This Is How We Do It: One Day in the Lives of Seven Kids from around the World, written and illustrated by Matt Lamothe is a bridge to cultural understanding.  If you, like me, believe our future is in the hands of our children, make sure as many of them as possible read this book.  Use it repeatedly throughout the year for a variety of study.  It is an outstanding book in every respect.  At the close of the book, Matt Lamothe provides full color photographs of the real families who participated in the making of this book.  He also has a glossary and an author's note.

To learn more about Matt Lamothe please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  Matt is one of three people at a design company ALSO.  The book is highlighted there with several interior illustrations.  There is a This Is How We Do It Instagram account. On the Chronicle Books Blog the book is featured.  Enjoy the book trailer.




Update:  On August 3, 2017 author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson reviewed Matt Lamothe and will follow with artwork the next week at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.

Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to view the other titles selected by bloggers participating in the 2017 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.

Observations

Children learn at a very early age to watch, listen and learn.  Some do this in silence; others tend to display their new knowledge with flair, mimicking what they see or hear.   As an educator, an adult, you quickly realize everything you say and do is remembered...in vivid detail.  To be in the presence of children is a great honor and a huge responsibility.

If we are fortunate they will see value in what we say and do, taking the best part of each experience and fashioning it into an identity they will alter and wear for the rest of their lives.  Someone Like Me (A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, July 3, 2017) written by Patricia MacLachlan with illustrations by Chris Sheban is a heartwarming journey through childhood.  It's about choosing what you do with your time.

If you were a little girl
who listened to stories 

These stories were not told once or twice or even three times but repeatedly during the course of this little girl's life.  They became a part of who she was.  These tales were from everyday life but elevated to familiar family legends.

Consuming books like air, fueling her heart and mind, even when her mom was walking home with her from the public library, was something this little girl did every single day.  She learned to be invisible hiding from her parents as they discussed things, hush-hush things.  Her imaginative mind longed for her animal friends to speak.

Like many children climbing to the tops of trees generated a feeling of freedom for her.  Above the regular world a new realm was revealed.  Have you ever wanted to run away?  Did you?  Was it because someone promised you something?  This little girl found people fascinating; what they did, said, and sang.

All these observations of the world around helped her become her true self.  They formed a focus for her life's work, woven into other familiar stories.  The daily directions she chose created pathways for others to follow for generations.

This narrative, a string of lyrical reflections, written by Newbery Medalist Patricia MacLachlan, is a gentle moving piece.  It reminds us of the transformative power of experience and study.  Through her words Patricia MacLachlan supplies us with encouragement; no part of our lives is too small to make a big difference.   Here is a partial passage.

If you were a girl whose great-grandmother loved
the smell and feel of prairie earth,
and ran through the grasses
sending the geese on the slough to
fly up
around
and back again


Rendered in watercolor, colored pencil and graphite all of the illustrations by Chris Sheban, beginning with the matching dust jacket and book case, cast a spell over readers, taking us to a place and time when a little girl uses her senses to enjoy the fascination the world offers her.  A striking use of light and shadow in this first picture as the sun rises asks us to pause with her and her dog beneath the tree on a rise above a field.  You have to wonder what she has written in her journal.

To the left, on the back surrounded in white a loosely framed image shows the girl sitting on the tree branch now, her back to us.  The dog is also facing in the opposite direction watching a line of geese above the field.  Golden yellow, orange and purple color the sunset sky.  The journal leans against the base of the tree.  Golden yellow covers the opening and closing endpapers.  Under the text on the title page a grandmother (great-grandmother) sits on a porch step telling the girl seated beneath her a story.  On the dedication and verso page and the first page, the duo is now walking down a lane as the storytelling continues.

Chris Sheban shifts his visual sizes to complement the narrative, full page, double page, and multiple pictures on a single page.  The colored pencil and graphite creates a textured look.  Chris chooses to use muted colors in large portions of some of the illustrations with other elements in full color for emphasis.  His use of white space is absolutely stunning on two of the pages.  The facial features on all the characters, especially on the little girl, have you wanting to be best friends with all of them.

