With The Eyes Of Your Mind

It is defined by Merriam-Webster as:

the act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality.

This gift given to each of us is heartily embraced by children every single day.  In their minds, there is much more than meets the eye.  They see beyond what is and wonder about what can be.

Time and time again, their astounding ability to think beyond borders compels adults around them to realign their own reflections and directions.  Milo Imagines the World (Putnam, G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, February 2, 2021) written by Matt de la Pena with pictures by Christian Robinson is greater than a ride on a subway.  It's an exploration of first impressions and a reexamination of those very perceptions.

What begins as a slow, distant glow

grows and grows.

into a tired train that clatters down the tracks.

Once the subway train comes to a halt, Milo and his older sister board and find seats.  He first notices a man with whiskers, a businessman, and a woman wearing a wedding dress with a small dog.  When he takes this monthly Sunday trip, Milo finds himself a bundle of mixed emotions.  To settle himself, Milo draws about the people he sees.

After the man with whiskers exits, Milo sketches his evening spent with cats, escaping parakeets, and a supper of soup.  His sister is not impressed with his pictorial musings.  At the next stop a suit-wearing boy steps through the doors with his father.  His shoes, looking like they were just taken out of a box, are noticed by Milo.

Milo presents on paper a life of royalty for the boy.  For the woman in the wedding dress with her small dog, he imagines a high-flying departure for the newly wedded husband and wife.  Again, his sister ignores his artwork preferring to focus on a game on her phone.  A troupe of break dancers briefly capture everyone's attention.  What are their lives really like?  What do other travelers on the train think about Milo?

At their stop Milo and his sister leave the platform, making their way to an imposing building.  The suit-wearing boy with his father is there, too.  Together they all wait in a long line.  It is during this waiting; Milo comes to a profound understanding.  In that moment, Milo mentally redraws all his pictures.  Milo's bundle of mixed emotions settles on one, happiness, as he shows the best drawing to the person he and his sister came to see, his mom.

Each description of Milo's observations and his imagined scenarios for the people on the subway train written by Matt de la Pena are beautifully lyrical.  His selection of words, adjectives and verbs, and use of figures of speech are adept and full of sensory awareness.  We have no idea of the destination for Milo and his sister until near the end of the narrative.  This makes the realization moving, as readers recognize the veracity of Milo's life.  His mother is incarcerated.  Here is a passage.

The wedding-dressed woman near the far door

has a face made out of light,

while the dog peeking out of her handbag has no face at all,

just a long, lolling tongue.

For the front and back of the dust jacket, artist Christian Robinson fashions very real portraits of Milo on the front and his older sister on the back.  Milo looks toward the right and his sister looks toward the left.  The inclusion of childlike drawings in crayon and colored pencil informs us of Milo's skill and his imagination.  There is a blend of realism and joyful fantasy.  There is something completely endearing about Milo's knitted hat with the hand-lettering of his name in the title.  The title text is varnished on matte-finished paper.  

On the book case is a depiction of the subway train, extending on either side of the spine which is one of the steel pillars in the station.  Among the authentic depictions of the passengers are inventive drawings made by Milo's mind.  A deep-sea diver is exiting the train as fish swim around them.  Like the dust jacket, the canvas is white.  The opening and closing endpapers mirror the design and color of Milo's hat.  For the two-page image for the title page, we see on the left drawings by Milo as he and his sister go down the stairs to the train on the right.  

These illustrations rendered

with acrylic paint, collage, and a bit of digital manipulation

all span two pages with the exception of six single-page pictures providing a pause in the pacing and highlight a shift in the narrative. They are a mix of reality and the spiral-bound notebook pages belonging to Milo.  Readers feel as though they are participants in this story through the alternating points of view.  At times we are seated in the subway train looking across the aisle at Milo and the others on his side.  Other times we move in closer to Milo's side.  And sometimes we are shown a larger view of the station.

