Comedy Times Two #3

On one thing most scientists can agree, the strength of laughter to elevate our well-being.  Laughter pushes everything else aside for those moments you are laughing.  If you are not alone in your laughter, it lasts a lot longer.  If you have the giggles, a simple look, sound, or body movement can ignite another bout of guffaws shared by those gathered.

As soon as you read certain books (in between bursts of laughter), you know you are holding hilarity gold in your hands.  Today, two book releases fit this description.  Both have imbedded facts, making them fun and funnier.  On February 26, 2019 readers were able to enjoy a generous serving of humor reading The Very Impatient Caterpillar (Scholastic Press) written and illustrated by Ross Burach.  The outspoken, exuberant caterpillar is back after having the patience to make it through metamorphosis. In The Little Butterfly That Could (Scholastic Press, April 6, 2021), our butterfly friend finds the thought of migration a tad bit terrifying. 

 

HEY! Have you seen

a group of migrating

butterflies?

They went that way.

Excited the group is close, the butterfly is shocked to discover they are 200 miles away.  When asking the whale how to travel 200 miles, the whale says flight is the only solution.  In a fit of drama, the butterfly believes this is impossible.

In the ensuing interlude, the butterfly recounts how much simpler life was as a caterpillar, and then as a chrysalis who patiently (HA!) waited to become a flower-seeking butterfly.  It seems a fog descended, and the butterfly lost his migrating flutter friends.  With calm, the whale counters every possible thing the butterfly believes will hinder its success.  It is okay to be afraid.

When the whale says he gets butterflies in his stomach, in reference to possible obstacles, the butterfly wants to hide there.  Certainly, inside a whale's stomach is preferable to flying 200 miles!  Finally, the butterfly starts flying.  It is more of a struggle than true flying.  He moves two feet!  For this butterfly there is no light at the end of the tunnel, but the whale keeps offering encouragement.  You must believe.

Voicing mantras of inspiration, the butterfly, fortified with confidence, begins at last.  First, he makes 25 miles.  Then he makes 50 miles.  At every point closer to the 200 miles, the butterfly pushes forward with words and an affirmative mindset.  Does the spunky insect reach its pals only to discover there is yet another challenge in the offing?  Read on, readers.  Don't give up.

Told entirely in dialogue, this book is a study in humor, contrast, and education.  Ross Burach manages to make us laugh as the butterfly's frantic fear is countered by the whale's calm composure.  The over-the-top outbursts by the butterfly engage us in every moment.  We all understand this feeling.  This is why we laugh.  It is pure genius how facts about butterfly migration become a part of the butterfly's explosions of speech.  Here is a passage.

WAIT!

Can't I just live in your

stomach FOREVER?

No.

How about

a one-year lease?

No!

You have

to keep

trying.

(My copy is on its way, so this post is being completed using an F & G.)

On the front of the dust jacket, in bright bold colors, matching a bright bold personality, the wide-eyed, little butterfly is jittery with worry.  Here over an ocean, what's a butterfly to do?  On the back, the butterfly is offering no-nonsense words to readers about the value in reading the first book, The Very Impatient Caterpillar.  It needs to be read NOW!

(I am looking forward to seeing the endpapers on the finished copy.  The opening endpapers on the first book feature a row of white caterpillars along the bottom of an orange background.  On the closing endpapers in white is the little butterfly with a couple of flutter friends.  They are hovering over some flowers on a purple canvas.)

Ross Burach's art was created with pencil, crayon, acrylic paint, and digital coloring.

Each visual is loaded with exaggerated animation.  Ross Burach alternates between two-page pictures, single-page pictures, and groups of smaller illustrations.  His shifts in perspective keep the pace moving quickly.  One minute you are looking at the vast display of the ocean across two pages with the whale and the little butterfly small in comparison.  The next minute you are inside the whale's stomach as the butterfly moves through three scenarios of setting up possible residence there.

As if there is not enough comedy to be found in the little butterfly, the whale, and other butterflies' bodies and expressions, readers need to notice the details.  When the little butterfly is sobbing, out of nowhere in the middle of an ocean, the whale is holding a box of tissues.  When the butterfly is worrying about getting lost, an upside down map is in its hands.  It is holding a pair of binoculars up to its eyes.  When the butterfly is looking inside a refrigerator inside the whale's stomach, the only thing stored inside is krill.

One of my many favorite illustrations is one of three on a single page.  It is the center visual.  The little butterfly is at mile 150.  Its wings are down in their flapping, or perhaps it is gliding.  The little butterfly is wearing a runner's head band.  It's squirting water from a bottle into its mouth.

Nothing is better than laughter except when laughter and learning are combined.  We understand the importance of a can-do attitude and butterfly migration after reading The Little Butterfly That Could written and illustrated by Ross Burach.  I know you'll want this title in both your personal and professional collections. 

To learn more about Ross Burach and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  You'll find loads of extras there.  Ross Burach has an account on Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view some interior images.  Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher reveals the cover for The Very Impatient Caterpillar and chats about The Little Butterfly That Could with the author illustrator on his site, Watch. Connect. Read.  Here is a link to the recent Book Joy Live event with Ross Burach and Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen.

When spring rolls around after more than a year of enduring a global pandemic, everyone is ready for a seasonal change at the very least.  The sound of spring peppers encourages you to join them in song.  Leaves of tulips and daffodils are pushing their way through dirt.  Soon their stems will extend, and blossoms will form.  We want to join them by shedding our winter wear for t-shirts and shorts.  Teeny, tiny buds on sprouting from shrub and tree branches.  We want to stretch out our arms and embrace this newness.  Down on the farm, most of the animals are ready for spring, too.  In Not Now, Cow (Abrams Appleseed, April 6, 2021) written by Tammi Sauer with illustrations by Troy Cummings, everyone is welcoming the season, except for one.  Cow is confused. 

SPRING

Duck is ready.

Helps things grow.

Sheep is ready.

Skips below.

Goat is ready, too.  Cow is not.  Cow is standing under a tree wearing mittens, a scarf, and a snow cap.  Rooster states this is not the time for winter wear.

When summer comes Chick, Goat, and Pig all dive into appropriate activities.  Cow stands ready to race down a snow-covered hill on a sled.  Rooster is exasperated.

