Comedy Times Two

For those who have read a book aloud to one or more listeners and the response is laughter, there is truly little, if anything, better in life.  Once the laughter starts, it is contagious, spreading from person to person, until the entire room is enveloped in merriment.  Even after the story is complete, and each participant leaves, the shared happiness remains, tucked away to be remembered when it is needed the most.

At times, a single word can carry humor to fun-filled heights.  In Chick Chat (North|South, January 19, 2021) written and illustrated by Janie Bynum, a baby cannot stop talking during any waking moment of their day.  As you might expect, this talking is done through a single sound, repeated profusely. 

Baby Chick has a lot to say.

She peeps so much at the breakfast table; an older sister wishes the chit-chat would stop.  She's already exhausted from hearing the constant noise.  Mama and Papa are much too busy with their own tasks to listen.

Pulling a trusty red wagon loaded with prize possessions, Baby Chick tries one more time to lure Sister into a discussion.  Too busy reading, she tells Baby Chick to play.  The little chicken finds a likely spot to stop and starts digging with her trowel.  Suddenly,

Thunk!

Baby Chick finds an egg.  It's big.  It's round.  And it is silent.  Unable to leave the egg all by itself, it's loaded into the trusty red wagon.  Concerned, a sibling and parents convince and ask Baby Chick to return the egg.  Back at the hole in the dirt, she provides the egg with all the comforts of friendship, safety, warmth and conversation.

She falls asleep there and is taken home.  As the sun rises, the ever-talkative bundle of fluff hurries to the egg.  After a startling discover, a pleasant surprise awaits the gregarious Baby Chick.

With limited sentences, descriptive and declarative, author Janie Bynum introduces readers to a lovable character who resides in an equally affectionate family.  A pleasing blend of narrative and conversation add to the comedy.  Punctuation after the multitude of peeps furnishes readers with emphasis and meaning.  Here is a passage.

Peep.  Peep.  Peep?

"Not now.  I'm working,"

crowed Papa.  "Talk to Sister."

eRR-

eRR-

eRRRRR

On the open book case, a robin's egg blue is the canvas.  On either side of the spine the image shows Baby Chick pulling her trusty red wagon loaded with her treasures.  She pulls it with one wing.  In the other wing she holds her trowel.  On top of the watering can is a tiny beetle.  The line drawings here, and throughout the book, are detailed and colorful.  On the back, the left of the open book case, is text one might find on the front flap of a dust jacket.

A grass green hue covers the opening and closing endpapers.  On the first set are the tracks of Baby Chick.  On the second set another set of tracks accompany those of Baby Chick, referencing her newly hatched friend.

On the title page, the title text is placed within a speech balloon.  Beneath this, Baby Chick is leaning into a hole saying---

Peep?

The sizes of the illustrations vary from marvelous two-page pictures to full-page pictures or several visuals on a single page.  The alternating sizes contribute favorably to the wondrous pacing.  Readers will be charmed by all the tiny appropriate elements in each illustration.  Baby Chick is eating a bowl of worms for breakfast.  Her Mama wears an apron and Sister is wearing a tied scarf.  Later, Mom gathers beetles in a basket.  Sister is reading a book titled A Coop of One's Own.  

Careful readers will see that Baby Chick never wanders far from the coop.  You can see the coop from where Sister is reading against a tree.  The egg is found near the tree with Sister seen reading in the distance.  Readers will enjoy seeing how Baby Chick keeps the egg safe, warm, and company.

One of my many favorite illustrations, a full-page picture, is after the sun has set.  Sister finds Baby Chick with the egg.  The egg is wrapped in a blanket.  Baby Chick, covered with another blanket, is on top of the egg.  She is holding her purple stuffed toy elephant.  She is down in the hole with a grassy slope behind her.  There are two sheep there and Sister.  The other items Baby Chick has with her in the hole are enchanting.

Get ready for readers to peep, peep, and peep some more when listening to or after reading Chick Chat written and illustrated by Janie Bynum.  Cheerful is the word to use depicting this tale of friendship found.  All the peeps welcome participation by readers and listeners.  If you are looking for laughter, this book is for you, either on your personal or professional bookshelves.

To learn more about Janie Bynum and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  The book, Chick Chat, has its own site here.  There are interior illustrations found at the publisher's website and at Simon & Schuster.  The publisher has an interview with the creator here.  Jamie Bynum has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  The blog tour for this title starts at Good Reads with Ronna with links to the other stops.

CHICK CHAT the Picture Book (trailer) from Janie Bynum on Vimeo.

The patience of parents is tested more than once on road trips with children.  After endless games of I Spy, There's A Flag, 50-State License Plates, Bingo scavenger hunts, and boredom from coloring and puzzles sets in, the bickering begins.  Siblings who tolerate each other outside a car tend to become bitter rivals when confined to the back seat inside a car.  Squish Squash Squished (Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, February 16, 2021) written by Rebecca Kraft Rector with illustrations by Dana Wulfekotte is hilarity multiplied.  Fantastic wordplay paired with whimsical images of animals and humans living together in a small community fashions a textured tale of you never know how good it is until it isn't.

