When you stand on the shores of a vast body of water, you can never be sure what resides beneath the surface. Scientists, through research, have given us many answers, but mysteries remain. More than 180 years ago an author used the ocean as the setting for one of his more widely read fairy tales. Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid is one of those stories you never forget reading for the first time.
Highly acclaimed and beloved author illustrator Jerry Pinkney has adapted the story for new generations of readers. His illustrations are as lush and eloquent as the ocean in all its glory. The Little Mermaid (Little, Brown and Company, November 3, 2020) written and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney is remarkable in every aspect.
Far out in the ocean and miles below the surface, two
realms sat divided by sea mountains.
On one side of the mountains evil lurked. It was the home of the Sea Witch, known for her selfishness and hunger for power. On the other side of the mountains was the realm of the mighty Sea King. There he and his four daughters resided. The daughters were warned to never enter the Sea Witch's domain.
Of the four daughters, Melody, had a magnificent voice and a curious spirit. She was not content with her expected behaviors. She told stories about the objects from above, drifting down into their watery world. Her sisters did not understand her fascination. One day when Melody's guardian, an elder sea turtle, rose to the surface for air, she followed.
Breaking through the waves, she gasped at the sight of flying fish, whales leaping above the water, and the warm ball in the sky, the sun. What astonished her the most was a girl walking on
two sticklike legs
along the sandy beach. Melody started to sing, and the girl turned to watch her and waved.
Urged back into the sea by her guardian, Melody knew she could not walk upon the sand. She knew the girl could never come down into the ocean. At that moment, a sea snake slithered near her and lured her with promises to the forbidden darkness on the other side of the mountains. There the Sea Witch proposed a bargain. It terrified Melody, but she sang into the shell offered to her, giving the wicked being her enchanting voice. Swimming to the surface, she looked around marveling at the sights and drank the Sea Witch's potion.
The girl on the beach, Zion, and Melody spent the entire day together until near dusk. In response to a question, Melody cleverly explained how she arrived on land. Zion decided to give her a gift, too. After a profound comment by Zion, the course of events changed dramatically. The bonds of friendship once formed cannot be broken by place or time. Deep within us, a fight for right and light will give us the strength we need.
With each reading of this singular adaption of The Little Mermaid by master storyteller Jerry Pinkney, you'll find the words wrapping around you like swirls of water when you swim. His choice of words is extraordinary, painting pictures as vivid as his artwork. Dialogue is a part of the narrative bringing intimacy to many pivotal portions of the tale. Here is a passage.
As her scales fell away, Melody found it more difficult to swim
as she drifted toward the shore. At last she felt fine sand against
her skin and winced as a sharp shell cut into her foot. She was just
starting to stand on wobbly legs when she heard a girl's voice.
"Hello!" said the smiling stranger. "It's you, isn't it? From out
in the ocean?" The girl reached with a steadying hand. "I'm Zion.
What's your name?"
Melody tried to answer, but no sound left her lips. Instead,
she smiled back, shivering as the breeze whipped through the
seaweed clinging to her body.
When you open the dust jacket, the scene shown on the front, right, extends to the flap edges on the right and on the far left of the back. Over the spine and on the left, Melody's tail bends and moves in the water with the tips of the end breaking the surface in bubbling splashes. Three seagulls, on the back, fly over wise words from the narrative.
"You should never give up
your voice . . .
for anything."
On the right flap two smaller fish seem to dance near Melody. The hues of green and blue with the radiant yellow of the sky complement the light in Melody's face and the sparkle of her attire and the water around her.
On the book case, it's as if we are looking down on the surface of the ocean. We are looking at the backs of Melody and her guardian, the old sea turtle. They are swimming in a marbleized array of blues and greens.
On the opening endpapers is a depiction of the Sea King's realm, his castle of coral, lighting the surrounding area of ocean animal and plant life. With a page turn, on the left mermaids and merman dance in a spin of blue and fish. Opposite, on the title page, Melody and her guardian swim to the right. On the closing endpapers are the dedication and information about the book. The scene is from land looking across the water, waves crashing against the shore as the sun sets. A lighthouse sits on a cliff on the far-left side. There are two pairs of elements which signify the friendship of the girls and gifts given. Already, as readers, we are enveloped in the fine details Jerry Pinkney includes in this beautiful book.
Jerry Pinkney's illustrations rendered
using pencil and watercolor on Arches cold-pressed paper
are mesmerizing and opulent. Each double-page picture takes us deeply into the story. We become a party of Melody's journey in finding her purpose, and of her family recognizing that purpose.
To assist in pacing there are four single-page illustrations, although two of them are joined by identical elements. Perspectives shift flawlessly to accentuate portions of the story. You can't help but pause to enjoy the illustrations which enriches the text. This is a tale to savor.
One of my many, many favorite images is that which enhances the portion of text quoted above. On the left side, the pearly full moon is setting among lingering clouds. A wash of the ocean moves toward shore as a single seagull watches the two girls on the right. Melody, not sure of her new legs, is wrapped in Zion's shawl. On her head is a crown of sea plants. Seaweed drapes over her body. In her left hand she holds the doll she found in the ocean. Zion reaches out to help Melody tucking the fabric around her body. She is wearing a brightly colored hat and scarf, a striped shirt, denim vest and short skirt. The two new friends stand on the sandy beach as waves wash around their feet.
The adaptation of The Little Mermaid written and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney is one of the finest I have ever read. On a lovely double-page visual, Jerry Pinkney includes an author's note speaking about his motivation for creating this book. This illustration is a wordless continuation of the story before the closing endpapers. (Truthfully, I love this picture, too.) I can't imagine a collection, personal or professional, without a copy of this book.
To learn more about Jerry Pinkney and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website. There is more about Jerry Pinkney in a page at the Norman Rockwell Museumwebsite. In a guest post at School Library Journal, Jerry Pinkney speaks about this book. Here is a link to the book launch at Books of Wonder.
