Comedy Times Two #3

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

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

 

HEY! Have you seen

a group of migrating

butterflies?

They went that way.

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

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

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

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

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

WAIT!

Can't I just live in your

stomach FOREVER?

No.

How about

a one-year lease?

No!

You have

to keep

trying.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SPRING

Duck is ready.

Helps things grow.

Sheep is ready.

Skips below.

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

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

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

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

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

Pig is ready.

Leaves a trail.

Cow is . . .

Oh, Cow.

Not now.

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

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

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

Cow is . . .

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

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

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

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

Can't Stop Talking

There are more than a few educators who believe it's true.  They know just before and after a full moon, their students will be a little "more" of everything.  On those days when a class comes to the library, it seems as if every single student is talking.  They all have thoughts to share . . . vocally and at the same time.

Usually there are only one or maybe two people a week who can't stop talking.  They are well-known by their classmates and for the most part fondly accepted.  Author Tammi Sauer and illustrator Dave Mottram introduced readers to such an individual in Wordy Birdy (Doubleday Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, February 8, 2018). Fortunately, this bird with a gift for gab has great friends.

Meet Wordy Birdy.
Wordy Birdy has lots to say.
It starts the moment she wakes up.
See?

Every tint of the sunrise sky is noted.  Wordy Birdy even stops to greet herself in a mirror.  She chats about her likes and dislikes.  The questions are non-stop.  Does she ever listen for the answers?  No. No. No.  Her forest friends, Rabbit, Raccoon, and Squirrel, realize this quirk in her behavior, continuously commenting.

One morning Wordy Birdy needs to listen. She does not.  She ignores warning signs.  Squirrel asks her to stop.  Rabbit tells her to turn around.  Wordy Birdy keeps walking and talking.  Raccoon begs her to

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! 

This walking and talking non-listener finally notices a lot of darkness ahead.  She notices big white circles and large white triangles.  Several loud roars later, it dawns on her trouble is too close for comfort.

In her time of need her trio of companions courageously suggests a course of action.  Does she heed their words?  Will she live to talk another day? 



Apparently, she does because this month a companion title is released.  This bird is as chatty as ever.  Wordy Birdy Meets Mr. Cougarpants (Doubleday Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, February 5, 2019) written by Tammi Sauer with illustrations by Dave Mottram will have talkers and non-talkers alike sharing loads of laughter.

In case you haven't heard, this is Wordy Birdy.

I LOVE my name.
Wordy Birdy. Wordy Birdy. Wordy Birdy.
Hey! That rhymes!

This bird is unable to breathe without speaking.  She is also always on the move.  One fine day she and her three trusty pals go camping.

After enjoying the hike, setting up their tents and snacking on s'mores by a comfy, crackling fire, Wordy Birdy is still offering non-stop observations and declarations of love about everything and everyone in sight.  As you can imagine, much later Squirrel, Raccoon and Rabbit are exhausted and ready for bed.  Wordy Birdy is not.

Wordy Birdy is excited to commence snacking on pickles, bean burritos and mashed potatoes.  With the mini-feast consumed Wordy Birdy should desire to shut her eyes along with her three companions.  She does not. 

Telescope to her eye, she spots the perfect stars, wishing stars.  In the middle of wishing for everything from a pony to a tuba, Wordy Birdy discovers a rather large, hungry cougar stalking into their camp.  Does Wordy Birdy finally choose to stop talking?  Before you answer that question readers, remember this is Wordy Birdy. 



Both titles are overflowing with comedy.  With the skill of a master wordsmith Tammi Sauer blends short narrative sentences with character dialogue.  There is an ongoing discourse between the two.  Repetitive questions are answered with repetitive replies; supplying readers with an engaging cadence.  We are a part of the story.  You might also encounter a pun.  Here are two passages from the first and recent book.

But she never stops talking long enough to get the answers.
Wordy Birdy is not the world's best listener.

Oh, puh-lease. (Rabbit)

Are we talking
about the same
bird here? (Raccoon)

Okay. Okay. Wordy Birdy is
terrible at listening.

That's more like it. (Squirrel)

She never listens to anybody.


Late that night, Squirrel rubs his eyes.

Time for bed, everybody. (Squirrel)

Squirrel goes to bed.
Rabbit goes to bed.
Raccoon goes to bed.
Does Wordy Birdy go to bed?


