The Ideal

In working through the excellent list compiled by the committee for the American Association of School Librarians for their annual Best Websites for Teaching & Learning 2013, the last selection under Curriculum Collaboration not yet reviewed here is 19Pencils.  This website addresses the following Standards for the 21st-Century Learner:

• 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.

I have been wanting to explore this site ever since I read a review of it by Kelly Tenkely on her blog iLearn Technology. 

This free resource joins thousands of users worldwide in the sharing of educational support materials.  In accessing the home page front and center is a search bar.  Enter in keywords to see what content is available.  It's absolutely mind-boggling how many hits one receives.  For example when I entered in Caldecott there are 17,224 items listed.  This is certainly better than the 1,870,000 hits one receives using the same term when using Google.  

You can scroll through the first 20 results by moving the "dot" to the right shown by arrow 1.  In order to share (arrow 2) or add a resource to your class page (arrow 3) you must be logged in.

To create an account choose the Sign Up button in the upper right-hand section of the home page.  You need to enter in your first and last name, email address and a password.  You can also sign up using your Facebook account. 

Once you have an account and are signed in you can click the share icon on one of the results from your search.   This will to send an email with a short message and a link to the recipient.   When selecting the add to button you can place it in your favorites on your 19Pencils account dashboard or add it to your class page.

You can access your dashboard at any time by clicking on the My Dashboard button located in the upper right-hand corner of the web page.  At the My Dashboard page you have nine options from which to choose.  The first three are explained in the center section.

The Content tab allows you to search exactly as done on the home page, add a URL link to a website you already know (or add the Chrome extension to your tool bar for quickly adding websites to your class page when browsing), create and save a single hidden answer or multiple choice quiz which can be located on your class page and create games (this is a $3.00 a month subscription and is new to the site).

In the My Favorites section thumbnails of the saved items are shown.  These can be viewed, removed, edited (change the title of the item and its description) or added to your class page.  Quizzes and games can also be placed in this section.  

In order to best use the My School's Favorites you need to go to your account and make some changes.  You select your state, school district and building to view what others are using.  This is an excellent means of collaboration; keeping track of what others in your building are doing.

At the My Class Page section are thumbnails of your resources and a tab for quizzes you have created.  Your students can access an identical page via a unique URL as shown.  It is a secure way for them to see materials from any device with Internet.  

My Class is where each of your student names are added.  You enter in a first name and last name initial.  Each student will be assigned a password. (You see these by choosing Email Class List.) You are prompted to click OK to keep adding student names or go back to the My Students tab.  You can view the student's activity or delete them from the list.  The Class Activity tab reveals a graph of usage. 

Complete instructions on how to add assignments and notes are included with the My Assignments section.  My Account is where any changes to your password or other information can be maintained.  My Widgets allows you to copy and paste HTML code into your blog or website giving students and parents an easy link to the Class Page.  Invite a Friend gives you more than 350 ways to share 19Pencils with others.  

To see how it all works I decided to add some content.  When adding content by entering in a URL directly after choosing a title and description, it will go to your favorites.  By checking a box it will also go to your class page.  I added three items, a website and two PDF documents, two for students and one for teacher's only.

Here is a link to My Class Page.

This is yet another outstanding website selected by the AASL committee.  I give 19Pencils my highest recommendation for its depth and breadth of selections. To me the pluses, especially for elementary age students, are the secure environment, the ability for them to work at their own pace and being able to monitor the students' progress.  

Grump For A Day

For whatever reason, there are those mornings when your eyes first open and you know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, it's going to be a bad day.  Little things that would normally not bother you in the slightest add up, then multiply; things like not being able to squeeze more than a smidge out of the toothpaste tube, realizing you're going to have to use orange juice on your cereal because the date on the milk carton has expired or glancing at the gauge on your car hoping the fumes will get you to the nearest gas station.  What makes it go from bad to worse are the cheerful people who respond with phrases like, "Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed", "Put on a happy face" or "It could always be worse".

