Curiosity, Courage, And Communication

In his poem, Mending Wall, poet Robert Frost has one of the speakers repeat twice:

good fences make good neighbors.

Undoubtedly this poem and this particular line have been discussed and debated more times than we can count.  Fences are decorative.  They do provide protection for pets and young children and discourage wild creatures.  Fences designate boundaries.  In this respect fences act as a sanctuary, but do they make good neighbors?  

Fences, if they are strong and sturdy, with a foundation become walls, like those forming homes.  Hopefully, they are still safe spaces.  What happens when these walls are outside our homes keeping us from leaving or seeing beyond their heights?  Every Little Letter (Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, August 4, 2020) written by Deborah Underwood with illustrations by Joy Hwang Ruiz takes us to a place of walled cities.  As has happened often in human history, children (the littles) are the impetus for change, change for the better. 

Once upon a time,

there was a city of letters

surrounded by walls.

The only distinguishing feature about the letters was their size; otherwise they were the same.  Everywhere they looked they saw the letter H (h).  It was comforting to these letters to be surrounded by the walls, regardless of the fact other letters were located outside their confines.

Among the inhabitants was one curious little h.  She had questions about the other letters.  Were they even real?  One day, she got her answer.

Peeking through a hole in the wall she saw an i.  They both reached and together they formed:

hi.

Unfortunately, a large H saw this, and the hole was patched.  

In her sadness the little letter h formed a plan.  Using paper airplanes, she sent out a flurry of letters to i.  One happened to land within the walls of the letter o.  Soon the air was filled with letters.  The little letters loved this idea.  Their worlds were expanding word by word until . . . the big letters discovered the little letters' activities.

The little h hid two letters.  By moving them around, she designed another strategy.  In the dark of night, the little letters put her solution to their problem into action.  Daybreak revealed the results.  Were the large letters shocked?  Was their fear too great?  Words, brave, bold, and true won.

When picture books have broad appeal across the ages, there is something special about them.  This book penned by Deborah Underwood is one of those books.  Using letters as her characters makes them easily recognized by the youngest reader.  The concept of the twenty-six letters living in walled cities is timely and timeless. The rhythm fashioned by her words is one of exploration, and extraordinary elation, an ebb and flow of setbacks, persistence, and resonating revelations.  Her simple, but profound words supply readers with inspiration and more importantly, hope.  Here is a passage.

The idea spread from one small letter to another.

The x's tic-tac-toe

games became much

more exciting.

The b's playground

was full of surprises.

And the y's finally

got some answers.

The image extending across the front and back of the open and matching dust jacket and book case cheerfully greets readers with a combination of pastel and bright hues.  It radiates happiness through the letters' facial looks and body postures, and asks a question.  What do we need to know about every little letter and their position on the stone wall?  On the front the letters are varnished.

The sky, stone wall, and scenery stretch over the spine to the far-left edge.  The wall diminishes in a small valley before continuing upward again.  Standing in front of it are the little letter h holding a paper airplane and an even smaller h shaped like a dog.  

The opening and closing endpapers are a reflection of the beginning and conclusion of this lively and uplifting narrative.  Across a pastoral landscape, on the opening endpapers, are rows of letters in alphabetical order enclosed in walls with two clouds hanging in the upper, left, and right-hand corners.  The same landscape is present for the closing endpapers as are the letters, but warm light beams from the left to the right.  One more element is missing.

These illustrations by Joy Hwang Ruiz 

created digitally, with the help of ProCreate

span partial, single, and double pages.  They, with lots of charming details, are highly animated.  They display a range of emotions building toward the final double-page picture luminous in its joy.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is when the little letter h and the little letter i extend their hands through the hole in the wall.  The double-page picture portraying this moment is pure bliss.  A rainbow of color glows on the pages.  In white hi appears in several different kinds of fonts.  The little letter h is to the left of the gutter.  The little letter i is to the right.  Both their hands are stretched to the gutter.  Above their heads in a shared speech balloon is the word hi in cursive.  

This is a book to read repeatedly.  This is a book to inspire discussions and to inspire change.  Every Little Letter written by Deborah Underwood with illustrations by Joy Hwang Ruiz is a title for all ages to serve as a beginning, and a reminder of what we can accomplish.  I can't imagine a personal or professional collection without a copy of this book.

To learn more about Deborah Underwood and Joy Hwang Ruiz and their other work, please access their websites by following the links attached to their names.  Deborah Underwood has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Joy Hwang Ruiz has accounts on Instagram, and Twitter.  On the publisher's website you can view the opening endpapers.

Bear-y Brave

The receipt of long-awaited good news sends most beings into a state of euphoria.  Usually the elation is far richer and longer-lasting if the message fulfills a life-long dream.  A whole new set of potential scenarios unfolds before the recipient.  All the if-only wishes become what-if opportunities.

Sometimes amid all the jubilation a shift in thinking takes place.  Bearnard's Book (Godwin Books, Henry Holt and Company, February 5, 2019) written by Deborah Underwood with illustrations by Misa Saburi allows readers to more fully understand self-doubt and the value of friendship in providing courage.  It's a charming exploration with warm-hearted revelations.

One day, Bearnard received an important letter.