If you don't wonder what's going to happen next by looking at the front of the matching dust jackets and book cases, you'll might want to check for a pulse.  The expressions on Wordy Birdy's face and the look the cougar is giving readers are completely giggle-worthy.  Careful readers can see the outline of words lining the background canvas of both books.  The title text is varnished on the jackets as are the characters.  The title text is also raised. 

To place emphasis on the chattiness of Wordy Birdy, to the left, on the back conversations are replete.  On the first Wordy Birdy is standing with her three pals talking to readers.  Raccoon has a reply ready.  On the second book, Wordy Birdy Meets Mr. Cougarpants, five photographs placed on a yellow background with leaves, are labeled with more Wordy Birdy chatter.

On the opening and closing endpapers of the first book, the story starts and ends, verbally and visually.  The characters and their conversations in speech bubbles are shown on a white background.  On the new title a series of different photographs, without captions, cover the opening and closing endpapers.  They feature the friends and those things Wordy Birdy enjoys the most.

With a page turn illustrator Dave Mottram begins his pictorial enhancement of the text with a double-page image for the verso and title pages.  Wordy Birdy is displayed as her exuberant self exclusively on a white canvas.  In the second title Wordy Birdy, Rabbit, Squirrel and Raccoon are seated around a campfire with the forest and starry sky surrounding them.

Keeping in mind the narrative and pacing, Dave Mottram alternates between double-page pictures and a few full-page images.  Readers will pause with each page turn to notice the included small details; a paw print on a sign, a hidden sign slowly revealed, a shadow that moves from illustration to illustration and the zipper pull on Wordy Birdy's backpack.  Most hilarious are the facial expressions and body postures on the characters.  They are burst-out-laughing excellent.

Two of my many, many favorite illustrations, one from each book, are in the first Wordy Birdy is blissfully unaware of any danger despite Rabbit's warning.  In the second title it's when everyone notices the cougar at the campsite.  First trees frame the characters and line the forest path.  On the left Squirrel, clinging to a tree trunk, is speaking.  Wordy Birdy is pointing and talking about a pinecone, a sign (reading WRONG WAY), a rock and a leaf.  On the right Rabbit is frantically pointing for Wordy Birdy to turn around and retrace her steps.  I love the mop of hair on top of Rabbit's head.

In the second image on the right items from the campsite have flown in the air.  A mug, juice box, telescope. frying pan, Bag O' Burritos, lantern, cup, jar of pickles, camera and another cup border a huge speech bubble reading:

WHAT!?!

Portions of their tents are visible.  On the right a terrified, wide-eyed Rabbit and Raccoon are standing, frozen to the ground.  Equally frightened is Squirrel who jumped up and is being held in Raccoon's arms.  Behind this stars shine in the night sky.


You won't be able to read Wordy Birdy and Wordy Birdy Meets Mr. Cougarpants written by Tammi Sauer with illustrations by Dave Mottram just once.  You will read, or be requested to read, them repeatedly.  You won't be able to stop smiling or bursting out loud with laughter.  Not only are these two books hilarious but they show the value in knowing when to listen and when to speak out.  At the core of both is the power of friendship.  I highly recommend them for both your personal and professional collections. 

To learn more about Tammi Sauer and Dave Mottram, please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  You can find Tammi and Dave on Instagram.  They also have accounts here and here on Twitter.  At Penguin Random House you can view interior images from Wordy Birdy and Wordy Birdy Meets Mr. Cougarpants.  For the release of the first book Tammi Sauer has a guest post on humor at Picture Book Builders.  Tammi Sauer was interviewed at Critter Lit on July 26, 2018.

Who's There?

A surefire technique to find the most popular books in a library is to locate those titles with the love-worn look.  The dust jackets and book cases are folded and creased.  Page corners are turned down multiple times.  There are numerous incidents of visual thumb and fingerprints smeared on pages.  One area of shelving containing these titles is the joke book section.

When children are on a joke-telling roll, there is no way to stop them.  And who would want to?  The sound of their laughter is contagious.  KNOCK KNOCK (Scholastic Press, July 31, 2018) written by Tammi Sauer with illustrations by Guy Francis is a total gigglefest.

KNOCK KNOCK
Who's there?
Justin.
Justin who?

A sleepy bear ready for hibernation is startled awake by words and a wood-carrying fox that enters his home.  He is Justin the neighborhood. (Insert a snicker and a happy groan here.) As the fox stacks the wood in the fireplace another double knock sounds at the door.