Sometimes, as an educator, you'll be in the middle of a lesson or a discussion and a student will say something which stops you in your mental tracks. You'll wonder, "Why didn't I think of that?" Truth be told, a number of times when this happens, I cannot help but grin. (I want to dance and maybe I have once or twice.) When children are allowed to be their best selves, when we support them in this endeavor, there is nothing they cannot do.
This book, No Voice Too Small: Fourteen Young Americans Making History (Charlesbridge, September 22, 2020) edited by Lindsay H. Metcalf, Keila V. Dawson and Jeanette Bradley with illustrations by Jeanette Bradley delivers poetic portraits of young activists to readers. Their accomplishments at young ages are remarkable and a point of ignition. They motivate all of us to be our best selves.
We meet a child who was bullied for her voice, using that voice to fashion a career in music. A boy believed you cannot
hate someone you know
so, he made sure almost all the students in his high school knew him. He did not stop there but developed a way for others to tell their stories. At twelve-years-old a girl started a fund raiser still active today for helping those with Down syndrome. (She is now twenty-two). Have you heard of Levi Draheim? Rather than live in fear of having water cover his home, he joined others in a lawsuit against the government for their ignorance of climate change.
A child fought for transgender athletes, specifically soccer players, and won. Cierra "Little Water" would not be silenced about her cancer or her sexual assault. A boy and his father walked from one end of our county to the other to increase awareness of type 1 diabetes. Two young women realized the essential importance of water. Is it too much to ask to protect our water or to have clean water to use in our homes?
At nineteen Zach Wahls spoke about his two mothers and being raised in a loving environment. It went viral. At twenty-nine Zach is now an Iowa state senator. It was a sixteen-year-old girl who sparked what is now the Wear Orange initiative. Another girl and fourteen of her friends wore their quinceanera dresses in protest at the Texas State Capitol. It was a challenge to those who would deport immigrants. Adora Svitak dared to pose the theory that
adults can learn from kids.
If you believe you can't make a difference, #1000BlackGirlBooks founder dispelled that notion.
Each author brings their unique writing style to these poems. Their poems highlight accomplishments and pay tribute to those accomplishments. Each poem, written with meticulous care, sings out from the pages. Here is the beginning portion of the closing poem.
Partnering with the poems is a separate paragraph with further factual information about the activists. In the lower, right-hand corner on each two-page presentation are ideas of how you can start, duplicate, or continue what that person has done.
On the open and matching dust jacket and book case, illustrator Jeanette Bradleysupplies readers with a spirited depiction of children standing up for their beliefs bravely and together. The light in their hearts shines forth on their faces. They are determined. The design choice to have the text on a sign is an excellent one. The individuals in the background in a purple hue continue over the spine on the same color canvas to the left edge. Above the people on the back, left, is a poem:
RESONATE
A haiku
No voice is too small
to solve a problem that's big.
Change ripples forward.
On the opening and closing endpapers in a muted black or gray, are quotes from the fourteen activists. They are written in all capital letters in white. Before you've read one interior word, you are energized. On the initial title page, a microphone is beneath the text. On the formal title page eight of the young people are standing in spotlights, five on the left and three on the right. The remaining six are showcased on the two pages dedicated to the introductory poem.
These images were
painted digitally in Procreate for iPad on a digital paper design by Paper Farms.
They all span two pages, focusing on the individual in full color. (Additional elements appear fainter.) The children are highly animated and engaged in their particular activity or are placed within the focus of their protest. Although the physical characteristics of the activists are understandably different, their representations embody one common feature. That is resolve.
The background color shown on the dust jacket and book case is used throughout the book. This allows for our eyes to go directly to the children before enjoying the other details. The paper is matte-finished and heavier. When you look at these illustrations it is as if you are looking at a treasured sketchbook where the artist has personally been with each person over a period of time, capturing their personalities perfectly.
One of my many, many favorite illustrations is of Jasilyn Charger. Behind her winding through the background from left to right is the Mnisose, the Missouri River. On the far left you can see elements depicting her participation in the protest at Standing Rock. On the right elements portray the long-distance run she and others made to Washington, DC to protest the Dakota Access pipeline. (You can read more about her and others in this article The Youth Group That Launched a Movement at Standing Rock.)
Not only will you be amazed, but you will be strengthened from reading No Voice Too Small: Fourteen Young Americans Making History edited by Lindsay H. Metcalf, Keila V. Dawson and Jeanette Bradley with artwork by Jeanette Bradley. You will be compelled to do further research about each one of them. Trust me. At the close of the book, the poetry forms employed by the writers are explained. There are photographs of the authors and paragraphs about each one on the following three pages. I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.
You should never underestimate the power of those books conceived to be the first ones held in tiny hands. The best of them fascinate readers of all ages. Using less space and length than other titles, their words, art, and layout are designed with intention to convey specific concepts, often with humor, beauty, and cleverness.
These books caught my attention in 2020. The first two I might have missed except for Elizabeth Bird, currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and author of the School Library Journal, A Fuse #8 Production, 31 Days, 31 Lists: 2020 Board Books. The other eight were already a part of or destined to become a part of my personal collection.
Let's start with laughter. We can never have too much, for it is truly a healer of heart and soul. And shared with children, laughter is one of the best moments in the world. As soon as you read the title of I Love My Tutu Too! (Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic, March 3. 2020) written and illustrated by Ross Burach, you'll start to smile. There is something about the word tutu that starts the giggle machine.
ONE tutu.
I love my tutu!
Before the laughter has a chance to subside, the roly-poly penguin is joined by an equally roly-poly bear who says:
I love my tutu too.
Their conversation proceeds in short rhyming statements. Now there are two tutus.
New creatures continue to chime in with their love of tutus. Each time a new animal joins the group, the count goes up. Before you know it, there are ten lively, animated animals standing before you in tutus. Then, they do exactly what wearing a tutu invites you to do.
