Handheld Hilarity

For those who read aloud, whether to a single soul or a group of listeners, when the story generates, first, giggles and then outbursts of laughter, the atmosphere in the setting changes.  It is charged with a special connection.  Uniting through happiness is lasting, sometimes for decades.  You don't forget it.

When it comes to wishing, you need to carefully weigh all the consequences attached to a wish.  Our favorite grumpy, not fun-loving bear is back (somewhat) in a new title, The Bruce Swap (Disney Hyperion, May 4, 2021) written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins.  His housemates, the mice, Rupert, Thistle, and Nibbs, and the geese, wish Bruce was less like himself and more like them.  Due to the paper-consuming geese, a comedy of errors unfolds on this day.

There was a letter in the mailbox

at 13 Go Away Lane.

No one would ever know except for a reader what the letter said because a goose ate it.  It announced a visit from Bruce's fun, fun, fun cousin, Kevin.  Bruce detested fun.  In fact, that night each of Bruce's housemates made wishes about Bruce because he lacked any inclination toward fun (or sandwiches).

The next morning Bruce left the house to go fishing.  He wrote a note explaining his absence.  Guess who ate it? Guess who showed up at the house looking like Bruce but acting like the housemates wishes came true?

Even when the bear said his name was Kevin, no one believed him.  They knew their wishes were granted.  The fun started in earnest.  Candy was bountiful.  Multiple pizzas were ordered.  Outdoor activities were celebrated inside the house.  And the noise was deafening.  Moving to the outdoors, downright dangerous stunts were performed.  

Kevin's fun, fun, fun friends arrived and added to the craziness.  Three mice and four geese looked around, saw a humongous mess and realized too much of a good thing is not a good thing.  Kevin did not like messes, so he drove away with his pals. 

Can you imagine what Bruce was going to say when he got home?  You'll be surprised more than once as this story concludes.  Three cheers for grumps!

With every sentence author Ryan T. Higgins pens in this title, you can feel the humor growing.  He uses the repetition of a single word or phrases for emphasis and to fashion a cadence.  One two-word combination he inserts into the story is guaranteed to have readers and listeners rolling on the floor laughing.  His blend of narrative and dialogue is flawless.  Here are two passages.

Early the next morning, before the first rays of sun crept

across Soggy Hollow, Bruce woke up to go on a fishing trip.

Alone.

By himself.

He left a note, of course.

Gone fishing.

Don't make

a mess!

---Bruce---

But nobody read that note either.

NOM NOM NOM

One look at the open dust jack, front and back, and you know something the exact opposite of ordinary is in the offing for Bruce and his housemates.  On a blue background on the back, to the left, is a photograph of Bruce and Kevin.  Their facial expressions could not be more different.  There is one grump and one goof featured.  This photograph is varnished.  On the front, to the right, Bruce on the left is totally unaware of Kevin.  His fun, fun, fun grin is shocking to Rupert.  On this image the title text is varnished.

The book case design mirrors that of a pizza box in red and white check.  In the center is a circle framed in green.  On the front and back a bear, wearing a chef's hat, is showcased in red on white within that circle.  One is Kevin and one is Bruce.  Let the hilarity commence.

On the opening endpapers Bruce has placed sixteen signs around his home, advising people what they can't do.  The final sign in his paws reads:

NO PLAYING.

Behind the signs and Bruce are his home on the right and the lake across both sides.

Kevin has worked his fun on the closing endpapers.  The lake, trees, and Bruce's house are all the same.  The signs have all been changed by Kevin.  Each NO has been crossed out and GO is written in green next to the crossed-out NO.  Kevin stands at the NO PLAYING sign with a green marker in his paw.  He has already altered that sign.

These illustrations by Ryan T. Higgins 

created using scans of treated clayboard for textures, graphite, ink, and Photoshop

send the hoopla soaring (much like Rupert who finds himself attached to an airborne kite).  The facial expressions on all the characters depict every emotional moment from glee to despair and other moods between the two.  Readers will pause at every page turn to enjoy all the details.  Images span single pages but cross the gutter to join spot visuals on the previous page.  Other single-page pictures, panels and partial-page illustrations accentuate pacing and the story line.  For dramatic effect double-page pictures tell a story all their own.  Most of the conversation is found in speech balloons.

One of my many favorite pictures is a single-page image.  We are in the living room of Bruce's home.  It has been transformed into an indoor swimming pool.  Water is nearly up to the window casements.  Kevin wearing a red-and-white striped swimming suit, floaties on his arms, a bathing cap, and swim goggles is having fun.  The geese and mice are not so sure.  One is grasping the floating telephone.  Two others are using a door as a raft.  Rupert remarks:

This might be an 

electrical hazard.

Regardless of how many times The Bruce Swap written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins is read, laughter will resound each and every time.  The return of beloved characters coupled with the narrative, dialogue, and comical illustrations are an unbeatable combination.  You'll want to have a copy of this title for both your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about other titles by Ryan T. Higgins go to his page at the publisher's website by following the link attached to his name.  Ryan T. Higgins has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website is a link to a lengthy guide on the work of Ryan T. Higgins.  It would be great for an author study.

Several weeks ago, when I stepped out on the front porch with my canine companion to begin our last stroll for the day, panic and a stench overwhelmed me.  It was not quite pitch black outside yet.  Where was the skunk?  Was it on the lawn?  Was it under the porch?  Was every person's nightmare about to unfold?  We were lucky this time.  Something Stinks! (Penguin Workshop, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, June 15, 2021) written and illustrated by Jonathan Fenske is about a being with an experience similar to mine with one huge difference.  A skunk can't figure out where a horrible smell is emanating.  (I don't know about you, but I am laughing already.)

Pee-yew!

Something STINKS!

The narrator continues by telling us how fortunate we are not to smell what he is smelling.  We are then told exactly how stinky it is.  Comparisons are made to three kinds of stink.  How can it be stinkier

than a rotten tuna and onion sandwich?

Skunk then informs us he will track down the source of this odoriferous aroma.  No nook or cranny will be overlooked.  When he offers up the source as underpants, he is mistaken.  The scent is increasingly worse.

It seems to be following Skunk.  He then asks the reader to move in closer so he can make sure it is not they who stink.  Really?  

By now Skunk is getting nauseous.  He asks for readers' help.  When there is a response, he can't comprehend the words or gestures.  Skunk is at his wit's end.  Suddenly, a change clears the air.  What has happened?  We know, but Skunk is oblivious.

From the first words out of Skunk's mouth, written by Jonathan Fenske, the hilarity begins.  We are active participants in the story as Skunk speaks directly to us in short sentences.  Questions are asked and replies are given.  To elevate the humor, another character, a fly, adds commentary.  Here is a passage.

Wonderful.

