Better Together #2

It is not only people who respond to compassion.  Humans with animal companions, veterinarians who heal and care for them, and scientists who study them usually agree the response from animals approached and treated with kindness is favorable.  In fact, there is evidence some animals experience a varied range of emotions. (Animal Emotions: Exploring Passionate Natures: Current interdisciplinary research provide compelling evidence that many animals experience such emotions as joy, fear, love, despair, and grief---we are not alone by Marc Bekoff, BioScience, Volume 50, Issue 10, October 2000)  An act of compassion or harmony does not need to be a grand gesture.  It can be as simple as a glance filled with warmth and affection.

Sometimes, the least of us are the ones who need to receive that glance, a caring word, a helping hand or even something done in complete anonymity the most.  Tiny Kitty, Big City (Balzar + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, March 2, 2021) written and illustrated by Tim Miller simply, truthfully and with great affection is a gentle reminder of what it means to be charitable.  When we are mindful of others everyone wins.

Tiny kitty.

Big city.

When you are a tiny kitty, the city is more crowded.  It is a forest of feet and legs.  You hurry through the maze of people and vehicles as quickly and safely as possible.

Loud noises and barking dogs are frightening.  Bravery comes when joining with an iconic ally.  A warm day welcomes rest.  

An idyllic afternoon is spent dining and playing.  As evening descends, so does a snowstorm.  Nothing would be better than the warmth of a home.  Tiny kitty is chilly.

In darkness, a bluesy beat beckons.  Hearts swell at a serenade.  Love finds a way.

Using two words, kitty and city, and adding carefully selected, single adjectives, author Tim Miller tells a tale of being lost and found, and of finding what you may not have known you've lost.  The two-word phrases toggle back and forth as opposites and as responses.  The way this narrative is purposefully presented, we are able to understand the personality of the kitty and the characteristics of the city.  In those revelations, the tiny kitty and big city are able to meet in heartwarming rapport.  Here are two more two-word phrases.

Wildlife city.

Playful kitty.

Opening the dust jacket, we see the story beginning.  To the left, back, of the spine on pale blue is the tiny kitty peering from the inside of a tipped cardboard box.  On the front, right, the tiny kitty looks large compared to the big city in the background.  This reader likes to think of that as foreshadowing.  It is a hopeful concept.  The title text and tiny kitty are varnished.

You cannot look at the book case without smiling.  Across the opened book case is tiny kitty's face, up close and personal.  The nose and mouth are placed at the bottom of the spine.  One eye is on the left and the other eye is on the right.  This is a soul-to-soul stare.

Across the opening and closing endpapers, tiny pawprints, in blue on a cream canvas, loop back and forth beginning in the upper left-hand corner and running off the lower, right-hand corner.   The loops do change lengths.  Instead of going off the edge on the right side on the closing endpapers, the happy ending of this story is presented.

There are notable details for readers to see.  The words for the dedication are in the shape of a heart.  On the title page tiny kitty is staring into a puddle.  The kitty and the big city are reflected there.  Of the making of these illustrations artist Tim Miller says:

This book was made with acrylic gouache, with digital touch-ups.  Also my cat was sitting on my lap while I worked, so you might find some of her hair in the pictures.

Black lines define each element in these images.  Tim Miller presents multiple perspectives on his double-page pictures and his full-page pictures.  We look at the world from tiny kitty's point of view, from a person's point of view, and from a bird's gaze at the city below it.  These illustrations are full of emotion, fright, wonder, exhilaration, courage, contentment, fun, joy, and love.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture.  The sky is golden in the middle of a sunny day.  Trunks and bare branches of trees rise in front of background buildings on the left.  In front of these a large "library lion", facing left, stretches across both pages.  A familiar building fills a large portion of the right side.  Asleep under the majestic feline's face is tiny kitty on the large legs and paws.

Guaranteed to be a read-aloud favorite and much requested title, Tiny Kitty, Big City written and illustrated by Tim Miller needs to be on your personal and professional bookshelves. In his dedication Tim Miller conveys his passion and purpose for this book.  We are grateful to him.

To learn more about Tim Miller and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Tim Miller has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. This title is discussed, and Tim Miller is interviewed at Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries John Schumacher's Watch. Connect. Read. and at teacher librarian Travis Jonker's 100 Scope Notes.  Don't miss either of these posts!  They are fabulous as is the post Tim Miller wrote for the Nerdy Book Club. 

