Handheld Hilarity

For those who read aloud, whether to a single soul or a group of listeners, when the story generates, first, giggles and then outbursts of laughter, the atmosphere in the setting changes.  It is charged with a special connection.  Uniting through happiness is lasting, sometimes for decades.  You don't forget it.

When it comes to wishing, you need to carefully weigh all the consequences attached to a wish.  Our favorite grumpy, not fun-loving bear is back (somewhat) in a new title, The Bruce Swap (Disney Hyperion, May 4, 2021) written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins.  His housemates, the mice, Rupert, Thistle, and Nibbs, and the geese, wish Bruce was less like himself and more like them.  Due to the paper-consuming geese, a comedy of errors unfolds on this day.

There was a letter in the mailbox

at 13 Go Away Lane.

No one would ever know except for a reader what the letter said because a goose ate it.  It announced a visit from Bruce's fun, fun, fun cousin, Kevin.  Bruce detested fun.  In fact, that night each of Bruce's housemates made wishes about Bruce because he lacked any inclination toward fun (or sandwiches).

The next morning Bruce left the house to go fishing.  He wrote a note explaining his absence.  Guess who ate it? Guess who showed up at the house looking like Bruce but acting like the housemates wishes came true?

Even when the bear said his name was Kevin, no one believed him.  They knew their wishes were granted.  The fun started in earnest.  Candy was bountiful.  Multiple pizzas were ordered.  Outdoor activities were celebrated inside the house.  And the noise was deafening.  Moving to the outdoors, downright dangerous stunts were performed.  

Kevin's fun, fun, fun friends arrived and added to the craziness.  Three mice and four geese looked around, saw a humongous mess and realized too much of a good thing is not a good thing.  Kevin did not like messes, so he drove away with his pals. 

Can you imagine what Bruce was going to say when he got home?  You'll be surprised more than once as this story concludes.  Three cheers for grumps!

With every sentence author Ryan T. Higgins pens in this title, you can feel the humor growing.  He uses the repetition of a single word or phrases for emphasis and to fashion a cadence.  One two-word combination he inserts into the story is guaranteed to have readers and listeners rolling on the floor laughing.  His blend of narrative and dialogue is flawless.  Here are two passages.

Early the next morning, before the first rays of sun crept

across Soggy Hollow, Bruce woke up to go on a fishing trip.

Alone.

By himself.

He left a note, of course.

Gone fishing.

Don't make

a mess!

---Bruce---

But nobody read that note either.

NOM NOM NOM

One look at the open dust jack, front and back, and you know something the exact opposite of ordinary is in the offing for Bruce and his housemates.  On a blue background on the back, to the left, is a photograph of Bruce and Kevin.  Their facial expressions could not be more different.  There is one grump and one goof featured.  This photograph is varnished.  On the front, to the right, Bruce on the left is totally unaware of Kevin.  His fun, fun, fun grin is shocking to Rupert.  On this image the title text is varnished.

The book case design mirrors that of a pizza box in red and white check.  In the center is a circle framed in green.  On the front and back a bear, wearing a chef's hat, is showcased in red on white within that circle.  One is Kevin and one is Bruce.  Let the hilarity commence.

On the opening endpapers Bruce has placed sixteen signs around his home, advising people what they can't do.  The final sign in his paws reads:

NO PLAYING.

Behind the signs and Bruce are his home on the right and the lake across both sides.

Kevin has worked his fun on the closing endpapers.  The lake, trees, and Bruce's house are all the same.  The signs have all been changed by Kevin.  Each NO has been crossed out and GO is written in green next to the crossed-out NO.  Kevin stands at the NO PLAYING sign with a green marker in his paw.  He has already altered that sign.

These illustrations by Ryan T. Higgins 

created using scans of treated clayboard for textures, graphite, ink, and Photoshop

send the hoopla soaring (much like Rupert who finds himself attached to an airborne kite).  The facial expressions on all the characters depict every emotional moment from glee to despair and other moods between the two.  Readers will pause at every page turn to enjoy all the details.  Images span single pages but cross the gutter to join spot visuals on the previous page.  Other single-page pictures, panels and partial-page illustrations accentuate pacing and the story line.  For dramatic effect double-page pictures tell a story all their own.  Most of the conversation is found in speech balloons.

