A Rock and Roll Persona

In 1983 a group of prominent names in the music industry formed the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation.  The primary goal of this group after the establishment of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was to find a city in which to construct a building which would serve to honor the inductees and promote this genre of music.  It was September 2, 1995 when the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame welcomed visitors for the first time.

Prior to that time in 1986 the first inductees were named.  Of those sixteen men, one of ten performers is Elvis Presley.  Elvis Is King! (Schwartz & Wade Books, January 8, 2019) written by Jonah Winter with illustrations by Red Nose Studio chronicles this signature musician's rise to fame.




Elvis Is Born!
But alas, he is born
in a humble shack
on the wrong side of the railroad tracks,
the side where the poorest of the poor people live,
down down down in the Deep South---Tupelo, Mississippi.

Twenty-eight subsequent short, concise chapters highlight significant contributory events. At an early age Elvis's father is sent to jail for fourteen months.  Before and at ten as a shy little boy Elvis sings solo in church and at a county fair talent show.

Knowing Elvis has a gift, his mother buys him a guitar for his eleventh birthday.  This took a lot of saving and sacrifice.  The boy cannot stop singing and playing his guitar, even when he should not.  A fortuitous moment outside an African American church with gospel music singing makes a memorable impression.

Leaving Tupelo, hoping for a better future, the family lands in Memphis.  It's a struggle for the trio to live in a one-room apartment sharing a bathroom with other residents.  Elvis, now a teen, is the breadwinner and a student.  He decides it's time for a change.

With hair dyed black and wearing stand-out-in-the-crowd second-hand store clothes, Elvis croons his way to a crowd-pleasing success at his high school talent show.  Dixie Locke becomes Elvis's one true forever love.

After graduation Elvis haunts clubs listening to blues.  Recording a song on a record on his own leads to an important phone call; Sun Records wants to record Elvis!  It takes several tries but it's an instant success.

When people see Elvis perform, they go crazy at his movements and the sound of his voice.  The number of his fans grows but heartbreak is in the offing.  There are costs for fame not measured by dollars and cents.  Elvis is a star.


The length of the chapters, the number of sentences or phrases in each one, is determined by the portion of Elvis's life author Jonah Winter wishes to disclose.  Each chapter is a relevant layer forming the whole individual the public sees.  Specific word choices supply an easy conversational narrative.  Here is another chapter.

County Fair Talent Show
Look at Little Elvis up onstage,
shy as he can be, ten years old,
so small he has to stand on a chair to reach the microphone,
but when he opens his mouth to sing---
a tearjerker song about a dog that dies---
everybody listens to every word.  When he is done:
Clappin' and hootin'!
ELVIS IS LOVED!
What a feeling that is.
(Fifth prize!)


One look at the open dust jacket and you know the artwork in this book is a showstopper much like Elvis.  The decision to have the text ELVIS like a neon sign and show only a portion of his face with that signature hair style is excellent.  To the left, on the back, Elvis with his eyes closed, is singing and playing his guitar as he vibrates before his audience on the stage.

On the underside of the dust jacket illustrator Red Nose Studio (Chris Sickels) displays elements from his pictures labeling them with how they were made.  They are shown in actual size.  He also asks readers to locate these objects in the story.

The book case is done in the blue seen on the jacket.  To the left, on the back, a microphone on a stand is placed on a stage.  On the front, the title is recreated with a star hanging from the top between "L" and "V".  Elvis's guitar is leaning against an empty folding chair.  Two different shades of blue, light and dark, cover the opening and closing endpapers.  On the title page is an old radio with a single rose in a vase on top.  Above this is a family portrait.

All the illustrations

are hand-built three-dimensional sets shot with a Canon EOS 5D Markill Digital SLR camera.

Each scene is meticulously created replete with accurate details.  Some are full-page pictures and others span two pages.  Two accentuate the moment, the point of view shifts from bringing us close to the subject or giving us a larger view.  When the chapter reads

The First Cheeseburger Ever Eaten by Elvis

all we see is the table top of a booth with two beverage glasses and a single cheeseburger.  Elvis and his mother are seated opposite each other on benches.  We can only see their legs and feet.  His mother is barefoot.  It's as if we have stepped back in time with this individual.

One of my many favorite illustrations spans two pages.  The background is in hues of sunset rose, orange and blue in the sky at day's end.  A large sign in neon letters spreads across most of the two pages.  It reads

RAINBOW
SKATE RINK.

Seated on top of the sign and looking over the city below is Elvis and Dixie Locke. Their backs are to us. Elvis has his guitar. 


Elvis Is King! written by Jonah Winter with illustrations by Red Nose Studio is a stellar picture book biography about this one-of-a-kind rock and roll musician.  It informs readers but also will inspire them to realize you can come from nothing and become exactly what you want to be.  The blend of words and art is fabulous.  Whether you are a fan or not, you will want this title in your professional and personal collections.  At the conclusion of the book there is a two-page author's note.

To learn more about Jonah Winter and Red Nose Studio, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Red Nose Studio has two other places to visit, here and here, for more about this title. Chris Sickels, Red Nose Studio, has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  Jonah Winter is interviewed at Book Q&As With Deborah Kalb about this title.  At author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast this book is showcased.


Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to view the other selections by participants in the 2019 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.

A Seasonal Snooze And Merrymaking

Even for fans of winter, the combinations of snow, wind, freezing rain and the Polar Vortex of 2019 have been a challenge.  It takes a hardy soul to enjoy winter sports in wind chills at negative fifty or below.  Navigating through snow even with snowshoes or skis is tricky when there is an icy crust several inches thick on top.  The longer this lasts the more appealing is the desire to huddle under a pile of blankets. 

On October 10, 2017 a lovely, lyrical book exploring the idea of sleeping through the wintry months was released.  William's Winter Nap (Disney Hyperion) written by Linda Ashman with pictures by Chuck Groenink sets aside all the outdoor elements, replacing them with affection found inside a cozy cabin among friends.  You'll want to join them.

In a house on a hill
that's tall and steep,
there's a boy named William
who's ready to sleep.

After William goes through long-nap rituals with covers tucked under his chin, he hears a gentle knocking on his bedroom window.  A winter weary creature, a chipmunk, asks to share his bed.  After exchanging yawns and saying good night, they prepare to drift into dreamland.  Guess what?  There's more rapping, a bit louder.

A grateful porcupine meanders inside and crawls beneath the blankets until . . .

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

A badger at the door makes four.  There are again more yawns and well wishes for a good sleep.  Mere minutes pass before a slight sound at the window announces the presence of a raccoon.  Needless to say, it's getting a bit crowded in William's bed with the number totaling five.

Everyone is sleeping when a loud noise cannot be ignored.  A note appears under the door.  The occupants of William's bed don't want to make any more room.  William is more than willing but when he peeks outside, he has a huge surprise.  It's a bear.  Sadness is replaced with compassion and a feeling of more-the-merrier fills a room and a bed with warmth.


This month a wondering world gets to visit with William and his slumbering friends again.  William Wakes Up (Disney Hyperion, February 5, 2019) written by Linda Ashman with pictures by Chuck Groenink takes us back to the cabin months later.  The deep snows have vanished and preparations for a celebration begin. 

On a quiet morning,
sleepy and still,
William looks out on
a moss-covered hill.

A sound in the distance causes William to spring into action.  There is a cake to make.  William calls to his bedroom companions but the only one to heed his request is Chipmunk.  After the long nap Chipmunk works well but still feels sleepy.  They need more help.

Now William and Chipmunk try to wake the others.  Only Porcupine responds.  With the cake baking, Porcupine helps to spruce up the kitchen until the size of the job overwhelms this pal.

Badger and Bear hear and get out of bed one by one.  As fast as they are able the living room is cleaned and festooned.  The cake is frosted and prettily edged with icing.  The five companions are clearly tuckered out.  They all try to get Raccoon to help, but he still snoozes.

A cheery noise outside announces the arrival of the special guest, Bluebird.  The mention of a single word has Raccoon suddenly sitting up and taking notice.  The other animals who worked hard are not amused.  William makes a suggestion and Raccoon is more than willing to comply.  Spring has sprung!


Readers gravitate toward a book inviting their participation.  Author Linda Ashman uses repetitive incidents and phrasing to welcome us into both stories.  In the first each animal makes a sound declaring their presence and asking to come inside.  William's answer is the same, as is the subsequent yawns and two comforting good nights.  In the newest book William's refrain for help is repeated as is the numbering sequence before each animal replies.

In each book every two lines rhyme at the end.  This along with the other cadences built by words builds anticipation.  Readers wait for the second word.  Readers wait to say aloud the known phrases.  Linda Ashman also combines narrative with dialogue further inviting readers into her stories.  Here is a passage from each book.

It's quiet---just the clock's tick tock.
But, wait---what's that? A

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.

"Oh, what a lovely cozy place!
Could you spare a smidge of space?"

Will says, "Yes, we'll scooch a bit.
There's room for three---I'm sure we'll fit."


Then Chipmunk conks out on the floor.
"There's WAY too much for us to do.
We'd better wake the others, too."

"Wake up! It's spring!
Today's the day---
a special guest is on the way.
Rise and shine! No time to lose!"

One rolls out.  Three others snooze.


All the illustrations, the first title rendered in pencils, charcoal, ink and Photoshop and the second in pencils and Photoshop, by Chuck Groenink create a particular emotion enveloping readers.  The color palette in each is reflective of the season, darkness and quiet and lightness and sounds of awakening.  On the front of the dust jacket for William's Winter Nap William is happily sharing his bed with the first four animal companions.  They are all blissfully unaware of Bear's arrival.  The scene on the front of the dust jacket for William Wakes Up shows the animals exactly as they were featured in the final image in the first book.  The light outside the window is significantly brighter.  On the back of each dust jacket an interior scene is highlighted in a framed circle.  On the front of both dust jackets the title text is varnished and raised.

Both book cases are different than the dust jackets.  On the first a portion of the quilt on William's spans both the front and the back crossing the spine.  On the companion title in pastel shades of green, yellow, blue and pink with white is a meadow filled with grass, ferns and flowers.  It covers both the front and the back.  The opening and closing endpapers are in purple with white snowflakes in this first book.  In spring green with white, a pattern of tiny ferns and flowers covers the opening and closing endpapers in William Wakes Up.

