Clever Cardboard Creativity

Given the opportunity children, in their infinite wisdom, inventiveness and openness, will amaze you.  It's a joy to see how they can create something marvelous from nearly nothing.  Fortunately for the world, they think outside the box.  Not only do they think outside the box, but give them a box, any size of box, and what they do with it is extraordinary.

Their first thought is not to cut up and flatten a box for recycling.  Their first thought is what can I make with this box.  To them the possibilities are limitless.  In her first book as both author and illustrator, Boxitects (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, January 14, 2020), Kim Smith introduces readers to Meg, a genius at using boxes to build anything her heart desires.

MEG was a boxitect.  She loved to make things out of boxes.

The size of her handiwork ranged from small to large and from low to the ground to the top of the ceiling.  Her results filled her with pride.  Her mother believed, like Meg, there wasn't anything she couldn't construct from a box.  Meg's mother decided to enroll her in Maker School.

At Maker School children crafted creations from all kinds of materials, blankets, pasta, tin and even egg cartons, but Meg was the only boxitect.  Here Meg refined her skills.  She ensured her constructions were practical, stable and lovely to look at.  It was wonderful until the new student, Simone, arrived.  Simone was a boxitect.

She was as gifted as Meg.  She believed it was her duty to point out the possible flaws in Meg's work.  In response, Meg pointed out the possible flaws in Simone's work.  Tension filled the air between these two designers and builders.

As a finale to the last day of Maker School, the Maker Match was held.  You had to work in teams.  This was an easy rule for the other students to follow.  Meg and Simone refused to work together. They divided an enormous box in half and got busy.  Boxes in the school disappeared as the two objects, separate but bound together, grew. When disaster flies in, Meg and Simone must decide what is most important to them.


To begin, Kim Smith honors the tradition of making things from cardboard boxes with the term boxitect.  (People are or will be wondering why they didn't think of that.)  In her word choices she uses alliterative descriptors,

tiny houses
tall towers and
twisty tunnels.

A cadence,

brilliant and creative,

is repeated to tie sections of the story together.  As Kim Smith builds on Meg's successes and happiness, we can feel a tension growing.  Simone's entrance increases this unease until, in a moment of humor, the tiniest of things can provide a shift in attitudes and in the results.  Here is a passage.

The blanketeers built with blankets and pillows.

The spaghetti-tects built with pasta and glue.

The bake-ologists built with cake and frosting.

But the boxitects were not building at all.


A bright, colorful palette signals a happy resolution on the front of the dust jacket featuring Meg on her cardboard castle creation with Simone "flying" her box rocket.  Both girls are pleased with their inventive structures.  Meg's pooch pal adds a charming touch to the scene.  Many elements are varnished on the front.  This image extends over the spine to the left on the back. 

There, beneath the hanging clouds, are more cardboard buildings of all shapes and sizes.  There are the backs of trees, tall towers, a barn with a chicken weathervane, a windmill and scattered construction supplies.  It is a collage of inventiveness, one layer on top of another layer.

On the book case readers are treated to a box builder's delight.  A cardboard box is the background.  Scraps of paper and labels are pasted on it along with universal symbols.  On the front, between the title and the author illustrator's name, is a hand-drawn picture.  It looks as if it was done in crayon.  It's Meg standing in front of her home with a lawn, tree, a single cloud and a sun in the upper, right-hand corner.

On the opening and closing endpapers Kim Smith has placed, in shades of brown and white, all shapes and sizes of boxes and other items made from cardboard.  On the initial title page, Meg is carrying an armload of cardboard boxes over her head.  On the formal title page, surrounded by boxes and other supplies, she is happily at work drawing plans for her next project.

Rendered digitally in Photoshop the illustrations are double-page pictures, small vignettes grouped together on a single page and full-page pictures.  Each image size serves to heighten the current mood of the narrative.  Kim Smith shifts her point of view to draw us further into her pictorial story.  Readers will enjoy the large expressive eyes, and facial features on the diverse characters.  This is a school they will want to attend.

