Deep in the darkening shadows of night, a sound echoes from the trees. Along an empty roadway, the heavy flapping of wings stirs the air around bare branches. You hear them more than see these mostly nocturnal predators. It's a gift to observe one in the wild.
Known as mighty hunters, they silently and swiftly strike. Their combined physical characteristics create a deadly force. Whoo-Ku Haiku: A Great Horned Owl Story (G. P. Putnam's Sons, March 3, 2020) written by Maria Gianferrari with illustrations by Jonathan Voss is an informative, captivating exploration of the life cycle of these majestic birds.
A great horned owl pair Finds a squirrel's nest of oak leaves Perched high in a pine.
This haiku poem is the first of twenty-four beautifully worded insights. Each observation adds to our growing knowledge of great horned owls. It's as if we are present, watching this duo day by day through the seasons.
The newly discovered nest is re-fashioned while snow still coats the ground. The owl pair are not without enemies; crows are a constant distraction. The male hunts while the female tends the eggs, three pale orbs.
Even the most vigilant parents can loose an egg, a feast for a nearby woodland creature. After the remaining two eggs hatch, mother and father feed, shield and guard them. Watch out for that hawk! Owlets venture from the nest, testing their feathers. Flap wings, flap! Flee from a waiting fox! A mother dives.
Owlets rest, now safely back in their nest, eyes glowing in the night. Parents protect. Owlets learn to survive as months pass. When autumn approaches, wings lift two to begin their lives away from the only home they've known.
With each haiku, writer Maria Gianferraribrings us deeper into the sensory experience of being a great horned owl. Her masterful use of this literary form provides facts but also supplies us with a range of emotional moments. We become one with these raptors through alliteration, onomatopoeia and poetry. Here are two more haiku.
Mama lays an egg In the starlight it glistens A moon of its own. Pip. Pip. Pip. Poking. A hole, cracking. Cracking. Crack! Pink owlet pecks out.
Upon opening the matching dust jacket and book case readers will have to remind themselves to breathe. This stunning portrait of the great horned owl parents and two owlets presents them for the nobility they are. This nocturnal setting shows them at their realistic best. The exquisite details throughout the book begin with this initial image. The use of light and shadow is excellent.
The trunk of the tree crosses the spine to show the male in flight, wings spread upward. Its eyes are searching, glowing as it gazes. This bird is poised for action. The tip of the left wing bleeds off the top, indicating motion.
A dark forest green covers the opening and closing endpapers. On the title page the male and female have located an empty squirrel nest. The one perches on a branch above the nest, as the other, wings up, prepares to land in the nest. On the final page, tree branches frame the text as a great horned owl, mouth open, flies between the dedication and publication information.
Rendered
using sepia ink and watercolor on Arches 300# hot press watercolor paper with color added digitally
by artist Jonathan Vossthese illustrations elevate the words. The depiction of the settings, seasons and time of day involves you completely as readers. All the pictures are double-page visuals. Sometimes the text is tucked into an image. Other times a column is supplied on either the right or the left for the narrative. Jonathan Voss has painted a smaller separate illustration to be placed on these columns at the bottom. They expand the story vividly.
To place emphasis on pacing Jonathan Voss alters the point of view. When the crows initially attack, it is at night. We see them swooping against a somewhat cloudy sky with the full moon peeking through as the female owl, closer to us, defends the nest. When the fox tries to consume the owlet and the mother plunges to the rescue, we are right in the action. You can hear all the loud sounds amid the fury of wings and snapping teeth.
One of my many favorite illustrations is when the first owlet cracks through the egg. We are very close to this wonder of new life. The nest is shown along the bottom of the page. The mother owl's body extends from left to right. On the left her head is shifted to look at the newly emerged owl baby. Her wing acts as a sheltering roof over the small bird. The use of color and shading is radiant.
This book, Whoo-Ku Haiku: A Great Horned Owl Story written by Maria Gianferrari with illustrations by Jonathan Voss, is a remarkable nonfiction depiction. Two pages at the end are devoted to twelve more fascinating facts and a list of resources divided into books, websites and videos. I can't imagine a personal or professional collection without a copy of this book.
UPDATE: Jonathan Voss is featured at KidLit411 on April 3, 2020.
WHOO's Maria Gianferrari? She's a self-proclaimed bird nerd with a special fondness for raptors. Her love affair with birds began in 7th grade science class when her teacher, Mr. Lefebvre, initiated a bird count. While walking in her neighborhood, Maria's always on the look-out for all kinds of birds, and she loves searching winter treetops for nests in her northern Virginia neighborhood where she lives with her German-scientist husband and German speaking daughter. This is her first book with GP Putnam's Sons. She's also the author of another bird book, Hawk Rising.
Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to view the other titles selected this week by participants in the 2020 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.
Although observations of everything about our world through poetry is welcome any month of the year, the annual celebration of National Poetry Month in April is when poets, those who enjoy poetry and those who have yet to discover poetry can come together. The use of various poetic styles is showcased. The interplay of word choices and cadence penned using those various techniques gives the appearance of pure magic.
