Get Lost And Found In A . . .

It happens to all of us regardless of the length.  When the last word is read and the cover is closed, we look up.  For a few moments, we are confused as to where and when we are.  We are still lost in a story, a story other than our real lives.  Not only are we still part of the world within those pages, but we come away with having found something.  It may be something we have misplaced or misunderstood or something fresh and new.

This is the gift of a book, given to us again and again whenever the cover is opened.  Authored by Grace Lin and Kate Messner with illustrations by Grace Lin, Once Upon a Book (Little, Brown And Company, February 07, 2023) is a layered narrative with hidden references to other titles and different cultures. It is a story of longing and belonging.

Alice was tired of heavy sweaters and thick

socks and staying inside with nothing to do.

As she grumpily walked away from her mother, wishing to be away from the constant chilly and cloudy weather, she noticed a book on the floor. Its pages gently flipped in the air.  Reading it aloud prompted the birds in the illustration to invite her into the book.

When Alice stepped into the book, the book she was reading appeared there, too.  The warm air and the birds as playmates suited Alice perfectly. until it started to rain.  Using the book like an umbrella, Alice continued reading and wished for somewhere dry.

Several camels asked her to join them in the desert.  Riding on a camel through the desert was grand until a dust storm began.  Alice did not stop reading.  What she read next encouraged the inhabitants to welcome her into their world.  Away she went.

Two more times, Alice was not quite as satisfied as she believed she would be in a new and distinctive setting.  With her final wish, she read words describing a place memorable and comfortable to her.  A voice she had heard her entire life said,

"Turn the page."

What do you think Alice did?

Authors Grace Lin and Kate Messner have penned an imaginative, immersive and original circle story.  They have masterfully used classic storytelling elements.  The places Alice visits are enticingly descriptive, appealing to the reader's senses.  Each time Alice reads from the book, the inhabitant (s) of that place request she joins them.  This is followed by the same reply from Alice.  Now at a new setting, she continues to read until something specific interrupts her satisfaction.  This repetition fashions a participatory rhythm. We can't wait to read where Alice will venture next!  The blend of text from Alice's book, her commentary, and the words of the beings inside the book take readers on a remarkable journey.  Here is a passage.

"I wish I were someplace that wasn't so

cramped and crowded." Then Alice read,

So the girl went to a place of wide-open blue,

where she would be boundless and free.

"That sounds like our home,"

said the clouds.  "Turn the page

and come in . . ."

The open dust jacket reveals a single large image.  It is the open book read by Alice.  Four of the book's corners bleed off the edges of the jacket.  Tropical birds fly from the upper, left-hand corner, across the spine to the lush flora of the forest.  Hidden in this forest is a white rabbit, a companion who joins Alice on her adventures within the pages of the book.  Notice the fabric of the dress Alice is wearing.  This is intentional by artist Grace Lin.  The title text and Alice are raised to the touch on this glossy dust jacket.

The book case is a bright, shiny red.  The only element on the case is a white rabbit in the lower, right-hand corner on the front, right side.  The rabbit is leaping upward.  

On the opening endpapers is Alice's home.  Icy sleet falls on the snow-covered roof and ground.  A snowman creates a mound in the snow with only a head and one arm remaining.  A flamingo is walking to the left, placed at the far corner of the house.  A cat sits in the large picture window.  Alice looks outside from a window on the right.  She is not happy.

On the closing endpapers is Alice's home.  What we see in the windows is altered.  It is evening and the sleet has stopped.  A full moon hangs in the sky.  A rabbit is curled within its boundaries.

With a page turn we find ourselves at the dedication, verso and title pages.  Rabbit slippers belonging to Alice are tossed on the far left.  Clothes make a pathway to Alice as she takes her print, sleeveless dress from her dresser.  On top of the dresser, readers will want to notice the items there.

These gorgeous illustrations by Grace Lin were rendered 

in gouache on Arches hot press Watercolor Paper.

Pausing to look at each visual will reveal to readers undisclosed tiny elements.  When Alice first begins to read the book before stepping into the story, the mix of reality and imagination is wonderfully portrayed.  I can only wonder at the gasps when readers see her first walk into the book.

