Waiting For Sweetness

They appear with regularity annually.  There's still snow on the ground.  There's still a chill in the air but the days are longer and more often are filled with sunshine. They, these buckets, hang from sugar maple trees, gathering sap no longer necessary for the winter months. 

For those of us who adorn our pancakes, waffles, French toast or hot cereal with dribbles or pools of maple syrup, we are grateful to see these buckets.  Maple syrup is also preferred by some in baking and cooking as a distinctive sweetener.  The smell alone is enough to bring delectable memories soaring into our minds.  Two January releases focus their attention on collecting the sap, sugaring time. 

For those eager to learn about the process, Bear Goes Sugaring (Neal Porter Books, Holiday House, January 7, 2020) written and illustrated by Maxwell Eaton III is an enlightening and lively title.  You may know Maxwell Eaton III for his Truth About . . . (Seriously Funny Facts About Your Favorite Animals) series.  Maxwell Eaton III brings the same fascinating information and the same generous helping of humor to Bear Goes Sugaring as he does in his other marvelous nonfiction books.

The winter has been long and cold, and while the temperature is still below freezing at night, it's now above freezing during the day.  The sun is shining, and spring is on its way.  It's sugaring time! Time for Bear to make maple syrup.  

That means
pancakes,
right? (questions his canine companion) (squirrel is still snoozing)

Further details appear in a sign posted in front of Bear's home about the correct months of the year and temperatures.  Inside Bear's home she finds her brace, a hand-powered drill, her drill bit, stainless steel spouts and buckets with lids.  As she looks for the proper tree, readers are educated about four different types of maple trees.

We follow her to a sugar maple and watch as she drills a proper, size and length, hole and hammers in the spout.  A bucket is hung and covered.  It's no surprise when her dog asks if it's syrup yet.  Bear happens to notice a hole in one of the buckets (her dog did this earlier mistakenly with the hammer).  We learn about other kinds of buckets.  As the sap drips into the bucket, dog is puzzled to discover it's not syrup.  An explanation of sap follows.

As the sap falls into the buckets Bear sets up her evaporating system.  We watch her build the structure and stack the wood.  We follow how the process works to turn the sap into syrup.  We are reminded about the proportions of water and sugar in sap.  Guess how many buckets of sap are needed to make a gallon of syrup?  This is the reason syrup is expensive and prized.  It's one more generous gift from trees.

Bear works diligently for a week bringing buckets of sap to covered collection buckets until she has enough to fill the evaporator pan.  For an entire day she works over the evaporator, gradually adding sap to the pre-heater, stirring and straining.  There are a few more steps as night falls and then Bear takes a pot of syrup into the house.  (At this time her dog and the squirrel are nearly passed out from hunger.  Their craving for pancakes has reached an all-time high.)  As the full moon rises outside, inside at the kitchen table stomachs start to fill with pancakes topped with . . . maple syrup.


The information provided by Maxwell Eaton III flows like a conversation between friends.  Each portion of the process is supplied concisely and correctly to readers.  It's as if he understands exactly what we need and want to know.  The side comments by Bear's dog and the squirrel are hilarious!  Even a warming on a sign on the verso page about the process and need for a responsible (human) adult is presented with comedic conversation.  Dog says:

I'm 
forty-two
in dog
years.

Generous additional fact balloons address specifics outside of the general narrative.  Illustrations are labeled for clarity.  Here are passages from one-and one-half pages.

Wait a minute! Bear notices a hole in one of the buckets.
Weird! (Dog)

Luckily, just about anything that can safely hold liquid food can hold sap.  Bear digs an empty plastic milk jug out of the recycling bin, cleans it, and cuts a hole near the top.
SNIP!
I lost scissors
privileges long
ago. (Dog)

Then she hangs it on a spout just like a bucket and ta-da!
I guess we'll
never mention
this again. (Dog)

Milk jugs are a great way to collect sap
without spending a lot of money. (Caption box)


The full color image on the matching dust jacket and book case is a wonderful scene of Bear working at night at her evaporator.  The trees with the hanging buckets, mountains, greenery and starry sky extend over the spine to the left edge of the back.   The design and layout on the front are superb with the steam framing Bear's face and her puny comment is just a hint of the fun and facts to come.  On the dust jacket the title text is varnished.

A lighter shade of the red found in the title text covers the opening and closing endpapers.  On the title page is a panoramic scene of Bear's home and her barn.  The sun is just starting to rise between the mountains.  A two-page illustration contains, on the right, the front of Bear's home with the first page of the book and on the left is the mountain behind her home allowing for space for publication information.

Maxwell Eaton III rendered his pictures

with watercolor and graphite pencil on 140 lb. bright white, cold press, watercolor paper.

They alternate between full-page pictures and double-page visuals.  There are insets of detailed images within the main illustrations as well as smaller pictures on top of larger images.  The point of view shifts, also.  When Bear is inserting the spout into the tree, we only see her hand holding the hammer as it knocks the spout in place.  Careful readers will notice a humorous thread within this narrative based on the comments of Dog and Squirrel.  (And did a mouse just join this book?)

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a bird's eye view of Bear working at her evaporator.  Around the evaporator Bear on the left is skimming foam, in the center she is adding wood to the fire and on the right, she is pouring sap into the pre-heater from a bucket.  A shovel is sticking up in the snow.  Empty buckets are on the left near the barn.  In front of the wood stack on the right, Dog and Squirrel, on their backs, are lamenting the length of time this is taking and their "extreme" hunger.

This book, Bear Goes Sugaring written and illustrated by Maxwell Eaton III is funny and factual.  I can't imagine a unit on sugaring, maple syrup, food or the transition from winter to spring without this book.  There are pages showing a map of Maple Syrup Territory, A Variety of Evaporators, Old Spouts and a Traditional Sugarhouse.  At the close is an author's note and list of three resources for further reading.  I highly recommend this title for your collections.

