Grateful

Yesterday in the United States a national holiday was observed, Thanksgiving.  There are other countries who honor a similar day by the same name, but sometimes on different dates.  Many cultures commemorate gratitude for a fruitful harvest, a change in the seasons, or encountered annual blessings.  Most of these traditions are shared with families, friends, or community members.

It is said an attitude of gratitude cultivated every day of the year is highly beneficial for individuals and those in contact with those individuals.  Two publications released on the same day highlight the art of being grateful.  We Give Thanks (Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, September 7, 2021) written by Cynthia Rylant with illustrations by Sergio Ruzzier follows two friends, a rabbit and a frog, and their friends as they find joy in their everyday worlds.

We give thanks for mittens

and for coats and boots and hats.

We give thanks for yellow dogs

and yellow kitty cats.

A frog and a rabbit are enjoying the clothing they find in a friend's home.  When the artistic talents of the first are presented on canvas, laughter ensues.  They venture into the garden and carry fruit to a feast.

As they travel throughout their day, they meet family.  They appreciate the efforts of those providing services in the tiny town.  Even when the weather shifts several times, they welcome those changes realizing the advantages of each one.  

The benefits of various modes of transportation are acknowledged.  They pause to watch the work of insects in a colorful space. Signs of affection shown by an avian mother to their child and a bear to a fish friend are noted.

Wherever this duo go, they notice the little things, taking nothing for granted.  They relish the ability to cook and eat.  Every minute of their days and nights is perceived as valuable, especially those moments shared with their friends.

What readers will first notice about the words penned by Cynthia Rylant is they address those things with which many can identify.  She lists items we need.  She includes people and their accomplishments.  She draws our attention to the natural world.  And she focuses on tender displays of affection.

She views the world through the eyes of children, the children residing in all of us.  She does this through couplets, two sentences, with rhyming words at the end.  The first sentence welcomes readers to wonder about the second sentence.  What word will she use?  Also, she uses the word "and" to join a group of words together rather than using commas.  Here is another passage.

We give thanks for sun and rain

and wind and sleet and snow.

We give thanks for bikes and skates

and . . .

The color palette on the open and matching dust jacket and book case is radiating warmth, like the apples in the basket.  That red in the title text, the apples and the hillside draws us into the happiness of the animals.  The wash of yellow and blue in the sky extends that warmth into a comforting calm.  It is here we meet the two main characters, the frog and the rabbit.  

To the left of the spine, the red covers the area except for a circular image.  It is an interior illustration.  Here the rabbit is looking through its kitchen window while cooking.  Friends are arriving to partake in a banquet.

A spring green, a shade of the green on the frog, covers the opening and closing endpapers.  On the initial title page the frog and the rabbit, on a white background, are walking to the right.  On the double-page picture for the formal title page, we can now see them approaching a villa set in the mountains.  The hues of colors are variations on those we saw on the jacket and cover.  They are an open offer of participation to readers.

Rendered in

pen & ink and watercolors,

the visuals by Sergio Ruzzier present his signature style.  His endearing animals depict a range of body positions and facial expressions.  Highly detailed images ask us to step into each scene.  Often elements on one page will appear in the next page, fashioning a flow.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture (all are double-page images except for one, a dramatic pause).  A white sky highlights two low hills in rose and yellow.  The yellow is replete with large flowers and insects.  The bugs are given long noses and tiny eyes and mouths formed from a single line.  The rabbit and frog, on the right side, stand on the rose-colored hill talking about the display before them of insects and flowers. They are watching the bugs work.  The flowers are large enough to make us feel as though we are one of them.

This book, We Give Thanks written by Cynthia Rylant with artwork by Sergio Ruzzier, is one to be shared widely and read often.  It reminds us every single day there are things around us that need our appreciation.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional bookshelves.

To learn more about Cynthia Rylant and Sergio Ruzzier, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  At Cynthia Rylant's site is a single page with a letter from her to readers.  Sergio Ruzzier has accounts on Facebook and Instagram.  At the publisher's website, there are interior images, and views of the entire dust jacket and formal title page.

In a few short weeks, winter will officially begin.  All day yesterday the wind blew and snow fell.  Tonight the temperature will drop to its coldest since last winter.  The activities in the natural world have slowed.  Humans are finishing their outside preparations for the shift in seasons.  

Inside, humans are altering how they spend their time.  Thankful (A Paula Wiseman Book, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, September 7, 2021) written by Elaine Vickers with illustrations by Samantha Cotterill follows a family as they begin and complete an annual tradition.  It is a time to reflect and remember.  It is a time to make gratitude visible.

EVERY YEAR when the first snow

falls, we make thankful chains

to last us through December.

