Bee Kind

For several months flowers have been opening and displaying their splendor in gardens and in the wilds of southern Michigan.  Blossoms on fruit trees have shed, carpeting the ground beneath the branches.  What has not been seen, not a single one, by this observer is a honey bee.  The sound of their humming as they are busily at work is alarmingly absent.


Their care has been greatly neglected by human stewards of this planet Earth.  Certainly this debut book, Please Please the Bees (Albert Whitman & Company, April 11, 2017) by Gerald Kelley as both its author and illustrator reflects on thinking of others and having a well-developed attitude of gratitude but does it ask us to expand our musings?  How can the balance of give and take be best maintained?

Benedict was a creature of habit.  He liked to do the same thing every day.

His mornings, afternoons and evenings were marked by his favorite meals and beverages.  In-between he could be seen playing his violin, knitting, riding his scooter or reading.  Life was good for this honey-loving bear.

This all changed one morning when the expected three jars of honey were not full but empty.  The sign-carrying bees buzzed about informing him of their strike.  Benedict's day went from bed to worse to downright terrible.  He was in a full-blown funk.

As he was lying in the grass contemplating the current state of affairs a small bee loudly informed him of exactly what had been accomplished for him.  He was also told how the condition of his property and their hive was deplorable.  If Benedict wanted honey, it was up to him to alter conditions and his outlook.

As the bear give this some thought, he knew there was only one thing to do.  It was a goal not easily reached.  Benedict tried; he really did.  What would the bees see and feel now?  A small bee exclaimed in a loud voice all he needed to hear.


This story comes full circle but as it returns something very special has been added and gained through the creativity of Gerald Kelley.  After his opening sentence we understand why Benedict enjoys being a

creature of habit.

We also empathize with the impact of the shock of no honey but when the small bee with the loud voice points out other important factors, we can see the value in the bees going on strike.  These opposing opinions, both sides of the story, are what set change in motion.  The matter of fact tone of the bee, Benedict's voice and thoughts are realistic to a fault.  Here are some sample passages.

Just then he heard someone say, "Hey, you!  In the fur coat!"
It was a very small bee with a remarkably loud voice.
"We need to talk!" said the bee.

"Talk? Hmmph!" grumbled Benedict.  "I let you
all live in my yard.  All I ask is for a few jars of
honey.  You should be grateful.  Not go on strike!"

"A few jars?" said the bee.
"Buddy, we deliver three jars 
of honey to you every day.
Every month! Every year!
Do the math, Einstein!"


The design of the front of the matching dust jacket and book case puts readers directly in the position of both the bear and the bees.  We can, by the look in Benedict's eyes, easily sense his state of mind.  We can also understand the frustration of the bees by the signs they are holding.  To the left, on the back, the bear is looking up but we see him from the back.  A bee is flying out of sight with his parting words written above Benedict.

The opening and closing endpapers are a wash of varying shades of golden orange on honeycombs.  A full page image of Benedict lying in a hammock and reading beneath shade trees, a cup of tea next to him, sets the initial tone for his life of perfection, a life of sameness.  The majority of the pictures cover a single page with shifts to small images over two pages for pacing or two-page visuals for impact.

These illustrations shift in their perspective; a larger point of view of Benedict reading in his bed at night to his startled discovery in the morning of only feet and empty jars in view.  The use of light and shadow by Gerald Kelley is marvelous.  His lines and brush strokes depict an array of textures.  You want to reach out and touch the page.  Benedict is one of my favorite bears portrayed in children's literature.

One of the many illustrations which stand out for me is of Benedict at night having one last cup of tea sweetened with honey.  A crescent moon and stars can be seen through his window as an owl sits on the sill.  An empty jar of honey is tipped on his floor next to his pink slippers.  His toy bunny sits at the foot of his bed.  Resting on his raised knees is his cup of tea.  Wearing glasses he sits in bed reading Pride and Prejudice with the patterned quilt pulled up to his chest.