One poet whose work I've enjoyed for years is Laura Purdie Salas. This spring readers are fortunate to have three new books written by Laura Purdie Salas released. They are from three different publishing houses and illustrated by three different artists. The first, Snowman - Cold = Puddle: Spring Equations (Charlesbridge. February 5, 2019) is illustrated by Micha Archer.
science + poetry = surprises As winter gray drains away, spring tiptoes in. It sprinkles color and motion and sound all around. Each sunny day, soft breeze, and spring shower changes our world. Science is why and how a flower grows. Poetry is looking at that flower and seeing a firework. Surprise!
Twenty-three poetic equations divided into early, middle and late spring follow this introductory mathematical expression and lyrical explanation. Poem by poem we become avid spectators. We see those creatures who awaken from sleep. We see snowy formations become watery rivets filling dips in the ground like nature's teacups. Have you ever seen otters playing along a riverbank? It's a mud bath party!
Missing raptors, bald eagles, return north diving for their meals in water. Geese fly in formation as they, too, move north again. Spring winds snag kites causing them to dip up and down like roller coasters of the sky. When we see the first bees, we know pollination begins and food grows. Robins have returned. When will we see their precious, bright, blue eggs nestled in a nest?
Rains mean rainbows; a sure sign of science in action. These spring rains are consumed by plants eager to burst forth from their hiding places. Woodland and meadow explorers and dog walkers know to look (and smell) for mother and baby skunks on patrol for food. At night, the steady serenade of frogs is certain to bring a smile to those waiting for winter to say good-bye. For the final equation and poetic response, readers are challenged to pay attention, look for changes and be changed.
Addition, subtraction and multiplication are supplied by Laura Purdie Salasas she takes us from winter's end to summer's beginning. She explores numerous aspects of the spring season blending literature and science. We are fascinated as each explanation unfolds. We enter each landscape willingly, looking at the everyday with a distinctive point of view. Here is another equation.
nest + robin = jewelry box Robins lay dazzling blue eggs in spring. Some scientists believe that the most vivid blue eggs have the healthiest chicks inside. The blue shells might act like sunscreen, protecting the chicks from sun damage before they hatch.
On the open and matching dust jacket and book case, readers can already see the intricate and colorful collage creations of artist Micha Archer. Children, here and throughout the book, share the stages of spring and diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds. To the left, on the back, amid a canvas of bright green, is a single rectangular shape featuring a female cardinal among clusters of pink blossoms. In the lower left corner, a nest of babies with open mouths await her return.
The opening endpapers are a pale blue and the closing endpapers are a lighter vivid green. For the title page, Micha Archer gives us a view of a pond with a red-winged blackbird perched among cattails. On the other side of the pond a snowman enjoys his last days. With each page turn a double page picture extends from left to right but usually depicts two poems, one on the left and the other on the right. The balance is stunning. Only once are there two separate single-page pictures.
Using her signature technique explained in detail at the close of the book, Micha Archer gives us panoramic vistas above and below ground, inside a beaver's house, close-up to a bee gathering pollen, and at all times during the day. She takes us into our world, asking us to share and respect what we see. Every portion of each image reflects meticulous care.
One of my many, many favorite images spans two pages. It is late spring, and the sunset has painted the sky in breathtaking beauty. On the left, on a small hill, a mother skunk leads her babies, all in a row, to search for food. Along the bottom of that darkened hill is a stunning array of dandelions, in various sizes. Some are new and others are old. These dandelions carry across the gutter to spread into an enormous field stretching to the horizon. Two children romp among the flowers scattering seeds with their movements and breath.
Snowman - Cold = Puddle: Spring Equations written by Laura Purdie Salas with illustrations by Micha Archer is highly recommended for your personal and professional collections. At the end of the book is an author's and illustrator's note. There is a page dedicated to When Spring Starts and another one for Further Reading. At the publisher's website is an activity guide you can download. Using the links embedded in Laura Purdie Salas' and Micha Archer's names, you can access their websites and learn more about their other work. Micha Archer has interior images from this book on her site. Laura Purdie Salas has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. Micha Archer has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. Micha Archer and this title are highlighted at author, reviewer and blogger, Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.
On March 12, 2019 In The Middle Of The Night: Poems from a Wide-Awake House (Wordsong, an imprint of Highlights) written by Laura Purdie Salas with illustrations by Angela Matteson was published. It follows the antics of all the occupants of a household once a child falls sound asleep. It makes you wonder and laugh at what might be happening when you are dreaming in your own home.
After Hours Sun and moon have traded places- Time for games! Time for races! We wait, we wait, we wait all day for you to sleep so we can play! Your breathing settles, slow and deep. Finally! You're fast asleep. Shhhhhhhh . . .
Anticipation grows and then total abandon rules the house in these twenty-six poems utilizing a variety of techniques. Stuffed-animals and toys have a talent show. A marker laments the loss of its top and adventuresome pencils form a paper airplane for transportation. A baseball cap comes alive looking for a new place to rest. Gig the dog provides the perfect spot.
