Hot, Hotter, Hottest

With winter storms currently pounding the United States from Texas to the tip of Maine, it is hard to believe record high temperatures are being set each year.  This is not just happening here, but around the world.  When these heat waves are combined with the lack of normal rainfall, it invites another form of record-breaking natural disasters, wildfires.  Certain portions of countries around the world are known for their annual wildfires, but with increasing regularity the size of these wildfires are epic.

As of August 11, 2021 it was noted in The Washington Post article,

The fires raging in Siberia are bigger than fires in Greece, Turkey, Italy, the

United States and Canada combined, with analysts warning that this year

could surpass Russia's worst fire year, 2012, according to Yaroshenko.  (Alexei Yaroshenko is a forestry expert with Greenpeace Russia.)

The bushfires between 2019 and 2020 in Australia were some of the worst ever experienced.  Named the Black Summer fires, the loss of animal life is hard to imagine.  It is estimated that three billion animals were killed or displaced (ABC News, Australia) during those fires. Wombat Underground: A Wildfire Survival Story (Little, Brown and Company, January 11, 2022) written by Sarah L. Thomson with illustrations by Charles Santoso follows a wombat and other animals native to Australia as fire sweeps through their residential space.  It is a story filled with possibilities, hope, and compassion.  

Deep in the dirt

under the hill

roots grip tight

air is cool

water slips and drips

drop

by drop

by drop

and Wombat digs.

Above Wombat, on the ground, Wallaby munches on leaves and Echidna listens.  Wombat keeps digging.  In the hot sun, Skink rests and soaks up the heat.  Slowly, that hot sun soaks up the little water in the earth.

Without Wombat knowing, it gets warmer and drier above ground.  Skink hides from the sun, Wallaby sips on remaining water, and Echidna wanders through brittle grasses.  Storm clouds gather.  A huge bolt of lightning strikes.

Sparks turn to flames.  The forest is on fire!  Sleeping Wombat is unaware.  Skink, Wallaby, and Echidna move as quickly as they can in front of the fire.  Slowly, Wombat comes awake.  As the threesome moves toward the hole in the hill, Wombat moves up toward the opening in the tunnel.

Wombat seeks to defend a home built by him and him alone.  The fire is taking a toll on Skink, Wallaby and Echidna.  What will Wombat do?  

Life, as it should be and as it changes for the animals, is described beautifully by author Sarah L. Thomson.  Repeatedly words and phrases supply a rhythm bringing us deeper into the setting.  The use of alliteration increases the poetic beat for readers.  We feel kinship with the animals and their surroundings due to naming them with a capital letter.  Their fear and desperation escalates through Sarah L. Thomson's words selected with intention.  These words, this narrative, draw us toward a hopeful conclusion, one believed to be true.  Here is a passage.

Flakes of fire
sail on the wind.

Ribbons of smoke

snake through the grass.

Fingers of flame claw up each tree.

When the open and matching dust jacket and book case are considered, you see four Australian animals caught in circumstances not of their making. (The scene from the front, right, crosses the spine to the left, including the arrival of Wallaby, Echidna, and Skink.  They look directly at Wombat.)  A range of emotions washes over you as you try to anticipate what the featured animals will do next.  The color palette chosen for this scene is used throughout the book to convey the habitat in its normal conditions and in its extreme situations.

A bright yellow is placed on the opening and closing endpapers signifying this is a story of survival and hope.  On the title page we see Wombat entering the hole in the hill.  Skink is resting on a rock near Wombat's entrance.  In this distance is Echidna.  Several native birds rest on tree branches framing the text.

Artist Charles Santoso rendered his illustrations digitally in Photoshop.  Most of them are double-page pictures, giving us views above and below ground.  These are particularly effective as the danger increases.  The native flora, the intricate details, ask us to pause.  Several times we are looking down on a specific scene, giving us a more panoramic view.  Once, when the storm approaches, we are looking up, as if we are the animals on the ground.  There is one wordless image except for a sound effect.

Through these images we are actively engaged with the animals.  We feel their calm as they go about their normal day, but also feel their panic as they try to outrun the flames.   It is never mentioned in the narrative, but Wallaby carries a baby in her pouch. 

One of my many favorite illustrations is a two-page picture.  The three animals, Skink, Echidna, and Wallaby with her baby, are in the foreground.  Their fear and misery are palpable.  Behind them, the fire has engulfed the area.  Flames are leaping from branch to branch, bush to bush, and along the grass.  Smoke fills the air.  On the left Skink tries to shield its eyes and Echidna lifts its burned feet as it looks backward.  Wallaby bows, her eyes closed and her fur singed. 

This work of fiction inspired by the bushfires of 2019-2020 in Australia, Wombat Underground: A Wildlife Survival Story written by Sarah L. Thomson with illustrations by Charles Santoso, reaches out and grabs you.  It won't let you go.  (It asks you to do further research and you do.  Here are two links, here and here, at the Climate Council (Australia) about wildfires.  Here are two recent articles in Time magazine about wildfires, here and here.  Here is an article about Wildfires and Climate Change found at the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.  At NASA Global Climate Change, they talk about The Climate Connections of a Record Fire Year in the US West, dated February 22, 2021.)  At the close of the book in an author's note there are additional headings.  They are What starts fires?, If the fires happen every year, are they really so bad?, What made Australia's fires in 2019-2020 the worst in decades?, What happens to animals in a bushfire?, What's an echidna?  A wallaby? A skink?, and What about wombats?.  There are resources about wildfires and Australian animals listed on the final page.  I highly recommend this book for both your personal and professional collections. (This book is listed with others in a Booklist Booklinks article about wildfires and in the January 2022 issue of wildfire books published by the Wildland Fire Research Institute.)

To learn more about Sarah L. Thomson and Charles Santoso and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites. Charles Santoso has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  

Facing Frightful

Whether you are gathered in a classroom, a library, around a campfire, or wrapped in sleeping bags or blankets for a sleepover, one of the most memorable and satisfying activities is storytelling.  Most will agree scary stories, those tales crammed with creepiness, the unexpected and bone-chilling probabilities, are the most requested.  Listeners (and tellers) can venture into circumstances too terrifying to experience themselves and are brought back to safety at the story's end.  With each scary story heard (or told), courage grows.

The most frightening stories are those steeped in reality.  Scary Stories for Young Foxes (Henry Holt and Company, July 30, 2019) written by Christian McKay Heidicker with art by Junyi Wu recounts the horrors of truth with stunning authenticity.  Readers will alternately be riveted or unnerved by the words they read.

THE HAUNTED SEASON had arrived in the Antler Wood.
The sky grayed, the leaves blushed red, and mist
coiled through the trees like something alive.  Even
the pumpkins began to rot and show their true
faces. 

Seven kits are begging their mother for a scary story.  Each of her suggestions is met with a groan.  Nothing is scary enough.  As she settles in for the night, she warns them not to go to Bog Cavern.  An old storyteller lives there.  The tales she tells are too grim to be repeated.

The seven, of course, leave the safety of their den after their mother falls asleep, making their way through the darkening woods to Bog Cavern.  At first the storyteller, an ancient fox, says they are too young for these tales. She warns them of scary stories having two sides, light and dark.  One can guide you and the other can consume you.  There are eight stories to tell.  How many of the kits will be brave enough to remain to hear the final tale?

The seven listening kits are first introduced to Mia, her mother, her four siblings and their teacher Miss Vix.  A fatal turn of events has Mia and her mother running for their lives out of Eavey Wood, pursued by those who wish to devour them.  In the pause before the next tale begins, questions are asked and the shadowy voice from the dark entrance cautions them to be patient.

