Winging It

To leave that which provides comfort requires a certain kind of bravery and, sometimes, an unintended impetus.  An unplanned incident might place us in a position not of our choosing.  We are faced with choices for which we have no experience.  We are completely unprepared.  This is a frightening feeling.

To alleviate this fear, our first thought is to return to comfort as soon as possible.  In fly! (Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, September 17, 2019) conceived and illustrated by Mark Teague a fledgling is faced with an undesirable dilemma.  Its challenge appears insurmountable.

In this wordless tale a baby bird with a ceaseless need for worms finds itself in an unfortunate situation.  As the day begins, its parent serves up worm after worm.  Tiring of the child's demands the parent makes one of their own.  It wants the bird to come out of the nest, to the branch and be fed the next worm there.

In a fit of frustration and wanting only the next worm, the fledgling furiously leaps out of the nest and tumbles to the ground.  YIKES!  The parent flies down to asses any harm, and then tells the baby bird to fly back to the nest.

This is not at all what the child wants to do.  The baby bird suggests hopping on its parent's back for a ride back to the nest.  To the parent, this is ridiculous.  All kinds of birds fly.  The baby bird proposes a hot air balloon, a hand glider, itself as a superhero or an airplane pilot.  This infuriates the parent.

In an effort to reason with its baby, the parent mentions a journey to be taken toward a southern region in autumn.  The responses from the fledgling are numerous modes of transportation; none of which are flying with its wings.  The baby bird is now laughing uncontrollably.

As nightfall arrives, in a final tactic, the parent describes three more scenarios.  Then the parent does the unthinkable.  As you might expect, the baby bird acts accordingly.  The result is as surprising as it was in the morning.  Sweet dreams.


The baby bird balanced on the edge of the nest on the front of the matching dust jacket and book case has no intention of flying.  It's much too far from the nest to the ground for flying.  The only thing on its mind is worms.  To the left, on the back, on a canvas of white, the baby bird is explaining to its frustrated parent why flying is not an option. The text on the front is varnished.  The image on the back is varnished.

On a sky-blue background on the opening endpapers are five rows of nests.  The baby bird is in or on the nest in a variety of positions.  On the closing endpapers, a similar background is used.  The baby bird is blissfully happy in several different poses after resolving its problem.  On the title page the title is much larger than on the jacket and case.  Beneath it is Mark Teague's name above the nest.  In the nest, the egg has just opened.

Rendered in acrylics by Mark Teague, the illustrations in this title speak the proverbial thousand words every time.  To begin, two full-page pictures set the stage for the hunger of the baby bird and the constant presentation of a worm by the parent.  The first double-page picture introduces the use of speech bubbles, all pictorial.  These conversations begin the conflict between the parent and child and the ultimate quandary for the baby bird.

The use of single-page images, two-page visuals and two double-page vertical displays are brilliant in providing splendid pacing with every page turn.  Mark Teague also places a smaller image on a larger double-page picture.  Sometimes the borders of his pictorial speech bubbles go off a page.  The facial expression on the baby bird and parent elevate the hilarity to laugh-out-loud funny.  We are also privy to masterful use of perspective.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture.  On a crisp, white background a swirl of blue like a pathway begins in the upper, left-hand side and winds up and down to the upper, right hand side.  The baby bird is positioned on three points on this path.  In its pictorial balloons of speech, it is hurtling off a sky jump, flying like a super bird and piloting a single-seat airplane.  With each revelation it shouts and snickers harder.  In the lower, right-hand corner is the parent bird looking right at readers.  Its mouth is turned down.  Its wings are hugged to its sides.  Squiggles of steam rise from its head.  This contrast is the comedy.


Regardless of the number of times you read fly! written (conceived) and illustrated by Mark Teague, you'll find yourself laughing.  This book will appeal to readers of all ages because of the humor and how many can connect to the reality being depicted.  I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal bookshelves.

At the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature there is an entry for Mark Teague.  This is a video from NCCIL 2016.




There is a Q & A with Mark Teague at Publishers Weekly by Sara Grochowski dated July 13, 2017.  At the publisher's website you can view multiple interior images.  They have a link to a three-page guide about sharing wordless picture books with young readers.  They also have a video with instructions in making Your Own Fly! Bird.

