It's A Responsibility, It's An Honor

No man is an island are words found in an essay by John Donne (1572-1631).  They are also a phrase found in the lyrics of a folk song of the same name,

No man is an island,
No man stands alone,
Each man's joy is joy to me,
Each man's grief is my own.

These words kept roaming around in my mind as I was visiting this newest website. It is increasingly important for our students to be socially responsible citizens by being active participants within the freedoms provided by the government of the United States.  They need to realize they are part of a greater whole.  To that end the American Association of School Librarians decided to place iCivics on their 2013 Best Websites for Teaching & Learning.  It is included in the 21st-Century Learner Standards category Curriculum Collaboration, 1.3.4 Contribute to the exchange of ideas within a learning community, 3.1.2 Participate and collaborate as members of a social and intellectual network of learners, 3.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and understanding in ways that others can view, use and assess and 4.3.1 Participate in the social exchange of ideas, both electronically and in person.

iCivics was started in 2009 by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor as a means to secure our democracy by making sure future generations understand and respect the government we have in place.  It is a site free to users.  I decided to divide the home page into sections for exploration.

Along the top of the home page on the right-hand side users can Join iCivics, Login or Donate.

When you select the Join tab a new screen appears.  You are assigned a public name (you can randomly get another if you so choose) and asked to enter in your real name, email address and a password.  On the right hand side you choose either a student, teacher or supporter account.  If you elect the teacher account, you are asked to list your state, school and zip code.  By joining you activate a point system; 500 points are assigned for signing up.














Moving left to right on the next bar, I clicked on News.  These entries on like posts on a blog, keeping you up-to-date on the latest developments at the site in chronological order.  You can elect to read all the news or by category, Civic Action, Civic Education, Events, Games or Justice O'Connor.  

The About section gives some background with respect to the creation of the website along with links to the annual reports.  There are twenty-one Games within that page arranged by groups, Citizenship and Participation, The Constitution and Bill of Rights, Budgeting, Separation of Powers, The Executive Branch, The Legislative Branch, and The Judicial Branch.  You can also find them listed together by the length of time needed to complete them.

By picking the Impact tab you are informed about the point system at iCivics.  As you accumulate points from your game playing they may be used to support a project.  Impact Projects are listed here.   Every three months the project with the most points receives a $1,000 donation from iCivics.  When points are given to a specific project, game players are asked to write why they gave their points to that project.  What an excellent idea!







Teachers, this way! offers many resources for educators.  At the top of the page is a search option for curriculum by state.  Below that are curriculum units which include numerous lesson plans, all completely described.  Another box explains further what this page offers including a video from Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.  A final box groups educator items by lessons, games and webquests.  The following images illustrate in short what is offered.

Below the site navigation tabs,  five of the games are featured for instant play.

Following this is the final box (except for employment opportunities) with quick access to the games by topic.

To complete my exploration of the site I played one of the shorter games, Immigration Nation.  Underneath each game is a short description.  On the right is a leader board showing the scores by week and month.  Related content (webquests), teacher tools (view state standards, a teacher's guide for the game and recommended sequence) and comments are also available.

After selecting new game a single sentence gives instructions.  Clicking on any portion of the screen begins play.  In this particular game the boats represent people wanting to enter the United States.  Each has a story to tell.  When you begin only certain ports are open.  As the game progresses more ports, options, are filled with color.  This series of images shows how a a couple of segments of the game works.  The final image, the Harbor Guide, provides information about the individual icons.  If the rest of the games are as good as this one, users are in for an enlightening, great time.

It's going to be hard to find a better website that informs, instructs and offers resources to educators with the same degree of quality as iCivics.  The developers have done an outstanding job.  I am thankful for its inclusion on the AASL list.  I give this website an A+ and the highest recommendation.

Which One Is Which?

I have a deep and abiding respect for any animal in the wild, being keenly aware of the precarious place in which many find themselves with the diminishing areas left for them to live on our planet.  Although I long to see some in their own habitat, free from the encroachment of human population, I wish to do so from afar.  I've been told crossings are being made from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to the Lower Peninsula when the lakes freeze over in the winter.

