For Her Son

Many an educator stands in the hallways of schools around the world at the end of the day watching students pass, secretly sending blessings their way to keep them safe, healthy and happy.  Once they leave our classrooms and libraries, we have no way to offer them further education until they return to us the following morning or after a vacation.  If it should happen to be the final day of a school year, we hope with all our hearts we have provided them with the knowledge and skills to ensure they live the best life possible until we meet again.

For parents this desire is surely stronger.  In Your Hands (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, September 12, 2017) written by Carole Boston Weatherford with illustrations by Brian Pinkney is a deeply moving request.  It is reverent.  It is full of faith.

When you are
newborn
I hold your hand and study your face.

I name you
Omari---
firstborn son.

This mother, like so many mothers, holds dreams in her heart for this child.  She takes his hand to keep him safe as he learns at home and school.  And when he is sad, she comforts with affection.

A bedtime ritual of stories and reminders of living by the Golden Rule usher the child to sleep.  As the child grows, this mother realizes she cannot always be there to offer assistance.  This is when a prayer is made to God to hold this boy in His hands.

She asks for safety.  She asks for the child to walk with assurance.  She asks for guidance.  These things can be as everyday as navigating a street crossing or as challenging as becoming a teen.

When she says

I will pray that the world sees you as a 
child of God

she wants for this beautiful boy of hers as every parent wishes for their sons (and daughters).  This is a universal desire.  This is a universal connection between parents.

She continues to define what it is to be a child of God.  This child is seen for their inner character.  This child is given second chances so lessons can be learned.  This child is given bravery.  This child is able to stand strong.  She closes with asking for a long life for this beautiful boy of hers so he too can have sons and grandsons.  This mother's words on the first of the final two pages are being sung throughout the land.


The first several times I read this silently and then aloud, it was as if I was seated in a sanctuary of a church.  When I just stepped outside moments ago to the evening sound of katydids I knew this prayer would resonate wherever it is spoken.  Carole Boston Weatherford writes with a pure heart of truth.

She begins with the love song of a mother to a newborn.  She follows with the mother's thoughts as she imagines a future for her son until he, too, is a parent.  The voice of this woman, this mother, is sincere, founded in love and in the knowledge of the world as it is.  Here is a sample passage.

I will 
pray
that you are
safe
in neighborhoods beyond our own
and that you feel confident
when you face new challenges. 


Viewing the fluid lines of artist Brian Pinkney is the same as receiving an invitation.  They reach out, draw you into the text, embracing you even after the last word is read or spoken.  The illustration on the front of the dust jacket of the boy held in the hands of God is gorgeous.  The title text is raised and varnished.  To the left, on the back, the mother is cradling her newborn child in her arms.  The colors used for them are golden yellows and oranges.

Beneath the jacket on the book case covered in powder blue we see on the right the title text in white with the mother's hands reaching downward to help her son take his first steps.  The same illustration as on the back of the jacket is on the back of the case.  A pale mint green covers the opening and closing endpapers.  The front book case image is repeated prior to the title page.  To the left of the text on the formal title page, Brian Pinkney again has a picture of the child walking within the hands of God.

Rendered in watercolor, gouache, and India ink on Strathmore watercolor paper the pictures fill the pages opposite the narrative placed on varied pastel shades of yellow, blue, pink, purple, and a brighter burnt orange.  Warm shades whirl around loosely drawn elements in black.  Each visual is breathtakingly beautiful, certainly worthy of framing.

A favorite illustration of many is of the child sleeping.  Above his head are swirls of black, pink, blue and yellow and one brush stroke of pale purple.  As he rests his head on his pillow with closed eyes, his mother's hands reach to tuck the blankets around him.  In a truly tender moment the boy's hand is reaching to hold one of her hands.  On his bedspread vehicles race in a scattered pattern.  Brian Pinkney continues to place loose brush strokes of pink, blue and golden orange within the mother and child.