It's hard to pick a single illustration as a favorite when they are all worthy of framing.  One particular picture I really like spans two pages.  It's a close-up of the girl under the dinner table.  We can see the underside of the table, the kind which pulls out to add leaves.  Her parent's legs and feet are visible.  Her dog, next to the father's chair, is watching her.  Lying on her stomach, head resting on her hands, elbows bent, the little girl, has one finger at her lips in a shush position.  Light from the room filters through the flowered table cloth and shines on the lower portion of her face.

Every single time I've read Someone Like Me written by Patricia MacLachlan with illustrations by Chris Sheban, I am moved by the simple but profound beauty on each page.  Patricia's words sing straight into your heart.  Chris's luminous illustrations envelope you.  I can't begin to tell you how much I love this book!  And I can't wait to share it with readers this coming school year.

To learn more about Chris Sheban and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  At the publisher's website you can view gorgeous interior images.  Chris Sheban is featured by teacher librarian Travis Jonker on his blog, 100 Scope Notes, Preview: The Crusty Nibs.  Chris is interviewed at LitPick and on author James Preller's Blog.

UPDATE:  Author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson shares art from this book on her blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, September 22, 2017.

  These videos are two of my favorite ones highlighting Patricia MacLachlan.

Nope. Nope. Nope.

Have you noticed once July 4th has come and gone, retailers start to mark down all their summer furniture and lawn and garden accessories?  Within days the shelves are nearly empty.  Then they start to fill those vacant spaces....with back-to-school items.  Oh my goodness!  Summer is only officially two weeks old.  We still have seventy-nine days before autumn.

For students, some who only recently finished the past year, this can be a little stressful to observe.  They have to face the challenge another grade level brings after recently and finally finding comfort with the previous teacher, classmates and subjects.  Second Grade Holdout (Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, July 4, 2017), a companion title to First Grade Dropout, written by Audrey Vernick with illustrations by Matthew Cordell is guaranteed to have readers nodding knowingly as they laugh out loud.

I was a lot of things in first grade.

Our narrator recalls the high (and not so high) points of grade one but the best one of all was sharing the school year with his best friend, Tyler.  Second grade promises to not be as great. His parents are not helping either.

One points out there won't be as many fun tasks assigned to students.  Learning will be his main job.  (What?!)  Since Tyler is going to be in the other second grade classroom he wants to switch.  This request meets with huge resistance.  His second brainstorm has him staying in first grade.

With loads of determination and ingenuity the reluctant guy is quick to reiterate all the wonders of repeating first grade.   

And I'll definitely be the one who's lost the most teeth.

A visit to the zoo is much more to his liking than a trip to the police station.  As Tyler's two sisters start to vocalize all the trouble second grade is, especially with his teacher, Mr. Glazer, panic fills his soul.

He must look ready to pass out because one of the sisters, Sabrina, adds another thing for him to consider.  Before two seconds have passed Jacqueline, the second sister, starts to tell Tyler all the things wrong with Mrs. Herman's class.  Will second grade be a disaster for both boys?  Pfff!

When Audrey Vernick writes about school related issues, friends and brothers and sisters, she does so with keen insight into their respective mindsets.  She understands their emotional highs and lows.  Each sentence (and one particular word) in this narrative connects us to the characters because regardless of finding the remarks hilarious, we have experienced similar situations.  Here is a sample passage.

Tyler's sisters say second grade is really hard.

And Mr. Glazer's class is hardest of all.

You have to learn the presidents by heart.

Forward AND backward.

You know, without a doubt, at first glance this guy from the first book is having issues again.  He's not happy at all to be moving from first grade to second grade.  Look at his face and body posture.  (I can't keep from laughing.)  To the left, on the back, a bird, flies across a partly sunny sky.  He has a totally glass-half-full attitude.

Second grade rules!

The opening and closing endpapers are a bright cobalt blue.  This supplies a pleasing contrast to the background on the matching dust jacket and book case. 