The luminous, vibrant colors in each setting are breathtaking.  Whether we are viewing the story from a more panoramic perspective or close-up, we cannot help but feel as if we are there with Alice.  Astute readers will notice that each time Alice goes into a new setting, her dress becomes the hue of her surroundings, forest green, sandy brown, sea green, sky blue or charcoal or black, until she arrives where she began.  All of the illustrations are double-page images except for the first one.

One of my many favorite illustrations is when Alice is still in the forest.  She is holding the book over her head in the rain and continues to read.  She is looking up at the open book.  We see the book as if we are Alice.  The gutter in the book matches the gutter in this book.  A tropical bird rests on her arm, looking at the book.  To the left of the gutter, two other birds look at the book along with a butterfly.  Peering down from the upper, right-hand corner is a part of the rabbit's head. Superb.

This title, Once Upon a Book, written by Grace Lin and Kate Messner with artwork by Grace Lin is wondrous.  To read this book aloud is to take listeners on the best kind of adventure, one of the mind's inventions.  I can already think of wonderful discussions.  Where else might Alice go?  What might cause her to want to leave?  This is a book to share often and widely.  It is a book to gift to others.  I highly recommend it for all your collections.

To discover more about Grace Lin and Kate Messner, please access their websites by following the link attached to their names.  Grace Lin has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.  Kate Messner has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website is a video you must watch.  Here Grace Lin talks about her illustrations.  Grace Lin, Kate Messner and this book are featured on NPR Books, KidLit TV, KQED Mindshift, The Harvard Crimson, and an upcoming PBS Books event on March 1.

Once A Year It Appears

Of some things in life, we can be certain of their veracity.  First, in the northern hemisphere winter will arrive toward the end of the calendar year.  Last year it snowed on November 10th and stayed for six months.  This year children trick or treating might be traipsing through it this week.  Second, no matter how many times gals and guys are told not to jump on their beds, they still do.  The thrill of bouncing and traveling through the air, even briefly, is too hard to resist.

Third, when author illustrator Grace Lin steps into the realm of folklore, penning an explanatory tale, we need to pause and take note.  Her picture book released in 2018, A BIG Mooncake for Little Star (Little, Brown And Company, August 28, 2018) was the recipient of a 2019 Caldecott Honor Medal.  This year a companion title, A BIG BED for Little Snow (Little, Brown And Company, October 15, 2019) is an eloquent gift to readers filled with the knowing compassion of a mother for her son and a story of snowfall.

WHEN WINTER BEGAN, Little Snow's mommy made a big new bed just for him.

The blue bed stuffed full of feathers, puffed large and fluffy.  Little Snow's mommy reminded him the bed was not for jumping but for sleeping.  The boy nodded in agreement, but he was smiling.

After his mother tucked him in tight and walked away, Little Snow's eyes popped open.  He got up and looked at his bed.  The urge to jump on it was so strong, Little Snow could not help himself.  With a big smile on his face, he jumped and jumped and jumped some more.  A few feathers fluttered down from a gap in the seam.

Little Snow stopped and listened.  It was Mommy!  When she asked him what he was doing, he gave the classic rely.

"Nothing!"

The next day Little Snow listened and then started jumping again until his mommy came.  Each time he jumped more feathers fluttered down, down, down.  This continued all during winter. In the quiet without Mommy, Little Snow jumped; sometimes he jumped a little bit and other times his jumps were gigantic.  At the end of winter, Mommy had a question for Little Snow, and he had the best kind of answer.


In the first sentence written by Grace Lin we are mindful of the affection between this little boy and his mother because of a single word, mommy.  (Lately I have heard this said with great tenderness by little ones to their mothers.  It speaks to the loving bond between a parent and their child.)  His grin tells readers something else.  This boy cannot wait to do the opposite of what his mother asked of him.

A subtle storytelling rhythm is supplied to readers through the repetition of specific words.  The sounds of Mommy walking away,

Thump,
      thump,
         thump

and the

jumped,
   jumped,
      jumped

of Little Snow are certain to have readers and listeners smiling.  Another key phrase is used when Little Snow thinks he hears Mommy coming to his bed.  Here is a passage.

