When reading aloud the musicality of words will seriously undermine the ability of readers of all ages, but more importantly of younger readers, to sit still. Once they feel a rhythm made by words they want to move. They also want to repeat those words, making them into a melodious mantra. There's been many, many visits to the library with students leaving in a line as they walk down the hallway whispering words as they do their own inventive dance.
In her debut picture book, author Cheryl B. Klein collaborates with artist Tomie dePaola to bring readers Wings (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, March 5, 2019). A rhyming poetic interlude of twelve single words and various punctuations is enhanced with lively, expressive images. It's an ode to new life, flight, self-confidence and the sheer pleasure of the sounds made by combinations of letters.
Wings!
Four curious baby birds sit in a nest. One opens its wings. This is a first. Moving from the safety of the group, this brave soul grasps the edge of the nest and gazes at the distance from the nest to the ground.
In a moment of courage, with no instruction or practice, the baby bird jumps. It does not end as well as it could have. It hurts. It's wet.
Something good attracts the bird's attention. There is a decision to make. There is an action to take.
Three siblings rejoice at the persistence, ingenuity and generosity of their nestmate. That baby bird is downright jubilant. A soul and body soar.
All the emotions felt by this baby bird beat in readers' hearts as the words are read silently or aloud. Cheryl B. Klein cleverly and with intention strings these words together to tell us a tale of adventure. All these words rhyme supplying a special cadence. This beat is enhanced by the insertion of periods, pauses, exclamation points and a single question mark. This encourages irresistible participation.
There is not a group of listeners circled around a reader for story time that won't sigh when they see the front of the open and matching dust jacket and book case. They will readily identify with the baby bird perched on the edge of the nest. They all know about balancing on the edge of something trying to decide if they should jump or not. The title text and the baby bird on the edge of the nest on the jacket are raised to the touch.
To the left, on the back, the courageous tiny bird, greets its parents as they rest, side-by-side, on a nearby branch. A snail seen throughout the book is resting on the ISBN. Instead of continuing the pale blue seen on the front, a soft lavender is the canvas for the back. On the opening and closing endpapers is a lighter variation of the bright pink colors used in the baby birds. A double-page picture for the verso and title pages shows two trees on either side, one holds the nest and on the other the parents rest and watch.
Rendered by collage using Avery full-sheet labels with markers for the color and the background paper was painted using acrylics, these illustrations are a departure from the usual technique in the artwork of Tomie dePaola. Nevertheless, readers can see hues associated with his work in these images. The backgrounds alternate between pale yellow, light orange, light pink, pale lavender, pale green and a pale bird's egg blue. These canvases highlight the vibrant pink, blue, green, brown, orange and purple hues in the palette.
Readers will delight in the perspectives presented by Tomie dePaola. For the first few pages we are close to the nest and the actions of the baby bird. At one point, for maximum effect we move closer to the baby bird's face full of discouragement. For one of the words only a portion of the baby bird is shown.
Wordless illustrations bridge between one word and the next placing emphasis on the pacing. The book closes with the final of four visuals without words. Careful readers will note the emotions shown in the eyes of the baby bird throughout the book.
One of my many favorite illustrations is for the word Wrings. On a pale lavender two-page canvas bright spring green stretches along the bottom. A blue puddle takes up half of the space. On the left readers will notice something special moving into the scene. On the right the curious snail watches the bird, shaking droplets out of its feathers. You can almost hear the combination of water and wings.
For a theme on rhyming, spring, poetry or birds I highly recommend Wings written by Cheryl B. Klein with illustrations by Tomie dePaola. I can see this story expanding into creative dramatics with listeners acting out each word. It would be a wonderful readers' theater. You could have children expand the list of rhyming words. You will want to have a copy for your personal and professional collections. With this book, the theory of less-is-more takes flight.
To discover more about Cheryl B. Klein and Tomie dePaola and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites. Cheryl's website is highly informative. She offers thoughtful extensions for her books and her other skills. Tomie dePaola has a blog linked to his name, too. Cheryl B. Klein has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. Tomie dePaola has an account on Facebook. On October 22, 2018 Tomie dePaola was the featured illustrator at The New York Times Books with a video on Facebook. This is a lovely look at Tomie dePaola's work. He reads from a previous title. Cheryl B. Klein and Tomie dePaola are interviewed by Elizabeth Bird at A Fuse #8 Production, School Library Journal for the cover reveal. To view interior images please visit the publisher's website.
Copies disappeared with regularity. Others were ragged and torn and patched until they had to be replaced . . . repeatedly. These books located in the nonfiction section, Dewey number 793.73, were rarely on the shelves except at the beginning and end of the school year. Their popularity never ceased.
Series like the classic I Spy books, Can You See What I See volumes and the stand alone title, A Drop of Water: A Book of Science and Wonder (546.22)have entertained and informed readers for decades. A Ray Of Light: A Book Of Science And Wonder (Scholastic Press, February 26, 2019) written and illustrated by Walter Wick is a breathtaking depiction through photography and text of various aspects of light. It's one of those titles where there's much you aren't aware you don't know but are grateful you do now.
WHAT IS LIGHT? Everything from the earth beneath our feet, the water we drink, and the air we breathe is made of atoms. Atoms are the tiny, invisible building blocks of matter.
From an introductory paragraph on atoms and matter, we move into a grand discussion of light and its purpose and place in the world. In fifteen sections, each beginning with a page turn, we are privy to wondrous revelations. In the first one, light is shown to be energy through its presence in a flame.
