A Passion For Primates

When a subject reaches out and grabs us, we have a deep need to know...everything.  We want to immerse ourselves in information.  For some people this desire lasts a lifetime defining everything they do.  For others it can last days, weeks or months, until the next intriguing topic occupies their every waking moment.

This is one of the absolute joys of working with children as an educator.  Their thirst for knowledge about what they enjoy has no end.  Priscilla Gorilla (A Caitlyn Dlouhy Book, Atheneum Books for Younger Readers, March 7, 2017) written by Barbara Bottner with illustrations by Michael Emberley follows the daily adventures of a gal who loves gorillas.

When Priscilla turned six,
her dad gave her a book called
ALL ABOUT GORILLAS.
They read it a million skillion times! 

From that day forward nothing was done without focusing on gorillas.  No matter the type of special day at school, she managed to showcase gorillas.

On Events Day
she performed her own 
original gorilla dance.

As a final act at the end of each day, wearing her gorilla pajamas, she wrote in her special journal dedicated to gorillas, the GORILLA GAZETTE.

Priscilla's fascination with gorillas stemmed from her belief in them always getting their own way.  She, unlike them, did tend to spend time in the Thinking Corner in Mr. Todd's class.  He did not understand why Priscilla would be teaching Lily the gorilla dance during nap time.

On class photo day all the students came dressed in their favorite animal costumes, prepared to give a report. The problem for Priscilla was she did not want to remove her gorilla pajamas for the photograph.  (She kept on talking about gorillas even when her time was up.)  Priscilla was not in the picture but she occupied the Thinking Corner...again.)

To Mr. Todd's chagrin Lily showed up wearing her lion pajamas the next day.  Two people ended up in the Thinking Corner.  The next day the Thinking Corner was surprisingly filled to capacity.

At home that evening Priscilla, always truthful about her school day, prompted comments from her father about information in her ALL ABOUT GORILLAS book.  She pondered his points and looked over her considerable treasury of gorilla portraits.  At school the next day two major viewpoints shifted prior to and during a school outing.  Step lively, Mr. Todd!


By the second sentence of this story readers are well aware of Barbara Bottner's adept ability to depict the true heart of her characters, especially the younger gals and guys.  She understands how children can become addicted to learning about one or many things.  Another enjoyable aspect of this story is the portrayal of the adults.  Her parents are supportive but offer advice when necessary.  This advice allows Priscilla to make her own decisions.  This is true, too, of her teacher Mr. Todd; he expands on the potential of a teachable moment.  The blend of narrative and dialogue is perfection.  Here is a sample passage.

Lily's lion roared at Priscilla's gorilla.
AAAHHOO!
RAARRHH!
Lily was invited to join Priscilla in the Thinking Corner.
You are my VERY best friend.
Priscilla whispered.
Sam said:
"You're both troublemakers!"
"I was just being a gorilla.  
Nobody tells a gorilla
what to wear."
Priscilla told Sam.
"Gorillas don't wear anything," said Sam.


Rendered in pencil and watercolor the illustrations by Michael Emberley are brimming with exuberance.  The tilted display of Priscilla, wearing her gorilla pajamas, on the front of the dust jacket, is a hint of the liveliness found throughout the title.  The shades of primary colors invite reader participation.  To the left, on the back, Priscilla is striking an upstanding gorilla pose.  Behind her a huge gorilla mimics her stance.  This is shown on a canvas of white.

On the book case of white, the image from the back of the jacket is enlarged for the front.  On the left side, the back, Priscilla is swinging in the corner upside down.  Two of her classmates are standing on the ISBN looking upward.  The opening and closing endpapers are covered in a bright yellow (just like Priscilla's personality.)  Beneath the text on the title page, Priscilla is squatting on all fours on top of the kitchen counter.

White space is used superbly on every single page.  Michael Emberley shifts his illustration sizes in keeping with the pace of the narrative.  He begins with a marvelous two page picture of Priscilla and her father sitting together in an overstuffed armchair reading her book, ALL ABOUT GORILLAS.  He combines smaller images on one page and places a colorful background behind a special grouping of multiple pictures.  He breaks an understood frame with elements as when Priscilla is drawing gorilla pictures and they tumble from her workspace in the kitchen.

What readers will appreciate the most is the humor.  It is present in all the pictures in the details, facial expressions and body positions. (Notice the cat at home, the children's costumes, and how Priscilla draws.)  The looks on Mr. Todd's face will have children and adults alike roaring with laughter.  Believe me when I say you expect any illustration at any moment to come alive.