The younger you are, the more this matters.  Frustrations build until you feel something growing inside you.  It's...it's...it's a monster!  It might even be Crankenstein (Little, Brown and Company) written by Samantha Berger with illustrations by Dan Santat.

Have you seen Crankenstein?
Oh, you would totally
know if you had.

There is no mistaking being in the presence of this small human whose outlook on life has gone astray.  No siree!  For every spoken word, every incident, his stony stare will make the blood run cold in your veins.

A happy greeting, question or timely reminder will be met with a loud MEHHRRRR!  Even his reflection in a rainy puddle will give you the shivers.  You had better be careful when he comes calling at your house on Halloween especially if it's a bit chilly outside.

Woe to anyone near him when his Popsicle melts too quickly on a hot summer day, when he has been waiting in a long, long line or when he has to swallow icky-tasting cough syrup.  And it might be a good time to draw straws to see who gets to tell him it's bedtime.  By now you are beginning to wonder if the monster is stronger than the little boy.

Is there no cure for this crabby creature?  Is there any hope whatsoever?  What's that you say?  There are two of them?  This could be double the trouble or...the best thing of all...the sound of children's laughter.


Without a doubt Samantha Berger comprehends being a grump.  She also knows how hard it is not to laugh around someone who is grouchy, no matter how you are feeling.  In this title the questions posed, the situations described, are the very things to incite and increase a case of the crankies.  The tempo of the telling and the clever conclusion, are both gifts to her readers.  You can't wait to discover what happens next.


There are a select few illustrators when I see their names, I know I'm going to be chuckling at least once, if not throughout the entire book.  One of these is Dan Santat.  He has a knack for knowing which facial expressions, body postures, and details will ignite laughter in his intended audience no matter their age.

The jacket of Crankenstein explodes with pure, bold colorful emotion as little "Crankie" looks straight out at the reader with pink ice cream smeared across his mouth, the scoop of ice cream fallen from the cone topping the "T".  On the back we zoom in on the scoop sitting in the middle of a shadow of a very angry young guy.  When you remove the jacket you see a cover which I double dog dare you not to burst out laughing as you read the labeled parts of Crankenstein front and back.  Lines are drawn from phrases such as

hard-to-explain mystery stain
leftover scum from piece of gun and
still has dog poo residue (P. U.!) 

to the appropriate areas.

Opening and closing endpapers capture the main character's mood; patterned gray raindrops and golden laughing suns.  Stopping to read the title verso, especially Dan Santat's comments, is a must.  For starters, all the words in this book are hand-lettered.

Double-page spreads, edge to edge, enhance and interpret every phrase.  Readers need to notice all the little extras contributing to the humor, the labels on the maple syrup and cough syrup bottles or Crankenstein waiting 40 minutes in line only to discover a surprise up ahead.  It's the Halloween illustration which is my absolute favorite.  The colors, perspective and layout are perfection; Crankenstein all decked out in his robot costume, shivering in the cold outside as a hand holds out the tiniest piece of candy in the entire bowl.


My face actually hurts from grinning and laughing so much from reading Crankenstein by Samantha Berger with illustrations by Dan Santat.  You can't read it just once; multiple readings are a given.  Expect high demand; people love to laugh especially when they can see a little bit of themselves within the pages of a book.

Stop by Samantha Berger's and Dan Santat's websites via the links embedded in their names.  Make sure you read some of the entries in Samantha Berger's blog too.  You might want to listen to PW KidsCast: A Conversation with Samantha Berger and Dan Santat.  Here's a link to the publisher's website for a peek at some of the inside of the book.

Enjoy the book trailer and the eve of book release book trailer.

Dwelling In Friendship

Four months ago, to my surprise, a package was laid on my doorstep by my wonderful mailman.  Inside were two books a friend knew I would love.  The one, A Hen for Izzy Pippik by Aubrey Davis with illustrations by Marie Lafrance was read and reviewed the very next day.  To say the other was not read immediately would not be true.  It was read then and many times since its arrival.