Two things are readily apparent about Ross Burach when reading this book. First, he has a firm grasp on humor and its portrayal. Second, he knows children. His word play through alliteration, homonyms, and rhyming is perfection. Here are two companion passages.
FOUR tutus!
We need MORE tutus!
But who?
I know a gnu with
a new tutu.
You do?
I do.
Who knew?
The art in each of the images rendered in pencil, crayon, and digital coloring is bold, bright, and colorful. The front book case cover is one of the more subtle scenes but look at the facial expression on that penguin. There is a lot of happiness and anticipation in that glance. Each of the subsequent animals maintains the wide-eyed look, the arms spread on either side and legs and feet poised for action.
Although the backgrounds change, each large number in the counting is in pink and placed on the right page, opposite the latest conversation. Sometimes a new chat is shown with the number. Most of the text is placed in speech bubbles and in different colors according to the character speaking. You won't believe the phone number the bear dials to reach the gnu!
One of my many favorite images is for the ewe in a tutu. She is alone on the right, up on the toes of her back legs. She is standing on one of three snow-capped purple mountain tops in the clouds. Shouting to a pink sky she says:
YODEL-LAY-HEE-EWE!
She is wearing a tutu with a top and a bottom in pale green with white stars.
For your daily dose of hilarity, you'll want I Love My TuTu Too! written and illustrated by Ross Burach in your personal and professional collections. It would make a superb participatory read aloud. To learn more about Ross Burach and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website. Ross Burach has an account on Twitter. Ross Burach was a guest of Judy Newman at Scholastic for an interview.
The talk in the world of astronomy now is the near meeting of Jupiter and Saturn on the winter solstice, December 21, 2020. Sometimes we forget to glance skyward and enjoy the other displays except when something exceptional will occur. Truth be told, there are spectacular constellations to see on every cloudless night, depending on the phase of the moon, throughout the year. Animals in the Sky (Phaidon Press Inc., March 18, 2020) written and illustrated by Sara Gillingham (How to Grow a Friend and How To Mend a Heart) is a stunning and clever look at the night skies.
Every night, when the sky is clear,
it's filled with twinkling stars.
But did you know that it's full of pictures, too?
We are told if you draw lines between the most noticeable of the stars, they become animals. Seven of these animal constellations are featured. The format for the presentation of each is the same.
On the first image, we are given a clue as to the identity of the animal followed by a question. The animal is drawn in its star shape. When we open the two-page gatefold, the animal reveals its name on the left along with a realistic portrait over the star shape. Opposite the animal is a fact about stars, constellations, or the brightest star in each showcased constellation.
At the close of the book the seven constellations are shown together. A final two-page gatefold shows ten other constellations to locate. The reader is directed to ask an adult for help or to consult a star map.
It is the repeat composition for each animal that invites and engages readers. Sara Gillinghamsupplies clues which will appeal to the youngest of readers. They will hardly be able to wait to open the gatefold. Here is the text for one of the animals.
I have fins and gills,
and a tail to help me swim.
I live in the ocean in a
big group called a school!
What animal in the sky am I?
I am the Southern Fish!
Here I am in the sky.
The limited color palette seen on the front book case cover is used throughout the book. Wide two-tone turquoise borders with a fine golden line frame the night skies in dark blue on each page. The animals are colored in turquoise and golden brown or a combination of the two. Sometimes the sky color is used as a part of the animal. There is decorative linework above and below the clue text.
One of my favorite depictions is for the Big Dog. His body is turquoise on the blue sky. The stars and golden lines are outlined inside his body. Golden shading textures his fur, ear, nose and eye. The Big Dog is wearing an ornate collar.
For those seeking to introduce children to the wonders of the night sky and sharing those moments, Animals in the Sky written and illustrated by Sara Gillingham is a title you must have on your personal and professional bookshelves. To learn more about Sara Gillingham and her other work, please access her website by following the link attached to her name. Sara Gillingham has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. At the publisher's website you can view multiple interior pages.
Our planet, Earth, is the only one we have. The more we know about her, the better able we are to take action to protect her and the abundant life in every corner of the land, air, and water. Our World: A First Book Of Geography (Phaidon Press Inc., July 22, 2020) written by Sue Lowell Gallion with pictures by Lisk Feng is a factual and pictorial representation of places all over our planet. In a glorious burst of ingenuity, it is designed, when opened, to form a globe.
Many places to explore,
From mountain peaks to ocean floor,
Look around you, step outside . . .
With thirteen page turns we are treated to a marvelous view of a space in our world. Each space is described through rhyming, connected verse on the left. On the right, accompanying these phrases, are more detailed explanations of the areas.
We learn how weather and climate affect the type of trees found. We learn about the multitude of living creatures that call the grasslands home. In the rainforests some animals live high in the trees and never touch the ground. Plants and animals adapt in amazing ways to survive in deserts.
At the South and North Poles melting ice is causing rising temperatures and water levels. Can you name a place on the planet called the tundra? Can you imagine a place in the oceans deeper than our tallest mountain? Water cycles up and down and all around our world. Seven continents rest among oceans and seas. Our planet, whether seen by an astronaut in space or by us gazing outside a window in our homes, is teeming with life each day as it spins.
This is a book to read more than once. Author Sue Lowell Gallionhas first penned a poem to guide us from one portion of our planet to the next. Then she selects essential facts to place in the more detailed paragraphs. Within those paragraphs, questions are sometimes asked readers. Here is a portion of a passage.
Do you live up on a mountain or down in a valley? Many
mountains were built over millions of years by blocks of land
pushing into each other. Others were formed by erupting volcanoes. . . .
With each turn of page, we are greeted with either a full-page circular image or a half-circle, crescent, depicting two different aspects of the same area. For two of the topics, the circle is divided into three sections. The full-color illustrations rendered by Lisk Fengare highly detailed welcoming readers to pause and enter the scene. Depending on the spot, perspectives shift.