One of my favorite of many illustrations is when Priscilla is leaving her home on class photo day.  Out the open doorway and down the porch steps, the faint outline of a parked school bus is present.  Leaning against the door frame, her mother leans in to kiss Priscilla goodbye.  Priscilla is hanging from a ring over the door, wearing her gorilla pajamas and carrying her backpack.  To the right of the doorway are storage cubes, many filled with books.

Regardless of the time between readings of this book or the number of times you read it, I guarantee you will always laugh out loud.  Priscilla Gorilla written by Barbara Bottner with illustrations by Michael Emberley is a read aloud gem.  You might want to have animal hats ready for your listeners to wear.  It would be fun to have an animal report day as Mr. Todd does.  Make sure to have a copy of this title on your professional and personal bookshelves.

To learn more about Barbara Bottner and Michael Emberley and their other work, take a few moments to visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  If you wish to view interior images, stop by the publisher's website.  Michael Emberley is the featured illustrator at author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast on July 27, 2015. He talks extensively about the process for this particular book at Kathy Temean's Writing and Illustrating.

Pondering Purpose And Life's Passions

To think about possible outcomes, to envision a future full of the best life offers to us and what we can give back, is how we fill our hearts with hope.  As adults our purpose as we pursue our passions is to pave the way for opportunities for those who follow us.  As my mom always loved to say, "Wherever you go, leave it better than when you arrived."

In Matthew Cordell's first book in a proposed series, Wish (Disney Hyperion, March 3, 2015) elephant parents long for a child.  The arrival of this member in their family, after disappointments, is as if a miracle is granted to them.  The second book, Dream (Disney Hyperion, May 2, 2017) written and illustrated by Matthew Cordell extends and explores the overwhelming pure bliss parents feel when their baby enters their lives.

On the night you were born,
our world shined
bright as the sun.

Gorilla parents gaze with complete amazement at their new child as if hardly able to believe such joy is their joy.  Before them they see a life about to unfold.  This new life will change everything; change them.  As they fall asleep together, one dreams.

In the dream the eyes and voice of the child are remembered with great affection.  The parent imagines the growth of the children in its ability to grip its fingers and climb to new heights.  Huge emotions, some of them contrasting, are woven tightly together by these thoughts.

As the dream continues the child, more grown, ventures to new places.  A friend is found.  Play and similar pursuits are shared.  A bond is forged.  But then profound sadness comes and the parent will do anything to ease this particular pain.

The parent's thoughts keep on unfolding a possible future.  The child is a young adult having followed a passion for making art as a painter.  Upon waking questions and promises swirl in the parent's mind.  Birth.  Beginnings.


No matter how many times this title is read one thing is abundantly clear, love pours forth from these pages.  Matthew Cordell conveys in his carefully chosen words the deep emotions felt by parents when a child they believe will never be born arrives.  Matthew allows us to speculate along with the parent.

As the parent shares their dream you realize you are privy to an intimate experience.  In this small being a personality is ready to blossom and flower spreading their own special beauty into the world.  When we read we can't help but wonder how the rest of our lives will be directed.  What will we dream?  Here are two more sentences.

I dreamed of the many stars
in your small eyes.

Of the music in your voice surrounding
everything, everyone, everywhere.


The soothing mint green as a background for the front of the dust jacket lends itself to dreaming.  The multi-colored pieces spiraling upward from the child signify a wish realized.  They and the title text are varnished. This wonderment follows him throughout the story.  To the left, on the back, one of the interior images is placed.  A parent (mother) is standing outside their home as the other (father), on top of a hill above the house, holds the child up looking into his eyes.  On the book case another interior picture is shared on a canvas of rich lavender, showing the child in five separate phases of growth.  The opening and closing endpapers are patterned in the confetti representing wishes and dreams.

Above the text on the title page the parents are kneeling, both looking at their baby in adoration.  An elaborate curl or question mark in the multi-colored pieces extends upward from the little one.  With a page turn we see two pages of white.  On the far right a gorilla hand reaches from the bottom of the page.  It is holding a paint brush, stroking a line of green.  Throughout the story we come to understand a picture is being painted as elements in the visual are added.  This is blended in with the illustrations Matthew creates using bamboo pen and India ink and watercolor on paper.  Without words the final painting appears on the last two pages.  I can't wait to ask other readers who they think paints this picture during the story.

