Cutting Up Color

In my closet, a stash of more than thirty years of teaching ideas and lessons, is a well-worn flat brown paper bag.  Inside are treasures gathered from students ranging in ages from kindergarten through seniors in high school.  Each item is crafted by hand, some more experienced than others, into the beauty their minds imagined.  Every year these gems have hung from the ceiling in my libraries swirling and swaying in the currents of air.  No two alike, they mirror real snowflakes drifting down outside.

A little more than a year ago, I reviewed Colorful Dreamer: the Story of Artist Henri Matisse (November, 2012) by Marjorie Blain Parker with illustrations by Holly Berry.  In August of 2013 author illustrator Jeanette Winter chose to focus on the later years of Henri Matisse's life in her release titled Henri's Scissors (Beach Lane Books).  Inspired by a visit to the National Gallery in Washington, D. C. where she saw the original pieces Matisse created, she shares with readers his final creative years.

In a small weaving town in France, a young boy named Henri-Emile-Benoit Matisse watched his mother paint china.  He wanted to paint too.

Henri did draw and paint but it isn't until as a young man, an illness confining him to a hospital bed, he flourishes as an artist.  Once well, he abandons his career in law and paints and paints and paints...for years.  Matisse is now an old man.  Again Matisse is so ill he cannot leave his bed.  All he can do is sleep and dream.

Recuperating enough to be awake more than sleeping, Henri realizes he will be spending the rest of his life in a wheelchair or in bed. Little by little, Matisse gets stronger; strong enough to draw, strong enough to make art another way.

Using scissors he cuts shapes from painted paper.  On his walls hang a world filled with color, filled with life.  As his ideas grow, so do the shapes.  In his hands Henri's scissors were magical.


Readers of Jeanette Winter's work know she uses few words to narrate her stories but those words she chooses to use, convey all we need to know.  Her words fill us with the emotional essence of a person.  We come to understand and know their purpose and passions.  To add authenticity to Henri Matisse's story, Winter places quotes from his writing within her text.  Here is but one example.

Matisse cut paper all day.
"My pleasure 
in cutting things out
grows even greater.
Why didn't I think of
it earlier?"
His assistants painted paper for him all day.


If you open the matching jacket and cover of this book, Jeanette Winter gives readers an overview of Matisse's work in his younger years on the left.  Against a dark background of blue, lighter pinpoints surround Henri, palette and brush in hand, looking at four pieces of his work. To the right, although he is years older, there is a sense of joy, of lightness, to the picture of him cutting out shapes, a cat and bird by his side.   Opening and closing endpapers in pale golden yellow feature quotes, Henri's hand holding his scissors and stars.

That same hue of yellow creates wide frames around smaller, single page square illustrations when Winter is acquainting us with Henri.  Complementary shades of blue, green, rose, purple and white across the remaining two-page pictures provide the canvas for her acrylic and cut paper visuals.  Her text follows the flow of her illustrations.

Depending on the moment she wishes to depict, Winter might provide readers with a more wide-angle view following it with a closer perspective.  In the final four pages Winter imagines Henri Matisse passing from earth into the heavens, wondering about his current use of his scissors.  It is utterly lovely.
One of my favorite illustrations is of Matisse lying in bed, arms extended as he holds a pole with chalk tied to the end.  He is drawing the faces of his grandchildren on the ceiling.


The value of biographical works such as Henri's Scissors written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter is to show readers the true measure of a person's life no matter their age.  It highlights pursuing your passion even if you need to alter the means of attaining your goals.  This delightful book comes with my highest recommendation.  If you follow this link to the publisher's website you can see one of my favorite pictures.

I am excited to be participating in Alyson Beecher's 2014 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge hosted at her blog Kid Lit Frenzy.  Make sure you stop over there to see all the other nonfiction picture books showcased by other bloggers.

Virtual Post-It Boards-PixiClip And #MustReadin2014

On Sunday evening this tweet appeared in my stream from a name well-known in the librarianship field, Shannon Miller, teacher librarian, presenter, consultant and blogger at Van Meter Library Voice.

Having fun creating @PixiClip to introduce a few projects to the kids this week at #VanMeter :) http://t.co/T5nU7K7vkI
— Shannon Miller (@shannonmmiller) January 6, 2014

I decided to visit the website, exploring it for my weekly post.  PixiClip states in their What is Pixiclip? section:

Pixiclip is an online canvas that lets you communicate using a webcam or a mic.  Just click record and you're ready to go.  Pixiclip is your message in motion!


When you first access the page you will see a working menu on the left and What is Pixiclip?, Create a Pixiclip, Login or Sign up across the top of the page.  You can sign up by entering in a user name or by using either your Facebook or Twitter account. I typed in a username and clicked GO. (You can use Pixiclip without signing up.)