"Hurry-scurry, kids," called Mom.

"Let's jiggety-jog into town in our

gracious-spacious automobile."

As soon as the sister and brother get inside the car, the pushing and shoving commence.  One leans into the other and vice versa.  Mom has a solution.  She invites a father, Peter Jeeter, and son, pigs, to join them. Brother and sister yell in unison about the more crowded backseat.

Mom replies with the same phrase,

"Too tight for two?

I know what to do."

She welcomes Dolly Waddle and two ducklings to join the passengers in their automobile.  Now the siblings are more squished and squashed.  

As the yelling from Max and Molly gets louder, Mom makes another stop.  Four more creatures enter the car.  There is more shouting, oinking, quacking and woofing.  Mom slows her automobile near the largest of animal friends they've yet to meet.  Their numbers are greater than any of the other guests.  Do Max and Molly keep yelling?  What do they do next?  

A school, pond, and the market supply answers.  Max and Molly have discovered a valuable truth about the definition of squish and squash.  Their perspective on the family car might have changed.

Rhyming, alliteration and repetition of key phrases are a wonderful, winning combination penned by author Rebecca Kraft Rector in this rollicking tale of complaints versus cleverness.  The use of dialogue and text is fabulous as is the rhythm they create.  With each new encounter of an animal family on the road, the laughter factor grows.  Here is a passage.

Two ducklings 

flit-feathered onto Molly's head,

quack-quacking,

and one piglet on Max's lap

oink-oinked right in his ear.

"Mom!" Max and Molly yelled.

"We're squished and squashed!"

You can't help but laugh out loud when you look at the matching dust jacket and book case.  The animal friends are having the ride of their collective lives.  Mom is calm and cool as the proverbial cucumber.  Max and Molly are not happy.  They look right at us in discomfort and frustration.  The facial expressions on the characters here by artist Dana Wulfekotte are priceless.  The hill you see going up on the right, front of the jacket and cover, continues on the other side of the spine.  Just left of the spine is a large tree, fully leafed.  Another darker hill with a barn at its top, extends from the middle of the first hill to the far-left side.  A pigeon wearing a hat stands on the ISBN with its suitcase.  Perhaps, it is a homing (carrier) pigeon.

On the opening and closing matching endpapers, done in two tones of teal with black outlines, we see each of the four animal families displaying a variety of activities and positions.  You can't look at these without smiling or giggling.  The double-page picture for the verso and title pages features a low rolling hill with the road along the bottom.  A giraffe in jogging gear is placed on the left.  On the right, Inch Pinch and her three backpack-wearing puppies are riding a bicycle built for four.  

In illustrations, 

rendered in pencil and then digitally colored, 

and shifting in size from double-page images to full-page pictures or single, double, or triple fine-lined-framed geometric shapes on a single page, each one generates superb pacing.  Readers will find more playfulness in the attire worn by the passengers and the objects they carry.  These elements seem to indicate the ultimate goal of each family as shown at the end of the story.  One of the funnier scenes is for Scooter Mooter and his calves.  The calves are wearing pink tutus.  One is also wearing glasses and reading a book.  The gathering of animals and people of mixed races and ages at the market is perfect.

One of my many favorite illustrations is one of three on a single page.  It is a rectangle-shaped picture.  It is a close-up of the faces of Molly and Max, open-mouthed and yelling.  Max has a missing tooth.  Dolly Waddle is to the left of Molly.  Her two ducklings are quacking on top of Molly's head.  The upper portion of their bodies break the frame.  To the right is Max with the piglet on his right.  At this moment, the piglet has paused its oinking and appears to be peeking around the corner of the border.

This book, Squish Squash Squished written by Rebecca Kraft Rector with illustrations by Dana Wulfekotte, is pure delight.  The cadence of the words and the comical visuals will have readers laughing and giggling long after the last word is read.  There will be requests of read it again.  I know you'll want a copy for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Rebecca Kraft Rector and Dana Wulfekotte, and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  Rebecca Kraft Rector has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Dana Wulfekotte has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view the endpapers.  There are posts about this book and interviews at Kid Lit Village and Kathleen Temean's Writing and Illustrating.

It's No Yolk, You're Nice!

There are people known for always taking the high road in any given situation.  Regardless of circumstances they look for the silver lining.  They are the individuals others look to for support and consistency.  They live to be of service to others.

There is nothing wrong with striving for excellence but the drive for accepting nothing but perfection can take a toll.  It's a burden not all can bear regardless of their desires.  The Good Egg (Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPulishers, February 12, 2019), companion title to The Bad Seed, written by Jory John with illustrations by Pete Oswald is about one of a dozen who simply broke under the burden of being the best.

Oh, hello!
I was just rescuing this cat.
Know why?
Because I'm a good egg.