Beneath the title text William's home is shown in a soft geometric shape, one in winter and the other in spring. Beneath the dedication Chuck Groenink places a circular picture featuring an important character.  Illustration sizes vary between full-page pictures, double-page visuals in loose shapes, loose circle shapes on single pages, images placed on liberal amounts of white space and dramatic two-page pictures.  Chuck Groenink shifts the perspective for maximum emphasis. 

Readers will be keenly aware of the animals' and William's moods based upon their eyes and body postures.  There is humor in these same elements, too.  Readers will enjoy noticing all the extra details.

Two (one from each book) of my many, many favorite illustrations are when the Raccoon comes to the window in the winter and when Porcupine wakes up in the spring.  In the first one it's as if we are outside with Raccoon.  The night is painted in purples and blues. Large flakes of snow are falling on already snow-coated evergreens, the tree branches extending to William's window and the roofs of his home.  We can see the back of Raccoon, a tiny figure perched on the tree branch.  William is peeking out from the lighted window.  This is a single-page picture.

The second illustration spans two pages. On a white background with the floor running along the bottom, William's bed and a small chest next to it are placed.  William is on the left with his hands and arms up and open as he calls out for the animals to wake up.  Chipmunk is mirroring his motions and voice while standing on Bear's head.  The bed extends from the middle of the left side to the right, almost to the edge. Bear, Badger and Raccoon are sound asleep.  Porcupine climbs down one of Bear's arms hanging over the side of the bed.  Badger is on top of the quilt covering Bear with another quilt on top of him.  Raccoon is at the other end of the bed, snoring.


Story time, bedtime or anytime, these two books, William's Winter Nap and William Wakes Up written by Linda Ashman with pictures by Chuck Groenink, will have readers asking for you to read them again and again.  They will joyfully learn the refrains to read or chant them along with you.  Both books would make wonderful readers' theaters.  I highly recommend them both for your personal and professional collections.

To discover more about Linda Ashman and Chuck Groenink and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Linda includes extra images from the first and second books.  Chuck includes illustrations from the first book on his site. The publisher supplies an educator's guide for William's Winter Nap and William Wakes Up.  Both Linda Ashman and Chuck Groenink have accounts on Twitter.  Chuck Groenink has an account on Instagram.  Author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson showcases the first book at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  There is an author's post about publishing and these books at Picture Book Builders by Linda Ashman.

A Universal Connection

Each month during the new moon going outside very late at night or very early in the morning, when the rest of the world is sleeping, the number of stars spread across the darkened, cloudless sky is spectacular.  It's a display only Mother Nature can produce.  If you are fortunate one of those stars will decide it's time for you to make a wish.  They will fall arching toward the horizon.

There are those who gaze at those stars and wonder what it would be like to walk among them, much as you would wander through a meadow of daisies.  Stardust (Nosy Crow, an imprint of Candlewick Press, February 12, 2019) written by Jeanne Willis with illustrations by Briony May Smith is a tale of a little girl who dreams of stars.  She is also searching for something everyone needs.

When I was little,
I wanted to be a star.

The members of her family thought her older sister was a star.  When her sister found a precious lost item, made something and won a contest, she received top-notch praise.  The younger child could not seem to earn that kind of recognition.

In fact, after her most recent loss, she burst into tears.  That night sitting outside and watching the stars, our protagonist wished out loud to be one of them.  Her grandfather heard her.

He told her she was already a star.  In a story to her he offered an explanation as to this truth.  He took her back, back, back in time.  There was nothing.  Slowly he brought her forward describing how everything and everyone was and is connected by stardust.

She asked him another question.  His answer warmed her on the inside, until she sparkled on the outside.  She never stopped.


With her first sentence author Jeanne Willis invites readers to remember past wishes and hold fresh wishes in their hearts.  She continues by showing us several examples, three, where the little girl feels like her dream of being a star is never going to come true.  By having the grandfather offer support and a special story to his granddaughter, this narrative bridges generations.   Weaving dialogue into the first-person narrative makes it more personal for us.  Here is a passage.

When Nana showed us how to
knit, the scarf I made for Granddad
was full of holes.

But the scarf my sister made for Nana wasn't.
"It's perfect.  You little star!"
said Nana.


Rendered in mixed media by Briony May Smith, the illustrations, beginning with the open matching dust jacket and book case, radiate warmth and a golden light.  The scene on the front, right, extends over the spine with the trunk of the tree reaching into the lower left-hand corner.  Additional delicate flowers in shades of blue spring up near the trunk.  In the distance nearby homes dot the hillside, windows gleaming in the night.  The title text and a ribbon of stars on the front of the dust jacket are done in silver foil.

On the opening and closing endpapers the darker yellow-orange color becomes the canvas.  Prior to the verso and title pages, the little girl is place on a creamy white background, seated and reading an astronomy book.  She is wearing her star-shaped barrettes.   On the verso and title pages a pathway leads into the hillside community at night.  It's done in hues of blue, green, white and yellow.

Each of the images span double-pages, reaching out and wrapping around readers.  They are familial scenes with parents, grandparents and the two daughters.  In one we enjoy a backyard picnic with a swing hanging from the big tree.  Careful readers will see a black cat in several of the pictures.  Many of the illustrations have at least one book in them.