Six listening young foxes meet Uly, a young male kit with a deformed front paw.  He lives in Boulder Fields with six cruel sisters and a caring mother.  Uly is unable to care for himself without his mother's assistance. An unexpected visitor named Mr. Scratch forces Uly to make choices he would rather not make.  There are now five kits, listening intently.

In the next tale Mia and her mother suffer hideous, skin-crawling, encounters with a human guaranteed to leave readers stunned and wondering if they will ever read certain classic books again.  We are not even sure Mia is alive before four kits are leaning in to hear about Uly, at the edge of a foreboding forest trying to find food.  In seeking something to eat, Uly comes upon something he has never seen.  Fortunately, he saves Mia from certain death.

In the final four stories Mia and Uly truly struggle to stay alive, suffering the stuff of nightmares for foxes (and humans).  At times the evil and forces of nature are truly overwhelming, but the needs of others are a powerful motivator.  Soon there are three little foxes, then two and finally as the night moves toward dawn, only the youngest remains listening to the storyteller.  She, like readers, is torn between abject, gasping fear and the absorbing need to know what happens to Mia and Uly.  We like the young foxes and finally, the youngest, are told not all kits survive.  Is the end of a tale really the end?


First you have to know, there is hardly a second for you to recover from one harrowing incident to the next.  Thankfully, author Christian McKay Heidicker has two to six pages between the tales for conversations between the listening kits and the storyteller.  These do serve to provide momentary relief but also heighten the anxiety before the next portion begins.  In these pauses the atmosphere, the setting at Bog Cavern, is continually enhanced for readers.

Without a doubt, readers will enter the world of Mia and Uly completely.  The settings and circumstances in which they find themselves are depicted vividly.  We are emotionally tied to every experience.  Here are some of the earlier passages I marked.  (After this, I could not stop reading for a single moment until I read the last word.)

Yes, it may have been wise for fox kits to stay close to the den once the leaves began to fall.  But the fog and the frost and the old crimson moon had stirred something in their whiskers.

"But," the storyteller said, "if you don't listen closely . . . if you turn tail from the horror and don't stay till the end, then the darkness of the story can swallow all hope.  It can frighten you so deeply you'll never want to leave your den again. . . ."

Her mom slipped through the wind-woven vines, and Mia followed, nosing through the tangle until the leaves came to an abrupt end and the world opened like a gasp.  The sky beamed upon an emerald meadow.  A soft wind blew pale stripes across the grass, sweeping as far as Mia's eyes could see.


Scary Stories for Young Foxes written by Christian McKay Heidicker with art by Junyi Wu elevates the meaning of scary story to a whole new level.  With a striking use of language complemented by black and white drawings, readers will be too spooked to stop reading.  At the beginning of each tale is a full-page image relative to the story and a single smaller illustration is placed within each tale.  One stunning design tecnique is when we are in the present rather than the tales, the pages turn black with white text and small sticks act as framing.  You'll want to have this title for your personal and professional collections but beware . . .truthfully, beware.  (This post is written using an advanced reader's edition.)

To discover more about Christian McKay Heidicker and Junyi Wu and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Christian McKay Heidicker maintains accounts on Facebook and Twitter.  I think you be appropriately chilled by the book trailer as seen at Romper.  You can read an excerpt from this title at the publisher's website.

Back To The Place Called Home

Now, after two weeks, when pressing my face into her fur it triggers new sensations.  There are odors of sunshine, evergreens, lake breezes and wild.  Her soul is new too, her spirit soaring as we traverse paths and roadways through northern Michigan woods.  Startled deer leap in front of us.  At any given moment my canine companion will freeze, listening and sniffing the air.

Today in the very early hours of the morning after finishing, for the second time, The Wild Robot Escapes (Little, Brown and Company, March 13 2018) written and illustrated by Peter Brown, later, during our first walk, my mind wandered in different directions.  It was wonderful to compare the second title with the first, The Wild Robot (Little, Brown and Company, April 5, 2016).  Using my senses to take in these pristine surroundings and all they offer, it was easy to think of ROZZUM unit 7134 affectionately known as Roz.  It was easy to imagine her walking along beside us or appearing in the woods when she believed we meant her and her friends no harm.

Without divulging too much, at the end of the first title, Roz is forced to leave those and that which she loves most.  I know what you are thinking.  How can a robot love? Roz is an extraordinary being.

Chapter 1
THE CITY
Our story begins in a city, with buildings and streets and bridges and parks.  Humans were strolling, automobiles were driving, airships were flying, robots were hard at work.
Weaving through the city streets was a delivery truck.

Picking up speed this truck zooms away from the city and past vast stretches of country landscape until it reaches one specific farm, Hilltop Farm.  It stops and drops out a crate.  Inside is a ROZZUM unit.  It is number 7134.  Roz.

What the farmer, Mr. Shareef, his dog Curly, and his children a daughter, Jaya, and a son, Jad, do not know and cannot know, is Roz will exceed the required work needed to be done on the dairy farm.  (After the death of his wife and an injury, Mr. Shareef, is desperate to save this family land.)  That first night, the cows in the barn, like the animals on the island, discover Roz's mind does not function as the technology in other robots does.  She speaks their language.

Day after day a routine forms as Roz repairs the other automated equipment and maintains every aspect of this farm.  She is as content as one can be when living two lives and longing for home. As the seasons shift, flocks of geese stop at the pond on the property. Conversing with them, she gets a promise.  She starts to plan . . . her escape.

It does not miss the attention of the children that their robot has special qualities.  Storytelling sessions begin.  There are stories of a wild robot on an island and her son, a goose named Brightbill.  Jaya and Jad are completely captivated.

A pack of wolves, a wild tornado, a summer night around a campfire, the existence of an old barn, the arrival of a special flock of geese and a startling revelation alter relationships.  More secrets are kept and an expanded plan is put into action.  Spring brings renewed hope as well as increased fears.

Readers' hearts will race as surely as the heart of Brightbill and the survival mode wired into Roz as they attempt to reach a goal.  Danger is a constant companion.  At any moment they realize they might never see each other again.  At any moment they realize one of them could die.  Expect the unexpected as this breathtaking companion title thrills us until the final word is read.  That word will sound in every soul.


When a book starts with

Our story begins

readers are immediately drawn into the plot.  We step into this narrative as if it's our own.  From time to time throughout the story, this unseen narrator will carry on casual conversations with us.  This technique is brilliantly employed by Peter Brown and it is as successful here as it was in the first title.

Short chapters with short definitive titles propel us forward as quickly as we can turn the pages.  The end of each one connects flawlessly with the following chapter.  A blend of conversations and narrative text give us insight into the characters thoughts, moods and motives.  Vivid descriptions of setting further envelope us as we move from one landscape to another.  Here are some passages.

Nobody knew quite what to think of the strange creature in their midst. And soon all the cows were voicing their thoughts.
"I think the monster is harmless."
"I think the monster is unnatural."
"I think the monster is moving!" 
The herd fell silent as the monster marched out from the shadows and into the middle of the barn.  And then she did the impossible.  She did the unthinkable.  She spoke to the cows in the language of the animals.
"I am not a monster, I am a robot.  My name is Roz."