Light generated through heat is incandescence. Did you know depending on the heat source, the color of this kind of light changes? According to the length of light's waves we see different colors; red is longer than blue. Guess what happens when red, green and blue light overlap?
Light refraction is presented as an obstacle course. The colors in a color spectrum cannot be refracted again through a prism. (Did you know that?) You will be amazed at the difference in two, three-color combinations when they are spun like tops. The explanation for iridescence is equally engaging.
We are presented with a comparison of pigments and dyes and how they are formed. The use of a lens can be powerful in creating energy or in projecting an image on another surface, like our eyes and in cameras. Extending the discussion on the use of lens we understand how they work in microscopes and telescopes. As the title comes to a close we find ourselves leaving our planet, comparing it to the moon and traveling to the sun. Light is life.
Every explanation offered by Walter Wick in his text is concise but conversational. He starts with the simple moving to the more complex but never loses the reader in too much detail. Each topic moves to the next in a flawless flow. Specific words are italicized, reinforcing our understanding of their clarification. Readers feel as though they are being given a personal tutorial. Here is a passage.
Unless obstructed or reflected, light travels in perfectly straight lines. Above, a ray of sunlight comes in straight from the left. Encountering a clear, water-filled box head on, the light remains perfectly straight as it passes through. Arriving at the next box at an angle, the light bends down slightly, then bends up again continuing on a straight path. The bending of light rays by plastic, glass, water, or any other clear substance is called refraction.
One can only speculate on the time-consuming task of taking each and every photograph displayed in this book. On the open and matching dust jacket and book case we first encounter, on the front, a prism presenting the color spectrum. Note the pin in the picture. Walter Wick uses this object frequently to make comparisons. To the left, on the back, a square outlined in a thin line of white is broken equally into four other squares outlined in white. These hold portions of images shown in the interior of the book representing light as energy, incandescence, refraction and tricks of light.
A soft, steely blue covers the opening and closing endpapers. On the title page the text uses the color spectrum on white; the opposite of what we see on the front of the jacket and case. For the subjects covered in the body of the book, photographs range in size from double-page pictures to full-page illustrations to a series of smaller visuals demonstrating a scientific point. For example, when showing us how light is energy, three small images show a match about to be drawn across a rock, then as it moves, it burst into a flame and finally, the burning match is held above the rock.
The text and these photographs work wonderfully together. The photographs elevate the text splendidly appealing to more visual learners but benefiting verbal (written) learners at the same time. It's as if we are holding experiments in our hands which we can refer back to again and again which is exactly what Walter Wick desires for us.
One of my many favorite photographs is a series of six images. The top three show a ball connected to a rod. These depending on the speed visualize the wavelengths of light. Beneath these are corresponding colors of light; red, green and blue.
A Ray Of Light: A Book Of Science And Wonder written and illustrated by Walter Wick fully explains the science behind every aspect of light but it still seems magical. It is guaranteed readers will find this book captivating from beginning to end. At the close of the book two pages are dedicated to further information about each topic along with Spectrum of Electromagnetic Radiation. Walter Wick closes with a chat about the process behind this book. I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.
To learn more about Walter Wick and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website. He includes two page spreads from the interior of the book. Walter Wick has accounts on Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter. At the publisher's website you can view more interior pages. You must go to Scholastic's blog to read and see the process behind the making of this book. It's fabulous! At The Horn BookRoger Sutton talks with Walter Wick about this book. Here is a link to a video on Facebookabout this title. Please take a few moments to watch this video with Walter Wick talking about this new title.
Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to enjoy the other selections this week by those participating in the 2019 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.
Although observations of everything about our world through poetry is welcome any month of the year, the annual celebration of National Poetry Month in April is when poets, those who enjoy poetry and those who have yet to discover poetry can come together. The use of various poetic styles is showcased. The interplay of word choices and cadence penned using those various techniques gives the appearance of pure magic.
One poet whose work I've enjoyed for years is Laura Purdie Salas. This spring readers are fortunate to have three new books written by Laura Purdie Salas released. They are from three different publishing houses and illustrated by three different artists. The first, Snowman - Cold = Puddle: Spring Equations (Charlesbridge. February 5, 2019) is illustrated by Micha Archer.
science + poetry = surprises As winter gray drains away, spring tiptoes in. It sprinkles color and motion and sound all around. Each sunny day, soft breeze, and spring shower changes our world. Science is why and how a flower grows. Poetry is looking at that flower and seeing a firework. Surprise!
Twenty-three poetic equations divided into early, middle and late spring follow this introductory mathematical expression and lyrical explanation. Poem by poem we become avid spectators. We see those creatures who awaken from sleep. We see snowy formations become watery rivets filling dips in the ground like nature's teacups. Have you ever seen otters playing along a riverbank? It's a mud bath party!
Missing raptors, bald eagles, return north diving for their meals in water. Geese fly in formation as they, too, move north again. Spring winds snag kites causing them to dip up and down like roller coasters of the sky. When we see the first bees, we know pollination begins and food grows. Robins have returned. When will we see their precious, bright, blue eggs nestled in a nest?
Rains mean rainbows; a sure sign of science in action. These spring rains are consumed by plants eager to burst forth from their hiding places. Woodland and meadow explorers and dog walkers know to look (and smell) for mother and baby skunks on patrol for food. At night, the steady serenade of frogs is certain to bring a smile to those waiting for winter to say good-bye. For the final equation and poetic response, readers are challenged to pay attention, look for changes and be changed.