Now the smell is

getting WORSE.

Like someone or someTHING

has been dragging a great big

cloud of stink everywhere!

The two hues of green shown on the front and back of the open book case clearly indicate an odor capable of inducing illness.  By the placement of the darker of the two, readers realize the origin of the stink.  The presence of the fly, first smiling on the front, and then with eyes crossed in displeasure on the back, suggests the extent of the stench.  The text on the back is an introduction to the story with Skunk speaking to us.

On the opening and closing endpapers is a pattern of Skunk, much smaller, standing almost sheepishly amid the smell.  He has no idea he is the cause of the odor.  Zipping around him in loops and swirls is a dotted white line on the green canvas.  This is the flight pattern of the fly who makes an appearance on the closing endpapers.  On the title page, a perplexed Skunk stands trying to locate the source of the stink.

These illustrations by Jonathan Fenske range in size from double-page pictures to single-page images, and groups of smaller visuals to supply pacing.  Often, we are brought very close to Skunk, further inviting us into the story.  His expressive wide-eyed looks, exaggerated facial features, and gestures contribute to the laughter factor.

Background colors are either gruesome green or crisp white.  Every line is spotlighted.  This raises our awareness of the situation in which Skunk finds himself.  You can't help but laugh!

One of my many favorite pictures is on a half-page.  Skunk is trying unsuccessfully, to figure out what the reader is telling him.  In this image he is saying:

I see you pointing.

On the green background with the green odor gathering at the bottom is the upper part of Skunk's face with one arm.  His hand is placed on his forehead as he tries to see.  His eyes are wide open.  He is looking squarely at us.  He just doesn't get it.  Therein is increased comedy.

With a book like Something Stinks! written and illustrated by Jonathan Fenske, you know how readers will respond.  Even now I can hear peals of laughter.  And once this laughter starts it won't stop, even when the story ends.  This is going to be a much-requested story time favorite.  You'll need a copy in your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Jonathan Fenske and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Jonathan Fenske has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you get a peak at the initial title page.

An Appetite For Music

Being true to yourself is at times a difficult task.  You find yourself in the unenviable position of wondering how you will be perceived by your colleagues, friends, or family.  If you already happen to be a distinctive individual for other reasons beyond your control, this challenge is multiplied.

As the only Tyrannosaurus rex in her kindergarten classroom of eleven human children and one teacher named Mrs. Noodleman, Penelope struggles with her innate inclination to consume her classmates as evidenced in We Don't Eat Our Classmates (Disney Hyperion, June 19, 2018) written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins.  In the companion title, We Will Rock Our Classmates (Disney Hyperion, July 21, 2020) written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins, Penelope faces new concerns.  Her heart's desire is to be valued for everything she is, not just seen for her physical characteristics.

Penelope was the only
T. rex in her school.

Sometimes that made her
stand out a little.

Her classmates tended to only see a dinosaur in front of them.  Penelope was much more than a dinosaur.  She enjoyed playing, reading, and drawing.  Penelope held great affection for music.  Her greatest joy was to sing and play her guitar, rocking and rolling with abandon.

When Mrs. Noodleman announced the school talent show and left the sign-up sheet out for her students, Penelope was thrilled and apprehensive.  First, she was worried about going near Walter, the class goldfish with dubious intentions.  Second, she could not stop talking about the talent show at dinner with her parents in the evening.  Penelope lived and breathed rock and roll.

When it came time for the school rehearsal, all Penelope's joy vanished as students voiced what she feared most.  She could not perform.  Why did she ever think a dinosaur could be anything but a dinosaur?  At home that night, and the next day at school, Penelope withdrew in her despair.  She crossed her name off the list for talent show participants.

As an observant parent, Daddy Rex popped into Penelope's bedroom after school on the second day.  His words and the sharing of a family treasure worked magic on Penelope's sadness.  To Penelope's astonishment the next day her newfound courage was met with a surprise courtesy of a few classmates.  It's safe to say this talent show was unlike any talent show in Penelope's school's history, especially Walter's appearance.


The understated humor in each sentence written by Ryan T. Higgins will have you laughing before you even turn to the second page.  To add meaning, depth, and more comedy to his statements, he includes supporting dialogue.  Readers will appreciate the understanding shown by Ryan T. Higgins in assigning attributes and emotions to the color of Penelope's markers.  Ryan T. Higgins is also aware, as a parent of three children, how valuable it is to include elements in a narrative which might have more meaning for adults.  In particular, I am referencing the name of the band.  Here is a passage with Daddy Rex reading to Penelope all tucked in bed for the night.

She loved to read.

Good night, tasty moose,
all wrapped in baloney.
Good night, tasty goose,
with a side dish of pony.

Mmmm. Ponies! 


With the spotlight encircling Penelope on the stage, we know this kindergarten student is rocking her heart out.  It's fun to see her fellow classmates watching from the side of the stage in amazement.  Penelope and the title text are varnished.  The shades of teal fade in the background, as our attention is focused on the full color used for Penelope.  This is a technique Ryan T. Higgins employs throughout the book.  He will have settings lighten to hues of a single color, still replete with details and Easter eggs.  This brings the characters to the foreground.

To the left, on the back, of the dust jacket is a rectangular image.  It is an interior illustration of Penelope happily playing her guitar in her bedroom.  Surrounding this are praise statements for the first title.

Using white on a black background the bookcase reveals the outcome of the talent show.  A rainbow extends from the main element on the front to its right.  On the back a rainbow extends to the left of that main element.  The text will have you laughing out loud.  Please note the fine print!

On the opening and closing endpapers, a string is stretched from left to right across a yellow background.  A series of clothes pins attaches drawings, all different to the string.  They are children's artwork made for this book featuring each individual's talent.  On the title page, a drum set is placed to the right of the center.  On the larger drum are the initials GCH.  There are other initials and first names tucked into images in this book.

The illustrations rendered

using scans of treated clayboard for textures, graphite, ink, and Photoshop

are single-page pictures on a variety of backgrounds and settings.  When Penelope freezes on stage, the canvas goes black.  For emphasis there are several double-page pictures.  To further accentuate the emotional mood, our point of view shifts.  We are brought close to specific items.   Readers will be smiling repeatedly at all the facial expressions and body postures of Penelope and the other characters.

One of my many, many favorite pictures is a double-page picture.  It is the night of the talent show.  It is taking place in the gymnasium/auditorium.  The background elements, and many of the people are in hues of purple.  Closer to the front, the people are done in full color.  Can you recognize some of them?  On the left, gigantic and in full color, are Daddy Rex carrying a bouquet of flowers and Mommy Rex with a camera round her neck, along with her necklace.  On the far-right side is the stage.  Penelope and several classmates have pulled back the curtain and are surveying the crowd.  Walter is in his fishbowl on the stage with an unusual object standing upright in his bowl.  You can feel anticipation crackling in the air.


