Timed Treachery

The dust jacket, but not the flaps, and the book case are examined. Anticipation builds and questions gather as the volume is held in your hands.  The endpapers may increase the excitement, possibly offering more hints.  If page turns past the title, verso and dedication pages reveal a map, surely an adventure is in the offing.  To encourage reader participation if words invite you to scan QR codes strategically placed throughout the book, you know you are going to be experiencing something out of the ordinary.

On the dust jacket of The Van Gogh Deception (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, August 29, 2017) written by Deron Hicks, two tweens are running down the steps of the National Art Gallery in Washington, D. C.  Shadowy figures watch from the top of the steps.  Already we know trouble is surrounding these two children.  The opening and closing endpapers feature three paintings by Vincent van Gogh.  Interestingly enough those on the back, have been altered.  Specific places in a radius around the gallery have been named on a map.  Why?  With the added inclusion of the QR codes the stage is set for a true page-turner and thrilling present-day, high-stakes mystery.  Once you start this book, you, like the children on the run, won't be able to stop.

PROLOGUE
The boy appeared out of nowhere.

This boy sits in a room filled with people, paintings and sculptures.  Who is watching him?  How long has he been there?  Why is he there?  These unanswered queries lead us into the first part.

First we travel to France three years ago.  A highly-planned plot of trickery involving enormous sums of money is put into play.  This is followed by a terrifying scene in a parking garage late at night in present day Washington, D. C. It does not end well for the gentleman being pursued.

The boy from the prologue is the center from which all further action radiates.  There is also the spider.  At closing time a docent from the gallery comes up to the boy.  It is discovered he has no recollection of why he is there or who he is.  He has lost his most recent memories.  Examined by two different doctors and questioned by Detective Brooke Evans at the Metropolitan Police Department, he is eventually placed in the care of Mary Sullivan who fosters children temporarily.  She has a ten-year-old daughter named Camille.

After conversations that evening and in the following morning, the Sullivans and the twelve-year-old boy they are calling Art, decide to take the train back to the National Gallery of Art hoping it will help him to recall more memories.  At the same time a highly trained group of covert operators guided by a leader, Dorchek Palmer, a millionaire ten times over, twenty-eight years old and a computer genius, are in pursuit of the boy.  He needs to be taken by any means necessary.

Mounting tensions escalate in part two when Art and Camille and Mary Sullivan are getting a snack in the Garden Cafe in the gallery.  Dorchek Palmer is seated a few tables away.  A sudden recognition as to a clue in Art's pocket has the children quickly leaving.  Mary panics when she discovers the children are missing.  Palmer and his team give chase.

In less than an hour the children realize their very lives are in terrible danger.  High-speed action at every page turn tests the resourcefulness of Art, who still does not remember recent circumstances or his name, and Camille.  They are pitted against the best money can buy.  Time is running out for everyone.

Two final destinations will test the ingenuity of the children and the skill of the highly trained adults.  Their goals are at odds; one to reveal a forgery and the other to keep it concealed.  Survival is paramount.


The page and one-half page prologue will hook readers immediately.  When author Deron Hicks follows this with the multi-million dollar forgery scheme meeting and the parking garage confrontation, you know hours will be willingly spent following this story to the end.  By dividing the narrative into three separate parts Hicks intensifies the action.  (An appropriate Vincent van Gogh quote begins these parts.)  It is increased further with time of day, date and place notations at the beginning of almost all the chapters and even within the chapters.  The majority of this 306 page book takes place in a single day.

Descriptions of places, famous artists, their work and the criminal activity of forgery do not detract from the fast flowing tale.  The dialogue between the children and all the adult characters is realistic and true to the genre.  Deron Hicks also has an adept knack for ending his chapters with edge-of-your-seat comments. Here are a few of my marked passages.

The middle-aged man wanted to laugh.  There was no way he would ever be allowed to go free.  He'd be lucky to make it through the rest of the night alive.  But he didn't panic.  There was too much at stake.  He backed up against the trunk of his rental car and took a deep breath.  It was time.

Palmer pushed the button on the side of his watch to illuminate the time.  It was getting late, but he knew that there would not be any sleep tonight.  Events had taken an unexpected turn the night before, and the stakes had increased significantly---the spider was loose in the city.