One of my many favorite illustrations is for the discussion of mountains and valleys. Across the top of the circle is a bright blue sky dotted with rows of clouds. A giant mountain peak reaches into the center with smaller peaks to the left and the right. Rolling green hills are layered in front of the mountain creating a green, tree-filled valley. A single raptor flies left from the bottom. We see what the bird sees.
Let me ask you this. Who wouldn't want a book that turns into a globe? Our World: A First Book Of Geography written by Sue Lowell Gallion with pictures by Lisk Feng is a must have for your personal and professional collections. It's an introduction. It's a conversation and research promoter. You'll want to have multiple copies available. To learn more about Sue Lowell Gallion and Lisk Feng and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites. Sue Lowell Gallion has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Lisk Feng has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, SoundCloud, Tumblr, and Twitter. At the publisher's website you can see multiple interior images. There are interviews with Sue Lowell Gallion at PictureBookBuilders, InkyGirl(Lisk Feng, too), Kathy Temean, Writing and Illustrating, Vivan Kirkfield's site, and Maria Marshall's site. Lisk Feng is a guest at Digital Arts. Author illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi talks about this book in this video.
Sunny days get sunnier when you are holding a book conceived by Aaron Becker. In a companion to his stunning You Are Light (Candlewick Studio, an imprint of Candlewick Press, March 26, 2019), My Favorite Color: I Can Only Pick One? (Candlewick Studio, an imprint of Candlewick Press, September 8, 2020) is equally extraordinary using die-cuts and frosted acetate to dazzle readers' senses. It proposes possibilities when trying to select one color as your favorite.
My favorite color is yellow.
Yellow, like the sun in a clear blue sky.
Thinking about the blue sky has the narrator switching their favorite color to blue. When they think of another color combination with blue, consideration is given to the other color, green. The musings start in earnest.
The hues in a sunset and the shades found in the coming dusk have a lot to offer. No, yellow is the narrator's favorite color. And two other colors, not yet named, are chosen as favorites. Clearly, selecting one color, only one color, is a decision for another day, if ever.
It's the simple conversational statements made by Aaron Becker which will draw readers willingly into the book. The thought processes of trying to select a favorite color connect us all. We think we've made a decision, then another example, another array of hues tempts us away from our choice. Aaron Becker's descriptions of those other choices will have you sighing with their truths. He sees color with a poet's heart.
Readers will be fascinated by the die-cut squares of color shown on the front and the die-cut windows on the back of the book case cover. The layout and design of the squares on each page ask us to hold the book up to the light to see what is revealed. Sometimes we see certain shades, but when another color is added it shifts the shades. And sometimes there will be die-cuts and solid squares on the same page to give us a wider range of results.
I think they are all my favorite illustrations.
I expect this book, My Favorite Color: I Can Only Pick One? written and illustrated by Aaron Becker, to have the well-loved look quickly. You'll want to have multiple copies in both your personal and professional collections. It will encourage discussions about favorite colors and the variety of colors seen in certain settings. To learn more about Aaron Becker and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website. Aaron Becker has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. At the publisher's website you can view an interior illustration and download a teacher's guide. Aaron Becker is a guest at Nick Patton's Picturebooking, featuring this title. Enjoy the video.
When explaining forms and how to find them, the more interesting you make the delivery the more relevant it is for readers. We tend to remember fun. This Is A Book Of Shapes written and illustrated by Kenneth Kraegel will take readers by surprise and have them bursting out laughing.
This is a circle.
This is a square.
This is a triangle.
Given the first three sentences in the book are declaring three shapes along with pictures of each, you would think the fourth page turn would be another shape. You would be wrong. Instead, we are told an emu is pushing a wagon down a hill. That wagon is brimming with pancakes. What?
This is so unexpected readers will be puzzled for a few seconds before they start grinning and giggling. This technique is used two more times before we are treated to a different hilarious twist. The comedy continues with the consecutive commentary and conclusion.
Clearly Kenneth Kraegel has an amazing sense of humor. Readers like surprises, especially funny surprises. The pacing is pure perfection. Just when we think we have figured out the cadence of this narrative, Kenneth Kraegel throws us off course.
The illustrations, as you can tell from the front of the book case cover, are vivid and playful. The shapes and the descriptive text are placed on a crisp white background, shapes and text on opposite pages. Each shape is a different color, green, red, blue, purple, orange, yellow, turquoise, and a mix of purple and blue. The surprise insertions, double-page-pictures, are highly animated and in full color. The final double-page image features all the animals and the shapes in a scenic setting.
One of my favorite images is of the rhinoceros. He is speeding down a path in the desert dotted with cactus. The rhinoceros is on a skateboard and wearing orange goggles. He is also wearing a fully-functioning jet pack. I dare you to look at this and not laugh.
Children and children at heart are going to enjoy reading This Is A Book Of Shapes written and illustrated by Kenneth Kraegel. It might be fun to introduce other shapes and invent other surprise scenarios. Kenneth Kraegel has accounts on Facebook and Instagram. At the publisher's website you can download an activity kit. This title and Kenneth Kraegel are featured at author, reviewer, and blogger Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. Enjoy the video.
If there is any sort of rhythm to the words in a book, children will quickly and easily notice it. If it is during a story time they will start to move; some of them might even begin to hum. The Twelve Birdies of Christmas (Sleeping Bear Press, August 15, 2020) written and illustrated by Jennifer Sattler is a fresh take on a well-known Christmas carol.
ON the first day of Christmas
my true love gave to me . . .
1
birdie in a
Santa Claus
beard.
Those first words with the accompanying portrait of a tall green bird with red polka-dots, legs and feet and a beard carrying a red sack will be the beginning of a chorus of snickers. For the remaining days and numbers, readers will need to reference the initial words as they move forward. Several times between one and twelve, words are substituted for the original words.
