Happy New Year 2022---One Little Word Part Two

Here we are on the fourteenth day of January, 2022.  In my city, the sun is trying to shine through a haze as the temperature dips to eight degrees with a wind chill of minus six.  Our local school district has closed its doors today due to the rising number of positive COVID cases in the past two weeks.  It is hoped this pause will still that rise and allow time to disinfect the buildings.  Beyond our boundaries, the scales in world and national politics remain in a delicate balance.

Feeling grateful and seated in the comfort of my home, sweet Mulan curled up next to me with her head resting on my leg, one constant remains.  Not only does this constant remain, but it grows ever stronger.  The written and pictorial stories presented to readers by the work of dedicated authors and illustrators offer readers hope through the supplied rhythmic language, breathtaking images, laughter, heartbreak, healing, and a reminder of striving to be our best selves.  Each title either reinforces what we know to be true or offers a new idea for us to consider.

This is the second set of fourteen fiction picture books from 2021 not previously discussed, but simply too good to not honor.

My choice of One Little Word is assigned to each title.  Links to the author's, illustrator's, and publisher's websites (or social media accounts) are shown.  Other pertinent resources are provided.  The books are displayed in order of release date.

Happy reading to everyone!

COMMUNITY

Julia's House Goes Home (First Second, October 19, 2021) written and illustrated by Ben Hatke

At the publisher's website, you can look at interior pictures.  This is the concluding book in a trilogy.  The first two books are Julia's House for Lost Creatures and Julie's House Moves On.

Julia's house roamed the

high hills, looking for a home.

And so, when Julia saw the Perfect Spot glittering in the

distance, she told her creatures, "That's where we're going."

And the creatures all cheered.

In its excitement to get from mountain top to valley bottom, the house took an unexpected tumble.  Julia was thrown from the house and down into a 

Deep Dark Place

holding only the sign from the front door.  The house was nowhere in sight, of course.

As she made her way toward a light, Julia met Patched Up Kitty!  They first encountered a chaotic group of goblins and folletti.  Together they all went to look for the house.  Each time they met one of their creature family members, they had found other creatures they wished to bring to the house.  Julia kept saying---

"We'll make room!"

A mountain king troll, the front door of the house, and a junkyard gave Julia and the multitude of creatures all they needed to go home.  Ben Hatke, through his narrative and honest dialogue, gives us a most pleasing and heartfelt end to the story of Julia and her house.  His visuals, in all shapes and sizes, depict an array of emotions, but the most important one is love.  You will pause repeatedly to look at the endpapers.

 

CONNECT

VAMOS! Let's Cross the Bridge (Versify, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, October 12, 2021) written and illustrated by Raul the Third, colors by Elaine Bay

At the publisher's website, you can view two videos.  One is author Kwame Alexander speaking about this title.  The other is the official book trailer for the series.  There is a special page titled The World of Vamos!  There are two separate activity kits to download on this page.  The two previous titles in the series are VAMOS! Let's Go to the Market and VAMOS! Let's Go Eat.

Little Lobo has a brand new truck!

The truck is packed up and ready to go!

Que bonito camion!

What a beautiful truck,

Little Lobo!  What do

you have back there?

Little Lobo, Kooky Dooky, the rooster, and Little Lobo's canine companion, Bernabe, are taking a trip across the bridge for a celebration.  This bridge between two cities and two countries is used daily by a multitude of people.  They use it to get to and from work, to shop, and to visit friends and family.  The bridge is not just for vehicles, but individuals walk and converse on this bridge.

Today, though, too many people are waiting in their cars and trucks to cross the bridge.  Minutes of waiting turn into hours of waiting.  As daylight fades and nighttime begins, before the thought of it is finished, the celebration begins on the bridge.  La Ranita y sus Lily Pads sing, pinatas are hung by El Toro and his crew, and the food trucks happily distribute their wares.  Raul The Third beautifully blends a mix of Spanish and English with meanings easily understood in this story of bridging cultures.  The images will have you pausing for hours.  

ACCEPTANCE

Only My Dog Knows I Pick My Nose (Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., October 19, 2021) written by Lauren Tarshis with illustrations by Lisa Bronson Mezoff

At the publisher's website, there are interior images to see.  This title has its own website full of resources for teachers and caregivers linked here.  On the Scholastic blog, On Our Minds, Lisa Bronson Mezoff chats about how she created the pictures.  At An Unlikely Story Bookstore & Cafe, they are hosting a virtual event with Lauren Tarshis and Lisa Bronson Mezoff reading and speaking about this book to celebrate World Read Aloud Day on February 2, 2022.