You are then asked to fill in your email address and a password.  Upon completion and by selecting Save, this window disappears leaving you with the blank board for using PixiClip.  The menu on the left allows the user multiple options.

By clicking on each one your mouse can act as a pencil or marker, type in text, move elements on the board, erase and undo.  The color which appears when using these tools can change with the six choices.  If you want to add video or audio, simply click on those icons.  Images can be uploaded from your computer or dragged and dropped into the box.

A grade 2/3/4 teacher at Admiral Seymour Elementary, an inner city school, in Vancouver, British Columbia and blogger at There's A Book For That, Carrie Gelson has been asking members of our PLN to blog about books they must read in 2014.  I thought using PixiClip might be a good way to generate my list.  I could combine vocal commentary with text and book jackets.

One of the first things I learned is that multiple images can be uploaded.  You can scroll through them by clicking on the arrow on the right-hand side.  I decided to only upload seven images at a time, although about ten can be viewed along the bottom without scrolling.  Even though you can resize images, only a certain amount can be placed on the visible board.  When you select an image it can also be deleted by clicking on the trash can icon.

It seems that images cannot be placed on the board unless you are recording audio or video.  If you pause your recording they can't be moved or resized.  You have three minutes to create a board before you are asked to save it.

In the prompt box you can title your PixiClip, add a short optional description, select pointer options (always show cursor, show cursor while doodling, never show cursor), determine a privacy setting (public, private, hidden, password protected) and preview it.  When you choose to share your PixiClip it can be done so on Facebook, Twitter, via email with a URL link or embedded using HTML code.  The embedded PixiClips play as soon as the page where they are is opened.  I decided to only embed one of them.

Here are my PixiClips as a participant in the #MustReadin2014 challenge.

Adult/Young Adult #MustReadin2014

Middle Grade/Young Adult series #MustReadin2014

Middle Grade/Young Adult series #MustReadin2014 (2)

Middle Grade #MustReadin2014

Middle Grade #MustReadin2014 (2)

Middle Grade Fiction/Nonfiction GN #MustReadin2014

Early Readers/Picture Books #MustReadin2014

(I apologize in advance for my overuse of certain words.  I did the one take rule for all of these. Plus I've already thought of some other books. Sigh.)

As far as ease of use, navigating around the site and creating a PixiClip, this site is wonderfully simple.  This online service/application, from I have been able to read, is very new.  It looks like it is still in beta. 

 One change which would be helpful is to be able to edit PixiClips once they have been completed.  Currently, as far as I can tell, you need to restart on the board to make certain changes (except for using erase and undo) or delete the entire PixiClip.  By using an email address to sign up, users would need to be 13 years old or have parental permission to register. 

I enjoyed using PixiClip.  I think it has great potential for use in our classrooms.  Richard Byrne at Free Technology for Teachers also has a post about it here.

To Be Given A Second Chance

Whether we are ready for them or not, troubles, small or large, manage to find a way into our lives.  Hardly ever, in batches of threes or constantly, day after day, they shape who we are.  Each individual will face these challenges differently; the best they can with what they know at any given time.

For children, without the years of experience adults have, it can be truly frightening.  Fortunately for many there are humans and canines willing to provide assistance.  Released in August of this year, Mountain Dog (Henry Holt and Company) written by Margarita Engle with illustrations by Olga and Aleksey Ivanov is one of those books on my shelves I've wanted to read for months.  Closing the cover as I finished it yesterday, I paused in gratitude for this remarkable story, wishing I had read it earlier.


In my other life there were pit bulls.
The puppies weren't born vicious,
but Mom taught them how to bite,
turning meanness into money,
until she got caught.

She said she will and she does; the social worker finds a relative eleven-year-old Tony does not know he has.  A great-uncle, Tio Leonilo, a forest ranger, a search-and-rescue member, willingly takes him to live in his two-room cabin, high in the remote Sierra Nevada mountains while his mom is in prison.  Gabe, his chocolate Labrador retriever, is trained as a search-and-rescue dog.

Much like a dream, the exact opposite of the world he has known in Los Angeles, Tony's life is a series of contrasts; his uncle's unexpected kindness compared to his mother's indifference, Gabe's playful loyalty versus the memories of claws, fangs and blood, and the meanness of the city streets replaced with the majestic calm found in the mountains and forest.  School is housed in three rooms, three grades, sixth through eighth, are in one group.

Tony's days are filled with attending class, surprisingly free of gangs and bullies, learning how to understand and navigate in the wilderness, the Pacific Crest Trail, search-and-rescue training and Cowboy Church.  His mind is constantly torn between his growing love for Tio and Gabe and the nightmares haunting him about his former life.  Visits to the prison leave him deeply saddened; his mother usually choosing not to appear.  Several rescues begin to reshape his outlook; as those lost are found Tony's thoughts begin to have a focus, a purpose.

