Where There's Wool . . . There's A Way

Not a day goes by without my furry friend, Mulan, stopping multiple times to wait for another walker, runner, or biker to catch up to us on our daily treks throughout the neighborhood.  She pauses and sits several times along the sidewalks surrounding the elementary school where I work. It does not matter whether school is in session or not.  She is listening for the sound of children.

She has been this way since she was a puppy.  Assessing her surroundings and looking for people to greet or welcome into our "pack" is a huge part of her personality.  She is one of the most caring dogs to be a part of my life.  It is not that my three other Labradors were not people-loving, but Mulan will not budge until she is certain all is well.

It seems that Mulan is not alone in her desire to care for others.  In Lita Judge's newest title, Don't Worry, Wuddles (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, September 26, 2023), an exuberant duckling is determined to provide for the other creatures on the farm.  The yellow bundle of fluff takes one look at the wooly, wooly sheep, Wuddles, and offers the perfect proposal for an impending problem.

Wuddles, are you asleep?

Wuddles, eyelids barely open, is not asleep, but trying to nap. The duckling is concerned because snow is coming.  Would Wuddles share a bit of wool so the duckling can have a scarf?

The now scarf-wearing duckling notices Rooster is not protected from the approaching winter weather.  Oh!  Rooster needs a hat!  The appropriate amount of wool is taken from Wuddles as the title phrase is uttered.  Wuddles has so much wool, surely the amount needed for a scarf and hat will not be missed.

Eyes moving around the inside of the barn, the duckling comments about the lack of fur on Rabbit's ears.  Earmuffs are the best garb Rabbit can use.  Duckling assures Wuddles everything is under control and each creature will be ready for the upcoming chilly temperatures.

Let's see there's Goat, Goose, Dog, Cow . . . Cow!?  No, Cow is huge and hairy.  There is a passel of Piggies, though.  Running around like an spirited, single-minded knitter, Duckling fashions an array of winter attire.  Looking out the window, a satisfied duckling sees the snow.  In the next second an utter disaster is discovered.  Again, the clever clothier has a solution.  Two universal words are uttered.  

When you read this story penned by Lita Judge, you can feel your mood lightening.  The first person narrative of Duckling is like that of a small child discovering something wonderful in abundance.  They are so excited their mind is operating like the balls in a pinball machine.

Duckling's ability to connect the right attire to each animal via Wuddles's wool is witty.  As each animal is clothed, the banter will likely lead to gales of laughter from readers.  Here is a passage.

Wuddles, did we forget anyone?

Oh yes, there is Dog.

He's fine. Furry head,

furry tail.

ACK! Bare feet! Wuddles, 

this will never do!

Somehow when you look at the open and matching dust jacket and book case and witness the wooly Wuddles resting comfortably with the fuzzy, yellow duckling already on the run, you get the distinct feeling Wuddles is probably going to be worried sooner rather than later.  The duckling is also shown running on the jacket flaps and across the left side (back) of the jacket and book case.  It is here readers are introduced to the soft realistic color palette used throughout the book.

On the endpapers is a solid sunny yellow.  On the initial title page, Duckling is standing on a wooden box looking up at Wuddles.  By the formal title and verso pages, this little being brimming with get-up-and-go is leaping toward Wuddles' head.

This artwork by Lita Judge rendered in watercolor and colored pencil radiates warmth as image sizes shift from double-page pictures to single-page illustrations crossing the gutter and at times pairing with circular designs.  Time in quick succession is displayed with visuals on white near full-color illustrations.  Lita Judge masterfully manages to separate individual moments while making them a part of a whole.

Readers will appreciate the humor present on every page.  The highly animated animals' exact moods and reactions to the duckling clothing them are depicted with wide-eyed looks and exaggerated body postures.  It is the growing concern in Wuddles' expressions as the wool is being used that will have readers laughing out loud.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a two-page picture.  Wuddles fills most of the lower half of the pages.  To the left, Rabbit, now wearing earmuffs, watches Goose, whose neck is stretched out tall.   Duckling is seated on Wuddles' right ear, wings to its head in puzzlement.  On top of Wuddles are Rooster and Goat, wearing their winter wear.  Goat is being especially goat-ish and reaching to nibble on some nearby straw.  Wuddles staring at readers is looking slightly aghast.  You cannot look at this scene without smiling or giggling.

Written and illustrated by Lita Judge, Don't Worry, Wuddles is sure to have readers begging for it to be read repeatedly.  They will fall in love with all the members of the barnyard crew as the passionate little duckling wraps wooly creations around each of them.  I have an idea how readers might react to the two-word wisdom of Duckling at the story's conclusion.  Be ready.  I cannot imagine a personal or professional collection without a copy of this book.

To learn more about Lita Judge and her other work, you can visit her website by following the link attached to her name.  Lita Judge has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website, you can view interior images as well as the open dust jacket.  It was with honor that I was able to pose questions to Lita Judge about this title.  I know you will be delighted with her answers.

Lita, I have long been an admirer of your creative endeavors.  There is a rare blend of warmth, richness, and sincere love of life in your characters and their stories.  After having met you briefly last autumn, I have come to believe that there is a little bit of you in each of your characters.  Everything they do, their stories, make readers better than they were before they read about them in your books.

Thank you! My husband teases me that my characters are all a little autobiographical.  On the outside I can seem a little quiet and shy, but inside, I'm a kid bubbling over with excitement.

With this being said, do you see yourself in either the duckling or Wuddles?  Or is there a little bit of you in each of them?

I'm definitely more duckling!  Eager to do something and ready to jump in.  But I hope my friends also see I have some Wuddles in me.  I try to be a safe harbor and a good listener, which is a way of caring for others given I don't have a wooly fleece I can share.

How did you arrive at the name Wuddles?

I was trying to think of a name one day while walking with a close friend.  Her cat is named Wuggies, and I've always loved that name.  But then I remembered that's a character from a Daniel Pinkwater book.  So then I just started playing a word game to think of something that fit my own dear, sweet, over plumped-up sheep and the name Wuddles came to mind.  I find names are often really fun to come up with!

Are there real-life animals on which the characters are based?

Duckling was originally a mouse in need of a tail scarf, inspired by my own pet mouse, Pantalaimon.  At first I wanted so badly to keep him a mouse (I had all the drawings originally done with him).  But Pan has already appeared in a LOT of my books.  Then one day I was holding and sketching a baby duck at a farm I often visit and thought how perfect.  He had just the right energy.  Wuddles is inspired by a big mama sheep that lives on the farm.  I have visited her often and sketched during lambing season and always wanted to put her in a story.

