The Coolness Of Cold

Red skies glow through a flock of sheep-like clouds scattered before an incoming front.  Snow, accumulating snow, is set to arrive within the next couple of days.  Although it is not officially winter, more cold and snow are welcome to those who enjoy all four seasons.  

This portion of the year brings special and specific benefits.  When Winter Comes: Discovering Wildlife in Our Snowy Woods (Little Bigfoot, an imprint of Sasquatch Books, October 13, 2020) written by Aimee M. Bissonette with illustrations by Erin Hourigan reveals those advantages and some mysteries to readers.  Let's follow a family enjoying a winter world and all it offers to them.

When winter comes,

and deep snow blankets the woods,

and ice forms cold and smooth on

the lakes,

thick enough for us to skate on,

some people think our woods 

are empty.

The woods are not empty.  They are still full of nature's inhabitants.  A fallen, hollow log, coated in snow, harbors some insects, amphibians, and other creeping crawlers like snails or slugs.

Under the deep mounds of snow traversed by the family wearing snowshoes, there are tunnels in the protected earth.  Meadow mice scurry on their highways in search of food.  At night when predators roam, they can hide in safety there.

Under the lake's ice, fish move slowly.  Turtles rest in its mud at the bottom.  Above the ground, covered tree branches provide another haven.  In their sheltering boughs, birds are protected from the wild winter winds.  

The members of this family understand that some animals sleep in winter, others hunt, and others run from hunters.  They know the animals by their tracks.  They know the animals by the sounds they make at night.  Each day as they play in the woods, they know they are not alone but are companions with its inhabitants.

When reading the expressive words penned by Aimee M. Bissonette, we find ourselves enjoying winter in the woods along with the family.  Realizing which animals are near is like discovering a secret held by the season.  A rhythm is fashioned from the repetition of the words we know.  Aimee M. Bissonette frequently uses alliteration in her phrases, elevating her cadence.  Here is another passage.

We know the frozen lake where we come to ice fish

hosts a slushy slumber party of

sleepily swimming rainbow trout.

What one word comes to mind when looking at the front, right, of the matching and open dust jacket and book case?  For me, that one word is contentment.  One of the best parts of being outdoors in winter is the hushed but hopeful quality of the atmosphere.  Here, in this first scene, we are a part of that ambience.  It is as if we can feel the curiosity of the wildlife and the anticipation of the family at the same time.  In this frozen moment, all is as it should be.  

To the left, on the back, an interior image from the book is used.  It shows the family's A-Frame home in a meadow surrounded by evergreens with mountains in the distance.  Bird feeders are full of our feathered friends.  A parent and child watch.

On the opening and closing endpapers a muted hue of deep blue is swirled with snow.  Among the swirls are forest animals.  Some are resting and others are in motion.  A smaller illustration on the title page features the family seated on a log at the lake, putting on their ice skates.  In the foreground a rabbit and a mouse linger.  

Each detailed, two-page illustration is a wondrous display of nature, its animal and human residents living together.  Illustrator Erin Hourigan creates panoramic views you want to enter.  When we are close to the people or animals, it is as if we are there with them in the moment.  The people are animated and joyful.  The animals are carefully represented realistically.  Sometimes cutaways supply us with perspectives of activities above and below the surface.  

One of my many favorite pictures is toward the end of the book.  In this spot, we move close to the beings represented.  On the left side of the illustration a white-tailed male deer, wearing a rack of antlers, stands still in front of snow-covered evergreens as if just stepping from the sanctuary of the woods.  In front of him the parents and children are moving toward a hill for sledding.  The mother and one child are pulling sleds.  The child is slightly turned back and sees the deer.  The father is carrying the younger child on his shoulders.  

In this book, When Winter Comes: Discovering Wildlife in Our Snowy Woods written by Aimee M. Bissonette with artwork by Erin Hourigan, we are reminded of the wondrous world we share with its other residents.  We truly are never alone.  Life is all around us.  This will be a wonderful addition to your personal and professional collections to use for discussions on the seasons, wildlife in winter, and the value of conservation.

By following the link attached to the name of Aimee M. Bissonette and Erin Hourigan, you can learn more about them and their other work at their websites.  Aimee M. Bissonette has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Erin Hourigan has accounts on Facebook and Instagram.  At Penguin Random House you can view interior images.

There are two important sections of our planet where cold and snow linger longer than any other place.  These locations are essential to maintaining a healthy balance for the continuation of Earth's survival.  They each have distinguishing characteristics with unique plants and animals.  ICE!: Poems About Polar Life (Holiday House, December 1, 2020) written and illustrated by Douglas Florian explores both the Arctic in the north and Antarctica in the south.  Witty wisdom and humor are prevalent in all the poems accompanied by whimsical, signature artwork.