Summer vacation finds Tony spending time with B. B., a bear researcher and friend of his uncle's.  She is also the grandmother of a rather vocal but not unfriendly girl in his class, Gracie. While Tony is with B. B., Gracie is back in India with her parents who are studying elephants.

During hunting season in the fall, a search takes a harrowing turn. Hard lessons are learned.  Decisions are made.  Love provides shelter, the hope of a new future.


All day as I continued to reflect on this book, I though how much of our lives are composed of poetry; how moments are remembered in fragments or phrases.  Reading a novel in verse like Mountain Dog is a bit like being a leaf in a stream.  A stream has a current moving around rocks, sand, grasses, branches or trees.  The leaf navigates around those objects, slowly or quickly, at times resting.  As a reader you need to step in, adjusting to the cadence, the flow, created by the author's use of words.

Margarita Engle draws you into her story with her gifted command of language, alternating chapters in Tony's and Gabe's voices.  Single thoughts, incidents and outcomes are beautifully described, painting vivid pictures of place and people in your mind which travel straight to your heart.  Each person comes with their own stories into Tony's life; stories filled with riches money can't buy.  With her characters Engle shows readers (and Tony) how people through choice can turn trials into triumphs. Here are a few passages from the book.

He had to learn how to survive
by eating seaweed, drinking rain,
and breathing hope...

That night when Tio asks me
about my first day of school, I don't
say much, so he takes me outdoors
in the darkness
to stargaze.
Without any traffic or streetlights,
the forest seems ancient.
I feel like a time traveler
in a distant land
where I don't know
the language
of star shapes. 
Constellations.
Pictures in the sky.
Myths. Stories. Directions.
A way to find north or south
by following a path 
made of light years.

...It's an odor that rhymes
with the weight of aloneness,
so I press my head against the palm
of his hand, hoping to help him feel
the floating lightness
of never-lonely.

The artwork of Olga and Aleksey Ivanov done entirely in black and white with the exception of the cover, compliments important portions of the narrative.  Most of the illustrations offer a close-up perspective of the subject.  My favorite is of Gabe's head nudging Tony's hand opposite the passage I've noted above.


A story of redemption on many levels vividly depicted in a rhythm kindred to our beating hearts; Mountain Dog written by Margarita Engle with illustrations by Olga and Aleksey Ivanov is a compelling, memorable book.  It is a moving portrayal of a boy whose mother is in prison but ultimately is raised up by a dog and people who believe in him, who give him hope through their love.  I highly recommend you read this book and share it immediately with others.

To learn more about Margarita Engle and Olga and Aleksey Ivanov please follow the links embedded in their names to their websites.  This is a link to the publisher's website highlighting the title and giving you a glimpse of eight illustrations from the book.  Please follow this link to a fascinating interview at Watch. Connect. Read. hosted by teacher librarian John Schumacher.

Twitterville Talk #133

Holiday wishes switched to New Year tidings this week.  People are posting about their favorite reads for the year, deciding what to read in 2014 and anxious for new titles to be released.  Twitter was buzzing with plans for classrooms and professional development.  I hope this post finds everyone safe from the weather with plenty to read.  Enjoy what I've gathered.  Take time for reading.  Be sure to look for the giveaways.





Are you ready for this?  Jeff Kinney and Dav Pilkey are conducting a live webcast in January creating a book that you can finish as part of a contest.

Octavia Spencer speaks about the importance of libraries.



Seven very special things are happening in the world of children's literature in January.  What are they?

This book has and will continue to delight readers, Open This Little Book.  Have fun watching this video.



Do you have your calendar marked for the next #SharpSchu Book Club?

You might want to add some of these titles to your TBR pile---Walking in a Winter Wonderland|Great Books for Snowy Days
To the first person who can tell me the titles of the five books I have reviewed on this list, I will send a copy of Patricia Polacco's The Blessing Cup.  Please leave your answer in the comments below or send me a DM on Twitter.

The  2013 Best Books Lists has been updated.

This will be the year for the silver screen to shine the spotlight on the world of children's literature---Page to Screen: A Year's Worth of New Adaptations

It's interesting to see some of your favorite books become animated.



Not only was this a wonderful announcement by a member of the committee but there are plenty of resources for the new National Ambassador for Young People's Literature,  Congratulations, Kate DiCamillo!

This may be short but you have to love the answers.



Fortunately for us this list keeps getting updated, Presentations and Interviews from the 2013 National Book Festival

The 2013 I Love My Librarian Award Winner



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





I just love when these studies are posted---Brain function 'boosted for days after reading a novel'



Thanks to author Lisa McMann (The Unwanteds) for this tweet.







