This year, 2023, is the Year of the Rabbit. The Chinese Lunar New Year began on January 21, 2023 and finished fifteen days later with the Lantern Festival. Every twelve years, the animal that is celebrated in a given year is highlighted again. Many years ago, this reader was born in the Year of the Rabbit. For this reason, rabbits have a special place in my heart, even when they enjoy eating in my gardens without an invitation.
Like many others, Chinese food is one of my favorite meals. When I am fortunate enough to go to a larger city near my community, I make sure to purchase spring rolls made fresh daily. This year to my delight, they were serving three types of bao. I am not sure if this is a new permanent item or just for the Lunar New Year. Regardless, yesterday I came home with Coconut Custard bao. (I am still figuring out how to best steam them.)
To be able to eat this delicious food on a more regular basis would be marvelous. This is one of several reasons Dim Sum, Here We Come! (Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, January 3, 2023) written and illustrated by Maple Lam is pure delight. Page after page, it is a joyous window into a world of family, food, and tradition, tied together with great affection.
Here we go! It's almost dim sum time!
Come on, Cece---hurry up, let's go.
I can't wait to see everyone!
Dim sum, here we come!
Grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins all join this bundle of energy with her sister, Cece, and her parents every Sunday to dine on dim sum. As the group waits for an available table, Uncle Irwin takes the children to special spots in the restaurant. For each one, we are told the cultural significance. Did you know
Dancing fish means good feng shui?
Our enthusiastic narrator is seated next to her grandmother. Soon a cart stacked with bamboo baskets filled with steamed food arrives at the table. A dim sum card allows the diners to select which baskets they want. They get ten baskets with ten different kinds of dim sum.
It's hard to be patient for the turntable to spin from family member to family member. Respectfully, our eager narrator waits for the basket with char siu bun. Ten people later, that basket arrives in front of her. She is so excited.
There is one left! She carefully does three things with the char siu bun before her final act and then, she tells us what dim sum means. After the families each travel to their homes, Cece and her older sister, our protagonist, have another dim sum moment. It is here we learn the most cherished definition of dim sum.
With those first five sentences, spoken with pure happiness, our narrator's enthusiasm spreads to readers. We appreciate how author Maple Lam, through the girl's first-person voice, introduces us to the art of enjoying dim sum, step by step. Woven into her story are wonderful and enlightening beliefs. Though the little girl may be hungry, of which she informs us often, mutual appreciation of others is foremost with each family member. Here is another passage.
Uncle Jeremy refills hot tea for everyone.
Tap tap tap! Tap tap tap!
Tapping your finger on the table means thank you.
On the front of the matching dust jacket and book case, readers are introduced to our narrator, her younger sister, Cece, and the other ten family members who meet every Sunday for dim sum. Seen here is familial love, merriment, and people who can hardly wait to try these delectable foods. The design, the way the elements are placed in a large group, the two girls, and then the remainder of the family, leads our eyes to the title text.
On the back of the jacket and case, the left side, on a white canvas with a delicate pale wash is a light red heart. Inside the heart is the girl and her younger sister, enjoying the last of the dim sum. Both are smiling and their eyes are closed in contentment. Portions of their hair break the borders of the heart to give us a feeling of motion.
On the opening endpapers, as if in a spiral-ringed menu, are eighteen small boxes, nine on each side. Within each are different kinds of dim sum. They are labeled. (This is guaranteed to make your mouth water with anticipation.) On the closing endpapers the bamboo baskets and plates are still there, but empty. Instead of the labels, we read commentary about the taste of each one. On the title page, the siblings are running, hands clasped and mouths open.
These illustrations by Maple Lam were rendered using
watercolor and colored pencils.
The chosen color palette, shapes, and lines made by this artist all contribute and elevate the liveliness of the narrator. The illustrations vary in size from two-page pictures, to full-page pictures, edge to edge and some surrounded by white space. The different perspectives are outstanding. We are close to the characters in many of the scenes. Sometimes we are looking at them from slightly above. The food is depicted in all its deliciousness.
Readers will be endeared to all the family members. They genuinely enjoy each other's company as shown by their facial features and body postures. This is a day full of promise each week.
One of my many favorite illustrations is a two-page image. From the lower, left-hand corner on the left to the lower, right-hand corner on the right is an arc. This arc shows all twelve members of this family seated in their chairs at their table, even though we know it is a circle. It is as if we can take the two ends and pull them together to complete that circle. The baskets and plates of dim sum are in the center. There is some talking and a whole lot of eating. You want to hold the joy portrayed here in your hands beyond the story.
This book, Dim Sum, Here We Come! written and illustrated by Maple Lam will quench readers' hunger for food, family, and happy hearts. It is certain to promote discussions about family, family food and family traditions. Readers will be ready to research dim sum and other Chinese cultural traditions. I can't imagine a professional or personal collection without a copy of this title.
To discover more about Maple Lam and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website. There is a twenty-one page teacher's guide on her website along with several activity worksheets. Maple Lam has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. There is some process art on her Instagram account. Maple Lam is interviewed about this book by author illustrator Jena Benton.
It seems like yesterday, but more than twenty years have come and gone since that sunny summer day. In a tiny town along one of northern Michigan's largest lakes, a few people strolled down the sidewalks. On one sidewalk, a homeless kitten wandered. Most people hardly gave it a glance. I was not one of them.
I stopped and talked to the lost soul for a few minutes. Walking away, I engaged in the timeless battle of "should I or should I not." When I turned around to go back, a family of three had stopped to kneel down and chat with the kitten. The kitten had found its forever family. A little boy was overjoyed. A few months later, my remarkable, precious Xena came into my world.
The reality is, we never know when or what kind of animal will become a member of our family. When they do, most days our joys are multiplied beyond our imagining. Two recent publications, a month apart, focus on our feline friends. In the first, Bathe The Cat (Chronicle Books, February 8, 2022) written by Alice B. McGinty with illustrations by David Roberts, a clever cat creates off-the-charts comedy with a little help from magnetized letters.
Come on folks,
it's time to clean!
Upstairs,
downstairs,
in-between.
This family, two youngsters, a baby, and two dads, need to work together because Grandma is arriving at two o'clock. Their house is chaotic clutter. All the assignments are posted on the refrigerator door. They are read aloud by Daddy. The last one,
and I'll bathe the cat,
is not welcome news for the cat.
