The Power Of One

We read them.  We write them.  We sign them.  We speak them.  We hear them.  We can even touch them.  A single one of them can change the course of history.  A group of them, conveying a single thought, can be recorded and remembered for all time.  Even if you are standing in a space without them, they will come uninvited into your mind.  They are one of the most powerful forces on our planet.

They save lives around the world every single day.  In Peter H. Reynolds's newest title, The Word Collector (Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., January 30, 2018) a small boy, wise beyond his years, recognizes the value and strength of words. His greatest triumph is acting on this knowledge.

Collectors collect things . . .
Some people collect stamps.
Some people collect coins.
Others collect rocks.
Some collect art.

Jerome collected words.  He was always listening to, looking at and reading words.  If any one of them was unique to him, he wrote it down.  Each word had its own piece of paper.

The length of the word did not determine its worth.  It was the way in which they rolled off his tongue and their musicality which had appeal to him.  All those words on pieces of paper filled scrapbook after scrapbook.  Like all master collectors, Jerome had a system for categorizing those scrapbooks bursting with words.

One day the unimaginable happened.  A mishap caused Jerome's collection to scatter.  The words no longer were grouped in any sort of order.  From this mess this marvelous boy began to create magic.  He started to put the words together in a new kind of order.  With this order his collected words formed verses to write, read and sing.

Jerome was discovering the best thing about his particular collection.  Its strength increased every time he shared those words.  Did this boy stop collecting words? No.  Did this boy stop sharing words?  No.  In fact, he finally did the one thing he had not done.  On a very special day, he was the happiest he had ever been. 


If there's one thing children understand, it's the desire to collect things.  It's as if this need to know everything about one particular thing is irresistible.  Peter H. Reynolds captures this beautifully in his simple, conversational sentences.  His use of language leans toward the songs words can make when arranged.  As the story progresses we feel a gentle tension growing until the eventful day when Jerome's collection scatters.  And this in turn leads us toward the best possible conclusion.  Here is a passage.

He collected words he saw.
Certain words jumped out at him.

He collected words he read.
Certain words popped off the page.


Speaking of words, one word to describe the opened dust jacket is jubilation.  Picturing Jerome with eyes closed and arms raised gives the reader a sense of the peace and comfort he feels among his collection.  Seeing the slips of paper with his words floating around him is like giving form to air.  To Jerome his words are like air giving him life (and life to others, too).  The color choices, blue, white, yellow, and the shade of purple are particularly appealing.

On the book case, in shades of golden yellow, are layers of pieces of paper.  Each one contains one of Jerome's words.  I know readers will pour over those words, selecting those which call out to them.  On the opening endpapers the slips of paper float through a pale blue sky and wisps of clouds.  A bluebird gives witness to this.  A sky filled with the hues of a purple dusk and early starlight provides a canvas for the closing endpapers.  More yellow papers drift on the night air.  Three lines of those words form a quote from Peter Hamilton Reynolds. 

On the verso and title pages two spaces are cleared in the yellow layers of words to provide a place for the appropriate text.  (The text type and display are hand-lettered by Peter H. Reynolds.)  The remarkable style of Peter H. Reynolds's illustrations fill these pages with smaller images grouped together on white backgrounds, larger pictures on white on single pages (the white changes to other hues at times) and two-page pictures to accentuate specific moments in the story.  Each one is designed to bring readers to the story and increase our compassion for the word collector.

The facial expressions on all the children are endearing but none more so than those of Jerome.  You want to hug this child for his love of words.  Another noteworthy detail is Jerome and the other children are pictured barefoot.  There is something freeing in being able to go barefoot.

One of my many favorite illustrations spans two pages.  Jerome is stringing his words together.  On the ground several two-handled large tubs hold bunches of his words.  Strips of paper are scattered on the ground around each tub.  From left to right two lines are stretched, crisscrossing to the left of the gutter.  On the right Jerome stands attaching words to the lines with clothes pins.  This image is all kinds of wonderful.  The background is white except for pale green around the tubs.


After reading The Word Collector written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds everyone will want to string lines in at least one room highlighting their favorite words.  The total joy found in the use of words flows from the pages of this story.  I can't imagine a collection, professional or personal, without a copy of this title.