In Your Hands written by Carole Boston Weatherford with illustrations by Brian Pinkney is not only a prayer but a promise.  It is this mother's assurance to her boy child she will do everything to lift him up so his life can be fulfilling and lasting.  This is every mother's hope, but in this title it is the song sung for an African American child by his African American mother.  This title is highly recommended to be on all bookshelves, professional and personal.

To view the websites of Carole Boston Weatherford and Brian Pinkney to discover more about them and their work, please follow the links attached to their names.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  

An Appetitie for Bravery

In August 1945 as World War II was ending Korea was divided at the 38th parallel into North Korea and South Korea.  The politics of the evolving rulers were distinctly different.  On June 25, 1950 the North Korean army crossed the 38th parallel invading South Korea.  United States President Truman appealed to the United Nations.  They first asked for the invasion to cease.  On June 27, 1950 they asked for member states to provide military assistance to the South.  (Allan R. Millett, contributor, Korean War, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., July 17, 2017)

United States Marines were sent to fight in a war which lasted for three years.  During their service one group made the acquaintance of a red mare, smaller than most horses.  Sergeant Reckless: The True Story Of The Little Horse Who Became A Hero (Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, September 12, 2017) written by Patricia McCormick with illustrations by Iacopo Bruno chronicles the remarkable service of this animal.

The small red mare whinnied for her supper.  

During combat the desires of a horse are hardly worth noting but the men led by Lieutenant Eric Pedersen were ready to drop.  They had been carrying ammunition, large shells, to a cannon at the top of a hill.  The cannon was called the "reckless" rifle.  Lieutenant Pedersen wondered if this horse was capable of carrying the ammunition.

Having no hay on hand, the horse was inclined to eat everything offered to her.  Like all new recruits she would go through training.  She was given the rank of Private Reckless.  She learned to avoid incoming fire by kneeling and retreating.  There wasn't anything she wouldn't do for food.  Her trainer Sergeant Latham found she loved chocolate bars.  Equipped with a special saddle for the shells (each weighing more than twenty pounds) she learned to carry them to the gun.

Her love of any kind of food earned her the same breakfast as the other Marines, eggs, toast and coffee.  She discovered the cook's tent and woke him up every morning.  Reckless was still untested in battle until one morning.

Like any normal living being the sound of the cannon firing scared her airborne several times but eventually that horse would carry her load up the hill again and again.  Reckless had proved her worth becoming one of the soldiers.  Later on March 26, 1953 the Battle of Outpost Vegas, a five-day battle began.  On this day the little red mare was a giant among the human members of her unit, distinguishing herself with honor.


With her opening sentences Patricia McCormick introduces readers to the stature of Reckless and her seemingly unimportant place in the scheme of the war.  This is a wonderful way to highlight the contrast of her eventual accomplishments and the faith of Lieutenant Pedersen in her capabilities.  Slowly she builds, incident by incident, the horse's growing presence with the Marines.

Her research is evident in the accounts of Reckless's training and the food used to reward her specifically an ice-cold Coca-Cola when she first carried shells in her saddle up a hill.  McCormick continues with Reckless's relationship with the cook, her behavior during a card game and a tension-filled account of the Battle of Outpost Vegas.  Here is a sample passage.

Without a word of urging, she broke into a trot and
then a gallop.  The heavy shells banged against her
sides as she hit the steep incline.  The first rays of
dawn were lighting the sky as she arrived at the top
of the trail, her flanks heaving.


When first looking at the front of the dust jacket one word comes to mind, respect.  The presence of Reckless looking out at readers, carry the ammunition shells with her much deserved honors stretched behind her demands we take notice.  The color palette evokes a sense of honor.  Spanning both pages the three golden yellow strips cross the spine to the left.  Above them on the same royal blue background are two photographs of Reckless with her handler and her Identification Card after she was given the rank of sergeant.