An overdue library book scampers through the night, hiding and moving from place to place. A bottle of perfume provides the spark for an acrostic poem. Dental floss is on the loose fashioning everything it never gets to be during the day. A lunch box sneaks up on a pesky enemy capturing it with glee. Did you know spaghetti does not want to stay in a bowl? It would much rather become your shoelaces.
Trust me, when I say you'll never look at a fruit roll-up in quite the same way again. Flip-flops and winter boots chat in a poem for two voices (the first of two). You might want to make sure you secure your lawn hose better at day's end. (I never did like seeing it at night on the ground.) When the sun rises and morning arrives, the child is none the wiser, but we are.
This book is one of those books when you know, despite all the work, this author, Laura Purdie Salas, had fun because that is what these poems are . . .fun. Words rhyme furnishing readers with a rhythm. Most of the poems use a first person (object) voice. Here is another poem.
Mixed-Up Mixing Bowl I tilt and twirl a blurry swirl I spin into a tizzy I wobble, sway a bowl ballet- oopsy! Now I'm dizzy
Rendered mostly in the hours after dark, with acrylics, gouache, and a touch of colored pencil on wood board these illustrations by Angela Mattesonfirst seen on the matching dust jacket and book case are ready to zip you into the world of night-life fun. Look at those pencils zooming in their paper airplane! The starry expanse begins anew on the back, to the left, providing a place for words from the first poem.
The opening and closing endpapers are a matte-finished light blue. The toy box shown on the title page hints at the events to come. Angela Matteson alternates between double-page pictures and single-page illustrations. Her color palette reflects the time of day; purples and blues. All the visuals are brimming with animation and loaded with details that are often humorous.
Careful readers will want to compare the bedroom setting in the first poem with the bedroom setting in the final poem. The origami figures made by the pencils are moving off the page. The overdue library book moves through three subsequent illustrations. A bottle of dish soap is aghast at the basketball relaxing in a sink full of ice cubes. There is a lot to see with each page turn.
One of my many, many favorite illustrations is for the poem titled Pencil Plunge. It spans two pages. On the left pencils wait in a row across the top step on a staircase. Six pencils are laughing as they race down the steps, point by point. On the right, one pencil has a clipboard keeping score, another is sharpening up for another run and two others are assisting a pencil with scotch tape. This one cracked.
If you want to add hilarity and wonder to a read aloud of poetry with a group or before bedtime one-on-one, In The Middle Of The Night: Poems from a Wide-Awake House written by Laura Purdie Salas with illustrations by Angela Matteson is an excellent selection. You will want a copy for your personal and professional collections. To learn more about Laura Purdie Salas and Angela Matteson and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites. Laura has lots of extras for this book on her website (and her other books, too). Laura Purdie Salas has accounts on Instagram and Twitter as noted above. Angela Matteson has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. To start off the blog tour for this title Dylan Teut, director for the Plum Creek Children's Literacy Festival in Seward, Nebraska, at Mile High Reading, interviewed Laura Purdie Salas. At a publisher's website you can view the title page and the first page of the contents.
To start off the first week of National Poetry Month, Lion Of The Sky: Haiku For All Seasons (Millbrook Press, April 2, 2019) written by Laura Purdie Salas with illustrations by Merce Lopez was made available for all readers. It presents an entire book using a form of haiku and using these as riddles to be solved. Laura Purdie Salas calls it riddle-ku. Spring I am a wind bird. sky skipper, diamond dipper, DANCING on your string
Did you figure out the answer to this first of twenty-four poems? In this series of poems Laura Purdie Salas asks us (as she does many times) to look at something with a fresh perspective. We move through the four seasons exploring elements found during those special months.
April showers do bring May flowers but what else looks like flowers in the rain? In a following riddle-ku two objects both begin with the letter "b", but one comes before the other in spring. This secret is delicately described. And sometimes you walk around it, other times you jump right in the center with a huge splash. In the hands of Laura Purdie Salas, we
sail leaf boats across me.
Dandelions, mosquitoes, and sandcastles herald a new season and are aptly portrayed in three clever lines of five, seven and five syllables. The poem using the title of the book creates a memorable and mesmerizing vision. It leads us with a gasp and a sigh into autumn.
Will you think of your school as waiting, welcoming and wearing something special? We read of a train no one will ever ride. We hear familiar noises when someone makes a satisfying jump as a reward. Now winter is upon us. Aspects, those of us living in the north are ready to big adieu, speak to readers. Cold permeates each poem. How do we fly in winter without ever leaving the ground? Who waits, as we do, dreaming of spring?
Knowing former students' fondness for haiku and puzzles, I know readers will enjoy these truthful, eloquent riddles using three lines written with great insight by Laura Purdie Salas. These poems ask us to use all our senses, seeking answers in not-so-obvious places. The subjects described are familiar but lifted to wondrous. Here is another poem.
fire in our bellies, we FLICKER-FLASH in twilight- rich meadow of stars
As colors burst across the matching dust jacket and book case on the front, we realize we are in for a pictorial treat courtesy of illustrator Merce Lopez. She captures the amazing feeling of being seated during a festival or holiday using fireworks as they spread above us, diminishing our size by their grandeur. To the left, on the back, she shifts her style to match the exquisite and graceful nature of the object being described in the riddle-ku shown to readers. It's a different kind of display; one made by Mother Nature.