To learn more about Peter H. Reynolds and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Teacher librarian extraordinaire Travis Jonker reveals the book cover on his blog, 100 Scope Notes, located at School Library Journal with an interview with Peter H. Reynolds.  There is an inspiring and helpful post at School Library Journal, The Classroom Bookshelf, by Katie Cunningham about this book and possible learning experiences. I think you'll enjoy the book trailer, too.

A Walk In A Wintry Wood

While the rest of the residents are close to ending their day or already sleeping, we take a final walk.  Our breath looks like puffs of smoke in the frigid air.  The snow-covered ground, bushes and trees help to blanket the night in silence.  Our senses soak in all this season of winter has to offer us.

As we move down the well-worn path, we pause wondering if there are others enjoying the majesty of this moment when the world is cloaked in contrasting black and white.  Bear and Wolf (Enchanted Lion Books, February 2018) written and illustrated by Daniel Salmieri brings readers into a winter's night in the woods.  Normally avoiding each other out of mutual respect and as competitors for food, two young animals meet.

It was a windless night and glowing snowflakes fell through the trees deep in the forest.

A bear is walking through the snow in this forest when something catches her attention.  At the same time a wolf strolling through the falling flakes in these woods notices something.  The young bear and the young wolf move closer, stop and stare.  Their noses inhale the scent of each other.

As they converse it becomes apparent neither is lost but they are out to take pleasure in their surroundings.  Deciding to walk together they move in silence.  They are keenly aware of all the night and the season has to reveal.  At one point they pause.  No two snowflakes are alike.

A night bird soars above the quiet companions.  She sees two shapes wandering through the snow.  Resting on a branch she sees it's a bear and a wolf . . . together.  Bear and Wolf move past Bird without a sound.

The duo comes to a large clear area, a lake frozen by the seasonal temperatures.  When Bear moves some snow aside, they can see snoozing fish drifting.  All too soon Bear says she has to return to her den to sleep with her family.  Wolf says he has to go to hunt with his pack.  This is a winter walk both will remember.  Time moves into spring with wishes uttered on a winter walk coming true.


As soon as we read the first sentence written by Daniel Salmieri we are there in the snowy forest with Bear. His word choices create a sensory scene in our minds.  The use of repetition in portions of the narrative forms a pleasing pacing and a soothing storytelling rhythm.  Here is a passage.

Bear and Wolf walked through the quietly falling snow,
using their eyes, and ears, and noses to take in the snowy woods.
They both had thick, warm fur that covered their whole bodies.
They were creatures made to be comfortable in the very cold.


One of the initial things you notice upon opening the matching dust jacket and book case is the texture of both.  The dust jacket is of sturdy stock.  When you remove the dust jacket you can see the interior is colored in black and white.  Is it a star-studded sky or snow falling in a darkened forest?  It's full of magical possibilities.  The symmetry of Bear's and Wolf's heads on the front conveys the connection of the two during this shared experience.  The book case has the feel of fabric.

To the left, on the back, is a snowy landscape with two sets of footprints side-by-side extending from the bottom toward the top.  On the opening endpapers on a charcoal gray background are large splotches of white, pale blue, and pale purple.  It's as if we've moved close to the falling snow.  Fields of grass waving in a breeze cover the closing endpapers.

The title page is black with the text in white.  A page turn takes us into the forest with three trees bare of leaves stretching upward and their trunks placed from left to right, the second in the gutter.  Between the arch of the second and third trees is the dedication.

All of the illustrations span two pages.  Each atmospheric setting brings us further into the story.  In the first image we are experiencing it from Bear's perspective.  In the next, we are one with Wolf.  In the third we are observers.  This point of view shifts throughout the story.  It brings us close to the characters or gives us a panoramic spread.  Two of the pictures are wordless but speak volumes.

The technique employed by Daniel Salmieri is textured and soft.  His lines and layers appeal to our senses.  Many of the pictures ask us to pause and enjoy the moment with the characters.

One of my many favorite illustrations is when Bear and Wolf agree to continue their walk together.  The partial trunks of two trees frame the left and right of the picture.  A third tree truck extends from the left through the gutter to the right.  More of the trunk is on the right.  In the space between those trunks are smaller trees, falling snow and a landscape shaded in blues and purples.  In the first one on the left Wolf and Bear are walking away from us into the forest.