A different hue of the same blue covers the book case.  It is designed like a scrapbook cover with an intricate double border.  On the front beneath the title is a photograph of Reckless loaded with ammunition climbing up the hill.  To the left, on the back, patches, bars and medals awarded to her are shown as if in a display case.  The opening endpapers are a collage of newspaper headlines about the war in Korea.  On the closing endpapers another collage depicts official documents about Sergeant Reckless with a braid, medals and a patch.  Above the text on the title page is a picture of a statue dedicated to Sergeant Reckless.

Rendered in pencil and colored digitally the illustrations by Iacopo Bruno, all spanning two pages with the exception of two single-page pictures, create a genuine portrait of the horse's place with the Marines.  As the images cross the gutter they do so flawlessly.  The text is cleverly set in an element relative to the scene being depicted; a page in a manual, a sign outside the cook house, a playing card or the inside lid of a first aid kit.

The chosen color palette is suggestive of historical events but still uses full color.  The affection the troops felt for Reckless is evident and humor is part of several images as dictated by the text and what we know about Reckless.  In the closing illustration as she stands with two Marines in full dress uniforms on either side of her she is leaning to the right ready to nibble the soldier's hat.

One of my many favorite illustrations spans two pages.  On the left Reckless is in her stall leaning her neck and head out to a Marine on the right.  In his right hand is her lead.  He stands in full combat gear wearing his helmet.  He is kissing Reckless' muzzle as she nuzzles him.  We are brought in close to this moment.  This illustration captures the extent of the Marines' love of this horse.


Sergeant Reckless: The True Story Of The Little Horse Who Became A Hero written by Patricia McCormick with illustrations by Iacopo Bruno is one of those nonfiction picture books which brings to readers a part of history which serves to illuminate the tie animals can have with humans.  This horse risked everything to provide assistance to those men.  I highly recommend you place this title on your professional and personal bookshelves.  It will promote further research and discussions about the value of animals in our lives.

To learn more about Patricia McCormick and Iacopo Bruno and their other work please follow the links to their websites attached to their names.  Iacopo Bruno has two other sites here and here.  The publishers have designed an educator's guide for your use.


Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy to view the other titles suggested by bloggers participating in the 2017 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge hosted by educator Alyson Beecher.

A Ride and a Memory

This is me at two year's old in front of our house.
And there's that car, I think.  Or it might be my uncle's car.

Two things immediately sprang to mind when I first held this book in my hands.  (I had no preconceptions about the story.)  The car on the cover reminded me of the one my parents had when I was a little girl.  The car was with us for a very long time because my parents did not believe in loans or mortgages.  If you didn't have the money for something, you did not get it or you started saving until you could afford it.  If something went wrong on the car, my dad could make it right.  (I learned more than I ever wanted to know about what was under the hood of a car.)

When I read All The Way To Havana (Godwin Books, Henry Holt and Company, August 29, 2017) written by Margarita Engle with illustrations by Mike Curato, it resonated with me for the reasons above but especially for the portrait of life in Cuba.  Affection for this family filled my heart.  Their inventiveness is truly inspirational.

We have a gift, and we have a cake, and today we're going to drive all the way to the big city to see my new baby cousin on his zero-year birthday. 

The boy goes on to tell us about the old cars on the island comparing the purrs of some to the little chick sound their car makes.  He and his father need to work on the car if they are to arrive in Havana.  He can see once the hood is lifted how repair after repair has been made using

wire, tape, and mixed-up scraps of dented metal.

The two of them adjust and tinker and adjust some more trying to get Cara Cara (the name of the car) to sound differently.  Nothing they do seems to fix it until...the little chick sound grows up.  It's a hen and she's ready to travel.  Friends who need a lift to their destination fill the seats.  It's a bouncy ride but the car keeps making her mechanical music.

Soon the scenery changes into the buildings across the skyline.  There are old cars of every color running down the street.  Their condition and the sounds they make fill the child's eyes and ears.  The steady honking is a city symphony.

At his aunt's house the gift is opened and the cake is eaten.  After much laughter and fun, the boy takes a siesta.  When he wakes the sky is dark and they leave in Cara Cara for home.  The next morning the boy and his father talk and again tend to their car.  Its heritage is a testament to hope.


