Lifting Each Other Up

Tuesday morning an article said the first of twenty-one funerals began on that date, May 31, 2022.  There will be twenty-one celebrations of life and mourning, and the worlds of those families and friends are changed forever.  On May 24, 2022 the shock of another school shooting reverberated through a community, a state, a nation, and around the world.  For parents, caregivers, and educators the weight of this latest horrific tragedy is very heavy.  The more we know about the events of that day, the more heartbreaking it becomes.  We seek to make sense, when it does not make sense.  We seek security, solace, and serenity.

My friend and colleague, John Schu, recently released a book titled The Gift of Story: Exploring the Affective Side of the Reading Life (Stenhouse Publishers, May 3, 2022).  In chapter two we learn about Story as Healer.  At the close of this chapter, John suggests books in support of the chapter's premises.  After a brief description of each title, John offers commentary about his choices.  I have gone back to this section and read two sentences in particular over and over this past week.  John says:

This story is about grief, how it can weigh us down, but how, over time, our friends can help share the burden and in the process make it smaller.

It's not dread and worry that sustain us, but rather the love we share and the memories we create that will last.

Keeping these two sentences in my mind and heart, I selected six new titles from my bins of new releases.  Previously, author Pat Zietlow Miller and author illustrator Eliza Wheeler have collaborated on two wonderful books, Wherever You Go and When You Are Brave.  Their third title, When I'm With You (Little, Brown And Company, March 1, 2022), declares, reaffirms, and pays tribute to those individuals who make us whole.

There's something that I've noticed.

Perhaps you've seen it, too . . .

Life is so much better

when it's me and you.

Sometimes it seems as though you've always had that one special companion.  Other times, you realize your relationship has grown like a well-nourished seed.  You complement each other wherever you go and whatever you do.

You see a brighter future from sharing it with this being.  You might be opposites, but together you make something beautiful.  What you need, when you need it, is provided by this forever friend.

There will be moments when things go awry, but you and this partner support each other.  You work through the less than ideal situations.  The sad and bad are not as sad and bad.

Whether you explore the new or repeat a previous adventure, it is best when experienced with a perfect pal. When you are older, nothing will change despite distance and time because nothing without this soul has reason or rhyme.  Nothing will ever separate these two.

Each time the rhyming lines in this narrative are read, the warmth of the words written by Pat Zietlow Miller wrap around you.  Her four-line lyrical observations, double couplets, speak of building bonds using two parts to an array of relationships.  She speaks of commitment, creativity, comfort, laughter, sadness, mistakes, and mending.  One abiding current threads through the entire book.  It is the word constant.  Here is a passage.

You're the hat that fits my head.

You're the hilltop for my sled.

When I sneeze,

you say, "Ah-CHOO!"

And that makes me

laugh with you.

The open and matching dust jacket and book case introduce readers to the four groups of best friends featured throughout the book.  On the front they are all enjoying the delights of a sunny day, kite flying, playing in a tree house, swinging, and having a tea party.  The two main children, the kite and string and the title text are varnished on the jacket.  To the left of the spine, on the back, the day is coming to a close.  

The pals in the tree house are sitting on a branch of the tree gazing at a pink and peach sky dotted with pink clouds.  Birds are in the background.  Butterflies flutter in the foreground.  The kite-flying friends are now seated in a hammock, arms around each other's shoulders.  They, too, are facing the setting sun.  The sun is dropping below a body of water.  The children have their backs to readers.

The opening and closing endpapers are charming visions.  They are panoramic pastoral vistas showing the four homes where the children and their families live.  On either side of the gutter are two large trees.  On either side of them are two homes.  Each of the homes are as different as the occupants.  In the background are faint outlines of rolling hills and evergreen forests.  In the foreground is the pond with a stream stretching to the right between two of the homes.

The adults are all engaged in activities as the children play.  On the opening endpapers it is daylight.  On the closing endpapers it is night.  Lights glow in the windows of the homes.  The parents are now inside each house.  A crescent moon and stars decorate the sky.  On the left side, the children (and one canine companion) gather around a crackling fire roasting marshmallows. 

These images by Eliza Wheeler were 

created using ink, watercolors, acrylic paint, wax pastels, and digital collage. 

On the title page, we see the seven children and the one dog at the trees setting up for a day of wonders.  This is one of many double-page pictures.  Single page illustrations cross the gutter to be joined with smaller visuals on the opposite side.  Eliza Wheeler skillfully combines two separate illustrations into a larger picture.  You will stop at every page turn to absorb all the included details.  Everywhere you look there is joy and a blend of reality and imagined reality.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture.  It shows all the children in a magical underwater scene.  Only the outline of a fish tank in the upper, left-hand corner of the image indicates they are inside a fish tank.  Two friends wearing helmets and their regular clothing are cleaning.  A ray is smiling as it is dusted.  The two tea-party pals are feeding the fish and carrying a huge seaweed cupcake to an octopus.  Two other companions are caring for the underwater flowers and seahorses.  The final child is wearing scuba gear as he explores a treasure chest.  The dog is above him in a personal submarine powered by paw action.

This book, When I'm With You written by Pat Zietlow Miller with artwork by Eliza Wheeler, is an ode to friendship and its power.  It is a lively and lovely invitation to share life with a special individual.  It is a balm for all our souls.  I highly recommend it for both your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Pat Zietlow Miller and Eliza Wheeler and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  Pat Zietlow Miller has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Eliza Wheeler has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Pat Zietlow Miller was recently interviewed by Madison Magazine.  Pat Zietlow Miller and Eliza Wheeler chat about this book at PictureBookBuilders.  John Schu, librarian and writer, highlights this title in conversations with Pat Zietlow Miller and Eliza Wheeler on his blog, Watch. Connect. Read.  Pat Zietlow Miller is in conversation with Eliza Wheeler about this title in a previous Crowdcast event.

When your canine companion is considered a sporting dog, regardless of the weather or your state of health, you walk miles every single day.  It is a commitment you must keep.  There are times when the very thought of leaving the cozy comfort of your home is downright daunting, but you go.  Without fail, something wonderful happens.  You see a deer crossing the road in front of you, a group of raptors gliding overhead, countless sunrises in breathtaking colors, and ever-changing cloud formations, and the birdsong is like your own personal symphony.  In Climb On! (North|South, March 8, 2022) written by Baptiste Paul with illustrations by Jacqueline Alcantara, this is exactly what occurs.  

Morning, Dad!

Morning!

It's a great day for

watching futbol.

The child quickly reminds her father of a promise to hike to the summit of a local mountain.  They place essentials in their backpacks and begin their hike.  Dad keeps offering reasons to stop or turn back.

