Taking The Plunge

The first time you stand on the shores of one of the Great Lakes or a sea or an ocean, the vastness of the water spread before you is a stunning revelation.  Being near something so large the opposite shore is not visible, shifts your perspective. You always knew it was immense but now, while having a special beauty, it's a bit daunting.

Your respect for this watery vision grows and little trickles of fear zing through your body.  You wonder about the safeness of leaving the shore.  Don't Worry, Little Crab (Candlewick Press, April 7, 2020) written and illustrated by Chris Haughton explores with knowledgeable insight the emotional ups and downs of venturing into new territory.

Little Crab and Very Big Crab
live in a tiny tide pool. 

Today is a very special day for the duo.  Today Little Crab is going to THE OCEAN.  He is excited.  He can hardly stand the suspense.

From their tide pool they trek over rocks, other pools of water and seaweed.  His confidence expanding after these short accomplishments, Little Crab declares his first-class ability as an adventurer.  This all changes when he gets his first glimpse of THE OCEAN.  A very small

Oh

sums up his thoughts.

He begins a series of suggestions for remaining on the cliff which are countered by Very Big Crab.  When the first wave crashes over them, fortunately both crustaceans hug the rocks.  Whew!  Another larger wave rushes toward them.  Will Little Crab stay fast?

Little Crab survives that wave but he's ready to head home.  Big Crab gently urges him to take one step and then another step and still one more step.  Little Crab can't believe it, he's in THE OCEAN!

A gigantic wave approaches and the twosome dive.  A world of wonders spreads before Little Crab.  A crowd of friends introduces themselves.  Little Crab moves from one delectable moment to the next.  The biggest surprise of the day, for him and readers, comes at the end of the day.  It's marvelously truthful.


What readers, regardless of their age, appreciate about Chris Haughton is his masterful ability to convey large feelings with few words.  He blends dialogue into the straightforward narrative.  Alliterative sound effects accompany his storyline.  Punctuation provides pacing and emotional drama.  We find ourselves drawn deeper and deeper into his words.  Here is a passage.

"Maybe it's better if 
we don't go in the
ocean," says Little Crab.

"Don't worry,"
says Very Big Crab.
"It will be OK."

But the waves are getting bigger . . .
Look! A huge wave!
Hold tight!
Here it comes!


The teal canvas on the matching dust jacket and book case spreads edge to edge, including the flap edges.  It's an ideal background for the white text and brilliant colors used in the creation of Little Crab.  His size on the front, right side, proportionality indicts how small he is.  To the left, on the back, Little Crab and Very Big Crab are shown side by side with their large eyes looking to the right.  On the front Little Crab and the text are varnished.

A darker ocean blue covers the opening and closing endpapers.  Using a lighter blue, Chris Haughton outlines two different beneath-the-sea scenes on each set of endpapers.  The initial title page is a replication of the front of the jacket and case, but Little Crab is placed on white with teal letters.  The formal title page is a two-page image of the vast ocean, rocky crags and splashing waves.  On the dedication and verso page Chris Haughton places this quote:

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion
to one's courage." --- Anais Nin

The distinctive digitally fashioned illustrations of Chris Haughton span double and single pages.  Regardless of the image size, Chris Haughton varies his point of view to accentuate the narrative visually.  He alternates his background from shades of blue to white.  Most of his pictures have large white borders.  Chris Haughton's use of color is vivid, imaginative and highly appealing.  Readers will be captivated by his ability to depict emotion with shifts in the crabs' eyes and placement of their claws.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations spans two pages with a wide white frame around it.  On the left a portion of rock generates a triangle from the upper left corner to the gutter.  On this is Little Crab.  He appears large because we are very close to him.  A tiny bit of one of his claws is in THE OCEAN.  It's fairly calm with the remnants of white foam on top.  Behind this is a teal background.  Little Crab's eyes are large with astonishment as he realizes he's in THE OCEAN.  You can feel his supreme bliss.


Sometimes if we approach our fear step-by-step with the help of a friend, our bravery builds until we can experience more joy than we imagined.  Don't Worry, Little Crab written and illustrated by Chris Haughton is a book with a jubilant blend of words and expressive visuals conveying the journey of one tiny crab in a single day.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Chris Haughton and his work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  At his website you can view numerous interior images from this book.  On his blog he outlines the making of this book.  I believe you will enjoy his illustrative process.  Chris Haughton has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  You can view an interior image at the publisher's website and others at Penguin Random House.  Here is a link to an Activity Kit.  Teacher librarian and author Travis Jonker features this book and Chris Haughton on his blog at School Library Journal, 100 Scope Notes. Please enjoy the book trailer.

