Comedy Times Two

For those who have read a book aloud to one or more listeners and the response is laughter, there is truly little, if anything, better in life.  Once the laughter starts, it is contagious, spreading from person to person, until the entire room is enveloped in merriment.  Even after the story is complete, and each participant leaves, the shared happiness remains, tucked away to be remembered when it is needed the most.

At times, a single word can carry humor to fun-filled heights.  In Chick Chat (North|South, January 19, 2021) written and illustrated by Janie Bynum, a baby cannot stop talking during any waking moment of their day.  As you might expect, this talking is done through a single sound, repeated profusely. 

Baby Chick has a lot to say.

She peeps so much at the breakfast table; an older sister wishes the chit-chat would stop.  She's already exhausted from hearing the constant noise.  Mama and Papa are much too busy with their own tasks to listen.

Pulling a trusty red wagon loaded with prize possessions, Baby Chick tries one more time to lure Sister into a discussion.  Too busy reading, she tells Baby Chick to play.  The little chicken finds a likely spot to stop and starts digging with her trowel.  Suddenly,

Thunk!

Baby Chick finds an egg.  It's big.  It's round.  And it is silent.  Unable to leave the egg all by itself, it's loaded into the trusty red wagon.  Concerned, a sibling and parents convince and ask Baby Chick to return the egg.  Back at the hole in the dirt, she provides the egg with all the comforts of friendship, safety, warmth and conversation.

She falls asleep there and is taken home.  As the sun rises, the ever-talkative bundle of fluff hurries to the egg.  After a startling discover, a pleasant surprise awaits the gregarious Baby Chick.

With limited sentences, descriptive and declarative, author Janie Bynum introduces readers to a lovable character who resides in an equally affectionate family.  A pleasing blend of narrative and conversation add to the comedy.  Punctuation after the multitude of peeps furnishes readers with emphasis and meaning.  Here is a passage.

Peep.  Peep.  Peep?

"Not now.  I'm working,"

crowed Papa.  "Talk to Sister."

eRR-

eRR-

eRRRRR

On the open book case, a robin's egg blue is the canvas.  On either side of the spine the image shows Baby Chick pulling her trusty red wagon loaded with her treasures.  She pulls it with one wing.  In the other wing she holds her trowel.  On top of the watering can is a tiny beetle.  The line drawings here, and throughout the book, are detailed and colorful.  On the back, the left of the open book case, is text one might find on the front flap of a dust jacket.

A grass green hue covers the opening and closing endpapers.  On the first set are the tracks of Baby Chick.  On the second set another set of tracks accompany those of Baby Chick, referencing her newly hatched friend.

On the title page, the title text is placed within a speech balloon.  Beneath this, Baby Chick is leaning into a hole saying---

Peep?

The sizes of the illustrations vary from marvelous two-page pictures to full-page pictures or several visuals on a single page.  The alternating sizes contribute favorably to the wondrous pacing.  Readers will be charmed by all the tiny appropriate elements in each illustration.  Baby Chick is eating a bowl of worms for breakfast.  Her Mama wears an apron and Sister is wearing a tied scarf.  Later, Mom gathers beetles in a basket.  Sister is reading a book titled A Coop of One's Own.  

Careful readers will see that Baby Chick never wanders far from the coop.  You can see the coop from where Sister is reading against a tree.  The egg is found near the tree with Sister seen reading in the distance.  Readers will enjoy seeing how Baby Chick keeps the egg safe, warm, and company.

One of my many favorite illustrations, a full-page picture, is after the sun has set.  Sister finds Baby Chick with the egg.  The egg is wrapped in a blanket.  Baby Chick, covered with another blanket, is on top of the egg.  She is holding her purple stuffed toy elephant.  She is down in the hole with a grassy slope behind her.  There are two sheep there and Sister.  The other items Baby Chick has with her in the hole are enchanting.

Get ready for readers to peep, peep, and peep some more when listening to or after reading Chick Chat written and illustrated by Janie Bynum.  Cheerful is the word to use depicting this tale of friendship found.  All the peeps welcome participation by readers and listeners.  If you are looking for laughter, this book is for you, either on your personal or professional bookshelves.

To learn more about Janie Bynum and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  The book, Chick Chat, has its own site here.  There are interior illustrations found at the publisher's website and at Simon & Schuster.  The publisher has an interview with the creator here.  Jamie Bynum has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  The blog tour for this title starts at Good Reads with Ronna with links to the other stops.