If you were to ask a group of people of various ages a year ago how they define peace, would those same people answer differently today?  Perhaps, a lot of their replies would change.  A global pandemic has a way of altering perspectives and priorities.  Also, if you were to ask this group how to obtain peace, express peace, or give peace, would their thinking have shifted?  Peace, Paz and Frieden (English, Spanish, and German translations of the same book) (North|South, March 2, 2021) written by Baptiste Paul and Miranda Paul with illustrations by Esteli Meza allows all ages to ponder those very questions.  It expresses through universal actions in easily understood words and lively, luminescent images, peace is for everyone, everywhere, and always.  

Peace is a hello,

a smile,

a hug.

Peace is for those who dare to be different and for those who quietly work alone.  When we show respect for others, extending common courtesies to them like looking at them when we share conversations, that is peace.  Sometimes peace starts with an unspoken gesture.  When shared ideas are discovered, that unspoken gesture blooms into a movement.

When we give to others when we have more than we need, that is peace.  Do these actions happen immediately?  No.  Peace is a good habit to nurture and have.  It's something we carry with us as if it is a part of our bodies. 

Peace is acknowledging our mistakes to ourselves and to others.  This peace brings a calm during day and night, happiness and sorrow.  Where there has been life, there has been peace.  What can and will we do to bring it to all parts of our planet?

Having read this aloud in both English and Spanish, the words of Miranda Paul and Baptiste Paul (and translator Aida Salazar), gently sing off the pages in the sweetest of melodies.  The thoughts and truths supplied through rhyming text envelope you.  The words in this narrative are an invitation readers will be unable to resist.  With intention the selected actions are possible, releasing all to enjoy the results.  Here is a passage.

Peace is on purpose.

Peace is a choice.

Peace lets the smallest of us

have a voice.

La paz es a proposito.

La paz es una eleccion.

La paz permite a los mas pequenitos

tener una voz.

When you look at the front (right) and back (left) of the opened dust jacket, it is like you are looking at a portrait of peace.  Look at the children from all backgrounds with different animals among a paradise of plants and trees.  Everyone is happy.  Everyone is enjoying the company of the others without discord.  On the back (left), there are three children, six animals and two insects, a butterfly and a bee. Across one of the large leaves, it reads:

Peace is a choice.

La paz es a proposito.

On the book case a muted gold is the canvas.  On the left side is information about the book and its creators.  On the front a sturdy brown trunk and several branches are seats for children and animals.  The leaves are a hue of blue and some are a shade of pink.  This tree scene is circled by a pale peach background.  At the base of the trunk an animal peeks out at readers.  The same white dove seen on the front of the jacket flies toward the tree here.

On the opening and closing endpapers three tiny flowers dot the bottom of a deep blue canvas.  The tree shown on the book case is placed in the center.  The children and animals are gone.  Within the blush-colored leaves is the word peace in multiple languages.

In a word, the artwork here by Esteli Meza is stunning.  Her style is distinctive, replete with vibrant rich colors.  The flora is bold and symbolic.  Children from all parts of the world are represented on each of the double-page pictures.  They are actively engaged with each other and the animals.  

With each reading you will notice a new detail.  When there is more than one animal, it looks as though they are a family.  Fish in the ocean swim forming the shape of a larger fish.  The white dove is in every image.  Readers will gasp at the four-page gatefold at the end of the book.  

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is for a single sentence.  It is night.  On the right we can see a sliver of the sky and two stars.  The dove is sleeping on a slim branch which winds up the right side and along the bottom on the right.  Two other branches fan out along the bottom on the right and left.  The body of a dozing lion covers most of the two pages.  A gray cat with a curved body and a girl with red hair in a braid lean against the lion's body.  A zebra is next to them.  The hues and pattern in the girl's dress complement the branches and leaves shown on the edges.  You know sweet dreams are being enjoyed by all.

This book, Peace, Paz, and Frieden written by Baptiste Paul and Miranda Paul with illustrations by Esteli Meza, is one to keep close.  It not only depicts peace with excellence but brings peace to all who read it.  You will want to read the Authors' Note at the end.  I highly recommend you place a copy or two in your professional collection as well as in your personal collection.