One of my many favorite pictures is a single-page image.  We are in the living room of Bruce's home.  It has been transformed into an indoor swimming pool.  Water is nearly up to the window casements.  Kevin wearing a red-and-white striped swimming suit, floaties on his arms, a bathing cap, and swim goggles is having fun.  The geese and mice are not so sure.  One is grasping the floating telephone.  Two others are using a door as a raft.  Rupert remarks:

This might be an 

electrical hazard.

Regardless of how many times The Bruce Swap written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins is read, laughter will resound each and every time.  The return of beloved characters coupled with the narrative, dialogue, and comical illustrations are an unbeatable combination.  You'll want to have a copy of this title for both your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about other titles by Ryan T. Higgins go to his page at the publisher's website by following the link attached to his name.  Ryan T. Higgins has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website is a link to a lengthy guide on the work of Ryan T. Higgins.  It would be great for an author study.

Several weeks ago, when I stepped out on the front porch with my canine companion to begin our last stroll for the day, panic and a stench overwhelmed me.  It was not quite pitch black outside yet.  Where was the skunk?  Was it on the lawn?  Was it under the porch?  Was every person's nightmare about to unfold?  We were lucky this time.  Something Stinks! (Penguin Workshop, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, June 15, 2021) written and illustrated by Jonathan Fenske is about a being with an experience similar to mine with one huge difference.  A skunk can't figure out where a horrible smell is emanating.  (I don't know about you, but I am laughing already.)

Pee-yew!

Something STINKS!

The narrator continues by telling us how fortunate we are not to smell what he is smelling.  We are then told exactly how stinky it is.  Comparisons are made to three kinds of stink.  How can it be stinkier

than a rotten tuna and onion sandwich?

Skunk then informs us he will track down the source of this odoriferous aroma.  No nook or cranny will be overlooked.  When he offers up the source as underpants, he is mistaken.  The scent is increasingly worse.

It seems to be following Skunk.  He then asks the reader to move in closer so he can make sure it is not they who stink.  Really?  

By now Skunk is getting nauseous.  He asks for readers' help.  When there is a response, he can't comprehend the words or gestures.  Skunk is at his wit's end.  Suddenly, a change clears the air.  What has happened?  We know, but Skunk is oblivious.

From the first words out of Skunk's mouth, written by Jonathan Fenske, the hilarity begins.  We are active participants in the story as Skunk speaks directly to us in short sentences.  Questions are asked and replies are given.  To elevate the humor, another character, a fly, adds commentary.  Here is a passage.

Wonderful.

Now the smell is

getting WORSE.

Like someone or someTHING

has been dragging a great big

cloud of stink everywhere!

The two hues of green shown on the front and back of the open book case clearly indicate an odor capable of inducing illness.  By the placement of the darker of the two, readers realize the origin of the stink.  The presence of the fly, first smiling on the front, and then with eyes crossed in displeasure on the back, suggests the extent of the stench.  The text on the back is an introduction to the story with Skunk speaking to us.

On the opening and closing endpapers is a pattern of Skunk, much smaller, standing almost sheepishly amid the smell.  He has no idea he is the cause of the odor.  Zipping around him in loops and swirls is a dotted white line on the green canvas.  This is the flight pattern of the fly who makes an appearance on the closing endpapers.  On the title page, a perplexed Skunk stands trying to locate the source of the stink.

These illustrations by Jonathan Fenske range in size from double-page pictures to single-page images, and groups of smaller visuals to supply pacing.  Often, we are brought very close to Skunk, further inviting us into the story.  His expressive wide-eyed looks, exaggerated facial features, and gestures contribute to the laughter factor.

Background colors are either gruesome green or crisp white.  Every line is spotlighted.  This raises our awareness of the situation in which Skunk finds himself.  You can't help but laugh!

One of my many favorite pictures is on a half-page.  Skunk is trying unsuccessfully, to figure out what the reader is telling him.  In this image he is saying:

I see you pointing.