There are too many beautiful things to see to turn back or stop.  His daughter reminds him to climb on.  When she asks him to swing on a vine to take a plunge in a waterfall pond, he takes up the mantra of climb on.

The father is exhausted and wants to know if they are at the top.  They are only midway to the top.  There is a small setback, a slip and fall, but through the leaves they see their multi-colored town below them.

Now tired, the child rides on her father's shoulders as he steadily continues in the heat with muscles aching.  They break through the vegetation.  A single three-letter word describes what they behold before them.  Wonderful.

Through a blend of narrative and conversation, author Baptiste Paul tells the tale of a memorable trek, a day of shared revelations.  Short sentences, sometimes only a series of single words give readers a real sense of participating in this climb.  The inclusion of Creole words in the dialogue between the Dad and his daughter draws us further into their adventure.  Here is a passage.

The rocks weep from yesterday's rain.

Each step slower than the last.

Fe vit.  Hurry up!

     Step.

          Breathe.

               Sweat.

Not only does the front, right side, of the open and matching dust jacket and book case inspire you to climb a mountain, but it invites you to open the book and read the story.  The natural beauty of the area in which the tale is told is reflected in the vivid hues of blue and green with spots of other colors.  You can almost feel the heat and humidity and breathe the salty air.  The green found in the palm leaves is used for the spine and back of the jacket and case.  Here flora and fauna found on the hike are displayed around praise for the previous collaboration by the author and illustrator, The Field. 

On the opening endpapers is an illustration of a green field.  Houses frame the border on two sides.  On the left side in the foreground, we can see the beginning of the trail to the mountaintop.  In the distance the sea and sky appear as one.  In a word, this is serenity.  On the closing endpapers, the child and her father are back at the waterfall pond.  Together they are swinging on a vine over the water.  It is a lush setting with various shades of green with the waterfall in the background.

These illustrations by Jacqueline Alcantara begin and end with the endpapers.  On the verso and title pages, her pictorial interpretation starts with the daughter, first, studying a map, and second, lifting a hat from her resting father's face.  The images, double-page and single-page, extend to the edges.  Even though opposite single-page pictures are different scenes, they flow together superbly.

Readers will find themselves carefully looking at each image, studying the details.  What flora and fauna are on display?  The facial expressions on the child's face mirror her every emotion.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a single-page visual.  The child is close to readers in the foreground.  She is bending over to study a caterpillar on a cupped, dark green leaf.  In the background, her dad is lying on his back, stretched out over a large boulder.  He is clearly exhausted.  Graceful, red and green leafy vines act as a partial border on either side.

There will be times when you would rather not keep a promise or a commitment, but in honoring it, positive discoveries will be made.  Climb On! written by Baptiste Paul with artwork by Jacqueline Alcantara clearly depicts this truth.  Natural world wonders heal.  You will want to have a copy of this title in both your professional and personal collections. (There is a surprise challenge tucked into the closing endpapers.)

To learn more about Baptiste Paul and Jacqueline Alcantara and their other work, please visit their websites by following the link attached to their names.  Baptiste Paul has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Jacqueline Alcantara has accounts on Facebook, Behance, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website, you can view the first few pages and download resources.  At Simon & Schuster, you can see other interior illustrations.  The cover reveal was hosted at School Library Journal, A Fuse #8 Production by Betsy Bird.  Both the author and illustrator are interviewed about this book at We Need Diverse Books.

Unconditional love is powerful.  It is always present, like a heartbeat that does not stop.  How do we know if we are loved unconditionally?  We know in ordinary and extraordinary moments, some lasting seconds and others lasting years. Author Andrea Beaty and illustrator Vashti Harrison have created a heartwarming portrait in poetic phrases and tender lively artwork of this love in their new collaboration, I Love You Like Yellow (Abrams Books for Young Readers, March 29, 2022).

I love you like yellow.

I love you like green.

Like a flowery orchid

and sweet tangerine.

These three sentences begin a sensory expression of love.  Opposites, too, are used to show the extent of this love.  This love happens in times of jubilance and in times of sorrow.

If you could taste this love, it would be like sugar and dill pickles.  It is there when time pauses or speeds, even when the recipient of this love is slow when they wish to be fast.  Whatever the weather, rain or sunshine, hot or cold, the love is still there.

This love is present in daylight and beneath the stars at night.  Like those stars, it is there, always.  From the beginning of the day and until the end of the day, this love is ever constant.

During each moment of the day, at work or at play, you are loved.  You are a song.  You are silence.  When you are nestled in your bed, more asleep than awake, you will be embraced by love.

Whether the sentences written by Andrea Beaty are read silently or aloud, they are like singing a song.  The rhyming words (and use of alliteration) fashion a melody.  You find yourself humming, quietly or aloud.  These words remind us of the vastness and universality of love.  Here is a passage.

Like brisk and breezy.

Like bouncy and bold.

After looking at the open dust jacket, I think I need a pair of yellow boots to match my yellow raincoat.  I know I will find as much joy as this parent and child in puddle splashing.  Their spirited play surrounded by the softly-textured setting is definitely welcoming.  The title text and rain gear on the jacket are varnished.

The scene continues across the spine.  The meadow stretches to the left side.  Reddish pink flowers mound in the lower, left-hand corner as a blue butterfly stops for a sip.  Across the grass, there is another bunch of yellow flowers and orange butterflies near them.  Above the misty slopes, a rainbow arcs from the left to off the top of the visual.

On the book case, we have moved to a close-up of the puddle covering both sides.  There is some grass framing the puddle along the bottom and right side.  The parent and child stand still in the puddle, but you can tell by ripple marks they just moved.  All we can see are their boots and a small portion of their legs.  The parent is to the left of the spine and the child is to the right of the spine.  

On a crisp white canvas on the opening and closing endpapers is a pattern of items found within the book.  The elements are a paper airplane, leaves, butterflies, lemons, playing cards, orchids, apples, and yellow umbrellas.  On the initial title page, the parent and child look out a window at the rain.  On the formal title page and dedication page, the mother is putting a raincoat on her child.

For each of the four phrases, a different parent and their child or children are featured.  Using 

colored pencil and Photoshop,

Vashti Harrison has created warmhearted, playful, and highly animated images.  She shifts her perspectives, bringing us close to the families at times and then places them in a more scenic setting.  The illustrations are full-page pictures, groups of smaller visuals, and glorious double-page images.  The families reflect a range of ethnicity and ages.

