A Seasonal Snooze And Merrymaking

Even for fans of winter, the combinations of snow, wind, freezing rain and the Polar Vortex of 2019 have been a challenge.  It takes a hardy soul to enjoy winter sports in wind chills at negative fifty or below.  Navigating through snow even with snowshoes or skis is tricky when there is an icy crust several inches thick on top.  The longer this lasts the more appealing is the desire to huddle under a pile of blankets. 

On October 10, 2017 a lovely, lyrical book exploring the idea of sleeping through the wintry months was released.  William's Winter Nap (Disney Hyperion) written by Linda Ashman with pictures by Chuck Groenink sets aside all the outdoor elements, replacing them with affection found inside a cozy cabin among friends.  You'll want to join them.

In a house on a hill
that's tall and steep,
there's a boy named William
who's ready to sleep.

After William goes through long-nap rituals with covers tucked under his chin, he hears a gentle knocking on his bedroom window.  A winter weary creature, a chipmunk, asks to share his bed.  After exchanging yawns and saying good night, they prepare to drift into dreamland.  Guess what?  There's more rapping, a bit louder.

A grateful porcupine meanders inside and crawls beneath the blankets until . . .

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

A badger at the door makes four.  There are again more yawns and well wishes for a good sleep.  Mere minutes pass before a slight sound at the window announces the presence of a raccoon.  Needless to say, it's getting a bit crowded in William's bed with the number totaling five.

Everyone is sleeping when a loud noise cannot be ignored.  A note appears under the door.  The occupants of William's bed don't want to make any more room.  William is more than willing but when he peeks outside, he has a huge surprise.  It's a bear.  Sadness is replaced with compassion and a feeling of more-the-merrier fills a room and a bed with warmth.


This month a wondering world gets to visit with William and his slumbering friends again.  William Wakes Up (Disney Hyperion, February 5, 2019) written by Linda Ashman with pictures by Chuck Groenink takes us back to the cabin months later.  The deep snows have vanished and preparations for a celebration begin. 

On a quiet morning,
sleepy and still,
William looks out on
a moss-covered hill.

A sound in the distance causes William to spring into action.  There is a cake to make.  William calls to his bedroom companions but the only one to heed his request is Chipmunk.  After the long nap Chipmunk works well but still feels sleepy.  They need more help.

Now William and Chipmunk try to wake the others.  Only Porcupine responds.  With the cake baking, Porcupine helps to spruce up the kitchen until the size of the job overwhelms this pal.

Badger and Bear hear and get out of bed one by one.  As fast as they are able the living room is cleaned and festooned.  The cake is frosted and prettily edged with icing.  The five companions are clearly tuckered out.  They all try to get Raccoon to help, but he still snoozes.

A cheery noise outside announces the arrival of the special guest, Bluebird.  The mention of a single word has Raccoon suddenly sitting up and taking notice.  The other animals who worked hard are not amused.  William makes a suggestion and Raccoon is more than willing to comply.  Spring has sprung!


Readers gravitate toward a book inviting their participation.  Author Linda Ashman uses repetitive incidents and phrasing to welcome us into both stories.  In the first each animal makes a sound declaring their presence and asking to come inside.  William's answer is the same, as is the subsequent yawns and two comforting good nights.  In the newest book William's refrain for help is repeated as is the numbering sequence before each animal replies.

In each book every two lines rhyme at the end.  This along with the other cadences built by words builds anticipation.  Readers wait for the second word.  Readers wait to say aloud the known phrases.  Linda Ashman also combines narrative with dialogue further inviting readers into her stories.  Here is a passage from each book.

It's quiet---just the clock's tick tock.
But, wait---what's that? A

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.

"Oh, what a lovely cozy place!
Could you spare a smidge of space?"

Will says, "Yes, we'll scooch a bit.
There's room for three---I'm sure we'll fit."


Then Chipmunk conks out on the floor.
"There's WAY too much for us to do.
We'd better wake the others, too."

"Wake up! It's spring!
Today's the day---
a special guest is on the way.
Rise and shine! No time to lose!"

One rolls out.  Three others snooze.