One of the basic needs to survive is shelter.  To me there has always been a huge difference though between a house and a home.  No matter the size or location, the inhabitants and their visitors need to feel an extra warmth, a sense of welcome and comfort, a place they would be glad to call home.  A House in the Woods (Candlewick Press, November 8, 2011) written and illustrated by British author illustrator, Inga Moore, is a tale of mishaps made into a miracle by a friendly foursome and a bunch of busy beavers.

A Little Pig had made a den for herself in the woods.  Next door, another Little Pig had made himself a hut.

When exploring in the forest one morning the two find a special feather and a zigzaggedty stick but when they each return home, other surprises await them.  Bear has decided to take up residence in Little Pig's den and Moose is living in Little Pig's hut.  The Little Pigs really like Bear and Moose but not what happens to their homes.  With a whoosh and loud snapping their dwellings lay in ruins.

Sitting on a nearby park bench the four ponder this dilemma.  None of them likes the idea of being without a roof over their heads.  Quite suddenly Moose pops up with a marvelous idea; they could construct a house large enough for all of them.  Moose knows they need the very best to help them build a real home, one with walls, a roof, windows and doors.  A phone call later the Beaver Builders are on the job.

With payment negotiated, peanut butter sandwiches, work begins.  Accomplishments are assessed at mealtimes over the next few days.  Builder Beavers, Moose, Bear and the Little Pigs each contribute according to their strengths.  A trip to the junkyard, grocery store and to the lodge at the lake signal an end and a new beginning; a house, a home and four friends dwelling therein.


There is something calm and understated about the way Inga Moore has this narrative unfold; almost as if readers are gathered together listening to a storyteller.  There is an air of collective cooperation in all things said and done.  And yes, humor, makes an appearance at the right moment each and every time.  Here is a sample passage.

...and by dinnertime the roof
was on.  (The lunch and dinner
times were on different 
days, of course.  Beavers are
fast, but not that fast.)


What draws the reader into the story though are her illustrations rendered in pencil, pastel and wash using an earth tone palette.  The matching jacket and cover allude to a time in the future, of pastoral peace and pleasantries among friends.  Each of the endpapers, opening and closing, extend the story.  In the beginning we readers wonder why a bear and two pigs crossing a meadow are bringing stacks of sandwiches on plates to a group of happy beavers.  At the end you can almost hear a collective sigh at the sight of a moon rising over the railed walkway leading to the beaver's lodge on the pond; the surrounding trees reflected in the still waters.

Astonishing details are prevalent is all the realistic delicate pictures.  Moore alters between a double page spread, one crossing the gutter to create a panel for the text, to a single page framed in white or extending to the edges or insets framed by text.  Her close-up of Moose making the phone call on an old style phone, which just happens to be hanging from a tree trunk, is delightful.  The beavers clad in hard hats arriving in pickup trucks with slatted wooden sides will bring on the giggles.  There is so much to enjoy in each and every illustration.


I will be singing praises for A House in the Woods by Inga Moore loud and strong as many times as I can.  It would work well with Building Our House by Jonathan Bean or If I Built a House by Chris Van Dusen.  I invite you to read Bringing Words to Life and Inga Moore, illustrator of the Wind in the Willows to further appreciate the process behind her work.

And to my happy-go-lucky friend, I send thanks for bringing this wonderful book into my reading life.

August Ten For Ten #pb10for10 Xena's Favorite Dog Books

I simply can't believe that an entire year has passed since I first participated in this event.  Last year I highlighted my favorite alphabet books.  People from around the world share their favorite picture books; listing them in one spot for not only this day but as a continual resource.  I want to thank Cathy Mere educator and blogger at Reflect & Refine: Building a Learning Community and Mandy Robek educator and blogger at Enjoy and Embrace Learning for hosting this fourth annual event.