A verrrrrry good egg.


This egg's generosity knows no end.  Whatever you need done, from plant watering to house painting, this oval optimist is bursting with enthusiasm.  Good Egg has been this way as far back as he can remember, even though the other eleven companions in his residence exhibit far less than eggs-cellent behavior.

If these eleven find something to do wrong, they do it.  It is tiring to follow behind their antics making everything right, but Good Egg is a

verrrrrry good egg.

Do you think his housemates notice his worthy deeds?  They do not.  As to be expected our protagonist cracks.  There is no denying the tiny fissures along the top of his head.

A visit to his doctor confirms stress is the culprit.  He needs to stop trying to make the other eggs be as good as he is.  No one cares when he leaves.  After weeks of roaming without purpose Good Egg faces his aloneness and ponders his future.

He starts to focus on himself!  He does all those things he never had time to do previously.  The results are unexpected and life-changing.  Good Egg heads back to carton sweet carton and the surprises there are endless.


If the word play used in the title is not enough to signal to you the gift of humor employed by Jory John in his writing, by the third page when examples of the egg's goodness are being shared, you'll be laughing out loud.  It's not often you see an egg changing a tire on an automobile.  When we get to the naming of the companions in the carton and their daily devilry, readers will be giggling nonstop.

For added mirth Jory John repeats key phrases, uses terms usually reserved in reference to eggs and supplies conversations between the characters.  We can't help but feel a kinship with the Good Egg when he speaks to us in first person.  We shadow this being as he discovers the gift of balance in his life.  Here is a passage.

I told Meg and Peg and Greg and Clegg and Shel and
Shelly and Sheldon and Shelby and Egbert and Frank
and other Frank that I was leaving.

"I can't be the only good egg in a bad carton," I said.
"Blah blah blah," they replied.


Can you look at the front of the matching dust jacket and book case without smiling? I can't.  Those huge eyeglasses are the perfect added element to the wide-eyed happy egg's expression.  All the details in this picture, the text on the carton, the groceries surrounding Good Egg and the starry light radiating from the top invite us to read this book as soon as possible.  We can't wait to meet the Good Egg.  Some of the text and the main character are varnished on the jacket.

To the left, on the back, four egg cartons, stacked on top of each other, among other cartons in the background, provide a platform for Good Egg's home.  Underneath the lifted cover, the looks on the faces of the other eleven eggs are hilarious.  We know loads of laughter are in the offing.  The placement of the ISBN is eggs-actly where it should be.

The opening and closing endpapers in green with white feature fifteen other foods with the Good Egg framed by stars.  The title page image is a replica of the front of the jacket and case.  Pete Oswald

used scanned watercolor textures and digital paint to create the illustrations for this book.

Altering his perspective to complement the narrative and accentuate pacing, some of the pictures are full-page, small vignettes grouped on a single page or double-page visuals.  Every item contributes to a lively whole.  When Pete Oswald depicts the troublesome eggs and their actions, readers will be unable to contain their mirth.  When they go wild in the bathroom with toilet paper, toothpaste, the toilet and plunger, it's total chaos.  This supplies a wonderful contrast to the scenes which follow when Good Egg mends himself.  One of those small images shows him floating on the river in a flamingo tube sipping a lemonade drink.

One of my many, many favorite pictures is of Good Egg on a single page.  He is relaxing in a spa.  On the varied blue tiled floor are eight burning candles.  They surround a table.  On the table rests Good Egg in a white terry robe and wearing a towel turban.  He rests on a rolled-up towel.  A mask covers his face and cucumber slices are on his eyes.  The clock on the wall is pointing to ME time.


In this book, The Good Egg written by Jory John with illustrations by Pete Oswald, readers will be cheering for the egg always seeking to be as good as he can be.  They will empathize with his frustrations and enjoy his journey to finding a peaceful medium . . . for most of the time.  I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Jory John and Pete Oswald, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Jory John has an account on Twitter and Pete Oswald does, too.  Pete Oswald has an account on Instagram.  At the publisher's website you can view interior portions of the book.  Jory John visits with teacher librarian and blogger, Travis Jonker, on his site, 100 Scope Notes, to chat about his work and this book.

Farmyard Tom"fowl"ery

If you call out to a group of children asking them who wants to play a game, you will get a unanimous chorus of me.  If you tell them they need to search for clues to solve a mystery, the excitement grows.  Guys and gals love to laugh.  They are perfectly wired to sense the humor in almost any situation; the sillier the better.  They also become attached to characters in books they enjoy.  They will reread these books over and over because they don't want to leave those fictional individuals.

Fans of Detective Wilcox and Captain Griswold who we met in The Case of The Missing Carrot Cake (A Wilcox and Griswold Mystery) (Creston Books, LLC, May 12, 2015) have returned in their second thrilling episode combining mystery and hilarity.  The Case Of The Poached Egg (A Wilcox and Griswold Mystery) (Creston Books, LLC, April 2, 2017) penned by Robin Newman with illustrations by Deborah Zemke is about a most heinous heist.  The only thing in hot water might be the criminal when caught.