One of my many favorite pictures is a single-page illustration.  A father has been spending time with his daughter and her younger brother.  They are now baking cookies.  On the kitchen counter in front of them are ingredients and a cookie sheet with some cutout cookies ready for baking.  The father has his hands in a bowl mixing the ingredients.  On his head is a pie tin.  The daughter is laughing with her arms up in the air.  Her brother is seated on the counter.  He, too, has a pan on his head and he is holding a wooden spoon.  There is flour in the air along with the laughter.

The love portrayed through the words of Andrea Beaty and the artwork of Vashti Harrison in I Love You Like Yellow radiates from the pages.  This book is certain to soothe souls of all ages, readers and listeners alike.  There is a lot of happiness to be found here.  No personal or professional collection is complete without a copy of this book.

To learn more about Andrea Beaty and Vashti Harrison and their other work, please access their websites by following the link attached to their names.  Andrea Beaty has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.  Vashti Harrison has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website, you can view interior images.  There is also a video there with Andrea Beaty discussing the inspiration for this title.

We try to measure and keep track of time with watches, phones, clocks, planners, and calendars, but truthfully time has always gone at its own pace, altered only by our perspectives.  It seems to go slow when the only thing we want is for it to speed like a lightning flash.  Then, the older we get, the faster it goes.  We find ourselves frequently thinking, how could so many years have come and gone . . . like a lightning flash.  In their two previous collaborations, Drawn Together and Lift, author Minh Le and author illustrator Dan Santat gave us life's truths by putting their collective hearts into their words and art.  They have done this again, beautifully, in The Blur (Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, May 3, 2022).  

From the beginning

there was something different

about this child.

Yes, this child had a shockingly loud voice and limber arms and legs.  She mastered hearing the softest sound.  And, this child could become invisible.  These traits blended to make the most fascinating characteristic of all, magnetism.  People gravitated toward this bundle of superpowers.

As a youngster, the parents could hardly keep up with all the tasks this child presented, except when she slept.  Then time seemed to stop, until she learned to walk.

Wowee!  Look out!  She's always in motion.  Again, moments blended into one another because of 

The Blur.

As years pass at a ferocious pace, the girl embraces every activity with unbridled enthusiasm.  There are mostly high points, the sadness of loss, and some tense-filled seconds for her parents.  Before any of them realize it, time halts again.  It is high school graduation day.  And then, she's off once more.  All those memories fueling this superhero, a child who was different from the beginning.

With that first sentence, author Minh Le has us hooked.  What made this child different?  As each aspect of her personality is disclosed, each reader will bring their personal experiences to interpret those aspects.  You will find yourself nodding knowingly or howling with laughter or both.  Three times, Minh Le takes us on a whirlwind of growing up, only to have us pause and savor that pause.  It is a splendid storytelling technique.  Here is a passage.

NOTHING STANDS IN THE WAY AS

THE BLUR TAKES THE WORLD BY STORM!

And yet . . .

CRASH!

How can you look at the front, right side, of the dust jacket and not want to hug this family?  Happiness radiates off this image.  Everyone is smiling, the parents, the daughter, the puppy, and even the stuffed toy lion.  (It looks like a smile to me.)  Artist Dan Santat has placed these individuals on a background collage of captured moments from the interior pages.  The dots consist of color combinations from the title text.  They might also signify time and how fast it can pass.

To the left of the spine, on the back, on a light cream and peach background is a single image.  It is a graduation hat thrown in the air.  Multi-colored dots balloon up from the hat.  Everything on the front and back of the dust jacket is varnished except for the background and background pictures.

On the book case the canvas changes to a blend of white and teal.  Teal swirls and loops on the back and front indicate a path taken by The Blur.  She is running on the front, eyes closed in bliss with her mouth open in happiness and her arms wide open.  Her cape is flying behind her as colored dots follow her movements.  Her puppy is running and barking beside her.  (I want to run with them!)

On the opening and closing endpapers on a white background are large, vibrant dots.  They look as if they are circles of watercolor or chalk.  On the right side of the opening endpapers, there is an additional element.  It is a bandage appearing under the words:

THIS BOOK IS FOR:

These images by Dan Santat were

created using colored pencil and watercolor on paper and Adobe Photoshop.

On the title page sits the stuffed toy lion next to a vase of flowers with a congratulations card.  That lion is on its way to resting with the child in the hospital bed on the next two-page picture.  Illustration sizes vary from double-page visuals to single-page pictures, edge to edge, or surrounded by white space for dramatic framing.  Sometimes there will be multiple pictures on a single page to interpret the words pictorially. Several times the parents (and The Blur) are placed among smaller images.  The details in the illustrations and facial expressions of the parents and their daughter ask us to stop, to freeze time and remember and laugh and cry.  (I love how the younger girl swings into a series of pictures on one page and with a page turn she swings out of another set of images, but is now much older.  Brilliant.)

One of my many favorite illustrations is when The Blur believes she is invisible.  She is seated on the floor, wearing a one piece pair of pajamas with feet.  She has her cape, now much larger, held in her hands and covering her eyes.  Her puppy sits next to her, tail wagging and nose sniffing.  They are enveloped in white space.

This book, The Blur written by Minh Le with artwork by Dan Santat, is about a special child, all children, and time.  It is a recognition of how precious every moment is, even though when we are in the midst of them, we don't always appreciate their value.  It asks us to hold fast to life.  I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal collections.  You will find yourself gifting this title repeatedly.

To discover more about Minh Le and Dan Santat and their other work, please access their websites by following the link attached to their names.  Minh Le has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Dan Santat has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Minh Le and Dan Santat Talk with Roger at The Horn Book about this title.  Minh Le and Dan Santat are interviewed about this book at We Need Diverse Books.  The cover reveal was at School Library Journal, 100 Scope Notes, hosted by Travis Jonker and an interview with the collaborators.  At Penguin Random House, you can view the endpapers.

The thing about life is regardless of our past, present, or possible future, things happen beyond our control.  There are things wonderful beyond our imagining and things which plunge us into deep sadness.  We find ourselves stunned by both.  

What we can do in those times of tragedy is look for a sliver of silver lining.  It may not be there for a long time.  If we cannot find it, perhaps we need to change or be a part of a larger change.  If children are a part of our lives, as parents, caregivers, or educators, we need to help them to understand their futures are full of potential and promise.  Like the weather, the clouds pass to reveal the sunshine or moonlight and stars.  You Are Here (Chronicle Books, May 10, 2022) written and illustrated by Zach Manbeck is a joyful reminder to be ourselves, going forward with hope.  It is his debut book. 

YOU are here.

And from here,

you can go anywhere! 

Readers are next asked a question.

But how will you find your way?

The following pages paint in words and pictures possible positive paths.  Although it might seem obvious, we need to begin.  Depending on our abilities, we will all begin differently.