THE POLAR REGIONS

Two polar regions on our Earth, 

and not a third or fourth.  . . .

This is the first sentence in the first of twenty-one poems about the polar regions, Antarctica and the Arctic.  The majority of the poems focus on the animals living in these areas.  Beneath the poems, paragraphs provide facts about each topic.

For these regions the sun, usually warming, is reflected from the snow and ice and maintains the chilly temperatures.  Regardless, ten species of whales are found in Antarctica.  You won't believe what variety of life lives hundreds of years there.  Emperor penguins are the largest penguins on our planet, with the males as protectors of the eggs until they hatch.

Up north in the Arctic climate change is affecting the ice, ice valuable to life there and, ultimately, to all of Earth.  On the Arctic tundra plant and animal life strives to thrive.  Polar bears wearing layers of fur wait for seals, blue whales consuming millions of krill daily are endangered, and Arctic foxes with thicker, bushier tails curl and take cover under those tails against the bitter cold and high winds.

Guess which animal has a special air sac to help them float or which animal can run up to forty miles per hour in spurts to avoid being eaten or which one has "flutings."  Having a hairy nose comes in handy when a moose roams in water.  Teaming up works well for gray wolves when they are hunting.  Caribou hollow hooves cleverly act as both snowshoes and shovels.

As we are entertained with the playful poems and artwork and are astonished by the characteristics of the selected animals, the book closes with a warning about climate change.  This is a difficulty needing a resolution.  We all must do our part.

Admittedly Douglas Florian is a master wordsmith. Each of these twenty-one poems demonstrates his love of language.  His word play is engaging and captivating.  He likens the polar regions to refrigerators.  He replaces words with partial words.  

It's not a place I'd like to live

but an ICE place to visit.

Repetition of a key word identifies the subject without ever mentioning the identifying word.  His rhyming, when used, is beautiful to behold.  Careful readers will spot the use of a homonym.  Within these poems, readers can also glean facts.  Here is a poem in its entirety. 

BLUE WHALE

The largest animal ever on Earth.

Wide as an airplane in its girth.

And head to tail it's just as long.

But yet it stops to sing a song.

And though a blue whale cannot fly,

it loves to leap up toward the sky.

The bones in each flipper resemble a hand,

which means that its ancestors lived on land.

The whale's a tale of evolution---

without an airplane's air pollution.

Rendered with

colored pencils and oil pastels

the illustrations first seen on the open and matching dust jacket and book case by Douglas Florian radiate a childlike quality, but meticulous observers will see the deft placement of prominent characteristics and references to the poems.  The color palette on the front is indeed frosty.  To the left, on the back, an orange canvas (like the shade shown on the front) frames a square image.  Here we see a smaller version of an interior picture of a caribou.  Hats are hanging on its antlers.  And its hooves are wearing boots in reference to their width and capabilities.

A bright blue covers the opening and closing endpapers.  A male emperor penguin shelters a newly hatched chick on the title page prior to the contents' text placed on vivid yellow.  Opposite each poem and factual paragraph is a single, full-page visual.

Highly animated, the pictures paint quirky portraits of the subjects.  The canvases on which the elements are placed mirror the frigid temperatures and biting winds.  A sneezing polar bear, an Arctic fox's barely visible face under its busy tail, an Arctic hare carrying an umbrella and seals wearing party hats and blowing on blowout whistles are only a few of the intriguing, humorous depictions.

One of my many favorite illustrations is for the gray wolf.  It is one of the simpler images.  The sky is a darker blue.  A huge yellow moon nearly fills the entire sky.  It rests on a hill.  On top of the hill, facing left and in front of the moon, is a wolf, head raised to howl.  Facing right is the face of the moon.  The moon is howling too.

Your personal and professional collections need this book.  At the close of ICE!: Poems About Polar Life written and illustrated by Douglas Florian, we are treated to a page of information about Douglas Florian, and a bibliography divided into books and internet sources.  This thoroughly spellbinding title will be an excellent and happy introduction, and a promoter of research and discussions.

To learn more about the artwork of Douglas Florian, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Douglas Florian has an account on Instagram.  At the publisher's website there is a two-page educator's guide.  At Penguin Random House you can view portions of the interior including the contents.  I hope you enjoy this recent video with Douglas Florian speaking about poetry.

Happy Hares

It was the first time in more than fourteen years.  She had never shown any interest in my flower or vegetable gardens.  There was absolutely no digging ever which was something for that dog.  This spring was different.  There was lots of nose-in-the-year sniffing and intense glances in one particular direction in one particular garden.

A week or so later working in that garden I noticed something a little different around one of my heather plants as I was removing fallen autumn leaves.  Upon lifting up a portion of the plant, there was a hole partially covered and lined with dried grass and little tufts of fur.  The grass was moving gently in a rhythm like breathing.  I had discovered a rabbit's nest with one baby remaining.  Thankful I was wearing gloves, I carefully and quietly lowered the heather branches.  Eventually the tiny hollow was empty.