Facing Frightful

Whether you are gathered in a classroom, a library, around a campfire, or wrapped in sleeping bags or blankets for a sleepover, one of the most memorable and satisfying activities is storytelling.  Most will agree scary stories, those tales crammed with creepiness, the unexpected and bone-chilling probabilities, are the most requested.  Listeners (and tellers) can venture into circumstances too terrifying to experience themselves and are brought back to safety at the story's end.  With each scary story heard (or told), courage grows.

The most frightening stories are those steeped in reality.  Scary Stories for Young Foxes (Henry Holt and Company, July 30, 2019) written by Christian McKay Heidicker with art by Junyi Wu recounts the horrors of truth with stunning authenticity.  Readers will alternately be riveted or unnerved by the words they read.

THE HAUNTED SEASON had arrived in the Antler Wood.
The sky grayed, the leaves blushed red, and mist
coiled through the trees like something alive.  Even
the pumpkins began to rot and show their true
faces. 

Seven kits are begging their mother for a scary story.  Each of her suggestions is met with a groan.  Nothing is scary enough.  As she settles in for the night, she warns them not to go to Bog Cavern.  An old storyteller lives there.  The tales she tells are too grim to be repeated.

The seven, of course, leave the safety of their den after their mother falls asleep, making their way through the darkening woods to Bog Cavern.  At first the storyteller, an ancient fox, says they are too young for these tales. She warns them of scary stories having two sides, light and dark.  One can guide you and the other can consume you.  There are eight stories to tell.  How many of the kits will be brave enough to remain to hear the final tale?

The seven listening kits are first introduced to Mia, her mother, her four siblings and their teacher Miss Vix.  A fatal turn of events has Mia and her mother running for their lives out of Eavey Wood, pursued by those who wish to devour them.  In the pause before the next tale begins, questions are asked and the shadowy voice from the dark entrance cautions them to be patient.

Six listening young foxes meet Uly, a young male kit with a deformed front paw.  He lives in Boulder Fields with six cruel sisters and a caring mother.  Uly is unable to care for himself without his mother's assistance. An unexpected visitor named Mr. Scratch forces Uly to make choices he would rather not make.  There are now five kits, listening intently.

In the next tale Mia and her mother suffer hideous, skin-crawling, encounters with a human guaranteed to leave readers stunned and wondering if they will ever read certain classic books again.  We are not even sure Mia is alive before four kits are leaning in to hear about Uly, at the edge of a foreboding forest trying to find food.  In seeking something to eat, Uly comes upon something he has never seen.  Fortunately, he saves Mia from certain death.

In the final four stories Mia and Uly truly struggle to stay alive, suffering the stuff of nightmares for foxes (and humans).  At times the evil and forces of nature are truly overwhelming, but the needs of others are a powerful motivator.  Soon there are three little foxes, then two and finally as the night moves toward dawn, only the youngest remains listening to the storyteller.  She, like readers, is torn between abject, gasping fear and the absorbing need to know what happens to Mia and Uly.  We like the young foxes and finally, the youngest, are told not all kits survive.  Is the end of a tale really the end?


First you have to know, there is hardly a second for you to recover from one harrowing incident to the next.  Thankfully, author Christian McKay Heidicker has two to six pages between the tales for conversations between the listening kits and the storyteller.  These do serve to provide momentary relief but also heighten the anxiety before the next portion begins.  In these pauses the atmosphere, the setting at Bog Cavern, is continually enhanced for readers.

Without a doubt, readers will enter the world of Mia and Uly completely.  The settings and circumstances in which they find themselves are depicted vividly.  We are emotionally tied to every experience.  Here are some of the earlier passages I marked.  (After this, I could not stop reading for a single moment until I read the last word.)

Yes, it may have been wise for fox kits to stay close to the den once the leaves began to fall.  But the fog and the frost and the old crimson moon had stirred something in their whiskers.

"But," the storyteller said, "if you don't listen closely . . . if you turn tail from the horror and don't stay till the end, then the darkness of the story can swallow all hope.  It can frighten you so deeply you'll never want to leave your den again. . . ."