A trio of gabby blue jays arrives holding streamers.  The bear is less than thrilled with their wordplay and their presence.  Soon a raccoon stalks in through the open entrance looking like he's been working in his kitchen.  Bear finally closes the door and slouches against it only to have the now familiar words uttered once more.

To say he is frustrated is an understatement.  All the poor guy wants to do is go to sleep.  He craves sleep.  He needs it.  His annoyance is slowly starting to cross the line into anger.

When the next persistent tapping and rapping sounds on his door, Bear roars a reply.  Opening the door his next answer is gentler when he sees his visitor.  A super surprise is sprung on the unsuspecting bear.  What are friends for?  When the next season comes, the roles are reversed in a manner sure to have readers and listeners joining in the fun once more.


This is one of those books, when you know without a doubt; the author must have been laughing out loud at the possibilities for wordplay.  Tammi Sauer has a connection to her intended audience (and those who read this book aloud to others).  She knows which jokes invite the most participation.  You can easily anticipate the predictions shouted out by listeners at the pause before the final sentence in each exchange.  Here is another one.

KNOCK KNOCK
Who's there?
Ima.
Ima who?
Ima gonna huff and
puff and blow the
house down if you
don't open this door!


You know the feeling you get when something suddenly wakes you up in the middle of the night, the expression on the bear's face is exactly the way your face looks if you could see it.  His wild-eyed stare vividly displays his surprise coupled with a sense of dismay.  To the left, on the back of the dust jacket, Bear reluctantly makes his way to his door.  He is dragging his patchwork quilt on the floor and carries his pillow on one side and his toy teddy bear under the other arm.  His bunny slippers and striped sleeping cap complete the scene.  His ample stomach is visible between his pajama top and bottoms. 

On the book case a portion of an interior illustration hints at the book's outcome.  On the opening and closing endpapers a combination of the words KNOCK KNOCK in varying sizes is shown in a design of black outlines on dark purple.  Clearly sleep is not in Bear's near future.  Illustrator Guy Francis starts his visual interpretation on the verso and title pages with Bear turning off his light, ready to drift off into hibernation.  He is barely awake.

A rhythm is established by the depictions and size of the illustrations.  Initially two single-page pictures with the introductory words of the joke are followed by a double-page image with the punch line.  Guy Francis broadens the pacing by following with another two-page visual.  Two single page illustrations allow for commentary by Bear.  As the narrative progresses the combination of text and picture size increases the tension.  The full-color images are bolder with wider outlines around the words.  This is pure perfection leading to the final knock-knock visitor. 

One of my favorite illustrations is one of the final ones but to tell you about it would spoil the joy for you.  The details are charming with a capital C.  Another of my many favorite pictures is on a single page.  Bear is standing in front of the fireplace.  A happy-go-lucky fox in a flannel shirt is lighting the wood in the fireplace, flaming match in hand.  The three blue jays are merrily carrying streamers as they fly around Bear.  One of them grabs his teddy bear.  Nearly asleep on his feet Bear with a hilarious look on his face says

Oh, boy.


If you are seeking a title to talk about the shift of autumn into winter, a book about animals in winter, a tale about the power of friendship or a guaranteed funnier than funny story time winner, KNOCK KNOCK written by Tammi Sauer with illustrations by Guy Francis is the book for you.  Your readers will be talking about this for days.  They will be inventing their own knock-knock jokes which are a very good thing.  You will definitely want this title for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Tammi Sauer and Guy Francis and their other work, please visit their respective websites by following the links attached to their names.  Both Tammi and Guy have Twitter accounts. They both have accounts here and here on Instagram.  Tammi Sauer writes about this book on PictureBookBuilders in an interview with illustrator Guy Francis. You'll appreciate both her questions and his answers.

Look To The Sky Again

When we get caught up in the seemingly normal busyness of our days and nights, it is easy to pass by something out of the ordinary.  We are going in a rush but as our mind focuses on what we saw, heard or smelled we literally put on the brakes wondering if what we just experienced could possibly be true.  It's like when you go out with your dog in the early hours of the morning, slightly past midnight, and the sky suddenly explodes in color.  It's so unexpected you can't believe it's real but the display of northern lights is a wonderful truth.

