You Had No Say

Unless you are an only child, you've experienced the roller coaster ride of sharing your world with a younger or older, sister or brother.  If you are the oldest child in the family, it seems as though you are expected to be the example of propriety.  When something goes wrong, you are blamed in part, even if you are totally innocent.  On the other hand, you are given privileges and opportunities your younger siblings are not.  If you are the youngest child, many times you are your parents' little sweetie pie, unable to do anything wrong. Unfortunately, you hear too many times, wait until you are older.

To be the middle child is an entirely separate experience.  It usually does not offer you any privileges or any protections.  The Middle Kid (Chronicle Books, March 23, 2021) written and illustrated by Steven Weinberg presents a day in the life of a middle child.  In between bursts of laughter, you will reach a new appreciation for all middle children or if you, like Steven Weinberg, are a middle child, you'll find validation.

6:59 AM

CHAPTER 1

GOOD MORNING!

Sniffle.

SNORE.

Sniffle, sniffle-waaaaaaa . . .

So begins a decidedly noisy day.  The quietest one in the group, and still oblivious to the surrounding sounds, is the family dog.  Not wanting to stay silent any longer, the middle kid yells out a greeting.

The breakfast table is a hullabaloo centered in demands.  The results are not good for the artwork of the middle kid.  By chapter three of nine, he is told by his older brother to be tough.  What the older brother fails to tell him is how dark and confining this lesson is.

The next scenario demonstrates how a teacher's adventures on a trip to New Zealand can find their way into a creative escapade with stuffed toy animals, yarn, and a bannister.  Needless to say, what is initially a joint project between the middle kid and his younger sister, ends poorly.  Shortly after midday and chapter four and one half, life improves.

A compassionate mom has a plan.  It is a breather trip to the middle kid's favorite place.  And then, off he and his siblings go to do one of his favorite things.  He is perfect to explore their recent discovery.  Now, he has a secret that is all his.  A popsicle incident does not add up, but this does not deter our intrepid artist and architect.  His finest hour is designed to draw attention, the right kind of attention.  And it does.  Good night.  Sleep tight.

With affectionate truth, author Steven Weinberg, spins a sixty-two-page tale of navigating sibling dynamics.  To create and maintain pacing and gentle tension, each chapter heading includes a specific time of day.  These short chapters are full of blended realistic dialogue and casual narrative. Here is a passage.

9:01 AM CHAPTER 3---> YOU GOTTA BE TOUGH

This morning, my big brother tells me, "You gotta

be tough."

 "I AM!" I yell.

"No," he says.  "You are loud.  Loud is not tough."

I turn around.  I have things to draw.

He grabs my shoulder and says, "I will teach you

how to be tough.  Because I am tough.  And I have

your back."

That might be the nicest thing he has ever told me.

Then he stops looking so nice.

The front of the dust jacket speaks volumes about the fate of being a middle kid in this happy-go-lucky family.  You can't help but laugh at the fact even the dog gets a slice of pizza!  The clever design of using the pizza box as a placeholder for the text adds to the fun.  Numerous elements are varnished.

To the left, on the back, is a portion of a double-page interior picture.  The middle kid is enjoying some alone time in the basement, papers, books, crayons, scissors, and shoes spread across the floor.  He has drawn a masterpiece mix of reality and imagination.  It is the ultimate sanctuary.

Beneath the dust jacket, the book case is a recreation of a traditional black-and-white-speckled composition notebook.  In the larger framed square is the book's title.  For name it reads Steven Weinberg.  For school, it is Lafayette Elementary, and the grade is First.  Each is written in different colored crayon.

On the matching opening and closing endpapers are two original pages from the composition notebook.  In pencil are words of warning, scribbles and a large x.  With a page turn at the front the middle kid is carrying an armload of supplies with the faithful dog trailing behind and looking hopeful at a discarded shoe.  The dedication:

To My Big Brother and little Sister 

is written in crayon.  On the title page there is a lot happening as the three siblings and the pooch pal gather around a rug on the floor, paper written in crayon spelling out the text. The table of contents and introduction are written on composition pages.

The illustrations

were rendered in watercolor, pencil, art from a few centuries ago, digital media, and a whole lot more.

They are bold, highly animated, emotionally expressive and displayed in a variety of perspectives.  The facial features, especially the eyes, allow us to gage every moment.  Steven has placed his signature watercolor backgrounds in many of the images along with his fish and fishing artwork.  Bengal, the tiger, looks a bit different because he is.  

One of my many favorite illustrations is a single-page picture.  The middle kid, his little sister, and the dog are on the floor behind the upstairs bannister.  The little sister is crying in dismay.  The dog has its paws over its eyes.  The middle kid in the center is gleefully throwing Bubba, Bo, and Fred over the railing.  Bengal is about to join them.  Bubba, Bo, and Fred are large at the bottom of the page.  They are so close; portions of their bodies are off the page.  One of Steven's beautiful fish paintings is hanging on the wall on the main floor.

