RING! RING! Mr. Penguin And The Lost Treasure Blog Tour

Most of us are familiar with the saying be careful what you wish for.  In other words, it's wise to prudently weigh all the consequences attached to our heart's desire.  While we can never anticipate all the possible outcomes, we can at least be prepared for some of them. 

In the world of children's literature, a new character has entered the realm.  His greatest desire is for adventure.  In fact, he recently placed an advertisement in The Cityville Times claiming:

All Adventures
considered!
No mystery too big
or too small!
Competitive prices!

Mr. Penguin And The Lost Treasure (Peachtree, April 1, 2019) written and illustrated by Alex T. Smith (Little Red And The Hungry Lion) is the first title in what promises to be a rip-roaring, laugh-out-loud, non-stop action series for those who crave mystery and adventure just like Mr. Penguin.  Grab your favorite hat, your trusty backpack and don't forget a tasty fish finger sandwich. 

CHAPTER ONE

ALL ADVENTURES 
CONSIDERED!

It was 10:32 on a Monday morning, and Mr. Penguin was twirling about slowly on his swizzly office chair and flipping the end of his beak with a crabstick.

He was bored.

On the verge of despair at the lack of interest in his advertisement, the ringing of his phone startles Mr. Penguin so much he, through a series of unbelievable events, ends with his bottom stuck in his waste basket.  It makes taking his first real job a tad bit uncomfortable, but it is Boudicca Bones from the Museum of Extraordinary Objects.  When he hears the words toilet plunging through the ceiling, stuffed walrus and buried treasure, he nearly explodes with joy.

Within minutes Mr. Penguin and his trusty associate Colin, a bowler-hat-wearing spider with the strength of a ninja master, are standing in front of the museum.  (As they make their way to the building, they encounter a friend, Edith Hedge who lives in the park.  She wears fifteen raincoats and a pigeon named Gordon is usually on her head.)

In short order, Mr. Penguin, Colin, Boudicca Bones and her odd brother, Montague are searching every nook and cranny of the museum floor by floor.  (Montague is odd because he is at least seven feet tall and has hands the size of frying pans in contrast to short, round-as-a beach-ball Mrs. Bones.)  Using a copy of A History of the Museum of Extraordinary Objects and a clue of x marks the spot the searchers are stumped until Mr. Penguin brilliantly solves the puzzle of finding the x.  During their explorations Colin hears strange sounds and feels as though someone or something is watching them.

After traversing a darkened staircase leading them under the museum, the foursome encounters a hot steamy rainforest, a cryptic note, unscrupulous thieves, a raging river, a thunderous waterfall and gigantic hungry beasts, not necessarily in that order.  It seems as if everything is conspiring to keep them from locating the buried treasure. To make matters even worse, Mr. Penguin and Colin find themselves in serious, life or death trouble.

With twists and turns as frequent as those on the underground trail, the story keeps you guessing. You will gasp at the surprises and cheer for the cleverness. And just when you think it can't get any better, it does.


Twenty-three short chapters combine descriptive narrative and snappy conversations penned by Alex T. Smith.  The chapter titles along with the final sentence in each chapter invite, sometimes demand, that you continue.  The pacing is fast, and humor is found in abundance.  Here is a passage.

Monty cracked his knuckles (which sounded like a wooden fence breaking in a tornado) and knelt down next to the X.  He pressed the button.  Then he pressed it again.
Nothing.
He smacked it with his fist, stamped on it with his shoe, grunted, and hurried off to the nearby janitor's cupboard to grab a sledgehammer.
He was just raising the hammer above his head when Colin tapped him politely on the ankle and held up his notepad.
It said ALLOW ME. (Note: Colin does not talk but uses a notepad to voice his thoughts which adds to the hilarity.)
Everyone stepped back and watched as Colin took the floor.  He scuttled over to the button and carefully observed it for a few seconds.  Then he pressed four of his feet together and bowed respectfully.  He took a deep breath, narrowed his eyes, and . . .

KA-POW!


Readers get their first glimpse of Mr. Penguin and Colin on the front of the matching dust jacket and book case.  The adventurer's hat, satchel and magnifying glass are essential to Mr. Penguin's pursuits.  On the opening and closing endpapers in hues of orange, we are privy to lush rainforest flora.  At the beginning and end of the book, a front page from The Cityville Times gives readers a peek into the community and shows how the status of Mr. Penguin and Colin as adventurers changes. 

The highly detailed, fine-lined drawings done in black, orange and white by Alex T. Smith appear on almost every page turn in a variety of sizes depending on the narrative and pacing.  At times in order to enhance the text the canvas of white shifts to orange and even black with white lettering.

One of my many favorite illustrations spans two pages.  It shows Mr. Penguin and Colin on the left speeding through the exotic plants and trees they discover under the museum.  Mr. Penguin's body shape trudging along on his tiny legs is funnier than funny.  Adding to the comedy is his hat with the arrow through it, and the magnifying glass held in one of his flippers as if he hopes to spy something important. 


