This Is Where The Magic Happens

Without fail every night for more than fifteen years there was not a sky I did not stand beneath marveling at the stars and phases of the moon.  When you have a canine companion this is the way of your world.  In truth gazing upward looking at the beauty found in the dark has captivated me for most of my years.  No matter what happens during the days of our lives, no matter what happens on this planet of ours, the stars and moon offer constant comfort.

The dusk and blackness which comes after the setting of the sun is not always welcome to everyone.  The Darkest Dark (Little, Brown And Company, September 13, 2016) written by Chris Hadfield and Kate Fillion with illustrations by The Fan Brothers (Terry Fan and Eric Fan) is a story of dreams.  There are dreams held in the heart of the dark.

Chris was an astronaut.  An important and very busy astronaut.

He tried to avoid getting in and then out of the bath tub before bedtime with proclamations to his mother and father about astronautical duties he needed to perform.  When he was ready for bed he simply could not relax.  Chris couldn't sleep and his parents craved sleep.

When he was asked to stay in his own bed, he tried but the dark, the very, very dark was a special place; inviting to aliens.  At their wits' end his parents went back with him to his bedroom, checking everywhere for any visitors from other worlds.  They left him a bell to ring on the outside chance he would see any guests.  The persistent ding-a-linging brought them to his side.

His father patiently reminded Chris, he had to go to sleep otherwise they would be too tired for the once-in-a-lifetime event tomorrow.  When the next night finally arrived Chris and his parents joined a whole crowd of people gathered to watch the only television on the island.  It was July 1969.

Chris, his best buddy, Albert, a pug, and all those people watched real astronauts walking for the first time on the Moon.  Chris realized something else as he looked at those men in space on Earth's satellite.  With this awareness something big shifted inside his mind.  Later, back in his bedroom, at home everything was the same except for Chris.  With new eyes, he was seeing the dark, the very very dark and its infinite possibilities.


As children our imaginations are running at full tilt, nearly every waking moment.  Chris Hadfield and Kate Fillion convey the excitement of role-paying your dreams.  They also expertly depict the very real childhood fear of the dark and the persistence and patience of parents who are trying to help their son but need their sleep too.  In those minutes when Chris is watching the astronauts walk on the moon and a new viewpoint sweeps through his being, the narrative changes declaring profound truths, uplifting you as they did a boy who made his dreams come true.  Here is a sample passage.

His mom and dad checked under his bed and in the closet and even in his underwear drawer.  They declared the room 100 percent alien-free.


The initial look at the image spanning the entire dust jacket, back to front, left to right, will have you wondering about the darkest dark.  What is happening beneath this moon?  What is this boy seeing as he looks across the lake?  Here as they have done throughout the book, The Fan Brothers attention to detail is exquisite.  We know two important things about this boy, his love of spaceships and his dog.  On the midnight blue book case the only element, in silver, is the surface of our Moon on the right, front, of the case.

An even darker shade of blue replete with stars covers the opening and closing endpapers.  Rendered in graphite and colored digitally the illustrations by Eric Fan and Terry Fan dazzle your eyes at every page turn.  They begin with a two-page wordless spread of the home on the lake surrounded by trees in back, the sky brightening with the sunrise.  In the first single page image a calendar hangs on the wall signifying July 1969.  Chris has a moon phase poster hanging over his bed and a crescent moon night light.

The mix of true historical and more recent elements, the Toronto Daily Star newspaper, Walter Cronkite's face on the television screen broadcasting the moon landing and walk and images of Earth from space, blend beautifully with the other artwork.  The design of these pictures draws us into the scene.  We feel as if we are in the room with Chris and Albert as the aliens come into his bedroom, they are more curious than frightening.  The alternating perspectives and the light and shadows are realistic but also magical, imitating the wonder of true life.

I have many favorite illustrations but one I particularly like is the evening of the broadcast.  It spans two pages.  We are outside the home of the neighbors owning the television set. A mix of evergreen and deciduous trees is around the outside, leaves drifting down as a moon and stars share the sky.  Lights shine from inside as people gather.  Chris, his mother and father and Albert are about to enter the house.  Two large aliens are watching them over the rooftop.


The Darkest Dark written by Chris Hadfield and Kate Fillion with illustrations by The Fan Brothers, based upon Chris's memories of summers spent at his family's cottage on Stag Island, is about facing fears and following dreams.  The text and illustrations will transform readers of all ages.  For some of us we can remember that July 1969 and for others, the marvelous moments are reborn.  At the close of the book a page is devoted to Chris's steps in making his dream come true.  Opposite that page on the left, The Fan Brothers have placed memorabilia from his boyhood.  On two more pages Chris Hadfield leaves a message for readers with nine original photographs.

To discover more about Chris Hadfield and The Fan Brothers and their accomplishments please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites. At The Fan Brothers website you can view the other cover for this title.  There is an article and several more interior illustrations at thestar.com.  I know you will want to read this interview of The Fan Brothers at KidLit411.  Author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson features The Fan Brothers and art from this book at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  Enjoy the videos.

The Shape And Size Of Courage

Without authors and illustrators willing to research our historical past, many windows into these time periods remain closed.  Their efforts deepen and broaden our views beyond textbooks.  When their focus is on people and places in realities other than our own, their books are like a time machine we can hold in our hands.

