A Trio Triumphs

More than one hundred fifty years ago a fairy tale emerged from a far north country.  It is a story based on need and greed.  The one prompts teamwork to overcome a bully dominated by the other.

Some versions have shown it to be a contest where there are only winners and a loser.  The Three Billy Goats Gruff (Little, Brown and Company, May 9, 2017) written and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney asks readers to ponder other possibilities.  It extends the "what if" beyond the story's ending.

A long time ago, on the rocky side of a river, there lived a family of three hungry billy goats Gruff.

There was little if any food on their side of the river but on the other side grass-covered hills rolled from one into another.  They could easily reach this veritable feast by crossing a nearby bridge.  The challenge was the troll who lived beneath the bridge.  He was hungry too...for goats.  (In case you are wondering why they never waded across in the river, danger lurked in the waters.)

As the hungriest of the three goats, the little one dared to cross the bridge first.  A loud voice boomed from beneath the bridge demanding the identity of the one who walked the bridge.  The little billy goat answered as did the troll.  Convinced by the smallest of the trio, the troll allowed him to continue as he waited for a larger meal.

As clever as the first goat, the middle-sized goat assured the troll there was a third goat, a bigger goat, about to fatten himself with the grass on the other side.  The cranky troll waited.  To say he was shocked by the events which followed would be an understatement.

The biggest billy goat Gruff did not walk upon the bridge.  He smashed through the gate causing the troll to screech out his question.  A verbal exchange escalated to a physical encounter with the troublesome troll tumbling off the bridge into the water.  If you think his life was in danger you would be right.  If you think he was never seen again, you might be wrong.


A vision of the setting is created by the words of Jerry Pinkney.   It's easy to understand why those hungry goats wanted to cross the bridge.  It's also easy to see why they waited so long to battle the bully under that bridge.  Pinkney supplies a storytelling rhythm with the repetition of

trip, trap! trip, trap! trip, trap!

It continues with the question asked by the troll and the following conversation with each billy goat; making for an ideal audience participation tale.  A gentle tension is generated by this cadence building toward Pinkney's version of closing events.  Here is a sample passage.

"It's only I," the littlest billy goat squeaked.
"I'm heading up the hillside to make myself fat."

"I'm going to gobble you up!"
declared the troll.

"Oh, no, don't eat me!" cried the littlest goat.
"Wait until the next billy goat crosses.
He's much bigger than me."


When you open the dust jacket the large image spanning the entire space, even a little bit on each of the flaps, you can't help but marvel at the realistic portrayals of the goats, the rich color of their coats, the angles of their legs and hooves, position of their tails and their facial features.  Amid this wondrous display Jerry Pinkney includes the bridge on the right and to the left, on the back, the troll with one of his companion crows, greedily watches.  On the book case the

wild grasses 

thriving on the other side of the river cover the entire space, lush and green.

The story begins and continues on the opening and closing endpapers.  On the first we are shown a panoramic vision of the rocky home of the billy goats, the river, bridge, troll's home and his vantage-view station.  On the second the scene is the identical but entirely different at the same time.  A change in the sky's shades and the light's reflection declares more than the end of the day.  On the title page picture we zoom in on the two sides of the river and the bridge, goats moving across toward the troll, and the title text placed along the bridge.

The art for this book was created using pencil and watercolor on Arches cold-pressed paper, each illustration laid from page edge to page edge across two pages.  At times to supply pacing one image stretches across the gutter for only another half page, leaving space for a smaller, close-up picture. When the first billy goat crosses the bridge we see the view above and below the bridge, goat and troll in his dark abode.  The troll gets bolder with the larger goats, standing on the bridge challenging them.

As the largest of the three billy goats Gruff charges onto the bridge, Mr. Pinkney has fashioned a stunning gatefold.  We as readers are amid the action.  During the following page turns elements break the framing and a large picture is placed over an even larger illustration several times.  Altered perspectives heighten the emotions of the individual moments.

One of my many favorite illustrations is on a half-page.  It is of the smallest billy goat Gruff before he crosses the bridge.  He is looking at the BEWARE sign secured at the top of the gate.  You can compare his size easily; feeling his fear and his bravery.


This reader is happier than you can imagine with the retellings of folklore by one of children's literature's finest authors and illustrators.  Each one is a treasured gem.  The Three Billy Goats Gruff written and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney is perfect.  At the close of the book Jerry Pinkney in an Artist's Note speaks about his interpretation of the tale through his words and art.  It is a must read.