We are invited to be explorers.  There is no perfect direction for everyone.  Some individuals will go quickly, others more slowly.  There will be those who are at the same pace as we are. 

Will the path be smooth?  Sometimes it will.  Sometimes it won't, but we need to be relentless in seeking our potential and promise. 

We need to be ready for what we might discover using our senses.  Perhaps we begin anew each day.  That is why it is most important to remember where we are . . . always.

The thoughts presented in this book by Zach Manbeck are bursting with positivity.  Every recommendation is as if he is cheering for readers, encouraging them forward.  Individuality is paramount in this delivery.  Here is a passage.

BE PATIENT

You'll find your way . . .

if you let if find you.

The color palette shown on the open dust jacket is used throughout the book.  It speaks to warmth and new growth and being fully alive.  On the front, right side, we are introduced to many of the children and one of the animals seen often in the narrative.  The yellow butterfly figures importantly and prominently in many of the images.  It can be seen as a symbol of change, growth, and the beauty of becoming your best self.  The rays are embossed in gold.

To the left of the spine, on the back, more children and two animals run to the right.  They are running through what appears to be a jungle, replete with tall plants, trees and hanging vines.  One individual has a pair of binoculars and the other holds a magnifying glass.

On the cream book case a large yellow butterfly is displayed.  The center of the butterfly is in the center on the right side.  The left wing crosses the spine into the center of the left side.  The right wing bleeds off the right side.  A looping line from the left indicates the flight of the insect.  The thumb and finger of a child reaches toward the body of the butterfly from the bottom of the illustration.

The opening and closing endpapers are bright yellow with spots of green and orange.  Three separate pages, a word on each page, delivers the title to readers.  The word "here" is shown in a circle of cream on orange with the yellow butterfly zooming in from the left.

These illustrations by Zach Manbeck 

were rendered in gouache and various mixed media, then edited digitally.

Large circles become frames for the children and text and act as design elements with stars and splashes of bright colors, depending on the setting.  The setting might be a garden, a jungle, a cave, different modes of travel or an array of contraptions.  The layouts draw our eyes to the individuals and their activities.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture. It is a jungle and floral scene.  All we can see on most of the visual is darkened outlines, except for a particular area.  On the left side, a child, the first child and wearing a backpack is running into this darkness.  In one hand they are holding a flashlight.  It makes a beam of light through the darkness to the right, ending in a large circle holding the text.  Wherever the light shines, the colors are boldly shown.

The exuberance you feel after a positive affirmation envelopes you with every page turn in You Are Here written and illustrated by Zach Manbeck.  This book is yes to no and go to stop.  It is hope.  You will want to place a copy on the bookshelves in your personal and professional collections.

By following the link attached to Zach Manbeck's name, you can access his website, finding out more about him and his work.  Zach Manbeck has accounts on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.  At the publisher's website, you can view interior pictures. 

In my cupboard is an array of tea canisters.  Each one holds a different flavor of tea.  They supply me with selections based on the time of day, my level of thirst, and my emotional frame of mind.  Tea is a source of comfort.  Depending on the type of mug or glass, the tea can cool on a sweltering day or warm hands and body on a chilly morning or evening.  It can elevate a meal or celebration or be a reminder of people no longer with us.  (I still have some of the tea cups and saucers my mother collected.)

Tea and tea ceremonies are found in all corners of the world.  When drinking tea, connections are made with those other people and their communities.  In an endearing story, a bow of respect, to those connections, Luli and the Language of Tea (Neal Porter Books, Holiday House, May 24, 2022) written by Andrea Wang with pictures by Hyewon Yum presents to children the power they have through sincerity and their hearts to add light to their worlds.

The playroom was quiet.

Luli couldn't speak English.

Neither could the others.

Not being able to communicate with each other, the children were apart, playing by themselves.  This was what Luli did when she was previously at the playroom.  Then, she had an idea.  She made a picture to show Miss Hirokane her idea.  

This next time Luli took special items from her backpack.  She removed 

a thermos, a canister, stacks of cups, and a fat-bellied teapot.

Luli got busy combining and using these items.  Then, Luli called out a word in Chinese.

The children stopped playing and looked at Luli.  Soon single words were called out, child by child, around the room, in nine different languages.  Do you know what those words meant?

Pulling up chairs, the children came to the table.  The tea was poured in the first cup and passed from child to child until each child had a cup.  Wait! There was no tea left for Luli.  Luli's cup was passed from child to child.  Everyone was speaking the same language, the language of sharing and the language of . . .

With simple, lovely sentences Andrea Wang supplies readers with an understanding of Luli's heart and the hearts of the other children in the room.  Are we not all looking for connections and commonality like these children?  After Luli calls out tea in her language, a cadence is supplied by each child responding with the word for tea in their language.  Andrea Wang also gives us their first name, making the story more intimate. (The word for tea is also written in its native language.)  She again generates a rhythm when the tea cups are passed from child to child, naming them and once more when Luli's cup is passed from child to child.  Andrea Wang's carefully chosen words welcome us.  Here is a passage.

Now everyone had a share.

Hands curled around warm cups.

Mouths curved into shy smiles.

In looking at the matching dust jacket and book case, we meet Luli, the one child who made a huge difference, and how she changed the entire atmosphere in the playroom.  On the front, right side, her quiet, gentle smile speaks volumes.  We want to know what she has to say and what the language of tea is.  To the left of the spine, on the back, we see the children after drinking their tea.  There are still some at the table with Luli.  Two more are chatting as they walk away.  Two children are on the floor playing with a toy bulldozer.  Two are standing by the shelves watching three goldfish swim in a bowl.  

Still using a brilliant white canvas with excellence, Hyewon Yum features ten cups for tea gathered from the countries of Morocco, Iran, China, Chile, India, Kenya, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Turkey, and Germany on the opening and closing endpapers.  They are drawn in detail and labeled.  Two more page turns begin the pictorial story.  The first double-page picture shows parents going through the door to a classroom for learning English as a second language.  The children enter the playroom door next to the classroom.  For the verso and title pages, this image shows Luli peeking through the playroom doorway.

Rendered with

colored pencils

by artist Hyewon Yum, the illustrations complement the narrative with their delicate details.  The images are double-page pictures, some of them including two moments in one visual, and single-page pictures. Sometimes there are two images to a page using vertical and horizontal panels. Her use of white space is splendid with it acting as another element.  Perspective is shifted to accentuate the pacing and to provide us with added emotion.  The bird's eye view of the table with the seated children and their cups of tea is exquisite.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a single-page picture.  Luli is seated at the table.  Before her are the

full-bellied teapot, stacks of cups, and the canister

in blue and white.  Luli's mouth, after she took a breath, is wide open as she shouts tea in Chinese.  This is the beginning of something important.