Her mom slipped through the wind-woven vines, and Mia followed, nosing through the tangle until the leaves came to an abrupt end and the world opened like a gasp.  The sky beamed upon an emerald meadow.  A soft wind blew pale stripes across the grass, sweeping as far as Mia's eyes could see.


Scary Stories for Young Foxes written by Christian McKay Heidicker with art by Junyi Wu elevates the meaning of scary story to a whole new level.  With a striking use of language complemented by black and white drawings, readers will be too spooked to stop reading.  At the beginning of each tale is a full-page image relative to the story and a single smaller illustration is placed within each tale.  One stunning design tecnique is when we are in the present rather than the tales, the pages turn black with white text and small sticks act as framing.  You'll want to have this title for your personal and professional collections but beware . . .truthfully, beware.  (This post is written using an advanced reader's edition.)

To discover more about Christian McKay Heidicker and Junyi Wu and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Christian McKay Heidicker maintains accounts on Facebook and Twitter.  I think you be appropriately chilled by the book trailer as seen at Romper.  You can read an excerpt from this title at the publisher's website.

One Puppy, Two Puppies, Three Puppies, Four

When you put a puppy in a room full of children regardless of their ages, it's an instant lovefest.  Most of the children, if not all of them, want to touch the furry bundle of energy.  And the puppy wants to give every single one of them a big, sloppy hello kiss.

As the puppy bounds around the room from person to person, an observer will see their nose in constant motion, taking in all the various smells.  It's the ultimate way in which they solve their curiosity.  Pippa & Percival Pancake & Poppy: Four Peppy Puppies (Sleeping Bear Press, March 15, 2018) written by Deborah Diesen with illustrations by Grace Zong is the joyful journey of playful puppies. 

A puppy named Poppy
Went out for a run,
Tumbling, rumbling,
Looking for fun.

Stopping at a fence she heard

a big sound.

Nothing was going to stop this pooch, so she dug a hole to investigate.  She found another puppy.  Pancake and Poppy scampered and explored until they came to a large stump.  Guess what they heard?

When they climbed on top, they spied another furry fellow on the other side.  Percival, Pancake and Poppy romped down the road until they came to a big pile of leaves.  They listened.  They had to find out what was causing the commotion.  It was a cute canine youngster.

Puppies numbering four, Pippa, Percival, Pancake and Poppy, wandered and searched until they came to unfamiliar territory.  It was dark and dingy in the alley.  It was a dead end.

A horrible sight met their eyes.  Puppies numbering four ran and ran and ran.  They used their superior sniffers to find what all puppies want at the end of an exciting escapade. 


Toe-tapping, finger-snapping and knee-slapping will begin as soon as the first four words written by Deborah Diesen are read.  Her superb command of word selection creates a rhyming rhythm as spirited and comical as the puppies.  The repetition of key phrases and pauses invite audience participation.  Here are two passages.

Pancake and Poppy
Paraded along.
Gleeful and playful,
Their puppy legs strong.

They came to a stump.
They heard a big sound.
They clambered up over,
And that's when they found . . . 


No one will be able to look at the four puppies happily running down the road without smiling.  Their exhibited joy is contagious.  The road extends over the spine on the matching dust jacket and book case revealing a grove of trees turning colors for autumn and lining a fence.  In the foreground two late blooming coneflowers add to the fall splendor. 

Vibrant colors are displayed at every page turn.  Not a single bit of space is wasted.  One bright green endpaper is opposite the title page featuring the puppies still running down the road in single file.  Butterflies are following them.  Percival has a flower in his mouth now.  At the close of the book the endpapers feature a full two page image with the publication information on the left.

All of the illustrations span two pages or are placed on a single page opposite a white page with two words of text.  Grace Zong shifts her perspective to enhance the text. It's the looks on the dog's faces and their body postures which will endear readers to the four pups.  They are very expressive and simply adorable.

One of my many favorite pictures is when the fourth pup, Pippa is discovered.  Four tree trunks are lined up in the background.  A colorful pile of leaves nearly spans the single page.  The three other dogs with heads raised are looking at Pippa who popped out of the pile of leaves.  All their mouths are open in greeting.  Pippa looks overjoyed.