If you seek a deep sense of calm and the wonder and surprises nature can offer, Bear and Wolf, the debut title written and illustrated by Daniel Salmieri, is a perfect book for you.  It will be a much requested read aloud whether one-on-one or with a group.  It is an excellent selection for wolf or bear themes, nature and seasonal appreciation or seeking peace and quiet.  I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Daniel Salmieri and his other work, please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  Daniel maintains an account on Instagram. On Mackin Books In Bloom Daniel has written a guest post.  UPDATE:  Teacher librarian Travis Jonker premieres the book trailer on his blog, 100 Scope Notes, December 3, 2018.

Opposite Attraction

They will draw more than the usual attention.  They are like night and day, up and down, fast and slow, and happy and sad.  They are opposite sides of the same coin.  Individuals can't help but stop and stare.

If ever there were two individuals most unsuited to be friends, it's when one is the other's favorite meal, morning, noon and night.  They Didn't Teach THIS in Worm School! (Candlewick Press, February 13, 2018) written and illustrated by Simone Lia is a book about one of those relationships.  This worm and this bird and their highly unlikely companionship will have you howling with laughter.

Chapter One
My name is Marcus.
I am a worm, and this is where I live.
My favorite color is brown.
That's because mud is brown and I really, really, really like mud.

Marcus was living a life he loved until one day digging a hole and then falling asleep changed his entire life.  The next realistic thing he remembered was falling from a can.  A bird looking more like a chicken than a bird was giving him a look which would have any other worm frozen in fear.  Marcus was not any other worm.

He smiled and proceeded to engage this bird, Laurence by name, in an engaging conversation.  Laurence it seemed was an unusual bird.  He believed himself to be a flamingo.  He wanted to locate other flamingos, specifically those residing by Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya.  Before Marcus knew what was happening his new career was that of navigator for Laurence on his flight.  His attempts to avoid this job and get back to digging only served to endear him to Laurence even more.

When Marcus lost the map within mere minutes he had to "wing it" as far as giving Laurence directions from the air.  An accident revealed the loss of the map but a quirk of fate and a skewed view of the surroundings set them back on course to Kenya.  A mole, a squirrel, a crow and a whole bunch of worms figured prominently in the next series of events. (Major eye-rolling, head shaking and laughter is guaranteed.)

Finally continuing their journey the exhausted duo found themselves waking in the morning with the nose of a zebra sniffing them.  As Marcus and Laurence explored their new surroundings they failed to connect the clues as to their geographical position until they saw a familiar beatboxing scamp.  New disclosures had this worm and this bird re-evaluating identity, travel, adventure and the meaning of friendship.


Humor is sure to be present when a story has a worm and a bird becoming best friends.  Simone Lia through the voice of Marcus and the dialogue between Laurence and Marcus and the wonderfully funny cast of characters creates madcap and moving moments.  The contrasts in personality and intelligence of Laurence and Marcus provide one hilarious episode after another.  During their adventures Simone Lia shows readers how individuals can grow and expand their very natures, becoming the best they can be.  Here are some of my marked passages.

What would you do if you were a worm and there was a bird two inches away from your face, looking at you with his beak open so wide that you could see his tonsils?
Maybe you would do what I did.  I smiled a big smile and said in my most cheerful voice,
Good morning!

"And secondly---you probably know this already---but when you cook worm, you have to add tarragon.  You know about tarragon, don't you?  It's an herb.  You do have some for the stew, don't you?"
The mole looked at the squirrel, and the squirrel looked at the crow.  The crow shook his head.
"No, we don't," said the mole.
"Oh," I said, shaking my head, too, pretending to be sad that they didn't have any tarragon.
"What?" asked the mole.
"Well, if you add worm without tarragon it's going to ruin the flavor of the whole stew.  And if it ruins the flavor of the stew, then you won't get that hug in your heart."

As we went around and around in circles, I wondered if I would be wearing a twig hat on my head while chanting if I were back at home.  I thought to myself that I would have laughed at these guys and said that they were all off their rockers.  But here in France I didn't have much choice but to try to blend in with the locals, even if they happened to be total weirdos.


