Every Little Bit . . .

Each morning Mulan, my canine companion, and I take the same route on our morning walk.  More than half of the route is without sidewalks and when there are sidewalks, we tend to stick to the edge of the roadway due to other walkers, runners, and dogs.  Without fail, there is one driver each day who not only ignores the posted speed limit, but comes so close to us that we have to move off the road or jump aside.  They drive as if their hair is on fire and they are the only person on the planet.

Despite this one soul without regard for other living things, there are multiple drivers who slow down and nod, wave or smile.  Those small acts of kindness when added together have a huge effect on our morning walks.  Those people are used to seeing us and respond accordingly.  I have no idea who they are, but I consider them friends.  The mutual respect we have for each other has established a community of sorts. Today is the book birthday for a title, One Small Thing (Beaming Books, May 9, 2023) written by Marsha Diane Arnold with artwork by Laura Watkins, which presents the practice of rising above ourselves to assist others.  Every little bit helps and does not go unappreciated.  

All the animals in Brightly Wood were talking about what happened.

During a storm the previous night, lightning struck Raccoon's home.  All that remains are ashes.  Squirrel, Badger, Beaver, Mouse, and Rabbit are recreating the event in their conversation. In addition to the loss of his home, Raccoon has suffered burns on his feet and his cricket companion is missing.  In the concerned comments made by Raccoon's friends, readers get a hint at their personalities.  

Beaver wonders where Raccoon will live now.  Rabbit hardly knows Raccoon. Mouse is so little and this problem is huge.  Badger, seemingly a curmudgeon, wonders where the 

silly cricket

is.  Squirrel is overwhelmed by the sadness of this event.  They all leave for their respective homes except for Badger.  Badger heads to the darkest part of the forest.

Squirrel, Mouse, and Rabbit start on tasks exemplifying their talents.  Beaver knows she excels at home construction, so she works all day to build another home for Raccoon.  As Squirrel sips her tea, she begins to think.  As Mouse hangs herbs from his rafters, he begins to think.  As Rabbit nibbles on honey bread with honey,  a single thought pops into Rabbit's mind.  The four friends find Raccoon and snuggle inside the new house drinking tea and eating honey bread with honey.  Mouse rubs a balm made from his herbs on Raccoon's feet.

Where is Badger you ask?  Is Badger lost among the shadows of Brightly Wood?  That thunderstorm created a major loss, but much was found the next day because Beaver, Squirrel, Mouse, Rabbit and Badger decide to do . . .

A bit of a mystery introduces us to this narrative with the first sentence.  Author Marsha Diane Arnold has piqued our interest.  She leads us, as she does so often, to examine our hearts as each of her characters do the same.  By having each of the animals offer an opinion several times, she establishes a rhythm to her story.

As we follow their actions and thoughts, we see how each personality works through a tragic event and responds as they are able.  Readers will see themselves in one or more of these characters' reactions.  The title of the book is beautifully woven into Squirrel's, Mouse's and Rabbit's ultimate decision. Here is a passage.

Beaver stepped back and looked at her work, then hurried off to find Raccoon.

All the other animals hurried off to find Raccoon too.

Except Badger.  He kept wandering through Brightly Wood, muttering,

"Where is that silly cricket?"

A single, full-color image extends from the left edge of the book case to the right edge.  It is the dawn of a new day in Brightly Wood.  Mouse, Squirrel, Rabbit, Badger, and Beaver, eyes closed in affection, offer a group hug to their friend, Raccoon.  We can see by Raccoon's eyes, this hug is needed.  Everything about this scene, the brightening sky, soaring birds, glowing sunlight reflected on the grass and calm breezes, suggests warmth and connection.

A pale lemon yellow covers the opening and closing endpapers.  On the title page is a close-up of Raccoon's mailbox secured to a tree.  Careful readers will see with the opening single-page picture, artist Laura Watkins uses the background sky to indicate weather and time of day.  She continues this throughout the book.  The colors in her outdoor scenes tend to not only reflect the time of day and weather, but the mood of the characters.

The facial features and body postures on each of the animals reveal their emotional status and personality traits.  While their physical characteristics are realistically portrayed, there is also a quality about the animals that depicts them charmingly enough that you might want to hug them. Two of them are more motivated to immediate action, while the other three tend to mull over circumstances.  This is mirrored in Laura Watkins's art.

As the pages are turned, Laura Watkins moves from single-page pictures to groups of vignettes, and to large double-page images, one, a bird's eye view of Brightly Wood.  She also shifts perspectives to enhance the text.  Within Squirrel's, Mouse's, and Rabbit's homes, readers will be fascinated by the attention to detail.  They will also come to understand how a certain moody friend can walk unafraid into the less inviting portions of Brightly Wood.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a two-page picture.  Beaver has found Raccoon seated on a log near the river, soaking his burned feet in the water.  The river mirrors the sky as the day comes to a close.  There are hues of orange, golden yellow, and purple in the sky, silhouettes of trees and trees near the river.  Beaver is seated next to Raccoon on the fallen tree, embracing her downcast friend.  