In choosing to write this narrative from the point of view of the boy, Young People's Poet Laureate Margarita Engle speaks directly to the heart of child readers but also through his voice all who read this book will have a greater understanding of the people of Cuba.  The insertion of sounds supplies a lyrical rhythm which invites listeners (and readers) into the story with the boy.  Her concise sentences followed by longer ones also contribute to the cadence.  They read like a child thinks and talks.  Here is a sample passage.

So we purr cara cara

and we glide taka taka

and we zoom zoom---

zoom

cluck
cluck
cluck

beside farms, forests, beaches, and forts.

When stopping and savoring the opened dust jacket for the second time, I marveled at the use of light and shadow, design and layout and the details on both the front and the back.  The lines on the elements draw our eyes to the boy leaning against Cara Cara on the front.  To the left on the back, the hue used to provide a background for Margarita's and Mike's names is the canvas.  Set in an oval of a cream color is the car with the boy looking out the back window.  Two hens and chicks are busily pecking and walking around the bottom of the oval.  (Cara Cara and the boy are varnished.)

I gasped when I took off the jacket to see the book case.  Nearly covering the entire area is Cara Cara front to back, right to left on the case.  We are looking at the car from above.  It crosses the spine perfectly.  And then I saw the endpapers.

On the opening and closing endpapers, Mike Curato, on a background of dark yellow-orange, has drawn in detail, in black, twenty-four cars, most dated in the 1950s. (He labels the make, model and year.)  A colorful wash is brushed over each one.  With a page turn we have the verso page on the left and the title page on the right.  The text is set in the front window of Cara Cara which spans both pages.  It's as if we are in the front seat.

Mike Curato

used pencil acrylic, paper, photo overlay, digital color in Adobe Photoshop, and other mixed-media 

to create these stunning illustrations.  His perspectives from inside the car looking outside and panoramic views along with zooming in close bring us willingly into the story.  There is animation in every picture, even when the boy is sleeping in his mother's arms. 

The details of the countryside and then in the city are nearly photographic but there is a quality of softness to them which works well with the matte-finished paper.  A full color palette greets us throughout the title.  A genuineness and warmth fill each visual.

One of my many favorite illustrations is when the boy is helping his dad repair the car before they leave for the city.  In the bottom corner sits the opened, heavy toolbox.  As our eyes travel upward we see a hen and two curious chicks.  They are moving to the right middle of the page.  Here the barefoot boy is standing on a wooden box on his tip-toes next to the car.  Another little chick is on the box.  All we can see is the child's feet, legs and the bottom portion of his shorts.  We can only see the lower half of Cara Cara.

With every reading of All The Way To Havana written by Margarita Engle with illustrations by Mike Curato my admiration and respect for this boy, his family and the people of Cuba grows.  The text and art blend but enhance one another elevating this book to something deeply meaningful; to something extraordinary.  I am grateful to Margarita Engle and Mike Curato for giving us All The Way To Havana.  An Author's Note and Illustrator's Note conclude the book.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional bookshelves. 

To learn more about Margarita Engle and Mike Curato and their other work please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Mike Curato also maintains a blog.  On his website you can view interior images from this book.  On his blog he talks about his process and the trip to Cuba.  The book trailer premiere can be seen at All The Wonders.  You will enjoy the short Q & A.  Author, reviewer and blogger, Julie Danielson features artwork on her blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast after talking with Margarita and Mike the previous week at Kirkus.   

5 Faves: Expository Nonfiction

With more than one hundred eighty science books to her credit author Melissa Stewart more than deserves her award-winning status.  She is known for her captivating writing style specifically geared to the intended audience but all ages can learn from her fascinating factual presentations.  Her research is meticulous and authentic.

Starting on this date, September 11, 2017, Melissa is hosting a series of blog posts based on expository nonfiction on her blog, Celebrate Science.  She spoke about expository nonfiction at length in a Nerdy Book Club post.  I am honored to be the first educator contributing to this series.