On the title page the text is still placed on the lined writing paper.  Our hesitant hero is now lying on his back holding the sign upright.  The illustrations rendered by Matthew Cordell in pen and ink with watercolor throughout this title are pure Cordell.

Loose lines, exquisite details, spot-on facial expressions and body postures and loads of humor fill his images.  In one picture Tyler is whistling.  Above him a bird is whistling the same two notes.  Matthew's interpretation of single words and phrases will have you laughing out loud.  For 

Unable to sit still

(according to Ms. Morgan)

our protagonist within a loose frame of black is acting like a showman in a song-and-dance routine, his desk and chair tipped to the side.  He has a top hat and a cane.  A distinctive finger (Ms. Morgan's?) is pointing at him.

The picture sizes vary in keeping with the text and the pacing.  Larger sizes convey emphasis. Smaller sizes depict a train of thought.  Toward the conclusion we move closer to the characters' faces building to an unexpected but quintessential scenario.

One of my many favorite pictures is when the main character is recalling his trip to the zoo in first grade.  He knows as a repeat first grade student he will win the scavenger hunt.  Shown on a single page, he is writing down an answer as he stands in front of the cage with a monkey.  He and the monkey are exchanging "thumbs up" and grinning.

Second Grade Holdout written by Audrey Vernick with illustrations by Matthew Cordell is a back-to-school story brimming with comedy from a collaborative team with a winning combination of text and images.  They write and illustrate in the spirit of kids-at-heart.  You will certainly want a copy of this to pair with the first book in your professional collections.  I already have one for my personal collection.

To learn more about Audrey Vernick and Matthew Cordell and their other work please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Both Audrey and Matthew were interviewed at author James Preller's blog. 

 

A Guarantee Is Given

On those sweltering summer days when nary a breeze to provide relief is stirring, nothing is as tempting as a nap in the afternoon.  It's too hot to even think about accomplishing a single thing outdoors.  Even without the benefit of air-conditioning, the walls and roof of a home provide a cooler sanctuary.

In the forests of South America a group of animals decide to take advantage of a gift from Mother Nature.  The Perfect Siesta (La siesta perfecta) (NubeOcho Books, June 23, 2017) written by Chilean author illustrator Pato Mena based in Barcelona, Spain is a charming cumulative tale.  Promises are made; promises are kept, just not the way you expect.

It was the middle of the day in the 
jungle and the jaguar was very hot.

A cool breeze suddenly rustled through the leaves prompting the cat to wish he could take a siesta.  Seeing a coati resting in a nearby tree he asked the little creature to wake him in exactly ten minutes.  Naturally the coati, clearly intimidated by the jaguar, said yes.

As quick as a wink, the jaguar was sound asleep.  He looked so relaxed and the breeze was a respite from the heat, the coati decided a rest was in order for her too.  She asked a cockatiel to wake her in exactly ten minutes because she had to wake the jaguar in ten minutes.  He did have something very important to do.

The cockatiel graciously agreed to help the coati but when she fell asleep instantly, the bird knew he needed a nap too.  The closest animal to him was a sloth.  (Now, I don't know about you but when I saw the sloth, I knew the possibility of a problem was imminent.)  The sloth was agreeable when asked to wake the cockatiel in ten minutes.

The cockatiel strongly requested the sloth stay awake.  Then he dropped into a snooze.  When the sloth felt the breeze she wanted to take a siesta too but who would wake her up?  She decided she had no choice but to remain awake for precisely ten minutes.  As the minutes ticked by, something ordinary and extraordinary happened.  No one in the jungle will forget it.


The translation of the Spanish text written by Pato Mena by Kim Griffin reveals repetition of key words and phrases supplying readers with a welcoming rhythm.  Each animal recognizes the cool breeze, remarks on the perfection it provides for a siesta, asks for a favor, emphasizes the need of the ten minute wake-up and falls into a sound sleep.  These invite participation and lead readers willingly to the surprise ending which is certain to generate laughter.   The blend of narrative and conversation also encourages readers to actively engage in the story.  Here is a sample passage.