If you are looking for a title guaranteed to delight the story time crowd (and anyone else young at heart) or a fantastic book to close the day at bedtime, Pippa & Percival Pancake & Poppy:  Four Peppy Puppies written by Deborah Diesen and illustrated by Grace Zong is an excellent choice.  As reader's theater or for creative drama, it would be fun with a capital F.  I haven't stopped smiling since I opened the cover and neither will your readers.  You'll want a copy for your professional and personal book shelves.

To learn more about Deborah Diesen and her other work, please visit her website by following the link attached to her name.  Here is a link to Deborah Diesen's blog, Jumping The Candlestick.  Deborah is interviewed at HENRYHERZ.COM.  Grace Zong is showcased at Studio Goodwin Sturges.  At the publisher's website you can read an excerpt.  

You Don't Look Like A...

Before the first word is read at story time, the guys and gals are asked to stand, hold hands and make a circle.  Then those words they love are uttered, let's pretend.  You are a baby elephant wanting to get your mother's attention; put your hands together forming a trunk and trumpet.  You are a puppy outside for the final time that day with your human; raise your nose to the moon and howl.  You are a duckling who just can't keep up; waddle and quack to tell your siblings to slow down.  You are a kitten trying to catch a dragonfly; you move with caution, pounce and swipe with your paws.

If you've ever watched newborn and young animals, they mimic their parents instinctively knowing this will increase their chances of survival.  They are constantly being coached to sharpen these skills.   What if they like the children pretended to be other than themselves?  Those two darling characters first introduced to readers in Hey, Duck! (Random House, January 22, 2013) written and illustrated by Carin Bramsen have returned in a companion title, Just a Duck? (Random House, January 27, 2015).  

My good friend Duck!
Why slink like that?

Well, can't you see? I am a cat.

Cat brings to Duck's attention his lack of similar physical characteristics.  Ever the optimist Duck says he will look like Cat once he grows up.  His ears are simply tiny but Cat sees no ears whatsoever.

Noticing Duck's crestfallen look Cat decides to agree with Duck.  With a whoop of joy, Duck joins Cat in a favorite pastime.  Tree climbing proves to be a bit of a challenge though.  Like a true friend Cat again suggests Duck needs time for claws to grow.

When Duck suggests they try to play canoe on the lake, Cat's eyes widen.  Another idea seems much better; run, jump and catch a leaf.  Oh! No!   A last leap off the end of the dock results in a resounding splash.  Water and cats don't go together.

Concern for a cherished companion has Duck splashing into the pond regardless of a cat's dislike of all things wet.  With a death grip on a nearby floating log, Cat looks wild and wide-eyed at the little duck.  Dry land is definitely a desired destination.  Heroic efforts and a little rock 'n' roll make for a wonderful watery outcome.


This story starts, as did the first title, with the slinking of cats.  Rather than wanting Cat to be a duck, Duck now thinks and acts like a cat.  This ties neatly to the last word of Hey, Duck!, MEOW!  Lilting, rhyming sentences by Carin Bramsen wrap readers in the warmth of Duck and Cat's friendship. Their conversations reveal a strengthening in their relationship; a give-and-take banter.  Here is a sample passage.

Oh, dear! This
really is a shame.
I think I'm off my
climbing game.

Now, now. We climb with
claws, you know.
Your claws might need some
time to grow.
On, yes, I think they're still
too small... 


Unfolding the dust jacket, we are treated to an illustration spanning both pages of the weathered boards of the rustic, rich red barn as a background for Cat and Duck.  Added details of the forget-me-nots, poppies, pansies and sunflowers along with the battered green bucket with garden tools provide readers with more information about the home of the two pals.  Carin Bramsen's meticulous details add texture to this and all the pictures throughout, inviting you to touch each one.  Downy yellow duckling feathers cover the opening and closing endpapers. Splashing water is the backdrop for the verso.  On the title page, as on the front dust jacket, Duck's wings are uplifted; he's looking at them wondering if they are paws.

Bramsen shifts the image sizes to enhance the cadence of her story; two page spreads, smaller illustrations on a single page, a single page visual or a single image like a cutout surrounded by white space.  For the sequence of Duck trying to climb a tree and Duck and Cat in the lake there are eight wordless squares on two pages.   Facial features of each character are so expressive no words are necessary.