CHICK CHAT the Picture Book (trailer) from Janie Bynum on Vimeo.

The patience of parents is tested more than once on road trips with children.  After endless games of I Spy, There's A Flag, 50-State License Plates, Bingo scavenger hunts, and boredom from coloring and puzzles sets in, the bickering begins.  Siblings who tolerate each other outside a car tend to become bitter rivals when confined to the back seat inside a car.  Squish Squash Squished (Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, February 16, 2021) written by Rebecca Kraft Rector with illustrations by Dana Wulfekotte is hilarity multiplied.  Fantastic wordplay paired with whimsical images of animals and humans living together in a small community fashions a textured tale of you never know how good it is until it isn't.

"Hurry-scurry, kids," called Mom.

"Let's jiggety-jog into town in our

gracious-spacious automobile."

As soon as the sister and brother get inside the car, the pushing and shoving commence.  One leans into the other and vice versa.  Mom has a solution.  She invites a father, Peter Jeeter, and son, pigs, to join them. Brother and sister yell in unison about the more crowded backseat.

Mom replies with the same phrase,

"Too tight for two?

I know what to do."

She welcomes Dolly Waddle and two ducklings to join the passengers in their automobile.  Now the siblings are more squished and squashed.  

As the yelling from Max and Molly gets louder, Mom makes another stop.  Four more creatures enter the car.  There is more shouting, oinking, quacking and woofing.  Mom slows her automobile near the largest of animal friends they've yet to meet.  Their numbers are greater than any of the other guests.  Do Max and Molly keep yelling?  What do they do next?  

A school, pond, and the market supply answers.  Max and Molly have discovered a valuable truth about the definition of squish and squash.  Their perspective on the family car might have changed.

Rhyming, alliteration and repetition of key phrases are a wonderful, winning combination penned by author Rebecca Kraft Rector in this rollicking tale of complaints versus cleverness.  The use of dialogue and text is fabulous as is the rhythm they create.  With each new encounter of an animal family on the road, the laughter factor grows.  Here is a passage.

Two ducklings 

flit-feathered onto Molly's head,

quack-quacking,

and one piglet on Max's lap

oink-oinked right in his ear.

"Mom!" Max and Molly yelled.

"We're squished and squashed!"

You can't help but laugh out loud when you look at the matching dust jacket and book case.  The animal friends are having the ride of their collective lives.  Mom is calm and cool as the proverbial cucumber.  Max and Molly are not happy.  They look right at us in discomfort and frustration.  The facial expressions on the characters here by artist Dana Wulfekotte are priceless.  The hill you see going up on the right, front of the jacket and cover, continues on the other side of the spine.  Just left of the spine is a large tree, fully leafed.  Another darker hill with a barn at its top, extends from the middle of the first hill to the far-left side.  A pigeon wearing a hat stands on the ISBN with its suitcase.  Perhaps, it is a homing (carrier) pigeon.

On the opening and closing matching endpapers, done in two tones of teal with black outlines, we see each of the four animal families displaying a variety of activities and positions.  You can't look at these without smiling or giggling.  The double-page picture for the verso and title pages features a low rolling hill with the road along the bottom.  A giraffe in jogging gear is placed on the left.  On the right, Inch Pinch and her three backpack-wearing puppies are riding a bicycle built for four.  

In illustrations, 

rendered in pencil and then digitally colored, 

and shifting in size from double-page images to full-page pictures or single, double, or triple fine-lined-framed geometric shapes on a single page, each one generates superb pacing.  Readers will find more playfulness in the attire worn by the passengers and the objects they carry.  These elements seem to indicate the ultimate goal of each family as shown at the end of the story.  One of the funnier scenes is for Scooter Mooter and his calves.  The calves are wearing pink tutus.  One is also wearing glasses and reading a book.  The gathering of animals and people of mixed races and ages at the market is perfect.

One of my many favorite illustrations is one of three on a single page.  It is a rectangle-shaped picture.  It is a close-up of the faces of Molly and Max, open-mouthed and yelling.  Max has a missing tooth.  Dolly Waddle is to the left of Molly.  Her two ducklings are quacking on top of Molly's head.  The upper portion of their bodies break the frame.  To the right is Max with the piglet on his right.  At this moment, the piglet has paused its oinking and appears to be peeking around the corner of the border.