Wolves, cougars and black bears have been sighted in the tip of the Mitt but not by me.  A black bear decided to take a stroll within our city limits several years ago.  Fortunately there are authors and illustrators who are dedicated to informing readers of those animals unlikely to be observed by most.  If You Were a Panda Bear (Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers) by Wendell and Florence Minor takes us on a trip around the globe so we can met eight members of the bear family.

If you were a panda bear,
Guess what you would wear?

Pandas don a coat patterned like no other and enjoy snoozing when not eating a bunch of bamboo.  Their timid nature is something young readers will understand.  I wonder why the sloth bear has those long claws?  Why is their hair so long?

Blending with the color of snow, a polar bear peeks through a hole in the ice.  Perhaps a next meal will be spotted.  You know it's true but sometimes you forget to look up, up in a tree for a black bear.

It's a sliver, a sliver of the moon, that's printed on the moon bear's furry chest.  His brother the sun bear is smaller.  To get his sweet treat, his tongue is different than most.

Salmon is a tasty meal but I don't think I want to ask a ten foot grizzly bear to share.  Meeting a new friend within the pages of a book is the best.  I wouldn't feel shy about wearing my glasses around a spectacled bear.  There is one bear, of course, the most well-known and treasured of all.  Can you guess what it's called?


Geared toward younger readers but equally enjoyable for any age, Florence Minor writes a series of four-line poems about each of these bears.  Woven into the cheerful, rhyming verses are facts about physical characteristics, diet and habits.  Beginning each with the words, If you were a... , encourages reader involvement; after the first couple of poems listeners will be adding their voice to the opening line.  The rhythm created by these poetic introductions invites repeated readings. (I've read it at least four times already.)


The realistic, spectacular paintings of Wendell Minor begin on the matching jacket and cover.  Walking in a row showing the difference in shape, color and size are four of the bears beneath the initial title page.  (All are shown in this manner across the final two pages, Bear Fun Facts.)  Beneath the title on the following two pages, all eight bears are facing forward, lively and intent, mainly their heads and upper bodies.

Throughout the body of the book, double page spreads are dedicated to the bears; sometimes two sets.  The texture, the softened quality, of each painting is remarkable.  Minor's dedication to showing his subjects in their natural setting adds to the authenticity of his artwork.  Readers will believe at any moment, the bears could come to life.  One of my favorites is the close-up of the sun bear, tongue extended licking the honey, bees swarming about, one enlarged bee coming straight toward the reader.

If You Were a Panda Bear by Wendell and Florence Minor is a lively first look at bears known and unknown.  While facts are included in the poems and at the book's end, this is the type of nonfiction book which promotes further investigation.  I can see posting a world map and locating the natural residence of the bears; perhaps by making a Popplet.  As more information is discovered students could write their own four line poems to include what they've found.  Bear Sources and Websites, a short bibliography, is the final page in the book.  I highly recommend this title.

The New England Independent Booksellers Association recently named Wendell and Florence Minor the recipients of the President's Award for a lifetime achievement in arts and letters.


Please follow the link embedded in Wendell Minor's name above to access the couple's website. There you can view more pages from this title.  This link is to the publisher website.  They offer inside views of the book and a simple activity sheet.  Enjoy the book trailer.

Never Again...

I'll bet there's been at least one or two times in your life when you've been in a bit of a pickle.  To make the situation even worse, you know this state of affairs is entirely of your own doing.  And I will surmise even further, you have probably thought to yourself or maybe aloud, "if I get out of this mess, I'm never going to do this again."

Sometimes it's in the act of doing the simplest thing that the potential for disaster strikes.  It might even be eating your most-loved fruit in the whole world.  In The Watermelon Seed (Disney Hyperion Books) by debut picture book author/illustrator Greg Pizzoli, a crocodile goes from enjoying a moment of gourmet ecstasy to full-blown panic.