When Granddad is telling his story, the settings in space, the sea and a jungle are breathtaking.  The featured children and their parents come from diverse backgrounds.  Another thing not mentioned in the text but added by Briony May Smith is the gift Granddad gives to his younger granddaughter.  This is a beautiful extension of the story.  We see him carrying something when he hears her making the wish.  It isn't until her final question and his answer we see it opened and laying on the nighttime meadow.  Readers will be fascinated with all the details found in every visual.

One of my many favorite illustrations is when Granddad and the little girl are under the sea.  Across two pages Briony May Smith has placed sea creatures of all shapes and sizes in shimmering colors of yellow, green, blue and purple.  There are mammals, dolphins, with sea turtles and jellyfish.  A shaft of light shines on the single word of text.  Granddad is stretched out with his legs crossed and his arms behind his head.  A smile tugs on his mouth.  He is wearing the holey scarf.  The little girl is extending her nose to give a nuzzle to a dolphin.  I love how Granddad and his granddaughter are wearing their ordinary clothes in all these special settings.


Who has not felt less than they should in a family, classroom or community setting?  Stardust written by Jeanne Willis with illustrations by Briony May Smith allows readers to see we all have something special to offer this world.  We have the potential to make our dreams come true, even if we want to be a star.  This is a welcome addition to your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Jeanne Willis and Briony May Smith and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Briony May Smith maintains an account on Tumblr, Instagram and Twitter.  At Nosy Crow and Candlewick Press you can view interior images.

Of Pasta, Pachyderms and Power

Pasta is one of those wholly sensory words.  Whether you see the word or forms of pasta, hear it spoken, smell it cooking or served, taste it in its many shapes and sizes and in an array of combinations with other ingredients or touch it, cooked or uncooked, it generates an emotion.  It calls forth memories.  It transports us to other places and other times or inspires future culinary endeavors.

One thing pasta might have never done before is encourage resistance.  Noodlephant (Enchanted Lion Books, February 12, 2019) written by Jacob Kramer with illustrations by K-Fai Steele shows readers how a love of pasta provides a persistent elephant and her group of friends with necessary courage.  Their inventiveness triumphs!


Once there was an elephant who loved noodles.  She loved noodles so much that all her friends called her Noodlephant.

As you can imagine an elephant can consume quite a bit of noodles.  This elephant had all kinds of neighbors in the community where she lived.  One group, though, was unlike any of the others.  The kangaroos regulated relentlessly through their rules.  No one could enjoy the beach, Butterfly Garden or make laws, but kangaroos.

Noodlephant and her buddies knew this was not right, but they compensated with other activities.  They did not want to end up as residents of the Zoo.  The event they all enjoyed the most was Noodlephant's pasta parties.  Sometimes she even used her grandmother's secret sauce recipe made with mushrooms.

A pasta party was planned and Noodlephant was grocery shopping when a kangaroo stopped her.  She was breaking a new law.  Elephants could not eat noodles, only kangaroos could eat noodles.  The penalty was imprisonment in the Zoo.  At the party that evening the consuming of acacia branches was not delicious, it was a disaster.  Contemplating this state of affairs and her bellybutton, Noodlephant was struck with a brainstorm.

This pachyderm and her pals got right to work.  They conceived, they collected, and they constructed a marvelous machine.  No one, certainly not the kangaroos, was going to take away the joy they found in Noodlephant's pasta parties. Those wily kangaroos raided their party!

It did not go well for Noodlephant in the courtroom.  Worried for her well-being, her friends found a way to smuggle help into the Zoo.  The Town of Rooville had never seen before what happened next.  When many minds and hearts act as one, change will arrive.  The Town of Rooville was never the same.


Readers are initially engaged in the story with the three noticeable things the community is not allowed to do and the three things they do instead.  It's the strength of three in storytelling.   The word play, the use of alliteration and puns, by author Jacob Kramer additionally involve us in the rhythm they supply.  There is a pleasing and flawless blend of narrative and dialogue placing emphasis on important portions of the story.  We want to join in the community songs and speeches by Noodlephant, quatrains with rhyming couplets.  Here are two passages.

"Ummm," said Noodlephant, trying to stay calm, "I was thinking of a fresh batch of fettuccine?
Maybe curly cavatappi would be nice.  Or I could stretch a tangle of tagliatelle . . ."

As she was being led away, Noodlephant shouted,

Justice is for all of us,
Not just for the bossiest.
And though right now, it sounds absurd
One day, you'll want to eat your words!


If you love any kind of pasta you will immediately identify with the image of Noodlephant on the front of the matching dust jacket and book case.  Look at the happiness on her face! Look at the size of that bowl of noodles!  Do you notice the design on the bowl?

To the left on the back, with the same canvas shades in peach and pink, a stern kangaroo is searching in his rule book (or writing a ticket for infractions) and wearing a stick around his waist.  Framing him is a series of seven different pasta meals with noodles ribboned between most of them.  The serving dishes are varied, too.