I always do everything right.

Anyone can see that.

It seems this child is pure perfection, eating everything on his plate, even the broccoli.  No one could be a better older brother to a sister than he is.  He shares his toys.  He is a quiet bather, and he goes to sleep as soon as he is in bed. HA!

Sometimes, he plays in bed instead of sleeping.  Who do you think REALLY eats the broccoli? Do I see a paw raised?  The boy's very best toys are not shared, they are hidden.  This the dog knows.  The boy climbs too high in the tree.  He races through the house.  He burps REALLY loud.  This the dog knows.  In fact, the boy and the dog are inseparable, so the dog knows everything about his boy.  And . . . he loves him as much as the boy loves him.

All aspects of this boy's life are related with lively text and the repetition of 

only my dog knows 

inviting readers to join in the story.  The watercolor illustrations portray the exuberance this dog and human exhibit in everything they do.  It extends elements of the narrative wonderfully, especially in the final double-page picture.  The endpapers are certain to bring on the smiles.

READ

Moose's Book Bus (Candlewick Press, November 2, 2021) written and illustrated by Inga Moore

At the publisher's website, there is an activity kit to download and an image to view.  At Penguin Random House, there are multiple interior illustrations to see.  This is a companion title to the earlier A House in the Woods.

Moose lived with his family

in a house in the woods.

At the end of every day Moose, his wife, and children would gather in front of the fire as Moose told a story.  One day, Moose did not have a new story to tell.  He strolled through the woods from neighbor's house to neighbor's house asking to borrow a book he could read aloud. No one had a book!  The very next day, Moose visited the library in the nearby town.

He came home with loads of books.  It did not go unnoticed by Bear.  That night she and her cubs joined the moose family as Moose read aloud Little Red Riding Hood.  Word spread of Moose's evening read aloud sessions.  More and more woodland animals arrived to listen until Moose's living room was too crowded.

With the help of the librarian in town, a visit to the local junkyard, and lots of hard work, Moose had a bus, a book bus, for his animal friends to use.  They all needed to learn to read.  And they did, teaching each other (except Fox was not allowed to teach Hare).  Now, all the homes were filled with the sound of evening read aloud sessions, but no one could read aloud like Moose, so . . .

The text and images pair beautifully in this story of the power of story, books, and reading.  

TIME

Our Table (Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc., November 2, 2021) written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

At the publisher's website, you can enjoy interior illustrations.  At librarian, lecturer at Rutgers, and writer John Schumacher's Watch. Connect. Read., the cover is revealed.  There, Peter H. Reynolds and his editor each write letters.

Violet fondly remembered the table.

The table represented finding and preparing food, setting the table, and her family engaging in the telling of stories.  Unfortunately, more often than not, Violet was alone at the table.  Her other family members were busy doing other things.  It seemed that a big screen television, a phone, and online game playing were more important.

Day by day, Violet noticed that the table was shrinking until one day it vanished!  Violet took matters into her own hands.  She visited her father, mother, and brother and asked them questions.  And they answered.  Together they made something better than ever.  White space is a strong element with the color purple in the artwork before it becomes full-color again.  The pacing of the narrative is superb as is the repetition of the words---

and they did.

SEEK

A Thing Called Snow (Doubleday Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, November 2, 2021) written and illustrated by Yuval Zommer

Be sure to visit Yuval Zommer's Instagram account to view sheer happiness through his artwork and additional posts.  This title is a companion to The Tree That's Meant To Be.

Fox and Hare were born in the spring,

grew up in the summer,

and were the best of friends by autumn.

They both moved using the same motions, but one was better at sniffing and the other was best at hearing.  One day Fox smelled something new and Hare's ears heard something different.  And a bird mentioned something called snow.  Snow?

They sought advice from Bear.  They started to seek something as white as their fur.  Caribou gave them a new description.  So did Salmon and Goose.  The day got later and darker.  Fox and Hare were too tired to keep looking for snow.  They curled together and fell asleep.  They did not see what readers could see.  They did not hear who missed them and came looking for them.  Who was it?

With a dedication that reads---

Dedicated to the wild,

this is a book for everyone.