In looking at the front of the case cover (I am working with an ARC.) you can view the limited color palette employed by Simone Lia for this title.  In this volume all of the interior illustrations are in black and white.  With every page turn images enhance the pacing and heighten the humor.

Simone Lia shifts the sizes, perspective and number of illustrations per page to accentuate the plot.  Sometimes she will use line drawings and at other times the visuals are filled in with shading.  Several times sounds will be added to the pictures as well as speech bubbles for exclamations.  It's amazing how she is able to convey the moods of her characters, especially Marcus, with the adept use of lines.

One of my many favorite pictures is when Marcus believes he and Laurence are in the presence of the Eiffel Tower.  When you contrast this visual with their conversation, you can't help but laugh.  The duo is perched on top of a fence post.  Stretching from the left to the right of a two-page illustration is a row of electrical towers (pylons) connected with lines.  Behind them is a row of trees and in front of them a field extends to the fence where Marcus and Laurence are looking on in awe.


If you love to laugh and enjoy the idea of an unexpected friendship, They Didn't Teach THIS in Worm School! written and illustrated by Simone Lia is a book you absolutely need on your professional and personal bookshelves.  Even repeated readings will cause you to guffaw at the situations this worm and this bird encounter and their responses.  You should consider multiple copies.

To learn more about Simone Lia and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  At her website she has excerpts from the book and views of her artistic process.  At the publisher's website you can view an interior image.  At another publisher's site you can read the first thirty-one pages.  There is a short interview with Simone Lia at The Children's Book Review.

Likely Lost, Finally Found

First think of your favorite things; those items you consider priceless.  Surely there are a variety of reasons these are cherished possessions.  They may have sentimental value in their representation of a person or an event.  They may be a reminder of a deeper feeling of security and home.  In this respect, for many children nothing is more important than their treasured stuffed toy. 

This cuddly companion is a constant source of comfort.  Without it in their possession they feel incomplete.  The Backup Bunny (North|South Books, March 6, 2018) written by Abigail Rayner with pictures by Greg Stones presents the perspective of a toy wishing to become beloved.

Psst.
Over here.
The name's Fluffy.

Fluffy is currently in a mother's sock drawer.  He's being saved by a wise parent in preparation for the absence of a well-loved toy.  Her son, Max, loves his Bunny.

One day, Fluffy's hopes are fulfilled.  Bunny is missing and he is removed from the sock drawer.  He finds himself given to a crying Max.  At first all is well, Fluffy feels himself being loved.  That lasts only seconds.

Now on the floor after repeated and valiant attempts by Mom, Fluffy is resigned to spending the night with the family cat.  The next day does not go as Fluffy desires.  Finding himself hanging from the clothesline, his frustration grows.  (From that vantage point he also makes a discovery which he keeps secret.)  Fluffy takes action and lands in Max's mud pie.

Unexpectedly, Max decides to befriend Fluffy until bedtime when he simply has to have Bunny.  Fluffy has a choice to make.  The next day Max makes a choice too.  And Mom is simply full of surprises.


By the time you read the first two phrases in this book, you'll be smiling.  Your grinning and giggling grows page by page.  By telling this story from the point of view of the backup bunny, Abigail Rayner releases large amounts of comedy and charm, enveloping the reader through Fluffy's thoughts and words.  This is heightened further by including Max's exclamations.  Here is a passage.

"That's NOT Bunny!" shouted Max.
"His ears don't feel right!"
Mom put me back in his bed.
Max threw me out.

This went on for a while.

At least the cat liked me.


You can't help but notice on the matching dust jacket and book case the affection Max has for Bunny.  Pure contentment glows on his face.  The patched toy bunny appears to be permanently happy.  You get a hint of the humor found within this book from Fluffy springing forth from the front right edge, waving his paw. 

To the left, on the back, on the same background of pristine white, an interior image of Fluffy dreaming of playing with Max is placed within a loose frame.  Continuing with the white canvas on the opening and closing endpapers illustrator Greg Stones portrays Fluffy first in a series of four alternating poses.  He is less than happy especially when being used as a pillow by the purr machine.  On the closing endpapers Max makes an appearance in the pattern along with a surprise indicative of the story.

Beneath the text on the title page, an illustration of Floppy riding on a bicycle with Max shows him living his dream.  Each page turn shows readers a shifting perspective and image size.  Each showcases and enhances the text.  Greg Stones uses white space as an element in his illustrations to excellent effect.

