A Pompous Pilferer

If there is a body of water, regardless of its size, it is likely they will be there.  Their constant cawing chorus creates a discordant melody with the wind and waves.  They strut on the beaches like royalty.  They search from the air like super spies.  When they find what they desire, their speed at acquiring it is the stuff of legend.

Who are these master thieves of land and water?  Seagulls!  With much hilarity Smug Seagull (Little, Brown and Company, May 26, 2020) written and illustrated by Maddie Frost tells the tale of a bird with an abundance of cleverness about to be tested.  He discovers he does not have a corner on cunning.

Don't waste your time looking at the boring copyright stuff.

If you want to see something exciting,
watch this . . . .

SWIPE

With an expert swoop and grab, readers are privy to a first bird narration by this seaside food burglar.  He points out his deft techniques.  In his not-so-humble opinion he believes others agree with this assessment of himself as evidenced by a restaurant bearing his name, a beach sign about feeding seagulls and his ardent fans, sea lions.  They must be shouting praise, right?

If we are not already charmed by the seagull's characteristics, he performs a series of dance moves.  As he falls to the sand, he sees a small red crab carrying a large, crispy french fry.  It isn't easy, but he manages to filch this tempting treat from the crustacean.  Before he can boast about his success, the crab snatches it back.

The crab's abilities, and, then, disappearance under the water makes the seagull crazy.  Donning goggles and carrying a net, he dives through the waves to get the french fry back.  He is repeatedly obstructed from his endeavors, before being terrified.  Back on the sand (thankfully), the seagull decides to return to what he can do best, but something has happened.  His prowess has vanished.  He has been bested by a small red crab.

In a dramatic monologue, the seagull tries to plan his next move.  Two things transpire in quick succession, signaling a change of plans.  As the saying goes---Two savvy food foragers are more fortunate than one who flies solo.


Every available opportunity to spin this story is skillfully used by author Maddie Frost.   The comedic text begins on the dust jacket, continues on the verso and title pages, remains throughout the body of the book, and concludes on the closing endpapers.  The voice of the seagull provides a constant commentary, and precise pacing with perfect pauses for the images to extend the words.  We are happily entertained from beginning to end, laughing out loud repeatedly.  Here is a passage.

All right, listen up, Short Stuff.
Nobody, I mean NOBODY, swipes
from me!

Don't you know
who I am?
Didn't you read my sign?

Well, pal, I just so
happen to be the---

PLIP (The crab dives into the sea)


(Note:  I am working with an F & G.  My hard copy has not arrived yet.)

We meet Seagull in all his exuberant glory on the front of the dust jacket.  He is already informing us of his signature attribute with an example clasped in his wing.  The raised eyebrows on the crab is a bit of foreshadowing.  To the left, on the back, we are shown a scene from the interior of the story.  It's another hint at the craftiness of the little red crab.  Seagull is not happy at the french fry now in the claw of his challenger.  The sand and sea continue flawlessly across the spine and to each of the flap edges.  Along the spine are teeny examples of snacks seagulls love to acquire from beachgoers.

On the opening and closing endpapers is a panoramic view of the beach and the sea with the sand full of people enjoying a variety of activities.  Among them are eight seagulls being pests.  Our protagonist has flow in his amazing swipe from the left to the right with a pizza slice in his beak.  A surprised boy is chasing him.  On the closing endpapers the sun has set.  The same people have moved around a bit, shifting from daytime experiences to settling in for the evening.  Eight seagulls are there now, snacking, hiding and even lounging in a chair.  Our new pals are flying overhead.

Each of the illustrations varying in size from double-page pictures, to a group of panels framed in white on a single page (or crossing the gutter in a dramatic display), and full-page images are highly animated.  Rendered by

using scanned mixed media and Kyle T. Webster brushes in Photoshop with text set in Smug Seagull, and the display type hand-lettered

the pictures heighten the humor and the cadence of the narrative.  Sometimes Maddie Frost brings us very close to the action, and other times we get a bird's eye view.  The facial expressions, especially the eyes enrich the laughter factor.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations takes place after the little red crab steals the french fry back from the seagull.  It is a vertical underwater scene on a little less than one-half of a page.  It is framed in white with rounded edges.  Seagull is wearing a set of purple goggles and carrying a darker teal net.  He is looking disgustedly to the right.  The little red crab is hanging on to the french fry in one claw and gripping a fishing line with the other claw.  He is surrounded and protected by five lavender smiling, and zapping jellyfish.  Clearly the crab has the upper claw.


This book, Smug Seagull written and illustrated by Maddie Frost is burst-out-laughing funny.  In this title there is a stellar blend of words and visuals.  It is a perfect choice for a summer, vacation, beach, humorous, or a bird-themed storytime.  It is one of those titles which will be requested for a reread again and again.  I know you'll have to have a copy for your personal and professional collections. (I have one on its way for mine.)