This book, Squish Squash Squished written by Rebecca Kraft Rector with illustrations by Dana Wulfekotte, is pure delight.  The cadence of the words and the comical visuals will have readers laughing and giggling long after the last word is read.  There will be requests of read it again.  I know you'll want a copy for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Rebecca Kraft Rector and Dana Wulfekotte, and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  Rebecca Kraft Rector has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Dana Wulfekotte has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view the endpapers.  There are posts about this book and interviews at Kid Lit Village and Kathleen Temean's Writing and Illustrating.

Taking The Lead

Some individuals from the moment of their first breath are destined to be different.  They have sunshine in their souls, desiring to shout it out.  Happiness is not a momentary mood for them but a way of life.

In their efforts to encourage others to choose an optimistic outlook, they do everything in their power to be their personal best.  Cheerful Chick (Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., January 1, 2019) written by Martha Brockenbrough with illustrations by Brian Won is not only about pursuing your passion but inviting those around you to become part of a hopeful community.  It's all about shared joy.

Once inside a chicken's nest
A dozen eggs, all Grade-A best,
Lay still and warm, their contents sleeping,
All but one . . . 

This chick cheered every waking moment.  Her noisy vocal chants gave the older chickens cranky attitudes.  Did this deter this youngster?  It did not.

She practiced every move until it was perfected.  It was time to make her dream a reality.  It was time to get the entire barnyard buzzing with boisterous you're-the-greatest shouts.

This buoyant bundle of downy fluff tried to engage four other farm friends praising their abilities, but the results were negative.  With sagging spirits this sweet chick discarded her pom-poms and her cheerleading attire.  She admitted it's hard to have a team of one.

That night though, in still contemplation, she realized there is absolutely nothing wrong with being true to yourself, despite the response of nearby neighbors.  Again, this perky positive gal got her program polished.  When she greeted the morning, there were surprisingly multiple reasons to clap, jump and whoop with peppy precision.


Author Martha Brockenbrough has written an upbeat ode to enthusiasm.  Through her rhyming phrases we find ourselves cheering for this cheerful chick who devotes her mind and actions toward her heart's desire.  A blend of narrative, dialogue and cheers supply a fun-filled flow from one point to the next.  Here is a passage.

Ms. Cow knows all

the wildest moves.

Just watch her stand

on two front hooves! 

Ms. Cow just stood and blinked and chewed
And said, "I'm so not in the moooood."

And so, without another peep,
Chick went in search of Mr. Sheep.


The hues and color palette shown on the open dust jacket cast a rosy, warm glow here and throughout the title.  This combination of colors is guaranteed to have readers smiling.  The other chick peeking from the flowers in the lower left-hand corner is a hint of events to come.  To the left, on the back, nine cheer positions by Chick, three per row, are shown on the same sky-blue background.  These identical stances are repeated on the front and back of the book case.

A slightly darker shade of the color of Chick's sweater covers the opening and closing endpapers.  On the title page an upside-down Chick holding her floral pom-poms looks right at readers above the text at the top of the page.  On the verso and first page a double-page image of a field filled with flowers crosses the gutter to highlight the cluster of dozen eggs, on the right, with one open.  Chick is popping out from the broken pink egg.

Rendered

digitally, mixed with scanned in paint textures and pencil drawings

Brian Won tells a merry visual tale enhancing the story line.  Careful readers will notice the additions in each illustration building toward the surprising conclusion.  Some of Brian Won's pictures span two pages, single pages or several smaller illustrations on a single page.

Humor is infused in each one.  The characters are fully animated through their facial features and body postures.  Readers can determine the passage of time and setting through the color of the background sky, from dawn, to daylight, (inside the barn), sunset and a full moon night.

One of my many favorite illustrations is at night.  Chick is quietly reflecting her current state of being.  No one wants to cheer with her.  Shades of deep purple color the sky, tree branches, leaves and grasses.  Portions are dabbled and outlined in a glowing shade due to the full moon on the right.  Chick is resting on a large leaf on the left, looking at the moon.  Our point of view is close to Chick.  The narrative says nothing about the eleven other elements silently watching.


For the endearing character found in Chick, her discovery of self, the found friendships and pure bliss, Cheerful Chick written by Martha Brockenbrough with illustrations by Brian Won is one of those huggable books.  Every single one of us needs people who are cheering for us.  Every single one of us needs to be cheering for one or more individuals.  I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal book collections.

To learn more about Martha Brockenbrough and Brian Won and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Both Martha Brockenbrough and Brian Won have accounts on Instagram.  On Twitter you can find Martha here and Brian here.