In her series Dogs of World War II author Kirby Larson takes specific aspects of the war enlightening and captivating readers.  She begins with Duke (Scholastic Press, August 27, 2013) acquainting us with the Dogs for Defense program where family pets are trained to assist soldiers.  In Dash we become a silent member of the Kashino family as they are sent to Japanese incarceration camps. In both books children have to relinquish their best friends, their dogs.  Her third companion title, Liberty (Scholastic Press, October 11, 2016) takes us south to the city of New Orleans in the year 1944.

Thomas Edison said, to invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.  Fish Elliott had both.

Fish Elliott also has a next-door neighbor Olympia who is more than willing to offer assistance and sage advice whether he wants it or not and an older, resilient and determined sister Mo, who has sent him to the market for green beans.  The green beans are a favorite food of Seaman Roy Weathers who has been visiting their home quite often lately.  What Fish Elliott does not have is a dog.

On the way home from the market a nasty neighbor, Mr. LaVache, yells out to Fish, asking him if the dog is his.  Turning around Fish sees a dog following him; until the man throws rocks at her and threatens to kill her if he sees her again.  Fish's life is about to change.  Far away in Africa a young German soldier, Erich Berger, is about to experience a change too.

Fish has been working on a trap to catch a critter nibbling too much on Miss Zona's, Olympia's grandmamma's, garden.  He has even created a model with a cigar box, some empty spools of thread and couple of Olympia's hair ribbons to figure out a trap door.  As you may surmise his plans have altered.  A dog needs to be saved.

Intertwined in Fish's efforts to help the dog, that he has named Liberty, are the everyday but hardly ordinary lives of people in his city.  There is the huge influence of Andrew Jackson Higgins, the manufacturer of the "Higgins boat" or LCVP (Landing Craft, Vehicle Personnel).  Mo works for him and Roy is being trained by Captain McDerby to navigate these boats.  Critical to the story is Fish having polio when he was young, leaving him with a limp, and Olympia's African American ethnicity.  With each incident the tension mounts as to whether Fish will get Liberty (with help from Olympia and others) and be able to keep her.  As all the elements and people come together in one breathtaking moment after another, you will be unable to stop thinking about this story and the multiple conclusions.


Once started (at 3:30AM yesterday) there was nothing, not even an essential appointment, that was going to keep me from finishing this latest title by Kirby Larson.  Everything was put on hold until I knew the resolution of Liberty.  In thinking about this book, I found it to be about courage.  Mo's courage to pursue her dream of becoming a engineering draftsman and maintaining a home while her father is away overseas fighting, Roy's courage to go into battle far from home, Olympia's courage to always be strong in the face of prejudice, Erich Berger's courage to do the right thing regardless of the consequences, and Fish's courage to champion for a stray dog and to keep working to walk with greater ease.  It is as if each of them are fighting battles but not doing so in isolation.  Larson heightens our involvement with the mix of narrative, spot-on conversations and the alternating chapters giving us glimpses in Erich Berger's current situations.  (If you think I am going to share what a German soldier fighting in Africa has to do with a boy, a dog and New Orleans, think again.  I will not.)

When I turned the last page, I felt an overwhelming sense of respect for Kirby Larson's ability to fit all these characters together to create a stellar story.  You can't help but be transported to 1944 New Orleans with her meticulous attention to detail which does not weigh the story down but lifts it up to excellence.  The specific brand names of food, the common colloquial phrases, methods of transportation, clothing styles and vivid descriptions of the climate, the heat, humidity and storms surround you.  Here are some sample passages.

"It'd go faster if you let me help."  she slipped through the narrow opening in the fence.  If they had been allowed to attend the same school, that loudmouth in his class would've called her String Bean.  Olympia's grandmamma, Miss Zona, says that Olympia had to turn around twice to catch her own shadow.

She should mind her own beeswax.  Roy was okay, but Fish had set three places at their dinner table too many times lately.  Roy said Mo's cooking was better than anything he got at the Navy base.  Why a lightning bolt hadn't struck him dead for saying that, Fish had no idea.  His sister could change the oil in a car, rotate a set of tires, and replace a worn clutch, but cooking edible food seemed beyond her.  If Miss Zona hadn't sent over a plate of gumbo or some red beans and rice once in a while, Fish and Mo might have starved to death.  

A funny feeling came over Fish.  Soon, Roy wouldn't be doing practice runs or tourist trips on the lake here.  He'd be on a ship, maybe heading to the Pacific.  Steaming to danger.
Roy caught Fish looking at him and gave a thumbs-up, Fish returned the gesture.  Then Roy circled his finger in the air, asking, "Ready to head in?"
Fish shook his head.  Out here, the war was at bay.  He liked that feeling.
Roy grinned and the engine roared; he pulled out of the circle and cut through the water like a great shark.  Fish lost his balance and grabbed on to one of the exposed ribs.  The energy of the boat's thrust pushed him back, but he found a way to lean on his good leg.  Wind whipped around his face, making his eyes water, ruffling his hair.  He felt like Errol Flynn in one of those pirate movies.   ...