UNLIMITED

Off-Limits (Candlewick Press, November 9, 2021) written and illustrated by Helen Yoon

At Penguin Random House you can view the first few interior images which begin the pictorial story prior to, including, and after the title page.  You can already feel the hilarity creep into your soul.  Be sure to visit Helen Yoon's Instagram account for more of her humor and creativity.  She loves to play with office supplies as much as her character.  At author, reviewer, and blogger Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, she gives her insights on this title and includes more interior images.

Hello!  I'm just looking.

There's nothing wrong

with just looking . . .

Even though she has ignored her father's off-limits sign on his closed office door, it is true there is nothing wrong with just looking.  She can't resist, though.  It begins with a

teeny-tiny piece

of tape. 

Faster than lickety-split, the child, a lamp, and the stapler look like mummies. Connected paper clips and binder clips swirl around the room like gusts of air on a windy day.  There might be a few wrapped around the child. (Insert uncontrolled laughter here.)

You know those stacks of notepads in multiple colors?  You would be surprised what you can create with them . . . everywhere!  The father's office is an explosion of office supplies until it dawns on the child, they have crossed a boundary.  Hurrying to the safety of their room, another shock awaits them and readers.  Highly animated illustrations pair perfectly with the deliberate and spare text to bring us the ultimate comedy.

WRITE

The Story of a Story (Neal Porter Books, Holiday House, November 9, 2021) written by Deborah Hopkinson with pictures by Hadley Hooper

At the publisher's website are downloadable activity sheets.  At Penguin Random House, you can view the title page. 

This is the story of a story.

A child, walking outside on a wintery day, arrives with their dog at a cozy house.  They are armed with supplies for writing, pencils, an eraser, a pencil sharpener and a snack

(a healthy one).

They also bring their physical and mental qualities to the writing table (which is placed in front of a large window to the outside world).

There is a lot of staring and a bit of snack nibbling.  Marks appear on the papers, but they are not a story.  The urge to give up is strong.  

They love the stories of others, but it is not their own.  Another snack break leads to looking out the window, and there it is.  From a chickadee comes the wisdom needed for a story.  Simple, profound text elevated by

pen, ink, and pencil images finished in Photoshop

is guaranteed to have you never looking at a chickadee or a blank piece of paper quite the same way again.

AFFIRMATION

Loving Kindness (Godwin Books, Henry Holt And Company, November 16, 2021) written by Deborah Underwood with illustrations by Tim Hopgood

At the publisher's website, you can view interior illustrations.  There are also pictures from this book at the website of Tim Hopgood.

You are a blessing.

You are beautiful just as you are.

You are loved and you love.

Nine affirmative statements begin this uplifting book.  They read like an affectionate mantra.  The final words refer to our connection to the earth and its connection to all of us.

These distinctive declarations are repeated three more times, identical in every way except for one.  The first time they are repeated the word she is substituted for you.  It is followed by they and then, everyone.  Each time a larger number of individuals are enlivened by the words.  The stylized artwork of Tim Hopgood made with

pencil, charcoal, wax crayon, chalk, ink, paper cutouts, and Photoshop 

is vibrant and colorful, reaching out from the pages just as the words do.  Both wrap readers in

loving kindness.  The book case is stunning.

CARE

Amos McGee Misses the Bus (Roaring Brook Press, November 23, 2021) written by Philip C. Stead with illustrations by Erin E. Stead

At the publisher's website are multiple interior illustrations to view.  Philip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead are interviewed on NPR Weekend Edition Saturday, Special Series, Picture This about their work and Amos McGee.  Philip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead speak with Dan Skinner on Kansas Public Radio about this book.  There is The Stead Collection website.

AMOS MCGEE WAS TOO EXCITED TO SLEEP.  All night long he lay

awake on his pillow, planning an outing for his friends.

Amos did get up when his alarm rang.  He did get dressed.  He put a kettle on the stove, but forgot to light it.  As he waited at the table for the water to boil, he fell asleep.

When he woke up, he knew he was late.  He rushed, but he missed the number five bus.  His best-laid plans were out the proverbial window.  

As he went about his chores at the zoo, Amos apologized to his animal friends.  He did notice the tortoise seemed to be missing.  Resting for a bit, Amos fell asleep again.  It was then we noticed how his friends cared for Amos as much as he cared for them.  And the outing he had planned, happened even better than expected.