All the illustrations, the first title rendered in pencils, charcoal, ink and Photoshop and the second in pencils and Photoshop, by Chuck Groenink create a particular emotion enveloping readers.  The color palette in each is reflective of the season, darkness and quiet and lightness and sounds of awakening.  On the front of the dust jacket for William's Winter Nap William is happily sharing his bed with the first four animal companions.  They are all blissfully unaware of Bear's arrival.  The scene on the front of the dust jacket for William Wakes Up shows the animals exactly as they were featured in the final image in the first book.  The light outside the window is significantly brighter.  On the back of each dust jacket an interior scene is highlighted in a framed circle.  On the front of both dust jackets the title text is varnished and raised.

Both book cases are different than the dust jackets.  On the first a portion of the quilt on William's spans both the front and the back crossing the spine.  On the companion title in pastel shades of green, yellow, blue and pink with white is a meadow filled with grass, ferns and flowers.  It covers both the front and the back.  The opening and closing endpapers are in purple with white snowflakes in this first book.  In spring green with white, a pattern of tiny ferns and flowers covers the opening and closing endpapers in William Wakes Up.

Beneath the title text William's home is shown in a soft geometric shape, one in winter and the other in spring. Beneath the dedication Chuck Groenink places a circular picture featuring an important character.  Illustration sizes vary between full-page pictures, double-page visuals in loose shapes, loose circle shapes on single pages, images placed on liberal amounts of white space and dramatic two-page pictures.  Chuck Groenink shifts the perspective for maximum emphasis. 

Readers will be keenly aware of the animals' and William's moods based upon their eyes and body postures.  There is humor in these same elements, too.  Readers will enjoy noticing all the extra details.

Two (one from each book) of my many, many favorite illustrations are when the Raccoon comes to the window in the winter and when Porcupine wakes up in the spring.  In the first one it's as if we are outside with Raccoon.  The night is painted in purples and blues. Large flakes of snow are falling on already snow-coated evergreens, the tree branches extending to William's window and the roofs of his home.  We can see the back of Raccoon, a tiny figure perched on the tree branch.  William is peeking out from the lighted window.  This is a single-page picture.

The second illustration spans two pages. On a white background with the floor running along the bottom, William's bed and a small chest next to it are placed.  William is on the left with his hands and arms up and open as he calls out for the animals to wake up.  Chipmunk is mirroring his motions and voice while standing on Bear's head.  The bed extends from the middle of the left side to the right, almost to the edge. Bear, Badger and Raccoon are sound asleep.  Porcupine climbs down one of Bear's arms hanging over the side of the bed.  Badger is on top of the quilt covering Bear with another quilt on top of him.  Raccoon is at the other end of the bed, snoring.


Story time, bedtime or anytime, these two books, William's Winter Nap and William Wakes Up written by Linda Ashman with pictures by Chuck Groenink, will have readers asking for you to read them again and again.  They will joyfully learn the refrains to read or chant them along with you.  Both books would make wonderful readers' theaters.  I highly recommend them both for your personal and professional collections.

To discover more about Linda Ashman and Chuck Groenink and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Linda includes extra images from the first and second books.  Chuck includes illustrations from the first book on his site. The publisher supplies an educator's guide for William's Winter Nap and William Wakes Up.  Both Linda Ashman and Chuck Groenink have accounts on Twitter.  Chuck Groenink has an account on Instagram.  Author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson showcases the first book at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  There is an author's post about publishing and these books at Picture Book Builders by Linda Ashman.

Countdown To 2019 #4 Humor

Laughter is frequently mentioned on this blog.  Its benefits are numerous; reducing stress, providing a physical and mental release, exercising specific areas of our bodies, and changing our mind set and perspective.  Perhaps the best benefit is the connections we make, some lasting, with shared laughter.  Humans and animals do respond favorably to humor.

Once you've read a book aloud to a group of children with laughter erupting again and again, the experience, the story and the title of the book remain.  The memory of how an individual felt in your presence is lasting.  With this in mind here are five books, previously not discussed here, guaranteed to generate laughter and requests of "read it again."

Mrs. Mole, I'm Home (Candlewick Press, June 7, 2018) written and illustrated by Jarivs is a journey in the absurd.  When a character cannot see what readers can, the results are rip-roaring guffaws. What is lost is found but was it ever lost?

It had been a very long day
at work for Morris Mole.
His feet were aching,
and his eyes were
so tired.

This mole could hardly wait to leave the restaurant and spend time with his wife and children.  There was one problem.  Morris Mole could not find his glasses anywhere.  He assumed because he had made the trip so many times, getting home without his glasses would be easy.