I love watermelon!
CHOMP!
CHOMP!
CHOMP!

Crocodile is obsessed with watermelon.  It's his number one favorite food.  In fact even before he was out of the baby carriage stage, he craved the stuff.

No meal, morning, noon or night, is worth eating if watermelon is not served.  And for dessert?  Watermelon, of course.  Here it goes, one last delicious chunk for dessert.

OH! NO!  Crocodile swallowed a seed.  (Let's pause for a minute here.  I don't know about you but there have been times, admittedly when I was younger, despite every rational, intelligent thought, I wondered if a seed eaten by mistake was going to take root in my stomach.)  He yells out this latest development.  Close on the heels of the vocal exclamation, worry consumes our reptile friend.

He imagines it's growing already.  He envisions vines sprouting out his ears.  His body will change shape to accommodate the watermelon's size.  His skin might even change color.

His future is looking dim.  As a matter of fact his stomach REALLY does feel out of sorts. With gas to the rescue, a promise is made.  Will it be kept?


In this type of story, pacing is everything.  Every page turn, each word choice and sentence written must be carefully placed.  Greg Pizzoli has excelled in that respect.  For the most part a single phrase or word conveys the exact mood or thoughts of crocodile.  When he becomes more excited or wishes to convey his convictions to the reader, a string of short sentences appears.  These techniques, combined with his exaggerated emotional state, are sure to induce gales of laughter.


To create the illustrations for this book Pizzoli used three spot colors, red, green and black.  A process of inking with a brush pen, screen printing by hand and drawing with a tablet in Photoshop produced these singular, textured results. He introduces the main character, the favored fruit and the color palette on the dust jacket.  The book case looks like the skin of a watermelon and the opening and closing endpapers look like the juicy, seedy insides.

A thicker, matte finished paper highlights the pictures with backgrounds in either white, black or watermelon red; changing to reflect or accentuate a portion of the narrative.  Sometimes we see a portion of crocodile, his whole body or a close-up of his face.  The text may share the page with crocodile or have a page of its own.

Crocodile's facial expressions are pure fun; the eyes say it all.  Little details like the watermelon rinds on the ground around the baby carriage wheels add to the humor.  One of my favorite visuals is two pages of black.  On the left is a panicky looking crocodile in a spotlight circle of white.  On the right, in white, are the letters spelling Gulp.


 Author/illustrator Greg Pizzoli has delivered a delightful, delicious rendition of what happens when one crocodile swallows The Watermelon Seed.  Every aspect of this book, color selection, production, layout, design and text has been done with infinite care and it shows.  I can promise this will be a storytime favorite.

Be sure to visit Greg Pizzoli's blog via the link embedded in his name above. He gives readers a very thorough and interesting view of the process in making this book.  Head over to Design of the Picture Book for an interview with Greg Pizzoli by Carter Higgins about this title.  Here is a link to an interview at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast which contains lots of artwork.  Enjoy the book trailer below.

Twitterville Talk #111

It's hard to believe that August is here already but we are all grateful for the break in the hot weather.  Twitter continues to be hot though; loaded with information.  Enjoy this week's tweets.  Have a relaxing weekend.  Take time for reading.  And look for the giveaways.

Let's start this week off with an uplifting tribute to the power and magic found in our libraries.  This appeared on the Nerdy Book Club blog last Saturday, How I Love Libraries!  It is written by Cynthia Alaniz, a new teacher librarian serving in an elementary school in Texas.

Thanks to the Nerdy Book Club for this tweet.



Bank Street College of Education has posted an article with suggestions and a list in PDF format titled Reading Aloud With Children 12 & Older
To the first person who can name the title of the Shannon Hale book listed on the first page I will send a copy of Maya Makes A Mess (A Toon Book) by Rutu Modan. Give your answer via DM on Twitter or in the comments section below.

Thanks to Stacy Dillon, school librarian and blogger at Welcome to my Tweendom for this tweet.




Everything you every wanted to know about Genius Hour has been compiled at LiveBinders by Joy Kirr.