The wily feline rearranges the letters. When Daddys asks why the children and Dad are wasting time, they look at the tasks listed on the door. They make no sense at all.
. . . Bobby, bathe the mat.
Sarah, mop the baby,
and Dad will mow the cat.
Trust me, this cat does not want to be mowed. Paws switch the letters again. It is another crazy list.
The crafty cat goes back to the refrigerator. This list is even more nonsensical, until Daddy makes a discovery. It is almost time for Grandma Marge to walk through the door. Will she find mayhem or peaceful perfection?
Author Alice B. McGinty begins this book with a common scenario, getting ready for the visit of a relative. As her first rhyming phrases unfold, we easily step into their rhythm until the last sentence, a question. Then, we burst into laughter. Our laughter increases with every meddlesome moment the cat spends moving the words and fashioning outlandish new tasks which rhyme beautifully. Here is another hilarious passage.
No, no! That's WRONG! You call this work?!
Have all you people gone BERSERK?
You've scrubbed my fish! You fed the FLOOR?!
MUST I READ THIS LIST ONCE MORE??
The bright shades of orange, pink, green, yellow, and blue we see on the front, right, of the open dust jacket invite happiness regardless of the frantic looks on all the characters, except the cat, of course. We see here a hectic incident frozen in time. We are curious to know what has happened. To the left of the spine on another crisp white background, the child wearing the dinosaur costume is kneeling over the fishbowl. She is feeding three eager fish.
On the book case the background is white. On either side of the spine is a single image. We see the fathers and two of the children chasing the cat that is nearly off the right side. The baby is smiling and crawling along in the lower, left-hand corner.
On the opening endpapers, letters on the refrigerator spell the tasks to accomplish. On the left side is a child's drawing of Daddy and Dad. For reasons readers can guess, the words on the closing endpapers refer to things to do for the cat. On the left side is a drawing of Grandma Marge. On the right side is a drawing of the cat.
On the title page, the cat calmly licking one paw with a toy mouse in the other paw sits on top of the ''t'' in bathe. These images by artist David Roberts ask readers to pause at every page turn. We need to appreciate the details and the expressions on the characters' faces. Just looking at the cat's face will have readers giggling.
Rendered in pencil and watercolor, each two-page visual is loaded with elements extending and enhancing the words. Sometimes we are brought close to the action and feel as though we are participants. Other times, we stand back more as observers. When the cat is rearranging the letters on the refrigerator, we are brought very close which heightens the laughter factor.
One of my many favorite illustrations takes place outside the characters' home. The home with its hues of orange door supplies the background. On the left, Bobby is bathing the welcome mat with a CAT SHAMPOO BOTTLE next to the large orange bucket. Behind him and to his right, Daddy is vacuuming the lawn. On the right, Sarah is mopping a laughing baby. Dad is looking perplexed as he stands next to the lawn mower. The cat, tail with fur on end, is running off the right edge. It just heard the sentence
Mow the cat?
If there is one thing we know to be true, it is laughter can be the best medicine, especially the laughter of children. This book, Bathe The Cat written by Alice B. McGinty with artwork by David Roberts, is one readers will read often and listeners will beg to have it read repeatedly. I highly recommend you have a copy in both your personal and professional collections.
To learn more about Alice B. McGinty and David Roberts and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites. Alice B. McGinty has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. David Roberts has an account on Instagram. At the publisher's website, you can view interior images.
Who can resist the allure of a kitten? Those little bundles of fur are some of the most magical of baby animals. Their curiosity for whatever is around them and their ensuing shenanigans can melt the iciest of hearts. Author Florence Minor and her husband, artist Wendell Minor, present all the delightful, memorable aspects of these adorable babies in their newest collaboration, Smitten with Kittens (Charlesbridge, March 8, 2022).
Who isn't smitten
with a kitten's sweet MEW
and all the cute things
that kittens will DO?
The first meal of the day gives kittens the energy they need to play. Outside, they love to chase butterflies. Inside, they look in a mirror wondering about the handsome being they see.
If they happen to wander into the bathroom, it will only happen once or at least their humans will keep the toilet paper in a safer location in the future. The television supplies endless entertainment for kittens. The birds are the stars, but they don't seem to fly into the room.
Tucked into the smallest cubbies, kittens hide and expect you to seek. They run and romp and run and romp until their energy is gone. Then, they get cozy and rest. They dream of doing what they do best.
Within a single sentence or two, using rhyming words, Florence Minor creates joy we willingly embrace. Her pacing asks readers to participate in the narrative, guessing what the second rhyming word is. Throughout the entire narrative, we smile at the behavior of the kitten she so aptly describes. Florence Minor has gifted us with the experience of being a kitten. Here is the first of two sentences. I wonder what the second rhyming word will be.
Kittens make trouble
whatever they DO---
rolling, more rolling . . .
In looking at the open and matching dust jacket and book case, we stop for a bit to relish the artwork of Wendell Minor. Rendered
in graphite on paper and digital,
the illustrations are rich in texture and authenticity. Every line vibrates with the liveliness embodied in kittens. Wendell's masterful command of light and shadow raises the reader's pictorial experience.
On the front, right side of the jacket, the title text is raised. There are also seven paw prints in varnished white on the right side of the front. To the left, on the other side of the spine, a charcoal kitten is in a pounce pose. Its expression is pure playfulness.
On the opening and closing endpapers are a series of ten kitten poses. It is as if particular seconds are paused in time. They are nearly photographic, but soft in their quality. They are graphite on white. Every single one is stunning.
On the initial title page, two kittens look up from the inside of a cardboard box. One is resting their front paws on the edge of the box. On the formal title page a large image of a kitten begins on the left, crosses the gutter, and extends to the center of the right side. The kitten is curled and napping. It is curled around a red toy mouse with white hearts on it.
White space is an element in these images drawing our attention to the kittens. The kittens are shown in a variety of activities and poses. We might see their entire body or only a portion. Color is used sparingly as an accent.