The cows and the humans spent hot days indoors.
Only when the sun finally set and the air began to cool would they venture outside.  The herd strolled out to graze under the stars, the children ran out to chase fireflies, sometimes even Mr. Shareef stepped out to stretch his stiff legs.
Leaves rustled in the evening breeze.
Heat lightning flickered on the horizon.
Cicadas sang from tree branches.

"Running away might be easy for you, but not for me," said Roz.  "Your father can track my movements.  If he sees me trying to escape he will think I am defective, and he will send me away to be destroyed."
An uncomfortable question popped into Jaya's mind.  
"Roz, don't take this the wrong way," she began, "but is it possible that you are defective?"
"Don't say that, Jaya!" cried her brother.
"No, it is okay," said the robot.  "I have asked myself that same question.  I do not feel defective.  I feel . . . different.  Is being different the same as being defective?"
"I hope not," said Jaya.  "Otherwise we're all a little defective."

Even way out there in the wilderness, she wanted to go unseen.  What Roz didn't realize was that she was already being watched.


Having read an ARC generously supplied by the publisher, I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of a completed book to see the illustrations Peter Brown provides.  The cover (The cover reveal is at School Library Journal, A Fuse #8 Production, by Elizabeth Bird.) gives readers a huge hint.  Where is Roz and why is she there?  Let me simply say prepare to be on a roller coaster ride of emotions.


This title, The Wild Robot Escapes, written and illustrated by Peter Brown is, like the first title, a classic.  It addresses the issues of our interconnectedness with all animals, domestic and wild. It asks us to seek peaceful solutions to every question.  It promotes discussions on the part technology plays in our lives.  Think about the fact that with all the advancements available to those children, the storytelling with Roz was their favorite thing.  I can't imagine a professional or personal collection without several copies of this title.  It's spectacular!

To learn more about Peter Brown and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  I know you will enjoy this post by Peter dedicated to the work in creating this book.  At Little, Brown and Company, you can listen to a podcast where Peter talks about The Wild Robot Escapes.  Here is a link to a Book Club Guide for the first title.  Author, reviewer, and blogger at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast Julie Danielson writes about this book at Chapter 16.  Peter Brown is interviewed by songwriter and singer Emily Arrow at Musing, a laid-back lit journal.  Enjoy the audio book excerpt.

Friendship Finds A Way

The existence of cities and civilizations beyond our knowledge is intriguing.  They may have flourished centuries ago leaving behind only fragments of their presence yet to be discovered.  To believe there is a corner on our planet with people, animals and plants thriving today untouched by anyone other than themselves is thrilling.  Hopefully in the future there will be societies more wonderful than we can imagine not only here but on other planets in other solar systems in other galaxies.

To allow our minds to wonder about these possibilities creates stories which fascinate us with every word we hear or read.  Last year graphic novelist Faith Erin Hicks released such a tale into the children's literature realm.  The Nameless City (First Second, April 5, 2016) is a remarkable place filled with The Named.  These people, the city's people, remain neutral as it is conquered over and over throughout generations.

Strategically located at the base of a mountain range, it contains a passage carved through the mountains so the River of Lives can flow into the sea.  For thirty years the Dao have held the city but the Yisun and the Liao are waiting for an opportunity to take it back.  As this book begins a group of Dao children have been sent to the city from their homeland to begin training as soldiers.

Twenty-five year old Erzi, the first Dao born in the city, is the son of the current ruler, The General Of All Blades.  He and his highly skilled body guard, a woman of The Nameless City, called Mura are instructing the group.  In the midst of this one of the main protagonists, Kaidu, meets his father, Andren, for the first time. As their relationship develops we come to understand why they are meeting after so many years and the role of Andren in the city's politics.

On his first adventure into the city alone, against palace policy, Kaidu meets one of The Named who calls herself Rat.  She is understandably not happy with a Dao.  He simply wants to find his way back to the palace.  After a theft and an impromptu race, a bargain is made; food in exchange for learning how to navigate the city on the rooftops.

Over the course of more than thirty days as their mutual respect and trust grows, so too does our knowledge of the monks home called The Stone Heart, a place of refuge and keeping of the city's history, the power struggle at the palace between the ruler, his son and Kaidu's father and of the Northern People, original occupants and builders of the city.  A secret meeting observed and a gift (two seemingly unrelated incidents) result in heart pounding life or death actions bringing readers breathlessly to the conclusion of this first title.


The Stone Heart (The Nameless City 2) (First Second, April 4, 2017) written and illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks with color again by Jordie Bellaire begins three months after the electrifying conclusion of The Nameless City.  Rat has been spending time at the palace healing.  Tension between Erzi and his father, The General Of All Blades is intensifying.  Andren's plan for a council of all those concerned with the city is accepted by The General Of All Blades but not his son.

We understand something is amiss between Mura and Jonah, a former soldier now turned monk at The Stone Heart.  Rat reveals to Kaidu the monks harbor secrets forgetting he is Dao.  Two of Rat's friends are introduced to Kaidu, one grudgingly accepting his presence.  Two more key pieces in the ever-growing puzzle are supplied to readers; the death of Rat's parents and the saving of Mura by Erzi.  Every page turn sizzles with revelations as the pressure mounts.

A shocking betrayal will leave you stunned.  The status quo no longer exists.  New enemies and unexpected allies emerge.  Decisions with horrifying results are made to lessen the loss of life.

Adversaries within the city and outside the city are devising strategies.  That which has been stolen must be stolen again.  An escape under the cover of darkness holds promise but...what does the final panel mean?  Is a dark, bitter soul about to radiate pure evil?  (Talk about a cliffhanger...)


It is abundantly clear the heart of this trilogy as seen in the first two titles is the growing (unlikely) friendship and affection between Kaidu, a son of a Dao general and diplomat, and one of The Named, Rat.  As an author Faith Erin Hicks fashions this relationship in light of other bonds, Jonah and Rat, Kaidu and Andren, his father, The General Of All Blades and Erzi, and Erzi and Mura.  Expertly woven into the narrative, especially in the second book, are explanatory portions of the past.  The world Faith has built inspired by thirteenth-century China asks readers to think deeply about the conquered and their conquerors.

Told entirely through a skillful blend of dialogue and wordless images, the story captivates you through the universality of young people trying to make sense of the past, striving toward a better future while realizing their full potential.  The playful humor, the harbored feelings of wrongs committed, the emotional turmoil between parents and children and the strain of a city and country unraveling are displayed in Faith's use of words and language.  Here are some sample passages from book one and book two.

I guessed you'd go back there, and I was lucky: you did.
That's not fair! You can't beat me with luck!
Yeah, well, it happened.  Goodbye.
Race me again.
What? NO.
You have to!  No one is faster than me.
You're just going to have to live with one person being faster.
I'll take you back to the Dao palace.
Fine.  You take me home and I'll race you again.
YESSS.
C'mon, let's race.
Nope, done enough for today.  Race later.  Tomorrow, I guess.
Ugh, fine!  Tomorrow we race.
Just so you know, the palace is this way.
URGH!
What's your name?
Rat.
HaHa, I thought you said your name was Rat---
I did.
Um...okay.
Do you want to know my name?
No.
Why not?
I don't want to know any Dao's name. (Kaidu and Rat)


The city is a part of me, in a way that it isn't a part of you.
I was born here!  I grew up here!  I am the city's rightful heir.
You can't take that away from me because...because you feel sorry for a child!
A child who saved your life.
I will fight this plan for a council of nations.  I have supporters within the military.
I will not stand aside while you throw the empire away.
Then I will send you back to the Dao homelands.
Wh---What?
I am the General Of All Blades.  I have decided on a path for the Dao in The Nameless City.  You will stand with me, or I will send you back to the homelands.
I've never even seen the Dao homelands.
You would send me away from everything I've ever known? (Erzi and his father)


The magnificent front of the book cases, on the hardcover and paperback copies, has raised portions of text and line work.  Each of the images is full of action nearly ready to leap from paper to reality.  From Rat and Kaidu running along the tiled roofs to Mura's warrior stance within Erzi's silhouette readers know they are in for nonstop adventure in this fantastic world.  On the opening and closing endpapers Faith Erin Hicks has drawn a map of The Nameless City and the outlying areas.