This book, One Small Thing written by Marsha Diane Arnold with illustrations by Laura Watkins, is a quiet but compelling tale reminding us that we are never too small to effect change or an action we take for good is never too small to make a difference.  It demonstrates how like single snowflakes can combine to make a blizzard that many small things can create a huge shift in someone's life.  It might be fun to do this as a reader's theater.  You will want to have a copy of this on your personal bookshelves and in your professional collections.

To learn more about Marsha Diane Arnold and Laura Watkins and their other work, please visit their websites by following the link attached to their names.  Marsha Diane Arnold has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.  Laura Watkins has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  There is a wonderful thirteen-page activity guide at the publisher's website for you to download.

Searching For The Night

Each month we observers of the night skies are given a gift.  This gift is courtesy of the moon who hides her glow in her new phase.  She goes dark so we can see the splendor of the starry expanses.  Constellations and paths of twinkling lights are a wondrous sight.

For those living in or near cities, even when the moon is new, they are unable to see all the night sky offers.  Even in the middle of the night, there are too many lights shining.  There are streetlights, lights from signs for businesses, and parking lot lights to name a few.  Lights Out (Creative Editions, August 18, 2020) written by Marsha Diane Arnold with illustrations by Susan Reagan addresses in an enchanting tale the real phenomenon of light pollution. 

Little Fox peeks out from her den.

Beetle flits above her.

"Lights out!" she barks.

But the lights stay on.

There is not a place Fox and Beetle look without light.  It is as if night and the darkness it brings have disappeared.  They decide Night is still somewhere, lost, but needs to be found.

The duo begins their search as Songbird struggles with the lack of darkness.  There is no map of stars for her to follow.  She joins the search.  Frog cannot begin his songs without darkness.  He leaps along with the others.

On the top of a mountain, Bear sees Fox, Beetle, Songbird and Frog seeking the Dark of Night.  Bear follows the others for reasons of his own.  There are lights everyplace they look.  No place it seems is untouched by light.  By and by, they arrive at the shore of the sea.

Here tiny turtles have hatched from their eggs.  They are not sure where to go.  The larger animals guide them toward the water.  Songbird and Beetle from the air encourage the babies to come to the sea.  And then . . . against the deeper dark waters in the darkening sky, a bit of magic happens.  Beetle has been harboring a secret.  In helping others to safety, the five creatures swim toward their hearts' desire.

Much like the pieces in a finely stitched quilt author Marsha Diane Arnold with each page turn in this title discloses a poetic portion of her story, moving toward a breathtaking conclusion.  Some conversation is blended in the descriptive observations.  Repetition figures in the rhythm, acting as a connection.  It is important to note darkness, dark, and night are written with a capital letter.  Marsha Diane Arnold makes them characters.  Here is a passage.

Where is Darkness? Where is Night,

where coyotes sing, owls hunt, and

birds fly across continents,

where foxes move through the dark

and beetles are more than beetles?

Muted, sepia-toned colors used throughout the book are introduced on the front, right side, of the open dust jacket.  Here, too, we meet the characters of Fox, Beetle, Songbird, Frog and Bear as they look for the Dark of the Night.  Notice Beetle, and a twig forming the "i" in the title.  To the left, on the back, Beetle, and the twig on horizontally positioned over the ISBN.  Above them on the canvas of cream, in a small circle, Beetle's secret is disclosed.  Continuing with the cream background and wide, brown spine, the book case features Beetle's secret on the back.  On the front the tiny turtles in a small image swim toward the white light of the moon.

On the opening and closing endpapers, still cream, tiny green turtles move from left to right searching for the sea. They begin in the lower, left-hand corner. The pattern is cleverly positioned so the turtles on the far right of the opening endpapers move from left to right on the closing endpapers.  The first turtle is close to the upper, right-hand corner of the closing endpapers.  On the title page, the illustration from the front of the dust jacket is used.

Each illustration by Susan Reagan is an exquisite depiction of setting and the individual characters.  You will find yourself pausing at each page turn to savor the details.  Multiple perspectives are shown in each scene.  The sizes of the images accentuate the narrative moving from single-page pictures to dramatic double-page visuals.  Light and shadow are masterfully portrayed.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is for the first mention of Frog.  It spans two pages.  In the foreground among reeds and water a group of frogs are still.  Frog is larger than the others and closer to the reader.  On the left a car shines its lights on the water.  On the water, behind the car, a boat glides forward shining a spotlight on the water.  From the left, across the gutter and to the far right is an arched bridge, cars traveling on the highway at its top, and streetlights like white globes evenly spaced glow.  Another boat on the far right, also shines a spotlight on the water.  (I also need to state I gasped at a two-page picture toward the end with a single word on the page.)