Did a weather event inspire this story?  We readers are curious as to how this tale started?

This story actually started during a blackout in the first week of Covid lockdown.  We had a terrible wind storm which blew hundreds of trees down and left us without power for several days.  With that and the beginning of covid, I felt a little bit like duckling in this story.  Writing and drawing Wuddles, by headlamp one evening, made me feel like eventually, all would be ok.

Did the list of winter attire come first or did the animals which are finally clothed in the warmth?

Hmmm, neither really.  I drew all the animals first without clothes and thought about what they might need and want if they were cold.  It took a lot of drawing and experimenting to find the right clothes for each critter.  Someone else would have probably just written a list, which would be much more efficient!  But I always start stories with pictures before words.  They just come to me that way.

For those that follow you on Instagram or Facebook, you are always generous with sharing your artistic processes.  Did the animals come first as sketches?  Did they ask you to tell a story about them or did the story come first?  Would you briefly tell us the order in making the artwork for this book?  Colored pencil first, then watercolor?  Or perhaps, sketches and then watercolor and colored pencil?  We would be grateful to know this.

Stories almost always begin with random sketches for me.  I used to try to write first and then draw, but it never worked out.  I draw in sketchbooks all the time, producing hundreds and hundreds of sketches.  I try to draw nearly every day.  Then every once in a while an animal becomes a character that feels like it has a story within.  At that point, I rarely have a plot in mind, but I have a character and I can start drawing various things that could happen to that character, and then, little by little a plot develops.  My nonfiction books begin with sketches as well, though I'm doing a lot of research to learn about the topic while drawing so that eventually I can organize the material into a book.

The art starts with graphite pencil.  I do endless sketches to get the characters just the way I want them.  Once they are developed, I paint in watercolor and then I layer colored pencils on top of that to bring out the line work and build in richer colors.

I thank you, dear Lita, for answering these questions.  I know readers will love Wuddles, the duckling and other creatures and their story as much as I do.

Thank you so much!  I'm so eager to share this with young readers, and older readers who are young at heart!

Celebrating Gifts

Each being shares traits with other beings.  Some of those characteristics are broad, others are more particular.  No matter your age, you know this to be true.  We, too, are drawn to those who share common interests.  This is how connections, bonds, and friendships are formed.

It is only as those connections, bonds, and friendships grow that acknowledgements and adjustments are made.  Something Beautiful (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, June 7, 2022) written and illustrated by Lita Judge explores how individuals embrace each other initially because of shared pursuits.  As their circle of friends expands, something wondrous happens.

Ball was Mouse's favorite

and with it, he played alone. 

Elephant arrived, wanting to play with Mouse and Ball.  Together they had fabulous fun.  A trio of pals formed when Giraffe appeared.  Their interests were in perfect sync.  

They didn't think anyone else was necessary to increase their joy. Soon, a prickly critter called out a greeting.  Mouse, Elephant, and Giraffe were hesitant to welcome Porcupine.  His idea of playing and snacking were weird.

Porcupine opened up a whole new view of the world for the other three animals when teaching them how to climb trees.  What could possibly be better than this?  Joy and the power of imagination burst over the foursome when Warthog danced beneath the tree.

She was everything they could possibly want until the running group unexpectedly bumped into Lion.  Lion was sitting alone.  He did not want to play when invited to join the group, so they sat with him.  In those moments, Mouse, Elephant, Giraffe, Porcupine, and Warthog understood the value of stillness and what it could reveal.  Six friends in their time together did find another truth, the most priceless truth of all.

From the first simple sentence, Lita Judge invites us into the story.  We realize because alone is the final word in that sentence, Mouse will have company soon.  With a page turn and another single sentence, Elephant is introduced.  When each new animal makes an appearance, Lita Judge provides us with a few additional details.  These details not only give us hints into the personalities of Elephant, Giraffe, Porcupine, Warthog, and Lion, but enlarge our view of the blossoming friendships and the definition of beautiful.  Here are three consecutive sentences.

Warthog has a heart full of sunshine

and a head full of dreams.

Together, they discovered that flowers

were magic wands in disguise

and that ears can be

turned into wings.

Mouse, Elephant, Giraffe, Porcupine and Warthog

needed no one else

but then . . .

In looking at the open and matching dust jacket and book case, the first thing readers notice is the endearing trio.  Their facial expressions have us wondering what each of them are thinking.  The presence of Ball and the blue butterflies are full of promise.  To the left of the spine, we are treated to text praising two previous titles, Flight School and Red Sled, both written and illustrated by Lita Judge.  In the lower left-hand portion of the back, Porcupine does a little jig, leaves stuck to his quills.  Several blue butterflies flutter nearby.  Ball is above Porcupine.  What will happen when gravity takes over?  On the dust jacket the title text is embossed in a stunning blue hue.  Lita Judge's name, the butterflies and Ball are varnished.

A vivid robin's egg blue covers the opening and closing endpapers.  With a page turn, we see Mouse scampering toward the lower right-hand corner of the right page.  On the formal title page, Mouse stands next to Ball.

One of the things in Lita Judge's artwork is her masterful use of white space.  It frames her characters.  It seems to hug them and lift them up.

Using 

watercolor and digital editing,

these images depict energetic playfulness, joyous abandonment, calm contentment and curiosity, gracious acceptance, and pure wonderment.  Readers will delight at the details, the settings, and the looks on each of the characters' faces.  As you turn the pages, you find yourself continuously smiling and even laughing out loud. (You will also find yourself looking more intently at the pictures.  Doesn't that knot in the tree look like Warthog's belly?)

One of my many favorite pictures is a single-page illustration.  A large oval with softened edges is surrounded by white space.  Near a tree is Porcupine.  Leaves are stuck to his quills.  Ball is stuck on top of his head.  He is gnawing on his favorite snack, a gnarly twig.  Mouse is trying it, but says (outside the frame)

Patooey!

We need to embody the sincere wisdom found in the words and artwork in Something Beautiful written and illustrated by Lita Judge.  The openness of the animals and their willingness to accept differences leads to exquisite joy and the ultimate revelation.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Lita Judge and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Lita Judge has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website, you can view interior images including the full, open dust jacket.

Sweet Dreams #2

For some reason, the move from daylight savings to standard time has been a struggle in 2021 (and 2022) for some individuals.  It seems the canine community, in this home and in the households of neighbors, is refusing the necessary adjustment.  Waking, walking, eating of meals, and sleeping remain on daylight savings hours.  This makes their humans' schedules a tad bit off every single day.  