This is what happens when an author/illustrator goes walking on a beach---Composing a Beach Portrait

Thanks to author illustrator Ashley Wolff (Baby Bear Counts One) for this tweet.





If you happen to be looking for labels, then this is the blog post for you, Launching lovely little labels (way more than eight solutions)

Words to the wise---Why ALA Needs a Code of Conduct|BackTalk



Thanks to Joyce Valenza, teacher librarian and blogger at the NeverEnding Search for these tweets.






Here's yet another article on the benefit of reading and books, Doctors Are Now Prescribing Books to Treat Depression

After #titletalk last Sunday, Donalyn made available the link to her SlideShare page so people could have access to her notebook and conferring forms.

Please take a moment to read this timely and spot-on post, Anne Ursu's OVER/UNDER of 2013: The Overlooked, Underappreciated Middle Grade Reader

Thanks to Donalyn Miller, teacher, author of The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child and Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits, co-founder of the Nerdy Book Club and blogger at Donalyn Miller for these tweets.





Here's their list, The Best of Book Fetish 2013.


Thanks to Book Riot for this tweet.







If you have any questions, this is the time and place to get them answered---Confused about copyright? Tweet us your questions on Jan. 7th

Thanks to Alyson Beecher, educator and blogger at Kid Lit Frenzy for this tweet.





If you have a few minutes this article makes for great reading, The Art Of Children's Literature



Thanks to Children's Bookshelf of Publishers Weekly for this tweet.







Here's the link to the latest Let's Get Busy with author illustrator Melissa Guion podcast.

Let's get connected for World Read Aloud Day! Educators are signing up to share.

Thanks to Matthew C. Winner, elementary library media specialist, co-founder of #levelupbc, Library Journal Movers & Shakers 2013 Tech Leader and blogger at The Busy Librarian for this tweet.





He, as always, states his views with eloquence---My New Year Wish

Thanks go to author Neil Gaiman (Fortunately, The Milk) for this post and this tweet.








The 2013 Finalist have been announced. Cybils
To the first person who can tell me the top title in the Nonfiction Picture book category I will send a copy of Flying Solo: How Ruth Elder Soared into America's Heart by Julie Cummins with illustrations by Malene R. Laugesen.  Please leave your answer in the comments below or send me a DM on Twitter.

Thanks to Cybils for this tweet.





He will be missed but until his return we have 10 Twitter Gems From Neil Gaiman Before His Sabbatical

These were Travis's top ten posts of 2013.

Thanks for these tweets go to Travis Jonker, teacher librarian, member of the 2014 Caldecott Medal Committee and blogger at 100 Scope Notes.





For bookish people I think this is a fantastic idea---My 2014 Bookish Un-Boring List Reveal!

Thanks for this tweet and post go to Jen Vincent coordinator of Instructional Technology, teacher-NBCT and blogger at Teach Mentor Texts.






There's something new for the fans of I'm Bored.  It's a Teacher's Guide.

Thanks to illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi for this tweet.











This gives an overall view of titles and how many times they have found a place on a list, 2013 Best Books Overlap

Here's an interview of interest, SLJ Talks to National Book Award Winner Cynthia Kadohata

What is Genius Hour?  On being more genius

2013: a round-up of wrap-ups

Thanks to School Library Journal for these tweets.








Cure your curiosity with this infographic---How A Printed Book Becomes A Digital eBook

Thanks to Kevin Hodgson, educator, tech liaison with the Western Mass Writing Project and blogger at Kevin's Meandering Mind, for this tweet.







Changes are happening.  7 Huge Tech Trends to Expect in 2014

Thanks to Heather Moorefield, education librarian at Virginia Tech and chairperson of the American Association of School Librarians Best Websites for Teaching & Learning committee, for this tweet.






Do you think this is true?  6 Ways Social Media Will Change In 2014



Thanks to Edudemic for this tweet.







You can never be too careful.  Are Your Students Digitally Safe? 15+ Resources

Thanks to Oakland Schools for this tweet.





There really is a right book for the right reader at the right time.  Finding it may come when you least expect it.  Her Right Book by Gigi McAllister
To the first person who can tell me the title and author of the right book from the essay, I will give a copy of Daisy Gets Lost by Chris Raschka.  Please leave your answer in the comments below or send me a DM on Twitter.


Thanks to the Nerdy Book Club for this tweet.







Please take a moment to read this article written by Walter Dean Myers, Functional Literacy for All

Thanks to Teri Lesesne, professor extraordinaire and blogger at The Goddess of YA Literature, for this tweet.







I reviewed a wonderful book here on the blog last year, Happy Birthday, Tree!: A Tu B'Shevat Story by Madelyn Rosenberg.  This week she shared more resources with us, The Birthday of the Trees!