Horse, Chick, and Sheep enjoy the out-of-door fun fall brings.  There is leaf-raking, apple-eating and pumpkin carving.  And Cow, well Cow, is not getting the autumn vibe at all.

Finally, winter arrives.  (I'll bet Cow can hardly wait.)  Pig, Horse, and Duck are frolicking in the snow and on the ice.  To Rooster's utter amazement, Cow's seasonal clock has tick-tocked into another hemisphere.  The final sentence (the whole book, truthfully) will invite loads of laughter.

Is this book perfect for a read aloud? Yes.  Is this book perfect for reader's theater?  Yes.  Is this book perfect for a puppet show?  Yes.  Tammi Sauer writes for readers to experience this book completely.  She establishes a cadence for each season with three animals participating in an activity followed by Cow's lack of understanding and Rooster's frustration.  She repeats phrases.  The final words in sentences rhyme.  It's pure playful perfection.  Here is a passage.

Pig is ready.

Leaves a trail.

Cow is . . .

Oh, Cow.

Not now.

How can you look at the front of the book case and not laugh out loud?  Look at Cow wearing beach gear and ready for some fun in the sun in the middle of winter!  Cow's grin and Rooster's incredulous look tell a story themselves.  On the back amid the continued snow scene is information about Tammi Sauer and Troy Cummings similar to that found on the back end flap of a dust jacket.  Beneath the text are Goat, Chick, and Sheep appropriately attired for winter.  They are looking slightly mystified at a green and yellow polka dot beach inner tube laying in the snow.

Not wasting any space, Troy Cummings uses the opening and closing endpapers to start and conclude the story.  Rooster is shouting out the news of spring's appearance prior to the verso and title pages.  There a double-page picture shows Cow ambling in from the left as Rooster races off the right side.  They are placed amid a pastoral scene on the farm.  At the end, the entire barnyard crew is staring at Cow.

These digitally created images have a rhythm to them as does the text.  Each season is given a full-page picture.  This is followed by two animals sharing one page and another one on a single page.  For the 

Cow is . . .

phrase, this stands alone in a loosely framed image.  A two-page visual closes out the season.  It depicts Cow's clueless demeanor contrasting with hilarity to Rooster's look of disbelief.  Readers will enjoy looking at all the extra elements in the clothing, facial expressions, and actions of the other animals.  Chick nibbling on and carrying an apple bigger than it is while wearing oversized work boots is a real rib-tickler.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture.  The countryside is all aglow with colors of fall.  Standing on a pile of leaves is Cow.  Cow is wearing a purple puffer coat, bright mittens and earmuffs and ski goggles.  In one hand is a ski pole.  In the other hand is a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows.  Ski boots and skis finish the ensemble.  Rooster perched on the fence is gritting its teeth.  Its eyes are rolled, and one wing is to its forehead. 

Expect a chorus of read it again from story time listeners after reading Not Now, Cow written by Tammi Sauer with illustrations by Troy Cummings.  Between all the grins and giggles, each season is explored.  Be sure to place a copy of this title in your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Tammi Sauer and Troy Cummings and their other work, please visit their respective websites by following the link attached to their names.  Tammi Sauer has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Troy Cummings has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Tammi Sauer penned a post at Picture Book Builders about this title.

Go With The Flow

One of the many things you learn from being near or on water for most of your life is, it never stays the same.  Every minute, hour, or day, whether it is a stream, river, inland lake or one of the Great Lakes, it changes.  A difference in temperature, humidity, or wind determines if it is as smooth as glass, rippled, or rocky with waves.  Its fluid moods beckon to a host of flora, fauna, and humans.  A student of watery realms gains essential life insights.

Paddling down creeks or rivers rafting or canoeing, it is easy to observe our feathered friends, either as frequent visitors or residents.  Mel Fell (Balzar + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, February 2, 2021) written and illustrated by Corey R. Tabor captures the can-do spirit of young kingfisher.  Determined thinking bolsters bravery.

One day, when Mama was away,

Mel decided it was time to learn to fly. 

Her sister, Pim, and her brother, Pip, were certain this was not the best idea.  Mel, having the good sense to be scared, was nevertheless going to fly.  Today was the day.  Springing up from the branch, she dove.

It was a long way down.  The affectionate squirrels tried to catch her.  Their attempts were not fruitful.  Buzzing bees simply could not stop her.  Down she went.  As you might assume, the efforts of a neighborly spider were unsuccessful.  

Mel fell straight down, plunging into the water.  She caught the right-sized fish in her sharp beak.  Using her wings, she surged from the water.  She was flying!  Up and up and up she went.

As she passed each of the resident tree members, they cheered for the courageous Mel.  When Mel reached the family branch, Mama was home.  Looking at each other, they spoke identical thoughts.  Attitude.

Using dialogue with narrative, author Corey R. Tabor fashions a tale guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat as you applaud the efforts of this young bird.  The tension builds as each of the friends try to prevent what they assume is a disaster.  Yet, Corey R. Tabor builds humor into the story with his word choices and descriptions as Mel whizzes past the tree trunk, on the way down and on the way up.  Here is a passage.

The squirrels tried to catch her.  They

really did.  They'd grown quite fond of

those squeaky little chirpers upstairs.

Blast!

Nuts!

Oof!

Aieeeeeee!

But it was no use.  They

missed her by a whisker.

The position of the text in relation to the spine on the matching dust jacket and book case is your first hint the reading of this book is going to be turned a bit.  To read the title horizontally, left to right, as it appears above, you need to put the spine on top.  The cheerful, full color palette with animated characters on the front, right, is another clue as to the enchanting events unfolding inside the covers.  The title text is raised to the touch.

To the left, on the back, with the spine on top, the textured white canvas continues.  On the left side is Mel's tree.  It stretches from top to bottom.  We can see the three bird siblings and Mama, the owl family, the beehive, the spider's web, and three squirrel tails sticking out from hollows in the trunk.

On the opening and closing endpapers and the first inside page is a vibrant pattern in two hues of spring green.  It features leaf prints like those on Mel's tree.  At the front, the next page is a close-up of the tree with the trunk on the right, branches extending off the top and left side.  At the back, the trunk is still on the right.  A single branch sticks out from the kingfisher home.  Mel is pushing one of her siblings to the edge of that branch.  The other one is holding to the branch with most of their body still in the hole.  This page also contains an author's note, the dedication and publication information.