The Attraction Of Opposities

Unexpected relationships can become the most lasting friendships.  It's as if the odds of two parties being companions strengthen their bond.  Their mismatched physical characteristics and clashing personalities provide a mutual attraction.  From day to day there is no sameness only surprise and endless variety.

There are authors and illustrators who bring to life enduring characters whose affectionate attachment is true as well as comical.  In his Bear and Bee (Disney Hyperion, March 12, 2013) Sergio Ruzzier presents readers with the results of misconceptions.  One of his newest titles,  Sergio Ruzzier's Fox + Chick The Party and Other Stories (Chronicle Books, April 17, 2018), a trio of tales, is certain to have you laughing out loud.

The Party
KNOCK
KNOCK

It's me Chick!

I know it's
you, Chick!
I can
see you!

In the short ensuing conversation Chick, with little effort, manages to irritate Fox to the point he slams the door in Chick's face.  Chick is persistent and knocks again.  With an oh-no-here-we-go-again look on his face Fox answers.  Chick asks to use the bathroom.

Like any normal being Fox believes Chick needs to use the bathroom for its intended purpose.  After more time than necessary, Fox investigates.  He is completely wrong in his assessment of Chick's needs.  Hilarity, like the water all over the bathroom floor, flows page after page.

In story two, meandering over to see Fox, Chick is curious as to why he is taking carrots, onions, potatoes and parsley from his garden.  He keeps pointing out the other food Fox should be eating like field mice, frogs or grasshoppers.  With frustration growing in both their demeanors, Fox finally asks Chick to name other things he should be eating.  Talking himself into a corner, Chick flees as Fox chuckles.  And yes, there is soup and a memorable humorous observation by Fox.

Hoping for peace and quiet and a chance to make art, Fox sets up his easel to paint a landscape in the third account.  Of course, Chick strolls up with his own suggestion of a subject matter to capture on the canvas.  Fox appears to agree with a single request,

sit still.

By now readers know Chick is not capable of sitting still. His inability to comply with Fox's desire not once but three times will have readers unable to keep from grinning and giggling.  The final exchange, two sentences, between Fox and Chick is full or wondrous promise.


The sense of humor displayed by Sergio Ruzzier within these pages is masterful.  He understands the contrasts to be found in what is said as opposed to what is meant and understood.  This comprehension is a gift to his readers.  Told entirely in dialogue and wordless images, these three stories build a subtle tension phrase by phrase leading to the inevitable and joyful conclusion.  Here is one conversation.

Fox, you can paint my portrait now.
Just sit still, please.

I am hungry.

You just ate three bowls of soup.

I will go and get a snack.  Then I will sit very still on that rock. 


No other artist selects shades of color as does Sergio Ruzzier.  These colors seen on the dust jacket (and throughout the book) are one of many reasons we enjoy his quirky settings and the elements in each of them.  His characters' faces, longer noses and smaller eyes and each carefully placed line, convey exactly what we need to know in even given situation.  The smiles on Fox and Chick on the front lead us to believe they are friends.  With Chick stating the obvious we are receiving a huge hint at the hilarity to come.

To the left, on the back, the duo is enjoying a moment together outside in a field.  A golden yellow and wide band of reddish-orange along the spine cover the book case.  In the lower right-hand corner Fox and Chick are featured.  Chick is riding on Fox's tail, much to his disgust.  The opening and closing endpapers are done in the pattern of tiles in Fox's kitchen.  There are tiny details added to the concluding endpapers.  On the title page, Fox on his back with his legs extended in the air, is balancing a laughing Chick on his feet.

Rendered in pen, ink and watercolor the illustrations for each of the three narrative chapter beginnings feature a more panoramic two-page picture.  These are followed by panels, sometimes two, three or four to a page.  Their shapes and sizes supply pacing and an inviting design. They are framed in a loose fine line or white space.  For emphasis we are treated to images spanning two pages at least one more time in each tale.

One of my many favorite illustrations is on a single page.  It's in the story titled Good Soup.  Chick has just realized what he has said.  An intertwined landscape of three rolling hills is backed by a forest on the left and two rocky outcroppings on the right.  Chick is running away up a path to the woods.  Fox is closest to us, carrying his basket of garden goodies.  His eyes are closed in a smile as he walks away.  Chick exclaims:

AHHHHH!


Handing this book, Sergio Ruzzier's Fox + Chick The Party and Other Stories, to readers (making sure it's on your professional and personal book shelves) is sure to add more joy to their day.  The humor is refined to perfection.  No matter how many times you read these tales, you will laugh.  It would seem there is a companion title on the way in 2019.  I can hardly wait.