This book, Lights Out written by Marsha Diane Arnold with artwork by Susan Reagan is a plea to lessen light pollution, and a lyrical tribute to the Dark of Night.  In an author's note prior to the start of the narrative, Marsha Diane Arnold talks about light pollution, the Dark Sky Association, and International Dark-Sky Week.  I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal collections.

If you desire to learn more about Marsha Diane Arnold and Susan Reagan and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Marsha Diane Arnold has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.  Susan Reagan has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  Last year Susan Reagan was interviewed about her work at Critter Lit.  Recently Marsha Diane Arnold was highlighted by author Jill Esbaum at PictureBookBuilders about this book.

Badger's Perfect Garden Blog Tour

 Although the twenty-four inches still on the ground next to four-foot piles of snow are no prelude to the official arrival of spring five days away, the appearance of garden catalogs in my mailbox are.  The colorful displays of flowers, shrubs, trees and vegetables are filled with promise. To think that every seed, bulb or root will supply vibrant splendor is nothing short of a miracle.


It’s hard not to put pen to paper and design layouts for potential plots housing an array of beauty.  In Badger’s Perfect Garden (Sleeping Bear Press, March 15, 2019) written by Marsha Diane Arnold with illustrations by Ramona Kaulitzki Badger inspires his animal friends with his dream of a flawless presentation of his gathered seeds.  Badger and his friends discover and remind us, plans gone astray may yield glorious unexpected results.

One spring morning, Red Squirrel found Badger

Surrounded by dozens of jars.

The jars were filled with seeds.  The seeds looked

Hopeful, just like Badger.

Curious as to what Badger was doing with all those jars of seeds, Red Squirrel was told they had been collected last summer in order to plant a flawless formation of botanical beauty.  When the squirrel saw all the varieties of seeds and the amounts, he knew his friend would need help. Soon Weasel, Dormouse and Red Squirrel along with Badger were hard at work preparing the soil, laying out straight rows according to Badger’s plan, and finally, planting the seeds.

Muffins and mulberry juice were consumed in celebration of a successful session of gardening.  As necessary the next day, rain fell. On the following day heavier rain fell. By day three the showers were torrential.  Badger went outside trying to save his now less than perfect garden.

Nothing Red Squirrel, Weasel or Dormouse said could calm the defeated badger.  Days passes inside with Badger trying to occupy his time until one day in summer a knock on his door woke him up.  Three friends could hardly wait to show Badger the work of a master gardener, Mother Nature.


Author Marsha Diane Arnold fills this narrative with endearing characters, charming, descriptive phrases and delightful word play.  A little bit of information about where to find seeds is woven into the story. As the friends work, readers come to understand how gardens are groomed.  With each step we feel Badger’s desire for precision. This is why we keenly feel every emotion, all the ups and downs and ups, in this tale of four forest friends. Here is a passage.

When the earth was as smooth as the forest pond in winter,

Badger pushed big sticks into the dirt.  Red Squirrel and

Dormouse stretched string between the sticks to mark rows.

“Be sure the rows are perfectly straight,” said Badger.  

 When you open the matching dust jacket and book case several single words come to mind; serenity, companionship and community.  It’s easy to imagine a windy spring day with friends working together for a common good. It’s also easy to feel as though any one of us could step right in and join them.  The natural soft colors and delicate lines are an open invitation.

To the left, on the back, the double-page image travels over the spine to reveal Badger’s cozy home in a hollow tree trunk.  A tiny lamp hangs from a branch next to his arched doorway. Next to it is a circular window. A path of stones extends from his stone porch steps.  Early spring flowers bloom in the front.

Crisp white covers the opening and closing endpapers.  Badger, wearing a backpack and garden gloves, is holding a magnifying glass as he gathers seeds in a swirl of blooms on the title page. Each illustration, regardless of the size, contributes and enhances the pacing and emotional impact.

Artist Ramona Kaulitzki alters the perspective for further impact.  To depict Badger’s increasing worry, she brings us close to the window in his home, rain streaking diagonally across the glass as he gazes sadly outside.  Careful readers will pause to notice all the extra details. Will they notice a little worm lifting its head to look at the seed jars, the tiny boots Dormouse wears, tulip petals falling from a bouquet in Badger’s home, and Badger’s bunny rabbit stuffed toy for snuggling and napping?

One of my many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture.  On the left in front of his home Badger is placing sticks in the cleared garden patch.  Behind him on the stones is his rolled-up garden plan. A small bucket in front of him holds more sticks.  Seed jars and rakes are leaning against a stone fence. Red Squirrel and Dormouse are unrolling string and tangling it up around themselves, too.  A small bird is perched on a nearby house. Weasel is running through a field in the back carrying a forked stick.