Boys and girls, this case is about a poached egg on Ed's farm.

Over 100 animals live on this farm.  Most work.  Some horse around.  Others steal.

Policemice Wilcox and Griswold know something is about to happen even before they get a call early in the morning on Tuesday.  Farmer Ed's Big Speggtacular is going to be held on Wednesday.  The competition is fierce among the fowl friends.

Henrietta Hen is frantic.  Her precious Penny has disappeared.  Is Penny her mother, sister or daughter?  No, she is not.  Penny is an egg, a very fine egg.

When the Missing Food Investigators arrive at the coop, feathers are frantically flying.  Henrietta Hen first shows them a ransom note with unfamiliar handwriting.  No one has been near the coop except for Gabby Goose and Colonel Peck.  Colonel Peck is far from helpful during his questioning preferring to focus on his lack of corn kernels.  So far the evidence, egg shell samples, feathers and prints, reveal nothing unusual.

Detective Wilcox has an epiphany while eating a cheese donut when they are stopped at the Milky Way for cows to cross.  There's something odd about the letter e in the note.  Interviews with Gabby Goose, Miss Rabbit and Porcini the Pig leave the duo more puzzled than ever.  There is no time to lose.  What if the egg happens to hatch?

Will Farmer Ed's Big Speggtacular disclose more than a winner?  Will the egg burglar blunder?  Let's hope the conclusion leads to cracking the case and not precious Penny.

With every reading the language written by Robin Newman gets richer and richer with one comedic comment, thought or sentence after another.  Her command of word play will have you laughing out loud at the same time you wonder in amazement how she manages to create combination after combination of words with more than one meaning.  The references to chickens, other fowl and farm life are astonishing. 

The blend of dialogue, spoken and silent accounts by Detective Wilcox and the lack of speech but knowing looks by Captain Griswold make for an eggs-cellent contrast.  The use of time of day and place at the beginning of each chapter add to the law enforcement atmosphere.  Detective Wilcox usually manages to close chapters with astute observations.

"If we don't find Penny fast, I whispered to the captain, "she might end up in an omelet.  Or worse, in a bucket of fried chicken!"

We had to scramble on this case.  Scramble before we had scrambled eggs indeed.

Here is another sample passage.

Knock. Knock. "MFIs," I hollered.

"Door's open.  Come on down," shouted Miss Rabbit.

We slid down the rabbit hole and landed in the kitchen.

"Detectives, how nice of you to drop in," said Miss Rabbit.  "Would you like some carrot cake?"

Illustrator Deborah Zemke has a keen eye for making the book case look like a well-used file folder or pages from a case file.  Placing the A Wilcox and Griswold Mystery logo inside a poached egg is sheer design genius.  The cracked egg shells and fowl prints carry across the opening endpapers which includes the verso and title pages.  Every detail references to policemice work.  

On the two introductory pages a map of Ed's Farm is placed over MFI photographs of Captain Griswold and Detective Wilcox.  With every page turn small images on placed within the text, reflecting the narrative.  Each chapter begins with an oval image at the top.  To emphasize a moment the illustration might cover a half of the page or be spread across the bottom of two pages.

The eyes on the chickens, the body posture and facial expressions on all the characters, and their clothing add to the humor.  It's particularly funny that the MFIs are much smaller than most of the animals on the farm.  Readers will find themselves chuckling at some of the details; Colonel Peck's oversized comb, the names of the chickens written on their boxes, and Gabby's pouch for carrying her egg, Gertie.

One of my favorite illustrations of many is at the beginning.  There is something about Detective Wilcox's and Captain Griswold's car being a wind-up toy which I find hilarious.  In the lower half of the page they are leaving MFI Headquarters which happens to be a Sneaker Squeakers box.  As Griswold opens the driver's side of the car, Wilcox is turning the key to get the car moving.  Their hats and coats are totally in keeping with the old style vision of law enforcement attire.

Sleuths are going to get caught up in this farmyard whodunit trying to piece the clues together.  The Case Of The Poached Egg (A Wilcox and Griswold Mystery) written by Robin Newman with illustrations by Deborah Zemke is bursting with the imaginative use of words.  I don't think you will ever look at an egg the same way again.  Early readers are going to savor every page.  

To learn more about Robin Newman and Deborah Zemke and their other work please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  At the publisher's website you can download a curriculum guide for this title. Robin Newman was a Featured Member at KidLit TV.  Enjoy the book trailer. 

Crack...

A box without hinges, key or lid, yet...

golden treasure inside is hid.

When wandering in the wild whenever you find a nest filled with eggs or an egg with no nest or parents in the area, unless you have prior knowledge of its coloring, you have no idea what this egg represents.  There is a tiny life inside; growing and waiting to burst forth into the world.  It's the not-knowing which gives an egg its magic.  It offers us the opportunity to wonder and discover. 