It is hard to think of all the things 

to be thankful for in a whole year,

so I start right in my own room.

The girl's parents, her father carrying a younger infant sibling, have come to wish her a good night.  As she lies in bed, she feels grateful for her home, parents, and a poem.  This poem, recited every night, helps her to recall those things for which she is thankful.  Some of those you hold in your heart; others you see every single day.

The little girl adores her dog, a wish come true.  She realizes the gift of life, a beating heart and breathing with ease.  Her school days supply her with people she cherishes.

She (like so many of us) is thankful for books and the places they lead us. The girl finds the beauty in opposites.  She identifies the silver linings in good things and in things not quite as good. 

She keeps writing, one thankful thing at a time, one chain at a time.  The girl's thoughts appear on paper until sleep is about to take her into her dreams. The story ends as it begins with her parents and a poem and her final words of thankfulness.

With each acknowledgement by the girl, readers start to relate to her and to examine their own surroundings for similar things.  We accept the goodness revealed in the opposites, soft and hard, and warm and cold, and safety and accidents.  This is a gift given to us by author Elaine Vickers.

The repetition of the words

I am thankful for

provides a connection, like the links in the paper chain, and a cadence.  With each thankful thing the narrator mentions, page by page, we understand it is not only a recounting but building toward an all-encompassing conclusion.  Here is a passage.

I am thankful for

things that are soft

and fresh, like

laundry,

bread,

moss on rocks.

In looking at the open dust jacket, readers can easily see this book is intricately designed.  We are fascinated by the intentional placement of elements on the front, the right side.  Here the girl is penning her thankful memories, link by link.  To the left, on the back, a colorful paper chain is photographed on white, portions of it faded and others clear.  Over this is a circular illustration of the girl holding and hugging her dog.  The dog looks at her with love.  Her eyes are closed in contentment.

On the book case the canvas is white.  Layered on both sides is one continuous, colorful paper chain.  The thankful memories are placed on the inside, but sometimes we are privy to one or two letters in a thought.

On the opening and closing endpapers is a green wall lined with six bookcases.  They are filled with books in an array of hues.  Paper chains in those same shades hang down either side and across each of those two sets of three bookcases.  Along the top of the bookcases is a schooner, a box with a bear on it, a guitar, a statue, a plant, a pennant with the words THANKFUL and a house.  On the title page, between the text is the girl's desk, a chair, and a waste basket.  Across the top of the desk are supplies for making the thankful chains.  A partially completed chain drops down from the desk and curls on the floor.

These artistically shaped illustrations by Samantha Cotterill 

are hand-built three dimensional sets photographed with a digital SLR camera.

The meticulous care given to each setting requires us to pause and savor the words and the images.  The people and the girl's dog are outlined in a black line and a small white border.  The sizes of the pictures switch from double-page pictures to a full-page visual, and then to a circular illustration on a colorful canvas.  Three times across a white background on two pages, we are shown only the girl working on her paper chain.  These are important pauses in the pacing.

One of my many favorite pictures is a two-page illustration.  It is in the evening inside the girl's home.  There is an "L" shaped sofa in the living room.  A single light shines on the left wall, but the entire scene glows as if there is a fireplace we can't see in front of the sofa.  On the left side of the sofa, the dad has fallen asleep holding the baby, a book next to them.  On the right side of the sofa is the girl in her pajamas, cuddled with a blanket wrapped around her.  Her dog is mostly seated next to her.  On the coffee table are dishes from a dinner of soup.  This image complements and elevates the text superbly.

You'll be gathering supplies to make your own paper chains after reading Thankful written by Elaine Vickers with illustrations by Samantha Cotterill.  It emphasizes the value all things have in our lives.  It prompts us in every respect to be grateful.  I can't imagine a personal or professional collection without a copy of this title.

By following the link attached to their names, you can discover more about Elaine Vickers and Samantha Cotterill and their other work at their respective websites.  Elaine Vickers has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Samantha Cotterill has an account on Instagram.  This book is showcased at Watch. Connect. Read. the site of John Schumacher, librarian, lecturer at Rutgers, and writer, at author, reviewer, and blogger, Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, at author Caroline Starr Rose's website, at Mel Schuit's Let's Talk Picture Books, and at The Children's Book Review.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images including the entire dust jacket.

Thankful by Elaine Vickers and Samantha Cotterill from Let's Talk Picture Books on Vimeo.

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow---Together

They are next to you as you fall asleep.  When you wake, they are still there.  The schedule of your day revolves around their meals and their necessity to take walks.  There are times when you wonder who exactly is walking who.  Their attention to every movement, sight and sound is astounding. When they mimic human characteristics, nothing is funnier.