On the opening and closing endpapers a canvas is shown in a dark teal. Each intricate illustration is rendered in acrylic on paper and finished digitally. They are both realistic and have a dream-like quality at the same time; a beautiful blend of truth and mystery. Sometimes Merce Lopez has a single-page picture for each poem. Other times a double-page image becomes a background for two poems.
Merce Lopez's use of color, line, light and shadow invites readers into each illustration. We are easily transported through the subsequent seasons. Each visual gives readers additional hints as to the answer for the poem. Sometimes they are more subtle than others.
One of my many, many favorite illustrations is for the poem previously noted. Earth tones of blue, gray, black and brown in soft shades supply a pleasing place for the glowing circles of light. These tiny circles of light glow around two children standing in a field of tall grasses. They are close and facing each other. Their heads are bowed and looking at the light gently held in their hands.
This third book, Lion Of The Sky: Haiku For All Seasons written by Laura Purdie Salas with illustrations by Merce Lopez, is another charming and captivating look at our world through the eyes of an outstanding poet and her illustrative collaborator. Even when you've figured out the answers to these riddle-ku poems, you'll find yourself reading them again and again for the lovely use of language and the impressive images. Laura explains riddle-ku at the close of the book. Further reading about haiku, riddle poems and seasons is listed along with an answer key. To learn more about Laura Purdie Salas and Merce Lopez, a resident of Spain, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites. Be sure to enjoy all the extra features Laura includes for this title. As stated previously Laura Purdie Salas has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. Merce Lopez has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. At the publisher's website you can view interior pages. The artwork of Merce Lopez for this book is showcased by Julie Danielson, author, reviewer and blogger, at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.
UPDATE: Enjoy this video by Laura Purdie Salas about the publication of these books.
One of the most enjoyed units in our library each year was exploring the Japanese form of poetry called haiku. For students hesitate to write poems, our choice to use a line of five syllables followed by a seven-syllable line and concluding with a five-syllable line was a structure many of them appreciated. Did all of them adhere to the perimeters? Not always, but the results, whether they selected the pattern or not, were wonderful. You could feel the joy in the room as they discovered simple and ordinary things in our world are worthy of transformation and validation.
In 1968 the Haiku Society of Americawas founded. One of its charter members was New York City public school teacher and writer Sydell (Syd) Rosenberg. This woman, who passed away suddenly in 1996, had a dream. Her children, specifically her daughter Amy Losak, vowed to make her vision a reality. H Is For Haiku: A Treasury of Haiku from A to Z (Penny Candy Books, April 10, 2018) written by Sydell Rosenberg with illustrations by Sawsan Chalabi is a collection of twenty-six poems written for children (but to be enjoyed by all ages). In an introduction Amy Losak writes a letter to readers before her mother poetically defines haiku.
These twenty-six haiku poems take a different approach to exploring our alphabet. Instead of solely focusing on a person, place or thing represented by a letter, each poem begins with the appropriate letter. It's a different path to take, allowing for more possibilities.
Adventures over the cat sits in the fur ring of his tail, and dreams
Everyday sights in her city capture Rosenberg's attention. A boy seated on a mailbox, a berry-carrying blue jay and the act of getting a first library card are a few of the first to be noted. Items seen on the back seat of a car are prime elements in her imaginative mind.
On a rainy day, a cluster of children holding umbrellas become fungi. A large seed carelessly tossed is a toy for a fun-loving feline. A broom is formed by a tail twitching in the rays of sunshine.
The simple act of riding a bike on an autumn day reads like a short symphony. You will wonder which is louder; a thunderstorm or the cacophony of recorders. A perception on a full-moon night tricks a looker's eyes.
Laundry hanging on a clothesline reveals memories. Puddles take pride in their purpose. Each letter takes readers on a journey of discovery. During this trip we are invited to breathe deeply, stop, focus and use every one of our senses.
With her writing of haiku in this book, Sydell Rosenberg guides children into the world of not only poetry but in the art of observation. As she talks in her definition, haiku is a captured heartbeat.
Before the hoof comes down---that's haiku.
Sydell Rosenberg takes what might be an insignificant instance and with intention delivers something connecting us to each other. Here is another of her poems from this book.
Neon wings of moth exploding into headlight, on a country road
At her website artist Sawsan Chalabi states most of her work is digital but she also uses
traditional line work and textures.
On the front of the dust jacket she gives us the impression of the H as being a part of the landscape with the clouds on the front extending over the spine to the left and back of the jacket. This is precisely what author Sydell Rosenberg wants readers to see in her poems and in their day to day lives. The featured girls are relaxed, comfortable. I particularly like them being barefoot.
A colorful, tiny "v" patterns the opening endpapers (I'm working with a digital copy.) On the title page a turtle mentioned in one of the poems is basking on a rock. He is one of the first examples of a keen sense of humor Sawsan Chalabi displays in this book. His nose is rather long. (He reminds me of Jimmy Durante.)