Every single image exudes enchanting appeal but one of my favorites is the first one in the book.  Duck is bent over raising his tiny legs to replicate the smooth movements of a cat.  Close behind in the grass is Cat.  As usual they are engaged in a chat.  In the distance we can see the barns, brilliant blue sky and rolling green hills.


Just a Duck? written and illustrated by Carin Bramsen continues to explore the themes of personal identity and friendship through a story brimming with charm in text and illustrations.  You keep hoping the characters will walk right off the pages into your presence.  So lovable are Duck and Cat, this book will be read and read again preferably with distinctive voices.

To explore more about Carin Bramsen and her other books please visit her website by following the link embedded in her name.  At the publisher's website you get a sneak peak at more interior pages.  Here is an interview of Carin Bramsen at Frog On A Blog posted shortly after my review of her first book.

How Do They Know?

Any belief I may have harbored about comprehending any dog's, my dog's, keen sense of smell, hearing, sight and the innate ability to determine the needs of humans no longer exists.  Personal experience has taught me their skills at living life best far exceed mine now or in the future.  When you stop to consider their life span at its best is one-fifth (or one-sixth if we're lucky) of ours, their accomplishments are incredible.

How is it they are in a heartbeat able to discern friend or foe?  How is it they can sense a person's mood without a single conversational exchange? Kathi Appelt, Newbery Honor-winning author of The Underneath and illustrator Marc Rosenthal, I Must Have Bobo!, I'll Save You Bobo! and Bobo the Sailor Man!, combine their significant talents in a newly released title, Mogie: The Heart of the House (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division).  Prepare to be filled with pure joyful love.

Right smack in the heart of the Big City
is a very special house.

This house is home to many families offering them comfort in style and furnishings, a library filled with books, a very large kitchen, an inside tree house and a gigantic fireplace.  All the families, who call this place theirs, come with their children; children from every corner of the world.  Once a boy named Gage came there.  This boy who people said

"He's got mojo!

is too sick to do the things he loves, to do the things that make him who he is.

Like most homes, this very special house has rules.  One guideline, to be noted above all others and of importance to this story, is

No puppies!

With that being said, let's go to another remarkable house.  In this comfy residence there are not one but ten puppies. Some are meant to be service dogs.  Others are to be trained for Search-and-Rescue.  Four are destined to be paraded in shows.  One...and you know who I mean...Mogie is all play and no work.

This pup has a mind of his own.  You know what he does?  He walks into the

very special house right smack in the heart of the Big City.

Everything and everyone in that home means nothing to him but Gage.  It is like the two are tied together with unbreakable string.

Mogie tries all his doggie tricks to lift Gage's spirits but he realizes what Gage really needs.  The two can be seen sitting side by side looking outside the window.  For Gage's eyes only Mogie's antics one day stir memories of a healthy boy with mojo.  

You won't believe who gets better.  You won't believe who gets to stay at the very special house with the No puppies! rule.  You won't believe who still looks outside the window but is now tied with unbreakable string to sweet Antonia whose cha-cha-cha is missing.  I'm here to tell you to believe because all this is the truth.  You can bet your sweet paws on it.


The next best thing to being there is having Kathi Appelt tell the tale. Her word combinations are like hot chocolate with marshmallows, a cozy blanket on a cold night and snuggling with your favorite stuffed animal; soothing, smooth and comforting.  Expertly weaving a spell with her storyteller's gift she creates a sense of place and purpose in her characters.  Using language like a composer she fashions rhythmic melodies sometimes repeating a cadence to further bind readers to her story.  Here is a single excerpt.

Give Gage a tune and he'd make up silly rhymes for it.
Give Gage a windy day and he'd fly a kite. Give Gage a beach
and he'd build a sand castle that scraped the sky.


Upon opening the matching dust jacket and book case readers are greeted with Marc Rosenthal's uplifting, charming picture of Mogie in front of the very special house with sick children on either side of him.  The cooler colors in the background blend beautifully with the bright red of the title, Mogie's collar and the fuzzy warmth of Mogie's coat.  On the back readers are treated to a real life portrait of Mogie, spirited pooch living at the Ronald McDonald House Houston.  Opening and closing endpapers in shades of blue feature a pattern of miniature Mogie in various poses.