"Olympia?" He let himself into the pen.  "What are you doing out here?"
"I heard Liberty crying."  She had her arms tight around Liberty's neck.  "She hates lightning."
"I think it's the thunder, but you're right.  Storms scare her."  He shivered as rain pelted his back.  "Let's go in the shed."
He clipped on the leash and the three of them made their way inside, watching the fingers of lightning through the one window.  Fish made a lap and Liberty curled up in it as best she could, trembling.  Fish stroked between her eyes; the book said that was calming to dogs.


All three of these titles are must reads in my way of thinking and all will leave lasting impressions but this book, Liberty, written by Kirby Larson is my favorite.  At one point I burst into tears of relief and happiness realizing I had been holding my breath.  There are many talking points within this story; the historical events and people's attitudes and outlooks in general, then and now.  I give this my highest recommendation.

To learn more about Kirby Larson and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.

Making History Mile After Mile

Given human nature and a set of circumstances, you believe you can predict the outcome.  If you happen to know an individual quite well, you can hopefully expect a more solid resolution.  People, though, can surprise you.

Animals, despite all our research as to their characteristics and habits and like their human counterparts, can deliver totally unexpected behaviors.  Journey: Based on the True Story of OR7 The Most Famous Wolf In The West (Little Bigfoot, an imprint of Sasquatch Books, October 11, 2016) written by Emma Bland Smith with illustrations by Robin James is a fictionalized account of an extraordinary trek by a lone wolf.  Over the course of years, this animal changed the way we look at wolves.  It is ultimately a story of hope.

The wolf took one last look at his mother and father.  This sweet-smelling forest of pines and firs had always been home.

Wolf pups grow and leave their parents to form their own packs from twelve to twenty-two months old.  This wolf was ready to find a mate and form his own pack and he was already different.  He had been tagged with a radio collar so biologists could study his movements.

His trip was noted and reported by newspapers because he seemed to be leaving northern Oregon and heading for California.  A girl in California was very interested. No wolves had lived in her state since 1924 when they had been eliminated.

The wolf would stop in his travel if he heard unusual sounds or smelled the scent of humans.  This wolf did that because a motion-sensor camera had caught his portrait.  Abby excitedly watched it on the news.  He was only thirty-eight miles from the California border.  For weeks Abby tracked his movements with pushpins on a map but she was worried about the danger he faced from people who did not want wolves in their state.

The wolf kept going, searching for a female companion. Needing a pack kept him in motion and vigilant.  Abby kept following his path.  Hope filled her heart one day when she learned of a contest to name the wolf.  Conservationists felt if the wolf was given a name, the attention would protect him.  The wolf would not know of the contest or if it was a success but his defenders would.  They would also know when he found a mate, a place to call home and fathered a litter of pups.


Whether you know the result of OR7's, Journey's, trip or not you sense the underlying threads of tension and hope in this story.  Author Emma Bland Smith researched and gathered her facts as evidenced by this narrative.  It is told in the alternating viewpoints of the wolf and Abby.  Most of the information in the wolf's sections is nonfiction.  Even though Abby is a fictionalized character there are facts woven into her story.  Here are two more passages; one from the wolf and one from Abby.

"He crossed the border!"  Abby could hardly believe it.

For weeks now she had been following the wolf's route on the internet.  The last update said he had been near Crater Lake in Oregon.  Today she'd learned that he had finally made it into California, becoming the first wolf in the state in almost one hundred years! ...


... This was good land.  Wolf country.  But where were the other wolves?

Wolves live better in packs, not alone.  Hunting is more difficult alone.
Sleeping is more dangerous alone.  The wolf had to find a companion 
and soon.


The image of the wolf frozen in position in the wintry woods, looking back is identical on the dust jacket and book case.  The shadows of the trees indicate the weather and time of day.  It's easy to imagine him alone except for the scent or sound which captured his attention. To the left on the dust jacket OR7 is seen crossing through the mountains, a large lake below, rimmed with snowy mountains.  On the book case to the left on the back is another interior image of the wolf's documented future.  Both the opening and closing endpapers, done in hues of blue and white, highlight the wolf looking at us as he walks along a rise.

Robin James's artwork in this book is nearly photographic in detail.  She gives us panoramic and up-close views replete with intricate elements; the wolves' fur which you want to reach out and touch, the bubbles in a cup of coffee, items on the shelf in Abby's room, the sun painting the mountains pink and purple and the desk in Abby's room showing us how she is tracking the wolf.  The illustrations are either double-page or single page.  Opposite the single page pictures, James has placed a smaller item relative to the narrative.  On the single page showing the television report of OR7 captured on camera with someone eating their breakfast in the foreground, you can look to the left and see a part of a tree trunk with a camera adhered to it.  It's interesting that all we see of adults is a portion of their hands.

One of my favorite illustrations is of the wolf howling, seeking a mate. He is close to us on the left; his head lifted skyward with the plains, forest and mountains behind him.  To the right a rolling hill rises to meet the sparse evergreens and mountains in the distance.