Unless eggs happen to be on an animal's diet, if found they might approach them with the same curiosity as we humans do.  What is this?  Does it belong to someone?  What's inside?  Beloved and esteemed author illustrator Kevin Henkes released his fiftieth title on January 3, 2017.   Egg (Greenwillow Books) is full of all those little moments which make life as wonderful as it can be.

egg

egg

egg

egg

crack

crack

crack

egg 

In those first eight images placed in four squares on two pages we know one very important thing.  Not all eggs are cracked up to be as presented.  Three of the four eggs are opening, issuing forth the joy held inside.  The fourth simply is.  

After the three colorful little birds have flown away we watch the fourth egg and wait and wait and wait a whole bunch more.  The avian trio return, puzzled.  They huddle.  They snuggle.  They are still as can be hoping to hear a sound.  Then the suspense lures them to do what comes naturally.  They peck and peck and peck a whole bunch more.

crack

YIKES!

Three colorful little birds fly far away.  One infant becomes sadder and lonelier by the minute.  One by one, the trio, overcome by inquisitiveness, comes closer with caution. 

It's not exactly a tree branch but it's green like leaves and it moves.  This is something worth chirping about to all who will listen.  A foursome of friends glides and rides on water watching a sunset.  Or perhaps it isn't the sun...

Single words used in repetition supply a subtle rhythm pointing to the noticeable difference in the fourth egg.  When Kevin Henkes does this, he creates mystery.  We as readers realize the passage of considerable time when he uses the word waiting seventeen times in a wonderful and masterful sequence.  It's a perfect lead into the return of the feathered friends.  

Only fifteen different words on used in this title.  It is their frequency and position in the story which fashion impeccable pacing.  As you enjoy the tale told, you also feel amazement growing at the brilliance of this work.

Kevin Henkes' use of brown as a framing and outlining color adds a softness and warmth to all the illustrations rendered in brown ink and watercolor paint.  When you open the dust jacket to the left, on the back, are a pale pink, pale yellow, pale blue and pale green eggs.  The text beneath them is 

crack      crack     crack     ?

When you first see the illustration on the front all you want to do is reach out and hug those little birds and the pale green egg.  They as well as the text are varnished.  On the book case a large brown cloth spine reaches out to a pale blue background on each side.  Egg in slightly larger letters tops the front.  The elements are the same on the front and back hinting at the ending.

Small pale blue, yellow, pink and green squares separated by a fine brown line present a pattern for the opening and closing endpapers.  A single informal title page edged in a larger brown line holds space for Egg.  The formal title page spans two pages with Kevin Henkes' name and the publisher's name on the left and a large Egg on the right.  In the spaces of the e and g letters are pale pink, yellow and blue.  The verso and dedication pages feature a single illustration, the sun over the letters,

for s.k.

To provide the storytelling cadence, the ebb and flow of the narrative, Henkes may break up a page into equal squares, use a single large image on one page, or divide a page into sixteen spaces.  It's his choice when to use these panel sizes on his pages and whether he includes words or not, that draw readers completely into his story.  We can readily identify with all the characters.

One of my favorite illustrations of many is the special surprise! page.  It is framed in a wide brown line.  A portion of each little bird is shown.  The pink bird is coming in from the corner of the left edge.  The yellow and blue birds are looking in from the right.  Front and center, wearing a huge grin, sitting in the cracked and open shell is the newborn.  At the sight of this creature, the eyes on the birds are wide, wide open.  I guarantee readers will gasp and laugh at this scene.

Egg written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes, even though 2017 is young, will be one of this year's best books.  It welcomes discussion about expectations, patience, trust, compassion and friendship.  I recommend you share this as often as you can and get copies for your professional and personal shelves.  I'm heading to the book shop to get more myself.

To discover about Kevin Henkes the person and his other forty-nine books please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  I enjoyed reading these two posts at The Horn Book, Kevin Henkes Talks with Roger, December 1, 2015 and Kevin Henkes - Twenty-five Years July 1, 2005.

A peek at Kevin Henkes' 50th book, EGG, a graphic novel for preschoolers! @GreenwillowBook #harperpreview pic.twitter.com/bQs1ODAPvn

— HarperStacks (@HarperStacks) May 20, 2016

Surprise! pic.twitter.com/n8BNHxwVLd

— John Schu (@MrSchuReads) January 27, 2017

UPDATE:  This video was posted recently.  I always enjoy hearing an author read their books.

Fear Flies In The Face Of Friendship

Most of us have things which we wish to avoid at all costs.  These ask us to leave our personal zone which is far too comfortable.  The number of these things on our list of risks to never take can be very few or vast.  What one may fear, another might find completely enjoyable.

It seems it would be difficult to fully appreciate your world if you had the jitters more often than not.  Peep and Egg: I'm Not Hatching (Farrar Straus Giroux, February 9, 2016) written by Laura Gehl with pictures by Joyce Wan presents to readers two cute little cheepers.  As the title suggests one has no wish to get cracking.

