Smitten with Smith

Okay, I will freely admit that as soon as I see the name Lane Smith attached to a book this big grin starts to light up my face.  In my heart of hearts I know that at the very least I will burst out laughing once if not more.  Upon opening It's a Book to the title pages, the three characters are introduced; mouse, jackass and monkey.  Careful placement on the pages has them becoming a part of the title itself.

With short clipped sentences the computer-geek donkey and book-reading ape have a conversation beginning like this:
What do you have there?
It's a book.

How to you scroll down?                                                          
I don't.  I turn the page.  It's a book.

Do you blog with it?
No, it's a book.

On the next two page spread I defy the reader not to crack up when the donkey asks, Where's your mouse?  Without a word the ape shifts his eyes to the hat on his head which has been lifted up by the mouse who was underneath. 

Patience on the wan monkey finally asks if his partner in this conversation wants to look at the book.  At first jackass wants to reduce the page from Treasure Island to a few "texted" statements.  But within the next few lines of banter between this duo the reader knows that he has been drawn into this book not by its technological capabilities but by the sheer brillance of the writing.  In fact he does not want to give it back.  Needless to say the end will have readers young and old alike exploding with laughter as Lane via the mouse delivers yet another edgy play on words. (I have left the final exchange of words out of my review in order not to spoil the ending but please consider your audience before purchase.)

Even without the text Lane's illustrations crafted with layered oil paints, brush and ink are stunning in the subtle conveyance of exactly what his characters are thinking with the lift of an eyebrow, a twist of the mouth or a roll of the eye.  As in most of his books his choice of background colors lift the characters and setting off the page even though they are portrayed in earth-tone hues.  This is classic Lane Smith.  It's already been added to my list of favorites for 2010 and a copy has a home on my bookshelves.

View Curious Pages to get Smith's personal views on this book.  In addition to the web site associated with his name beginning this review Lane Smith Books is his official web site. 

One Picture--A Thousand Words

At the Art of Storytelling web site sponsored by the Delaware Art Museum users are treated to a visual feast.  By selecting one of three tabs at the top of the initial web page, Experience a Story, Tell a Story or Picture a Story one can view or use pieces of art to inspire.  By selecting the first tab those stories written by others can be read or listened to along with viewing a single piece of art.  The second tab offers various pieces of artwork which can be chosen.  Write and then record the story which has been prompted by the selected illustration.  Picture a Story is the tab best suited for students.  First choose a genre from either adventure, romance, fantasy, comedy, fairy tale, drama, mystery, western or horror.  Next from eight backgrounds which are actual artwork make a selection.  Users are allowed to choose from 31 characters and 31 props which can be positioned on the background and sized accordingly.  At the fifth step they are reminded of their choices, given space to write their script and then it can be recorded.  Having produced their story they can have it emailed to three others including themselves.  An email address must be entered and persons using this site under 13 years must have parental permission. 

This site not only gives our students a glimpse at artwork that they might not ever see but are guided through steps in generating their own stories which can be saved and shared.  As with many tasks/projects it is not the final project that is important but the true value lies in the ability to know what to do to get there.

Who's going to blow the house in?

Jan Brett has fashioned yet another dazzling example of her signature artwork in her newest book, The 3 Little Dassies.  Widely traveled gaining inspiration for her books, she collects details of the flora, fauna, culture, customs and clothing.  The locations shown in her stories are a true reflection of that part of the world.  Knowing just a little bit more about people, places, animals or vegetation unlike their own, is a given for the reader of Jan Brett's books.  Using watercolor and gouache (watercolor paint which is opaque rather than transparent) each highly detailed illustration not only complements the storyline but true to her style the side panels tell another tale giving the reader a glimpse into that which is to come.

After making a trip to Namibia located in southern Africa with her husband, Jan kept thinking about seeing the rock hyraxes (dassies) and the agama lizard.  Having been introduced to the Namibian women and their traditional dress, Jan acquired many pieces of the brightly colored fabrics as well as varying types of grasses native to the area.  She uses these fabrics not only to dress her characters but as frames for each piece of art.  Never missing a chance to surround her reader with the story Brett begins and ends this book (endpapers) showing woven grasses dotted with insects found in Namibia.