Readers will be looking at every page turn for the mouse and yellow bird and all the delicate, intricate details in the artwork 

handmade using woodblock printing and pencil.  

There are several wordless pages and a two-page gatefold.  The placement of the text, narrative and dialogue, is done with excellence.

WISDOM

African Proverbs For All Ages (Roaring Brook Press, November 30, 2021) written by Johnnetta Betsch Cole and Nelda LaTeef with illustrations by Nelda LaTeef

Multiple interior images are available for viewing at the publisher's website.  Both Johnnetta Betsch Cole and Nelda LaTeef are interviewed by librarian, author, reviewer, and blogger Elizabeth Bird at School Library Journal, A Fuse #8 Production.

Prologue

It has been said that a proverb is a short sentence based on long experience.

Whether you are young or old, proverbs can open your mind to a whole new way of seeing the world.

Taken from the cultures of Africa, this book presents four proverbs for each of sixteen double-page illustrations.  It is the belief of the authors and illustrator these four choices will encourage conversations and debate among readers.  They are certain to have each reader pausing and wondering which of the four inspired the picture.

At the close of the book, three pages are dedicated to the proverbs.  Thumbnails are shown for each of the illustrations with the four proverbs.  The proverb which inspired the artwork is shown in bold print.  When it is known, the country of origin for the proverb is stated.  Stunning artwork in various perspectives accompany words which will resonate long after the covers are closed.  This is a book to visit repeatedly for its vision of African cultures and its wisdom.

(In thinking about this title more, I realize I could/should have placed it in the upcoming nonfiction post.)

COMPASSION

Group Hug (Godwin Books, Henry Holt and Company, December 14, 2021) written by Jean Reidy with illustrations by Joey Chou

There are several double-page interior images to view at the publisher's website.  Author Jean Reidy joins author Jill Esbaum at Picture Book Builders for an interview about this title.

There once was a slug,

needing someone to hug.

SHRUG.

Before long, there was a lonely bug.  That bug got a hug from Slug.  Now, there were two creatures willing to hug.

They met a mouse who had more downs than ups, a stinky skunk, a squirrel who smelled of skunk, a beaver needing a break, and a too-prickly porcupine.  Each time a group hug was given.  The group hugs got bigger and bigger as four more animals joined the crew.  When Bear came into view, everybody ran except for Slug.

Slug knew what to do for Bear.  So did everyone else.  The upbeat rhythm flows from page to page as the rhyming words ring out kindness regardless of the recipient's state of mind, odor, or physical characteristics.  The images bring us close to the heartfelt hugging with their cheerful colors and scenes.  (The interior of the dust jacket is a poster of the final image.)

STRENGTH

We Shall Overcome (Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., December 28, 2021) illustrated by Bryan Collier

There are stunning two-page images to view at the publisher's website.  Bryan Collier is the guest author at Scholastic's blog, On Our Minds.  There he speaks about his pictorial interpretation of the words to this anthem.  At librarian, lecturer at Rutgers, and writer John Schumacher's site, Watch. Connect. Read., he chats with Bryan Collier for the book's cover reveal.

We shall overcome, we shall overcome, we shall overcome someday.

As each line spreads across two pages, the artwork of Bryan Collier depicts two worlds.  We view those two worlds by following a young African American girl, dressed in yellow, as she walks to and from school.  The two worlds are the past and the present.

They represent significant moments from the past in black and white with color superimposed from the present.  It is a breathtaking collage of accomplishments and work still necessary.  At the close of the book are discussions about We Shall Overcome History, Historical Moments, Did You Notice The Church On Pages 12 And 13?, Did You Notice The Bus On Pages 14 And 15?, Did You Notice The School On Pages 20 And 21?, Did You Notice The Black Lives Matter Mural on Pages 32 And 33? and an Illustrator's Note. 

CHARITY

What Is Love? (Chronicle Books, December 28, 2021) written by Mac Barnett with illustrations by Carson Ellis

At the publisher's website, you can view several interior illustrations.  At librarian, lecturer at Rutgers, and writer, John Schumacher's site, Watch. Connect. Read., is the cover reveal.  In this post, John talks with both Mac and Carson about their book. (I dare you not to laugh at the end.)

When I was a boy,

in the garden out front

of the house where we lived,

I asked my grandmother,

"What is love?"

My grandma was old.

I thought she would know.