Addition, subtraction and multiplication are supplied by Laura Purdie Salasas she takes us from winter's end to summer's beginning. She explores numerous aspects of the spring season blending literature and science. We are fascinated as each explanation unfolds. We enter each landscape willingly, looking at the everyday with a distinctive point of view. Here is another equation.
nest + robin = jewelry box Robins lay dazzling blue eggs in spring. Some scientists believe that the most vivid blue eggs have the healthiest chicks inside. The blue shells might act like sunscreen, protecting the chicks from sun damage before they hatch.
On the open and matching dust jacket and book case, readers can already see the intricate and colorful collage creations of artist Micha Archer. Children, here and throughout the book, share the stages of spring and diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds. To the left, on the back, amid a canvas of bright green, is a single rectangular shape featuring a female cardinal among clusters of pink blossoms. In the lower left corner, a nest of babies with open mouths await her return.
The opening endpapers are a pale blue and the closing endpapers are a lighter vivid green. For the title page, Micha Archer gives us a view of a pond with a red-winged blackbird perched among cattails. On the other side of the pond a snowman enjoys his last days. With each page turn a double page picture extends from left to right but usually depicts two poems, one on the left and the other on the right. The balance is stunning. Only once are there two separate single-page pictures.
Using her signature technique explained in detail at the close of the book, Micha Archer gives us panoramic vistas above and below ground, inside a beaver's house, close-up to a bee gathering pollen, and at all times during the day. She takes us into our world, asking us to share and respect what we see. Every portion of each image reflects meticulous care.
One of my many, many favorite images spans two pages. It is late spring, and the sunset has painted the sky in breathtaking beauty. On the left, on a small hill, a mother skunk leads her babies, all in a row, to search for food. Along the bottom of that darkened hill is a stunning array of dandelions, in various sizes. Some are new and others are old. These dandelions carry across the gutter to spread into an enormous field stretching to the horizon. Two children romp among the flowers scattering seeds with their movements and breath.
Snowman - Cold = Puddle: Spring Equations written by Laura Purdie Salas with illustrations by Micha Archer is highly recommended for your personal and professional collections. At the end of the book is an author's and illustrator's note. There is a page dedicated to When Spring Starts and another one for Further Reading. At the publisher's website is an activity guide you can download. Using the links embedded in Laura Purdie Salas' and Micha Archer's names, you can access their websites and learn more about their other work. Micha Archer has interior images from this book on her site. Laura Purdie Salas has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. Micha Archer has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. Micha Archer and this title are highlighted at author, reviewer and blogger, Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.
On March 12, 2019 In The Middle Of The Night: Poems from a Wide-Awake House (Wordsong, an imprint of Highlights) written by Laura Purdie Salas with illustrations by Angela Matteson was published. It follows the antics of all the occupants of a household once a child falls sound asleep. It makes you wonder and laugh at what might be happening when you are dreaming in your own home.
After Hours Sun and moon have traded places- Time for games! Time for races! We wait, we wait, we wait all day for you to sleep so we can play! Your breathing settles, slow and deep. Finally! You're fast asleep. Shhhhhhhh . . .
Anticipation grows and then total abandon rules the house in these twenty-six poems utilizing a variety of techniques. Stuffed-animals and toys have a talent show. A marker laments the loss of its top and adventuresome pencils form a paper airplane for transportation. A baseball cap comes alive looking for a new place to rest. Gig the dog provides the perfect spot.
An overdue library book scampers through the night, hiding and moving from place to place. A bottle of perfume provides the spark for an acrostic poem. Dental floss is on the loose fashioning everything it never gets to be during the day. A lunch box sneaks up on a pesky enemy capturing it with glee. Did you know spaghetti does not want to stay in a bowl? It would much rather become your shoelaces.
Trust me, when I say you'll never look at a fruit roll-up in quite the same way again. Flip-flops and winter boots chat in a poem for two voices (the first of two). You might want to make sure you secure your lawn hose better at day's end. (I never did like seeing it at night on the ground.) When the sun rises and morning arrives, the child is none the wiser, but we are.
This book is one of those books when you know, despite all the work, this author, Laura Purdie Salas, had fun because that is what these poems are . . .fun. Words rhyme furnishing readers with a rhythm. Most of the poems use a first person (object) voice. Here is another poem.
Mixed-Up Mixing Bowl I tilt and twirl a blurry swirl I spin into a tizzy I wobble, sway a bowl ballet- oopsy! Now I'm dizzy
Rendered mostly in the hours after dark, with acrylics, gouache, and a touch of colored pencil on wood board these illustrations by Angela Mattesonfirst seen on the matching dust jacket and book case are ready to zip you into the world of night-life fun. Look at those pencils zooming in their paper airplane! The starry expanse begins anew on the back, to the left, providing a place for words from the first poem.
The opening and closing endpapers are a matte-finished light blue. The toy box shown on the title page hints at the events to come. Angela Matteson alternates between double-page pictures and single-page illustrations. Her color palette reflects the time of day; purples and blues. All the visuals are brimming with animation and loaded with details that are often humorous.
Careful readers will want to compare the bedroom setting in the first poem with the bedroom setting in the final poem. The origami figures made by the pencils are moving off the page. The overdue library book moves through three subsequent illustrations. A bottle of dish soap is aghast at the basketball relaxing in a sink full of ice cubes. There is a lot to see with each page turn.
One of my many, many favorite illustrations is for the poem titled Pencil Plunge. It spans two pages. On the left pencils wait in a row across the top step on a staircase. Six pencils are laughing as they race down the steps, point by point. On the right, one pencil has a clipboard keeping score, another is sharpening up for another run and two others are assisting a pencil with scotch tape. This one cracked.
