Shapely Shenanigans

Nearly every culture has a trickster as a character in their traditional tales.  Anansi, a spider, is found in West African folklore.  It is believed he tricked the Sky God into giving up the box which held all stories. Originating from China the Monkey King is known to be superhero as well as one able to create considerable chaos.  Brer Rabbit is a well-known figure in African American stories besting through cunning those larger and stronger than he is.  Several Native American tribes share stories with Coyote as the trickster.  In the Northwest section of the United States Raven is strong and through his cleverness brings about change; sometimes for the good of people according to narratives in the Native American culture.

There are two fresh faces to be added to the chronicles of fictional mischief makers.  Triangle (Candlewick Press, March 14, 2017) written by Mac Barnett with illustrations by Jon Klassen will have you looking warily at basic shapes.  Who knew they were such rascals?  (Where were they when I was struggling in geometry?)

This is Triangle.

Triangle is a no-frills character with a wide-eyed expression and two legs to give him mobility.  As you might expect his home is in the shape of a triangle.  His door, a triangle, allows him ease when coming and going from his abode.

He is on a mission today.  He is on his way to Square's home.

He was going to play a sneaky trick on Square.

He treks through varying sizes of triangles, through a place with odd, rounded shapes and into the land of squares, large squares, middle-sized squares and little squares.  It is a mirror version of the realm of triangles.  He finally arrives at Square's square house.

Square, like most of us, has a fear.  He does not like snakes.  Triangle knows this, so he pretends to be a snake outside of Square's doorway (which is in the shape of a square).  Triangle's hissing is causing Square to panic and shout.  Triangle can't contain his laughter any longer.

When Square realizes Triangle has played a prank, he gives chase.  They sprint right by all those squares.  They rush by all those odd, rounded shapes.  They zoom past the triangles until Triangle escapes into his house.  What happens next leaves readers with a point to ponder after they try to stop laughing.


The simplicity of Mac Barnett's text in this story is what heightens the comedic effect.  The repetition of the words triangle and square help the suspense to grow.  You know something is going to happen; something big and hilarious.  The beauty of it, at least for this reader, is it's a completely marvelous surprise.  Here are two sentences.

He walked past shapes that weren't triangles anymore.
They were shapes with no names.


When you first hold a copy of Triangle in your hands you know you are about to experience something exceptional.  There is no dust jacket.  The book case is thick like a board book and has a smaller trim size, perfect for the intended audience. To the left, on the back of the case, is Triangle's back with words designed to make readers eager to open the book and start reading.  The opening and closing endpapers are a pale, mint green.

On the first creamy white page a little version of Triangle is giving readers a one-handed wave.  The publication information is in the shape of a triangle on the verso page.  Beneath the text on the title page, Triangle is on the move.

Jon Klassen rendered these images digitally and with watercolor and graphite.  The generous use of white space allows for the pictures to produce utterly perfect pacing.  Klassen shifts his perspective to heighten our anticipation in addition to giving us an idea of the size of the setting in which the two friends live.  Klassen's eyes on his characters tell whole stories.  Every time I see the single picture hanging on the wall of Triangle's and Square's houses, I burst out laughing.

Two of my favorite of many pictures are without words.  It's right after Square discovers Triangle has played a sneaky trick on him.  On the right Square's scene is the same as the previous page.  His eyes are looking left as he stands outside of his home.  On the left Triangle's page is nearly the same as the previous page but he is to the left of the small flowers.  He is edging off the page.  He is ready to run.


The more you read this book the more you will laugh.  I have lost count of how many times I've read Triangle written by Mac Barnett with illustrations by Jon Klassen.  The blend of pictures and words supplies over-the-top humor.  You will also be thinking non-stop trying to determine the answer to the final question.

To learn more about Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen and their other work please follow the links attached to their names to access their main online presence. Several publishers' websites have interior images for you to view.  They are here, here and here.  At the Candlewick Press site you will find several extra items to use; an article with the creators discussing the title and an activity kit.

