One of the best parts of three-day holiday weekends is the extra time for reading. Memorial Day 2019, like those of past years, is a time to reread favorite series. It's a traditional way to get ready for summer. One favorite collection, leaving us with a lighter heart, is the Elephant & Piggieset written and illustrated by Mo Willems. From 2007 to 2016 the twenty-five titles entertained readers of all ages. In 2016 a new series entered the children's literature world, Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! and it's still growing. The work of other authors/illustrators is featured in this collection of books Elephant and Piggie enjoy reading. (I laughed and laughed yesterday reading sixteen of the Elephant & Piggie books plus four in the Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! group.)
The beauty of books in a series is the growing excitement in waiting for the next title. Harold & Hog Pretend For Real! (Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group, May 7, 2019) written and illustrated by Dan Santat is well worth the wait. It's an imagination sensation.
Elephant Gerald! LOOK! What is it, Piggie? I found a book about an ELEPHANT and a PIG!
Piggie runs to Gerald with this very book in her hands. The two best friends can hardly wait to read a book about an elephant and a pig. Before they start reading it, the page is turned. Hog and Harold are thrilled they see their two literary heroes.
Immediately, Harold has a bright idea. He thinks they should pretend to be Elephant and Piggie. Hog is not convinced this is a good idea. In the blink of an eye, Harold produces glasses for himself and a Piggie nose for Hog. And just like that, Harold is certain they have become Elephant and Piggie.
Hog is confused not knowing how to be Piggie. Harold offers one suggestion after the other. When Hog, now Piggie, points out how that sounds scary, he mentions it's a good thing Gerald, really Harold, is cautious. Harold demonstrates how he will be mindful as he smiles, dances and flies all at the same time. Now Hog is totally frustrated. Gerald, the real Gerald, would not act like this. Harold and Hog are startled to realize Hog is more like Gerald and Harold is more like Piggie. What a dilemma!
As the duo start to speculate further about how they are not like Elephant and Piggie, their logic takes a wrong turn. It only last moments because true friends with two hearts beating as one find the best kind of answer. Before the story ends, more laughter and characters enter the fun.
What makes a book written by Dan Santat sing off the pages is his keen sense of humor, sincerity and pursuit of presenting the soul of a story to his readers. In this title, told entirely through dialogue, the sentences, page by page, emphatically reveal the true character of Harold and Hog. The word choices and pacing leave room for reader interpretation as well as the stellar illustrations providing emphasis and contrast to the text. Here is a passage.
You are so lucky, "Piggie." You get to smile . . . and dance . . . and fly . . . ALL AT THE SAME TIME! STOP! What is wrong? I cannot do THAT! Why not?
One look, one long look, at the front of the book case and readers will see hilarity is forthcoming. First, we have the "disguises" worn by Harold and Hog and their differing expressions. The words Elephant & Piggie have been covered by Harold & Hog. Mo Willems has been crossed out and replaced by Dan Santat. This is going to be no ordinary story.
On the opening and closing endpapers, as in the other Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! books, the famous duo is reading the book we hold in our hands. Careful readers will see the renowned bird who wanted to drive a bus behind Elephant, leaning on his head and reading, on the second set of endpapers. Three page turns into the book and readers begin to discover the real nature of this story when Hog turns the previous page. Then Harold and Hog walk to stand in front of a screen.
Dan Santat's facial expressions and body positions, the exaggerated hesitancy on Hog and the over exuberance of Harold, are highly effective and downright funny. The two images with no words are perfectly placed. You can almost hear readers' gasps and sighs and see knowing nods of understanding.
One of my many, many favorite illustrations spans two pages. Harold as Gerald is demonstrating to Hog as Piggie three things Piggie enjoys doing: smiling, dancing and flying. Seeing Harold in these three stances with his face full of joy is funny but Hog standing in front of him is guaranteed to have readers burst out laughing. Hog is wide-eyed and has absolutely no desire to smile, dance or fly.
Harold & Hog Pretend For Real! written and illustrated by Dan Santat is a brilliant execution of a story with characters imitating other characters. It's about discovering your essential self and celebrating this wonderful being you are. It's a tribute to the friendship found in the Elephant & Piggie books. It's going to be read repeatedly. I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal collections.
To discover more about Dan Santat and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website. Dan Santat has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. At the publisher's website there is an educator's guide. I believe you will enjoy these interviews at Creative Playdatepodcast and Literatiwith Dan Santat.