If you want to add hilarity and wonder to a read aloud of poetry with a group or before bedtime one-on-one, In The Middle Of The Night: Poems from a Wide-Awake House written by Laura Purdie Salas with illustrations by Angela Matteson is an excellent selection. You will want a copy for your personal and professional collections. To learn more about Laura Purdie Salas and Angela Matteson and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites. Laura has lots of extras for this book on her website (and her other books, too). Laura Purdie Salas has accounts on Instagram and Twitter as noted above. Angela Matteson has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. To start off the blog tour for this title Dylan Teut, director for the Plum Creek Children's Literacy Festival in Seward, Nebraska, at Mile High Reading, interviewed Laura Purdie Salas. At a publisher's website you can view the title page and the first page of the contents.
To start off the first week of National Poetry Month, Lion Of The Sky: Haiku For All Seasons (Millbrook Press, April 2, 2019) written by Laura Purdie Salas with illustrations by Merce Lopez was made available for all readers. It presents an entire book using a form of haiku and using these as riddles to be solved. Laura Purdie Salas calls it riddle-ku. Spring I am a wind bird. sky skipper, diamond dipper, DANCING on your string
Did you figure out the answer to this first of twenty-four poems? In this series of poems Laura Purdie Salas asks us (as she does many times) to look at something with a fresh perspective. We move through the four seasons exploring elements found during those special months.
April showers do bring May flowers but what else looks like flowers in the rain? In a following riddle-ku two objects both begin with the letter "b", but one comes before the other in spring. This secret is delicately described. And sometimes you walk around it, other times you jump right in the center with a huge splash. In the hands of Laura Purdie Salas, we
sail leaf boats across me.
Dandelions, mosquitoes, and sandcastles herald a new season and are aptly portrayed in three clever lines of five, seven and five syllables. The poem using the title of the book creates a memorable and mesmerizing vision. It leads us with a gasp and a sigh into autumn.
Will you think of your school as waiting, welcoming and wearing something special? We read of a train no one will ever ride. We hear familiar noises when someone makes a satisfying jump as a reward. Now winter is upon us. Aspects, those of us living in the north are ready to big adieu, speak to readers. Cold permeates each poem. How do we fly in winter without ever leaving the ground? Who waits, as we do, dreaming of spring?
Knowing former students' fondness for haiku and puzzles, I know readers will enjoy these truthful, eloquent riddles using three lines written with great insight by Laura Purdie Salas. These poems ask us to use all our senses, seeking answers in not-so-obvious places. The subjects described are familiar but lifted to wondrous. Here is another poem.
fire in our bellies, we FLICKER-FLASH in twilight- rich meadow of stars
As colors burst across the matching dust jacket and book case on the front, we realize we are in for a pictorial treat courtesy of illustrator Merce Lopez. She captures the amazing feeling of being seated during a festival or holiday using fireworks as they spread above us, diminishing our size by their grandeur. To the left, on the back, she shifts her style to match the exquisite and graceful nature of the object being described in the riddle-ku shown to readers. It's a different kind of display; one made by Mother Nature.
On the opening and closing endpapers a canvas is shown in a dark teal. Each intricate illustration is rendered in acrylic on paper and finished digitally. They are both realistic and have a dream-like quality at the same time; a beautiful blend of truth and mystery. Sometimes Merce Lopez has a single-page picture for each poem. Other times a double-page image becomes a background for two poems.
Merce Lopez's use of color, line, light and shadow invites readers into each illustration. We are easily transported through the subsequent seasons. Each visual gives readers additional hints as to the answer for the poem. Sometimes they are more subtle than others.
One of my many, many favorite illustrations is for the poem previously noted. Earth tones of blue, gray, black and brown in soft shades supply a pleasing place for the glowing circles of light. These tiny circles of light glow around two children standing in a field of tall grasses. They are close and facing each other. Their heads are bowed and looking at the light gently held in their hands.
This third book, Lion Of The Sky: Haiku For All Seasons written by Laura Purdie Salas with illustrations by Merce Lopez, is another charming and captivating look at our world through the eyes of an outstanding poet and her illustrative collaborator. Even when you've figured out the answers to these riddle-ku poems, you'll find yourself reading them again and again for the lovely use of language and the impressive images. Laura explains riddle-ku at the close of the book. Further reading about haiku, riddle poems and seasons is listed along with an answer key. To learn more about Laura Purdie Salas and Merce Lopez, a resident of Spain, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites. Be sure to enjoy all the extra features Laura includes for this title. As stated previously Laura Purdie Salas has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. Merce Lopez has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. At the publisher's website you can view interior pages. The artwork of Merce Lopez for this book is showcased by Julie Danielson, author, reviewer and blogger, at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.
UPDATE: Enjoy this video by Laura Purdie Salas about the publication of these books.
A big change in the weather sends out signals. The wind knows. The clouds know. All the animals know. Access to the latest forecast is not always readily available, so if humans look at the wind, clouds and animals, they know, too.
For some storms planning and doing are essential for survival. Noah Builds an Ark (Candlewick Press, March 12, 2019) written by Kate Banks (Pup and Bear) with illustrations by John Rocco (Blizzard) follows a family as each member prepares for days of wild weather. One member realizes the planning and doing needs to be extended beyond their house.
Noah spied it coming from afar. It started with a cloud peeping over the hill like a curious ghost. A storm was on the way.