This letter from The Queen of Storybook Land advised him of an amazing situation.  He was asked to be in a book!  He was asked to be at the gate to Storybook Land tomorrow.  To say Bearnard was excited was an understatement.

He could hardly stop thinking about all the children who would read the book with him in it.  As soon as he could he told his best friend, Gertie, a goose, about this marvelous invitation.  The two began to speculate on the kind of story it would be.

Whatever the tale was, Bearnard was determined to be the best.  Gathering other bear books, he tried to emulate the characters.  He tried one, two, three and four times to perform like the other bears.  He couldn't do it.

When Bearnard woke up the next morning he felt like a failure.  He was going to ignore the Queen's request.  When he told Gertie, she pointed out what all his attempts proved.  With his newfound attitude Bearnard and Gertie walked toward a new adventure.  It promised to be the best one yet.


We find ourselves very quickly becoming a part of Bearnard's and Gertie's story when the letter from The Queen of Storybook Land is read.  Through narrative and conversations between Bearnard and Gertie we are a part of the emotional ups and downs this announcement brings to Bearnard.  Author Deborah Underwood involves us further by referring to other famous bear characters.  This also places more emphasis on Bearnard's final realization.  Here is a passage.

He read a book about a bear who floated away in an umbrella.
"Oh, dear.  What if I need to float in my book!" said Bearnard.
"I'm afraid of floating."

He filled up his bathtub to practice.

"What are you doing!" Gertie called.

"Not floating," said Bearnard.

The color palette, cream, rose, light blue, pale golden yellow, lavender, brown, several shades of green and black are introduced to readers on the open dust jacket.  It's intriguing to see the very book we are holding being held by one of the characters.  To the left, on the back, Bearnard in striped pants declares his readiness to be in a book.  He is framed in a circular vine.  He has a single tiny rose blossom (from the front) in one of his paws.  Tiny Bearnard faces wearing different expressions are placed on the spine.  The text and characters are varnished.

A smooth, matte-finished texture is used for the book case (and the interior pages).  On the front of the book case Bearnard is seated and holding Gertie so they are facing each other.  To the left, on the back, holding paw and wing, with their backs to us, they are skipping into an open book.  Gertie is holding a single delicate rose blossom in her free wing.

A shade of olive green covers the opening and closing endpapers.  On the initial title page, an interior image is placed beneath the text. Bearnard and Gertie are enjoying a picnic.  A small image of a dejected Bearnard is on the verso page opposite the title page with the two friends expressing different emotions at the receipt of the letter.

Rendered in Adobe Photoshop by Misa Saburi the pictures, full of whimsy and cleverness, elevate and complement the story.  Careful readers will notice all the tiny details; the rabbit postman riding a bike and pulling a wagon, the varied wallpapers in different rooms, the rocking horse Bearnard the knight rides, a special bear's suitcase and coat, and the book titles on the window sill in Bearnard's bedroom.  The contrast between the heavier outlines and other delicate elements supplies readers with the signature artwork of Misa Saburi.  The pictures span two pages, full pages or are grouped together on a single page.

One of my many favorite pictures is one of four on a single page.  Gertie is trying to relax Bearnard as they walk to Storybook Gate.  They have stopped and are seated on a dock or bridge.  Gertie is on top of a railing.  Bearnard is leaning over it.  They are watching a small hat-wearing turtle on a rock in the water.  It's a peaceful, loving scene between friends.

Bravery can take many forms and sometimes it takes a friend to show us how courageous we are.  Bearnard's Book written by Deborah Underwood with illustrations by Misa Saburi shows us how to accept ourselves and the gift of a dream coming true.  Readers will be ready to jump into their own books after reading this title.  You'll want to have a copy on your professional and personal bookshelves.

To learn more about Deborah Underwood and Misa Saburi and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Both Deborah Underwood and Misa Saburi have accounts on Instagram.  On Twitter you can find Deborah here and Misa here.  Deborah wrote a guest post at the Nerdy Book Club about this book.  To view interior images, visit the publisher's website.  The publisher's have also developed a six page activity kit.

In His Own Mind

Heroes walk among us every single day.  They come in all shapes, sizes and ages.  Some might not even be human.  Always ready for action they can transform from ordinary to extraordinary in a single second.  We may not even be aware of the shift in their identity.  It is hidden from us; only a vision in the mind of the courageous champion.

As adults we sometimes forget how brave children are to leave their homes, venturing out to learn in school classrooms.  For the little guys and gals attending school for the first time as kindergartners it can be daunting.  Super Saurus Saves Kindergarten (Disney Hyperion, June 27, 2017) written by Deborah Underwood with illustrations by Ned Young follows Arnold as he challenges a perceived formidable foe.

Kindergarten was starting in two days, 
and Arnold was busy making plans...

Arnold's plans did not include what students would normally take in their backpacks or what they would wear.  His plans were how to escape.  He would do anything not to attend the first day of school.

Arnold was convinced his teacher was

Zorgo the Evil Genius.

He was sure all the children would be snacks for Krok the pet T. rex of Zorgo.  As Arnold's conversation continued with Emily, he became super-charged with conviction.  He would not go or stay in his classroom because he was

SUPER SAURUS!