"Are you hatching yet?" Peep asked.  "We're going to have so much fun once you hatch!"

"Too scary," said Egg. "I'm not hatching."

Peep speaks of all their possible adventures on the farm beginning with watching the sunrise.  In response Egg whispers a refrain which will become all too familiar.  Egg also starts to add reasons, believing they justify apprehension.

The puddles are too wet.  There will be no duck watching because the walk to the pond is much too long.  Noise in the barnyard is much too loud to even consider a game of hide-and-seek.  It's not for lack of mathematical skills but the night is dark, dark, dark.  There will be no star counting.

With a final attempt, appealing to a youthful appetite, Peep implores Egg to join in the proposed good times.  Egg's shouted retort and Peep's answer seem to end the entire discussion...or do they?

Laura Gehl has perfected with supreme simplicity and clarity the mindset of an individual, initially through nervousness and later perhaps due to stubbornness, unwilling to take a step forward.  In the character of Peep she reveals to readers a tender-hearted soul that entreats by example.  By having Egg repeat the signature phrase, supplying a subtle but welcoming beat, this is an invitation to readers to participate in the story.

The thick outlines in black (and other colors within the interior pages) are a marvelous artistic choice by Joyce Wan when illustrating a title for a younger audience.  In the matching dust jacket and book case, these draw the readers' eyes immediately to the two characters.  The pastel color palette here and bold, cheerful hues throughout are joyfully and playfully splendid.  You already know Peep is as determined as Egg, providing tension and comedy.  To the left, on the back, you are given a bit of a hint of events to come with Peep offering a tasty pastry to Egg.

On the opening endpapers is Egg presented in rows with one small exception; a surprise under the lower, left-hand flap.  The closing endpapers showcase the resolution in an image asking us to join in the scene.  On the verso Peep is peeking over the upper, left-hand edge looking at the reader.  On the opposite page, the title page, Egg is, well, an egg but an egg with an opinion.

Wan makes wonderful use of white as a powerful element in her images.  She brings the reader closer to the characters at key points in the storyline; the better to see Peep's expressions.  The sizes of her pictures, single or double page, create a tandem cadence with the text. 

One of my favorite illustrations of many is when Peep is pointing out to Egg how much fun it would be to count the stars.  The background is a rich purple dotted with stars and a crescent moon.  Peep and Egg are perched on the front of a red tractor.

Peep and Egg: I'm Not Hatching written by Laura Gehl with pictures by Joyce Wan is an endearing view of how friendship can help overcome fear.  The excellently paced narrative with equally delightful illustrations is sure to be a favorite read aloud.  It would be wonderful as a reader's theater.

To discover more about Laura Gehl and Joyce Wan and their other work please follow the links attached to their names.  You can see some interior pictures from the book at the publisher's website.   Here is an extensive teacher's guide for this title written by Marcie Colleen.  Laura Gehl and Joyce Wan chat at author Tara Lazar's Writing for Kids (While Raising Them).  Laura Gehl wrote a guest post at Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries John Schumacher's blog, Watch. Connect. Read.  Joyce Wan is interviewed at KidLit411.  There are illustrations and process art.  Enjoy the book trailer.

Some individuals can hardly contain their excitement and are thrilled with Halloween.  There are also those who view the entire holiday through eyes covered with their hands ninety-nine per cent of the time.  For them the spooky celebration and particularly the eerie guests (costumed and imagined) are too frightening.

The darling duo has returned in a companion title, Peep and Egg: I'm Not Trick-or-Treating (Farrar Straus Giroux, August 9, 2016) written by Laura Gehl with pictures by Joyce Wan.  Having conquered a fear of hatching, Egg is now worried about October 31st.  It's only once a year but thoughts of those things which go bump in the night give Egg the shivers.

"Trick-or-treating is going to be so much fun," Peep said.
"Are you ready yet?"
"Too scary," said Egg.
"I'm not trick-or-treating."

Initially Egg refuses to dress in a costume.  When Peep suggests their first place to visit, Egg believes it will be occupied by vampires.  Peep, obviously disappointed, suggests a much drier spot.  Egg is not convinced and issues a resounding negative answer.

Remembering how a different approach assisted Egg in breaking through the shell, Peep believes humor might work.  There is not the slightest hint of a smile on Egg's face.  This attempt appears to backfire, actually prompting another outburst.

Peep is a persistent pal though.  Was that a teehee? Peep keeps going.  Was that a guffaw?  This could be working.  Oh, no.  Well, Peep did try.  Finally using a proven technique, fright in the night might make everything all right.


In this companion title Laura Gehl shifts her narrative rhythm. Told entirely through dialogue, as in the first book, you can see both of her characters growing.  Peep tries three different approaches to persuade Egg.  While Egg's reactions are ultimately the same, readers can begin to see trust growing a bit sooner.  The insertion of a form of a comedy routine is highly engaging.