To learn more about Baptiste Paul, Miranda Paul, and Esteli Meza and their other work, please access their respective websites by following the link attached to their names.  Baptiste Paul has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Miranda Paul has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.  Esteli Meza has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website are interior images, and multiple teacher resources.  At Simon & Schuster, there is one image not shown at the publisher's website.  At Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries John Schumacher's Watch. Connect. Read., the book trailer is premiered. Baptiste and Miranda talk about this book. 

UPDATE:  This title is showcased by author, reviewer, and blogger Julie Danielson at her site, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  There is an interview with Tim Miller and considerable process art.

It's Time . . . Now

It's December 24, 2019.  This time of year, the air is dry and cold.  In northern Michigan tonight, it is unlikely the sky will be clear but if it's cloudless the sliver of moon will allow for lots of stars to be visible.  These pinpricks of light shimmer like jewels, some are so large it's as if you can pluck them from the dark.

In a recent holiday title, our eyes turn to the sky, a December sky.  The Bear And The Star (Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, September 24, 2019) written by Lola M. Schaefer with illustrations by Bethanne Andersen centers on an extraordinary event.  It will change the world.

Early one December morning,
Bear woke
and turned toward the horizon,
to a star---
a new star,
barley visible,
yet larger than any before.

This star was a signal.  Bear knew it was time.  First, he needed to seek a special tree.  This tree would surpass all other trees in height, strength and in location.  He found an elegant evergreen standing alone on a hilltop.

Bear raised up and roared in the four directions.  His call resounded in places high and low, near and far.  Bear went back to his woods and gathered his forest friends.  They ran by his side to the tree on the hill.  Animals, all kinds of animals, from those four directions soon joined the others.

The brightness of the star grew.  Bear's voice again thundered and carried across great distances.  Humans, from all walks of life, heard.  They stopped, listened and knew it was time.

They sought the place from where Bear's words came.  They carried items they valued and brought others with them.  And the star rose higher and higher and became brighter and brighter.  You might be wondering why animals and humans from around the world came to this tree over which the star shined.  If you think about it and reach into your heart of hearts, you will know why it is time and why they arrived.


After reading the first sentence on the first page, Lola M. Schaefer has our undivided attention.  With every page turn, a layer is added to this tension, a tension revolving around a single question.  This question has an answer for which the animals and people are aware.  With lyrical descriptors for all these beings, we see their diversity and willingness to heed the Bear's call.  Here are two passages.

As the star shined brighter,
Bear roared louder than before,
his voice booming 
across mesa and meadow,
over sea and peak,
from cliff and bluff.

People put down
hammer and hoe,
grass and thatch,
knife and rice,
shield and sword.


As you hold the open and matching dust jacket and book case in your hands, it's hard not to marvel at the splendid snowy setting.  The sloping hill on the front continues downward on the other side of the spine.  Behind it, another hill, more in the distance, begins in the center on the left and meets the first hill to form a wide v.  Leafless trees seen on the front are also placed on the back.  A third red bird rests in one of the two trees there.  The radiating beams of light from the star appear on either side of the spine.  We are intrigued by the presence of the bear and his relationship to the star.

On the opening and closing endpapers are different scenes of swirling snowflakes against two skies.  On the first, a rosy morning light pours from the right lower corner upward and into the lightening blue sky.  On the second, a rich darker blue covers most of the two pages, getting slighter lighter in the lower half on the right side.  A slight bit of blush is seen at the bottom.

A double-page picture greets readers on the title page.  Set upon the canvas of the lightening sky filled with falling snowflakes is Bear.  Rays of the star extend down from the top on the left.  We are shown the upper portion of Bear's body as he looks directly at us. 

These full color illustrations rendered by Bethanne Andersen with

oil paints on gessoed Arches printmaking paper

all span two pages.  They are individually beautiful but combined they reveal a breathtaking story.  We are treated to a variety of perspectives, each designed to bring us into the moment.

It is a decidedly sensory experience.  We can feel the vibrations from the sound of Bear's roar.  We can hear the voices of all the animals moving from around the world toward the tree.  We can listen to the sounds of the people gathering and singing.  All are joining together for one purpose.

