Spellbinding . . .

When writing a blog post, I always go to the Library of Congress or the Michigan eLibrary to find the subject headings for a given title to add to my post.  Sometimes, I do not agree with the selections and I will add my own.  For this post, the subject headings made me smile.  They spoke to truths I hold deep in my heart.  Our minds' memories hold the stories of our lives, and all the stories we've heard and read.  This is powerful magic.

Each memory, ours and those of others, enrich our lives.  They enlarge our view of the world.  They transport us to other places and other times.  With each story, the magic around us and beyond the four directions gets stronger and stronger.   In Witch Hazel (Little, Brown And Company, October 11, 2021), author illustrator Molly Idle presents a visual and written masterpiece.  It is a tale to be savored by one generation and passed to another generation, over and over.  It will be remembered.

IN THE SPRING, Hilda helped Hazel sweep the front porch.

Hilda enjoys spending her days with Hazel.  They, like the season mentioned in the first sentence, are old and new, wise woman and youth. In sweeping the porch, Hazel recalls how she as a child would spend hours with her 

furry friend

reading stories together.  Hilda wants to hear one.  In telling of their adventures, Hazel leaves part of these stories with Hilda and her 

furry friend.  

When summer arrives, the duo move inside to the music room.  Here Hazel recalls, as a young woman, playing music for and with a songbird.  She then tells Hilda how she released the bird, giving it freedom.  Hilda becomes Hazel's songbird in the sultry summer.

Dusting in the parlor in the autumn, Hilda asks Hazel about a portrait over the mantelpiece.  It is Hazel as a grown woman.  She is gowned in all her glory at a ball.  She is wrapped in magic as much as Hilda is now wrapped in a scarf Hazel is knitting for her.

Hazel stays in bed during winter.  Hilda lovingly cleans her room and  keeps Hazel company.  This time it is Hilda who magics stories for Hazel, stories of Hazel's life she shared with Hilda.  Memories swirl around in the room.  In the spring, it is not the same for Hilda and

her furry friend.

There is sadness, but also joy in remembering.  Our stories never really end.

Great care by author Molly Idle is evident in her writing of this story.  The pauses in the narration are excellent.  The word choices reflect each of the seasons.  They also mirror the particular portion of Hazel's life being revealed.  The blend of narrative and dialogue welcomes us into the lives of Hazel and Hilda.  This, too, allows for the images to extend the story into elegance.  Here is a passage.

IN THE SUMMER, Hilda helped give the music room an airing.  The old piano bench creaked a bit as Hazel sat upon it.

Hazel creaked a bit, too.

She laid her hands, feather light, upon the keys.

If there were hues for memory, storytelling, and magic, then the color palette you see on the open dust jacket (and throughout the book) are those used by artist Molly Idle here.  The sepia tones, cream, and white are exquisitely rendered using

graphite and Prismacolor pencil on Stonehenge paper.

Each line, each use of light and shadow, and each detail brings us into the story.  We are already asking ourselves questions as we look at the image on the right.  What is now?  What is memory?  What is the story being told?  The floral fan element in the four corners on the right and left sides is a portion of the feather duster used by Hilda.  The leaves in the oval frame appear like hearts . . . or is it love surrounding these two wonderful beings?  On the back, the left side, another smaller oval fashions a border for Hazel's hat in white and clouds of sparkles.  The words above it read:

The stories passed down

from our loved ones

become a part of us. 

On the book case there is a shift in the images on both the front and back.  On the front, Hilda has the broom.  Its tip touches the broom held by Hazel, now appearing only in white.  The cat is real.  In the oval on the back, with leaves more realistic, is a stack of books.  Next to them is Hilda's feather duster.

The endpapers created by Molly Idle are a part of this story.  In the first set Hazel sits on the steps of her home.  She holds her broom with the feather duster on the bottom step.  A tree to the right of the house provides a branch for a swing to hang.  Younger Hilda with a kitten waves at Hazel on the far right side.  In the closing endpapers, Hilda now sits on the porch step, imaging the scene we saw on the opening endpapers.  Hilda now holds the broom as she looks at Hazel from the past.  Her cat, now larger, watches Hilda and her kitten of the past on the right side.  The bushes and vines on either side of the porch have grown and are blooming.

On the title page, Hazel, now standing with her broom, holds out the feather duster for Hilda who sits in the swing hanging from the tree.  Each subsequent page turn gives readers a single page image or a group of smaller pictures representing the passage of time or a large double-page illustration drawing us deeper into the story.  When Hazel's stories are told, they are wordless.  You cannot help but look at every single item in each scene.

What magic is the broom bringing into the setting?  Items from Hazel's stories are left behind.  Why do you think this is shown?  Hazel's hat is not always on her head.  Hilda is growing up as is her kitten.  At the same time, Hazel is showing signs of getting older between spurts of remembering her youth.  The three-page gatefold toward the end of the book is gasp-worthy, leading us to a poignant end and beginning.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a double-page visual.  Here Hazel is seated on the piano bench with her hands on the left side of the keyboard.  Hilda is to her right with her hands on the keyboard.  Hazel's broom is propping up the piano's lid.  Her hat rests on the tip at the top of the lid.  Magic floats from the piano to the open window.  There stands a youthful Hazel watching her bird fly to freedom.  Hilda's cat holds the feather duster in its mouth.  The bird cage next to the piano is empty.

This book, Witch Hazel written and illustrated by Molly Idle, is an ode to the power of memories and  stories, and the connections forged between generations by those memories and stories.  Each sentence brings us into the life of Hazel, her past, and her present with Hilda.  The artwork transforms wherever we are into the magical realm where Hazel and Hilda are.  I highly recommend you place a copy in your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Caldecott Honoree Molly Idle and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Molly Idle has an account on Instagram.  She chats about this book at A Fuse #Eight Production with Betsy Bird and at The Children's Book Review with Bianca Schulze.