Readers will learn about the rewards of helping a friend.  They will understand how to make a garden grow. Most importantly Badger’s Perfect Garden written by Marsha Diane Arnold with illustrations by Ramona Kaulitzki brings to us the peace we find when letting go of a plan.  This would make a wonderful addition to your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Marsha Diane Arnold and Ramona Kaulitzki and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Marsha Diane Arnold has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Ramona Kaulitzki has accounts on Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.  At the publisher’s website you can view interior pages.

As a showcase of this blog tour, Marsha Diane Arnold is visiting Librarian’s Quest again to chat with me about this new title. I am grateful for this opportunity.

I have an idea from reading this book that gardening is important to you, Marsha.  Did you come from a family of gardeners?  Is this connection to the earth something you have instilled in your family and you wish to pass on to your readers?

You would be right, Margie. I love gardens and gardening, but even more I love Mother Nature, which you noted so beautifully in your review – “Three friends could hardly wait to show Badger the work of a master gardener, Mother Nature.”

And yes, behind me, I have a whole history of farming, gardening, and deep connection to the soil.

Once upon a time there was a people, long known for their superior farming abilities – my ancestors, Swiss-German Amish/Mennonites. Due to religious persecution, they eventually migrated to Volhynia, Russia, invited, largely due to their farming skills, by Catherine the Great. In 1874, they migrated again, this time to America. My great-grandfather Peter made his home in Pretty Prairie, Kansas, and was known as a “man of the soil.” My aunt tells me he was also a “story teller”.J

Peter’s daughter, my grandmother Emma, had a huge garden to feed her family of 8 children. But she also loved her flower gardens, which surrounded the farm house. Beauty amidst the dust. These were not small flower gardens, but long sweeps of flowers – iris, lilacs, petunias, and many more. One of my fondest memories is of my grandmother sitting in her rocking chair looking through the seed catalogs, planning her next garden.

My father was a wheat and dairy farmer, but like his mother before him, he loved flower gardens too and always planted flowers around our home. He also drew them.

I like to think I’ve instilled a love of nature and gardening in my son, daughter, and grandchildren. My daughter enjoys planting whenever she has an opportunity. My son, though he works in NYC, has a 150-year-old farm house in Connecticut so his family can get away to the country. And my granddaughter, as you see, is quite enamored by milkweed.

 Is there any one reason or incident which planted the seed which grew into this book?

I have a suspicion that I wrote this story because my husband and I were starting to prepare for a move from our home of 35 years in Sebastopol, California to Florida. I was very sad to be leaving my half-acre flower and fruit garden that had taken me….35 years to create! I’d also be leaving my woodland friends – fox, raccoon, deer, quail. Though none of these animals made it into Badger’s Perfect Garden, I think they inspired my writing about beautiful forest creatures.

I really enjoyed the blend of narrative and dialogue in this title.  Is there anything you changed considerably from your original draft?

This is one of those stories that felt like a walk in the garden. J  The text changed very little from first draft to last. I really enjoy using dialogue in my stories.

I loved Ramona’s illustrations when I first saw them. However, I did need to change a few phrases of my original text. For example, I imagined Red Squirrel and Badger being in the same room on the first spread, so I had written, “What are you doing with all these seeds?” When I saw Ramona’s lovely illustration of Red Squirrel in the tree, I changed that phrase to “those seeds.” It was much easier to change the text than the art and besides, Ramona was absolutely right to have Red Squirrel high in a tree looking down on all those jars full of seeds. It’s a wonderful perspective.

I believe these illustrations match the story . . .well . . . perfectly.  What did you think when you first saw them?

I credit Sleeping Bear Press with finding wonderful matches for my SBP books, both May I Come In? and Badger’s Perfect Garden. When I first saw Ramona’s illustrations, I adored them. I was raised a long time ago and grew up in the country. To me, Badger’s story and the lovely art Ramona created for it are what children’s books should be. Delicate, fun, filled with kindness, celebratory!

Thank you Marsha for your perfect answers and this most excellent book for spring, gardening and the wonder of friendship.

Marsha Diane Arnold's award-winning picture books have sold over one million copies and been called, "whimsical" and "uplifting." Described as a "born storyteller" by the media, her books have garnered such honors as Best First Book by a New Author, Smithsonian Notable, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and state Children's Choice awards. Recent books include Galapagos Girl, a bilingual book about a young girl growing up on the Galapagos Islands and Lost. Found., a Junior Library Guild book illustrated by Caldecott winner Matthew Cordell.

Marsha was born and raised in Kansas, lived most of her life in Sonoma County, California, and now lives with her husband, near her family, in Alva, Florida. She still loves nature and nothing makes her happier than standing in her backyard in the midst of dragonflies or purple martins swooping for insects.