The full-color illustrations shift from full-page pictures to double-page images. Some of the visuals only contain two colors, limited colors or an array of hues. The fonts are bold, like many of the lines. Readers will be delighted and surprised at the change of perspective; landscape view to close-up, depending on the poem. Sometimes the illustrations are distinctively alone but other times one joins another; separate but parts of a larger whole.
One of my favorite pictures is of the children walking in the rain. All four children from the bottom of the page to near the top are carrying red umbrellas with large white polka-dots. The colors in their clothing, yellow, teal and orange, and the umbrellas are reflected in the colors of the letters in the poem. The green from the iguana on the previous page is the color of the first letter, "H".
Sure to inspire and challenge readers to pen their own poems, H Is For Haiku written by Sydell Rosenberg with illustrations by Sawsan Chalabi is like a welcome sign. Readers will start to look around a room in which they are sitting or standing, they will watch people whether they are in a grocery store or a movie theater and they will seek out animals domesticated and wild. All have the potential to become part of a haiku poem. Poetry collections will benefit from having this title.
It's hard to believe the 20th anniversary celebration of National Poetry Monthhas nearly come to a close. It's been twenty-nine days of showcasing poetry, reading and writing poems, creating spine poetry thanks to promoter teacher librarian Travis Jonker, blogger at 100 Scope Notes, and the true-blue fun of Poem in Your Pocket Day. Although any day of the year is a great day for poetry, this month's focus wins more readers and writers to this literary form.
It's a time to direct attention to beloved favorite poems, classic collections and spotlight wonderful new titles. On March 8, 2016 three books were released. The first of these, Wet Cement: A Mix Of Concrete Poems (Roaring Brook Press)is written by Bob Raczka.
In the introduction Raczka explains concrete poetry to readers with an emphasis on using words to literally paint a picture on a page. The words in a concrete poem form the item being described in the poem. In this collection he takes it further by using the letters in the poem's title to depict that word.
Twenty-one poems, shown in black on white and white on black, help us to soar if only for twelve seconds, play games, search the night skies and peer into our closets. We pause at the baseball diamond, run after tiny creatures of the night and marvel at the miracle of our planet in the cosmos. We enjoy the best of two seasons, gasp at a summer storm's display and let a possession sail the air waves.
Bob Raczka asks us to vary our pattern of reading. We find ourselves not only reading left to right but in a circle, bottom to top, connecting words as if in a puzzle, around curves, holding the pages in front of a mirror, right to left and sideways and following a maze. The poems' titles, as well as the poem itself, are placed to coordinate a complete image. Here is a sample poem with a title.
For younger readers and those young at heart Guess Who, Haiku (Abrams Appleseed) with words by Deanna Caswell and pictures by Bob Shea is a lively look at the ancient Japanese poetic technique. Using the five syllables, seven syllables and five syllables format for three lines of poetry, readers are invited to guess the animal being described. Ten poems playfully portray creatures of all sizes.
Here's a haiku just for you! new day on the farm muffled mooing announces a fresh pail of milk Can you guess who from this haiku?
With a page turn we discover the answer in two words. For the next poem the previous animal sends out the request for us to use our thinking skills. This pattern continues until the final poem.
With this repetitive sequence Deanna Caswell supplies a pleasing, beckoning rhythm. In an author's note at the back she defines a portion of the word haiku as an explanation for her particular poems. She cheerfully requests readers to try reading the lines of the poems with one of the lines removed, asking us how or if this will change the results.
Using a palette of pastel colors with bright accents, Bob Shea's images charmingly enhance this gathering of haiku fun. Portions of some of the animals appear on the front book case. On the opening and closing endpapers small circular hues feature black drawings of nine of the animals in a repeating design.
The text for each haiku poem is displayed in a different colored font on white with a pictorial clue pictured below. With a page turn Shea has placed the animal on a vivid canvas usually including something from the clues in this illustration. You can't help but smile at these pictures.
In their third collaboration (Step Gently Out and Sweep Up the Sun) poet Helen Frost and photographer, painter and illustrator Rick Lieder explore another marvelous aspect of our natural world. Among a Thousand Fireflies (Candlewick Press) takes us to an evening when two beetles seek to find each other. The combination of these two artists' talents creates a breathtaking illuminating view.
In a summer meadow near the river, as night's first stars blink on, a firefly steps into a flower.
She waits and watches surrounded by more lights blinking on and off than would be possible to count. She is searching for one particular cadence, a secret code. It hardly seems possible she will find it. But she does.
She answers with her own series of glowing beats, matching what she has seen. She seeks acknowledgment. He approaches.
Helen Frost with word choices and punctuation replicates the flashing of fireflies with her phrases. If you read the text aloud, it's almost as if you are seated outside on a balmy summer's night, watching these tiny creatures work their mating magic. You hardly dare breathe for the beauty her words carry.