Gem

Sometimes very, very early in the morning, just past midnight, the sight of the moon in the crystal clear air of October is marvelous and a bit magical.  It casts a glow unlike any other light.  Everything it touches is seen anew.

In her newest gift to readers, author illustrator Molly Idle takes us into watery depths.  There reside legendary creatures, caretakers of the sea. Pearl (Little, Brown and Company, October 9, 2018) is about one of the smallest residing there who yearns to join the others with a special task of her own.

In the vast sea of blue,
some mermaids watched over the waves
breaking upon the endless beaches.

Each of the mermaids acts as guardians of the sea.  They may care for the coral reefs, vast swirling kelp, or enormous living beings.  One day Pearl asks her mother to allow her to be a protector.  She believes she is big enough.  Her mother agrees.

Together mother and daughter swim and swim and swim until they break to the surface.  Spread before them is a sandy beach stretching as far as the eye can see.  Pearl's mother tells her this expanse is for her but . . .

When her mother gives her a single grain of sand under her care, Pearl is stunned.  How can her mother give her this tiny task? Now alone on the beach, this mermaid wonders about her worth.  Pearl swims and swims and swims back to the bottom of the sea heartbroken.

Pearl is angry at the grain of sand holding it tightly in her hand.  Wait!  A soft glow is shining between her fingers.  It only gleams when her hands are closed around the single grain of sand.  When she opens her hand to look at it closely, Pearl can see it's different.

Day by day, night by night Pearl tends to this single grain of glowing sand.  It begins to grow and grow and grow until it lifts Pearl and her now happier heart toward the surface of the sea.  The watched becomes watcher.


Reading the sentences penned by Molly Idle in this story is like walking along a sandy beach under the light of the moon with the waves quietly lapping along the shore.  Each word is a reflection of the world in which Pearl lives.

. . . towering forests of kelp rising from the ocean floor.
A wave of disappointment washed over her.

Molly mixes dialogue with her narrative to connect us on a more personal level with Pearl.  This also allows us to see the wisdom in her mother's decision.  At one point in the story Molly uses alliteration with verbs to marvelous effect.  Here is another passage.

Her heart grew heavy,
and the weight of it pulled her
down . . .
down . . .
down . . .
. . . where the salt of her tears mingled with the sea.


The luminous hues of blue spread across the opened dust jacket from flap edge to flap edge.  The elegant font for the title text is a lovely hint of the beauty unfolding in this story. (The jacket features matte lamination with a pearlescent ink and embossed type.) The waves of Pearl's hair are designed to be framed by the opened shell.  On the spine a tiny Pearl is diving toward a tiny glow at the opposite end.  To the left, the back of the opened shell has a glow around it.  The words above it read:

Sometimes the tiniest light
can shine the brightest. . .

Removing the jacket reveals a book case in hues of blue going from light to dark from the bottom to the top.  On the right Pearl floats, her head bent down.  She is looking at the now glowing grain of sand in her cupped hands.  The opening and closing endpapers are a reversal of the shades going from light to dark from the top to the bottom.  A page turn reveals a breathtaking view of Pearl rising from the sea as the curve of a huge wave moves toward an expanse of beach.

Each double-page picture is brimming with animation and emotion.  Rendered with Prismacolor pencils on vellum-finish Bristol Molly Idle takes us into an extraordinary realm. The mermaids' color and hair formations mirror the portion of the sea under their care.  Molly shifts the perspective causing us to pause page turn after page turn.  Sometimes we are going up and sometimes we are floating without moving.  Sometimes we see the sea in a larger view, other times we move in close noting the facial expressions on Pearl.  We watch as the colors of the sea grow richer and deeper as day turns to night.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is of Pearl sleeping in the opened shell.  The dark waters of the sea surround her drifting with light and shadow.  On the right the base of the shell is several shades of midnight blue.  On the bottom of the opened shell is a lush rose, a bit lighter than Pearl. She sleeps holding the growing grain of sand (pearl).  Peeking from the top of the opened shell is her mother.


Pearl written and illustrated by Molly Idle is one of those books which wrap around you in pure eloquence.  Through the adept blend of words and images we feel a deep connection to Pearl.  This makes us gasp at the conclusion.  I am sure this story will invite conversations about size and purpose.  In pairing this book with Grace Lin's A Big Mooncake for Little Star you can begin a discussion about origin tales.  I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Molly Idle and her other work, please visit her website by following the link attached to her name.  Molly maintains accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Her Instagram account is loaded with artwork and sketches from this book.  The cover reveal for this book is at A Fuse #8 Production, School Library Journal, hosted by Elizabeth Bird.  You will find the interview interesting.  Molly Idle visits Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast hosted by author, reviewer and blogger, Julie Danielson.  She talks about this book and her artistic process.  It's a fabulous post.  There is a video book chat with Molly at the publisher's website.

Gigantic Gift

The requests from students to read Christmas stories have already started; especially those tales containing favorite characters.  A thought fleetingly passes through my mind about Halloween not even being over yet, but retail stores have had shelves of December holiday decorations up for several weeks.  Perhaps these children's requests are built upon the belief and the hope this particular holiday season can and will bring out the best in individuals.

It is a time for friends and family, those we see frequently or those we only see once a year, to gather. Our thoughts turn to tradition and the art of giving.  Santa Rex (Viking, Penguin Young Readers,  an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, October 17, 2017) written and illustrated by Molly Idle is the fourth title in a series featuring prim and proper Cordelia, her younger brother with his constant teddy bear companion, and their four bigger than big best buddies, Rex, Alan, Rosemary and Clarence.  Each episode with these characters leaves a mark of laughter on your heart.  The one for this book will twinkle.