No matter how many times you read We Will Rock Our Classmates written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins, you'll find yourself smiling at every page turn.  The combination of words, and artwork provide consummate comedy with impeccable pacing. Amid the laughter readers along with Penelope will find we all are made of many qualities making us distinctively wonderful.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Ryan T. Higgins, you can follow the link attached to his name to access his website in progress.  Ryan T. Higgins has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Ryan T. Higgins also has some video episodes beginning with the one linked here on YouTube.  At the publisher's website are several activity sheets for you to download.  Ryan T. Higgins visits with author illustrator Jena Benton at her website about this title.  I know you will enjoy the video.

Something Is Brewing

We have had stormy weather headed our way for the past several evenings.  Even before the sky sent us gray-cloud messages, the signs were there.  Parents, educators and humans with canine companions are keenly aware of the advance notice children and dogs give us. Their behavior is downright squirrely.  When you combine this with the full moon tonight, any semblance of normal is blown away. 

Trying to navigate through tempestuous personalities indoors and rain, thunder, lightning and gusts of wind outdoors is like walking through a briar patch.  What makes this situation bearable are children's books elevating the mood.  None do this better than Mother Goose Bruce, Hotel Bruce, Bruce's Big Move, Santa Claus Bruce and now Bruce's Big Storm (Disney Hyperion, September 3, 2019) written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins.  Trust me when I say, you'll be chuckling as soon as you see the dust jacket.

Bruce was a bear who did not like neighbors.

This bear's personality could not handle noise, being bothered a little bit or a lot or having his neighborhood populated.  Usually Bruce's neighbors did not hang around more than he could tolerate . . . barely.  This all changed on one eventful day.  A humdinger of a storm was approaching.  The first neighbors to arrive and ask for shelter were the deer.

Bruce wanted to be alone, but his mice housemates were more than happy to have company.  When the storm struck in earnest, animals of all kinds (stinky skunks and prickly porcupines) blew inside his home.  Before long, all the residents of Soggy Hollow were sequestered in Bruce's house.  He sat grumpily reading in his favorite chair.

Stop!  Someone was still outside in the wind and rain. Nibbs, one of the mice, headed toward the open door with an umbrella to save the tiny white rabbit.  Unfortunately, the wind opened the umbrella and he parachuted up, up and up until the umbrella landed point down in front of the rabbit.  Within moments one mouse and one tiny white rabbit were soaring upward.

Fortunately, Bruce hurried outside.  Nibbs thinks Bruce was saving them.  Bruce just wanted his best umbrella back but unfortunately (again), the wind was stronger than one mouse, one tiny white rabbit and one big cranky bear.  Will this trio be rescued?  Will the storm drop one final blow on the gathered group?  Will Bruce ever have peace and quiet?  Stay tuned readers and be ready for the last laugh.

Only someone with an inherently great sense of humor can write with meticulous pacing, precise word choices and the delivery of dialogue which further exaggerates the hilarity.  Ryan T. Higgins is one of those people.  With the turn of each page we find one comical moment after the other.  The contrast in attitude and outlook between Bruce and every other resident in Soggy Hollow is like morning and night.  Ryan T. Higgins portrays Bruce with precise authenticity which in turn invites us into the pure mirth of Bruce and company.  Here is a passage.

Finally, the whole 

neighborhood was there.

"Wait!" said Rupert.

"Someone is still outside!"

Everyone went to

the window to look.

A speech bubble over Bruce's head, as he sits in his chair and tries to read, is filled with grumble lines.

Well, almost everyone.

When you look at the front of the dust jacket, one of several things draws your attention.  The look on Bruce's face is one of shock, as is Rupert's expression but the tiny white rabbit is looking calmer and more determined.  You are also aware of the strength of the storm from the bending trees and mailbox post, swirl of leaves and slanting rain.  It's mighty.  The title text and Ryan T. Higgins' name are varnished.

To the left, on the back, you're likely to have one of many outbursts of laughter.  In a loose white oval is the plaid sofa in Bruce's house.  All the neighbors are curled up around each other on the sofa, along the bottom of the sofa, and on top of the sofa.  Bruce, squeezed into the right corner, facing us, is grumpier than ever.  He is the only one not sound asleep.  This image is varnished.

There is a treat for readers on the book case.  Opening it up reveals a map of Soggy Hollow.  Residents' abodes on land, near and on ponds and in trees are carefully drawn and labeled.  Some of the names are charming alliterations.

On the opening and closing endpapers, more hilarity ensues.  It is a display of the Soggy Hollow Community Board.  An assortment of announcement and advertisements cover the board from end to end.  While most of the postings like the 5K Turtle Run and Leech Pond Swim Lessons remain the same on both sets of endpapers, careful readers will notice a change on the second set.

These 

illustrations were created using scans of treated clayboard for textures, graphite, ink, and 

Photoshop.

Ryan T. Higgins begins the pictorial extension of his text with cheerful neighbors on the verso and first page greeting a scowling Bruce as he walks toward his home carrying a newspaper and a cup of coffee.  Each full color picture within this book are grouped as small vignettes, featured as a full-page image, edge to edge, placed on a white background leaving space for text, or spanned across two pages for dramatic effect.  The faces and body postures are expertly depicted.  

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a smaller one with two others in the group.  The storm is blowing neighbors into Bruce's house.  Along the bottom of the page with a white canvas on matte-finished paper, Bruce's door has blown open.  Leaves are blowing inside the open door.  Another being blew in also--a porcupine which is sticking to Bruce's fur.  Next to them is a skunk, fumes rising in the air and startled by the newest neighbor's appearance.

There are books like Bruce's Big Storm written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins which create shared experiences based on laughter.  These are the moments we need in our lives; these moments of fun and funniness which strengthen our endearment for beloved characters and for each other.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Ryan T. Higgins and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Ryan T. Higgins has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can download activity sheets.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like . . #6

On December 19, 1843 the world was introduced to Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.  Scrooge, a penny-pinching, irritable man, over the course of visits by four spirits, his old business partner, Jacob Marley, The Ghost of Christmas Past, The Ghost of Christmas Present and The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is completely transformed.  For the rest of his life he honors the true meaning of Christmas with generosity.

Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel) published How The Grinch Stole Christmas! in May of 1957.  This creature and his dog, Max, attempt to stop Christmas from coming to the Whos in Whoville.  On Christmas Day from the top of Mt. Crumpit, Grinch is shocked to hear singing instead of sobbing down in Whoville.  They say

that the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day! 

