Pals' Playful Pursuits

There are those who would do the same thing day in and day out committed to pursuing their passion or working toward perfection.  There are others who would alter their daily deeds in the belief variety is the spice of life.  Each individual looks at the big picture through their unique perspectives.

When two friends with differing beliefs try to reach a decision it can be a little bit tricky.  Ballet Cat:  The Totally Secret Secret (Disney Hyperion, May 5, 2015) written and illustrated by Bob Shea follows the best of buddies as they plan their day of play.  The art of compromise is stronger in one than the other.

What do you want to play today, Ballet Cat?
You pick, Sparkles.

Excitedly Sparkles suggests they work on crafts.  At first Ballet Cat is thrilled with this idea. She quickly decides it would be risky to leap with scissors in hand.  Never one to give up, the pony pal has another proposal.

A game of checkers would be fun for the two of them.  Now this is something Ballet Cat would enjoy but how would they be able to kick without ruining the game.  Sparkles demeanor is starting to wilt.

In a last ditch effort, the equine chum, perhaps thinking when life gives you lemons, recommends a business venture.  With her usual initial enthusiastic response, the feline friend falters wondering how they will be able to spin.  When Sparkles questions the necessity of spinning, Ballet Cat assumes it's a joke.

Before you can even think leap, kick and spin Ballet Cat has twisted the choice toward her favorite thing which the two of them play every...single...day.  After several attempts the astute cat notices the lack of eagerness on the part of the pony.  Pressing him for a reason, he confesses he has a

secret secret.

Sparkles is fearful about sharing this particular confidence.  A promise is made.  After the big reveal, decidedly shaken, Ballet Cat has a confession of her own.  This is a day for declarations of the very best kind.


More than once this reader stopped during the story, told entirely in dialogue, to burst out laughing.  Bob Shea's choice of words and pacing elevate the laughable level to supreme hilarity.  His technique of blocking the portions of the story in three-part segments is done with excellence.  When a special section of dialogue bridges these elements both characters are further defined by their conversation.  Here is a sample passage.

Ballet? There is an idea!
Leaping, yes. Kicking, yes, yes. Spinning,
yes, yes, YES!
Great idea, Sparkles.
How did you ever think of it?

We play ballet every
day, Ballet Cat.

Oh, right.


Right away readers will notice the raised blue and orange sparkles on the pony and the white finishing touches on the cat as they run their fingers over the book case. The bright yellow on the front and the pink on the back provide a vivid canvas for the pals.  Astute readers will notice Sparkles' less the sincere grin on the front.  The opening and closing endpapers are done with a spring green background and a pattern of blue and orange large dots.  Black, white, purple and pink hues are used to feature Ballet Cat on the initial title page.  Another shade of green on the more formal title page highlights portions of the cat and pony looking at each other warily.

A variety of background colors create liveliness in the flow of the narrative and the characters' actions.  The wide expressive eyes and mouths on both Ballet Cat and Sparkles the Pony leave no doubt as to their current moods.  Shea's lines are filled with animation.  Cadence is controlled with the size of the characters and the number of times they appear on a given page.  We are keenly aware of the intonation of the voice of each character by the size of the font within the speech bubble.

One of my favorite illustrations of many is when they first start to play ballet.  Eyes closed, mouth wide open, Ballet Cat merrily exclaims while moving about

Dance, Sparkles, dance!

Standing as still as a statue, nearly limp, eyes half-closed, Sparkles, barely utters,

Whee.


Read silently alone this title is guaranteed to provide an abundance of grins and giggles.  If Ballet Cat:  The Totally Secret Secret written and illustrated by Bob Shea is read aloud to a few or many at story time, listeners will be rolling on the floor gasping for breath due to extreme laughter.  These two friends are destined to entertain for many years.

To discover more about Bob Shea and his work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  For further insights into the process for this book, loads of sketches and art and an interview, visit Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast hosted by author and blogger, Julie Danielson.  This title is featured at teacher librarian blogs as a review at 100 Scope Notes by Travis Jonker and as a reflection at The Styling Librarian by Debbie Alvarez.

This video on drawing Ballet Cat is adorable.

A Slice Of Patriotic Life

For the first time I had the good fortune to attend the American Library Association Annual Conference & Exhibition held this year in Chicago.  While I met many amazing authors and illustrators this weekend, two stand out for their cheerful sincerity. They are a match made in heaven; their warmth for the people they meet and for one another is a joy to experience.