EXPECTING company for Christmas?

Don't look up unless you want to see two large eyes peering through the windows above the door.  Yes, readers, Rex and company have arrived to join in the night-before, merry making activities.  If you desire success, you need to have a lengthy to-do list. 

Without a minute to spare garlands of holly, chains of paper and strings of popcorn are hung.  The room is filled with inventiveness as paper snowflakes are cut and hung on the windows.  (You might want to pay close attention to your curtains when there's a dinosaur on the premises.)  With the decorations done, it's time to create and bake confections in the kitchen.  They're so yummy, it's nearly impossible to not gobble them in great gulps.

In anticipation of a visit from Santa, it's important to hang your stockings on the fireplace mantle.  If you don't have one or it has been accidentally destroyed, improvise. The final act of the evening is to embellish the evergreen.  There is an order to follow if it is to be done correctly.  If you aren't careful the finishing touch is the crashing final touch.

It's off to bed with visions of a special visit swirling in sleeping minds.  No one is prepared for the spectacle awaiting them downstairs in the morning.  No one could be merrier about this one very special Christmas.


Reading like the simple, but ultimate guide book on celebrating Christmas, our faithful unseen narrator leads us to believe nothing could be easier than following the suggestions.  With these spare statements Molly Idle leaves a wide window open for potential problems to appear for those prone to perfection like Cordelia.  As we read each one our expectations build toward what we surely know is going to be less than normal.  What Molly does, though, with great skill is to leave us with an undeniable truth about this holiday and most importantly, the value of two or more is superior to one.


Whether you have read the three previous titles or not, the front of the matching dust jacket and book case will have you more than a little curious about a Tyrannosaurus rex wearing a Santa hat in front of a pile of presents.  Clearly Cordelia and her younger brother are excited about the possibilities this holiday will bring.  The design and layout are as precise as you might expect if our young lady character is the artist.  This is perfection.  Molly Idle is already welcoming us into a situation which will be loaded with comedic contrasts.  To the left, on the back, are small versions of the three other title front covers with praise from professional reviewers.

The opening and closing endpapers are patterned in large red and white stripes like a close-up of a candy cane.  On the final set there is a very distinct difference. (I'm trying not to laugh as I already imagine the exclamations by the young listeners who will hear me read this story.)  On the title page we are privy to the exquisite care Molly gives to each element in her images.  The word Santa is strung with Christmas lights. The teddy bear is there holding scissors as Cordelia and her brother wrap a gift.  This gift is seen several times in the story but we do not know the contents until the very end.

Each illustration reveals the meticulous selection of color choices for the interior of the home with which we are familiar, the dinosaurs, the attire of the children and the wonderful atmosphere of the holiday.  Hilarity and contrast begin with the list.  The stegosaurus is munching on the end of it.  In fact, you need to watch him.  He eats a lot of things throughout this story.

Molly includes images ranging from glorious two-page pictures to framed single page visuals and also has more than one framed image on a single page.  Those that are framed are done in two thin red lines.  For some of the sentences there will be several pictures enhancing those words.  They usually reflect results guaranteed to generate giggles.  A vertical surprise will have you gasping and grinning.

It's nearly impossible to select a favorite illustration. These pictures are pure charm.  One I enjoy and I know readers will too takes place in the kitchen.  The background is shades of mint green and white appliances with mint green and pale yellow tile flooring.  This draws our attention to the characters.  On the left side of this double-page picture Cordelia in her red dress and red and white striped apron is holding a tray with cookies and a glass of milk for Santa.  She is looking aghast at the disappearance of the rest of the cookies from the table which stretches from left to right across the gutter.  On the right is Rex with a bulging cheek and evidence of the cookie in his tiny hand.  The stegosaurus is consuming the table cloth.  Cordelia's brother is hiding a cookie behind his back and also has a bulging cheek.  His teddy bear, next to him, is hoping some of the cookie crumbs will land close enough for him to grab.


No Christmas collection would be complete without the addition of Santa Rex written and illustrated by Molly Idle.  This beloved cast of characters shines as brightly in this title as they have in the previous titles.  As noted on the front flap

Here is a book that shares one of the happiest spirits of Christmas---laughter.

To learn more about Molly Idle and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  You can get a peek at the endpapers on the publisher's website.  Please take a few moments to enjoy this interview of Molly at Art of the Picture Book.  I have blog posts about Tea Rex, Camp Rex and Sea Rex, the other three delightful and hilarious titles.

Three Is A Company

Finding and being a true friend takes time.  It's a form of harmony composed of give and take, compromise and compassion.  When a duo becomes a trio, finding an equilibrium can be a little bit trickier.  Sometimes one of the three feels out of the loop, as the other two appear to be closer.  When everything is in sync though, a friendship formed by three is a thing of beauty.

The girl who charmed her way into our collective hearts has returned in a third title.  Garnering a Caldecott Honor medal in 2014 Flora and the Flamingo was followed by the second book, Flora and the Penguin in autumn of the same year.  Conceived and illustrated by Molly Idle Flora and the Peacocks (Chronicle Books, May 3, 2016) finds two companions vying for the attention and affection of the dancer.  As in the two previous titles this is a story told without words.  

On the title page the tale unfolds as an extended arm on the left, holding an open fan, reaches toward the text.  On the right two peacocks in repose fan their feathers to create an identical half-circle shape.  With a page turn Flora is standing in a crossed ballet pose fan open in front of her face.  Readers are invited to lower the flaps.  Flora is looking at the peacocks.  They are gazing at each other.  