One of my many favorite illustrations is a two-page picture. Three kittens are seated in a row with their backs to us. One is to the left of the gutter; the other two are to the right of the gutter. They are facing a television screen placed on a large surface. They are staring intently at a bright red cardinal flying close to them among the clouds. Their tiny heads are cocked slightly to indicate their concentration.
Readers of all ages will enjoy reading and rereading Smitten with Kittens written by Florence Minor with artwork by Wendell Minor. At the close of the book are two pages with ten Fun Facts about kittens. For cat and kitten lovers and for those wishing to enhance their appreciation of our feline friends, you'll want to have a copy of this title in both your personal and professional collections.
To learn more about Florence Minor and Wendell Minor and their other work, please follow the link embedded in their names to take you to their shared website. Florence and Wendell also share professional FacebookandPinterest accounts. Florence Minor has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. Wendell Minor has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. At the publisher's website, you can view an interior illustration and download an activity sheet. At Penguin Random House, you can view additional interior images.
There was once a girl who loved to study the weather and make predictions. (She still does.) She was also terrified of storms. She understood the power they unleashed. Whenever the sky would darken, panic coursed through her body. She was well into her middle years before she faced her fear. By replacing this raw worry with respect, it made her stronger.
Today our climate and our weather are changing globally, creating frightening phenomena. These phenomena leave devasting results in their wake. Children are rightfully concerned. I Am The Storm (RISE Penguin Workshop, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, October 27, 2020) by Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple with illustrations by Kristen Howdeshell and Kevin Howdeshell explores extremes in weather and our responses as families and communities.
When the wind howled and blew,
loud as a train, . . .
During a tornado, a family with their grandmother seeks shelter in their basement. Flashlights cast their glow on games played and books read. When the wind calms, the daughter, after helping with clean-up, swirls around the yard, doing her own dance like a tornado.
A blizzard and a power outage provide the opportunity for food to be cooked over a fire built for warmth. A wildfire chases a family to a nearby lake for safety. They enjoy their natural surroundings. Back at home, gathered flowers are given to community members hard at work cleaning and clearing.
During a hurricane, wind and water combine to create multiple dangers. Families leave, locating higher ground and protecting themselves by moving inland. After the hurricane passes, damage assessments are made at residences.
Readers are reminded fear is as natural as the perils they face. It is essential for them to realize, they too have forces within themselves. Each child is compared to the event they experience. They understand their abilities and the range of those abilities. This is power.
For each phenomenon, four, authors Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemplesupply readers with a repetitive cadence, a group of three. It's an invitation for readers, welcoming them into the narrative. This leads us to the strong connected conclusion. The authors also provide vivid descriptions of each of the three portions of the four events. These portrayals give us firsthand insights. Here is a passage.
When the ice and snow fell,
sparkling like fairy dust on the windows,
and all the lights went out,
we made a fire
and cooked hot dogs and marshmallows.
The storm on the prairie showcased on the front, right, of the open dust jacket crosses the spine and extends to the far left on the back. It is a dramatic depiction of dark purple and black swirls complementing the golden oranges and yellows of the countryside. Another building on the farm, is placed on the back with a third in the far distance. The remoteness and flatness of the plains is represented beautifully.
On the book case a hue of purple shown on the dust jacket covers both the front and the back. White, streaking drops of rain slant slightly to the right, from the top to the bottom. We are in the storm.
The opening and closing endpapers are a marbleized blend of teal and yellow. On the second set a single bird flies toward the right edge. The bird carrying a small branch signifies the final words of the book.
The art is sketched in pencil and the finishes are rendered in Photoshop with a Wacom tablet
by illustrators Kristen Howdeshell and Kevin Howdeshell. The initial title page is a continuous of the canvas seen on the endpapers. Above and below the text are branches similar to the one carried by the bird. On the formal verso and title pages, we are in the thick of the storm.
Each page turn reveals a stunning double-page picture. We move flawlessly from the event, to the family, and to the land and people after the tornado, blizzard, wildfire, and hurricane. As the narrative directs us to resolutions and empowering words, the elements in each illustration reflect those changes. The color palette shifts with the incident, season and place in which it happens. A diverse group of people are shown in each setting. These images connect us in a very real way to those people. Each one is an eloquently captured moment.
One of my many, many favorite illustrations is after the first storm. We have come closer to the farmhouse shown on the front, right, of the dust jacket. The sky is cream-colored with a rising red sun between the home and red truck. One of the trees is toppled from the storm. An adult is mending the fence to the right of the truck. These portions of the scene are on the left side and to the back. In the foreground on the right side a bird perches on the top of a fence post. Other pieces of the fence lay on the ground. The little girl, wearing a red dress, tights, and cowboy boots is spinning around with her arms spread out. Her hair moves up and out. There is a special warmth in this illustration, it is one of celebration.
This book, I Am The Storm written by Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple with illustrations by Kristen Howdeshell and Kevin Howdeshell, is an important book. It tells readers they can survive and be strong as they face their fears. It offers courage and peace. At the close of the book further information in the form of four paragraphs is provided about tornadoes, blizzards, wildfires, and hurricanes. I highly recommend this title for both your personal and professional collections.
To learn more about Jane Yolen, Heidi E. Y. Stemple, Kristen Howdeshell, and Kevin Howdeshell, please follow the link attached to their names to access their respective websites. Jane Yolen has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Heidi E. Y. Stemple has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Kristen Howdeshell and Kevin Howdeshell share an account on Instagram and two accounts on Twitter(Twitter.) At the publisher's website you can view the initial title page.
They are the ultimate companions. Their distinctive personalities provide us with constant comfort and laughter. Truthfully, without them our worlds would be incomplete. They make us wholly human.
For this reason, let us look at three publications in the last five months with feline or canine characters. In the first title, Joy (Candlewick Press, June 6, 2020) written by Yasmeen Ismail with illustrations by Jenni Desmond, a kitten shows us how to release merriment with total abandon. You'll be ready to join this frisky feline in mere seconds.
Oh, boy! Oh, boy!
My favorite toy.
I feel joy!
A red ball of yarn caught in the paws of this mischief maker fashions a red tangled trail, until another object gets the scamp's attention. A blue ball bounces across a room, over its other animal occupants, with the kitten close to it. Momentarily pausing for an affectionate cuddle with a cat parent, the kitten, along with the ball, is off and running into a nearby lamp.