When you open the dust jacket two photographs, on the back across the spine to the front, blend to become a single moment. So exquisite is the detail and lighting you wonder how many pictures were taken to capture these exact visuals. A single shade of blue covers the book case. On the front a pair of fireflies is embossed in the center. On the opening and closing endpapers two more photographs reveal the intricacies of these delicate beings.
You will find yourself gasping at the splendor seen on every new page. Rick Liedervaries his perspectives bringing us close to the fireflies and then stepping back to show us how they move and light the night. The style of softening the background leaving only certain portions highly focused is a highly sensory experience for readers.
These three titles, representative of three distinctive types of poetry, Wet Cement: A Mix Of Concrete Poems written by Bob Raczka, Guess Who, Haiku written by Deanna Caswell with illustrations by Bob Shea and Among a Thousand Fireflies written by Helen Frost with photographs by Rick Lieder have one thing in common. They are all brilliant. I highly recommend adding them to your personal and professional collections. Pause on every page. Read them aloud. Repeatedly.
To learn more about Bob Raczka, Bob Shea, Helen Frost and Rick Lieder please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites. At the Candlewick Presswebsite you can view an interior image from Among a Thousand Fireflies. Enjoy the book trailer.
You may have heard Nicholas was born in a country know as Turkey today. Even as a child he was well-known for his generous spirit and care for others. At the time of his parents' deaths due to a plague, he became a very wealthy man.
You may have read prior to his becoming known as Saint Nicholas a story about him using his wealth to aid a nobleman, now living in poverty, by providing dowries for his three daughters. On individual nights he tossed a sack filled with coins through the girls' bedroom window. On the final evening the sack is said to have landed in the youngest girl's stocking.
You may have discovered a tale about him becoming the youngest bishop to ever serve; being so named in the town of Myra near his birthplace. During his time as bishop (and even after his death) there are several miracles attributed to him regarding his saving children by bringing them back to life. It is believed Nicholas died on December 6, 342 or 343.
You may have learned this date was a well-celebrated feast day in Europe during the Middle Ages. The goodness of Saint Nicholas began to be associated with gift giving during Christmas in certain countries. In time this custom crossed the ocean as colonists settled in America.
You may be familiar with a particular visit by St. Nick as recounted in Clement C. Moore's The Night Before Christmas vividly describing the man, his sleigh and reindeer. But I'll bet you didn't know Santa Claus is quite the poet, specializing in haiku. Santa Clauses: Short Poems from the North Pole (Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc., September 1, 2014) written by Bob Raczka with illustrations by Chuck Groenink reveals this beloved figure's literary genius.
December 1st Wishes blowing in from my overfilled mailbox--- December's first storm.
This first poem and the twenty-four others are inspired by a bookish gift of haiku poetry given to him by his wife. Word by word, syllable by syllable, and line by line, Santa writes each one on his faithful typewriter for our reading pleasure. We get an insider view of life at the North Pole during this busiest month of the year.
Walking outside we might see the effects of a snow hare's hunger on a snow elf or see Mrs. Claus enjoying the delights of first snow. Santa, keeping his pathways safe, is thinking of treats waiting inside for him. Tying and untying bows and knots are pleasant or not so pleasant tasks.
One of the reindeer does more than guide his sleigh offering assistance under the stars. Moonlight and shadows cast their own spell. A workshop is filled with a symphony of noise. Stolen kisses under mistletoe add cheer to work.
Trees are trimmed inside by one jolly old elf and outside by the frozen weather. Nighttime visits with the reindeer, strings of light around a home and spread across an Arctic sky and the fragrance of baking cookies fill the hours with sensory delight. Stories read by a fire in a darkened room end the day.
Candy canes are consumed, sawdust is swept and wolves sing at the moon. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are getting closer. Reindeer listen, elves sleep and Santa dresses in his suit of red. From high in the sky a landscape spreads below. Now we know how it goes at the North Pole.
How I wish I could have been privy to the thoughts swirling around in Bob Raczka's mind as he formed these poems. It's as if he walked with Santa for these twenty-five days. I can see him standing still in a moment; watching, listening, touching and smelling. His depiction of the everyday is simple but profoundly beautiful. At all times a touch of humor, lightness in his words can be felt as well as a reverence for the outside world. Here is one more poem.
December 22nd Reading the reindeer's favorite bedtime story, my cold nose glows red.
Rendered in pencil, gouache and Photoshop each image lifts the words in companionable warmth. The two page spread across the matching dust jacket and book case invites you into Santa's world at the North Pole. You can hear the silence, understand the awe he and his dog feel looking at the stars and feel the crisp, clear air. Carrying over the shade of blue from the night sky on the opening and closing endpapers for a background, Chuck Groenink has placed a pattern of snowflakes, bells, Christmas trees, candy canes, a wrapped package, holly, stars, mistletoe, a glowing candle, a Santa hat, Christmas ornaments, and gingerbread boys; no two are alike with the exception of the cookies. The colors used are hues of red, green and white.
Opposite the title page is Santa's desk. I would love to sit in the solitude portrayed in that picture; a window showing snowflakes falling, a chair at a tidy desk displaying a cat on a book, a typewriter, paper, a mug and a vase holding a spring of evergreen with a single ornament. Subsequently Bob Raczka's introduction is shown on a piece of paper nearly rolled out of an old manual typewriter.