One of my many, many favorite images is of Bear with a cardinal, raccoon, squirrel and a salamander.  We are very close to them as they move from left to right.  The cardinal, wings spread wide, covers a large portion of the upper, left-hand corner.  It carries a small olive branch in its beak.  Beneath the bird is Bear extending across most of the left and past the center on the right.  Next to and under him is the raccoon carrying a sprig of holly in its mouth.  Squirrel scampers ahead of the raccoon with an acorn in its paws.  Along the bottom on the right a salamander maintains a fast pace.  They are placed on a canvas of blue with a heavy snowfall.


When you read a book like this one, the mounting suspense is replaced with a satisfied sigh and perhaps a tear at the conclusion.  The Bear And The Star written by Lola M. Schaefer with illustrations by Bethanne Andersen is an important title, relevant now and always.  It is one you will want to include in your personal and professional collections.  I am sure it will promote thoughtful discussions.

To learn more about Lola M. Schaefer and Bethanne Andersen and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Lola M. Schaefer maintains accounts on Facebook and Twitter.  Bethanne Andersen maintains an account on Instagram.  If you would like to see the first double-page picture, it can be found at Lola M. Schaefer's website, here.

A Conversation with Susan Verde

Good morning, Susan.  I am thrilled to be meeting you virtually with hopes of spending time, even a little, with you in real life sometime in the near future.  After lots of rain these past few days, we have blue sky dotted with big fluffy white clouds, warmth and gusty breezes.  Let’s imagine for a few moments, the two of us are sitting on my back deck, soaking up the fresh air and holding cooling cups of tea.

Hi Margie!
Thank you for this interview. I can feel the gentle breeze and taste the warm tea...is it chamomile? It’s lovely.

I’ve just finished rereading all six of your children’s picture books, The Museum, You and Me, I Am Yoga, The Water Princess, My Kicks: A Sneaker Story! and I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness.  Each of the beautiful stories in these books is told from the first person point of view.  Would you please explain why these stories are told from this perspective?

Often when I am writing I am calling forth many of my own experiences and emotions so there is definitely an element of “me” personally coming into play. However, I also feel that hearing the “I” gives the reader a chance to really embody the story and “become” the character. With “I” there is an instant connection. Even if it’s an experience the child has never had or someone who might look different from the reader, in the first person the story becomes an experience that is possible and a feeling or set of feelings to contemplate and explore and perhaps emphasizes the universal qualities of the character. Any good story will do that whether it’s in first person or not but it’s definitely the way I tend to write.

All of your books, even My Kicks: A Sneaker Story! with its exuberance, have an undercurrent of gentle serenity about them.  To what do you attribute this?  Is this a conscience effort on your part?

What a lovely thing to say Margie. I can’t really say that it is a conscious effort but my approach to the ups and downs of life is to try to handle them with care and calm. Maybe being a mom or a teacher or perhaps even having a mindfulness practice have influenced this approach. Each experience in life is an opportunity to notice and proceed with kindness and my hope is that kids should feel that no matter what they are going through it’s okay...they are okay.

I would like to shift our conversation to your most recent title, I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness.  What prompted you to write a companion title to I Am Yoga?

I Am Yoga was meant to capture the way yoga makes us feel and how it helps us manage our feelings. Mindfulness is a component of yoga but also a practice unto itself so it seemed like a natural follow up. Children have a lot of stress, just like adults and mindfulness is a way of helping children manage. I Am Peace is intended to give them yet another tool just like yoga and to show them that it’s the peace we feel inside that helps us show compassion and empathy to others.

The comparison of the character’s jumbled thoughts to swiftly moving water, then riding on those thoughts adrift in a boat and eventually finding an island beneath the narrator’s feet is truly inspired.  Was there a specific event or moment when this analogy came to you?

In one of my trainings we learned many ways to help children connect to their breath as it is the best way to formally practice mindfulness and bring attention away from distressing thoughts. Using the image of breath as an anchor when our “ship of thoughts” is being carried away was one technique. I loved it so much and found it really helpful when talking about our worries and emotions and how we can get swept away. I couldn’t wait to use the analogy. Kids get it when you can give them something relatable and visual to connect to their experience. They know just what it means to be carried away by moving water...by too many thoughts and worries and what it means to come ashore and feel land under their feet.   

This is the fifth collaboration with Peter H. Reynolds as the illustrator of your words.  Were you aware before seeing his art of the three images without words which join your text, I make a difference to I can hug a tree… ?