Thanks to K-6 teacher librarian and blogger at Curtis Elementary Library Media Center, Shawna Ford for this tweet.




There are some new wordless picture books on this list, Some new wordless favourites plus Carrie created a Pinterest board about many more here, Wordless Books.


Thanks to Carrie Gelson, educator and blogger at There's a Book for That for this post and this tweet.







National Dance Day was last weekend.  Here is a list Dancing Picture Books for National Dance Day

There has been quite a bit of buzz over the newest title by author Kate DiCamillo, Flora & Ulysses.  Here is the book trailer, Watch 'Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures' exclusive book trailer.


Thanks to Teresa Rolfe Kravtin, Southeast publisher rep and blogger at A Rep Reading for this post and these tweets.




Pretty sound advice given here and it's in PDF format---7 Ways To Get More Out Of Twitter.

Thanks to Susie Highley, media specialist for this tweet.







With only 140 characters available per tweet this sheet could come in handy, Interesting Twitter Acronyms Cheat Sheet For Teachers.

Are you ready for the Ivy & Bean celebration?  Follow this link.

Thanks to Shannon Miller, teacher librarian and blogger at Van Meter Library Voice for these tweets.



The birthday of beloved creator of The Tale of Peter Rabbit Beatrix Potter was celebrated and remembered with this article, Happy Birthday, Beatrix Potter: 14 Fun Facts About the Savvy Sheepkeeper
To the first person who tell me how many full-color copies (with Peter in his blue jacket) were made available in the first printing and the date they were released I will send a copy of It's A Tiger! by David LaRochelle with illustrations by Jeremy Tankard.  Leave your answer in the comments below or send it to me via DM on Twitter. (This title has been won.)

Fans of Artemis Fowl can rejoice, a movie project is in the works.



Thanks to Children's Bookshelf of Publishers Weekly for these tweets.





In case you missed #titletalk last Sunday hosted by Donalyn Miller and Colby Sharp, the archives are here.

Thanks to Cindy Minnich, educator and blogger at Charting By the Stars for this tweet and for compiling the archive.




As part of the research for her new series, Gods and Warriors, Michelle Paver is getting to know falcons.



I'm sure we can all think of a group of students that would love to be a part of The 39 Clues Reading Club.  


Wouldn't this be a fun project?  Poptropica Island Creation Contest




If you are using Deborah Freedman's The Story of Fish & Snail as a beginning of the year read aloud you might be interested in these activity pages.

If you are putting plans in place for Read for the Record, these activity guides will come in handy.

This looks like a new fun series.



The book trailers for this week.






Here are some more great websites to check out, Ten Websites Added to ALSC's "Great Websites for Kids"


This is a video I could watch over and over.  

 
If you missed the #SharpSchu Book Club Twitter chat this week, Mr. Schu has archived it here.  Featured guests and their books are Dan Santat and Lisa Yee.


Thanks to teacher librarian, one half of the #SharpSchu Book Club team, 2011 Library Journal Movers & Shakers, 2014 Newbery Medal Committee member and blogger at Watch. Connect. Read., John Schumacher for these tweets this week.





In case you might be interested, here are three graphics (printable) which feature encouragement for parents in assisting their children with reading, spelling and math, 3 Important Graphics To Help Parents Teach Their Kids

Thanks to teacher librarian working in a library in Hong Kong and blogger at The Styling Librarian, Debbie Alvarez for this tweet.







Try out a little end of summer fun with #Chompsticks.  Get all the information here, The Genesis of #Chompsticks Week



Thanks to David Etkin, educator and blogger at {Eat The Book} for this week and tweet.






Many members of my PLN have been talking about Skying with authors more this year.  Check out this updated, Authors Who Skype With Classes & Book Clubs (For Free!)


Thanks to author Kate Messner (Wake Up Missing) for this tweet and this post.








This series of videos by author illustrator Emily Gravett focusing on the process of creating Again! are fantastic.  Follow this link to watch and learn. This would be a great resource for an author/illustrator study.

