Dwelling In Questions

If you drive the country roads, especially those less traveled and paved with dirt and gravel, you will see remnants of previous buildings.  There are large square or rectangular areas with broken stone foundations. Some portions are entirely missing.  Other rocks are cemented in place and a foot high.  Standing fence posts designate the existence of former barnyards.  Nearby there are similar but smaller foundations for the houses.

A clearer sign of human occupation are the carefully placed lilac bushes and bunches of iris still highly visible. You can't help but wonder who called these places home.  What were their lives like?  For A House That Once Was (Roaring Brook Press, May 1, 2018) author Julie Fogliano (When's My Birthday? A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, September 5, 2017) and author illustrator Lane Smith (A Perfect Day Roaring Brook Press, February 14, 2017) combine their marvelous talents to ask and propose possibilities about such a place.

Deep in the woods
is a house
that once was
but now isn't
a home.

This house is situated at the top of the hill.  There are signs it was previously blue on the outside.  The current visitors move slowly and silently on a path hardly visible toward the house on the hill.

As they look at the front, a door shows signs of being painted white.  It's not completely open or closed.  They decide to climb carefully through a window with the glass now missing.  Inside there is silence but also sighs given by an vacant house.

An empty bean can, a fireplace, a mirror, a bed, books, pictures on the wall, a chair and the kitchen have the explorers imagining who walked through these rooms.  Did a woman or a man or both who wished wild, wonderful wishes spend their days here?  Were there children who dreamed big dreams?

As they ponder these potential scenarios, they wonder why the people left and where they are now. They start to think of the house as another being, longing for the comfort of companionship or relishing the solitude. As the adventure draws to a close, two wanderers leave the woods taking memories with them.


With the first sentence a sense of mystery is supplied to readers.  The air is filled with questions waiting to be answered.  Julie Fogliano with atmospheric descriptions of place and the outside and inside of the home beckons to readers inviting participation.  We find ourselves drawn into speculation with the visitors through her poetry.  She uses repetition masterfully writing a melody with her words. Here is a passage.

Tiptoe creep
up the path
up the path that is hiding.
A path that once welcomed.
A path that is winding.
A path that's now covered in weeds.


Looking at the opened and matching dust jacket and book case readers are curious as to where the two children have wandered.  Upon closer examination you can't help but speculate on how long the home has been vacant.  And why is there a whale weather vane on the top of the house?

To the left, on the back, among the flowers and weeds on the overgrown path, a bluebird perches on a sturdy stem.  The opening and closing endpapers are awash in black stems covered with rusty-colored leaves.  Bits of purple, blue and green fill the space in-between them.  With a page turn these leaves continue until a textured, cream canvas provides the background for the blue bird standing beneath the title text.  Another group of leaves is in the upper, right-hand corner of the two pages.

Each of the following two page images were rendered

in two different techniques.  The "present day" illustrations were made with India ink, drawn on vellum with a crow quill pen, then pressed while wet onto watercolor paper creating a blotted line effect.  The colors were painted in oil over gesso then scanned and added digitally under the ink-line.  The "imagine" scenes were painted in oil paint on hot press board and scanned along with paper collage elements that were combined digitally.

By introducing the blue bird on the jacket, case and title page we realize this creature is going to have another story to tell.  We watch for its tale to unfold.  Lane Smith uses this extra element to excellent effect.

He alters his point of view in keeping with the lyrical narrative, giving us landscape displays, showing us only the feet and lower legs or the top portion of the faces of the children as they look at the house or he brings us close when a discovery is made.  On more than one page real photographs are inserted.  We find ourselves looking for all the tiny details Lane Smith includes; dragonflies, butterflies, lady bugs, a little mouse, words on the cans and jars, record labels and the name on the pet dish.

As stated in his explanation of his illustrative process, the "imagined" depictions have an entirely unique appearance.  You know if you reach out and touch them they will feel differently.  It's a fabulous representation of reality versus what-if.

There are many illustrations in this title which I consider favorites.  One of them is when the children, a boy and a girl, are climbing through the window into the house.  On the left side of the picture is a splendid array of sunflowers, black-eyed Susans, and lupines.  We are close to them.  In the center is a worn cement bird bath.  The blue bird is watching the children with a worm dangling from its mouth.  More distant from us on the right the boy is stepping up on boxes or stumps of wood to reach the window sill.  Already inside the girl is reaching to help him.  Not just in this image but throughout the book, the manner in which the children relate to one another is endearing.