Working with Peter is pure joy. When I write I know he will make the words come to life in a beautiful way that captures my intentions but with his own style. He is a very mindful person and artist. Because of our partnership and the fact that we really work in a collaborative way I often get sneak peeks of what’s to come and we have some back and forth. I did get to see this part ahead of time but I certainly wasn’t expecting it and when I saw it I was blown away albeit not surprised. The whole spread was such a moment of mindfulness. Kids love to see the dropping seeds and make predictions and then consider how the spilling of seeds is an act of sharing with and connecting to nature.

What is your wish for this title and its readers?

My wish is that I Am Peace makes mindfulness accessible to teachers, parents and especially kids. It can feel like an esoteric term and we hear it all of the time these days but it is really simple to practice and has measurable physiological and emotional benefits. I hope this book inspires the practice of noticing without judgement and being kind to oneself. We all have stress and big emotions but there are ways to get through it and find more peace within. I hope they learn that even with these tools they will make mistakes but again with kindness and awareness they can learn from their mistakes and not hold onto them. I often ask the children I visit and work with to talk about their worries and stresses and then ask them if they find it easy to be kind to someone else when they are feeling upset within themselves. Of course the answer is no. But, if we can cultivate more peace inside then we can share peace with others. Just imagine what this could do to our world…. I just have to say that children are so smart. They are willing to go deep and look inside and have so much wisdom to share. It’s through them that we can really effect change.

I hope you have a few more moments for some other questions.  I shared this book with two kindergarten classes this past week.  I think they might like to know a little bit more about you and your family.

What made you decide to shift your life’s work from working in the classroom as an educator (with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in Reading Remediation) to teaching yoga and mindfulness to children of all ages with a full-time writing career?

I loved being a classroom teacher! When I had my children I took some time away from teaching but continued to practice yoga to stay sane as a mom of 3 and as a person in the world! As my kids got a bit bigger I began to think about how I could continue my work with children but I felt like I wanted to have a different experience than being in a classroom full time. My own yoga practice was so beneficial for me that it made sense to share it with children especially in the school setting where they feel so much stress and need more support even at a young age. That’s when I decided to become a kid’s yoga and mindfulness teacher. Best decision ever! Writing is something that I have been doing for as long as I can remember and mindfulness and yoga support that creative process. It is sometimes hard to juggle all of these things but I am fortunate because as challenging as they can be (and they can be VERY challenging), teaching, writing and parenting are all things that fill my soul and I am grateful everyday.  

If you could describe the location of your home and your house using your senses how would that be?

Ooh I love this question! My house is at the end of a long winding road lined by strong tall trees and lots of green in the summer and brown in the fall and white in winter. The house is covered in brown shingles and natural wood and there are big windows all around. Our street has other houses painted white and yellow with quiet neighbors until it’s summer then voices are heard and dogs are being walked and kids are skateboarding on the road. The tops of the trees that fill our yard let in the sunlight in warm patches. The leaves rustle in the breeze and fall in crunchy piles in Autumn. You can smell the ocean and the fresh cut grass and whatever is cooking in the kitchen when you stand in the backyard. Inside, the house smells like lavender oil and sometimes the stinky feet of teenagers. You can feel the grass between your toes and the hard pavement of the driveway and the itchy bites of mosquitoes in summer and the refreshing cool water in our pool. If you catch us on the right day you can taste the vanilla cupcakes that my daughter will no doubt be famous for someday. There are always sounds outside and in.. deer eating plants, crickets used for feeding pets chirp and our pet frog croaks, squirrels dance on the roof, and sometimes woodpeckers make the sound of a mini drill on the side of the house. There are talking children and clanging pots and pans, my daughter playing her ukulele and singing and my sons rapping and all of us occasionally breaking into spontaneous dancing AND a barking dog. There is always something to hear even when it’s quiet.

How old are your three children?  Do they practice mindfulness?

My boys, Josh and Gabe are twins and are on the verge of being 14 and Sophia is 12. They do practice mindfulness meditation and have reached a point where they are pretty good at  connecting with their breath and being kind to themselves when they feel overwhelmed or caught up in a big emotion and as teenagers they have a lot of big emotions!  They are also pretty good at reminding me to take a breath when I get overwhelmed. I love to see them doing the things they are passionate about and being fully present and in the moment. Gabe is a surfer, Josh pays football and Sophia sings. When they are doing those activities it is amazing to see how connected they are to their own experience. It’s mindfulness in action!  