Whether you are acquainted with these two characters from the previous book or not, you have to admit that the front of the matching dust jacket and book case is cuter than cute.  Peep looks downright adorable in the butterfly costume and the contrast with a determined and negative Egg begins the laughter in readers' hearts.  The larger lines and the rounded shapes are a huge draw for the intended audience.

A pattern of the whites of scary eyes in a black space covers the opening endpapers.  Be sure to peek under the lower, left-hand corner of the flap for a little gift.  The closing endpapers continue the story with a purple canvas covered in happy-go-lucky jack-o-lanterns.  Peep and Egg are there too.  On the verso a calendar with October 31 circled hangs above a costumed Peep dashing toward Egg hiding behind a bale of hay on the title page.  A pumpkin trick-or-treat basket sits next to the hay.

Fully animated Peep and Egg are presented in a variety of image sizes, alternating from two-page pictures with white or bright-colored backgrounds, to single page close-ups framed in orange and sometimes several visuals will be placed on one page to provide pacing.  As in the first title, readers can enjoy looking at the tiny details provided by Wan; the itsy-bitsy "vampire teeth" on the ducks, the pumpkin lights hanging in the trees and Halloween pennants draped in the barn and along the fence.  Careful readers will notice a particular small, eight-legged arachnid as it journeys throughout the story.

One of my favorite illustrations spans two pages.  Peep is encouraging Egg with the suggestion of a visit to the cows.  Egg imagines Peep crawling between the fencing as he stays hidden.  The smiling cows looking straight at the readers are wrapped to appear like mummies.


Peep and Egg: I'm Not Trick-or-Treating written by Laura Gehl with pictures by Joyce Wan is a charming confection.  Readers will laugh and sigh in all the right places; Gehl's text and Wan's pictures are a flawless mix.  This is a marvelous choice for younger readers and listeners at Halloween.

You can view interior pages at the publisher's website.  Laura Gehl visits YA and Kids BookCentral.  Joyce Wan stops to chat at The Little Crooked Cottage.  Joyce Wan stops by KidLit TV to teach us how to draw Peep and Egg.

Ready For Some Fun! Fun! Fun!?

Have you ever seen something in the distance thinking it is one thing, only to discover upon closer inspection it's something else entirely?  Have you ever bent down to pick something up and have it move quickly away just as your hand was about to touch it?  Both of these scenarios will leave you either laughing or gasping for breath.

Sometimes a change in the weather will alter the reality of your perceptions.  For those people living in Michigan, a walk in the rain along the northern beaches brings to light the collectible Petoskey stones.  Without water they appear like any other grayish rock; their honeycomb formations hidden.



In Steven Weinberg's debut picture book, Rex Finds an Egg! Egg! Egg! (Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, February 24, 2015) a baby Tyrannosaurus rex carries his misconception through rather tumultuous times.  His explorations reveal a wayward object next to a nearby nest.  His delight however is short-lived.

Rex finds an ...
Egg?
Egg.
EGG!

As our toothy prehistoric youngster grasps his latest treasure, a too-close-for-comfort volcano decides to erupt.  It's time to skedaddle.  Momentarily out of harm's way, stopping to catch his breath, he gazes with fondness at his egg.

His focus on his newly acquired, spotted keepsake causes him to overlook the fact he is near the edge of a cliff. Within a matter of seconds he is falling down, down, down to the deep sea.  Surprise is etched on all the faces of the watery residents and Rex.

Fortunately a kindly Sauroposeidon lifts our wayward pal to the surface.  Whew! His relief is temporary as a Pterodactyl zooms in taking him skyward.  In a series of moments which portrays Rex like a character in a comedy of errors, he finally comes to a rolling halt with his precious prize firmly held in his hands.

It seems Rex has completed a circle back to the nest and unfortunately the volcano.  As it explodes once more, the little guy loses his grip on his

EGG!

Panic stricken he watches, races and screeches to a halt.  An even smaller dinosaur announces a conclusion identical to what Rex notices.  As the two eye each other new misunderstandings abound.  A familiar noise sends them running.


The repetition of words beginning with the title is an open invitation for reader participation.  With this cadence continuing in several subsequent sentences, Steven Weinberg then switches to a series of single word action verbs adding to the adventure before bringing Rex full circle.  The final sequence lulls you into the surprising twist with ease.  Here are the two passages following the first one.

Now he must...
Run. 
Run!
RUN!

Rex loves his ...
Egg!
Egg!
Egg!


The color palette introduced on the matching dust jacket and book case is, in a word, playful.  The bright yellow, red, purple, and two shades of green are the perfect complement to our spirited baby dinosaur.  The back, to the left, is the pattern of the egg.  On the opening endpapers land prehistoric creatures are pictured in red, pale yellow and pale blue.  Each is identified by name, as are the egg and a rock.  On the closing endpapers Steven Weinberg features creatures found in the water.  The colors are reversed with red still acting as an outline and text color.  All of the verso information is contained within an egg shape except for the dedication which reads:

For
CASEY!
CASEY!
CASEY!