We are distinctly aware of the facial expressions and body postures of the characters.  There are people of varying ages, walks of life, and ethnicity.  When we are viewing the pages of Milo's notebook, we sometimes see his hand steadying a page or holding a pencil as he draws.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a single-page image.  We are close to Milo, his sister, and a new passenger on the subway.  On the far left, seated, is an elderly, well-dressed gentleman carrying a cane for walking.  Between him and Milo is an empty seat with Milo's notebook and pencil placed there.  Milo has turned in his seat to look at his face in the window.  His expression is one of curiosity.  Turned away from him and studying her phone is his sister on the right.

We need this book, Milo Imagines the World words by Matt de la Pena and pictures by Christian Robinson, so readers can see their story here and other readers can comprehend their stories with compassion.  This collaboration between these two creators is exceptional.  You will want to have a copy (or more) of this title in both your personal and professional collections. 

To discover more about Matt de la Pena and Christian Robinson and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Christian Robinson has interior images at this website.  Matt de la Pena has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Christian Robinson has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website is a teacher's guide and an audio sample.  You will enjoy interviews about this book at Publishers Weekly, AL DIA, and NPR Weekend Edition.

Once A Year

It's one day out of three hundred sixty-five days when you (and family and friends, if you are fortunate) celebrate your presence on our planet.  Every year on the day you were born, depending on the customs of your country and traditions within your family or among your friends, it's a time usually filled with gifts, fabulous food and the merry-making of memories.  On this day, for children, their essence seems to glow.

For many gals and guys, they start the countdown to their next birthday on the morning after the previous birthday.  They leave hints about presents they would love to receive.  They repeatedly mention their favorite foods.  And they secretly begin a list of wishes if they know they will have a cake with birthday candles.  When's My Birthday? (A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, September 5, 2017) written by Julie Fogliano with illustrations by Christian Robinson is a lively look at a child who can hardly wait for their birthday to arrive.

when's my birthday?
where's my birthday?
how many days until
my birthday?

The questions keep coming from the eager individual.  They want to know the day of the week for their birthday.  They want to know the season of the year when this event is honored.  They want to know exactly what everyone will be doing.

Three children ask for three different kinds of presents.  Another one declares the size, the flavor of frosting and the number of candles on his perfect birthday cake.  A fourth fancies special foods.

With anticipation building invitations are issued.  It seems as though anyone and everyone is coming to the party.  Any attire you choose to wear is welcome.

Sleep is the last thing you desire on your birthday eve but it succeeds in enveloping you.  It's time.  It's morning.  Today is the day.  It's always worth the wait.


Like the word wizard she is Julie Fogliano casts a spell over readers, bringing us into the joy associated with children awaiting their birthdays.  Each phrase builds toward the special day touching on all aspects which contribute to the best birthday ever; the one we all remember.  By repeating the first three questions within the lyrical narrative two more times a cheery rhythm is supplied.  Here is a sample passage.

will my birthday have some singing?
will we sing so happy happy?
will we dance around and round?
will we jump and jump and jump? 


Certain to create a smile in all who view it, the front of the opened dust jacket promises fun within the pages of the book.  The smile on the child's face represents barely concealed bliss.  To the left, on the back, four hands from four children of various ethnic backgrounds reach upward to grab sweet treats thrown in the air.  When you touch the jacket you can feel the raised white text.  Some of the dots and candy on the front and the back are varnished.

Upon removing the jacket, readers will see a book case covered in green paper.  Embossed on the front is a party hat over a bowl.  A fish in copper foil swims in the bowl.  On the opening and closing endpapers a single row of large birthday candles, flames flickering, are presented in an array of colors and patterns.

On the verso a giraffe and a dog, both wearing party hats frame the information.  On the title page the party hat and fish bowl appear again in color.  Rendered using acrylic paint and collage techniques each image spans two pages.

A superb use of white space is evident in many of the pictures drawing our attention to the animated elements. Christian Robinson uses pieces of print, colored and patterned papers, string, realistic pictures of food, and a paper doily with his paints to fashion marvelous illustrations; each providing a unique perspective.  In reference to winter a child, laughing and holding their arms open wide, wearing appropriate clothing and ice skates, is skating on top of a large birthday cake.  In another scene with a black background a little girl is reaching for the end of a string.  It is wrapped around and tied in a bow on a large gift with white paper and golden stars.