This particular nursery rhyme is brimming with mystery. Speculation abounds as to who or what Humpty Dumpty was. No one can say with certainty why Humpty Dumpty was on a wall. Some believe they know which king's horses and king's men were present. Many believe they understand why Humpty Dumpty was doomed to remain broken. It's hard to fix an egg when it falls off a wall.
In the mind of a clever author and creative illustrator all those mysteries are resolved. Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat (The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend) has written and illustrated the extraordinary After The Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again) (Roaring Brook Press, October 3, 2017). You will never forget where you were and how you felt the first time you read this book. I will always remember.
My name is Humpty Dumpty.
This was my favorite spot, high up on the wall.
I know, it's an odd place for an egg to be,
but I loved being close to the birds.
High on the top of the wall was as close to the birds as Humpty Dumpty could get. Following their flight, binoculars held to his eyes, was his life's greatest joy. When he fell, unlike the rhyme, the king's men, staff at the local hospital, mended Humpty's breaks. What they could not fix was his broken bravery. Humpty Dumpty now feared heights.
Walking by the wall each day did not alleviate his fright but reminded him of what could happen. It wasn't the same watching the birds from the ground but unexpectedly an answer to his problems passed through his range of sight. Humpty Dumpty was consumed with making the perfect paper airplane. He crafted one after another over and over and over again
until I got it just right.
The old elation, missing for so long, filled his soul as he watched this bird, formed with his own fingers, soar. Then what he dreaded most happened. His perfect paper airplane, his avian adventurer, drifted down to the top of the wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a choice to make. This choice would determine the direction he would follow for the rest of his life. To face one's fright is to achieve the unimaginable.
As soon as Humpty Dumpty introduces himself to readers, we recognize his candor. We comprehend through the first person voice author Dan Santat has given him the importance of this spectacular version, this new vision, of a nursery rhyme. Page by page as his story is told our compassion grows. Who among us has not had to face a fear, begin anew or conquer worry?
As our connection to this character strengthens, we share in his renewed hope through the idea of fashioning a paper airplane. As he talks about how hard this is, we can't help but think of the brilliance of this plan. Something is building inside us as we read. The word choices and sentences are taking us with intention toward a conclusion unlike anything we have ever experienced. Here are two sample sentences.
Fortunately, all the king's men managed to put me back together.
There were some parts that couldn't be healed with bandages and glue.
With the blue birds (happiness) surrounding a smiling Humpty Dumpty seated on the wall on the dust jacket, it's easy to see how much he enjoys this activity. The title text appears to be a part of the construction of the wall. The wall crosses the spine and continues to the left edge on the back. The ladder Humpty Dumpty uses to climb to the top is shown on the left. Text above the wall reads:
LIFE BEGINS WHEN YOU GET BACK UP.
The book case (shown on Dan Santat's Instagram account) (I currently have an F & G and can't wait for the release date.) is light in color. It shows Humpty Dumpty tumbling through the air, binoculars falling too. The birds flutter above, below and to his left.
On the opening and closing endpapers we are shown a panoramic view of the realm with the wall behind the community. In the first a small Humpty sits on the wall on the right with the birds around him. A day is beginning. In the second the sky has changed. Lights are on in some of the windows. The sky is purple as dusk darkens it and a few stars shine. The blue birds are soaring higher. And Humpty . . .
The title page mirrors the jacket but Humpty Dumpty has started his fall backward off the wall. On the verso the dedication is carved into the wall. It's For Leah with a heart and arrow beneath it. Leah is Dan Santat's wife.
Most of the images extend over two pages in dazzling portrayals enhancing the character's story. Dan takes us into a grocery store as a discouraged Humpty shops rows of shelves spread before and above him, down a nearly empty street along the wall as fall leaves glide down, into the snowy cold of winter as Humpty looks up at birds and with Humpty as he lifts his perfect paper airplane bird victoriously in the air. Each of these images demonstrates the masterful use of perspective. We are alongside our character, we are looking down at him or we become him. In some of the double page pictures the use of white space will take your breath away.
After you have read this book you need to notice all the exquisite details included. The framed Daily News article about Humpty Dumpty's bird watching award, the pictures on his coffee cups, the reflection in Humpty Dumpty's eyes when the accident happens, and a familiar family name above a building all point to this not only being a personal story for our nursery rhyme friend but also for the creator. There is passion in every line, in every color. This is indeed a labor of love.