Flora greets and bows to these graceful, gorgeous avian creatures as they look at her with mixed curiosity.  One appears to be more open to meeting her than the other.  That one looks at her with definite indifference.  As Flora and the first peacock discover similarities, the other hides, head bowed, feathers spread.

Wanting to include the second bird, Flora moves over; her body movements suggestive of kindness.  The first peacock is certainly not happy about the attention given to the other bird, stalking over to its pal in anger.  A staring match erupts in a tug-of-war with Flora's fan.  OH NO!

The fan, Flora's visual connection to the peacocks and a part of her formal attire is torn in half.  She looks at them holding the damaged fan, drops the pieces and walks away.  Staring at the fan and then each other, the peacocks pick up a half.  Distraught over the loss of her possession and the potential for new feathered friends, Flora, knees to her chest, sits with her head on her crossed arms.  

In an act of considerable cleverness the peacocks in unison approach Flora.  Their efforts ignite a transformation.  Blossomed birds are held together by warmth and tenderness.

The matching dust jacket and book case in a trio of colors, introduce readers to Flora and her new acquaintances.  With a flourish and splendor equal to theirs, Flora bows to them in greeting.  The oval framed in yellow peacock feathers is replicated on the back.  Flora and the first peacock are admiring one another within a circle of white. The yellow of the feathers on the jacket and case provides a canvas for the opening and closing endpapers. 

Rendered in colored pencils the illustrations throughout are breathtaking in their exquisite elegance.  Heavy, matte-finished paper in a soft white provides the perfect background for the colorful characters.  Delicate tendrils of leaves, like willows, drop down across the top of the pages.  

A series of flaps discloses the express emotions of Flora and each of the peacocks.  We willingly participate in this dance of friendship dictating the pace.  Every line, every hue of the limited color palette, every delightful detail (the raised eyebrows, the eyes, the mouths and beaks, the birds' head and body feathers and all body postures) and every flap and fold are pieces performing in this rich and rare production. 

Every single page turn depicts pure noble eloquence.  One of my favorite illustrations spanning two pages is of Flora stretched across the gutter reaching toward the second peacock.  Molly Idle has placed a flap on each peacock.  We can, by opening and closing them, see how the act of friendship is growing.  At this point both birds are equally curious about Flora, her intentions and how they feel about each other.  

This third title with Flora and her bird ballet buddies is simply marvelous.  Flora and the Peacocks created by Molly Idle will wrap around you like a symphony weaving its way into your heart.  It, along with Flora and the Flamingo and Flora and the Penguin, are a trio to treasure.  True friendship will always find a balance.

If you desire to learn more about Molly Idle and her other books, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  The publishers have made an activity kit to accompany this title.  Teacher librarian and a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee, Travis Jonker, reveals the cover to this book on his blog, 100 Scope Notes.  Scholastic's Ambassador for School Libraries, John Schumacher, premieres the book trailer on his blog, Watch. Connect. Read.  In this post he includes an earlier interview with Molly Idle.  At Art of the Picture Book Molly Idle is interviewed.  Teacher librarian Matthew C. Winner chats with Molly Idle at All The Wonders, Episode 253.  Enjoy the extra video from the publishers.

By The Sea, By The Sea, By The Beautiful Sea

In exactly eleven days an official holiday will signal the unofficial beginning of summer.  Memorial Day weekend is when many individuals will meet with family and friends to travel to the nearest parks and lakes to enjoy a little rest and relaxation for the first time this year.  It's a time to reap the benefits of unhindered sunrises and sunsets, sand and hopefully some solitude.

For others living along one of the coasts, the days will bring about an entirely different kind of adventure.  Those large bodies of water hold mysteries within their depths.  You never know what might wash up along the shores.  In their newest undertaking Cordelia, her younger brother, his teddy bear companion, and her prehistoric pals, Rex, Alan, Rosemary and Clarence, whose delightful antics we've enjoyed in Tea Rex and Camp Rex, are headed for some seaside merriment.  Sea Rex (Viking, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), May 26, 2015) is sure to send you packing for your next excursion with a smile on your face.

READY for a carefree day of fun in the sun?
Gather your friends...

Upon arriving at the beach one must take precautions to fully appreciate all this trip has to offer, keeping safety in mind.  This might mean staying within eyesight of the life guard.  If you don't use the proper amount of sunscreen, the sun's rays will keep you uncomfortably warm for days.

Tiptoeing into the water is far too slow.  Go for the cannonball jump!  Watch out for those sudden colossal waves which are a surfer's delight but can create mayhem on the shore.  Everyone knows the sand along the sea reveals endless treasures.  Cordelia and company find seashells to be full of surprises; sharp, loud and gigantic.

When you flip open the lid on your picnic basket new friends will flock to your side.  In fact, they might get carried away (or carry someone away).  If you should race to the rescue, kindly observe the cardinal rules for swimming.  You simply never know what lurks beneath the surface.

This is a day for making memories or sand castles.  It's full of snoozing, floating and snacking.  It's best done with Rex and his roomies.


Charming as ever, like a guide from a bygone era, Molly Idle gives voice to an unseen speaker.  With each statement we are privy to numerous pieces of particular recommendations and several golden nuggets of life advice.  Key words add to the anticipation of searching for the discrepancy between the narrative and the images.  As soon as I read carefree I knew the opposite was going to be true on more than one occasion.  Our fearless formal friend seems to be the recipient of things gone awry which simply creates more fun for the reader.


Beginning with shades of blue on the front and back of the dust jacket (I'm working with an F & G), Molly Idle takes us to the water with its cool colors.  You can't help but rejoice in the playful nod by Idle to another classic cover of a swim at sea.  Readers familiar with the two previous titles will be as happy as Rex and Cordelia to see the two friends reunited.