Everything about this book, the dust jacket, the book case, the opening and closing endpapers, the title page, the two-page images and single page images, and every word, was done with loving intention.  After the boy asks his grandmother the question, she replies she cannot answer it.  She suggests he go out into the world to seek an answer.

Each individual the boy encounters gives him a different answer.  They explain why their definition is correct.  The boy is puzzled and voices this confusion.  And they all reply

"You do not understand."

As time passes and the boy gets older, he returns home to his grandmother.  In that moment of being outside this home, savoring it with his senses, he answers his own question.  The final page with a scene in the garden, the young man and his grandmother together as darkness settles around them, and three short sentences is certain to make readers cry . . . with understanding.

Happy New Year 2022---One Little Word

Three years ago, in 2019, I began my One Little Word posts.  The One Little Word concept was conceived by Ali Edwards in 2006.  Numerous people select a single word at the beginning of the new year.  This word becomes their focus for the coming year.  Whatever their choice is, this word partners with them throughout the year.

This year, 2022, is no different than the three previous years.  I find myself with books I've read, but not featured on this blog.  Prior to the start of hosting 2022 books on this site, I wish to honor some 2021 books.

I started with fifty-five fiction picture books.  I can usually cut the number to ten books for two blog posts, but this year was much harder.  I have selected twenty-eight books.  I have read and reread these titles, knowing the commitment of their authors and illustrators.  I recognize how these authors and illustrators work and rework their words and art to convey something special to readers.   I think how these books have enriched my life and the lives of other readers especially in a year filled with ups and downs for everyone.  These books, through their marvelous authors and illustrators, give us strength and hope.  For that we are grateful.

As in the past,

for each of these books, to be divided over two posts, I have given them One Little Word.  Links to author, illustrator, and publisher websites (or social media accounts) are included.  Passages from the books are shown.  Short summaries, observations, are given.  The books are listed in order of release date, earliest first. 

If I were choosing a word for this year it would be miracle.  I will be looking for them, small or large, however defined, every day.  Here is the hope miracles find their way into your days for 2022.  

INVENTIVE

The Thingity-Jig (Peachtree Publishing Company Inc.,April 1, 2021) written by Kathleen Doherty with illustrations by Kristyna Litten

At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  There is a teacher's guide and an author Q & A.

One night under the light of a silvery

moon, all of Bear's friends were deep

asleep.

With no desire to sleep, Bear sets out looking for an opportunity to play.  His explorations reveal a Thingity-Jig (an abandoned sofa).  It is much too large for him to move.

No amount of pleading induces his friends to give up their rest, so he returns to the site of his discovery and creates a Rolly-Rumpity.  Each time Bear asks for help, his friends' lack of assistance gets his mind working and he invents a quirky, ingenious mechanism to help him.  At home, at daybreak, his friends change their tune, until Bear shouts out his frustration and promptly falls asleep.

The use of repetition, alliteration, action verbs, and sound effects will have readers joining and enjoying Bear's endeavors.  Highly animated, full-color illustrations complement the text.  The opening and closing endpapers offer readers a contrast between the beginning and marvelous end of the story.  

BIRTH

I Sang You Down From The Moon (Little, Brown And Company, April 6, 2021) written by Tasha Spillett-Summer with illustrations by Michaela Goade

There is an interview with illustrator Michaela Goade about this book on NPR Weekend Edition Sunday.  There is an author's note and an illustrator's note at the conclusion of the book offering explanations of the traditions of Indigenous peoples.  Here is a link to the launch event on May 27, 2021.

I loved you before I met you

Before I held you in my arms,

I sang you down from the stars.

A mother gathers sacred objects from the Earth and makes an additional item to place in a bundle which will belong to her unborn child.  Each object represents the precious connections the child will make with the Earth, her family, and community.  After the child is born, readers are told the child is a sacred bundle, too.  

The lyrical words of the author read like a poetic lullaby, to be read before and after a child is born.  The opening words are spoken again to complete the circle of gathering and giving.  The pictures fashioned by the illustrator are luminescent.  They employ the swoosh element developed by the artist.

The swoosh helps us visualize the connections to land, culture, family, and identity.

POTENTIAL

Even the smallest will grow (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, April 20, 2021) written and illustrated by Lita Judge

At the publisher's website, you can view interior images.  Author Jill Esbaum chats with Lita Judge at Picture Book Builders about this book, her other work, and her creativity.