Thanks to author Madelyn Rosenberg (The Canary in the Coal Mine) for this tweet and post.






This discussion will probably never be over but what do you think?  Editorial: Books for the Ages

Thanks to The Horn Book for this tweet.





Do not miss this interview! Jon Klassen on children's stories and stealing hats



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







Let Harry Potter fans rejoice!  A Harry Potter fan has created a Ministry of Magic website that looks just like the real UK government site.

Thanks to author Jennifer Nielsen (The False Prince, The Runaway King) for this tweet.






Xena and I (yes, I've given her free reign over my keyboard) may have gone overboard with these quotes, fun tweets, celebratory greetings and excitement over the New Ambassador of Young People's Literature, but we promises to scale back for next week.  Thanks for stopping by the blog.

"Reading one book is like eating one potato chip." —Diane Duane
— Reading Rainbow (@readingrainbow) December 28, 2013

Good tips! pic.twitter.com/qdSipMDXHL
— Kristy Skoglund (@KristySkoglund) December 29, 2013

Beautiful sentiments for all budding writers from the great Toni Morrison pic.twitter.com/tPR20qBUdq
— booktopia (@booktopia) December 30, 2013

“@RobinSalars: Just ran across this picture! Engagement and Curiosity! #txeduchat pic.twitter.com/yGQ0AGNj6s”
— Larry Ferlazzo (@Larryferlazzo) December 30, 2013

I often feel as though my students have given me much more than I've given them. #truth #Gratitude @venspired pic.twitter.com/rGa0vGPT5a
— Library Girl (@jenniferlagarde) December 30, 2013

“@TeachersTweeeet: A love of reading is...✨ pic.twitter.com/F0utHw42Ma” #nerdybookclub spread #booklove
— JoEllen McCarthy (@imalwayslearnin) December 30, 2013

Keep reading! pic.twitter.com/oHvBDvtJWw
— Richland Upper EL (@RUESRCSD) December 30, 2013

As much as an illustration style is a lens, it is also a vice. Without new risks, the tropes that once set you free will turn into a veil.
— John Hendrix (@hendrixart) December 30, 2013

Who could say no to this face? pic.twitter.com/QSO5BjNAp3
— Kurt Stroh (@strohreads) December 31, 2013

Top 10 Stories of 2013: #1: One of my happiest days of 2013 was the day a young red fox came to visit at my ho... http://t.co/baOVH6VRW9
— Seymour Simon (@seymoursimon) December 31, 2013

Happy New Year! http://t.co/5nuRyI9YBT
— JULIANHECTOR (@julianhector) December 31, 2013

Wishing everyone a very BRIGHT and COLORFUL New Year! #NanaintheCity #kidlit #NYC #TimesSquare #NYE @HMHKids pic.twitter.com/dj55v3zm4y
— Lauren Castillo (@studiocastillo) December 31, 2013

And of course, you, my Twitter friends: teachers, librarians, fellow writers, & a few odd ducks. I have learned so much this year from you.
— Linda Urban (@lindaurbanbooks) December 31, 2013

May 2014 be your best year ever! pic.twitter.com/7bs5rto2bX
— Wendell Minor (@WendellMinor) December 31, 2013

Happy News Years to the best professional development/PLN this teacher can get! #nerdybookclub #titletalk #5thchat
— Jason Lewis (@jasontes5th) January 1, 2014

I try not to have New Years resolutions. Instead I try to have All Year Long resolutions!
— Renata Liwska (@RenataLiwska) January 1, 2014

I have a feeling 2014 is going to be a stellar year for #kidlit .
— John Schu (@MrSchuReads) January 1, 2014

I like this : I am a Digital Citizen! #edtech #edchat pic.twitter.com/C53n06V5Kw
— Jason Elsom (@JasonElsom) January 1, 2014

My son sneezed and then said, "I guess I am allergic to the morning today!"
— Niki Ohs Barnes (@daydreamreader) January 1, 2014

May the new year bring you P's: peace, prizes, presents, possibilities, promises, pleasures,pastimes, and other pluses. Oh---and a pulse!
— jane Yolen (@JaneYolen) January 1, 2014

May the sun shine brightly, the snow fall lightly, the rain fall nightly, and peace reign rightly on you in 2014.
— jane Yolen (@JaneYolen) January 1, 2014

Happy New Year Everyone! #newyear #numbersbook #numbers pic.twitter.com/3HIgh4xvcy
— Paul Thurlby (@paulthurlby) January 1, 2014

Champions. http://t.co/3kt8xpxJMt
— Colby Sharp (@colbysharp) January 2, 2014

Go Kate! I mean, Your Excellency! “@nytimesarts: Kate DiCamillo to Be Ambassador of Young People’s Literature http://t.co/RiT4B0TaXQ”
— Paul O. Zelinsky (@paulozelinsky) January 2, 2014