After burrowing a bit, he rose up from the tunnel announcing his presence with a happy greeting.  He was not at his abode but the home of Mrs. Bunny and a bunch of baby bunnies.  After an apology, he left burrowing.

Morris Mole popped up repeatedly with one joyous declaration after another.  He arrived at a tree loaded with owls, an iceberg in Antarctica (It was dreadfully chilly there.), and a crocodile swampy haven.  How was he ever going to get home without his glasses?  Suddenly his sniffer caught a whiff of something he knew well.   Morris Mole makes a promise, but a final page reveals the difficulty in keeping it.


With a hilarious blend of text and dialogue, Jarvis steers readers through a tunnel worth traveling.  Repetition of key phrases before and after each mistake provides a continued connection. There is an inviting rhythm supplied with his appearance, his greeting, the discovery of his error and his leaving.  Here is a passage.

Up he popped.

"I'm home,
my darlings.
And how marvelous!
You've run me a bath!"
said Morris.

"This is our swamp.
NOT a bath!" snapped
Crocodile.  "And you
better skedaddle
before we have you
for dinner!"


Surely by the look of the front of the matching dust jacket and book case, Mole has arrived exactly where he wants to be, but as readers discover it takes multiple attempts for success.  The two hat-wearing worms shown here are Morris's companions on every portion of his trip which is a bit funny when you consider the favorite food of Morris.  To the left, on the back, with a shift in canvas color from pink to teal the Mole family are shown in all their bespectacled wonder dancing at Morris's place of work.

The opening and closing endpapers are in deep shades of blue showing what Morris tunnels through to get home.  Rendered in pencil, chalk, and paint and colored digitally the illustrations by Jarvis are full of comedy.  Nearly all the pictures span two pages.  His attention to detail is certain to have readers pausing at every page turn; carrots are everywhere in the bunny burrow, nearly all the owls are reading books, and some of the penguins are wearing ice skates.

Careful readers will notice the different hats the worms wear from place to place.  When Jarvis shows Morris thinking, the additional dialogue in these scenes is funnier than funny.  These are framed like a gallery as his mind moves from incident to incident.

One of my many favorite illustrations is when Morris arrives at Antarctica.  As he pops through the ice penguins gather from their  cave, some attired in scarfs, hats and one is carrying an umbrella.  Another one is eating a popsicle.  One is walking and using a cane.  A full sun causes a bright light but it's still bitter cold.  A penguin is balanced on the top of sign reading SOUTH POLE.

For those readers needing glasses they will easily identify with Morris.  Who among us has not misplaced their eyeglasses?  Mrs. Mole, I'm Home! written and illustrated by Jarvis is a story time winner.  At the publisher's website you can view an interior image.  The link attached to Jarvis's name takes you to his website.  Jarvis has an account on Twitter.




For those of you who love the roar of engines, this next title will get your heart racing.  The Princess And The Pit Stop (Abrams Books For Young Readers, July 10, 2018) written by Tom Angleberger with illustrations by Dan Santat is an unprecedented contest in an other-worldly realm.  Fasten your seat belts!

Once upon a time, there was a Princess who made a pit stop.  While the Birds and Beasts changed her tires, her Fairy Godmother told her she was in last place!

With only one lap left, most drivers would not have finished.  This was no ordinary princess.  She put the pedal to the metal.

The announcer could hardly keep up with all the cars and drivers she was passing.  Humpty Dumpty and his nursery crew were left in the dust.  The Three Bears were forced off the track.  A trio of Wicked Witches became specks in the distance.

Drivers, normally found in fairy tales and nursery rhymes, were no match for this determined female champion behind the wheel.  No curve was too tight.  No hill and dale could stop her speed.  No Jack or Jill or Big Bad Wolf or Three Little Pigs could best her.

The end of the race, the finish line, was getting closer and closer.

And the Gingerbread Man admitted.
She CAN catch me!

Soon it was the Ugly Stepsisters and The Princess streaming down the final stretch.  The crowd stands!  The announcer croaks!  Will this Princess and her Prince live happily ever after?


Every concise sentence builds tension page by page as author Tom Angleberger combines terms from automobile racing expertly with known names from fairy tales and nursery rhymes.  His word choices reflect the use of alliteration creating an upbeat cadence; roared, running and road.  We can hardly sit still.  We want to cheer out loud for this princess driving with purpose. Here are several passages.