In this title the crown over Rex is formed from anchors to maintain the theme.  Details like this spell excellence.  The red and white in SEA are those found in a life tube. The opening and closing endpapers contain similar elements but subtle changes point to the storyline; how we begin and finish.  A bug-eyed crab has been busy.

Rendered in Prismacolor pencils on vellum finish Bristol each illustration tells its own story starting with the title page; Cordelia, her brother and teddy bear dressed and ready for a trek to the seashore. With skill Idle supplies pacing in her picture sizes; alternating between small insets, framed single pages, two-page, edge to edge visuals and smaller framed pictures on a single page.  Idle's layout is impeccable.

Mood, motion and lots of humor are generated with facial features, body postures and intricate line work.  You can't help but laugh when you see the tiny sailor hat on the head and the teeny pail and shovel in the hands of Rex. Careful readers will see that even with a pail full of sunscreen one member of the crew seems to have acquired a rather unique sunburn.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a wordless double-page span of Rex, Cordelia, her brother, his teddy bear and a persistent seagull.  Rex is resting on his back, wearing a toothy grin, holding Cornelia's umbrella with the seagull on top over his face and his inner tube's face.  Cordelia's brother is sleeping on Rex's stomach.  The teddy bear is perched on Rex's curled tail peering over the side.  Cordelia is stretched on her beach towel, her hand holding a spot in her book, as she looks up at Rex.  She is definitely wondering why her umbrella has been moved.


Whether you have read the companion titles or not, you are going to thoroughly enjoy Sea Rex written and illustrated with mastery by Molly Idle.  Each character will charm you as the contrast between the text and images depicts one moment of comedy after another.  At the conclusion you will want to give each one a hug after you have walked to the beach to sit beside them.  This book is meant to be shared.

For more information about Molly Idle and her other titles please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  This interview at Andrea Skyberg|Author & Artist gives us a tour of Molly Idle's studio.

There's Trouble Brewing On The Frontier

Hands down the only thing more resilient than our canine companions are children.  Their optimism, willingness to laugh and ability to readily forgive are astounding.  It can also be said there are a couple of things near and dear to their hearts.  Their best friends are extremely important whether it's a real person, a pet, a stuffed animal or an imaginary being.  If this pal should suddenly vanish, it's cause for a major ruckus.  Also of value is their position in the family hierarchy, especially if they are a first child.

If the loss of this status as the only child should coincide with the disappearance of their best buddy, you might want to take cover.  In her debut picture book author Maripat Perkins takes a look at this unwelcome scenario giving it an Old West slant.  With the illustrations of Caldecott Honor winner (Flora and the Flamingo) Molly Idle Rodeo Red (Peachtree Publishers, March 1, 2015) is a rootin' tootin' romp.

I go by the name of Rodeo Red.
My best friend in all the world is my hound dog, Rusty.

To be perfectly clear Rusty is a faithful stuffed toy.  The happiness shared by the duo is rudely interrupted by the arrival of none other than Sideswiping Slim, a baby brother.  And wouldn't you know it; the girl's parents love this new guy.

Before long the rambunctious nature of Slim shows itself in ways contrary to the status quo.  Rodeo Red makes every effort to offer advice on boundaries which are notoriously ignored.  She is fit to be tied with the entire situation.

One day, though, this meddlesome desperado makes a serious mistake kidnapping Rusty.  To make matters worse, the Sheriff and her Deputy (mom and dad) side with Sideswiping Slim.  Rodeo Red even lands in the dreaded time-out chair after her lassoing attempt causes her brother to howl louder than any chorus of coyotes.

An entirely unforeseen delivery of something no cowgirl worth her spurs would ever find useful lights the tiniest spark of a red-hot plan.  The newcomer never has a chance against the seasoned Rodeo Red. Yippee-i-o-ki-ay!  It's time to head home.


By the time you've finished the third sentence in this story you will be firmly planted in life on a ranch.  Author Maripat Perkins ropes you with her words and draws you into her story like a stray steer brought back to the herd.  Rodeo Red is a gal who sees life through cowgirl eyes.  Her determination and savvy will have you grinning from ear to ear.  Trusty Rusty is one lucky hound dog.  Here is a sample passage.

I eased up and tried to slip Rusty out real gentle-like, but Slim was squeezing that dog tighter than a greenhorn riding a bucking bronco.
I tugged and pulled, but it weren't no use.
"Dadburnit, Slim!" I hollered.  "Give me back my dog!"
Well, that woke him up.  He set to squawling like a fire truck heading to a wiener roast gone bad.


When it comes to facial expressions the characters drawn by Molly Idle, using Prismacolor pencil on paper, tell a story all their own with a look, lift of an eyebrow or a tilt of their head.  You can easily tell with a glance at the front of the matching dust jacket and book case, there is trouble brewing.  On the back a picture seen inside the book is featured.  Rodeo Red has entered her bedroom as if she has just stepped into the local saloon, legs spread and arms stretched out to hold the doors open.  A rustic dusty red provides the background for the opening and closing endpapers.  Toy cows and a bull are scattered about on both pages with a meaningful addition in the back lower right-hand corner.  Across the title page and verso Rodeo Red is riding her rocking horse with joyful abandon; Rusty at her back and her herd spread around her.

Idle varies her image sizes and framing depending on the narrative.  Even though a picture might be edged with a fine red line, elements will appear outside the border.  Her small vignettes depict passages of time.  Two page illustrations, edge to edge, define turning points.  At one particular spot she focuses entirely on the characters' faces and eyes; readers will pause as the characters ponder.