Dogs make life infinitely better.  They are eternal optimists.  They radiate unconditional love.  Good Boy (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, February 12, 2019) written and illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier depicts their insatiable desire for adventure.


Sit.

Stay.

Roll over.

These actions asked by a boy of his dog are done quickly with practiced skill.  To further demonstrate the intelligence and adept physical qualities of the pup, the boy requests him to assume positions only done on two legs.  His companion is certainly acting more human than canine.

With ease, commonplace, single word declarations are answered by the dog for his boy.  It's not until the pooch begins to juggle, readers start to suspend belief.  As the duo sit together at a table enjoying a meal prepared and served by the dog, laughter is struggling not to burst forth.

Leaving the house as best friends, the twosome power a covered, open-air vehicle by pedaling. (At this point, giggling surely will commence in earnest.) Reaching a beach, they work to fix a damaged boat.  With one at the rudder and the other managing the rigging for the sail, they glide over choppy water.  Landing on a tiny island, more construction ensues. 

Within several page turns this dog and this boy experience an other-worldly escapade.  A shared view results in coming full circle.  The more traditional day-end tasks (well, most of them) bring a sense of calm to the story.  Like this reader when walking her dog, you will wonder who the final two words reference.


One-word sentences, except for two two-word sentences, direct this narrative penned by Sergio Ruzzier.  All of them except for one are punctuated by a period.  Most readers will expect certain actions on the part of the dog or the boy when they read those sentences.  Humor fills the story when unexpected words appear and when the illustrations tell a surprising tale.  It's this not knowing what a page turn will bring, that elevates the word choices and pacing to wonderfully inventive; masterful. 


Upon opening the matching dust jacket and book case, readers notice the crisp white canvas extends over the spine to the left on the back.  The color palette seen on the front is the same on the back for the dog and his boy.  This advises readers the events are taking place during the same day.  On the back the boy tosses a ball of yarn for the dog to fetch.  All the elements placed on the background on the dust jacket are varnished.

The opening endpapers are covered in a bright, golden orange.  On the back the closing endpapers are a rich muted brilliant blue, a complementary color.  The formal title page shows the boy running after the dog.  It's here we notice, not for the first time, the socks on the boy.  The one on his right foot is always sagging lower than the one on the left foot.  On the dedication page the friends have stopped.  The dog's position indicates he is ready for action.

Rendered in ink and watercolor Sergio Ruzzier uses white space expertly to frame each picture of the dog and the boy for the first thirteen sentences.  When they are ready to leave the home, full color spreads across full-page and double-page pictures, taking them from one place of excitement to the next.  For pacing some white canvas images are inserted.  As noted above, the sagging sock is an endearing detail; others are the characters' noses, the occasional sight of the child's belly button, the dog's tongue appearing in concentration or in making a funny face, two fish watching the best buddies sailing or the signature flowers in Sergio's landscape scenes. 

One of my many favorite illustrations is one of two on a background of white.  It's for the word

Sing.

The boy is tucked under the covers, a blue blanket, as he rests, eyes closed, on his pale red wrought iron bed.  A green book the dog and he were reading is laying on the floor.  On top of the blue blanket sits the dog, leaning back on one of his extended paws. His other paw is on his chest.  His head is lifted as he softly croons for his boy.


Without a doubt whether you read this book, Good Boy written and illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier, alone, share it one-on-one or with a group, all will come under its spell.  The simple words are superbly selected to be open to interpretation by the marvelous artwork.  I can't imagine a professional or personal book collection without this title.

To learn more about Sergio Ruzzier and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Sergio Ruzzier has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  At author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson's site Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast you can view an abundance of process art.  It's fascinating!

The Attraction Of Opposities

Unexpected relationships can become the most lasting friendships.  It's as if the odds of two parties being companions strengthen their bond.  Their mismatched physical characteristics and clashing personalities provide a mutual attraction.  From day to day there is no sameness only surprise and endless variety.

There are authors and illustrators who bring to life enduring characters whose affectionate attachment is true as well as comical.  In his Bear and Bee (Disney Hyperion, March 12, 2013) Sergio Ruzzier presents readers with the results of misconceptions.  One of his newest titles,  Sergio Ruzzier's Fox + Chick The Party and Other Stories (Chronicle Books, April 17, 2018), a trio of tales, is certain to have you laughing out loud.

The Party
KNOCK
KNOCK

It's me Chick!

I know it's
you, Chick!
I can
see you!

In the short ensuing conversation Chick, with little effort, manages to irritate Fox to the point he slams the door in Chick's face.  Chick is persistent and knocks again.  With an oh-no-here-we-go-again look on his face Fox answers.  Chick asks to use the bathroom.