Over the course of the next two days, Arnold gathered his gear, gizmos and gadgets.  He was packed and ready for whatever happened beginning with a ride to school as a captive in a submarine.  (Mom and Dad drove him in the family car.)  He ran as soon as the vehicle stopped but did not get very far.  Plan B was to use his Sticky Shoes to scale the building.  Again his flight was thwarted.  He had no choice but to face Zorgo.  

Every activity designed, music, art, free and circle time, by Mr. Z was perceived as a confrontation with Zorgo.  Super Saurus was in full-blown hero mode.  At snack time the greatest challenge yet arrived uninvited.  Super Saurus put his super smarts into action.  Kindergartens never fear, when Super Saurus is here.


A fabulous blend of voice by the narrator, realistic conversations and Arnold's thoughts by Deborah Underwood has readers cheering for Arnold and Super Saurus.  His character traits of planning, determination and doing the right thing for others compel us to keep turning the pages. You have to admire the patience and good nature of Arnold's parents and his teacher.  Here is a sample passage.

His ship screeched to a halt.  He couldn't leave
all those innocent children in Zorgo's clutches!
There was only one thing to do.

Super Saurus narrowed his eyes. He
straightened his mask.  He marched up
to Zorgo.  "I challenge you to a duel!"

"We're singing right now," said Zorgo.  "How about after snack time?"


You can almost hear the blast of superhero music swelling in the background as you look at the matching dust jacket and book case.  Super Saurus charging through the lined school paper, arms raised and smiling, is ready for action.  We know for what he is prepared by his own drawings shown on the left and right of his body.  The bright bold colors seen here are used throughout the book.

To the left, on the back, Arnold aka Super Saurus has drawn a particularly hilarious scene between him and Zorgo.  The three speech balloons reveal the strength of his confidence in his abilities and his desire to avoid school.  On the opening and closing endpapers, on a white background, more childlike drawings reveal the abilities of Super Saurus.  We can see his Rescue Rocket, his Super Sticky Shoes and his Super Saurus Scuba Suit all in use.

On the title page the text is placed on paper on an easel.  Arnold is facing it, crayon raised and ready to make some art.  On the dedication page Super Saurus is chatting with his fellow classmates.  Rendered in acrylics on illustration board (and acrylics and colored pencils on watercolor board for Arnold's drawings) all the pictures are highly animated and cheerful.  Ned Young uses his space superbly to highlight the story.

His images span two pages, single pages or are grouped on a single page.  When the story focuses on Super Saurus the text is placed in a yellow box rimmed in red with black text.  Readers are going to love the Super Saurus and Zorgo clothing, special effects and alternate world.  There will be page turns with significant pauses.

One of my favorite pictures of many is on a single page.  Arnold dressed in his Super Saurus garb, a mask and cape, is packing his backpack.  He has it placed on the living room sofa as he stands on an arm.  A rope around the outside holds his Super Sticky Shoes, boots dripping in maple syrup and peanut butter.  He stuffs his Rescue Rocket constructed from cardboard boxes into the opening at the top of his backpack.  His flippers and a fishing pole, for deep sea rescues, are part of his first-day-of-school gear too.  The vivid hues and details (wrinkles in his denim shorts, texture in the colored rocket) contribute to the overall charm of this (and all the) illustration (s).

You will want to add Super Saurus Saves Kindergarten written by Deborah Underwood with illustrations by Ned Young to your books-about-school collections.  Readers will feel a connection to Arnold and applaud his endeavors.  There is nothing like imagination and creativity to save the day.

To learn more about Deborah Underwood and Ned Young and their other work please view their websites by following the links attached to their names.

Rogues At Rest

At an early age they enter the world of stories stored in our memories.  The huffer-puffer of homes, a granny imitator, the baker of gingerbread houses, a mirror watcher, the spell caster of long sleeps, a spinner of straw, a fee-fi-fo-fum guy liking Englishmen, and a guarder of bridges all play a part.  It's a part that fills the hearts of others with fear.

At the stories' end, is it really the end?  When you open the book, there they are again.  Good Night, Baddies (Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, May 17, 2016) written by Deborah Underwood with illustrations by Juli Kangas follows these doers of dastardly deeds.

Sun slips down; the day has gone.
Witches, wolves, and giants yawn.
Queen and dragon, troll and gnome:
tired baddies head for home

Well, this is without question an unexpected turn of events.  These baddies dwell one and all in a formidable fortress.  Once inside it's easy to see by night these folk are downright friendly.

A meal is shared before bedtime preparations commence.  Snow White's nemesis dons her nightie.  A muddy monster cleans up his act.  The girl in the hood and porkers numbering three rest easy as their foes floss.

Books are read and tales are told as nighttime rituals unfold.  The largest of the residents, teddy bear in hand, is afraid of royalty that might be hiding beneath his bed.  Eyelids droop and dwellers doze.

When cuddled under comforters, a howling song drifts through the starry night air.  Baddies bid the day adieu.  Their dreams are...


Deborah Underwood peels back a layer we believe to be true giving us a different view.  Lilting lyrical four-line verses rhyme; the first and second, then the third and fourth.  It's a fracturing of many fairy tales blended together as one.  Here is another passage.

Wolves, today was not so good.
You didn't catch Red Riding Hood.
You huffed and puffed without success.
But brush your fangs, please, nonetheless.


