It's No Yolk, You're Nice!

There are people known for always taking the high road in any given situation.  Regardless of circumstances they look for the silver lining.  They are the individuals others look to for support and consistency.  They live to be of service to others.

There is nothing wrong with striving for excellence but the drive for accepting nothing but perfection can take a toll.  It's a burden not all can bear regardless of their desires.  The Good Egg (Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPulishers, February 12, 2019), companion title to The Bad Seed, written by Jory John with illustrations by Pete Oswald is about one of a dozen who simply broke under the burden of being the best.

Oh, hello!
I was just rescuing this cat.
Know why?
Because I'm a good egg.

A verrrrrry good egg.


This egg's generosity knows no end.  Whatever you need done, from plant watering to house painting, this oval optimist is bursting with enthusiasm.  Good Egg has been this way as far back as he can remember, even though the other eleven companions in his residence exhibit far less than eggs-cellent behavior.

If these eleven find something to do wrong, they do it.  It is tiring to follow behind their antics making everything right, but Good Egg is a

verrrrrry good egg.

Do you think his housemates notice his worthy deeds?  They do not.  As to be expected our protagonist cracks.  There is no denying the tiny fissures along the top of his head.

A visit to his doctor confirms stress is the culprit.  He needs to stop trying to make the other eggs be as good as he is.  No one cares when he leaves.  After weeks of roaming without purpose Good Egg faces his aloneness and ponders his future.

He starts to focus on himself!  He does all those things he never had time to do previously.  The results are unexpected and life-changing.  Good Egg heads back to carton sweet carton and the surprises there are endless.


If the word play used in the title is not enough to signal to you the gift of humor employed by Jory John in his writing, by the third page when examples of the egg's goodness are being shared, you'll be laughing out loud.  It's not often you see an egg changing a tire on an automobile.  When we get to the naming of the companions in the carton and their daily devilry, readers will be giggling nonstop.

For added mirth Jory John repeats key phrases, uses terms usually reserved in reference to eggs and supplies conversations between the characters.  We can't help but feel a kinship with the Good Egg when he speaks to us in first person.  We shadow this being as he discovers the gift of balance in his life.  Here is a passage.

I told Meg and Peg and Greg and Clegg and Shel and
Shelly and Sheldon and Shelby and Egbert and Frank
and other Frank that I was leaving.

"I can't be the only good egg in a bad carton," I said.
"Blah blah blah," they replied.


Can you look at the front of the matching dust jacket and book case without smiling? I can't.  Those huge eyeglasses are the perfect added element to the wide-eyed happy egg's expression.  All the details in this picture, the text on the carton, the groceries surrounding Good Egg and the starry light radiating from the top invite us to read this book as soon as possible.  We can't wait to meet the Good Egg.  Some of the text and the main character are varnished on the jacket.

To the left, on the back, four egg cartons, stacked on top of each other, among other cartons in the background, provide a platform for Good Egg's home.  Underneath the lifted cover, the looks on the faces of the other eleven eggs are hilarious.  We know loads of laughter are in the offing.  The placement of the ISBN is eggs-actly where it should be.

The opening and closing endpapers in green with white feature fifteen other foods with the Good Egg framed by stars.  The title page image is a replica of the front of the jacket and case.  Pete Oswald

used scanned watercolor textures and digital paint to create the illustrations for this book.

Altering his perspective to complement the narrative and accentuate pacing, some of the pictures are full-page, small vignettes grouped on a single page or double-page visuals.  Every item contributes to a lively whole.  When Pete Oswald depicts the troublesome eggs and their actions, readers will be unable to contain their mirth.  When they go wild in the bathroom with toilet paper, toothpaste, the toilet and plunger, it's total chaos.  This supplies a wonderful contrast to the scenes which follow when Good Egg mends himself.  One of those small images shows him floating on the river in a flamingo tube sipping a lemonade drink.

One of my many, many favorite pictures is of Good Egg on a single page.  He is relaxing in a spa.  On the varied blue tiled floor are eight burning candles.  They surround a table.  On the table rests Good Egg in a white terry robe and wearing a towel turban.  He rests on a rolled-up towel.  A mask covers his face and cucumber slices are on his eyes.  The clock on the wall is pointing to ME time.


In this book, The Good Egg written by Jory John with illustrations by Pete Oswald, readers will be cheering for the egg always seeking to be as good as he can be.  They will empathize with his frustrations and enjoy his journey to finding a peaceful medium . . . for most of the time.  I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Jory John and Pete Oswald, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Jory John has an account on Twitter and Pete Oswald does, too.  Pete Oswald has an account on Instagram.  At the publisher's website you can view interior portions of the book.  Jory John visits with teacher librarian and blogger, Travis Jonker, on his site, 100 Scope Notes, to chat about his work and this book.

Home-Grown Wisdom

When you've grown up hearing anything worth doing is worth doing right it's hard not to strive toward perfection.  You complete tasks over and over and over again, working toward the best possible outcome.  There will come a time, hopefully sooner than later, when golden moments happen.  In these instances it will dawn on you, whether it was planned or not, that you are standing in the midst of perfection.