Careful readers will see words spelled in the toy blocks in the siblings' room.  Not only are Rodeo Red and Sideswiping Slim appropriately attired befitting ranch residents but items in both their rooms signify a fascination with the west; a hanging horseshoe, a toy stagecoach, and a cactus clothes tree.  You can't fail to notice the position of Rodeo Red's body in the timeout chair as she faces readers.

One of my favorite images is of Rodeo Red standing in the doorway to Slim's bedroom.  The light behind her casts a long shadow toward his bed as he sleeps in dreamy bliss holding Rusty.  The two are a study in contrast.


I've spent several days smiling whenever I read Rodeo Red written by Maripat Perkins with illustrations by Molly Idle.  It's one of those read aloud books, you'll want to share over and over.  I would pair it with other western favorites like Kid Sheriff and the Terrible Toads, Let's Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy, Meanwhile Back At The Ranch, and Frog Trouble and Eleven Other Pretty Serious Songs. 

To learn more about Molly Idle please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  She was interviewed at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast not once but twice by author and blogger, Julie Danielson.  Molly Idle was interviewed by Matthew C. Winner, teacher librarian, at his Let's Get Busy Podcast.  Peachtree Publishers has started a board at Pinterest, Rodeo Red's Roundup.  If you want to have your own Rodeo Red's Roundup Peachtree Publishers have created a sixteen page event kit guide. 

Over And Under The Ice

Once the temperatures were consistently below freezing and snow had fallen, all the neighborhood kids knew what would happen.  The caretakers of the nearby park would start to make a skating pond.  I know every single child for blocks around was including Jack Frost in their prayers at night, hoping he would work his magic to make the layers of water freeze faster.

When the rink was ready some would play games of hockey using whatever was available for a puck, others wove over the ice in endless challenges of crack-the-whip or a few dreamed of dancing in swirling figure eights before an admiring crowd.  We loved skating on that pond.   Molly Idle's gregarious gal first acquainted with readers in her 2014 Caldecott Honor winning title, Flora and the Flamingo, has returned.  Donning a pair of skates she glides over the ice in Flora and the Penguin (Chronicle Books, September 30, 2014).

In silence, without words, the story is told; beginning with a single two-page illustration including the title.  Flora is walking across a section of ice, her skates over her shoulder, as she eyes a hole in the ice.  We are able to see the water underneath the frozen landscape.

Putting on her skates, still watching the hole, she is rewarded, as are we, with the sight of a beak tip.  We know it's a penguin.  A few fish are swimming from the page edges toward the center.

As the penguin emerges from the water a greeting is given.  The two join hands, partners in a graceful dance, moving to a melody only they know.  As they change directions so do the two large schools of fish now present.  When we lift the first flap we see the pair in perfect synchronization as they face away from us.

As their bodies leap and stretch, the fish are performing in a figure eight formation.  With laughter on her face, Flora is blissfully unaware of every single fish shifting as a unit toward the opening.  Apparently with some instinctual gift, the penguin knows, diving through the hole in hot pursuit.  On the top of the ice flaps show Flora's disappointment at the loss of her companion.  Beneath the ice, the penguin is not giving up the chase.

Pleased as punch, the penguin pops back up to the surface with a single fish; presenting it to Flora as a token of friendship.  With a flippant fling, she tosses it back through the hole.  The penguin is aghast.  The pair is not pleased with each other but Flora, perhaps from her own experiences in the first book, realizes the need to make amends.  Heart and head working together, her inventive plan gains more than one catch of the day.


When I unfolded the dust jacket Molly Idle's design seen on the front, the wide strip edged in snowflakes, continues to both flap edges.  Flora and her penguin friend are joyously skating to the right on the front.  The reverse is featured on the back.  Beneath the jacket the book case is a frosty white with only two small illustrations.  On the right the penguin is peering out of his hole.  It's bottoms up on the left.  The bright golden yellow hues cover both sets of endpapers.

In this title the white, rather than acting as a canvas as it did to highlight Flora and the flamingo, becomes an element directly influencing the overall atmosphere of ice and snow.  Rendered in colored pencils with the limited color palette, simplicity in design and delicate details create sheer eloquence.  Each flap, carefully placed, heightens the narrative's progression and emotions.

I've turned the pages again and again as well as each flap, finding it hard to select a favorite.  Everything flows flawlessly; so connected as to be one solid whole.  I really enjoy the sequence of illustrations when Flora and the penguin are together again, working to correct her mistake.  It says a lot when the penguin joins her rather quickly.


Like a blade on the ice, Flora and the Penguin conceived and illustrated by Molly Idle will skate its way right into your heart.  Hand this to readers who like participating in stories with the tactile experience of lifting flaps and readers who love penguins, skating and friendships.  You are going to love dancing with Flora and her pal as much as you did the very first time.  It's simply glorious.


If you are interested in learning more about Molly Idle and her work, please follow the link attached to her name taking you to her website and blog.  Here is a recent interview she did at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast hosted by Julie Danielson.  A Q & A with Molly Idle about this title and her work in general appeared a little later in Publishers Weekly.  Teacher librarian extraordinaire, John Schumacher, premiered the book trailer (and much more) at his blog, Watch. Connect. Read.  At the publisher's website they have included two illustrations with the flaps for your viewing.  Molly Idle chats with Matthew C. Winner, a special teacher librarian, on his Let's Get Busy podcast.

Prehistoric Pandemonium

Now that spring has officially arrived, most of the snow finally melting, it's hard not to think of summer.  I'll bet there are people already planning their vacations, many reserving spots at their favorite campgrounds.  It's time to take stock of the gear, perhaps upgrading to a larger tent, better cook stove and more comfortable sleeping bags.