I simply can't wait to read Please Please the Bees written and illustrated by Gerald Kelley aloud to students.  It has several layers which beg for contemplation and discussion.  As his debut book as author, it's wonderful.  You are going to want a copy for your professional and personal bookshelves.  You could pair this with Bear and Bee by Sergio Ruzzier, The Case of the Vanishing Honeybees: A Scientific Mystery by Sandra Markle, The Bear's Song by Benjamin Chaud and Bee & Me: A Story About Friendship by Alison Jay.

To learn more about Gerald Kelley and his other work please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  He maintains an account on Twitter and on Instagram.  In both those feeds you can see additional images from and about this book.  At the publisher's website you can view several interior illustrations.  This title is discussed at School Library Journal by Betsy Bird celebrating small publishers, at Kirkus by Julie Danielson showcasing books contributing to Earth Day is every day and at Publishers Weekly highlighting bee books.

Hail To The Chief

There have been twelve presidents elected and who resided in the White House during my lifetime.  Some served more than one term and not all of them finished their terms.  The sound of the school secretary's voice over the PA announcing the assassination of JFK as we sat in seventh grade math class is still easy to recall.  It's been a privilege to vote in the last ten presidential elections.  It's even more exciting to know in two months our nation will be voting for the first time with a women running for president representing the Democratic Party.

Knowing about our presidents gives us a more personal view of American history and in a larger context world history.  A new collection of short essays on our presidents, Grover Cleveland, Again!: A Treasury Of American Presidents (Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, July 12, 2016) written by Ken Burns with David Blistein and Cauley Powell and illustrated by Gerald Kelley, will give you the inside scoop on the individuals serving in the Oval Office.  Their accomplishments and less-than-stellar decisions are revealed.

I have four daughters---Sarah, Lilly, Olivia and Willa.  When they were little and had trouble falling asleep, I would recite the names of the presidents to them. (Yes, that's a historian's idea of a lullaby!)

This is how A Note From Ken Burn begins this book.  His passion for history and the presidents is evident in every paragraph.  His goal is to provide commentary on them as people.

As our first president George Washington has repeatedly been the subject of books but until now how many of you know the people behind the Revolutionary War chose him unanimously to lead the troops.  You may realize the unfaltering love John and Abigail Adams shared but their letter writing skills might top the charts; more than one thousand letters were exchanged.  It's intriguing to know Abigail encouraged John to include women in the are created equal sentence.  There is a legend about Dolly Madison saving the original Declaration of Independence from the British when they burned down the Capitol and the White House.  She hid in the woods for several days.

John Quincy Adams allowed his pet alligator to swim in the bathtub in the East Room of the White House.  Martin Van Buren had tiger cubs for pets which eventually found a home in the zoo at Congress's urging.  The only president to leave these United States was John Tyler, championing for the South during the Civil War.  Did you know Abraham Lincoln kept significant documents under his stovepipe hat?

Many of these presidents were fortunate to have distinguished women as their wives.  Rutherford B. Hayes' wife, Lucy, was the first First Lady to have a college education.  Did you know there was a president who could write with both hands at the same time in two different languages?  Guess which president is the only one to get married in the White House?  His wife told employees they would be back in four years and they were.

One of the largest presidents in size and weight was the first one to throw out a baseball on Opening Day.  Do you remember which president helped to pass the Nineteenth Amendment granting women the right to vote?  (It's appalling when there need to be amendments granting people rights which should have been in place from the beginning.) A justice of peace swore in his own son as president on his farm in the wee hours of the morning.  Guess who went back to sleep?

Have you ever heard of a game called Hoover-Ball? Most of us know of Barack Obama's fondness for basketball but there was a president who walked two miles every morning at a lightning pace in a suit and tie. I remember Dwight D. Eisenhower because his birthday is the same day as my sister's birthday.  She got a card from the White House every year.  But his more far reaching accomplishment is the system of roads stretching between the states which he started building.