On the green background with the green odor gathering at the bottom is the upper part of Skunk's face with one arm.  His hand is placed on his forehead as he tries to see.  His eyes are wide open.  He is looking squarely at us.  He just doesn't get it.  Therein is increased comedy.

With a book like Something Stinks! written and illustrated by Jonathan Fenske, you know how readers will respond.  Even now I can hear peals of laughter.  And once this laughter starts it won't stop, even when the story ends.  This is going to be a much-requested story time favorite.  You'll need a copy in your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Jonathan Fenske and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Jonathan Fenske has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you get a peak at the initial title page.

While The World Sleeps

Picture books are powerful.  No matter your age, they can alter your perspectives, providing new information and changing what you know about people, places, and things.  They can initiate or grow your compassion, generosity, comprehension, courage, and capacity for love.  Most of all they supply us with the opportunity to connect with other people across the spectrum of ages, sharing moments of laughter, tears, hopes, fears, strengths, weaknesses, and lasting affection.

Of these books, some can give us scary shivers and silly laughter at the same time.  The newest title written and illustrated by Theodore Geisel Honor-winning Jonathan Fenske is one of those books.  As the first words in After Squidnight (Penguin Workshop, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, July 28, 2020) are read, listeners and readers alike, will seek cozy comfort.

The sky is black.

The clouds are inky.

The salty air

is still and stinky.

You are snug in your bed, unaware of what is about to happen.  Out on the sea, the squid are rising from the depths.  Slowly, as the midnight hour approaches, so do they on the sandy beaches.  Your dreams are unlike those of the squid.  They dream of drawings, drawings of ink.

These artists slither into your home, ready to leave their quirky shapely lines.  No cupboard or drawer in the kitchen is left unopened.  They give new meaning to artwork on the fridge.  Do they stay in the kitchen? No!

No space is safe from these clever creators.  They creep from place to place until they arrive in your bedroom.  Every item is a canvas for their designs, including your exposed skin and pajamas!  As sunlight slowly rises, they leave as quietly as they came.  

Your parents do not believe what you think you saw.  Your parents look at you, assuming you caused this inky chaos.  You get to work to eliminate the mess, but when all is finished you and the squid share a secret.

With appropriate spookiness author Jonathan Fenske fashions a nighttime fantasy featuring sea creatures intent on a mission.  Rhyming phrases move at the same pace as the wily squid accomplishing their descriptive activities. Punctuation, and even parentheses, further emphasize the pacing and page turns. 

But when you stir,

oh, how they scatter!

Their squiddy hearts

a-pitter-patter.

They wait in shadows,

big eyes blinking,

and pause their

squiddly-diddly inking . . .

The color palette, black, white, and turquoise, presented to readers on the open book case is used throughout the book.  The elements on the front of the case combine to give readers chills while at the same time making it impossible not to open this book.  There are questions needing answers.  Why are all the squid out of the sea?  Why are they slipping under the open window?  The moon and murky sky in the background are the perfect touch to the looks on those squid faces.  The title text is raised and varnished.  Other elements here and on the back are varnished.

On the back, within a frame made of the underside of a squid arm, is the book's blurb.  The introductory statement reads:

Pointy heads and arms of blue

will bring the inky art to you!

A single squid peers over the top of the frame.  Other squid arms flow to the left and the right.  

On the opening and closing endpapers is a repeating pattern of a large squid drawing a significant image on a wall.  It is a blue and black drawing on white.  The initial title page features the eerie title text.  The verso page includes some squid doodles.  A single squid crawls across the page from the left on the formal title page.

The images,

rendered on illustration board with #2 pencil and India ink

are double-page pictures, full-page pictures, and smaller insets.  The blend of black, white, and turquoise is skillfully presented; each used in the right amount to convey a certain mood.  The expressions on the faces of the squids are marvelous.  Their doodles are hilarious.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a single-page picture.  A squid is in the bathtub.  On the tile surrounding the tub is a frightened fish, a shark, a palm tree (on the towel and wall), a jellyfish, and a snail.  In one squid arm we see it is holding a toothbrush with toothpaste on it.  This is a drawing on the bathmat.  Clothes and glasses have been drawn on a rubber ducky.  On the side of the tub is a man in a sailboat among waves.  He is pointing, mouth open in a shout, to a fin.