It came as no surprise that their most recent collaboration is a reflection of the zest they have for life; upbeat and full of humor.  Crankee Doodle (Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company) written by Tom Angleberger with illustrations by Cece Bell sheds new light on the man and his pony made famous by a tune straight out of Americana. It gives readers a unique glimpse into the personalities of the Red-White-and-Blue duo.

Mr. Yankee Doodle: I'm bored.
Pony:  We could go to town.

Immediately Mr. Doodle responds with a verbose list of reasons why the idea of going to town is not in his repertoire of favorite places to go.  When pony suggests they could go shopping, Doodle's answer proceeds to point out how he already has too many possessions, the workmanship nowadays leaves much to be desired and the cost,

I might as well throw my money in an outhouse hole!

Pony, however, is not deterred. His next bright idea involves a feather.

Doodle is downright flabbergasted by the thought of placing something from a bird in his hat. Pony proceeds to elaborate by telling him macaroni would be a good name for his hat adorned with a feather.  This newest idea has Doodle working himself into a proper colonial tizzy. Hats don't need plumage and macaroni isn't even his preferred pasta.

When pony politely points out that macaroni can be defined as fancy, Doodle doesn't hesitate to expound on the finer points of a truly fancy member of the noodle family.  Easy-going pony has the perfect reply.

At that Mr. Crankee Doodle looses all sense of civility.  He tosses his so-called worthless headgear into the garbage followed by a first class tirade. Clearly pony wants to go to town. But his offered mode of transportation is met with scornful rudeness aimed at his body odor.

Silent glances are exchanged.  Pony's poignant, truthful sentiments crack Crankee. With a surprising twist the friends linked together through history and song ride off in spirited companionship. Destination...well-known.


As I noted in a review of a previous Tom Angleberger book, The Secret of Fortune Wookiee, his adept ability to shift between narrative styles is a marvel.  Through dialogue alone, two very distinctive individuals emerge.  Instantly we willingly abandon any sense of reality, embracing this conversation between the talking pony and Yankee Doodle, who seems to have gone over to the Dark Side for the day.

It's in the portrayal of the two as total opposites where the humor will have you holding your sides and bursting into laughter.  The pony proposes in single sentences versus Mr. Doodle ranting in a string of emphatic statements. While the conversation seems to be in the present based on word choice, Angleberger inserts references to the historic time period which adds to the overall hilarity.


Using a bold, patriotic palette Cece Bell renders the illustrations with gouache.  The jacket and cover set the mood for the entire book.  The pony looking hopefully happy at Crankee Doodle, who is on the verge of loosing any patience, however slim, he may have.  It's a study in opposites. How can you help not grinning?

Opening and closing endpapers are patterned in soft, golden macaroni on a darker background.  In the title page Crankee is framed looking thoroughly disgusted with the hint of the pony's mouth leaning in by his left ear.  A rather idyllic scene of the two sleeping in the meadow is featured on the verso and dedication pages.  All of the illustrations are double page spreads with the exception of two; employing a unique framing design.

Shifts in color and texture, grass, sky and trees, macaroni, another fancy pasta, and a series of buildings, illuminate the characters and their emotions as well as the flow of the story.  There's something about the pony's mouth with his exposed teeth, the eyes on both the pony and Crankee and the facial shapes, that elevate the comedy.  Little details such as the language of the period appearing on items and buildings which are clearly from the future (as opposed to the Revolutionary years) are further evidence of contrasts.  For readers such decisions equal all-out fun.


Tom Angleberger's debut picture book with illustrations by Cece Bell, Crankee Doodle will definitely have you singing the song quietly in your mind as you are laughing at the grump and his persistent pal.  It's understood this will be read and read again...at the same sitting.  Be sure to give each of the characters their own voice.  The narrative and illustrations invite readers to do so.  The pony adds his two-pence worth at the end in a historical note, finally singing as Crankee Doodle plugs his ears.

Please follow the links to Tom Angleberger's and Cece Bell's websites embedded in their names. (Cece has posted the actual notes from their car trip used to write this book.) Here is an interview between Tom and Cece that came out on Kirby Larson's blog after this post. In this video Tom talks about the idea for the book and the collaboration between him and Cece, their first.




UPDATE:  Be sure you check out this link loaded with artwork posted at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  Cece Bell gives readers the inside scoop on her process.