The presence of rabbits was a constant source of joy regardless of the partially nibbled flowers each year.  Their footprints in the snow each morning was a constant reminder of what I hoped were late-night dance parties.  The Wonderful Habits of Rabbits (little bee books, an imprint of Bonnier Publishing Group, February 2, 2016) written by Douglas Florian with illustrations by Sonia Sanchez follows a herd of these bunny buddies as they celebrate the days of a year.

The habits of rabbit are many, not few,
with plenty of things that they love to do.

If you are out and about for an early morning stroll you might enjoy greeting the sun with a few of these furry friends.  They zig and zag on long and leaping runs.  Spring, summer, fall and winter will find them appreciating the special things each season brings like floating in a favorite pond keeping cool on a warm sunny day.

Their large ears and legs provide for protection and play.  They are keenly aware of the smallest of sounds.  Treasures may be unearthed during their digging competitions.

You'll find high hoppers, race runners and veggie nibblers.  A symphony of sound may drift from a gathering on a grassy knoll.  It's a unique percussion section composed of feet keeping a beat.

As dusk darkens the sky rabbits head to their homes some curling for a night's rest in cozy comfort.  Others are known to cuddle and snuggle.  Final signs of affection welcome the silence of the night.


A lilting, lyrical blend of words written by Douglas Florian flows flawlessly from page to page.  His narrative begins with daybreak and closes with nightfall but seamlessly introduces seasonal activities and singular routines.  Each sentence is a reflection on the essence of rabbits.

Using rhyme and alliteration the words whether read silently or aloud are like singing a song.  As any observer, casual or committed, can tell you, this poetic piece depicts the joy in which these creatures seemingly embrace their lives.  Here is another sample passage.

There's leaping
and creeping and
digging up holes.
There's frightening frogs
and discovering moles.


The lightly colored sky, grass and clouds on the identical dust jacket and book case take us into the rabbit realm where they can play with abandon and without fear.  The delicate, lacy flowers in the grass extend over the spine to continue the illustration to the left on the back.  In the far lower corner a single bunny is munching on one of the finely drawn leaves from a cluster of plants.  None of these eight rabbits are completely alike in color or size.  On the front of the dust jacket the rabbits and red text have a slight lift and shine to them.

On the opening and closing endpapers circular dots in earth tones in a variety of sizes have been placed on the cream-colored background.  On top of these are rabbits; small rabbits, large rabbits, rabbit silhouettes and rabbits in shades of brown, black, gray and white and combinations of these.  Long-stemmed flowers are grouped in three spots.  In the far lower right-hand corner a rabbit reaches on their hind legs to sniff a single blossom.  In the upper left-hand corner a rabbit peeks from the edge watching all the others.

With each page turn readers are treated to a single large image spanning both pages with the exception of four single page pictures.  These rabbits are frisky and fun pausing when necessary but not wasting a moment of their days.  The matte-finished paper is perfect for the subject; as soft as fur.  It's a wonderful canvas for the natural palette.

If you stop at each visual, you will notice the extra details included by illustrator Sonia Sanchez, contributing to the whimsy of her work.  The tiny paws rubbing eyes in the morning, the kerchief worn like a bib as one rabbit enjoys a springtime snack, a bunny eating a carrot as they make a snow rabbit, and a rabbit playing a found recorder as thumping commences are only a few of the smile-worthy extras.  No matter the setting, season or time of time Sanchez's rabbits attract your attention.

One of my favorite of many illustrations is the one depicting spring and summer activities.  It takes place at a pond ringed in edible flowers and leaves.  On the left two rabbits are eating delectable goodies as four other rabbits are floating in the water on the right.  The sky and water are in white, greens and blues.  The flora is shown in hues of gold and green with bright red flowers.  You want to jump right in and join them.


The Wonderful Habits of Rabbits written by Douglas Florian with illustrations by Sonia Sanchez is an utterly charming portrayal of their lives in text and images.  These rabbits' marvelous movements and distinctive moments will leap right into your hearts.  Be ready for requests of read it again.  (I've read it at least ten times.)

To learn more about Douglas Florian and Sonia Sanchez and their work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  This link will take you to the full jacket, the verso and title pages and two interior images.  Douglas Florian is interviewed at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, KitLit 411, and most recently at Today's Little Ditty.

Wacky Vehicles

When my younger sister and I began driving, my parents bought us a "safe" but really old car.  It had seen one too many Michigan winters; the salt on the roads having had its way on the wagon's body.  It was a tad bit disconcerting to be able to see the roadway passing beneath your feet from a hole in the floor.