A bear whose grumpiness has made readers laugh in Mother Goose Bruce, Hotel Bruce, and Bruce's Big Move is back in a fourth companion title.  He is as cranky as ever in Santa Claus Bruce (Disney Hyperion, September 4, 2018) written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins.  Will Bruce's peevish personality surrender to seasonal cheer?

Bruce was a bear
who did not like the holidays.

Being a bear, Bruce preferred to slumber through the winter but his acquired family, four geese and three mice, had other ideas.  They wanted to have an old fashioned, shared Christmas.  The house was decorated courtesy of the geese and the mice made an enormous batch of eggnog.  Bruce was not happy about this; not happy at all.

To keep warm (he detested being cold) Bruce wore red, long underwear and a red hat when he was outside.  In a blink of an eye, a young raccoon mistook him for Santa.  Despite Bruce's denials, the youngster left announcing to the woods he had met Santa.  In another blink of an eye, multiple animals were gathered outside Bruce's home.  To his unending sense of dismay, one of the members of his family let everyone inside.

Bruce slumped in a car as critter after critter shared their secret Christmas wishes with him.  To make it worse, the parents arrived to thank Bruce for his. . . er. . . joy with their children.  While Bruce was trying to process yet another case of mistaken identity, Thistle (a mouse) announced

Santa Bruce is going to deliver presents to all of your kids tonight!

Bruce stalked toward his bed.  The mice had other ideas.  For every objection he made, the mice had a solution.  Reluctantly Bruce agreed to go out as Santa Bruce.  His crabby self was getting crabbier with every tug on the "sleigh" he ends up pulling and every complicated delivery.  All Bruce wanted to do as dawn breaks was sleep but he had no such luck.

HONK!


The comedic pacing Ryan T. Higgins supplies readers with his impeccable blend of narrative and conversational commentary by the characters is like opening a gift full of laughter with every page turn.  The other characters are oblivious to Bruce's sulking, gruffness and declarations which continuously heightens the hilarity.  Ryan cleverly and carefully leaves spaces in the text for his illustrations to complete a humorous moment.  Here is a passage.

Tell them I'm not Santa.

Everyone, listen up!
Single file!  No pushing!
Santa Bruce has time
to see all of you!
Who wants cocoa? 


You cannot look at the opened dust jacket, especially the front without laughing.  The contrast between the expression on Bruce's face and the faces of the young animals around him is funnier than funny.  Ryan T. Higgins includes the three mice who continually push Bruce into uncomfortable situations.  Notice the third mouse with the pencil in his hand at the top of the image.

To the left, on the back, a Christmas red provides a canvas for a loosely framed white oval.  One of the geese is walking with the three mice.  Two of them are carrying a large evergreen wreath with a big red bow.  This illustration is varnished as is the sign on the front.  Santa Claus Bruce is in red foil.

The book case, front and back, is one of Bruce's gifts wrapped in green paper with a red bow.  On the far left and far right the paper is ripped.  It reveals the gift.

The opening and closing endpapers are a scene in the woods.  It's serene with Bruce's house on the right.  In the first one, colored Christmas lights outline windows, the roof and door.  A wreath hangs between the front window and the door.  For the closing everything is now dark except for the starry sky.  Smoke still comes out the chimney.

As soon as you see the mice on the title page, you know something wild and wonderful is going to happen.  On the next page (verso) they are dragging a Christmas tree toward Bruce who is standing, arms folded, on the first page.  (The verso background is bright red.)

The illustrations created using scans of treated clayboard for texture, graphite, ink, and Photoshop are on full pages with large areas of white space for framing, full pages, edge to edge, and large double-page pictures, edge to edge.  For purposes of the passage of time, smaller images are grouped three times.  The body postures and facial expressions of the characters send the laughter factor sky high.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a close-up of Santa Bruce hunched over in his chair.  He is not happy at all.  The parents have left after the announcement was made that gifts will be delivered.  One of the mice wearing an elf hat is giving the disgruntled bear a thumbs-up.  The other in a baseball cap with hands raised in the air cries out:

It's a Christmas miracle!


Santa Claus Bruce written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins is going to be a favorite in any setting, story times in schools and public libraries and for family read aloud gatherings.  You are going to get requests for repeat readings.  You might want to stock up on crackers.  I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Ryan T. Higgins and his other work, follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Ryan has accounts on Twitter and Instagram.  At the publisher's website there are several pages of activities.

Taking A Bite

Every time we've walked in the past twenty months it's the same thing.  Anyone within hearing distance can detect a voice continually saying, "Leave it, leave it, leave it!"  Labradors are known for their love of food but this one, my Mulan, has an appetite for everything.  It's like having a vacuum cleaner on the end of a leash.

At least with young humans you don't have to worry as much about them having an appetite for everything.  Educators welcoming students, especially kindergarten students, on the first day usually need not add a "do not eat" phrase to a discussion about classroom behavior.  Of course if one of your students happens to be a carnivorous dinosaur, educators might need to rethink the rules.  We Don't Eat Our Classmates (Disney Hyperion, June 19, 2018) written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins is a comedic tale of a student with a craving for children . . . as an entree.

Penelope Rex was nervous.
It's not every day a
little T. rex starts school.

Penelope's mind was filled with questions but of utmost concern was the number of teeth her classmates have.  Wearing her backpack and carrying her lunch box, both covered with ponies because she loved to eat them, Penelope entered her classroom to discover there were not dinosaurs there but children.  She did what any normal T. rex would do.  She ate them.

Mrs. Noodleman, her teacher demanded she spit them back out.  She obeyed her.  Determined to have a good first day regardless of her first transgression, she gave it her best.  Standing at the bottom of a slide with an open mouth at recess was highly inappropriate.  Telling a boy he could sit on her plate at lunch was hardly the actions of a friend.  Her classmates avoided her.  It was a lonely first day.

After school her dad chatted with her about the drawbacks of consuming your classmates.  Oh, how Penelope tried the next day but her true nature prevailed.  It seemed everyone wanted to be where Penelope was not.  Perhaps Walter the goldfish would be Penelope's pal.

Longingly, as an overture of friendship, she stuck her finger into his fishbowl.  Wowee!  She wasn't expecting that to happen.  There was a definite change in Mrs. Noodleman's classroom from that day forward.  (Goldfish are so unpredictable.)


Every sentence Ryan T. Higgins writes is brimming with humor.  The statements are in contrast to normalcy and have a distinct dinosaur perspective, so we can't help but giggle and grin; lots of little gals and guys like ponies but not because they

are delicious.

Ever so slowly all these plot points laden with hilarity are leading us to the twist we don't envision.  These points are aided by dialogue which is out and out laughter inducing.  Here is a passage.

"Penelope Rex," her father asked,
"did you eat your classmates?"

"Well . . . maybe sort of 
just a little bit."