A single illustration spans the matching dust jacket and book case.  We are shown a gathering of fairy tale foes but they appear as friends.  Rumpelstiltskin reads aloud as a dragon, witch and wolf listen.  From the left a pajama-clad troll, carrying a lacy pillow, joins the group.  Don't you just love that the wolf has a pig stuffed toy?  The pillows, braided rug, glowing lamp, books on the sill, a pitcher of milk and a glass nearby complete the cozy image.  Stars and a crescent moon are framed by an arched window.

The opening and closing endpapers ask us to pause first noting all the baddies doing their deeds during the day and second to watch them sleep at the end.  Oval shapes framed by intricate vines hold the twelve different portraits.  There might be spiders and webs and a few bats too.  These are done in two hues of brown.

Thirteen double-page pictures in a full color palette rendered in watercolor with oil washes over the top by Juli Kangas begin with the title page and continue with the verso and dedication pages.  With each page turn you will feel compelled to stop, enjoying all the details included by Kangas.  A house mouse and a black cat are shown in most of the visuals.  The dragon and wolf are passing a tossed salad to each other at dinner. Vegetarians?  The face in the queen's mirror is sleeping.  You will appreciate the framed pictures on the giant's bedroom wall.

One of my favorite images shows the area outside the bathroom door as well as inside the bathroom.  We get a glimpse of the queen wearing slippers with crowns coming down the stairs.  A waiting witch is reading the Bad News as the cat cleans its paws.  Rumpelstiltskin is wondering when he gets to bathe.  He did remember to bring his rubber ducky.  The troll is soaking in a bubble bath, bunny slippers next to the tub.  Guess who is scampering by a bridge seen through the window?  The details in this picture are seen throughout the book.


You are most certainly going to want to add Good Night, Baddies written by Deborah Underwood with illustrations by Juli Kangas to your bedtime story collections at home and at school.  With a cheerful cadence it asks us to consider the familiar in an unfamiliar way.  It will prompt discussions about other fairy tale characters and how they might be seen differently.

To learn more about Deborah Underwood and her other books please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Deborah has a song on the page dedicated to this title which you can download.  She beautifully sings the story to us.  At the publisher's website you can view additional interior illustrations.  Please spend a few minutes at Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries John Schumacher's blog, Watch. Connect. Read. as he chats with Deborah Underwood about this book, school libraries and some of her other books.  Deborah Underwood writes a guest post at author Tara Lazar's Writing for Kids (While Raising Them).  Educator Dylan Teut chats with Deborah Underwood at Mile High Reading.  Enjoy the book trailer.



UPDATE:  There is a Story Hour Kit!

From The Cosmos A Challenge

When you take away the magic, fairy tales can mirror the real world.  A parent can disappear from our lives through death or divorce.  They are often replaced with another less than savory person who may or may not have children of their own.  Each day brings tasks to be met as a new normal is being shaped.

Cultural adaptations supply variances but at the heart of every story is a clever protagonist.  Interstellar Cinderella (Chronicle Books, May 5, 2015) written by Deborah Underwood with illustrations by Meg Hunt draws our attention to a girl, despite her current circumstances, who maintains her focus.  Her determination and choices provide readers with courage and hope.

Once upon a planetoid,

amid her tools and sprockets,

a girl named Cinderella dreamed

of fixing fancy rockets.

By day her mundane household repairs kept her busy but by night she read manuals to increase her understanding of elaborate ship systems.  On the eve of the Prince's Royal Space Parade, her stepmother simply stated the family vehicle had no room for Cinderella.  It was suggested she repair the other broken ship.  

Cinderella would surely have done this but those two snide stepsisters took her tools.  Her trusty robotic companion, Murgatroyd, beamed out a signal to the stars.  True to the tale, a fairy godrobot appeared offering a new space suit, a jewel loaded with pizzazz and a sonic socket wrench.  Using her learned skills, the repairs are made and Cinderella's rocket surged into space.

Just in time she settled among the cosmic crowd to watch the Prince's ship pass.  To her surprise (and the Prince's too) smoke belched from the rocket ride.  Our heroine with her new tool in hand fixed the fractured vessel.  

An invitation was issued and accepted.  Hours sped by like minutes as conversations revolved around favorite topics.  As midnight neared, Cinderella, jet pack ignited, hastily departed.

A persistent Prince searched for his Gravity-Free Ball date.  He carried what Cinderella had dropped; only in her capable hands would it work well.  An arrival yielded disappointments all around until a mighty mouse prevailed.  A galactic girl and a royal guy struck a bargain.

With the first rhyming sentence we are shooting across time and the galaxies.  Deborah Underwood writes to and for her readers giving a timeless classic her own signature twists.  Her Cinderella not only sets her sight on the stars but rockets around among them; a gal with her own ambitions but also willing to use her skills to help others.  Each point of Underwood's telling leads to a conclusion unrestricted by the norm.  Here is another sample passage.

The prince's spaceship jerked and hissed

and spewed a cloud of grit.

The prince hopped out. "Oh blast! What now?

My chief mechanic quit!"

Although the dust jacket and book case match, readers will notice a subtle difference on the front of the jacket.  The cosmic elements and the title are done in a multi-colored foil as opposed to the bright white on the case.  This pink-haired girl, sporting goggles, her sonic socket wrench, and atomic blue space suit, is most assuredly a match for her step-family and any mechanical problems on the horizon.  To the left, on the back, the prince is zipping through the planets and stars, searching.  It's an introduction to this presentation that's out of this world!