Geometric Gymnastics

Some people look at a pumpkin and only see a pumpkin.  Other people look at ivy and see nothing more than a blur of green.  Still more people look at a pot and see an everyday container for plants.  Most people look at snow and simply see snow.

If you are author illustrator Denise Fleming you will see circles, ovals, stars, triangles, curves, rectangles and lines, lots of lines.  You will understand perhaps, the combination of these creates something where no two are ever alike.  When you look, you see balance and beauty.  Go, Shapes, Go! (Beach Lane Books, October 7, 2014), Denise Fleming's latest title, explores the world of shapes and what they can form.

SHAPES are in place
and ready to go!

Sixteen shapes, a square, a triangle, a small arc, an arc, a circle, an oval, two small ovals, two tiny circles, two thin rectangles, two big rectangles, and two half circles, are placed on a page.  A small mouse scooting on wheels shouts out maneuvers like a musical choreographer.  First getting in the groove, the square makes a move.

Smooth forms shimmy and shake.  I wonder what the circle, oval and arc will make.  Lines, angles, and rectangles to the front get ready for their part in this stunt.  All the tiny pieces scurry into position, the mouse's voice giving them permission.

Say! Hey! This newly created jolly, jaunty forest friend is eager to play. Oh! No! The mouse is in out-of-control motion.  Tallyho! Yikes!

Mouse gives a shout.  Fallen shapes, every single one, assemble.  What's that we see?  Mouse begins to tremble.  Is this the end? Let's hope Mouse finds his friend.


Denise Fleming is a rhyming wizard.  Each phrase begins with a single action word spoken by the mouse giving direction to the shapes.  The final word in each group ties to the next in rhyme.  She has created a catchy cadence in this narrative of shapes thinking for themselves when given the chance.  Here are two.

Bounce, OVAL,
up and down.
Roll, CIRCLE,
round and round.


Beautifully rendered in her unique style, Denise Fleming poured the backgrounds adding cut purchased handmade paper with pastel accents for her illustrations.  In looking at the matching dust jacket and book case, readers know they are in for an animated, textured treat.  To compliment the vibrant orange-red and lime green, the endpapers are soft plain purple.  The mouse is dashing across the title page as if coming down from the top of the front jacket and case.

With the first and last page of the story as the only exceptions, all of the pictures span two pages edge to edge.  No backgrounds are identical but all are rich and bold serving to highlight the shapes and the text.  Prior to the shapes leaving to make mouse's pal, they are identified in smaller print.

As the mouse's companion is made one of my favorite illustrations is after the small arc is added.  We get to see emotion, as well as the motion we have noted in the previous pages, in his smile as his eyes look down at his new feature.  Mouse's single eye is looking directly at the reader.


As a read aloud the rhythm and rhymes of Go, Shapes, Go! written and illustrated by Denise Fleming will have you singing and your listeners dancing within the first few pages.  Not only is this a lively presentation of shapes but a happily-ever-after story too.  Mouse makes a marvelous director.

If you have never visited Denise Fleming's website before, you will want to go there now by following the link embedded in her name.  There is much to be learned about her and her work.  She has numerous activities to accompany her books.  Here is a link to the page for Go, Shapes, Go!  This links to the printable PDF.  Enjoy the book trailer.

Shapely Shenanigans

 If you look around wherever you are, shapes define the space.  Even before we know the name of shapes, our young minds recognize them.  We might group them together, favor one more than another or avoid some completely.

Shapes help us communicate by forming and stringing letters together to make written words.  Lines of shapes, notes, make music.  They convey certain meanings when we can't read; like the STOP sign.  In science, mathematics, architecture and art their significance is invaluable.

Given their importance I can think of no two I'd rather have introduce shapes to young readers than Moose and Zebra from Z is for Moose.  The comedic characters are back in Circle Square Moose (Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers) written by Kelly Bingham with illustrations by Paul O. Zelinsky.  A first-class rascal leads his play-by-the-rules friend on a riotous romp.