The intricate details in every single panel will have you pausing and going back to look at each one again.  The panoramic views are breathtaking and the close-ups bring you intimately into the moment.  The action sequences, of which there are many, are elaborately executed.  There will be times when you no longer feel like you are holding a book.  Instead you will believe you are watching a movie.

Some of my favorite illustrations are when Rat and Kaidu are running along the rooftops in the city.  Their feats display amazing agility.  When they leap across the river, rooftop to rooftop, you have to remind yourself to breathe.


If you have not read The Nameless City written by Faith Erin Hicks with color by Jordie Bellaire, remedy that immediately.  Then on April 4, 2017 run, don't walk, to your nearest independent bookstore to get a copy of The Stone Heart.  If they don't have it, stop by your public library to put in a request for them to purchase it or place a hold on a copy.  I read both these books twice yesterday.  You better believe when the final book in the trilogy, The Divided Earth, is released, I will get it as soon as possible.

To learn more about Faith Erin Hicks and her other work please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Faith also maintains a Tumblr account.  To view panels from book one and book two please visit the publisher's website.  The publishers have created a guide, Understanding and Exploring the Middle-Grade Graphic Novel.  Faith Erin Hicks is interviewed at Geek Mom, Comic Book Resources,  Chicago Review of Books and the Los Angeles Times.  Faith Erin Hicks is a guest on All The Wonders, Let's Get Busy: Episode 246 with teacher librarian Matthew C. Winner.

Survival Of The Most Intelligent

When a plan is in place, preparations are made to support it.  Every action taken focuses on the goal.  We all know though, plans, preparations and actions combined do not always equal the desired result.  Mother Nature has a way of throwing the proverbial monkey wrench into the mix.

Rain cancels picnic feasts, blizzards cancel a day on the slopes and too much sun cancels a hockey match on the neighborhood pond.  In his debut middle-grade book Peter Brown (Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, My Teacher Is A Monster!: (No, I Am Not.)) begins with weather on the rampage.  The Wild Robot (Little, Brown and Company, April 5, 2016) is first a story of survival but each chapter broadens and deepens the very definition of the word.

Our story begins on the ocean, with wind and rain and thunder and lightning and waves.  A hurricane roared and raged through the night.  And in the middle of the chaos, a cargo ship was sinking.

Aboard this ship was a load of crates; each filled with a single robot.  In the morning the only sign of the ship was five floating crates which traveled until a small rocky island was in sight.  Only one was lifted by waves undamaged to a safe position on the shore.

Poking about the robot wreckage in the early light of the day was a group of sea otters.  They were unable to resist the shininess of the body parts and the damaged but intact crate.  In their eagerness to grasp the spongy protective layer inside the crate, one of them brought the enclosed machine to life.  And this began a tale like none other.

ROZZUM unit 7134, Roz, adapted as she was programmed to do. Her desire to survive first finally had her blending in as part of the flora, allowing her to learn from the animal inhabitants on the island.  At one of their Dawn Truce meetings she presented herself but the animals wanted nothing to do with her.  Not a one of them wanted to help or teach her.

A fox in need, an opossum with first-class acting skills and an orphaned gosling started to shift the animals' assessment of this uninvited resident.  In her endeavors to care for Brightbill, a name given to the gosling by the elderly goose, Loudwing, Roz made connections with the beaver and deer families.  Skills were traded with everyone a winner.  As the spring passed into summer Roz was assimilating more into the animal culture on the island as Brightbill adeptly, with his Mama's help, increased his goose swimming and flying abilities.

As autumn approached an unprovoked attack left Roz a little less herself.  Winter brought frightening challenges but the arrival of spring was celebrated until terror visited the island.  Edge-of-your-seat tension continued chapter after chapter as heroes were born.  As long as there was hope change for the greater good would be accepted.


As soon as chapter one is read, readers know this is going to be an extraordinary book.  The narrator, when speaking, directly addresses the readers personally involving us in this story.  We are privy through Roz's thoughts and the animals' observations and all the conversations, how this robot becomes not only a part of the community but vital to the survival of many members on the island.  Peter Brown through the character of Roz also directs our attention to respect for the natural world, how each species are integral, environmental concerns and the place and purpose of technology.

The technique of short chapters replicates real life; our day is composed of many linked moments.  Each one ends with a carefully crafted sentence, sometimes a statement of fact, but they encourage us to continue.  Vivid descriptions of the island help us to create pictures of the landscape in our minds.  We come to understand how the animal inhabitants live, die and survive.  The relationship between Roz and Brightbill evolves into a heartwarming bond; a beautiful blend of logic and love.  Here are some sample passages.

Animal sounds filled the forest.  Chirps and wingbeats and rustlings in the underbrush.  And then, from the sea cliffs, there came new sounds.  Heavy, crunching footsteps.  The forest animals fell silent, and from their hiding places they watched as a sparkling monster stomped past.

When Roz first stomped across the island, the animal squawks and growls and chirps had sounded like nothing more than meaningless noises.  But she no longer heard animal noises.  Now she heard animal words.  

"Have you done any acting?" asked the opossum.
"I have not," said the robot.
"Well, you should!  You might enjoy it.  You can start by imagining the character you'd like to be.  How do they move and speak?  What are their hopes and fears?  How do others react to them?  Only when you truly understand a character can you become that character..."

"Should I stop calling you Mama?" said the gosling.
"I will still act like your mother, no matter what you call me," said the robot.
"I think I'll keep calling you Mama."
"I think I will keep calling you son."
"We're a strange family," said Brightbill, with a little smile. "But I kind of like it that way."
"Me too," said Roz. 

Throughout the book Peter Brown has drawn images in black and white.  Their size varies according to the passage, point in the story, they enhance.  Each one evokes an emotional response in the reader.

 One of my many favorite illustrations is inside the Nest.  There is no fire going at this moment.  Roz and Brightbill are facing each other.  Brightbill has just pressed the button.  The expressions on their faces speak volumes.


The Wild Robot written and illustrated by Peter Brown is a memorable, moving tale of survival, community and family.  Whether read silently and individually or as a read aloud, this book will be counted as a favorite of readers for this year and as a cherished title for many, many years to come.  No collection, professional or personal, should be without a copy.  Thank you, Peter Brown.

To learn more about Peter Brown and his other work, please visit his website by following the link embedded in his name.  The second of the two links takes you to the page describing the journey this book made until its publication.  To read an excerpt please stop by the publisher's website.  Peter Brown is interviewed at Publishers Weekly and at the Barnes & Noble BNKIDS blog.  Peter Brown is also a guest at All The Wonders, Let's Get Busy, Episode 247 with teacher librarian Matthew Winner.  You might want to listen to one of the chapters read aloud by following a link in one of the tweets.

@MrSchuReads @lbkids I need 2 finally meet Kate so I can thank her 4 her tremendous contribution 2 kid lit...and 4 her endorsement of 🌲🤖!