Although it is stated this book is a work of fiction, I decided to include it in my Wednesday post because of the author's note, the map of OR7's journey with an explanation, captioned photographs at the end, an inclusive timeline, further reading websites, suggested group discussion and activities and independent activities.  Journey: Based on the True Story of OR7 The Most Famous Wolf In The West written by Emma Bland Smith with illustrations by Robin James inspires us to be better protectors and active in wildlife recovery efforts.  It also promotes additional research.  I spent hours researching after reading this title.  You might find these websites useful The Huffington Post, Wild Wolves: The Old and the New West and Wolf OR7 Expedition. 

To learn more about Emma Bland Smith and Robin James and their other work please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  You will really enjoy Emma Bland Smith's About Emma page. Here is an article Emma wrote My Path to Publication. If you wish to view interior images, please follow this link to the publisher's website.  Emma Bland Smith is interviewed at teacher librarian Cynthia Alaniz's blog today, Librarian in Cute Shoes.


To read the other selections of participants in the 2016 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge please visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher.

UPDATE:  A new article about this book appeared in The Huffington Post, November 4, 2016.

A Bookfall Of Autumn Goodness

The air is crisp like biting into the freshly harvested apples found in baskets at the farmer's markets.  The skies are crystal clear with a blue so beautiful your breath catches.  The trees are putting on their garbs of rich yellows, oranges and reds.

Autumn is an announcement of winter's arrival but it's also a promise of the beauty which comes in spring and summer.  The annual and perennial flowers have never looked lovelier, recovering from the heat of July and August.  Wonderfall (Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, September 6, 2016) written and illustrated by Michael Hall is an ode to this marvelous season.

Peacefall
A gentle
breeze is
jiggling
me.
I hear
my acorns
drop.
Plink,
plunk,
plop.

In a collection of fourteen poems an oak tree showcases what the season of autumn brings to all the local residents.  Using single words as the title for each poem and exchanging fall for the "ful" at the end of each, we are privy to the tree's observations.  Even from a stationary stance much can be learned and understood.

It is so quiet, as in the first poem, the sound of the acorns falling can be heard.  It's nature's way of saying enjoy the calm but life is still working, hopeful of continuing to another fall.  The sound and appearance of school buses Monday through Friday are a reminder of students' and staff's commitments.  Autumn is at time of celebrations; festivals and parades.

Frightfall is the night when costumed creatures roam the streets collecting treats.  Less than a month later gratitude is expressed and enjoyed inside and outside homes.  Sometimes humans leave food readily discovered by animal bandits.  This is utterly delightfall.

Rampant winds pull leaves from the tree scattering them for workers to collect.  Bare branches extend upward as if to call a greeting to residents leaving for warmer climates.  Ending as we begin in silence, a single word heralds a new season.


An exceeding clever concept by Michael Hall brings our attention to the varied facets of a season within the context of human and animal life.  Free verse, onomatopoeia, alliteration and rhyming fashion a world and time in motion.  With each page turn anticipation is built, as readers wonder how the focus will shift.  Here is another poem.

Forcefall
Whoosh,
whoosh, 
whoa!

What
wild,
whirling 
wind!

The two squirrels seen among the leaves on the front of the dust jacket are featured throughout the book. You can't help but look for them in each image.  The tree branch and leaves extend over the spine toward the left, the back of the jacket, along with a teaser paragrah, an open invitation to read.  A stack of large acorns are spread along the bottom of the book case with one, on the right, falling to join the others.  The background is a textured collage like the bark seen on the jacket.  The opening endpaper is the bold green of a summer leaf.  The rusty shade seen on the tree leaves and acorns appears on the closing endpaper.

Rendered digitally by incorporating textures created with acrylic paint and soft pastels all the illustrations are spread across two pages on a pristine white canvas except for several evening and cloudy scenes.  The backgrounds serve to highlight the bright colors, a signature piece of Michael Hall's work.  It's interesting to note aspects from one image will appear in another visual further into the book.  The bear on the child's backpack becomes the school mascot for the parade.  A farmer on a tractor in the background comes to the front in a following picture.  Careful readers will notice how leaves are used progressively to build a nest for the squirrels in the tree.

One of my favorite illustrations is for the poem, Forcefall.  The tree standing on the right is nearly bare of leaves.  Several are being blown to the ground, falling on an ever-growing pile.  The squirrels' tails are extended by the stiff breeze.  A fox has stopped in front of the tree to look straight at the reader.

Wonderfall written and illustrated by Michael Hall is ingenious.  I can't think of a seasonal collection being complete without a copy of this book.  It will spark discussions and promote creative writing.  At the close of the book Hall includes several pages about how nine different animals shown in the images prepare for winter.  He explains hibernates and migrates.  Two more pages about gray squirrels and acorns follow.  On the last page the tree speaks again talking about dormancy.  I highly recommend this title.

To discover more about Michael Hall and his other work please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  At the publisher's website you can view the first eight pages.  The publisher also has an Instagram post about Hall's other titles.  Enjoy the book trailer.

Wonderfall by Michael Hall (Greenwillow Books) from Winding Oak on Vimeo.

Pets, More Pets And Still More Pets

We many not know it but they choose us.  They appear when we seem to need them the most which can translate into total surprise for us.  In time we start to manifest their physical characteristics and emotional moods.  Of this we are probably the last to know.