When I think of the children in this playroom, alone and separated by a language barrier, my love for this brave and wise child swells.  Luli and the Language of Tea written by Andrea Wang with artwork by Hyewon Yum allows children to see, regardless of their age, the power they have to make positive changes.  At the close of the book is A Note from the Author, words under About the Children and Languages in This Story and a focus on people from Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America.  The children are identified by the country from which they immigrated.  I highly recommend you place a copy of this book in your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Andrea Wang and Hyewon Yum and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  Andrea Wang has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Hyewon Yum has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Andrea Wang and this book are showcased at author, reviewer, and blogger Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  Andrea Wang speaks about this book at PictureBookBuilders for the cover reveal.  At Maria Marshall's site the author and illustrator are interviewed about this book, their work, and themselves.  At the publisher's website, there is an educator's guide.  At Penguin Random House, you can view the endpapers.

Better Together #2

It is not only people who respond to compassion.  Humans with animal companions, veterinarians who heal and care for them, and scientists who study them usually agree the response from animals approached and treated with kindness is favorable.  In fact, there is evidence some animals experience a varied range of emotions. (Animal Emotions: Exploring Passionate Natures: Current interdisciplinary research provide compelling evidence that many animals experience such emotions as joy, fear, love, despair, and grief---we are not alone by Marc Bekoff, BioScience, Volume 50, Issue 10, October 2000)  An act of compassion or harmony does not need to be a grand gesture.  It can be as simple as a glance filled with warmth and affection.

Sometimes, the least of us are the ones who need to receive that glance, a caring word, a helping hand or even something done in complete anonymity the most.  Tiny Kitty, Big City (Balzar + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, March 2, 2021) written and illustrated by Tim Miller simply, truthfully and with great affection is a gentle reminder of what it means to be charitable.  When we are mindful of others everyone wins.

Tiny kitty.

Big city.

When you are a tiny kitty, the city is more crowded.  It is a forest of feet and legs.  You hurry through the maze of people and vehicles as quickly and safely as possible.

Loud noises and barking dogs are frightening.  Bravery comes when joining with an iconic ally.  A warm day welcomes rest.  

An idyllic afternoon is spent dining and playing.  As evening descends, so does a snowstorm.  Nothing would be better than the warmth of a home.  Tiny kitty is chilly.

In darkness, a bluesy beat beckons.  Hearts swell at a serenade.  Love finds a way.

Using two words, kitty and city, and adding carefully selected, single adjectives, author Tim Miller tells a tale of being lost and found, and of finding what you may not have known you've lost.  The two-word phrases toggle back and forth as opposites and as responses.  The way this narrative is purposefully presented, we are able to understand the personality of the kitty and the characteristics of the city.  In those revelations, the tiny kitty and big city are able to meet in heartwarming rapport.  Here are two more two-word phrases.

Wildlife city.

Playful kitty.

Opening the dust jacket, we see the story beginning.  To the left, back, of the spine on pale blue is the tiny kitty peering from the inside of a tipped cardboard box.  On the front, right, the tiny kitty looks large compared to the big city in the background.  This reader likes to think of that as foreshadowing.  It is a hopeful concept.  The title text and tiny kitty are varnished.

You cannot look at the book case without smiling.  Across the opened book case is tiny kitty's face, up close and personal.  The nose and mouth are placed at the bottom of the spine.  One eye is on the left and the other eye is on the right.  This is a soul-to-soul stare.

Across the opening and closing endpapers, tiny pawprints, in blue on a cream canvas, loop back and forth beginning in the upper left-hand corner and running off the lower, right-hand corner.   The loops do change lengths.  Instead of going off the edge on the right side on the closing endpapers, the happy ending of this story is presented.

There are notable details for readers to see.  The words for the dedication are in the shape of a heart.  On the title page tiny kitty is staring into a puddle.  The kitty and the big city are reflected there.  Of the making of these illustrations artist Tim Miller says:

This book was made with acrylic gouache, with digital touch-ups.  Also my cat was sitting on my lap while I worked, so you might find some of her hair in the pictures.

Black lines define each element in these images.  Tim Miller presents multiple perspectives on his double-page pictures and his full-page pictures.  We look at the world from tiny kitty's point of view, from a person's point of view, and from a bird's gaze at the city below it.  These illustrations are full of emotion, fright, wonder, exhilaration, courage, contentment, fun, joy, and love.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture.  The sky is golden in the middle of a sunny day.  Trunks and bare branches of trees rise in front of background buildings on the left.  In front of these a large "library lion", facing left, stretches across both pages.  A familiar building fills a large portion of the right side.  Asleep under the majestic feline's face is tiny kitty on the large legs and paws.

Guaranteed to be a read-aloud favorite and much requested title, Tiny Kitty, Big City written and illustrated by Tim Miller needs to be on your personal and professional bookshelves. In his dedication Tim Miller conveys his passion and purpose for this book.  We are grateful to him.

To learn more about Tim Miller and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Tim Miller has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. This title is discussed, and Tim Miller is interviewed at Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries John Schumacher's Watch. Connect. Read. and at teacher librarian Travis Jonker's 100 Scope Notes.  Don't miss either of these posts!  They are fabulous as is the post Tim Miller wrote for the Nerdy Book Club. 

If you were to ask a group of people of various ages a year ago how they define peace, would those same people answer differently today?  Perhaps, a lot of their replies would change.  A global pandemic has a way of altering perspectives and priorities.  Also, if you were to ask this group how to obtain peace, express peace, or give peace, would their thinking have shifted?  Peace, Paz and Frieden (English, Spanish, and German translations of the same book) (North|South, March 2, 2021) written by Baptiste Paul and Miranda Paul with illustrations by Esteli Meza allows all ages to ponder those very questions.  It expresses through universal actions in easily understood words and lively, luminescent images, peace is for everyone, everywhere, and always.  

Peace is a hello,

a smile,

a hug.

Peace is for those who dare to be different and for those who quietly work alone.  When we show respect for others, extending common courtesies to them like looking at them when we share conversations, that is peace.  Sometimes peace starts with an unspoken gesture.  When shared ideas are discovered, that unspoken gesture blooms into a movement.

When we give to others when we have more than we need, that is peace.  Do these actions happen immediately?  No.  Peace is a good habit to nurture and have.  It's something we carry with us as if it is a part of our bodies. 

Peace is acknowledging our mistakes to ourselves and to others.  This peace brings a calm during day and night, happiness and sorrow.  Where there has been life, there has been peace.  What can and will we do to bring it to all parts of our planet?