Meg Hunt, as a debut picture book illustrator, continues exhibiting her talents on the opening and closing endpapers, depicting an array of tools Cinderella would have at her disposal in her workshop; micropliers, megamag mallet, antimatter hammer, plasma pump or googol gauge, to name some depicted. Smaller images of these items are depicted on the verso around the text.  The words on the title page are framed in starry items, Cinderella in flight, Murgatroyd and space beings in ships.

Most of the illustrations, rendered in gouache, brush and ink, graphite, rubylith and digital process, span across two pages. The color palette is evocative of space and life on planets other than our own.  Hunt's lines flow but also portray firmness in the details on the character's faces, their attire, the robots' parts and in the interior and exterior places.  

One of my favorite pictures is the first one on two pages.  We zoom-in on Cinderella seated outside on her planet, her spaceship nearby under a port.  She is wearing her everyday clothing and gloves, holding a crescent wrench in her hand with her tool box next to her.  Her robot mouse companion is gazing upward with her.  The constellations drawn in the sky reflect her dreams; each is a different space ship. 

Every collection will want to have a copy (or two) of Interstellar Cinderella written by Deborah Underwood with illustrations by Meg Hunt.  It is a rhythmic romp among the stars with a young woman of courage and conviction.  I think readers will be requesting to hear this repeatedly or maybe they will want to present it as a play.  

For more information on Deborah Underwood and Meg Hunt please follow the links attached to their names to visit their websites.  This link will take you to Meg Hunt's blog.  She gives us peeks at interior illustrations.  Meg Hunt is featured at teacher librarian extraordinaire John Schumacher's blog, Watch. Connect. Read.  Deborah Underwood was a guest blogger at the Nerdy Book Club speaking about this title.  (There are illustrations there, too.)  Here is educator Colby Sharp's review of Interstellar Cinderella as part of the trifecta.  Deborah Underwood chats with Matthew C. Winner, the busy librarian on his Let's Get Busy podcast.

Now What Cat?

Two weeks ago when heading home through town down several side streets, I couldn't believe my eyes.  One of the houses looked like Clark Griswold had paid a visit; lights twinkling in the early dusk.  Not too many days later wreaths and garlands began to appear outside markets and nurseries. Members of the high school band were canvasing neighborhoods selling seasonal greens to raise money.

Perhaps the early snow storms contributed to the air of preparation and expectation but there is no doubt, the season of winter holidays is upon us.  Children throughout the world, depending on their cultural customs await the arrival of a special night, a night of gift-giving.  You may recall there is a rather cunning cat we first met in Here Comes The Easter Cat (Dial Books for Young Readers, January 24, 2014).  For reasons soon to be revealed he has returned in Here Comes Santa Cat (Dial Books for Young Readers, October 21, 2014) written by Deborah Underwood with pictures by Claudia Rueda.

Hey, Santa!
Have you seen Cat?

Readers, unlike the unseen narrator, are quick to recognize Cat dressed in Santa garb.  When the unidentified voice realizes their mistake, they ask Cat why he is wearing a suit of red trimmed in white fur.  Through the use of his clever mode of communication we decipher the true reason for Cat looking like Santa Claus.  He wants to give himself a gift.

He is secure in his assessment the real Santa Claus will not be giving him a gift.  On the naughty or nice pie chart, his nice section is a mere sliver.  Cat has no other option.

In further conversation, it's clear his role as the jolly giver of gifts has not been carefully considered.  Climbing down chimneys is too messy.  Not being in possession of flying reindeer, Cat decides to wear a device of his own choosing with disastrous results. (He does have a love of speedy means of transportation.)

He could simply be nicer even if there are less than twenty-four hours left.  His ideas of caroling, giving presents to children and decorating the tree in the town center are fabulous failures. Regardless of his less than stellar attempts, the narrator decides to give him two cans of his favorite fancy food.

Now a new problem presents itself to Cat in the form of a younger character.  Cat has a choice to make.  It's not going to be an easy decision because Cat is.... Well he's Cat.

Jingle Jingle Jingle

Look what's happened to Cat now.  Merry Christmas to you too.


Continuing with the narrative technique which worked extremely well in the first title, Deborah Underwood uses a conversation between Cat, displayed through the use of signs, with an as yet unnamed speaker.  This voice questions, discusses, reasons, advises, responds and supports Cat in all things.  It's the actions of Cat, devised by Underwood, which will have listeners rolling on the floor with laughter and readers giggling with glee.  Cat's personality is distinctively his own.


Claudia Rueda has rendered all the illustrations

with ink and color pencils on white paper, surrounded by hundreds of cats (ink cats!).

White space is definitely an element in all her visuals beginning with the matching dust jacket and book case.  The look on Cat's face sitting on top of the gift holding up the sign covering Claus makes me laugh every single time.  On the left the expression on his face sans the suit (the hat is behind his back) is without a doubt devious.  Rueda begins her visual story several pages before the formal title page with Cat wandering by a pet store displaying a bounty of items.  By the time he passes the shop he has a plan.