Kitten and ball go, go, go, until stopped by colliding into the large resident dog. Several unplanned moves later, some due to the rambunctious dog, finds the youngster outside. Down, down, down the steps of the porch, the little furry one boings and bounces.
This does not feel good. This hurts. The kitten wants its mom or dad. In a quick minute, a parent is there, offering the necessary care. Back inside they go, to curl up together in their bed. Wait! Oh, no . . . off the kitten goes.
Whether read silently or aloud the words by author Yasmeen Ismailwill send your soul dancing with their rhyming, alliteration, and onomatopoeia. Each carefully chosen word mirrors the antics of the kitten and her current favorite toy. In addition to the tale of happiness the sentences tell, readers will be reassured by the gestures and care given by the parent to the kitten. Here is a passage.
Shake,
rattle,
and
ROLL,
this happy soul!
When you open the matching dust jacket and book case, you are introduced to the story's characters, and the use of full color on white which is prevalent throughout the book. The kitten, beginning her dance of glee on the front is varnished along with the yarn and title text. To the left, on the back, the adult cat holds the kitten close in their red, green, and blue plaid bed. A single curled string of red yarn is on the floor to the left of and behind the bed.
On the opening and closing endpapers done in the bright red shown on the jacket and case is a tangle of white yarn strung across both pages and coming to rest as a white ball of yarn in the lower, right-hand corner. On the dedication, verso, and title pages we see a sleeping adult in the bed on the left. Bouncing dashes indicate the jumping of the kitten that has left the bed to begin the chase with the red ball of yarn.
depicts all the elation this kitten feels and displays. Her images span two pages, portions of single pages, or are grouped together on a single page to portray movement and passage of time. Cleverly placed dashes indicate the movement of the kitten and its current favorite toy. At times, the words follow the same path as the dashes. The facial expressions on the animal characters, especially the kitten, convey their every mood. The perspective is usually one of observer in the room, but several times to place dramatic emphasis on a point in the narrative, we move close to the kitten.
One of my many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture. Across the bottom on a canvas of crisp white the lamp has fallen and is bent from left to right with the shade resting in the lower, right-hand corner. Above the lamp in a series of loop-de-loops made by the dashes, the words on top, the kitten and blue ball travel. Above the lamp and shade on the right, the kitten mid flip, is grinning in absolute satisfaction.
If you want to make your heart happy, experiencing the energy of that happiness, then this book is for you. Joy by Yasmeen Ismail with illustrations by Jenni Desmond is a read aloud delight on every page. I highly recommend this title for a storytime focusing on pets, playfulness, and to present how word play can create a mood or a moment. You'll want to add this book to your professional and personal collections.
To learn more about Yasmeen Ismail and Jenni Desmond and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites. Yasmeen Ismail has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. Jenni Desmond has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter. At the publisher's website you can view an interior image. At Penguin Random House you can view other portions of the book.
It's not often a dog is categorized as a foodie. Oh, we know how amazing it is that they can distinguish between the fruit, vegetable, and cheese drawer in the refrigerator. When the cheese drawer is opened, they appear next to you, seated and ready for a treat, with the speed of light. Their ability to distinguish one from the other is the stuff of legend. They do love certain foods over other delicious delights.
In her debut picture book as author and illustrator Alexandra Thompson explores food, and the delectable life of a French Bulldog. In A Family For Louie (Putnam, G. P. Putnam's Sons, June 6, 2020), we follow this canine foodie whose life is almost perfect, except for one thing. He knows magical moments are better when shared.
Louie considered himself a
dog of very fine tastes.
He knew every chef in town.
He enjoyed the best restaurants and their finest fare for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He never missed dessert. In a park fountain he bathed before retiring in the evening with a book and a cup of hot cocoa. As far as Louie was concerned this life of his was as heavenly as a gourmet meal.
Louie did notice other dogs sharing their days with humans. Louie decided it might be nice to have a family. What he did not expect was how hard it was to find a family. One had terrible food choices, and another one had . . . horror of horrors . . . a cat!
As the sun dropped beneath the horizon, Louie's spirits dropped too. Maybe there was no family for him. Louie wandered from the park to the town. What was this? A new bakery?
Outside the bakery was a little girl Louie did not recognize. She was friendly. Louie was uncharacteristically shy. It seemed that a cupcake could win the heart of a very particular French Bulldog.
When the story begins author Alexandra Thompsonpaints an endearing picture of Louie with her words. We immediately identify with the life he has made for himself. This seemly perfect life is an ideal segue into what Louie needs most. Humor plays an important part in his attempts to find a family leading us into a gentle, welcome resolution. Here is a passage.
The next day, Louie saw
a family having a picnic
at the beach.
He thought he might ask to join them,
but when Louie approached . . .
they were eating Jell-O salad
and sardine sandwiches!
These digitally designed illustrations by illustrator Alexandra Thompson convey with detailed charm Louie, his love of food, and his search for a fuller life. In looking at the open dust jacket readers get a glimpse on the front, right, and back, left, of what that life can be for Louie. On the front he is looking into the new bakery window with the little girl and her mother as silhouettes. The title appears as though it is the name of the bakery. The framing on the window is framing his new beginning.
To the left, on the back, is a circular, decorative frame around a picture of Louie and the little girl. They are both holding cupcakes with the cherry on top already consumed. There is sheer contentment on their faces. The words above them read:
Life is sweeter
when shared with friends.
The book case is a double page image of a country scene. The background is a pale blue sky with pink light and clouds. To the right of the spine on a hillside with meadow flowers, Louie, the little girl, and her mother are seated beneath a tree having a picnic.
The opening and closing endpapers tell a tale too. They represent Louie's life before and after he meets his new family. It's a scene in the city featuring a single arched window in a wall with lanterns on either side.
Each visual is either a double-page picture, a group of smaller images, or a single-page illustration. Due to the technique employed by Alexandra Thompson, your eyes are immediately drawn to Louie in each one. His distinctive facial expressions and body postures depict his every mood. You'll find yourself falling in love with this little dog.
One of my many favorite illustrations is a full-page picture. It's nighttime in the town. In the background stars glow in the sky as lights shine in building windows. Two trees on the left side of the park stand in dark dusky purple silhouette. On the right side is a large tree with roots extending across the entire page. Beneath those roots Louie has carved out a space for himself. We see it in a cutaway. The sight of him reading, snuggled in a blanket with his cup of hot cocoa, is precious.