This situation, coupled with my dog's acute awareness when a deer, fox, or rabbit happens to be nearby, has diminished our actual time of rest.  There is nothing like a dog's loud barking to make you sit upright out of a sound sleep in the middle of the night. . .or is there?  After reading Everybody In The Red Brick Building (Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, October 12, 2021) written by Anne Wynter with illustrations by Oge Mora, it is apparent we are not alone. Uninterrupted bedtime rest is not necessarily the norm. 

Everybody in the red brick building was asleep.

The slumber of the people in the red brick building was suddenly disturbed by a loud vocal outburst by Baby Izzie.  It did not go unnoticed by Rayhan.  He was decidedly worried about his parrot. The startled bird let out a boisterous screech.

Those two unusual noises instigated a late night game by three pals during a sleepover.  (Did Natalia just shoot a rocket out her bedroom window?)  In short order, a cat made a mad dash from her sleeping space to the top of a car.  This action triggered the car's alarm.

Parental responses were swift.  The participants in these nighttime romps began to settle to a new set of sounds.  A street sweeper and falling acorns combined to begin a symphony.

A breeze created another melody.  A dozing feathered friend added harmony.  Like the very best of stories, this one circled back to the beginning.  

Author Anne Wynter writes with the sure knowledge of a storyteller.  Each time a new character is introduced, a clamorous noise is associated with them.  This noise is repeated with the additional commotions, adding layers and building toward the loudest sound, the car alarm in the street.  This technique is employed again as we circle back to the beginning.  Readers cannot help but participate in this late night awakening and lullaby.  Here is a passage.

Woken up by a WaaaAAH!,

a Rrack! Wake Up!,

and a Pitter patter STOMP!,

Natalia dropped from her bunk to

launch her brand-new light-up rocket.

As soon as you look at the matching dust jacket and book case, you wish you lived in the red brick building.  The entire image spans from flap edge to flap edge on the jacket and edge to edge on the case. The characters in the windows on the front, right, of the jacket and case are lively.  The hint of nighttime sky we view on the front extends across the back, left, in brush strokes of shades of blue.  Beneath this expanse, colorful homes line the bottom, windows dark.  The text on the front of the jacket is varnished.

A pale turquoise covers the opening and closing endpapers.  The night sky is the background for the title, publication information, and dedication pages.  In this night sky, stars leave white-line trails behind them.

Artist Oge Mora 

used acrylic paint, gouache, china markers, patterned paper pastels, and old book clippings to create the collage illustrations for this book.

The selected colors reflect the more subdued lighting of nighttime, yet they are still a vibrant blend of hues. Each double-page picture calls out to the reader, asking them to stop and notice the detailed depictions.

The facial expressions on the characters convey each mood superbly.  We see upset, worry, glee, triumph, and fright before calm settles over each individual.  Closed eyes and whispered conversations signal calm.  For most of the images, we are close to the actions of the characters.  Sometimes a group of smaller insets are on a double page spread to indict the quick passage of time and shift in events.

One of my many favorite illustrations shows readers four windows in the red brick building.  The first four windows, on the left, give us a peek inside the homes where the parents have intervened.  This is a huge shift in the progression of the action.  The parrot squawks a goodnight, a father clicks off a flashlight, a mother comforts a fussy baby, and a girl reclaims her rocket as her mother presses the off button on her car alarm.  The next set of four windows on the right are dark.  The lights are off, but we can still see elements from the earlier pictures.  Wonderful.

In a universal sense and on an everyday level this title, Everybody In The Red Brick Building written by Anne Wynter with illustrations by Oge Mora, allows us to see that the world or our home, family, or friends send disruptions to what we consider normal.  And, despite those disruptions, peace is restored.  I highly recommend this title for both your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Anne Wynter and Oge Mora and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  Anne Wynter has accounts on Facebook and Instagram.  Oge Mora has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  At the publisher's website there is a Home and Community Classroom Kit which includes this title and three other books.  Anne Wynter is interviewed at Picture Book Builders and Kidlit in Color with respect to this title. This book is showcased at We Need Diverse Books with an interview of Oge Mora.

Sometimes, thankfully not every time, something unforeseen or annoying can keep us from falling into much needed sleep.  A branch rubbing against your window by a shift in the wind's direction is bothersome.  You make a mental note to trim it as soon as morning arrives.  In Awake (Roaring Brook Press, October 19, 2021) written and illustrated by Mags Deroma something unforeseen happens to a little girl and her furry friend, Oscar. Something usually not in her bedroom has taken up residence.

In a big, big city, on a busy city street, there is a pretty tall

building.  At the tipity-top of that tall building is my bedroom.

Just before turning out her light, a very sleepy girl and her dog are suddenly not so sleepy.  The girl notices a spider.  It's surprising how you can go from dead tired to eyes-wide-open awake in a flash.

Sleep is impossible when you share your room with a spider.  There is nothing available to end its life.  It cannot be thought away.

Still, the girl persists in imagining all manner of options to rid her room of that spider.  Her schemes, in her mind, grow larger and larger.  Wait!  The spider is moving.

Quick as a wink, the glass on her nightstand is grabbed and encloses the unwelcome guest.  It is then, on closer examination, a change occurs.  With understanding, fear leaves and is replaced with compassion.

With the protagonist as narrator, author Mags Deroma encourages readers to identify deeply with the little girl.  The words in her sentences fashion a welcoming cadence.  Her descriptions of place and time are those easily identified by many of us.  Here is a passage.

I know!  The WATER SPOUT!

Just like the RAIN,

I'll WASH the spider out!

But

then out comes

the sun . . .

and dries up 

all the rain . . .

and that big hairy

spider CANNOT come 

up the spout again,

thank you very much!

The limited color palette used throughout the book is introduced to readers on the dust jacket.  These muted shades lend a warmth to the darkness of night.  The use of red here and in the interior portions of the book is highly effective.  On the front, both the little girl and Oscar, her dog, have their gaze on the intruder.  The placement of the text, spider and the characters is marvelous!

To the left of the spine, which replicates the red-and-white stripe of the little girl's pajamas, is a sky dotted with stars surrounding the tall building.  In the front and to the right side of this building, street lamps glow.  The only other light we see is from the arched window of the little girl's bedroom.  She is petting Oscar.

The book case is entirely black with one exception.  On the front are only two very large eyes.  They are the eyes of the spider.

On the opening endpapers amid what could be a horizon at dawn or dusk are lines of hues of orange.  On the right side in a column are phrases to ponder.  The word OPEN is used three times.  It is followed by symbols of eyes, mind, and heart.  The final three words say:

TO BE AWAKE.

On the closing endpapers amid a starry sky are seven cut-out pieces of paper.  They advise readers on how

TO RELOCATE a SURPRISE GUEST.