In honor of our new ambassador, I repost this: http://t.co/83wxuE5nye #loveher
— Barbara O'Connor (@barbaraoconnor) January 2, 2014

Kate DiCamillo is New National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature http://t.co/BTQbdW0jes
— SchoolLibraryJournal (@sljournal) January 2, 2014

All Hail our New Ambassador – Kate DiCamillo. http://t.co/h5AzVBaWl9
— Jon Scieszka (@Jon_Scieszka) January 2, 2014

In Pax's honor I cherish the love & life we are growing w/ @bradythegolden https://t.co/c8rlIBlDvP
— shawn white (@swpax) January 2, 2014

@CarterHiggins She has an infectious, effervescent laugh.
— John Schu (@MrSchuReads) January 2, 2014

@MrSchuReads It's like a bear hug. Thank you for your work to bring her to even more readers everywhere!
— Carter Higgins (@CarterHiggins) January 2, 2014

One of my tweets was favorited by a dog. I'm putting that on my resume.
— Terry Shay (@tjshay) January 2, 2014

Yikes. Blizzard. They weren't kidding about the strong winds. pic.twitter.com/7JUAkBMxFq
— Sandra Boynton (@SandyBoynton) January 2, 2014

RT @RichardsonLiza: What happens Online in 60 Seconds #edtech #edchat pic.twitter.com/zZpWNzhJlv
— Russel Tarr (@russeltarr) January 2, 2014

@gigimcareads Here it is! http://t.co/vLaJcxovPf
— Cindy Minnich (@CBethM) January 2, 2014

to read an excerpt of Ice Dogs, http://t.co/I8n4XODuxU
— Terry Lynn Johnson (@TerryLynnJ) January 3, 2014

Watch @neilhimself encourage artists everywhere with a few fantastic words. (via @Upworthy) http://t.co/zftUhBwqz9
— Kristin Gray (@kristinlgray) January 3, 2014

Hearing my otherwise serious dad reading OLIVIA to my little nephew is giving me the courage to survive the storm.
— Tim Federle (@TimFederle) January 3, 2014

.@MrSchuReads I truly hope Kate DiCamillo realizes how excited we all are that she is the new National Ambassador of Children's Literature.
— Donna K. (@akgal68) January 3, 2014

I think every writer needs a believer like that--someone you can trust absolutely, and who will wait until you're ready to share.
— Ally Condie (@allycondie) January 3, 2014

@AmeDyckman @colbysharp She's going to make a difference through face-to-face interactions. The kids who meet her will never forget her.
— John Schu (@MrSchuReads) January 3, 2014

Best library ad ever pic.twitter.com/ZIIlH35wqp
— ShortList Magazine (@ShortList) January 3, 2014

Wind is howling. Snow plows beeping. Dogs are sleeping. Baby, it's cold outside!
— Barbara O'Connor (@barbaraoconnor) January 3, 2014

The power of social media is felt when digital connections turn into human connections.
— Jon Gordon (@JonGordon11) January 3, 2014

Middle schoolers: when your classmates say "You're so weird" it usually means "I'm intimidated by what an original thinker you are." FYI.
— Tim Federle (@TimFederle) January 3, 2014

Snowy walk! They stopped to pose on a couch someone threw out. http://t.co/aSR8Znqbd0
— Sarah Mulhern Gross (@thereadingzone) January 3, 2014

Chillin' with the #naughtydog after the massive #snowfall in #NH. Feels like our own #wnterclassic in the backyard. pic.twitter.com/avvIjI9okz
— Sandra Neil Wallace (@SandraNWallace) January 3, 2014

Every new project is an opportunity. Whether it is a good opportunity is pretty much up to you.
— John Hendrix (@hendrixart) January 3, 2014

So beautiful: mother and son blow bubbles in freezing cold and discover something beautiful, via @twistedsifter: http://t.co/PfFNNrYRmg
— Scholastic (@Scholastic) January 3, 2014

Love this sign that my daughter made for her room. And I may grab some tags before I go... http://t.co/1lJfvl0lrc
— Lynda Mullaly Hunt (@LynMullalyHunt) January 3, 2014

THIS is happening on Monday and it is going to be AWESOME! https://t.co/ZkPE2E50u2 #tlchat TLs get ready! @jenniferlagarde @candidlibrarian
— Matthew C. Winner (@MatthewWinner) January 4, 2014

My favorite Maine blizzard photo @WGME pic.twitter.com/7fHgBTisw0
— Cynthia Lord (@Cynthia_Lord) January 3, 2014

Thrilled to hear Kate DiCamillo will be National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature – she clearly knows what kids want to read.
— James Patterson (@JP_Books) January 4, 2014

To Family, To Life, To Love

Our homes, no matter their size, not only accommodate the people and creature companions living there but all the objects gathered over the years.  Most of us realize those things are not the real treasures; if they are lost or damaged they can usually be replaced.  Even so, all of us do have items more valued for the memories attached to them than the worth of the keepsake itself.