On the title page (You are still reading this book turned.), the trunk of the tree on the right is shown from the top to the bottom of two pages.  Mama is on a branch above the nest hole in the trunk.  Mel is peering outside.

These illustrations rendered with

pencil, colored pencil, and acrylic paint, and assembled digitally

are vertical two-page pictures on the textured, white canvas on a matte-finished, heavier paper.  The one exception for the background is when we see Mel moving in the water.  At this point we turn the book again, so Mel is flying up.  The tree trunk is always on the right side.  

It's the facial expressions on the animals which elevate the humor as do their physical attempts to stop Mel on her way down.  Mel's eyes are closed all the way down until just before she hits the water.  Her eyes are closed on her way home but this time she spins her body around.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is when Mel is flying up to her home.  Toward the bottom of the page two branches bleeding off the left side form a large "v".  Inside the "v" the spider has spun a web.  Mel shoots through the web, threads showing her speed upward.  Off to the right the spider spells "yay" and claps with all eight of her hands.  Mel has spun showing us her breast.  The fish in her beak is looking worried.  (There is more humor involving the fish at the end.)

Original in words, design and artwork, this book, Mel Fell written and illustrated by Corey R. Tabor, shows the results of adding a dive of faith plus resolve to equal success.  Whether you read this one on one or to a larger group, this is a story time treasure.  I highly recommend you add this title to your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Corey R. Tabor and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  At the publisher's website you can read a sample.  They also have a book trailer there which supplies an example of how to read this title.

UPDATE:  On April 20, 2021 this title is highlighted by author, reviewer, and blogger, Julie Danielson at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  Here Corey R. Tabor talks about the spark for this book and his illustrative process.

By canoe, by raft, by fishing boat, by speed boat, by pontoon, by yacht, by houseboat or by sailboat, with every trip this passenger has stories to tell.  It can be a simple sunny day cruise.  It can be the most amazing fish tale every told.  It can be a my-dad-will-never-let-me-drive-the-boat-again-after-I ran-it-up-on-the-dock escapade.  It can be an I-can't-believe-I-survived ocean exploit.  These narratives, when combined with other multiple water travels, are an individual's existence from first to last breath.  In Sail (Little, Brown and Company, March 9, 2021) written and illustrated by Dorien Brouwers, readers explore the wild, wonderful, unpredictable, and sometimes frightening ride called life. 

We all have ships to sail

in life's adventurous tale. 

It does not matter the size or type of vessel.  There is one for each of us.  We release a ship from its moorings and with openness seek that which awaits us.

Regardless of the shape and height of the waves, we bravely welcome them.  If we feel as though we are off course, look to the sails and change direction. Stay sharp as the wind tosses the boat. 

If we tumble into the water, swim.  There are secrets beneath the waves, waiting to be found.  Go down.  Go deep.  Hold those secrets close.

When it is time, we rise to the surface. We do so with more knowledge and understanding.  From there, back in our boat, we go forward knowing there is much more to explore and achieve.  

Reading like a poem, a lullaby, and a loving letter offering encouragement, this book written by Dorien Brouwers asks us to be our best selves regardless of where we go and what we encounter.  Using watery realms analogous to life with us as sailors in a boat of our choosing, rhyming couplets create a comforting narrative.  In each of the couplets, emphasis is placed on a single word.  When those single words are strung together, they make a buoyant ring around the reader.  Here is a passage.

Search the ocean for the light.

Breathe in deep and don't lose sight.

The swirl of blue and white hues seen on the front of the dust jacket moves over the spine to the left, fashioning a vast expanse of water and opportunities.  The school of tiny fish racing in an arc on the front indicate a fast-moving current.  To the left, on the back, a smaller group of fish meander through the ocean.  This setting with the sailboat and its single passenger with a seabird flying nearby is the essence of anticipation.  

A whirlpool spins across the opening and closing endpapers.  It's a wild blend of blues and white.  Fish in both colors swim with the circular currents in constant motion.  On the verso and title pages, a double-page picture of a seascape presents several different kinds of sailboats in a sheltered space, a calm sea, with a red and white lighthouse on a nearby point of land.

Each two-page picture in this book was rendered

with watercolor on 220gsm Daler Rowney paper with monoprinted details added to it.

Their eloquent, textured depictions display sensory scenes.  In a superb mix of light and shadow, a variety of perspectives draws us into each image.

We are standing on a dock next to a row of boats, some large enough to dwarf us.  As our boat moves off the right side of the visual, we reach down to pull a large anchor loose from the bottom.  When a stormy sea surrounds us, we hold tight to the sail lines, trying to follow the right path.  Now in the ocean, we silently swim down and among the colorful creatures and plants.  Each perspective offers an original possibility.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is in the murky depths.  Starfish, jellyfish, rays, scallops, and fish glide and rest.  Swimming with a school of fish is the child.  They are moving toward a giant vibrant octopus who occupies most of the left side.  In three of its arms, it holds keys.  What do these keys unlock?  I imagine each reader will have an answer, some the same and others strikingly divergent.

This book, Sail written and illustrated by Dorien Brouwers, like the water on which we traverse, will take on fresh meanings each time it is read with readers of all ages.  At the close of the title is a page of six questions with the heading,

Some Things to Think About.

This is a book which needs to be on your personal and professional bookshelves.

To learn more about Dorien Brouwers and her other work, please access her website by following the link attached to her name.  You can see interior illustrations at her website.  Dorien Brouwers has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. At the publisher's website is a marvelous, illustrated chat with the author about the book and her images.

(Note:  I was working with an F & G when writing this post.)

Seeing Soul

One of many differences between being a teacher librarian in a middle school setting for the first twenty-one years of your career and then switching to an elementary school is the unrestrained honesty of the younger children.  It is not that the middle school gals and guys are not honest, but usually you must through careful conversation based on trust find answers.  The elementary students will, without being asked, offer their opinions.

They notice every single detail about you.  No part of your physical appearance goes undetected.  Your words are remembered.  This is why they observe the same things in others and themselves.  Eyes that Kiss in the Corners (Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, January 5, 2021) written by Joanna Ho with illustrations by Dung Ho is an exquisite portrayal of a young girl realizing and accepting her wondrous self.