Readers are instructed on the necessary materials, giving the guest a name, 

(TAKE A

DEEEEEEP

BREATH!), 

and the step-by-step process.  

On the title page, on the right side we are close to the little girl as she brushes her teeth before bedtime.  Through the doorway we see Oscar, nose to the floor, next to the spider.  On the left side, the verso, on black is the dedication and publication information.  The publication information is in the shape of a spider web done in white.  Clever.

These illustrations by Mags Deroma were

made with paint and soft pastels on a gazillion pieces of cut paper, all collaged together.

Each picture is full of details, asking us to absorb the atmosphere in each scene.  Some are more highly charged emotionally than others.  There are double-page illustrations and single-page visuals.  Sometimes we are brought close to the action and other times we stand back to view the city, the little girl's bedroom, or all her ideas for eliminating the spider. 

At one point we are slightly above the capture of the spider.  All we see is the little girl's arms and hands on the glass over the spider.  There is the top portion of her head.  And a bit of her emotionally charged movement flickering in the lower, right-hand corner.  A single word is on this two-page illustration.  This, in turn, opens to a gatefold, four pages of a spectacular view of the city.  There are layers of buildings, bridges, and a city street shimmering with lights.  On the street directly in front of the tall building, the little girl's home, we can see the names of the businesses.  Along the bottom of the page is the window sill of the bedroom.  The spider peeks out through the glass.  On the right side, in the corner, is a spider web.  (Earlier in the story, careful readers will notice Oscar as he tries to give a specific book to his little girl.)

One of my many favorite illustrations accompanies the third sentence in the book.  It is the second double-page picture.  On the left, the little girl is kneeling on her bed, wearing her pajamas, ready to pull the chain on her bedside lamp sitting on her nightstand.  Oscar is lying on the wood plank floor, with his eyes closed.  Around her bed are several books and a round bin holding treasures.  Other items are hanging on her wall.  They seem to indicate her sense of adventure and imagination.  On the right is the wall with two arched windows in her bedroom.  We can see a small section of an easy chair.

There is nothing more off-setting than discovering you are sharing your bedroom with a creature not to your liking.  Awake written and illustrated by Mags Deroma describes this event to perfection as well as taking us through the thought process of the little girl as she tries to resolve her problem.  That she shares this experience with Oscar makes her and her story more endearing to readers.  This book will promote discussions galore and will be asked to be read often.  Plan on placing a copy on your personal and professional bookshelves.

To learn more about Mags Deroma and her other work (This is her picture book debut.), please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Mags Deroma has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. At the publisher's website, you can view interior illustrations.  

Awake by Mags DeRoma from Let's Talk Picture Books on Vimeo.

Every babysitter, sibling, parent or caregiver is aware of the myriad of challenges faced when shaping children into a bedtime ritual.  Having them follow that ritual is an even harder challenge.  Just when you think everyone is starting to snooze, there will be the sound of bare feet on floors or giggles or the classic asking for a drink of water.  Forty Winks: A Bedtime Adventure (Abrams Books for Young Readers, October 26, 2021) written by Kelly DiPucchio with pictures by Lita Judge is a lovable, engaging and humorous view of patient parents and their thirty-eight mouse children settling down to sleep.

"It's time for bed!" the Wink parents said

Their routine was the same every night.

Mama and Papa lined up their big brood,

all thirty-eight children in sight. 

Each child is called by name, thirty-eight alliterative, rhyming names.  First, the entire crew enjoys a drink and two kinds of snacks.  They eat at different speeds and with different styles.  From there, as you can imagine the mess, they head to pails full of suds for their nightly baths.

Now spotless from head to toe, they dress in cozy flannel pajamas.  Brushing of teeth ensues, two mice at a time at the sink.  Mama reads each of the Winks a book.  (Whew!)  Of course, they want one more.  

Prayers are said as they snuggle into bed, some more quickly and quietly than others.  As a whole they are restless, not ready to rest.  Some moments later, Mama and Papa believe they are all slumbering when someone asks for a drink of water.

How many of the Winks do you think then need a drink?  Later, much later, as they burrow into their bedding, all forty of the family of Winks fall sound asleep.  Outside their home, sunlight brightens the horizon, until . . .

By the time you get to the third page in this narrative by Kelly DiPucchio, you find yourself smiling.  That smile stays with you until the end of the book, and then, a little bit longer.  The rhyming rhythm of the words, especially the thirty-eight names mentioned twice, wraps around you and lifts you up.  Alliteration is in abundance.  Here is a passage.

The loud, hungry pack was served up a snack

of cider and crumb cake and cheese.

Some sipped and some slurped,

some gobbled and burped,

while others said "thank you" and "please".

From left to right on the open dust jacket, artist Lita Judge, has featured all forty of the Winks.  They are all in their pajamas . . . well, most of them are.  Some are wearing fuzzy slippers.  Their antics are hilarious as you can see by the front of the dust jacket.  A couple of them are already asleep.  Having them climbing among the title text mirrors their energy throughout the bedtime routine.  The text and the mice are varnished.

On the book case, an interior illustration is used. We are looking down on most of the sleeping Wink mice.  Continuing in full-color, we see them nestled in beds, single, double, and bunk, a large stuffed turtle pillow, a toy airplane, cars from a train, and in the basket of a floating air balloon.  A circus tent is there for them to play and sleep inside.  Slippers, toys and some stuffed toy animals are on the floor.  Many of them are holding stuffed toy animals or each other.  Some of their artwork hangs on a string stretching across the round window.

On the opening and closing endpapers all forty Winks are showcased in portraits.  The frames around them are pale yellow.  They are a fantastic complement to the watercolor washed sky-blue background.

On the verso and title pages, the entire family is spread along the bottom with the exception of several mice in the airplane, balloon basket, and climbing down a ladder from the balloon.  They are, as is to be expected, highly animated and happy.  These illustrations in a variety of sizes

were made with pencil and watercolor.

The physical characteristics of the mice are realistic as Lita Judge nursed a baby mouse left on her doorstep, by a concerned neighbor, back to health.  Their facial expressions conveying their moods and their body postures depicting total exuberance are certain to have readers stopping to be sure not to miss a single intricate element.  Every line made and every color chosen work together beautifully.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a single-page picture.  Ten of the Wink youngsters are gathered around a table, devouring their snacks of cider, crumb cakes, and cheese.  Most are seated on stools, one is on the floor, and another is standing on a stack of books on a chair.  A blue cupboard is behind them to the right.  Something has spilled on the floor.  One of the little mice, walking off the page to the right, has stepped in it and leaves footprints.  Readers will pause to look at their clothing.  One of them is wearing an outfit that looks like a tiny bear cub. 