Rendered in pencil, charcoal and digitally the illustrations wrap around the text, enhance the narrative with single and double page pictures, and depict a range of emotions.  The selection of colors lends itself to a natural feel for each portrayal.  You want to reach out and touch them; they are full of life.

One of my favorite visuals is of Mogie dreaming, lying on his back, four paws in the air. (This is a sure sign of contentment.)  He sees himself running alongside a healthy Gage.  This particular page follows Gage lying in bed remembering himself as a boy who liked to throw balls, do back flips and build skyscraper sand castles.


If you want a heartwarming title based upon a true story, look no further than Mogie: The Heart of the House written by Kathi Appelt with illustrations by Marc Rosenthal.  Destined to be a favorite, Mogie and his role at the Ronald McDonald House Houston will be a story requested over and over as a read aloud anytime, anywhere. The last line of the book says it all.

Who wouldn't love a dog like that?

An author's note at the back explains how Kathi Appelt met Mogie and the book evolved.  Don't forget to follow the links to the author's and illustrator's websites by following those embedded in their names.  Here is a link to an article about Kathi Appelt and Mogie in the LaunchPad.  This link to the publisher's website contains four short video interviews with Kathi Appelt.

Don't Forget To...

It can't be done quickly.  It's best when done with intention.  When hiking in a forest of pines, wading in the shallows of the ocean or walking by potted spring flowers in a display, stop, close your eyes and inhale.  The results are marvelous and sensory.  When you exhale, it will probably be accompanied by a sigh.

As adults or children, we understand what this deliberate action may produce; infants need to learn.  All you have to do is watch a toddler smell a hyacinth for the first time to know this to be true; their facial expression and body language will tell the tale.  On April 1, 2014 Breathe (A Paula Wiseman Book, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers) written and illustrated by Scott Magoon was released into the wild.  Let's go to the arctic and see what we can see.

Breathe, little whale!

Riding on top of his mother, a whale is reminded to take air in and let it out.  His parent does not stop there.  Play as long as you can, as often as you can.

Practice what you do best; swim, again and again.  Most of all, the baby whale needs to breathe.  Diving, exploring, and making new friends have their place in his daily activities.

Pausing to listen, then joining in the chorus of sounds is warmly recommended.  Even if danger lurks nearby, do not be afraid.  There are other answers.  This giant of the ocean knows affection is to be given and received, dreams are supported, sleep follows the end of each day and most of all, it ends as it begins...

Breathe.

For a baby whale, navigating through his frozen world may seem simple (to us) but it's important.  Scott Magoon's spare text, one to seven words per illustration, is a reflection of these essential activities.  No word or words are wasted.  While the narrative is a mother whale speaking to her baby, the meaning will be easily understood by the youngest of human listeners and readers; a sense of security and peace is prevalent.

My first step is always to open the dust jacket, looking at the extent of the illustration.  Scott Magoon has chosen to extend this one flap edge to flap edge, including ice floes, a vast cool blue sky, flying puffins and a variety of fish schools swimming along with the white whale.  Beneath this the book case is an exact replica.  A pattern of the mother whale with her baby breathing covers the opening and closing endpapers.

A bird's eye view of the chilly region, water winding between ice with seven whales swimming just below the surface (one breathing) is so lovely you might have to remind yourself to breathe.  Magoon uses this to showcase the title page and verso.  Throughout this volume all the digitally rendered illustrations are spread across two pages.

Color palette and shading mirror the location above and below the ocean; a richness and texture is found in all of them.  Bubbles, swirls and easy, flowing lines enhance the movement of the whale and the fascination the water world brings to readers.  Creatures shown in the illustrations are native to the region; their eyes, like those of the whales, add to the lightheartedness of the pictures.

One of several favorite illustrations is for the words...

Listen to the sea.
Sing.

It is a vast undersea scene with the baby whale in the upper left-hand corner singing, sounds circling out and around him.  The shifting colors, hues of blue and purple, provide the background for another whale, a squid, other fish, a shark, two turtles and a narwhal.  Light from a sunny sky filters down through the water.