On the opening and closing endpapers artist K-Fai Steele has painted in black and white (and hues of gray) a map of the Town of Rooville with a visible distinction on the closing endpapers.  Around a steaming plate of pasta labeled Exhibit B beneath the text on the title page are the same pasta dishes as seen on the back of the jacket and case.  Readers will smile to see the tip of an elephant trunk appearing on the right side.

Rendered in watercolor all the illustrations are fully animated and filled with details asking readers to pause.  The expressive eyes and body postures convey joy, rudeness, dismay, fear, sadness, resolve, anger, kindness and contentment.  The image sizes shift from full-page, to double-page to small vignettes on a single page; each contributing to pacing.  The alternating points-of-view assist in emphasis.

One of my many favorite pictures spans two pages.  It is a forest scene with a pathway winding through leafy branches, trees and tree trunks.  Another trunk extends from the left side as Noodlephant seeks and sniffs out a singular ingredient.  Mushrooms, looking like morels, are growing from the forest floor on the right.  There is something wonderful and funny about this pictorial moment.


This book, Noodlephant written by Jacob Kramer with illustrations by K-Fai Steele, is in a category all by itself.  It's about making necessary changes.  It's about speaking out against injustice.  It's about a love of pasta, too.  You could pair this with other pasta books like Strega Nona for a delicious story time and a comparison.  It would be a great companion for The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet if seeking to stress the value of making your voice heard.  I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal collections.

If you wish to discover more about Jacob Kramer and K-Fai Steele and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Both Jacob Kramer and K-Fai Steele have accounts on Twitter. K-Fai Steele has an account on Instagram.  The cover reveal with a Q & A is found on teacher librarian Travis Jonker's 100 Scope Notes, School Library Journal.  Jacob Kramer and K-Fai Steele visit with author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast to discuss process and art.  You can view more interior illustrations at the publisher's website.

Noodlephant — Book Trailer from Enchanted Lion on Vimeo.

Sensing The Beat Of Centuries

We should never underestimate the power of music.  It is timely and timeless.  We make it any way we can.  It mirrors our emotions.  It lifts us up and shifts us into sadness.  It sings from the souls of individuals, groups, countries or entire cultures.

The popularity of particular songs and the rise of genres reflects our histories.  The Roots Of Rap: 16 Bars On The 4 Pillars Of Hip-Hop (Little Bee Books, an imprint of Bonnier Publishing USA, January 8, 2019) written by Carole Boston Weatherford with art by Frank Morrison is a poetic, pictorial presentation of a music and its musicians.  As we learn, an understanding and appreciation grows as does a steady and strong cadence.

Folktales, street rhymes, spirituals---rooted in spoken word.
Props to poets Hughes and Dunbar; published. Ain't you heard?

James Brown, known as The Godfather of Soul, releases "Say It Loud---I'm Black And I'm Proud" in 1968.  He is a proponent of funk, a form of music for dancing with a heavy emphasis on electric bass and drums.  Although the beginnings of rap are older it rises to prominence during the 1970s.

A musical composition is manifested in the art form of graffiti.  If a surface is available it calls to creators; creators willing to get the word out, regardless of the consequences.  Boroughs in New York City burst with color, words and design.

People carry boom boxes vibrating a specific beat.  Crowds gather on city streets as break dancers' feet, arms and bodies whirl and twirl with marvelous motions.  Deejays in Jamaica known for toasting develop dub, remixing rhythms.

DJ Kool gives birth to hip-hop, paving the way for other names like the Sugerhill Gang, Run-DMC, and Biggie. There is Ice Cube, Eminem and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.  Have you heard "The Message"?

Female groups and individuals rise to the top.  Queen Latifah sings for feminist sisters and children imitate her style.  Started in centuries past roots of rap and hip-hop spread from a city to a country to all parts around the world.  It's still growing.


First you read it silently.  Then you read it aloud because it asks this of you.  You read it silently again.  When Carole Boston Weatherford writes, this is what you do.  You will find your toes tapping, your head nodding and your body swaying if her book is about a music.  Her carefully chosen words make a song akin to that about which she writes; the last word in two phrases rhyming.  Here is a passage.

Dropping, scratching, beat juggling/matching wax on wheels of steel.
Wordplay, rhyming, triple-timing, keepin' the lyrics real.


When you open the matching dust jacket and book case musicians whose names are leading in the genre are superimposed on a brick wall around the title text like a glorious display of graffiti.  The golden glow of the letters is reflected in the light of the six faces.  Realistically depicted, you expect them to begin singing at any moment.

To the left, on the back, the right side of an interior double-page illustration is featured.  A youth, close to us, is standing in front of a row of buildings.  His hands clasp either side of backpack straps.  His T-shirt reads

IT WAS
ALL A
DREAM

He looks right at readers determined and proud.

On the opening and closing endpapers artist Frank Morrison has painted in great detail two turntables side by side.  Between them are all the controls, dials and gauges.  The title page is done in black and white with a figure MCing in the middle.  The design favors art deco.

Each picture, including the one of Swizz Beatz accompanying his introduction to readers, spans double pages, single plus pages crossing the gutter to make a column for text, or full-page images, edge to edge.  They are bold, vibrant and focus our attention on the people within them.  We are aware of the setting in which these people are placed but our eyes always return to the people.  It's as if these are frozen moments in time.  At any second the animation will breathe and move again.