— peterbrown! (@itspeterbrown) May 13, 2016

@Loveofxena Thank you! I poured everything I have into this book. So so glad it resonated with you!

— peterbrown! (@itspeterbrown) May 11, 2016

As the sun set, my 9yo read WILD ROBOT by @itspeterbrown out loud to me while I planted grape vines. Not sure I've ever been happier.

— Dan Gemeinhart (@DanGemeinhart) May 2, 2016

@itspeterbrown Son loved THE WILD ROBOT. Only complaint: "I wish it were longer. I want to see what happens to Roz next."

— Linda Urban (@lindaurbanbooks) April 12, 2016

I chat up @itspeterbrown's THE WILD ROBOT, with a little help from my daughter.https://t.co/x3sdNpqOho

— Jarrett J. Krosoczka (@StudioJJK) April 6, 2016

The Wild Robot LIVES! Hope to see you on my book tour! https://t.co/F12ZxiCKC5 #TheWIldRobot #robots pic.twitter.com/hlqyIuQWwg

— peterbrown! (@itspeterbrown) April 5, 2016

New song THE WILD ROBOT by Peter Brown, Read by Kate Atwater- Audiobook Excerpt by HachetteAudio just went up, lis… https://t.co/LUN4ElRow3

— Kevin Seawright (@KevinSeawrightt) April 4, 2016

@MrSchuReads @LibLaura5 The Wild Robot feels like a web 2.0 version of Hatchet.

— Mr. ©olby Sharp (@colbysharp) March 24, 2016

I'm loving The Wild Robot. Has anyone read it? I'd love to know your thoughts. https://t.co/UXmPVrIlN3

— Mr. ©olby Sharp (@colbysharp) March 22, 2016

For The Love Of A Dog #1

Sixteen years ago, nearly to the day, my husband and his youngest brother died in an automobile accident.  Month after month I barely existed.  On August 21, 2000 a small chocolate Labrador female puppy was born; the runt of the litter.  For us it was love at first sight.  I named her Xena after the television warrior princess realizing strength was essential for her survival.   She was so small it required feeding her three times a day.  I was allowed to have her at school in a crate in my office. (I let her out quite a bit thanks to my principal, Dick Swenor.) During story times she would sit on my lap as I read to the students.  She saved me; filling my life with joy.

Different breeds of dogs are known for particular traits.  One thing they have in common is their ability to know when they are needed. A dog guy to the core and author Michael J. Rosen (The Hound Dog's Haiku and Other Poems for Dog Lovers) has penned a remarkable story about a cattle dog who accomplished a feat out of the ordinary.  The Tale of Rescue (Candlewick, October 13, 2015) is a tribute to this dog, to all dogs, who do as they have always done.  They save us one heart at a time.

This is a tale about a cattle dog.  She had a name, but only one person knew it and usually he called her with herding words like cast and wait and by and that'll do.  Mostly he called her with whistles.

After reading about the life of the cattle dog and her farmer in the first few pages, we are introduced to a family of three.  This mother, father and their ten-year-old son are staying in a cabin which is part of a local lodge in this region of Ohio near the Appalachian Mountains.  Living in Florida they wanted to give their son a winter with snow.  Each day of their stay they experienced the beauty the season has to offer; cross-country skiing, hiking through a foot of snow, building snowmen, sledding and snowball fights.  On their last day a final morning walk before breakfast to the lodge quickly turned into all the makings for a tragic end.

As the weather is apt to do, a sunny day clouded over and within no time at all they found themselves in a whiteout.  Even though they were close to their destination, nothing was visible to them.  Retracing their steps back to their cabin was fruitless as the flakes were falling at a rapid rate filling in their tracks.  The drifts of heavy wet snow were soon at the height of the boy's waist.  Fatigue, the cold and lack of nourishment weighted their progress.  The helplessness of not being able to get your bearings in this kind of weather added to their growing panic.

By the time, hours later, when the snow subsided they were surrounded by four feet of it.  They trampled down a small circular den of sorts and huddled together.  Shouting would not help in the wild and wicked wind but the father every so often managed to thaw his lips enough to send out a piercing whistle.  This storm was not finished.  Freezing rain descended leaving a thick crust.

Back at the farm the wintry fury had sent the cattle dog working her hardest to herd the forty cows back to safety.  Now at rest her ears perked.  Had that been a whistle?  This was a new kind but it called to her.  It was a treacherous journey to find the source of the whistle.  Initially leery the parents soon followed their son's lead warming the frozen canine with their stiff chilly hands.  All too soon she left them.

She did awaken the farmer but all her attempts to make him understand failed.  It was now dark. The time for the trio with the dropping temperatures was shortening.  With the spirit of her kind and the work she had been trained to do, this cattle dog with a name only known by one got busy.  Eight years later this tale continued out of deep gratitude and affection...and

Yet stories do not always have the ending we imagine they will.  


Michael J. Rosen writes with the sure knowledge of dogs, setting and family.  His sensory descriptions of each are eloquent and brimming with emotion.  You are inside the story with every single page turn. Here are several sample passages.

The paired hearts of deer tracks stamped in the snow, stalactites of icicles along their cabin's timber eaves, snow angels, frost-crazed windowpanes---their snapshots captured every wintery thing they'd never encountered in Florida.  ... Out the cabin's windows the ground glistened like finely grated diamonds---the sand at the beach near their home did the same thing---when the sun pried a hole in the cloud cover. 

The family plodded ahead, single file:  The father shoved and tromped the snow to make the passage easier for his wife; she did the same for their son.  The wind's blasts slapped their faces; every tear and bead of sweat burned their skin.  They had to squint so that the snowflakes would melt on their lashes instead of stab at their eyes. 

Raced would have been the right word if the field were anything but four feet of compacted snow capped with ice.  A heeler's legs, remember, are twelve inches long; the snow was four times that...in its lowest spots.  Even the dog's nose reached no higher than thirty inches when she craned to sniff. This time, racing meant smacking hard into the crusted snow and slipping---one foot punching through the shell of ice, stumbling, and scrambling to get both feet repositioned.  

The boy rested his cheek on the dog's chilled and soaked coat.  When a tear spilled across his cheek, its warmth surprised him---the furnace inside him could still heat the water in his eyes.  A second later, it cooled on the dog's cold fur.  But as he held his face against her silver-black coat, her body's heat rose and eased the frost's rawness on that patch of his skin.  


The watercolor painting rendered by Stan Fellows spanning the front and back of the dust jacket is a lovely look and introduction to those interspersed throughout this title. Twenty-seven more images enhance the story beginning with the double-page picture of the farm on the title page as the cattle dog chases a cow home to the barn.  Most of the illustrations are on single pages but the one two-page wordless illustration clearly depicts the family's plight in the whiteout.

His use of light and shading are exquisite; not an easy task in snowy scenes.  His brush strokes capture the essence of every scene captivating the reader with the intensity of the moment.  With great skill he brings us into the image with his use of perspective.

One of my favorite illustrations is the one of the cattle dog opposite the first chapter page.  She is seated on a hill with the pastures, few clouds and rays of sunlight in the background.  Her gaze is shifted to the right of the page, neck turned as if listening.  Ears alert, tongue hanging out, she looks ready to spring into action.

The Tale of Rescue written by Michael J. Rosen with illustrations by Stan Fellows is a heart-pounding story of survival and a heartwarming story of a dog doing the work they love. You can't stop reading it once you begin.  It would make for an outstanding read aloud.  It has my highest recommendation.