With more than seventy-five dog books in my personal bookshelves at home with the majority of them being picture books, as this day got closer and closer, I knew I would never be able to narrow it down to only ten.  (Fifteen is as low as I could go.) Each title in this collection is here for a particular reason, the artwork, the storyline or the way a dog features in one or the other or in the combination of both.  So I decided to have my sweet canine companion of almost thirteen years, Xena, pick her current top ten picture books focusing on the best, the brightest and the funniest.

One of my favorite curation tools is Learni.st.  This year I decided to use it to showcase Xena's list.  It not only allows me to add a few extras but provides an easy way for a reader to see them.

Xena thinks this list is woofer-licious.  I do too.

Twitterville Talk #112

It's back to school soon.  People are sharing ideas like crazy!  Twitter is an amazing place to be but never more than this time of year. So many people are working to make it the best year ever for all our students.  Take time to relax. Time take for reading. Take time to find the giveaways.  Have a great weekend and week.


This is an enlightening look at Blooms' Taxonomy with the inclusion of technology, A Bloom's Digital Taxonomy for Evaluating Digital Tasks.

Thanks to Kylene Beers, educator, speaker and author, for this tweet.




Mary Pope Osborne, author of the Magic Tree House series, is offering grants through an initiative, Magic Tree House Classroom Adventures Program, whereby recipients can obtain free collections of her books.  She is working with First Book.  

Thanks to First Book for this tweet.





This is a history buff's, researcher's dream come true, Over 2,200 World War II Documents Now Online

Get ready to get lost in a sea of infographics on technology and education

And yet another important infographic---Growing Up with Social Media

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




A publication of Upstart, a magazine entitled Library Sparks, includes web resources in addition to the monthly publication.  These are the ones for the August/September 2013 issue, Met the Author, Carole Boston Weatherford, A Nonfiction Visit to the Library Mad Lib, a series of research (primary and secondary sources) and story structure (literary terms) lessons based on the Origami Yoda books and ingredients to look for in a "recipe" for a mystery.

Your back-to-school letter is one of the most important items to get the new year off to a great start.  This post is courtesy of Joyce Valenza at NeverEndingSearch.

Here's another of Scholastic  Read Every Day PSA.



When was the last time you explored the National Geographic Kids website?  Try out these two games, The Ultimate U. S. Road Trip Game and Quiz Your Noodle: Ultimate Weird But True.  

Wonderful interview, conversation, with Kazu Kibuishi about his illustrating of the new covers for the seven Harry Potter books.

We are so fortunate to have a fantastic new batch of book trailers for this week.


















If you are going to do an author study this would make for an excellent article, Artist Kazu Kibuishi Interview: New 'Harry Potter' Covers (Different than the previous link above.)

Here's a chat with Raina Telgemeier at ALA about her graphic novel titles, her stories.



Don't forget to mark your calendars---November is Picture Book Month

I can feel the chills already---Top Ten Horror Fiction for Youth: 2013
To the first person who can tell me the title written by Rick Yancey on this list, I will send a copy of Doll Bones by Holly Black.  Please DM your answer to me on Twitter or leave it in the comments below. (This title has been won.)

Don't miss the next #SharpSchu Book Club.  It's going to be in September.  Get all the information here.

It's really fun to listen to favorite authors and illustrators talk about their first day of school memories.




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







During last month's #titletalk on Twitter hosted by Donalyn Miller and Colby Sharp, the theme was kicking off the school year reading.  I mentioned using a form of Reader's Bingo which turned out to be a web publication from a Library Sparks issue August/September 2003 titled Know Your Reader.  It is actually more like tic-tac-toe.  This is what surfaced on Twitter this week, Reading Bingo Challenge Update.  Looks similar to what I have been using.  Check out the link.

Thanks to Random House Canada for this tweet and post.





Here is another post which continues the discussion started during last Sunday's #titletalk, Top Ten Read Alouds for 6 to 10 year olds

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





Pinterest was recently selected by the American Association of School Librarians Best Websites for Teaching & Learning 2013.  This article, 20 Ways Libraries Are Using Pinterest Right Now, is a good guide for using this resource.