To learn more about Maxwell Eaton III and his other books, follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Maxwell Eaton III maintains accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  At Penguin Random House you can view the title page.  At the publisher's website are links to two sets of activity sheets.



Gary D. Schmidt and his late wife, writing under the name of Elizabeth Stickney, have penned a more intimate fictional account of sugaring and the wait for maple syrup.  Almost Time (Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, January 14, 2020) illustrated by G. Brian Karas is an endearing story about a boy and his father.  It's about anticipation, patience and love set within the changing seasons.

When Ethan had to eat his pancakes with applesauce instead of maple syrup one Sunday morning, he knew it was almost sugaring time.

He was curious to know if the sap was running yet.  His dad said the days were still too cold.  After sledding one day, Ethan discovered a shining sun does not necessarily mean the temperature is warmer.  The following week on Sunday Ethan again wondered if it was time to tap the trees. 

He was told the nights are still too long.  He looked for extra light and his best stuffed toy friend, but it was too dark.  Another week passed and the only difference was Ethan now had a loose tooth.  When he wondered when it will fall out, his dad was fairly certain it will come out when it's time to tap the trees.

Ethan waited and waited.  It's as if time had stopped.  It's still too cold during the day and the nights still had hours and hours of darkness.  And no matter how loose his tooth was, it did not fall out.

One day, as if by magic, something happened to Ethan at school.  When the bus delivered him home Ethan had something to show his dad.  His dad had something to show Ethan.  For an entire week the father and son duo worked together until one Sunday morning, the wait was over.  Yum.


The writing in this book is similar to the waiting and making of maple syrup.  The cadence is slow, soft and patient with results that are sweet but not too sweet.  It's worth the wait because when you get that first taste, you can't help but sigh.  Gary D. Schmidt and Elizabeth Stickney write with the sure knowledge of the human spirit and of the relationship between a loving child and parent.

They use a combination of narrative and conversation.  A rhythm is established by coming back to each Sunday.  Between those Sundays we see how things move forward from week to week.  They add charming details like the name of Ethan's teddy bear, Roosevelt.  Here is a passage.

When he bit down on a walnut, he discovered something.
"My tooth is loose!" he said.

His father inspected. "I expect it will fall out before long."
"How long?" asked Ethan.
"About as long as it takes the sap to start running," Dad said. 


The three trees with buckets featured on the front of the matching dust jacket and book case are tall compared to Ethan.  It's as if they symbolize the length of the wait for him.  You can imagine Ethan standing there and speaking to them as he holds Roosevelt.  What do you think he is saying?  I really like the use of shadow in the trees and Ethan and his footprints in the snow.

To the left, on the back, on a canvas of muted red is a small square with rounded corners.  On this cream-colored background sits a jar of maple syrup on a table.  Roosevelt, his head peaking over the edge of the table, is looking at it. 

A bright, deep spring green covers the opening and closing endpapers.  On the title page, with his back to us, Ethan is looking out a window at the snow.  Rendered in

pencil and digital color

these illustrations by G. Brian Karas are enchanting, elevating and expanding the text.  The double-page picture for the dedications is a gorgeous night scene, a panoramic view of Ethan and his dad's home in the woods.  It's a limited color palette with a crescent moon in the sky.

The images alternate in size to complement the text and pacing.  We are shown single-page pictures, double-page visuals, or smaller rounded corner squares or rectangles on a full page.  The facial expressions on Ethan and his father along with their body postures are lovely, so lovely.  There is an exquisite tenderness in their relationship as shown by G. Brian Karas.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is on a single page.  It is a loosely framed square.  It is in Ethan's bedroom at night.  We can see the outside through the window next to his bed.  A single light on the table next to his bed casts a glow in the room.  Ethan is snuggled under the covers with Roosevelt.  Ethan is looking out the window as his dad bends down and kisses him good night on his forehead.  The text for this picture is:

And the nights were still long.

You'll want to add this title, Almost Time written by Gary D. Schmidt and Elizabeth Stickney with illustrations by G. Brian Karas, to your list of huggable books.  It will enhance your story time themes on family, seasons, patience and how maple syrup is made. Hold a place on your personal and professional bookshelves for this delightful story.

To learn more about Gary D. Schmidt and G. Brian Karas, please follow the links attached to their names.  G. Brian Karas does have an account on Twitter. 

Countdown To 2019 #2 Night

Last night, or rather very early this morning, a yip split the air outside the house.  It was followed by a melodic, soulful howling of at least one coyote.  It was breathtakingly beautiful and a reminder of a world that exists for many when others are sleeping.

There are animals whose lives function best when darkness changes the landscape into a multitude of shadows and shapes not seen during daylight.  There are people who work tirelessly during the night to ensure safety and stability for many individuals. Published in 2018 there are two lovely titles presenting those whose tasks take them from their homes while the rest of the community sleeps.

Night Job (Candlewick Press, September 11, 2018) written by Karen Hesse with illustrations by G. Brian Karas invites readers to join a father and his son for one night.  In that one night we are introduced to a lasting love.  We understand the precious nature of memories acting as the glue for an unbreakable bond.

On Friday nights, when the sun goes down,
I snap the clips shut on Dad's lunch box
and climb onto the back of his bike.

The boy, hands and arms clasped around his father's body, roar down the highway on a motorcycle.  After passing the bay, they arrive at their destination, a school.  The odor of the air has shifted from fish to lilacs.

After unlocking the door to the building, the two enter and start to work.  In the gym, they begin, one dusting the floor and the other shooting baskets.  As they clean the cafeteria and stage, a radio momentarily takes them to a baseball game.  Together they sweep one hallway after another hallway.