Every page turn reveals a different image size with the text displayed as if written on a typewriter; the dates in red, the poems in black. The larger font size is not a distraction but a welcome addition to each scene. Groenink might extend elements from one illustration to the next page displaying a smaller visual framed with a liberal amount of white space. In turn this is followed by several two page pictures, a single page image and a smaller one framed again in white.
There is an old world, cozy quality to each scene, the details bringing readers into this alternate North Pole world inhabited by Santa, Mrs. Claus, the elves and reindeer within Mother Nature's realm. Santa's mailbox has a grinning mouth painted on the side giving the impression the letters are coming from this animal. An old wood stove warms the workshop with a pot and kettle sitting on top. Santa's residence is a log home several stories high. The light over the kitchen table is filled with candles; drying herbs hang from a pole nearby and a cuckoo clock is seen on the wall.
One of my favorite illustrations is the one for the second quoted poem. Groenink uses the beams in the barn to frame Santa dressed in a wooly coat, sky cap on his head, hot pot next to him on a bale of straw as he holds a book reading to the reindeer. The reindeer are gathered around him, eyes watching and ears up listening. A single lantern hangs above Santa's head. Outside the tiny window snow is falling.
Every collection, every book shelf needs to have at least one copy of Santa Clauses: Short Poems from the North Pole written by Bob Raczka with illustrations by Chuck Groenink. It is sure to become one of those classic books to be read year after year welcoming the Christmas holiday. It has my highest recommendation.
To learn more about Bob Raczka and Chuck Groenink please visit their websites by following the links embedded in their names. If you select this title at Groenink's site you can see several illustrations from the book, including one of my favorites. UPDATE: Please visit this page at Kirkus. Author Julie Danielson interviews Bob Raczka.
Everything takes longer now. Movement is measured with numerous stops to lift her head in the air taking deep breaths through her nose. As her companion I follow, pausing when she does. It's not easy but the rewards have been huge. My aging dog is still teaching me lessons about life.
When you slow down you tend to be more aware of your surroundings; the small details become large. We wonder about new prints in the snow, our breath clouding the midnight air as trees pop and crack in the woods. Circles around the moon, falling stars, frosted branches, sugary snow gleaming like diamonds in the sun and the bright call of chickadees fill our wintry nights and days. Hi, Koo! A Year of Seasons (Scholastic Press) presented by Koo and Jon J Muth with illustrations by Jon J Muth asks readers to appreciate, to marvel at, the everyday, looking at it with new eyes.
In an introductory author's note Jon J Muth speaks about the evolution of the poetic form, haiku. His final sentence depicts the very essence of this book.
At its best, a haiku embodies a moment of emotion that reminds us that our own human nature is not separate from all of nature.
He also adds these twenty-six poems take an alphabetical journey through the seasons with one word in each given a capital letter.
Beginning with fall we look around personifying this season, curious about the change in wardrobe. Cleaning up leaves, lost items found on a windy day and the contrast between cold rainy days and the warmth of home are musings given to readers. Two young friends, a boy and a girl, follow Koo into winter.
Snow prints, snowballs, ice, and snowfall keep this trio on the go. What's that? A cat? Tiny spots of color herald the newness of spring. It's time to get outside trading in screen time for playtime. Oh...the wonders to be seen and understood; puddles, nests, reading to chirping friends and the sorrow of an ended life.
Earthbound stars, a sliver of moon, water catching thrown stones, and sidewalk fantasies lead to the absolute stillness found in listening to Nature breathe; in and out, in and out. String the single alphabetical words together. It's a study in seasonal sensations.
As fluid and evocative as his watercolor illustrations, Jon J Muth's words call forth those singular seconds in our lives we might otherwise fail to notice. Whether a question, a statement, an observation, or an invitation, the group of words has been thoughtfully chosen to depict the heart of the moment; how it is seen, heard, felt, or tasted. In all of the poems but one a soft joy reaches out like the best kind of endearment to the reader; lifting our spirits. In that one poem Muth wants us to consider carefully the results of our actions in the world around us.
The branch filled with cherry blossoms, the pale blues of the sky reaching toward the glow of spring green grass, petals scattered among the blades, are particularly pleasing. Who can resist smiling at the antics of Koo on the front dust jacket or doing handstands with his two friends on the back? What's even better is the different case beneath. A cloud filled sky patterns the wide spine. The back and front is a solid lively green with Koo cartwheeling across the front. Endpapers in shades of pale purple zoom in on blossoms turned to leaves.
Jon J Muth uses white space to draw readers into each illustration. A single picture is dedicated to each poem. Even though each visual is separate from the other they are joined by the color palette in each. I would happily frame any one to hang with honor in my home; Koo holding on to a lamp post with his umbrella outstretched in the rain dreaming of eating soup at home, shadows stretching beneath lamplight as delicate snow falls, flashlight beams shining on frolicking friends, or Koo skipping stones as his companions play along the water's edge.