Taking Care Of Home Cuidar El Hogar

There are pockets on our planet, special spaces, unlike any other spot.  The plants and animals residing there are unique, survivors of distinctive habitats, weather and climate.  Some of them are found only in this one place.  Seeing these specific plants and animals in these particular locations for many of us will be an unrealized dream.  You have to wonder if perhaps this is the best possible outcome for these areas.

One of these regions is the Galapagos Islands, set in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Ecuador. Galapagos Girl Galapaguena (Children's Book Press, an imprint of Lee & Low Books Inc., September 18, 2018) written by Marsha Diane Arnold with illustrations by Angela Dominguez and translated by Adriana Dominguez explores an island and one girl living there and loving everything the island offers her.  Through her discoveries we come to understand enchantment reigns in this island realm.

Valentina was born on an island formed by fire, surrounded by blue-green sea.  

Valentina nacio en una isla formada por el fuego y rodeada de un mar azul-turquesa.

One child among eleven brothers and sisters Valentina saw Sally Lightfoot crabs on the island of Floreana among the lava rocks.  She swam with inhabitants of the ocean, even penguins.  Birds, tall and pink, butterflies, blue and delicate and sneezing iguanas caught her attention.

The sounds of the water and bird calls were like music to this child of the island.  She couldn't help but dance along with the movements of the animals.  A story told to Valentina by her Papa set the course for her future.

He told her how he brought the two tortoises, Carlitos and Isabela, to their island.  He explained the threat to many of the animals on the Galapagos Islands.  Valentina knew they needed her pledge to protect them and preserve their way of living.  When it came time to leave her beloved island to further her education, she spoke aloud from the boat and made a solemn vow.

Whenever there was a break at school, Valentina came home and worked on various islands learning as much as she could about every living thing.  As a biologist she returned to act as a guide for visitors, bringing her knowledge lived and learned to each.  Those who came and left were connected to the Galapagos Islands with the same commitment and passion as their guide. 


When Marsha Diane Arnold writes we first read silently, but we can sense a lyrical quality to her carefully chosen words, asking us to read them aloud.  So we do.  In the text for this book the beauty of a place and its inhabitants is superbly woven into the day to day fascination of a little girl.  She embraces her environment with joy and respect. 

The research conducted by Marsha Diane Arnold is apparent in the details.  This is a deeply personal story about Valentina Cruz and the Galapagos Islands.  Readers like the visitors to the islands cannot help but feel a kinship to this remarkable place and this girl. 

Several times in the narrative words in Spanish are used but this is further enhanced with the matching bilingual text in Spanish.  This makes this story accessible to a larger audience.  Here are some passages.

She listened to waves crashing like cymbals against rocks.
Albatross trumpeting above steep cliffs.
Finches trilling piccolo notes.

Escuchaba las olas, que sonaban como platillos
cuando estallaban contra las rocas.
El graznido de los albatros sobre los escarpados acantilados.
Los pinzones trianado como flautines.

"But, Mama," she protested.  "I am a Galapagos girl.
I belong here with the sea lions and penguins."
"You are ready to learn about the world beyond," said Mama.
"Like the sea, you are strong and free."
"And like our islands, you have a heart full of fire," said Papa.

--Pero mama--protesto--.  Soy galapaguena.
Mi lugar esta aqui, con los lobos marinos y los pinguinos.
--Estas lista para aprender sobre el mundo mas alla de Galapagos
--dio mama--.  Eres fuerte y libre, como el mar.
--Y como nuestras islas, tienes un corazon de fuego--anadio papa.


When you look at the opened dust jacket (I am working with a digital copy.) the pure happiness exhibited by Valentina extends to the reader.  The inclusion of waved albatross, blue-footed boobies, and the marine iguanas alerts readers to a few of the species found only on the Galapagos Islands.  This spirited ocean scene extends across the spine to the back.  On the left, two sea lions bask on rocks as an albatross flies overhead.  The first sentence in the book is placed in the white bank of clouds above the grassy hills. 

Tiny images are placed on the end flaps, Valentina swimming with sea creatures and Sally Lightfoot crabs crawling on rocky outcrops.  Blue-footed boobies dance beneath the dedications, both in English and Spanish.  On the title page, between Spanish and English text, Valentina strides among blue butterflies.

Each full-color visual, rendered in pencil on illustration board with digital color, is as lively as the creatures and Valentina.  These illustrations by Angela Dominguez span two pages or single pages depending on accentuating the pacing of the text.  When Angela portrays the animals she displays their essential endearing characteristics from the dancing of the blue-footed boobies, to the graceful swimming of sea lions and the sneezing of the marine iguanas.  (They are getting rid of the salt in the water.)