The illustrations in Matthew's signature style, loose lines, intricate details, and expressive facial features amid wonderful settings are set in liberal amounts of white space.  This technique draws our attention to those items in color.  The perspective is shifted to bring us close to the parents and their child or to give us a larger view of their surroundings.  Sometimes the pictures will cover one or even two pages loosely framed or page edge to page edge.  To depict several incidents over time, there are smaller visuals grouped on a single page.

One of my favorite of many illustrations is for the words

A great journey was beginning
on this very bright night. 

A deep blue sky is brushed across the top of the page with stars and a crescent moon.  The mother and father gorilla are standing in front of their home.  One (the mother) is holding the child up toward the sky.  A large pathway of the multi-colored pieces reaches from them covering the sky as it lifts upward. ( I determined the one gorilla was the mother because it looks as if the other larger gorilla is a silverback.)


It does not matter if you are a parent or not or if you are a child reading this book.  Dream written and illustrated by Matthew Cordell is about hope.  Children are our hope.  They are the promise of a future.  This title tells them love will follow them as they dream of the paths they may follow.  These two books Wish and Dream are truly beautiful.

To learn more about Matthew Cordell and his other work please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Matthew chats with author James Preller on this blog about the first book but this gives you an idea of how the proposed trilogy will be portrayed.  Matthew has an account on Instagram at cordell_matthew.  Enjoy these two images I was able to find online.

Bound By Books

Today kicks off the 96th celebration of the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country.  Children's Book Week runs through the 10th of May.  It highlights books for young readers promoting a love of reading.  A visit to the site reveals many suggestions and promotional tools.







There is no better way to begin this jubilation than with a book about books.  LOOK! (Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), April 7, 2015) written and illustrated by Jeff Mack uses only two words to tell his story.  He is expanding on the successful technique of using only two letters as he did in AH HA! (Chronicle Books, August 20, 2013).


A rather bored gorilla is trying to get the attention of a little guy seated on a stool, eyes glued to a television screen.  On a small table near the duo is a stack of three books.  The gorilla takes the top one, opens it and places it on his head like a hat.  He gently pokes the boy in the back asking him to

LOOK.

When the boy fails to move a single muscle, including his eyes, the laughing gorilla leans over the screen balancing the book on this nose, waving his arms and shouting.  The boy exclaims,

Look out.

Having tumbled backward, the gorilla gazes at the three books now on the floor.

Using his superb skills, the positive primate stacks the books edge to edge on top of one another.  On one foot he stands at the top like balancing ballerina.  When he falls to the floor, the child shouts his original exclamation again.  The gorilla points and laughs.  The boy points out an open door.

Now the room is dark except for the glow from the screen casting light on the boy's face.  With a shout, actually seven shouts, the jovial giant bursts through the door juggling all three books as he arrives, standing on the seat of a tricycle on one foot.  This is going to be a spectacular display of best intentions gone wrong.

Amid much shouting two things disappear, the hypnotic glow and the once happy but now tearful gorilla.  The boy is nearly alone.  Without words, time passes.  Without words, a discovery is made.  With cheerful yells a tale within a tale is told.


Jeff Mack employs to great effect the different meanings, combinations and nuances of the words look and out.  The only punctuation used is periods and exclamation points.  Without those readers can sense the shift in emotion and pacing; eagerness, surprise and sharing.  The final use of the word out could not have been done better.


Textured like cloth the matching dust jacket and book case background opens up the possibility of a book within a book.  Readers will know, without a doubt, the gorilla is willing to do whatever it takes to get the attention of the boy.  On the back, to the left, we see signs of his antics; the fallen table, books and a tricycle wheel.  A bright orange canvas for the opening and closing endpapers complements the bright bold colors of the jacket and case.

With a page turn Jeff Mack begins his story without words.  It continues on the title page illustration, rendered in mixed media, including pencil, watercolor, collage, and digital manipulations, as are all the pictures.  For these two pages and the following two pages, the main elements are placed on other existing open books.

Each of the subsequent single and double page images are displayed on a variety of backgrounds frequently seen in books.  Mack supplies text in different fonts, even using crayon to write some of his words.  There is an underlying zip, zap and zing on every page.  The enthusiasm of the gorilla, the total motionless of the seated boy and his eruptions of disgusted anger provide for hilarity.