The man paused.  Palmer could tell there was something else the man wanted---needed---to ask.
"And what happens to the boy when you find him?" the man finally asked in a low voice.
Palmer carefully folded up the newspaper and took a final sip of his americano.  Before he stood to depart, he reached down to pick up his messenger bag and looked the man directly in the eyes.  "There are questions, Dr. Belette, that you should not ask."


This book, The Van Gogh Deception written by Deron Hicks, is one you will need to add to your collections to broaden and deepen your mystery, adventure and thriller titles.  It's going to be eagerly passed from reader to reader.  I can't wait for the opportunity to chat with others about it.  (I read it once as fast as I could and more slowly today.)

To learn more about Deron Hicks and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  At the publisher's website is an excerpt.  Deron Hicks talks about this title at the HMH Young Readers blog and is the featured author at School Library Connection.  Deron Hicks maintains an account on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Us

Have you ever noticed how our canine companions have numerous things in common with children? They greet each day as a new adventure, looking for fun or creating their own.  They use all their senses to experience each moment.  Unless past circumstances dictate differently, they approach all humans as equal individuals.  Age, physical characteristics, and abilities do not figure in their opinion of us.  They see inside us.

If you watch a group of little children playing with puppies, you can see this is true.  As dogs grow older this remains the same.  When children grow older sometimes this changes, but it need not be so.  Why am I me? (Scholastic Press, August 29, 2017) written by Paige Britt with pictures by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko explores how we see ourselves and how others see us.

Why am I 
me . . .

. . . and 
not you?

As a boy and his father and a girl and her mother wait to board a rapid transit train, the questions begin in their minds.  They are curious about their outward appearances and the possibilities hidden inside.  As they ride in the car, each continues their internal musings.

They both look around at the variety of people in their presence; young and old, light and dark skins (and all the marvelous shades in between) and the different attire.  They both wonder why people are the way they are.  What makes them unique?  What makes them who they are?

The two children then ask who they might be if they were different.  They even think if another person were them, would that person be the same as they are?  As the train reaches a stop, they both get off with their parents.

It is now evening with stars sparkling in the darkened sky.  They both are still thinking about their own special individuality.  A gift is then freely given.


Ten questions and a two-letter word reply written by Paige Britt are a poetic interlude on a large life query.  It is a gentle exploration as a child would think but as adults could or perhaps should think.  Observations by the children further their interest and ultimately give them their answer.  Here is another question.

Who in the world are we . . .

. . . if we aren't you and me?


The rich choice of color seen on the matching dust jacket and book case is a reflection of the treasure waiting to be discovered in each individual person.  The image on the front, to the right, of the boy and girl overlapping with the shared star sparkling in their eyes seems to suggest the waiting wonder in our world.  To the left, on the back, we are shown the array of people found in the subway car.  (Our lives are better with all of us together.)

On the opening endpapers a quiet neighborhood mirrors the diversity of residents.  Many of them appear later inside the subway car, including the boy and his father.  Rendered in acrylic paint, colored pencil and collage the illustrations by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko continue to unfold the story as the title page shows another street with the girl and her mother walking by shops and people.  On the verso and dedication pages the transit is shown above ground.  The children and their parents have arrived there.  On the closing endpapers, it is nighttime in a neighborhood.  A street light glows. We can see both the boy and girl through windows warm with light in separate buildings.

Each picture spans across two pages.  The imaginings of the boy and the girl are noticeable in their facial expressions; curious, fascinated and hopeful.  Readers will also enjoy looking at all the individual faces of the people on the train and in the world outside as it is passed by the passengers.

Sean and Selina vary the point of views throughout the book but also inside the train.  At one point we are close to the boy and girl and then we step back to see all the other people around them.  Even when the boy is watching children at play in a park (a more panoramic view) as the train speeds by his face is larger at the window focusing on his question.  As the story comes to a close, we are brought near to the children with them looking out at us.  This brings us more deeply into the narrative.