Shapes are all around us.  We see them every day.  Have you ever looked at a button?

Most of us can answer a resounding yes to this first question, recognizing a button as a circle.  When the narrator goes on to name a sandwich as a square, a big moose mouth is taking a huge bite from it.  Warned to quit eating the prop for the story and to vacate the book, Moose holds up what is left of the sandwich when the word triangle is mentioned.

Does Moose leave when asked?  Of course he doesn't.  He again holds up two cat ears to depict the triangle.  The narrator repeats this is not an animal book, but a shape book.  Moose and the cat need to skedaddle.

Thinking the book is back to normal, examples of rectangles are shown.  All is well until Moose appears in a window, crossing out words and replacing them with Moose.  The narrator is trying to politely get Moose to leave but he is being his usual mischief-maker self.  Somehow re-forming himself to appear in a kite, Moose creates more havoc when the shape diamond is explained.

With frustration clearly mounting, the narrator's plea for Moose to leave is interrupted by Zebra stating he will take care of this Moose problem.  Like Zebra's words were an invitation for a game of tag, Moose takes off cavorting through the pages.  When a mess created by a wayward ribbon threatens Zebra, Moose's ingenuity creates an escape and an ending with friendship in a starring role.


By the third page, the conversational presentation of a circle, then a square takes a definite turn toward hilarity with Moose's presence and the narrator's replies.  By moving forward with the initial premise, complete with rhyming text, it elevates the disruptions caused by Moose igniting outbursts of laughter in readers.  Kelly Bingham's verbal interplay between the narrator, Moose and Zebra is liberally laced with civility, indignation, playfulness, distress, surrender and confidence.  I really like when she has Zebra and Moose use the same phrase when offering assistance.  Here is a sample passage from the book.

A TRIANGLE is...
A wedge of cheese
A piece of pie
A sail
in
the
breeze

or ears like these! (Moose's words in a speech bubble over the final phrase.)


I couldn't help but smile when I removed the dust jacket from the book case.  Paul O. Zelinsky's decision to make the designs different adds to the humorous overall quality.  On the back of both Moose is pictured with a circle, rectangle, diamond, star, triangle and square.  On the front of the book case the title reads, My First Book Of Shapes.  Moose is inside the circle, square and triangle having crossed off the appropriate words painting over them in purple with the words Moose.

A lighter shade of the purple covers both the opening and closing endpapers.  In the upper left-hand corner of the first set of endpapers a corner is turned down showing the inside of a library with the characters reading.  Another turn of page shows eight squares featuring the shapes in hues of purple.  Moose is peeking out from one of them.  These also figure at the end of the book showcasing a final exchange between Zebra and Moose.

Full color illustrations rendered in mixed media illuminate the text in vivid frivolity.  The design techniques whether the pictures are on a single page or two are superior; your eyes carefully follow the interaction between the characters, seen and unseen.  When Zebra and Moose finally take their leave the shift in background color is brilliant, highlighting the final shape and the friendship between the two.

One of my favorite illustrations is the one for the passage referenced above.  Zelinsky's skill at portraying expression is highly evident in Moose's and the cat's eyes; one full of impishness, the other wide-eyed acceptance.  We are so close to the two of them only parts of their faces and bodies are shown.  It's a perfect perspective when placed next to the following picture of Moose walking away, shoulders slumped in defeat with the cat watching.


This companion title to Z is for Moose, Circle Square Moose, is another triumph for the collaborative team of Kelly Bingham and Paul O. Zelinsky.  It is a read aloud, fun-filled treasure.  You might want to have large shapes at the ready to use for props.  Expect a chorus of read it again.


For more information about both Kelly Bingham and Paul O. Zelinsky please follow the links embedded in their names to access their websites.  Paul O. Zelinsky did a remarkable thing in the final illustration for the text.  He includes his radio interview and a picture of Moose and Zebra in Alice Springs, Australia.  Here is a link to an interview and more artwork courtesy of Julie Danielson at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.