Imaginative, soothing and reflective are words which come to mind when reading A House That Once Was written by Julie Fogliano with illustrations by Lane Smith.  Certain to promote discussions but also to make us more aware of our surroundings, this book is a highly recommended choice for your personal and professional collections.  You simply can't read it once.  It's remarkable.

To discover more about Julie Fogliano and Lane Smith and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their online presence.  Julie has a page on Facebook.  Lane has a website.  If you stop by the publisher's website you can view interior pages.  Author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson showcase Julie Fogliano and Lane Smith on her blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfat.  Julie is featured on Today's Little Ditty.  Lane Smith and Molly Leach (his wife) chat about this book (and others) at Let's Talk Picture Books. It's a great interview. 

From That, This

Having a canine companion affords you great lengths of time for reflection and retrospection.  Whether you are ambling up and down the hills of a disc golf course, strolling along the Lake Michigan shoreline, winding through northern Michigan woods or standing in your own backyard, your mind wanders where it might otherwise not go.  You wonder about the land and lakes hundreds of years ago, who might have lived there or walked along the same path you do today.  It's hard not to believe we are all connected regardless of the dates spanning our lifetimes.

In her newest title author illustrator Deborah Freedman takes these musings one more step.  She offers readers an opportunity to explore deeper connections, connections to the gifts given to us by our planet.  This house, once (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, February 28, 2017) is both intelligent and beautiful. It has one of the best first sentences I have ever read.

This door was once a colossal oak tree about three hugs around and as high as the blue.

Building from the door which opens into a sanctuary, a home, we are asked to think about stones.  Where were they before they became a part of this abode?  They were waiting to be awakened.

We have an entrance.  We have a foundation.  Now come the walls fashioned from the earth; from dirt to the dignity of making a space, a place of hope and happiness for the dwellers therein.

To keep out the seasons, endeavoring to shelter from cold, heat, wind and wet a roof is made.  Sturdy hands sculpted shingles from shapes centuries in the making.  Let's open the door and step inside to the warmth within these four walls sitting on a secure foundation protected by the created canopy.

Our views are sharpened and framed by tiny elements gathered and heated into a liquid that hardens, transparent and tough.  In the glow of dancing light from a fire more moments emerge, allowing us to insert a comma in our thinking.  Let's seek, let's learn, let's know.


In words like a lilting melody we are asked by Deborah Freedman to imagine with care and clarity about the beginnings of those elements which comprise our homes.  She supplies this refrain by presenting a poetic statement about each of these materials.  This artful writing requests us to not only think but to express gratitude.  In addition we can't help but wonder even farther back.  An oak tree grows from an acorn.  And acorn comes from an oak tree but how did the acorn get planted.  This train of thought is absolutely marvelous and important.

These stones were once below,
underground, deep asleep...


When you open the dust jacket for This house, once you instantly feel calm envelope you.  The deep rich shades of purple, the starry sky and crescent moon allow us to begin to imagine.  Is the house in snow or clouds or both?  The spot color of red for the door knob and the raised foil for the title are the ultimate finishing touches of design.

The pale lavender hue used for the text on the spine becomes the canvas across the book case.  On the front of the case the same shade of foil from the jacket etches the house into the background.  On the spine the foil is used again.  On the opening and closing endpapers a soft gray, like stones, provides the color.  With a page turn we have an initial title page, stones lying in grass.  For the formal title page a kitten appears among the stones as oak leaves in clothed in autumn hues drift down across two pages.

Another page turn continues the line of stones but a squirrel, leaping frog and turtle make an appearance as the leaves gather in a pile.  A tiny yellow bird hovers above the publication information on the left and the dedication is on the right.  You must read it.

A lovely, truly lovely rhythm is made by Deborah with her images rendered in pencil, watercolor, and bits of colored pencil and pan pastel, with an assist from Photoshop.  She begins with a white canvas, two pages, with her words on the left and a small but significant illustration on the right.  The next two pages are a stunning wordless extension of the first picture adding in her delightful creatures.  In these gorgeous two-page visuals she may give us a more panoramic view or take us in close.  Some shade of purple unifies all the pages.  Careful readers will notice the presence of one animal in all of them from beginning to end, a circle.