What kind of dog do you have?  How did he/she get their name?

Our dog is a Coton de Tulear. It’s a fancy name but he’s really just a scrappy little white fluffy doggie who barks too much but is very loving. We were reading a lot of Harry Potter when we got him and I wanted to call him Neville but that was quickly dismissed so we just started calling out names and someone said Gizmo (could have been me thinking of the movie Gremlins) and we all agreed on that! Not much of a story but it has turned out to be the perfect name. He is definitely a Gizmo.

I couldn’t be happier to have been able to spend this morning with you Susan.  Thank you for chatting with me and visiting Librarian’s Quest.  I am wishing you PEACE.  

Thank you Margie! I am grateful for the time together and have really enjoyed answering all of your thoughtful questions. It has been truly wonderful. I wish you PEACE as well.  

To learn more about Susan Verde and her books please take a few moments to visit her website. She has links at her site to articles she has written for other publications on yoga and mindfulness.  By following the links attached to five of her books listed above you can read my blog posts.

Sensing The Moment

As soon as the door opened and we stepped outside, we were acutely aware of our surroundings.  The crisp, cool air was a welcome respite from the heat and humidity amid a lingering dry spell.  The overpowering perfume of skunk was not as desirable.  To be sure my canine companion and I were moving our heads as fast as possible to locate the source of the odor.  Fortunately the culprit was nowhere in our vicinity.

In this instance, happening in seconds, we were totally conscious of where we were, who we were and what was in the range of our senses.  We were fully engaged in the moment.  I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness (Abrams Books for Young Readers, September 26, 2017), a companion title to I Am Yoga (Abrams Books for Young Readers, September 8, 2015) written by Susan Verde with art by Peter H. Reynolds supplies answers to questions.  Concern is replaced with calm.

There are times
when I worry about
what might happen next
and what happened before.

The child speaking to readers is full of doubt. She feels as though her mind is swirling out of control.  She likens it to water, fast flowing water.  She imagines herself in a boat on that water, adrift and caught in the current.  She flips.

With water all around her, she pauses.  She assures herself.  A tiny island lifts her up.  As her thoughts gather, her spirit finds strength.

I am Peace.

The child discovers peace opens up opportunities within us.  It expands our generosity.  It gives us the confidence to know we matter.  Our observations and actions broaden our world view.

Smell, taste, touch, see and hear are finely tuned as each breath goes in and goes out.  The water around the island, the island now home to new life, is still.  The boat and the child are secure.  This is now the time for the release of peace.


During the waking hours of our days, children (and adults) sometimes get caught up in the craziness of things to do and schedules to keep.  When we need to rest, it's nearly impossible.  Susan Verde reminds and shows us to how to practice peace.

She leads us with her narrative from our own jumbled and troubled thoughts to the place where we long to pass the mindfulness to others.  Her simple, direct sentences are a soothing, soft song.  Here are some samples.

I can watch my worries gently pop and disappear.
I let things go.

I can say what I feel inside out loud.
I know myself. 


When you are so still, so in tune with your surroundings, birds feel safe resting on your out-stretched arms, then you are indeed peace.  This image on the front of the dust jacket conveys the essence of the book.  The complementary colors used in the attire, the peace hat and peace necklace, supply a sense of calm.  They act as statements of intention and achievement.  To the left, on the back of the jacket, the child is resting on the island beneath the tree, the foliage a rainbow of color.  The boat, island and trunk of the tree are shown in rich, warm shades.

Beneath the jacket on the book case, a white background highlights the child, first on the front, playing a guitar as a bird resting on the neck sings along with the notes.  The child's eyes are closed in contemplation.  On the back, on the left, the child is feeding the birds who sit on his hand, head and one is flying toward them.  The child is carrying the bag of seeds, of peace.

A swirl of blue-green with a center on the opening and closing endpapers reflects the idea of water and our thoughts before we attain calm.  On the title page the child is leaning back on his arms, eyes closed, as the sun shines on him and the small new island.  Rendered in ink, gouache, watercolor, and tea the illustrations of Peter H. Reynolds extend the text beautifully.  In this particular title Peter uses predominately warms colors with only spot cool hues of blue, green and teal on white backgrounds.