One look at the opened dust jacket front and we know this little dinosaur simply can't help eating her classmates.  Look at the overturned chairs.  Look at the two tennis shoes, especially the one covered in drool coming from Penelope's mouth.  To the left, on the back, on a purple textured canvas is a smaller image with the pony lunchbox, a single box of apple juice and a stack of sandwiches, several breaking the frame.   Portions of both the front and back are varnished.  The title text is raised.

On the book case a single illustration features Walter.  His bowl is on the shelf at school but he is currently alone.  A series of connected straws leave his mouth and travel to that single box of apple juice on the right side of the spine.  This is intriguing to say the least and gives a hint of the shifts in this story.

On the opening and closing endpapers on a paler lime green a line is stretched from the left to the right.  Hanging with clips is a series of dinosaur drawings.  All sixteen are different.  They reflect varying degrees of artistic ability.  (Notice the dedication page.)  Beneath the title page text Penelope is saying

HEY KIDS!
You will never be
eaten by a T. rex.
They are extinct.
I promise!

The illustrations rendered using scans of treated clayboard for texture, graphite, ink, and Photoshop span single and double pages.  These add emphasis to the narrative creating superb pacing.  Sometimes Ryan will place two smaller pictures on a single page.

Readers will be rewarded if they pause at each illustration.  Many significant elements refer to things found in real life. (On several of the images the setting is muted in a limited palette but looks like a particular place.)  There are other items; some reinforcing Penelope's existence.  Do you know why there is a motorcycle on the bookcase in her bedroom?  Does the map hanging on her wall resemble a world you know?  This attention to details in his artwork elevates Ryan's narrative and heightens the fun we have reading this book.

One of my many favorite illustrations is when Penelope walks into her classroom on the first day and eats all eleven of her classmates.  It spans two pages.  On the far left Walter sits in his fishbowl on the shelf.  At the now empty tables on the left and partially in the gutter are overturned chairs.  Penelope standing with bulging cheeks and meekly holding her arms in front of her has a tennis shoe dangling from her mouth.  Mrs. Noodleman, hand on her hip and book in the other hand, demands that Penelope spits the students back out.  The expression on Penelope's face is hysterical.


Reading this story silently or aloud will have one or more readers and listeners laughing with total abandon.  We Don't Eat Our Classmates written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins is a blast from the past into our present with the best kind of results.  It's one hundred percent perfection.  You will want a copy (or two) for your professional collections as well as your personal collections.

To learn more about Ryan T. Higgins and his other work, please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  You can get some activity sheets at the publisher's website.  Ryan is highlighted at three different posts at Publishers Weekly, PW KidsCast: A Conversation with Ryan T. Higgins, Q & A with Ryan T. Higgins, and T. Rex Problems: Spotlight on Ryan T. Higgins.  Ryan visits KidLit TV and chats with author Phil Bildner on Phil's Fast Five, Podcast Bunny Presents #11, and at author illustrator Jena Benton's Simply 7 Interview. 

Home Sweet Home?

There is nothing better than reading a book for the first time.  When you see the dust jacket unfolded, the different book case, the opening and closing endpapers which are not the same and are a part of the visual story, certain interior illustrations and specific sentences in the text, it is a distinctive experience.  There are books which strike a chord in your reader's heart so clearly the place you read them, who is with you as you read them together and the emotional impact you feel during and after the reading will remain with you always.

This fall in a good friend's classroom it was imperative quiet be maintained for the activity in which the students were engaged.  The problem was his principal and I were reading the third book in a humorous series for the first time.  With each page turn our desire to burst out laughing increased.  We were filled with barely contained mirth until we closed the cover.  Then we had to take several deep breaths to regain our composure.

The book is Bruce's Big Move (Disney Hyperion, September 26, 2017) written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins.  The first title, Mother Goose Bruce, introduced us to a grouchy bear whose craving for egg cuisine found him in the unlikely role of mother to four geese.  Three mice appear in the second book, Hotel Bruce, turning Bruce's den into a woodland getaway for visitors when he and the four geese are vacationing in Florida during the winter.  Bruce is barely able to keep his short-tempered self under control.

Bruce was a bear who lived
with four geese because
he was their mother,

and three mice
because they would not leave.

With the mice's desire for continuous projects, the state of Bruce's once peaceful abode could be categorized as total chaos.  There were no more quiet baths with shouts of CANNONBALL echoing in the bathroom as eight individuals crammed into the tub.  Bruce tried every trick in the book to banish the rambunctious rodent residents.  Nothing worked.

Bruce had no choice.  He packed a couple of bags, loaded the geese into a side car and roared down the road on his motorbike, moving to a new location.  Finding the perfect new house was harder than hard but Bruce was no ordinary bear.  A cabin by a lake near a meadow was utterly perfect.  Well, almost.  Friendly neighbors could be annoying.

After the extended time with those mischievous mice, Bruce could actually smile at their absence.  The four geese were not as happy.  In fact, they were downright dejected.  Bruce tried every trick in the book to banish their blues.  Nothing worked.

The appearance of an unexpected vehicle in Bruce's yard instantly perked up the geese.  In fact, they were overjoyed.  The bear could feel his contentment fleeing . . . fast.  A housewarming?  Frying-pan ball?  Nothing was ever going to be the same.  Or was it?


The hilarity Ryan T. Higgins makes with his words begins even before you finish the first sentence.  The narrator in a matter-of-fact voice states an obvious contradiction, Bruce, a bear, is the mother of four geese.  In the next sentence the comedic contrasts continue with a combination of narrative and dialogue.  How many mice do you know who would ask a bear, who clearly does not want them there, if

we could fit a 1950 Panel Truck in the living room?

The short, meticulously formed statements provide flawless pacing.  They are ideal companions for Ryan's marvelous illustrations.  Here is an example.

No matter how hard Bruce tried, the mice would not leave.

OUT!

Bruce is right!
We should go out 
and get some fresh air!

Let's play 
frying-pan ball!

Thanks, Bruce.
You're always 
looking out for us.


In all honesty looking at the front of the dust jacket without bursting into laughter is impossible.  Those geese with their helmets and goggles in the side car are hysterical.  The determined look on Bruce's face means he is totally at his wit's end.  There is no way he is ever going back to his den.  To the left, on the back, on a canvas of textured grass green is an image of the mice in a basket with four balloons, red and yellow, carrying them away.  The majority of the balloons are outside the image frame of sky and clouds.  This picture and the text on the front are varnished.

On the book case on a background moving from golden orange-yellow along the bottom to a hue of blue at the top is Bruce on his motorbike.  On the front and the back we move close to him.  First he is leaning over the bike handle bars, riding the road, helmet and goggles in place.  His scarf is streaming behind him.  To the left, on the back, the point of view is lower.  We are privy to the back end of Bruce seated on the motorbike.  His license plate is guaranteed to bring out a few giggles.