Careful readers will notice the change in Fluffy's expressions, even though he is a toy.  This increases the impact of his narrative.  The details on the socks in Mom's drawer will have readers laughing out loud.  Max's fondness for Bunny is evident in the pattern on his jammies.

One of my many favorite illustrations is the first night Fluffy spends with Max.  He is finally left on the floor next to Max's bed.  We zoom in on the edge of the bedspread and bed frame.  Fluffy is on his side.  His body posture and facial expression depict his exact mood at being a pillow for the family cat.  The cat, curled on top of Fluffy, is sleeping and smiling.


This title, The Backup Bunny written by Abigail Rayner with pictures by Greg Stones, has huge appeal for readers of all ages.  Children never forget the importance of a precious possession.  Adults will applaud the wisdom of this mom.  Everyone will laugh repeatedly at the story spun by Fluffy.  You will want to have a copy of this title on your professional and personal bookshelves.

To learn more about Abigail Rayner and Greg Stones and their work, please follow the links attached to their names.  Abigail has a Facebook page and Greg has a website.  He also maintains an account on Instagram.  At the publisher's website you can download a four page activity guide.  At a publisher's website you can view interior images.  There is a lovely interview with Abigail Rayner and the premiere of the book trailer at Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher's site, Watch. Connect. Read.  On February 28, 2018 an article appeared in the Community News (Mercer County and Central Jersey) about Abigail and this book. 

Work With Nature

Driving through any neighborhood will easily disclose those homeowners employing the use of herbicides, pesticides and insecticides on their lawns and in their gardens.  Their grass is usually lush, thick, green and free of weeds.  Their fruits, vegetables, perennials and annuals are large and healthy.  What these homeowners might not realize is the potential for water contamination and harm to humans, pets and local wildlife lasts longer than the directions for use might indicate.

The same can be said for those gardeners and farmers growing plant and animal products for consumption.  Every year the sections for organic food is larger in grocery stores as the population becomes more educated.  Markets containing only whole foods are increasing.

Born in 1912 in Yunnan in the People's Republic of China, Pu Zhelong would become one of the foremost entomologists in his country. Moth and Wasp, Soil and Ocean: Remembering Chinese Scientist Pu Zhelong's Work for Sustainable Farming (Tilbury House Publishers, February 6, 2018) written by Sigrid Schmalzer with illustrations by Melanie Linden Chan gives readers insights into the remarkable work of this man.  They will gain knowledge about the historical perspective in this country (and in other parts of the world) with respect to agriculture and concerns for our environment.

The first time I saw a scientist in my village was also the first time I saw a wasp hatch from a moth's egg.  In that moment I could not have said which was the more unexpected---or the more miraculous.

Through the visit of Pu Zhelong to his village, this boy relates to readers the valued accomplishments of this scientist.  When the boy was growing up in the 1960s and 1970s in the province of Guangdong it was a farming community with rice as its principal crop along with lychee orchards.  The fate of the village was a series of highs and lows, years of good crops or bad crops, abundance with extra sent to the cities or very little to eat.  This fate was determined by the presence of stem borers, leafroller caterpillars and stinkbugs.

After being sent to the school in town to study science, this boy returned home with an idea of placing

wooden dishes of water with kerosene lights

out at night to lure the insects to their deaths.  After that chemical pesticides were the main practice used but it made the villagers sick.  Each year the amount and type of pesticide needed to be increased to be effective.  More people were sick.  Then Pu Zhelong arrived.

Pu Zhelong started to educate the villagers about the harm the pesticide were doing to the entire environment.  They were killing everything that would eat the bugs naturally like birds, frogs, wasps and spiders.  At first the farmers were not convinced and they complained further when he asked to have a laboratory built.  The children were more eager to help and they did.

Step-by-step a meticulous process was followed using moths and wasps.  The results were unlike anything seen previously by the villagers.  The leader of these people explained the belief of

"bringing together soil and ocean"

and Pu Zhelong's connection.  So inspired by Professor Pu, the narrator of his story was supported by his villagers years later to pursue a similar course of study.  One exemplary man continued to make a difference.