 

This book, Forty Winks written by Kelly DiPucchio with pictures by Lita Judge, is assuredly an enchanting extension of the title's definition.  It presents an everyday event multiplied by thirty-eight.  It is a read aloud treasure.  I wonder how many of the names you will remember when asked to list them at the end.  Your collections, personal and professional, won't be complete without a copy of this title.

To learn more about Kelly DiPucchio and Lita Judge and their other work, please access their websites by following the link attached to their names.  Kelly DiPucchio has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Lita Judge has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view interior illustrations.  There is an article about this book in The Oakland Press (Michigan).

For the first post in this series, Sweet Dreams, here is the link.

In Seeming Silence

Humans have found a multitude of means to speak without uttering a sound.  Flashing lights can blink out messages using Morse Code.  Nautical flags, one for each of the twenty-six-letter alphabet, can spell out single words or phrases.  The American Sign Language or simple hand gestures can convey entire conversations with other individuals, and beckon or turn them away.  Eyes through a glance or steady stare silently signal thoughts and emotions.  

If humans can do this, imagine how more advanced communication is with living beings in the natural world.  The Wisdom of Trees: How Trees Work Together to Form a Natural Kingdom (Roaring Brook Press, March 2, 2021) written and illustrated by Lita Judge is an astounding. meaningful, and informative exploration of shared connections.  Working together for the common good is the key to survival and a flourishing society.

A Secret Kingdom

I am a single beech,

but I am not alone.

Together with my fellow trees,

we form a secret kingdom.

So begins our acquaintance with a world we think we understand but is much wider and deeper.  Beech trees can live for hundreds of years.  They have stories to tell.

Some we will never know, but people dedicated to the study of trees have expanded what they believe to be true.  Trees speak skillfully and silently.  Author and illustrator Lita Judge, through a series of fourteen poems deciphers what they are saying and supports the poems with factual discussions.

Trees may not have fiber optics, but they have fungi.  Deep underground trees and fungi work in tandem assisting each other in essential life-sustaining exchanges of food.  Fungi pass along messages from one tree to another.  Chemicals are launched into the air when trees feel they under attack from unwanted insects or munching animals.  Sometimes those chemicals attract other insects who will eliminate the threat.  It's almost like something out of fiction to discover giant, tall trees in a rain forest maintain their own climate while cleansing the air and dampening the dangers of global warming.  Did you know if a tree is in need, other trees will receive the distress signal and send help?

Trees are skilled gardeners, alternating years of abundant seeds in order to reproduce and feed animals at the same time.  They prepare for seasonal shifts, especially for the cold in winter and for the following sleep.  Did you know the length of daylight is a clock for some tree species? Fascinating.  Trees care for each other by helping the youngest unable to make their own food and stopping their spreading branches from crowding nearby trees.  There is more to the rings on a tree than exact age. 

Trees host animal homes in their trunks and under their roots and in any other place insects land, rest, and nest.  Like humans, trees age but they still give to the forest in exceptional ways.  Diverse forests are a necessity rather than uniform forests.  What might damage one specie will leave another unharmed.  Humans need to respect the need for diversity.  It ensures the continuation of a forest which in turn ensures our planet's survival.

Each poem penned by Lita Judge is a warm welcome from trees to their world.  These poems focus on different aspects of trees.  In a column on the right, Lita offers a description of the tree featured in the image on the left, using it to transition to a more complete explanation of the current topic.  Within this conversational commentary are specific details and sometimes named scientists and their discoveries.  Here is a poem and a partial passage.

We Are the Ghosts

My limbs and needles are gone,

and the warm body of a newborn deer

comes to rest within the ghost of my great trunk

that once touched the sky.

But underneath the soft litter

of fallen needles and dark soil, I still live,

surrounded by my kingdom

with their willingness to give. 

Life Beyond Death

A forest may continue to care for its

elder trees, even after the body of 

an ancient tree dies aboveground.

The roots are still alive and remain

a part of the community.  When this

five-hundred-year-old ponderosa pine

fell in eastern Oregon, USA, its trunk

and branches began decomposing,

sending its stored nutrients back into

the soil, while its roots continued 

to bring in water.  The hollowed-

out trunk became shelter to many

animals. Nearby younger trees,

exposed to more sunlight, grew

quickly to fill in the forest canopy.  . . .

On the open dust jacket readers are treated to two lush forest views.  On the right, the canopy of kapok trees frames the rich flora as parrots fly through their branches.  To the left, on the back, a doe, fawn, wild turkey, raccoon, and a squirrel enjoy the quiet of their woodland glen, a misty green in early morning light.  The main title text on the front is varnished and raised on matte-finished paper.

On the book case a single scene is spread between the left and right, crossing the spine flawlessly.  It is autumn with fewer leaves on the trees.  On the left the colors are cooler, blue hues and green.  On the right, the shades are more brown, gray and green.  Chickadees join a squirrel on the left.  An owl silently watches on the right, high above the ground.

The opening and closing endpapers are covered in a spring grass green.  On the initial title page tree trunks and branches form a circle around the four words.  Vegetation spreads along the forest floor.  On the formal title page, a two-page picture gives us a glimpse of an elder pine tree, arms gnarled and twisted extending skyward.  A full moon casts a blue light.  A lone owl sits on a limb on the right.

Opposite the dedication and publication information page, we read the first title and first sentence.  Beneath this is the single beech tree, still young, but enjoyed by two birds.  All these luminous images

were created with watercolor and pencil.

With each page turn, readers are shown another intricately detailed portrait.  We might be underground with roots and fungi and watching kits nestled in a den as their mother fox approaches above ground.  We might be close to wasps moving like aircraft to land on caterpillars destroying leaves on an elm tree.  We might hardly dare to breathe as a wolf moves through a dormant stand of silver birch in winter.

Lita Judge also places smaller illustrations within her columns on the right.  We see a giraffe munching on an umbrella thorn acacia.  There is a labeled depiction of one tree requesting help and another tree sending back the needed sugar.  A small inset shows us the difference between deciduous and coniferous trees.  Lita Judge realizes the need for images to enhance the text, giving a pictorial interpretation of her words.

One of my many favorite illustrations is for the passages above noted.  To the left of the text column bordered by a thin branch with a few scattered leaves, is a page and one-half page picture.  It is a close-up of the ancient tree now on the ground.  The trunk is cracked and hollow.  On the far left, two new saplings grow from the hollow.  In the main part of the hollow, a fawn is curled, sheltering until the return of its mother.  A squirrel scampers on the right near a new pine tree.  Behind the fallen tree, on the right, a trio of new saplings grows.  The green, brown, pale gray, and golden yellow palette generates a sense of calm and continuity. 