As the sun rises in the woods on the opening endpapers we see the mice mess surrounding Bruce's den.  A FOR SALE MOVING! sign is tacked to a tree.  As to the closing endpapers, they are a wonderful, unexpected surprise.  (My lips are sealed.)  With a page turn at the beginning, on the left, we are given a peek at what is to come for Bruce and company.

Rendered using scans of treated clayboard for texture, graphite, ink and Photoshop the illustrations are single page, double page and two smaller illustrations on a single page.  Their contents are in sharp contrast to the text providing continuous laughter.  The details in each one are exquisite; the newspaper and cardboard castle built by the medieval-costume-wearing mice, the mess from all their projects and activities, the words spelled by the wooden blocks, the fabric used for Bruce's chair, the wallpaper in his den, the interior of the new home and the lamp next to Bruce's bed.  And remember the mention of the 1950 Panel Truck?  You won't believe how it's incorporated into the visuals.  What takes everything over the top are the expressions on Bruce's face.  You can't help but love this grump!

One of my many favorite illustrations covers two pages.  Bruce is sitting in a sudsy, filled-to-the-brim claw-footed tub.  Water and bubbles cover the floor with more coming over the edge of the tub.  Three geese and two mice are already in the tub.  A goose wearing a face mask, snorkel and flippers is waiting to join them.  A mouse yelling CANNONBALL is about to make a splash.  He and two other occupants are wearing a face mask, and snorkel.  Bruce is completely disgusted.


The happiness this title, Bruce's Big Move written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins, will generate in readers and listeners is sure to echo in rooms as laughter.  I can't wait to read it aloud and hear the children ask me to read it again.  No bookshelves in your professional or personal library should be without this title.  We all need the humor this bear, his four geese and three mice give us . . . more than ever.

To read and learn about Ryan T. Higgins and his work please visit his website by following the link attached to his name. Ryan maintains an Instagram account.  You are really going to enjoy the chat between Ryan and Roger Sutton at The Horn Book.  It's a must read.  At HuffPost you'll learn more secrets about Ryan and his Bruce books.  Don't miss the chat at Let's Talk Picture Books with Ryan about this title.  This book trailer is fantastic!

Not A Single Solitary Sound

You have had this wish, this yearning, for as long as you can remember.  You have thought about it every single day.  You have longed for the moment when all the essential details fall into place making this dream come true.  Finally it's going to happen but the opposite of what you have imagined transpires.  Everything goes horribly wrong.

When your deepest desire vanishes like a puff of smoke and not always all at once, but little by little, it can be downright discouraging.  In the case of this newest title, BE QUIET! (Disney Hyperion, April 4, 2017) written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins it can be out-of-this-world frustrating.  Three rascally rodents we met in Hotel Bruce (Disney Hyperion, October 18, 2016) are back in their own book.

FINALLY!  I get my very own book to star in.  This is going to be great!

I'm going to make it a wordless book.  They are very artistic.

This book will have NO WORDS at all.  Starting...NOW.

Beginning on the endpapers the story opens.  It continues with more but most definitely, according to Rupert, the final text on the title pages.  The bespectacled mouse with a mustache is sure this is going to be wonderful until a familiar friend strolls up asking him what he is doing.  Nibbs can't stop talking about not talking.  Rupert is clearly getting agitated.  When Thistle walks up Nibbs speaks but Rupert is silent.  His body posture signals deep irritation.

The more Nibbs and Thistle converse about not speaking and the value of wordless books, the angrier Rupert gets asking them to be quiet!  Then they start a discussion about the merits of pictures in wordless books.  Rupert mentions strong illustrations.  This is all the talkative twosome need to go off on another tangent.

They introduce strength in images.  Is that a grumpy bear we know as Bruce?  The sweet cuddly kitten turns out to be a very risky idea.  A green vegetable, a serious portrait and potatoes...yes potatoes make an appearance.  The invention of a silent superhero with the appropriate sound effects has Rupert stomping his feet and shouting.  Nibbs's and Thistle's misunderstanding of Rupert's words will have you laughing out loud.

He is sure his two pals have no comprehension about the meaning of be quiet.  An exploration of

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

by Nibbs and Thistle causes Rupert to erupt in a rage.  (A chainsaw and a felled tree figure prominently.)  Completely clueless and a narrow, determined vision don't work well together...or do they?


Ryan T. Higgins sense of humor is evident on every single page, even as early as the dust jacket.  His pacing provides us with anticipated and delivered hilarity.  The contrast between what Rupert wants, which truthfully is a simple request, compared to the misdirected musings of Nibbs and Thistle is comic perfection.  The entire narrative is told in dialogue with short, simple but meaningful sentences.  Here is a sample passage.

Yay!  This book is going to be so fun!
Quiet, you! This book will be more than FUN.  It will be visually stimulating.

What does "vishery strigulating" mean?
I think it means we're going to poke our readers in the eyeballs with pictures. ...


I don't think it's possible to look at the opened dust jacket without laughing.  Rupert is already in a rage and Nibbs and Thistle are on a totally different mental plane.  Nibbs with the chain saw making a hole in the tree, cleverly placed on the spine, foreshadows a turning point in the plot.  The two figures on the back will be revealed in one of the conversations.  Note the detail on the chain saw blade.

The opened book case is a peaceful scene in the forest.  Fallen trees have made a bridge over a brook.  Rupert is on the left side peeking from behind one of the logs.  On the opening endpapers as he walks along the top of the log, he speaks to readers about his hopes for a wordless picture book.  On the title page one of the geese from Mother Goose Bruce and Hotel Bruce is flying in an airplane pulling a sign with the title text.  The goose appears again on the closing endpapers, seated on the ground, in another woodland place with Nibbs and Thistle chatting about the book.

This book was hand-lettered by the author... And the images were rendered using scans of treated clayboard for textures, graphite, ink, and Photoshop.  Bold black lines but also tiny details are a signature style of Ryan T. Higgins.  He uses a full color palette in keeping with the setting of his story alternating between single pages, edge to edge, a single image loosely framed with white space, and two page pictures for heightened comedy.

The facial expressions and body postures of the characters enhance the humor.  There is never any doubt, regardless of the text, as to the mood of Nibbs, Thistle and Rupert.  When Rupert looks directly at the reader near the end, we know he has reached the end of his proverbial rope.

One of my favorite of many illustrations is at the beginning when Nibbs first approaches Rupert.  The two of them are standing on the log bridge over the brook.  We have zoomed in close to them.  Nibbs has his paws over his mouth horrified that he is talking about talking.  Rupert is assuming the hands-on-hips posture in disgust.  His book is already in jeopardy.