In the morning, when Little Snow woke up, he listened for his mommy's
footsteps.  It was quiet.  Little Snow grinned and . . .


The crisp clean white canvas on the open dust jacket is akin to the coating of pristine snow covering the landscape after every snowfall.  The blue hues of Little Snow's bed, the snowflakes on his pajamas and the title text allude to the cooler weather in winter.  To the left, on the back, Little Snow is happily dancing with his stuffed toy dachshund.  There, as on the front, feathers float in the air.  There is no doubt about the happiness in Little Snow's heart.  He's always grinning.

On the book case, the lovely white canvas is used.  In four separate images, two on the left and two on the right, Little Snow is shown jumping on his bed.  The jumps are all types and different.  In each image the stuffed toy dachshund is present, bouncing along with the boy except for one illustration.  In this one, Little Snow is holding his friend.

Across the pale, cool blue on the opening and closing endpapers, flocks of geese fly from left to right.  The publication information appears on the right side of the closing endpapers, vertically.  You need to shift your hold on the book to read it.  On the dedication and title pages is a double-page picture of Mommy stuffing feathers into the bed as Little Snow watches faint geese flying away.  His toy companion lays at his feet.

The images rendered

in Turner Design Gouache on Arches 100% Rag Watercolor Paper 140-pound Hot Press Bright White

are double-page pictures, full-page pictures, pictures breaking the gutter, or a series of images gathered on two pages to indicate action and the passage of time.  The stuffed toy dachshund is always with Little Snow.  The facial expressions on Mommy and Little Snow are indicative of their personalities and how the story will unfold.

Grace Lin is careful and intentional with her perspectives.  She focuses on Little Snow and shows only Mommy's feet or another portion of her body when she checks on him.  When Little Snow is jumping a portion of the image might go off the page.  This accentuates his movements.

One of my many, many favorite pictures spans two pages.  It is a close-up of Little Snow lying in bed and listening for Mommy's footsteps.  His head, resting on his folded arm and on his toy dog, is tilted with his eyes looking to the side and back.  He is ready to get up or shut his eyes quickly, depending on where Mommy is.  The remainder of this body, just to his hips, stretches to the left edge.  We can see a small portion of the bed beneath him.  This image is charming with a capital C.


To pair with the companion title or as a stand-alone during a story time, as an example of an outstanding origin story, to use with a unit on seasons or cultural folktales, A BIG BED for Little Snow written and illustrated by Grace Lin is an excellent choice.  What readers and listeners alike will note is the love and playfulness radiating from the words and artwork of Grace Lin.  This book is highly recommended for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Grace Lin and her other work, please visit her website by following the link attached to her name.  Grace Lin has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  On Grace Lin's blog she has multiple resources for storytime activities using this book.  Here is a link to an eight-page printable pdf with lots of ideas.  Grace Lin talks about this book at SAMPAN.  As I read through this book I started to wonder at the significance of certain elements in the images I was noticing.  You are going to love this video where Grace Lin speaks about the homage to a book and its author illustrator shown in A BIG BED for Little Snow.

Book Chat with the Illustrator: Grace Lin for A Big Bed for Little Snow from LB School on Vimeo.

Baking Light

As long as the moon glows among the stars in our night sky, people will gaze upward at its light.  Its rhythm from a new moon to a full moon and back gives watchers an overall feeling of tranquility.  It's a comforting constant.

In the French language the word for why is pourquoi.  It is often associated with origin stories under the umbrella of folktales.  A BIG Mooncake for Little Star (Little, Brown And Company, August 28, 2018) written and illustrated by Grace Lin is an original, tender, and exquisite explanation of the phases of the moon.

Little Star's mama laid the Big Mooncake onto the night sky to cool.

This celestial mother and her daughter had just finished baking.  Little Star's mama did not want her to touch this mooncake until she was given permission.  Little Star enthusiastically agreed with the request.  As each portion of her bedtime ritual was performed Little Star remembered her promise.