Most of us probably had no idea how those first televised presidential debates we watched would influence an election.  How many presidents can say they helped the hungry, sick, and those needing early education with laws still functioning today?  Did you know there is a president who owned five homes by the time he was teenager?  Did you know there is a president who still parachutes to commemorate his survival from doing the same thing when his plane was shot down in WWII?  Each individual has brought something unique to this office.  With each entry you find yourself stepping back in time moving forward to the present amazed at the information supplied.


For each president Ken Burns supplies conversational commentary tying threads of known and unknown facts into a pleasing whole.  Outside the larger essay of several paragraphs there are two, three, four or five flags containing additional pieces of interesting personal information.  The official portrait for each president is placed above a series of facts:  term served, birth date, place of birth, date of death with their age, sisters, brothers, occupations, their vice-president, party, nickname, wife, children (daughters and sons listed individually), pets and other famous places their picture can be found like on a coin, bill or national monument.  There are several other flags throughout the book which explain large government issues like banks and money, amendments, states' rights, checks and balances, tariffs, electoral votes and popular votes, who can be president, the role of the presidents' wives, name calling (when Americans were accused of being Communists) and taxes.  Each explanation is easily understood.  Here are some sample passages.  There are so many powerful essays it's hard to choose a portion of only one.

For much of his life, ULYSSES S. GRANT was considered a failure.  He didn't study very much.  He did okay as a soldier in the Mexican-American War, but when the army sent him out west, after years of struggling financially and missing his family, he resigned.  He moved home and began to farm.  But by 1857, the farm had failed, and in 1858, the Grants had to move on.
So it's kind of amazing that by 1864 this "failure" was leading the entire Union Army.  And in 1868, he was elected president of the United States.
What changed?  Maybe nothing.  Maybe all those failures taught him how to have courage and keep going, even in the face of difficulties.  During the Civil War, he led his soldiers again and again into dangerous battles.  Other generals thought he was too reckless.  But President Lincoln said, "I can't spare this man---he fights."

HOW SILENT WAS CAL??? Coolidge talked so little that when he announced the big news that he was not going to run for a second term, all he did was write the message on strips of paper and hand them to the newspaper people.  



Have you ever imagined how truly marvelous it would be if all the presidents could meet and chat about their experiences?  On the matching dust jacket and book case Gerald Kelley gives us an excellent image of this moment with five presidents on the front and five presidents on the back.  In these two visuals his skills in drawing realistic portraits shines.

Rendered in pencil and digital color each president is given an illustration spanning two pages.  On the side opposite the commentary the picture is more vivid in color and detail with the remainder of the image lighter allowing for the placement of text and flags.  Each image is a selected highlight from the text.  The event he chooses to feature can be serious, lighthearted, or humorous.  Each is a study of his choice, varying in perspective and at times a collage of people, places and moments.

One of my favorite illustrations of many is John Adams writing a letter at his desk with the light of a kerosene lamp.  His gaze is outward.  To the right is a softer picture of Abigail reading a letter in front of a window.  This is a lovely depiction showcasing Kelley's gift with light and shadow, shading and lines.


Readers of all ages will find much to enjoy in Grover Cleveland, Again!: A Treasury of American Presidents written by Ken Burns with illustrations by Gerald Kelley.  All personal and professional collections need to have a copy of this book.  I think it would be an excellent choice for a read aloud; one president per day leading up to the election.  A glossary of forty-eight terms is included at the end.

To learn more about Ken Burns and Gerald Kelley please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  You can view multiple images from the book at Gerald Kelley's site as well as at the publisher's website.  There are pages dedicated to Ken Burns at PBS.  Ken Burns talks about this title at Publishers Weekly, and in an article at The Washington Post, What Ken Burns left out of his new kids' book about presidents, and why. 




Please be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to view the selections of the other participating bloggers in the 2016 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.