To learn more about this marvelous man and his other work please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  Author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson highlights this title on her blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  Margaret Kimball talks about the process for the lettering on the dust jacket here.

Everything Is Good For Something, Right?

You keep watching it even though it's the most ridiculous television show, play, concert or movie you have ever seen.  You keep reading it even though it's without a doubt the goofiest thing you have ever read.  And then, to your own amazement, you read it again!  Let's face it, we love silly; the sillier the better.

On May 3, 2016 the twenty-fifth and final Elephant & Piggie book, The Thank You Book written and illustrated by Mo Willems was released.  He talks about it in this article at The Washington Post, Good night, Elephant & Piggie; a Q & A with Mo Willems.  He also speaks about a new series beginning in the fall of 2016, Elephant & Piggie Like Reading!  These books begin and end with commentary by the famous friends but other authors and illustrators write the stories.  The first two, The Cookie Fiasco by Dan Santat and We Are Growing by Laurie Keller, are huge hits.  In fact We Are Growing is the 2017 Theodore Seuss Geisel Award Medal Winner.

The third book, The Good for NOTHING Button! (An Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! Book, Hyperion Books for Children, May 2, 2017) written and illustrated by Charise Mericle Harper starts with Piggie answering Gerald's question with a classic reply.  I'm sure you're familiar with what children say when parents ask them what they are doing; especially if it's something they should not be doing.

What are you reading, Piggie?

Tee-hee!

Nothing.  

As the conversation concludes readers along with Gerald are eager to start the story.

Three birds, Yellow Bird, Red Bird and Blue Bird meet on a forest pathway.  A nearby worm looking from a hole in a tree stump is less than happy.  Yellow Bird can hardly wait to show the other two what he has.  Blue Bird is ecstatic at seeing this object, but quietly asks what it is.

It's a button, a red button that does

NOTHING!

Red Bird and Blue Bird are perplexed by this verbal revelation and actual demonstration.  Blue Bird asks to try.  He's happily flabbergasted.  When Red Bird points out being surprised is not nothing but something, the fun starts.  He then asks to press the button.  His response is not the same but it is certainly more than nothing.

Even though their reactions are entirely different this is starting to irritate Yellow Bird.  When Blue Bird pushes the red button again with an experience identical to the first time, Blue Bird and Red Bird draw another conclusion.  They break into song!

Yellow Bird explodes in frustration.  He repeatedly presses and pushes the button to demonstrate that it does absolutely NOTHING at all.  Red Bird and Blue Bird don't agree with this assessment.  Now Yellow Bird explodes in complete and utter exasperation.  In unison Red Bird and Blue Bird behave as every single reader will too!

Oh my goodness, Charise Mericle Harper!  The absurdity of a button you can carry and you can press that does nothing is hilarious.  What makes this even more over-the-top funny is the way the minds of Red Bird and Blue Bird work.  They are thinking outside the realm of obvious which to a literal bird like Yellow is thoroughly annoying.  Told entirely in dialogue the sentences and word choices are short, succinct and brimming with emotion.  The use of repetition of key phrases adds to the humor.  Here is a sample passage.

May I press the button?
Yes, Blue Bird. 
You may press
the button.
PRESS!
WOW!
Wow what? (Red Bird)
The button
is SO easy 
to press.
It surprised
me!
A surprise is NOT
nothing. (Red Bird)
That is true. (Blue Bird)


When you look at the front of the book case at the three birds, each wearing a different expression, you know this book is going to have comedic contrasts.  Careful readers will note the startled worm peeking out from behind the Elephant & Piggie logo.  The limited color palette, red, yellow, blue, touches of purple, dark pink, orange, brown, gray and pale green and blue for sky and earth, is used throughout the book.  On the opening and closing endpapers Gerald and Piggie are reading this book and laughing. On the closing endpapers the famous bird of bus-driving makes an appearance.

To supply pacing Charise Mericle Harper shifts her image sizes from two pages, to a single page, to a single oval or circle framed in white.  To increase the emotional impact several pictures are grouped on one page, separated by white space or a line.  The large, wide eyes of the characters, as do their wings (arms), mirror their current emotional state to great effect.