Suddenly in the middle of the night Little Star woke up.  The only thing she wanted to do was touch the Big Mooncake. She left her bed and quietly went to that tempting treat. Would her mother notice if she touched it?  Would her mother notice if she took a teeny, tiny bite?  It was scrumptious!  Wait!  Was that a noise?

Each night Little Star wondered if the Big Mooncake was still hanging in the sky.  It was.  Each night she took a bite.  She sighed with pleasure at the taste before scurrying back to bed.  When you add all those nights of nibbles together all you have left is nothing.

Little Star's mama discovered the Big Mooncake was missing.  When her mother came to her bed asking if she ate the Big Mooncake again, Little Star only had one answer.  Little Star had a suggestion and her mama, like Little Star, only had one answer.


Each time Grace Lin tells a story, we tuck it away in our hearts to remember forever.  In this tale of the bond between a loving parent and her child, a flawless blend of narrative and dialogue gives us an intimate portrait of their relationship.  The use of sound effects adds to the endearing quality of the story.  Readers are alerted to a possible outcome through the repetition of key phrases which also supplies a gentle cadence.  Here is a passage.

Pat pat pat.
Little Star's soft feet tiptoed to the Big Mooncake.

Would Mama notice if she took a tiny nibble?
Little Star didn't think so.
Mmmmm, yum!


The rich black background peppered with stars stretches across the opened dust jacket, left to right and over the spine.  Little Star holding a Big Mooncake is a depiction of delight as she enjoys the delicious pastry.  There is a bit of a mystery for readers looking at this jacket.  We are not sure yet what will unfold.  To the left on the back Little Star is seated, enjoying a little nibble from a crescent moon.  This image is captioned

Watch the phases of the moon transform as
Little Star takes a bite of the Big Mooncake!

Across the opened book case in a series of twelve small illustrations, left to right and top to bottom, Little Star is taking nibbles from the Big Mooncake changing it from a full moon to a sliver.  The matching opening and closing endpapers honor Robert McCloskey's Blueberries for Sal.  Grace Lin has hidden many wonderful elements in these endpapers referencing that title and our night sky and its constellations.  Little Star intent on helping make the Big Mooncake is unaware of the look on her mother's face but we see the love.

Rendered in

Turner Design Gouache on Arches 100% Rag Watercolor Paper 140 lb. Hot Press Bright White

these illustrations convey the spirit of a shared and cherished endeavor done in relative quiet.  There is a hush radiating from these pages.  Yet, we know the conversations between mother and child are lively but soft, not loud.

The dark clothing covered in stars Little Star and her mother wear add to the overall atmosphere.  The facial expressions on both Little Star and her mother are a study in mood and emotion.  The black background becomes one of the elements in each picture; most of them spanning two pages.

Grace shifts the point of view in each visual to enhance her careful pacing.  When Little Star wakes up in the middle of the night the first time, we are close to the top portion of her face on the left.  On the right the Big Mooncake is waiting for her.  On another night Little Star is much smaller and seated next to the Big Mooncake nibbling.  Her toy rabbit is keeping her company. They are shown on the right side in a larger starry sky.

One of my many favorite illustrations spans two pages.  In the upper, left-hand corner is a portion of the Big Mooncake.  We are close to Little Star as she races back to bed; her figure moving from the left, over the gutter and taking up most of the right side.  Mooncake crumbs are scattered on her face and streaming behind her.  Her face is smiling.  It looks as though she might be giggling.


This book, A BIG Mooncake for Little Star written and illustrated by Grace Lin, is one of the most enchanting explanation tales you will ever read.  It's about love and the lure of something delectable.  You can use it to focus on the moon phases, cultural folktales, artwork paying homage to another artist, or family.  I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Grace Lin and her other work, please follow the links attached to her name to access two different websites.  The cover for this title is revealed at All The Wonders.  On the book's birthday Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher, highlighted a video on his blog, Watch. Connect. Read.  In this video Grace chats about this book, why she wrote it and speaks about the endpapers.

(I don't know about you but now I am craving authentic mooncakes.)