Tucked beneath a blanket of leaves,

the acorn sleeps until its roots are ready to reach

deep into the earth,

and it begins to grow. . .

just as you,

stretching your toes under warm sheets

and resting your head on a dream-filled pillow,

will grow.

In a reassuring voice, the narrator advises the little girl to have patience.  She is shown how even the smallest, like a tadpole, grows to leap heights.  Comparisons demonstrate her possible choices.

Or will you be a poet

like the seashell that grows in spirals

until his depths hold a secret song?

She is reminded she, like all things in nature, can be anything she desires.  Lush pencil, watercolor and digital illustrations take readers on a journey of imagining as the child dreams.  Her cat is her constant companion.

KIND

Run, Little Chaski!: An Inka Trail Adventure (Barefoot Books, May 1, 2021) written by Mariana Llanos with illustrations by Mariana Ruiz Johnson

The four final pages of the book contain a glossary of Quechua words, information about the Inka, chaskis, khipus, the Inka empire, using Inka or Inca, The Inka Trail, and a few of the animals of South America mentioned in this story.  At the author's website, there is a special post describing twelve more facts about this title.  At the publisher's website you can view interior pictures. There is an interview with the author at Latinxs in Kid Lit.

Little Chaski wakes up before Tayta Inti shines

in the sky.  Little Chaski's stomach twists.  It is his

first day delivering royal messages.  Will he be a 

good messenger?

Brave Chaski, Big Chaski, and Wise Chaski remind him to be strong, swift, and sharp.  Little Chaski is given a message from the Queen to be delivered to the King before the sun sets behind the mountains.  Despite his speed he encounters a chinchilla, an allqu, and a condor.  Each of these events, each time he stops to help the animals, steers him off course.

Dialogue, sound effects and the repetition of a key phrase speed the action as quickly as Little Chaski runs.  Bright, bold, and lively illustrations enhance the text as they feature traditional and historical elements.  Readers will be cheering for Little Chaski as they find themselves participating in the story.

IMMERSE

Have You Ever Seen A Flower? (Chronicle Books, May 4, 2021)written and illustrated by Shawn Harris (his authorial debut)

At the publisher's website, you can see interior illustrations.  At author, reviewer, and blogger Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, she gives her insights on this title as well as shares other interior pages.

Have you ever seen a flower?

I mean really . . .

seen a flower?

Leaving the city, a girl and her terrior friend find a field of flowers stretching as far as the eye can see.  They explore every inch of what seeing a flower has to offer.  The girl inhales the scent of the flower to see.

She looks inside the depths of a flower, studying every nook and cranny.  She touches the flower.  She IS the flower!  Pencil and colored pencil images in vibrant pastels literally leap off the pages to surround you in this narrative.

FAMILY

When Lola Visits (Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, May 18, 2021) written by Michelle Sterling with art by Aaron Asis

At the publisher's website, there are interior images, including the radiant endpapers indicating a shift in the seasons, to enjoy.  At author, reviewer, and blogger Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, you can view more images as well as read her thoughts about this book.  At librarian, lecturer at Rutgers, and writer John Schumacher's Watch. Connect. Read., you can savor a chat between the author and John.  The book trailer is here, also.  The author is interviewed about this title at the Asian Journal.

How do I know summer is here?

Summer smells like stone fruit ripening on the kitchen counter

and jasmine on the bloom everywhere in the neighborhood.

So begins a story rich in the culture of the Philippine people and their families living in the United States.  For this girl, summer is full of smells, sensations deeply embedded in her memories.  Summer truly begins and ends with a visit from her grandmother who travels from the Philippines.  

Food, traditional dishes, binds the past to the present.  In turn, the girl takes her grandmother to those spaces important to her in the summer like the pool, tennis court, the beach, and Fourth of July fireworks.  Remarkable imagery made with highly descriptive words and delicate sensory illustrations will have readers recalling their own summers and wishing for its return.

NURTURE

Lala's Words (Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., July 6, 2021) written and illustrated by Gracey Zhang

Gracey Zhang is interviewed at We Need Diverse Books about her author illustrator title, Lala's Words.  Gracey Zhang is featured at Let's Talk Picture Books in a discussion with Mel Schuit.  Gracey Zhang is a guest at Watch. Connect. Read. hosted by librarian, lecturer at Rutgers, and writer, John Schumacher.  They chat about both her story and her art.