When the child's thoughts are out of control, he features the hat unwinding like a ribbon, creating the water upon which the boat rides.  After the words

I can make a difference

Peter, without words, gives a special new dimension to the story for five pages.  He shifts his perspective to focus on the new possibilities growing.  It's a lovely transition to the next text.

One of my many favorite pictures is when the child is shown with arms straight out and up at his sides.  We are closer to him only seeing his body from the waist up.  His eyes are closed as he stands in stillness.  Two birds are resting on his hands.  A third bird with wings open for flying is coming to the top of his head.  Animals have the ability to know what we hold inside and these three birds are aware of the calm.


You cannot read this book without a sense of complete serenity enveloping you.  I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness written by Susan Verde with art by Peter H. Reynolds shows readers how we are capable of bringing harmony within and without ourselves.  At the close of the book, Susan leaves readers with a guided meditation.  I know children will willingly gravitate to this title. I highly recommend this title and its companion volume for your professional and personal bookshelves.

To discover more about Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds and their other work please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  Be sure to visit Peter's blog too.   At the publisher's website you can download the meditation guide.  I'm placing the video here with Emily Arrow and Susan from the first book for you to enjoy again.  Susan Verde and Emily Arrow stopped by KitLit TV with Rocco Staino.

To Understand The Truth

The memory is so vivid it feels as though only a few hours have passed rather than decades.  Two members of my family and I were at our first Native American Pow Wow.  It was being held in the largest arena in our state's capital.  We were in attendance with thousands of other people.  Our seats were in the balcony.

A hush fell over the crowd as the cadence commenced.  A line of men walked down the center of the people to the front of the hall.  Large drums were carried.  The sound they created was that of a universal heartbeat.  At the same time my family and I looked at each other with tears in our eyes.  It was an astonishingly powerful experience.

While the drumming remains strong in my mind another Native American tradition is as potent.  Storytelling is a sacred art.  In Hiawatha And The Peacemaker (Abrams Books For Young Readers, September 8, 2015) with words by Robbie Robertson and pictures by David Shannon we enter the wondrous realm of history brought to life by a tale passed from one generation to the next.

A fierce scream echoed through the woodlands...
Was it a dream?  An eerie steam crept up from the ground, and the smell of burning pine filled the air.  

A man stood amid the remains of his village.  His wife and three daughters lost in a bitter battle.  He sought shelter near the river unable to do anything for weeks but think in anger of revenge against the wicked warrior responsible, Chief Tadodaho. His name was Hiawatha.

Early one misty morning, a canoe carved from white stone and rowed by a solitary figure, came toward him.  The stranger did not talk but handed him an offering.  Finally the man spoke, carefully and struggling, about the

Great Law.

It was a new idea of peace among the nations, a plea to end the fighting.  Hiawatha was asked to deliver this wisdom on behalf of the man for his words were strong.  Hiawatha decided to travel with

The Great Peacemaker

and spread the message of the Great Law.

Stepping into and paddling the stone canoe Hiawatha marveled at how it moved on the water. As the two men, Hiawatha and The Peacemaker, journeyed from the Mohawk to the Cayuga, they met with resistance and the destruction of another tribe.  This rekindled Hiawatha's deep anger.

At the Cayuga council the Peacemaker talked this time changing minds with his eyes and words.  When they left two canoes went to the Seneca.  Then three canoes paddled toward the woods of the Oneida.  There was power in unity.

After a revelation three nations, Hiawatha and The Peacemaker returned to the Mohawk but they did not join the others still fearful of retribution by Tadodaho.  The Peacemaker offered proof of the wisdom of the Great Law to the dismay of Hiawatha. The voice of an elder Clan Mother added weight to the actions of The Peacemaker.  The morning proved the insight of her words.

As the four nations confronted Tadodaho and the other men of the Onondaga people a singular song rang out coinciding with a natural event.  Forgiveness healed pain in two men.  Days passed.  The power of The Peacemaker continued to spread until a lone eagle stood guard at the top of the Tree of Peace. To this day the People of the Long House abide by the Great Law.