Some people have

eyes like sapphire lagoons

with lashes like lace trim on ballgowns,

sweeping their cheeks as they twirl.

Big eyes, long lashes.

Not me.

The girl goes on to say her eyes

kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea.

Her mother's eyes, like her eyes, show one more characteristic when she arrives home from work.  Embracing, the two find themselves on the floor laughing.  Before she goes to sleep, her mother's eyes reflect other truths to her.

In the morning she tells us her mother's eyes are like Amah's eyes.  Amah is her grandmother.  Her grandmother's eyes see physically less than when she was younger, but they have other abilities.  They see into the child's soul.  Her eyes are brimming with stories she shares with her granddaughter.

Mei-Mei, her younger sister, has eyes like her mother, her grandmother, and her.  In Mei-Mei's eyes a whole new kind of look follows the girl.  It sends her spirit soaring.  This sense of soaring is something the girl wants to share with her little sister for the rest of their lives. 

Through the eyes of the women in her family, the girl sees a power passed from generation to generation.  There are sparks ready to ignite possibilities and promote change.  These eyes, her eyes,

that kiss in the corners

are lovely in every respect.

Each sentence penned by Joanna Ho is a marvelous study on the souls, shining through the eyes .of the women in this child's life.  Her choice of words is breathtakingly beautiful.  It's an intimate reflection told in the girl's voice.   Readers will understand, like the girl, there is beauty in eyes like her eyes.  It's been there for generations.  It will always be there.  Here is a passage when the girl is speaking about her grandmother.

Her eyes are filled with so many stories.

I can fall inside them

and swim until time stops.

When you open the matching dust jacket and book case, you cannot help but smile at the delightful image which extends flap edge to flap edge.  The girl's hair billows from her face as a breeze blows it to the far left-hand corner.  Two other Monarch butterflies flutter toward the spine on the back, left, as the peony petals drift past them and the child's hair.  Warmth radiates through the use of light and shadow, not only on this jacket and case, but throughout the book.

Hues of golden yellow, some white, and chocolate browns color the opening endpapers in a glorious display of peonies, chrysanthemums, and what look like white buttercups.  On the closing endpapers we move closer to the flowers, now in full bloom.  Monarch butterflies appear and move among them.  (I've always seen the butterfly as a symbol of change.  I wonder if their placement in these images is for that reason.)  

On the two pages dedicated to the title a garland of flowers begins in the upper, left-hand corner and drapes down to the right.  The girl stands among the flowers, holding a single blossom up to her right eye.  A butterfly moves toward her, right to left.

Rendered digitally by Dung Ho, each illustration, most of them double-page pictures, depict familial scenes of great affection and joy.  The details in each visual contribute to these overall truths and emotional impacts.  When the girl and her mother are creating a mural on a wall, she is wearing a newspaper sailor hat as they both paint and smile.  When her mom comes home from work, her purse is dropped on the floor as is a bag of groceries so she can hug her child.  In the pictures mirroring stories and legends, the artwork is a swirl of historically strong women, fierce dragons, birds, and fish.  The artwork throughout embraces the text AND the reader.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations spreads across two pages.  The sky is a faint blue washed in delicate white clouds.  On the right side a field of flowers fashion a colorful palette.  On the left in this field of flowers are the girl and her little sister, Mei-Mei.  Mei-Mei is on the girl's back.  They are pretending to be bunnies.  The youngest has paper bunny ears they've made on her head with a fluffy tail attached to her clothing on her back.  Dressed in a long pink shirt, belted with a darker-colored scarf, over a flowing white skirt, the girl has flowers in her hair with two large blue-ribbon ears on her head.  The girl is smiling as her younger sister laughs.  You can tell how much they love each other.

You cannot read this book, Eyes that Kiss in the Corners written by Joanna Ho with illustrations by Dung Ho, and not be happier.  The celebration of self reaches out to all readers.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.  [Note:  One year at my elementary school a new student, an Asian American girl, unable to speak English arrived.  At every opportunity I tried to help her.  This book is for her, to all the Susans who need to see themselves portrayed beautifully.)

To learn more about Joanna Ho and Dung Ho and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  Joanna Ho has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Dung Ho has an account of Instagram.  At the author's website you can view interior images.  Joanna Ho is interviewed at Nerd Daily.

Believe It!

Most of the day Sunday was spent reading picture books.  They were in no particular order.  At quarter to midnight, I read the last words and viewed the last image in the final book on my stack.  Immediately I said out loud to an empty space, "Oh, my gosh!"  I must have startled my canine companion, who was already sleeping in the bedroom, because she quickly came to me in the living room.  She wanted to know why I was excited, moved, and joyous.  

This is what happens when every word fills your soul with fire and strength.  This is what happens when every picture heightens and brightens those words.  This is what happens when you read, I Am Every Good Thing (Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, September 1, 2020) written by Derrick Barnes with illustrations by Gordon C. James. 

I am

a nonstop ball of energy.

Powerful and full of light.

I am a go-getter.  A difference maker.

A leader.

For a moment think of the best things in your life, the things you savor.  You are as good as each of those things.  When you fall, you get right up.  You don't stay down.  You rise.

You can dream about being whatever you want to be.  You can follow a career with both feet on the ground, or soar above Earth's atmosphere.  You are polite in your speech, and respective in your actions to those you know and those you don't know.

The courage to be creative and questioning vibrates in every fiber of your being. You learn, and then you venture forward with your knowledge and ingenuity.  When you're with others, your light shines in the vigorous embracing of life.  You enjoy every moment and pass it on with laughter.

You sense the cadence of life, moving to its tempo.  This takes you to the top should you participate in the action on a court or a field.  You value your place in family and friendship.  You stand by those relationships, no matter what happens.  You are true to yourself wherever you walk.  You listen and really hear.  You are the promise of the past, and the champion of the future.  All these tributes, accolades, and affirmations build word by word, sentence by sentence, to the final two statements which even after several readings of this title, you can't read without a huge emotional response. (My eyes well with tears every single time.)

Reading those first few phrases and sentences penned by Derrick Barnes you feel a power within your spirit rumble to life.  With each page turn is grows, and grows, and grows.  You find yourself nodding along knowingly at the vivid descriptions.  Positivity and pride pour forth as specific, individual incidents, with masterful use of figurative language, spell success.  Here is another partial passage.

I am a roaring flame of creativity.