One of my many favorite illustrations is of Valentina and the penguins.  It spans two pages, edge to edge.  On the left a swimsuit-wearing Valentina is upside down doing a cartwheel.  A single animated penguin is next to her.  Her blue mask, snorkel and flippers are on the sandy beach.  To the right on rocks on three more spirited penguins.  A blue-green ocean stretches behind them beneath a pale blue sky spotted with clouds.


In an Author's Note Marsha Diane Arnold says

Valentina's and my hope is that after reading this book, you too will say, "We will help to keep them safe."

In Galapagos Girl Galapaguena written by Marsha Diane Arnold with illustrations by Angela Dominguez and translations by Adriana Dominguez this expressed hope is realized.  The rhythmic poetic words, buoyant, vibrant illustrations and Spanish translations create a book reaching numerous readers on several levels.  We are introduced to a valuable woman in the preservation of the Galapagos Islands, we see unique creatures in their natural habitat and we understand on a new level the importance of conserving this habitat.  After the Author's Note, pages About the Galapagos Islands and Fun Facts About the Galapagos Animals You Met in the Story further acquaint readers with this marvelous place on our planet. There is also a lengthy Bibliography.  Everything is in both English and Spanish.  I highly recommend this title for both your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Marsha Diane Arnold and Angela Dominguez, please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  They both have links to blogs from their websites.  Both Marsha and Angela are on Twitter.  Angela and Marsha have an account on Instagram.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images, including one of my favorites.  On September 20, 2018 Marsha Diane Arnold visited this blog as part of the tour for this title.  Her excellent guest post is informative and insightful. 

Galapagos Girl/Galapaguena Blog Tour

I couldn't be happier to welcome author Marsha Diane Arnold back to Librarian's Quest for a guest post.  Her latest title, Galapagos Girl/Galapaguena, explores the wonder one discovers when exploring in this special place on our planet.  This book is inspired by an individual Marsha met when visiting the islands.  I can hardly wait for people to enjoy the beautiful bilingual narrative and the artwork of Angela Dominguez.

Writing a book is a solitary endeavor, but getting a book published is a team effort. I always enjoy the team part – getting together with others, either online or in person, to discuss changes, visions, and possibilities. After weeks, months, or years of solitude in my writing room, I get to be with other people! Not that my book characters aren’t fascinating!

Of all my published books, Galápagos Girl/Galapagueña had the biggest team effort. I am forever grateful for every person who had a hand in getting this book, inspired by the life of Valentina Cruz, into the most important hands of all – our young readers.

First there was my steadfast agent, Karen Grencik of Red Fox Literary. Even members of my writers group sadly shook their heads and told me this manuscript would never be acquired. Yet Karen kept sending the story out until our perfect editor was found. That editor is Jessica Echeverria, wrangler extraordinaire for the Galápagos Girl team. At the end of our journey, I emailed Jessica a thank you. I mixed my metaphors (something I love to do) and wrote: “There were so many cooks in this kitchen, with you, our illustrator Angela, the copy editor, the Spanish translator, the Spanish copy editor, art directors, research experts, Valentina and me. I’m sure you felt as if you were herding cats much of the time.” It was indeed quite the team, quite the wonderful team.

The research for Galápagos Girl was challenging. I’d worked on the story in one way or another since 2007, the year I visited the Galápagos, a volcanic archipelago of thirteen major and hundreds of small islands. Things change quickly in the natural world. What was true or believed in 2007 might not be today. Also, scientists, like writers, have different opinions, different viewpoints. They don’t always agree and they don’t always have the same statistics. How was I to decide whose information to go with?

Some of the animals I researched for Galápagos Girl.

Galapagos marine iguanas enjoy sunning on lava rocks.

Sea lions are everywhere.

This blue-footed bobby seems surprised by his bright feet.

The colorful Sally Lightfoot crab can't be missed.

At one point, Jessica asked me to obtain the latest scientific count for the Galápagos penguins. The figures in my manuscript were from 2008. We were ten days away from the final editing deadline and I was worried. I considered grabbing my calculator, flying to Ecuador, and paddling around searching for those Galápagos penguins. Instead, I searched the internet. Luckily, I found a promising blog written a few months before by Daniel Francisco Unda García. I went to Facebook and looked up his name. There he was! Humbly, I private messaged him about my predicament and asked if he might help. Within seconds, he responded, “Let me ask Gustavo.” “What?! Who’s Gustavo?” Within minutes (truly), Daniel got back to me with a number, photos, and a video. Gustavo was Gustavo Jimenez-Uzcategui, the scientist in charge of the Galápagos penguin census! Daniel had taken the photos and video as he’d been on the boat with Gustavo counting those penguins just the month before! One can’t get more up-to-date than that, with people truly “outstanding (should we say ‘out sailing’?) in their field.”

I love swimming with the penguins.