One of my many favorite illustrations (They are all stunning in their soft texture and lightness of line and luminosity.) is for the mud.  Across two pages we have a light purple sky gently framed in pale blue.  Shades of brown form the mud.  Grass, stones and oak leaves are placed on this ground.  The kitten is slapping the surface, paws socked in dirt.  Splashes of mud move upward as the frog happily leaps.  A turtle slowly moves toward the frog and kitten.  Watching this all this activity is the tiny yellow bird.  This picture is filled with life and.... a deep love for our planet.


Right now I have a small stack of books (two) which I want to put under my pillow each night and which are on my desk all day, every day.  This house, once written and illustrated by Deborah Freedman is joining this group.  This book will go deep into every heart imploring us to think more completely and to move through life with gratitude.  This book is one which must be on all bookshelves.

To discover more about Deborah Freedman and her other work take a few moments to visit her website by following the link attached to her name.  At the publisher's website you can view interior pages.  Artwork from this title and process pictures are featured at author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson's blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  Deborah Freedman is showcase at Life's An Art!.

UPDATE:  Deborah Freedman is interviewed by educator and director of The Plum Creek Children's Literacy Festival, Dylan Teut on his blog, Mile High Reading, February 23, 2017.

Through The Ages, A Hero Remains

One character's name appears over and over in world literature.  Most readers and listeners of nursery rhymes, folktales and fairy tales can name him.  He can jump over a flaming candle stick, pull out a plumb with his thumb, eat no fat, build a house, fetch a pail of water, grow a stalk that reaches into the clouds from a magic bean, paint frost or triumph over giants.

In the eastern mountain regions of the United States his stories are so numerous they warranted their own collection.

Jack, of the Jack Tales, embodies some of the common characteristics of culture hero.  He is the third son---the magic number.  He is the honest, straightforward, guileless one who never suspects the tricks and deceptions of others.  He is the western European hero who lacks all sophistication but is exceptionally clever. 

                                   (Storytelling:  Folklore Sourcebook Norma J. Livo

                                     & Sandra A. Rietz, 1991, page 25)

Leaving home to search for wealth, success or a home of his own is a common theme in the Jack tales.  Master storyteller Tomie dePaola in his most recent title, Jack (Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), September 16, 2014) spins his own singular version for our youngest readers. 

This is a story about Jack.

Jack lived with his grandpa

on a tiny farm way out

in the country.

Jack has decided to seek a life for himself in the city, hopefully making new friends.  He is not sure how to do this but his grandfather is positive the king can offer sound advice.  Wearing new shoes, Jack journeys toward the King's castle.

Creak, Creak, Creak, Creak, Creak...

That's the sound Jack hears as he walks down the road.  The first being he meets is a peeping chick.  The curious bird wants to know where Jack is going.  When the chick hears the answer he wants to come along.  Jack is only too happy to have the company.  Now there are two sounds as the duo head toward the city.

In short order a duck, a goose and a dog have joined the travelers.  Each with their unique tones makes a cheery tune as they continue on their quest.  Other curious animals ask to become part of the group.  Eleven animals trail behind and with Jack as he gets his first sight of the homes and buildings at his destination.  A cawing crow serenades the adventurers adding his voice to the chorus.

At the entrance to the royal residence a friendly guard greets Jack and his companions.  When Jack questions the King about finding a home in the city, the King, having heard about the band headed in his direction, offers him a key and some encouragement.  Jack and his new pals gladly welcome the challenge. A feast for one's eyes, ears and heart assures everyone the neighborhood will never be the same.

Simple sentences with faithful attention given to word choices mark the voice of a gifted wordsmith.  Tomie dePaola clearly understands his audience.  Each time Jack meets an animal a new sound is introduced but the same questions are asked and answered in a refrain promoting participation by listeners.  It's interesting to note after the chick joins Jack the 

"I'm going to the city to ask the king for a house,"

answered Jack.

changes to 

"We're... .

In my way of thinking this says something about the character of Jack and his willingness to be a friend.

The matching dust jacket and book case not only introduce readers to Jack but give a before and after glance of the two different locales in which he resides.  The back or image on the left is of the street in the city where he and his friends find their home.  A lighter wash, in the same shade as Jack's coat and the author's name on the front, covers the opening and closing endpapers.  Jack's home in the country is shown on the title page and the first two pages.  Tomie dePaola inserts a decorative dedication into the landscape.