As his father went to gather tools and materials to make their home storm ready, Noah was watching salamanders, beetles, mice and ants in their back yard. They felt the change in the air. Noah decided to get his wagon and his tools to make something storm ready for these creatures.
Noah took off the wagon's wheels. He attached sides and a roof to the wagon. He built a ramp and a secure door. Noah made an ark for his animal friends. Inside their home, Noah's mother and sister were getting food and water prepared for his family. Noah did the same for the animals.
Knowing they were going to have no electricity, Noah's mother got candles and matches. Noah secured a flashlight to the inside of the ark. When he was called inside to safety, Noah asked the animals to come to the ark. And they did. Noah pledged to set them free when the storm passed.
As the storm raged, humans inside Noah's home huddled. Inside Noah's ark, the animals huddled. Each group, humans and animals, did what living beings have done for centuries, they passed the time with food, water, shelter and each other until exhausted they slept. The storm angrily lasted for four days and four nights. What of Noah? What of the creatures on the ark? A promise is made. A promise is fulfilled.
A story of compassion unfolds through the beautiful language penned by Kate Banks. Her descriptions of setting using simile are vivid. In presenting the animals each verb matches their characteristics. She creates a pattern between what the humans are doing in preparation and what Noah is doing for the animals. She continues this by telling us what each group does during the storm. It's a gentle comparison showing a connection between all living beings. Within the narrative, making it more personal for readers, dialogue is placed, adding to the flow of the story. Here is a passage.
Noah hurried into the house to watch and wait. Suddenly the sun snapped off its light. A curtain of darkness drew across the sky. The rain tiptoed at first, pitter-patter, pitter-patter. And the wind whooshed and shooshed. Then there was a silence so grand you could hear a tear drop.
One of the first things you notice when looking at the front of the dust jacket is the look of pure contentment on the face of Noah. The animals gathered around him sense his affection for them based upon their closeness. You expect this scene to quietly come alive. One of the other things you notice is the placement of light and shadow. This image glows.
To the left, on the back, on the other side of the spine, the fencing and stone wall continue. On the far left is a flowering bush. On the dandelion spotted grass rests the completed ark, waiting for voyagers. The book case is an entirely different scene, more shadows than light, spanning from left to right. We are peering inside the ark during the storm as rain pelts from the sky. Hummingbirds, toads, a grasshopper, beetle, spider, mice, a snake and a salamander are waiting in the dimness.
A burnt orange covers the opening and closing endpapers. For the initial and formal title pages John Roccobegins with a bird's eye view of buildings and back yards. A single bird is swooping over the area. With a page turn two birds fly over the roofs as the double-page picture unfolds in front of us. Each illustration, in pencil and watercolor and rendered digitally, is either a two-page picture, a full-page visual or a smaller image(s) surrounded by white space. The size of the illustrations enhance the story's pacing.
Careful readers will notice how John Rocco carries details from one illustration to the next illustration; the birds land in Noah's back yard, one next to him and the other in a bird bath. How many pictures feature the grasshopper companion Noah speaks to? For emphasis the point of view shifts bringing us deeper into the lives of Noah and his family and the lives of the animals.
One of my many favorite illustrations is on a single page. Noah has just completed the ark. He is kneeling in the grass between the stone wall and the ark. It's the expression on his face which is most striking. You wonder what he might be thinking. It would make for an interesting conversation.
There are those who have a kinship with animals unlike others. The animals know who these people are. This boy is one of them. Noah Builds an Ark written by Kate Banks with illustrations by John Rocco is a tender story of a child who considers those lesser than himself. It is a story of stewardship. It is a story of compassion. I recommend this title for your professional and personal collections.
To discover more about Kate Banks and John Rocco and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites. Kate Banks has an account on Twitter. John Rocco has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. At the publisher's website you can view an interior image. There are other illustrations at Penguin Random House.
The shifts from one season to the next, twice a year, have been marked over the past decade, at least, by long periods of rain stretching from days into weeks. Sometimes, initially, it is a welcome respite after a summer drought or a winter of too much snow; other times it causes great distress on the land, on the waterways and on the wildlife. In balance, water is life.
Earthworms, during rain, crawl from the earth to better breathe. They are caretakers of our soil. Every specie and its actions are linked. Even the tiniest task can impact those affected by its absence or presence. In Carl and the Meaning of Life (Viking, April 2, 2019) written and illustrated by Deborah Freedman an earthworm is asked a question for which he has no answer. Like all good stewards he seeks the truth.
Carl was not a bird.
There are many things Carl was not, but without a doubt Carl was an earthworm. His days were spent in earthworm activities in the dirt. He moved constantly, made endless burrows, chewed and consumed fallen debris and left castings behind to nourish the soil.
One day a field mouse wanted to know why Carl did all those things day after day. Carl did not know why but he wanted to discover the answer. His fluffy soil making stopped.
In turn he questioned a rabbit, a fox, and a squirrel. Their replies simply did not fit Carl. The earthworm's search continued for a very long time until the fluffy soil changed to hard, unproductive ground. The animals left this waste land. In loneliness Carl let out a sniffle. A sniffle sound came back to him. He was not without company.
At the plight of this creature, Carl now realized what had happened to the dirt. He worked and worked for months and months creating fluffy soil. A single voice made an observation. Carl found his truth.