One of my several favorite illustrations is on a single page with a white canvas.  Red Bird and Blue Bird are in joyful moods.  Blue Bird has just pressed the button again and been entirely surprised.  This makes Red Bird laugh...a lot.  In the upper right-hand corner Yellow Bird is standing in disgust as if he just rolled his eyes.  His one wing is placed on his hip.  The opposite foot is tapping in irritation.


This book, The Good for NOTHING Button!, written and illustrated by Charise Mericle Harper is a surefire read aloud winner.  Read it with laughter in your voice, using multiple voices for the characters.  As soon as you finish it, I know your listeners will beg you to read it again.  The room will be filled with happiness.  Imagination is a wonderful thing.

To learn more about Charise Mericle Harper please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  You are going to have loads of fun exploring her pages.  She has an account on Instagram. Charise Mericle Harper and this book is the subject of a blog post by teacher librarian Travis Jonker on his blog at School Library Journal, 100 Scope Notes.

To Touch The Names

Jan Scruggs, a Vietnam War veteran, had a dream.  On March 26, 1982 the ground was officially broken after more than three years of tireless efforts by many like-minded people.  A dedication was held on November 13, 1982; this year, 2017, marking the 35th anniversary.  More than 275,000 individuals donated funds to contribute to the more than eight million dollars raised in the private sector to build this architectural masterpiece visited by more than three million people each year.  (Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund: Founders Of The Wall)

One gifted woman used talents honed from childhood to make this dream a reality.  Maya Lin: Artist-Architect Of Light And Lines: Designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (Christy Ottaviano Books, Henry Holt and Company, May 2, 2017) written by Jeanne Walker Harvey with illustrations by Dow Phumiruk tells her extraordinary story.  Her singular perspectives are a beautiful blend of art and architecture.

In the woods by her childhood home, Maya Lin played with her brother and explored and climbed the many rolling hills, one she named Lizard's Back.

Nature was her sanctuary.  While in the woods she would become one with her surroundings, observing all living things.  At home the same feeling she found outside was continued inside.

Maya's creativity was allowed to flourish and her intellectual pursuits, like chess games with her brother, were encouraged.  Her parents, her father as a potter and her mother as a poet, devoted their lives to art.  By the time Maya was in college her fascination with buildings, their structure, construction materials and design, grew.  She felt a calling to seek a career in the world of architecture.

In the fall of 1980 a "blind" contest to design a memorial for the women and men who died or are missing in action from serving in the Vietnam War was entered by Maya.  She was in her senior year at Yale University.  She visited the proposed site for the memorial, envisioning how the earth would be cut creating an opening from which the memorial would rise.  The design needed to include nearly (and now more) than 58,000 names.

To her own surprise and the surprise of many others, out of 1,421 entrants, Maya's proposition was chosen.  For a variety of reasons, the design met with controversy but Maya felt strongly about the concept and stood firm in her beliefs.  Anyone today can visit The Wall formed from reflective black granite spread across land in Constitution Gardens just as Maya Lin knew it should look.  Since that time Maya Lin has envisioned and made other works of art, giving each one a name.


What author Jeanne Walker Harvey does for readers in telling Maya Lin's story is to bring us full circle by allowing us to see the world as Maya Lin did as a child and as she does today.  She presents to us, through simple sentences, how Maya's home environment and parents contributed to her mindset in making art which is an extension of the natural world.  Within those nearly poetic lines her research is evident in the details.  Here is a sample passage.

Back at school, Maya sculpted a model with mashed potatoes, then with clay.

She sketched a soft space of greens and blues.
And before mailing her entry,
she put her thoughts into an essay.

She wrote that her long, polished wall
would be a quiet place to remember
all those who died during the war.

A place to be experienced
by walking down, then up past names
that seemed to go on forever.


As you gaze at the matching, opened dust jacket and book case of this title you are transported to Washington, D. C.  You are standing next to Maya Lin as her hand reaches out to touch one of the more than 58,000 names.  The college senior is looking at her reflection in her first massive memorial, completed and waiting in silence for visitors.  You can't help but be emotionally moved by this image extending across the spine and back of the jacket and case, especially when you know Maya's story and what this memorial represents.