One of my many favorite visuals is when the child wonders if their birthday is in spring.  Three stems fan from the gutter; the middle one in the exact center.  On either side are two large jagged leaves.  Two of the blossoms are dandelions ready to fluff.  The third on the right is a fan of yellow, brush-stroked lines.  A butterfly, a grasshopper and a snail, all wearing party hats and smiles, balance out the design and heighten the happiness.


When you read When's My Birthday? written by Julie Fogliano with illustrations by Christian Robinson you'll wish your birthday is not days or weeks or months away.  You will want it to be tomorrow.  There is total elation emanating from these pages.  I highly recommend you have a copy on both your professional and personal bookshelves.  Make sure you have party hats handy when you read it aloud.

To learn more about Julie Fogliano and her other work please visit her Facebook page.  Christian Robinson's website can be accessed by following the link attached to his name.  To view interior images please stop by the publisher's website.  The publishers have also designed a website dedicated to this book.  It includes information and activities.  Both Julie Fogliano and Christian Robinson chat during a podcast at Publishers Weekly about this title.  Christian Robinson is interviewed at Art Of The Picture Book, PBS News Hour, and Brightly.  Author, reviewer, and blogger Julie Danielson highlights this title on her blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.

Puppy Persistence

Every being has a talent which sets them apart.  If you were to ask a group of students to write down the one thing for which they are the most adept, you would get a few similar answers but most would have replies as unique as they are.  For some this skill is apparent when they are young.  For others the gift will not shine until hope is nearly lost as to excelling at anything.

For those students who believe they have no talent, skill or gift, they need to recognize they do.  Antoinette (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, February 14, 2017) written by Kelly DiPucchio with pictures by Christian Robinson is a companion to the delightful Gaston (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, June 3, 2014). Lovable characters return to offer readers insights into the abilities which make each individual distinctive.

Mrs. Bulldog watched her puppies race through the yard.

She names each one---

Rocky, Ricky, Bruno and Antoinette.  

If you think those names don't quite mesh as a foursome it's because the first three are bulldog brothers and their sister puppy is a poodle.  The boys' gifts are already shining, clever, fast and strong.

Antoinette is not sure yet about what makes her special.  Her mother, Mrs. Bulldog, cheers her on with encouragement.  She is sure Antoinette is an extraordinary being.

Each day Mrs. Bulldog and Mrs. Poodle take their puppies to the park.  Rocky, Ricky, Bruno and Antoinette love to play with Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, Ooh-La-La and Gaston.  (Antoinette's affection for Gaston is apparent.)  In the middle of their play one day, the mothers notice something is wrong.  Ooh-La-La is missing.

Antoinette's three brothers use their skills to attempt to locate Ooh-La-La but she is not to be found.  Antoinette wants to bring the missing Ooh-La-La home.  She puts her nose to work winding her way through the streets of Paris with courage and determination.  Nearing the city museum Antoinette starts barking as the canine crew follows close behind her.

Are dogs allowed in the museum?  They are not.  One persistent poodle is about to find her skill and a good friend as she woofs and weaves her way through the crowd.


It's clear Kelly DiPucchio enjoys fashioning a playful undertone with words throughout her narrative.  Several times during the story she repeats groups of words which are simply fun to read out loud.  You can't help it!

During the search for Ooh-La-La she creates a cadence as each brother employs their skills. Further rhythm is felt in her comedic puns and use of alliteration.  Here is a sample passage.

Well, unlike her burly brothers, she still hadn't quite discovered what she was good at.
"Chin up!" barked her mother.
"You have something extra special.  I can feel it in my bones!"


Looking at the opened, matching dust jacket and book case you can feel a question forming in your mind.  Why is Antoinette racing through the crowd of people?  The image stretches from the back, left, edge to the front, right, edge.  All the people seem to be in a hurry, walking in full stride, just like Antoinette.  There's something alluring about the brush strokes Christian Robinson uses in painting his background.  If you run your fingers over it with little imagination it feels like pavement.  The title text is raised.