Every time I read this book, After Squidnight written and illustrated by Jonathan Fenske, I find myself smiling before I've even reached the second page.  The atmosphere the words and artwork conjure asks you to share this book widely and repeatedly.  You can expect requests of "read it again."  It also invites you to think about other animals leaving their natural habitat to explore and enjoy their favorite things.  I know you'll want a copy for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Jonathan Fenske and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Jonathan Fenske has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  

Pondering Politeness

When a total stranger offers you a polite greeting there are many ways to respond.  First and foremost is to take into account your surroundings and the time of day.  If it's any given hour during the morning, afternoon or early evening in a place filled with people you can return the greeting, nod, wave or smile.  All those actions are acceptable.

Unless you are unable to talk or understand the language, to do nothing might be considered rude. (Friendly people sometimes forget you might be shy.)  Perhaps there is another reason altogether as to your lack of speech.  Plankton Is Pushy (Scholastic Press, April 25, 2017), a companion title to Barnacle Is Bored (Scholastic Press, May 10, 2016), written and illustrated by Jonathan Fenske is a classic episode in the outgoing versus the reticent.

Why, hello,
Mister Mussel! 

Cheerfully, Plankton is out for a swim in the sea when he encounters Mussel, who looks rather grumpy.  He calmly waits for a response to his greeting.  When Mussel continues to rest on the sand in silence, Plankton repeats his words louder, perhaps thinking Mussel suffers some sort of hearing impairment.

Mussel just sits there wearing the same expression and expelling bursts of bubbles.  Plankton believes Mussel is in need of instructions in etiquette.  He proceeds to perform a scenario in which Mussel replies, giving him possible examples.  He then cheerfully, but with a bit of an instructive attitude, starts over.  You can almost feel Plankton's frustration increase when Mussel does absolutely nothing.

Trying another tactic Plankton speaks more slowly.  The results are identical.  Mussel does utter a sound.  Plankton moves from rage to pleading.

That's when a miracle seems to occur.  Plankton is overjoyed.  Several moments later not one, not two but three surprises are certain to have readers grinning from ear to ear.


As soon as we see Plankton, before he even utters a word, we know he is an upbeat kind of sea creature as he moves along whistling.  In this way Jonathan Fenske introduces us to his personality.  His happy-go-lucky temperament makes it impossible for him to pass Mister Mussel without speaking.

In the timeless tradition of the third-time-is-the-charm he attempts to convert Mussel to displaying similar cheerfulness.  This increases the tension building to the unforeseen consequences and heightening the comedy.  By having Plankton relate the narrative through his first person dialogue we are more intimately involved in the discourse and of course, better able to enjoy the hilarity when it happens.  Here is a sample passage.

So let's say we give this another whirl, okay?

WHY, HELLO, MISTER MUSSEL!

Really?
Nothing?

Grrrrrr.


The opened book case gives readers a very good idea of the state of the relationship between Plankton and Mister Mussel.  The facial features on both of the characters set the scene for a less than amiable meeting.  Plankton is in full lecture mode.  On the back, to the left, a larger version of Plankton is peeking from the spine on the right, hands to his body in disgust.  The bubbles we see on the front are replicated on the back around information about Jonathan Fenske.  Above this a short blurb ends with a question about the book.

Barnacle makes an appearance on the opening endpapers as Plankton approaches a grouchy Mister Mussel.  Making use of every bit of space, the closing endpapers announce a startling finale as we zoom in on the two main characters.  The color palette throughout of purples, gray, pinks, black, white, sand, sea blue and sea green and rage red work wonderfully with the text.

Jonathan Fenske conveys the mood and emotions of the story marvelously through body postures and facial expressions.  Plankton's eyes, eyebrows "hands" and feelers leave no doubt as to his exact state of mind.  This contrasts very well with the same stoic look on Mussel's face leading us (and Plankton) to the ultimate conclusion.  Fenske alternates the visual sizes from two page, to half page and then to single page, all of them edge to edge to supply pacing.