To learn more about Maddie Frost and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Maddie Frost has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.

Grab your snacks and join @_maddiefrost on her backyard beach day as she shows us how to draw the seagull from her new picture book, SMUG SEAGULL! pic.twitter.com/aZ9pfkg9u5

— Little, Brown Young Readers (@LittleBrownYR) May 27, 2020

Enjoy this addition video about Maddie Frost and Smug Seagull.

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.

Beneath The Waves Pastry Prevails

Six months ago, a movement came to international attention.  In August 2018, Greta Thunberg, a sixteen-year-old Swedish student turned political activist, began to strike to bring attention to climate change.  Throughout the world student-driven events in the form of strikes are growing.  A website, FridaysForFuture, is a central location for information.  On March 15, 2019 a global day of action is set in place.  For those who educate and encourage children, telling them they can save the world, hope grows.

What these children and young adults do not know is they might have unexpected allies. . . under the ocean waves.  Crab Cake: Turning The Tide Together (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, February 5, 2019) written and illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi presents a marvelous tale of typical and not-so-typical inhabitants of the ocean realm.  A single defining moment causes the formation of a new normal.

Under the sea,
where sunlight
touches sand,
lies a place
that's home to 
many incredible
creatures.

Clownfish, Manta Ray, Tangs, Sea Turtle and Scallop go about their days doing what is normal for a clownfish, a manta ray, tangs, a sea turtle and a scallop.  Crab does not go about his day doing what is normal for a crab.

Crab bakes cakes.

No matter how any of the other residents of this watery world spend their days, Crab continues to bake cakes, leaving them like a sweet delicious path among his companions.  Even those individuals who can't stop eating whatever or whoever they find, Crab just keeps baking cakes.  Life is beautiful in its sameness until suddenly it's not.

In the deepest dark of night danger is dumped into the watery world.  The dwellers are dumbfounded.  They become like statues unable to function but . . . not Crab.  Crab creates yet another confection for consumption.  This time is different.  This time everyone single soul comes to enjoy what Crab baked.

When a questions is asked of the group, an answer is given.  Many work as one until the job is done. In the morning, a shock awaits another community above the sea.  Down below, what do you think Crab and his ocean crew are doing?


A rhythm as gentle as a slow-moving current is supplied with the narrative flow written by Andrea Tsurumi.  When each group of ocean occupants is introduced, she has them engaged in an activity.  This is followed by

Crab bakes cakes. 

This happens three times inviting reader participation.  It leads us into and provides a sharp contrast to the dreadful incident.  It also supplies an opportunity for the sea creatures to work as a single unit for their common good.  Here is a passage.

Toadfish sings.
Pufferfish puffs up. 
Octopus hides in a coconut.
Moray Eel pops out of her cave.

And Crab . . .


You know with one look at the open and matching dust jacket and book case, this book is full of goodness and surprises.  It's not often crabs are carrying cakes adorned with snail shells and seaweed.  Do you see that tentacle reaching out to grab the cupcake?  Is that fish snacking on a chocolate chip cookie?

To the left, on the back, a fish is wearing a croissant for a hat as a shark munches on a doughnut.  In the sea above this activity there is a subtle hint of the danger to come.  Will readers wonder?  Most of the elements, other than the seascape, are varnished.

On the opening and closing endpapers in sea green, outlines of white jellyfish are swimming upward.  Within each body is a sweet treat.  Pieces of cakes and pies, and cookies, float in delectable delight.  On the verso page we see a hint of the danger again.  Opposite this on the title page, Crab is baking using an undersea volcano.

The illustrations rendered

using graphite on Bristol vellum and digital color

by Andrea Tsurumi are double-page pictures until the mood of the story shifts.  Then a series of panels on six separate pages place greater emphasis on the change.  This pacing is excellent.  Andrea Tsurumi varies her color palette to indicate emotional highs and lows.

Intricate details welcome readers to pause on the pages drawing them further into the story.  The expressions on the creatures' faces mirror the story superbly.  Readers will see bits of humor inserted in some of the images.

One of my many favorite illustrations spreads across two pages.  On both sides of the gutter Crab is carrying a huge three-layer cake embellished with items from the sea.  On either side are all kinds of flora found along the ocean bottom.  A clam is taking a bite of a cookie.  A fish is enjoying another pastry.  A wooden spoon drifts nearby.  Are those muffins among the seaweed?  A larger fish looks in amazement at the cake.