Readers will become attached to the character in this story who is looking for a family. A Family For Louie written and illustrated by Alexandra Thompson is about finding the most valuable piece missing from the puzzle that is your life. I know this book will be a favorite for storytimes. Give your listeners their favorite stuffed toy dog to hold when you share this book with them. You'll want to add this to your professional and personal collections and gift it to dog lovers you know.
To learn more about Alexandra Thompson and her other work, follow the link attached to her name to access her website. She has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Alexandra Thompson is a guest at author Katelyn Aronson's site. At the publisher's website you can view the opening endpapers. I believe you'll enjoy the reading of this book by its creator.
Sometimes our furry friends' personalities take zeal to an over-the-top level. They see the world around them in an entirely different light than those with whom they share it. It is this contrast which generates roll-on-the-floor hilarity.
There is a new cat in town who fits this description with excellence. No Fuzzball! (Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., August 4, 2020) written and illustrated by Isabella Kung is a debut release certain to leave a lasting impression long after the final word is read. Get ready readers for a riotous read on the wild side.
Hello, I am
NOFuzzball.
Perhaps you have never heard a name like this before,
but that is because you have not met
a queen like me.
This cat believes she is a queen because her humans, her subjects, scream at her, calling her name throughout the house. She is certain they honor her every request when they are really going about their day. When she sees a packed suitcase, she is certain it is a present for her.
Her family is not happy she decides it is a new bed. Tending to her ruffled fur after being lifted out of the suitcase, she is unaware they have left the house. She is shocked at this discovery. How could this happen?!
She muses about their possible reasons for leaving. She is thrilled they took the dog,
that disgusting slobbering mess.
Now she can nap in peace.
She is surprised to find them still absent after her nap, so she starts to roam around the house, worrying about possible scenarios in which they are hurt or kidnapped. In order to dispel these fears, she is determined to be a different kind of ruler. She does her queenliest best as a cat of cats to spruce up the house. Will they love what she has done to the place (palace)? What do you think?
Told in the words of her queenship, humor is replete on every page. The authenticity of No Fuzzball's remarks, her point of view, is purr-fect. As you read this story, it is hard not to think of author Isabella Kungas a cat whisperer. Here is a passage.
A queen cannot tolerate such disrespect!
I demand a formal apology . . .
Wait, they left?
How dare they
forget their place?!
What has gotten into them?
There is no doubt in your mind when looking at the open book case, this cat is a bundle of energy, somewhat out of control to her humans, but having the time of her life. She is a maker of messes. A destroyer of calm. And she will always cause you to giggle and grin. The yellow ribbons on the right, front, cross over the spine to wind around, framing a collection of cat toys on the left, back. In the center are sentences from the start of the narrative. In a stroke of genius, a smaller No Fuzzball is casually leaning on the ISBN.
On the opening and closing endpapers readers are treated to the many moods of No Fuzzball. The 15 images on the first set of endpapers are placed on a white canvas with red as an accent color. The second set of 15 visuals with blue as the extra hue are also on a white background. Here is also information about Isabella Kung.
On the verso and title pages it appears as though torn lavender paper reveals orange paper under it. On the title page No Fuzzball is ripping the paper to reveal the No in the title. She is at her catastrophic best.
These illustrations by illustrator Isabella Kung span two pages, single pages, or several smaller visuals are grouped on a single page. No Fuzzball's fur is textured to the point you feel as though you might want to touch it, but you won't because this isNo Fuzzball. Shades of purple and red lend themselves to special marked moments. It's the looks on the face of No Fuzzball and her subjects which will have you bursting into laughter.
One of my many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture. It's when No Fuzzball is taking a nap. Four lighted shapes of the sun shining through a window move from left to right, two on either side of the gutter. These shapes are outlined in a golden orange color. They are placed on a wooden floor in a muted purple. No Fuzzball moves around in different positions which are typical but also comedic.
If you are looking for loads of fun and funny, No Fuzzball written and illustrated by Isabella Kung, her debut release, is a claw-some selection. The constant comparison between the cat's beliefs and reality provide readers with a true page-turner. You'll be asked to read it repeatedly. I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional bookshelves.
For the past few nights, the light of the moon is waning. By Sunday, the New Moon will shed no glow. In this black sky, the stars seen overhead are increasing. Broad highways, pinpoints of light, stretch as far as the eye can see. Falling stars are more frequent. Shapes of constellations are more prevalent. You have to wonder, too, if the absence of traffic for previous months is contributing to the clearer visibility.
When you stand in stillness beneath this star-studded dome, its vastness is soothing but remarkable. As your senses adjust, you see outlines of your surroundings and hear creatures of the night. In The Night Is For Darkness (Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, June 2, 2020) written by Jonathan Stutzman with illustrations by Joseph Kuefler, readers take a journey with siblings and their father. It's a time of encounters, anticipation, and the warmth of welcoming familial routines.
The night is for darkness and bright golden beams.
As the car moves along the empty highway, the children are treated to views of deer seeking food, water, and space to sleep. Wild rabbits leap alongside the car as if racing them to their destination. When they enter a forest, the boy's and girl's eager looks seek other critters sheltering in their homes.
As the landscape stretches before them, it is easy to see a front moving across the terrain. In the distance lightning forks to the ground and thunder rumbles. Ahead of them, the moon continues to cast its luminous light.
Inside the car, flashlight beams assist in antics as headlights disclose nighttime flight. Soon a home is reached. Windows are beacons offering sanctuary. Arms open in affection.
Bedtime rituals, cozy and comfortable, are for listening and speaking and wishes come true. Parents calm weary children. And the moon shines on slumbering souls.
The poetic cadences penned by Jonathan Stutzmanlull readers with their repetition of key words and rhythmic rhyming in each pair of sentences or phrases. As pages are turned, readers are invited to participate in what the darkness provides. We enjoy the revelations, some familiar and some, perhaps, entirely new. Here is a passage.
The night is for hiding. And search and finding. For spooky tall forests. For paths long and winding.