I am a lightning round of questions, and

a star-filled sky of solutions.

I am an explorer, planting a flag on every

square foot of this planet where I belong.

I don't know about you, but when I look at the open and matching dust jacket and book case, I want to stand up and cheer for this child.  This child knows who he is and is strong in that belief.  This is a child who knows an entire community has his best interests at the heart of everything he does.  The radiant red background, the white t-shirt and black pants with the golden-brown tennis shoes, and the raised gold foil title text say loud and clear---read this book.  The child's tennis shoe continues on the other side of the spine.

To the left, on the back, is an endorsement from author Jacqueline Woodson and there are references to Crown: An Ode To The Fresh Cut and The King Of Kindergarten.  On the opening and closing endpapers in tones of denim is a sea of children's faces.  These smiling and contemplative faces represent an array of boys.  

These illustrations by Gordon C. James rendered with oil paints are highly animated, emotionally charged.  They shift in size from double-page pictures, to full-page pictures and also to full-page images with white framing.  The color palette is a stunning display of complementary hues.  

Each image is worthy of framing.  Each one has you wishing you could meet the children featured.  They are full of life, lives unfolding in positive potential.

One of my many, many favorite pictures, paintings, is the first one.  On a background of pale turquoise swirls infused with clouds, a child flies with great speed and gleeful abandon.  His head is turned back to the left.  His eyes are alight with happiness.  A grin spreads across his face.  His left arm is outstretched.  His right arm is by his side.  His red tennis shoes have red speed streaks depicting his movement.  He is wearing a green shirt and blue jeans.  His cape is a mix of colors, representing cloth or perhaps feathers.  His merriment is contagious.

This book, I Am Every Good Thing written by Derrick Barnes with illustrations by Gordon C. James, is not one to be read only once.  Oh, no.  This is a book to be read repeatedly.  There is not a person on this planet who will not be uplifted by this book.  This is a book to begin and end each day.  This is a book to cherish.  You will want to have multiple copies in your professional collections and at least one in your personal collections.  

To discover more about Derrick Barnes and Gordon C. James and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Derrick Barnes has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Gordon C. James has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  For your listening pleasure there are podcasts with the author and illustrator at Listen Notes, Here Wee Read, and at School Library Journal, The Yarn.  Derrick Barnes speaks with teacher librarian Matthew C. Winner on his podcast.  Derrick Barnes is interviewed at Entertainment Weekly.  Both creators are interviewed at BookPage.  The cover was revealed in a post written by Sara Grochowski  at Publishers Weekly.  At the publisher's website you can listen to a sample of the book.

UPDATE:  I watched this video today (09/16/2020) and knew I needed to add it here.

You'll love listening to this NPR Weekend Edition chat about this book, October 24, 2020.

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.

You've Got This!

In every person's life there comes a time when your spirits dip.  You are faced with a situation in which your courage and comfort are challenged.  You need to dig deep in your mind and heart and find your inner strength.  You need to remember your talents and your achievements.  For those who are younger, this is not always easily accomplished.

Two recently published titles offer the means for boosting your beliefs in your abilities in any given circumstance.  The first, When You Need Wings (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, March 3, 2020) written and illustrated by Lita Judge helps your imagination to soar to new heights.  These heights reach out to hope.

On a day when you feel
like no one is listening,

and everyone is LOUD,

and you are afraid,

and you wish you could just disappear,

shut your eyes and listen.

You will hear something extraordinary.  It's not the rhythmic thumping of your heart.  No, it's something you might not know you have.  It's your wings, your inside wings.

No one but you know they are there, stored within your essence.  You can use those wings to leave and to seek.  They will assist you in discovering riches within yourself.

These riches help your soul to find joy.  This joy will send you a song, a song to help you dance.  You will not be alone in this joy.  There are friends here, residing in this bliss.

It's important to keep listening.  Your wings are waiting just for you.  With them, you will soar.


Many times, when faced with a position you would rather avoid, your heart rate increases.  To have Lita Judge ask readers to listen to this and describe it as

your very own wings, beating within

is sheer genius.  When she expands on this idea with a suggestion of flying away to the wonderful world of imagining, we realize she is showing us the path to finding our own personal solace and bravery.  The thoughts expressed in her ten sentences are encouraging but leave room for her glorious illustrations to expand our vision.  These ten sentences are carefully placed page turn by page turn to provide expert pacing.  Here are two portions of a single sentence.

and use them . . . to fly far away,

if you need to today, 


When you open the dust jacket you can see the white birds frame the feature on the front, right, as well as the back, left.  The little girl with closed eyes and outstretched arms is clearly deep in thought.  Her smile indicates happiness at what her mind is supplying her.  The bird in the lower left-hand corner crosses the spine to the left.  This bird and three others along with the title text are varnished.

To the left, the girl and her imaginary tiger friend are roaring with gusto and facing right.  In a lightened portion to the right of them, two of Lita Judge's previous books are highlighted.  Praises are listed for Red Sled and Flight School.  

On the book case with a canvas of the palest cream and lavender white birds in a variety of perspectives fly from left to right.  The opening and closing endpapers are a delicate hue of blue.  Five pages, three single-page pictures and one double-page picture begin the narrative without words prior to the title page, another double-page picture.  They tell the tale of a little girl leaving home and walking with her father to preschool.

In each of the subsequent illustrations, varying in size from double-page pictures to single-page images, framed or edge to edge, we are transported into a world of wonder as this little girl explores her potential and finds her fearlessness.  The depictions of the children and their animal counterparts are jubilant and endearing.  Their facial features, clothing and backpacks are pure delight.

The attention to detail in every scene by Lita Judge draws readers into the written and visual narrative.  We glide on air to particular places; we gaze in fascination and play with abandon. We feel the freedom of finding our wings.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations spans two pages.  A flock of white birds fills the air near the girl who is also in flight.  Movement is shown in her hair, scarf, spread arms and trailing legs.  They sail above treetops over a forest.  Below, in the forest, golden light spills from the tiny windows in tiny homes.  The colors used in the sky and forest are more subdued, but the girl's clothing is bright and cheerful as shown on the front of the dust jacket.


To know, to believe, you can close your eyes and find a beating center, is empowering.  When You Need Wings written and illustrated by Lita Judge is a guide to this wondrous wealth within us.  This is a book to be read often and widely.  This is a book you will want to have on your personal and professional bookshelves.