What readers will realize is Crab Cake: Turning The Tide Together written and illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi is a tale about taking charge.  It's about working to take back the goodness you enjoy.  It shows the power of one to effect change.  I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Andrea Tsurumi and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  You'll enjoy the cover reveal by Elizabeth Bird, Collection Development Manager at Evanston Public Library system, at A Fuse #8 Production.  Author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson highlights the artistic process by Andrea Tsurumi on her site, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  It's fabulous!  Andrea Tsurumi stops by Mile High Reading hosted by Dylan Teut, director for the Plum Creek Children's Literacy Festival in Seward, Nebraska to talk about this book, her process and other work. Andrea Tsurumi has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.

UPDATE:  Please enjoy The Children's Book Podcast with Andrea Tsurumi and teacher librarian Matthew C. Winner, April 30, 2019 about this book.

P B And J Lead The Way

Without a doubt the peanut butter and jelly sandwich is a classic, favorite food especially for children.  Even the pickiest of eaters will gobble up this delectable delight.  You can hardly think of one (peanut butter or jelly) without the other.  I have even discovered there is a National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day held each year on April the 2nd.

There are certain combinations, legendary duos, friendships, in the world of fiction, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Batman and Robin, Calvin and Hobbes, Frodo and Sam, Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh, which have and will continue to stand the test of time.  I think a new marvelous match has entered the children's literature community, Peanut Butter and Jellyfish (Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's Books) written and illustrated by Jarrett J. Krosoczka.

Peanut Butter and Jellyfish were the best of friends.

No day went by without these pals playfully exploring all the nooks and crannies of their briny habitat.  Unfortunately their blissful bonding was interrupted by the unkind comments of the local curmudgeon, Crabby.  Insult after insult floated through the ocean current as they swam past his rocky station.

Peanut Butter and Jellyfish did what positive people do; they ignored Crabby and his hurtful statements.  Did that stop him?  It did not.  He was a master of meanness.

To their surprise one day Crabby was not at his post.  Distressful cries caught their attention.  Crabby had been caught in a lobster trap.  Uh oh...things are not looking so swell for their tormentor.

A decision must be quickly made.  Will the flick of a tail work?  Will the talented tentacles do the trick?  Will fear be overcome with bravery?  There are indeed many undiscovered riches within the undersea realm.


Within this simple charming story, Jarrett J. Krosoczka defines friendship and taking the high road as well as how to voice one's fears and having the courage to admit your mistakes.  In the characters of Peanut Butter, Jellyfish and Crabby are traits commonly found in people who come and go in our everyday lives.  Readers will easily be able to identify with the circumstances of these three; similar situations are constantly present at home and school.

 A mix of narration and dialogue provides an even flow and a gentle kind of tension.  Krosoczka includes descriptive words like taunt, heckler, relentless, barnacles, invertebrate and excursion to broaden readers' vocabulary and invite discussion.  Here is a single example.

"Should we help?" asked Jellyfish.
The two friends shared a look.
"He is in serious trouble," said Peanut Butter.


Jarrett J. Krosoczka uses both the front and back of his identical dusk jacket and book case to present a cheerful illustration filled with bright, bold colors which calls out to readers inviting them to join in the adventures of Peanut Butter and Jellyfish.  His opening and closing endpapers show layers of ocean in vivid hues of blue, a fishing boat moving along the surface.  There is a noticeable difference in the two, a distinct beginning and ending to the story.  A continuation of the scene on the outside of the book provides on the inside a backdrop for the title and publication information.

A technique of using acrylic paintings manipulated into collages digitally brightens the text with two-page, one page and several half page visuals.  Using dots for eyes, a shift in eyebrows, and altered mouth shapes Krosoczka conveys a range of emotions.  Readers will cheer for the two friends and even feel empathy for their adversary.

The first sentence (shown above) with the joyful companions swimming through the colorful ocean sends an uplifting message that all is right in their world.  It is in direct contrast to another of my favorite designs.  On these two pages Crabby, in four half page illustrations, is shown in different poses shouting out not-so-nice one-liners from his rock.  The interplay of background colors and sea life is genuinely appealing.  (It's interesting that Krosoczka has chosen white for his font color.  I really like it.)


Who wouldn't want to have friends like the sea creatures found in Peanut Butter and Jellyfish written and illustrated by Jarrett J. Krosoczka?  They are cute, lighthearted and have a zest for life; even managing to crack ole' Crabby's shell of crankiness.  They are heroes who don't know they are.  Which in my book are the very best kinds.

Please follow the link embedded in Jarrett J. Krosoczka's name to his website.  He has loads of information and fun things to see and do.  At John Schumacher's blog, Watch. Connect. Read., he celebrates the release of Peanut Butter and Jellyfish with an author illustrator interview.  At the publisher's website more interior views of the book are available. The tweet below is pretty amazing too!

Bucket list item! Weston Woods will be animating Peanut Butter and Jellyfish! And I'll be narrating!… http://t.co/MtvMd7lArJ
— Jarrett J. Krosoczka (@StudioJJK) April 25, 2014