One of my many, many favorite illustrations is when Humpty Dumpty is in the grocery store. Even though this is when he reveals to readers his fear of heights, it is also an opportunity for Dan Santat to insert his humor. The first two rows are full of color and sugar and crunch. You will love all the names like Sugar Bunny, Just Marshmallow and Bowl-O-Cookies. With each lower row the color leaves until the bottom row is shades of gray. Some of those names are Cardboard, Twigs & Berries and Fiber Flakes. A dejected Humpty looks mournfully at the choices.
One word which rings out of your mind after reading After The Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again) written and illustrated by Dan Santat is triumph. This book is that (and more) for the character, for Dan Santat and us lucky readers. I would plan on multiple copies for your professional shelves and it's a must have for your personal collection.
To learn more about Dan Santat and his other work please follow the link attached to his name to access his website. At the site dedicated to this book you can view the book trailer. To get a peek at interior images please visit the publisher's website. Dan Santat is a guest at PictureBooking, Episode 83. Dan Santat answers five questions at The Horn Book. Dan speaks about this book, why he wrote it and what he hopes its value is for readers at the Publishers Weekly PW KidsCast.
Educator extraordinaire, author and editor Colby Sharp continues his Vlog series with Dan Santat, asking him about the dedication in this book.
Your best of what you do best has been done all day long. The last little bit of light bows, ushering in twilight. All the items on your mental checklist have been completed. You look forward to a nice, long rest.
Without warning a sound shatters your solitude. Bustling bat wings, what's that? Hildie Bitterpickles Needs Her Sleep (Creston Books, April 12, 2016) written by Robin Newman (The Case of the Missing Carrot Cake A Wilcox and Griswold Mystery) with illustrations by Chris Ewald introduces readers to a clever, rather charming, witch with a dilemma demanding her undivided attention.
There's a little-known secret about Hildie Bitterpickles. She needs her sleep.
As regular as sunrise and sunset Hildie runs through her bedtime routine. Snuggled, cozy and comfortable with her cat, Clawdia, she is rudely disturbed. A new arrival in the neighborhood is raising a ruckus. A fee-fi-fo- fum friend from the land of fairy is operating an elevator of the vegetable variety.
With a quick exit and an equally quick return, she puts an end to the noise but low and behold, it's back the next night with a new addition. You-know-who living in a shoe with a horde of guys and gals has moved in next door. There is no slumber for Hildie as they engage in their favorite pastime during the darkest hours hitting home runs against the side of her residence.
A wolf with exceedingly bad aim misses the mark on the new pigs' place and Hildie finds herself without a roof over her head. At her wit's end, Hildie has to locate somewhere else to live. Monty, the real estate rat, does his best to accommodate her demands.
Nursery rhyme characters create a commotion in one new abode after the other. In a quirk of fate Hildie finds it necessary to use the previously mentioned cleverness and consummate charm. A little bit of mix-and-match hocus-pocus may bring about the solution our weary witch is seeking.
Like her created character Hildie, Robin Newman weaves a masterful spell with words. Employing a classic and much-proven storytelling technique of events in threes she forms a cadence, a sense of expectation, for her readers. An extra layer of rhythm is supplied with the repetition of a key phrase which welcomes us all to participate. More fun is found in the onomatopoeia of noisy neighbor characters from well-known folklore. Here is a sample passage.
"I need a quiet house," said Hildie. "WITHOUT NEIGHBORS!" "You've come to the right rat!" said Monty. He scampered through his files. "This farmhouse with three blind mice seems promising." "Are they quiet mice?" asked Hildie. "Quiet as church mice!" Hildie and Clawdia move in.
The atmospheric front of the book case with a worried-looking Hildie searching for help by reading, her trusty cauldron and potion-filled flask next to her, will cause readers' curiosity to heighten. You can already see evidence of the attention to detail provided by Chris Ewald, debut picture book illustrator, in the placement of the tiny cobwebs. On the back, to the left of the opened case, are a blurb and two recommendations above a sleeping Clawdia underneath Hildie's hat.
The opening endpapers depict a close-up view of Hildie's magical work space, glass vessels, a closed and open book in her own handwriting with a drawing, a skull and a tail belonging to an unknown creature. The closing endpapers reveal the results of Hildie's ingenuity. Ewald shifts his image sizes to enhance the text while enveloping readers in every fantastical and funny moment.