By telling us of the life and work of Pu Zhelong through the point of view of a village boy, author Sigrid Schmalzer provides added interest for the intended audience.  The sentences in each passage are written in an informal style; as if the boy is chatting with us about significant events in his past.  They are all connected in a flawless flow.  Within the narrative are actual quotes from Pu Zhelong increasing the authenticity of the boy's story.  Here are two passages.

Stinkbugs look like beetles and smell like farts.  I don't know what they taste like, because I never wanted to eat one.  A lychee that's been bitten by a stinkbug looks like a shriveled monkey head and smells bitter, and no one wants to eat those either.

With his big glasses and store-bought trousers, Professor Pu Zhelong looked very different from the farmers in our village, but he had a friendly face and a kind voice.  He said, "You are not alone."


Upon opening the dust jacket readers are treated to the illustrative styles of Melanie Linden Chan.  To the left, on the back, a slightly smaller version of an interior image is placed in the center of a pale green canvas.  It is a photographic representation of Professor Pu showing villagers of the wasp growing within a pest insect's egg.  This is placed on a panoramic view of farmers working in their fields with mountains in the background.  Above this are the first sentences in the book and a blurb by an expert in the field of history, Zuoyue Wang, a professor at California State Polytechnic University.

On the front another image of a field with the troublesome moth and wasp is framed with Chinese paper cutting.  The Chinese writing characters in each corner have separate meanings.  Can you make a guess as to what words they reference?  The use of the color red has significance also.  The book case is a deep green textured paper (like cloth) with the title embossed in gold foil on the front and spine.

The opening and closing endpapers are a shade of golden yellow.  A gorgeous initial title page reveals the meaning of the Chinese writing characters seen on the dust jacket.  The formal title page is framed in a darker green Chinese paper cutting border.  Careful readers will see moths, wasps, soil and ocean in this beautiful artwork.  On fourteen more pages Melanie Linden Chan has placed panels of Chinese paper cutting.  Some of them are only portions of a panel and others are full panels to the left or right of other illustrations and text.  Each depiction contains elements relative to the text.

Melanie Linden Chan alternates between two-page pictures, a trio of illustrations on a single page, and single page visuals.  The style of each shifts from realistic depictions of the boy (now an adult), watercolor paintings, photographic illustrations and pages torn from a notebook highlighting the science used by Professor Pu.  In the final picture, this book sits on a table as the narrator sips tea.  A series of painted panels hanging on his wall portray the changes to the valley of his youth.

One of my many favorite illustrations is when the boy returns from studying science in the big school in town.  Nearly covering the left side, crossing the gutter and filling the right side is a picture of the

lights of ten thousand families.

Shades of purple for the sky, mountains and valley contrast with the golden yellow of all the glowing wooden dishes.  The boy is looking over this vast scene from the lower right-hand corner.  A panel of Chinese paper cutting is placed on the far left.  Above a Chinese writing character you can see moths and a lighted lamp.


This book, Moth and Wasp, Soil and Ocean: Remembering Chinese Scientist Pu Zhelong's Work for Sustainable Farming written by Sigrid Schmalzer with illustrations by Melanie Linden Chan, is a fascinating picture book biography.  It has many uses with science, agriculture and history themes.  It serves to inspire those with similar passions, knowing their work, the work of a single person, has value beyond their lifetime.  At the close of the book is a Chinese Writing key, an extensive The History Behind the Story and further print resources.  I recommend this for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Sigrid Schmalzer and Melanie Linden Chan and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Melanie maintains a blog here.  Both Sigrid and Melanie speak about this book in individual articles here and here, respectively.  This book is discussed at author Beth Anderson's site with links to another discussion.  There are supporting activities at her site and at author Vivian Kirkfield's site.  I found this video on Chinese paper cutting which you might like to incorporate in a lesson.



Please be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by Alyson Beecher to view the titles selected this week by other participants in the 2018 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.

Speaking Her Truth

Every child has something to say.  When they give voice to their beliefs, opinions and ideas, they wish to be heard.  Not only do they hope to have others listen to them, but they need them to do this with sincerity and respect.  It's difficult when you struggle with the courage to speak and then others ridicule your beliefs, opinions or ideas.