"Of course!" said the kind cockatiel.
"Go ahead and take your siesta.  I'll wake you up"

And just like that, the coati dropped off into a deep sleep.

Then, the cockatiel thought,
"Hmmm...There's no denying it.
That really is a pleasant breeze."


A very distinctive illustrative technique and color palette greet readers on the front of the book case.  We don't know why yet, but the close-up of the sloth indicates her important role in the story.  Her heavy eyelids tell us she is having a hard time staying awake but her smile leads us to conclude she is giving it her best effort.  To the left, on the back, on a canvas of the sloth's body we read the words:

Promising to wake someone up is a big responsibility...

The opening and closing endpapers are incorporated into the body of the book.  On the first we have the publication information preceding the title page.  On the second set the conclusion of the story unfolds in a two-page spread.

In the image sizes Pato Mena creates a type of cadence prior to the appearance of the sloth.  He dedicates his illustrations to two two-page pictures followed by two single page visuals surrounded by liberal amounts of space.  After the sloth the pacing shifts which supplies a gentle tension.  We aren't sure what is going to happen.

Pato Mena's bold hues, nearly geometric landscapes and unique interpretations of the animals' physical traits are fascinating.  The creatures' body postures as they speak and when they are snoozing depict their emotional state as well as disclose a bit of humor.  Zooming in on the sloth on one particular two-page span demands our attention.

One of my many favorite illustrations is of a two-page image.  On a pale yellow (cream) background the sloth is featured.  Along the bottom are rolling pale green hills.  On the left side a green branch with yellow leaves supplies balance.  On the right a tree truck lines the edge.  From this a long branch extends across the gutter.  On the right side the sloth is perched on this branch, hands on her hips.  She wears a look of determination.


A stellar choice for naptime, bedtime or actually anytime The Perfect Siesta written and illustrated by Pato Mena will have readers gladly joining in the story.  They will laugh at sloth's struggles and find joy in the ending.  This title would be wonderful to try as a reader's theater.  This book has been printed in Spanish also.  You should consider having both on your professional bookshelves.  I plan on having both copies on my personal bookshelves.

There is some information about Pato Mena on the publisher's website.  You might also like to read about this particular publishing house which began to distribute books in the United States in 2016.  Teacher librarian Travis Jonker included this title in his 10 to Note: Summer Preview 2017 on his blog, 100 Scope Notes.

A Case Of Mistaken Identity

Living up to the expectations of others (or those we place on ourselves) is not easy.  Our personalities and physical traits are not always best suited to realize those beliefs. We receive coaching.  We practice and practice.  The truth is sometimes life has other plans for us.  We then find ourselves in positions farther from anything we thought probable or possible.

Given these circumstances, it opens the door for humor.  The Big Bad Fox (Who's afraid of...) (First Second, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press, June 20, 2017) written and illustrated by Benjamin Renner is one hundred eighty-seven pages of graphic novel hilarity.  Fox is not big.  Fox is not bad.  Fox is simply not your typical predator.

Gnnn...
mgn mgn...
Okay...
Here goes.

Fox leaves his den in the forest to try his luck at snaring a chicken at the local farm.  As he digs under the fence and crosses the barnyard he is warned by Dog and greeted by Pig and Rabbit.  The gardener pig and goofy rabbit keep a running commentary about the fox's progress.  Furious Fox has returned for the third time this week, a feisty chicken catches him and whacks him with a stick.

Dejected and hungry Fox trudges home with a basket of turnips courtesy of Pig.  Stating the obvious his mentor, Wolf, confronts him about his lack of fowl food.  Even with an additional lesson Wolf and Fox are at opposite ends of the meat-eater spectrum.  As a result of a statement made by Fox, Wolf devises a plan.  It's so simple, it's brilliant.

In the dead of night Fox steals three eggs, not without consequences of course.  He and Wolf will wait until they hatch and grow into nice plump chickens.  What a feast the duo will have!