To learn more about Sergio Ruzzier and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  You can view interior images from this book at his website too.  Sergio maintains an account on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.  At the publisher's website a teacher's guide is supplied for your use.  Sergio visits author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson on her blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast to discuss this book.  He offers loads of process art and explanations.  

Barnyard Buddies

Spring has been in full swing for many weeks now.  The word weeks instead of months (the spring equinox in 2018 was March 20th) is used because in northern Michigan the worst snow storm of the 2017-2018 winter season was April 13th to April 17th.  It's only been two months since there was two feet of snow on the ground in many places.

Mother Nature has been busy catching up; the wild buttercups and daisies are blooming, an abundance of birdsong begins each day and hordes of insects are hatching. In more domesticated scenes, farms, babies are being born.  Pip & Pup (Godwin Books, Henry Holt and Company, April 24, 2018) written and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin introduces readers to two newborns who aren't quite sure what to think about each other.

As this wordless delight begins an egg cracks open.  With a lot of effort, a tiny chick emerges and hardly believes the shell was its home.  Finding a perch on the barn roof, the fluffy bundle of yellow fashions binoculars with its feathered wings.  It spies a puppy, sleeping deeply.

The puppy is curled next to the large wheel of a tractor.  In order to get the dozing canine's attention, the chick decides to give its nose a quick peck.  It works splendidly with the pup barking at the now alarmed chick.  Scurrying in frantic circles among the other animals, the chick makes it safely back to the two-part shell.

All of sudden at thunderstorm blows over the farm.  Inside the shell the chick is safe using the smaller piece as a cap.  The pup is not as fortunate.  It is frightened and wet.  In a series of scenes the chick arrives, assesses the situation and offers the only form of comfort available.  It's perfect for the pup.

As the storm diminishes and blue sky and sunshine appear, the relationship between the two barnyard buddies gets stronger.  There are comical antics and laughter until disaster strikes.  Of course, the puppy has a solution even if it's not an exact match.


Beautifully conceived by Eugene Yelchin this tale of springtime camaraderie will connect with a variety of readers.  The idea of new life seeking out other new life certainly strikes a chord with readers finding themselves in completely new situations.  The introduction of the inclement weather provides a venue for kindness to build a bridge between the two.


Beginning with the dust jacket, the illustrations rendered in colored pencils, oil pastels, and digital painting are an open invitation to hug this book.  That chick and that puppy on the front of the jacket are adorable with a capital A.  Behind them to the left, on the back, the grass extends with a fence and barn buildings above it.  A bright sun is peeking from a cloud.  The text is varnished as are the puppy and chick on the flaps.

The book case is covered in yellow with flecks of orange, a charming duplication of downy baby chicken feathers.  On the opening and closing endpapers a delicate sky blue hints at the happy ending.  The first image, the cracking egg appears before the title page.  Opposite the title page are six comical pictures of the chick peeking and seeking from the broken shell.

Each wordless illustration is brimming with mood and emotion.  We feel curiosity, wonder, surprise, humor, kindness and the love of friendship.  The manner in which Eugene Yelchin places the elements on each page has us filling in the words in our minds.  He has chosen to make some parts of the picture more prominent (darker) than others, giving us a true sense of perspective which shifts from page to page providing pacing.  There is a special quality to his technique which draws us into each moment.

Most of his illustrations are single page with a fine red line framing them.  To celebrate the end of one thing and the beginning of another six vertical panels span two pages. You will laugh out loud at the final image at the close of the book.  It appears above the dedication and publication information.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is actually two on opposite pages.  On the first one, on the left, the chick nearly fills the page.  It is standing on the peak of the barn roof. A few clouds are drifting by in the background.  The chick is lifting its wings to its eyes forming binoculars.  It is looking right at the reader.  On the next page within two circles is the sleeping puppy.  It's as if we are seeing this canine cutie through binoculars.  Around the two circles is a brushed green shade.


Without a doubt this book, Pip & Pup written and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin, will become a story time and bedtime favorite.  This is an excellent story without words singing its way into our hearts. When it's read aloud, I know you will hear sounds of laughter.  I know you will hear sighs.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Eugene Yelchin and his other work, please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  He includes several interior images on his site.  Eugene Yelchin also maintains a Facebook page.  At the publisher's website you can view additional images including the two favorites I mentioned here.