One of my many favorite pictures is on a full-page.  Meg's mother has walked into their living room.  She is staring at Meg's latest building, open-mouthed.  It's a massive castle, nearly to the ceiling, with multiple rooms and towers and cut-outs in the walls.  A tiny heart is placed on the top of one of the turrets and a star is on another turret.  Meg is leaning over a rampart wearing a helmet and waving a sword made from cardboard.  Her canine companion is positioned slightly below her and wearing a crown.


It is guaranteed that anyone, regardless of their age, will be searching for the nearest cardboard box after reading Boxitects written and illustrated by Kim Smith.  The ingenuity of Meg and the other characters is wonderful to see honored here as well as the support of the adults.  At the close of the book four pages are dedicated to Why is cardboard so extraordinary?, Be a Boxitect! Build a Boxitect Tunnel and Build a Boxitect Castle. Necessary supplies are listed with numbered instructions and colorful explanatory visuals.  For each of the projects a Boxitect Challenge is added.  You'll want to add this title to your personal and professional collections.  This book would pair well with What To Do With A Box by Jane Yolen with illustrations by Chris Sheban.

To learn more about Kim Smith and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  At her website the page for this title contains numerous interior images.  Kim Smith has accounts on Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter.  At the publisher's website is a link to some activity pages.  This taped television interview will give you more insights into Boxitects and Kim Smith.

Breakfast Buddies Battle

Anyone with an ounce of sense will tell you it's ridiculous.  You think it's ridiculous.  There are certain books though, books you have finished reading, which cause you to look at inanimate objects with a different mindset and a more cautious approach.  The line between fiction and maybe-it-could-be-real tends to blur in these stories.

Long after the cover is closed there's a teeny, tiny voice in your mind whispering words, reminding you.  Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast (Sterling Children's Books, September 1, 2015) written by Josh Funk with illustrations by Brendan Kearney will have you wondering about those odd noises you hear your refrigerator make after all the lights are out.  Even in the middle of the day upon opening the door, your eyes will scan the shelves wondering if something (someone) has moved.

Deep in the fridge and behind the green peas,
way past the tofu and left of the cheese,
up in the corner, and back by a roast,
sat Lady Pancake beside Sir French Toast.

Within seconds of hearing the news, the two best friends become rivals in a race.  There is only one drop, a single sweet taste, of maple syrup left.  They both want it. (cue Chariots of Fire).

Food becomes a forest, a fountain and a mountain to navigate at an ever-increasing speed.  They strive to be first abandoning caution.  One nearly falls off a ledge; the other does plunging into a jar of jam.

Nimble Lady Pancake rappels with ease using pasta and leaps over veggies and a fruit like a champion hurdler. Surpassing the skill and style of medal-winning Alpine skiers Sir French Toast swiftly glides from a summit of sauerkraut.  There's a thump!  Then someone else is mired in a spicy mix of mud.

Ignoring the plea of a chickpea starts an icebox disaster.  A ladder provides safety and leverage.  A parachute supplies a heightened view.  The duo, looking the worse for wear and feeling it too, trudge toward their goal.  Finally standing side by side with the bottle reached, they are stunned.  Evil lurks when you have your eyes on the wrong prize.


If there were a contest for rhyming with rhythm, Josh Funk would walk home with the blue ribbon.  Not only do his characters run, romp and roam through the confines of a household appliance with rambunctious remarks but his words leap off the pages and linger in our collective minds.  Each has been chosen with care entertaining us and asking us to look at our food as a landscape of possibilities. Here is another passage.

Pancake made use of her seafaring skills
and sailed across oceans of soup, causing spills.


When you open the dust jacket and run your hands over the front and back you will notice the heavy textured paper.  On the front, on and around the jar, the elements are raised.  The crown, dots, ampersand and moustache are in copper foil.  Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast are off and running with a smile and a glint in their eyes.  On the back readers are treated to the reverse of the front, the jar, beans and the two main characters.  A third party lurks off to the left, foreshadowing an unexpected future.