Two hours before midnight they stop and eat their packed meal in the courtyard. Later when they move to the library, one polishes and another one reads aloud until he falls asleep.  With dawn less than two hours away, the dad and his son get ready to leave, riding the bike back home.

They pass wildlife and fishermen getting ready to work.  Quietly they enter their neighborhood.  A regular routine guides them to rest and dreams.


When Karen Hesse writes this story, she chooses to direct our attention to very specific details.  Her poetic depictions of these elements lure and lull us into the magic found in this night.  She takes what is normal and ordinary and lifts it up.  We realize the priceless nature of this job and this relationship.  Here is a passage.

We pull into our space.
Dad hauls out a ring of keys
as big as the rising moon.
He opens the door
and the building sighs.
Come, it whispers to us.


There is something special and welcoming about the fine lines forming eyebrows, eyes, noses and mouths and creating soft scenes in the artwork of G. Brian Karas.  On the front of the matching dust jacket and book case, as the dad and his son work, we see a fondness for their tasks and for each other.  To the left, on the back, we join them in the courtyard as they eat their nighttime meal.  They are cozy in the darkness with light from the hallway shining on them.

A deep muted blue covers the opening and closing endpapers.  G. Brian Karas begins his pictorial interpretation on the initial title page giving us a view of the apartment where the dad and son live.  All other windows are dark except for their window. In four horizontal squares spread across two pages the preparations and leaving of the duo are placed beneath the title text on the formal page.

The dark muted colors shown in small square images, full-page and double-page pictures, and illustrations moving over the gutter to create columns for text beckon to readers.  At another point G. Brian Karas uses three vertical panels over two pages to provide the passage of time.  It's as if we have stepped into another realm, one of comfort and consistency.

One of my many favorite illustrations is the third panel of those vertical illustrations.  In this one as our eyes move from left to right, we understand the floor polishing is completed and the dad is now dusting book shelves.  Off to the right in a corner made by higher book cases sits a green sofa with a single light shining on it.  The boy has fallen asleep.  He has taken off his red sneakers.  He is still holding the book he was reading in one hand, but it is now resting on the floor.  Bliss.


You want to hug this book.  You want to put it next to your bed, at the very least, or maybe under your pillow.  You want to share Night Job written by Karen Hesse with illustrations by G. Brian Karas with everyone.  You certainly will want a copy on your personal and professional book shelves.
To learn more about Karen Hess and G. Brian Karas follow the links attached to their names to access their websites. At Candlewick Press and Penguin Random House you can view interior images.  Candlewick Press has an author's note about the journey to publication.  In a beautiful post, author, reviewer and blogger, Julie Danielson, speaks about this title on her blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  G. Brian Karas has an account on Twitter.



Sometimes during the night beings who normally hide, reveal themselves.  Their need for connections overcomes their fear.  Kitten and the Night Watchman (A Paula Wiseman Book, Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, September 25, 2018) written by John Sullivan with illustrations by Taeeun Yoo is a story about one of those connections.

The night watchman hugs
his wife and children . . .

and drives to work. 

As the sky turns red and orange and gold, he takes his solitary walks.  Every aspect, doors, windows and workshops, in buildings are checked.  He strolls through yards full of equipment.  A startled bird shrieks into the dusk.

Pausing for a moment the night watchman sees a full moon and stars bathe the city in light.  A soft sound gets his attention.  A kitten has returned.  Now the man is not alone as he creates a path with his flashlight.

Machines look like monsters or insects.  A jet travels overhead.  A dinner is shared as the companions rest.  Wherever he goes, the kitten follows, until she vanishes.

Where did she go?  A dog barks.  Travelers in cars and on trains make other night noises.  The night watchman can't stop thinking about the kitten.  Hours tick-tock past until the sky lightens.  A man leaves his workplace in his car, heading home with a gift.


In simple declarative sentences by John Sullivan, this story unfolds.  Through this technique we are able to walk side-by-side with the night watchman.  His descriptions of sights and sounds disclose the changes night brings.  Here are some sentences.

An excavator bows
like a strange giraffe.

A backhoe rises 
like a giant insect.

A jet glows in the night sky.
SHHHHEEEEEEEEERRRROOOOOOOOOMMMMMM
And all is quiet again.


The open and matching dust jacket and book case, front and back, are symbolic of a discovery and continuation of a lasting friendship.  On the former the watchman finds his feline friend has returned again.  On the later, what was lost is found.  The moon and flashlight beam on the jacket are varnished.

The color palette used by Taeeun Yoo is rich and bold making use of blues and purples with complementary splashes of yellow and red.  She eases into the night hues by starting with close-of-the-day shades.  The opening and closing endpapers in contrast are a pale robin's egg blue.  On the initial title page, the words are placed on a canvas of a slightly darker blue with golden colors.  This continues to the verso and title pages with deeper and warmer hues of gold.

Each illustration rendered using digital and hand-printed textures is on full pages, double pages or loosely framed circles.  Even in the shadows encountered on the night watchman's walk, there is a warmth.  When light intrudes it does so in sync with the night.  Taeeun Yoo alters her perspective to intensify the emotional impact of the story.

One of my many favorite pictures is on a single page.  We are close to the night watchman viewing only the upper portion of his body.  In his hands he is holding the kitten close to his face.  Both have a look of pure contentment on their expressions.  Thick lines of light outline elements on their bodies.


Here is yet another book you want to hug and share with the world.  Kitten and the Night Watchman written by John Sullivan with illustrations by Taeeun Yoo is this man's author debut.  It is based upon a true story, his story.  I can't imagine a collection, personal or professional, without a copy of this book.  To learn more about Taeeun Yoo follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  She maintains an account on Instagram.  John Sullivan is interviewed at the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.  Taeeun Yoo is interviewed at Let's Talk Picture Books.  Both interviews focus mainly on this title.  At Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, author, reviewer and blogger, Julie Danielson, talks about this title.  It's a treat to see all this artwork.