Regardless of the number of times you read The Wisdom of Trees: How Trees Work Together to Form a Natural Kingdom written and illustrated by Lita Judge, you will glean new information.  With each reading, your respect for these majestic beings increases.  At the close of the book is a lovely Author's Note describing the impact of one tree Lita visits whenever possible.  This is followed by extensive paragraphs on fungi, the years trees live and about the trees in this book.  Further items are included for each tree highlighted on the two title pages and within each section. Lita Judge continues with headings:

Forest Fire Suppression,

The Future Of Our Forests,

How You Can Help Our Forests,

and

A Note From The Publisher.

On the final page is a glossary, sources, and good websites for more information on trees and forests.  No collection, personal or professional, should be without a copy of this book.  I highly recommend it.

To learn more about Lita Judge and her considerable body of work, please visit her website by following the link attached to her name.  Lita Judge has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At School Library Journal A Fuse #8 Production, Lita Judge is interviewed by Elizabeth Bird, current Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system about this book.  A video (access below) is premiered.  At Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher's Watch. Connect. Read., Lita Judge talks about the inspiration for this book.  At Macmillan, you can view interior illustrations.  Politics and Prose Bookstore on March 16, 2021 at 11:00 am is sponsoring an event with Lita Judge and this new title.

UPDATE:  On March 5, 2020 in a post on Facebook Lita Judge talks about her process in making this book (all her books).  She shares an early sketch.

Happy Hearts

For those who stand or sit with stillness in their yards, open meadows, shady forests, or next to cheerful streams, nature will send rewards. She sends hummingbirds to sip sweet nectar from flowers in your gardens.  She sends two scampering red squirrels, so caught up in fun, they nearly run right into your legs.  They chatter at you as they find sanctuary in nearby trees.  They see you as a challenge.  You see them as a gift.

Our animal friends carry on their lives as they have for generations, adapting to changes and honing their instincts.  When we see them with happy hearts, and intent on frolic, they are also becoming their best selves.  Play in the Wild: How Baby Animals Like to Have Fun (Roaring Brook Press, June 30, 2020) written and illustrated by Lita Judge is a companion title to her Born in the Wild: Baby Animals and Their Parents and Homes in the Wild:  Where Baby Animals and Their Parents Live.  It's a lively exploration of animals and their antics.

Pounce, leap, chase, and slide.
Young animals like to play.

In the first of nine sections pertaining to animals and their play, we are given lively examples of head butting, running in circles, wrestling, and winter fun.  The otters, red river hogs and red pandas are seen embracing moments of joyful abandon.  In the subsequent eight sections, more specifics are noted.

So animals are aware that advances are playful rather than fighting, they have techniques for inquiry.  Kelp held in the mouth of a swimming sea lion pup is an invitation to another pup.  Play is a means for locating a meal.  Arctic foxes jump, jump and jump some more in anticipation of leaping up and coming down to catch food scurrying beneath the snow.  Various forms of play abide by certain rules.  Some things are allowed, others are forbidden.

In some animal communities play strengthens the group.  In gray wolf packs, youngsters master skills through play which will later allow them to work together as adults to survive as a single unit.  Some of their play continues for the rest of their lives.  Play is practice for attracting and keeping a mate.  Many males will fight each other as adults, so their pretend fights as babies are a prelude to securing a mate.

If during play, one animal baby hurts the other baby, they have learned to say they are sorry.  If a gorilla bite hurts another gorilla, the injured party will stop until the other one comforts them.  Play builds stronger bodies, thus insuring a greater chance of endurance and continuity.  In conclusion readers are told, animals do play for the sheer joy of it.  You'll know this is true if you ever notice a raven and a coyote doing something extraordinary.  The raven dives at the coyote.  The coyote chases the raven.  If the coyote is not fast enough, the raven waits.  Aren't animals wonderful?


Using spirited language replete with action verbs author Lita Judge acquaints readers with animal play.  For each portion there is a short introductory sentence or two.  The capers of three other creatures, in detail, are offered in support.  Lita Judge is well aware of her intended audience for this book, selecting those facts most likely to remain with her readers.  These pieces of information many times coincide with the play of children.  Here is a sample of a section title, its introduction and one of the animals.

Play can be practice for finding a mate.

Male animals often have to compete with one another
to breed.  The competition can be fierce, so many young
animals develop important skills through play-fighting.

Nubian ibex kids spring vertically in the
air, jump on each other, and knock heads.  These
rounds of "King of the Mountain" may prepare
male billies for the challenges they face in
adulthood.  Adult male ibexes compete for a 
mate by crashing their long horns into each
other like battering rams.


Your heart will fill with happiness simply by looking at the open and matching dust jacket and book case.  The baby elephant splashing through the water, birds flapping to avoid her, is learning to celebrate when goodness is presented.  To the left, on the back, along the top three otters slide down a snowy slope.  Two are starting on the left and all we see of the third is the back legs and tail on the right.  At the bottom center of the image, a fourth otter is staring at readers as if to ask us to join in their sliding.

A dark bird's egg blue covers the opening and closing endpapers.  On the initial title page, two baby cheetahs climb over a patient parent.  On the verso and title pages a double-page picture features a grassy scene with a pale blue wispy sky.  On the right a wolf cub playfully grasps a tail in its mouth. 

Lita Judge's paintings span two pages, full pages and smaller three images are grouped on two pages.  Lightly brushed backgrounds or white heighten her exquisitely detailed depictions of each of the animals and the settings in which they are placed.  She brings readers close to the activities giving us a sense of being in the moment.  All the animals are in motion.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is on a single page.  It takes place in a snowy setting.  Here two red pandas are wrestling.  On the left, the one is rolling on the ground, legs and arms moving to keep the other one away.  The one on the right is standing upright on its back legs.  Its arms are outstretched.  It is ready to leap on its playmate.  Their faces signal their merriment.


Readers will enjoy every single moment of the information, conversations, and artwork in Play in the Wild: How Baby Animals Like to Have Fun written and illustrated by Lita Judge.  It's a delightful new nonfiction book by a gifted person clearly dedicated to presenting the animal world with meticulous care to her readers.  At the close of the book are five pages of more information about each of the twenty-seven animals.  This is followed by a glossary of twenty-three words in which readers might not be familiar.  There is a list of written sources and recommended websites.  I highly recommend this for your professional and personal collections.  You could pair this title with Play Like An Animal!: Why Critters Splash, Race, Twirl, and Chase by Maria Gianferrari and illustrated by Mia Powell.