During my scouting years we learned basic survival skills, sharing many an adventure with neighborhood girls at different designated camps.  Older and out of college, hiking into the remote areas of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, I spent a fairly sleepless night worried about bears and only a tiny tent for protection. Camping across the north and south west might have been the best two summer weeks I ever spent.

What I've never done (but the idea is certainly fascinating) is go camping with prehistoric pals.  If I ever had the opportunity, I might want to take the newest release of Caldecott Honor winner (Flora and the Flamingo) Molly Idle along with me.  The characters introduced with great hilarity in Tea Rex have returned in Camp Rex (Viking, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA)).  Get ready for a camping trip that is truly out of this world!

Searching for an outing to enjoy with your friends?
Consider camping!

All camping aficionados can attest to the benefits of the fresh air.  Without a doubt it is the best kind of exercise for shaking away the winter cobwebs.  There are, of course, certain types of protocol to be observed.

These rules of the road (so to speak) are never more important than when your best buddies are a Tyrannosaurus rex, a Pterodactyl, a Stegosaurus, a Triceratops and a teddy-bear-toting little brother.  Sticking together and following the trail can be a tad bit tricky.  Once the tents are erected at the ultimate spot, discovering the joys of the forest are next on the agenda.

This too poses its own set of problems if you lack understanding of the local plants and animals.  (Shaking a beehive is not a good idea.)  Since there has yet to be a canoe made large enough to accommodate gigantic lizards, be prepared for the consequences.  As the day closes a group effort is needed to gather materials for building a fire for cooking, heat and light.  No...no...no...not that much wood!

With songs, stories and sounds of the night life filling the air some are able to fall asleep, tuckered out from the day's activities.  One is not as lucky as the others but when morning comes, friends offer support.  Who knows what another day will bring for this merry band of camping companions?


An unnamed narrator introduces the adventure proceeding in a most proper manner to delineate the steps necessary for a successful outing into the wilderness. It's the implications created by Molly Idle's precise use of language which set the stage for the contrast between the text and illustrations. It's calm, cool and collected versus comical chaos.

Precise details on the characters and within the settings, shadings in the coloration providing texture and expressive facial features begin on the matching dust jacket and book case.  Using wood for the letters in Camp is a nice touch as is the crown over Rex.  Perhaps Molly Idle is getting us ready for the surprises within the book by giving us this illustration on the front which contrasts with the campfire scene later in the story.  The opening and closing endpapers picturing a scouting (camper) hat, a Wilderness Guidebook, a compass, a canteen and two daisies are distinctly different from one another telling a tale before the first page is turned.

Alternating between two-page visuals edge to edge and single page, half page and a page with three illustrations bordered in white and a fine blue line, Idle keeps in splendid sync with her text.  At each reading more humorous details reveal themselves; the "coonskin" cap worn by the Stegosaurus, her younger brother's teddy bear seems to get in on all the action, the owl giving the Pterodactyl the evil eye, and the canoe oars being used as firewood.  There are extra stories in all the illustrations!

One of my favorite illustrations is the previously mentioned campfire scene.  All the characters are gathered around the fire, roasting marshmallows, singing at the top of their proverbial lungs (even the teddy bear's head it tipped up in song).  Where the marshmallows are placed will have you roaring with laughter as will the antics of the raccoon.


Camp Rex written and illustrated by Molly Idle is fun...fun...fun. It's a must have for all those storytelling sessions about camping and summer activities.  As a read aloud it's exquisite; the difference between the reader's (narrator's) voice (prim and particular) and the pictures will have listeners giggling continuously. You'll never hear the word camping again without getting a big grin on your face; this title will remain in your memory for a long time.

Please visit Molly Idle's official website by following the link embedded in her name.  On Sunday visit John Schumacher's blog, Watch. Connect. Read. and Colby Sharp's site, Sharpread, as they feature Molly Idle and Camp Rex in a trifecta.  It might involve a book trailer.  Here is the link to her post at the Nerdy Book Club.  Have fun!  Also for more interior pictures and an interview check out the Penguin Teen Tumblr.  

@Loveofxena @colbysharp The pterodactyl's name is Alan, the triceratops is Rosemary, and the stegosaurus is Clarence :) #CampRex #funfact
— Molly Idle (@MollyIdle) April 27, 2014

A Tea-rrific Time

It would seem that our lives are composed of rituals; certain practices done at specific times of the year, month, or even every day.  During the month of August it might be staying up into the early hours of the morning to watch the Perseid meteor shower, growing up it was new shoes before school started in September, or each night not being able to go to sleep until you've told members of your family good night, I love you.  These routines give comfort, a sense, whether true or not, that all is right with the world.

I'll wager that most people can barely begin their day without a first cup of coffee, or in my case, a cup of tea. In Asian cultures there are beautiful ceremonies for the preparation and serving of tea.  Low tea and high tea are British terms used to distinguish between the times tea might be served.  When you host or attend a tea party there is an etiquette to be observed.  In Tea Rex (Viking, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.) written and illustrated by Molly Idle adjustments to tradition prevail in a rather BIG way.

When hosting an afternoon tea for a special friend---
greet your guest at the door.

If a grinning Tyrannosaurs rex, invitation in hand wearing a teeny, tiny purple bowler hat and purple and yellow polk-a-dot bow tie, happens to be filling the open door frame, this could present the first of many...er...challenges during the event.  Having him follow you to the parlor is not going to be easy when he can hardly squeeze through the door.  With meeting the other guests and finding one's spot at the table complete, the polite conversation begins.

In response to shenanigans involving cutlery on the part of the younger brother, Mr. Rex lets out a mighty loud roar of approval.  Offering food, despite its variety, and the pouring of tea proves to be rather problematic.  The guest's enthusiasm for both is a tad over the top.