SHE SPUN OUT RUMPELSTILTSKIN
AND BUTTED IN FRONT OF THE 
THREE BILLY GOATS GRUFF!

SHE LEAPT PAST FLOPSY,
MOPSY, and
PETER RABBIT! 


One look at the open dust jacket is all you need to know about this Princess and the pit stop she makes.  Her body stance and facial expression are truly worth more than words can say.  The faded background of the frog announcer, her fairy godmother (pit boss), the castle and black and white checkered flags foreshadow events to come.  To the left, on the back, a huge question is answered.  Readers in the know will understand the meaning of every detail as the Princess stands, arms on her hips, in front of her stopped car.  (I love the crown element on her helmet and the car's hood.)

On the book case readers get a real sense of this Princess's attitude.  On a nearly white canvas with a slight wash of blue, she strides toward her car.  The car is facing the spine and her back is to us.  To the left, the back of the case, she faces to the left.  It's a portrait of her head done in shades of red and purple.  Her facial features form a look of pure determination.  Above her head reads:

"I am not afraid of storms, for
I am learning how to sail my ship."
     ---Louisa May Alcott

On a background of white for the opening and closing endpapers illustrator Dan Santat displays all the race cars, forty-six in total.  With a page turn we see a rainbow streak across white on two pages.  It is the track of the Princess.  A series of six panels follows showing the Princess racing.  In the final one her gas gauge is nearly on empty.  With a third turn, she is slowing into the pit as the title is being introduced to readers.  As she zooms into her spot the text zooms with her on the title page.

In a blend of panels, full-page pictures, and double-page images Dan Santat introduces one humorous moment after the other.  Readers won't want to miss a single element included in any of his scenes.  The number on the Three Bears car is 3.  One of the wicked witches is driving a broom.  The dwarfs from Snow White are riding in mining cars.

One of my many favorite illustrations is on a single page.  An enormous green truck with humongous wheels is speeding toward readers.  There is enough room between the wheels for the Princess to race under and past the Giant.  Beneath her the tiny car of Tom Thumb is left behind.


This is a fantastic introduction to fairy tales and nursery rhymes!  The Princess And The Pit Stop written by Tom Angleberger with illustrations by Dan Santat will be enjoyed for its sheer entertainment but is sure to start a multitude of questions and a race for research.  Links are attached to Tom Angleberger's and Dan Santat's names to access their websites.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  Both Tom and Dan are on Twitter and Instagram here and here.



Are you ready to leap into more laughter?  A frog who never fails to entertain (I Don't Want To Be A Frog, I Don't Want To Be Big and There's Nothing To Do!) is back.  In this book, I Don't Want To Go To Sleep (Doubleday Books For Young Readers, October 16, 2018) written by Dev Petty with illustrations by Mike Boldt, Frog refuses to do what frogs do in winter.

I can't wait
for WINTER!

Why?

The snow!
The fun!
Pig told me all about it!

Frog is beyond excited about all the wintry activities like skating, drinking warm drinks and of course, the snow.  When Owl points out that Frog can't do any of these things because he's a frog and frogs hibernate, he is indignant and confused.  What is hibernate?

When Owl further offers an explanation with the statement Frog's dad is already hibernating, Frog starts to understand but he is not giving up yet.  Can he get toasty by the fire like Cat?  Can he get comfy like Pig in a plaid blanket?  No and no, according to Owl.  After another question with a less than ideal answer, Owl instructs the reluctant amphibian.

Frog is aghast! How can he have fun when he's buried in mud?  He does not want to be like Bear who hibernates.  Frog is frustrated, totally and completely.  His friends try to help.  They want to help but Frog's suggestion is not what they are expecting.  Not. At. All. How many days is it until spring?


The happy-go-lucky, persistent-to-a-fault Frog and his quest to stay awake during winter is presented with wit by author Dev Petty.  With a story told entirely in dialogue, readers are intimately involved in every aspect.  Owl's dry but amusing and truthful replies give us a hint at his personality.  In fact, the voices of the other animals, Pig, Cat and Rabbit, give us clear insight into their characteristics.  All this input supplies us with comedy. Here is a passage between Frog and Owl.

I want to 
be like Pig.

Pig sleeps in a fluffy plaid
blanket.

You can't 
do that.

Why not?