There are single pages, edge to edge, double-page pictures, edge to edge, two smaller images with elements extending into the other visual and small groupings framed in white space with a color palette reflective of the time of day. Perspective is altered also to increase the intensity of a selected scene. Readers will find themselves pausing at every page turn to notice all the extra items Ewald has included; a cow clinging to a crescent moon, classic flamingo yard ornaments in front of the shoe house, the hip old woman has vivid green tennis balls on her walker, the dish and spoon grinning as they sit on a cabinet in Hildie's house and Humpty Dumpty (as a mover) wearing two band-aides on his forehead. The facial expressions on all the characters are the crowning comedic glory.
One of my favorite pictures is when Hildie and Clawdia have moved into a cottage with a bunch of black sheep, supposedly quiet. By the glow of candlelight they are crowding into the room with our duo, all wanting to sleep in the same bed. The expression on Hildie's face and the placement of Clawdia's paws tell a tale all their own. Someone who has lost her sheep is peering in the window.
Look for knowing nods from listeners as Hildie Bitterpickles Needs Her Sleep written by Robin Newman with illustrations by Chris Ewald is read aloud; famous fairy tale and nursery rhyme characters replete in the narrative and images. Get ready for bursts of laughter and requests for read it again. Have a witch's hat handy and a friendly black cat for company.
To learn more about both Robin Newman and Chris Ewald and their other work, please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names. By following this link you can access another site maintained by Robin Newman. For a peek at one of the two-page images access the publisher's website. Robin Newman is a guest at KidLit TVin an interview loaded with information and activity ideas. Here is the link to a twelve page teacher's guide for Hildie Bitterpickles Needs Her Sleep. Enjoy the videos!
An unexpected encounter with them puts our lives in danger. They are the largest land carnivore on our planet. They are ferocious but generally shy and when observed from a safe distance intriguing. When seen in a toy shop, we select them to become cherished friends. In 2002 a centennial celebration marked their creation.
In literature, as characters, we laugh at their antics, marvel at their insights and ingenuity and more times than not make room in our hearts for what they represent. As 2015 comes to a close there are five titles featuring bears I would like to highlight in two separate posts. I Thought This Was A Bear Book (Aladdin, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, August 4, 2015) written by Tara Lazar with illustrations by Benji Davies gives readers a peek at the potential for problems when books fall from a shelf.
Once upon a time there were three bears. Zark! Zoot! Zinder! DOING WHOOSH CLANG
A spacecraft crashes into the woods normally populated by residents from the land of fairy. A green being has lost his book and needs to return to Planet Zero. No one is more surprised by this turn of events than Papa, Mama and Baby Bear.
Prince Zilch is panic-stricken at his plight. He needs to return to page twenty-seven immediately. These berry-picking bears, who are sick of eating porridge, are unfortunately more interested in exploring his other-worldly vehicle. Their fumbling fixes any chance Prince Zilch has of leaving on schedule. Both the alien and largest bear appeal to the reader for help. As luck would have it you-know-who, the girl with the golden hair, arrives.
With only certain items on hand, chairs, beds and busted bits, the bears do their best to assist the royal visitor out of their story. Nothing seems to work. As parents snooze, Baby Bear proposes a plan. It might work. WHOA! Now look what we've done!
With a talent for fracturing fairy tales Tara Lazarvery quickly alters the norm by introducing a character from a different galaxy...er...story. His language is easy to understand although he does tend to favor the letter z. Told entirely in dialogue between the characters and at times directed at the reader, humor is prevalent. The use of alliteration adds to the buoyant cadence. Here is a sample passage.
Papa Bear Well, maybe you can bounce out of the book using our beds.
Goldilocks Jeesh, can't a girl get some shut-eye around here?
Digitally rendered using an array of hues, leaning toward secondary colors, Benji Daviesintroduces the characters on the front of the matching dust jacket and book case. He peaks our curiosity as to the importance of the open books with familiar faces looking from and leaving the pages. To the left, on the back, Papa, Mama and Baby Bear are walking away from us toward the berry bushes. Prince Zilch is zooming past with his signature pink cloud trailing behind his spaceship.
One of the shades of green from the bears' book is used on the opening and closing endpapers. A page turn shows a child leaving a book case as books slip from position and fall to the floor. An alien vehicle zooms from one into Goldilocks & The 3 Bears. On the verso and title pages the image from the back of the jacket and case is extended with an enlarged book on the left.
Picture sizes vary from two pages to single pages and to several on a single page. Many of them have rounded corners with white space acting as a frame. The dialogue is placed in colorful balloons of pink, yellow, orange and two shades of blue depending on who is speaking. Plan on laughing out loud at the details Davies adds to enhance the story.