There are purple doves. What word do you think replaces rings? To conclude the book, we come full circle with three additional familiar words. On the final page are the original verses.
Jennifer Sattler replaces the appropriate number of words to elevate the merriment. These new words and her interpretation of the earlier words allow for loads of humor in her artwork. On the front and back of the book case cover we can see how she depicts her quirky birds.
For all the birds and their numbers, they are placed on a white canvas. It is her attention to detail which will connect with readers. One of the purple doves is holding a candy cane as the duo lovingly touch foreheads. The four calling birds are using cell phones. One is wearing a Santa hat, another has a bow with a holly pattern on it, a third has a winter scarf, and the fourth has ornaments near its feet. Of the seven swans a-swimming, four are wearing underwater gear. The facial expressions, especially the eyes, and body positions are downright jolly on all the animals.
One of my favorite pictures is for
8 BIRDIES A-MILKING.
The eight birds of all shapes and sizes, one wearing reindeer antlers and another wearing ornaments on its head feathers, are around a green table. They are drinking milk out of glasses, many with straws. A plate of Christmas cookies is on the table. They all look so happy.
Who can resist counting, singing, and laughing? The Twelve Birdies of Christmas written and illustrated by Jennifer Sattler is pure fun. This would be super for a creative drama activity. To learn more about Jennifer Sattler and her other work, please visit her website by following the link attached to her name. Jennifer Sattler has an account on Facebook and Instagram. In the video below, she reads this book aloud.
In March of 2018 Christopher Silas Neal released a new concept book series. He begins with Animal Colors and Animal Shapes, both published by Little Bee Books. These books are wonderfully innovative. In the first, two animals are named with a coordinating color to fashion a third animal by mixing names and colors. For example:
When a
BLUE RHINO
and a
GREEN TORTOISE
mix,
they make a . . .
TURQUOISE RHORTOISE
The initial text is placed on the left and the animals are on the right, both on single pages. The special critter is placed on double-pages in an appropriate setting. At the end all the newly made animals are combined to make a whimsical, one-of-a-kind creature. On the final two pages, eight color combinations are shown.
In the second book, the successful technique continues with mixing animals and shapes. For example:
WHEN A NOISY
WOODPECKER
MEETS A
TRAPEZOID,
THEY BECOME A . . .
TAP-TAP-EZOID
In this book, the animal is shown with the text on the left. The shape is on the right side. The new shape-sation can be viewed within a two-page picture. The shape is featured along with the animal in action in wonderful settings. At the end of the book, all the shapes are placed like constellations in a night sky. The text reads:
GOOD NIGHT-AGON
A cat is curled in the right-hand corner sleeping.
Animal Numbers (Little Bee Books, October 6, 2020) written and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal takes a little different approach. Animals meet numbers and a certain physical characteristic on their body decreases or increases by that number. Their name changes, also. Here is the beginning.
WHEN A
BUNNY MEETS
NUMBER ONE,
THEY BECOME A . . .
ONE-Y
The brown bunny is looking up at the number 1. He is not happy. He is minus one ear. For the remainder of the blends, the new physical features on the animal are exhibited within a double-page picture. Here is another one:
WHEN A LOUD
DINOSAUR MEETS
NUMBER FOUR
THEY BECOME A . . .
DINO-FOUR
The dinosaur roaring through large exotic plants and four erupting volcanoes has four heads. Four pterodactyls fly in the distance. Four long-necked dinosaurs are in the background. In each illustration specific elements are shown in the same number being discussed. This reinforces the number and invites participation by the reader to look for other groups of that number.
One of my favorite illustrations is for the number six. A chipmunk meets the number six. A chipmunk is holding an acorn with another by its tail beneath the text. Four other acorns are scattered around the number six on the right. With a page turn we see a chipmunk's face up close, very close. It is framed by branches, nearly bare, with some autumn oak leaves. The chipmunk's mouth is stretched to the max and open revealing six acorns stuffed inside. (I might have burst out laughing when I saw this.)
Animal Sounds (Little Bee Books, October 6, 2020) written and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal maintains the layout and design, but the words are different to reflect the subject. The word If begins the statement. Verbs says and goes are used. The first one reads as follows:
IF A BEAR SAYS
GROWL, AND A
FLY GOES BUZZ,
A BEAR-FLY
SAYS . . .
GRUZZZZZZ
The first image is a close-up of a bear's face, filling the entire page. He is looking down, a bit cross-eyed, at his nose. A single fly rests there. With a page turn we see six flies buzzing around a tiny bear with fly wings. He is buzzing along with the others.
Near the end of the book, we are asked what happens when all the sounds mix together. It's a boisterous blend, a line of sounds through the middle of two white pages. With an extra dose of comedy, one final animal is featured making a sound sure to generate loads of laughter.
One of my favorite pictures questions what results when a horse neighs and a duck quacks. This horse-duck says:
NUACK, NUACK
With a shade of green, duck green, for its body two horse legs stand in a pond. The tail is that of a duck. The chest, neck and head are large like a horse but instead of a mouth, there is a duck's bill. Cattails grow in clumps in the water and along the shore. Three surprised ducks are startled by this new creation. One takes flight. Eight ducks fly in separate groups in the distance.
These two books, Animal Numbers and Animal Sounds written and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal, are fabulous additions to this distinctive series. Children, of all ages, and those adults working with them will enjoy reading these books repeatedly. They are fresh with every reading. They welcome participation. I highly recommend all four books for your personal and professional collections. To learn more about Christopher Silas Neal and his other work, please visit his website by following the link attached to his name. Christopher Silas Neal has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr and Twitter. You can view interior images at the publisher's website here, here, here, and here for the four books. There are also images at Simon & Schusterhere, here, here, and here.