Having read this aloud in both English and Spanish, the words of Miranda Paul and Baptiste Paul (and translator Aida Salazar), gently sing off the pages in the sweetest of melodies.  The thoughts and truths supplied through rhyming text envelope you.  The words in this narrative are an invitation readers will be unable to resist.  With intention the selected actions are possible, releasing all to enjoy the results.  Here is a passage.

Peace is on purpose.

Peace is a choice.

Peace lets the smallest of us

have a voice.

La paz es a proposito.

La paz es una eleccion.

La paz permite a los mas pequenitos

tener una voz.

When you look at the front (right) and back (left) of the opened dust jacket, it is like you are looking at a portrait of peace.  Look at the children from all backgrounds with different animals among a paradise of plants and trees.  Everyone is happy.  Everyone is enjoying the company of the others without discord.  On the back (left), there are three children, six animals and two insects, a butterfly and a bee. Across one of the large leaves, it reads:

Peace is a choice.

La paz es a proposito.

On the book case a muted gold is the canvas.  On the left side is information about the book and its creators.  On the front a sturdy brown trunk and several branches are seats for children and animals.  The leaves are a hue of blue and some are a shade of pink.  This tree scene is circled by a pale peach background.  At the base of the trunk an animal peeks out at readers.  The same white dove seen on the front of the jacket flies toward the tree here.

On the opening and closing endpapers three tiny flowers dot the bottom of a deep blue canvas.  The tree shown on the book case is placed in the center.  The children and animals are gone.  Within the blush-colored leaves is the word peace in multiple languages.

In a word, the artwork here by Esteli Meza is stunning.  Her style is distinctive, replete with vibrant rich colors.  The flora is bold and symbolic.  Children from all parts of the world are represented on each of the double-page pictures.  They are actively engaged with each other and the animals.  

With each reading you will notice a new detail.  When there is more than one animal, it looks as though they are a family.  Fish in the ocean swim forming the shape of a larger fish.  The white dove is in every image.  Readers will gasp at the four-page gatefold at the end of the book.  

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is for a single sentence.  It is night.  On the right we can see a sliver of the sky and two stars.  The dove is sleeping on a slim branch which winds up the right side and along the bottom on the right.  Two other branches fan out along the bottom on the right and left.  The body of a dozing lion covers most of the two pages.  A gray cat with a curved body and a girl with red hair in a braid lean against the lion's body.  A zebra is next to them.  The hues and pattern in the girl's dress complement the branches and leaves shown on the edges.  You know sweet dreams are being enjoyed by all.

This book, Peace, Paz, and Frieden written by Baptiste Paul and Miranda Paul with illustrations by Esteli Meza, is one to keep close.  It not only depicts peace with excellence but brings peace to all who read it.  You will want to read the Authors' Note at the end.  I highly recommend you place a copy or two in your professional collection as well as in your personal collection.

To learn more about Baptiste Paul, Miranda Paul, and Esteli Meza and their other work, please access their respective websites by following the link attached to their names.  Baptiste Paul has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Miranda Paul has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.  Esteli Meza has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website are interior images, and multiple teacher resources.  At Simon & Schuster, there is one image not shown at the publisher's website.  At Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries John Schumacher's Watch. Connect. Read., the book trailer is premiered. Baptiste and Miranda talk about this book. 

UPDATE:  This title is showcased by author, reviewer, and blogger Julie Danielson at her site, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  There is an interview with Tim Miller and considerable process art.

Seeking, Finding, And Protecting Life

Adults, family, friends, and educators, have a marvelous opportunity in the presence of children.  They have the choice, some would say responsibility, to advise, instruct and assist younger gals and guys in the care of our planet.  This nurturing of the natural world benefits all.

When our children see the results of their efforts, it inspires them to continue.  It inspires them to spread and share their excitement.  I Am Farmer: Growing An Environmental Movement In Cameroon (Millbrook Press, February 5, 2019) written by Baptiste Paul and Miranda Paul with illustrations by Elizabeth Zunon informs readers about the life and work of Cameroonian, Dieudonne Tantoh Nforba.

THIS IS NORTHWESTERN CAMEROON.
Green.
Wet.
Alive.
The rainy season has begun. 

As a young boy, Tantoh enjoys walking among the plants and grabbing handfuls of dirt in his grandmother's garden.  He even tries to plant some "borrowed" onions which eventually die.  His grandmother explains these bulbs, plants, need the sun, dirt, and, most importantly, water to survive and grow.

As if a spark has ignited in the child, he asks more questions in school than his teachers believe one mind can create.  His classmates think all his inquiries foolish.  By the time he is a teen, Tantoh's father is ill but he still manages to gift his son with a shovel.  The boy uses the tool to further his knowledge of planting and growing.  He is nicknamed Farmer.  To be a farmer is not a compliment.

During high school Tantoh writes FARMER on his school uniform shirt and wears it until he graduates.  Encouraged by his older brother to ace his final exam in order to make a better living, Tantoh deliberately fails in order to farm.  After graduation he works in his village expanding his gardening skills until someone notices his outstanding work, offering to pay for Tantoh to attend college.

A debilitating illness strikes Tantoh and sets him back for seven years.  Drinking water is the cause.  Now Tantoh has another focus.  More education arms him with knowledge; knowledge he shares.  He gathers others to his purpose.  Together they grow like plants given sunshine, earth and water.


Baptiste Paul and Miranda Paul bring us directly into the narrative with those first twelve words.  In fact, green, wet and alive, are words which could be used to describe the life work of Tantoh.  Children see the value of his pursuits through his expressed joy, constant questions, and the support of his grandmother and father.

Paragraph by paragraph words bring Tantoh's purpose more sharply in focus for readers with explicit details of his failing on his exam, his gardening in his village after graduation, and nothing stopping him from higher education.  Another thing which binds readers to Tantoh is his attitude and proverbs.  If you were not cheering for him in his youth, by the time you complete this book, you will be cheering for his continued contributions for the betterment of people in his country.  Another writing technique readers will notice is the use of growing, gardening, terms to depict circumstances.  Here is a passage.

Together they build botanical gardens and rain gardens that
will hold water in the soil.  These areas produce food or flowers
all year long and provide green spaces to reconnect people with
nature.  The mayor of his home village, Nkambe, is impressed.
Eventually, the mayor promises to make sure the garden stays
beautiful for years to come.  By now, everyone in Northwest
Cameroon is calling Tantoh "Farmer"---and they say it with pride!


Upon opening the matching dust jacket and book case, readers are treated to two separate images which flow like Tantoh's water together. On the first Tantoh is looking directly at readers with villagers carrying water as they pass him at work.  To the left, on the back, we are given a countryside landscape view of green hills replete with paths and people carrying water.  The signature artwork of Elizabeth Zunon, like the words of the authors, invite us into the book.