Not that I want to wish my life away but Collection of Roald Dahl's Letters to be Published in 2016.

Thanks to Travis Jonker, teacher librarian, 2014 Caldecott Award Committee member and blogger at 100 Scope Notes for this tweet and this post.









Don't forget to listen to the most recent episode of the Let's Get Busy podcast.  This week it's with author Ame Dyckman.

Thanks to teacher librarian, 2013 Library Journal Movers & Shakers and blogger at The Busy Librarian, Matthew C. Winner, for this tweet and his podcasts.






Take a break and enjoy looking through 25 street art and mural works about books, libraries and reading.


Here's a thoughtful and interesting Prezi, On Beyond Dewey: Innovative Library Organization and You by Sara Loch.

Thanks to teacher librarian Joyce Valenza and blogger at NeverEndingSearch for these tweets.




Wouldn't this make a great introduction for International Dot Day?  It is recognized in the Congressional Record.

Thanks to educator, college adjunct, FableVision Learning Ambassador and blogger at T J On a Journey, Terry Shay for this tweet.





Harry Potter celebrated a birthday this week.  So many wonderful and funny tweets came over Twitter.  23 Images That Will Change The Way You Look At "Harry Potter"
To the first person who can tell me the names of the characters in the first image I will send a copy of Bird Talk: What Birds are Saying and Why written and illustrated by Lita Judge. Leave your answer in the comments below or send it to me via DM on Twitter.

28 Things That Happened After The Harry Potter Books Ended

Thanks to author Jennifer Nielsen (The Runaway King) for these tweets.





This article might be a great place to start for creating a wall in your classroom where students can write 15 Wonderful Quotes About Life From Children's Books


Thanks to Niki Ohs Barnes, educator and blogger at Daydream Reader for this tweet.






In most cities throughout the United States a careful look at library cornerstones will reveal the benefits reaped by so many thanks to one man.  Listen to How Andrew Carnegie Turned His Fortune Into A Library Legacy

Thanks to NPR Books for this tweet.





Fire up people!  Author Adam Lehrhaupt has started another KidLit BookDare for August.  Head on over to his blog for all the details.  The prize this month is a copy of The Story of Fish & Snail by Deborah Freedman.


Thanks to Adam author of the soon to be released Warning: Do Not Open This Book for this tweet and this super easy, fun challenge.






Are you doing something special in one of your science classes?  Check out this list, 100 Scientists on Twitter by Category

Thanks to teacher librarian and blogger Librarian in Cute Shoes at Cynthia Alaniz for this tweet.



Announcing her latest book, Frog Trouble, is the video book trailer, I've Got a Dog.  Trust me you are going to love this video and the song.  I've been humming it for days.  Plan on multiple copies of the book too.


Thanks to Sandra Boyton for all her joyous books and for this tweet.





May The Force Be With You!  Recorded Books is holding a contest to give away an event kit loaded with goodies in celebration of their audio of Tom Angleberger's new title, The Surprise Attack of Jubba the Puppett.  Follow the link to get all the details.

Thanks to author Tom Angleberger for this tweet.




I see another set of the Harry Potter books in my future.  All the new covers are shown here plus the image created when they are put together.  New Cover for HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS Revealed

Thanks to Book Riot for the tweet and the post.




With every decreasing budgets how about creating these---23 Lovely DIY Bookends To Adorn Your Shelves



Thanks to BuzzFeed for this tweet.





Here are links to two fantastic book lists which appeared over and over again in my Twitter feed this week.

25 YA Books For Adults Who Don't Read YA
To the first person who can tell me the Garth Nix title on this list, I will send a copy of Laundry Day written and illustrated by Maurie J. Manning.  Leave your answer in the comments below or send me a DM via Twitter.

25 Adult Books For Fans Of YA

Thanks to Donalyn Miller, educator and author of The Book Whisperer:  Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child and the soon to be released Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits for these tweets.




There is a lot to read and use in this infographic---Cyberbullying 



Thanks to teacher librarian Sarah Ducharme currently working in Budapest and blogging at Try Curiosity! for this tweet.