The brown skirt patterned in blue flowers with green leaves worn by one of the people (on the back) is used on the spine and the opening and closing endpapers.  The title and verso pages have a white background highlighting activity from the street as Antoinette races along with the vehicles, a scooter and rider and a bicycle rider.  Rendered in acrylic paint all the pictures are like frozen moments of animation.  You expect them to leap to life at any second.

When Christian Robinson paints in this book, first you focus on the puppies and Antoinette but then your eyes drift over all the details he places in each scene.  You'll notice the bluebirds drinking from the birdbath in the yard, the place setting for one person in Mrs. Bulldog's home, the interpretation of the words clever, fast and strong for the brothers, the butterfly in the park, the bubble blower, the activities of the people on the Paris streets and in exactly which museum Ooh-La-La is discovered.  The heavy, matte-finished paper is ideal for Christian's style in these images, nearly all spanning two pages.

One of my favorite illustrations is when the four puppies are in the living room of Mrs. Bulldog's human's home.  The background is a darker khaki color on the walls and floor.  A single painting hangs on the wall, a large circle of rusty red on black.  Rocky the clever is seated in a wagon attached to Ricky the fast.  To entice Ricky a stick is holding a bone on a string over his head.  Rocky is indeed clever.  Bruno the strong is lifting up the edge of the sofa to get a ball.  Antoinette is seated on the sofa wondering how she is special.


This book, Antoinette, written by Kelly DiPucchio with pictures by Christian Robinson is a celebration of the singular skills each person can and will discover within themselves.  For those not sure where their talents are, this book will inspire them.  You could not ask for a better companion title to the first book, Gaston.  I think you will have multiple requests for read it again.

To learn more about Kelly DiPucchio and Christian Robinson and their other work please take a few minutes to explore their websites by following the links attached to their names.  Kelly DiPucchio maintains a blog which is linked to her name.  At the publisher's website you can view six interior illustrations.  Christian Robinson is a guest on The Horn Book podcast 1.33 October 17, 2016.

Here It Comes...

Have you been to the NOAA National Weather Service website today?  Look at this weather map!  As Kate DiCamillo's Flora would say Holy Bagumba!  There is a whole swath of winter weather combined with high winds crossing the states of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.  We might actually get snow here in Lower Michigan on Saturday as the daytime high drops more than twenty degrees.

Truthfully I can hardly wait.  Winter is one of my favorite seasons for a variety of reasons.  This year it is going to be extra special as my new forever friend, Mulan, a chocolate Labrador puppy, will be seeing snow for the first time.  Anticipation is not only in the air here but within the pages of Little Penguins (Schwartz & Wade, October 25, 2016) written by award winning Cynthia Rylant and pictures by award winner Christian Robinson.  Children and children at heart rejoice!

Snowflakes?

Barely able to see out the window, a small penguin is the first to spy snow drifting down and through their open window.  Quickly four other siblings gather to gaze outside as the flakes fall in earnest.  Without a doubt winter is on its way.

Five penguins sift through a basket looking for five different sets of mittens. They must find attire for their necks and feet.  They are so excited they call out to the first penguin asking about the condition of the snow.

As is the case with storms the depth can build in a short time.  It's deep. And it gets deeper.  It's so deep they begin to look for their mother.

Whee!  There she is with the fifth little penguin.  After a day of play they all head home doing what we all do.  It's time to shed wet clothes and get ready for bed.  Sleep tight little penguins.


How can one word be filled with so much emotion? It signals a change in the seasons regardless of the calendar, it provides opportunities for fun and it gives Mother Earth a clean slate.  Cynthia Rylant is most definitely gifted in the art of simplicity.  Never using more than four words except for one particular repetitive part Rylant tells a story full of excitement and meaning for the five penguins and their parents.  She creates a rhythm by using a single word followed by two words and then three words several times then switches it up forming a new beat.


When you open the matching dust jacket and book case expect to smile at the antics of these five little penguins seen from left to right, back to front. They are walking, talking, diving headfirst into the snow, sliding and strolling with purpose. Have you ever seen such charming penguins?  They certainly are creations of Christian Robinson.  His signature artwork is lively but spare.