Observations of humans and their animal companions will lead most people to the conclusion there is the perfect pet, the perfect pal for everyone.  On April 5, 2016 The Grumpy Pets (Abrams Books for Young Readers) written and illustrated by Kristine A. Lombardi growled into the world.  Now I don't know about you but as soon as I saw the title, I knew I had to read this book.

Mom took Billy and Sara to 
Perfect Pets one Saturday.

Billy is a cantankerous character whose mom hopes this trip to a shop filled with rescue animals will perk up his personality.  With so much love floating around the room, certainly Billy will crack a smile.  Every child who walks in connects with a critter, even his sister Sara.

The more cheerful the animals, the bigger the scowl grows on Billy's face.  This is too much happiness for him. He starts to meander through the shop and discovers a back area with more crates.  These residences are filled with the least friendly canines you have ever seen.  Their body language, their fur, their looks and voices shout out orneriness with a capital o.  Good grief!  There are even a couple of cranky cats in the bunch.

These animals are exactly like Billy; in fact one particular dog catches his eye.  A starring contest develops and expands with crabby exchanges until they astonish one another.  Those two lives are never going to be the same.


Simple sentences by Kristine A. Lombardi provide excellent pacing.  Each one creates and expands on the peevish personality of Billy leading us to the surprise.  We realize Billy is not swayed by cuteness; rather it makes him feel worse.  Here is a sample passage.

He began to look around,
but every single pet was just so happy.
Blech, Billy thought to himself.


The row of grouchy, cranky faces on Billy and the assorted dogs and cats on the front of the dust jacket are intriguing.  Are these individuals always grumpy? Did something happen to them?  When you open the jacket and look to the left you get an entirely different perspective from three other dogs in front of the buildings.

 On the book case amid teal brush strokes are oval frames on the front and back.  A very bad-tempered Billy looking like a volcano about to erupt is on the front.  On the back is an interior image of three blissful looking dogs labeled appropriately.  A pattern of grumpy pets drawn in several shades of turquoise are displayed on the opening and closing endpapers.  A trio of crabby pets begins on the title page and stretches with more grumps across the verso and dedication pages which follow.

Many of the illustrations span two pages.  On the single page pictures Lombardi uses circles and ovals to frame the individual images.  The layering, shading and details ask readers to pause and let the atmosphere surround them.

One of my favorite illustrations is a close-up of Billy on the left and of the petulant pup on the right.  Their staring contest is in full swing.  In this particular picture you can readily see the use of texture in Lombardi's work in the outlines, clothing and fur.  The arch of both individuals' eyebrows and the set of their mouths are grumpy in its purest form.

To learn more about Kristine A. Lombardi and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website. Be sure to read her blog linked there to enjoy her other artwork and process examples.  Here is an interview with Kristine A. Lombardi after the publication of her first book at Monica Wellington's news.  Enjoy the book trailer.






Sometimes our pet pals don't make any sense at all to others.  They fail to see the connection.  They fail to see the attraction. They are dumbfounded.

It would stand to reason a boy living on a farm would develop a fondness for one of the animal inhabitants.  Gus has an attachment to a lot more than one.  My Favorite Pets by Gus W. For Ms. Smolinski's Class with words by Jeanne Birdsall and pictures by Harry Bliss is a laugh a minute look at a boy's obsession and report writing.

My favorite pet is sheep.  We have
seventeen in our yard.  Seventeen
sheep are still sheep, not sheeps.

Gus acquaints us with boy sheep, girl sheep and baby sheep.  We now know the horns on a male do not come off, a female sheep will not respond to a call of "What are ewe doing?" and if you swap your little brother for a lamb, your mom will definitely notice.  Clothing on sheep is also not a good idea.

If you should happen to use a sheep as an umbrella in a blinding rainstorm, your dad will also definitely notice.  Do not use scissors on a sheep's behind.  Do not use sheep to give your little brother a "horsey" ride.  Sheep are not good playmates for boys. They simply can't move from point "A" to point "B" as boys or even adults travel.

Bringing sheep into your home is NEVER a good idea. Their presence gives new meaning to the word mess.  Your parents will both definitely notice simultaneously.  You and the sheep will quickly be dispatched to other areas.  Of course a boy and his sheep can't be parted.


The first person point of view in this narrative formed by Jeanne Birdsall to replicate a school report is hilarious.  Gus seems to be stating the obvious but it is really leading to specific comedic moments.  The humor is increased with occasional questions and outbursts by Gus's mom and dad in contrast to the representations made by Gus. Here is a sample passage.

A baby sheep is a lamb.  If you
trade your little brother for a lamb,
your mother will say,
Why is Sammy 
covered in
hay?


At first glance the matching dust jacket and book case with the notebook paper above and below the characters, hint at the form of the narrative.  Two things are certain though, the boy loves those sheep and those sheep love to nibble and chew.  To the left, on the back, the words

One boy.
Seventeen sheep.
What could go wrong?

are placed over a sheep climbing out of the chimney on the house's roof.

On the opening and closing endpapers Harry Bliss gives us a view as if we are seated at Gus's desk looking out the window in his yard filled with sheep.  Readers get a glimpse of what is important to him, comics, Gus's Sheep Diary and a note to finish his report.  Rendered in black India ink and watercolor the heavier matte-finished paper enhances the double and single page images throughout the title.