For some the aim for perfection in one or more aspects of their lives becomes all-consuming.  In her debut title, Grandmother Thorn (Ripple Grove Press, August 29, 2017), Katey Howes addresses this desire for flawlessness.  Her wise, warm, and original tale is enhanced through the art of Rebecca Hahn.

GRANDMOTHER THORN
lived in the very first house
on the very straight road
to Shizuka Village.

Day after day this woman worked in her gardens creating a visual masterpiece.  Everything had a place and Grandmother Thorn made sure it remained.  She tirelessly raked her paths in swirls, imitating the flow of water in a silent stream.

Grandmother Thorn valued peace and quiet and a supreme sense of order in her garden.  If it was disturbed you could hear her voice rise in anger.  The only person never to receive rebuke from her was her elderly friend, Ojiisan.

Regardless of the fact his body caused him to carry one shoulder lower and drag one foot as he walked, she only had a smile for this kind man.  He often brought her sweet treats.  After they spent time in quiet contentment in her garden, she re-raked her paths as he left.

During a particularly hot summer day, a traveling seller paused in the village.  Ojiisan was thrilled with the taste of one particular item, insisting the last basket be taken to Grandmother Thorn.  He did issue a warning for the young man to stand at her gate and not enter the garden.

The warning was ignored with disastrous results. Grandmother Thorn raced one way and the vendor raced the other way leaving the fruit scattered.  This woman with meticulous intentions missed something.

Seasons passed and with them a struggle ensued between Grandmother Thorn and a strange prickly vine.  It diminished her spirit.  The return of spring revealed the work of a beloved friend and the marvelous resilience of a member of Mother Nature's family.


There are books you read when the connection is immediate.  You know an author has put their heart on the pages.  This is one of those books.

Katey Howes supplies us with intimate knowledge of Grandmother Thorn's personality.  This is a wonderful piece of storytelling leading us to the friendship with Ojiisan and to the assault on the seedling she did not plant.  In these contrasts Grandmother Thorn and readers can see the value in shifting perspective.

The dialogue woven into the narrative brings us deeper into its meaning.  We get a true sense of the bond growing between Grandmother Thorn and Ojiisan.  Here is a sample passage.

A week later, Ojiisan spotted his friend crouched in the same place.
"I must not have removed the entire root," she said, digging up the offending vine.
"I will certainly get it this time."

Each time Ojiisan visited, he found Grandmother Thorn more consumed by her battle
with the stubborn sprout.  He began to worry.


At first glance our eyes are quickly drawn to the face of Grandmother Thorn on the opened dust jacket.  We have questions about the expression on her face.  What is she seeing?  What is she hearing?  What kind of woman is this Grandmother Thorn?  A closer inspection reveals the array of patterned paper used and the tiny stitches on the branches.  To the left, on the back, the tree extends over the spine and toward the top.  Beneath the branches is the bench where she and Ojiisan sit and chat when he visits.

On the book case a third shade of teal, textured in appearance provides a canvas.  On the front a hair comb worn by Grandmother Thorn near the conclusion is entwined with blossoms important to the story.  The opening and closing endpapers are a series of rows of overlapping fan shapes.  These shapes are a design theme throughout the title.

With a page turn a stunning panoramic, bird's eye view of the village with Grandmother Thorn's home supplies a place for the title page.  Two cranes are flying from the left.  The intricate and delicate details invite readers to stop and gaze in wonder.

Usually each image, painted, sewn and crafted by hand by Rebecca Hahn, each piece of art, spans two pages.  Borders may frame one side in a scalloped edge or a series of panels to show the passage of time.  You will be continuously amazed at the care taken in the stitching of certain elements.  A muted, limited color palette is suggestive of gardens but also makes the use of red and some pink more effective.  At the close of the book, the same picture for the title page is used for the dedication and publication information.  Can you spot the difference?

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is when Grandmother Thorn needs to heal.  She is resting in the home of her eldest niece, wrapped in a blanket.  Her back is to us.  We are looking through several doors at a landscape with her home, mountains and cascading waterfalls in the near distance.  Ojiisan is in her garden.  Four small folded cranes (wishes for healing) move from the text.  One rests on top of Grandmother Thorn.  The sides and foreground of this picture are done in shades of teal.  The scene outside the home is done in the complete color used by Rebecca Hahn in this book.


This is a quiet but powerful look at how we should welcome another viewpoint of "perfection".  It also reminds us we should never stop learning, regardless of our age.  Grandmother Thorn written by Katey Howes with art by Rebecca Hahn is enchanting with a timeless quality to the story and in the exquisite pictures.  I highly recommend it for your personal and professional bookshelves.

To learn more about Katey Howes and Rebecca Hahn please visit their respective websites by following the links attached to their names.  Katey Howes has links to educator's guides here.  You can view details from a few illustrations at the publisher's blog.  Katey Howes wrote a guest post at the Nerdy Book Club and at ReFoReMo.  She is interviewed on Karlin Gray's blog and at Writers' Rumpus.  Rebecca Hahn is highlighted by author and teacher librarian Carter Higgins at Design of the Picture Book.  Both Katey and Rebecca are interviewed at Let's Talk Picture Books.