Under The Moon's Gaze

Last night was a full moon night.  This moon is known as the Harvest Moon.  This special moon is closest to the autumnal equinox, the time in our year (in the northern hemisphere) marking the end of summer and the beginning of autumn.  This year the equinox falls on September 22, 2016.  On this date we will have an equal amount of daylight and darkness.

As parents, educators and those who share their lives with pets know, a full moon does dictate a change in behavior, in my experience, with children and dogs.  As the sun sets and dusk arrives, going to bed and falling asleep are not on their minds.  They are ready to continue playing...for hours.

One of the most popular of my Picture Book Ten for Ten posts is one listing ten plus one books guaranteed to encourage rest, sleep and Sweet Dreams.  Two titles have been released in 2016 which would make worthy additions to these selections.  They each invite readers into the presence of peace.

Two cherished personalities in the field of children's literature collaborate to bring us The Moon's Almost Here (Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, June 7, 2016).  The blend of Patricia MacLachlan's words with Tomie dePaola's illustrations will rock away all the day's cares easing listeners toward dreamland.  Let's follows along with the mime Pierrot and his child taking a walk.

The moon's almost here!
Robin sings in her nest.
Babies fly back to her,
Ready to rest.

A sheep nods to her lamb, a hen chatters to her chicks and ducklings follow their mother from water to land.  A colt listens to the call of a mare. Calves trail behind their mooing mother.  And

The moon's almost here.

A tiny winged creature takes flight hurrying in front of the night.  In the warm air beetles' bottoms blink.  At home, a pet settles, their eyes fluttering with dreams.  Another curls into a cozy ball of comfort.

A hand is offered for a final look outside.  Two stand, the younger speaking in gratitude to the night life.  The moon arrives casting her spell of sleep in a luminous glow of light.


The choice to repeat the first sentence over and over again, six times in total, soothes the reader and listener. The following phrases rhyme in a lullaby rhythm.  When you read the words aloud written by Patricia MacLachlan they ease into song, a soft sweet melody.  Here is another sample portion.

The moon's almost here.
Mama duck drifts to shore.
Ducklings swim after:
One, two, three, and four.


From left side to right across the spine on the dust jacket, an entire illustration of rolling hills, a countryside farm, depicts all the animals visited by the parent and child.  It's a gorgeous visual of life coming to rest welcoming the moon rise.  Careful readers will notice the change in the title text's color as it gets closer to the rising moon. The varying hues of blue and green with spot color and the white apparel, painted face of the parent and rise of the moon are part of the signature palette of artist Tomie dePaola.  On the book case an interior image of the mime Pierrot and his child going back outside to look at the moon is featured.  A lighter contrasting shade of blue covers the opening and closing endpapers.

Rendered in acrylic on gessoed Arches 150lb cold press100% Rag watercolor paper the pictures begin to tell a story of their own on the initial title page with the parent, arms spread wide, running to the right. On the title page, unlit lantern in hand he moves toward his child who is walking toward him with outstretched arms.  The remaining fourteen two-page illustrations are marvelous depictions of each stop on the duo's nighttime journey.

Each image is like an individual tableau; gazing upward at the fledglings flying toward the mother robin, a baby chick cuddled in the arms of the child as their father lights the candle in the lantern, the two watching the horses and cows through the windows of their home and the child carrying their cat as the dog looks outside.  One of the pictures, the child's bedroom, contains elements of Tomie dePaola visuals, a heart painted on the footboard of the bed and a checked border at the bottom of the page. There is an air of tranquility in each scene.

One of my favorite pictures is of the dog curled up on its bed on the porch.  A ribbon of stars swirls from his left across the gutter to the right.  He is dreaming of jumping over the moon.  The moon has a face with eyes looking upward at the jumping dog.

The Moon's Almost Here written by Patricia MacLachlan with illustrations by Tomie dePaola is a beautifully rendered poetic invitation to bedtime.  Readers can feel the calm from the pages settling around them.  The final illustration is sure to bring on a sigh if not sleep.  Please follow the links attached to Tomie dePaola's name to access his website and blog.  Each is a joyful depiction of the man and his work.




Known for his titles, Oh No, George! and Shh! We Have A Plan Chris Haughton presents readers with another of his colorful gems.  Goodnight Everyone (Walker Books, August 4, 2016 and Candlewick Press, December 13, 2016) is a sleepy stroll toward the best rest.  It's the end of the day.

the sun is going down and everyone is sleepy

Moving from the smallest creatures, mice, to one of the largest, Great Big Bear, each one is sleepy.  They exhibit their condition with yawning...lots of yawns.  There's one though who is not sleepy in the slightest, Little Bear.

No one wants to play with Little Bear.  Each time he asks his animal friends, the mice, hares and deer, they are simply too tired.  He continues to move around ready to play until...wait...what's that?