On the opening and closing endpapers a created vision of green hills and blue sky supplies a canvas for photographs taken in Cameroon when the Pauls visited Tantoh and his country.

Using cut paper collage, watercolor, pen drawing, and pasted color pencil

Elizabeth Zunon fashions realistic displays of gardens, vast vistas, family moments of love and guidance, classroom settings and village gatherings.  To elevate the text her illustrations vary from double-page presentations to full-page depictions.

Sometimes we are given a bird's eye view and other times we are looking over the shoulder of Tantoh and important people in his life.  Readers never doubt the commitment and accomplishments of Tantoh.  It is evident in his every look, gesture and the way in which he holds his body.

One of my many favorite illustrations accompanies the above quoted text.  The text is placed higher on the page in a pale blue sky with soft clouds.  Beneath this is a line of trees and a village building.  On either side is a grove of trees.  Moving down the page is an area of green with swirls of variegated pink shades.  One is shaped like a heart.  People stand and look at these gardens.  The second half of the page, on the bottom, is a close-up of Tantoh and the mayor in another garden with large pink flowers.  They are engaged in conversation.  Two villagers are working near them.


We know one person can make a difference for the good of a great deal of people, but when you can hold their story in your hands, it's incredibly powerful.  I Am Farmer: Growing An Environmental Movement In Cameroon written by Baptiste Paul and Miranda Paul with illustrations by Elizabeth Zunon will motivate and strengthen individuals in their resolve to achieve their dreams.  At the close of the book there is an Authors' Note, Linbum Glossary and Pronunciation Guide, Words for Water and a map of Cameroon and Africa.  I highly recommend this for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Baptiste Paul, Miranda Paul and Elizabeth Zunon and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites. Miranda Paul has a blog here. Paul, Miranda and Elizabeth have accounts on Twitter.  Elizabeth Zunon has an account on Instagram.  You can view interior pictures at the publisher's website.  There is a post on the publisher's blog by Elizabeth Zunon about her artist process for this book.  It is utterly fascinating.  UPDATE:  Author Traci Sorell interviews both Baptiste Paul and Miranda Paul at author Cynthia Leitich Smith's blog, Cynsations.  They talk about their collaboration on this title and their other work.  It is a wonderful, informative interview. 



To view the titles selected this week by other participants in the 2019 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge, please visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher.

Trekking Toward Education

In some homes if you, as a child, dare to complain about having to go to school, you receive the mantra of having one or both parents relating their trials in getting to school as a child.  It seems they had to walk miles through extreme weather conditions or over extreme terrain or arrived at their destination by enduring extreme modes of transportation.  This is meant to remind you of how trivial your objections are in light of their difficulties.  It is also a suggestion to be more grateful for the opportunities to be enjoyed each day in your classrooms.

While some of the adults' stories about getting to school are certainly exaggerated; others have a ring of truth.  Adventures To School: Real-Life Journeys Of Students From Around The World (Little Bee Books, May 1, 2018) written by Baptiste Paul and Miranda Paul with illustrations by Isabel Munoz brings to light documented cases of students taking risks and enduring unusual circumstances to get an education.  In learning about their stories we gain a greater understanding of the countries in which they take place.

Ustupu, Guna Yala (San Blas Islands), Panama
It's just after midnight when I wake up.  There are so many stars in the sky!

You might be thinking this is a typical scenario for anyone, anywhere, excited or anxious about going to school but this student is up this early to ride in a small boat with her parents.  They will make a six hour trip to her school across rough water.  She and her mother will stay with a host family.  Across the ocean on the continent of Africa, a girl carries her sister on her back as she makes her way to school. She is barefoot navigating through garbage and mud and safely past strangers and guards.  It is 2am.

Back in South America in the country of Bolivia a young student rides a teleferico, a car thirteen thousand feet above sea level, powered by electricity.  A fear of heights might make this a tricky trip to school!  Have you ever heard of the heaven ladder located in China?  Children go over a cliff and climb down the side of a vertical rock wall to reach the bottom. Thankfully, they do not need to do this each day. 

Running for almost a mile and a half to avoid elephants is not a usual way to begin a school day but for students in Kenya, it is.  A tiny carriage moves along a wire bridge over a river in Nepal.  A brave brother sings to comfort a frightened sister.  Another brave duo, a grandmother and her granddaughter quietly walk the street to her school building after a night of fighting in Donetsk, Ukraine.  Glass from broken windows is swept away by teachers.

A ride on a crowded subway car in Japan does not deter a little child.  Wearing a yellow flag is a signal for adults to help him if he gets in trouble.  Three hour walks in all kinds of weather or an early morning horse ride to catch a bus are customary for students in two other countries.  These children and those with parents realize the value and power in having an education.


In an authors' note prior to the beginning of the book, we are told each of these thirteen stories are a composite of real individuals.  For this title the names of the children are fiction.  The authors also explain the diversity within each place, its people and their customs and culture.  Both Miranda Paul and Baptiste Paul combine their talents to write compelling, truthful episodes in the lives of these children.

Using a first person voice for the children creates an immediate connection with us.  On the page opposite each child's tale is information about their country.  The authors chose points of interest most likely unknown by most readers.  Here are portions of two passages.

El Alto and La Paz, Bolivia
Artists are painting a new mural as I enter the station.  I walk up many stairs, take out my tarjeta, and wait in line.  A worker waves me into the moving car.  I slide to the far window, and other passengers join me.  The doors close, and the busy noise of the city disappears.  I feel a little dizzy when the teleferico moves quickly, but the ride is smooth.  It's like we are flying!

An electric-powered teleferico (with solar-powered Wi-Fi) operates at thirteen thousand feet above sea level, connecting the mountainous cities.  It has transported more than forty million passengers since it opened in 2014.  Over three thousand students ride the cable car every day at a discounted fare that is equivalent of less than twenty-five cents.   


Day after day when many students ride the familiar yellow school bus to their classrooms I wonder how many of them would feel about riding the modes of transportation featured on the front and back of the opened, matching dust jacket and book case.  Would they like to ride thousands of feet in the air over their city?  To the left, on the back, framing text in a series of panels, eight other forms of travel are featured.  The illustrations fashioned by Isabel Munoz, for the jacket and case, while in all color, feature the primary colors heavily, relying on this appeal for the intended audience.

The opening and closing endpapers are an intricate, delicate pattern of pencils, crayons, paper clips, and push pins amid tiny leaves and teeny lady bugs.  The design on the back of the jacket and case frames the text on the title page.  Each two page picture provides an intimate, true-to-life and moving testament to the words of the child and the facts on each place. 