As soon as you start reading (or if you are fortunate to be a listener hearing this story) the words written by Robbie Robertson where you are will fall away, taking you into the world of Hiawatha through his personal narration.  Eloquent descriptions of place, the conversations and growing relationship between Hiawatha and The Peacemaker, the real and emotional journey taken by one and many and the quiet power of The Peacemaker are completely captivating.  A storyteller's rhythm is established by the initial opposition of each people, the Mohawk, the Cayuga, the Seneca, the Oneida, and the Onondaga and their approach to the two men followed by belief in the Great Law.  The refrain

Together we ...

binds them together as surely as does the Great Law.  The feats of The Peacemaker as related by Robertson are extraordinary.  Here are two passages from early in the book.

The Peacemaker closed his eyes and placed his hand on my back.  Somehow he had the power to move his message through me.  I began to speak his words.  "Peace, power, and righteousness shall be the new way," I said.  "We must join together.  All nations will become one family.  Our people shall have one body, one mind and one heart.  That is the message of the Great Law."

The Clan Mothers nodded in agreement, and a sense of relief spread over me.  But then the War Chief spoke.  "We respect your message, but we cannot join you," he said.  "How can we know if your words are true?  Tadodaho is too strong, too violent.  Our people must be prepared to fight."


Stunning is the first word which comes to mind in looking at the dust jacket illustrations rendered in oil by Caldecott honor award winner, David Shannon.  The portraits he presents of Hiawatha and The Peacemaker are riveting and strong.  The edge of The Peacemaker's cloak extends to the spine on the left.  The softer colors of the back image, in the same hues as the front, blend into the spine on the right.  The picture on the back is of The Peacemaker rowing toward shore when Hiawatha first sees him.  It goes to the edge of the back flap.

On the book case two different visuals from the interior portray the strength of Hiawatha's and The Peacemaker's words.  The one on the right is a close-up of the first speech by Hiawatha with The Peacemaker placing his hands on his back.  The other, to the left, is of The Peacemaker speaking to the Cayuga when Hiawatha is consumed by rage.  The opening and closing endpapers are muted steel-gray brush strokes.

On the title page Shannon sets the scenario for Hiawatha's arrival at his destroyed village.  He is shown standing on a hill, carrying a turkey from a hunting trip, looking at a plume of black smoke rising from the trees near the river.  Five double page paintings edged in white began the visual enhancement of the text expressing to the reader a range of deep emotions.  Then single page images framed in white alternate with double page pictures.

When Hiawatha and The Peacemaker are joined by another canoe, Shannon depicts this with a smaller painting at the bottom of the text.  It looks like early Native American art.  His details, the reflections in the water, the facial and body painting, the clothing and jewelry, the interior of the council house and the portrayal of the evil Tadodaho are striking.  By shifting his perspectives we are further connected to every nuance in the tale.  I wonder if the two hands on the back of The Peacemaker's cloak are indicative of his ability to convey his message to Hiawatha.

One of my favorite illustrations is of The Peacemaker's first appearance to Hiawatha.  Here is a man filled with sadness and anger at his great loss, not moving from the edge of the river for weeks, looking up to see a white stone canoe floating on the river toward him.  The stranger's face is painted white with black around one eye and a sun around the other.  The colors surrounding The Peacemaker are early morning yellows and blues with the edge of the woods in the foreground.  It's so calm The Peacemaker and his canoe are mirrored in the water.


Without hesitation I highly recommend Hiawatha And The Peacemaker written by Robbie Robertson and illustrated by David Shannon for all professional and personal bookshelves.  It conveys the strength of unifying for peace, laying down weapons of war and governing together, men and women.  It is founded in truth and marvelously told in words and pictures by two great artists.  At the close of the book a historical note, acknowledgements and author's note offer more information.  The story behind this story is absolutely perfect.  A CD of an original song written and recorded by Robbie Robertson is included with the book.

To learn more about Robbie Robertson and his other work in music please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  The link embedded in David Shannon's name will take you to his website where you can learn more about him, his other books and illustrative work.  Robbie Robertson is interviewed and this book is discussed at CBCNEWS-Arts & Entertainment, Biography.com, and RollingStone. At the closing session of the American Library Association Annual conference in the summer 2015 Robbie Robertson and David Shannon spoke about the making of this book.  David Shannon talks about this book and one particular illustration at TeachingBooks.net.