On the opening and closing endpapers Brendan Kearney, in two shades of green, has sketched in outlines all varieties of food.  The textual design from the front of the dust jacket and book case is repeated on the title page.  In full color, animated food is placed beneath it.

Rendered in pencils and digital media the illustrations span across two pages or single pages.  Kearny keeps us close to the action using color, shading, and circular framing.  Prominent characters including Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast are boldly depicted many times against outlines of food stuff in the background.  Tiny dots, lines and curves portray an array of emotions on the other food.  At the close of the story two brilliantly hued images will delight readers as will the special fold-out.

One of my favorite illustrations is of Lady Pancake.  She is sailing in the soup.  An appetizer pick with a tiny flag on top is her mast.  Swiss cheese is her sail.  It looks like she is standing on a bow of bratwurst.  At the moment her gaze is triumphant.

Are you introducing a unit on food?  Are you hosting an overnight party, needing a book for breakfast?  Are you teaching a writing unit on rhyme?  Are you looking for a fun food fight without the mess?  Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast written by Josh Funk with illustrations by Brendan Kearney is exactly the book you need.  Readers and listeners will be cheering for their favorite but realize, as the pals do, most things are not worth the loss of friendship.

To discover more about Josh Funk and Brendan Kearney please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Josh Funk maintains a blog.  Brendan Kearney's blog is older but has some great illustrations there.  I was fortunate enough to interview both Josh Funk and Brendan Kearney when their cover was revealed.  John Schumacher, Scholastic Ambassador for School Libraries and blogger at Watch. Connect. Read. premiered the book trailer.  If you go to Josh Funk's page for this title he has a complete list of all articles, interviews, blog posts and podcasts relative to this book.

UPDATE:  Josh Funk was recently a guest at Picture Books Help Kids Soar.  Read his interview. April 16, 2016

UPDATE:  Josh Funk was interviewed by Karlin Gray.August 15, 2016

Lady Pancake And Sir French Toast Cover Reveal--Champions At Breakfast

When someone mentions breakfast the first thing I think of is Sundays.  Growing up, during the other six days of the week, we had cereal and fruit for the sake of brevity.  Sundays were not only designated family days in our home but they were a time for making pancakes for breakfast.  No one could make buttermilk or buckwheat pancakes like my dad.

Under his watchful eye we were allowed to help add and mix the ingredients.  The griddle had to be the right temperature.  After the batter was poured, we watched for the bubbles to form signaling the time to flip the pancakes over.  It was sheer heaven when the maple syrup was drizzled over the top before we took the first bite.  Without the maple syrup the meal would not be complete.  I shudder to think what would have happened if there was not enough maple syrup for everyone.

Debut picture book author, Josh Funk, is stopping by today with a monumental feast for our eyes regarding the release of his first picture book, Lady Pancake And Sir French Toast (Sterling, September 2015).  Bickering between his children when added to a mind relishing the thought of

funny ideas that will entertain 

and

something he would like to see illustrated

equal a rhyming race for readers.  Josh has graciously agreed to answer a few of my questions.

In your PiBoIdMo article you explain the competition between your two characters.  Could you briefly go over the main story line of the book again for readers here?

Hi, Margie!  Of course I can!  Inside a food-filled-fridge, Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast are the best of leftover friends-UNTIL they find out there's only a single drop left of maple syrup left in the bottle.  Almost instantly they begin racing through the fridge for that last drop-causing calamitous culinary chaos along the way.

I do think the blurb written by the folks at Sterling Children's does a great job of summing it up, too:  

"A thoroughly delicious picture book about the funniest "food fight!" ever! Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast have a beautiful friendship—until they discover that there's ONLY ONE DROP of maple syrup left. Off they go, racing past the Orange Juice Fountain, skiing through Sauerkraut Peak, and reeling down the linguini. But who will enjoy the sweet taste of victory? And could working together be better than tearing each other apart? The action-packed rhyme makes for an adrenaline-filled breakfast . . . even without a drop of coffee!"