If an extraterrestrial happens to crash his ship in your yard, you might feel as though you are dreaming but this is exactly what happens in Your Alien (Sterling Children's Books, August 4, 2015) written by Tammi Sauer with illustrations by Goro Fujita.  A fast friendship is formed between the human boy and the small green alien child.  Fortunately for readers the best buddies are reunited in Your Alien Returns (Sterling Children's Books, October 4, 2016).  Space contains no boundaries when love fills two hearts.

When you least expect it, something special will get your attention.

Your alien will be back.

Can you imagine waking up to see your extraterrestrial pal peeking in your window, wanting you over for a playdate?  Of course, you ask your parents for permission.  As usual they are perfectly preoccupied.

You gaze out of your alien's ship as you whiz through space and past planets, barely able to contain your excitement.  On your arrival, like a good host, he offers you a snack.  One you eat with relish, the other, more alive one, you decline.

You present your favorite toys to one another, resting afterward in an otherworldly fort.  Meeting his playmates is a bit overwhelming; there are a lot of them. You do your best to fit it, but you feel like a failure.

Your forever companion, your alien, he knows you better than you can believe.  Quick as a wink he changes inward groans to outward grins.  This is what friends do for friends, no matter where they live.  That night after you have related the events of the day to your patient (but unbelieving) parents, a look out your window yields yet one more surprise.


By using a second person point-of-view, Tammi Sauer allows us to be up-close and personal with every moment of this story.  We can easily become the boy or his alien.  This style of narration connects us more deeply to the emotional impact of the interactions between the friends.  It's as if we are experiencing everything in real time.

Not only will her use of language in writing this tale touch your heart but it will also tickle your funny bone.  She leaves room for illustrative interpretation when the boy checks with his parents about leaving the planet with his alien friend or when a snack with lively eyes is offered by the alien.  Each sentence carefully builds to bring readers back to the beginning but we like the boy and his pal, are far richer than we were.  Here is a sample passage.

Your alien will show you around his neighborhood.
Some things will remind you of home.
But other things will be completely new.


When you open the matching dust jacket and book case, a full image spans from the left to the right.  As the sun rises over the rolling landscape of the boy's yard, his friend hovers above him ready to take him on a ride to remember.  As in the first title, if you run your hands over the title text you will feel its nubby texture.  The boy and the spaceship are also slightly raised.  On the back, to the left, placed in the lightening sky are the words

AN INTERPLANETARY PLAYDATE BETWEEN
BEST FRIENDS WHO LIVE WORLDS APART.

You simply can't help but smile at the opening and closing endpapers created by Goro Fujita.  Between the two eighteen pictures of the alien engaged in fun activities on his home planet appear on a black canvas.  A few of the pictures show him with a helmet on his head as he rides on a rocket-propelled skateboard, or as he snacks on scoops of geometric ice cream, tongue ready to taste, kneels to look at a creature in a fish bowl which looks similar to a favorite treat, soaks in red goo and twirls a wand like a giant sparkler.  On the verso and title pages, the alien is zooming between planets, a smile on his face as he travels to Earth.

Rendered in Adobe Photoshop these visuals span one or two pages, full of life and light.  Sometimes Fujita will place two or three loosely framed images on a single page to emphasize a point.  In particularly strong emotional sequences we are near the characters' faces.  Every mood of the duo is conveyed with truth and excellence.

One of my many favorite illustrations is when the boy is requesting permission from his parents to travel with his alien.  It takes place in the kitchen of his home.  His mother is shielding herself from a geyser shooting from the center of the sink.  His father is tinkering with the plumbing under the sink.  Puddles of water can be seen in the sunlight on the floor.  Behind the talking boy, the alien is peeking around the corner from the hallway.

Your Alien Returns written by Tammi Sauer with illustrations by Goro Fujita clearly shines a light on the soul of friendship.  Differences in appearance, food, games, customs and where you live don't matter to friends.  The most important thing is each other.  This is an uplifting tale and a stellar companion to the first title.  You will be asked to read them both over and over again.

To discover more about Tammi Sauer and Goro Fujita please follow the links attached to their names to access her website and his blog.  At Tammi's website she has an Alien Activity Kit for you to use with both books.  Fourteen interior pages can be viewed by following this link.  KidLit 411 chats with Tammi Sauer.  PictureBookBuilders showcases this title.  In the autumn of the year of the summer release of the first book, Emily Yarrow created a Your Alien song.