Fold By Fold

One of the most fun and funny activities ever year is teaching the entire second grade how to fold a single origami animal.  (During the final weeks of school all classes participate in a storytelling unit.)  The Something Special found within the pages of the wonderful The Story Vine: A Source Book of Unusual and Easy-to-Tell Stories from Around the World by Anne Pellowski with illustrations by Lynn Sweat is one of the tales told to the second grade.

Step-by-step, fold-by-fold the, event-by-event the listeners are lead to a beautiful conclusion and the creation of a distinctive bird.  Before the sound of the final word has faded in the room, every single student wants to make that bird.  Twenty-five (or more) little guys and gals with square sheets of paper and one teacher attempting to help them all is an unforgettable time full of lots of smiles.  Taking it slow and persistence are keys to success.  

In her picture book debut author Dori Kleber portrays a boy with a passion for learning an ancient art.  More-igami (Candlewick Press, May 10, 2016) with illustrations by G. Brian Karas follows a love which turns into a cherished skill.  It's a skill worth sharing.

Joey loved things that folded.

No fold went unnoticed by Joey.  His acquisition of folded items grew.  Awake and asleep this boy was as close to anything folded as he could be.

When a classmate's mother came to school and made an origami crane, Joey's heart nearly burst with joy.  He wanted to be taught to make a crane but he was advised 

you'll need practice and patience.

No piece of paper was safe from Joey's eager, creative hands.  Homework, his sister's violin music, and a special family recipe card were bent into shapes.  When he used dollar bills from his mother's purse, she asked him to stop his folding.  How can you achieve success at origami if you aren't allowed to fold available paper?  

A neighbor, a restaurateur, offers counsel.  Mr. Lopez then notices what Joey's restless hands have made.  After school every day the boy visited Mr. Lopez his hands guided by his heart, until one day he was asked a question.  Joey's reply was an end and a beginning.

Simple enlightening sentences begin the narrative introducing us to Joey.  Dori Kleber uses verbs, collected, played and slept to convey the boy's love of all things folded.  We understand from these why seeing the art of origami demonstrated fills him with the desire to learn.  Kleber's solution to Joey's problem is ingenious.  She also ties beginning moments and concluding moments with the use of repetitive words.  Here is a sample passage.

Joey started that afternoon.  He practiced on his notebook paper and on the construction paper from the art shelf.  But even his simple shapes were crooked and crumpled.

The layout and design of the matching dust jacket and book case are a true reflection of the story.  G. Brian Karas renders all the illustrations using gouache and pencil on paper.  On the front he frames Joey, hard at work, in origami folds.  To the left, on the back, is a triangle-patterned paper in orange and white.  This is used again on the left side of the opening endpapers.  The three remaining portions of the endpapers are different pieces of origami paper, a floral, a stripe and another floral.  The green shapes on the front of the jacket and cover are enlarged in a different green shade as a background on the verso and title pages.  

As a canvas for images throughout the book, Karas continues with lightly colored varied hues with noticeable folds.  Each picture contains, regardless of the background, paper shapes in the elements.  Karas alters his perspective as the story progresses bringing us further emotionally into narrative.  Endearing warmth is in the visuals due to the facial expressions of each character.  

One of my favorite illustrations spans two pages.  We see six different pictures of Joey.  He is placed within sections of folded pale blue paper wearing a red and white striped shirt.  In each of these snapshots of him he is at a different stage in folding an origami animal.  It's a marvelous way to show the progression of Joey's skill and the completion of this item.  His actions are precise and his attention is complete.  

More-igami written by Dori Kleber with illustrations by G. Brian Karas is a charming book about working hard to achieve a goal.  When one door is closed, another can open in the most unlikely of places.  A spark becomes a flame and then ignites another.  At the conclusion of the book G. Brian Karas has illustrated the six steps to creating an origami ladybug.  

To discover more about Dori Kleber and G. Brian Karas and their work please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  If you go to the publisher's website you can view an interior image.   Dori Kleber is interviewed at The Winged Pen.

Carrying Words

When you reach into your pocket forgotten treasures may be discovered.  Depending on the owner of the clothing these tokens represent captured memories; a perfectly round pebble or a bit of sea glass, coins left over from a recent purchase, an old movie theater ticket, a handful of acorns or a dog treat.  Unless this attire is worn on a daily basis the locating of a lost item is cause for rejoicing.

In twenty days, all around the United States (maybe the world), people will be purposefully placing something of importance in pockets.  Poem in Your Pocket Day will be celebrated on April 30, 2015.  Newly released this year A Poem in Your Pocket (Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, January 27, 2015) written by Margaret McNamara with illustrations by G. Brian Karas takes us back for a visit with Mr. Tiffin and his students (How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? and The Apple Orchard Riddle).  

Mr. Tiffin's class had never had an author visit them before.
"Emmy Crane is a poet," said Mr. Tiffin.
"And she doesn't know it!" said Robert.  "That rhymes."
"Not all poems rhyme," said Elinor.

This particular author is visiting on Poem in Your Pocket Day.  Mr. Tiffin thinks it would be a great idea for each of his students to write a poem, place it in their pocket and read it aloud during the author visit.  Conscientious Elinor begins immediately (in March) to learn everything she can about poetry.

In April the class starts their study together.  Mr. Tiffin explains the use of similes and metaphors in comparisons.  The students test their thinking skills verbalizing their examples.  Only Elinor seems to be quiet saying she is working on something astonishing.

Many forms of poetry are presented to the students; haiku, acrostic, concrete and poems that make you laugh.  To flex their new abilities Mr. Tiffin takes them outside one morning, asking them to write in their journals.  Elinor neither says a poem aloud nor puts pencil to paper.