Bliss's interpretation of the text raises the laughter factor providing an extension of the story.  For the observation regarding sheep's wool, cutting some off and Gus's mother's reaction, Bliss supplies a visual of Gus seated on the lawn, scissors, glue and a book titled Beards of History next to him.  He has glued the sheep's wool to his face and is holding a mirror to observe his handiwork.  Bliss embeds humor in every image.  He conveys much emotion which the shape of his lines and the position of a single dot.

One of my favorite illustrations of many is when the sheep are in the kitchen.  It is a scene of utter chaos. One of the sheep is on the kitchen sink grabbing the nozzle in its mouth and squirting water. Another is wide-eyed and slipping on the wet floor.  One is about to nibble the table runner. And a fourth has its head stuck between the chair slats.

To discover more about Jeanne Birdsall and Harry Bliss and their other work please follow the links attached to their names to access their individual websites.  At this publisher's website you can get a sneak peek at a few of the interior images.




What is colorful?  What is noisy?  What is totally alive with action?  These are words used to describe a gathering of creatures and their humans.  It's a day set aside to showcase attributes. It's a day to showcase those who have our affection.

The duo who brought readers Some Insects (Beach Lane Books, March 4, 2014) have returned with another delightful take on the animal world.  Some Pets (Beach Lane Books, August 23, 2016) words by Angela DiTerlizzi and pets by Brendan Wenzel present all those things which make pets the beloved individuals they are.  Let's join the conversation!

Some pets
SIT.
Some pets
STAY.
Some pets
FETCH.
Some pets
PLAY!

Dogs and cats are getting ready to be put on display.  They are still acting in their normal canine and feline way.  An obstacle course is the spot for a wriggling reptile and a leaping rabbit.  They do what they do out of habit.

Wheels spin and the noise begins.  Critters raise their voices in a clamorous chorus.  In the midst of all this fantastic fun, the hunger bug bites each and every one.

As the day draws to a close, pets let their humans know how much they care.  When all is said and all is done, love is in the air.  Friendship first and friendships that last.


Whether these words are read in silence or spoken aloud you can't help but feel the rhythm of the verses penned by Angela DiTerlizzi.  They have a playful pizzazz courtesy of rhymes and alliteration which mirror the essence of each animal.  There is nonstop action at every page turn leading readers to the final magical moment.


When you open the matching dust jacket and book case the gathering of eager animals crosses the spine to the left and the back. A string of pennants with paw prints hangs announcing the gala. Brendan Wenzel's use of color joyfully lifts the spirit of DiTerlizzi's words.  His pets are ready for the story to begin.  On the opening and closing endpapers one of the orange hues is used.

The illustrations for this book were rendered in almost everything imaginable. From the initial title page to the closing image at the back of the book containing the author and illustrator note and publication information, these images are lively depicting the best in the human and animal connection.  On the formal title page we see a bird's eye, panoramic view of the Pet Show venue.  The happiness pops off the page.

Thirteen more double-page images with details which will have you grinning from ear to ear give readers the inside scoop on the day's activities. We see a dog enduring a tooth brushing, toothpaste foaming from his mouth, cats leaping from their pedestals reaching for a toy mouse, pigs running a race, dogs in costumes and a girl snuggling with her hedgehog.  The facial expressions on the pets and their people are simply precious.  Wenzel creates wondrous wide-eyed looks.

One of my favorite illustrations is the group of dogs at the Costume Party. Bowls of kibble are filled and placed around the ground. A pug in a lobster suit is gobbling up his food. There is a Golden retriever wearing a stethoscope. Another pup is ready to buzz like a bee pausing over his meal served in a black and yellow striped dish.  The Great Dane dressed like a dragon is fabulous.  Oh, and there is a wild squirrel sneaking a snack.

After the narrative two pages are devoted to all the pets present in the book giving readers their common name and the name given to them by their people. To learn more about Angela DiTerlizzi and Brendan Wenzel and their other work please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  At the publisher's website you can view some interior images.  There is also a link to four printable activity sheets. Angela DiTerlizzi is interviewed at Watch. Connect. Read., the blog maintained by Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher.  Brendan Wenzel is a guest at All The Wonders, Episode 285 hosted by teacher librarian Matthew Winner. 


These three titles, The Grumpy Pets written and illustrated by Kristine A. Lombardi, My Favorite Pets by Gus W. For Ms. Smolinski's Class words by Jeanne Birdsall and pictures by Harry Bliss and Some Pets words by Angela DiTerlizzi and pets by Brendan Wenzel are guaranteed to make for a spirited storytime. Listeners will be begging you to read them again and again.  And you will do it because these books have that special quality we recognize in marvelous storytelling.

An Invitation---An Acceptance

Vigilant observers of our natural world will be rewarded, not always instantly or even after years but many times when they least expect it.  Sometimes Mother Nature will leave you clues; a color not previously present, a movement caught out of the corner of your eye, an unusual sound or a strange smell.