Readers will hardly be able to stop reading Mr. Penguin And The Lost Treasure written and illustrated by Alex T. Smith once they start.  Who can resist mystery, adventure and giggles and grins?  I believe this would be a fun read aloud or book club selection.  Be sure to place a copy on your professional shelves and in your personal collections.  (Book two has already been released in the UK and book three is set to be released there this autumn.)

To learn more about Alex T. Smith and his other work, please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  Alex T. Smith maintains an account on Twitter.  At the publisher's website there is a link to Activity Sheets.  You can get a peek at the first few pages, including the first newspaper front page, here.


Be sure to stop at the other sites on the blog tour.

March 25---Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
March 26---Librarian's Quest
March 27---BOOKS4YOURKIDS
March 28---The Library Voice
March 29---Mom Read It

Destination High Adventure

Regardless of the intentions of the protagonists in an adventure story, they find themselves constantly in and out of danger.  Their paths are littered with obstacles.  These may come in the form of monsters from lore, unexpected natural disasters or at the hands of unsavory individuals.  Moving at breathtaking speeds, the action is non-stop.  As readers we are never sure from one minute to the next if survival will be their fortune.

A year ago yesterday Compass South (Four Points, Book 1) (Margaret Ferguson Books, Farrar Straus Giroux) written by Hope Larson with illustrations by Rebecca Mock raced into the world.  A three page prologue, the air laden with mystery, introduces us to Mr. Hodge, the red-headed twin babies left in his care and the necessity of keeping two heirlooms in their constant possession, a compass and a knife.  Hester, the love of Hodge's life, we are told is now deceased.  The children, a girl and a boy, will never know her.

Twelve years later the children believing their father, Hodge, is dead join a street crew, the Black Hook Gang. In a robbery gone bad, Alexander and Cleopatra Dodge find themselves seated in front of the head of the local police.  To save themselves from prison they reveal the location of the gang hideout.

Although they are being sent from the city with a clean slate, they know their lives will be short if Luther, the leader of the gang, finds them.  Waiting for the purchase of train tickets to New Orleans they see an ad in the newspaper. A father, a very wealthy father, is looking for his twin sons, his redheaded sons, last seen five years ago.

From New Orleans they have to get to San Francisco to collect the reward as well as be reunited with their "father."  Their plans get turned inside out when they discover another set of twins with the same idea.  To add to their predicament Luther is indeed looking for them but he is now working for an unscrupulous pirate who has to have the compass and the knife.  These objects hold the key to untold treasures.

As events unfold, the two sets of twins find themselves separated but paired with each other.  A tumultuous sea voyage and a jungle journey take them closer to known and unknown perils.  Shipboard battles, sword fights, quick sand, wild animals, high winds, stormy seas and treacherous currents work against them but bigger surprises than they could have imagined await them as the conclusion draws closer.

To announce this first book there were numerous articles and interviews, Comics Alliance, Comics Alternative,  School Library Journal, Drawn to Comics, and Book Riot. A blog tour described the process of creating this title.  Two of the posts can be read at teacher Colby Sharp's blog, sharpread, and at Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher's blog, Watch. Connect. Read.  To view interior panels please visit the publisher's website.

And now one year later...

The twelve-year-old twins, Alex and Cleo, return in further heart-pounding escapades as they crack the code hidden in the knife and compass in Knife's Edge Four Points, Book Two (Margaret Ferguson Books, Farrar Straus Giroux, June 27, 2017).  Now aboard the ship Almira commanded by Captain Tarboro, a man with a near legendary life, they set sail for the Marshall Islands.  They do so knowing the dreaded pirate Felix Worley, sailing El Caleuche, is trying to get to the riches before they do.  

For the first time in their lives the twins are at odds in their goals; Alex wants the life of a sailor for himself on the Almira and Cleo is struggling to find a place for herself.  Without the knowledge of anyone else, she convinces Captain Tarboro to give her sword fighting lessons.  The tension heightens when the ship seeks harbor in Honolulu.  Separated from Alex at the market Cleo uncovers more secrets increasing the questions about her and Alex and...Luther!  

Trying to change his destiny he saves Cleo from a brawl in the tavern and escapes the pirate crew to sail with the twins.  Of course this means a highly risky situation has turned decidedly deadly.  Worley will kill him for desertion.  Worley will pursue the Almira to the ends of the earth.

A high speed chase across the waves and the brutal outcome of an encounter with a reef alters the course for the twins, Luther, Captain Tarboro, his crew and the Almira. Evading pursuing sharks an island is reached but it, too, holds shocks.  It seems death has not had its day.