Using acrylic paint and cut paper collage he fashions images extending and highlighting the text.  On the opening and closing endpapers readers are given a panoramic view of the little penguins and their home on an ice floe.  There are fish swimming beneath the ice as a whale makes an appearance along with three lobsters.  To the left a seal swims near the fish and a mother and baby walrus sit on a nearby smaller floe. White seabirds fly in the opposite direction.  There is a mailbox outside their igloo.  On the verso and title pages Robinson has placed various geometric shapes to signify ice floes with text inside them.

All of the images span two pages with marvelous layout and design.  White space is used to great effect.  It's very clever to have each penguin wearing a different well known color; red, yellow, blue, green and pale green.  The details in their home add to the appeal of these pictures, the fish-patterned curtains, the whale weather vane on the outside of the igloo, and the ship, abacus and globe on top of their closet.

One of my many favorite illustrations (It was not easy to choose.) is when Robinson is interpreting the words Deeper.  Very deep.  There is quite a bit of white along the bottom of the two pages.  Four penguins are featured. The first and second are standing so we can see all of their bodies below their scarves. The third penguin is sinking up to his body and we see half of the head.  The fourth penguin on the far right shows all of his head with arms (flippers) outstretched for balance.  Half of his body is covered in snow.


Little Penguins written by Cynthia Rylant with pictures by Christian Robinson is an essential volume for snow and winter themed collections for our youngest readers.  It creatively captures the thrill of a first snow and shared fun.  When two masters work together expect a masterpiece.

To learn more about Cynthia Rylant and Christian Robinson and their other work please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names. You can view interior images at the publisher's website.  The Horn Book Podcast 1.33 special guest is Christian Robinson.  This title is one of many highlighted by author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson on her blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.

If These Walls Could Talk

Probably at one time or another you've walked into a room thinking to yourself or aloud, "if these walls could talk" what tales would they tell?  From a historical perspective think of the unknowns which would be revealed.  On a more personal level if the walls had the ability to speak; perhaps we would locate missing items much more quickly.

Most educators in my circle of colleagues leave their classrooms prior to summer break ready for the first day in September when classes resume.  New colorful and relevant posters, banners and bulletin boards are placed on the walls ready to greet students.  Displays of books are placed around the rooms.  Seating is rearranged based on best practices.  For my part I do all these things plus a yearly inventory; this helps me to weed annually and remember the depth and breadth of my collection.  It refreshes my lessons and gives me ideas for new approaches to curriculum.

During frequent summer visits to the building to insure all new materials are ready for students and staff on the opening day; greetings are exchanged with the custodial employees hard at work.  School's First Day Of School (A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, June 28, 2016) written by Adam Rex with illustrations by Christian Robinson is a fresh perspective on getting ready for and participating in the activities of the first day.  It's not only humans who might have the jitters.

That summer, they dug up the big field, and poured the foundation, and set brick on top of brick until they'd built a school.

The school was called Frederick Douglass Elementary.  The school thought this was a fitting name.  Yes, this story is told from the perspective of the new school.

Initially the school chatted with a man named Janitor but he advised the school of the upcoming first day when the building would be brimming with all kinds of children.  This was worrying to the school especially when learned Janitor would only be there after the day was over.  On the first day the sheer numbers were nearly overwhelming.

As the children used the building and enjoyed the playground, the school learned new things.  The school experienced sadness when listening to cranky bullies.  (He did regretfully retaliate.) One particular child upset the school even more.  She had to be carried into the building.

A surprise fire drill, cafeteria chuckles, kindergarten lessons and time for art further fascinated the school.  In an end-of-the-day conversation with Janitor, school had a request which will make readers smile at Janitor's answer.  As the sun set, gratitude full of promise closed the story.


This innovative approach to the first day of school by author Adam Rex will increase readers' sensitivity to their fellow students.  The blend of narrative, the school's thoughts, comments and conversations with Janitor ask us to examine what we do in the course of our day.  By focusing on the kindergarten students doing everything for the first time, the school (and readers) become intimately part of the overall experience.  Here is a sample passage.