This brings to mind the custom in Africa of a storyteller carrying or wearing a string or a vine with tiny tokens attached to it.  Each of these represents a tale.  Listeners will point to one, a payment may be exchanged and then the yarn spinning will begin.

In 1988 Patricia Polacco presented readers with her cherished title, The Keeping Quilt.  When Patricia Polacco's Great-Gramma Anna came to America, an outgrown dress, her babushka and other family members' clothing were used to create a quilt; like the storyteller's tokens, each piece of fabric represented a person and their story.  Generation after generation the quilt was used in commemoration of life events.

In August of this year, a companion title, a prequel to The Keeping Quilt, The Blessing Cup (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers) was released.  It begins with Anna's family in Russia.  It begins with a tea set.

When my great-grandmother Anna was a little girl, long before she came to America, she lived in a small shtetl with her mother, papa, and baby sister, Magda, near Tver in Russia.

Their life is filled with fear of the czar's soldiers.  In fact the opening pages show them hiding in the goat shed.  When safety is assured for the time being and Anna's father comes home, the family gathers for the Shabbat, the sun is down on a Friday.  

Anna's mother brings a family heirloom to the table, a tea set she and her husband received as a marriage gift.  At Anna's urging her mother tells the story of the tea set's arrival at their village and of the special note enclosed.  From an aunt Rebecca it speaks of the magic to those who drink from the cups; five promises always kept.

That night as the family sleeps snug and cozy in the warming bed on top of the brick oven, they are awakened by cries and shouts filled with fear.  The temple in the village is burning.  Soldiers are carrying out the czar's orders; all Jews must leave their homes, they must leave Russia.

They are only allowed to take those things they can carry themselves or in carts.  The only hope for Anna's family is to find a way to get to America.  Anna's papa has a cousin there.

Across Russia the family travels for many, many months.  With only room for Anna, her younger sister, Magda, now walking, and her mother to sleep in the cart at night, her papa becomes ill from countless nights of sleeping on the ground and from pulling the cart.  On the outskirts of a small town, he falls to the ground unable to walk another step.

Yevgeni Vladimorovich Puskin is the doctor Anna's mother finds.  Yevgeni Vladimorovich Puskin keeps his promise to heal Anna's father.  Yevgeni Vladimorovich Puskin is the miracle this family needs to rest and recover; finding sanctuary in his home.

Trouble finds the family again but unsolicited gifts are given by all.  A single cup from the tea set journeys with Anna's family.  One fragile piece of china, giving strength as it is passed from mother to daughter over and over.  As promised in the original note from aunt Rebecca, its magic can't be shaken, even by an earthquake.  It truly is a blessing cup.


How easy it is to fall under the spell of the storyteller when reading a book authored by Patricia Polacco.  From the first page you become a participant in the telling of the tale.  You feel like a member of the family; knowing their happiness, fears, sadness, struggles and triumphs.  Her inclusion of memorable family sayings and notes further bind us to the characters.  Here is a sample of her writing from this book.

"Across a vast sea...So you must help me now and be brave."
"I don't want to leave," Anna cried softly.
"None of us do," her mother whispered as she packed.
"Why don't they want us here?" Anna finally asked.
"Because we are different from them...They are afraid of what they don't
understand," Anna's mother said, wrapping the beautiful tea set in soft clothing. ...

When I reread The Keeping Quilt (my copy is the tenth anniversary edition), true to form, I removed the jacket to see what the cover is like underneath.  It's red with a matte finish; a large cream border surrounds the spine.  In the center of the front cover is a tiny embossed heart.  It's a dark cream color, almost golden when held up to the light.

Removing the jacket of The Blessing Cup readers see a darker sky blue with a wide red border along the spine.  In the center is a tiny golden cup, embossed to create a different texture.  Patterned on the opening and closing endpapers are designs from the cup, several cups and the teapot.  A gorgeous image of the cup sets beneath the opening title page. Edge to edge the verso on the left and the formal title page on the right feature a drawing of Anna, happily standing in the doorway of the goat house, the village stretched out to her left.

Rendered in two and six B pencils and acetone markers the illustrations in this book are not unlike looking through a photograph album.  All of the pictures extend across two pages.  They are nearly all in black and white with spot color added for emphasis.

When the family is seeking shelter in a barn among the straw, wrapped in coats and quilts, drinking from the four cups with the teapot off to the left side, is one of my favorite illustrations.  Even in the midst of their painful struggle to exist, they continue with what is important to them.  The promises of the blessing cup sustain them.  Another illustration you have to see to appreciate its true beauty is an evening with the doctor prior to their leaving where Anna's mother explains the teapot and cups' significance.