In a pattern which splendidly dictates the pacing, adding to the humor of the story, Rueda alternates with an illustration on one page with the black text spoken by the narrator on the opposite side.  On several pages pictures alone carry the story line seamlessly.  Her artistic technique and style convey every single nuance of Cat's moods.

With a soft touch to her color and lines and with the smallest of details, the mere hint of a smile with his paw resting on his lips, a toothy grin, a frown with upraised eyebrows, or crinkled whiskers, we know what Cat is thinking and feeling.  Her use of shading depicts Cat's change from being downcast to expressing alarm and then hopeful.  Selecting a favorite illustration is nearly impossible.

I think one of my favorite funny pictures is after the big CRASH!  Cat is standing wearing the Santa hat and coat with a string of Christmas lights wrapped around him from head to paw.  On the opposite side is a single word spoken by the narrator.

Wow.

For me the "heart" factor comes with the illustration featuring Cat wearing his new set of clothes having just given a gift to his unexpected visitor.  After the gift is opened I can already hear readers sighing.


Who doesn't love to laugh? We need it every day.  The effect is immediate and beneficial.  Here Comes Santa Cat written by Deborah Underwood with pictures by Claudia Rueda is one of those seasonal books certain to lift spirits not only for the wit but for the wisdom Cat discovers.  I am grateful to Deborah Underwood and Claudia for creating this series.  (I'm still smiling after numerous readings.)

To learn more about Deborah Underwood and Claudia Rueda please visit their websites by following the links embedded in their names.  Deborah Underwood was a guest blogger at PiBoIdMo, Picture Book Idea Month, hosted by Tara Lazar on November 17, 2014.  She talks about the creation of Cat and the first book.

 Update: Enjoy the new trailer released on December 15, 2014.

To Go, To Arrive

A single word can be laden with meaning.  It can be interpreted differently depending on the situation and the tone of voice in which it is spoken.  In several languages bidding someone farewell is akin to a blessing.  Adios is a contraction of an earlier phrase meaning I commend you to God; some feeling it is more formal than Hasta luego or Hasta manana (See you later or See you tomorrow). In its original form goodbye meant God be with you.

No matter the meaning or how it is said, goodbye is edged initially with sadness; either you or someone else is leaving.  When the choice to go is not yours it's even harder; in some cases an act of bravery.  Bad Bye, Good Bye (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, April 1, 2014) written by Deborah Underwood with illustrations by Jonathan Bean is about going from the familiar into the unknown; frightening or exciting or a little bit of both.

Bad day
Bad box
Bad mop
Bad blocks


Moving day has arrived.  A little boy and his younger sister are angry and sobbing.  They will do anything to hinder the loading of the truck.  The ride following the van and the movers is not starting off well.  Rain pouring from a dark cloudy sky does nothing to help the situation.

Views during travel change; city to country, country to city.  Mom and Dad trade places driving; everyone napping when they can.  Maps, rest stops, a motel and games mingle with the journey. Two days distance the foursome from the past transporting them into a new future.

Sunset comes and shadows grow as the headlights from the family's car shine down a new street.  Men unload the furniture and boxes.  The boy explores.  Four-legged friends greet, two boys meet, fireflies and a night sky signal a shift.


A wizard with words, Deborah Underwood, conveys volumes with her simple rhyming text.  With each reading the mood conveyed with her narrative never changes; we travel from one community to the next as the boy's spirits alter from despondent to hopeful.  I've read this at least five times.  Each time I can sense a feeling of lightness growing as the family gets closer to their destination; peaking with the compilation of pages on their arrival.  The technique Underwood uses is the repetition of the word new in contrast to the word bad at the beginning.  It works wonderfully with her in-between choices.


Extending from flap edge to flap edge, the dust jacket expressively displays, in seven images of the family car, the literal and emotional transition.  Using ink and Prismacolor tone throughout Jonathan Bean creates truly memorable artwork.  As you look at each image the characters' facial expressions change, the weather changes and so does the color palette.  The opening endpapers are done in a solid steel blue-gray.  A sunny golden yellow covers the closing endpapers.

Bean begins his pictorial story, interpretation, on the title page with the boy and his ever-present pooch pal scowling at the man picking up his box of toys.  As a background for many of the visuals Bean has drawn in black and white, looking like shaded sketches in pencil or ink, additional elements.  It's an incredible layered effect.  (Please go to his featured post at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast to see his process along with artwork.) Two words which beautifully sum up his two-page illustrations for this title are movement and mood.

The placement of details within each scene adds to the range and depth of emotion conveyed.  The boy's dog pulling on his shirt as he pulls on the pants and legs of the movers, the smeared red ink on the SOLD sign in the rain, the partial name of a town on a water tower, a grain elevator among the golden wheat phrase, the Dog Walk sign at the rest area, a female truck driver and moths about an outside light all contribute to a realistic enhancement of the text.  Another important factor is perspective with Bean choosing to bring readers into a moment by zooming in or providing a more panoramic view to convey the extent of the change.