Giggling Gals

If you've ever worked with a group of younger gals and guys you are well aware of the power of suggestion.  I learned quicker than quick to ask them as soon as they arrived in my classroom, the school library, if anyone needed to use the bathroom.  Otherwise, when you are in the middle of a magical moment in a story, a wee little voice will call out, "I have to go to the bathroom."  This is immediately followed by a chorus of twenty other voices with an identical request.

This enthusiastic openness can and usually works in wondrous other creative ways yielding to educational hours loaded with laughter and learning. Grace Lin, author illustrator of Newbery Honor book, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and companion title, Starry River of the Sky, has written an uplifting, captivating early reader series beginning with Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same and Ling & Ting Share a Birthday.  The third title, Ling & Ting: Twice as Silly (Little, Brown and Company, November 11, 2014), is filled with joyful sharing between siblings.


Ting is in the garden.
"What are you doing?" Ling asks.
"I am planting cupcakes," Ting says.
"Ting!" Ling says. "You cannot plant cupcakes."

So begins the first of six stories, The Garden, Lucky Red Paint, On the Swings, Apples, Reading Minds and Not a Silly Story, where the sisters demonstrate their ability to charm readers with their literal wit. Ting proves Ling wrong by indeed planting cupcakes but despite all her weeding and watering no more cupcakes grow.  When Ling tells Ting beans are seeds, Ting's response will guarantee outbursts of giggles.

Ling is all set to paint everything red.  She leaves Ting to get more paint only to return with Ting vividly splattered from head to toe.  Her puny observation is a final stroke of genius.

In the third tale Ling's swinging skills are questioned by Ting.  No matter how high the object Ting proposes, Ling can conquer the height.   You will never guess how she is able to accomplish this daring deed.

Apples, monkeys, penguins, fish and worms circle back to the beginning as well as defining a new starting point for a fruitful treat.  In a test defying logic the sisters decide they must be the most special of twins.  When Ling and Ting set out to write a serious not silly story they simply cannot help themselves.  Every change to make it more interesting makes it...sillier than silly.


When it comes to this series written by Grace Lin words like bubbly and brilliant come to mind.  I have never met Grace Lin but the sincerity, kindness and happiness I see in her other work and in her online personality are highly evident in this title.  Grace Lin is a gifted storyteller no matter the length of her work.  She chooses her words with care; she studies pacing and presents readers with something they will long remember.  It's highly imaginative the way she takes elements from the first five stories incorporating them into the sixth.


You won't care about the goofy smile breaking across your face when you look at the bright primary colors spreading across the matching dust jacket and book case.  Ling and Ting hanging by their knees from a bar holding the title is a perfect example of how these two embrace life with a glass more than half full.  Grace Lin continues the polka dot design on her opening and closing endpapers using two paler shades of red.  Maintaining the playground theme, she has Ling and Ting bouncing on two rabbit toys on the title page and sliding down a slide to introduce the table of contents.

For each of the stories her illustrations are painted using Turner Design Gouache on Arches hot-pressed watercolor paper.  (Be sure to read the Artist's Note at the book's end.)  Pictures of different sizes are framed in one-quarter inch borders with colors that change with each story.  A full page image starts each tale.  The girls' clothing, their expressions (and those on the other characters), their body movements and their shoes make these visuals simply heartwarming.

One of my favorite pictures is of Ting and Ling in and near the garden described in the first story.  The text Story 1 appears stuck in the ground like a row marker above Ting digging in the dirt.  Garden tools are next to her.  Ling is watering the words The Garden formed with leaves and flowers.  A wheelbarrow, bag and shovel are beside her.  Both girls are smiling.


I actually laughed out loud more than once reading Ling & Ting: Twice as Silly written and illustrated by Grace Lin easily imaging being surrounded by giggling children if this were being read during storytime.  The same writing and illustrating that garnered the Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor award for the first title in 2011 is present in this book.  Make sure this is added to your early reader collection.

For more information about Grace Lin and her numerous books please follow the link embedded in her name to access her website.  Here is a link specific to this title. You can read several pages from the beginning of the book by going to the publisher's website.