Deborah Freedmanhas the ability to find the extraordinary in the ordinary. Through her words we have pondered siblings, play, friendship, the act and art of storytelling, bravery, places we call home and now how to find our purpose and place in the world. Through the narrative and conversations Carl has with other animals we discover how, for many of us, we do what we do because we love to do it. We rarely ask why. As we journey with Carl the why for him, for the other animals and for us becomes crystal clear. Every word, every thought and every sentence connect us to the undeniable, beautiful meaning of life. Here is a passage.
"Why are you talking to a fox?!" cried a squirrel. Carl was startled. "Because the field mouse is waiting and wants to know what I am here for!" The squirrel declared, "I'm here to plant trees. Trees are where I sleep."
When you open the dust jacket the mound of grass-covereddirt continues on the other side of the spine extending downward in an arc. A doe, raccoon, bear and beaver meander in the grass. Deborah Freedman features the fox, field mouse, squirrel, rabbit, an important tiny creature and her yellow bird along with Carl on the front due to their conversations. Signature soft, delicate colors form each animal and the setting. The words Carl are embossed as if they are burrows in the dirt. (I am working with an F & G. My copy has not arrived yet. If you wish to see the book case go to @MrSchuReads on Twitter for the date of March 16, 2019.)
The opening and closing endpapers are lush fields in varying shades of grassy green. There is a notable difference on the closing endpapers. A double-page picture for the title page is an early morning sky, purple gray with rays of light shining toward Carl, perched on a small mound of dirt beneath the text. Most of the illustrations, rendered in pencil, watercolor, and bits of colored pencil, and assembled in Photoshop, span two pages.
Intricate details form each animal. Careful readers will see the tiniest of creatures in the scenes; dragonflies, a bumblebee, a praying mantis, a moth, and a spider web. They will also see flashes of the yellow bird shown at the beginning in the body of the book and on the verso at the end. Deborah places animals on one page and has them move into another scene. This gives us the very real sense of Mother Nature always being in motion.
Three times a circle, like a magnifying glass, brings us close to Carl, enlarging him in comparison to his surroundings. For emotional impact Deborah Freedman changes the background colors. Carl is placed small and alone in darkness, a vast waste land, and on white. Several times the script used for the title text supplies emphasis on words within the narrative.
One of my many, many favorite illustrations spreads across two pages. Carl is raised up and speaking with the rabbit on the left side. Above them, partially hidden and intently watching is the fox. In the field replete with flowers on the left and right, shown as pale shades of green, six bunny babies are leaping. Deborah Freedman has depicted them exactly as they are apt to play. There is something soothing about this scene in its normalcy.
Despite our physical stature or the size of our accomplishments Carl and the Meaning of Life written and illustrated by Deborah Freedman allows readers to see their value in our world. Carl is one of the most endearing earthworms readers will ever meet. I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.
To learn more about Deborah Freedman and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website. At her website you can see interior views from this book and her other titles. Deborah has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. At the publisher's website you can view the opening endpapers. At Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher's site, Watch. Connect. Read., Deborah Freedman stops to chat about this book. (You can see the book case there, too.)
There are fictional characters so vividly portrayed, they became a part of the here and now. They remind you of the diverse nature of human characteristics. They remind you we all have struggles; some more visible than others. They remind you to put your best self forward whenever you can because we need each other. We are here to make every day better than the previous day.
On March 14, 2017 readers met a character named Bat, short for Bixby Alexander Tam, in the first book of a trilogy titled A Boy Called BAT (Walden Pond Press) written by Elana K. Arnold with illustrations by Charles Santoso. It was and still is unthinkable to not feel affection for this boy, his family and his friends. Every chapter pulled (pulls) us deeper into his world.
One year later on March 27, 2018 Bat and the Waiting Game(Walden Pond Press) continues the story of this irresistible child and his best animal friend, a skunk kit called Thor. In this book Bat has to navigate big changes in his normal routine. His sister, Janie, has won a part in the school play.
Her practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays mean Bat can't stay at home alone which translates into less time with Thor AND he must go to his friend's house after school. Bat really does like Israel, but this new place is an adjustment for him. Strengthening the boys' friendship is a school project. They are building and planting a vegetable garden for Thor.
At the center of Bat's world is his relationship with Thor. The skunk helps him deepen ties with his family and friends, figuring out challenges through comparisons. As the night of the musical gets closer Bat can hardly tolerate any more waiting for everything to go back to the way it was before Janie got the part. An unexpected turn of events has disastrous results, but support of friends and family help Bat find a perfect silver lining. Here are a couple of passage from this second title.
Bat liked it when he could concentrate on just one thing, and he liked it even better when the one thing he was concentrating on was something he loved, like taking care of Thor. With his thumb, Bat gently stroked the white strip of fur that ran up Thor's snout and over his head. Thor closed his shiny black eyes and it looked to Bat like he grinned, short milky whisker hairs curving upward.
Bat had never been in such an interesting vehicle. Mom drove a perfectly average station wagon, and Dad had an uncomfortable tight sports car, with a hump in the middle of the back instead of a seat. Israel's dad's truck was totally different. It was like seeing a Great Dane after a lifetime of Chihuahuas. It was the ostrich of the car world: impressively large. (This comparison further illustrates Bat's love of animals.)