This is only one example of people who helped me with research. They helped partly because they are generous, kind people, but also because they are passionate about the Galápagos and the unique animals that live there.

On the copyright page, I’ve acknowledged a few of the people who helped with scientific information. Birgit Fessl was my bird expert. She confirmed and shared things that simply weren’t stored in my brain, like Galápagos petrels nest on a volcano in the Floreana highlands and Galápagos flamingos are currently classified as an endemic sub-species, but further genetic studies may prove it to be a species. 

Galapagos flamingoes on Florence Island.

In Galápagos Girl Valentina’s father tells her “Giant tortoises still live on some Galápagos islands, but on Floreana, pirates and whalers took them all for food.” That’s why a friend had given him baby tortoises, called Carlitos and Isabela in my book, from other islands. (This was long ago. It is no longer legal to keep tortoises as pets.)

But nature is always surprising us! In 2015 over 100 tortoises were discovered near Wolf Volcano on Isabela Island that show partial ancestry from Floreana Island tortoise! Linda Cayot, Coordinator of the Giant Tortoise Restoration Initiative, helped me navigate the ongoing Galápagos tortoise puzzles and surprises.

Oh, what a journey this book has been. My hope for readers is that they will delight in the book journey Galápagos Girl gives them and that someday they may take a real journey to visit the animals of the enchanting islands called the Galápagos.

While my main website is being restored, you can find me at https://earthsvoices.wordpress.com or contact me through Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/MarshaDianeArnoldAuthor/ .

All photos were taken by me, except of course, the one of me with those wondrous penguins.

Thank you, Margie, for having me on your blog. You are a super star school librarian and supporter of books and authors!

You're welcome, Marsha.  It makes for a richer reading experience when people can learn about the process of creating a book.  Whether your book is read individually or aloud, now people will know the authenticity of your story.  I am looking forward to talking more about this book in the near future with a post of my own.  

The More The Merrier + A Guest Author Post

When you find yourself in a frightening situation, the presence of another being is certainly comforting.  The sound of their snoring or a satisfied sigh is more than a little soothing.  A reassuring hug anytime is beneficial but never more so than when we are anxious or alarmed or both.

To be alone when faced with scary circumstances heightens the fear factor.  May I Come In? (Sleeping Bear Press, February 15, 2018) written by Marsha Diane Arnold with illustrations by Jennie Poh follows a creature as he seeks sanctuary with other forest animals.  His bravery is to be commended but will it be rewarded?

Rain poured.
Raccoon shivered.
Thunder roared.
Raccoon quivered.

As the storm worsened Raccoon knew he would not be able to endure it alone any longer.  With only his trusty umbrella for protection, Raccoon left his home.  Sloshing through puddles in Thistle Hollow, Raccoon made his way first to Possum's abode.

When he asked if he could come inside with Possum, Possum said no.  His den was too small.  Quail had a similar reply to Raccoon's query.  Traveling even farther into the forest, Raccoon stood before Woodchuck's hole with hope in his heart.  Woodchuck's answer referred to Raccoon's less than stellar fortune. There was only enough space for one.

Discouraged by the results of his wet walk in the wild night, Raccoon stood wondering what to do.  Looking ahead through the rain, he saw a light.  It was Rabbit's house. As she stood in the doorway, ten bunnies

hopped and bopped to the raindrops.

Raccoon was sure there was no more room for him.  Rabbit had other ideas.  Raccoon was a welcome guest in her happy bungalow.  As the storm splashed, boomed and flashed the night delivered more surprises. When it comes to friends, there is no such thing as too crowded.


With her rhyming words Marsha Diane Arnold requests our presence in this narrative.  We easily connect to the predicament in which Raccoon finds himself.  As Raccoon makes his way from home to home, Marsha Diane Arnold uses repeating phrases to describe his progress.  The first three encounters have nearly identical questions and answers further enhancing a storytelling cadence.  This leads us gently into the warmth of Rabbit's welcoming reply and also provides space for the surprise.  Here is a passage.

Swish, plish.
Raccoon splashed on through Thistle Hollow,
all the way to Quail's brambles.

"Quail, old friend, may I come in?"
"What bad luck," Quail replied.
"My brambles are tight.  You're too wide." 


Spread across the back and front of the matching, opened dust jacket and book case and even the flaps is a forest scene on the stormy night.  To the left we can see two birds sheltered in a hole in a tree.  Rain drops slant from a darkened sky as Raccoon makes his way toward Rabbit's red door and the light glowing in the window.  His orange scarf and purple and pink polka-dotted umbrella add a bit of cheer to the gloomy night.

The opening and closing endpapers are a crisp, clean white.  Beneath the text on the title page is a closer picture of Rabbit's tree amid the rain, thunder and lightning.  For several of the illustrations Jennie Poh has loosely framed circular shapes on single pages.  She follows these with single-page pictures, edge to edge.  Sometimes elements in a visual extend past a border, a tree branch, a bit of weed, leaves, and portions of a character.