One of my favorite illustrations spans two pages. First the alien and then Papa Bear are talking directly to the reader. The fallen spaceship is behind them. Behind the vehicle Baby Bear and Mama Bear are smiling and waving at a busload of tourists who have stopped to take their pictures as if they are bears in a national park. I dare you not to smile. I Thought This Was A Bear Book written by Tara Lazar with illustrations by Benji Davies is definitely a bear book filled with fractured fairy tale fun. It's a tribute to the power of story and those who read them. To discover more about Tara Lazar and Benji Davies please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites. Tara Lazar includes a teacher's guide and fun activities as well as links to other posts about this book. At the publisher's website you can view three additional interior images. Readers were and will continue to be enchanted with the father and son duo and their winding adventures in The Bear's Songand The Bear's Sea Escape. In a third title, The Bear's Surprise (Chronicle Books, September 15, 2015) written and illustrated by Benjamin Chaud spring has sprung. Roles are reversed as Papa Bear seems to have vanished.
Deep in the forest, Little Bear awakens to the sounds of spring. Outside his cozy den, birds are chirping, animals are scurrying, and Little Bear smells the sweet scent of flowers.
Little Bear's joy at the shift in the seasons is short-lived as he notices his father is absent. Could he be near the yellow glow beyond the trees? The shining sun lights the way along an unexplored trail.
Within mere minutes Little Bear is standing in front of a large hole in a hillside. Could this lead him to Papa? It's a huge, huge cave filled with beings from fantasy, now and the past. Oh! What's this?
How did Little Bear get into a washing machine? Who are all these creative creatures and people straight from the realm of whimsy? Little Bear rushes toward a large red tent. He thinks he spies Papa Bear's behind. A crowd has gathered and is making their way toward seats. Suddenly the lights are lowered.
Papa Bear and Little Bear are making magic with their planned and unplanned performances. The watchers cheer and applaud as Little Bear soars higher and higher. He flies. He lands. He leans. Oh. ... This is indeed a surprise, a wonderful gift of spring.
Carefully written sentences, brimming with descriptive adjectives and verbs, place readers squarely in the bears' world. Benjamin Chaud repeatedly asks readers questions, inviting them to turn the pages closely following Little Bear. Punctuation asks us to pause and ponder his next move. Here is a sample passage.
Little Bear darts through a collection of quirky clowns, costumed cats, and other curiosities until he spots something behind a great red curtain. Isn't that Papa Bear's fuzzy brown bottom? With three quick hops, Little Bear enters the circus tent. What will he find?
The muted earth tones seen on the matching dust jacket and book case are used by Benjamin Chaud throughout the book. The fine lines, multitude of details and fascinating characters are his signature style for these bear books. To the left, on the back, a small oval image amid a golden yellow background foreshadows the surprise. A similar hue colors the opening and closing endpapers acting as a canvas for a pattern of large white stars. On the opening right side Baby Bear is seen flying through the air wearing a circus hat.
Beginning with the title page Chaud starts his new technique for this title. Each two pages contain one or more cut-outs encouraging us join Little Bear. You will marvel at their placement. The exquisite intricacy of the elements placed in each two-page illustration will take your breath away.
One of my favorite pictures is when Little Bear goes into the hole in the hillside and enters the cave. All the passages and little rooms are amazing. They are filled with creatures you might expect to see; foxes, moles and a skunk. There is a tiny yellow submarine exploring in the water. A creature from the age of dinosaurs hangs from the ceiling as bats flit from place to place. People from the past and present have made their homes here. You will gasp when you spy two memorable fictional characters.
The Bear's Surprise written and illustrated by Benjamin Chaud is another stunning title in the series. Readers of all ages will read this over and over looking for new items on every page. At the publisher's website three more images can be viewed. Even though this book trailer is in French you can get a closer peek at some of the pictures. It's also interesting to see the dust jacket used for the French version.
As she did in Inside Outside and FlashlightLizi Boyd asks us to expand our inventive nature in her newest title. Big Bear Little Chair (Chronicle Books, October 6, 2015) is a book of concepts. Opposites combine, two characters' lives intertwine.
Big Bear little chair Big Plant little cocoon
A bird, a zebra, a butterfly, and an elephant are paired with a trick, a rock, a broom and an umbrella. Is that a star and the moon? Little Bear is as surprised as Big Bear to see the size of his chair.