One of my many favorite pictures is on a single page.  We are looking down on a scene.  The center of attention is a break dancer, balancing on his hands, feet in the air.  He is on cardboard for his platform.  In the upper right-hand corner is a large boom box.  Around him on three sides, two and sometimes three-deep, are supporters, an appreciative audience.  The colors of their clothing supplying a frame for his performance.


The Roots Of Rap: 16 Bars On The Pillars Of Hip-Hop written by Carole Boston Weatherford with art by Frank Morrison is an essential title for your professional and personal collections.  It furnishes readers with a wonderful introduction, inspiring and encouraging further research.  Both Carole Boston Weatherford and Frank Morrison write notes at the end.  This is followed by a listing of terms and a HIP-HOP WHO'S WHO.  (Boom box, folktale, turntable and vinyl are among those words described.)

To discover more about Carole Boston Weatherford and Frank Morrison please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Carole Boston Weatherford maintains an account on Twitter.  Frank Morrison has an account on Instagram.  At a publisher's website you can view interior images.  At author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson's site, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, you can view other interior images including the breakdancing view.




You'll want to stop by Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to see the selections made this week by other participants in the 2019 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.

May Your Aim Be True

One surefire sign of a captivating story with memorable characters is when nearly seven hundred pages are consumed in a few days. (Insert three for the word few.)  Another clear indication is when you pause in your reading or finish the first or second book in a series, but you're not sure where or when you are.  It's as if your real life has been replaced with another place in another time.  What makes this even more mind-boggling is if the fictional people you've been reading about are struggling with the same issue.

On February 6, 2018 readers were introduced to the first book in a unique fantasy adventure series.  Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire (Roaring Brook Press) written by John August is a white-knuckle ride through a blend of worlds. A twelve-year-old boy's already chaotic life takes an enormous shift.

Pine Mountain
IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE A HOUSE AT ALL.
True, it had many of the things you expect to see in a house---singles, windows, bricks---but they didn't seem to be arranged in a house-like way.  Instead, the building slumped against the wooded hillside like a pile of debris left over from a proper home.

Arlo, his fifteen-year-old sister, Jaycee and their mother have arrived at her childhood home in Colorado.  They are sharing it with their Uncle Wade.  They have moved from place to place since their father fled to China three years ago to escape arrest by the FBI.  (Their father uses computers to decipher secret codes.)

In less than forty-eight hours and after his first day at school, Arlo is starting to believe their new community is more than mountains covered in evergreens.  Cooper, a ghost dog, his mom and uncle's former pet, visits the home on a regular basis with a fixed routine.  A girl from another place appears and disappears with warnings and information for Arlo.  What are faerie beetles (that cause people to be covered in purple goo and jingle like tiny bells) and how can the Long Woods be everywhere?  An invitation and Tuesday night meeting of the Rangers adds a whole new dimension to Arlo's thinking.

Arlo is assigned to Blue Patrol of the Rangers with his two new friends, Wu and Indra.  Given the Ranger Field Book, he is sure many of his questions will be answered but Arlo has no idea how many new challenges will pop up in and around Pine Mountain.  On the first hike the Rangers take after Arlo is sworn in, the Wonder, thunderclaps, wisps, and snaplights become a part of his new vocabulary.  He also narrowly escapes death.

Arlo, Indra and Wu frequently consult the Culman's Bestiary of Notable Creatures held by the school librarian, Mrs. Fitzrandolph, under lock and key.  What Arlo believed is fiction or legend is proving to be true.  When snow comes to their community, the Rangers' focus shifts to the upcoming Alpine Derby.  This event, involving multiple patrols from other regions, tests members on their sled racing sprint,

signals, knots, rescue, identification, fire

and above all, teamwork.

A compass given to Arlo by his uncle leads to more than the four points, a Night Mare (as in evil horse with horns) tries to destroy Arlo, and the Alpine Derby leads to a life and death situation for the Blue Patrol.  There is more than one kind of being with unimaginable powers after Arlo.  Is it because he has one green eye and one brown eye?  There is also someone who might help him.  It certainly won't be an adult.  Even though most of them were Rangers as children, it's been erased from their minds.  Why?  Puzzles, clues, other-worldly beings and split-second choices lead readers to a heart-racing, satisfying conclusion but leave them wanting much more of Arlo, his friends, family and the Rangers. 

When John August writes you want to read and keep reading.  His creation of worlds within worlds is spellbinding.  Between his descriptions of place and time, the point of view in which he writes and conversations among his characters, you simply can't turn the pages fast enough.  He has layers of questions and answers and clues and false leads.  His characters are fully developed, each with their special skills and gifts and importance to the story.  Many times, he will end and begin a chapter with a cliff-hanger thought or comment. Here are a few passages.

Uncle Wade continued.  "For now, it's probably best you stay out of the forest.  Just in case."
Arlo's mom got out of the car.  "Would you help me bring in the groceries?" she called.
Arlo asked his uncle what was in the forest.
"Again, it's not bad, it's not good.  It's just dangerous if you're not ready."

Loyalty was not an oath you swore in front of witnesses, or spitting in your hand before you shook to seal the deal.  It wasn't a contract.  It was just there.  Loyalty was a promise you never needed to make.