The opening and closing endpapers are done in the same leaf green as seen on the jacket and case, carrying the theme of Maya's love of the natural world.  On the title page is a portrait of adult Maya, looking at the reader, as she draws at her desk.  The verso and first page contain a large picture of Maya and her brother running along the top of a hill into the woods.  The hill, she named Lizard's Back, contains a faint illustration of a lizard in the green of the grass.

Delicate elements with intricate details fill the two page, single page and small images rendered by Dow Phumiruk in Adobe Photoshop with scans of watercolors and textures.  She often frames two pages with those items being discussed in the narrative; tiny towns built by Maya, ceramics fashioned by her father or small replications of her other memorials or sculputures.  The layout and design supplied by Phumiruk generate peace and calm throughout the text.

One of my many favorite illustrations is when Maya is a little girl.  It spans two pages.  She is seated on a large rock in a clearing in the forest.  Tree branches and tree trunks frame the picture.  We are looking down on her as she looks up at a flying bird.  Another bird sits in a nest with babies.  A rabbit, chipmunks, squirrels and raccoons can be seen.  She is completely content; so are the woodland creatures with her presence.


Maya Lin: Artist-Architect Of Light And Lines: Designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial written by Jeanne Walker Harvey with illustrations by Dow Phumiruk is a lovely portrait of a remarkable woman.  Readers can't help but be inspired by Maya Lin's passion for giving her imagination the freedom it needs to explore possibilities.  You need to have a copy of this title on your professional bookshelves.  An Author's Note with additional resources concludes the book.

To discover more about Jeanne Walker Harvey and Dow Phumiruk and their other work please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  They both maintain blogs here and here.  Dow Phumiruk has an account on Instagram.  Dow Phumiruk is featured at KidLit 411.  If you visit the publisher's website you can view interior images.  This is a link to Maya Lin's website.  You will enjoy viewing some videos with Maya Lin here at Makers.  They have important things to say.

Be sure to check out the other titles selected by bloggers participating in the 2017 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge hosted by educator Alyson Beecher at Kid Lit Frenzy.  

Who's There? Beware!

There's nothing quite as wonderful as walking through a nature park in Michigan on a beautiful spring morning until your dog stops dead in her tracks.  She sharply turns her head looking intently into the woods.  Then a deep rumbling growl begins in her throat before the angry warning barks start.  You listen to see if the bird song has changed.  You look for any color or movement out of the ordinary but you see nothing.  You are still afraid knowing your canine companion has detected something unfriendly.

Quickly you alter your course.  The unknown has spoken to a keen primal instinct for preservation.  The Giant Jumperee (Dial Books for Young Readers, Penguin Young Readers Group, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, April 18, 2017) written and illustrated by beloved names in children's literature, Julia Donaldson and Helen Oxenbury, considers how beings approach what they cannot see and therefore might fear.

Rabbit was hopping home one day when he heard a loud voice coming from inside his burrow.

"I'm the GIANT JUMPEREE
and I'm scary 
as can be!"

After this frightening announcement Rabbit was not willing to enter the burrow.  Cries for assistance were answered by a nearby friend, Cat.  Cat was going to sneak inside and jump right on top of the boisterous intruder.

Cat was almost through the entrance when an ominous voice called out a warning.  She froze too spooked to move.  When she yelped for help Bear happened to reply.  Bear was more than ready to offer a "paw-sitive" outcome.

A bear is a pretty fearsome creature but when that voice bellowed out a dangerous promise, he paused.  Three animals do not want to enter the burrow but a fourth, Elephant, is willing to stick in his trunk and wrap it around the dastardly monster.  When the GIANT JUMPEREE speaks, you can with certainty guess the consequence.  These four friends have a serious problem.

Up in the top of a tree, Mama Frog hears Elephant's trumpets.  As casual as can be, Mama Frog volunteers to rid Rabbit's abode of this monstrosity.  Rabbit, Cat, Bear and Elephant all reiterate what might befall the courageous amphibian.  She bravely proceeds and issues her own challenge.  Will it be met?  Who or what can the GIANT JUMPEREE be?


Each time this title is read a smile will be forming and growing bigger as each animal approaches the burrow opening.  Julie Donaldson is a master at using repetition to build to a surprising conclusion; each animal replies to the challenge with the same response.  When a new animal asks a question, the answer is the same.  The warning issued by the GIANT JUMPEREE is different each time but the endings rhyme.  These repetitions and the rhyming create a marvelous cadence inviting reader participation.  There is not a reader in the world who has not heard Mama Frog's ultimate choice for the inhabitant of the burrow.  Here is a sample passage.