What do an owl, a meadow, a lion, a sea, a rabbit and a forest have in common? They are all matched with little things. Most are normal, but one is quite extraordinary. Ahhh....now Big Bear and Little Bear are together next to a little chair (and a big chair).
Another item has been added to the comparisons. We read from big to little and finally to tiny. Who's driving the little bus? What's near the big seal? Who's walking through the little village in the big snowstorm? Tales are told. There are bears in chairs too.
Lizi Boyd divides the book into four sections. Within the first three she includes six comparisons. The attention of readers is guaranteed with her ingenious selections. With each page turn we wonder if we will see an owl on a branch or a zebra with a broom.
Red, white, black and gray are the only colors Lizi Boyd uses in this title. The red is extended on the dust jacket and book case to the back on the left. The circles used to hold the title text on the front frame pictures of an owl, an elephant and a turtle on the back. The endpapers are done in two shades of gray, each with a different graphic design.
A variety of shapes are featured in each single page visual. Rendered in gouache the lines range from delicate to precise. Careful readers will notice how the expressions change on Big Bear and Little Bear as the book progresses. Each animal showcased in the images is content and smiling.
One of my favorite pictures is for big meadow and little salamander. The flowers in the meadow are done primarily in gray with added details in black on a white background. The lines are extremely intricate. Tucked in at the bottom is a small bright red salamander.
Big Bear Little Chair written and illustrated by Lizi Boyd is many things in one. The graphic designs are impeccable. The size and shape of the book is perfect for the intended audience. To learn more about Lizi Boyd please follow the link attached to her name to access her website. At the publisher's website are three more interior images. Lizi Boyd wrote a blog post at Chronicle Books about this title. Enjoy the book trailer.
There are still forty-one days until the December solstice but a chill is in the air, trees are nearly bare of leaves and needles, and snow is staying on the mountain tops. It's a time to gather wood for cozy fires, check furnaces and gas fireplaces, take wool blankets and flannel sheets out of storage, and locate mittens, hats and scarves. Poles, snow shoes, sleds, snowboards, skis and ice skates move from the back corners of sheds and garages to the front.
We all watch and wait for the snow to fall deeper and deeper. We all watch and wait for those chilly temperatures to turn our water wonderlands into frozen stages for our skating dances and games. In the realm of fairy tales and nursery rhymes the residents are as eager as we to shift into another season. Little Red Gliding Hood (Random House, October 27, 2015) written by Tara Lazar with pictures by Troy Cummings follows a familiar girl among a cast of well-loved characters as she searches for a way to win.
It was winter, and the river winding through the enchanted forest was frozen solid. A girl raced down to the river's edge and laced up her skates.
As she moves with the same grace as swallows on currents of air, we can easily see why the people have named her Little Red Gliding Hood. She looks at her skates wondering how she will continue going to her Grandma's house every Sunday. They are falling apart at the seams and too small. Up ahead a group has gathered around a proclamation banner.
It's an announcement for a skating competition. The winner will receive a pair of new skates. Little Red has to win. Little Red knows she can win. Little Red needs a partner but everyone already has someone or they have more excuses than Jack has frost.
Flying as fast as her feet will go to avoid the Big Bad Wolf Little Red arrives at her grandmother's cottage. Her suggestions of the Gingerbread Man and Baby Bear won't work; too fast and Goldilocks snagged the little cub first. As luck would have it, The Three Little Pigs were Grandma's new neighbors.
Someone was not too happy to hear Little Red utter
"Little pigs, little pigs, let me in!"
Someone started skating with purpose in pursuit. Little Red raced across the ice but her skates could not take the strain. One left her foot as she toppled toward the ice. With outstretched arms the wolf, the big bad one, caught her.
Displaying all the gallantry of Prince Charming, this waltzing wizard on ice pays Little Red a compliment. What?! This is beyond her comprehension and her knowledge of this cunning creature. It does give her an idea though. This idea grows until it becomes a plan; a plan which turns into a day everyone in attendance will remember, especially the couple wearing new skates skimming along the frozen river into the sunset.
The four sentence introduction to the title page is our prelude to the skillful use of rhyme, repetition and alliteration by author Tara Lazar. With her words our world fades away; replaced by the enchanted forest. With ease the persons and animated items from classic children's literature find a new home in her spin on this timeless tale. Here are a couple of sample sentences.
Little Red's skates were worn-in and worn-out, no longer snow white, and a little too tight. She frowned at the creases and crumples.