To further encourage reader participation in the story, Jennie Poh shifts perspective.  At times we feel as though we are side-by-side Raccoon as he struggles from place to place, braving the storm.  When he finally finds a friend willing to offer him a place in her home, we move in closer to the scene experiencing the joy and hospitality.

One of several of my favorite illustrations is of Rabbit.  Behind her are ten bouncing bunnies on a circular pale brown background.  They are a variety of browns, grays and white in color.  All of them, including Rabbit, are happy.  Rabbit is wearing a short red apron.  Even before we turn the page to read her answer, we know it will be yes.


For many nothing is scarier than a thunderstorm.  To have to survive one at night, alone, makes this fear worse.  May I Come In? written by Marsha Diane Arnold with illustrations by Jennie Poh is a heartwarming exploration of a friend in need.  The whimsical images enliven the journey.  For a story time I would pair this story with   TAP TAP BOOM BOOM (Candlewick Press, March 25, 2014) written by Elizabeth Bluemle with illustrations by G. Brian Karas and Blue on Blue (Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, December 2014) written by debut author Dianne White and illustrated by Caldecott Medal winner (The House in the Night, 2009) Beth Krommes.  This book May I Come In? is the perfect kind of hug needed during a storm.

To learn more about Marsha Diane Arnold and Jennie Poh and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their website and blog, respectively.  Marsha Diane Arnold is interviewed at writer and illustrator Jena Benton's site about this title.  At KidLit 411 Jennie Poh is interviewed about this book.  You can view many interior pages at the publisher's website.


I am thrilled to welcome Marsha Diane Arnold today for a guest post about this title.  I know this will bring greater insight to readers about the spark for this story.  These connections really help to make children's literature creators more real to readers.  Thank you, Marsha.

May I Come In? by Marsha Diane Arnold, illustrated by Jennie Poh

Thank you, Margie Myers-Culver, the lovely librarian who is ever-questing for wondrous books for readers. It’s an honor to be here.

In May I Come In? Raccoon is afraid to spend the night alone during a thunderstorm, so he grabs his umbrella to search for company. He’s turned away by Quail, Possum, and Woodchuck. All explain that there’s just no room. When Raccoon arrives at Rabbit’s home, full of hopping, bopping bunnies, he’s sure there’s no room there either, but Rabbit surprises him.

May I Come In? will be available in bookstores on February 15^th, but as I write this today, on February 1^st, I’ve had the fun of already sharing the book with two elementary school classes, one in Connecticut and one in Hyderabad, India. Both classes relished saying the rhyming words, “Swish. Plish.” along with me, as Raccoon splashed through rain puddles. They related to the fear that comes when we’re alone during scary times. I shared about Hurricane Irma here in Florida and how many, including my husband and myself, opened our homes. We invited in friends, strangers…and their dogs. (I know you’ll approve, Margie, being a dog-lover.)

Family, friends, and strangers piled into our house during Hurricane Irma. So many people told others to “Come right in!”

Students’ observations often surprise and delight me. One kindergarten girl noted that Raccoon wore a scarf on the May I Come In? cover, the same way Bear wore a scarf on the cover of Lost. Found. I’m embarrassed to say I hadn’t thought about this before! I explained that I’d written in my Lost. Found. art notes that Bear was wearing a red scarf, but in May I Come In? my illustrator, Jennie Poh, had decided to give Raccoon a scarf, this one bright orange.

Jennie’s art is so fitting for my story. One of my favorite spreads is Raccoon looking into the distance at a light, “glimmering and shimmering,” inviting him to journey on. This is also the cover of the book. Red seems the perfect color for the door beneath the light.  The color red is pleasing here and stands out, but a red front door also has a lot of meaning. The Chinese consider red to be a lucky color and it certainly was for Raccoon. The bright colors that Jennie uses are appealing – red door, orange scarf, purple umbrella. Even in the dark spreads, the colors help keep the story from being scary.

On the last page of the book, readers will find the copyright and dedications. My dedication reads, “Especially for my husband, Frederick Oak Arnold, who always makes room for friends.” I dedicated the book to him because he’s always opening the door to friends and strangers alike, sometimes too much for his introverted wife. He’s willing to come to the rescue of anyone who needs him. That might mean picking someone up at the airport (even if it’s three hours away), buying someone lunch, or calling a sick friend. He epitomizes the spirit of May I Come In? – friendship, inclusion, a helping hand. Finding someone he can help makes him happy.

My hope is that May I Come In? will help children understand that happiness truly does come from opening our hearts…and our doors…to others.

You are welcome to “come right in” to Marsha’s website to explore more about her books and school visits at www.marshadianearnold.com.