One of my favorite images is of the two boys sitting together in the tree with the night wrapped around them like a comforting blanket, fireflies blinking everywhere.  Our boy is holding a jar filled with lightning bugs; the two having shared their first tiny adventure together.  The new boy's Mom is standing outside their home looking off the page perhaps chatting with her new neighbors.  It illuminates the words:

Good tree
Good sky


To help children who are moving, for others to understand how moving felt for their new friends and for adults to realize the emotional significance of a move, Bad Bye, Good Bye written by Deborah Underwood with illustrations by Jonathan Bean is absolutely brilliant.  You, as the young boy is, will be emotionally transformed.  I will be placing this title on my Mock Caldecott 2015 list.

Please follow the links embedded in the author's and illustrator's names to access their websites.  Elizabeth Bird, New York Public Library's Youth Materials Collection Specialist and blogger at A Fuse #8 Production alerted me to an interview post by Deborah Underwood linked here. The people at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt have made a Bad Bye, Good Bye Tips for a Good Move with Kids page.  I'm pretty sure my love of books written by Deborah Underwood was enhanced by an earlier interview at Watch. Connect. Read. hosted by teacher librarian John Schumacher.

What's Up Cat?

For children around the world certain anticipated expectations are attached to the celebration of each and every holiday as well as milestones in their lives.  Their particular culture dictates observed traditions.  Many of these events signal the arrival of a cherished figure of importance.

If we could open a window into the realm of legend and fantasy, we might watch in wonder as these beings go about their work visiting boys and girls.  For their efforts they receive in return the affection of all those children.  It goes without saying that guys and gals will always attempt to catch a glimpse of these beloved characters.

I can't stop smiling when I think of the look on any boy's or girl's face when instead of catching a glimpse of the Easter Bunny making deliveries they see instead a...cat.  Yes...a cat.  Here Comes The Easter Cat (Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA)) written by Deborah Underwood with pictures by Claudia Rueda tells the tale of a disgruntled cat who longs to replace the revered rabbit.

What's wrong, Cat?
You look grumpy.

It seems Cat is more than a little bit jealous of all the good will being given to the Easter Bunny.  Let's think about this.  Who wouldn't appreciate receiving chocolate or colorfully decorated eggs?  In addition it's got to be huge job to accomplish this once a year everywhere in the world.  The Easter Bunny is also undoubtedly the recipient of a good deal of respect.

Perhaps Cat would like to spread a little joy by giving something.  No...Not that!  No...Not that either!  With an unbelievable mode of transportation revealed (Cat can't hop) and a special costume donned, Cat sets off with a rumbling roar to distribute goodies.

Wait a minute.  How can Cat be done already?  What Cat wants now, Cat can't have because the Easter Bunny goes without it.  Shhh...  It's...it's...the Easter Bunny!  Cat?  Cat?!  Oh Cat!!


Deborah Underwood's approach to telling this story is definitely unique; an open invitation for participatory reading.  She has an unseen narrator question and comment in response to Cat's range of expressions and drawings on signboards.  In Cat she has created a character sure to elicit laughter in readers; Cat's crankiness and quick clever answers contrast flawlessly with the later unexpected tenderness.  This in turn sets the stage for the final page of absolute hilarity.


Rendered in ink and colored pencils by Claudia Rueda all the illustrations convey every mood of Cat (and the Easter Bunny) explicitly beginning on the matching dust jack and book case.  Cat is expressing total happiness on the front holding up his preferred method of communication.  Readers will wonder if he indeed has altered a favorite holiday.  On the back we see Cat, arms crossed, in a typical state of cantankerousness.

On the three pages before the title page Rueda begins the story with Cat looking at posters of the Easter Bunny, irritation growing.  With the exception of four sets of two pages, each sequence of the story consists of an illustration on one side with text on the other.  Both are framed with crisp white space.  To perfect the pacing three illustrations are unsupported by words and one sentence has no picture.

The fine lines, the detail work, depicting Cat's body postures and facial features heighten the written words as do the drawings on the signboards.  No matter how many times I've read this book, I continue to laugh out loud when I reach certain pages.  One of my favorite illustrations is when Cat's transportation is shown.  It's so cleverly drawn, so outrageous; you can't help but break into a huge grin.


I can't think of a better book for an Easter treat, than Here Comes The Easter Cat by Deborah Underwood with illustrations by Claudia Rueda.  I can already hear the laughter of listeners as this title is shared.  It's guaranteed to delight everyone. (I've had a smile on my face the entire time I've written this review.)  What makes this even better is knowing Cat is returning in another book!

Please follow the links embedded in Deborah Underwood's and Claudia Rueda's names to access their official websites.  At Claudia Rueda's site there is a set of author/illustrator interviews giving insight into the creation of this book.  This link leads to an interview of Deborah Underwood by Debbie Alvarez at The Styling Librarian.

Turning the Pages in Anticipation Quiet

One of the many benefits of having a dog as a member of your family, is you are outside when no one else is.  Late at night or early in the morning amazing things can be seen and heard.  Without any noise, within the silence, you gain a unique sense of seeing and hearing, noticing what you might otherwise have missed.

With the demands of modern day living it's hard to gain this perspective especially when the December holiday season begins in earnest.  The talented collaboration of author Deborah Underwood and illustrator Renata Liwska who brought to readers The Quiet Book (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, April 12, 2010) and The Loud Book (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, April 4, 2011) have created another title in the series, The Christmas Quiet Book (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, October 16, 2012).  When you stop and really listen, you are truly surrounded by quiet.