"Help! Help!" meowed Cat.
"What's the matter, Cat?" asked Bear.
"There's a Giant Jumperee in
Rabbit's burrow!" said Cat.
"Don't worry," said Bear.  "I'll put my
big furry paw inside and knock him down."


Rendered in watercolor the illustrations throughout and on the matching dust jacket and book case create a classic, comforting feel for the reader.  It's unlikely a rabbit, elephant, cat and bear would ever be seated in a field of flowers together but when Helen Oxenbury is the illustrator, it's as normal and extraordinary as can be.  Her play of light and shadow, delicate details, expressive facial features and soft, textured backgrounds and characters are a joy to see.  To the left, on the back, Rabbit is standing startled outside his burrow having just heard the declaration from the GIANT JUMPEREE.

The opening and closing endpapers are done in a soft, warm brown wash; almost like sepia tone.  On the first Rabbit is standing on a hill looking down at his burrow.  On the second all the characters are scampering with happiness down a hill.  On the first title page Rabbit is hopping along wearing a smile.  The formal title page and verso is a full color version of the opening endpapers.

With the exception of five smaller pictures, all of the images span two pages.  Careful readers will notice the passage of time in the shifting shades of color in the background skies.  For most of the visuals we are close to the characters.   Their body postures are endearing to the point you find yourself reaching out to hug them.

One of my many favorite illustrations is when Bear has been scared by the GIANT JUMPEREE.  He is pictured on the left side of the picture, leaning back on his front paws with his back paws close together in front of him.  Elephant is seated opposite him.  He is earnestly leaning forward reassuring Bear of his ability to rid them all of the GIANT JUMPEREE.  His back feet are in front with his two front feet resting between them.  They are sitting on a grassy meadow with hills and trees behind them.  Birds in the distance are flying.


You can be guaranteed of hearing listeners ask you to read The Giant Jumperee by Julia Donaldson with illustrations by Helen Oxenbury over and over again.  It's a delightful story of four faithful friends and a fifth companion willing to take a risk.  The results are surprising...and funny.  I highly recommend this as a read aloud, reader's theater or get out your puppets for some creative drama.  I would not be a bit surprised to see this title appear on the nominations for the 2018 Kate Greenaway Medal.

To learn more about Julia Donaldson and her other work, please visit her website by following the link attached to her name.  Helen Oxenbury is interviewed at Reading Rockets.  Author, reviewer, and blogger Julie Danielson talks about this title on her blog Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  Julia Donaldson and Helen Oxenbury are featured regarding this title at Publishers Weekly.  Enjoy this video where Julia Donaldson and Helen Oxenbury talk about their collaboration on this book.

A PU Puzzler

On more than one occasion my canine companion stops in her tracks, nose sniffing the air with enthusiasm.  Her sense of smell proves to be acute and highly accurate repeatedly.  She may refuse to move, looking in one particular direction.  To be able to detect odors with her skill is usually astonishing; a signal for caution or a declaration of company's arrival.  At other times I imagine how unpleasant an aroma is.

As soon as the refrigerator door opens this same furry friend with four paws is sitting next to me; head lifted to savor the scents.  Most of them are wonderful.  When one is highly offensive enough to attract my attention, a search begins.  The Case Of The Stinky Stench (Lady Pancake Sir French Toast) (Sterling Children's Books, May 2, 2017) written by Josh Funk with illustrations by Brendan Kearney brings back the breakfast buddies introduced in Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast (Sterling Children's Books, September 1, 2015).  Within their realm something reeks.

Back in the kitchen and deep in the fridge,
past Trifle Tower, across Taco Bridge,
on a vacation at Marshmallow Coast,
sat Lady Pancake beside Sir French Toast.

Their idyllic hours are about to be interrupted.  Inspector Croissant, nephew to Sir French Toast, is rushing toward them.  A terrible tang is permeating the fridge.  It must be located immediately.   Croissant needs to succeed or his job is history.  Lady Pancake is sure Baron von Waffle is at the center of this repugnant problem.

It seems Waffle is not the culprit in this case; the odor increasing as tater tots make haste.  A green veggie gives them a clue but the water dweller in Corn Chowder Lake is not a helpful hint.  Pancake and Toast are certain the mystery will remain but the detective has everything to gain with finding a solution.