No matter your age, even on the most hectic of days, the reading of Breathe written and illustrated by Scott Magoon is guaranteed to fill you with serenity.  It is perfectly perfect for a group read aloud with younger students or to share as a one-on-one with someone special.  Use it to introduce a specific unit or just because the words, pictures, design and layout work seamlessly together.

Please be sure to access Scott Magoon's official website by following the link embedded in his name.  For more illustrations follow this link to the publisher's website. UPDATE (April 29, 2014) Please visit Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast hosted by Julie Danielson where Scott Magoon talks about his process for creating the artwork for this title.

Craving Cookies and A Super Surprise

You wait patiently as the butter softens on the counter along with the eggs warming to room temperature.  You watch as the flour, salt, and baking soda are combined together and set aside.  Your excitement increases as the butter is creamed together with two sugars and a teaspoon (plus a little more) of vanilla.  When the eggs are finally added, you know it's almost done.

Shifting from one foot to the other, you wonder why it takes so long to add the dry ingredients.  Then you hear the package being opened.  Quickly two cups, okay, maybe two and half cups of those delicious morsels are poured and stirred into the batter.  Teaspoon by teaspoon, shapes are placed on the cookie sheet, which is then slid into the warm oven.

The longest ten minutes ever in the history of time is finally completed.  As the door opens, the most intoxicating smell in the world wafts through the kitchen.  You gaze longingly from your mom to the cookies. A nod is given. You never forget the first time you taste one, as all the flavors melt in your mouth.  There is nothing quite so good as a home-baked chocolate chip cookie.

If you think the need for these delectable delights is relegated to only humans, think again.  Once any living being gets a whiff of their aroma, the need to eat them is irresistible.  Tea Party Rules (Viking, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.) written by Ame Dyckman (Boy + Bot) with illustrations by K. G. Campbell (Lester's Dreadful Sweaters) tells the tale of a cub who has caught cookie fever.


Cub was playing in the woods
when he smelled something delicious.
He followed his nose through the
bushes and found...

Wily woodland creature that he is, Cub has found a plate covered with cookies.  It seems he is not alone in this discovery either.  There is another bear sitting in a chair right next to those tempting treats.

Unlike Cub, this bear is of the stuffed variety.  So when Cub tries to engage the bear in conversation, he is met with silence.  In fact he falls off his seat when Cub touches him.

Cub now knows the cookies are all his.  As he is about to savor the first bite of one, he hears someone coming.  Uh, oh...

Cub does the only thing he can think to do.  He masquerades as the teddy.  Let's stop here a moment.  There's a lively, young bear taking the place of an inanimate toy?

A young girl is ready for her tea party to begin.  The table is set.  The cookies are on the plate.  She has brought the tea and a bouquet of fresh flowers.  When she carefully peers at her bear, he seems to be a tad dirty.  This will not do.  Readers are introduced to Tea Party Rule number one, cleanliness.

Cub has no choice as he is carried inside by the girl.  He tolerates a bath because he wants those cookies in the worst way.  He endures rules two and three because all he can think about is consuming those cookies.

Oblivious to the discomfort Cub is enduring, the prim and proper girl goes about  HER preparations according to HER rules.  Again outside the girl pipes up, voicing her fourth and final rule.  This is the proverbial straw that breaks this little guy's back.   Cub is, after all, a bear.  Girl responds as only she can, playing by the rules. GAME ON!


Ame Dyckman's passion for play in her storytelling makes its presence known by the time the first page is turned.  Techniques such as blending the narrative with Cub and the girl speaking their thoughts aloud, repetition of key phrases, pausing to complete sentences and word emphasis, all promote the feeling we readers are there watching this friendship, however improbable, form.  The atmosphere hums with anticipation.  Giggling and guffaws are a given.


With Cub and the girl eyeing one another, ready to grab the single cookie, framed in tiny birch branches, on the front jacket and cover and the question asked and answered on the back, readers can sense fun just around the corner.  Opening and closing endpapers have readers gazing through a birch forest, looking for nature's residents hidden among the trees.  On the title page, edge to edge, across both pages, we are still in the woods but now we see a mother bear sleeping with a cub, as another wakes up.