All of the double-page illustrations are rendered in Tomie dePaola's signature color palette 

with acrylics on Arches 140 lb. cold-press handmade paper that was first coated with gesso.

The animal sounds were created with specially made rubber stamps reproduced from hand-lettering.

On the second reading of this book I think I gasped aloud when I discovered how deftly dePaola had included more elements from nursery rhymes, fairy tales and childhood games in each of the pictures.  I was initially enjoying his admired use of line, facial expressions and animated creatures, tiny bugs, a worm, a snail and birds, and folkloric items like hearts, when I noticed a hill being climbed by two familiar people.  What a gift to readers this is!

One of my favorite illustrations is of Jack and his companions arriving in town.  They are shown in silhouette in a line on the road looking at the city.  All their voices are raised making their individual sounds.  In the foreground dePaola has placed a gated stone wall (Guess who's sitting on that?) with townspeople in front of yet another fence.  

Children and those young at heart are going to relish Jack written and illustrated by the esteemed Tomie dePaola.  This is one of those wonderful books which get better with every reading.  I can already hear children peeping, quacking, honking, woofing, oinking, mooing, croaking, meowing, baaing, neighing and hooting.  When you add in the crow and the creaky new shoes, it's a musical menagerie.  Finding all the tiny extras Tomie dePaola has inserted is pure bliss. 

For more about Tomie dePaola and his huge body of work please visit his website by following the link embedded in his name.  You might enjoy reading these three interviews with Tomie dePaola after he received The Society of Illustrator's Lifetime Achievement Award.  They are here, here and here.  I thank you with all my heart Tomie dePaola for all your books, maintaining a connection with my Mom and for being a common bond between the two of us.  You will always be remembered with great affection.

A Place For Everyone

The beauty of the house is order.

The blessing of the house is contentment.

The glory of the house is hospitality.

This portion of a very old poem written beneath a picture one of my colleagues, an art teacher, made for me when I moved into my current home is framed and hanging in my kitchen.  The drawing is of a small colorful cottage with a tall pine tree growing next to it; a quirky quaint abode set in a northern Michigan forest.  The first line always makes me smile; a justification for my tendency toward neatness.   A home for me is a sanctuary, a place to find serenity when needed, but also a place for conversation, laughter and shared meals with cherished friends which speaks to the second and third lines.

When I look at this it reminds me of the needed balance in my daily life as well as in my home.  Julia's House for Lost Creatures (First Second, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press, September 2, 2014) written and illustrated by graphic novelist Ben Hatke is his first picture book.  Julia learns the fine line between too quiet and chaos can be crossed quickly.

Julia's house came to town and settled by the sea.

This first sentence is a clear indication of the fantastical events to come.  It's not typical for houses to come to town; people yes but houses not so much.  Cozy as could be in her favorite chair by the fire that evening, Julia realizes the proverbial pin could be heard if dropped.  The absence of sound is glaring.

Hurrying toward her workshop, she creates a sign to hang outside the front door.  It announces the purpose of her house.  Julia's House for Lost Creatures is an open invitation.  The first arrival is Patched Up Kitty with the singular gift of walking up walls.

All too soon a rather loud banging heralds the next resident, a mournful troll.  Within a handful of moments all kinds of sounds at the door proclaim the presence of all kinds of beings from legend and lore.   Needless to say Julia is definitely surprised.  Ever the gracious hostess they keep her busy. But... 

The din is deafening.  The mess is mounting.  With a shout of 

"EVERYBODY STOP!"

Julia disappears into her workshop for hours and hours.

Emerging with a second sign, an inside sign, order is restored.  (My Mom of many hands make light work fame would have loved this.)  Tucked into bed that night sweet dreams are eluding Julia.  Something is still not right.  It's off to the workshop again.  A final sign and her waiting rewarded, peace is present once again.

An unseen narrator hooks readers from the beginning with the unorthodox appearance by the shore of Julia and her house.  Ben Hatke keeps us engaged with her request for residents, their variety and their disorderly conduct.  His descriptions of peculiar personalities and distinct antics keep readers turning pages in anticipation of...What could possibly happen next?  Julia's inventiveness in solving her predicaments through her creative signage is brilliant.  