At twelve o'clock the school was filled with food.
At twelve thirty the school was filled with garbage.
At one table a boy told a funny joke, and another boy
laughed so hard that milk came out of his nose.
"Now I'm covered with nose milk," thought the school.
He had to admit that it was a pretty funny joke, though. ...


Across the back and front, left to right, of the matching dust jacket and book case on a background of pristine white (which is used superbly within the book), Christian Robinson presents to readers a vibrant multi-ethnic community with buildings of all shapes and sizes with the school at its heart.  What is most pleasing about this first look at the book is the color palette and the shapes employed.  It calls to children and those who still value their child's heart.  I can't help myself; looking at Christian Robinson's illustrations rendered in acrylic paint and collage techniques I feel joy.

For the opening and closing endpapers Robinson chooses to change the background to brushed black.  This choice, like the white, draws our attention to his use of primary and secondary shades.  The heavier lines are in white outlining all the playful points on the playground.  Prior to the beginning of the narrative, Robinson starts the story visually with the machinery and crews building the new school across the verso and title pages.

With a few exceptions all of the pictures span two pages.  Even inanimate objects look alive in the capable hands of Robinson; the front of the school appears to be smiling.  As you get closer to the school in some images five panels on either side of the door are decorated with child-like mosaics.  Impeccable layout and design draw our eyes into the visual story.  Extra details like the time on the wall clocks, the inclusion of a READ poster in the library and the potted plants on the school's roof add warmth and authenticity.

One of my favorite illustrations, other than the fabulous endpapers, is the two-page picture of the front of the school prior to the first day.  My first thought upon seeing it was, who wouldn't want to go to this school?  I love the stylized trees and shrubbery!  Robinson brings us in for a close look at the door panels and inside one of the classrooms.  All of the elements and the colors work together in complete harmony.


School's First Day Of School written by Adam Rex with illustrations by Christian Robinson is fabulous!  Is it September yet?  Although as stated by author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast and Kirkus, it can be enjoyed any time of the year by all ages.  You had better plan on multiple copies in your school libraries and classrooms; this is going to be requested repeatedly.

To learn more about Adam Rex and Christian Robinson, please stop by their respective websites or Tumblr pages by using the links attached to their names.  The publisher's website has four interior images for you to view.  Here is the link provided by the publisher to an activity kit.

School's First Day of School, my new book with Christian Robinson, is out today! Here's one of my favorite spreads. pic.twitter.com/TbphVhjxvU

— Adam Rex (@MrAdamRex) June 28, 2016

On The Bus

You walk everywhere.  If it's too far to walk, you ride your bicycle.  Finally the time arrives when you have a car to drive but with this ownership comes maintenance, insurance and the cost of gas.  A day comes, much too quickly, when using a vehicle to get from place is no longer an option.  Neither is walking or riding a bicycle.

Even at ninety my mom still wanted her independence.  (I'm pretty sure I'm going to feel the same way if I make it to ninety.)  For her taking the city/county bus, even with her walker, was a beautiful blessing.  She became friends with the drivers and frequent riders.  It was an entire new community.  

I was fortunate enough after a visit to my local independent bookstore, McLean & Eakin Booksellers, to purchase and read a title released today which honors traveling in the city by bus.  It also pays tribute to the relationship children have with their grandparents.  Last Stop On Market Street (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA)) written by Matt de la Pena with pictures by Christian Robinson is a book about love created with love.

CJ pushed through the church doors, skipped down the steps.

As the boy and his grandmother leave the building it begins to sprinkle.  CJ is full of questions; wanting to know why they have to wait at the bus stop in the rain and why they can't ride in a car like his friend.  Her replies are full of wisdom; she is sharing what her eyes see that he is missing.

As she predicts the driver, Mr. Dennis has a surprise for the boy.  Fellow passengers are greeted by both as they take their seats.  CJ asks Nana another question about their destination.  He cannot understand why they go there after church.  As the bus travels down the street she continues her knitting answering him with sympathy expressed for his friends.  They will never experience what she and CJ experience.

Other riders enter the bus.  Each prompts questions from the boy.  When a blind man gets seated she says there are other ways to see.  When two boys stand listening to their portable media player, she suggests he listen to the real live thing, a man with a guitar on the bus.