To discover more about Lita Judge and her body of work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Lita Judge has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.  At Macmillan's website you can view multiple interior images.


Even though educator Alyson Beecher is taking a much-deserved hiatus from her blog, Kid Lit Frenzy, please take a few moments to view previous blog posts about the 2020 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.

You've Got This!

In every person's life there comes a time when your spirits dip.  You are faced with a situation in which your courage and comfort are challenged.  You need to dig deep in your mind and heart and find your inner strength.  You need to remember your talents and your achievements.  For those who are younger, this is not always easily accomplished.

Two recently published titles offer the means for boosting your beliefs in your abilities in any given circumstance.  The first, When You Need Wings (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, March 3, 2020) written and illustrated by Lita Judge helps your imagination to soar to new heights.  These heights reach out to hope.

On a day when you feel
like no one is listening,

and everyone is LOUD,

and you are afraid,

and you wish you could just disappear,

shut your eyes and listen.

You will hear something extraordinary.  It's not the rhythmic thumping of your heart.  No, it's something you might not know you have.  It's your wings, your inside wings.

No one but you know they are there, stored within your essence.  You can use those wings to leave and to seek.  They will assist you in discovering riches within yourself.

These riches help your soul to find joy.  This joy will send you a song, a song to help you dance.  You will not be alone in this joy.  There are friends here, residing in this bliss.

It's important to keep listening.  Your wings are waiting just for you.  With them, you will soar.


Many times, when faced with a position you would rather avoid, your heart rate increases.  To have Lita Judge ask readers to listen to this and describe it as

your very own wings, beating within

is sheer genius.  When she expands on this idea with a suggestion of flying away to the wonderful world of imagining, we realize she is showing us the path to finding our own personal solace and bravery.  The thoughts expressed in her ten sentences are encouraging but leave room for her glorious illustrations to expand our vision.  These ten sentences are carefully placed page turn by page turn to provide expert pacing.  Here are two portions of a single sentence.

and use them . . . to fly far away,

if you need to today, 


When you open the dust jacket you can see the white birds frame the feature on the front, right, as well as the back, left.  The little girl with closed eyes and outstretched arms is clearly deep in thought.  Her smile indicates happiness at what her mind is supplying her.  The bird in the lower left-hand corner crosses the spine to the left.  This bird and three others along with the title text are varnished.

To the left, the girl and her imaginary tiger friend are roaring with gusto and facing right.  In a lightened portion to the right of them, two of Lita Judge's previous books are highlighted.  Praises are listed for Red Sled and Flight School.  

On the book case with a canvas of the palest cream and lavender white birds in a variety of perspectives fly from left to right.  The opening and closing endpapers are a delicate hue of blue.  Five pages, three single-page pictures and one double-page picture begin the narrative without words prior to the title page, another double-page picture.  They tell the tale of a little girl leaving home and walking with her father to preschool.

In each of the subsequent illustrations, varying in size from double-page pictures to single-page images, framed or edge to edge, we are transported into a world of wonder as this little girl explores her potential and finds her fearlessness.  The depictions of the children and their animal counterparts are jubilant and endearing.  Their facial features, clothing and backpacks are pure delight.

The attention to detail in every scene by Lita Judge draws readers into the written and visual narrative.  We glide on air to particular places; we gaze in fascination and play with abandon. We feel the freedom of finding our wings.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations spans two pages.  A flock of white birds fills the air near the girl who is also in flight.  Movement is shown in her hair, scarf, spread arms and trailing legs.  They sail above treetops over a forest.  Below, in the forest, golden light spills from the tiny windows in tiny homes.  The colors used in the sky and forest are more subdued, but the girl's clothing is bright and cheerful as shown on the front of the dust jacket.


To know, to believe, you can close your eyes and find a beating center, is empowering.  When You Need Wings written and illustrated by Lita Judge is a guide to this wondrous wealth within us.  This is a book to be read often and widely.  This is a book you will want to have on your personal and professional bookshelves.

To learn more about Lita Judge and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Lita Judge has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  Please enjoy the following videos.






The second book, Be You! (Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., March 3, 2020) written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds, is a motivational manual for walking through the ups and downs life delivers.  Every statement is a shout to lift you up.  Every page turn will elevate your tenacity.

You were born to
BE
so many things.

Of those many things you were born to be, the narrator's desire is for you to be exactly who you are.  You are advised to be ready to embrace whatever path is laid before you.  You are told to investigate and seek answers.

There will come a time when an opportunity presents itself to you.  Fear not and walk where you have not walked before.  You are reminded to surround yourself with people you know love you as you are.

Regardless of the adversity you face, go through it.  Don't end your endeavors.  Celebrate those things which make you uniquely you.  There is no shame in this.  Choose compassion so others can be themselves.  If there is something you fear, ask yourself why; then try.

Before you follow or join, think.  Bravely go the right way for you.  Pursue peace, the peace of pausing in being alone.  Sometimes reaching a goal takes longer than you imagine.  Sometimes reaching a goal requires assistance.  Wherever you go and whatever you do, go with the knowledge you are sustained by affection, the affection of every connection you've ever made.


From beginning to end the words of Peter H. Reynolds are like sunshine for your soul.  He begins and ends this book with the same declaration, bringing readers full circle.  He not only wants you to be you, but he tells you how to realize who you are.  Single phrases preceded by

Be

are followed with a more complete explanation of the request.  Here is a two-page passage.

Be your own thinker.

Think for yourself and
set your own unique course.
It isn't always easy
but you'll be heading
in the direction of YOU.


When you look at the open dust jacket of this book, the sky-blue canvas mirrors the endless sky, full of possibilities, above our Earth.  The child in the boat on the front, held aloft with balloons with hearts, is a symbol of a potent statement found in the book near the end.  Love does indeed lift us up.  The clouds and golden wishes streaming from the boat cross the spine to the left edge of the back.  A single balloon drifts upward.  Beneath it are the words:

Live a big life!

Many of the elements on the front and back of the dust jacket are varnished.

The book case, also in sky blue has the golden wishes spreading in a gentle wave from center left to the bow of the boat.  Now the child in the boat is higher on the right and closer to the right edge.  The opening and closing endpapers use the yellow orange color from the balloons as a background.  In a lighter shade are written words describing what you can be.  Peter H. Reynolds has placed a framed space in both sets; the first for your own writing and the second saying:

Go ahead.
Be yourself.
Be the best version of you.
Each day is
a new chance to
be more you.
---Peter Hamilton Reynolds

On the title page the frame is held in the hands of the boat occupant in front of their face as they run, eyes closed across the page.  In his signature style Peter H. Reynolds presents all kinds of children on the left beneath his declarative statement.  On the opposite side in a variety of solid colors is his guiding text.  At times the image on the left will extend to the right for emphasis.  White space creates a dramatic effect.