The magic often found during the darkness of night emanates from the open and matching dust jacket and book case. We are drawn into the spacious mountainous landscape. We are quieted by the shades of blue and purple spanning the partially clouded sky. The moon illuminates portions of the rabbits' bodies on the front and on the back. The rabbit on the back is facing the hilly plateaus. They have both paused in their nighttime activities to watch as the family's car travels down the highway. Do you notice the special shading on the title text?
On the opening and closing endpapers a rich velvety black supplies a canvas for wisps of clouds, a few stars, and a full moon. From the first set to the second set, the moon and clouds move. Joseph Kueflerbegins his visual interpretation and enhancement on the title and verso pages with a double-page picture. The brother and sister are seated on the hood of their car, waiting for their father to finishing packing the boxes on top. To their left is the home they are leaving. A For Sale sign hangs in the yard.
With a page turn the siblings are looking out the back window of their car as it leaves their home. This is a wordless two-page image of a neighborhood with the strong presence of the night sky. The moon is reflected in one of the windows. (I am wondering about the significance of the names on the street signs and the license plate number.)
Strong elements are present in all the two-page pictures. There is a powerful contrast between the darkness, night, and the lights of the car and the moon. These opposites are created with excellent skill. Joseph Kuefler shifts between panoramic views and zooming in on a particular scene. Readers will enjoy the small details he includes like the tiny stuffed animals in the car and their real-life matches in some of the settings.
One of my many, many favorite illustrations is when the car stops for a family of deer to cross the highway. A section of the upper, right-hand corner shows the night sky. The rest of the double-page picture is glowing in the headlights. In the background we can see the outline of the car and the faces of the brother and sister filled with wonder. In the foreground one deer is nearly off the left side. A fawn is in the middle of the image. Coming in from the right side is a male with antlers. Both of their heads are turned toward the car.
Every time this book, The Night Is For Darkness written by Jonathan Stutzman with illustrations by Joseph Kuefler, is read it envelopes you in serenity. It speaks of the natural rhythm of the outside world and our place in it. It invites us into a home with bedtime rituals designed to convey love and security. It, like the last sentence which is repeated, is a pathway to the sweetest of dreams. I can't imagine a professional or personal bookshelf without a copy of this title.
To discover more about Jonathan Stutzman and Joseph Kuefler and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites. Jonathan Stutzman has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Joseph Kuefler has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.
When we leave our homes, permanently, we do so with mixed feelings. We find ourselves experiencing a combination of excitement and anxiety. We are starting over someplace new; even if it's in the same community or state. If we have left one state or country, moving to another, everything is amplified. To make the choice to relocate out of fear or to avoid further relentless persecution heightens every emotion.
For many the decision brings other hardships. Even starting the journey is laden with peril. Overground Railroad (Holiday House, January 7, 2020) written by Lesa Cline-Ransome with illustrations by James E. Ransome addresses these very real worries endured by those millions of people who were part of the Great Migration. Left behind were their family, homes, and possessions too large to carry. They ventured forth in hopes of a better life. Some walked. Some drove. But we took the train north. Me and Mama and Daddy got to the station crack of dawn early before anyone could see us leave. Daddy holding tight to me with one hand three tickets to New York in the other.
In this first passage urgency and determination envelope the narrator and her parents. Bags and a shoebox packed with food accompany these three travelers. They move to the rear of the train car for African American passengers bound for New York City.
Before arriving at the station their goodbyes are said in secret to an uncle and grandparents before the sun rises. The child's parents are exhausted from picking cotton and working land they do not own. As the girl, Ruth Ellen, looks out the train's windows, she can see others already picking cotton and working land they do not own.
At one stop so many others board the train with bags and boxes, the car is crowded to capacity. People stand or sit on the floor. Ruth Ellen and her father play games with cards. Then she begins reading a book her teacher gave her on her last day of school, "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass." As the train travels through Virginia and toward Washington, D. C., the girl keeps reading. She wonders about all the people squeezed into this car, believing they are going to a fresh start with more freedom.
When the train crosses a border, the WHITES ONLY sign is removed by porters. People can sit in any car they desire and move about the train. Ruth Ellen and her parents wander down the aisles; the distinctions in amenities are staggering. Geographical landmarks trigger a comparison in the girl's mind between her trip and that taken by Frederick Douglass. The city lights flickering in buildings against the dark on their arrival are a reminder of others who looked to the North for freedom.
When children tell a story, they share their experiences openly with truth. Readers will readily identify with every thought shared by Ruth Ellen. Her voice through the writing of Lesa Cline-Ransomeis clear, moving and descriptive. We are fully aware of the family's life in the South and their train trip to the North with each tiny personal detail given to us by Ruth Ellen. The inclusion of the conductor calling out each station stop brings us further into the story. Here is a passage.
In our straight-back seats when we finish with cards Mama fusses in her purse Daddy stares ahead I take out the book Teacher gave me. The cover's worn, pages too. "Read to me, Ruthie," Mama says and I do. First the title, "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass."
The yellow sky, on the front of the dust jacket, as the sun rises at the station signals hope with the white birds flying to the right. You can almost feel the hearts of Ruth Ellen and her parents swell with longing as the train curves around them and others waiting. Ruth Ellen holds the shoebox packed with food by her grandmother and her father holds the three tickets which represent freedom. To the left, on the back, on a light purple canvas is a portion and smaller version of an interior image. The train is crossing the Delaware River surrounded by a pastoral countryside. The text reads:
Making their way north aboard the Overground Railroad in search of hope, freedom, and a better life.
On the book case artist, illustrator, James E. Ransomehas placed an interior illustration signifying the end of one chapter in this family's life and the beginning of another. On the opening and closing endpapers a large cotton plant with spread branches, ready for picking, is over four separate pictures depicting methods of travel taken by those migrating North. These are powerful endpapers.
With a page turn the two-page picture for the title page gives us a view of a cotton field next to Ruth Ellen's home with the train moving across the horizon in the distance. On the verso and dedication pages, James E. Ransome has placed in square frames on white, first, a visual of the railroad track and second, a single cotton boll on a stalk against brown earth and a blue sky. Each image is rendered
with paper, graphite, paste pencils, and watercolors,
carefully placed for a realistic effect, historically and emotionally. (One of the passengers on the train is reading a newspaper from Washington, D. C. dated May 15, 1939.)