On the recommendation of the blind man, CJ, Nana, the man (and his dog) listen with a different sensory style.  The man is right.  It's pure magic.  As the passengers applaud the performance, the bus comes to a stop.

CJ holds his Nana's hand as they walk.  What he sees and what she sees is still different but all her answers to all his questions, especially the last one, make him realize he wants to be like her.  As they enter another building, to take their places in the line, CJ knows there is no other place he would rather be.

Prior to this title I have read a picture book, young adult novel and a short story by Matt de la Pena, enjoying them a great deal.  His writing in those, as in this title, brings readers directly to the moments shared by his characters.  Word choices and sentence structure reflect conscious choices; striking and at times poetic.  The love shared by CJ and Nana is evident in his comfort in asking her questions and in her patient replies.  Here is a single passage.

The outside air smelled like freedom,

but it also smelled like rain,

which freckled CJ's shirt and dripped down his nose. 

You can feel the warmth like sunshine coming from the matching dust jacket and book case as soon as you look at it. The vivid colors and the bold shapes sing out to readers.  When opened it becomes a single illustration of the bus traveling down Market Street.  In blue paper strips above the bus on the back we read:

CJ and his grandma take a bus ride together,

discovering the beauty and wonder

of their vibrant neighborhood.

A golden yellow provides the background on the opening and closing endpapers for white silhouettes of items important to the story; a bus, a butterfly, a coin, a jar with butterflies, a guitar, a hawk, a dog, a pair of glasses, an umbrella, a tree, a hat with a flower and a rainbow.  

Most of the visuals extend across two pages, edge to edge, beginning with the dedication pages; a portrait of the city street.  Christian Robinson rendered these and the other pictures using acrylic paint, collage, and a bit of digital manipulation.  All of his smaller illustrations are framed in white space in shapes which mirror the windows on the bus.  It's like we are being given a gift of looking into this special world.

Robinson's details take us into the city.  Through his work we are riders on this bus with CJ and his grandmother.  With a brush stroke or a carefully-placed shape we understand his depiction of each person.  There is a quiet, humming joy in his color palette.  

Without being explicit my favorite picture is of CJ listening to the guitar music.  I can only imagine that all readers will, without a prompt, do exactly as he is.  It's one of many beautiful moments with the narrative and image working in exquisite harmony. (Also, I wonder what book CJ is reading at the end on the publication information page.) 

Last Stop On Market Street written by Matt de la Pena with pictures by Christian Robinson is an eloquent portrayal of the bond between a boy and his grandmother.  With each page turn you feel yourself being wrapped in the love radiating from the story.  I literally sighed aloud at some of Nana's answers.  This is a heartprint book; a must read for all readers of all ages.

To discover more about Matt de la Pena and Christian Robinson please follow the links embedded in their names taking you to their websites.  Matt de la Pena is a guest at teacher librarian extraordinaire John Schumacher's blog, Watch. Connect. Read.  This links to an interview of Christian Robinson upon his receipt of the 2014 Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award.  Both Matt de la Pena and Christian Robinson are featured at author Julie Danielson's blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.
Update:  Enjoy this interview with Matt de la Pena and Christian Robinson at NPR Books Listen To The Story Morning Edition.
Update:  Head over to Scholastic's Ambassador for School Libraries John Schumacher's Watch. Connect. Read. to see a new video with Matt and Christian talking about this book. January 12, 2016
Update:  After the big win of the Newbery Medal Matt de la Pena is interviewed at Publishers Weekly. January 12, 2016

.@mattdelapena I ♥/ Students reacted to blind man closing his eyes to feel magic of the music. #SharpSchu How did this image come to you?

— Margie Myers-Culver (@Loveofxena) December 17, 2015

#SharpSchu It was actually a joke from the blind man (in my head), though nobody sees it that way! https://t.co/W6Gwm0LjH8

— Matt de la Pena (@mattdelapena) December 17, 2015

To Belong

I daresay that at one time or another each of us has felt like a square peg in a round hole.  Sometimes this can be a very good thing. (I'm talking about all those incidents my Dad said, "If everyone jumps off a cliff, are you going to jump too?") Not following the crowd or fitting in at the moment was a smart decision.  On the flip side standing out in a crowd, being different, is hard work, being brave over and over.  The rewards may be little or difficult to find now and then.