The trio trudges to new heights encountering a revolting stink.  There a cringe-worthy sight greets their eyes.  This guy has to go.  But wait!

Detective Croissant points out a well-known fact.  Back to the beginning the delectable gumshoes go. Will a foul fungus be their first failure?  Will this riddle be their ruin?  Can they turn this mess into success?


One thing is abundantly clear; Josh Funk can turn your refrigerator into a food fantasyland.  Readers will roam with relish through his tasty places as the rhyming words cook up a rhythmic feast for our minds and ears.  The clever use of a red herring educates as it entertains; no mystery is complete without at least one.  Acquainting readers with new characters heightens their desire to connect with the case. It will have them wondering when they will meet these fridge friends again. Here is a sample passage.

"What are you doing here?" Waffle said, sneering.
"I'm sleuthing," Croissant said.  "And you're interfering.
What do you know about smells that are vicious?"
"Nothing!" said Waffle.  "My home smells delicious."


I know for a fact when readers open the matching dust jacket and book case, the first thing they will do (after they smell it, Mr. Schu) is run their fingers over the jacket.  The title text, crown, mustache and decorative dots are raised.  The outline of Inspector Croissant has additional texture.  The colorful gummy bears will generate a comment or two.  To the left, on the back, we see the back of the bears, Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast.  In a spotlight stands Inspector Croissant looking right at the reader, ready to solve the case.

In keeping with the rich purple hues, outlines of food are etched on the opening and closing endpapers.  Nearly all of them are animated wearing looks of happiness.  In full color the food surrounding the text on the title page literally looks good enough to eat.  Rendered in pencils and digital media most of Brendan Kearney's illustrations span two pages, edge to edge.  To supply pacing he includes single page pictures and small visuals on a single page.  The vertical gatefold at the end is fabulous.

It's a given readers will pause at every page turn to look at all the included details.  The Trifle Tower, the labels on the maple syrup, the flag outside Baron won Waffle's abode (with gummy bears peeking out the door), and the inspector's suitcase and magnifying glass will increase the laughter factor along with the facial expressions when the stinky stench goes drifting past the fridge residents.  A super technique Kearney uses is to show outlines of the places previously visited behind the current scene.

One of my favorite of several illustrations is when the trio, Lady Pancake, Sir French Toast and Inspector Croissant, are rowing on Corn Chowder Lake.  We are looking at them as if through a porthole.  The lake is a golden orange with large chunks of corn, cheese and herbs floating in it.  The friends are rowing with carrot sticks for oars.  They are seated in a Portuguese Sardines can with the lid curled open with the key.


The Case Of The Stinky Stench (Lady Pancake Sir French Toast) written by Josh Funk with illustrations by Brendan Kearney is sure to have readers laughing out loud as they trek with the trio through the smelly refrigerator.  I guarantee you'll be looking and smelling in your appliance with fresh senses the next time you open the door.  Who knows who you will discover within the chilly realm?  Make sure you have a copy of this title for your personal and professional shelves to partner with the first book.

To discover more about Josh Funk and Brendan Kearney and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their personal websites.  At Josh Funk's site he has quite a few fun things for readers to do.  Josh Funk maintains a blog here.  At The Children's Book Review a giveaway of both titles is in progress until June 5, 2017.  Author Josh Funk is featured at KidLit 411.  On KidLit TV Josh Funk reads Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast before he reveals the cover for this title.   I was thrilled to be able to interview Josh and present the book trailer premiere here at Librarian's Quest.

Pondering Purpose And Life's Passions

To think about possible outcomes, to envision a future full of the best life offers to us and what we can give back, is how we fill our hearts with hope.  As adults our purpose as we pursue our passions is to pave the way for opportunities for those who follow us.  As my mom always loved to say, "Wherever you go, leave it better than when you arrived."

In Matthew Cordell's first book in a proposed series, Wish (Disney Hyperion, March 3, 2015) elephant parents long for a child.  The arrival of this member in their family, after disappointments, is as if a miracle is granted to them.  The second book, Dream (Disney Hyperion, May 2, 2017) written and illustrated by Matthew Cordell extends and explores the overwhelming pure bliss parents feel when their baby enters their lives.

On the night you were born,
our world shined
bright as the sun.