Rendered in sepia marker and colored pencils, K. G. Campbell's illustrations are spirited, brimming with humor and an enchanted extension of the story.  Each is set amid liberal amounts of white space; his artwork is so detailed, so delicate, it's like the white is gently holding each picture. The visuals in turn flow around and become one with the text.  The looks on the faces of Cub, the little girl and her cat will have readers roaring with laughter.  I adore both the two page spreads in the little girl's bedroom as she implements her rules.  When she's carrying Cub and her cat back outside to the tea party setting, I'm grinning, grinning big and wide.

Tea Party Rules written by Ame Dyckman with illustrations by K. G. Campbell, is one of the best tea parties you will ever have the pleasure of attending.  It's impossible not to fall in love with the characters.  Wouldn't it be fun to plan a tea party with your students having them bring in their stuffed animal friends, dressing up to fit the occasion?  You could make up your own tea party rules.

To learn more about the author and illustrator follow the links to their websites embedded in their names above.  Ame has been interviewed at The Little Crooked Cottage, The Styling Librarian, and by Nicole Y. Walters.  The most exciting thing is happening below!

Today...yes today....Ame is sharing with the world her brand new book trailer for Tea Party Rules.  It's short, sweet and full of laughter and love, just like she is.






I am thrilled and thankful she agreed to answer some questions below.  Enjoy.

AME:  Thanks so much for having me on Librarian’s Quest, Margie!  I’m very excited to be here!  And—(YES, Cub!)  Cub is visiting today, and he’s very excited, too.

MARGIE:  I would like to know more about how you felt about the illustrations the first time you saw them.  What did you like best about them?  Did you and K.G. talk at all before you saw them?

AME:  Seeing K.G.’s illustrations for the first time was a RIOT!  K.G.’s a GENIUS with facial expressions—there’s so much humor in them!  I love all the little jokes he added, too—the bubble bath bottle, the artwork in the girl’s room, etc.—and I still crack up EVERY time I see Cub in that frilly pink dress.  (Sorry, Cub!  But I’m sure you can laugh about it by now, no?  Oh.  Moving right along…)  Sadly, K.G.’s far, far away on the other side of the country, so we didn’t really talk before first sketches except for an e-mailed “Hey, K.G.!  I bet you’re gonna ROCK it!”  And he did!  But I hope the two of us can hang out sometime soon.  OW!  (Why did you poke me, Cub?  Oh.)  Make that the THREE of us!

MARGIE:  I think the forest of birch trees adds to the lightness and fun of your narrative.

ME:  AFFIRMA—I mean, AGREED, Margie!  Kids enjoy looking for the hidden animals in the end pages.  I THINK I’ve found all of them!

MARGIE:  Did you and Husband Guy make the trailer?  It's the perfect amount of text and pictures to get people to read the book.

ME:  We did!  We cleared a few extra nights in our schedule by having cookies and tea for dinner, and—uh-oh.  (I was just kidding, Cub!  OF COURSE we didn’t eat cookies without you!)

AME:  Thanks again, Margie!  Cub can’t wait to try your chocolate chip cookie recipe!  (NO, Cub!  Those are MY car keys!)  Looks like I gotta go!  Happy reading, everybody!

This is my favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies.  I clipped it from the Traverse City Record Eagle more than fifteen, probably twenty, years ago.

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup sugar (I use raw with a little of the white)
2 eggs at room temperature (brown, cage-free, organic)
1 package (3 oz.) cook and serve vanilla pudding (not instant)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I use two)
Zest of one orange, reserving the juice
1 cup dried cherries
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour (unbleached)(I add 1/4 cup more to make the cookies less flat.)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 package (12 oz.) chocolate chip morsels (Ghirardelli)

Grate orange and chop zest finely. Squeeze orange and pour juice over dried cherries. Simmer until cherries are soft, or you can microwave them for 1 minute.  (I never do this.)  Drain cherries; set aside.  Combine flour and baking soda.  Mix butter, orange zest, sugars, eggs, pudding mix and vanilla together until creamy.  Gradually add flour/soda mixture.  Combine fully then fold in cherries and chocolate morsels.  Let dough rest in the refrigerator for one full hour. (This is important.) Place large teaspoons full of dough on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in 375 degree oven for 15 minutes.  (Watch the time though depending on the humidity and your oven. It might take fewer minutes.)