When I first read this book it was aloud as an F & G to a classroom of third grade students and their teacher.  We laughed ourselves silly.  Now in the possession of a hard copy of Be Quiet! written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins, it's funnier than ever, even after multiple readings.  The humor does not lessen.  Every classroom and school library will want at least one copy.  I highly recommend it for your personal collections too.

To discover more about Ryan T. Higgins and his other work please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  At the publisher's website is a set of activity pages.  Ryan is interviewed at Jena Benton, Writer & Illustrator.  Matthew C. Winner, teacher librarian, chats with Ryan at All The Wonders, Episode 346.

Who's House Is This?

Certainly we can use more laughter in our world.  It's a better cure than an-apple-a-day for nearly everything and it's free.  If you should be fortunate enough to share grins, giggles and guffaws with children, well your life is pretty much the best it can be.

At the tail end of November last year Mother Goose  Bruce written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins was released to readers who could hardly get from one portion of the story to the next without breaking out into peals of laughter.  That's what happens when a crabby bear, with a craving for gourmet meals prepared with eggs, ends up becoming a mother to four goslings.  As spring moved to summer and then fall, Bruce was still not relieved of his parenting duties.  The only solution was five bus tickets to sunny Miami.

In a companion title Bruce is unenthusiastically continuing the sojourn to sunny Florida each year.  Not for the first time, Bruce longs for the good old days of hibernation.  Hotel Bruce (Disney Hyperion, October 18, 2016) chronicles the surprise awaiting the bear and four geese on their return.


Bruce was a bear
who lived with four geese...
...reluctantly.
But he was their mom.

The northward trek from the bustling beaches was exhausting. To say Bruce was shocked to find his humble home turned into a hotel in his absence by three mice was an understatement.  His cranky-o-meter was on the rise as he broomed them out of his abode.

To heighten his anxiety his bed was already occupied by guests, a moose, rabbit, porcupine, raccoon and slumbering turtles who assumed he was there for the sole purpose of attending to their every need.  His "alarm" in the morning took the form of opossums engaged in a hearty battle...with pillows.  With each new surprise the situation escalated.

Apparently the three mice had regained control and turned the four geese into attendants.  In the midst of a heated discussion, the fox, who was attempting to lure the turtles into a soup pot with a promise of a spa-like experience, interrupted them, scared witless and running like the wind. It was revenge of the reptiles.

As you can surmise Bruce was on the verge of a major eruption but even that was misunderstood. When the bear thought he must surely have stepped into some woodland version of an alternate universe, his fears were confirmed.  The expected and unexpected blend into a conclusion that's all Bruce.


When Ryan T. Higgins writes, especially in this book, an undercurrent of hilarity runs through the text waiting to bubble to the surface.  Meticulous pacing and short sentences build toward the inevitable. The mix of narrative by someone we can't see with characters' dialogue elevates the story's capacity for comic results.  Here is a passage.

It was a long night.

Can I have a drink of water? (raccoon)
You're hogging the sheets. (moose)
I want to snuggle. (porcupine)
I need to pee. (rabbit)


Nobody draws a grumpy bear like Ryan T. Higgins.  Clearly Bruce is not a "happy camper" with the residents in his home. One of the geese wearing the bellhop attire is the crowning touch.  The anxious looking guests peering out the window are in sharp contrast to the chatty mice.  To the left, on the back of the dust jacket, placed on a textured blue background is a scene of the remaining three geese in the caps and coats, saluting the third mouse, who happens to be wearing glasses and has a mustache.  This image is varnished.

On the book case it's as if we are inside Bruce's house looking at the newly wallpapered walls which you only glimpsed on the jacket.  A variety of photographs are hanging along with a ticking pendulum clock.  The NO PETS sign is a classic touch.  The opening endpapers are a sunny fall day outside Bruce's then quiet home.  A serene summer vista spreads across the closing endpapers, absent of any life.

The heavier matte-finished paper enhances Higgins's use of white space, the fine lines, animated details and general physical traits of the characters.  The body postures on all of them and their exaggerated facial expressions, particularly those on Bruce, are priceless.  Just when you think you can't laugh any more, he places something in an image like a feather sticking to Bruce's nose, which makes you laugh even more.  The size of the illustrations is alternated to showcase the text and place emphasis on a given situation.

One of my many favorite illustrations is toward the beginning of the story. It spans two pages.  It is the beach scene with a Welcome To Miami sign stuck in the sand.  The sand is loaded to the beaks with honking geese, some in Hawaiian shirts.  Two alligators are singing and dancing while playing a ukulele and tambourine.  A third alligator is throwing a beach ball in the air. Bruce is in the middle of this chaos wearing his Hawaiian shirt looking rather gruff and grim.


I'm surprised this book, Hotel Bruce written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins, does not shake with chuckling and chortling in your hands even before it is opened.  When Bruce and the geese are back it's the best of the best.  You should be prepared for a resounding "read it again" as soon as you are finished.

To learn more about Ryan T. Higgins please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  The cover for this title is revealed along with an interview at educator and director of the Plum Creek Children's Literacy Festival, Dylan Teut's website, Mile High Reading.  Author and teacher librarian Carter Higgins features this book on her website Design of the Picture Book including some interior images.

Hotel Bruce's case https://t.co/VJ4dn0NzII

— John Schu (@MrSchuReads) October 26, 2016

Be Aware Of These Bears And Their Books Part II

Grouchy fictional bears, as opposed to bears in the wild, are to be enjoyed for the hilarity they prompt in readers.  Perhaps it's the contrast between them and their cute, cuddly cousins, toy teddy bears.  Or maybe we see a little bit of ourselves, when we are having a bad day, in their behavior.  Whatever the reason, these next two titles are sure to have readers, at the very least, smiling as soon as they see the front dust jackets.

Four goslings seem to be enjoying their exploration of a rather annoyed bear in Mother Goose Bruce (Disney Hyperion, November 24, 2015) written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins.  Clearly they are unaware of his discontent.  He, on the other hand, is more than concerned with the current state of affairs.

Bruce was a bear who lived all by himself.
He was a grump.

The only thing this forest curmudgeon liked...no craved...were eggs.  To make matters worse for the other woodland dwellers, he took the eggs.  He found them to be most delicious when made into culinary delights.

Searching online Bruce discovered the ultimate recipe,

hard-boiled goose eggs drizzled with honey-salmon sauce.

The stream, hive and nest were raided with determined glee.  To Bruce's dismay when he went to hard boil the eggs, his fire needed more wood.  Arriving back in the kitchen, Bruce was flabbergasted to hear four little voices cry out

MAMA!

This new development was not to his liking at all.  What was a cranky guy going to do with four newborn geese?  He tried to give them back to Mrs. Goose but she had vacated her home.  Leaving them didn't work.  They followed him everywhere.  Roaring didn't work.  They had bonded with Bruce.