There is some pretty sound advice offered in this post, A Practical Guide For Teachers Who Just Got iPads

Thanks to teacher librarian and blogger at Librarian in Cute Shoes, Cynthia Alaniz for these tweets.




For the numerous fans of Phillip Hoose's Moonbird: A Year On The Wind With The Great Survivor B95 he was sighted August 2, 2013.  He has survived another year.

Thanks to TheCuriousCity for this tweet.




Here you have it---The Ultimate Backseat Bookshelf: 100 Must Reads For Kids 9-14 

Check out this flow chart of book covers, 95 Young Adult Books To Read This Summer Instead of Reading 'Harry Potter' AGAIN grouped by theme, genre, plot.
To the first person who can tell me the first title listed under historical fiction I will send a copy of the new Tom Angleberger book, The Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppett. Please leave your answer in the comments below or send me a DM on Twitter. (This title has been won.)

The cover is revealed and the author has something to say---Narrator hits 'Hard Luck' in eighth Wimpy Kid book



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





In the continuing celebration of We Believe In Picture Books! here is one of the latest Candlewick Press videos featuring George O'Connor.




Thanks to Candlewick Press for this tweet and this videos.










Author/illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka has released his schedule for August on The Book Report with JJK.  These podcasts make for great listening.
To the first person who can tell me the author and their book that will be talking with JJK on August 14, I will send a copy of Grumpy Goat by Brett Helquist. Please leave your answer in the comments below or send me a DM on Twitter.

Thanks for this tweet and these podcasts to JJK.




Here is an infographic which provides information on the value of audiobooks, AudioBooks Raise Reading Scores.



Thanks to Tracy Weil, chief innovation officer at TalesToGo for this tweet.







Hooray for Libraries' Leading Roles: On Stage, On Screen And In Song was a NPR All Things Considered broadcast this week.


Thanks to author, Florence Minor (If You Were a Panda Bear) for this tweet.






If you are thinking about setting up a classroom Twitter account this year, check out this blog post, Classroom/Library Twitter Account.

Don't miss the Kids' Comics Revolution! podcast.

Thanks for this post and tweets go to Colby Sharp, educator, co-host of the monthly #titletalk, co-founder of the Nerdy Book Club blog, co-host of the monthly #sharpschu Book Club and blogger at sharpread.





How do you ensure your readers' have healthy hearts? Readers' hearts...We Have a Code Situation: When the Heart of the Reader is in Arrest ; a must read post by Paul Hankins.

Thanks to the Nerdy Book Club for this tweet.




Follow this link for anything and everything you need to know about International Dot Day, September 15-ish


Thanks to author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds for this tweet.






This post is just fun and probably a little true too, 22 Signs You Are A Harry Potter Super-Fan.


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








This is something to share with your readers, 'Dork Diaries' Reveal Secrets Of 'Not-So-Fabulous' Teen Life a NPR Backseat Book Club, All Things Considered interview.


Thanks to Lorna Wheaton, former teacher, book fairy and blogger at Not For Lunch for this tweet.





To close out this post I wish to share a very thoughtful essay written by author Laurel Synder on her blog yesterday, Dead trees, good books and honest librarians...  It addresses the impact of social media on our lives.

Thanks to Laurel Synder for this post and tweet.


Here are my collected quotes and favorite tweets of the week.  