Like any normal being Fox believes Chick needs to use the bathroom for its intended purpose.  After more time than necessary, Fox investigates.  He is completely wrong in his assessment of Chick's needs.  Hilarity, like the water all over the bathroom floor, flows page after page.

In story two, meandering over to see Fox, Chick is curious as to why he is taking carrots, onions, potatoes and parsley from his garden.  He keeps pointing out the other food Fox should be eating like field mice, frogs or grasshoppers.  With frustration growing in both their demeanors, Fox finally asks Chick to name other things he should be eating.  Talking himself into a corner, Chick flees as Fox chuckles.  And yes, there is soup and a memorable humorous observation by Fox.

Hoping for peace and quiet and a chance to make art, Fox sets up his easel to paint a landscape in the third account.  Of course, Chick strolls up with his own suggestion of a subject matter to capture on the canvas.  Fox appears to agree with a single request,

sit still.

By now readers know Chick is not capable of sitting still. His inability to comply with Fox's desire not once but three times will have readers unable to keep from grinning and giggling.  The final exchange, two sentences, between Fox and Chick is full or wondrous promise.


The sense of humor displayed by Sergio Ruzzier within these pages is masterful.  He understands the contrasts to be found in what is said as opposed to what is meant and understood.  This comprehension is a gift to his readers.  Told entirely in dialogue and wordless images, these three stories build a subtle tension phrase by phrase leading to the inevitable and joyful conclusion.  Here is one conversation.

Fox, you can paint my portrait now.
Just sit still, please.

I am hungry.

You just ate three bowls of soup.

I will go and get a snack.  Then I will sit very still on that rock. 


No other artist selects shades of color as does Sergio Ruzzier.  These colors seen on the dust jacket (and throughout the book) are one of many reasons we enjoy his quirky settings and the elements in each of them.  His characters' faces, longer noses and smaller eyes and each carefully placed line, convey exactly what we need to know in even given situation.  The smiles on Fox and Chick on the front lead us to believe they are friends.  With Chick stating the obvious we are receiving a huge hint at the hilarity to come.

To the left, on the back, the duo is enjoying a moment together outside in a field.  A golden yellow and wide band of reddish-orange along the spine cover the book case.  In the lower right-hand corner Fox and Chick are featured.  Chick is riding on Fox's tail, much to his disgust.  The opening and closing endpapers are done in the pattern of tiles in Fox's kitchen.  There are tiny details added to the concluding endpapers.  On the title page, Fox on his back with his legs extended in the air, is balancing a laughing Chick on his feet.

Rendered in pen, ink and watercolor the illustrations for each of the three narrative chapter beginnings feature a more panoramic two-page picture.  These are followed by panels, sometimes two, three or four to a page.  Their shapes and sizes supply pacing and an inviting design. They are framed in a loose fine line or white space.  For emphasis we are treated to images spanning two pages at least one more time in each tale.

One of my many favorite illustrations is on a single page.  It's in the story titled Good Soup.  Chick has just realized what he has said.  An intertwined landscape of three rolling hills is backed by a forest on the left and two rocky outcroppings on the right.  Chick is running away up a path to the woods.  Fox is closest to us, carrying his basket of garden goodies.  His eyes are closed in a smile as he walks away.  Chick exclaims:

AHHHHH!


Handing this book, Sergio Ruzzier's Fox + Chick The Party and Other Stories, to readers (making sure it's on your professional and personal book shelves) is sure to add more joy to their day.  The humor is refined to perfection.  No matter how many times you read these tales, you will laugh.  It would seem there is a companion title on the way in 2019.  I can hardly wait.

To learn more about Sergio Ruzzier and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  You can view interior images from this book at his website too.  Sergio maintains an account on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.  At the publisher's website a teacher's guide is supplied for your use.  Sergio visits author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson on her blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast to discuss this book.  He offers loads of process art and explanations.  

Delight In Deciphering

A personal library with bookcases filled with picture books is evidence of my unwavering love of them.  The depth found in those few pages as a result of a beautiful blend of text and images is a constant source of amazement.  Without question they hold appeal to readers of every age.

Have you ever taken the text from a picture book and written it on a separate piece of paper?  It's a discovery in the power of the written word to create pictures in your mind.  Perhaps this is why my youngest listeners, those who are not yet reading on their own, continually request I read everything on a page of a picture book; the narrative text, the speech bubbles and extra comments uttered as an aside.  They understand the potential found in words.

When they recognize words as you are reading, they are eager to read them along with you or repeat them.  This is not a picture book! (Chronicle Books, May 3, 2016) written and illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier follows two companions seeking the potential in words.  Their discoveries will fill your reader's heart.

A book!
Hmm...
There are only words in 
this book?
Where are the pictures?!