First of all, you could
get lost in here.
Also, plaid isn't
your color.

Mostly, though, I'm taking his blanket. 


How can you look at the front of the matching dust jacket and book case without laughing?  The truth is, you can't.  How many times have you uttered those exact words or heard them?  I'll wager it's too many times to count.  Readers identify with Frog.  His owl toy is always with him for comfort.

To the left, on the back, Frog exclaims he will go to bed if we read him the three previous books.  (Clever with a capital C)  Mike Boldt begins and ends his visual interpretation on the opening and closing endpapers.  On the first Frog is shouting out

NO SLEEP FOR ME! 

as he strides toward the right edge.  In the second set we see Frog as he is meant to be in winter.

Mike Boldt's illustrations rendered in vibrant colors make a bold statement as they extend the narrative and heighten the comedic drama.  Speech bubbles in alternating colors hold the conversations.  One of the double-page pictures with a single word on it will have readers rolling on the floor, laughing.

One of my many favorite pictures shows Frog sitting inside an ice skate and wearing a striped scarf.  He is holding a red mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows floating in it.  This image nearly fills the entire page.  This is what Mike Boldt does very well; changing point of view to accentuate the story.


I Don't Want To Go To Sleep written by Dev Petty with illustrations by Mike Boldt is a charming and lively look at yet another aspect of this lovable frog and his animal companions.  This would make a marvelous addition to a story time on frogs, hibernation, winter and bedtime.  Links are attached to Dev Petty's and Mike Boldt's names to access their websites.  The book trailer premiered at Watch. Connect. Read., the website of Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher.  You will enjoy the chat.  At PictureBookBuilders Mike Boldt speaks about this book.  Dev Petty has an account on Twitter and Instagram.  Mike Boldt also has accounts on Twitter and Instagram.





Misconceptions play a large role in Horse Meets Dog (Balzer + Bray, October 30, 2018) written by Elliott Kalan with illustrations by Tim Miller.  This is a classic case of what you see is not always what you get.  As the argument escalates who do you think will win?

Wow!

You're very big.

In response to dog's statement Horse counters with his vision of the truth.  He's not big, he is a regular-sized horse. He also says he was going to tell Dog how small he is for a horse.  Believing dog is a baby, Horse cuddling him in his arms, tries to feed him a bottle of hay.

That does not go over well with Dog.  He points out the problem with Horse's feet.  Has he lost his paws? Horse wonders what is wrong with Dog's hair and his tail.  

Deciding to start their relationship over, they exchange presents but it goes from bad to worse when Horse gives Dog a miniature saddle and Dog gifts Horse with a ball for playing fetch.  When they expand on the reasons for these items, it gets funnier and funnier. 

The conversation escalates with each believing the other is a weird version of themselves.  Horse can't figure out what is wrong with Dog.  His whinny is off key.  Dog does not understand why Horse is such a huge dog.  They get louder and louder and more insistent until the arrival of a small bird.  Everything changes with the bird's first full sentence.

This meeting of "what-if" between a horse and a dog challenges how human (and animal) perception functions.  Elliott Kalan supplies us with hilarity as these two characters try to convince the other of their truth.  The story is told through dialogue apart from a few sound effects.  This technique involves readers on a more personal level.  Here is a passage.

It's a saddle.

In case a tiny person

wants to ride you.  Will

you try on your new 

saddle?  Or would you

rather be rude?

(The saddle is now on Dog.)

Now what happens?

Someone sits on you, and

you take them wherever 

they want to go.  Fun!

That doesn't sound 

like fun to me. 

Rendered using brush and ink and digital hocus-pocus the signature illustrations of Tim Miller greet readers on the open and matching dust jacket and book case.  By the smiles on the faces of Horse and Dog, readers have no idea what is about to follow.  To the left, on the back, Dog is holding a mirror and puzzling over his face.  Endorsements are written over this smaller picture.  Bright sunny yellow covers the opening and closing endpapers.  

On the title page the two characters' heads are positioned on either side looking at each other.  On the verso page Horse is blow drying his mane.  Dog is leaping with a ball in his mouth on the dedication page.  

Thick black lines outline the comical Horse and Dog.  Their wide-eyed looks heighten the laughter factor and increase the emphasis on what they are saying.  Sometimes Tim Miller brings us close to the duo and other times we see their entire bodies.  Some of the visuals extend page edge to page edge and others are framed in thick black lines.  