A new title, Gaston (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, June 3, 2014) with words by Kelly DiPucchio and pictures by Christian Robinson follows a pooch with plans and a purpose.  Little does he or Mrs. Poodle know of the shock spring will bring.  Let's begin at the beginning.

Mrs. Poodle admired her new puppies.

Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, Ooh-La-La and Gaston.

Puppies, all puppies, are precious so Gaston was as warmly loved as his three siblings. Even the least observant reader will notice a discrepancy before they are introduced a second time. When the newest family members began to grow Gaston was considerably larger than the other three.

Gaston worked as hard as he could when life lessons began in earnest; sip not slobber, yip not yap and tip toe not run.  He really tried his best.  Anyone who saw him would see one happy dog.

On their first visit to the park in the spring Mrs. Poodle led her pups with pride.  So did Mrs. Bulldog.  It was clear when comparing the two sets of four that something was not quite right.  The names of the little bulldogs were Rocky, Ricky, Bruno and Antoinette.  It seemed a switch had been made.

The moms agreed to let their children make the decision.  After much fun and frolic, the two sets of four looked perfectly proper; Mrs. Poodle had four poodles and Mrs. Bulldog had four bulldogs.  We readers know just because something looks good does necessarily mean it is good.

Antoinette did not sip, yip or tip toe like her new sisters did.  Gaston did sip, yip and tip toe but his new brothers did not.  Certain parties raced to the park the next morning.  There was no fun or frolic but fast actions fashioned a new future for the two foursomes.


When you read some books for the first time, then the second and third times, it's impossible not to do so without reading it aloud in your mind.  The narrative, the words, demands it of you.  The combinations are playful and musical.  Kelly DiPucchio has done this with her story Gaston.  

When readers are introduced to Mrs. Poodle's and Mrs. Bulldog's puppies she has us read their names but then she says,

Would you like to see them again?

DiPucchio wants us to be active participants in this tale.  There is light humor throughout comparing Gaston to his sisters, as well as having Antoinette prefer to remain with her bulldog brothers.  Many of her phrases rhyme or use alliteration to enhance the cadence of her telling.  Here is a single sample.

And they were taught to walk with grace. Never race!
Tip.    Toe.   Tippy-toe.   WHOA!


You simply have to touch the dust jacket and book case created by Christian Robinson.  The brush strokes on both, as well as all the illustrations rendered using acrylic paint, are an open invitation.  You see the texture, and then you want to feel it.  On the dust jacket many of the elements are raised like embossing.  Children love to run their hands over these types of illustrations. (So do I.)  The pattern on the chair where Gaston is seated appears on the opening and closing endpapers.  The back of the jacket and case show Mrs. Poodle looking at her pups all in a row with their backs to the reader.  You have to smile at the difference between Gaston and his sisters.

There is definite foreshadowing in the opening two page picture across the verso and title page as a doctor wheels out a carriage with a poodle riding in it and as a bulldog peers out the top of a box in the corner.  Robinson varies his visual sizes to elevate the story; two page and single page spreads, edge to edge, or single pages with large white space loosely framing a rectangle.  There is a distinct warmth and charm to his choice of colors; more muted and earth tone.  His dogs are as cute as cute can be.

One of my favorite illustrations is in the living room of the home where Mrs. Poodle and her family reside.  On the wall is a framed poodle picture.  Gaston's chair is in the corner next to Mrs. Poodle in the center, sitting all prim and proper.  The three little poodles with Gaston on the right end are sitting in a row in front of her.  This visual with the text makes me burst out laughing every single time.


Knowing where you truly belong is at the heart of Gaston written by Kelly DiPucchio with illustrations by Christian Robinson.  Comfort comes from within.  This winsome title is an absolute treasure.

If you want to know more about Kelly DiPucchio and Christian Robinson please follow the links embedded in their names to access their websites. UPDATE Julie Danielson at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast has lots of art from this title and other dog titles in a post.