Needless to say, the duckling is completely distraught with the lack of illustrations in the book he has found.  He is so upset, he kicks it away.  His real affection for books overcomes his anger.  He picks it up and apologizes.

Now seated, puzzling over the words, a bug appears wanting to know what the duckling has.  Since he's told it's a book, the bug wants to know if the duckling can read it.  And this, readers, is where this story, like all good stories, takes us to places familiar and startlingly new.

At first duckling is struggling, words can be tricky.  Studying the pages, he suddenly notices words he knows.  This is one happy duckling!  These words are emotionally charged as he talks about them to the bug.  There are high points and below low points.

Both duckling and bug realize words lift you away from the here and now.  They fashion a cocoon around you, until you emerge changed.  You will remember.


The text is spare; single sentences or phrases, exclamations and questions.  With great care Sergio Ruzzier has selected thoughts he wishes to share with us; thoughts depicting the journey everyone takes when they learn to unfold the meaning of words.  He portrays the frustration and the elation impeccably.  Gently but with purpose he takes us back to where we belong.  Here is an illuminating moment.

Words are so difficult.
Wait! I know some
of these words!


In an act of design brilliance the background for the matching dust jacket and book case is an enlarged portion of another part of the book.  Varying shades of the bright red for the title text are used throughout the book.  On the front the duckling and bookbug are clearly perplexed by what they see on the page.  To the left, on the back, we see a resolution to their difficulties.  The opening and closing endpapers are identical but entirely different.  That is all I will reveal.

Sergio Ruzzier begins the story for us with four pages prior to the title page as the duckling finds, rejects and recovers the book.  These pages and others prior to the duckling and bug crossing a log bridge have a crisp white background.  It is not until the duckling begins to comprehend words that the background is altered.  Now we have the wonderful, whimsical color schemes singular to the work of Ruzzier.

Pastel landscapes, intricate details, fine lines, and soft muted shades define his work.  Quirky creatures; fish with feet, blowing bubble heads, an eye-glass wearing animal with a nose like a flute or a large orange bird with blue-tipped wings and a green head and feet.  Rendered in pen, ink and watercolor these illustrations exude spellbinding charm.

One of my favorite illustrations is for

and peaceful words.

A gorgeous mix of blue, pink, peach and cream clouds swirl above calm waters mirroring the sky.  The duckling is lying in the bottom of a boat near the stern, the book raised in his hands as he reads.  The bug, eyes closed is resting and listening in the bow of the boat.  A green fish looks at them from the water.  The large bird is flying toward them from the upper left-hand corner.  This IS peace.


Whenever I read a book written and illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier I find myself wanting to hug it.  This is not a picture book! is no exception.  The final sentence, the lingering thought, will have readers sighing.  You will have much in common with the duckling at the conclusion...and the bookbug.  I can't imagine a book collection, personal or professional, without a copy of this book.


To learn more about the work of Sergio Ruzzier please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  By following this link you can use pages provided for you after reading this book.  I predict hours of happy drawing.  Sergio Ruzzier was showcased at Watch. Connect. Read., the blog of the Scholastic Ambassador for School Libraries, John Schumacher.  He chatted about this book, other projects and completed John's sentences.  Sergio Ruzzier was a guest at All The Wonders, Episode 252 with teacher librarian Matthew Winner.  Let Kids Read is a must-read guest post Sergio Ruzzier wrote for the Nerdy Book Club. Sergio Ruzzier and this title are highlighted at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, the blog of author and reviewer Julie Danielson.

Numbering The Unexpected

Every single day is filled with surprises in all sizes.  There is the kindness of complete strangers helping you to reach something high on a shelf in the grocery store or allowing you to merge in traffic.  A typical visit to the car wash can turn into a humorous moment long remembered.  Handing the attendant a twenty dollar bill, I ask for eight bucks back.  Instead of reaching in his pocket for change, he disappears for a lengthy bit of time.  When he returns he hands me this note.


A sudden hug from a grateful student will last long beyond the day in which it is given.  A worst case scenario can reveal unknown benefits.  Sometimes you have to look long and hard but they are there.  In his newest title for younger readers, Two Mice ( Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, September 1, 2015) Sergio Ruzzier presents us with a series of challenges faced by utterly charming characters.

One house

In this single little home one mouse with brown spots wakes up looking over at its sleeping companion.  In the next scenario there are three cookies, two glasses of milk, and a single red pitcher sitting on the kitchen table.  The first mouse is happily munching on two cookies.  Hands on hips, the second mouse is grumpily staring at the remaining cookie.

In what will be a turn of events the duo set out to explore, finding three boats and two oars.  This time

one rower

works to move them across the water.  It is the mouse who greedily consumed the two cookies.  The white mouse is lounging with eyes closed in the stern.