One of my many favorite illustrations is after Dog has been fed the hay in the bottle.  On a white canvas he is exclaiming 

BLECH!

His eyes are huge.  His mouth is wide open with his tongue hanging out.  He is 

spitting out the hay.  The baby bottle is in his right hand. 

Readers of all ages will greatly enjoy the exaggerated absurdity of this exchange between these two animals.  Horse Meets Dog written by Elliott Kalan with illustrations by Tim Miller is a fabulous addition to any humorous story collection.  It is certain to be a hit at story times.  The link attached to Tim Miller's name takes you to his website.  Both Elliott and Tim have Twitter accounts.  For the book trailer premiere Elliot Kalan is a guest writer at Watch. Connect. Read., the site of Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher.

HORSE MEETS DOG Cover Reveal Teaser from Tim Miller on Vimeo.

We first met a funny fowl in Duck In The Fridge.  He and his friends supply one little boy (now a father) with a nighttime memory he will never forget.  In a companion title, Duck On A Disco Ball (Two Lions, November 1, 2018) written and illustrated by Jeff Mack, readers again get to enjoy the crazy antics of not only Duck but his two best friends, a mom and a dad!

Every night, it's the same old story.

Why can't 
I stay up
late like
you?

Because 
we're
grown-
ups,
kiddo.

And 
little
guys need
their
sleep.

The little boy does not want to go to bed.  He's afraid he will miss something fun, something important.  All his complaints and excuses don't delay the inevitable.  It's good night and sleep tight time.  The problem for this child is every morning there are little things out of place.  He wants to know what happens.

He speculates.  Does his toy duck come alive?  Does he paint with his parents?  Do they have action adventures in the bath tub? One night he follows sounds and spies.  He can't believe what he is seeing.

His parents and his duck are using the sofa for a diving exhibition.  The living room is invaded by animals; a dog, cow, pony, elephant, sheep and other ducks.  They are consuming mass quantities of food.  It is a party beyond his most imaginative dreams.  A loud disruptive crash fills the air and then . . . his parents and his duck are defying gravity.

Suddenly silence descends.  In the morning the child wonders if it was all a dream.  A discovery and a hilarious comment will have readers exploding with laughter.


Oh, the word play and puns are wondrous.  You'll hardly be able to keep from continuously laughing (or groaning) once the shenanigans begin.  Jeff Mack clearly has a masterful knack for arranging language to tell a humorous story.  His combination of narrative by the child plus dialogue is excellent.  Here are several passages.

Milkshakes, 
anyone?

I just 
ordered
a pizza.

Great!
Will it
be long?

No.
It'll be
round.

Care for a cookie?
No 
thanks.
I'm 
stuffed. (says the boy's duck)


All readers will want to do is dance when they see Duck swinging on the disco ball on the front of the matching dust jacket and book case.  His sheer happiness and the glittering ball tell a tale all their own.  Similar vibrant colors are used to the left, on the back.  Amid pastel rays, a spotted cow is raising her hoof in the air and posing like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever.  (When an author/illustrator makes these references, it expands the enjoyment to cover a larger age group.  I burst out in laughter.)

The opening and closing endpapers are filled with rays and dots as if a disco ball is casting light on walls.  Beneath the text on the title page the child, boy, is being swung between his mom and dad.  Each illustration rendered in digital media is brimming with details asking readers to pause.  They make reference to events to come and when the party starts each page is packed.

Varying in size the images are highly animated.  Some span double pages, single pages or look like panels on a single page.  The conversations appear in speech bubbles.

One of my many favorite pictures spans two pages.  The background is bright yellow.  Across the bottom the flower-patterned print sofa is placed with two red-feather pillows.  Jumping and somersaulting in the air are the boy's parents and Duck.  They are laughing and yelling

BACK-
FLIP!
BELLY FLOP!
CANNON-BALL!!! 

Peeking unseen over one of the arms is the boy, wide-eyed with amazement.


Every reader will be wishing for a duck like this duck.  Duck On A Disco Ball written and illustrated by Jeff Mack is loads of fun.  You might want to have some late seventies music on hand to play before or after reading this title.  It's a perfect companion to the first title.  To learn more about Jeff Mack and his other work, follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Jeff has accounts on Twitter and Instagram.  Jeff Mack wrote an article for The Children's Book Review about his writing and reading life.