You will be grinning from ear to ear the entire time you are reading The Middle Kid written and illustrated by Steven Weinberg.  It's a warm and funny family portrait, with a heartfelt nod to all those middle children.  I highly recommend it for your collections, personal and professional.

To learn more about Steven Weinberg and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Steven Weinberg has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Steven Weinberg penned a guest post about this book at the Nerdy Book Club.

Centered

If you are the youngest or the oldest in your family, at school or your workplace or even in an array of places in the public arena, you know there are advantages and disadvantages in both circumstances.  These benefits and detriments will shift and change with time.  It's a distinct possibility when younger you often wish to be older or bigger, but once you are older and bigger, you can't turn back the clock.  Eventually we all discover each age and our place in it is to be appreciated.

Regardless of where you are or who you are with, if there are more than two, there is at least one who cannot claim to be the youngest or oldest.  This individual is in a distinct position.  Bunny in the Middle (Christy Ottaviano Books, Henry Holt and Company, July 2, 2019) lovingly created by author Anika A. Denise with illustrations by her husband Christopher Denise is an endearing tribute to all children whose years number not lower or higher than the others but are perfectly in-between the two.

When you're in the middle . . .
you're not the oldest
and you're not the youngest.  

You have the ability to help and the promise of help when you need it.  Sometimes being in the middle demands you take a stand to protect what you have.  Other times being in the middle requires you to give up something you value.  You have the gift of knowing.

You, as an in-between being, will be looked to as a leader.  In other instances, it is better to follow.  With this understanding comes the wisdom to be alone when necessary. 

There are unavoidable situations as a middle individual.  It's not often you get brand new things when those from older sibling will suffice.  Having your own room is entirely out of the question.  (Sometimes you wonder if sharing isn't your secret middle name.)

All these occasions can be experienced with compassion because as a middle you have more than one thing the youngest and oldest don't have.  This knowledge gives you the best of both worlds.  It gives you what every heart desires.


Using eleven wonderfully paced and spaced sentences Anika A. Denise composes a story of comfort and contentment.  With great care she presents instances in which readers will readily identify not only as a middle, but as the youngest or oldest.  Her word choices present a melodic, soothing cadence. Here is a single sentence.

When you're in the middle . . .

you know when to hold on,

when to let go . . .

and how to solve sticky situations.


You simply cannot look at the matching dust jacket and book case without inwardly or outwardly sighing.  These three bunnies balancing on a log bridge are utterly enchanting.  Their clothing, body positions and facial expressions are inviting.  We want to join them as part of this picturesque summer afternoon.  The soft texture and intricate details in the artwork here (and throughout the book) by Christopher Denise further enhance each moment.  This illustration continues along the spine.

To the left, on the back, on a sky-blue canvas, the siblings are seated together in a large overstuffed floral-patterned armchair.  The oldest is reading a copy of Hop Stars.  The middle child is looking at readers and waving one paw.  Looking at a stuffed teddy bear dropped on the floor, is the youngest child.

The opening and closing endpapers are a glorious summer scene in a lush green meadow filled with daisies.  The characters are placed near the top of the pages.  In the first on the left the youngest and middle are together looking intently at a butterfly.  The oldest one, on the right, with one paw casually on her hip, is watching them. On the closing endpapers the butterfly has moved to the right.  The youngest bunny is still on the left but is now holding a bouquet of daisies.  The middle and oldest child are watching the butterfly.  They are each holding a few blossoms.

The illustrations were rendered

with paper and pencil, Adobe Photoshop; and Procreate on iMac and iPad.  The artist also used an Apple Pencil and Wacom tablet.

On heavier paper, using white space with excellence, the images span two pages and single pages.  Each one welcomes readers to pause and become further acquainted with the characters and the settings in which they live.  Christopher Denise varies his points of view to enhance the text and pacing.  He brings us close to the bunnies but then moves back to let us see the larger area where they reside.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations (I love them all!) is for the final phrase in the sentence previously noted.  The three bunnies have made pink frosting for the baked cupcakes.  We are close to them.  On the right there is a portion of the interior of their home with sunlight shining in a window.  Otherwise the canvas is mostly white with some pale, pale green as light reflecting from the walls.  On the left, wearing the newly acquired white chef's hat is the youngest bunny standing on a chair and ready to scoop out frosting with one paw.  A red-and-white checkered towel and sifter is near her.  The large bowl crosses the gutter and extends nearly to the right edge.  There standing on a chair behind the bowl is the middle bunny with closed eyes, holding a wooden spoon and licking the pink frosting on it.  Bending over the bowl with a spatula in her paw is the oldest bunny on the far right and more in the foreground.