Imagined To Be Real

Monster

a strange or horrible imaginary creature

something that is extremely or unusually large

a powerful person or thing that cannot be controlled and that causes many problems

Merriam-Webster

By these three definitions alone literature, mythology and legend from cultures around the globe are filled with monsters.  They inhabit dreams and reality depending on your sources of information.  Several have been the object of a lifetime devoted to discovering the truth.

No matter what you believe it is clearly understood by educators and parents, the subject of monsters is a highly popular one.  Empty shelves and late night reading by flashlight supply all the evidence you need.  M is for Monster: A Fantastic Creatures Alphabet (Sleeping Bear Press, August 1, 2014) written by former United States Children's Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis with illustrations by Gerald Kelley provides readers with the perfect amount of information to satisfy their curiosity and whet their appetite for more.

A is for Amarok

  The Inuit were afraid of Amarok,

           a wicked wolf that pounced to the attack.

   And some who dared the forest of the night

            unluckily would not be coming back.

For each of the twenty-six letters a four line rhyming poem is embedded in the illustration.  Either to the left or right of the image on a column of color, readers are supplied with informative text about the being's origin, history and prominence in today's world.  Featured creatures range from the well-known to those rarely discussed outside certain circles.  

Perhaps readers learning about the Inuit people would be interested in knowing of the giant wolf named in the first letter.  If a mortar and pestle is seen propelling across the sky, beware of a house on chicken legs with the hungry inhabitant.  Half-men and half-horses, dragons that fly or dragons that crawl or dragons with no front legs at all, naughty or nice elves and an experiment not quite right will have readers wondering and wishing.

Are gargoyles placed to protect or frighten?  Is it logical to think of a griffin and horse as being friendly?  When was the last time a parent called their child an imp and why?  You might be surprised by this answer.  Would you walk alone after dark in the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey?  Do you know what lurks in the depths of the oceans and would you dare to meet the Kraken?

From the Scottish highlands back in time to ancient civilizations to pools of fresh water and along the edge of forests, discoveries are made, welcomed and feared.  Full of light and renewal, the legend of the Phoenix has stood the test of time.  An immortal feathered serpent, a bird big enough to lift an elephant, a soul-stealing shape-shifting stalker or a troublesome troll are to be revered or avoided at all costs.

You might need a young girl pure of heart, a bushel of garlic, or weapons formed from silver, to attract or defeat these memorable monsters.  A headless being from ancient China, a hairy beast from the Himalayas and the undead close out this categorizing of things seen and unseen.  Regardless of the veracity of their existence all will be firmly part of your memory (and hopefully not your shut-eye time) now.


With some quick and simple reference checking (no back matter is supplied), it is evident J. Patrick Lewis has done his share of reading about these creatures of lore.  Of particular interest is his narrative on the origin of the monster and a logical, if possible, explanation for their presence in our cultures.  Each paragraph in his text reads like a conversation often posing questions to the reader, asking us to think about possibilities.  Here is an example from the first letter.

Was he five feet long and two hundred pounds, as some people claim?  Did he savagely carry off dogs and sheep?  If he was frightening, as the Inuit believed, he was also a good omen.  When the caribou population grew too large, Amarok, so it was thought, arrived to kill the weak and dying animals so that the herd could become healthy again, and the hunt could go on. 


Creepily inviting is an apt description of the matching dust jacket and book case.  You definitely don't want to stick around to find out what that vampire has in store for you but those eyes have you frozen in place.  What can you do but open the book?

Each image painted by artist Gerald Kelley is mesmerizing; alternately haunting, frightening, and at times comical.  Depending on the letter one or two pages may be devoted to his illustration, elevating the words of J. Patrick Lewis.  Emotional responses are triggered with each viewing; the feel of frigid winds howling, swirling the snow as a lone hunter meets the Amarok, a chill of fear as a determined Baba Yaga pursues dinner, a surge of courage as a knight faces the fierce dragon, a sense of calm as a mouse sits upon a gargoyle's head, unspeakable terror as the Kraken moves beneath the shadow of a boat moving on the sea or the head to toe warmth of the breathtaking Phoenix rising from the ashes.