One of my many favorite pictures is of the boy and his father and the girl and her mother on the train.  We are close to them.  The boy, holding his book and skateboard, is looking down.  His father holding an open book has paused in his reading to gaze at his son.  The girl, on the right, is looking at the boy.  Her mother is looking at her.  There are many emotions in this scene; all of them are wonderful.  I really like the star on the boy's shirt and the yellow bird on the girl's shirt.  You can see tiny print on the pages of the boy's book.


Regardless of how many times you read Why am I me? written by Paige Britt with pictures by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko you will be enveloped by its beauty.  The quality of contemplation it invites in readers will vary but will surely promote inner reflection and outward discussions. You need to share this book as often as you can.  I highly recommend it for your professional and personal bookshelves.

To discover more about Paige Britt, Sean Qualls and Selina Alko and their other work please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Sean Qualls also maintains a blog.  This title is featured at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, the blog of author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson. And you must read the interview between these three collaborators at author Chris Barton's website, Bartography.

You Are...

In the capacity as a teacher librarian you are in the unique position to be acquainted with every single student in your building.  Depending on the level of the building you will usually spend between three to five years learning and teaching each one.  You are fortunate to be present as they grow into remarkable individuals.  Their honesty is heartwarming, heartbreaking and hopeful.

You have the opportunity in your space to offer all of them an atmosphere where information and imagination are limitless.  They will come to understand the meaning and value of respect and acceptance.  All are equally welcome.  Not Quite NARWHAL (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, February 14, 2017) debut book written and illustrated by Jessie Sima is about discovery in many forms.

Kelp was born deep in the ocean.

From the beginning Kelp understood he was not quite like the other narwhals.  His physical features, what he liked to eat and his swimming abilities were far from similar to his friends' traits, tastes and dives, but they liked him regardless of these differences.  It was easier to love yourself when others loved you.

One day a current stronger than any other Kelp had encountered carried him away from his home.  He ended up so close to land he saw a being on a cliff.  To his surprise it was like looking in a mirror.

Kelp could hardly wait to see this creature so he swam toward the land...slowly.  Walking for the first time on sand was no easy task.  From the beach, he reached the forest.  From the forest he entered a clearing filled with rainbows and ...unicorns.  Kelp wasn't a narwhal.  He was a unicorn!

Time spent with the other unicorns was glorious but he missed the sea and his other companions.  Upon returning home, Kelp was astonished by the narwhals' actions and words.  He believed he had to make a decision.  It seemed impossible but friendship can create potential for new opportunities.


Each reader can identify immediately with Kelp as his differences are pointed out to us by author Jessie Sima.  Who hasn't felt like an outsider?  At the same time she quickly reveals how he is made to feel a part of the narwhal community.  This will ask readers to think how they are made to feel in similar situations or how they make others welcome (or not).  All this is told to us in an easy to understand narrative, simply stated but genuinely sincere.

As the story continues she allows us to become more connected to Kelp sharing his inner thoughts and by adding in dialogue.  Sima's repetition of three nearly identical phrases in a single sentence ties his experiences on land and his life under the sea together splendidly.  Here are a couple of sample sentences.

When he finally reached the shore,
Kelp felt a little bit anxious---he had never left the ocean.

He was nervous about walking for the first time,
but the land creatures made it look so easy!


Readers will enjoy running their hands over the sparkly raised title text and the stars and dots in the faint rainbow beams of light on the front of the dust jacket.  The tiny red, orange and green fish are a delicate and cheerful contrast to a smiling Kelp.  To the left, on the back, those same contrasting colors are used in butterflies, flowers and grass as Kelp runs over land with rainbow glows spotlighting his fun.  On the book case rows of solid color Kelp images in vivid lavender, blue, green, orange, red and pink create a pattern with Kelp finding a spot once on the front and on the back.

On the opening endpapers Kelp, kicking up his hooves in happiness, is framed in a seaweed oval among fish, butterflies, flowers and seaweed using several hues of teal.  On the closing endpapers shades of green are used with the same elements but one change is added within the oval frame.  It's a final act of hilarity in this story.