As they coast toward shore numbers one and two promise them a delicious treat but three gives them not one but two shocks.  Our friends find themselves in troubled waters.  An island with trees promises them relief but OH! NO!

Now airborne their misfortune is tripled.  With sinking hearts they look upon... a clever change of events.  HOORAY!  Hand in hand the two mice walk as readers count one...two...three and three...two...one.  There's plenty for both at day's end.


With warmth and wit Sergio Ruzzier blends counting from one to three and three to one not once but four times into a timeless tale of short-lived misadventure, startling discoveries and enduring friendship.  We move merrily from hope to discouragement and back again as Ruzzier demonstrates his gifted use of language.  Groups of three two-word phrases are punctuated with periods, a question mark and an exclamation point to provide readers with emotional impact and a cadence carried throughout the story.


When you hold a book by Sergio Ruzzier in your hands the signature style of his illustrations and unique color palette are a welcoming invitation to open the cover and let your mind soar.  Seeing those two mice gleefully running across a Ruzzier landscape on a sunny day with soft clouds in the sky makes you want to join in the fun.  The use of red in the title text and along the spine offers further encouragement.  On the back of the matching dust jacket and book case, to the left, on a background of blue are the three cookies with a bite missing from one and two glasses of milk.  A shade of salmon (daybreak) colors the opening endpapers and a deeper blue (early evening) covers the closing endpapers.

A page turn shows the house with smoke rising from the chimney and the first two words of the story.  The title page follows but also continues the tale.  Mint green walls and a hexagonal, floral pattern in tiles on the floor form a room for the mice's two iron beds.  I love seeing a book peeking out from beneath one of the beds.

All of the images span across two pages except for the final one.  Using pen and ink and watercolors Ruzzier supplies mood and movement with his tiny details, fine lines, brush strokes, shading, facial expressions and body movement.  His pictures alone reveal every facet of the narrative.

One of several favorite illustrations is for the text

One island
Two trees  .

The mice are near the land eager to be out of the water.  Both, even though they are wet and have lost their transportation, are wearing big smiles.  Careful readers will see what they cannot see.  The two trees have claws at their root bases.  These are no ordinary trees.  Anticipation is already building as the page is turned.


Small in size, perfect for the hands of his intended audience, Two Mice written and illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier is a tiny treasure waiting to be found over and over by readers.  And believe me, you will be asked to read it repeatedly, counting but also following these two best buddies in and out of their difficulties.  It is simply enchanting.

To learn more about Sergio Ruzzier and this title please follow the links attached to his name to access his website and one of several special pages for this title.  In a link to the starred Horn Book review Ruzzier answers questions about the trim size for this title.  In a wonderful interview at Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast Sergio Ruzzier talks about this book sharing the process and artwork.  Update: November 6, 2015 Sergio Ruzzier writes a guest post at Elizabeth O. Dulemba about his process.  He includes lots of sketches. 

Memorable Mail

The tactile experience of reading a paper book can't be denied; holding the entire volume in your hands while turning the pages plus there's the smell when those very pages are fanned or when the book is first opened.  To read a paper book you need to visit a library or a book shop.  Even if you place an order online, there is an element of waiting, a sense of anticipation.  Reading a paper book is not a click away like reading on a device.  It requires a little bit more.  An article posted April 11, 2013 in Scientific American, The Reading Brain in the Digital Age: The Science of Paper versus Screens, explores issues which will continue to be debated for many years to come.

Similarly communication can be quickly achieved via email, text messages, direct messages on Twitter, messaging on Facebook, pictures on Instagram or through a host of other social networking services.  Correspondence with these, while usually instant, does not have the same feeling of expectancy.  There is no waiting for the postman, checking your mailbox or postal box, or wondering when opening an envelope.  There is still nothing like the joy of discovering an unexpected letter or package.  In a title to be released on November 4, 2014, A Letter For Leo (Clarion Books), author illustrator Sergio Ruzzier gives readers a peek at the life of an amiable, hopeful postman.

Leo is the mailman of a little old town.

No matter what is delivered or to whom, Leo is a welcome visitor each day.  If he sees friends engaged in a friendly game he may pause to play.  He thinks nothing of stopping to chat with neighbors.  Leo has a good life.

There is one thing he wishes he could change.  Leo has never gotten a letter.  Each evening he thinks maybe, just maybe, a letter will come for him tomorrow.

Bright and early one day as he is taking mail from the large postal box, he gets a surprise.  It's not a letter for him but a little bird is trapped inside.  For every question Leo asks, he receives Cheep as a reply.  Not quite sure what to do with this new acquaintance, he decides to take him home.