To learn more about Michael J. Rosen and Stan Fellows and their work please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  A portion of the two-page picture I referenced earlier can be viewed at the publisher's website.  Enjoy the book trailer.




Yesterday afternoon my sweet Xena passed away.  To honor her I will be writing fifteen blog posts about fifteen dog books recently published.  For those of you interested here is an Animoto in tribute to her.


To further highlight her life I am giving away a copy of Michael J. Rosen's two books mentioned here.

Live, Just Live

When looking at bodies of water, ponds, lakes, small and large, seas and oceans I do so with a great deal of reverence and respect.  Firsthand experience at an early age, nearly drowning during a swim lesson at the YMCA as the instructor chatted on the deck with someone, taught me the power of water.  As an adult getting caught in a sudden squall on a twenty-six foot sailboat on the Atlantic Ocean and nearly falling overboard the same day due to a rogue wave (a portion of the rigging saved me but gave me a baseball-size lump on my check), reinforced my beliefs.

My admiration for every swimming feat performed by humans continues to grow story by story.  Overboard (First edition, 2002, Cricket Books, Carus Publishing) has been recently released in a print-on-demand version.  A debut novel for Elizabeth Fama it garnered a unanimous decision to be placed on the 2003 Best Books For Young Adults list by the American Library Association.

Emily might have been the only fourteen-year-old in the world who could change the sheets of a hospital bed with the patient still in it.  She had done it more times than she cared to remember.

Emily lives with Olivia and James, her parents, in Banda Aceh on the island of Sumatra.  Both of them are doctors working in a clinic as part of an international program, moving every two years.  Fair-haired, light-skinned Emily longs to return to Boston to attend school and be with her friends.  Her physical appearance causes her to feel like a freak.  The heat and humidity make her situation even more oppressive.

Her uncle, Matt, tries to get her parents to let her join him on the nearby island of Weh for a bit of a vacation but they want her to stay with them.  A death at the clinic for which Emily believes she is responsible has her running away toward the ferry headed for Weh.  Without a word to anyone, it's a decision placing her life in jeopardy.

The holiday of Ramadan has more than normal amounts of people using the ferry.  It hardly looks seaworthy but after several hours wait it leaves the docks.  Two British tourists Richard and Catherine strike up a conversation with Emily but moments later it's apparent by unusual activity of the crew, the ferry is in trouble.  Life vests are being thrown to passengers.  Emily snags one but without a second thought gives it to a young boy.

Shoved into the vest cabinet by panicked passengers, Emily is locked inside.  Liquid fills every space as the ferry sinks.  In a fierce battle with the water and her own thoughts she makes it to the surface of the sea.  Relieved to find Richard and Catherine in the growing darkness, little does Emily know the fight for survival is just beginning.

People turn into crazed individuals while attempting to secure a spot on a life raft, exhausted people make terrible choices, sharks swirl around the groups of passengers, and then following a distant speck of light, alternately swimming a variety of strokes or using her make-shift floaty,  Emily hears soft crying.  Following the sound she discovers the boy, the very boy to whom she had given the vest.

Sometimes an uneasy and at other times an appreciative relationship develops between nine-year-old Isman and Emily as hour after hour passes during the night and into the next day.  Each has lessons for the other to learn, practical means of existing in the water and spiritual practices of the Islamic faith.  In a further stunning turn of events a heart wrenching decision is made as the story spins toward a resolution.


As soon as the first chapter readers can understand the good intentions of the parents but through the writing of Elizabeth Fama we are drawn in empathy to Emily.  It's extremely hard to endure a situation not of your own choosing; especially when you believe your opinion and desires are thought to be insignificant.  We readers will come to realize as does Emily, it could always be worse.

Each chapter ends with an important thought, conversation or statement.  These propel you forward quickly to the next page, cause you to knowingly nod or pause wondering what you would do in similar circumstances.  Even before the ferry accident the mood created by Fama's writing is intense.

Emily's conversations when she is alone are exquisitely written; an exploration of self in the midst of survival.  The portrayal of Isman and the strength he finds in his faith in the face of overwhelming odds will go straight to your soul lifting it up.  Some of the scenes between Isman and Emily will bring readers to tears.  The contrast provided by the British couple's understanding of the people and Emily's points out to readers that while Emily is not happy living in Indonesia, she does have insights into the culture of the people.  Here are some sample passages.

Before she could hear an answer, she was pulled under the water.  She didn't have time to catch a breath.  Someone, something, was dragging her under from behind.  She felt water churning in front of her face.  She scraped at the water with her hands, losing her leggings-float.  She didn't feel any pain, but she was sure it was a shark.

She focused on the stars again and one little point of light moved down in a streak.  For a fraction of a second she thought it was a plane, but it was clearly a shooting star.  Half a minute later, another.  The longer she looked, the more she saw.  A beautiful light show, hundreds of miles away.  No, not really a light show.  These were bits of rock or dust, burning up as they traveled through the earth's atmosphere.  They were lifeless meteors that cared nothing for her.  They weren't shooting for her; they weren't shooting for any human beings.  They had shot long before humans were on earth, and they would shoot long after humans were gone.  Look at that sky, millions of miles deep.  Nothing in that incredibly full sky cares about humans, or about the silly, stupid things we do.  Humans are the only things that care about humans, and in the end we don't even do that very well.

Isman held up the bitten tomato.  "This is from Allah.  No matter who grew it or who bought it.  Allah alone made this tomato possible.  I try to remember whatever I have---whatever I love---comes from God.  Saying the ninety-nine names helps remind me."
He took a last measured bite and handed Emily the rest.
"My father says that nothing belongs to us in this world, Ehm-lee. This is why we share our good fortune with others, and give alms to the poor.  This is what we learn; that everything is on loan from God."


When you start to read Overboard written by Elizabeth Fama you need to make sure your time is free because there is no stopping until you are finished.  It's a highly captivating story of survival and human growth in an extreme situation.  It defines page-turner.

In her Author's Note at the conclusion of the novel Elizabeth Fama explains the true events on which this story is based.  To learn more about Elizabeth Fama and this book please visit her website by following the link attached to her name.  She has included a discussion guide for educators on themes and ideas important to her when writing this book.

Deserted In The Desert

If you've ever been lost it's not a very good feeling.  Your surroundings, if you happen to be in the woods, start to look the same no matter which way you turn.  You have a hard time finding something familiar.  If you are traveling by car, fortunately with advancements in technology, you can usually find your way back on track.  Even with a road atlas, the highways and streets will eventually make sense.  You can discover your mistake.

As a child being separated from an adult, even if it started as a hide-and-seek game, can become terrifying.  The sense of detachment is overwhelming.  In Jen White's debut novel, Survival Strategies Of The Almost Brave (Farrar Straus Giroux, June 9, 2015) two sisters are deliberately left alone at a gas station somewhere in the southwest.

Survival Strategy#1:
FAKE IT

FAKE IT.
That's definitely number one in my notebook.  All people do it.  Faking it could save your life.

Twelve-year-old Liberty and her eight-year-old sister, Billie, have come out from the restroom at a gas station to find the camper truck and their father missing.  A truly horrifying incident earlier in the morning has both girls on edge.  There are parts of them hoping their dad will return but knowing he probably won't.

Three months earlier their mom was struck by a car after leaving the hospital having completed her last shift.  Their mom's best friend and boss, Julie, is taking care of the girls when she happens to find their dad's address among their mom's things.  It has been six years since they have seen him.  Believing it would be best for the sisters to be with a parent, Julie leaves them in the care of their well- known photographer dad.  They have been traveling around the southwest from one picturesque place to another.