Upon waking each morning, many of us have daily ambitions. Our choices hopefully aim us toward our desired direction. Although life being what it is, our paths are rarely in a straight line. They are a series of zigs and zags and steps forward and back and back and forward again.
Whether we reach our aspirations for the day, with the fading light and start of night, we all, eventually, crave similar things. Two autumnal titles draw our attention to this special time. The first, A Story for Small Bear (Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, October 13, 2020) written by Alice B. McGinty with illustrations by Richard Jones, follows a cub trying to accomplish all that is required so she can receive her heart's desire.
When a late autumn wind
swirled into their den after noontime nap,
Small Bear shivered. Brrrrr.
Mama knew today was the day to start their winter rest. First, there was work to be done. Small Bear needed to help for her wish to come true. Small Bear had to remain focused.
Spruce sprigs were gathered to add comfort to their cave. Small Bear noticed and climbed into her favorite cozy hollow in the spruce tree. She did not want to leave. Remember the bitter wind, it blew, reminding her of what the day's end would bring.
There were two more stops. There were two more tasks. There were two more distractions.
Brrrrr.
Small Bear did not want to leave but the icy wind pushed her to find Mama. Mother and daughter walked to their den. Inside, Small Bear asked Mama a question. Her gentle but strong voice beginning with
Once there lived . . .
was the answer Small Bear wanted to hear. A promise was kept.
Using a combination of narrative and dialogue, author Alice B. McGinty weaves a tale of family, preparation, and the power of story. Lyrical, descriptive phrases guide the characters and readers through the final day before a winter's rest begins. Repetition of specific words and phrases supplies readers with a serene, but at times playful cadence. Here is a passage.
No dilly.
She knew that's what Mama would say.
Still, she rolled and wriggled and played some more.
No dally, Small Bear thought.
But it was so hard to leave!
The textured, full color images on the open and matching dust jacket and book case ask readers to reach out to the characters, to join them. On the front, framed by late summer and autumn flowers and leaves, Mama and Small Bear present the perfect picture of parental care. By placing the bolder colors in the foreground with softer colors in the background, we are drawn into this moment of intimacy within a larger domain.
To the left of the spine, on the back, a portion of an interior illustration is used. Small Bear is high in a tree, enjoying the acorns. She has her head turned over her shoulder, watching the sun fading. Beneath her the words read:
Small Bear wants to play---
but wind is biting,
winter knocking. . . .
Will she save time for stories?
On the pale cream canvas on the opening endpapers leaves in year-end colors are scattered. The closing endpapers are a reflection of the change in the seasons. Snowflakes of all sizes fall on a light turquoise background. A close-up of a meadow scene with a bunny and a bird is placed between the text on the title page.
Rendered
in acrylic and watercolor paint and edited in Adobe Photoshop
the illustrations by Richard Jones highly complement the text, elevating it in realistic, soothing, and marvelous scenes. We are treated to double-page pictures, edge to edge, full-page images with rounded corners and some elements breaking the frame, smaller visuals in unusual shapes or gathered in geometric forms on two pages to provide pacing. Perspective is altered to place the characters in their proper settings, but we are never far and sometimes very close to Small Bear and her endeavors.
One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture. Small Bear is swimming in the river. On the left the river winds between two shores, one filled with meadow flowers and the other a small grove of trees. Mama is ambling to the left in the trees. Close to us on the right Small Bear moves her paws splashing. Water birds take flight above her. The sky mirrors the time of day.
Play comes naturally for this little bear, but the words of her mother guide her toward her one wish before they sleep. The strength of tale-telling rings true in A Story for Small Bear written by Alice B. McGinty with artwork by Richard Jones. For a quiet time, bedtime, discussing the benefits of sharing tasks, or for the changing seasons, this book is one you will want to have on your personal and professional bookshelves.
To learn more about Alice B. McGinty and Richard Jones and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites. At Alice B. McGinty's website is a parenting guide to use along with this book. At Richard Jones' website he has pictures from the book for you to see. Alice B. McGinty has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Richard Jones has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. At a publisher's website you can see the opening endpapers, the verso and title pages, and the first two pages.
Some of those things we hold closest to our hearts are as varied and individualistic as we all are. Others are daily moments we share in common with a multitude of people. It is in those common hours we find what makes us a part of a larger whole. Mr. Brown's Bad Day (Candlewick Press, Nosy Crow. November 10, 2020) written by Lou Peacock with illustrations by Alison Friend is a comical and ultimately endearing day in the life of a distinguished tiger gentleman.
Mr. Brown was a very important businessman.
He always carried a very important briefcase,
and he worked in a very important office.
Mr. Brown made numerous financial decisions daily. He was in and out of meetings. Every minute was packed with very important activities. Regardless of the hustle and bustle of working in the very important office, Mr. Brown never missed taking a break for lunch and bringing his very important briefcase with him.
One day as Mr. Brown was seated on a bench in the park eating his lunch, he did not see a baby grab his very important briefcase and take it away. When he discovered it was missing, he was frantic. Luckily, he saw the baby with the briefcase. He followed it at a brisk walk.
In a quirk of fate, the very important briefcase was snagged on the cart of an ice cream peddler. As the peddler paused his bicycle, Mr. Brown thought he was getting close to his very important briefcase. Yikes! The very important briefcase is on the move again courtesy of a student on a field trip. Every time Mr. Brown gets near his very important briefcase, it moves. Dapper Mr. Brown is getting very frazzled.
Mr. Brown's day is not good. Finally, looking worse for the wear, Mr. Brown catches up to the students and their teacher, roaring about his very important briefcase with invaluable items inside. In the dark Mr. Brown walks home with his cherished possession and its contents. Once there, he checks inside his very important briefcase. Time for bed, Mr. Brown.