How did you come to assign distinguished titles of royalty to their names?

Lady Pancake was always a Lady.  It's just the title that came out of my mouth (er...fingers on the keyboard) when drafting.  As a rhymer, a lot of it comes down to rhythm.  I'm a big stickler for rhythm in rhyming picture books and based on that it flowed well.  Sir French Toast was originally Mister, but some folks in my critique group suggested sticking with the royalty theme (in fact, I just dug out that first draft from late 2011.  It was Carole who suggested Sir-so thank you, Carole).

But the real question is why did breakfast foods get regal names?  Well, to my mouth and stomach, there is no more majestic and dignified meal than an exquisite brunch buffet.

Why did you select the particular setting for your characters over another scenario?

Maybe it's just me, but I've always been suspicious about what goes on inside the fridge when the door is closed.  I imagine it's like Toy Story, but with food.  Which foods would be friends?  Who are the leaders?  Who are the troublemakers? (I'm looking at you Brussels sprouts)  Who are the villains?  What would happen in a bean avalanche?  Come on, Margie, you must have wondered about these things?

And as you already noted, I write what I'd like to see illustrated.  And Brendan Kearney did an amazing job of depicting this setting-so much better than I thought it could ever be.

As a matter of fact, Josh, I have wondered what happens behind the closed door of the refrigerator.  My food seems to disappear.  There have been days when I've looked at Xena with a more critical eye.  

 Do you prefer pancakes or French toast?

Waffles.

Is maple syrup your favorite topping for pancakes or French toast?

I gotta say, a high quality maple syrup from Vermont or Canada is fabulous, although I don't have such an experienced palette as to distinguish between grades of Golden or Amber, etc.  The boysenberry syrup at IHOP is a personal family favorite, but I couldn't have that all the time.

Do you have anything else you would like readers to know?

I just want to thank you, Margie, for hosting my debut Cover Reveal!  I've been a huge fan of your site for a while and I'm honored to have this little book be a part of your world.

And hi, Xena!

Thank you Josh for your kind words.  Woof! Woof! Xena sends you doggy snuggles.



I was able to connect with Brendan Kearney about his illustrations for Lady Pancake And Sir French Toast to ask him a few questions.


From the time you first read the manuscript until the finished illustrations, how much time did it take?

This varies from project to project, but the illustrations for this book came together
fairly quickly.  I think Josh, Sterling and I had a similar idea for the feel of the book from the
beginning.  It took about 6 months to get from manuscript to final art and then a few weeks of tweaking and making adjustments.


Could you briefly explain your process and form of medium used to create the pictures?

I draw all the lines by hand with black colouring pencils.  I then scan the drawings and colour and texturise them digitally.

What is your favorite character Lady Pancake or Sir French Toast and why?

I love all the characters in this book, but I had some real fun coming up with all the background character, like the broccoli and the beans.  I love adding detail to my work, and it was especially fun to add faces to everything, bringing everything to life. ☺

Without further ado let's dive into this delicious treat, the cover reveal for Lady Pancake And Sir French Toast.  My appetite for this scrumptious read is growing by the minute.

Clearly we may be looking at morning meal mayhem with the royal duo on the run.  I can think of several questions I hope are answered in the story especially the presence of spilled beans.  Brendan Kearney's color palette is absolutely mouth-watering; a pleasing mix of warm hues on a soft cool background.  I'm also getting a distinct craving for maple syrup.  How about you?

I want to extend my thanks to both Josh Funk and Brendan Kearney for answering my questions.  To discover more about each of them and their work please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  Josh Funk's blog contains wonderful posts about this title and his thoughts on the writing process in general.  Brendan Kearney's blog on Tumblr contains bits and pieces of his artistic life.  Brendan Kearney's Facebook page is a great place to visit.
Josh Funk is on Twitter @papafunk  Brendan Kearney is on Twitter @brendandraws

I have started a Pinterest board for this title including recipes, other books about breakfast food especially pancakes.  I am thinking of including books about the ingredients found in both pancakes and French toast along with lessons in following directions and the math used to cook.  Other suggestions are welcome.

Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast Activity Kits are now available! https://t.co/PAyWUeQsjo pic.twitter.com/Z219YpnjIt

— Josh Funk (@joshfunkbooks) July 25, 2015

Blasting Into The Cosmos

It was in the summer after college graduation when I owned my first car, a forest green Chevy Nova.  Up until that point, I walked or rode my bicycle everywhere.  Having had years of practice in the fine art of hand car washing (My dad never used an automated car wash in his lifetime), my automobile shined on the inside and on the outside.  Dad even made sure I could change the oil in my new set of wheels all by myself.  That car was my pride and joy.

Even today I can appreciate the sight of an elaborately detailed automobile or the throaty rumble of a finely tuned engine.  With this in mind I was excited to begin reading Lowriders in Space (Chronicle Books, November 4, 2014) a new graphic novel written by Cathy Camper with illustrations by Raul The Third.  Hang on folks; you are in for a ride out of this world!

WAKE UP, LUPE!

WAKE UP, ELIRIO!

WAKE UP, CHAVO!

Three friends, an octopus, El Chavo Flapjack Octopus, a mosquito, Elirio Malaria, and an impala, Lupe Impala, are off to their jobs at a car dealership, stopping for breakfast as Lupe rides a bicycle transporting them all.  Each excels in a particular area.  None can beat the mechanical talents of Lupe, the shipshape soap and shine cleaning skills of Flapjack or the exquisite line work of artist Elirio.  Six days a week the trio work for another; wishing they had a garage of their own.

Nearly all their conversations also include the dream of having their own car, a first-rate lowrider.  The threesome feels as though this is clearly wishful thinking until they simultaneously notice the posting for a Universal Car Competition.  First prize is a carload of cash and a solid gold steering wheel but there is the problem of needing a car.

Do not worry readers.  A found hunk of junk has potential.  In their hands the magic can happen.  In search of spare parts, los amigos visit an abandoned airplane factory.  Leaving, discouraged at what they find, their feline companion, Genie, unexpectedly points them to a box of rocket parts.  Working every possible minute, they turn nothing into something. Will it run?

Holy hubcaps!  Not only does this engine hum, moving the car low and slow, it roars transporting the pals into outer space.  They move from one interstellar point to another with extraordinary results.  A tense-too-close-for-comfort brush with a black hole nearly foils their return trip home.  

Spectators and contestants gaze skyward as Lupe Impala, El Chavo Flapjack and Elirio Malaria cruise in for a landing at the competition already in full swing.  Judges make their marks as they pass from each outstanding entry to the next. Be prepared for an astounding display and results that will have you cheering.


This graphic novel conceived and written by Cathy Camper, a blend of her desire to combine science, the Spanish and English languages, and the Mexican-American lowrider culture, flows from start to finish.  As soon as you meet the characters you know this book is going to be unconventional in a very good way.  It's not often an impala, a mosquito and an octopus are best friends.

Their personalities shimmer in the good-natured dialog.  The use of both Spanish and English in their conversations supplies a rhythm to the reading.  A team approach to every decision made, along with their positive support of one another, cements our wish to know as much as we can about them.

In the narrative Camper uses language peppered with alliteration and simile.  Another technique she employs is to tie three sentences together with tasks each are completing.  All these things contribute to an upbeat story.  Here is a sample.

"EVERY BROKEN PART, I REPLACED OR FIXED,"
"AND I BUILT THE ENGINE UP."

"I PAINTED THE BODY A DEEP SKY BLUE."

"I BUFFED THE PAINT JOB SMOOTH AS AN IRONED SHIRT."


There is no denying the wow factor of the dust jacket.  Your mind is immediately filled with questions and possibilities.  Who are these characters?  Why are they riding a car rumbling among the stars and planets?  It's a given they are happy to be there; faces smiling and hands high-fiving each other.