Head over to this post at the Nerdy Book Club for a not only a great essay but lots and lots of ideas---Read Alouds


Thanks to Katherine Sokolowski, educator and blogger at Read, Write, Reflect  for this post and this tweet.




With school starting soon (some have already began), this seems like a timely set of articles to read, Top 10 Things You Should Know About Reading

Thanks to Reading Rockets for this tweet and this post.






A little bit of this, a little bit of that here in my gathered favorite quotes and notables from the week.

"If plan A doesn't work, the alphabet has 25 more letters!" Found by my daughter somewhere
— Mandy Robek (@mandyrobek) July 27, 2013

If you like dogs, you gotta' watch this Vine https://t.co/rsTAubcbDK
— Larry Ferlazzo (@Larryferlazzo) July 27, 2013

Our Internet is down. My son just said, "I literally have no idea what to do with myself. I just feel so lost."
— Marla Frazee (@MarlaFrazee) July 27, 2013

My Internet-less son says my last tweet was defamation. He wants it known that he played 4 hrs of volleyball before he said what he said.
— Marla Frazee (@MarlaFrazee) July 28, 2013

When ennui attacks... pic.twitter.com/8ZQFgiVxrz
— Gerald Kelley (@GeraldKelley) July 28, 2013

"Mom, I can't really listen to you. I'm lost in my book." #raisedareader #booklove
— Carrie Gelson (@CarrieGelson) July 28, 2013

My third graders will learn early on that picture books are a part of what we do. A picture book day keeps the suckiness away. #titletalk
— Colby Sharp (@colbysharp) July 29, 2013

My aim as a writer is to stimulate a sense of wonder about the natural world. I want it to be a lifetime curiosity that is never satisfied.
— Seymour Simon (@seymoursimon) July 29, 2013

Magazine holders at the Tomah Public library https://t.co/rfcPxqinIe
— Laura Given (@LibLaura5) July 29, 2013

Hidden quotations on every shelf of books at the Tomah Public Library https://t.co/OHKjWpwFTH
— Laura Given (@LibLaura5) July 29, 2013

Book lovers- @AmeDyckman has declare d Oct. 23 #ShowaBookDay- carry a favorite book on that day- add it to your lit celebration calendars
— Erika Victor (@Victortweets) July 29, 2013

Saw Back to School stuff at Target today. I'd rather see Christmas stuff in April than Back to School in July. #thereshouldbealaw
— Shelley Moore Thomas (@story_queen) July 30, 2013

You know you are an Origami Yoda fan when opening Jabba the Puppett brings tears to your eyes.
— Colby Sharp (@colbysharp) July 30, 2013

So my kids and I have 100+ books checked out from 2 different libraries. Is there a support group for this? #kidlit
— Annie Silvestro (@anniesilvestro) July 30, 2013

'When I discovered libraries, it was like having Christmas every day.' -- Jean Fritz Where's your favorite place to read? #libraries #books
— Barefoot Books (@BarefootBooks) July 31, 2013

More convinced than ever: Great teachers remain great teachers, no matter how curriculum demands change from year to year.
— Seymour Simon (@seymoursimon) July 31, 2013

You can tell a lot about people from what they say when you open a door for them?
— Adam Lehrhaupt (@Lehrhaupt) July 31, 2013

What will your legacy be??
— Terry Shay (@tjshay) July 31, 2013

I told @OrigamiYoda this morning that 20 years ago today, I was a pea. He was a nut. When we got married, we became an awesome peanut.
— Cece Bell (@CeceBellBooks) July 31, 2013

FUN! A movie version of "Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" coming soon + includes our future author @bellathorne!
— Random House Kids (@randomhousekids) August 1, 2013

My children keep sneaking into my room and stealing away with books I am reading I need to set a trap or two!
— Carrie Gelson (@CarrieGelson) August 2, 2013

Tom Sawyer is being read aloud in the next room. Boys' bedtime bedlam has turned into rapt silence... #classic
— Molly Idle (@MollyIdle) August 2, 2013

One of my favorite quotes related to books. https://t.co/z0QOPfBrmM
— Jillian Heise (@heisereads) August 3, 2013

Where Art Resides...