Hot, hot, hot.

The sidewalks steamed and the sun hung heavy in the sky.

Everyone was still.

Lala was not.

Lala was on the move.  She was always on the move, despite her mother's admonishments.  Her favorite place to visit was a vacant lot filled with weeds.  She gently spoke to them.

Each day she watered them, encouraging them with her words.  For every rebuke of her mother's, Lala responded with kindness to her plants.  One day, her mother refused to let her leave the house.  From afar Lala spoke to her friends, all day and at night.  How did they reply?  The neighborhood was never the same.  Neither were Lala and her mother.  A limited color palette makes for stunning images.

 

Lala's Words: A Story of Planting Kindness by Gracey Zhang from Let's Talk Picture Books on Vimeo.

HEAR

Listen (A Paula Wiseman Book, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, July 13, 2021) written by Gabi Snyder with illustrations by Stephanie Graegin

At the publisher's website, you can view interior images, including the dust jacket in its entirety.  There is a curriculum guide for this book and a guide about using books dealing with feelings and emotions in the classroom.

When you step out into the big, wild world

sometimes all you hear is . . .

NOISE!

The child is asked to pause and separate the noise into separate sounds.  As she hears those individual sounds, she is asked to listen.  More sounds come to her from her neighborhood.  Again, she listens.

As she walks, each sound signifies all the individuals and their activities.  What do they mean?  What do they convey?  Even in quiet, at home and at night, there are soft sounds like the words in your mind.  Readers will have fun looking at the illustrations which mirror all the sounds blended together to make noise.  Careful readers will note special details, especially in the child's classroom.

WORDPLAY

Poultrygeist (Candlewick Press, August 17, 2021) written by Eric Geron with illustrations by Pete Oswald

Available at the publisher's website is a teacher's guide and notes from the author.  At Penguin Random House, you can see the first few pages of the narrative.

What happened?

What readers know, but the chicken does not, is in crossing the road to get to the other side (insert groan amid giggles), the chicken is hit by a big truck.  It is now on the 

OTHER SIDE.

Yes, that other side.

An assortment of five animals, also deceased, convince her of her current status as a poultrygeist.

To this chicken's dismay, the crew says she needs to be scary and mean.  She would rather be like Casper.  In fact, at one point after the scariness of the animals, she asks the readers if they are okay.  When she opens her mouth to object louder, the animals with a simultaneous scream suddenly head for the proverbial hills.  Perfect color selections and appropriately spooky artwork elevate excellent punny text toward the final hilarious wordless two-page picture.

FOOD

Let Me Fix You a Plate: A Tale of Two Kitchens (Neal Porter Books, Holiday House, September 7, 2021) written and illustrated by Elizabeth Lilly

At the publisher's website, there is an educator's guide and an event kit.  At Penguin Random House, there is a view of the fabulous opening endpapers.  At the author illustrator site are more interior images.  Author, reviewer, and blogger Julie Danielson's features this book at her Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  Many thanks to author Julie Falatko for bringing my attention to this book via a tweet.

Once a year, on a Friday night,

my family leaves the city

and drives for hours and hours . . .

. . . to a mountain in West Virginia.

Beginning in the mountains of West Virginia, the first person narrative describes their paternal grandparents, Mawmaw and Pawpaw, their kitchen, and the food prepared.  We are privy to the personalities of these grandparents through the descriptions of the surroundings inside and outside their home.  Three days later, another journey far to the south takes place.

Here, we are introduced to Abuela and Abuelo, the children's maternal grandparents, living in Florida.  Amid a large gathering of relatives, Spanish words swirling in the air, food is enjoyed and conversations abound.  Again, the inside and outside of the home is a reflection of the lifestyle of these grandparents.  Three days later, the parents and their three children head toward home, a home where two cultures are blended into one.  The writing paints vivid pictures of place and time as surely as the intricate and colorful images made with

pen-and-ink, colored pencil, and illustration markers.

DREAM

Hello, Star (Little, Brown and Company, September 21, 2021) written by Stephanie V. W. Lucianovic with art by Vashti Harrison

At the publisher's website, they have a three-page Teaching Tips guide. Author and librarian Elizabeth Bird interviews Stephanie V. W. Lucianovic about this title on her site, School Library Journal, A Fuse #8 Production.  Stephanie V. W. Lucianovic visits with librarian, lecturer at Rutgers, and writer John Schumacher about this title on his site, Watch. Connect. Read.