One of my favorite illustrations is found on the final page. Koo is seated on a tree branch with his back to us. He is so still his pal, the cardinal, has built a nest on his head. The picture is filled with hues of blue, green and golden leaves framing the panda. Perfection. Peace.
When members of my PLN visited Anderson's Bookshops'Author's Breakfast in February Jon J Muth was a featured guest. After their proclamations I could hardly wait to read Hi, Koo! It was well worth the wait many times over. I think this would pair nicely with Matthew Cordell's hello! hello!and Dan Yaccarino's Doug Unplugged.
Please follow the link embedded in Jon J Muth's name to access his website. Reading Rockets has a series of video interviews with Muth here. At Literacyhead Jon J Muth is interviewed. He is one of the artists showcased at their wonderful site.
It can be seen on billboards along the roads and highways. It can be scripted in the sky by an airplane. It can be printed on a note tucked into a brown-paper-bag lunch. It can be whispered to you when you least expect it; a hand squeeze, a stolen glance or the wet-lick kiss of a dog say it too. There are more ways than can be counted or remembered for conveying affection.
Dating back to the end of the nineteenth century, consisting of only seventeen syllables, the poetic form haiku can express varied but specific meanings with a few carefully chosen words. Author/illustrator Betsy Snyder's I Haiku You (Random House Children's Books, December 2012) is an uplifting celebration of all kinds of love as seen through the eyes of children.
No matter the season or time of day these twenty poems will give you a glimpse of the childlike appreciation for the simplest and grandest things encountered. Recall memorable moments. Tuck away new ones to notice.
With the young at heart bird song is nature's alarm clock, snow angels bind together buddies and alphabet soup spells pure comfort for someone not feeling well. Even on a gray day color can be found if you know where to look. Butterflies will take flight and land on the inside and on the outside.
Four-leaf clovers, bicycles, teddy bears and a purple popsicle (or two) hold special significance. Budding gardeners in springtime, youthful entrepreneurs on a summer's day or campfire chefs in the crisp fall evenings all cherish these best of times. A canine companion watches a school bus leave feeling one way and on it's return his human shares the upside of that same feeling.
Children have a way of looking at their world and the people in it as if they are cameras missing nothing, noticing the tiniest details. Betsy Snyderhas captured their sense of wonder and observation in each of these poems through her focus on the ordinary elevating it to extraordinary; knowing its all the little things added together which makes a delightful whole. The language of their everyday world, alarm clock, valentines, rainbow, boo-boos, twinkle and snuggles, welcome readers into these cheerful, concise verses.
The creamy background on the matching jacket and cover is used throughout the book on paper with a matte finish providing a warmer frame for her charming illustrations. Her opening and closing endpapers are a watercolor wash of the shades of red readers see on every page. Each picture is as separate as the poems but tied together with the softened, full color palette and the small details.
The cardinal singing on the first page appears in the distance on top of a pine tree on the next page. A butterfly drawn by a child on one page is shown flying with another on the following page. A teddy bear being carried in the basket on a bicycle (paws raised to cover its eyes) is covered with band-aids when we readers see him next.
Her round-faced characters are full of animation and expression; delivering joy at every turn of page. Most of the poems are given a single page with a picture but five have illustrations spread edge to edge across both pages; still inviting, still embracing the reader. My favorite illustration is on the last two pages. Two children are in bed under the covers facing toward the foot holding a flashlight reading. Tiny animal slippers are beside the bed, chocolate chip cookies (and crumbs) are on the bed. Further out in the room the dog featured in several poems is curled up on his bed with the teddy bear now clad in one-piece red pajamas next to him. Over the dog's body is an opened copy of I Haiku You.
Certainly this book is perfect for National Poetry Month or Valentine's Day but I vote to use I Haiku You written and illustrated by Betsy Snyder when we need to step back, pause and appreciate the joys of life; when we want to celebrate children and their love of simple things.
Please follow the links embedded above in Betsy Snyder's names to her website and blog. Betsy Snyder was showcased in the first trifecta of 2013 at Watch. Connect. Read., sharpread and the Nerdy Book Club. All the posts give further insights into the creation of this title. At this link Snyder gives hints on writing haiku for children. For a more detailed explanation on the writing and illustration process she used follow this link.
Known as mighty hunters, they silently and swiftly strike. Their combined physical characteristics create a deadly force. Whoo-Ku Haiku: A Great Horned Owl Story (G. P. Putnam's Sons, March 3, 2020) written by Maria Gianferrari with illustrations by Jonathan Voss is an informative, captivating exploration of the life cycle of these majestic birds.
WHOO's Maria Gianferrari? She's a self-proclaimed bird nerd with a special fondness for raptors. Her love affair with birds began in 7th grade science class when her teacher, Mr. Lefebvre, initiated a bird count. While walking in her neighborhood, Maria's always on the look-out for all kinds of birds, and she loves searching winter treetops for nests in her northern Virginia neighborhood where she lives with her German-scientist husband and German speaking daughter. This is her first book with GP Putnam's Sons. She's also the author of another bird book, Hawk Rising. 