Mayhem quickly follows on the heels of one mishap after the other. Appropriate music and dance (more like riding  on a roller coaster at the amusement park) concludes the tea party. Whew!  With the special guest barely, in every sense of the word, out the door, a surprise is delivered to the hosts, actually, a bunch of BIG surprises.


Sentence by sentence in a most prim and proper form, Molly Idle provides a narrative which reads like pages from Miss Manners.  With little stretch of the imagination you can almost hear the voice enunciating each and every word chosen with care.  The pauses between page turns elevate the disparity between what is read and what is seen in the illustrations.


On the front jacket and cover we are treated to a snapshot of a very special occasion but a picture on the back, a circular inset, tells a different story, the real story.  The palette of colors displayed on the jacket and cover are used throughout on illustrations rendered with Prismacolor pencils. Opening and closing endpapers provide charming close-ups of an invitation and thank you note sent by Cordelia to Mr. Rex, the opened envelopes against his bowler hat, the notes held by his versatile tail.

The details in the decor, the characters' attire, the table setting and facial expressions (oh, those eyes) only increase the hilarity.  The "before the roar" and "after the roar" differences are the first of many.  For example in a series of three visuals for When everyone is settled, you may serve refreshments.  Be sure to offer several choices---and cater to the individual tastes of your guests, we see all the characters seated at the table hands and feet reaching toward delectable delights followed by the disappearance of all including a portion of the plate and then "whoosh", the teddy bear in attendance is about to be consumed too. My favorite of them all is the double page spread of what's left of the parlor after the party as Cordelia and her brother push (it's a tight fit) Mr. Rex out the door.  All sense of decorum has vanished.


With delicate, dramatic illustrations drawn to illuminate and accentuate Tea Rex by Molly Idle is most memorable.  The very idea of dinosaurs and tea parties is so foreign to our way of thinking, the humor begins immediately and grows page after page.  You'll be looking for a free date to have your very own afternoon tea.  Who will you invite?

Please stop by Molly Idle's website.  A link is embedded in her name above.  This is a link to Molly Idle Picks Kid-Friendly Dinosaur Books at BOOKish. (Thanks to John Schumacher for tweeting this link.) This book trailer is only the start of a wonderful reading experience.

 

To See...To Be...

What I see in the natural world, from the tiniest raindrop to the ferocious approach of a thunderstorm, from a tiny tree toad making his home on my front porch to walking near a bull elk in a snow-covered meadow, hearing his bugle, is what prompted me to pursue a hobby in photography from the earliest days of printing in my own darkroom to the marvels of digital today.  From color schemes to patterns to design and layout we humans use Mother Nature's marvels in our lives capturing and creating to decorate, cloth and imitate.  We liken ourselves to her creatures; fly like an eagle, swim like a fish.

Indeed one of Charles Caleb Colton's more well-known quotes is "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".  In the case of Molly Idle's new title, Flora and the Flamingo (Chronicle Books, February 5, 2013), imitation is depicted as perhaps, flattery, but more importantly as an overture.  In this case it is an invitation to a lasting, mutual respect; friendship.

Without a single word in the entire volume, we are introduced first to a flamingo as part of a double spread for the title.  With a turn of page the same flamingo has changed from a graceful landing to a one-legged pose, straight as an arrow. We see a hint of Flora in the lower, far-right corner, one brown flipper and part of a leg.

To our delight on the next set of pages there are two flaps; one on the left page, the other on the right.  On the left the flamingo is still at attention.  On the right Flora is mimicking his stance.

When the flaps are lowered we see the flamingo turn to sharply glance at Flora.  She turns away whistling, hands behind her back in a pose of nonchalance, when her flap is lowered.  It is beginning, that loveliest of dances, the getting to know one another, step by step.

As the flamingo moves through a series of elegant positions, Flora carefully copies as best as she can until they stop, heads bent and covered. Then the two new flaps are lowered.  Quick peeks are exchanged.

 Both are giving the other a backward-through-the-legs look when unexpectedly the flamingo airs his frustration at Flora's presence; the force tumbling her in a backward roll.  Eventually re-thinking his emotional outburst, the flamingo extends a wing but Flora is reluctant to accept the request.  Her ultimate decision leads to a succession of brilliantly beautiful ballet movements by two beings perfectly in tune with each other.


The front and back jacket and cover allude to the friendship which will be forged within the pages of this wordless title.  Buttercup yellow opening and closing endpapers mirror the shades on Flora's bathing cap.  The color palette of pink, brown and yellow with hints of gray on large expanses of white space combined with the refined, slightly old-fashioned feeling of the illustrations (Flora's bathing suit, cap and flippers) define the overall emotional impact of this title.  Without a single sound being stated we still hear hope, bewilderment, acceptance and sheer, pure joy through the soft visuals created by Molly Idle.

The delicate branches covered in pale pink blossoms which frame the top of all the pages add balance to the figures.  In the beginning a single blossom sits near the two characters until it lands on Flora's head, petals broken. As Flora and the flamingo come together first one larger, then a smaller blossom gently float down from the branches; one becomes two.

The shape and form of wings, arms, and legs with the expressive eyes, mouth and beak conveys the subtle shifts in mood and dance with amazing clarity.  Altering the size of the flaps increases the impact of the actions taken by the two characters.  Using heavier stock for the pages provides for a richness in addition to being more durable.


You can't help but be mesmerized with every page turn in Flora and the Flamingo created by Molly Idle.  Her illustrations full of warmth and humor, dance and a blossoming friendship are absolutely glorious.  One reading will not suffice. No, not at all. Get ready for repeated readings. Who wouldn't want to share or experience this joy again and again?