As soon as you see the book's dust jacket, you know these lost creatures are not going to be from field and forest.  You also understand by Julia's expression and stance, she enjoys life with intention.  On the back, the troll with the toothy grin playing with Julia's antique record player supplies a huge hint.  Opening and closing endpapers in a dusty green feature an outline of a curling dragon's tail, tiny details from the story appearing on top.

On the initial title page Julia's first visitor is quietly sleeping beneath the title.  A significant, splendid two-page illustration, across the verso, dedication and formal title page depicts exactly how Julia's house moves from place to place.  I like to think of it as a nod to Native American folklore and beliefs as to where our planet resides.  

Ben Hatke alternates his illustration size, perspective and placement to set the pace for his story.  His mastery as a graphic novelist (Zita the Spacegirl trilogy) is evident in his visuals saying more than the text, extending our comprehension of the tale.  For example, accompanying the first words he has five separate elements.  Julia's house comes to a standstill, she runs down the steps, mailbox with post in her hands, raises it over her head, plops it into the ground and leans against it staring out to sea.  Single smaller pictures framed by white space work very well throughout the remaining pages.

The extra details, some I discovered on second and third readings, are a request for readers to become involved in Julia's adventure.  Her work apron, pink high-top sneakers, wavy red hair and energy create an immediate bond.  The bird perched on the trolls head later becomes a companion for the mermaid's rubber ducky.  I'm still wondering about the connection between one of the items on Julia's fireplace mantel and the final twist at the end.

The living room scenes at the beginning and the end are two of my favorite illustrations.  In the first we are given insight into Julia and those things of importance to her.  In the second, less of the room is seen but we still realize the same sense of calm, even though it's been altered by the numerous new residents.

Every reader is going to wish they could live in Julia's House for Lost Creatures.  Ben Hatke has written and illustrated a picture book brimming with magical what-ifs.  I think it would be great fun to think about other guests in this house, what their favorite things to do might be and what tasks they might be assigned.  I would plan on having extra copies in your collections.  This title is going to be a hit with readers. (It's a huge hit with me!)

To discover more information about Ben Hatke and his work follow the link embedded in his name to his website.  This link takes you to an interview of Ben Hatke conducted by teacher librarian Matthew C. Winner at his popular podcast Let's Get Busy.  Author and blogger at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, Julie Danielson, reviews this title and showcases lots of artwork for this book.

UPDATE:  Here is a series of tweets Ben Hatke has been posting on Twitter after I did this post.

Today's #JuliasHouse drawing: Snack stealing gnomes and fairies: pic.twitter.com/wgFsQWUZI8
— Ben Hatke (@BenHatke) August 19, 2014

The mermaid from #JuliasHouse. (the blackbird is asking for advice about love): pic.twitter.com/qeWYpw5BAa
— Ben Hatke (@BenHatke) August 19, 2014

Here are the ghosts from #JuliasHouse. Ghosts in the Julia's House world are attracted to birthday cake. pic.twitter.com/9TkkFj3L93
— Ben Hatke (@BenHatke) August 20, 2014

I obtained an ARC of Julia's House for Lost Creatures from my favorite independent bookstore, McLean & Eakin Booksellers in Petoskey, Michigan.  Please visit your nearest independent bookstore to get your copy.  If your public library does not have it on order, submit a request.

As The Sun Sets

Darkness closes in.  Listeners press closer together around the flickering light of the fire.  A sudden breeze rustles the fallen leaves along the forest floor.  Deep among the trees a branch snaps, breaking the relative silence.  Faces turn, wide frightened eyes look at one another.  It's time.

The moment has come to begin the story; a most anticipated tale of ghosts, houses held together by ancient promises, children all alone and a family caught in a deadly web.  All you have to do is be brave enough to be scared.  All you have to do is open the cover and turn the page of Jonathan Auxier's The Night Gardener (Amulet Books, an imprint of Harry N. Abrams, Inc., May 20, 2014).

1
Storyteller At The Crossroads
The calendar said early March, but the smell in the air said late October.  A crisp sun shone over Cellar Hollow, melting the final bits of ice from the bare trees.  Steam rose from the soil like a phantom, carrying with it a whisper of autumn smoke that had been lying dormant in the frosty underground.