For most of the paintings Kelley brings us close to the action; providing a human or other easily identified elements to give us perspective.  The colors used mirror the scene in which each monster could be found.  Readers are definitely there in the moment with all our senses on high alert.

One of my favorite illustrations is for

S is for Skin-walker

The blend of rust, brown and black, shadow and light, create an overall sense of sinister and supernatural.  The white sightless eyes on the raven, owl, wolf and human are downright spooky.  You don't want to look at those eyes, even for a second.


M is for Monster: A Fantastic Creatures Alphabet written by J. Patrick Lewis with illustrations by Gerald Kelley will be a welcome addition to classroom and library collections.  Don't wait for Halloween, hand this to readers who can't get enough of monsters. This will provide tantalizing extras about the familiar and introductions to those yet unknown.

To learn more about J. Patrick Lewis and Gerald Kelley please follow the links embedded in their names taking you to their websites.  This link takes you to Gerald Kelley's blog where he explains the fascinating process of sketching and painting these illustrations.  Be sure to explore.  There are more posts about his work on this title.  Author and blogger, Julie Danielson talks about this book at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast and over at Kirkus. Several pages from the book can be viewed at the publisher's website linked here.

You might also enjoy reading, Monsters & Legends written by Davide Cali with illustrations by Gabriella Giandelli, Fantasy Encyclopedia: A Guide to Fabulous Beasts And Magical Beings---From Elves And Dragons to Vampires And Wizards by Judy Allen, books in the Fantasy And Folklore series published by ABDO Publishing Company and the Monster Chronicles series published by Lerner Publications Company.


Make sure to visit the 2015 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge page hosted by educator Alyson Beecher at Kid Lit Frenzy to see the other nonfiction or informational books highlighted by other bloggers this week.

I like this tweet illustrator Gerald Kelley sent out about his process.

Reference selfless & resulting image from upcoming M IS FOR MONSTER. pic.twitter.com/Bh5enw9Hz1
— Gerald Kelley (@GeraldKelley) July 24, 2014

Beware The Hallows Eve Storm

Fierce bitter winds, unexpected thunder and lightning and snow hail pelting the windows has been the norm the past two weeks.  The closer it gets to Halloween on nights such as these, it's hard not to see or hear more than weather and shadows when you are outside after dark; your senses on high alert.  It's the time of year when everything is restless and waiting.

Most locales have their fair share of haunted houses, ghost stories and unsolved mysteries.  Whether reading, telling or listening to any one of them during an autumn tempest on or near the thirty-first of October, you'll be hard pressed not to lock all your doors and windows.  Author and longtime resident of New Jersey Trinka Hakes Noble has written such a tale, The Legend of the Jersey Devil (Sleeping Bear Press) with equally frightening illustrations by Gerald Kelley.

Long ago, in 1735, when the British Crown ruled New Jersey, a strange and terrifying event took place on a remote stretch of land called Leeds Point.

Late at night during a nor'easter of epic proportions, a woman with twelve children called Mother Leeds is giving birth to her thirteenth child.  Nearing delivery two midwives in attendance, Hattie Higbee and Essie Turnbuckle, hear her cry out "Oh, let it be a devil!"  With the storm reaching its peak, the child is born.  But readers, this child is like no other.

This monster, this creature, flies around the room and up the chimney.  Crazy with fear the women leave Mother Leeds, awakening the people in their small village.  Nearly incoherent, physical features such as bony horse head, long scaly body, large bat wings, forked tail, claws for hands, hooves for feet, horns sprouting from its head and eyes flashing red then yellow are described by the two.

Close to the village, the new resident hears all, delighted with his first impression, knowing this place will be his home for a very long time. As months pass all sorts of unexplained events begin to take place, hens not laying eggs, milk going sour, and wells drying up.  Folks, of course, blame this devilish intruder.

No one can catch him.  Children no longer play outside.  News of this fiend travels to outlying areas.  A preacher arrives hoping to banish this misery from among the people but he nearly meets with a fiery end.