.@jaimetem: "I love the smell of wet dog. That's what my heart smells like."
— Martha Brockenbrough (@mbrockenbrough) August 3, 2013

Don't know if I'd still be in VT if it weren't for @BearPondBooks When I first moved here & knew nobody, the store still felt like home.
— Linda Urban (@lindaurbanbooks) August 3, 2013

Hit vs. Evergreen books. A hit says something about current culture. An evergreen says something about human experience.--panel #LA13SCBWI
— Courtney C Stevens (@Quartland) August 3, 2013

Love sitting by artists--always sketching! @paulozelinsky #LA13SCBWI pic.twitter.com/jQ5raUGUB8
— Laura Purdie Salas (@LauraPSalas) August 3, 2013

"Childhood is by nature experimental. The picture book form is one of experimentation." @macbarnett #LA13SCBWI
— Martha Brockenbrough (@mbrockenbrough) August 3, 2013

Make of it what you will. RT @scbwi: "@paulozelinsky @laurapsalas yes please!” pic.twitter.com/KF81ajWA3f
— Paul O. Zelinsky (@paulozelinsky) August 3, 2013

Mom reading Rapunzel aloud: "And the witch CUT off Rapunzel's braid with sharp scissors" Tiny Daughter: "WHOA WHOA! ...THAT'S not good!"
— jennifer laughran (@literaticat) August 3, 2013

It's the most wonderful time of the year. #backtoschool pic.twitter.com/Kozz1YJE8f
— Donalyn Miller (@donalynbooks) August 4, 2013

Books for children are the briar patch where kids get to learn how to grab the edges of thorny issues without worrying about getting hurt.
— jane Yolen (@JaneYolen) August 4, 2013

Quirk Books, with some literary-based ice-cream flavors! =) http://t.co/xZHEAn4RZq @quirkbooks pic.twitter.com/APTCHUz2aL
— Ryan M. Hanna (@rantryan) August 4, 2013

"Reading is the last private act." Richard Peck #LA13SCBWI
— Kristin Tubb (@ktubb) August 4, 2013

School starts tomorrow, and my wife asked me to write her name on the board. pic.twitter.com/1UViLO7dbR
— Adam Rex (@MrAdamRex) August 4, 2013

To my friends at #LA13SCBWI - "make magic. preserve wonder." Thank you for having me! pic.twitter.com/MbpcchAcIT
— Jarrett J. Krosoczka (@StudioJJK) August 5, 2013

Got no sleep last night. The movies in my head kept me awake.
— Adam Lehrhaupt (@Lehrhaupt) August 5, 2013

I also think first graders need a steady diet of ELEPHANT AND PIGGIE. Wait. I need a steady diet of ELEPHANT AND PIGGIE. #booklovechat
— Paul W. Hankins (@PaulWHankins) August 6, 2013

Here's the upcoming schedule for the #virtualbookclub. More info on the poll to follow this week! pic.twitter.com/hbFcU3hmQM
— Beth Panageotou (@epan11) August 6, 2013

.@KKittscher will be answering your questions about The Wig in the Window on 8/19 chat! We are excited she is joining us!! #virtualbookclub
— Niki Ohs Barnes (@daydreamreader) August 6, 2013

The scene in my daughter's room: Minutes spent cleaning = 0 Time with nose in a book = endless Can't nag because I #raisedareader
— Carrie Gelson (@CarrieGelson) August 7, 2013

Me: Son, I have all the Capt. Underpants books. Son: There r over 10 million copies in print. U have ALL of them? Me: No. I have around 11.
— Colby Sharp (@colbysharp) August 7, 2013

Paddle your own canoe. Or something. pic.twitter.com/E03xCMcVK7
— Sandra Boynton (@SandyBoynton) August 7, 2013

Love these letters from Colette Cassinelli, great project idea!! http://t.co/0fVvBVCwMg
— Debbie Alvarez (@stylinlibrarian) August 9, 2013

Son comes into my room, sees book & runs out. "Sis! Mom's reading a book called RUMP!!" (Sounds of hysterical laughter) @LieslShurtliff
— Sherry Gick (@LibraryFanatic) August 9, 2013

FACT: Somewhere on the internets exists the cover and summary of my new picture book which I wrote and illustrated.
— Dan Santat (@dsantat) August 9, 2013

(Here's the link that goes with the last tweet.)