Old MacDonald slipped and fell. E-I-E-I-ouch!
When you first see Little Red gliding in her hood on the ice you know she's in her element. This gal loves to skate. You also believe she's oblivious to trouble lurking in the woods along the river. To the left, on the back and behind her, are folk from nursery rhymes and fairy tales, The Three Blind Mice, Humpty Dumpty, one of The Three Little Pigs, The Queen of Hearts and one of the Seven Dwarfs. They are wearing winter attire and a variety of expressions.
On the opening and closing endpapers Troy Cummings has placed snowy evergreens and snowflakes in a pattern of blues and diamonds. The following double-page spread gives readers an overview of the enchanted forest with the river winding around a gingerbread house, castles, The Three Bears, Little Bo-Peep and her sheep, a beanstalk rising into the clouds, a golden braid of hair draped down the side of a tower, and other icons we know. This takes us to the close-up of Little Red, cape billowing out behind her holding the title text, on the second double-page image.
Cool hues with an array of vivid shades color the illustrations in all shapes and sizes throughout this title. Cummings may zoom-in to perfect a point in the narrative or give us a larger perspective to increase our understanding of Little Red's world. He crosses the gutter flawlessly with the river or inside Grandma's cozy abode. We pause to look at the details he cleverly includes.
One of my favorite pictures is of the skating competition. The crowd of characters on the ice is brightly portrayed. On the outside the spectators are outlined in blue and shaded in pastels. It works very well drawing our eyes first to the inside where we see oodles of charming friends from books we love. When a boy cries
WOLF!
he surrounds that word in pink. The wolf looks quite debonair in his clothing.
Little Red Gliding Hood written by Tara Lazar with pictures by Troy Cummings is fractured fairy tale fun during any season but it's absolutely perfect for the winter months. As the words are read or heard heads will nod knowingly when they hear familiar names. You will want to have all those other rhymes and tales ready so readers can enjoy them and this title again and again. You might want to do a comparison with Little Red and the Very Hungry Lionand Ninja Red Riding Hood.
To learn more about Tara Lazar and Troy Cummings and their work please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites. Tara Lazar has several blog posts dedicated to this title. The link is here. At the publisher's website you can view the endpapers, introduction and title pages. Little Red is interviewed at The Little Crooked Cottage.
You would have thought the neighborhood street in our small town had become a barnyard so many rooster crows could be heard. Most of us having seen the recent musical Peter Pan on television were pretending to have our own romps in Neverland. Who wouldn't want to be able to fly and vanquish the dreaded Captain Hook?
Little did we know, there is actually a girl, now thirteen-years-old, who might find flying handy in battle but would never want to best the most feared pirate in the seven seas. Although she would be loath to admit it, she would much rather give him a hug. Hook's Revenge (DisneyHyperion, September 16, 2014) written by Heidi Schulz with cover and interior illustrations by John Hendrix is about the only child of Captain James Hook, his daughter. I'll bet that caught you by surprise, it did me. So host your sails, batten down the hatches and get ready to sail into the storm known as life in the Neverland. Children Have Sticky Fingers and Ask Impertinent Questions There have always been pirates. Why, even as far back as Eve, on the day she was considering whether or not to eat that apple, a pirate was most certainly planning to sail in and take if from her.
So begins the narrative, snarky, sly and replete with humor, by an as yet-unnamed close acquaintance of Captain James Hook. Undeterred by Sir Charles's, her maternal grandfather's, best efforts to make her a lady suitable for a proper marriage match, Jocelyn Hook is being sent to
Miss Eliza Crumb-Biddlecomb's Finishing School For Young Ladies
to be instructed in the fine art of social graces befitting her status. Everything about the school, especially her two roommates, Miss Priscilla Katherine-Anne Edgeworth and Miss Nanette Arbuckle, is repulsive to Jocelyn. She bemoans the state of her motherless life and the fact her father has never once tried to contact her.
After a particularly horrid scene in the dining hall thanks to Miss Eliza, Jocelyn runs away in the rain discovering an abandoned carriage house. Here she locates a locket given to her father by her mother on their marriage day. (Don't you love this kind of miracles in books?) She also meets Roger, cook's helper and undergardener at the school. The two become fast friends planning grand adventures.
After nearly one year at the school, the tables are turned on the day of Jocelyn's thirteenth birthday. It seems Jocelyn's nemesis witnesses her entirely friendly meeting with Roger in the garden the previous night. Roger vanishes but so does Jocelyn. A final visit to the carriage house, a letter from her father and an encounter with a talking giant bird,
Edgar Allan of Edgar Allan's Mainland Courier Service
are Jocelyn's ticket to Neverland and extraordinary escapades.