If you and your family are living in a country other than the place of your origin, it is an extra challenge and source of concern.  Stella Diaz Has Something to Say (Roaring Brook Press, January 16, 2018) written and illustrated by Angela Dominguez follows a third-grade student with her own special brand of brilliance waiting to shine.  She discovers others can be marvelously supportive in contrast to the outright unkindness of a few.

Chapter One
The smell of albondigas fills the house
when my brother, Nick, and I come home.
"Time for our weekly appointment," says Nick, walking in the direction of the kitchen.
I nod.  My mouth starts to water as I follow him toward the sound of sizzling food.

Their weekly appointment is a Friday homemade dinner with their mother cooking; working during the week makes it impossible for her to do this other than on Fridays.  There is also board game playing and dancing past their bedtime.  It's easy to understand this is a loving Mexican American family trio based on their warm conversations and enjoyable evening.  Nick is in eighth grade this year and hopeful of making the basketball team.  Another family member is Pancho, Stella's beta fish, swimming alone in his bowl in her bedroom.

On the following Monday Stella can hardly wait to meet the new third grade student expected to arrive.  Her best friend, Jenny, born in Chicago but whose family is from Vietnam, is not in her classroom this year making it lonelier for Stella. The new student is not the girl Stella hoped for but a boy named Stanley from Texas.  To Stella's total embarrassment as she sits back down in her chair after introducing herself in Spanish first and then English, her chair tips over, leaving her on her back with her feet sticking straight up in the air.  This is not the first impression she wanted to make.

As the weeks pass readers become further acquainted with Stella, Nick, her mother, Jenny, Stanley and the class bully, Jessica. Stella struggles with her shyness and to separate speaking Spanish and English. (She has been taking speech for three years.) She is thrilled with their year-end, long-term research assignment.  She is choosing to focus on marine life but she's worried about the speaking part of the presentation.

Further incidents with Jessica, a holiday visit from family still living in Mexico, a New Year's celebration, a spelling bee and the big project have Stella anxious one minute and relieved the next minute.  Will the support of family, friends and teachers come in time for this star to cast her true light?  You can't help but cheer as the story soars toward summer vacation and the freedom it brings.


With each chapter our affection for Stella and her family grows.  Angela Dominguez paints a clear and loving picture with her use of language of the day-to-day activities inside their home, the family routines and rituals.  The dialogue between Stella, her mother and brother, and Stella's thoughts convey the personalities of the characters.  The support offered to Stella by her mother and brother in several scenarios is wonderfully touching.  We come to understand the reality of Stella's challenge in being a child from one world and living in another world with the use of Spanish words throughout the story.  Angela's skill as a writer leaves no doubt in readers' minds as to the meaning of the Spanish words, adeptly weaving them into the story.  We also can't help but crave all the delicious ethnic foods mentioned.

At school we are shown the dynamics of the classroom through the behaviors of certain students, the teachers and school librarian.  We are painfully aware of Stella's shyness, especially when we know, as she does, she possess intelligence and the determination to succeed.  The descriptions of specific events help us to feel as though we are there with Stella.  Here are some of my marked passages.

Nick is pretty stellar most of the time, but he can still be an annoying older brother sometimes.  Nick knows it especially bothers me that he laughs when I mess up my words.  I can't help it.  Sometimes I mix up the way words or letters sound, and when I do I turn roja like a tomato.  That's because the letters sound a little different in English and Spanish.  I'm taking a class to help me, but I don't like that I have to take it, and I definitely don't like people making fun of me.

Hearing that makes me feel happy.  Even though we can all read really well, Ms. Bell reads aloud to us a little bit every day during storytime.  It's just one chapter, but it's like watching a play.  I close my eyes, remembering how Ms. Bell does all these great voices for all the characters.

When it's my turn, I stand up.  I feel myself turning roja.  I freeze.  I just read that some octopuses can paralyze their prey.  Maybe Stanley is part octopus.  Probably not.  He looks like a normal boy with freckles, blue eyes, and a cool monkey shirt.  I catch myself staring at him for a second.

Mom stands up.  She pulls me to the floor to dance with her and twirls me until I start giggling.  She finally stops twirling me, and everything keeps spinning for a second.  When I finally see straight, I notice that my whole family is giggling with me, too, even Nick.  I'm really happy that giggling and smiling is something that doesn't have to be translated.  You just know it when you see it.