"I give up," Bat said. "What's your favorite thing about baseball?" "It's this," Dad said, relaxing in his seat and putting his arm around Bat's shoulders again. "This, right here. Sitting next to someone I love, having a snack and something to drink, enjoying the outside air together. Spending time together. Being with you." Bat could point out to Dad that they could do most of these things back at the apartment, or at the park. It didn't have to be at a baseball game. Technically, Dad's argument was flawed. But instead of pointing this out, Bat paid attention to the warmth and weight of Dad's arm across his shoulders. He pinched off some cotton candy and popped it into his mouth, enjoying the way it changed from fluff into melting sweetness. He looked out across the field, not trying to keep track of the players or the score. Instead he tried to melt a little, like the cotton candy, and just be happy to be right there at the game with his dad. Another year has passed. Bat and the End of Everything (Walden Pond Press, March 26, 2019) written by Elana K. Arnold with illustrations by Charles Santoso begins with uncertainty for Bat and for readers. Thor is growing and thriving under Bat's care. The time to release him back into the wild is growing nearer.
Chapter 1 An Offer How do you say good-bye to a friend? That's what Bixby Alexander Tam (known to everyone as Bat) was thinking about, sitting with Babycakes, the class rabbit, in the pen at the back of Mr. Grayson's class. It was the first Monday in June. In four days, the school year would end, and Bat would have to say good-bye.
Third grade will be finished. Babycakes will no longer be his classroom pet. Babycakes will be staying with another classmate for the summer. Bat's best friend, Israel, is going to Canada for weeks to stay with a cousin.Everything certain in Bat's world is changing. The unknown makes him very anxious. Every time anyone mentions Thor going to live in the wild, Bat changes the thread of the conversation. As Thor grows so does the dread in Bat's heart.
On the last day of school, Bat's dad picks him up and Janie at her school. It's an Every-Other-Friday which means they spend the weekend with their dad. As if there aren't enough shifts in Bat's life, his dad has a surprise which upsets Janie and puzzles Bat.
Once summer vacation starts, Bat is spending the days with his mother at her vet clinic and working with her assistant, Laurence. Bat is thrilled with this arrangement. He gets to work with animals and have Thor close to him all day.
As the summer progresses there is a bit of alarm with Babycakes and her caregiver, a revealing talk with Janie, Bat and their dad, unexpected generosity by Janie, a first on mail day and a hard day for Bat which further endears readers to the bond between this boy and the skunk. Chapter by chapter a gentle tension grows as we know Bat is going to have to part with Thor. At the close of the last chapter in this book, and of the trilogy, readers will be totally and emotionally moved.
With Elana K. Arnold's writing readers are drawn to her stories and their characters. Her use of language paints pictures as realistic as a photograph. Her understanding of human nature, friendship, family dynamics, the bonds we develop with animals and of a child on the autism spectrum is what connects us to this story. The conversations between the characters and Bat's thought processes are remarkable. Here are a few passages.
Whether he liked it or not, summer was coming. The warm weather, the end of school, even how big Thor was getting---all of it meant that summer was pretty much here already. And there was nothing Bat could do to stop it. He couldn't make time slow down. He couldn't make Thor stay small. Sitting in the back of Mom's station wagon, being driven home, Bat felt uncomfortably aware of how many things were out of his control. "What would you like to eat for dinner?" Mom asked. She turned on her blinker and steered them down Plum Lane, their street, toward their house in the middle of the block. "Macaroni and cheese," Bat said decisively. "And cupcakes for dessert." "Okay," Mom said. "Maybe you and Janie can make the cupcakes while I work on the macaroni and cheese." Bat nodded. He felt better. He wished everything was as easy to figure out as what to have for dinner.
"When I grow up and become a vet," Bat said, "maybe we could both work here. And we could put a second hook on the wall, and we could hang our coats next to each other's, and it wouldn't matter who wore which coat, because we would both be Dr. Tam, DVM." Mom's fingers were buttoning her coat, but they stopped when Bat spoke. She reached over and put a hand gently on top of his head, a warm soft weight that Bat liked. "There's nothing that would make me happier," she said. Bat had his mom's warm hand on his head, and Thor's carrier in his hand, and a whole day of helping at the vet clinic in front of him. He took a deep breath of lavender-peppermint, and he felt wonderful.
For this post I'm working with an ARC but nevertheless, the illustrations in black and white by Charles Santoso throughout the title further engage readers in the story, and to Bat, Thor and the other characters. Each image coincides with memorable moments in the narrative. The facial expressions on the characters, particularly their eyes, convey moods and emotions candidly. Most of them are smaller but there are several full-page pictures.
One of my many favorite illustrations is of Bat and Thor after Bat has a particularly hard day. Exhausted Bat holds Thor in his arm as he curls up on his side on his bed. Tears start to fall, and Thor gently licks them from Bat's face. They fall asleep together. This is the picture Charles Santoso draws for us. I nearly started to cry at the tenderness depicted.
This book, Bat and the End of Everything written by Elana K. Arnold with pictures by Charles Santoso, is a beautiful story of a boy and his beloved skunk. It's a portrait of love; the love of a child for an animal and the love of others for this child and his skunk. I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal collections.
To learn more about Elana K. Arnold and Charles Santoso and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites. Elana K. Arnold has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. Charles Santoso has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. At the publisher's website you can read a sample. Here is a link to an extensive educator's guide.
Elana K. Arnold is the author of
books for middle-grade readers and
teens. Her middle grade titles include
A Boy Called Bat, A 2018 Global Read
Aloud Book and Bat and the Waiting
Game. Her teen titles include
Damsel, a 2019 Michael L.
Printz Honor Book and What
Girls Are Made Of, a National
Book Award and California
Book Award Finalist.
As the days until Easter arrives are counted, I always remember the year I was gifted with a tiny black bunny. It was given by my uncle as a prank on his older brother, but my dad rose to the occasion, making Midnight a wonderful rabbit home so she could enjoy life as best as possible. For me, a child born in the Year of the Rabbit, there was no better gift.