Each two-page picture takes us back in time so we may comprehend. In the faces of Ruth Ellen's parents, we see their quiet resolve. On Ruth Ellen's face, we see a mixture of emotions as the trip progresses.
One of my many favorite illustrations is of Ruth Ellen and her parents seated on the train. They are occupying a single seat with Ruth Ellen next to the window, Mama in the middle and Daddy on the end of the seat closet to the aisle. Mama is holding the shoebox on her lap. Ruth Ellen and Daddy are playing the card game War using the top of the shoebox as a table. In this scene we can see the beautiful blend of papers James E. Ransome uses throughout the book on their clothing and in the clothing of the other passengers seated behind them.
This exemplary tribute to those people part of the Great Migration is a book for all readers. Overground Railroad written by Lesa Cline-Ransome with illustrations by James E. Ransome will supply understanding, generate discussions and create a thirst for more knowledge. An Author's Note at the end provides further information. I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.
To learn more about Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites. Lesa Cline-Ransome has accounts on Facebook and Twitter. James E. Ransome has accounts on Facebook and Instagram. At Penguin Random House you can view the stunning endpapers. Perhaps you will find this article at History.com helpful. Lesa Cline-Ransome dedicates the book to Isabel Wilkerson, author of The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration.
It began in the early afternoon yesterday. It was not stopping. The entire landscape looked as though it was dipped in vanilla frosting. The wind gusts sculpted lovely shapes and rang my three sets of wind chimes. Winter is back full throttle.
Late, late last night the snow finally stopped but the winds are still howling. The big lake, Lake Michigan, is wild and beautiful today. A walk along the shoreline needs to be done with respect.
Two of three publications released in November 2019 remind us of all the fun-filled activities to be enjoyed outside in winter. The third book focuses on a hesitate hibernator. In an alphabetical journey with a new-found friend, he makes his way back home.
When The Snow Is Deeper Than My Boots Are Tall (Godwin Books, Henry Holt and Company, November 5, 2019) written by Jean Reidy with illustrations by Joey Chou will have eager readers ready for a romp in the out-of-doors. There is something special about an unexpected snowstorm. It's an open invitation brimming with possibilities.
Jump up in the morning. Winter's here at last! Gobble down my pancakes. Getting dressed so fast.
Our happy narrator compares the snow depth throughout the story by his size. It begins as
deeper than my toes are tall.
Before he gets garbed in his winter gear and sets foot outside, it's much deeper. He joyfully leaves prints wherever he goes. The family cat and dog join in his snowball fight with the neighborhood children and when he makes a snowman.
It keeps on snowing and the wind is still blowing. A huge gust snatches his hat and now the snow depth matches the book's title. This little guy is in need of rescue.
Near but not too near, loving parents pick him up. The adventuresome boy, dog and cat are carried through the snow until they all take a minute or two or three to leave their shapes in the snow. A final gaze at a vast starry sky is a prelude to an appreciative snuggle inside by a cozy, crackling fire.
Author Jean Reidy pens a wonderful rhyming story which will have readers clapping and toe-tapping by the second page turn. Repeating the deeper than phrase but adding to its descriptions asks for reader participation. Jean Reidy also includes single alliterative action words and the repetition of certain words together to heighten the rhythm. Here is a passage.
Step! Stamp! Stomp! Run! Tracks in the white. Splet! Splat! Splot! Fun! Snowball fight!
Illustrator Joey Chouusing hues of blue and purple contrasting with vivid colors in clothing and interior and exterior scenes of the boy's home manages to portray a winter's snowy, blowy and chilly day with excellence. On the front of the dust jacket the boy is gleefully swung between his parents as the family pets watch. To the left, on the back, we are brought in close, to the boy and his pets engaged in making snow angels as two birds fly over them. Specific elements are varnished to reflect light on the snow and title text.
On the book case in shades of turquoise as a background with large snowflakes in darker turquoise, white and purple, an interior illustration is featured. It shows the boy romping in the snow, leaving his footprints and handprints. He moves from left to right into four different positions before running toward the right-hand corner.
The opening and closing endpapers are covered in a bright orange similar to the boy's scarf. The images, rendered by digitally painting in Adobe Photoshop, are all double-page pictures with shifting perspectives to enhance the pacing. Several times we get a bird's eye view. We are brought close to the characters for emotional impact. Readers will delight in the extra details like the cat and dog paw prints on the frost-covered window pane
One of my many favorite illustrations is of the boy making a snowman. On the left he is rolling the head toward the two other large snowballs on the right. His snowball on the left already has eyes, a smiling mouth, a carrot nose and twigs sticking out the top for hair. The medium snowball has a red bow tie on it. The cat is peeking out the top. The largest snowball has yellow boots for feet. The dog, paws on top, is looking at the cat and his boy and is barking.
To learn more about Jean Reidy and Joey Chou and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites. Jean Reidy has accounts on Facebook and Twitter. Joey Chou has accounts on Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter. At the publisher's website you can view interior images. The link is attached to their name.
A Day for Skating (Candlewick Press, November 5, 2019) written by Sarah Sullivan with illustrations by Madeline Valentine is sure to have readers reaching for their skates and searching for the nearest ice. If you can't walk to it, it's time for a trip. Then, get ready to glide, twirl and zoom over the frozen surface.
Mittens, boots, parka, cap. Crisp cold. Branches snap. Clear pond, shining ice. Laced-up skates---check them twice.
An adult, little girl and pet dog head to the skating pond in their car. At the ice, the little girl struggles to maintain her balance but her companions, human and canine are there to offer support and help. After the tumble, the trio head inside the warming hut with others for a snack and hot chocolate.
Later, back outside, we watch others skating hand-in-hand, playing hockey, dancing and racing. Everyone seems to be enjoying their day on the ice. At dusk, a roaring fire in a brick pit outside is a place to get warm and change from skates to boots. Others gather by the fire with the adult, little girl and their dog.
Back home there's a warm bath to take off the chill, and a favorite book to read in bed. What's happening at the ice now that everyone is home? Only the full moon knows for sure.