Paper bags filled with a single object, one for each student, are handed out on a Friday afternoon.  The students are asked to write a poem describing their item.  The other students are supposed to guess based on the student's writing.  Elinor's page is blank.  Her desire for perfection leaves her wordless.  Mr. Tiffin encourages her to work on it over the weekend but despite all her efforts on Monday her pocket is empty.

As the rest of the students go about their day, Elinor keeps on working but by the time the poet arrives and the assembly starts, she still has nothing.  Emily Crane reads her poetry to the students, she answers their questions and one by one they read their poems aloud to her.  With a sinking heart Elinor makes her way to the stage.  Emily Crane, author and poet, knows exactly what to say.


There is a special universality about the portrait Margaret McNamara creates of Mr. Tiffin and his students.  Through a blend of dialogue and narrative a diverse, lively group of personalities are presented to readers.  The respect the girls and boys have for their teacher and one another and Mr. Tiffin for them is real.  It's a classroom climate where learning, in this case poetry, can flourish.

Readers feel comfortable exploring alongside the other students in the classroom.  They can see themselves in the unique individuals.  When Elinor has trouble finding the writing perfection she desires, a believable solution is supplied.  Here is another sample passage.

"Sadness is a cracked sidewalk," said Tara.
"Very nice!" said Mr. Tiffin.  "Ms. Crane will be so impressed. 
He noticed that Elinor was being very quiet.  "How about you, Elinor?
What does your poet's eye see?"


It's easy to smile when you see Mr. Tiffin on the front of the dust jacket and matching book case taping the sign on the wall.  The gathered students have poems in their pockets or are carrying their poetry journal.  It's an uplifting school scene.  On the back, to the left, text is written on a blackboard as six boys and girls chat and read.  A bright denim blue background patterned in stitched pockets covers the opening and closing endpapers.  Poems are peeking from the pockets, written on a variety of paper.  A mirror image of the letters from the front appears on the title page with an opened journal and pencil placed below the text within a circle.

Rendered in gouache, acrylic and pencil G. Brian Karas recreates the kind of school setting we all wish we could enter.  Using size and color Karas enriches the pace of the story.  He alternates his image sizes from several double pages, to a series of six small circles, to a single page and then back to more two-page spreads.  The selected palette reflects the mood of the students, their teacher and of Elinor.  When her journal page is blank, Karas has the row of desks with the seated students in blue hues but a circle highlights Elinor in full color.

I've never met G. Brian Karas but I have to believe he is a people person.  His characters are charming in every aspect; their physical features, body postures and clothing.  One of several favorite illustrations is on Poem in Your Pocket Day.  Elinor is walking toward the school in the rain carrying her red umbrella wearing a green back pack.  She passes by the lawn, a flowering bush and letters of a poem in chalk on the sidewalk. Other students are entering the building or already walking about in the hallway.  There are pockets and poems in them on most surfaces and hanging from the ceiling. The mood of the students and of Elinor is apparent.


A Poem in Your Pocket written by Margaret McNamara with illustrations by G. Brian Karas is wonderfully normal.  You wish you could place these characters in your pocket much like a poem. They are treasures, every single one.  Use this book any time of the year in a study of poetry, writing and building self-esteem.  For National Poetry Month in April it is ideal.  At the end of the book you will enjoy reading Elinor's Poetry Page and Mr. Tiffin's Pointers.

To learn more about G. Brian Karas please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  This title has been selected for the next #SharpSchu Book Club Twitter chat in April.   Visit teacher librarian extraordinaire John Schumacher's Watch. Connect. Read. for the details.  Here is a link to a study guide prepared by the publisher.

To celebrate Poem in Your Pocket Day I am giving away a copy of this book.

In Search Of Marine Giants

To be able to see creatures in zoos and aquariums is a mixed blessing; an ongoing debate in my mind.  These institutions give visitors the opportunity to observe species from all over the world; animals they might never get to see in the wild.  On the other hand, seeing them in zoos and aquariums makes me wish they could live free in their natural habitat.  Now more than ever it seems the purpose of good zoos and aquariums is to provide sanctuary, a chance for research and the preservation of endangered species.

Mentioned previously on this blog was my visit to Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.  For me to see belugas was a remarkable experience and to this day unforgettable.  Last evening I briefly spoke with author Jess Keating (How To Outrun A Crocodile With Your Shoes Untied, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, June 3, 2014 and recently, How to Outswim a Shark Without A Snorkel, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, January 6, 2015) about zoos and aquariums.  She made some important points.

...a place where people (especially kids) can go to fall in love first hand with them.  (To me) people are more willing to share the world with those they care about.  And seeing first hand is the first step in that caring which hopefully will lead to education and future conservation.

The proportion of money zoos and aquariums spend on research and suitable habitats for the animals versus "entertainment stuff" is often indicative of really great quality of life for the creatures, too.  Obviously some are terrible, but for the most part, they are trying to do their part to keep the options there, and foster that love of animals in others.

In the case of whales, I think that more is definitely needed to ensure their emotional health in captivity, but people seem to be starting to realize that the current situation with their keeping isn't good enough.  That's not great, but it's definitely a start!














Author Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrator G. Brian Karas offer another choice for seeing these beautiful mammals of the seas and oceans, whale watching.  In their new title, Whale Trails: Before And Now (Christy Ottaviano Books, Henry Holt And Company, January 20, 2015) they depict the transformation in the relationship between whales and people.  It's a documentation of a journey I trust will never end.

My father and I live for the sea.

The narrator, a young girl, is getting ready to join her dad, the captain of the Cuffee, on their daily excursion to whale watch.  Passengers gather on the dock as she hands out brochures of what they can expect to see today.  She then takes us back to earlier generations of her family when it was believed whales were feared creatures of the deep hunted for their baleen and blubber.