Little Bear yawns!  Great Big Bear believes it's truly time to end the day in rest.  Each of the animals is visited.  They are fast asleep, gentle snores filling the air.  A goodnight is called to each one.  A final gesture of affection is given to Little Bear.  The narrator calls out to readers and makes one final observation.


With his simple phrases Chris Haughton establishes a reassuring rhythm.  His use of repetition with certain portions of the narrator's remarks asks readers to participate in response. To further engage us, he adds a few new words to each set of sentences.

the mice are sleepy-----YAWN
the hares are sleepy
they sigh
AH----YAWN

In a dreamy use of the number three we visit three animals three times; when they are yawning, when they don't want to play and when they are fast asleep.  The pause in this cadence is when Little Bear engages with Great Big Bear.  This is sheer delight.


If they were to remove Chris Haughton's name from the book case, by the design, layout and color we would still know it is his book. His use of purple, magenta and blues is striking. The inclusion of white in the title text and in the white of Little Bear's eyes on the front and in Great Big Bear's eyes on the back is a pleasing contrast.  I dare you to look at either of these images without feeling your body start to relax.  On the opening and closing endpapers are stunning depictions of first the southern night sky, replete with constellations, on the left and the sun and planets to scale on the right. On the top of the earth is the forest from this book.  On the back the planets and sun are reversed, top to bottom and on the right is the northern night sky.  Little Bear and Great Bear are faintly drawn with the corresponding constellations within their bodies.

On the initial title page Great Big Bear and Little Bear are seated.  The larger is yawning and the younger is wide awake.  On the verso and title pages is a vivid, layered image in blues, purples, magenta, greens, orange and yellows, spanning from left to right with a large white border.  It shows all of the animal groups peeking forth from their special areas.

With a page turn we zoom in on a portion of the title page image.  At the next page turn there is a great deal of white space on the left.  For each of the animals Chris Haughton has designed a small page, a series of three pages imposed on the large right page.  As each is opened the image increases in size.  For the remaining visuals they vary in size to supply pacing, each outlined in a wide white frame with the exception of one two-page illustration.

One of my favorite illustrations of many is of the mice sleeping. The picture takes up nearly one entire page with white space spanning across the gutter to the edge on the right, providing a place for the spare text in purple.  Shades of green fill the image of four mice curled in sleep in their nest.  One of the mice is leaning away from the others, its body resting on the rim of the nest.  The nest is stretched between stems in the grass. Above their heads a dandelion starts to lose its seeds, several floating away.


I can't imagine someone not falling asleep after reading Goodnight Everyone written and illustrated by Chris Haughton. ZZZzzzzz.... Oh, sorry....I dozed off for a moment.  Chris Haughton says at his website this is indeed a book about sleep but also a book about scale.  It is fascinating to read about the development of this book on his blog here.  On both his website and blog there are numerous images.  On the publisher's website is yet another image.

Quietly As You Can

A butterfly, which when pursued, seems always just beyond your grasp, but if you sit down quietly may alight upon you. 

Quote Investigator

Time and time again when working in my gardens or hiking through fields a butterfly will land on a flower or bush poised so perfectly it nearly takes my breath away.  By the time I locate my camera or get it out of my pocket, it's moved to another position.  Not deterred by this I follow, getting as close as possible.  Without fail, just as I am about to push the shutter, the butterfly takes flight again.  I continue my pursuit for as long as possible.

There are others who wish to capture a thing of beauty permanently.  In his new title, Shh! We Have A Plan (Walker Books, UK and Candlewick US, September 9, 2014), Chris Haughton introduces us to four individuals, three of whom believe they have a strategy for success.  The fourth has an entirely different approach. 

 LOOK!

a bird

Three net-carrying beings have entered the darkened woods.  A fourth, the smallest of the group, stands silently in the rear.  An eloquent, colorful bird is perched on a lower branch in a small clearing.

Not privy to the grand scheme or not wanting to be a part of the bird's imprisonment, the little one calls out

hello

birdy

The others shush him once, twice and finally the last one reveals

we have a plan.

Holding their nets, they are going to sneak up on him.  When they get as close as they can, on the count of three, they will catch this winged wonder.  When they cry out, the bird, like my butterflies, takes flight.

Next spotted on a much higher bough in a tree, the shortest member of the crew utters his familiar greeting.  After reminding him about the need for silence, the trio continues as before with an added device.  The score now is bird two, netters none.

Wait!  There's the bird again resting on a branch above the water in a pond.  It's a repeat of the entire routine except the threesome has altered their procedure with a new prop.  Let's give another point to the bird.

This time the littlest tries his idea.  Glorious goodness surrounds him.  The others are dumbfounded but determined until they have to quickly rethink their position.  Lesson learned...or not?