Rendered in Adobe Photoshop Jessie Sima brings her own special style to all the illustrations; some spanning two pages, single pages or several images on one page.  Her depictions of Kelp, the other narwhals and the unicorns are adorable.  Their facial features and characteristics will have readers smiling right along with them.  What's not to love about Kelp wearing the clear helmet?  Careful viewers will note the swimmies worn by Kelp, the unicorn playing a guitar, the crab waving goodbye and all the wonderful details in the final two page image.

One of my favorite illustrations is a night scene.  Kelp's head is out of the water when he realizes his nearness to land.  A full moon is supplying a path on the water's surface.  A tall, tall cliff rises above the sandy beach and forest.  Standing on top, silhouetted against the moon, is a unicorn.  Sparkles surround him.


This book, Not Quite NARWHAL, written and illustrated by Jessie Sima allows readers to identify with the main character but also to place themselves in the position of the narwhals and unicorns.  It's a marvelous portrait of finding yourself and being welcomed wherever you go.  I can't imagine a professional or personal bookshelf without at least one copy (or more). This will be popular with many readers.

To learn more about Jessie Sima please follow the links attached to her name to access her website and Tumblr account.  To see some interior images please visit the publisher's website.  There is an entire website dedicated to this title.  The cover premiere and an interview as well as an All The Wonders, Episode 326 podcast with teacher librarian Matthew C. Winner are found at All The Wonders. Jessie Sima has a Not Quiet NARWHAL Pinterest board.  Jessie Sima is a guest author at the Nerdy Book Club.  Jessie Sima and Kelp have Twitter accounts. @JessieSima @notquitenarwhal

To Be Named

In two days another Father's Day will be celebrated.  Families will be paying tribute to dads, uncles, grandfathers, older brothers and significant men in their lives.  For me it will be another Father's Day without my dad.  It will be a day to remember all the memorable moments we shared and those times I've wished for him to be with me.  It will be a day to miss him but to reflect on how much a part of my life he still is on a daily basis.  The tools in his original carpenter's belt are used often, his initials etched in the handles.  The care of my gardens and lawn reflect his green-thumb gifts.  The maintenance of everything I own, making them last beyond the time they should, is due to his constant attention to detail.  It's as if he is right beside me, guiding me.

Dads play important parts in all our lives.  In Sherman Alexie's first picture book, Thunder Boy Jr. (Little, Brown and Company, May 10, 2016) illustrated by Yuyi Morales, a son speaks to readers about his beloved father.  The boy is unsure how to address a huge problem he has.

Hello, my name is 
Thunder Boy.

As his younger sister proclaims he is Thunder Boy Smith.  At birth he received this name from his father.  He would much rather have been given a normal name like Sam. (That's what his mom wanted to call him.)  He is not the only Thunder Boy either, he is Thunder Boy Jr.  His dad is Thunder Boy Sr.

This might be okay but his dad is affectionately and with respect called Big Thunder.  He is Little Thunder.  This does not seem right to him.  He shares a secret with readers.

I HATE MY NAME!

The boy keeps this secret to himself out of love for his dad.  He does imagine being named for accomplishments in his young life.  For touching a wild orca on the nose perhaps he should be named

NOT AFRAID OF TEN THOUSAND TEETH.  

He thinks how much his dog enjoys chasing his own tail and the costume tail Thunder Boy Jr. sometimes wears.  Maybe his name should be

CAN'T RUN FAST WHILE LAUGHING.

He thoughtfully ponders nine possibilities.  How can he be truly himself when he shares a name with his dad?  This little guy does not know what to do with his unhappiness.  Someone far wiser has an answer.  Your heart will swell with the same joy Thunder Boy Jr. feels.


Even though Thunder Boy Jr. has a personal, real dilemma, Sherman Alexie, forms each sentence so readers realize the boy is living in a home filled with loving family members.  We form a compassionate connection to him as he speaks to us.  When he relates his experiences, each which could serve to give him a name more specific to him alone, his exuberance, his zest for life, sails off the pages.  Alexie also uses repetition with excellent effect.  Here is a sample passage.

People call him 

BIG THUNDER.

That nickname is a storm
filling up the sky.

People call me

LITTLE THUNDER.

That nickname makes me
sound like a
burp or a fart.


One of the first things I do when reading a book is to check to see how the artist created the illustrations.  This is what I read on the verso for this book.