Using skills like animals acquired from watching endless hours of Hunter and Hunted and faithfully written in her notebook, Liberty determines the creepy gas station attendant and the newly arrived cowboy-looking man are not to be trusted.  She and Billie run for their lives.  After nearly being discovered outside, they hide in the backseat of a car loaded with clothing hanging from a bar.  At least for now they are leaving the gas station in safety.

Every chapter is more gripping than the previous chapter.  Bits and pieces of the time with their mom and the months with their dad are woven into their struggles to get home, to secure stability.  A harrowing night spent outside a hotel coupled with an equally frantic episode in the morning has them on the run again.

People, places and incidents, several angry guests, a waitress, a boy obsessed with Star Wars, a hidden tunnel in a hedge, a bullying brother, a tattoo-covered truck driver, a woman with a horde of unusual pets, a failed escape, injuries and lack of water, one at a time stack against the two girls like a handful of cards in a losing game.  Every attempt to communicate with Julie is met with silence.  In the heartbreaking final chapters, a place brings everything into focus for Liberty.  All the shattered fragments form to fill her heart with certainty and hope.


When finishing this book for the first time one word rang like a bell in my mind, intense.  There are many skillful means employed by Jen White to create this acute sense of needing to turn the pages.  Each chapter is a numbered survival strategy.  The titles, Beware of "Skip To My Lou", Panic Is Not Your Friend, Hide or Beware of Sharks, give us a hint as to what we might experience in each one.  We are privy to Liberty's thought process for every decision she makes to keep her and Billie safe.  The addition of dialogue between Billie and Liberty and the girls and the other people heightens the tension.

Fairly early we know something has happened causing the girls to be in this predicament.  Through flashbacks about their mother and father, White builds the action to a point where the event is revealed but it is not until nearly the end.  Instead of giving specific names to her cast of characters Liberty gives them descriptive names, Shiny Head, Lavender Lady or Spoon Guy.  This is a realistic approach as the girls have no idea who anyone truly is.  It creates an atmosphere of being alone.  Here are a few sample passages from the book.

After living in a camper for the past two months, San Diego felt light-years away.  Like we had slipped through a crack in the atmosphere and dipped ourselves into this strange summer, sticky with newness.  And still after everything, we were alone.  Just the two of us roasting in clay on this quiet, dusty road.

Not even for a second did I believe that.  Maybe it was the way his voice crept up my spine and stayed there.  Pebbles and stones cut into my hands and knees.  Before I came here, I though desert sand was like beach sand, but it wasn't.  It's hard and dry and rocky.  Nothing at all like the beach.  Dry brush scratched my face, and my dirty T-shirt blended in perfectly with the weeds that were as high as my body.  Camouflaged.


Survival Strategies Of The Almost Brave written by Jen White is an outstanding middle grade novel.  It is a gripping portrait of sisters trying to cope with grief, navigate a precarious relationship with an unstable parent and outlast the circumstances in which they find themselves.  I predict this book will rarely be on the shelves, passed from reader to reader.

To learn more about Jen White, the story behind this story and more, please visit her website by following the link attached to her name.  At the publisher's website you can read the first chapter.  Here is a seventeen page Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards Aligned Presentation Packet for an author visit.  It's a fantastic teacher's guide.  Here is a link to a reader's guide with discussion questions.  Teacher librarian extraordinaire, John Schumacher, hosted Jen White on his blog, Watch. Connect. Read.

Glacial Good Will

On more than one occasion I have been aboard a sailboat in the Atlantic Ocean only to wonder if my last moments on this earth were quickly approaching. An unforeseen gust of wind changes the tilt of the deck nearly throwing me overboard.  Luckily my cheekbone became friends with the rigging; a baseball-size bump being my only souvenir.  A blue sky quickly turns black as a squall blows in.  When the captain, who never wears a life-jacket, dons his and asks everyone else to put one on, you feel fear travel from the top of your head to the tip of your toes in mere seconds.

For these reasons those hardy souls who traveled, in conditions fit for neither humans or animals, across oceans to seek a better life have my utmost respect.  To do so alone without the company of a single friend or family is truly commendable. Simon And The Bear: a Hanukkah Tale (Disney Hyperion, September 2, 2014) written by Eric A. Kimmel with illustrations by Matthew Trueman traces a journey filled with one marvel after another.

When Simon set out for America, he promised his mother and brothers and sisters that he would work hard and save money.  As soon as he could, he would send tickets for all of them.

His mother packs his knapsack to the brim with food and several traditional items for observing Hanukkah.  He has hard-boiled eggs, salted herring, heavy black bread and lots of latkes.  A dreidel, matches, a box of candles and a small menorah are carefully placed inside.

Simon's luck begins when he purchases the final ticket on a ship sailing to America.  Nothing, not even the rolling ship, can discourage his joy at getting closer and closer to his destination.  This happiness is short-lived when during the night the boat begins to sink after striking an iceberg.

When Simon goes to climb on the last lifeboat after helping others to safety, a man calls out to have them wait.  Unfortunately there is no more room.  He throws a family heirloom to Simon to give to his son.  What happens next clearly demonstrates the true character of Simon.  He trades places with the man.  Can you imagine how he feels watching all the lifeboats leave without him?

As the ship sinks into the icy waters Simon, knapsack in hand, leaps.  Does he land in the water?  No!  He finds himself standing on the very iceberg responsible for destroying their vessel.  As the gravity of his situation threatens to overcome him, he remembers his Mother's parting words.  This is the first night of Hanukkah.  Perhaps a miracle will happen to him. He uses the shamash to light the first candle.  He spins his dreidel hopefully.

Soon the little light from his candles sputter out. Plunged in darkness Simon hears and sees something new.  I'm sure his heart nearly stops when a huge white bear joins him on the iceberg.  His guest enjoys the food his mother knew he would need.  Well...most of it.

The two, shipwreck survivor and mother ice bear, develop a relationship over the course of seven days and nights.  On the eighth night Simon is hoping for one more blessing as the light from all the candles glows.  Without warning, again surrounded by only the moon, stars, dark and the silent sea, the bear who has kept him warm every night stands and swims away.  Simon calls out in fear.  The night provides a reply.


Whenever I begin a tale crafted by Eric A. Kimmel, I feel as if I have walked through a door into a simpler life when nightly stories told around a fire burning for warmth would entertain eager listeners.  Even though they might take place in another time or place, he brings them to the here and now to make a print upon your reader's heart.  His narrative speaks of beliefs not only essential to his Jewish character but profound truths about life.

Specific word choices form sentences binding you to narrative while introducing you to terms associated with Hanukkah.   Similes draw you into significant moments.  Dialogue endears you to the characters. Here are two sample passages.

His bunk was in the hold, with three hundred other people packed together like herring in a barrel.  When the ship sailed, the barrel began to roll.

"Are you hungry, bear?" Simon said brightly, trying not to show his fear.  Slowly and carefully, he opened his pack.  "Have I got a treat for you!" he said.  He handed a latke to the bear, who gobbled it down.
"Delicious, isn't it? Have some more," Simon cooed.  "Better to eat latkes than to eat me!"


Look at the face of Simon on the front dust jacket and book case.  It's happy in the light of the Hanukkah candles.  As he tells his stories an attentive bear curves around his body listening.  Readers are already questioning how Simon came to be celebrating Hanukkah sitting on ice next to a bear.  On the back a separate image shows only the head of the bear as it moves through the water.  The text reads

Miracles can happen to anyone,
                                                          anywhere,
                                                                                even in the darkest of times.