Sitting on the eggs like a broody hen, Fox is shocked when they hatch and the chicks declare him to be their mommy.  One comedic situation after another ensues as Fox attempts to teach the little peepers how to be chickens.  They in turn decide since he is not a chicken, they must be foxes.  Meanwhile back at the farm and furious with Dog's lack of getting her eggs back from Fox, Chicken takes matters into her own wings.

After six months the state of affairs places Fox in a huge predicament.  His choices will have readers laughing like crazy.  Being a parent is sometimes difficult under the best of conditions but for Fox his problems escalate until he's soaring skyward...more than once.


The narrative told entirely in dialogue keeps readers captivated from beginning to end.  Benjamin Renner has a knack for conversations laden with comedy; contrasts between what should be and what is.  His short snappy phrases propel the plot forward from one episode to another with readers smiling nonstop.  Here are some sample passages.

Fox and Wolf chatting

Well, you know, that scary thing you do, like this
Grrowl! Argh!
Like that?
Well, yeah!  You know, with the bloodcurdling snarl or whatever?
Oh, I see.  You mean this?
GRROWL!!!
Yes, that's right!
That's the one.
I don't get it!  Why doesn't it work for me?  What's my problem?
I don't know.
Maybe it's because you look about as strong as an oyster.
Or because you have as much charisma as a dried slug in a jar of salt.
Also, you're about as ferocious as a geriatric tortoise.

Dog and Chicken

You'll be happy.
I have good news.
Don't pretend you've already captured the fox!
Better than that.
TA-DAAAA!
MY EGGS!
You found them?!  But where were they?
Oh, uh...over there...hidden under that thing beside the...
My hero!
Oh, it's nothing.
What can I do to thank you?
Nothing, don't mention it!  It's my job.
Say, I have a question just one question.
Hmmm?
You didn't find these eggs in the fridge, by any chance?
WHAT?
How dare you even suggest it?  Are you saying I'd try to pass off grocery store eggs as yours?
Me, who's always looking out for you?
I'm hurt!  After all I've done to help you.
Please explain how I laid eggs with the "sell by" date printed on them.
Um...


One look at the front of the book case gives you a pretty clear indication of Fox's dilemma throughout this book; the chickens are furious, Pig and Rabbit are reluctant friends, Dog could care less about anything but himself, Wolf is disgusted and the three chicks love their mommy.  By placing the animals so as to frame Fox, it draws our attention to his unwelcome trouble.  The single chick laughing and dancing inside the "o" sums up their attitude perfectly.

To the left, on the back, Fox and the chicks are playing their Big Bad Fox game.  On the title page the image of Fox and the three chicks from the front is repeated.  Rendered in watercolor Benjamin Renner places a series of small images on a single page using white space as borders rather than employing panels.  For emphasis or to ask readers to pause a larger illustration may accompany half or a full page.

The large expressive eyes on the characters coupled with their exaggerated body movements contribute to the total fun on every page.  The specific area in an episode is depicted with the bottom color.  Time of day or weather darkening the sky is portrayed with a wash in gray or blue.  Renner's details add to the delight; as the seasons change the characters are shown wearing appropriate garb.

One of my many favorite illustrations is in Fox's den.  He has been sitting on the eggs so long cobwebs have formed all around him.  His posture is bent over with his nose nearly touching the ground.  His expression is a combination of grim determination and utter exhaustion.


No matter how many times you read The Big Bad Fox (Who's afraid of ...) written and illustrated by Benjamin Renner you will find yourself smiling and laughing out loud repeatedly.  The antics of all the characters mixed with their conversations are ridiculously wonderful.  The comedy has appeal for all ages.  You will want to have more than one copy on your professional bookshelves.  Make sure to have a copy for your personal bookshelves for when you need a light-hearted look at the twists and turns life can take.

At the publisher's website you can view eight pages of interior images at the beginning of the story.  Benjamin Renner talks about this title at Comics Alliance.  Benjamin Renner is interviewed at The Beat Comics Culture.  These characters and their story have been set to film.  Enjoy the trailer and short video in French.