Gorilla parents gaze with complete amazement at their new child as if hardly able to believe such joy is their joy.  Before them they see a life about to unfold.  This new life will change everything; change them.  As they fall asleep together, one dreams.

In the dream the eyes and voice of the child are remembered with great affection.  The parent imagines the growth of the children in its ability to grip its fingers and climb to new heights.  Huge emotions, some of them contrasting, are woven tightly together by these thoughts.

As the dream continues the child, more grown, ventures to new places.  A friend is found.  Play and similar pursuits are shared.  A bond is forged.  But then profound sadness comes and the parent will do anything to ease this particular pain.

The parent's thoughts keep on unfolding a possible future.  The child is a young adult having followed a passion for making art as a painter.  Upon waking questions and promises swirl in the parent's mind.  Birth.  Beginnings.


No matter how many times this title is read one thing is abundantly clear, love pours forth from these pages.  Matthew Cordell conveys in his carefully chosen words the deep emotions felt by parents when a child they believe will never be born arrives.  Matthew allows us to speculate along with the parent.

As the parent shares their dream you realize you are privy to an intimate experience.  In this small being a personality is ready to blossom and flower spreading their own special beauty into the world.  When we read we can't help but wonder how the rest of our lives will be directed.  What will we dream?  Here are two more sentences.

I dreamed of the many stars
in your small eyes.

Of the music in your voice surrounding
everything, everyone, everywhere.


The soothing mint green as a background for the front of the dust jacket lends itself to dreaming.  The multi-colored pieces spiraling upward from the child signify a wish realized.  They and the title text are varnished. This wonderment follows him throughout the story.  To the left, on the back, one of the interior images is placed.  A parent (mother) is standing outside their home as the other (father), on top of a hill above the house, holds the child up looking into his eyes.  On the book case another interior picture is shared on a canvas of rich lavender, showing the child in five separate phases of growth.  The opening and closing endpapers are patterned in the confetti representing wishes and dreams.

Above the text on the title page the parents are kneeling, both looking at their baby in adoration.  An elaborate curl or question mark in the multi-colored pieces extends upward from the little one.  With a page turn we see two pages of white.  On the far right a gorilla hand reaches from the bottom of the page.  It is holding a paint brush, stroking a line of green.  Throughout the story we come to understand a picture is being painted as elements in the visual are added.  This is blended in with the illustrations Matthew creates using bamboo pen and India ink and watercolor on paper.  Without words the final painting appears on the last two pages.  I can't wait to ask other readers who they think paints this picture during the story.

The illustrations in Matthew's signature style, loose lines, intricate details, and expressive facial features amid wonderful settings are set in liberal amounts of white space.  This technique draws our attention to those items in color.  The perspective is shifted to bring us close to the parents and their child or to give us a larger view of their surroundings.  Sometimes the pictures will cover one or even two pages loosely framed or page edge to page edge.  To depict several incidents over time, there are smaller visuals grouped on a single page.

One of my favorite of many illustrations is for the words

A great journey was beginning
on this very bright night. 

A deep blue sky is brushed across the top of the page with stars and a crescent moon.  The mother and father gorilla are standing in front of their home.  One (the mother) is holding the child up toward the sky.  A large pathway of the multi-colored pieces reaches from them covering the sky as it lifts upward. ( I determined the one gorilla was the mother because it looks as if the other larger gorilla is a silverback.)


It does not matter if you are a parent or not or if you are a child reading this book.  Dream written and illustrated by Matthew Cordell is about hope.  Children are our hope.  They are the promise of a future.  This title tells them love will follow them as they dream of the paths they may follow.  These two books Wish and Dream are truly beautiful.

To learn more about Matthew Cordell and his other work please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Matthew chats with author James Preller on this blog about the first book but this gives you an idea of how the proposed trilogy will be portrayed.  Matthew has an account on Instagram at cordell_matthew.  Enjoy these two images I was able to find online.

She's Here. No She's There. Where Is She?

When a being we love, real or fictional, returns we greet them with a joyful heart.  We wonder if those things we most enjoy about them are still part of their personality.  Speculation abounds as to whether those traits, if still present, are stronger than ever or if they have been overshadowed by new and different charming quirks.  Time spent with them will answer all our questions.