Several confrontations with the tick-tock bloodthirsty crocodile, the annoying Peter Pan, the Lost Boys who seem to have lost their wits too, a tribe of cannibals with a craving for the flesh of English persons, Captain Krueger's band of scallywag pirates, cold-hearted mermaids, a particular prince from the realm of fairy, and specters from the past and present, will have you turning pages as fast as a stiff breeze blowing on the waves of open water. Characters, familiar and new, begin to spill forth from the pages as fast and furious as the action in which they are involved. Mr. Smee, One-Armed Jack (with two good arms), Jim McCraig with a Wooden Leg (or a sliver in his toe), Nubbins the cook, Blind Bart the ship's lookout (wearing two eye-patches) and later Dirty Bob crew Jocelyn's ship, Hook's Revenge, on all their less than typical journeys around and about the ever-changing landscape of Neverland. Each character changes and grows, especially Jocelyn, and so do we as readers. This is only the beginning.
Words brimming with descriptive wit will have you embroiled in the plot before you can even think Jolly Roger. The narrator, whose identity is never revealed, is definitely someone you want to meet at one moment, if only to thank him for his insightful discourse, and desire to avoid at all costs the next minute. Jocelyn, whose life is certainly not typical for a thirteen-year-old girl (thank goodness), is the perfect example of using the skills you have to not only survive but better your life and those around you. As best friends go, Roger is someone you want next to you, even if he's not sure who you are. Mr. Smee and company, although weird, are strangely wonderful. In this story Peter Pan and Tinkerbell are more pests than hero and heroine but this is wildly successful.
A vivid narrative, swash-buckling dialogue, and single startling sentences will have readers shaking their heads in wonder. Chapters are tied together with skill revealing truths about Neverland leaving you stunned. This may be Heidi Schulz's debut middle grade book but it's a tale you won't want to miss. Here are a few of the sample passages I have marked.
"You know," she said in a loud voice, "I think my father would like to meet you. He's been away, but I expect he'll come for me anytime now. Perhaps you have heard of him? Captain James Hook?" Lady Trottington fainted dead away into her plate of jellied eels. Lord Trottington let out a terrified scream. (Who would have guessed him to be a soprano?) As for Ambrose, the thorough scrubbing a housemaid gave his chair later that evening stood as testament to his reaction to Jocelyn's pronouncement. It was not the cherry tree framing the window in a cascade of blossoms (also pink), nor was it her view of the now nearly empty gardens and walks. No, what lifted Jocelyn's spirits was this; if she looked toward the horizon, turned her head like so and squinted her eyes like this, far in the distance she could make out a tiny patch of shoreline bordered by a bit of deep blue sea. For the sake of that spot of blue, Jocelyn resolved that she would not set fire to her room. At least not on her first night. On the south side of the island that day (I say that day, for the Neverland changes itself around as often as a vain woman changes her apparel) there resided a ruined ivory castle, nearly grown over with nettles, next to a great rushing river that appeared to flow backward---going up waterfalls instead of down. Sprawled beside the island's main harbor was a ramshackle pirate village, easily identified, even from Jocelyn's lofty height, by the smell of blood and rum. ... ...Even so, the girl knew somewhere down there, amidst all the wonder, a terrible beast was waiting. Reminds me a bit of my first wedding day.
In addition to the full color dust jacket artwork John Hendrix enhances the story with five full-page black and white illustrations. Each image masterfully captures the emotions of the characters during a specific scene. One in particular will have you gasping for air.
Before you let the sun set on another day, make sure to acquire a copy of Hook's Revenge written by Heidi Schulz with illustrations by John Hendrix. It's a visit to Neverland like none other; you won't want to leave. Read this yourself or share it with others as a read aloud but make sure you do before the sequel arrives. It promises even greater excitement.
To learn more about the collaborative team of Heidi Schulz and John Hendrix please visit their websites by following the links embedded in their names. Julie Danielson, author and blogger at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast interviewed Heidi Schulz at Kirkus. The following week the art of John Hendrix was featured on her blog.
The beauty of books in a series is the growing excitement in waiting for the next title. Harold & Hog Pretend For Real! (Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group, May 7, 2019) written and illustrated by Dan Santat is well worth the wait. It's an imagination sensation.