Putting On The Glitz

More than two hundred years ago the kindness of a daughter and parents who recognized her generous heart saved a life.  This life and one particular day were the inspiration for a popular and well-known nursery rhyme which has stood the test of time.  As sometimes happens, there is still some debate as to the author of Mary Had A Little Lamb. (For those of you intrigued here are two articles which make for interesting reading and good discussion points. Nursery Rhyme Investigation: Mary Had a Little Lamb, Elizabeth Bird, A Fuse #8 Production, School Library Journal and Mary Had a Little Lamb-Yes, There was a Mary and She Did Have a Little Lamb, New England Historical Society)

Since the words were first heard, read and sung, this poetic ode to a little girl and her woolly companion have been the object of many illustrative interpretations and written adaptations.  They have especially been fuel for the wonderful and creative minds found in children's literature.  Mary Had a Little Glam (Sterling Children's Books, August 2, 2016) written by Tammi Sauer with illustrations by Vanessa Brantley-Newton is a lively look at spreading joy through fashion.

Mary had a little glam
that grew into a LOT.

And everywhere that Mary went,
she wasn't hard to spot.  

This gal had an eye for blending textures and colorful patterns.  She had a knack for knowing what extras would complement her clothing choices.  This charming creature of cheer was not aware of the shock awaiting her on her first day at school.

Her classmates' attire had not one little pinch of pizzazz.  As a matter of fact, the entire school needed a makeover.  Like a magician waving a wand, Mary's sense of style began to transform everyone and everything.  Everywhere that Mary went fashion was sure to follow.

Story time looked as if her classmates were about to attend a royal function, bling was a fad in art and a trip to the library was done with dramatic decorum.  As the minutes passed in merriment the teacher soon proclaimed

"It's recess time!"

A picturesque procession left the building, ready to hop, skip and jump.

When the playground came into view, the students, and Mary too, suddenly did not know what to do.  Surely their decked-out designs were not fit for all this dirt.  In a twinkle Mary moved and moved some more.  Her classmates did not tarry but followed Mary.  Frolic.


With every word penned by Tammi Sauer in this rhyming rendition of an enduring verse, happiness, like a drum, beats and bounces off the pages.  Her sentences are a tribute to individuality and the contagious nature of being free to be yourself.  Never forced but full of fun, phrases portray this spirited soul as she and her classmates enjoy their morning until with no more than the merest hesitation the cadence continues.  Mary has not only a flair for fashion but can be practical for a purpose.  Here is a sample passage.

When Mary took a look around
her heart was filled with woe.
The other kids in class with her
were glam-less head to toe.


How can you not smile when opening the matching dust jacket and book case?  Using

Corel Painter, Adobe Photoshop CS5.1 and collaged vintage paper and fabrics

Vanessa Brantley-Newton renders the illustrations in vivid, bright hues to pair perfectly with the personality of Mary.  Her facial features, body position and attire say Hello world!  What are we going to do today?  To the left, on the back, Mary, shopping bags in hand, is featured with the first four sentences.  The opening and closing endpapers showcase a before and after array of her classmates clothing on a white canvas.

The picture sizes shift as the text dictates from two pages, to single pages and smaller images on a single page.  Brantley-Newton continues using the crisp white background to accentuate her palette and designs.  Each illustration flows into the next flawlessly.

Her details invite readers to pause on each page.  A man reading a newspaper is holding actual newsprint, Mary's constant companion is a small stuffed toy lamb purse, the name of the school is Mother Goose Elementary and the classroom jobs board is another nod to nursery rhymes.  Careful readers will love noticing the changes in Mary's newest accessory, an occupied bird's nest.

One of my favorite pictures is of Mary walking to school.  Her bubbly personality and glamorous garb has caught the attention of several dogs.  Their walkers, one in front of Mary and the other behind her, are trying to keep everyone straight but entanglements ensue.  A baker and dressmaker watch, smiling, through their windows and displays.  The pennants and quilted shade at the bakery are a charming touch.


Mary Had a Little Glam written by Tammi Sauer with illustrations by Vanessa Brantley-Newton is like holding happiness in your hand.  This delightful depiction will have readers wanting to spruce up their own personal styles.  There will be requests for read it again and perhaps a boa, crown and beads.