To learn more about Lita Judge and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Lita Judge has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  Please enjoy the following videos.






The second book, Be You! (Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., March 3, 2020) written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds, is a motivational manual for walking through the ups and downs life delivers.  Every statement is a shout to lift you up.  Every page turn will elevate your tenacity.

You were born to
BE
so many things.

Of those many things you were born to be, the narrator's desire is for you to be exactly who you are.  You are advised to be ready to embrace whatever path is laid before you.  You are told to investigate and seek answers.

There will come a time when an opportunity presents itself to you.  Fear not and walk where you have not walked before.  You are reminded to surround yourself with people you know love you as you are.

Regardless of the adversity you face, go through it.  Don't end your endeavors.  Celebrate those things which make you uniquely you.  There is no shame in this.  Choose compassion so others can be themselves.  If there is something you fear, ask yourself why; then try.

Before you follow or join, think.  Bravely go the right way for you.  Pursue peace, the peace of pausing in being alone.  Sometimes reaching a goal takes longer than you imagine.  Sometimes reaching a goal requires assistance.  Wherever you go and whatever you do, go with the knowledge you are sustained by affection, the affection of every connection you've ever made.


From beginning to end the words of Peter H. Reynolds are like sunshine for your soul.  He begins and ends this book with the same declaration, bringing readers full circle.  He not only wants you to be you, but he tells you how to realize who you are.  Single phrases preceded by

Be

are followed with a more complete explanation of the request.  Here is a two-page passage.

Be your own thinker.

Think for yourself and
set your own unique course.
It isn't always easy
but you'll be heading
in the direction of YOU.


When you look at the open dust jacket of this book, the sky-blue canvas mirrors the endless sky, full of possibilities, above our Earth.  The child in the boat on the front, held aloft with balloons with hearts, is a symbol of a potent statement found in the book near the end.  Love does indeed lift us up.  The clouds and golden wishes streaming from the boat cross the spine to the left edge of the back.  A single balloon drifts upward.  Beneath it are the words:

Live a big life!

Many of the elements on the front and back of the dust jacket are varnished.

The book case, also in sky blue has the golden wishes spreading in a gentle wave from center left to the bow of the boat.  Now the child in the boat is higher on the right and closer to the right edge.  The opening and closing endpapers use the yellow orange color from the balloons as a background.  In a lighter shade are written words describing what you can be.  Peter H. Reynolds has placed a framed space in both sets; the first for your own writing and the second saying:

Go ahead.
Be yourself.
Be the best version of you.
Each day is
a new chance to
be more you.
---Peter Hamilton Reynolds

On the title page the frame is held in the hands of the boat occupant in front of their face as they run, eyes closed across the page.  In his signature style Peter H. Reynolds presents all kinds of children on the left beneath his declarative statement.  On the opposite side in a variety of solid colors is his guiding text.  At times the image on the left will extend to the right for emphasis.  White space creates a dramatic effect.

The clothing worn by the children, the color of their hair and skin mirrors all the amazing types of personalities and ethnic groups.  Their activities are as varied as they are.   Each page is an invitation.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is for the text noted above referencing

Be 
your own thinker.

It's a double-page picture on a crisp white canvas.  On the left a group of four children and a canine companion are walking to the left.  The children are wearing identical clothing and red and white striped birthday hats.  The dog is wearing the same hat.  On the right another child in different clothing carrying a walking stick is moving to the right edge.  A happy cat is following as it looks at readers.


If there ever comes a day, or if you want to be prepared, when you doubt the direction you are taking or what makes you one-of-a-kind, Be You! written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds is the perfect book for you.  Readers of all ages will discover and rediscover their individuality.  During storytime expect listeners to change their body positions, leaning in and then sitting tall as the story concludes.  I know you'll want a copy of this title in your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Peter H. Reynolds and his other work, please access his website by following the link attached to his name.  Peter H. Reynolds has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  The publisher has developed a fabulous page with a video for you to enjoy and an audiobook sample.  I hope you enjoy this video.

A Royal Outlook

There are books you read filled with so much joy it cloaks you in an invisible shield for days.  Wherever you go and whatever you do, the fire started inside you by that book's jubilation is with you.  You cannot help but glow on the inside and on the outside.  It gives you positive power.

When you have this kind of positive power born of pure bliss, it radiates from you to others.  It changes perspectives.  The King of Kindergarten (Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, July 2, 2019) written by Derrick Barnes with illustrations by Vanessa Brantley-Newton is a book filled with this kind of joy.  You want to laugh and dance and sing.  You send a wish out into the universe for every child to know this happiness.

THE MORNING SUN blares through
your window like a million brass
trumpets.

It crowns you with its rays of warmth.  This is as it should be because your mother tells you, on this first day of school, you are certain to be

the King of Kindergarten!

Everything you do reminds you of your royalness; the color of your toothbrush, the symbol on your washcloth and the brand of your clothing.  Sharing breakfast with your parents, you gleefully devour a stack of pancakes.  When your height is measured by your father, you remind him you'll be taller than he is before he knows it.

Joining others on the grand yellow transport is the best way to arrive at the stronghold of wisdom.  Remembering your mother's words, this kindergarten student walks tall with a face wreathed in smiles for all your classmates.  Greeted by your teacher, you proudly state your name.

As the King of Kindergarten, you merrily greet all your fellow students and embrace all the new learning experiences during the morning.  During recess an opportunity for bravery is met with success.  An observation at lunchtime allows compassionate concern to provide for a friend.

No day in kindergarten is complete without a bit of a rest.  Then you are ready for a memorable musical afternoon.  At the close of the day, your teacher sends you back home with a hope.  It is there, in your room, you realize every day will be as wonderful as this first day because you are royalty.


Those first three sentences on the first page by author Derrick Barnes are an irresistible invitation to continue reading.  Word selections throughout the story refer to royalty; family crest, reign, fortress, majestic and round table, to name a few.  The inclusion of dialogue adds the perfect personal touch.  Readers can't help but feel as if they are royalty, too.  Here is a passage.

You'll dress yourself neatly in
handpicked garments from the
far-off villages of Osh and Kosh.
B-gosh! You'll be ready to reign!