The book case has been designed to resemble a notebook with lined paper in keeping with the heart of this book.  The illustrator, Raul The Third, (and Cathy Camper) wants readers to realize the importance of drawing with limited supplies at hand, notebook paper and pen.  His opening and closing endpapers are a marvelous cosmic swirl of stars and planets, lines framing lines framing lines.

Matte-finished paper in the same pale tan shade as the book case supplies the background for the illustrations done entirely in black, blue and red pen. Every page turn is a welcome surprise in layout with panels of varying sizes; some placed on the top of other larger images.  Dialog is distinguished by placing it in speech bubbles.  The narrative and explanatory translations of the Spanish are framed in black lines.

I cannot say enough about the details in this graphic novel.  They are amazing!  Every time you read this you will see something new.  Lupe has a pail attached to her bike to carry El Chavo Flapjack, a frog who recently ate at a local restaurant is breathing fire standing on the sidewalk outside, Lupe has her name etched in her tools (just like my Dad did his), Genie has a heart shaped patch on the front of her fur and all the clothing and accessories worn by each character are a reflection of their personalities.

One of my many favorite illustrations is of the friends make some adjustments after visiting two particular spots in space.  Their ingenuity and knowledge makes their cosmic car dip and hop like none other.  Without spoiling it for you, the illustrations nearly jump off the page, loaded with action.  You can feel the speed and hear the engine sing.

Lowriders in Space written by Cathy Camper with illustrations by Raul The Third is a super-charged remarkable ride.  Three friends follow their dream no matter where it takes them.  Fortunately they decide to take us readers along on their journey.  We are enthusiastically glad they do.

Please visit the websites of Cathy Camper and Raul The Third by following the links embedded in their names.  They both share extras.  John Schumacher, teacher librarian, interviews Cathy Camper on his blog, Watch. Connect. Read.  A quote from the interview is 

Art has the power to change people.  People's actions are influenced by what they see and read, but also, people are often encourage to write and create art themselves, by what they read and the art they see.

Raul The Third is interviewed by teacher librarian, Matthew C. Winner on his Let's Get Busy Podcast, Episode #108.  I enjoyed the entire chat but this line by Raul set the tone for the entire listening experience.

...something that you know you were born to create."

LITPICK conducts a question and answer interview with Raul The Third.  A favorite thought is

I love how artists are linked to one another across time and space and that we are each adding to the conversation with every new work we create.

Lowriders in Space has its own website.  Here is a link to a common core aligned teacher's guide generated by the publisher.  Raul The Third is interviewed at School Library Journal.  In answering one of the questions he includes this in his reply.

I want to inspire our future artist from all walks of life that can see our book and realize that you don't need anything other than their dreams and hard work to realize their dreams.

Cathy Camper is interviewed at Huff Post Books.  I like these sentences in response for how the idea of the book came to her.

Daydreams.  I'm a prolific daydreamer, and all my books start with stories I tell myself.

Matthew C. Winner also interviewed Cathy Camper on his Let's Get Busy Podcast Episode #95.  One of my favorite parts is

I have to say that both Raul and I really love comics and we really love the possibility that comics give you...

Lowriders in Space (excerpt) by Cathy Camper, Illustrated by Raul the Third by ChronicleBooks

What Makes A Winner?

A band of storms roared through our community about 5:30 this morning.  It wasn't the rumbling thunder or flashes of lightning that woke me but Xena's panting and pacing. She finally settled next to the bed under a tent I made with a blanket as my hand reached down to touch her for the duration of the scary weather.  A couple hours later we woke up to a big surprise.

In sleeping on her side Xena had slid her head and most of her body under the bed.  When she sat up she was stuck.  In a calm manner I tried without success to move her out.  I then took off all the bedding, the mattress and box springs.  Her back would not squeeze from under one of the bars.  After much gentle scooching she was standing between the bed frame bars.  To both our relief I was able to lift her out.