To discover more about Tammi Sauer and Vanessa Brantley-Newton and their work please follow the links attached to their names to access their website and blog respectively.  More can be seen about Vanessa Brantley-Newton at Painted Words.  She and her studio are showcased at Andrea Skyberg's site.  Tammi Sauer is a guest author and featured author at PictureBookBuilders, KidLit 411, Unleashing Readers and Reading, Writing and Reaching for Chocolate.

Look To The Sky

Thirty-three years ago in June a film releases redefining the boundaries of friendship.  Left behind by members of a botany team, an extraterrestrial forms a unique connection with a ten-year-old boy.  Since that time, it's safe to say the motion picture has reached classic status for several reasons.

It's one thing to befriend another gal or guy, a furry family pal, or one of nature's critters who happens to cross paths with you but it's a rarity to have an opportunity to become best buddies with a being from outer space.  Your Alien (Sterling Children's Books, August 4, 2015) written by Tammi Sauer with illustrations by Goro Fujita explores one of life's most often asked questions.  We all wonder if there is life on other planets.

You will be looking out your window when something wonderful comes your way.

This something wonderful is small and green with two antennae on top of a head.  It has a barrel-shaped body with two tiny arms and legs and is wearing a white one-piece garment with a red star in the center.  It appears to be uninjured after its vehicle fell from the sky and crash landed nearby your home.

You try to explain its presence to your parents but they are otherwise engaged to pay much attention.  Your new chum accompanies you to school to the delight of your classmates.  Your teacher does not quite believe what she is seeing.  (The theme music from E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial might be playing in her head.  I know it would be in mine.)

When you share common everyday experiences with your alien, it's like seeing them for the first time.  You two head home when it's nearly dinner time but your companion has other ideas about what makes for a delicious meal.  As it gets darker outside, the cheerful spirit worn by your playmate all day begins to fade.

You attempt to raise its spirits like your Mom or Dad would do for you.  It's the sound of a soft

sniffle

and a

MEEP!
OOG! 

which prompts a show of affection and gives you a brilliant idea.  Circling back to the beginning something wonderful comes with a look out a window.


Written in second-person narrative, Tammi Sauer invites readers to assume the role of the boy; a role we gladly accept.  We walk through an ordinary day with an extraordinary individual.  Sauer gives us compassion and creativity in the character of the boy.  Through the personality of the alien we realize exceptional gifts do not preclude another from needing life's essentials.

Use of language and word choices exhibit the true tenderness found at the heart of the story.  Each sentence is essential to forming the circular path this story takes.  Subtle bits of humor contribute to the lighthearted but heartwarming essence.  Here is a sample passage.

You'll have to break
the news to your parents.
Luckily, they won't notice
what they just agreed to.


Rubbing your hand over the dust jacket the boy and the alien are raised to add dimension to the illustration.  Your Alien feels a little nubby like toad skin.  The illustrations on the matching jacket and book case extend back to front over the spine.  To the left a full moon with squared edges shines down on the words

A Friendship That's Out Of ThisWorld...

The opening and closing endpapers are funny and joyful.  On a black canvas the alien is shown engaged in twenty different activities; chasing a butterfly, blowing a melody on a sea shell, watching a goldfish swim in a bowl and standing in an upside down umbrella during a rain shower.  The verso and title page begin the story showing him navigating in his spaceship through an asteroid belt.

Rendered using Adobe Photoshop Goro Fujita elevates the text with every image.  Details in the boy's room, a close-up of the alien after landing, the alien swinging on a light fixture, playing in the drinking fountain or eating a sofa cushion and the facial expressions and gestures of the boy increase the depth of the experience for readers.  Fujita alters picture sizes and perspective in perfect sync with the narrative.  Even in the dark of night there is luminosity to his illustrations.

Without telling you the content of one of my favorite pictures, on a single page, the play of light and shadow is uplifting.  We are given a bird's eye view of the scene.  It takes us higher and higher and farther and farther away, literally and emotionally.


Your Alien written by Tammi Sauer with illustrations by Goro Fujita will make a perfect bedtime, story time or any time book.  It's like your favorite cozy blanket or stuffed toy; you'll want to have it with you.  This story glows; shining a light on what makes a friend a true friend.

To discover more about Tammi Sauer and Goro Fujita please follow the links attached to their names to take you to her website and his blog.  Tammi Sauer participated in a chat with teacher librarian Matthew C. Winner on the Let's Get Busy Podcast Episode #52.  This title is highlighted on the blogs of educators, Kurt Stroh, Kids Talk Kid Lit, and Michelle Knott, Mrs. Knott's Book Nook.