Then he heard a dog barking.  It was frantic.  Ferocious.
Arlo pulled down the blindfold, squinting in the light.  He was indeed facing the road.  Cooper was barking at the forest, which wasn't so unusual.  Except, Arlo realized, I shouldn't be able to hear him.  The ghostly dog's bark was loud and clear in the cold air.
Closing the compass, Arlo took a few steps forward.  The dog glanced back at him, then continued barking at the forest.  Its tail was down.  A ridge of fur stood up along its spine.  
"What is it?" Arlo asked.
The dog couldn't answer.  It didn't need to.
Something was coming out of the woods---a dark shape moving quickly through the trees.


In a matter of mere seconds after finishing Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire, it's guaranteed readers will be compelled to begin the second volume.  Hardly a heartbeat will pass before the first book is set to rest and Arlo Finch in the Lake of the Moon (Roaring Brook Press, February 5, 2019) written by John August is picked up and the first page is turned.  Immediately we find ourselves in a scenario real and highly impossible at the same time.

The Broken Bridge
THEY WEREN'T COMING.
He didn't blame them.  It sounded crazy, and he hadn't made much sense on the phone.  You just have to hurry!
But why?  What had he found?

Summer vacation is approaching.  Arlo is honing his skills with his compass and his ability to go into the Long Woods and return home.  When Indra and Wu arrive, Arlo takes them to a sight they can hardly believe.  Two gigantic architectural wonders are before them; two arches with a bridge extending from them across a chasm.  There is a large gap in the broken bridge.  The most intriguing thing is standing on the opposite side.  It is the Blue Patrol, Wu, Indra, the twins, Jonas and Julie but not Arlo or Connor.  How can Wu and Indra be in two places at once?  And where is Arlo?  What has happened to Connor?

After a discovery, a toss and a narrow escape from trolls, the trio now twenty miles from home, hitch a ride with Arlo's Uncle Wade.  Again, the topic of another patrol in the past, the Yellow Patrol, is asked but an evasive answer is given.  On the first day of summer vacation, Arlo's sister leaves for China to visit their father and Uncle Wade heads out to Jackson Hole to deliver some of his unique taxidermy creations.  Arlo and his mom have the house to themselves.  The time they spend together, except for the frightening stranger in the diner, is the proverbial calm before the storm.

The following week all the Pine Mountain company patrols are headed to Camp Redfeather for two life-changing weeks.  They are joined by other companies from other regions. Two strange circumstances happen immediately; Russell Stokes, a bully in the Pine Mountain Red Patrol has something unusual on his body and a new member is assigned to Blue Patrol.  What is attached to Russell?  And what or who is Thomas?

As each chapter is read, events seem to be leading and building toward the first chapter.  Connor is taken from camp by helicopter and Wu ends up leading the patrol.  A class in elementary spirits heightens mysteries for Arlo and his friends with yet another discovery in the middle of the lake at the Giant's Fist, a rocky island.  Messages from the past (or is it the future) are hidden beneath tree bark.  For readers, and perhaps Arlo, it's beginning to be clear, something is assuming each patrol members identity at various times.

A sudden storm creates a shaky alliance.  A crafty shapeshifter, of sorts, offers an explanation.  An old map of the camp supplies another clue.  A late-night ride in a canoe with a full moon tips the members into astounding revelations.  Lives in the present and the past hang in a precarious balance.  Events are swirling around all the characters so fast you have to remind yourself to breathe.  As in the first title, the end is more than rewarding but we are hooked.  We want more.  Take heart, it will be delivered.


As you read this second book in the series, you find yourself stopping repeatedly amazed at the intricate pieces author John August fits together.  The masterful mix of past and present and not one, not two but three worlds, supplies a high-octane pace.  The purpose and strength of the Rangers' vow is deftly woven into the narrative.  You find yourself more and more attached to all the characters as their personalities are more deftly defined. Here are some passages.

"I'm twelve," Arlo protests.  "Almost thirteen."
"And I'm almost forty.  But honestly, deep down, I'm still the
same girl I always was.  People don't really change.  They just get
more like themselves."

She smiled.  "If you follow these rules, you will likely never 
speak to me.  And that is as it should be.  I am not your mother.
I am not your teacher.  In the end, the confidence to solve your
own problems is the most important skill a Ranger must learn.
That is what this place can teach you, if you let it.  May your path
be safe."

None of their puzzles were in their original boxes.  Whenever
he'd buy a new one, Arlo's dad would immediately dump the
pieces into a plastic bag and discard the box.  "The point of a 
puzzle is to discover the answer," he'd say.  "It's the mystery, the
process, the surprise.  If you're trying to recreate the image
on the box, then what's the point?"


Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire and Arlo Finch in the Lake of the Moon (released today) both written by John August are books readers of all ages (adults, too) are going to thoroughly enjoy.  It's a given if either of these are read aloud to one, a few or an entire classroom, you will be able to hear a pin drop and multiple voices will be begging you not to stop.  Friendship, family, a preservation of the past, appreciation of the present and protection of the future and an underlying current of all-things-are-possible fill the pages of these books.   (You will never think of scouting in the same light again.)  I highly recommend both titles for your personal and professional collections.  The third volume, Arlo Finch in the Kingdom of Shadows is set to be released next year.