The 3 Little Dassies is, of course, an adaptation of The Three Little Pigs but readers will find it richer in characters, lessons and a wee bit of a pourquoi message.   As the dassies leave home they meet the Agama Man at the base of a mountain.  He welcomes them having been lonely for too long.

Making their homes of grass, driftwood and stone resting as each is completed the dassies settle in their new surroundings.  It is the wily eagle, chicks in her nest on the mountain top, that seeks out the dassies for food.  Chanting

I'll flap and I'll clap and I'll blow your house in. 

she manages to fly upward with the first two sisters, Mimbi and Pimbi. 

Equally as clever is the Agama Man who sees a chance to save the already captured dassies.  Mirroring the story's predecessors is the eagle's flight down the chimney only to have her feathers severely burned changing their color for generations to see.  At Timibi's stone house all are reunited celebrating with their extended family who have come to live.


I have long been a collector of Jan Brett books enjoying them again and again as have my students over the years.  We eagerly await each of her new books.  Reading The 3 Little Dassies to them and adding it to our library media center collection will be a joy. As Jan Brett says, A picture is never finished until I feel I can walk into a page.  We will all be gladly walking with you, Jan Brett.

Riordan Rocks!

Readers are in for a rockin' roller coaster of a ride in Rick Riordan's latest and greatest, The Lost Hero.  This first book in the new Heroes of Olympus series takes fans back to the familiar territory of Camp Half-Blood.  Who could resist this opening line?--Even before he got electrocuted, Jason was having a rotten day.

To begin Jason finds himself on a bus with other students attending the Wilderness School; a school for those teens that live on the wrong side of the law.  He does not recognize his best friend Leo or his girlfriend, Piper.  When the bus arrives at its destination of the Grand Canyon an unnatural storm brings in the evil wind spirits, venti that threaten each of their lives.

Jason finds that a gold coin in his pocket can bring forth a weapon of gold that suits whatever situation presents itself to him.  He is also amazed to learn that his father is non-other than the King of Olympus, Zeus.  Finding himself at Camp Half-Blood after this first battle should be a relief to Jason but his loss of memory has him feeling uneasy.

He somehow knows that this is not where he belongs.  If so, why is he here?  And more importantly where has he been instead of at Camp Half-Blood?

From as far back as he can remember, Leo, has had a gift with tools.  Growing up by learning with and helping his mother in her workshop, Leo can build just about anything.  He also has a secret.

Calling forth fire through his emotions or for protection has cost him more than it has helped him.  In his younger days his mysteriously appearing babysitter offered words and situations of instruction and encouragement.  Imagine his surprise at finding out she is the Greek goddess, Hera, who is currently imprisoned by a force greater than the gods.

Hephaestus, god of blacksmiths and fire, has claimed him as son.  Where has this god been all his life especially when his mother died?  What is the explanation of the air-hanger-size cave in the woods around Camp Half-Blood that Leo discovers?  What is this Bunker 9? 

Leo is not the only one with a secret.  Piper's famous movie star father is missing.  Appearing to her in dreams, a huge ugly creature has told her that her father will lose his life unless she betrays her friends.

Even though the time spent with her father has been infrequent during her lifetime, her love for him is strong.  When it is revealed that Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, is her mother, she understands that her father's Cherokee heritage is not the only trait that will lend her strength when needed.  But can Piper use those strengths to help both her friends and her father? 

These three new champions of the demi-gods have until the solstice, just four short days, to save Piper's father and free Hera.  Through the use of visions and dreams of each of the heroes Riordan guides the reader through the events that have culminated in this quest that begins that fulfillment of the Great Prophecy:

Seven half bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire, the world must fall,
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Alternating chapters between the voices, thoughts and actions of each of these characters creates a tension that supersedes the term, page-turner. 

This past spring when Riordan unveiled the first book in the Kane Chronicles, The Red Pyramid, which opens up the world of ancient Egyptian mythology to readers, I personally felt at that time that his writing was sharper; more descriptive and finer tuned.  Unlike what my father used to say, Anticipation is greater than realization, The Lost Hero takes it up another notch.  It's a total blast!  It seems downright cruel that fans and readers have to wait an entire year for the second book in the Heroes of Olympus series, The Son of Neptune, which is coming in the fall of 2011.  We can only hope that in the meantime another book in the Kane Chronicles will appear as planned in the late spring of 2011.