We see dedicated and loving parents rowing a canoe carrying their sleeping child across winter waters.  We see a girl carrying her sister on her back as she carefully moves through a metal fence, avoiding trash and dirt.  We see children climbing down a steep, steep wall on precarious ladders. 

For each of these images, Isabel Munoz gives us a perspective which will involve us in the journey.  Sometimes we are close to the travelers and other times we are given a larger view for greater impact.  She helps us to understand what these children endure to receive an education.  A single small illustration and the country's flag are showcased on each page.

One of my many favorite illustrations takes place in Meru and Samburu, Kenya.  It is a bird's eye view of the village.  Isabel Munoz gives the land a barren look with little vegetation.  It is shades of cream with bits of green.  In the far right-hand corner is a partial view of a damaged home.  Large elephant tracks are visible in the dirt from left to right.  Seven children are hurrying to school, anxious to avoid the elephants.  Most of their backs are to us.  One child is turned, possibly to tell the one farthest back to walk faster.  All but the smallest of the children leave their own footprints in the dirt.


Without a doubt Adventures To School: Real-Life Journeys Of Students From Around The World written by Baptiste Paul and Miranda Paul with illustrations by Isabel Munoz will generate much discussion if not outright gasps during a read aloud.  The blend of true stories, factual accounts, and the details about each country are sure to promote further research.  A lengthy bibliography is included at the book's end.  A full bibliography is at the publisher's website.  I highly recommend this book for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Miranda Paul, Baptiste Paul and Isabel Munoz and their other work, please visit their respective websites by following the links attached to their names.  At a publisher's website you can view interior pictures.  Here is a link to an educator's resource guide.  At their publisher's blog Miranda and Paul chat about this title.  Maria Marshall interviews the Pauls about this title.  Isabel Munoz has an Instagram account.  Miranda Paul, Baptiste Paul and Isabel Munoz are all on Twitter.


To learn about the other titles selected by participants in the 2018 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge, please visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher.

Finding A Way To Play

It was on the south end of the street on the east side across from the factory.  It may have looked like a vacant lot to everyone else but to the children living on that street, it was paradise.  In the spring and summer it was the site of epic baseball and softball games.  When the crisp air of autumn settled in the neighborhood the voice of a quarterback could be heard hut 1, hut 2, hut 3 as flag football battle strategies were put into play.  Hearts pounded until touchdown was yelled with triumph.

If there's an open space children will find a way to use it, imagining it into whatever they want and need.  The Field (North|South, March 6, 2018) written by Baptiste Paul with pictures by Jacqueline Alcantara takes readers to an island in the Caribbean.  There a child beckons and a community follows.

Vini! Come!
The field calls.

The child moves from home to home and chats with a man at his fruit stand.  Twins carry a goal made from bamboo.  Cows are chased from the pasture.  Teams form.  A game is about ready to begin.

Friends call out plays to one another as they race down the grass.  Neighbors cheer encouragement along the sidelines and behind a fence.  Arms and legs are moving in a rhythm, feet passing the ball, when suddenly the sky darkens and rain falls.

No storm is going to stop this soccer game!  The players move through the water and mud with total dedication and pure joy.  A temporary pause allows for participants to adjust to the conditions.

Clouds move away as swiftly as they arrived and the sun's rays shine on a victory.  Although mothers call to their children, the call of the game is stronger.  Finally mud-caked gals and guys run home.  Darkness descends and dreams begin, dreams of the field.


The spare text, a beautiful blend of Creole and English, penned by debut picture book author Baptiste Paul reads like a poetic tribute to futbol, soccer, and the children whose passion for playing is like breathing.  The short sentences and phrases provide the same cadence as the game; a series of pauses, passes, running and kicking.  Exhilaration and enthusiasm radiate from the pages.  Here is a passage.

Ou. Ou. Ou. You. You. You.
Friends versus friends.

Annou ale! Let's go!


One of the first things you notice upon opening the matching dust jacket and book case, in addition to the lush greens of the island flora, is the energy of the children. Their body postures are indicative of the game they are playing.  This energy of the children is in direct contrast to the calm of the cows chewing the grass.

To the left, on the back, in the lower right hand corner two cows on a background of green are standing, mouths full of grass.  A soccer ball flies over their heads.  If readers carefully watch the eyes of the cows throughout the book, they will notice a gentle kind of humor in their reluctant acceptance of relinquishing the field to the children.

Debut picture book illustrator Jacqueline Alcantara uses every bit of space to tell her visual story.  Beginning on the opening endpapers a scene spreads from the forest to the field.  The child is moving and running through the trees kicking the soccer ball until it soars through the air toward the grazing cows and a goat.  On the closing endpapers the field at night stretches down one page and over to the other with lighted homes on either side framing it.

A crisp white background allows our eyes to be drawn to a single palm tree branching across the right side and over the gutter to the left on the title page and verso.  Beneath the palm fronds the child and sibling race together, the soccer ball in front of them.  Jacqueline Alcantara alternates between several visuals gathered on a single page, framed in white, to a single-page picture framed in white and then a glorious two-page image.  Two of the double-page spreads are a series of moves on the field in the rain. Several of the illustrations are wordless, the strength of the elements giving readers words.

One of my many favorite illustrations is wordless.  On a single page the child wearing the soccer uniform with bright yellow shoes is in full stride watching over their shoulder.  In front is the brother all dressed in bright red wearing a red ball cap, barefoot and running like the wind.  You can't help but smile at the intensity of their focus.  You long to be on the field with them.


Depicted with the true spirit of the game in words and images, The Field written by Baptiste Paul with pictures by Jacqueline Alcantara will have readers, regardless of their age, wanting to run outside to the nearest field (or vacant lot).  With ease you are carried to that island and that field as a spectator (or perhaps as a participant).  This story wraps around you like a blanket, a blanket of the happiness of the children and their community.  An Author's Note and Creole Words and Phrases glossary appear on the closing endpapers.  I highly recommend placing this title on your professional and personal bookshelves.

To discover more about Baptiste Paul and Jacqueline Alcantara and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Jacqueline Alcantara also maintains a blog here.  At a publisher's website you can view interior illustrations.  At the publisher's website a discussion guide and an activity sheet have been prepared.  Baptiste Paul is featured at The Brown Bookshelf.  Jacqueline Alcantara is highlighted at Latinxs in Kid Lit.  Both Baptiste and Jacqueline visit Watch. Connect. Read., the blog of Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher, for a chat and the premiere of their book trailer. At This Picture Book Life Baptiste and Jacqueline are interviewed about this book.

UPDATE:  Jacqueline Alcantara is featured at author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast on March 4, 2018. She speaks about the creation process for the art for this title.