The illustrations for Thunder Boy Jr. were made from the remains of an antique house in Xalapa, Mexico, where Yuyi now has her studio and where she created this book.  When the rotting roof and some of the walls came down, she picked out old wood as well as clay bricks that she later scanned and used their colors and textures to digitally paint the illustrations.  

This is why when you open the matching dust jacket and book case, you have to marvel at the force radiating from the images.  The bold outlines and vibrant colors on the sizzling backgrounds are full of energy.  A collage of circles in red, magenta, yellow, turquoise, black and gray fashion a pattern on the opening and closing endpapers.

Text balloons, speech bubbles, are placed throughout the narrative holding narrative words as if they're spoken.  This involves all the characters, even the family's dog.  All of the pages are connected across the gutter even if they portray a separate moment.

Within the story Yuyi Morales, in a series of pictures, includes a mini-story of the boy and his sister disagreeing over the possession of a large colorful ball.   Two other elements which I really like are first the size of the parents with respect to the children.  Our parents are and will remain larger than life to us.  The other aspect is when Thunder Boy Jr. is imagining possible names; the father is a part of the orca and the mountain.

Readers will notice elements from one picture carried into another one; the children riding their bikes, the playing of the guitar and the presence of the bear, coyote (wolf) and snake.  You will want to stop and look at every detail in picture after picture.  The image of Thunder Boy Jr. powwow dancing is stunning.

One of my favorite of many illustrations is of Thunder Boy Jr., his sister and their dog playing in the dirt.  It looks to be fairly muddy with dark brown splotches spreading out from the children and the dog.  The brother and sister are sliding through it on pieces of cardboard.  Their faces are glowing as they laugh and laugh and laugh.  You want to jump in and join them!


With each reading of Thunder Boy Jr. written by Sherman Alexie with illustrations by Yuyi Morales your affection for this boy and his father will grow.  You can almost hold the joy found in these pages in your hands.  This IS a book for everyone.  It is wonderful to read it aloud.


To learn more about Sherman Alexie and Yuyi Morales and their other work please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Sherman Alexie and this title are discussed at The Washington Post.  Sherman Alexie is interviewed on NPR Books about Thunder Boy Jr.  Teacher librarian and 2014 Caldecott committee member Travis Jonker premieres the book trailer on his blog, 100 Scope Notes.  It's a superb trailer.  Both Sherman Alexie and Yuyi Morales are on Twitter at @Sherman_Alexie @yuyimorales  Yuyi Morales is a 2016 Sendak Fellow.  I have enjoyed following her tweets about this experience.

On The Inside

Labels are helpful when wanting to know the ingredients in a particular food product, how often to take a specific medicine, or the needed number of applications for a foolproof fertilizer for the lawn and garden.  These labels are designed to inform and protect. When labels are given to people rather than things their value diminishes.

Even if the label for someone is good, it might tend to stop us from truly knowing them.  If we are told over and over we are one thing, it might be hard to uncover who we are and how best to use our gifts.  Red: A Crayon's Story (Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, February 3, 2015) written and illustrated by Michael Hall follows a crayon's journey to self-discovery.

He was red

So says pencil, chief narrator of this tale.  For reasons obvious to the reader or listener Red lacks the ability to be as the paper wrap suggests he should be.  Everything he draws is blue.

His teacher believes practice is the answer.  His strawberries look like weird-shaped blueberries.  His mother tries her best by encouraging Red to mix with others like Yellow.  She is hoping to see a nice orange orange.  It's not quite ripe yet.

Silver and Gray, Red's grandparents, make him a gift of a scarf to ward off the chill they are certain he is feeling.  It's going to take more than apparel to make this crayon red.  It seems every crayon in the box has an opinion but nothing seems to work.  Even when other members of the art table, tape, scissors and a sharpener, get involved the result is the same.  What Red reads is not what Red sees.

But...on a very special day, a day Red will always remember, a new pal in the pack, Berry, asks Red to color the ocean beneath the boat.  Red denies he can do it because he is red after all but with Berry's encouragement Red draws wavy water.  And it's blue.  And it's easy for Red to do!