Alternating between the present and the past she explains how the trip taken today on the Cuffee contrasts with a ship getting ready to hunt for whales.  The Cuffee will leave when the day cools; the whaler left at the end of summer.  The more temporary huts lining the dock today are designed to serve a distinct clientele as opposed to the more practical shops serving the shipping community many years ago.

All the people boarding the Cuffee hope to see whales due to their love of these creatures.  The crew on the whaler hoped to see whales to gain wealth.  Perhaps some longed for adventure and simply loved being at sea.  Construction materials used in the whale watching boat are compared to those used in making vessels long ago.

Those hunting whales with their eyes and binoculars can expect to be out on the water for no more than three hours.  It might have taken the hunters of old three years to complete a successful voyage depending on their route and stops in various ports.  What our narrator carries in her backpack for supplies is decidedly less than the whaling ship then and nowhere near as lethal.

Unlike today, in the past, whales had a speed advantage over the ships.  The thrill of sighting a whale, even the type of whale, might be the same but the means and amount of time necessary have changed.  Harpoons have been replaced with cameras.  Days of work, cleaning and repair have been exchanged for a leisurely joy in the journey.  Now at the end of the day the whales are free; free to travel along the watery roadways of our planet.


By using the voice of a young girl whose family has been a part of searching for whales, Lesa Cline-Ransome brings a valid energy to the story.  Speaking in sentences using word choices appropriate for her age, we are given the inside scoop on a typical day aboard a whale watching boat and keen insight into the life surrounding and on a whaler of long ago.  For each piece of information shared, a short explanation becomes a part of the conversation.  By beginning each portion of the past story with the words, before now, a continuity is established.  Here are two comparative passages.

The pier where our boat is docked is lined with booths that sell souvenirs, sunglasses, binoculars, and sunscreen.

Before now, the pier was lined with the shops of shipbuilders, candle makers, blacksmiths, and sail makers.  Blacksmiths made bolts, rings, chains, anchors, and many other ship-related necessities.  They also made whaling tools, such as toggles and lances.


The spots of red on the front of the matching dust jacket and book case add to the joy and warmth we can see on the faces of the whale watchers.  It also draws our attention to the narrator of this book.  On the back, to the left G. Brian Karas uses subdued shades of blue and a pale golden yellow as a background.  The image is divided in two with blue on the left and yellow on the right.  For the present, blue, we see the whale watching boat.  To the right is a whaling schooner floating on the water.  Beneath them both is a whale nearly stretching across the entire page.

Two images, one from the present first, and one from the past, second, are featured on the opening and closing endpapers.  Large expanses of sky and water highlight the glimpse of a whale spout or fluke.  Waves and spray surrounding the Cuffee, decks filled with people, as it moves through the water is framed in an oval beneath the title.

Throughout the body of the book the illustrations, rendered in gouache and acrylic with pencil on Arches paper, reflect a full color palette for the present and hues of the pale golden yellow, brown and black to designate the past.  Intricate details in both sets of pictures, the present and past, indicate research.  For the illustrations of now Karas extends them edge to edge on single pages or for one across two pages.  All the visuals of the past are framed with fine lines and large amounts of the background color.  It's as if we walking through a museum looking at snapshots of history.

One of my favorite sets of images is of the pier now and then.  There is an air of anticipation on all the faces of those waiting for the three-hour excursion out to sea in comparison to the people going about their business, walking in front of all the shop buildings catering to an industry focused on shipping.  It's interesting to see the architecture and styles of clothing side by side.  I have to also add the double-page spreads for the before and now sightings of the whale are a welcome change and very well depicted.


To see and read the depiction of our connection to whales from dependence to preservation in Whale Trails:  Before And Now written by Lesa Cline-Ransome with illustrations by G. Brian Karas is to be filled with hope.  The Author's Note by Lesa Cline-Ransome at the end is a must read.  She explains how her research for another manuscript and her daughter's field trip resulted in this book.  A short Glossary and Further Reading sections are included.  Readers will be fascinated with every page of this title.


To learn more about Lesa Cline-Ransome and G. Brian Karas please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  If you stop by the publisher's website you can see eight interior images from this book.  I think this book would pair well with two other whale titles recommended here, If You Want To See A Whale written by Julie Fogliano with illustrations by Erin E. Stead and Breathe written and illustrated by Scott Magoon.

I am adding a video Jess Keating recommended where Jane Goodall is being interviewed.  She is speaking not about whale watching but zoos.  Her mention of a whale at the end is significant to this post.  Jess pointed out:

...Jane Goodall's thoughts on the matter are spot-on, and I share her beliefs on the role of zoos.  One line in particular stands out to me, The role a zoo can play in education is huge if it does it right.



UPDATE:  Jess Keating has found another relevant article about zoos and the care of animals.  I think this relates to what I hope is a shift in thinking about animals in captivity.  If we can't see them in the wild, perhaps we can make their homes more wild-like.  The Future Of Zoos Is Being Nice To The Animals---Not Making It Easy To Watch Them

Lessons From A Gorilla #2---The True Story

On January 28, 2013 I, like many others around the world, was unable to attend the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting And Exhibits in Seattle, Washington. I was however sitting in front of a computer screen listening intently to every single word during the Youth Media Awards ceremony. For the first time in my life when the winner of the John Newbery Award was announced I burst into tears.





Katherine Applegate's book The One and Only Ivan (Harper Collins, January 17, 2012) (my review) is one of those books you will always remember reading for the first time.  You will read it more than once.  You will probably also listen to the audio book.  I knew I needed to share it with as many of my students as possible.  When Ivan passed away I wrote a post, Ivan, Katherine Applegate and Mr. Schu, talking about the impact of reading this aloud to our entire fourth grade student population.  Attending the American Library Association Annual Conference & Exhibition Banquet to hear Katherine Applegate give her acceptance speech was definitely a lifetime highlight for me.