Seeing no other alternative his newly-assumed role as a mom was downright difficult and exhausting.  When Bruce noticed the other geese flying south, he was ecstatic.  The four fully-grown geese would leave him in peace.  No. No. No.  They stuck with Bruce like glue.  In a resourceful turn of events Bruce and the geese each got what they wanted and needed.


As the story unfolds, told by an unseen narrator, it's the little snippets of dialogue inserted by Ryan T. Higgins which increase the comedic effect.  Not only is Bruce a grump but he's always looking out for himself first, trying to make the best of a less than hunky-dory situation.  Each of the concise single sentences has been carefully crafted to heighten the disparity between the text and images.  Here is a sample passage.

Last, he went to Mrs. Goose's nest to pay her a visit.
"Are these eggs free-range organic?"


When you run your hands over the front of the dust jacket the title text is raised.  The x through Goose and Bruce are also designed to feel like scribbled crayon.  To the left, on the back, on a textured matte-like golden yellow canvas, a shiny picture of the nest, next to cattails and the pond, has been placed.  Two goslings are walking from the nest on the picture; one is half in the picture and half on the background.  The fourth baby is striding away on the yellow. The book case is a close-up of Bruce's grouchy face on the front and the back of his head on the back.  The opening endpapers feature an early morning sun shining through the trees and on the right is Bruce's home.  The closing endpapers are different but in perfect harmony with the story's end.  (My lips are sealed.)

With a page turn the woods remain on the left.  To the right Bruce is sitting down to partake of his favorite food beneath the title text.  Higgins alters his image sizes, the framing and perspective to elevate a mood and emphasize a particular moment.  His use of white space as an element in the illustrations is first-rate.  It's the facial expressions on Bruce which will have you laughing out loud over and over again.  Well, that and his physique.  And if you are not rolling on the floor yet in uncontrolled mirth there are the extra details; Bruce's use of a shopping cart, the gosling carrier, and the geese wearing hats, coats, scarves and boots.

One of my favorite illustrations is of Bruce standing next to the blue and white polka-dotted kiddie pool watching the goslings splashing in the water.  Bruce ready to join them is wearing pink water wings with daisies, a blue and yellow striped inner tube and yellow flippers.  It's a bright sunny day but his disposition is completely stormy.


Mother Bruce written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins is one of those books when you open the cover you expect to hear laughter ringing from the pages.  I would like to think Higgins has given a hat tip to Bill Peet's Big Bad Bruce with this book.  I urge you to share this title with someone as often as possible.

To learn more about Ryan T. Higgins please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  This title has been chosen by Scholastic's Ambassador for School Libraries John Schumacher and standing-on-a-desk-and-shouting-I-love-reading third grade teacher Colby Sharp as one of the books for the February #SharpSchu Twitter Book Club.  Ryan T. Higgins was a guest on All The Wonders, Ryan T. Higgins: Picturebooking, Episode 41.



A little more than one year ago readers were introduced to a bear who prefers to be alone and his noisy, nosy neighbor, a duck, in Goodnight Already! The mismatched friends have returned in I Love You Already! (Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, December 22, 2015) written by Jory John with illustrations by Benji Davies.  One glimpse at Bear's face (the deer caught in the headlight look) and we know some things (or a bear and a duck) never change.  For those of you who believe in the power of laughter, thank goodness for that.

"Ahh, I really love spending lazy weekend mornings around my house."

Readers will quickly note that Duck has a different plan, nestled in bed, snacking on a cookie with his I ♥ Bear mug next to the bed, and reading

101 WALKS TO take with BEARS.

Within two shakes of a duck's tail he's on his way to Bear's place ready to roll and repeatedly asking Bear to go for a walk.  Bear's morning of tea-sipping and book reading is over.  Duck's six reasons for Bear to come outside are met with an emphatic

"No." and
"You already said that."

If for no other reason than to get some peace of mind, Bear reluctantly agrees to stroll along with Duck.  The winged walker chatters non-stop eliciting the same responses from Bear.  He only wants Bear to like him. Bear tells him over and over that he does like him...ALREADY!

Finally telling Duck he needs some space and longs for a nap, Bears heads to the shade of a tree.  Duck is bored, bored, bored.  Without Bear knowing he climbs the tree intending to snare Bear's attention.  YIKES!  A startled Bear knocks Duck right out of the tree.

In the following conversation a role reversal reveals Bear's true feelings.  Duck's euphoria sets him off and running again.  Bear's final sentence, as he stares right at the reader, sums up his personality perfectly.


You have to admire the skill necessary to form two distinct characters as different as night and day.  The old adage of opposites attract as written by Jory John is indeed true but not readily visible.  The story, told entirely through dialogue, pulls back Bear's outer shell for a few moments before falling back into place.  This is what maintains the humor from beginning to the end.  Here is a sample passage.

"Take a look around, Bear!
Who wants to be alone on
a day like this?"
"Me."
"Nonsense!"
"Would you like an ice pop,
Bear?"
"I suppose..."
"Um, Bear, I might
need to borrow
a little money."
(Grrr.)


The bright red on the dust jacket catches your eyes at first glance.  You will notice the shape of the tree branches in a heart and the heart-shaped individual leaves as you look more closely.  Duck hugging Bear with his eyes closed will start the giggles.  To the left, on the back, Bear is sitting on a blue bench in a dejected pose wearing his yellow straw hat as Duck on the other end is talking non-stop.  On the book case the canvas is composed of a diamond and square pattern.  On the right Bear is sitting on the floor, hiding behind a curtain.  On the left Duck is peeking in Bear's window trying to locate his best buddy.  The opening and closing endpapers are the same bright cheerful yellow as the hill on the front of the dust jacket.

The title page is a mirror image of that on the front of the dust jacket with the exception of the changed hues in the leaves and title text.  The publication information and dedication pages show the friends' homes as the sun rises.  The use of yellow, turquoise, grass green, pink, orange and red throughout the book lifts the merriment level.

To provide pacing Benji Davies has created single page images, two illustrations on one page framed in white, and a series of pictures on two pages.  He alternates the background hues to actively engage his readers.  The body movements and postures of both Duck and Bear depict their personalities to a T.

One of my favorite illustrations is of Bear resting against the tree trunk.  He has lowered his hat to partially cover his eyes.  A single daisy is hanging from his mouth.  This image spans across two pages.  This is the "pregnant pause" filled with anticipation.  You know something is coming.


I Love You Already written by Jory John with illustrations by Benji Davies is a fun-filled companion to the original title.  Use it to celebrate Valentine's Day, friendship and the often hidden love between two unlike souls.  To learn more about Jory John and Benji Davies please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Enjoy the book trailer.