Christmas is a quiet time:
Mysterious bundles quiet

With a sense of hope running high, who can blame the younger guys and gals from sneaking a peek despite running the risk of being discovered.  No matter the age who has not listened intently, fingers crossed, for those magical words, school is cancelled due to snow.  Have you ever noticed how a child layered in snow clothes makes little or no sound except for the swish, swish of nylon on nylon?

Listen, can you hear? There is quiet playing in the snow, sipping hot drinks, watching holiday performances, decorating, baking, skating, children's Christmas plays, breathing the crisp air, nighttime walks, activities in front of a cozy fire, writing, wishing and yes, even in joy.  Some days more than others, sometimes happy, sometimes sad, the stillness is there.


With the exception of the first page Deborah Underwood uses a minimal amount of words preceding quiet, a single phrase for each page, some linking together.  She truly has a gift for capturing the exact moment of quiet which may come before or after a less than silent event.  It's as if she's gathered all her childhood memories, chosen the most memorable for their hush factor and shared them with her readers.

Forgotten line quiet
Helpful whisper quiet


Drawn in pencil then colored digitally, the illustrations of Renata Liwska are charming.  The front and back jacket when opened show a line of those adorable characters from the two previous books joined together as they unwind a string of colored Christmas lights against a backdrop of dusty blue sky peppered with snowflakes.  The front and back covers done in the same blue have a single figure on each.  The front cover shows a softly-colored, brown bunny wrapping a gift; the back has another similar bunny with a hair bow opening the same present which happens to be a copy of The Loud Book.

It's in the attention given to detail that Liwska draws in her readers.  On the title page a rabbit is hanging an ornament on the second "o" in Book, the owl skating across the ice has special shaped mittens for her wing tips with the string running across her back hooking them together.  There is also a feeling of nostalgia in her drawings; when picturing the radio with two bunnies listening for the snow day news, it is the old box kind with a red line going across the station numbers, a large red dial on the front.

As in the previous two books Liwska has selected a muted color palette replete with earth tones with spots of color for accents, using red on nearly every page for added warmth.  Her creatures of forest and field have never been more endearing.  To great effect she again shifts (as she did in The Loud Book) perspective as all the animals gather around the decorated Christmas tree.  We see them as if we are looking down upon the scene.

One of my favorite pictures is of the two rabbits in front of the fireplace, stockings hung, lighted candles on the mantle.  Both have fallen asleep reading, the one in a chair, the other lying on the floor.  The characters from the open book on the floor are walking off the pages.  Perfectly precious.


The Christmas Quiet Book written by Deborah Underwood with illustrations by Renata Liwska is a gentle gem.  As a read aloud or one on one this is cozy and quiet from cover to cover.  As with the other titles, it is sure to generate a conversation about other kinds of quiet.


Links to the author and illustrator websites are embedded in their names.  Here is a link to a wonderful page created by the publisher full of information about both the author and illustrator, additional artwork, plenty of extras and ....


Christmas Quiet Kit

Quintessential Companion

It is in solitude that quiet can be observed and noticed. In their first collaboration, The Quiet Book (HMH Books for Young Readers, April12, 2010, author Deborah Underwood and illustrator Renata Liwska touched a chord in the hearts of their intended readers. For that reason it has been on The New York Times Best Sellers list.
In this newest volume, The Loud Book (HMH Books for Young Readers, April 4, 2011), their two parts make a pleasing whole on numerous levels:

THERE ARE LOTS OF LOUD.

In clear, clever phrases readers share in Underwood’s unique understanding of the exuberant, awesome, satisfying, embarrassing, expected and unexpected noises that are commonplace in the lives of children. The book opens with ALARM CLOCK LOUD following the characters in a seamless flow from one sound to another, some the result of the previous loud.

As the final page is turned readers smile as CRICKETS LOUD comes into view closing out the day. In a blog interview on April 1, 2011 on The Children’s Book Review site Deborah Underwood states: My theory is that most children’s authors have inner children, and we’re drawn to writing for that age….Verbal play and just being goofy helps my creative process. So does being around animals, whether they’re the pigs and turkeys at my favorite animal sanctuary or the squirrels and ducks in the park.

Sketchbooks, small enough to carry are always within reach of illustrator, Renata Liwska. Lovable, soft, stuffed-animal-like woodland creatures and a quirky striped lizard find their way from pencil drawings to images that not only reflect the text but expand its definition. Her illustrations are brimming with animation, expression and humor.

Graphics throughout are continuously connected. The front and back of the title page are two characters speaking through tin cans connected with string as the words fan out to become the sound. In WALKING-TO-SCHOOL SONG LOUD a squirrel on a tree branch is flinging pine cones at one of the singers. A bee in an outside scene makes his way inside on another page.

Her attention to detail is exemplified when in SPILLING YOUR MARBLES IN THE LIBRARY LOUD on the book cart is a miniature copy of The Quiet Book. Perhaps one of the best examples of her artistic gift is the shift of perspective in the illustration of FIREWORKS LOUD with all the animals gazing skyward.

Liwska states: I follow the old saying, Draw what you know. But I think I also follow another saying just as much, Draw what you like!

One can not help recalling similar loud situations in their lives or dream up other kinds of loud as they gaze at the pictures and text.  For readers of all ages this book is School's Out For The Summer Loud.