Red can't stop now; everything he creates is correctly colored.  Pencil and the box crowd change their words as fast as a finger snap.  His teacher finally understands uttering a prophetic truth.


With those first three words Michael Hall captures our undivided attention; conflicting with the image seen, a bright blue crayon wrapped in a Red crayon label.  With nearly all the narrative phrases he includes comments from another crayon or group of crayons adding an emotional layer to his story.  These candid observations readily define their personalities.  Here is a sample combination.

His mother thought he needed
to mix with other colors.

Why don't
you two
go out
and draw
a nice,
round
orange.

A really
big one. (Yellow)

A really
orange
one! (Red)


Opening the dust jacket of the F & G the solid blue on the front carries across to the left and extends into each flap.  The comments of the orange and yellow crayons at the bottom on the front announce the contrast between the color and the color tag.  On the back the berry and purple crayons make comments foreshadowing the story's outcome.  The blue used in Red on the front is used again on the title page.  A stark white background provides a canvas for the pencil's words

As told by me!

 written in gray on black paper taped to the page.  In the lower left corner a portion of scissors can be seen near scraps of black paper.  This is clearly a story told by items of interest to artists.

The illustrations are placed on either a black or white background with lots of empty space drawing readers' eyes toward the individual elements and the text.  All drawings made by Red, Scarlet, Yellow, the other students in class, and Berry look as if they have been drawn using crayons.  Simple but purposeful in layout, the perspective does not shift except at the explicit turning point.

One of my favorite illustrations is for the phrase

But he didn't catch on.

Green draws a

Green frog!

Black draws a

Black sheep!

 Brown draws a

Brown cow! 

Red draws an ant that is blue.  For his text we read...

Red...
aaack!


If you've ever felt like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole, Red:  A Crayon's Story written and illustrated by Michael Hall is a perfect pick.  It's a story highlighting the journey necessary to find your true self.  It's about that one person who might help you make the discovery.  This is a story when shared will be appreciated by any age.  Wonderful!

If you are interested in learning about Michael Hall and his other work please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  This link takes you to the book trailer reveal by author, New York Public Library's Youth Materials Collection Specialist and blogger at A Fuse #8 Production, Elizabeth Bird.  Here is a link to 7 Reasons Why Your Child's Bookshelf Needs RED courtesy of the publisher.  My posts for his other titles, Perfect Square and It's An Orange Aardvark can be read by following the links.  

What's In A Name?

I've been told I'm named after my Mom's best friend and one of her favorite cousins.  My middle name, Marie, is the same as my mother's middle name.  I have to admit, even after decades, I still cringe when I hear my full name, Margaret.  I can't get the image and mannerisms of the character from the Dennis the Menace comics, Margaret Wade, out of my mind.  Fortunately for most of my life, I have been called Margie.

Wanting to be known by another moniker, other than the one given to you, is as old as time.  There is a certain curiosity associated with the origins of names; giving those books in libraries a well-loved look.  The Change Your Name Store (Sky Pony Press) written by Leanne Shirtliffe with illustrations by Tina Kugler happily follows a girl on her quest to switch things up a bit.

A smart feisty girl
named Wilma Lee Wu
liked climbing trees and
chasing frogs too.

Among all the things Wilma Lee Wu did like, there is one thing she longs to replace, her name.  Determined, map in hand, she searches her town for a shop unlike any other.  The storekeeper, Ms. Zeena McFouz, welcomes her with a smile and a single rule.  Searchers need to wear a chosen name; realizing all each includes.

In a jiffy Wilma finds a name she feels will fit, French with flair.  In mere seconds the rule is abundantly clear.  Looking around she is amazed to see she is standing in Paris with different attire.  Somehow this doesn't seem quite right, so back to the store she goes.

Oh, yes, this next one is simply the best except for... the heat.  Hurricanes are not much to her liking either.  Landing at night surrounded by animal eyes makes her question this fourth choice.  Is there a name for her?

Down in the dumps, our young globetrotter doesn't know what to do.  Wise Ms. Zeena McFouz, classy curator, offers Wilma an exclusive collection.  Yes!  There it is!  This suits Wilma Lee Wu; no other will do.