Leo and Cheep are constant companions, sharing the mail route, meals, getting tucked in at night and the snowy winter.  With spring's appearance sadness settles over Leo.  He knows Cheep is bigger and better able to find his flock.  Good-byes are exchanged.  Leo's good life continues but...Cheep?


Sweet sincerity is found in each simple sentence Sergio Ruzzier has penned for this story.  We have an unseen narrator, Leo's voiced comments and thoughts plus the charming single word of Cheep.  Ruzzier has a way with words making them welcome and warm.

The truly unique style and color palette of Sergio Ruzzier is revealed on the single illustration spanning the front and back of the matching dust jacket and book case.  His blend of muted yellow, purple, and green rolling hills with a turquoise and red hill in the distance provide the perfect backdrop for his whimsical, endearing characters and unusual flora.  We aren't quite sure about the storyline yet but the gentle smiles on Leo and Cheep promise good things.

Ruzzier alternates between double-page and single page, edge to edge, illustrations and numerous loosely-shaped circles and ovals to enhance the impeccable pacing and emotion in this tale.  His lines, using pen and ink, are delicate but deliberate.  The combination of all his talents results in several pictures conveying much to the reader without the use of text.

One of my favorite illustrations of many is when Leo decides to take Cheep home with him.  It's a small circular picture focusing on Leo's upper body with softer shades of the landscape behind him.  Cheep is perched, sitting, on his hat.  Kindness, trust and the happiness of both characters is highly visible.


One of the things about books written and illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier is they find a way to fill up your heart.  A Letter For Leo reminds us to keep hoping.  Wishes do come true and a longed-for letter will show up when we need it the most.  Ultimately uplifting, this book would be a wonderful opening to a discussion about the value of correspondence and friendships formed from true acts of good will.

To learn more about Sergio Ruzzier please follow the link, taking you to his website, embedded in his name.  More links can be found at a previous review here.  Follow this link to a wonderful interview at Miss Marple's Musings.  Sergio Ruzzier has an article, For the Fear of Failure, in the March/April 2014 The Horn Book Magazine dedicated to illustration.  Below is video filmed for the site Wild Things!: Acts Of Mischief In Children's Literature.  The website corresponds to a book of the same name written by Julie Danielson, Elizabeth Bird and Peter D. Sieruta. And yes, Sergio, I did find the tribute illustrative detail you have hidden in A Letter For Leo.
Updated January 1, 2015: Sergio has created a board on Pinterest for this title. 



Update:  Sergio Ruzzier appeared at Julie Danielson's blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast on November 5, 2014.

Update:  Sergio Ruzzier was interviewed on KidLit TV.

Where Are They?

I am a dyed-in-the-wool neatnik.  It's possibly the consequence of having a Dad who had all his tools organized by type and size, even engraving his initials on every single one.  My lifetime love, being a school librarian, could weigh heavily in favor of this particular personality trait.  The influence, over decades, of good ole' Melvil Dewey and alphabetical order is hard to shake.

Despite this, there are times when the most used, the most loved, item will turn up missing.  For whatever reason, my mind has one of its Swiss cheese moments. It's good to discover I share this, the forgetfulness not the neatness, in common with a particularly charming little green duck.  Have You See My New Blue Socks? (Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) written by Eve Bunting with illustrations by Sergio Ruzzier takes readers on a comic lost-and-found stroll.


I have lost my new blue socks.

Looking in a box proves futile.  Duck knows, at least he thinks he knows, he put them close.  It's a complete mystery where they could be.

He decides to ask his pal Fox if he has seen his new blue socks.  Fox, knowing Duck well, asks if he has looked in his box.  He also suggests he question Ox about those missing socks.

This is becoming quite the puzzle because Ox has no clue except for inside Duck's box, asking Fox or....wait maybe down by the rocks.  There are plenty there but none are blue.  And blue is exactly how Duck is trying not to feel.

Knowing how the peacocks like to preen and parade Duck thinks they might have passed his lost attire. The three offer a question, sympathy and a solution.  The youngest of the three (and a careful reader) spots the tiniest of clues. Hip! Hip! Hooray!  Duck knew he put them close.


Rhyming couplets and repetition of phrases masterfully conceived by Eve Bunting provide an irresistible beat.  It invites active participation in the reading and the narrative journey. Each turn of page offers new possibilities, building toward a mirthful resolution.


From the matching jacket and cover readers clearly feel the frustration of  Duck having lost his new blue socks.  We also get a sense Duck might not be the best housekeeper either.  The title page featuring a single peacock feather hints at the ending.  A two page illustration, a landscape showing a forlorn duck leaning out the window of his home, follows for the verso and dedication page.