I think you will enjoy my five favorite selections.  They are centered on the animal kingdom.  The start of the school year has clearly demonstrated the demand for animal titles is as strong as ever at all age levels.  Happy reading to you and the readers in your life!

Happy One Year Birthday, Mulan!

Exactly one year ago today a pup with a tail which never stops wagging was born.  Even when she was too small to come home with me, her tail was always wagging.  It wags when she looks out the window.  It even wags when she is sleeping.

It's not just her tail but her entire body which is always on the move.  She lives in the moment ready to romp.  Everything she does she does with her whole heart.

This dog does things none of my dogs have ever done before.  She has the appetite of a goat, eating everything.  She snores as loud as a human.  She watches television, movies and videos on my computer screen.  She stands next to me when I am working in the kitchen.  (It's like I have an assistant.)  When I wake up in the morning, her head is next to mine on the pillow.  There is hardly ever a dull moment in this home.

To celebrate her birthday and honor her exuberant personality I am giving away seven picture books, one for each human year of her life.  Most of them are recent publications except for one which is one of my favorite dog picture books.




Hello Goodbye Dog (Roaring Brook Press, July 25, 2017) written by Maria Gianferrari with illustrations by Patrice Barton is the story of two hearts full of love, the one for the other.










Stay A Girl, a Dog, a Bucket List (Feiwel and Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC, July 18, 2017) is the newest offering by collaborative sisters, Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise.  It honors the unbreakable bond between a dog and their human.  It honors the beauty of the canine condition.

They are the ultimate example of "love at first sight."  I Got a New Friend (Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, May 23, 2017) written and illustrated by Karl Newsom Edwards celebrates this mutual affection. As soon as you open the book it reaches out and envelopes you.




On January 23, 2017 the American Library Association announced their annual Youth Media Awards in what is one of the premiere events in the children's literature world.  Twenty-one separate categories honor distinguished works and their creators.  One of the categories is the (Theodore Seuss) Geisel Award.  It is given to

the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States during the preceding year.

This year there was one award winner and four honor selections.  Of those honor selections I have previously written about The Infamous Ratsos and Good Night Owl.  I did read the winner We Are Growing:  A Mo Willems' Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! Book written and illustrated by Michigan author illustrator Laurie Keller.  It definitely qualifies as one of the most hilarious books of 2016.  Upon reading one of the other honor books, Oops Pounce Quick Run!: An Alphabet Caper (Balzar + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, February 16, 2016) written and illustrated by Mike Twohy, it's easy to see why the committee gave it notice.




Excellent Ed (Alfred A. Knopf, May 17, 2016) written by Stacy McAnulty with illustrations by Julia Sarcone-Roach is a pooch with a problem.  He's not quite sure how he fits in with the Ellis family.







Dogs are proof wolves and humans developed a close connection but the when, where, and how is still being debated.  In From WOLF to WOOF!: The Story of Dogs (Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, April 12, 2016) written and illustrated by Hudson Talbott, a possibility is offered to readers.  Let's open the covers of this book as if we are turning back the hands on the clock of time.



A dog's heart is huge; filled to the brim with unconditional love.  As humans we can only strive toward the love they have perfected so well.  They ask for little but give much.

When opening the front and back covers of Elisha Cooper's new book, Homer (Greenwillow Books, May 29, 2012), eyes moving from left to right across the two-page spread, we see the body of a yellow lab, soulfully gazing forward, a half smile playing about his mouth.  Above the curve of his back we read, Have you ever loved a dog? One day in the life of Homer has a great deal to tell readers.

Power of One

Children are extremely intuitive.  They can read facial expressions, body postures and the inflection in the words we speak.  They can detect sincerity and truth in a heartbeat.

They have undoubtedly noticed adults following the news and current events with increased interest and their active participation in government and politics.  They understand there is social unrest throughout the globe and even in their own neighborhoods.  Come with me (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, September 5, 2017) written by Holly M. McGhee with illustrations by Pascal Lemaitre addresses with compassion and courage the real concerns of a child.