 

Toying With The Truth

About ten years ago I got a real solid lesson in things are not always what they appear to be.  I had been working in my gardens in front and was moving to one side of the house.  As I looked in the grass, I saw a large stick about three feet in length. I remember thinking, "How did that get there?" When I got closer I yelped; it was the biggest garter snake I had ever seen.  I'm not sure, of the two of us, who was more frightened.

One of the cutest father and son teams of 2013 first introduced to readers in The Bear's Song, have returned in a companion title, The Bear's Sea Escape (Chronicle Books).  Author illustrator Benjamin Chaud has the two still searching; first for one thing, then for each other.  It's an adventure worth following, every page of the way.

High atop the opera house with snowflakes falling fast, Papa Bear and his cub snuffle their snouts up through the snow. "We can't stay here!" Papa Bear grumbles.  "This is no place for a nice long nap."

Swiftly moving over city rooftops the duo discover a way inside what they believe to be the ultimate hibernation home, a boutique for teddy bears located in a large, multi-floored shopping center.  A youthful shopper notices Little Bear believing him to be the best toy bear in the world.  Before the two dozing bears are aware the cub is being whisked away as an additional member on a family vacation.

Shocked to realize Little Bear is no longer sleeping next to him, Papa Bears gives chase.  On a scooter through city streets, hanging on to the caboose of a train and grasping a box being loaded on board a cruise ship, a father follows his son.  It is no easy task to locate the wee one on this immense vessel.  Where oh where is Little Bear?

Papa Bear looks for his cub under the sea making multiple inquiries of the local inhabitants.  No Little Bear.  Papa Bear looks for his cub among all the bodies swimming in the surf and lounging on the beach.  No Little Bear.  Paper Bear looks for his cub among the jungle vegetation keeping to the winding path.  No Little Bear.

Cavorting to a conga masked merrymakers snag Papa Bear, luring him into their line.  Suddenly over the happy hullabaloo, a sound is heard.  This boisterous blast is known to only two.  Sweet dreams on a balmy beach are in the offing.


Using words which replicate the rhythm of an action-packed treasure (Little Bear) hunting trek, Benjamin Chaud takes his readers on this jolly jaunt.  We weave through a people-packed street, train station, boat, beach and jungle resort not to mention taking a dive in the underwater world.  Every two, three or four sentence group links us to the next with a pleasurable pause.  Here is a single sample.

Perhaps Little Bear went for a swim?  Papa Bear dives into the sea to explore for himself.
"Have you seen my Little Bear?" he asks a puzzled puffer fish.  The reef is brimming with bubbles and barnacles, scales and seaweed, but there is no sign of fluffy brown fur for as far as the eye can see!

Benjamin Chaud prefaces his story with a matching dust jacket and book case using a vibrant color palette in shades of deep blue-green, red, gold and black.  On the front we are treated to an image similar to one of the interior illustrations.  On the back, to our left, he extends and closes the story with a small oval picture of Papa Bear, pink flowered lei around his neck and a blossom on his head, sleeping beneath a palm tree.  Baby Bear wearing his party costume, holding a ukulele, is resting peacefully on his big belly.  The identical gold and cream opening and closing endpapers in a scroll pattern supply the background for a tiny blue hummingbird.

Turning a page we see Papa Bear and Little Bear popping up out of the snow beneath the title.  All of the twelve double-page visuals are loaded with numerous exquisite details; a mix of realism and myth and a blend of urban with the wild.  You can spy a fox running through the city, penguins frolicking on board the cruise ship, a mermaid swimming by a submarine and yes...a yeti and a dodo bird on the beach.  You can literally spend hours looking at each illustration; first to locate Papa Bear and Little Bear and second to find all the other goodies tucked into each one.  As in the first title Chaud's playful pictures are full of fun.

I think my favorite illustration is the cross-section of the ship.  You get a real feel for Chaud's ability to include other tiny tales within his overall narrative.  Each room or section contains small individual parts of the larger whole.  I can't help grinning at the stubborn horse in one room or the penguins "chatting" in the hallway as one of their other friends takes a dip in the ship's pool with the human swimmers.


I have always been a firm believer in the saying "a book is a present you can open again and again" but The Bear's Sea Escape written and illustrated by Benjamin Chaud features new stories every time you look at one of the illustrations.  I sure hope more escapades highlighting these two characters are in the works.  If excellence is in the details, this title is a blue ribbon winner.