One winter night, a light shone in the dark sky, brighter

than any other star, brighter than any planet.

Far, far away, a girl who was young and new and bright

and strong was curious about the light.

After an explanation by her mother about the star, the little girl looked toward it

and whispered, "Hello,

Star.  I know you are scared, but you're not alone."

This quiet, gentle soul started a life-long learning about stars.  Library books were read to her and by her.  As a young adult, her college education revolved around the study of stars.  She finally decided she needed to get nearer to her star.

Her course of study and actions changed.  She was training for space travel.  She became an expert.  When her spacecraft took her to the Moon, she was now closer to her bright friend, a friend whose life was ending.  Never alone.  A poetic narrative is complemented by equally poetic art alluding to night skies, stars, space, and dreams coming true.

PERSPECTIVE

Time Is A Flower (Tundra Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada Young Readers, September 21, 2021) written and illustrated by Julie Morstad

At the publisher's website, you get a peek at the dedication and title pages.  At author, reviewer, and blogger Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast this title is showcased with multiple interior images.

Time is the tick tick tock

of the

clock

and

numbers and words

on a calendar.

White space and dark space are strong elements with a limited but intentional choice of hues in this volume dedicated to showing all the fantastic measures of time.  Time is a seed, a blooming blossom, and a wilted flower with a scatter of petals beneath a naked stem.  Can time be measured by how we grow compared to the growth of a tree?

Can a mountain become a pebble?  Somewhere time is night and someplace else time is daylight.  Time is light and shadow,   Why does time seem to stall and then move quickly?  As each relevant example is proposed, we see the fluidity of defining time until the final sentence is guaranteed to make every reader smile.

PERSPECTIVE #2

It Fell From The Sky (Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, September 28, 2021) written by illustrated by The Fan Brothers (Terry Fan and Eric Fan)

At the publisher's website, you can view multiple interior illustrations including the entire dust jacket.  They also have a set of activity pages.  At the brothers' website there are also interior images.  The brothers are interviewed about this book at School Library Journal, A Fuse #8 Production by Elizabeth Bird, author and librarian, We Need Diverse Books, and JeanBookNerd.  The cover was revealed at Publishers Weekly with an interview with the brothers.

It fell from the sky on a Thursday.

It lay among the flowers and weeds as a bee buzzed nearby, a ball of brightness in a gray-toned world created by 

graphite and colored digitally.

During the day, a gathering of insects ventured their opinions on what it was and from where it came.  At night, the Luna Moth believed it was a chrysalis imbued with magic.  The next morning a wily spider claimed the object to be his.  For some reason, the ball was now surrounded by his web.  Was it there before?

Riches were gained by Spider after the building of WonderVille around the ball.  Crowds attended the grand space until one day, it was empty.  And then, the unimaginable happened.  A five-legged creature removed the object.  There was only one thing left Spider could do.  

EMBRACE

A Hundred Thousand Welcomes (Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, October 12, 2021) written by Mary Lee Donovan with illustrations by Lian Cho

At the publisher's website, there is a ten-page classroom kit titled Picture This: Home and Community.  It includes this title along with three other books.  Author, reviewer, and blogger Julie Danielson interviews artist Lian Cho at her Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast about this title.  I am grateful to her for introducing me to this book through that post.  At the end of the book is an author's note, an artist's note, and a pronunciation note.  There are selected sources and a list of books for further reading.

Welcome, friend.

Welcome.

Dear neighbor, come in.

On the opening pages, author Mary Leen Donovan explains the narrative is written as a poem.  Within this poem are many translations of the English word welcome.  Pronunciations are woven into the illustrations.  She further notes in the introduction:

The call to welcome the stranger and to offer peace and refuge---aman---to those in danger is deeply rooted in ancient traditions and in all major religions.

In the beautiful depictions by the artist, the words of the author are presented in realistic portraits of situations and events encountered by many.  Shelter is given in a storm and bread is offered.  Greetings are exchanged in cultures around the world.  There is acceptance and honor and light.  People believe their home is to be open to others who need a home.  People value the stories of others as much as their own.  A splendid four-page gatefold highlights the conclusion.

Links to previous One Little Words Posts are 2019, 2020, 2020 #2, 2021, and 2021 #2.  These are for fiction picture books.