As Anika states in the end flap

"We created Bunny in the Middle . . . to celebrate the unique, sometimes challenging experience of being in the middle.  Middle kids are often sensitive, thoughtful, brave, peacemakers, risk-takers . . . the dear ones. 

Anika A. Denise as author and Christopher Denise as artist have completely and with much affection given us a book that wraps us in a hug.  No matter where you are, youngest, middle or oldest, you will be charmed by these three bunnies and especially by the one in the middle.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.  This is a book to share repeatedly.

To learn more about Anika A. Denise and Christopher Denise, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Both have links to blogs from their websites.  Anika A. Denise has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Christopher Denise has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. Anika A. Denise is interviewed at Critter Lit.  At the publisher's website several interior images are there for you to view.

In The Middle

Family dynamics are constantly shifting to accommodate the ebb and flow of the personalities of individual members.  No two family dynamics are the same.  With that being said, sometimes the middle child in more than one family struggles to be noticed.  It seems the majority of favorable attention is given to the oldest and youngest siblings.

Most children would rather not be invisible.  A little bit of love can make all the difference.  Bub (A Paula Wiseman Book, Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, January 16, 2018) written and illustrated by Elizabeth Rose Stanton is about a little monster in the middle of an older sister and a new baby.

This is Bub.

His real name is Bob.

Unfortunately for Bob when writing his name on the first day of school, he didn't close up the o.  (It's surprising how a tiny error like that can have a lasting effect.)  Bub's family consists of Maw, Paw, his sister Bernice and The Baby.

In case you're wondering why the baby is called The Baby, it's because Maw and Paw still have not selected a name.  They shout and argue about names too much.  This loudness makes Bub cranky.  He knows they can be quiet because when Bernice is practicing her violin, they shush him.

The Baby demands constant consideration.  It is freely given by Maw and Paw regardless of Bub's presence.  One day, one day when Bub is already cranky, Bernice and The Baby say the wrong things to Bub.  This little middle monster makes a decision. 

A necessary change goes unnoticed for nearly an entire day.  When attention is finally given in the form of a written message, a reply arcs and loops through the air.  Love finds a way.


Straightforward and succinct sentences written by Elizabeth Rose Stanton appeal to readers of all ages.  The descriptions of the baby-naming campaign, the praise given to Bernice and affection showered on The Baby strike a collective chord in siblings' hearts.  When Elizabeth Rose Stanton introduces little bits of dialogue, we are endeared further to Bub.  Here is a passage.

And when Maw and Paw could
not agree, they could be extra LOUD.
GERTRUDE!
GISELLE!
GABRIELLA!
GLADYS!
This made Bub feel grumpy.

How about Bea?  (Bub)


One of the first things you notice when unfolding the dust jacket is the soft white canvas.  Elizabeth Rose Stanton uses white space masterfully here and all through the title.  It is an essential element on every page allowing her fine lines, delicate colors and pops of red to radiate a certain charm.  The significance of Bub holding the purple crayon will become apparent.  The same hue used in the title text covers the spine.  When our eyes move to the back, the left, Bub's family including the cat, greets readers with smiles and open arms.  (I am working with an F & G.)

On the opening and closing endpapers two colors appear; first pale green and then white.  They are reversed at the conclusion.  On the opening endpapers a small folded paper airplane is at rest in the lower right-hand corner.  An A+ mathematics paper for Bob is placed in the center of the left-hand side of the closing endpapers.  Bub stands amid crayons, papers, a pencil and his whistle beneath the text on the title page.

Rendered in pencil and watercolor the illustrations vary from single page pictures to two page images.  The attire of the characters and their facial expressions are comical and winsome.  That single tooth peeking out from each smile is grin-worthy.  What readers need to notice are the six portraits hanging on the wall in the living room.  From left to right are a space alien, Frankenstein, Henny and Peddles from Elizabeth's first two books, a monster family member and a one-eyed purple guy (The Purple People Eater?).  Their expressions change as the climate in the family changes.  You'll laugh out loud when the parents are shouting.

One of my many favorite illustrations is on a single page.  Paw is standing behind Maw.  Maw is holding The Baby.  Bernice is blowing Bub's whistle.  Her violin and its bow are on the floor next to her.  Bernice is blowing on the whistle so hard, the ribbons on her dress are falling off the fabric.  Hearts are coming out from the whistle.  The others are shouting BUB!!


This book, Bub written and illustrated by Elizabeth Rose Stanton, is for every child who feels invisible in their family.  It is also for those who have never felt lost as a family member.  It reminds them of the importance of each individual.  We need to be aware of each other exercising empathy.  This book will resonate with all of your readers.  I believe it will generate the best kind of discussions.

To learn more about Elizabeth Rose Stanton and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Elizabeth has a blog here.  You can find her on Instagram and Twitter.  To view interior illustrations please visit the publisher's website.  Elizabeth is interviewed about her work at Dani Duck Artist Obscure.