All over the world,
the news told
and told
and retold
of anger and hatred---

People against people.

As adults, we know how disturbing this is for us.  For children it's downright scary.  Although fearful, the little girl approaches her father wondering how she can help.  What can a she do?  He replies,

"Come with me."

Living in the city, public transportation is nearby their home.  Together, hand in hand, they take a ride, politely greeting people and treating them with respect.  Even though the child and her papa do something ordinary, in the face of her fear it becomes an act of bravery.  Still upset by the news, she asks her mother the same question.

After her mama's answer they take a walk in their neighborhood, shopping at their favorite food shop.  This simple everyday trip reinforces the idea of accepting each individual on their own merits.  Her parent's activities prompt her to propose doing something on her own.  It's not easy for her mother and father to respond but they do.  They are choosing to live as we are intended to live.

As the little girl leaves her apartment, she is greeted by a boy across the hall.  They go.  They do.  It captures the attention of one, then another and then another.  From the smallest, greatness can flourish.


In this narrative, a gentle but powerful story, Holly M. McGhee imparts wisdom through questions asked and answered through action.  The little girl's parents seek to alleviate her fears through continuing to embrace the ordinary.  Declarative sentences express the truthful results of those actions in a manner all ages can understand.  Holly ties the first three small adventures together with the title phrase, leading us to the splendid ending.


Beginning with the matching dust jacket and book case Pascal Lemaitre makes marvelous use of white space throughout this title.  Rendered in ink and watercolor the illustrations reflect and enhance warmth found in the text.  The scene on the front, on the right, is the little girl walking her dog.  This simple activity represents courage by her and her parents.  Behind her are all ages and nationalities of people.  To the left, on the back, she and her dog, the boy from the hallway in her apartment building and a new young friend are starting a visual depiction of their desire to spread joy.  This is a hint of the ending.

The opening and closing endpapers are covered in a soft, chocolate brown.  The illustrations prior to each outing are spare and on single pages.  The everyday excursions usually span two pages.  Frequently the little dog belonging to the girl can be seen with her.  Careful readers will notice another teeny, tiny character appearing once the two children are outside.

After pausing at page turns and looking at each picture readers will agree that all the elements work simultaneously to create a particular feeling.  We feel a connection to this child and her parents.  We feel our hearts swell in celebration for their kindness and consistent pursuit of maintaining normalcy.

One of my favorite of many illustrations is when the girl and her parents are seated around the dinner table.  She has asked her question as she reaches down and pets her dog.  Her papa has a fork filled with food halfway to this mouth.  Her mama is equally surprised holding her fork motionless.  This is a defining moment.


Come with me written by Holly M. McGhee with illustrations by Pascal Lemaitre is a book to be read and read often.  It replaces fear with each one of each doing our part to spread courage and compassion.  The smallest gesture can change the world.  You will want to have at least one copy of this on your professional shelves and one for your personal collection.

To learn more about Holly M. McGhee and Pascal Lemaitre and their other work please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites. Pascal Lemaitre has several of the interior images on his site.  Holly M. McGhee wrote an article for The Washington Post, Teaching children how even the tiniest person can make a difference.  Holly M. McGhee is interviewed at Brightly, Two Writing Teachers, and It's All About the Journey.  At Celebri-Dots Holly M. McGhee posted a dot. 

Together...

Every educator knows more than one person is responsible for ensuring our children develop to their full potential as citizens of the world.  And I know I have said this before but school librarians are in an invaluable position to see all the children in the school for at least three years, usually four or five, sometimes six, depending on the type of school.  This brings a singular understanding of the web woven by the children's personalities and their families.  We get to see the forest and the trees.

Today during a break I headed down to my friend Colby Sharp's classroom to show him a book.  His students are testing so we had a whispered conversation but as I turned to leave, he handed me what I will call one of the best gifts of my day.  I was told I could take it to read overnight.  As soon as I got home and after playing with my wild child, furry friend, I stood at the island counter and read It Takes a Village (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, September 12, 2017) written by Hillary Rodham Clinton with illustrations by Marla Frazee.  There were several times, as I turned the pages, when I stopped and reminded myself to breathe.