In addition to the web site in blue above check out Rick Riordan's blog .

Wizard...Pinball, that is.

Pinball  is an interactive site that invites its users to try four different devices for bouncing around ideas.  Brainstorming takes on a whole new fun-filled dimension. 

By selecting Dot Dash a series of ideas contained within connected circles float on the screen providing a visual which can be saved, printed or flipped to another Pinball tool.  If the user(s) think of an idea that is not initially connected to the others it can be added by choosing Lucky Dip.  The dots can be repositioned, images can be added and colors can be changed.

Snap Shot allows the user to import an image.  This image can be reflected, rotated, scaled, bent, erased or cut.  A pen tool and color wheel are provided to draw on the image.  When finished the result can be saved, printed or moved to a Pinball tool of the user's choice.

If the user needs to make a decision from a pool of ideas choose Drop Zone.  Ideas or images of their own can be placed in the cloud as well as those from the Pinball random selection tool, Lucky Dip.  As the ideas rotate by quickly click on those which catch your eye at first glance.  Examine your choices to save, print, refine or move to another application at the site.

With many ideas or choices to make Wild Reels permits the user to group those ideas by categories which then can be randomly shuffled.  When an acceptable combination appears it can be printed, saved as jpeg or as in the previous options moved to another tool.

A Howling Good Time

What do children and wolves have in common?  Maryrose Wood, of course!  As author of the first book in The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series, The Mysterious Howling, she conjures up the right blend of English Victorian country life of the wealthy, subtle mystery, humorous mayhem and modern day references. 
Plucky, steadfast, fifteen year old Penelope Lumley, a recent graduate of Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, has been hired as governess at Ashton Place.  Imagine her surprise at finding that her new charges currently being housed in the barn were raised by wolves. On a recent hunting expedition in the estate woods Lord Frederick and his lifetime household servant, Old Thomas luckily realized their identity before taking a shot.  True to his saying of finders keepers Lord Frederick, despite his new bride's despair at becoming a mother so quickly, wants to raise the children, if for no other reason than as a curiosity.
Penelope eager to impart the same educational standards that she received at Swanburne Academy upon the three children finds that their canine tendencies need to be dealt with prior to studies beginning.  So with great patience Alexander (Alawoooooo), Beowulf (Beowoooooo), and Casseopeia (Casawoof) are taught by Miss Lumley the basics of cleanliness, how to dress in clothes, speech, letters and reading and of course, not to chase squirrels anymore.  When Lady Constance hears of their vast improvement she insists that they be presented at her first Christmas gala at Ashton Place.  As the days proceed toward the anticipated event, amid busy-bee preparations, constant and repetitious learning of proper etiquette, the mysteries surrounding Ashton Place begin to multiply as do the mounting tensions.
Who were Penelope's parents?  How did the children end up in the woods on the estate?  Why did Lord Frederick stay at his club so often?  Why did Old Thomas constantly hoover and hide in the background?    Why did Lord Frederick value his "almanac" so much?  Who sent the letter that added new dimensions to the Christmas celebration?  What was that noise in the walls on the fourth floor? 

Reading The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, Book 1: The Mysterious Howling is like opening a homemade present that has been lovingly crafted using witty, delightful words to create a cast of unforgettable characters whose lives intermingle for purposes that have yet to be revealed.  Artwork by Jon Klassen enticingly completes the package.  As Agatha Swanburne was know to say All books are judged by their covers until read.  The second installment, The Hidden Gallery, will be available February 22, 2011.

 

Info-What? # 2Cool Not To Share

I just had to share these two amazing infographics about technology courtesy of Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day.

Internet in 2020 initially appears as a small graphic on the left of your screen.  Just click on that image to have it fill the page.  The ten sections are visually pleasing and the information is amazing.  I can still be heard shouting out OMG when I find something new and cool online because I can remember surfing the Net in text only before Netscape and Internet Explorer.  But then I am older than dirt!

Technology in the classroom clearly and concisely lists the percentages and types of technology used in educational settings.  Numbers nine, ten and eleven were particularly interesting.  As educators they pose issues that we need to address in our teaching.

Learn, use and enjoy!