The sheer fun of this book by author Lou Peacockis how she wraps readers into the wild chase of Mr. Brown trying to retrieve his very important briefcase. The use of the words very important and the words fortunately and unfortunately repeatedly generates hilarious tension. We are so involved in the retrieval of the briefcase; the conclusion is the sweetest of surprises. The blend of text and dialogue is exactly right bringing us deeper into Mr. Brown's dilemma. Here is a passage.
Fortunately for Mr. Brown, the line was moving quickly . . .
but unfortunately for Mr. Brown,
when the schoolchildren got off the ride,
they took Mr. Brown's very important
briefcase with them.
And then they went to catch the bus.
When readers look at the open and matching dust jacket and book case, they see from left to right a foreshadowing of events to come. Against the blue building on the city sidewalk is the teacher and three students. The teacher is a smartly dressed zebra with a kitten and alligator youngster trailing behind her. On the front the pup is trying to warn Mr. Brown about the next disastrous step he is about to take. There are three pigeons, two in flight, on the back. As if the banana peel is not bad enough, notice the fourth pigeon above the W in the title text. All the elements on the front of the dust jacket except for the sidewalk and building are varnished.
In lighter hues of blue, lightly shaded and outlines of buildings provide readers with a view of Mr. Brown's city on the opening and closing endpapers. Light clouds, nearly like fog, cover the blue sky. On the initial title page are three pigeons resting on the ground, looking for food. On the formal title, verso and dedication pages, the cityscape is in the background. Vehicles and city inhabitants move down the street and on the sidewalk. Mr. Brown walks toward the right side of the double-page picture. The author's and illustrator's names are placed on the side of a truck like a business name.
Mixed media
illustrations by Alison Friend cheerfully and humorously depict every portion of Mr. Brown's day. The animals are highly animated with facial expressions revealing their moods. Full-color images span two pages, single pages and sometimes two horizontal pictures are on a single page. Readers will find themselves looking for extra details and additional pastimes within the visuals. Alison Friend alters the perspective in keeping with the narrative as when Mr. Brown and others are standing on the ground looking up at the Ferris wheel ride as his very important briefcase goes higher and higher. It is as if we are seated on the Ferris wheel looking down.
One of my many, many favorite pictures is a two-page picture when Mr. Brown is pursuing the baby elephant who picked up his briefcase. The park path winds across from the upper left-hand corner to the lower, right-hand corner. Mr. Brown is walking across the bridge in the upper, left-hand corner. Along the way all kinds of children and their parents are engaged in a variety of pursuits. A dropped ice cream cone (the baby elephant's) is being consumed by pigeons. An alligator is soaking its feet in the park pond. You can't look at this picture without smiling.
This book, Mr. Brown's Bad Day written by Lou Peacock with illustrations by Alison Friend, is a day to remember. We come to understand through a delightfully funny series of mishaps why the very important briefcase has that designation. I know readers will want to read or hear this book again and again. I highly recommend it for your professional and personal collections. Good night. Sweet dreams.
To learn more about Lou Peacock, the link attached to her name takes you to the Nosy Crow page dedicated to her. The link attached to Alison Friend's name takes you to her agency page. Alison Friend has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. At the publisher's website and Penguin Random House you can see interior images.
Red skies glow through a flock of sheep-like clouds scattered before an incoming front. Snow, accumulating snow, is set to arrive within the next couple of days. Although it is not officially winter, more cold and snow are welcome to those who enjoy all four seasons.
This portion of the year brings special and specific benefits. When Winter Comes: Discovering Wildlife in Our Snowy Woods (Little Bigfoot, an imprint of Sasquatch Books, October 13, 2020) written by Aimee M. Bissonette with illustrations by Erin Hourigan reveals those advantages and some mysteries to readers. Let's follow a family enjoying a winter world and all it offers to them.
When winter comes,
and deep snow blankets the woods,
and ice forms cold and smooth on
the lakes,
thick enough for us to skate on,
some people think our woods
are empty.
The woods are not empty. They are still full of nature's inhabitants. A fallen, hollow log, coated in snow, harbors some insects, amphibians, and other creeping crawlers like snails or slugs.
Under the deep mounds of snow traversed by the family wearing snowshoes, there are tunnels in the protected earth. Meadow mice scurry on their highways in search of food. At night when predators roam, they can hide in safety there.
Under the lake's ice, fish move slowly. Turtles rest in its mud at the bottom. Above the ground, covered tree branches provide another haven. In their sheltering boughs, birds are protected from the wild winter winds.
The members of this family understand that some animals sleep in winter, others hunt, and others run from hunters. They know the animals by their tracks. They know the animals by the sounds they make at night. Each day as they play in the woods, they know they are not alone but are companions with its inhabitants.
When reading the expressive words penned by Aimee M. Bissonette, we find ourselves enjoying winter in the woods along with the family. Realizing which animals are near is like discovering a secret held by the season. A rhythm is fashioned from the repetition of the words we know. Aimee M. Bissonette frequently uses alliteration in her phrases, elevating her cadence. Here is another passage.
We know the frozen lake where we come to ice fish
hosts a slushy slumber party of
sleepily swimming rainbow trout.
What one word comes to mind when looking at the front, right, of the matching and open dust jacket and book case? For me, that one word is contentment. One of the best parts of being outdoors in winter is the hushed but hopeful quality of the atmosphere. Here, in this first scene, we are a part of that ambience. It is as if we can feel the curiosity of the wildlife and the anticipation of the family at the same time. In this frozen moment, all is as it should be.
To the left, on the back, an interior image from the book is used. It shows the family's A-Frame home in a meadow surrounded by evergreens with mountains in the distance. Bird feeders are full of our feathered friends. A parent and child watch.
On the opening and closing endpapers a muted hue of deep blue is swirled with snow. Among the swirls are forest animals. Some are resting and others are in motion. A smaller illustration on the title page features the family seated on a log at the lake, putting on their ice skates. In the foreground a rabbit and a mouse linger.