Patricia Polacco shares her family's story so we readers can know the richness life holds for us; how faith, family and believing can make the impossible come true.  The Blessing Cup in words and pictures is quite simply beautiful.  Each time I read it my heart is filled with love, the human magic found in the memories of a single family keepsake.

Please follow the link embedded in Patricia Polacco's name to her official website.  At this link to the publisher's website you can view several more illustrations from the book including one of my favorites.  Here is a link to an interview on NPR Books, 'The Blessing Cup': Polacco and Her Family of Storytellers

It's A Bear-Y Good Thing, Again

I've said it before and I'll say it again, one of the best things about working with children, especially the little ones, in addition to the high laughter factor, is you get to experience so many things anew.  Year after year there are many firsts; things to see, hear, taste, smell and touch.  Their eagerness to know, understand and discover is not hindered by any preconceptions.  In a word, it's joy.

As humans we get to not only share in the explorations of our own young but also in those of the animal world.  If we could comprehend how it might be for them, Baby Bear Counts One (Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, September 24, 2013) written and illustrated by Ashley Wolff is an appealing example.  This companion to the gorgeous Baby Bear Sees Blue is as warm and engaging further bonding us to the lovable cub and his mother.

Deep down in the den,
Baby Bear perks his furry ears.
Thockthockthockthockthock!

In reply to his question of who woke him up, his Mama says it is a woodpecker getting ready for winter by seeking extra food.  Baby Bear walks out of the den to see one woodpecker holding one insect in his beak.  Another sound plus falling acorns startles Baby Bear.

He wants to know who hit him.  Answering Mama explains it is the squirrels gathering more nuts in preparation for the shifting season.  When he climbs the tree, he sees two squirrels, each one holding an acorn.

At the pond beavers slap their tails.  In the field deer and crows raid the corn from the still-standing stalks.  Back in the forest amid the twisting and turning vines, turkeys enjoy a feast of grapes.

As Baby Bear and Mama travel in and around the forest near their den, new sounds acquaint him with animals in preparation for winter; buzzing, ker-plipping and ker-plopping, honking and expected tinging.  Each sound is connected to a new number from one to ten.  When the two are comfortable in their den again, circled in the warmth of each other, snowflakes fall.


Animals' survival depends on their daily sensory perceptions and abiding by their instinctive habits when summer moves to autumn.  This cadence found in nature is brought to the narrative by Ashley Wolff's writing.  Every time Mama interprets the sounds to Baby Bear, her sentences end with

before winter comes.

We are made keenly aware of the activity in the forest, pond and field but her use of language;

hunting beetles, collecting acorns, gathering twigs and storing up honey.

Readers learn more than counting with Baby Bear.


I could look at the pictures Ashley Wolff made printing linoleum blocks in black on Arches Cover paper for hours.  Each new reading reveals the richness in her hand-colored watercolor work.  The illustration covering the front and back jacket extends to the edges of the flaps. Baby Bear enjoying an apple in the meadow and Mama Bear nearby ready to pluck an apple for her from the tree are among the insects, small creatures, grasses and flowers.  This scene is altered and featured on two more double-page spreads, four pages, in the book for the number seven.

Warm tones consistent with autumn radiate from all the two-page illustrations extending and enhancing this story.  We may see Baby Bear with his Mama at a distance or zoom-in to focus on the animals of interest he is counting.  Each intricate element is depicted with care.

This is one of those books where selecting a favorite illustration is impossible. I love them all for their color, layout (the way the text is placed within the picture as part of the design), the inclusion of all the flora and fauna (the little mouse around the den and the three hanging bats in both books) and for the expressions on Baby Bear's face at each new discovery and on Mama's as she patiently considers her answer.  Ashley Wolff's gift as an artist, her love for these characters and their world, is infused on every page.


Baby Bear Counts One written and illustrated by Ashley Wolff is full of happiness, an excitement which comes with curiosity acknowledged.  I can't think of a better way to begin the New Year than with Baby Bear and Mama.  So snuggle in, gather one or more listeners, and get ready for requested repeat readings.

Please follow the links embedded in Ashley Wolff's names to read more about her work at her website and on her blog.  If you would like to see more illustrations from the book, go to the publisher's website linked here.  I certainly hope Baby Bear and his Mama will return for more adventurous wanderings.

Xena's Top Dog Picks Of 2013

Never having been really good at narrowing my choices down to top picks, my faithful companion stepped in with her favorite books of the year.  Of course she has only selected titles which were made available to her by me.  Any omissions are not her fault.  As you will quickly notice all the titles feature canines in some respect.  If you have not read some of these books we hope you will add them to your list for 2014.