If you are fortunate when driving down a two-lane highway in northern Michigan, you will see a flash of black and white by the side of the road.  When it lifts into the air you believe it to be the largest Pileated woodpecker you have ever seen, but...when you peek into the woods as you pass by it's not a woodpecker.  It is the closest you have ever been to an adult bald eagle!

You gasp at seeing what is surely an extraordinary gift.  Pond (A Paula Wiseman Book, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, September 13, 2016) written and illustrated by Jim LaMarche is about a boy finding a hint of what was and what could be.  It's about having determination and dedication to preserve, protect and resurrect.

"This is so weird," I said to myself as I watched the clear water bubble up from the ground.
We had always called it "the Pit."

Following the stream created by the water source, Matt gives an old spot another look.  With the assistance of his sister, Katie and his best friend Pablo, the trio clears all the junk and rubbish from "the Pit."  They build a dam with rocks and logs from the surrounding wooded area.  During their work Pablo makes an exciting discovery; a glass-like blue rock chipped in the shape of a heart.

Spring passes into summer with the site gradually filling with water; a pond is forming.  An old wooden boat is patched, rough portions are sanded and nails are pounded back into place.  Idyllic days are spent on the pond in the refurbished vessel.

Before the trio realizes it, the day before school arrives.  Matt's and Katie's dad takes them for a sleepover at the pond.  In autumn, for the first time the children can remember, geese pause to rest instead of flying overhead without stopping.  Winter days are spent skating on the ice as soon as it freezes.

With the last of the snows melted and spring in full bloom, Matt, Katie and Pablo race to the top of the hill overlooking the pond.  From this perspective they can hardly believe what they see.  They finally reach a decision together.  They are rewarded with a quiet, remarkable happening which none of them will ever forget.


A deep affection and appreciation for the out-of-doors is evident in the work of Jim LaMarche.  His narrative embodies a timeless quality.  What the children accomplish could be done today or decades ago.  LaMarche makes a reference to this in some quiet remarks by Matt's father.

His combination of first person point of view and dialogue bring a genuine quality to the story.  As the three children work and play together LaMarche allows us to see their separate personalities emerge; the thinker, the researcher and the musician.  It's important the parents of all the children are included with the occasional assistance they provide.  Here is a passage from this book.

"The Dragonfly floats!" Pablo proclaimed as we pulled the boat into the pond.  The water was cool and crystal clear and shallow enough to walk around the entire pond.  We all took our turn pulling the boat.
"Those are barn swallows," said Katie.  "They eat mosquitoes."
"Well, then, I love barn swallows," said Pablo.  


The image you see on the front of the matching dust jacket and book case continues over the spine to the far left edge.  It is a stunning display of animals frequently seen in woods, fields and around a pond; cottontail rabbits, Canadian geese, a Red-Winged Blackbird, egrets, a fawn, a mallard, a mourning dove, and two smaller birds on the left.  The boy standing there is a testament to the mutual regard grown between them.  The raised varnished letters of the title are a complement to the other hues.

On the opening endpapers LaMarche gives readers a bird's eye view of the pond in the late spring before Matt makes his discovery.  At the edge of the wood is a row of houses and a city is in the near distance.  It is a stark scene.  On the closing endpapers it is late spring one or more years later. The boat is pulled up at the edge of the pond.  A painter stands at an easel capturing the beauty before him.

Rendered in acrylics, colored pencils and opaque inks on Arches watercolor paper these illustrations all span both pages left to right in a delicate, soft depiction of the discovery, the work, the enjoyment and the reward of the children.  LaMarche begins on the publication page with Matt walking through a gate in his fenced in back yard.  The title page shows him going into the woods and seeing the old boat.

In keeping with the text the visuals may give us a larger view as when the children are carrying logs and stones or bring us close for when they look at the blue, heart-shaped rock.  LaMarche's light and shading create breathtaking scenes replete with his intricate details.  They create wonderful sensory experiences for readers.

One of my favorite of many illustrations is the lovely wordless picture of a summer day at the pond.  Katie is in the boat, a patched umbrella standing in the center for shade.  As she gently paddles at one end we can see sandals in the bottom and three glasses on a seat next to a jug.  Another paddle lies in the boat. Two books are open on the back seat with the blue, heart-shaped stone.  A duck has climbed on the back edge.  A bird is perched on the top and two are on sides of the umbrella.  An egret and heron wade in the pond as a kingfisher flies away carrying a fish.  A rabbit watches from the bank as Matt rests on a floating raft and Pablo scoops water into a pail.  The slow movements on the surface and reflections of light are wonderful.


Pond written and illustrated by Jim LaMarche brings to readers the wonders our world offers to us if we have the eyes to see and the mind, heart and strength to do what needs to be done.  This book offers readers an opportunity.  I highly recommend its use in units on the seasons, teamwork and appreciation and preservation of our natural world.

In addition to the front jacket and case illustration you can view six other interior images at the publisher's website.  You will gain insight into this author illustrator by reading this discussion and interview when his book, Up, was released.  Here is a biography found at another publisher's site which is informative.  I think you will enjoy this video where LaMarche discusses how he creates his illustrations; in this case for The Carpenter's Gift. 

Living In The Deep Dark

There are spots on our planet, even today, where humans have never ventured.  In those places inhabitants reside whose secrets have yet to be revealed.  We have knowledge of the existence of some but it is limited.