To learn more about John August and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Excerpts from Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire and Arlo Finch in the Lake of the Moon are at the publisher's website.  John August has an account on Twitter.  John August wrote a post at the Nerdy Book Club.  There are articles/interviews about the Arlo Finch series at Publishers Weekly, SciFi Pulse and Entertainment.  There is a special Arlo Finch Tumblr account.  You can view the trailer for the series here and at the author's website.

Bear-y Brave

The receipt of long-awaited good news sends most beings into a state of euphoria.  Usually the elation is far richer and longer-lasting if the message fulfills a life-long dream.  A whole new set of potential scenarios unfolds before the recipient.  All the if-only wishes become what-if opportunities.

Sometimes amid all the jubilation a shift in thinking takes place.  Bearnard's Book (Godwin Books, Henry Holt and Company, February 5, 2019) written by Deborah Underwood with illustrations by Misa Saburi allows readers to more fully understand self-doubt and the value of friendship in providing courage.  It's a charming exploration with warm-hearted revelations.

One day, Bearnard received an important letter.

This letter from The Queen of Storybook Land advised him of an amazing situation.  He was asked to be in a book!  He was asked to be at the gate to Storybook Land tomorrow.  To say Bearnard was excited was an understatement.

He could hardly stop thinking about all the children who would read the book with him in it.  As soon as he could he told his best friend, Gertie, a goose, about this marvelous invitation.  The two began to speculate on the kind of story it would be.

Whatever the tale was, Bearnard was determined to be the best.  Gathering other bear books, he tried to emulate the characters.  He tried one, two, three and four times to perform like the other bears.  He couldn't do it.

When Bearnard woke up the next morning he felt like a failure.  He was going to ignore the Queen's request.  When he told Gertie, she pointed out what all his attempts proved.  With his newfound attitude Bearnard and Gertie walked toward a new adventure.  It promised to be the best one yet.


We find ourselves very quickly becoming a part of Bearnard's and Gertie's story when the letter from The Queen of Storybook Land is read.  Through narrative and conversations between Bearnard and Gertie we are a part of the emotional ups and downs this announcement brings to Bearnard.  Author Deborah Underwood involves us further by referring to other famous bear characters.  This also places more emphasis on Bearnard's final realization.  Here is a passage.

He read a book about a bear who floated away in an umbrella.
"Oh, dear.  What if I need to float in my book!" said Bearnard.
"I'm afraid of floating."

He filled up his bathtub to practice.

"What are you doing!" Gertie called.

"Not floating," said Bearnard.

The color palette, cream, rose, light blue, pale golden yellow, lavender, brown, several shades of green and black are introduced to readers on the open dust jacket.  It's intriguing to see the very book we are holding being held by one of the characters.  To the left, on the back, Bearnard in striped pants declares his readiness to be in a book.  He is framed in a circular vine.  He has a single tiny rose blossom (from the front) in one of his paws.  Tiny Bearnard faces wearing different expressions are placed on the spine.  The text and characters are varnished.

A smooth, matte-finished texture is used for the book case (and the interior pages).  On the front of the book case Bearnard is seated and holding Gertie so they are facing each other.  To the left, on the back, holding paw and wing, with their backs to us, they are skipping into an open book.  Gertie is holding a single delicate rose blossom in her free wing.

A shade of olive green covers the opening and closing endpapers.  On the initial title page, an interior image is placed beneath the text. Bearnard and Gertie are enjoying a picnic.  A small image of a dejected Bearnard is on the verso page opposite the title page with the two friends expressing different emotions at the receipt of the letter.

Rendered in Adobe Photoshop by Misa Saburi the pictures, full of whimsy and cleverness, elevate and complement the story.  Careful readers will notice all the tiny details; the rabbit postman riding a bike and pulling a wagon, the varied wallpapers in different rooms, the rocking horse Bearnard the knight rides, a special bear's suitcase and coat, and the book titles on the window sill in Bearnard's bedroom.  The contrast between the heavier outlines and other delicate elements supplies readers with the signature artwork of Misa Saburi.  The pictures span two pages, full pages or are grouped together on a single page.

One of my many favorite pictures is one of four on a single page.  Gertie is trying to relax Bearnard as they walk to Storybook Gate.  They have stopped and are seated on a dock or bridge.  Gertie is on top of a railing.  Bearnard is leaning over it.  They are watching a small hat-wearing turtle on a rock in the water.  It's a peaceful, loving scene between friends.

Bravery can take many forms and sometimes it takes a friend to show us how courageous we are.  Bearnard's Book written by Deborah Underwood with illustrations by Misa Saburi shows us how to accept ourselves and the gift of a dream coming true.  Readers will be ready to jump into their own books after reading this title.  You'll want to have a copy on your professional and personal bookshelves.

To learn more about Deborah Underwood and Misa Saburi and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Both Deborah Underwood and Misa Saburi have accounts on Instagram.  On Twitter you can find Deborah here and Misa here.  Deborah wrote a guest post at the Nerdy Book Club about this book.  To view interior images, visit the publisher's website.  The publisher's have also developed a six page activity kit.