Dancing Divas

Picture book lovers, one and all, have their favorites; those choice volumes read and reread and gifted to others so they might experience what each title offers to them.  Whether it's the witty or profound narration, the engaging, endearing or entertaining illustrations or a combination of the two, once smitten it's forever.  About the only thing better is when a sequel makes an appearance; the colorful characters, the dialogue and storyline lavishly laden with humor and luminous, explicative illustrations, return.

When author Tammi Sauer and illustrator Dan Santat blended their substantial talents to bring readers, Chicken Dance (Sterling, 2009) we were introduced to the King of farmyard fame, Elvis Poultry, and those two feathered friends, Marge and Lola.  Strutting their stuff, rocking to their own rhythm, those ladies captured the eye of the one and only E.P.  Rejoice readers, they're back.  Sauer and Santat are jiving to their own special tune, better than ever, in Bawk & Roll (Sterling). 

Bawk & Roll begins not a single beat after the end of the first volume.  Marge and Lola, peering out the bus window, are about to go on tour with Elvis Poultry as the Chicken Dancers. On their first gig, McDoodle's Barnyard, a heavy dose of stage fright strikes.  As the audience shrieks in anticipation Elvis turns to look behind himself at the sound of a loud, resounding THUNK. 

Yes siree! those frantic fowl have fainted.  During the course of their conversation the next day, they think imagining the crowd in tightie whities might work.  Nope.

Poultry jumps, literally, at their next idea of easing into the following engagement.  Somehow crashing into the windmill as they plummet from the barn roof was not what they meant.  Leaving no pebble unpecked to relieve their heebie-jeebies, the gals are at a loss.

In the dead of night hatching a plan answering a riddle as old as time, the duo does what must be done.  Arriving the next evening at Dale's Dairy Farm, cries of Elvis! Elvis! Elvis! fill the stage as the curtains rise.  But that's not all Lola and Marge hear; an answered request reverberates off the rafters.

As a prolific producer of puns, Tammi Sauer wins hands down.  Her spare text conversationally proceeds, pauses and then sneaking up on you in the best way possible, causes you to explode with laughter. (Believe me, I did, at the second and third readings, too.)  There is an unmistakable pulse to her prose beckoning readers to participate.

In my typical fashion I opened up the book jacket, on the front is Elvis Poultry in his classic white suit, Lola and Marge now looking like showgirls in matching outfits and on the back is the sunglasses clad rooster crooning into a mike on the cover of an album by Sterling bawkabawk records, LP with song titles such as Are You Lonesome In Flight?  Mirroring the rich, golden oranges, yellows and reds with a splash of white from the jacket, the cover is plain except for a few floating feathers and a small portion of four chicken legs, feet pointing upward.  Endpapers are nearly identical zooming in on the tour bus but the front and back are different in who is hanging out the windows; a reflection of the storyline.

For Dan Santat this is but the beginning of his use of vibrant color, facial expression and impeccable attention to detail to visually chronicle Sauer's text.  The title verso is surrounded, scrapbook style, with small clips from the first book bringing readers up to speed.  On the title page the ampersand between Bawk and Roll has been traded for a musical clef.

Fresh fun is found on very page; a cow, a fan of Poultry's, wearing a cock's comb hat, the newspaper (The Daily Cluck) headlines after each failed performance, Elvis having rollers in his comb to give it curl, and his portrayal of Lola and Marge, in a series of vignettes, trying without success to calm themselves.  Each time the pair of cluckers look at the masses, their eyes, white circles of panic, say it all; a clear contrast to the cool, calm of Elvis as he moves through his days and nights as a true celebrity never without wearing the golden shades.  Two page spreads of the baffled but determined chicks with the rockin' rooster are hilarity defined; my favorite being Elvis Poultry wearing his parachute as Lola and Marge, greatly diminished watch from the barn roof.

Bawk & Roll written by Tammi Sauer and illustrated by Dan Santat is a collaboration clamoring for an encore.  Fowl featured so favorably will have readers flocking and rocking.

More fun, laughter and goodies can be found at the author and illustrator websites linked in this post.  When the initial title was released a separate website was started and is linked here.  Elvis Poultry can be followed on Twitter @elvispoultry.  To celebrate the release of this book follow their blog tour beginning here.  Don't miss any of these egg--stras.