Sometimes it takes a child

to make
   a village.

This village includes every single one of us.  Each one of us is valuable and essential to the success of the village.  We all learn each and every day.

It's important for children to understand adults don't always have all the answers.  It's important for adults to understand children have to ask questions.  Children need someone to speak for them.  Sometimes they need an entire group or a nation to speak for them.

Despite how strong a family may seem to us on the outside, there will come a time when they need our assistance.  In this village we have to recognize their need offering support in gestures of compassion.  Taking lessons from the natural world we have to pause and play and rest.

We need to believe...in each other...and...in our children.  It does take a village.  Our children deserve nothing less than the best.


Having read this narrative, the words in this text, several times, I can say with certainty Hillary Rodham Clinton chose each word with great care.  There are only eighteen sentences, phrases or words (with punctuation at the end) in total but each builds to a whole which speaks a profound truth.  Running beneath these words is a warmth and knowledge of children.  It honors their intelligence and acknowledges their needs.  I would like to share a favorite passage as I usually do but I want you to read this book for the first time as I did without benefit of knowing what to expect.


When you unfold the matching dust jacket and book case, the first thing you notice about the front, on the right, is the intricate details, the fine line work, of illustrator Marla Frazee.  You need to take a few minutes to notice all these people at rest and play.  They span a spectrum of ages and nationalities engaged in a variety of activities.  It is indeed a village.  To the left, on the back, is a picture, set on a canvas of white, of Hillary Clinton hugging a child.

(Oh, Marla...the endpapers.  I can't even imagine how long these must have taken you to create.) On the opening and closing endpapers, edge to edge, is an American flag.  Along the upper line of the red stripe (hardiness and valor) are the tiniest outlines of villages, one following the other.  Over some are skylines reflective of the time of day or the current weather.  In the lower right hand corner amid rays of sunlight is a double rainbow peeking through clouds.

The title page includes an image of three children and a dog moving up a winding road toward a bare, lone tree on top of a hill.  Marla begins the story here.  Rendered in pencil and watercolor on Strathmore paper the illustrations vary from single page pictures, to groups of pictures depicting a passage of time and panoramic double-page pictures.  Every element in each picture enhances the idea of a village inclusive of all people and all children.

All the clothing worn by the people, their body postures and facial expressions reveal their personalities even though we never meet them but we do recognize them.  They are people we see when out running errands, attending entertainment events or walking our dog in the neighborhood.  They are us.

One of my favorite sequences of illustrations heightens the meaning of two of my favorite phrases.  There are eleven small visuals spanning two pages.  We see children and adults taking naps, parents taking care of their children, a bumped knee getting attention and a group of children reading.  I'll focus on the five guys and gals reading.  A single blanket in red and black plaid is spread on the ground.  They are sprawled in a row across it.  Over four of them is a blue blanket with blue stars.  One child is using the blue blanket as a cover, another as a cushion and the final three as a tent.


I believe you need to have a copy of It Takes a Village written by Hillary Rodham Clinton with illustrations by Marla Frazee in your professional and personal library collections.  This book is an important, timely and timeless reminder for us.  Everything we do is for the future, for our children.  And they need to know this.  Hillary Rodham Clinton provides an Author's Note at the conclusion.

The link attached to Hillary Rodham Clinton's name will take you to her 2016 site for the presidential campaign because I was unable to find a site dedicated to her as an author.  It is important to note how often during the video she mentions being a champion for children.  This has been a constant during her life.  The link attached to Marla Frazee's name will take you to her website.  There you can learn more about her and her other work.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images from this title as well as download a four page activity guide.  Hillary Rodham Clinton was interviewed at BookExpo 2017.  Marla Frazee was interviewed at Andrea Skyberg's website (lots of art and views of her studio) and at Reading Rockets.  Enjoy the videos.


Marla Frazee from Adam Goodwin on Vimeo.