Okay, okay...my dogs are telling me it's time to GET THE HECK OFF THE COMPUTER!
— Bobbie Pyron (@BobbiePyron) August 9, 2013

Isn't every day National Book Lovers Day? It should be, don't you think? Happy Reading to all!
— Judy Blume (@judyblume) August 10, 2013

A Tea-rrific Time

It would seem that our lives are composed of rituals; certain practices done at specific times of the year, month, or even every day.  During the month of August it might be staying up into the early hours of the morning to watch the Perseid meteor shower, growing up it was new shoes before school started in September, or each night not being able to go to sleep until you've told members of your family good night, I love you.  These routines give comfort, a sense, whether true or not, that all is right with the world.

I'll wager that most people can barely begin their day without a first cup of coffee, or in my case, a cup of tea. In Asian cultures there are beautiful ceremonies for the preparation and serving of tea.  Low tea and high tea are British terms used to distinguish between the times tea might be served.  When you host or attend a tea party there is an etiquette to be observed.  In Tea Rex (Viking, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.) written and illustrated by Molly Idle adjustments to tradition prevail in a rather BIG way.

When hosting an afternoon tea for a special friend---
greet your guest at the door.

If a grinning Tyrannosaurs rex, invitation in hand wearing a teeny, tiny purple bowler hat and purple and yellow polk-a-dot bow tie, happens to be filling the open door frame, this could present the first of many...er...challenges during the event.  Having him follow you to the parlor is not going to be easy when he can hardly squeeze through the door.  With meeting the other guests and finding one's spot at the table complete, the polite conversation begins.

In response to shenanigans involving cutlery on the part of the younger brother, Mr. Rex lets out a mighty loud roar of approval.  Offering food, despite its variety, and the pouring of tea proves to be rather problematic.  The guest's enthusiasm for both is a tad over the top.

Mayhem quickly follows on the heels of one mishap after the other. Appropriate music and dance (more like riding  on a roller coaster at the amusement park) concludes the tea party. Whew!  With the special guest barely, in every sense of the word, out the door, a surprise is delivered to the hosts, actually, a bunch of BIG surprises.


Sentence by sentence in a most prim and proper form, Molly Idle provides a narrative which reads like pages from Miss Manners.  With little stretch of the imagination you can almost hear the voice enunciating each and every word chosen with care.  The pauses between page turns elevate the disparity between what is read and what is seen in the illustrations.


On the front jacket and cover we are treated to a snapshot of a very special occasion but a picture on the back, a circular inset, tells a different story, the real story.  The palette of colors displayed on the jacket and cover are used throughout on illustrations rendered with Prismacolor pencils. Opening and closing endpapers provide charming close-ups of an invitation and thank you note sent by Cordelia to Mr. Rex, the opened envelopes against his bowler hat, the notes held by his versatile tail.

The details in the decor, the characters' attire, the table setting and facial expressions (oh, those eyes) only increase the hilarity.  The "before the roar" and "after the roar" differences are the first of many.  For example in a series of three visuals for When everyone is settled, you may serve refreshments.  Be sure to offer several choices---and cater to the individual tastes of your guests, we see all the characters seated at the table hands and feet reaching toward delectable delights followed by the disappearance of all including a portion of the plate and then "whoosh", the teddy bear in attendance is about to be consumed too. My favorite of them all is the double page spread of what's left of the parlor after the party as Cordelia and her brother push (it's a tight fit) Mr. Rex out the door.  All sense of decorum has vanished.


With delicate, dramatic illustrations drawn to illuminate and accentuate Tea Rex by Molly Idle is most memorable.  The very idea of dinosaurs and tea parties is so foreign to our way of thinking, the humor begins immediately and grows page after page.  You'll be looking for a free date to have your very own afternoon tea.  Who will you invite?

Please stop by Molly Idle's website.  A link is embedded in her name above.  This is a link to Molly Idle Picks Kid-Friendly Dinosaur Books at BOOKish. (Thanks to John Schumacher for tweeting this link.) This book trailer is only the start of a wonderful reading experience.