One of my favorite of several illustrations is one of the half-page pictures.  Plankton is giving Mussel a lesson in politeness.  He is telling him to say "Hello" in reply to his "Hello".  He has a sort of sarcastic look on his face as his "hands" form a mouth moving to say "Hello".  Who knew plankton could have so much pizzazz?


You know from your first glance at the book case, you are going to be smiling when you read this book.  Plankton Is Pushy written and illustrated by Jonathan Fenske is a lesson in politeness and in knowing when enough is enough.  The surprises are sure to prompt discussions.  Reading this aloud is wonderful.  It's been student tested with shared laughter as an outcome.

To discover more about Jonathan Fenske and his other work please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  You will enjoy scrolling through his illustrations.  If you go to Scholastic's Instagram account you can click on the book cover and swipe through the first few pages.

To See In The Sea

It's not done very often.  When it is done, it's a rip-roaring success.  If it's been memorable, you would think it would become standard practice.  Call it intuition of a lifelong reader but reading a book aloud to a group of students for the first time without reading it first yourself, can be and has been pure magic.

There are those books when you first gaze at the dust jacket and book case, it's as if they are speaking to you.  If you are like me, you've learned to listen.  One look at Barnacle Is BORED (Scholastic Press, May 10, 2016) written and illustrated by Jonathan Fenske and you can hear the laughter of readers and listeners building in the background, softly at first and then bursting forth loud and long.

Sigh.
I am BORED.
Bored.
Bored.
BORED.

Attached to the underside of a pier, Barnacle wishes he could be anywhere but where he is.  This crustacean's spirit is crushed.  It doesn't matter whether the tide is in or out, nothing is right.

This member of the marine community sees no joy in absolutely anything, day or night.  When a happy, bright and colorful fish swims by, Barnacle instantly gets a case of the-sea-is-bluer-on-the-other-side-of-the-dock.  He is certain this fish's days are filled with merry moments as opposed to his dull and dreary lifestyle stuck in a single spot.

Barnacle imagines all the activities the fish enjoys with other residents of this watery realm.  Diving, soaring and flipping are only a few.  Perhaps a game of tag is played with other smaller ocean occupants.

As Barnacle is about to speculate on another fine bit of fun this fish is surely savoring, he stops mid-sentence.  Mr. Humdrum is at a loss for words.  When the next sentence is uttered, there is a marked difference.


Jonathan Fenske wants readers to become as attached to Barnacle as he is to the wharf.  With Barnacle as the sole narrator, listing every mundane thing in his stationary situation, we are lulled by the established rhythm. (I really like the use of opposites in this portion.)  This allows for the creation of a lively contrast upon the arrival of the fish and Barnacle's descriptions.  Fenske perks up the discourse with alliterative phrases which in turn sets us up for the final hilarious twist.  Here are some sample sentences.

Waves roll OVER me.
Waves roll UNDER me.

I bet he DIVES with dolphins.


When you open the book case you are treated to a single image of Barnacle attached to the dock on the right just past the spine.  On the back, to the left, bubbles surround the text about Jonathan Fenske just as they do the title text on the front.  The simple color palette of white, black, green, blue, shades of brown and pale peach is used throughout the book with the exception of the other sea creatures.  They provide a distinction by being more colorful.  This pairs perfectly with the text.

Fenske uses every portion of the book for this tale with the beginning and conclusion on the endpapers.  The first is a more panoramic view of Barnacle, the pier and the sea.  The second is a close-up for maximum impact. On the verso, dedication and title pages, we zoom in on Barnacle with his dismal expression and two of his four limbs crossed.

When Fenske changes his perspective of Barnacle and the other sea creatures, it brings us directly into the mood of the story.  We can see clearly the expressions on Barnacle's face and the other faces too.  Barnacle's eyes, mouth and arms are what trigger the laughter.  Fenske also adds some additional commentary text by the fish and a pelican guaranteed to elicit giggles from readers and listeners.  Three wordless images are particularly powerful.

One of my favorite illustrations of many is when Barnacle is describing the fish with two speech bubbles of text; one which says:

The little polka-dotted show-off.  