On October 7, 2014 Katherine Applegate continued the story of Ivan with the release of a new picture book.  Ivan The Remarkable True Story Of The Shopping Mall Gorilla (Clarion Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) with illustrations by G. Brian Karas.  It is a worthy companion making Ivan's story accessible for a larger audience including younger readers.

In leafy calm,
in gentle arms,
a gorilla's life began.

When Ivan's story began he had no name.  He was part of group, a family, of gorillas living their lives in central Africa among the trees of a tropical forest.  As a young gorilla he played with and watched and learned from the other members, sometimes riding on his mother's back.

Before he was old enough to know fear of humans, he and another young female were captured by poachers. They were placed in a crate and taken to Tacoma, Washington.  They had been purchased like things by a man who owned a shopping mall.

At first due to their size they were treated like human babies and children, even given names after a contest was held.  The young Burma did not survive for very long.  Alone and growing larger Ivan was placed in an enclosure at the mall.

His singular life was not that of a normal male gorilla, a mighty silverback.  Within the confines of his cage he sometimes watched TV, played with a tire and finger-painted pictures using his thumbprint as a signature.   After many, many years of this existence people, children in particular, began to protest against his treatment.

After twenty-seven years in this environment in Tacoma, Washington, Ivan was placed in Zoo Atlanta, Georgia.  Under the care of professionals he became accustomed to his new home until the wonderful day he got to see grass and sky and be present in the company of other gorillas.  How fitting that Katherine Applegate dedicates the book

For everyone who loved Ivan

I believe the love for Ivan will continue to grow as others learn his story through this book.


With the same adept use of words found in her Newbery title, Katherine Applegate brings the facts of Ivan's life to light.  Each sentence, simple enough for her audience to understand, evokes understanding and compassion.  Older readers will notice the authenticity of her research.  Here is a sample passage.

Ivan was about thirteen
when his coat began to shimmer
with silvery-white hairs.
He'd grown into a silverback gorilla.
In the jungle,
he would have been ready 
to protect his family.

But he had no family
to protect.


Through multiple character sketches, viewing videos and spending a day watching gorillas in a zoo habitat, G. Brian Karas is able to open this book with the close-up of a baby gorilla being held in the arms of a caring adult as seen on the matching dust jacket and book case.  Sky blue opening and closing endpapers compliment his scenes from the African jungle and to me signify freedom lost and freedom found.  His artwork of the tropical forest continues, framing the title page, verso and dedication page.

Karas alters his background colors, cream, white and taupe, to assist in creating an atmosphere.  His illustrations vary in size to heighten the emotion behind the truth of the text.  A full realistic color palette enhances his artistic style, his use of lines and shading, to create a wonderful visual memory for readers.

Two of my favorite illustrations are very moving.  Both cover two pages edge to edge.  The first shows the tiny baby gorillas inside the crate, the darkness surrounding them, as the journey is made from Africa to the United States.  The other is of Ivan at Zoo Atlanta on the day he first steps outside into his new home.  He is seated his silverback to us, looking over his shoulder.  The contrast between these pictures is evident; showing two sides of humanity.  I'll take the one signifying hope.

Ivan The Remarkable True Story Of The Shopping Mall Gorilla written by Katherine Applegate with illustrations by G. Brian Karas is not only a must read but a must own.  The care taken by these two gifted creators in the field of children's literature is obvious on every single page.  Photographs of Ivan are included on the back of the jacket and cover, at the end of the story and as part of the pages dedicated to the author's note.  The final page is four paragraphs from Ivan's keeper, Jodi Carrigan, at Zoo Atlanta speaking about their relationship and the importance of Ivan's life.

Please follow the multiple links in this post to gather more information about both of the Ivan books, the author and the illustrator.  Of particular importance is the blog post written by G. Brian Karas.  It speaks about his process in creating the illustrations for this book.

I am happy to participate in Alyson Beecher's 2014 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge hosted at her blog Kid Lit Frenzy each week.  When I went to link up with the other bloggers, I noted several others talk about this same book today.  Alyson highlighted it last week.  Make sure you read all the wonderful posts.

A Rumbling Wet Is Rolling In

Rain is a force and a source.  Enough rain can alter a landscape moving earth, rocks, plants and trees in a huge display of strength.  Hearing rain fall on a pond, a window or a metal roof is a soothing sound of serenity.

When accompanied by wind, thunder and lightning it might foster another form of enchantment.  TAP TAP BOOM BOOM (Candlewick Press, March 25, 2014) written by Elizabeth Bluemle with illustrations by G. Brian Karas follows city citizens seeking shelter from a storm.  A shared experience works wonders.

Tap TAP,

dark cloud.

Tap TAP,

damp air.

Grumbling thunder signals the impending storm as large raindrops slowly begin falling.  Umbrellas begin to appear and open, protecting the bearers from a certain soaking.  As the breeze boldly grows, people scurry and hurry heading toward the subway.  

Men, women, boys, girls and canine companions step lively down the stairs.  Pleased at finding sanctuary from the wild weather, the gathered group begins to enjoy this temporary pause in the busy business of their daily lives.  The hum of conversation and laughter in this happy haven shield them from the noise outside.

A gift is gladly given without a word.  One plus one equals best buddies through drizzle and deluge.  When the sounds fade, people parade toward the top.  A surprise waits.  Found friends may meet again.  

Tap TAP

BOOM BOOM!

These deliberately selected words of Elizabeth Bluemle sing when read silently but said aloud they're like the beat of a brass band.  Her created cadence mimics the storm's progression; as it gets stronger so does the camaraderie of the people.  The use of rhyme and placement of phrases generate a friendly, flawless flow. Here is another sample from this poetic narrative.

Hey, hey!

Watch spray!

We get

more wet.