 

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

There are some moments, events, you never forget.  When I was growing up my hair was long and fairly wavy naturally.  My mom, using bobby pins,would make rows of pin curls after shampooing to make it extra curly when it dried.  In the spring of my tenth year that abruptly ended with a visit to her hair dresser (who, by the way, did her hair for fifty years).

My protests, which were many but respectfully presented, were not taken into consideration.  My hair was cut...short.  Perhaps this is some misguided rite of passage.  Author/illustrator and Caldecott Honor winner (Blackout), John Rocco, addresses this very thing in his new title, Super Hair-o and the Barber of Doom (Disney Hyperion).

Every superhero gets his powers from somewhere.

Young Rocco gets his from his hair which grows and grows; the longer his locks, the stronger his powers.  It's the same with his buddies and their hair.  These four are champions.

They are able to swing inside a tire hanging upside down by their ankles, leap across a stone bridge, frog and net firmly clasped in each hand, make awesome bike jumps off a homemade ramp, skateboard over train sets, kick box building block towers and dive off a ladder into a kiddie pool.  All is well until the fateful day when Rocco is abducted and turned over to the enemy, the big...bald...barber.  Ack!  Thoughts of retaliation swirl in his brain.

He can hardly climb into his treehouse in his weakened state; the loss of his hair makes him feel diminished.  He wonders, worries and attempts to replace it.  Plants, mops and dogs are not what he needs.

In this dejected state he meets with his friends only to discover they too have met with a similar fate.  Sitting on the playground bench, holding her doll, an observant younger girl zooms in to the rescue.  In a moment of instinctive reaction superpowers reappear as if by magic.


Part of the sheer fun in reading this title is the word choices used by John Rocco.  In telling this story as if it is an adventure shared by a champion and his comrades with extraordinary talents, he gives it a sense of heightened drama with a humorous flair.  The mix of first person narrative with dialogue and thoughts in balloons makes this boy's experience read like those superhero comic books he loves.  Rocco excels in the placement of the text with each turn of page.

When opening the book's jacket seeing Rocco whizzing along on his bike atop the big, bold primary colored title letters and on the back, astride his bike, Sidekick Sam sitting next to him, cape and hair billowing out in a breeze, you simply have to smile.  Close-ups of the superhero on his tire swing and riding his bike, filled with animated action illustrate the cover.  The exuberance in these four pictures is contagious.

The opening and closing endpapers done in two shades of rust feature silhouettes of Rocco performing various feats of derring-do with words like POW!, WHOOSH and SPLASH! patterned among them.  Readers paying close attention will notice the difference between the two; it's all in the hair.  Before the title page Rocco begins the story, a full page illustration of the boy superhero running from a comic book store, huge grin on his face.

With that initial page and in the remainder of the visuals within the book,  readers see the blend of black, white and gray with the full color elements; drawing your eyes toward the central character or action of that moment.  The book is alive with activity; alternating illustration size, switching between smaller ones surrounded by white space to the larger double page spreads.  The use of all the dots makes you feel like you are stepping into the pages of your favorite comic book.

The first two pages are extremely clever.  Rocco, in full color, is kneeling on a carpet reading his comic books.  The carpet is compromised of enlarged comic book pages.  We see the bottom of a chair, adult shoes and a portion of pant legs in the upper right hand corner.  These two pages are one of my favorites in this title.

From beginning to end Super Hair-o and the Barber of Doom written and illustrated by John Rocco is pure pleasure, destined to be read over and over again.  You can't avoid an appreciation for the resilience and ingenuity of all the characters in this book.  With many people looking for a first day read aloud, this title addresses having a passion for what you like and finding the source of your strengths.

There is a link embedded in John Rocco's name above to his official website.  Stop in and have a look around.  Enjoy the book trailer below.


SUPER HAIR-O and the BARBER of DOOM from John Rocco on Vimeo.