The clothing worn by the children, the color of their hair and skin mirrors all the amazing types of personalities and ethnic groups.  Their activities are as varied as they are.   Each page is an invitation.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is for the text noted above referencing

Be 
your own thinker.

It's a double-page picture on a crisp white canvas.  On the left a group of four children and a canine companion are walking to the left.  The children are wearing identical clothing and red and white striped birthday hats.  The dog is wearing the same hat.  On the right another child in different clothing carrying a walking stick is moving to the right edge.  A happy cat is following as it looks at readers.


If there ever comes a day, or if you want to be prepared, when you doubt the direction you are taking or what makes you one-of-a-kind, Be You! written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds is the perfect book for you.  Readers of all ages will discover and rediscover their individuality.  During storytime expect listeners to change their body positions, leaning in and then sitting tall as the story concludes.  I know you'll want a copy of this title in your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Peter H. Reynolds and his other work, please access his website by following the link attached to his name.  Peter H. Reynolds has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  The publisher has developed a fabulous page with a video for you to enjoy and an audiobook sample.  I hope you enjoy this video.

A Place To Reside

With the passing of the summer solstice, trees are filled with leaves and fields are brimming with tall grasses and wildflowers.  Abundant rainfall has given Mother Nature a palette of variegated greens everywhere you look.  For their benefit, it's not as easy to spot the residences of local wildlife, unless they happen to be living underneath your back porch.  Based on the symphony of birdsong in the early hours of the day, you hope to see a nesting place, but they remain hidden.  Only the most careful observers will notice large areas of flattened grass in the morning; evidence of sleeping whitetail deer the previous night.

If we had the eyes to see the sanctuaries of the wildlife in our surrounding area, where would they be?  In other parts of the world, what is a safe space for animals' abodes?  Homes in the Wild: Where Baby Animals and Their Parents Live (Roaring Brook Press, June 18, 2019) written and illustrated by Lita Judge presents answers to readers, further increasing our admiration of all living things sharing this planet with us.

Every animal needs a home.

For some a tree is the perfect home supplying food and safety.  High among tree branches animals can sleep without fear of enemies, they can find special food or easily camouflage themselves.  For others multiple entrances and exits to an underground city of connected burrows and pathways represents the best place to live.  Did you know some warrens of the European rabbit have more than two thousand entrances and exits?

Some homes are tucked away out of sight.  A den nestled among roots, a rocky nook, or a hollow log keep babies safe when parents need to be away.  Baby animals can be more easily protected when they are nestled below ground level.  For nine-banded armadillos it keeps them cool, too.

For other animals a large area is home.  Their territories are marked by scent from urine, scat and their bodies.  Some leave scratch marks on trees and the ground, saying this space is taken.  Carefully crafted nests can present a secure place.  Some are among tree branches, in old tree trunk hollows, or under a fallen tree.  A bushy-tailed woodrat might build a nest

nine feet wide!

Homes are cleverly designed by marvelous builders.  Mountain gorillas and orangutans build new beds every day, fashioning together branches and leaves.  Beavers construct lodges from felled trees and a dam to protect the lodge.  An underwater entrance ensures the well-being of the young.

Homes can house thousands of inhabitants.  Mothers return to the place where they were raised.  Mothers can find their child among others by sound and smell.  The advantage to living in over-crowded conditions is assurance of survival.  Can you name an animal who does not hesitate to make a home in another's home?

Every animal needs a home.


The research, commitment and passion Lita Judge has for the animal community is evident in every word she writes.  In this book a single sentence introduces a type of or place for a home followed by three conversational, fact-filled paragraphs highlighting three animals.  With this approach she creates expectations, interest and a welcoming rhythm.  She enriches our understanding.  Here is a sample paragraph.

A home can
cover many
miles of 
open country.

A bonded pair of dik-dik antelopes works
constantly to mark the boundaries of their home
range.  Together, they deposit urine and dung
piles and rub their scent on twigs and blades
of grass.  Their fawn will stay safely
hidden until she is old enough to roam
with her parents.  The family establishes
a maze of trails, called runways,
through the thick brush that they use
to escape predators.


Although the spine separates the front and the back of the open and matching dust jacket and book case, readers can easily imagine the tree supporting the sleeping koala adult and child, and (to the lefty, on the back) the hollow housing three eager eastern gray squirrel babies as one and the same tree.  These two paintings appearing as one image demonstrate profoundly and beautifully how not only every animal needs a home, but how they work to make this happen.  This dust jacket and book case are an invitation to look through a wondrous window into a world Lita Judge comprehends and appreciates.

A golden orange hue covers the opening and closing endpapers.  Two young raccoons clinging to a branch are featured on the initial title page.  A lovely illustration of an orangutan and child spans from the left and across the gutter on the formal title page.  Leaves in green hues frame the duo.

Two-page pictures introduce each of the nine sections.  They are highly detailed and animated in their vivid portraits of the animals.  These same animals appear again in a different setting on one of the next two pages.  These three illustrations frame the text naturally.  Each group of animals is depicted in their habitats engaged in their everyday activities.  It's as if we've become invisible and are able to step right into their lives and observe them freely.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is the two-page picture for

A home can be borrowed.

Page edge to page edge is the siding of an old barn.  A crevice in the siding in the center (nearly half of the page) begins on the left and narrows to barely a crack on the right.  Peeking through that opening are four baby raccoons.  We see less and less of their faces moving from left to right.  Lita Judge has completely captured their essence.  Three pairs of eyes look at readers.  The raccoon on the far left is looking at its siblings.


This book, Homes in the Wild: Where Baby Animals and Their Parents Live written and illustrated by Lita Judge, is a title to be read anytime, anywhere.  You'll want to use it for an animal theme, for a habitat unit, how animal parents care for their children and for the sheer joy of learning about those who need our protection.  At the close of the book, Lita Judge includes thumbnail paintings of all the animals and more information about each one on five pages.  She has a glossary, sources and good websites for more information on animal homes.  You might want to pair this book with Lita Judge's previous title, Born in the Wild or A Place To Start A Family: Poems About Creatures That Build or A Nest Is Noisy.

To learn more about Lita Judge and her other work, please visit her website by following the link attached to her name.  Lita Judge has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view several interior images.  I know you'll enjoy both videos.





Please take a few moments to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to view the titles selected this week by others participating in the 2019 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.