We are brought in close to his face.  The four identifying green circles are more pronounced.  His eyebrows are critically raised over wavy eyelids and eyes full of sarcasm.  If he had hands and hips, those hands would be his hips.


Trust me when I say, readers will hardly be able to contain their laughter when the pages of Barnacle Is BORED written and illustrated by Jonathan Fenske are read by an individual or as a read aloud.  The kindergarten students and I could not stop laughing once we started.  The comedy builds and builds until the final picture.  There is hardly anything better than sharing a funny story with others and this book delivers.

Please visit Jonathan Fenske's website to learn more about him and his other work by following the link attached to his name.  By following these links you can read a bit about the journey of this book's publication and the celebration of its release.  This title was included in a post by Rocco Staino at School Library Journal when he interviewed Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher and in a post by teacher librarian Travis Jonker on his blog 100 Scope Notes at School Library Journal.  Jonathan Fenske is interviewed at Eyes And Books. 

UPDATE:  Jonathan Fenske is a guest at Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher's blog Watch. Connect. Read.  Sunday, May 22, 2016.

UPDATE: May 24, 2016  I am happy as can be to have Jonathan on the blog today chatting with me about his work.  I think you all are going to enjoy his answers as much as I do.  

From your website we read that you have a BFA in Sculpture from Clemson University.   You have a successful career as a gallery artist.  From the birth of your first daughter this love of art and illustration transitioned to being a picture book creator.  As a child were you always intrigued with art?

Yes!  I wasn't exposed to a lot of "classical" art as a child (museums, etc.), but I was always fascinated by things that exuded creativity. Cartoons, namely Droopy Dog and Looney Tunes, were probably the art form that I was most drawn too at an early age!

Did you enjoy drawing and painting then?

Oh yes. I would draw anything in sight. As a young teen, I would just sit around and do black and white drawings of cars and airplanes from magazines. My school notebooks have margins full of doodles of teachers, classmates, or my own made up characters.

Or was there a defining moment when you knew this is what you wanted to do?

I was never one of those people who knew from an early age what I wanted to be. When I went to college, I enjoyed creativity and the creative process and wanted some sort of direction in that realm, but what I really wanted to be was a professional soccer player. Obviously, I came to my senses as my art classes displaced my sports fantasies and became my passion. 

Did the image of Barnacle as we see him in this book come to you immediately or did his physical traits evolve?

I have a little doodle of Barnacle on the back of an ATM receipt that I did when the title first came to me. For someone who loves the process of character development, I am surprised at how remarkably unchanged Barnacle is since that first doodle. He's pretty much the same four-tentacled, doofy-eyed creature dangling from his shell. One change was that in the original rough storyboards I had him hanging sideways on the pier, which presented some challenges that were solved by having him dangle straight up and down.

Could you tell us briefly about your process in creating this title.  Did the text come first or the images?  What kind of medium did you use for these illustrations? 

I tend to wake up at 3 a.m. with book ideas in my head (I don't know why...unfortunately, that seems to be the time I am most creative!). Almost always the words and images come out together in a rough storyboard format. Sometimes the words dictate the pictures or vice-versa, but they do tend to come to me hand-in-hand. I do a rough dummy in pencil, then character development in more polished pencil sketches. I then translate the sketches to a digital format and color them. The original rough dummy and pencil and paper drawings are absolutely my favorite part of the process. 

Your comic pacing in Barnacle Is BORED is wonderful.  Do you have a favorite humorous picture book?

Well, first of all, thank you so much for the compliment! I would have to say Lane Smith's The Happy Hocky Family is one of my favorite picture books. The way he skewered the traditional "Dick and Jane" format was pitch-perfect, and the illustrations, though very different from a lot of his work, were such simple yet elegant (not to mention hilarious) companions to the text. 

Thank you for answering these questions Jonathan.  Is there anything else you would like to share?

I would just like to share my gratitude to all those who support children's literature. I am very fortunate that there are so many librarians, parents, teachers, etc. whose passion is the driving force keeping these kinds of books on the shelves. Thank you, thank you, thank you!