For one reason or another there will be times all of us feel as though we don't belong.  This is why we form an immediate kinship with Stella Diaz Has Something to Say written and illustrated by Angela Dominguez.  Through Stella and her experiences our empathy for immigrants is highly enhanced.  This title reinforces the fact that above all else we are all human and in need of each other's support.

Angela Dominguez fills the pages of this book with her drawings in black and white, some small and others spanning an entire page.  They serve to highlight specific portions of the text.  At the close of this title an Author's Note and Acknowledgments will further endear you to the author.  I highly recommend this book for your professional and personal bookshelves.

To learn more about Angela Dominguez and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her Tumblr account.  She maintains a blog here and an Instagram account.  You can read an excerpt and view interior pages at the publisher's website.  Angela is interviewed about this book at Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb.

All The Colors In-Between

No matter the amount of planning given to a story time for the youngest of gals and guys, it is always infinitely better than imagined.  Their responses are genuine and straight from the heart using all their senses without reservation.  The spontaneity of these children is a never-ending source of delight.

For them the world, even on a cloudy day, is bright with possibilities.  Black Bird Yellow Sun (Candlewick Press, March 6, 2018) written and illustrated by Steve Light invites us to take an avian day trip.  We perch, glide and walk from one colorful experience to the next.

Basking in the golden glow of a sun, black bird contemplates his next stop.  Sharing the tree branch with him is a tiny orange worm.  An array of leaves, a lighter shade of the worm's color, provides a canopy from the heat of the day.

Plucking ripe fruit from hanging bunches supplies noontime nourishment.  A stroll through green grass gives Black Bird's wings a rest.  It's time for an afternoon snooze.  A fright causes him to take flight.

Large rounded gray rocks signal a pause.  On the next stop a hue envelopes this bird in calm.  His creeping companion finds solace on another bloom.  After the sun sets and night cloaks the world in darkness, a special moon casts a blue light.  Sweet dreams Black Bird and orange worm.


Throughout the day and into the night Steve Light moves this bird and this worm from one vibrant space to another.  At each place readers learn a color and an object; totaling eight colors and eight objects.  Both the primary and secondary colors are included.  The repetition of Black Bird prior to the color and named item gives readers and listeners a cadence which welcomes participation and without a doubt finger snapping, hand clapping and toe tapping.


This sturdy board book when opened reveals to the left, on the back, eight circles of color on white, four above and below these words:

From morning's yellow sun
to evening's blue moon,
Black Bird discovers 
the colors of the day.

The textures as shown on the front of the case cover are sure to have readers ready to reach out and touch the book.  Steve Light uses a technique not seen in his earlier books for these illustrations.

By employing collage and by printing cardboard shapes with ink he creates images ideal for younger readers.  With this simplicity in the color palette and design the little gals and guys are able to focus on the black bird, the worm, the colors and elements in each scene.  Steve Light alternates the side of the double-page pictures on which the bird and worm appear enhancing the pacing and guiding our eyes.

The shapes used for the black bird are graceful, particularly when the bird is flying.  The worm is always in motion, inching along branches, leaves, fruit, blades of grass, the ground, a rock or flower.  Readers will look to the bird's eyes to determine where its attention is directed at a particular place.

One of several favorite illustrations is when Black Bird is flying toward the cover of the orange leaves.  His body with wings outstretched is placed over the word bird on the left.  Large orange leaves, some with veins branching out from a center line, cover the top of the page on the left and nearly every space on the right.  This is a wonderful study in perspective.  Near the top-left of the right side, the worm crawls along the edge of a leaf.


Whether read one-on-one or shared with a group, Black Bird Yellow Sun written and illustrated by Steve Light is a gem to enjoy.  Certainly there will be multiple requests for read it again.  With each repeated reading the listeners' knowledge of the colors, named items, Black Bird and his worm buddy will grow. I believe this title will pair well with Lunch written and illustrated by Denise Fleming.

To discover more about Steve Light and his other work, please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  At the publishers' websites here and here you can view interior images.  At Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher's blog, Watch. Connect. Read., Steve Light premiered the book trailer.  Besides introducing the book to us, he gives a wonderful account of how he made his art for this book.  In an earlier post Steve Light visits with John Schumacher about his other books and artwork on August 18, 2017.