Sergio Ruzzier's adept composition of pen and ink and watercolor pictures done in a palette of delicate blues, greens, yellows, rusts (terra cotta), purple and creams elevates and extends the text.  Fine lines convey personality traits and mood on each of the characters.  Ruzzier's extra touches, those added details, add joy to the story; Duck's unkempt household (items scattered on the floor, hanging from the open window frame and upon the sill), Duck's friend Fox reading a book (Aesop's Fables?) with a plate of grapes from the arbor next to him, Mr. Ox sitting on a bench painting a fruit tree but not quite getting the colors right, the shape of the peacocks bodies, their head and tail feathers and the shoes Duck wears.  Each reading offers new discoveries.


Author Eve Bunting and illustrator Sergio Ruzzier have penned and pictured a precious tale in Have You See My New Blue Socks?  While the story reaching out to readers, the illustrations will pull them in, surrounding them with affection and warmth.  This is one of those books that is best shared, preferably out loud.  It would be fun to extend this with reader's theater or creative drama.

The link embedded in Eve Bunting's name will take you to a series of video interviews at Reading Rockets.  Sergio Ruzzier's official website can be accessed by following the link attached to his name.  Links to several interviews about Ruzzier's illustrative process can be found in a previous review linked here.

Bee-Ginnings Of The Bear-y Best Kind

Out walking in April seeing the first robin after a long, chilly, snowy winter never fails to make me feel like dancing.  It's a sure sign that soon the air will be filled with more than birdsong, the gentle, almost imperceptible, hum of awakening insects will gradually fill the silence.  The telling perfume of skunks, and tracks of turkeys, rabbits and squirrels left in the receding snow are indications spring is coming and coming soon.

With spring comes renewal.  With renewal comes growth.  It has always seemed to make sense for growth to be most successful, understanding needs to be present.  

But if you're a bear whose winter nap is drawing to a close, renewal, growth and understanding are the last things on your mind.  Your big bear belly is telling your brain to find some food and find it fast.  Bridging the gap between hunger and honey Bear and Bee (Disney Hyperion), penned and pictured by Sergio Ruzzier, shows how the right amount of understanding can fill more than an empty stomach.

Moving about as the snow melts, putting on his red sandals, Bear gets ready to venture out.  By the time he leaves his cozy den, stretching to greet the sunny day, flowers are blooming among the green grasses. A treat is hanging from a nearby tree branch.

"I'm hungry," says Bear.

Bear's nose gives him the news a hive filled with honey is ready to be enjoyed.  A tiny being asks him if he would like some of this sweet delectable delight.  Of course he wants some but his fear of the bee stops him.

His reply when asked if he has ever seen a bee is a hearty no and he never wants to either. He believes them to be frightful, big with large teeth and sharp claws.  His small companion points out he is big...he has large teeth...and...sharp claws.

At these revelations Bear exclaims in despair,

"I AM A BEE!"

The ensuing conversation clears up the identity of each.  With that issue resolved Bear's big belly's emptiness prompts a query.  The answer is exactly what Bear and Bee need and want.


Told entirely in dialogue between the two characters, the spare text moves the narrative forward flawlessly.  Pausing at the precise point prior to a turn of page, Sergio Ruzzier elevates interest and ignites humor; knowing what to say and when.  The progression of Bear's befuddlement to bliss contrasted with Bee's complete kindness and knowledge makes this story simply charming.


A nearly matching jacket and cover introduce, in a two-page visual, the characters and color palette. (The cover includes the text from the front jacket flap in the cloud on the back.) Opening endpapers done in a steely navy feature a pattern of snowflakes, each one different.  The next six pages, introductory, title, dedication and copyright, immediately invite readers to the story as they show a passage of time from winter into spring.  It's as if we've heard once a upon a time and we get to begin right away; as it should be.

Ruzzier's expressive pen and ink drawings colored digitally on the heavier matte paper span across both pages in all the illustrations in this title.  The looks on his character's faces and their body movements conveying mood and mannerisms are priceless.  As the day moves toward night the background reflects the peaches and oranges of a setting sun.  Stars are sprinkled across the rich, bluish-purple evening-sky color on the closing endpapers.


If you are looking for a huggable, lovable tale, then Bear and Bee written and illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier is the perfect choice; fear is erased with sweetness, literally and figuratively.  Please follow the link embedded in Ruzzier's name above to his official web site.  He has generously provided downloadable activity sheets for this title.

Follow this link to TeachingBooks. net to hear how he pronounces his name.  These two links are to interviews and highlights courtesy of Julie Danielson at Kirkus and Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  On both of these blog posts at Pen & Oink (here and here) more information is shared about the process of creating this book.

"Sergio Ruzzier, we're glad you are an illustrator and an author."