Use of spare repetitive text by Chris Haughton acts as an element in pacing, in creating an opening for the illustrations to tell large portions of the story and providing an invitation for readers to participate.  When each character repeats the same words on the second sighting of the bird, the pattern is established.  This pattern, working splendidly with the pictures, creates the captivating comedy which continues to build until the final page.

The color palette shown on the book case is used on all the pages with the exception of the bird; red, purple and magenta standing out boldly brilliant.  In two shades of violet Chris Haughton decorates the opening and closing endpapers in stylized birds and ... (I'm not going to tell you what is on the back as it will spoil the ending.) The initial title page is white with the four figures tip-toeing across the page, shushing.  The formal title page and verso are a two page spread showing them going down a hill toward the woods.  

Haughton shifts his visual sizes from double pages framed in a wide white border to single pages with the blue background and then a single page with a white background.  They, like the text, are placed to create symmetry.  The eyes on these individuals are absolutely hilarious in their depiction of an array of emotions.  

One of my favorite illustrations is the first of two wordless two page spreads.  Its vivid display is a tribute to the smallest being's accomplishments.  His plan is the best plan.

I guarantee you will never hear the words Shh! We Have A Plan again without smiling or thinking of this book written and illustrated by Chris Haughton.  Reading it aloud is pure joy.  I can hear the sounds of laughter already.  This is ideal for a reader's theater. 

By following the first link embedded in Chris Haughton's name you will be taken to his website.  He talks about his other books, shares activities and downloads, and lists other projects.  The second link takes you to his blog.  His explanation for making this book is well worth the read especially the process for the illustrations.  This link is to a Pinterest board titled Getting to Know Chris Haughton.   Walker Books has a PDF you can download with Classroom Ideas for Shh! We Have A Plan.

It's So Tempting...

Desiring to do something but knowing it may not be in one's best interest is a tricky situation to say the least.  As humans we have endless rationalizations; one time won't hurt, no one will ever notice, next time twice as much, twice as hard.  I can only imagine for dogs it might be more clear cut.

Over hundreds of years various forms of communication have evolved between dogs and their humans; in some relationships much better than in others.  We humans would dearly like to believe our understanding of our best friends is perhaps more astute than it truly is.  A canine quandary is presented again and again in Oh No, George! (Candlewick Press, March 13, 2012) written and illustrated by Chris Haughton when Harry, George's human, leaves the house.

When asked if he will be good, George replies,

"I'll be very good."
I hope I'll be good.  George thinks.

Left alone to his own devices, George wanders into the kitchen.  What does George see on the counter?  He sees a cake, a cake loaded with frosting and edible toppings, and George loves cake.  But he did say he would be good. 

What will George do?

Temptation can be a mighty strong emotion overriding the best of intentions.  When George leaves the kitchen with his sweet tooth satisfied, who should he see but Cat.  There's not much else George likes better than to play with Cat. 

Inside a house does not make the best playground for our furry friends.  No, indeed it does not.  Having exercised for the day George discovers a newly planted floral arrangement at just his height.  What dog doesn't like to dig?

George's happy greeting to Harry at his arrival home is dampened by Harry's shocking discovery of the mess George has made.  Wanting to make amends George brings him his favorite toy.  Harry, kind human he is, suggests a walk. 

As the two walk, each of the previous enticements, cake, Cat and flower garden, are presented.  George's strong and determined will to do right prevails.  But wait a minute.  George lifts his head in the air, nose moving. 

George?

Chris Haughton's narrative is clear, concise and exactly as one would expect between a dog and his human...and a dog and his conscience.  The repetitive refrains, as each decision presents itself to George, are conducive to reading aloud and for beginning readers.  The placement of text on the page, ending in a question, invites readers to explore what they think George will do or perhaps what each of them would do when faced with a dilemma.

Nothing could be warmer than the color choices of Haughton for his illustrations, red, orange, purple and magenta with hues of green and blue as a secondary palette.  I don't know about anyone else but looking at the front cover makes me burst out laughing.  If you want your heart to melt, take a peek at the back cover with George being hugged by Harry and Cat.

Front and back endpapers done in shades of purple silhouette before and after scenes of areas in the house.  Using pencil and digital media Haughton's wide-eyed characters display precisely what they are thinking.  Interestingly enough Harry is in complete contrast with bright olive green skin and shaded blue clothing as are the other humans. 

Using white space to accentuate discussions and decisions followed by the orange background, double-page spreads elevates the humor of George's choices.  Long-nosed and floppy-eared George is the epitome of lovable dogginess.  His size, pictured as twice that of Harry, draws attention to his every move and thought.

Written and illustrated by Chris Haughton Oh No, George is one of my favorite dog books of the year; having been added to my personal shelves.  Told with clarity and laugh-out-loud humor there is nothing to not love about this title.  Choices, choices and more choices are rarely presented with so much warmth and visual flair.  Visit Haughton's blog linked above for more about his writing process in creating this book.