Through the words written by author Sarah Sullivan is seems as if we are there at the pond and at the child's home at the end. Most of the two lines rhyme at the end, giving us a descriptive vision of place, time and the emotional mood. There is a distinctive flow mirroring the actions of the characters until we, like the little girl, are lulled into calm at the conclusion. Here is a passage.
Good friends gliding in a row. Holding on and letting go.
Rendered digitally and using watercolor and colored pencil, the illustrations by Madeline Valentine transport us to the pond on the matching and open dust jacket and book case. On the front the girl and her parent skate together amid a hockey player and group of figure skaters. The crisp, cold setting is deftly depicted in cooler colors with bright splashes in the clothing worn by the skaters.
The scene continues over the spine to the left. Five skaters, hand-in-hand fashion a line whipping around on the ice. Behind them is the warming hut, the dog and another father and his son. Readers will be pleased to see different ethnic groups represented.
On the opening endpapers, the parent, little girl and dog are riding in their car to the pond down a county road with a snowy landscape behind them. On the closing endpapers we are at the pond at night. We can see the warming hut and a portion of the pond. Deep purples broken with white snowflakes and a large shining moon portray an atmospheric scene. On the verso and title pages we are treated to an overview of the parking lot, warming hut, ponds with skaters and the bridge.
The majority of the images are double-page pictures with smaller illustrations featuring actions in a short time period. The expressions on the characters are those of pure joy whether they are on the ice, in the warming hut, cozy around the fire outside or when our main characters are happily at home. Readers will appreciate the fine line work and details.
One of my many favorite illustrations is a close-up of people gathered around the outdoor fire pit. On the left are several children and an adult, and the girl, her parent and dog. On the right a child, skates over their arm, is close to the pit, arms and hands outstretched to savor the heat. Careful readers will notice new guests off the edge to the right. They are a hint of things to come.
Links are attached to the names of Sarah Sullivan and Madeline Valentine, so you can learn more about them and their work by accessing their websites. Sarah Sullivan maintains accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter. Madeline Valentine maintains accounts on Instagram and Twitter. At Candlewick Press and at Penguin Random House you can view interior illustrations. Here is a link to a nine-page activity kit found at the author's website.
Bear Is Awake!: An Alphabet Story (Dial Books For Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, November 26, 2019) written and illustrated by Hannah E. Harrison is an enchanting story of an unlikely and unexpected friendship. A winter's nap is interrupted for reasons unknown. A girl's morning is interrupted, too, but she handles it with pure perfection.
Aa awake Bb big bear Cc cozy cabin Dd doorbell ding-dong!
As you might expect, the letter e reveals entirely different responses from the bear and the girl. The bear is thrilled with his entrance into the cottage. The girl is surprised out of her mind. For each letter of the alphabet the story unfolds from one hilarious moment to the next.
The girl decides they need to go on an excursion. She puts a large hat on the bear, and they set off down the road into town. The townspeople and children are terrified. The bear is having a ton of fun and the girl is trying to keep him acting nicely.
After a trip to the market and back at the cottage, a pancake breakfast makes for two happy people. The more she learns (from reading a book she got when they visited the library), the girl knows the bear must go back to his home. The trip is partially fun filled, long and a tiny bit sad. Now tucked in for his long winter's nap, the bear (and readers) will notice the treats and promise left behind.
Every carefully chosen word by Hannah E. Harrisonmoves us through this delightfully charming narrative laden with humor. The single words, double words, triple words and one group of four are sometimes alliterative but nevertheless, fashion a cadence. Together this collection of alphabetically arranged words do tell a story but they leave plenty of room for the marvelous illustrations. Here are the words for the letter o.
Oo oblivious officer outlandish outfit
As soon as you look at the front of the matching dust jacket and book case, not a second later, you'll be filled with merriment. That bear and that girl are having the most fun either of them have ever had. Notice the shadows made by their arms and legs as they form their snow angles and their footprints and paw prints in the snow. To the left, on the back, still on a background of white, an interior image of the girl tying the hat on the bear is placed between text that reads:
What would you do if ABear Came to the Door? A. Run! B. Scream! C. Give the bear a warm hat and head to the library for advice.
On the opening and closing endpapers, with a blue-on-blue color scheme, a map of the community, the girl's cabin and surrounding woods, the stream, mountains and bear's home are shown. There is one difference between the first and second set of endpapers. Readers will have fun with the added detail.
Illustrator Hannah E. Harrison begins the pictorial story on the title page with the bear still sleeping inside his den but by the first page turn, a squirrel has moved to the top of the den when the bear wakes up.
The artwork for this book was created with Winsor & Newton Designers gouache on Strathmore 400 series 184 lb. mixed media paper with vellum surface.
The image sizes vary between double-page pictures, full-page pictures, and several images on a single page. Readers won't know whether to burst out laughing (which they will undoubtedly do) or point out all the tiny elements Hannah E. Harrison includes in her pictures. The bear is using a single sharp claw to ring the doorbell. The bear glances back at the lion on the library steps. The baby touching the bear's fur during story time is completely at ease. All the children are watching the bear or carrying on as usual. The librarian is the one looking rather uncomfortable.
One of my many, many favorite illustrations is on a single page. The bear and the girl are in the supermarket at the check-out counter. The cart is ahead of the girl and the cashier; the items are already in a bag. The big, bulky bear is squashed into the seat, wearing the seatbelt and cautiously waving one paw at the cashier. The cashier is trying to ring the cash register and take the girl's money while keeping an eye on the bear. The girl, her back to us, is holding out her money. This is the nice part of the letter n. (You should see the naughty scene on the previous page.)
Follow the link attached to Hannah E. Harrison's name to access her website and learn all about her other enchanting books. Hannah E. Harrison has an account on Facebook. You might enjoy this interview of Hannah E. Harrison on Brightly. At the publisher's website you can view the title page.
When The Snow Is Deeper Than My Boots Are Tall written by Jean Reidy with illustrations by Joey Chou, A Day for Skating written by Sarah Sullivan with illustrations by Madeline Valentine and Bear Is Awake!: An Alphabet Story written and illustrated by Hannah E. Harrison are three fabulous books for a winter theme whether they are read separately or together. They offer multiple opportunities for story stretcher activities. All of them are lively and full of cheer. Who could ask for anything more? I highly recommend all three for your personal and professional collections.