Siblings, red-haired Molly and Kip, seeking employment, are making their way in a fish cart, drawn by a rather stubborn horse they have named Galileo, to the Windsor estate.  They have come to England from Ireland hoping to be eventually reunited with their missing parents.  Having traveled for days they are cold and hungry; Kip is ill with his lame leg feeling worse.  Along the way, asking for guidance, every person has urged them to turn around, to avoid the sour woods.  An elderly woman, a local storyteller, Hester Kettle, finally gives them the correct directions amid warnings, eliciting a promise.

Their arrival at the manor is not as they anticipated. Next to and growing within the structure is an ageless towering tree.  Mistress Windsor is not expecting them; her now absent husband having failed to inform her of their new household help.  A boy, Alistair, about Molly's age, has an air of entitlement about him.  Only the younger girl, Penny, is excited about their coming.  Already Molly has won her over with one of her special stories.

Constance Windsor, against her better judgment, allows Molly and Kip to stay.   After touring from room to room with her, Molly is certain this family and this house are shrouded in evil.  Further incidents confirm her assumptions; a tall, dark-clothed man wearing a top hat wandering about after dark, deep holes dug around the base of the tree, a small secret room behind a locked green door, and dreams; all the family members, Molly and Kip have bad dreams.

Further complications are Master Windsor's financial problems, a mysterious moonlit garden in the woods and the physical changes creeping over all who sleep in the mansion.  As secrets are revealed unease turns to terror, the line between stories and lies blurs, and your heart's desire has horrific consequences.  As a legend lives, love must fight its biggest battle.


In a four page author's note at the book's end Jonathan Auxier chats with readers about the nine year journey taken to bring this book to them. Evidence of those nine years speaks eloquently on every single page. A deep sense of atmosphere emanates immediately continuing to build even with the final sentence.  Many chapters end with a suspenseful thought.  Your senses are on high alert.

Each character is realistically and fully developed complete with strengths and weaknesses.  As readers we come to understand why they do what they do, even those driven by malevolent desires. These beings stir up feelings of compassion, deep respect, sadness, affection and fear.  We cheer for our champions; when goodness strikes out against the wicked.

That Jonathan Auxier chooses to have two of his characters be tellers of tales, storytellers, is of importance.  One speaks of what was and is; the other weaves words as moments dictate.  More than once the characters (and readers) are challenged as to the use of stories, their place and purpose. Here are some sample passages.

The tree was enormous and looked very, very old.  Most trees cast an air of quiet dignity over their surroundings.  This one did not.  Most trees invite you to climb up into their canopy.  This one did not.  Most trees make you want to carve your initials into the trunk.  This one did not.  To stand in the shadow of this tree was to feel a chill run through your whole body.

Molly turned onto her back and slowly shut her eyes.  For the first time, she let herself feel the exhaustion that she had been fighting for weeks.  Every part of her was worn out.  Her hands, feet, legs, arms---even the tips of her hair felt tired.  Molly was too tired to think about the strange pale family or the strange ugly tree or the strange portrait in the library.
She was too tired, even, to register the sound of a door opening and heavy footsteps entering the house.


Nearly a week has passed since I completed the reading of The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier in one sitting; the story consuming me and my day.  The images of the manor, the tree, the gardener, the Windsor family, Fig and Stubbs, Hester Kettle, Kip and Molly are as real to me now as when I was reading the book.  There is nothing better than a good scary story.  This one lingers asking you to read it again...and you will.  This is classic storytelling.  This is the best.

The dust jacket artwork and book case design add to the overall spookiness of this title.  Leaves in gray and black on the endpapers as well as swirling about each chapter continue creating a sense of foreboding.  Several double page spreads of the tree, the night gardener and a full moon provide a backdrop for the title, verso, dedication, quotations and contents pages.  This is excellent bookmaking.

Please take the time to visit Jonathan Auxier's website linked to his name above.  He has graciously included a post of the playlist; songs he listened to while writing this book.  This is a link to his post at the Nerdy Book Club about The Night Gardener.  Stop by and listen to Jonathan Auxier's podcast interview at Let's Get Busy hosted by teacher librarian, Matthew C. Winner.  This link will take you to a series of posts Jonathan Auxier did about his road to publication.  Enjoy the video below which was posted on YouTube about a Skype visit Jonathan Auxier had with a group of students.