Even Xena The Wonder Dog, writer of blog posts, has moments where she slips from the top of her game.  We all do.  In Number One Sam (Disney Hyperion Books) written and illustrated by  Greg Pizzoli, 2014 winner of the Theodore Seuss Geisel Award for The Watermelon Seed, a lovable canine has to rearrange his thinking about the true nature of success and being your best.

Sam was number one.

Sam and his car tear it up at the track with supreme speed, terrific turns and fantastic finishes.  On the day of the next race his confidence is high; he has never lost.  Maggie, an elephant and his best friend, is at the starting line with him.  All is going great as usual until Sam loses the race.  Maggie wins!

Sam is crushed.  How could this happen?  How could anyone be better at speed, turns and finishing first?  Before the next race Sam simply can't sleep.  His belief in himself is at an all-time low.

Not a word is spoken as the competitors, all in a row, are ready to put the pedal to the metal.  Sam is a bundle of nerves managing to miss the beginning of the race.  Despite this Sam is certainly back in the running; his speed, turns and timing have given him the lead.

OH! NO!  It's a fuzzy fivesome.  A split second decision needs to be made by Sam.  Is it beep, beep or peep, peep?


Greg Pizzoli is deliberate in his choice and use of words in this title.  Each sentence conveys a single thought easily understood by early readers.  Pizzoli manages to depict considerable emotion with his spare narrative.  Placement of text on each page scores points in the "pacing race" with purposeful pauses exactly where they should be.

With spot color, inking and printing by hand, a technique Greg Pizzoli utilizes to perfection, readers are welcomed by the characters racing around the track on the dust jacket; the illustration extending to the back flap.  Maintaining the same four colors, red, yellow, blue and black (hmmm...I spy Kroc having authored a tell-all title) the book case exhibits magazine and newspapers headlines highlighting Sam's successes.  Opening and closing endpapers mirror the black and white checkered finish flag winners see first.  This pattern is essential to the theme of the story but I like to think of it as Pizzoli's nod to all readers being winners.

The verso pictures what might be a hero's wall in Sam's home; decorated with trophies, ribbons, newspaper articles, and pennants.  On the title page a smiling Sam is holding a 1 trophy front and center.  Most of the illustrations, on the thick matte-finished paper, span across two pages with backgrounds alternating between white, blue, yellow, black, red or a combination of these colors.  Shifts in perspective and facial features leave no doubt in the readers' minds as to the mood of each character.

I have many favorite illustrations but three I really like are the two pages prior to the first race Sam loses.  The four characters in their cars are all happy on this sunny day full of possibilities.  The wave of dotted colors behind them promises good things.  On the next race day the mood of two of the racers has changed; Sam is clearly nervous and Maggie is worried she has lost a friend.  The patterns on top of the car hoods, a watermelon, a dotted peanut, a heart and a crossed-out 1 with a 2 painted off to the side are priceless symbols of the characters.  Finally there is something about seeing the front of Sam's car, huge, centered and spanning nearly edge to edge on two pages with the blissfully ignorant chicks wearing black glasses smack dab in front that changes everything.


In my mind and heart, the minds and hearts of countless readers who have read it and those who will read it in the years to come (repeatedly for sure), Number One Sam written and illustrated by Greg Pizzoli is a book to be displayed with a checkered flag, a first-place winner.  Sam, like all of us, learns winners not always cross the finish line first; sometimes they come in last.  And that makes them true heroes.

Please follow the links embedded in Greg Pizzoli's name above to discover more about him and his work at his website and blog.  This link will take you to an interview at Watch. Connect. Read., the blog of teacher librarian John Schumacher.  John states, rightly so, the book trailer is his favorite of 2014.  I dare you to only watch it once! Teacher librarian, Carter Higgins, features Greg Pizzoli on her blog, Design of the Picture Book. 

Ok, super nerdy, but the "1" from Sam's car is the same from Kroc's watermelon. And it's in my next book, too. pic.twitter.com/zDmanSd2hJ
— Greg Pizzoli (@gregpizzoli) May 13, 2014

This is my winner this morning after the storms passed.  She was very patient trusting that I would get her out.