By sheer force of nature she burst forth in the children's literature scene in 2000 earning the attention of a multitude of readers and winning Caldecott Honor recognition in 2001.  It's been five years since the seventh book featuring her go-big-go-bold outlook was published.  We are never happier than when reading Olivia and the Fairy Princesses (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, August 28, 2012).  To the delight of her many fans the porcine wonder has a new title, Olivia the Spy (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, April 4, 2017) written and illustrated by her creator Ian Falconer.  This time Olivia's audacious attitude leads her into uncharted territory.

One afternoon Olivia was walking down the hall when she heard her mother talking to her aunt.

Olivia's mother was expressing her distress at Olivia's actions.  She had just finished cleaning the kitchen when Olivia made a blueberry smoothie.  Despite her instructions the kitchen and Olivia ended up as a new blue hue.

Olivia also recently helped to launder her father's white shirts.  Regardless of her mother's guidelines, at the last minute Olivia decided to throw in her socks.  You do remember her favorite color, right?  Red.  Voila!  Pink shirts!

Her mother was so upset she remarked she wanted to send Olivia somewhere, anywhere, until she started to think before acting.  When Olivia heard this, she knew it was time to act.  Oliva the spy was born; cunning and cleverness were necessary.

Olivia used every trick in the book to become invisible but still able to listen and learn.  She did not like what she overheard.  Words like military school and institution had her worried especially when her teacher said prison was an institution.

Prison?!

The next day when Olivia's mother told her to be ready to leave the house at six in the evening, dressed for somewhere out of the ordinary, she knew she was doomed.  The ride in the taxi was one of the saddest she could remember.  When they arrived at the institution this pig, hardly ever surprised at anything, was shocked.  Needless to say, she was not the only one stunned by events which followed.  Lesson learned.  Maybe.


When Ian Falconer writes about Olivia we can't help but feel connected to her.  Her actions are outrageous and fairly normal at the same time.  Her courage to carve her own path in life is inspiring and downright hilarious.  When she makes a mistake, she is usually able to see the silver lining.

In this title Falconer gives readers a mix of narrative and conversations.  We are privy to Olivia and her mother talking and to Olivia listening to her mother and aunt and mother and father chatting.  We know more than Olivia because eavesdropping does have drawbacks.  As Olivia discovers, you don't always get the complete picture.  Here is a sample passage.

"I told her,
'Don't fill it up to the top,
Don't put all the blueberries in.
And not too much milk,
or then it will splatter!' "

"Mommy, I KNOW how to use the blender."

"Guess who had to clean that up? ...


For those who have read all the Olivia books, seeing her on the matching dust jacket and book case sneaking around the corner is sure to bring on the laughter.  Everyone, whether you've read any of her books or not, will wonder what this little porker is doing.  The color choices, layout and design are outstanding on the front and on the back.  To the left the canvas changes to a darker mint green.  A larger keyhole is located in the center.  Peeking through the opening is a large pig snout and one eye.  (I can hardly contain my laughter writing this.)

Using his signature liberal use of white space Ian Falconer has Olivia looking around a corner on the far right of the opening endpapers.  On the closing endpapers she is properly attired and reliving her institution experience.  On the title page the back of the jacket and case is replicated.

Rendered in charcoal and gouache on paper the illustrations are as lively as the main character.  Falconer, to supply pacing, alternates between full page pictures, groups of smaller images on a single page or for maximum impact two-page spreads.  He continues to use real photographs as backgrounds to amazing effect.  His use of black, white and fine lines with splashes of color is masterful.

Every page turn has me smiling but one of my many favorite pictures is of the blender incident.  It is a single page image.  Olivia has finished making her blueberry smoothie.  She is walking away from the counter carrying her drink, wearing her red socks.  In the glass is a red and white striped straw.  Olivia is covered in blueberry splatter, smiling with delight.  Most of the counter, except where the carton of milk blocked the spray is covered in blueberry splatter.  On the white wall where Olivia was standing on the stool is a white outline of her body surrounded in blueberry goo.  Oh, Olivia!

Anyone who loves to laugh is going to read and reread Olivia the Spy written and illustrated by Ian Falconer.  Olivia is as courageous as ever but this time she discovers it's much better to get the whole story.  Listening to mothers when you are supposed to can have benefits.  I highly recommend you find a place for this title on your personal and professional bookshelves.

To learn more about Ian Falconer and his other work please visit the website he shares with Olivia by following the link attached to his name.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  They also include six activity sheets which you can download and print.