According to NOAA's National Ocean Service ocean covers more than seventy percent of our planet's surface.  This is ninety-seven percent of the water on Earth!  A curious creature lurks in these deep and dark waters.  Giant Squid (A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, September 27, 2016) written by Candace Fleming with illustrations by Eric Rohmann is a lyrical, haunting look at this mysterious monster.

Down,
down
in the depths
of the sunless sea,
deep,
deep
in the cold,
cold dark,
creatures,
strange
and fearsome
lurk.

These beings are huge; picture in your mind's eye the size of a bus and the weight of a ton.  They are rarely seen.  We wonder about how they hunt, eat and produce their young.  Scientists learn, little by little, by gathering clues left and discovered from all around the world.

Giant squid have two long tentacles.  Not long like a yard stick but long like ten yard sticks.  The description of these two tentacles will leave you shivering.  How would you like to be grabbed by a limb covered with suction cups?  These suckers contain saw-like teeth.

 If that visual does not have you quaking eight other arms help to shove you toward a hungry opening.  This is not like a fish's lips but like a parrot's beak, a very big parrot's beak.  This terrifying beak leads to a mouth and tongue designed to make the meal into mush.

Being in the same proximity as something with eyes as big as soccer balls might tend to make something freeze in fear.  These enormous eyes on a giant squid have a purpose; a purpose to notice the dimmest light in the dark. Believe it or not this is a warning for this being to flee from one of its few predators, a sperm whale.

We have little understanding of why a giant squid changes color or where they lay their eggs.  Small giant squids come from those hatched eggs.  They, like the parent, do have protection from those who wish to consume them by squirting out ink.  This ink creates a cover allowing them to escape.  One minute they are there and then in the next they have vanished.


Four pages of poetic lines lure us down into the ocean darkness, curious to learn, prior to the title page.  Candace Fleming weaves facts into her words writhing arms, lidless eyes and weighing a ton. She leaves us clues much like those left by the giant squid on the surface of the ocean or washed on sandy beaches.  This is a marvelous technique to create interest.

She continues with vivid descriptions of hunting and eating with the tentacles, arms, beak, mouth and tongue.  Her explanation for the function of the round, unblinking eye is unexpected but utterly fascinating.  She gives us as many answers as she can but leaves us with questions.  It's her writing, the manner in which she places her words, which excites and invites us to explore further as the best of nonfiction does for readers.  Here is another passage.

The beak.
Bone-hard and parrot-like,
it sits in the center of those eight,
slithering arms,
protruding from the creature's mouth,
rotating from side to side,
ripping apart prey.


The images, rendered with oil on paper by Eric Rohmann beginning with the matching dust jacket and book case, are realistic but otherworldly at the same time. The arms and tentacles in motion stretch over the spine to the left, the back of the jacket and case.  A dark, steely blue covers the opening and closing endpapers.

The choice to have five pages of text and illustrations prior to the title page is sheer brilliance. With each page turn the tentacles and arms reach a little bit higher from the bottom of the right side until the "wow" factor of the two-page picture on the title page.  The design of having the one tentacle reaching higher toward the circle of light and swimming fish is fabulous and frightening.

For most of the book we see only pertinent pieces of the giant squid. We are very close to the creature observing intricate details of the physical characteristics.  As the text conveys to us how the ink allows the giant squid to escape, the visuals go from complete murkiness, to the hint of a presence and then to a double gatefold which will leave readers gasping.  A final two-page illustration is a black and white drawing of the giant squid body with seven labeled parts; fins, mantle, funnel, eyes, beak, arms and tentacles.

One of my favorite illustrations is of the eye.  For most of the right side of the painting we see the eye and the portion of the body in which it is placed.  Arms stretch to the left, some allowing us to see the suckers, creating a background for the text.  It's amazing and a little creepy.


Your readers are going to gravitate toward this book like bees to hives.  Giant Squid written by Candace Fleming with illustrations by Eric Rohmann is a masterful piece of nonfiction. As soon as I finished it, I read it again. As intriguing as it is, it's one more reason I have great respect for the creatures which inhabit our planet, especially those in our oceans.  Candace Fleming includes absolutely mind-blowing facts in a lengthy note at the back along with a bibliography, acknowledgments, searching for giant squid online and other books about giant squid.

To learn more about the work of Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann and their bios, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  This link to the publisher's website allows you to see four interior images.  PictureBookBuilders celebrates this title with an interview of Candace Fleming.  Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann talk about this book on The Actually Podcast.  Here is an earlier but still interesting interview of Candace Fleming at Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries John Schumacher's blog, Watch. Connect. Read.  There are earlier video interviews of both Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann at Reading Rockets.  Here is a previous interview of Eric Rohmann at author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  Dr. Edith Widder of ORCA was the fact-checker for this title.  I found her TED video very interesting.  Please watch before sharing with students. (There is a little language.)

National Geographic on-line's page on Giant Squid is terrific!https://t.co/HQ6DSVrVCG #GiantSquid pic.twitter.com/iGhR8MjRuc

— Candace Fleming (@candacemfleming) August 18, 2016

Please take a few moments to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to view the other selected titles for those participating in the 2016 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.