Nowadays my vehicle of choice, less than a year old, is more computer than anything else, having an owner's manual as thick as a phone book.  Although it's by far the best car I have ever purchased (since my chances of owning the Batmobile are slim to none), I can't help but wonder about the modes of transportation featured in this new book, Poem-Mobiles:  Crazy Car Poems (Schwartz & Wade Books) written by J. Patrick Lewis and Douglas Florian with illustrations by Jeremy Holmes.  There is no doubt in my mind taking one of these models for a spin will garner a bunch of gawkers in short order.

Train means train, bus means bus,
Truck means truck to most of us.

So auto ought to mean, you see,
Auto automatically. ...

Children flock to the enormous bookmobile running on imagination power driven by a book character as a car so tiny the driver is stuck inside follows behind.  It looks happier when under the sea but its two tails, seats with scales, fins and gills give the driver plenty of thrills on land.  If you thought dinosaurs are extinct, look again...behind your school to see a rip-roaring ride that might collide with The Dragonwagon. Yikes!

If you are tired of recycling all your paper, make a car that can easily be disposed of when it starts to go when it should stop.  If you continually miss the sights along the road, never fear.  The Backwards Car is your perfect set of wheels.  If your closet shelves and floors are lined with rows of shoes in every shade and shape, why not hitch a ride on the ultimate footwear form, The High-Heel Car?


Pulled by a cow, slightly lifted by balloons, or flown to the moon by sprouted wings, these marvelous machines move.  Take a bath in bubbles as you travel?  No thanks, I think I'll pass.  When hunger strikes and your destination is reached, don't worry because your car is the perfect feast.

Pink bubble gum, over-grown grass and eggs create parts and pieces of motorists' astonishing automobiles.  For love, for dessert, for speed and for bounce, they will never fail to please.  As a passenger, a driver behind the wheel or a reader needing light and laughter, these twenty-one poetic improbabilities are a transportation treat.


Both J. Patrick Lewis and Douglas Florian, outstanding poets, have creatively collaborated to make the stuff of dreams a possibility on these pages.  They rhyme.  They have rhythm.  They cavort, careen, crack, swerve and slide down highways, alleys and streets.  The cadence generated by wordplay combined by the power of one's imagination will have readers wanting at least one of these vehicles waiting in their garage.  You can hear the laughter of the children riding the Giant Bookmobile of Tomorrow, feel the swish of water passing by the Eel-ectric Car, taste the condiments on the Hot Dog Car, smell the fudge and whipped cream on The Banana Split Car and see the wonder of one hundred balloons holding up the Balloon Car.  Here's a single sample from one of the poems.

There was an old woman
Who lived in high heels.
She loved one so much
That she gave it three wheels. ...


Several of the automobiles featured inside the title create the two page image on the matching jacket and cover.  Every element of this illustration, the title banner, the authors and illustrator names on signs, the ISBN attached to the car carrier truck on the back, the portion of the Dragonwagon poem on a cloud, is excellently designed.  Darkened opening and closing endpapers show tire tracks.  On the title page, the letters hang from strings coming from beneath the clouds as a signal light glows green.

Spreading across two pages the Contents depicts outlines of each car with the title and page number.  To the right an introductory poem sets things in motion.  A palette of pastels, bright and bold, creates luminous whimsy in all the pictures.  These automotive portrayals invented using pencil, watercolor and digital coloring by Jeremy Holmes would be the envy of any engineer.  With the exception of four pages all of the illustrations extend, edge to edge, over two pages.  One picture is even shown vertically.

Intricate details, the spines on the bookmobile books, the speech bubble declaring Recess has been canceled, the elderly woman sitting with her three cats on the roof of a building, the labels of insect stages, the Royal Throne and the facial features on the humans and creatures, all contribute to the wonder, the amazement, one feels when looking at all these pictures.  Each one is an invitation to pause, not only to read the poem but to look for the potential these words might generate.  I have more than one favorite illustration but two which I like in particular are the schoolyard scene with the dinosaur and dragon (Jurassic Park(ing) and The Dragonwagon) and the two pages, day and night, for The Love Car.

Don't wait for April, National Poetry Month, or even a special day of the week, to explore the fantastical fun in Poem-Mobiles:  Crazy Car Poems by J. Patrick Lewis and Douglas Florian with pictures by Jeremy Holmes.  You, your children or your students will be ready to make your own nutty machines ready to ride or drive anyplace you can imagine.  Please visit the authors' and illustrator's websites via the links embedded in their names above.  Jeremy Holmes has several pages displayed for your enjoyment.  Follow this link to the publisher's website to get a glimpse inside at the first few pages.

UPDATE:  Please visit Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast hosted by Julie Danielson where she interviews Jeremy Holmes.  The amount of artwork is amazing.