His overheard story of the Jersey Devil brings even more trouble to the village.  They need to rid themselves of this horde of people bent on claiming money offered by two visiting schemers.  Unknown to the people a bargain is made and a legend, continuing to this day, is born.


Before telling us the origin of the Jersey Devil, Trinka Hakes Noble's introduction, replete with eerie words, will have goosebumps appearing at will.  Her descriptions of food being served, the use of lanterns and candles for light, fireplaces for heat and horses the primary means of transportation, take us back into history.  Dialogue between the characters as well as the narrative are in keeping with the unearthly thrills of the ensuing story. Here are a couple of examples.

And, lurking in its black swamps and murky bogs are hidden secrets and evil stories that can only be told on the darkest of nights...
...for 'tis believed the place is haunted.

Outside, she met Hattie Higbee.  The two clutched each other, bending into the raw wind.
" 'Tis rumored she dabbles in witchcraft," whispered Essie with fright, "but we must help."
"Oh, aye," trembled Hattie, "but I shudder to think, this being so close to Halloween."


Picturing the Jersey Devil himself on the front jacket and cover and a woman gasping in horror on the back, Gerald Kelley attracts readers straightaway to this spine-chilling tale.  Featuring the Pine Barrens on the title page draws us further into the place.  Dark stormy skies forked with lightning provide the backdrop for the introduction, text placed on parchment with aged edges.

For most of the book, double-page paintings in darker hues, dusty golden overtones to bring readers into the past, create a feeling of tension and apprehension.  Having much of the text placed on parchment, smaller illustrations framed in worn, shadowy sides, enhances the days-of-old essence of this story.  Fully animated features on the characters leave no doubt as to the fear they are experiencing in light of the Jersey Devil living among them.  One of my favorite illustrations is near the beginning right after the birth.  Two pages are filled with darkness, lightning is flashing, windows in the village glow with candlelight, as the Jersey Devil, his head filling an entire page, overlooks the scene.

Look no further for a haunting Halloween tale or the perfect fit for a scary story request than The Legend of the Jersey Devil by Trinka Hakes Noble with illustrations by Gerald Kelley.  Superb storytelling and visuals make this a shivery treat.  After reading this you'll think twice about being in Pine Barrens after dark or anywhere legends freely roam.

To discover more about the author and illustrator, follow the links embedded in their names to their respective websites and blogs.  At the publisher website, linked here, you can view and read excerpts from the title. Update:  Here is a link provided by Gerald Kelley to a documentary video about the Jersey Devil.

Update:  Here are some tweets which appeared in my feed October 20, 2014 from Gerald Kelley showing the process for developing the illustrations and several which appear in the finished book.

The preacher stood in front of the fire & told of his harrowing encounter with the Jersey Devil to the inn's guests. pic.twitter.com/o3WtGzbEYR
— Gerald Kelley (@GeraldKelley) October 20, 2014

"I know hideous when I see it," bickered Essie. "It had two horns growing out of his head & eyes that burned red!" pic.twitter.com/BhzWPhiOgL
— Gerald Kelley (@GeraldKelley) October 20, 2014

And many experienced campers have been driven out by unearthly sounds on the darkest of nights http://t.co/x3ZhfK333s pic.twitter.com/tvDkcmGnYZ
— Gerald Kelley (@GeraldKelley) October 20, 2014

A few proposed design ideas for the Jersey Devil. pic.twitter.com/Xak1PVh9m1
— Gerald Kelley (@GeraldKelley) October 20, 2014

Some initial thumbnails from Legend of the Jersey Devil. A few didn't make it. pic.twitter.com/voCBLcI02j
— Gerald Kelley (@GeraldKelley) October 20, 2014

One of my Jersey Devil designs was a bit scarier than what we went with. pic.twitter.com/mrUpRvKZmy
— Gerald Kelley (@GeraldKelley) October 20, 2014