A fascinating mix of materials, collages of photographs, gouache, and pencil, set the illustrations of G. Brian Karas apart in this title.  The large raindrops falling on the front dust jacket and book case, as three laughing children run toward the subway stairs, are a featured focus throughout the book.  On the verso and final page a giant raindrop contains an entire city scene.

 Each time TAP TAP BOOM BOOM appears on a page the layout is a reflection of the sound made by the words.  Nearly all of the pictures span across two pages drawing the reader into the story with shifting perspectives.  Close inspection of the two single page illustrations find them opposite a lighter shade of the blue used in the endpapers, faint lines identical to the tile walls lining the subway stairs can be seen.  These visuals are opposite the text depicting the people first entering the shelter, and then leaving after the storm.  

I have enjoyed reading and looking at the illustrations in this title over and over but one of my favorite combinations is near the end.  Karas pictures several characters continuing their day after the storm sharing good-bye greetings.  A big puddle mirrors a city building and the changing sky.  This visual, like all the others, exudes a cheerful comfortable warmth.  

Perfect for sharing on a stormy day or during a sudden cloudburst, TAP TAP BOOM BOOM written by Elizabeth Bluemle with illustrations by G. Brian Karas will quickly become a crowd favorite in any weather.  This is a welcome collaboration which I sincerely hope is repeated in the future.  Make sure you read this aloud frequently, invite your listeners to participate or perhaps perform it as a reader's theater.  

Please follow the links embedded in the author's and illustrator's names to access their official websites, learning more about them and their work.  This is a link to an older interview of G. Brian Karas at Julie Danielson's blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. This link is to G. Brian Karas's blog containing a post about this book.

UPDATE:  Julie Danielson interviewed Elizabeth Bluemle at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast on April 14, 2014. 

Chilly Mathematics

Regardless of the fact the calendar shows spring arrived almost a month ago, the piles of snow in my yard coupled with the forecast for wind gusts over forty-five miles per hour with more snow signifies Mother Nature is having her way.  Nevertheless, driving down one of the side streets in town the other afternoon (during Spring Break), I saw children gathered in front of one of the houses.  Industrious and hopeful they had set up a table, a pitcher filled with their beverage of choice and cups on top, with crates for seats.  A sign lettered by hand proclaimed their product and price.

Clearly those girls and boys had caught spring fever.  Then again, when a mind gets in the mood, an idea growing and growing, spring things might happen in the middle of a snowstorm.  Author Emily Jenkins and illustrator G. Brian Karas work their combined magic to bring readers Lemonade In Winter:  A Book About Two Kids Counting Money (A Schwartz & Wade Book, September 2012) where that very thing happens.


An empty street.
Outside, a mean wind blows.
Icicles hang from the windowsills.

Pauline has an idea.  Her little brother John-John can't wait to help.  Her mom and dad are calmly skeptical.  Pauline wants to sell lemonade, limeade and lemon-limeade at a stand...outside...in the wind...and the snow.

Excited and determined the sister and brother search the house collecting quarters.  Bundled up they head to the grocery store to make their purchases.  Lining the coins up on the counter, sugar, lemons, limes and cups are bought.  Trudging back inside, happily they walk past their parents who are still calmly skeptical.

Beverages made, table set up, signs written, Pauline and John-John wait for their customers to arrive.  No one comes.  The words of their parents might be right.

Mom says, "Nobody will be on the street."
Dad says, "Nobody will want cold drinks"

They decide to advertise by singing a song.  That gets the dog-walking Mr. Harvey's attention.  They decide to offer entertainment with cartwheels, drumming and singing.  That gets toddler-toting Ms. Gordon's attention.  They decide to have a sale, singing a slightly different tune.  That gets Heather-hugging Aidan's attention.  With each new attraction, customers arrive.  As they leave Pauline carefully explains to John-John what each amount means adding it to their container.

Eventually not a single drop is left.  Cups sold are tallied.  Coins are counted.  Pauline starts to cry.  With the optimistic exuberance of youth, John-John has the perfect solution; one usually reserved for summer.  Satisfied smiles can be worn in any season.


Within the first two pages the enthusiasm of Pauline and John-John rises from the story and surrounds the reader.  Emily Jenkins does this with her choice of words and descriptions; skipping with her idea, run through the bitter air and shouting wildly.  Jenkins has the two focused on the fun of their venture; one or the other is suggesting ideas to keep the day positive. Her simple sentences, short phrases, the variety of customers and their friendliness toward the children keep the narrative upbeat.  The adding of the money with every transaction is seamlessly blended into the story.


I dare you to look at the matching jacket and cover of this title and not smile.  Those two children dressed in winter clothing, head to toe, selling drinks in a snowstorm is a comical contrast.  On the back snow covered, a trail of snow behind them, heads tilted, they strain to reach the counter with their purchases and coins laid out before the grocer.  Pale pastel opening and closing endpapers feature a few scattered snowflakes.

The text on the tile and verso pages is placed on signs stuck in snow.  G. Brian Karas has rendered these illustrations with brush and walnut ink on (a heavier, matte-finished) paper, colored in Photoshop, and finished in pencil.  Whites, creams, browns, grays, lemony yellows, limey greens and some rusty red, all muted, contribute to the overall warmth of the story despite the wintry season.  Alternating perspective and picture sizes makes the reader feel like a participant.  His humorous touches ( the cushions off the sofa when the children are hunting for money, the sink overflowing in the kitchen, only John-John's feet sticking out of the snow after a cartwheel) further endear readers to these two characters' endeavors.


You'll want to have plenty of lemons, limes, sugar and quarters handy after reading Lemonade In Winter: A Book About Two Kids Counting Money written by Emily Jenkins with illustrations by G. Brian Karas.  It's pure fun with numbers when readers follow these two supportive siblings.  
Your neighbors might think you're crazy but this could be the ticket to surviving those unexpected winter storms.