Friends and enemies blend in a twist of fate.  Is it a kidnapping or a secret pact?  Betrayals abound on all sides.  Page-turner can't begin to describe the minutes and hours leading to the first conclusion.  The power of story discloses another ending.

When it comes to crafting an adventure, Hope Larson has a gift.  Life in the 1860s moves from the pages into our presence so completely we are drawn into the world of the Hodge twins.  There is never a pause in the action except when as smooth as silk she weaves the past into the present through stories.  Told completely in dialogue we are captivated from beginning to end.  

Certainly the settings and the events tied to them play a huge part in readers' enjoyment of this book (and the first title, too) but her characters are strong and true, whether they are friends or foes.  They exhibit strengths and weaknesses.  Love is a driving force, an undercurrent in several relationships.  Here is a sample conversation between Cleo and Luther after he saves her.

Unnnh...   

Where am I?

The basement.

Eep!

Who are you?

Shh! You'll wake up the giant.

Ooooo...

She's coming to.  You don't look hurt---can you walk?

Who's there?  I hear whispering.

I think so.

There you are!

Quickly!

Don't you dare!  Don't you dare shut that door!

SLAM

Open this door!  Let me out!

LET ME OUT!

LET ME OUT!

Luther?

You can't know how glad I am to see you.

Glad?  One look at me and you ran off full chisel.

Had to get you away from Alex.

Did you also have to drop me through a hole in the floor?

You were in trouble.

Was not!

Okay, I was.  But I'm not sayin' thanks.  Last time I saw you, you about got me killed.

Fair enough.

The artwork on the matching dust jacket and book case suggests the adventure found on every page.  You can sense the tension and excitement in the twins aboard the Almira.  The image crosses the spine to continue on the back.  There we see Captain Tarboro with a guest on the ship who I will not name in case you have not read the first title.  The use of light and shadow by Rebecca Mock is stunning.  The details on the ship are in keeping with the time period.  The color on the opening and closing endpapers mirrors a pale blue sky.  

On the title page the illustration of the compass upon the knife as seen on the jacket and case appears beneath the text.  To the left of this is an old-style map of the voyage.  Each of the eleven chapters begins with a small but significant framed picture.

Panel sizes alter and are grouped to enhance the pacing of the narrative.  At times Mock will superimpose one element on another for emphasis.  Speech bubbles, sound effects and wordless images flow seamlessly together.  Color is used to great effect to elevate the time of day or mood of a scene.  It's the exquisite detail in all the illustrations which will have readers pausing, adding to the pleasure of the story.

One of my many favorite illustrations is in the market on Honolulu.  Cleo, who is struggling with the person she wants to become, is holding a bag of tea and smelling it.  Memories of things said to her about her tea making skills spiral out from the central element.  It's an emotional moment but also a prelude to a turning point in the story.

Knife's Edge Four Points, Book 2 written by Hope Larson with illustrations by Rebecca Mock is as thrilling as the companion title.  You simply can't start it without finishing it in one sitting; reading it as quickly as possible.  It is a period piece of a particular kind of adventure superbly done brimming with beginnings and endings.  You will want multiple copies of both books on your professional shelves.  And your personal bookshelf needs to have a copy of each, too.

To learn more about Rebecca Mock and her other work please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  She maintains a Tumblr account here.  To view interior images please follow this link to the publisher's website.  Hope Larson is interviewed for this title at School Library Journal.  The Comics Alternative again chats with the collaborators, Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock.

To view the other posts in the Knife's Edge Blog Tour follow this link.

Far From Ordinary

More than thirty years ago a tale was told which found a place in my repertoire of spooky stories.  It's about an ordinary town, much like our (your) town, where an ordinary family lives.  The parents are ordinary as are their children.  They live in an ordinary house on an ordinary street lined with other ordinary houses.  BUT...

The extraordinary thing about this family and their home is it's right next door to the local cemetery.  At this point listeners lean in a little closer, making a tighter circle.  This is exactly what we do when we're hooked on a good book.   We lean into the story by wrapping ourselves literally in a cozy blanket and figuratively let the characters, setting and narrative envelope us.

Today time stood still as I entered the anything-but-ordinary world found within the pages of The Key to Extraordinary (Scholastic Press, February 23, 2016).  As in her debut book, A Snicker of Magic, two years ago, this story takes us on a remarkable journey.  Along the paths in which Natalie Lloyd leads us we feel our hearts grow stronger and larger as her words feed familiar and hidden needs.

It is a known fact that the most extraordinary moments in a person's life come disguised as ordinary days.
It is a known fact for me, at least. 
Because that morning started out mostly the same as all mornings before: I woke up to an ache in my chest, the smell of chocolate and the sound of the ghost making a racket in the kitchen.