They can feature history, art, science or a combination of all of these or something else entirely.  Many times the focus will be on a event, a particular person, a significant place or a fascinating discovery. ( The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, The American Museum of Natural History [Wonderstruck],  The Metropolitan Museum of Art [From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler]) Large or small in scope, museums collect and preserve so others can enjoy.

In an art museum, images, frozen moments, captured using an assortment of mediums, through numerous techniques and combinations, can stir the music of emotion within us.  Like a treasure box, it holds these images, memories and the expressions of others that may mirror our own.  The Museum (Abrams Books for Young Readers, March 12, 2013) written by Susan Verde with illustrations by Peter H. Reynolds conveys one girl's day spent in wonder.

When I see
a work of art,
something
happens in
my heart.

Art causes this viewer to move and be moved.  She jumps and leaps, she becomes a ballerina or twirls in circles like the stars in Van Gogh's Starry Night.  She notices and makes notes about the smallest of details in traditional or abstract pieces of art.

Her active participation in what she sees, actually tires her out.  Resting, she sits and thinks while looking at Rodin's The Thinker.  As she walks and explores she finds that art can make her feel sad, hungry or joyful.  She mimics, she makes faces, and can't stop laughing.  An understanding flows outward to the reader; art is alive.

The final wall with the final canvas gives her pause.  It's blank, totally white.  Confused she closes her eyes to ponder the possibilities.  That's when everything she's seen, everything she's felt, everything she's done, begins to create her work of art.


On an outing with her children at an art show Susan Verde was given the spark for this story.  This personal incident clearly demonstrated the power of images.  In this title through the voice of the girl rhyming phrases transport readers; we experience what she experiences.  Word choices, while conveying a variety of moods, are ultimately uplifting.  You can't help but draw the same conclusion the girl does.


Upon opening the book's jacket we are greeted by a young girl joyously embracing her visit to the museum; shades of yellow, some rose and the metallic purple title depicting her mood within the frames.  The cover shows two different framed scenes with added colors.  The front shows her again leaping but this time she is outside in the evening.  On the back, as on the jacket, she is acting in response to a specific artist's work

The endpapers tell a story of their own.  Across the opening two pages familiar and original artwork, given a unique flair, by the hand of Peter H. Reynolds are hung for all to see.  The closing two pages are blank frames, canvases and even an easel waiting to be filled.

Reynolds begins his enhancement of the text on the title page, showing the girl walking up the sidewalk into the open museum, a cityscape in the background.  The lightness found in the narrative is continued in his abundant use of white space.  His watercolor illustrations vary in size and placement, a perfect match for the story on every page.  My favorites are the pages when several pictures give the girl a fit of giggles causing her to kick her legs while lying on the floor and when she stands still eyes closed, hands crossed over her heart, knowing where the true museum resides and the final two showing her dancing through the night on her way home.


The Museum written by Susan Verde with art by Peter H. Reynolds will have readers wanting to schedule their next visit to a museum as soon as possible.  I would also venture to guess that many will want to round up the appropriate tools to make their own art whether its tempra paint with carved potato halves, a camera or pressed flowers found in gardens, fields or the woods.  Museums really are everywhere each and every one of us is.

Follow the links embedded in the author's and illustrator's names to their websites.  One page at Susan Verde's site is dedicated to teachers and parents with lots of extras.  Here is a link to an extensive Educator's Guide for The Museum designed by FableVision Learning.  Susan is interviewed by author Beth Stilborn here.

Crossing...

Even though there is a structure right down the road called Castle Farms, completely renovated to mirror the original and other similar medieval marvels, it has no moat.  The closest I've ever been to a castle with a moat is on a miniature golf course. History tells us that moats have been used as a line of defense as far back as the Mayans though we generally think of them paired with European castles.