How can you not smile at the grinning boy on the front (and the back) of the matching dust jacket and book case?  His air of confidence, his let's-go attitude, asks you to join him.  His hands grasping his backpack as he leans forward, looking right at readers, tells a marvelous story without a single word.  You want to know this child.  You want to know this King of Kindergarten.

The varied shades of green for the background on the front and back of the open jacket and case highlight the child and the other elements in the visuals.  Some of the letters and numbers within the frame on the front surround the boy resting his elbows on a stack of books on the back.  The opening and closing endpapers are covered in a "chalkboard" green.  Crowns in bright white are placed in loose rows over chalky, childlike drawings of letters, numbers, shapes and a stick-figure person wearing a crown.

On the title page the boy stands ready to greet the day holding a book in one hand and a ruler in the other.  The ruler is his scepter.  He is wearing the outline of a crown.  On the verso and dedication pages swirls of purple, the color of royalty, supply a canvas for the text.

The illustrations by Vanessa Brantley-Newton,

hand drawn and then colored using Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter

are a beautiful blend of bright, cheerful and pleasant pastel colors.  Layers of details and patterns fill every page.  On the opening two-page picture trumpets are also rays of the sun.  A patchwork quilt on the boy's bed showcases a stuffed toy lion proudly seated. Scattered toys and books on the floor along with drawings on the wall indicate an active life.  There are crowns on the boy's purple pajamas. He has lion fuzzy slippers.

Each two-page image or single-page picture flows flawlessly accentuating the text.  When we read about the smile on the teacher's face and her lively greeting this is emphasized by her bright green shoes and her shirt patterned in leaves similar to the leaves on a bulletin board. The sun is incorporated into several other visuals throughout the book.

One of my many, many favorite pictures spans two pages.  A marbleized teal is the canvas.  On the floor on the left, the King of Kindergarten is seated with his classmates listening to their teacher.  She is seated in a chair on the right, her hands and arms open, one foot in the air, as she smiles and speaks.  On the floor near the children, above them and crossing the gutter are items discussed in the text; letters, numbers, shapes and trucks, trains and tractors.  Out of an open book next to the teacher a tractor pulling a wagon, swirls of numbers, letters, smiling faces, a large pencil and a train tracks are shown. (There might also be a small book with the picture of a royal being on the cover.)


I can't imagine a first day of school being started without reading The King of Kindergarten written by Derrick Barnes with illustrations by Vanessa Brantley-Newton.  The marvelous mix of words and artwork are sure to inspire readers of all ages.  You have the power to uplift all those around you with your unbridled joy.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Derrick Barnes and Vanessa Brantley-Newton and their other work, please access their respective websites by following the links attached to their names.  You can also see more of Vanessa Brantley-Newton's work at Painted Words.  Derrick Barnes has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Vanessa Brantley-Newton has accounts on Facebook and Instagram.  You can view an interior image from the book at the publisher's website.

UPDATE:  Thanks to a tweet sent out by Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher, on Sunday, July 21, 2019 here is a video you will enjoy.

Odd Rat Out

Being true to yourself is exhilarating and sometimes lonely.  If there is something odd about you that sets you apart from everyone else, it can be tricky to find friends.  There will be times when you wonder if you should conform in order to be less alone.  Yet, giving up those things which make you wonderfully unique brings its own kind of sadness.  It's an age-old mental conflict.

Being a naked mole rat has its own challenges, but Sweety (Schwartz & Wade Books, March 26, 2019) written and illustrated by Andrea Zuill portrays a girl with additional quirks.  Some might say this youngster is hearing an entire symphony rather than only a different drummer.  She (and readers) will come to understand no one is entirely apart from everyone.

Sweety was awkward.
Even for a naked mole rat.

She was referred as a little square peg by her grandmother.  Although the exact definition of this eluded her, she knew she was sometimes an outsider.  Her description of something as simple as her doll when compared to others in her company was too bold and excessive.  No one seemed to share her unusual hobbies.  And how many students do you know who gave a book report

through interpretive dance?

Yes, Sweety was no ordinary naked mole rat.  She did wish to be like others, but she also enjoyed being herself, too.  When her Aunt Ruth, her mother's sister, came for visits, Sweety felt the best.  These two were like the proverbial peas in a pod.

During her last visit Aunt Ruth told Sweety about being a little square peg.  She encouraged her to hold tightly to those things making her a special individual.  She also spoke about finding like-minded people.  This gave Sweety a whole bunch of new thoughts to ponder.

If there were people like her out in the world, she needed to recognize them.  How would she do this?  Some of her ideas bordered on extreme, other plans were more conventional.  It's when she decided on the best course to follow that the desired but unexpected happened.


There is something delightful about naming a naked mole rat Sweety.  In doing this author Andrea Zuill has our immediate attention.  Her blend of conversational narrative with supporting dialogue makes further connections and adds considerable humor to the story.  While we are smiling and sometimes laughing, we are also understanding Sweety and her need to stay exactly the way she is.  Here is a passage.

And most people found her
hobbies a bit bizarre.

Would you like to 
come over to my house
and help me identify
fungi?

No, thank you. 


I don't know about you, but seeing Sweety on the open and matching dust jacket and book case calmly seated on a bench among flowers on the front makes me grin . . . a lot.  Those glasses with the thick lens and braces on her teeth set her apart quickly, but we also see a person . . .er . . .naked mole rat with a great deal of self-confidence.  To the left, on the back, on a lighter canvas an image from the interior of the book shows Sweety loudly proclaiming through a bull horn her virtues to another naked mole rat in hopes of finding someone like her.

A deep golden brown covers the beginning endpapers and the color used in the title text covers the closing endpapers.  On the title page beneath the text Sweety is seated underneath and next to lovely blue mushrooms with yellow flecks.  She is reading a book.

Rendered in pen-and-ink, scanned and colored digitally the illustrations by Andrea Zuill are highly detailed and animated.  On the first two-page picture she has an aside in parenthesis about naked mole rats, their lack of fur and their love of clothes.  Her image sizes vary according to the story and pacing.