Each detailed, two-page illustration is a wondrous display of nature, its animal and human residents living together. Illustrator Erin Hourigancreates panoramic views you want to enter. When we are close to the people or animals, it is as if we are there with them in the moment. The people are animated and joyful. The animals are carefully represented realistically. Sometimes cutaways supply us with perspectives of activities above and below the surface.
One of my many favorite pictures is toward the end of the book. In this spot, we move close to the beings represented. On the left side of the illustration a white-tailed male deer, wearing a rack of antlers, stands still in front of snow-covered evergreens as if just stepping from the sanctuary of the woods. In front of him the parents and children are moving toward a hill for sledding. The mother and one child are pulling sleds. The child is slightly turned back and sees the deer. The father is carrying the younger child on his shoulders.
In this book, When Winter Comes: Discovering Wildlife in Our Snowy Woods written by Aimee M. Bissonette with artwork by Erin Hourigan, we are reminded of the wondrous world we share with its other residents. We truly are never alone. Life is all around us. This will be a wonderful addition to your personal and professional collections to use for discussions on the seasons, wildlife in winter, and the value of conservation.
By following the link attached to the name of Aimee M. Bissonette and Erin Hourigan, you can learn more about them and their other work at their websites. Aimee M. Bissonette has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Erin Hourigan has accounts on Facebook and Instagram. At Penguin Random House you can view interior images.
There are two important sections of our planet where cold and snow linger longer than any other place. These locations are essential to maintaining a healthy balance for the continuation of Earth's survival. They each have distinguishing characteristics with unique plants and animals. ICE!: Poems About Polar Life (Holiday House, December 1, 2020) written and illustrated by Douglas Florian explores both the Arctic in the north and Antarctica in the south. Witty wisdom and humor are prevalent in all the poems accompanied by whimsical, signature artwork.
THE POLAR REGIONS
Two polar regions on our Earth,
and not a third or fourth. . . .
This is the first sentence in the first of twenty-one poems about the polar regions, Antarctica and the Arctic. The majority of the poems focus on the animals living in these areas. Beneath the poems, paragraphs provide facts about each topic.
For these regions the sun, usually warming, is reflected from the snow and ice and maintains the chilly temperatures. Regardless, ten species of whales are found in Antarctica. You won't believe what variety of life lives hundreds of years there. Emperor penguins are the largest penguins on our planet, with the males as protectors of the eggs until they hatch.
Up north in the Arctic climate change is affecting the ice, ice valuable to life there and, ultimately, to all of Earth. On the Arctic tundra plant and animal life strives to thrive. Polar bears wearing layers of fur wait for seals, blue whales consuming millions of krill daily are endangered, and Arctic foxes with thicker, bushier tails curl and take cover under those tails against the bitter cold and high winds.
Guess which animal has a special air sac to help them float or which animal can run up to forty miles per hour in spurts to avoid being eaten or which one has "flutings." Having a hairy nose comes in handy when a moose roams in water. Teaming up works well for gray wolves when they are hunting. Caribou hollow hooves cleverly act as both snowshoes and shovels.
As we are entertained with the playful poems and artwork and are astonished by the characteristics of the selected animals, the book closes with a warning about climate change. This is a difficulty needing a resolution. We all must do our part.
Admittedly Douglas Florian is a master wordsmith. Each of these twenty-one poems demonstrates his love of language. His word play is engaging and captivating. He likens the polar regions to refrigerators. He replaces words with partial words.
It's not a place I'd like to live
but an ICE place to visit.
Repetition of a key word identifies the subject without ever mentioning the identifying word. His rhyming, when used, is beautiful to behold. Careful readers will spot the use of a homonym. Within these poems, readers can also glean facts. Here is a poem in its entirety.
BLUE WHALE
The largest animal ever on Earth.
Wide as an airplane in its girth.
And head to tail it's just as long.
But yet it stops to sing a song.
And though a blue whale cannot fly,
it loves to leap up toward the sky.
The bones in each flipper resemble a hand,
which means that its ancestors lived on land.
The whale's a tale of evolution---
without an airplane's air pollution.
Rendered with
colored pencils and oil pastels
the illustrations first seen on the open and matching dust jacket and book case by Douglas Florian radiate a childlike quality, but meticulous observers will see the deft placement of prominent characteristics and references to the poems. The color palette on the front is indeed frosty. To the left, on the back, an orange canvas (like the shade shown on the front) frames a square image. Here we see a smaller version of an interior picture of a caribou. Hats are hanging on its antlers. And its hooves are wearing boots in reference to their width and capabilities.
A bright blue covers the opening and closing endpapers. A male emperor penguin shelters a newly hatched chick on the title page prior to the contents' text placed on vivid yellow. Opposite each poem and factual paragraph is a single, full-page visual.
Highly animated, the pictures paint quirky portraits of the subjects. The canvases on which the elements are placed mirror the frigid temperatures and biting winds. A sneezing polar bear, an Arctic fox's barely visible face under its busy tail, an Arctic hare carrying an umbrella and seals wearing party hats and blowing on blowout whistles are only a few of the intriguing, humorous depictions.
One of my many favorite illustrations is for the gray wolf. It is one of the simpler images. The sky is a darker blue. A huge yellow moon nearly fills the entire sky. It rests on a hill. On top of the hill, facing left and in front of the moon, is a wolf, head raised to howl. Facing right is the face of the moon. The moon is howling too.
Your personal and professional collections need this book. At the close of ICE!: Poems About Polar Life written and illustrated by Douglas Florian, we are treated to a page of information about Douglas Florian, and a bibliography divided into books and internet sources. This thoroughly spellbinding title will be an excellent and happy introduction, and a promoter of research and discussions.
To learn more about the artwork of Douglas Florian, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website. Douglas Florian has an account on Instagram. At the publisher's website there is a two-page educator's guide. At Penguin Random House you can view portions of the interior including the contents. I hope you enjoy this recent video with Douglas Florian speaking about poetry.