One of my favorite illustrations of several is on a single page.  After one of the gorilla's falls, the red book, opened, is now on the boy's head like a hat.  The television has slipped off the stand.  The gorilla is pointing and saying LOOK.  Clearly he is happy with the outcome.  The child's body posture states he is clearly not happy.


It's not every day a gorilla enters your home wanting to be your friend but this gorilla is determined to get the boy's attention.  Little does he know the power of the objects he is using for his purposes.  LOOK! written and illustrated by Jeff Mack is one of those titles with a timeless message about the power of books to bring people together.  It will make for a fun-filled read aloud with a storytime group or a cozy one-on-one sharing with someone you love.  You might want to have a stuffed toy gorilla or puppet handy.   I think this would make a wonderful reader's theater.  Don't be surprised to see guys and gals trying to balance books on their noses.

To learn more about Jeff Mack and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  If you click on the image for this book, you can see additional interior pictures.

Lessons From A Gorilla

humane:  marked by compassion, sympathy, or consideration for humans or animals
                                                  Merriam-Webster

January 17, 2012 heralded the release of The One and Only Ivan (HarperCollinsPublishers) by Katherine Applegate and illustrated by Patricia Castelao.  Ivan, a gorilla in captivity, gives voice to his story; simultaneously bringing attention to all animals in like living conditions.  His story should be heard, needs to be heard and will either affirm what your heart already holds or will change you profoundly.

                                      hello
I am Ivan.  I am a gorilla.
It's not as easy as it looks.

This is chapter one in a narrative of the lives of humans but mostly the animals at Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade.  Each of the following chapters have lower case letters written in one word or simple phrase headings.  Whether a half page or several pages each chapter is so full of heart that sometimes you believe your heart can not bear it.

Stella, an ancient elephant and Bob, a dog with no home, are Ivan's dearest friends; he does have Not-Tag a stuffed toy gorilla.  George is the do-everything maintenance man and Julia is his ten-year-old daughter.  Mack owns the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade.

Ivan's words describe the cages in which he and his friends live, their day-to-day existence of performing tricks for the people who come to see what can be seen and of what each remembers, of what each dreams.  We are introduced to the personalities of each of the humans through Ivan's simple assessments, Stella's wisdom and Bob's true but sarcastic comments. But...

                                                                        
A new animal is coming to the Big Top Mall.
How do we know this?  Because we listen, we watch, and most of all, we sniff the air.
Humans always smell odd when change is in the air.
Like rotten meat, with a hint of papaya.

Ruby, the new arrival, is a baby elephant.  Her curiosity, her questions and her reluctant, fearful ability to perform create changes, a new way of seeing, a stirring of memories for most at the Big Top Mall, but not for all.  Stella, lover of moonlight, awakens Ivan on such a night, evoking from him a promise.  This promise goes to the core of his being as a silverback although the how of it seems impossible.

Tragedy hanging heavy in the air, mounting tension and that promise prompt Ivan to make use of his artistic talents, his gift of drawing with whatever materials are placed before him (that he doesn't decide to eat.)  Forming a plan pieced together with hope he creates a puzzle of opportunity that only certain eyes will see.  Principle, protesters, and possibilities merge to mend readers faith in humanity; to plant the seed of compassion for those without words to speak.

Katherine Applegate's brilliant use of language permeates every single page.  Reading like poetry we are compelled to follow the course of a narrative so haunting that it pierces your very soul.  Lips will form laughter, eyes will fill with tears, minds will be shocked and voices will cheer as words clearly, carefully bring readers into the very center of the tale.

Once, however, I was able to enjoy a book left in my domain by one of my keepers.
It tasted like termites.

"They think I'm too old to cause trouble," Stella says.
"Old age," she says, "is a powerful disguise."

Patricia Castelao, based in Spain, provides artwork that adds warmth, realism to Ivan's story.  Although most of the work at her site is watercolor painting I can not be sure that is how she rendered the illustrations in this title.

Katherine Applegate was inspired to write The Only and Only Ivan based upon the life of the real Ivan who spent nearly 30 years without benefit of being with another gorilla.  Now housed in Zoo Atlanta, the real Ivan lives a life in the companionship of other gorillas.  Readers can find out more about the imaginary and real Ivan at the site linked above.  At the HarperCollins site a look inside the book is provided as well as a discussion guide and this book trailer.