Her characters tend to be in bolder brighter colors set against a softer background.  (You can see this on the front of the jacket and case and throughout the title.)  Elements in visuals pay tribute to those things naked mole rats and Sweety enjoy; a chart of root vegetables in the underground classroom and a mushroom lamp in Sweety's bedroom.  Facial expressions and body positions depict emotional moments but like the text also lend themselves to comedy.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a double-page pictures.  We are underground in Sweety's classroom.  Near the center of the picture her teacher is seated at her desk in front of a blackboard.  To her right is the tunnel used as an entrance and exit.  To the right of this is a set of bookshelves.  Sweety is to the left of her teacher clothed in a purple one-piece suit, eyes closed and dancing with a pointed toe and arms flexed a la Martha Graham.  Four classmates are seated at desks along the bottom of the two pages.  One is asking about what book Sweety has read.


This is a book for those who embrace life with a difference and for those who do not.  It helps the first group to stay the course and to not feel alone and reminds the second set of people everyone is valuable.  Sweety written and illustrated by Andrea Zuill is a title you will want to have on your professional bookshelves and in your personal collection too.  We all need reminding every now and then that different is superb.

To learn more about Andrea Zuill and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Andrea Zuill has an account on Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view the first few interior images.  On KPBS Andrea Zuill chats about this book.  Author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson features Andrea Zuill and this title at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.

From Your Soul

Striving to make a dream come true takes dedication, determination, desire and a great deal of practice.  Given the chance to exhibit the results of your endeavors is exciting.  When other members of your family with the same interests are a part of the event, your eagerness is magnified. 

You would think that an individual close to you (really close to you), would be supportive.  In fact, you should be able to count on them as your most ardent cheerleader.  Linus The Little Yellow Pencil (Disney Hyperion, June 4, 2019) written and illustrated by Scott Magoon follows the creative ups and downs of an artist with a pessimistic critic.  It's not easy to stay on point in those kinds of conditions.

The family art show was coming up, and only the art with the most heart would win the grand prize.

Linus, the little yellow pencil, is entering the contest for the first time.  Ernie is Linus's eraser.  He has a hard time finding anything good to say about Linus's drawing.  Ernie is first worried and then very angry.  Linus, in his opinion, has no talent.

Every dot, line and object Linus draws are erased by Ernie.  Now Linus has nothing for the contest.  He watches his family preparing for the exhibition.  Brush is happily painting as Ink, Red Paint and Orange Paint comment.  Linus is a tad bit jealous.  Pen and Crayons are passionately pursing their entries.  

Ernie's lack of confidence in Linus seeps into his psyche.  His happy-go-lucky spirit is fading.  When Ernie suggests they not go to the show, it is heart-breaking.  Both Linus and Ernie are starting to wonder if each other are right.  With nowhere left to go, Linus enters a nearby cave.

Inside the cave, Linus meets a being who has a distinct kinship with him.  During their conversation woes are expressed and advice is given.  Popping out of the cave, Linus is a changed little yellow pencil,

sharper than ever, 

he works with renewed vigor until an idea pops into his mind.  It's a concept with a collaborative twist.  The evening of the family art show is one everyone will remember.

Using carefully constructed simple sentences with a mix of dialogue and characters' thoughts, Scott Magoon writes a story mirroring situations and emotions in which readers will identify.  He clearly portrays the battle between loving what you do and being brave enough to keep doing it.  Readers will appreciate the wordplay within the narrative; especially the double meanings.  Here is a passage plus a little bit more.

Linus drew more, but Ernie flipped.

"You can't even make a stick figure?!"

"Oh, I don't know," said Linus.  "I like this one."

"No, trust me," said Ernie.

So Linus tried again . . .

and again.

But it was no use.

Ernie didn't like a single mark Linus made.

Rubba-dubba-rubb went Ernie.

And Linus's lines were gone.

When readers look at the smiling face of Linus on the front of the dust jacket, it is their understanding this little yellow pencil enjoys what he does.  Every portion of this illustration is lifelike, asking us to reach out and touch the page.  We can see texture, but the text is raised so we can feel it, too.  You can see faint images used as a background.  These are Linus's drawings.  

It is when the dust jacket is opened the other end of this pencil comes into view on the back, to the left.  It is cranky, doubting Ernie, enlarged just like Linus.  The line drawn by Linus is being erased.  Eraser bits fall to the left of Ernie.  The text on the back reads:

What 

will

draw

them

together?

A yellow post-it-note in the lower, left-hand corner shows a zebra sketch.  The ISBN covers most of the zebra's body.  (Clever, Scott Magoon, clever)

From left to right and crossing the spine are small colored squares on the book case.  Some are in rows; others are placed on top of these loose rows.  Inside the squares are examples of artwork after Linus's idea grew in his mind.  In the lower, right-hand corner on the front the title has been written in a yellow square.

On the opening endpapers a large drawn squiggle moves from left to right, nearly top to bottom, on a yellow canvas.  In black and white on the closing endpapers a burst of artwork in rays shines from the upper, right-hand corner to the far-left side.  This is a glorious example of Linus's grand design.

Using scanned paper texture and Photoshop Scott Magoon's illustrations are a marvelous medley of characters and artistic styles.  Items found in artist's studios and on their tables are brought to life with dots and lines and ingenuity.  Drawing notebooks and a worktable provide a canvas for the papers and artwork.  The depiction of Linus in the cave is superb.  (Look at Ernie's face!)

The picture sizes are nearly all double-page visuals.  The perspective shifts in sync with the narrative.  Emotion is embedded in every single one.  These tools of the artists' trade are fully animated expressing and experiencing human qualities.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is on a single page.  It highlights a good portion of the text previously noted.  On a plain creamy yellow background, Linus has drawn a stick figure in the lower, left-hand corner.  There is a grassy area at the bottom with lines rising from the ground.  A stick is standing in the middle of this area.  Three branches with leaves extend from the stick.  A smiling face is in the center with an eye and eyebrow on either side and a smile curving underneath.  Ernie is erasing the grassy area on the right.  Linus is trying to draw a swirling line, but he is clearly unhappy.

Like the winner of the art show, this book, Linus The Little Yellow Pencil written and illustrated by Scott Magoon, has the most heart.  It's not only about following your heart but also about helping someone else to see the art in their heart.  It's a hopeful, lively look at staying true to your calling but to be willing and brave enough to change.  I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal collections. (The dedication is simply lovely.)

To learn more about Scott Magoon and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  He has a great deal of information and resources about this title.  Scott has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Scott Magoon is interviewed at Creative North Shore, The Write Space and Critter Lit.