When recalling all the books read in settings featuring castles and moats, the presence of a goat and a hen do not figure in any of them.  It's not every day you see a goat donning a knight's helmet holding hands...er...wings with a hen on top of a barrel floating in water.  Let's open the cover of What Floats in a Moat? (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers) by Lynne Berry with illustrations by Matthew Cordell to see what's happening.

Archie the Goat stopped short at a moat.

After much ado involving a table, paper, measuring tape, writing implements and using the old noodle, Archie has an idea.  When Skinny the Hen calmly points out he could use the drawbridge, Archie scoffs.

"Bah," said Archie, "drawbridge, straw-bridge."

For this goat there is only one answer---science.

The two take a gander at the pile of stuff loaded on their cart.  Hmmmm...Archie is thinking the barrel might be the solution to getting across the water.  Working hard the two build a sailing ship of sorts, the S. S. Buttermilk.  Archie climbs on board with Skinny left to do all the labor of getting it into the water.
Guess what?  It sinks like a rock.

It's back to the proverbial drawing board with science to the rescue.  This time the goat thinks an empty barrel might float.  The problem is that all the barrels are filled with buttermilk.  After a bit of a back and forth discussion, hen begins to drink...and drink...and drink.  With the application of more elbow grease by the two, the S. S. Empty becomes a reality.

Guess what?  It floats like a charm, but rolls around like a ball, plunging Archie the Goat smack dab into the water again.  Never fear, he is relentless in his pursuit of getting from one side to the other.  Skinny the Hen is not so enthusiastic; the thought of drinking more buttermilk weighing heavily in her thoughts and on her body.

Due to her inability to imbibe as previously done and after a bit more work, the S. S. Ballast is tested.  Guess what?  The goat, the hen and...the queen, a royal pig, have a little Q & A about barrels, buttermilk and science.  Science wins!


Lynne Berry has the right combination of ingredients to create a playful read with intent.  Rhyme, alliteration, repetitive lines with appropriate alterations spiced up with liberal doses of humor, tell the tale well.  The personalities of Archie the Goat and Skinny the Hen, his determination to cross the water using his own invention and her logic to use the available draw bridge, clash in the nicest possible way.  They both grow; intellectually and physically (too much buttermilk).


The illustrations of Matthew Cordell foreshadow possibilities on the matching jacket and cover.  On the front we see the pals afloat as well as the letters in the title, on the back the goat, gripping the mast, is glub, glub, glubbing his way to the bottom of the moat.  A scattered pattern of barrels is spread across opening and closing endpapers in a pale, golden color, a shade of buttermilk?

With a turn of page Cordell begins the pictorial story in the lower, left-hand corner opposite the initial title page; goat is pushing a filled cart with hen perched atop, scanning the horizon.  They stop for a conversation on the dedication page and continue toward their destination on the title page.  He even continues the story of goat, hen and the queen after the narrative is finished on the author's note and publishing information pages at the back.

Pen and ink with watercolor pictures fill every page with laughter; white space framing the individual tasks of Archie and Skinny.  Every time goat's helmet gives a klunk as it closes, the body contortions of hen trying to get the latest vessel in the water, goat's frustrated and determined looks and the depressed expression on hen knowing she has to drink buttermilk again, are hilarious.  Some of my favorites are the double page spreads of the launchings and of Archie the Goat and Skinny the Hen when the truth hits home.


You couldn't ask for a more entertaining story that happens to include a lesson from Archimedes than What Floats in a Moat? by Lynne Berry with illustrations by Matthew Cordell.  It's the kind of book where distinct voices are heard for the two friends along with the queen at the end.  It's the kind of book where as the text is read, the pictures will be studied and enjoyed for all the extra they offer.  In a word, this book is fun.

 Please follow the link embedded in Matthew Cordell's name to access his website.  By following this link you are taken to the publisher website to view eight illustrations from the story.  If you follow this link Matthew Cordell chats about the book in a post titled The Next Big Thing: A Global Blog Tour.