The opening and closing endpapers are a northern night sky filled with stars.  The only difference is at the end a crescent moon hangs in the upper left-hand corner.  Beneath the title Matthew Trueman has placed a small oval picture. On a shelf of ice sits the menorah.  Next to it are two large bear prints.  This oval shape is used again to feature potato latkes wrapped in paper, a dreidel and a menorah, with all its candles burning, on an icy surface beneath the author's note at the end.

With the exception of four single images, all of Trueman's illustrations span two pages.  Each one creates an unmistakable atmosphere laden with emotion; the sadness of leaving, the excitement of a grand new adventure, the fear of an impending disaster, the hesitancy in making choices, the overwhelming sense of being alone in a vast unfriendly place, the comfort of custom, the relief of companionship and the gratitude of receiving miracles.  Deep blue hues and shades of white act as an excellent choice for those scenes highlighting the colors used for Simon and the goodness found in his knapsack.  The first and final illustrations offer a fuller range of color portraying familial love.

One of my favorite illustrations of several is of the ship sinking, the deck on a tilt.  Upon looking through the railing the night sky is displaying its usual starry brightness.  Ship windows are still yellow with light.  On the deck is the man in the fur coat, his arm extended after throwing his watch to Simon.  Two other passengers can be seen with him in the life boat waiting to be lowered.  This is a major turning point in the story.  Trueman brings us in close so we can see all the facial expressions on his characters.  I've always liked the way he does faces with his own signature depiction of eyes, noses, ears and mouths.


Heartwarming to the core Simon And The Bear: A Hanukkah Tale penned by Eric A. Kimmel and pictured by Matthew Trueman is an exceptional choice for a holiday book; a perfect blend of the work of a master teller of tales and an accomplished illustrator.  I highly recommend you give it a place on your shelves.  A brief author's note at the end offers explanations for the original miracle of the lighting of the menorah, the preparation of latkes and the spinning of the dreidel with its letters.

Please follow the links embedded in Eric A. Kimmel's and Matthew Trueman's names to access their websites.  Each provides additional information about their other work.  This link takes you to TeachingBooks.net for a pronunciation of Eric A. Kimmel's name.

To Survive

When you are younger panic changes to sheer will to live as when I nearly drowned at the YMCA during a swimming lesson.  When you are older, finding yourself momentarily lost in sunny autumn woods, everything you have learned from your outdoorsman father takes over.  No panic this time, just a calm resolve to locate the trail again.

When a dog (or more) chooses you, everything changes.  You are no longer alone but a team.  They can read you and your surroundings better than you could have ever anticipated.  It's a two-way trust like no other.  This trust is tested in a grueling, riveting story of survival, Ice Dogs (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) by Terry Lynn Johnson.

All eight of my dogs are stretched in front of me in pairs along the gangline.  They claw the ground in frustration as the loudspeaker blares.

It's a Saturday in Alaska.  Fourteen-year-old Victoria Secord is running her dogs in an effort to qualify for the White Wolf Classic.  Within twenty-four hours her desire to not only qualify for that race but to win it, to put together the best team of dogs she can, will save a life but begin a fight to remain alive.

Deciding to take six of her best on an unfamiliar trail Sunday, to talk with Cook about dogs he is selling, seems like a good idea when she starts out on the run.  Her efforts to reach his kennel and return home before dark are hampered first by the discovery of an injured snowmobiler and then by the onset of a ferocious snowstorm.  Darkness creeps in; insuring all will be spending the night in the Alaskan bush.

As day two draws to a close, it becomes apparent Chris, the rescued newcomer to Alaska, clearly does not remember the way to his home.  Their only hope is to move forward attempting to reach more traveled trails and a main road.  Despite Victoria's considerable skills learned from her late father, a trapper and musher, Chris's lack of experience, his unintentional bungling, impedes her efforts as does the merciless wilderness.  Every gain is followed by a setback; the loss of a map, an unexpected cliff or an explosion.

The scales hang in a fragile balance between life and death as day five dawns.  The relentless frigid temperatures, lack of food and water have taken their toll.  Everything is about the dogs.  Everything depends on the dogs.


From the start of this adventurous novel, author Terry Lynn Johnson, has taken great pains to ensure you will have to continuously remind yourself to breath; page-turner does not even begin to describe the depth and breadth of the non-stop action.  Drawing on her own years of dog sledding and working in the out-of-doors, she creates vivid images of the Alaskan landscape.  Detailed depictions of every vista and time of day will take you into the moment.  Through her writing the wilderness becomes an additional character.

Readers will be unable to help cheering for the two teenagers, Victoria and Chris, from vastly different backgrounds, one raised in the Alaskan bush, the other in the city of Toronto.  Johnson fully portrays two people through their thoughts, banter and conversations.  Readers become informed through dialogue of their strengths, flaws and personal sadness.

Care of the dogs, the individual characteristics of the dogs and their affinity to Victoria and even Chris will bring greater understanding to readers while adding to the story's depth.  It's as if the plot moves in sync with the motion of a dog team on the trails.  Depending on the conditions of the snow, the terrain, the weather, other wildlife, rest and nourishment, they move fast, slow, forward, right or left.  So too does the narrative.


Here are a couple passages taken from the book.

The din of the crowd fades behind us.  It's just me and the dogs and the sunbeams breaking through the spruce branches stretching across the trail like cold fingers.  The runners slice over the snow making their familiar shhhh sounds.  I breathe in the tang of spruce pitch and the icy air is sharp in my throat.

"What---?" Chris gasps in my ear.  An answering howl rises up again.  With many voices.
"Wolves," I tell him.
"I know it's wolves," Chris hisses. "I've heard them on TV.  But it's so different when they're live.  Actually right there in the dark." ...
...The dogs rustle nervously outside so I push aside the flap on the sled bag and sit up.  Freezing air attacks me.  Once I'm out of the dimness of the canvas bag, I see the cloudless night sky lighting our campsite with the glow from the stars and half a moon.  The hairs in my nostrils stiffen as I inhale. ..."That's the wild letting us know it isn't sleeping?"
"Huh?"
"We have to be aware of things all the time.  Respect it.  Maybe the wolves are just passing through," I say loudly.  "We should make noise to let them know we're here."
Chris bursts into singing at the top of his voice.
"There was an old lady who swallowed a fly.  I don't know why, she swallowed the fly..."

The dogs explode forward, with me hanging on to the gangline.  Suddenly, I'm yanked between the dogs, my arms stretched above my head, my hip dragging on the trail.
"Set the hook! The snow hook!" I grip the gangline with damp gloves, dig into the snow with my knees to slow us, and feel Gazoo's feet tramping me as he runs.  The dogs are powerhouses when they want to be.  


After one complete reading and rereading many portions repeatedly, I am confident I am going to be giving as many readers as I can a copy of Ice Dogs written by Terry Lynn Johnson.  This is not just a book for those who like adventure, survival, dogs, mushing or Alaska, this is for anyone who likes a truly outstanding story.  It is a ride on the wild side to remember.

For more information about Terry Lynn Johnson, please follow the link to her website embedded in her name above.  This link takes you to an interview of Terry Lynn Johnson at From The Mixed-Up Files...  For another interview at author Caroline Starr Rose's blog follow this link. Read the first twenty-five pages by following this link to the publisher's website.