Weaving Words of Story

I have seen with my own eyes the transformative power of storytelling whether I am telling to one, five, fifty or five hundred; it's in the looks, the silence, the sighs, the knowing nods of my listeners and in the inevitable question, "Is this true?" My reply is always the same, "What do you think? Isn't there a truth to be found in every story for each listener, something that speaks to their heart?"   Unlike the oral teller in a limited setting (with the exception of taped tellings, duly noted), an author's written words can reach an unlimited readership for an unlimited amount of time; touching generations.

In Starry River Of The Sky (Little, Brown and Company, release date October 2, 2012) author, Grace Lin, bids readers to reenter the world of her 2010 Newbery Honor winning title, Where The Mountain Meets The Moon.  Blending traditional, timeless folktales from the Chinese culture with the main narrative, she fashions a story laced with life's most meaningful truths.  Her words are like a hand held open for us, hoping we will except the invitation to hold on and walk with her into this beautiful story.  From the first sentence to the final word we are under the spell of her magic.

Rendi was not sure how long the moon had been missing.

With this first sentence we're drawn into the story by questions.  Who is Rendi?  Where is the moon and why has it gone missing? 

Rendi, a boy, has hidden on a merchant's cart filled with large covered jugs (gangs) of Son Wine.  He is discovered when the innkeeper, Master Chao, in the poor Village of Clear Sky makes a purchase.  Left by the merchant, Rendi becomes the inn's new chore boy, a vacancy needing to be filled after the departure of the innkeeper's older son, Jiming.

Hints are left for the reader as to the wealthy way of life Rendi has left.  To himself, his intentions are clear; leaving this dusty, drought-ridden, sorry excuse of a village is his top priority.  Of interest to him though is the large expanse of stone, a plain, stretching beyond one's view next to the inn.  Why is this here? Where does it go?

With the arrival of a new guest, paying for one month's rent on their room in advance, every one's lives, their perspectives and relationships begin to alter.  Gently, but with purpose, the ethereal Madam Chang through story and conversation begins to offer explanations to the people living in and near the inn; causing them to question what they believe to be true and to recognize what is right before their eyes.  It seems there is a celestial imbalance paralleling the discord in the lives of Master Cho, his daughter, Peiyi, their neighbors Widow Yan and her daughter, MeiNan along with old, confused Mr. Shan.

Why is Rendi hearing a whimpering and moaning which appears to come from the moonless sky each night? Who are the government officials seeking?  Will the thieving traders succeed in their greedy plot?  Will love triumph?  Will wishes come true?

Imagine, if you will, beginning with a bud which a petal at a time opens until in full bloom; this book is the glorious result of a flowering realized. Madam Chang is not the only one with stories, others tell theirs, each building one upon the other. Soon the line between reality and story blur and blend.

Grace Lin's writing is so compelling, even though I have never heard her speak, I hear her voice as if she is reading this book to me.  Her setting is finely formed to the point where you can open a page and step right in.  Characters speak to readers with thoughts and desires timeless in quality.

What follows is a passage from Starry River Of The Sky.

The sky sent out another pitiful groan, and Rendi looked at her in confusion.
"Remember your story?" Madame Chang said. "The duke believed that if a listener truly understood, he can hear what another cannot.  You must understand in a way none of us do."
"But that wasn't true," Rendi protested. "The duke was tricked."
"The duke was tricked," Madam Chang said.  "But that does not mean what he believed was false."
The light of the firefly lanterns flickered, and shadows wavered over Rendi's frowning face.

Grace Lin has penned a story, Starry River Of The Sky, resplendent in its honor of the human need to listen to and tell stories bridging the gap between young and old, then and now, seeking to find the similarities in cultures and illuminate the differences.  My book is an advance reading copy without her intricate, stunning illustrations as were seen in Where The Mountain Meets The Moon. It will be a happy day when I can purchase the hardcover copy to sit next to its companion on my personal bookshelf.  Thank you Grace Lin for sharing your gift of story with so many.  Starry River Of The Sky is a treasure beyond value.