Now, despite their love of everything I plant (nothing was spared this winter), my affection for these gentle but hungry creatures has not diminished. Borrowing Bunnies: A Surprising True Tale Of Fostering Rabbits (Farrar Straus Giroux, February 12, 2019) written by Cynthia Lord with photography by John Bald (Cynthia's husband) and illustrations by Hazel Mitchell is a gentle and inspiring story of caring for those looking for their forever homes. It is heartwarming and brimming with the tenderest of love.
My family fosters bunnies for an animal rescue. That means that we take care of the bunnies at our home for a few months until they're ready to be adopted by another family.
Staying with a foster family assists rescue rabbits in adapting to live with people who care for them. These bunnies must unlearn their fear of humans. One day two Netherland Dwarf bunnies arrived at Cynthia Lord's home.A gray bunny named Benjamin and a brown bunny named Peggotty needed their help. They were kept separated; one was a boy and the other was a girl.
It was not long before both Benjamin and Peggotty were hip-hopping in the air doing what are called a binky. They were settling into living indoors with compassionate humans. Soon after they began to exhibit their happiness, a surprise was discovered. Peggotty was a mom. Four teeny, tiny bunnies were nestled in some fur inside her home.
These new arrivals were named after characters in Charles Dickens's books; Fezzi, Dodger, Pip and Tiny Tim. Dodger and Fezzi started to grow, fur changing their look completely. (Despite advice from a veterinarian and the folks at the rescue, Pip and Tiny Tim were not strong enough to stay alive.) Dodger and Fezzi thrived doing all those delightful bunny things. They even snuggled with stuffed toy bunnies named . . . Pip and Tiny Tim.
As they got used to household sounds, Dodger and Fezzi were taken outside to experience all possible sensory perceptions. They grew bigger and bigger. They were touched each day to develop a sense of security in the hands of people. After two months it was time for Benjamin, Peggotty, Fezzi and Dodger to go to forever homes. And there was one more surprise.
Readers will easily become participants in the fostering of Benjamin, Peggotty, Dodger and Fezzi through the soothing conversational words of Cynthia Lord. She takes readers into the world of fostering rabbits paragraph by paragraph, step by step. We learn how their physical and mental needs are met. We gain an appreciation of their differing personalities. We realize it takes a special human being to be a foster pet parent. A lot of action words are used as well as an emphasis on specific "bunny" words like sniff, climb, hop and touched noses. Here is a passage.
I checked on them as Peggotty hopped around the room. I gave her some carrot tops and told her she was a good mama.
Throughout the book photographs, as seen on the matching dust jacket and book case, by John Bald add a vivid awareness of fostering to the narrative. From the close-up on the front to the portrait of a bunny snooping inside a flower pot with a stuffed toy bunny next to it, on the back, we find ourselves drawn further into a world bursting with bunnies. A paler yellow shade is placed on the opening and closing endpapers to complement the colors on the jacket and case and those photographs within the body.
On the title page Dodger and Fezzi are shown next to each other with a colorful fabric braid curved near them. On the verso page a bunny is resting inside a tube. Most of the photographs take us close to the rabbits, making for an intimate experience. Some of the images extend page edge to page edge and others are within a circular frame. Photographs may overlap in the interest of excellent design.
One of my many, many favorite photographs is of Fezzi. It fills nearly an entire page, but the right side is part of a circle. Fezzi is close to readers but intent on examining a foot. It's a completely endearing position. (I can already hear readers cooing their affection for this picture and this bunny.)
To further elevate the text and photographs, artwork by author and illustrator Hazel Mitchell is shown frequently within the book, beginning on the back of the jacket and case with upside down rabbit ears shown in the upper, right-hand corner. At most page turns we see her realistic, winsome pictures. Sometimes we are shown a bunny in its entirety or simply a portion of one hopping off the page.
One of my favorite illustrations of Hazel's is shown in the lower, right-hand corner of a page. Her gray and white bunny is raised up on its hind legs, stretching upward. The front paws are resting on the right edge of the page. Is this little being turning the page for us? Has it discovered something new?
Spring is the time of new beginnings. It is a time to celebrate holidays. Readers will want to hug Borrowing Bunnies: A Surprising True Tale Of Fostering Rabbits written by Cynthia Lord with photographs by John Bald and illustrations by Hazel Mitchell. It presents an honest and engaging look at caring for bunnies and preparing them for forever homes. At the end of the book is a one-page discussion titled Do You Want Your Own Rabbit For Keeps? I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections. (Caregivers should be prepared with at least a stuffed toy bunny for younger readers to hold.)
If you desire to learn more about Cynthia Lord, John Bald and Hazel Mitchell and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites. Cynthia Lord maintains an account on Instagram. Cynthia Lord stops by author Kirby Larson's blogto chat about her new releases. Hazel Mitchell has accounts on Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter. At the publisher's website you can view interior images. Here is a link to a printable calendar featuring a bunny from the book. (There are several other links at Cynthia Lord's website for this book.)
Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to view the other titles selected this week by those participating in the 2019 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.
In her debut picture book, author Cheryl B. Klein collaborates with artist Tomie dePaola to bring readers Wings (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, March 5, 2019). A rhyming poetic interlude of twelve single words and various punctuations is enhanced with lively, expressive images. It's an ode to new life, flight, self-confidence and the sheer pleasure of the sounds made by combinations of letters.