I sincerely enjoyed reading this post, Benjamin Chaud: You Know Him. You Just Don't Know You Know Him, by New York Public Library's Youth Materials Collection Specialist and blogger at A Fuse #8 Production, Elizabeth Bird.  The book trailer below is in French but gives you a great peek at the book.

Nighty, Night...Sleep Tight...Or Not

There is one thing which will get a child through thick and thin.  It will get them through a week of school with homework every single night.  It will get them through parental requests and requirements, cleaning their rooms, making their beds and brushing their teeth, every single day.  When they see this on the horizon, their whole world is a glass half full.

Spending the night with a friend is one of those events when the realization exceeds the anticipation.  Those treasured hours chatting, laughing, telling stories, watching television or movies or playing games are sacred childhood memories.  In Sleepover with Beatrice & Bear (Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, August 7, 2014) written and illustrated by Monica Carnesi a solution is sought by one kind and clever friend.

Beatrice and Bear met on a clear spring day.

Like some first time meetings, an innocent blunder brought them together.  The erring party quickly made amends.  They did what bosom buddies do in the awakening world after winter.

Rain or shine they continued to enjoy activities with one another through summer and into autumn.  One day Beatrice looked and looked for Bear.  He was nowhere to be found.  Squirrel informed the baffled bunny Bear was off to hibernate.

At first sweet Beatrice thought hibernate was a place to visit.  Squirrel again set her straight.  You can't imagine her joy at discovering hibernate is a long nap in winter.  Guess who's packing her suitcase lickety-split?

However her happiness is short-lived.  A disappointed Beatrice simply couldn't share this seasonal snooze with her friend no matter how hard she tried.  She thought and thought.  She questioned and questioned.  Then this friend had a plan.  There was more than one way to enjoy the snow and ice with her pal Bear.


Very simple narrative sentences, conversational exchanges and voiced thoughts written by Monica Carnesi tell this charming tale of Beatrice and Bear.  These quickly reveal to readers the kindness of each character; their willingness to invest one hundred per cent in this growing friendship.  The optimism of the spirited Beatrice is contagious.  You can feel your love for her and her friend Bear grow page by page.

As soon as you open the matching dust jacket and book case, the personalities of Beatrice and Bear are evident; Bear is more easygoing of the two.  Beatrice, like her natural counterparts in the wild, is happily hopping and ready to go.  Dusty blue opening and closing endpapers are covered in etched carrot pairs and hives with buzzing bees.  No space is wasted by Monica Carnesi; her story begins on the title page introducing us to Beatrice standing among her gardening tools.  A page turn has her looking dumbfounded beneath the verso as Bear (on the first page) sits crushing carrot tops in her garden gazing at a bee hive in the nearby tree.

Rendered in brush and Windsor & Newton black India ink with Sennelier and Windsor & Newton artist watercolors and Prismacolor pencils on Fabriano Artistico extra white 140 pound hot pressed paper, these illustrations increase the meaning of the text.  Fine expressive lines, soft background colors and brush strokes and delicate details on facial expressions not only depict the affection these two have for each other but heighten our attachment to them.  Carnesi shifts between double page spreads, single pages, loosely lined smaller visuals and framed panels with elements overlapping those lines to create an impeccable pace.

More than once she makes use of speech bubbles for emphasis.  Tiny items raise our interest; the bird they watched in the spring becomes a drawing in the cave during the beginning of their sleepover, the water wings on Beatrice when they go swimming, Beatrice's map to Bear, the carrot fabric on Beatrice's blanket and her small toy bunny.  My favorite illustrations are the sequence of Beatrice and Bear sleeping in the cave.  Well...Bear is sleeping and Beatrice is trying.  You can't help smiling at these two moving around; one sound asleep and the other wide awake.


I can't imagine a collection of friendship books without this title.  Sleepover with Beatrice & Bear written and illustrated by Monica Carnesi is one of those huggable books.  Beside friendship it could be used to discuss hibernation, the seasons, perseverance and ingenuity.  Get out your bear, rabbit and squirrel puppets for a story hour filled with joy and warmth.

You will be glad if you follow the links embedded in Monica Carnesi's names to access her website and blog.  She includes fun stuff and a teacher's guide at her website.  On her blog is a series of posts about the process for making Sleepover with Beatrice & Bear.