Not forced but flowing and playful this tale told in rhyme is loaded with learning and laughter.  Leanne Shirtliffe has created characters in Wilma and Ms. Zeena McFouz readers will admire.  You empathize with Wilma's courageous attempts.  You understand the wisdom of Ms. Zeena McFouz giving freedom to her shoppers, the rule and the special drawer.  In true storytelling style Shirtliffe includes a repetitious refrain Wilma says on each return.  Here is a single passage.

Without time to add that magic word "please,"
she found herself on a big hill in Belize.
The beauty amazed her, the friendliness too...
But she opted to leave when a hurricane blew.


Who wouldn't want to walk through a town like debut picture book illustrator Tina Kugler features on her matching dust jacket and book case?  Young readers will appreciate the inclusion of familiar buildings; a market, public library, bank, pet shop, The Change Your Name Store and ice cream shop.  Little details like a cat cozily sleeping in an upstairs window, a mom and her daughter on a bicycle built for two, books stacked on the back chatting as they ride and Ms. Zeena McFouz waving at Wilma and her constant canine companion as they pause in front of the store.

When readers see Wilma smiling, her gap-tooth grin on display, with her dog, tail wagging wildly on the title page, it's instant love.  With a page turn there she is hanging upside down from a tree limb with a frog tucked in her overalls pocket as her pooch partner places his front paws on the trunk.  Smaller insets, single pages and double-page spreads in full color alternate, complimenting the narrative.

Interesting details like the feather on Ms. McFouz's hat (signifying achievement, a feather in your cap), Wilma's dog changing into a poodle when she visits France, the famous people gathered around her in France, the I ♥ Names mug and the names everywhere in the store (you could look at these for hours, days) make for absolutely charming illustrations.  Each place Wilma visits is a true reflection of the culture, flora and fauna; a tapir and toucan are swirling in the wind when she leaves Belize.  You have to wonder if Ms. Zeena McFouz is not a traveler herself based upon all the containers in her shop.

It's truly hard to select a favorite illustration; warmth, compassion and happiness are evident on every page.  Three special illustrations, to me, are the first page, the last page with Wilma, her dog and frog jumping for joy and when Wilma selects her first name.  She is standing on a stack of books pointing, her dog is looking eagerly at her and Ms. Zeena McFouz is smiling with hands clasped.  This picture exudes potential.

Written by Leanne Shirtliffe with illustrations by Tina Kugler, The Change Your Name Store showcases diversity and self-acceptance.  Cheerful pictures partner with the rhyming story perfectly inviting reader participation.  I know readers will be scanning the streets of every town they visit in the future, looking for this fascinating shop.

Be sure to visit the websites of Leanne Shirtliffe and Tina Kugler by following the links embedded in their names above.  Leanne Shirtliffe has several wonderful additional resources, a great teacher/educator's guide, and numerous activity pages.  At Tina Kugler's site is an engaging interview about this title and the upcoming book she is making with her husband plus more links.  Julie Falatko, author of Snappsy The Alligator (Did Not Ask To Be In This Book) Viking 2015, reviews this title on Katie Davis's Brain Burps.

UPDATE (June 17, 2014) After returning from vacation, Tina Kugler was generous enough to briefly explain her illustrative process to me in a couple of emails.  Here is what she had to say:

I work 100% digitally, from sketch to finished color, with a Wacom Cintiq tablet and an iMac. I try very hard to make my work look non-digital, I prefer a messier, hand-drawn look, if that makes sense. The major advantage for me in working digitally is that I can save a project and go back to it at any time, without worrying about paint drying or anything like that. I have three boys, so my work is frequently interrupted-- I have to get up and stop them from hitting each other or goodness knows what else (see my NAME STORE dedication). My background is in storyboarding for television cartoons (and I was a film major in college), so I tend to look at my picture books more like a film: a spread is a pan, a page turn is a cut. 

Tina also mentioned there is a sequel in the works. Oh happy day!  The title is No More Beige Food.  Look for it in the fall of 2015.  Thank you so much Tina.  For those of you who have not read the book, the dedication mentioned above is unlike any other I have seen; laughter guaranteed.