Rendered in watercolor and digitally, the illustrations boldly span across double, single and two split pages.  The lines and color combinations radiate a child-like exuberance, each choice made with intention.  Readers are well aware of every emotion Rex experiences, picture perspective changing with each event.

One of my favorite illustrations is the first two-page spread.  It sets the stage immediately for all the action which follows.  Careful readers may notice the discrepancy in Rex's observations but at this point they can't quite be sure.  Here Weinberg foreshadows the entrance of the additional dinosaur.  There is a lot to be noticed in this first image other than color, layout and design.


Whether shared at storytime or bedtime, Rex Finds an Egg! Egg! Egg! written and illustrated by Steven Weinberg is a surefire winner.  The vibrancy in the word choices, simple sentence structure, color and images is a child magnet.  Being able to chime in on the repetitive words is the final glowing touch.

To learn more about Steven Weinberg please follow the link attached to his name to visit his website.  The initial illustration mentioned above is shown here.  Four other interior visuals can be found at the publisher's website.   For more about Steven Weinberg and this book read Steven Weinberg On His Children's Book, Rex Finds An Egg in the Brooklyn Magazine.  Even more can be discovered about Steven Weinberg, this book and other titles plus process art by stopping at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast hosted by author and blogger, Julie Danielson.

A Rock...Or Not

When you live in an area with lakes carved out by glaciers, it's a given the contents of the shore line will extend into the surrounding land no matter how many decades have passed since development by humans began.  Barely an inch beneath the lawn on my property is nothing but gravel and sand.  My gardens flourish because I have dug out the original soil replacing it with bags and bags and bags of organic dirt and peat.

During this summer's months men from the city (our township electricity is supplied by the city) have been digging up lawns replacing electrical lines with newer versions.  They have unearthed geological treasures of all shapes and sizes.  Day after day when walking Xena, a particular rock on the shoulder of the road has caught my eye.

After reading Oliver and His Egg (Disney Hyperion Books) written and illustrated by Paul Schmid, I decided to go back and claim it as my own.  It fits in my hand, nearly perfectly round and warmed by the sun.  Like Oliver I can't stop thinking.

When Oliver found his egg...


In his mind's eye, Oliver sees his egg cracking open.  This is no ordinary egg.  Popping from the two halves is a spotted creature meant to be his friend.

Together they share journeys; traveling to parts unknown.  Like the Vikings of old an island is discovered.  Floating in space wearing astronaut gear, the Earth a distance ball, Oliver and his companion hear a call.  It's Oliver's name being shouted by a little girl.

She understandably wants to know why Oliver is sitting on a... rock.  Holding the rock Oliver looks; his inventiveness shifting.  For a little guy he has big, big ideas.


Spare text, only fifty-two words thoughtfully selected and placed, a few on a page, asks readers to slow down and think along with Oliver.  Paul Schmid wants us reflect about the role of imagination in directing our actions.  He wants us to ponder our place with people realizing even the slightest change in our thoughts can make a difference benefiting us and others.

When opening the dust jacket the lavender background spreads across the left and right sides.  Oliver is sitting on the head of his friend whose tail curls around to the back.  Placed on top of the tail is his rock.  The peach from the jacket covers the book case with loosely but easily identified dinosaurs sketched in a lighter shade.  White eggs on teal decorate both the opening and closing endpapers.

With the first page turn Paul Schmid gives readers glimpses of events to come, showing Oliver, with other children on a playground, riding a bouncing dinosaur when he first spies his egg.  With those introductory five words Oliver's fantasy is pictured on a pale green background surrounded by a liberal amount of white space.  He is looking at a rock; his mind sees a cracked egg with a tiny dinosaur peeking out.

As dreams of their adventures together expand so does the size of the hue of green and the imaginary friend.  To accentuate Oliver's joyful turn of thinking Schmid designs a four page fold-out sure to illicit exclamations.  With a pastel palette and simple lines on characters' faces denoting emotion, Schmid endears readers to his story.

One of my favorite illustrations is when Oliver and his polka-dotted dinosaur are on the island.  Oliver has removed his Viking helmet placing it on the beach.  He is holding a stick roasting two marshmallows over a crackling fire as his friend, resting, closely watches.


I simply can't look at the cover of Oliver and His Egg written and illustrated by Paul Schmid without smiling.  Oliver, his dinosaur and his other playmates are adorable with a capital A.  Schmid's mastery of words opening the narrative door for a higher illustrative impact strikes a chord in his readers' collective hearts.  Huge hugs to Oliver in his latest title.

For more information on Paul Schmid and his work please follow the link embedded in his name to access his website.  Here is a link to my review of Oliver and His Alligator.  In May of this year teacher librarian wonder, John Schumacher, interviewed Paul Schmid on his blog Watch. Connect. Read. Paul Schmid has a board on Pinterest for his books.