There is no ghost in the kitchen when twelve-year-old Emma Pearl Casey gets to the bottom of the stairs.  It's gone but her college age brother Topher is stirring up a batch of the famous family beverage, Boneyard Brew, in the Cocoa Cauldron.  She and her brother live with their Granny Blue in the rooms above their bakery, Boneyard Cafe, in a town called Blackbird Hollow.  The ache in her chest, the Big Empty, has been there since her mother died.  They are joined within minutes by Bearclaw, Bear, her small rescue dog.

Emma steps outside on the back porch to begin her day giving tours through the Blackbird Hollow Cemetery which happens to be spread before her.  (Yes, readers, the graveyard and her backyard are one and the same.)  As people pass through the gates we are introduced to the townspeople and those extra special to Emma, her Uncle Periwinkle and Aunt Greta.  A stranger appears, Waverly Valentine, who asks about the most famous ghost in Blackbird Hollow, The Conductor.  According to local legend, The Conductor appears and sings if summoned by someone pure in heart.  In the dead of night words in the melody tell of a treasure hidden hundreds of years ago.  Scores of people have hunted for this wealth; some to never return.

There are some more things you need to know about Emma and the rare wonderful people living in Blackbird Hollow.  Emma is next in a long line of remarkable women, The Wildflowers, who each have had a Destiny Dream; a field of blue flowers appears holding an item signifying their life's path.  They record their dream and how events unfold in the Book of Days.  Tall spirited Cody Belle Chitwood is Emma's very best friend, through thick and thin.  A third person returns to town, Earl Chase, who has not talked since a horrific experience with a tornado.

Throughout the days in Blackbird Hollow complete with the dancing and singing jamboree nights at the cafe, a dark cloud comes to rest over Emma, Topher and Granny Blue.  There is one who would take away everything important to them, a villain of the worst sort.  The arrival of her Destiny Dream gives Emma an answer but it's not clear what she needs to do.  With the help of her friends, a ghost, the promise she made to her mother, a Gypsy rose summer and a frightening storm, true treasures are discovered and a dreamed destiny takes shape.


When Natalie Lloyd writes you have to remind yourself to breathe.  Her small town characters live their lives generously, even the one who rarely smiles.  The conversations between the adults and the adults and the children are as real as rain. They accept the possibility of ghosts in their graveyard, feeling The Touch and the blooming of flowers in every season of the year.  They find joy whenever they can despite the hardships they may face.  Where else but Blackbird Hollow will you find a grandmother with tattoos who used to be a boxer and still rides a motorcycle.

The descriptions of the locations in and around the town are so vivid; you'll find yourself planning your next vacation as a trip to Tennessee.  The graveyard with the names on the headstones, the forbidden portion of the cemetery, the Thicket, the Wailing Woods, the mountains and fields, are steeped in history and mystery.  The weather, wind, rain, thunder and lightning, add to the atmosphere.

One of the other things which will have you either grabbing a highlighter or using an entire package of sticky notes is how Natalie Lloyd chooses her words.  They are somewhat alliterative; Blackbird Hollow, Boneyard Cafe, Granny Blue, Wailing Woods and Destiny Dreams.  If you were to read this book aloud you will be inclined to sing at times.  Here are some sample passages.

I made my way through the kitchen door and onto the back porch.  The screen door slapped shut behind me, and I stared out over the dreamy-morning world.  The dark night had already faded to a pretty pale blue at the horizon.  A cool wind prickled my skin and rustled the branches of the big oak in the center of the field.  The leaves made a sound that reminded me of breath, which was kind of strange considering all that lay before me.  As far as I could see, the headstones and statues of Blackbird Hollow Cemetery peeked up from the mist.

The book spine crackled underneath my fingertips when I opened it.  It sounded like my spine when I first wake up and stretch in the morning, and I wondered if it was possible for a book to come alive that same way.  To tell you things.  To change the course of your days.

The sadness was heavy in Blue's voice when she answered. "Don't know if we can hold out that long."
"Do you remember what Mama said about fear?" I asked.  "She said fear is just a flashlight that helps you find your courage."
Blue rested her hand on my shoulder.  "Well, she knew a thing or two about courage.  That's for sure.  She was a brave lady."
"We are all brave ladies," I said.  "We're Wildflowers."

My book after I finished reading it today.  

My copy of The Key to Extraordinary written by Natalie Lloyd is brimming with sticky notes.  You will find yourself reading portions of it again and again.  You will find yourself reciting phrases aloud to listen to the music they create.  We can never have too many true friends, love or hope.  It's all here, springing forth and spreading outward like the flowers in Blackbird Hollow.

You will want to learn more about Natalie Lloyd.  You can do this by following the link attached to her name taking you to her website.  She has a blog linked here. At TeachingBooks.net she talks about both her books reading excerpts from each of them.  She also talks about the pronunciation of her name.  The artist who designed the cover for this book, Gilbert Ford, has an interesting post about the process here.  Enjoy the trailer created by Scholastic Book Fairs.