Always An Ally

Day and night, if the sky is clear, it is there to be seen.  It is white against a brilliant blue sky in early evening or at morning's beginning.  Against the night's darkness, it glows white, golden yellow, orange and sometimes red, depending on the time of year, atmosphere or its location.  Shapes and sizes shift during its monthly cycle.

It is a constant companion to Earth and all living things on the planet.  Moon!: Earth's Best Friend (Henry Holt and Company, June 11, 2019) written by Moon (with Stacy McAnulty) and illustrated by Moon (and Stevie Lewis) is a lively, informative discussion by and about our natural satellite.  It's the third book in the Our Universe series; Earth!: My First 4.54 Billion Years (Henry Holt and Company, October 24, 2017) and Sun!: One In A Billion (Henry Holt and Company, October 23, 2018) are the first two titles.  What new fun, fantastic moon facts will we learn?

Look up.  Look up! LOOK UP!
It's me.  Moon!
I'm Earth's best friend.

Moon takes us back, back, back to the beginning.  When Earth was new, a huge rock (think planet size) crashed into us.  The debris from this collision, some 4.5 billion years ago, became Moon.    Twenty-seven point three days pass for Moon to circle Earth once and for Moon to spin around once.  Did you know we always see the same side of the moon?  Can you name the eight phases of the moon?

Moon is the only Moon but there are other moons attached to other planets.  Our moon ranks fifth in size.  Even though Earth and Moon are permanent pals, Earth is larger giving her a greater gravitational pull.  Moon averages about 238,855 miles from Earth.

Even at that distance Moon keeps Earth in balance and controls our high and low tides twice a day.  Moon has bragging rights in the entire universe about contact with humans . . . men.  Some footprints are still there, along with items left there by visitors.  Nail clippers?

During eclipses the Earth and Moon take turns hiding and shadowing.  Day and night determine the type of eclipse, solar or lunar.  One of the most important truths Moon wants us to remember is Moon is always there.  We can take comfort in this whether Moon is visible or not.

Moon's charming conversations through words with Stacy McAnulty focus on a friendship formed from nearly the beginning of Earth's existence.  As each virtue of Moon's contributions to this relationship is revealed, little asides define terminology.  Humor is evident as the narrative compares the weight of a cow on Earth to the weight of a cow on the moon and continues with a commentary about cows, nursery rhymes, jumping and the distance between the Earth and Moon.  Each cheery observation is presented with satisfaction and loyalty.  Here is a passage.

BFFs help each other out.

I keep Earth from being too wobbly.
This might be the most important thing I do,
and you probably didn't even know about it!  


When you look at the open dust jacket, one of the first things you notice is the happy disposition of Moon.  Placed in a starry sky, Moon is content and proud to be Earth's best friend.  To the left, on the back, the background continues.  Moon is waving at us from the lower, left-hand corner.  Above Moon text provides an introduction to the book.  Covers of the two previous titles with a starred review quote are also included.  Portions of the images and text are varnished.

On the open book case, the back, on the left, is identical.  On the front Moon is much closer.  A portion of her right side moves off the case.  Moon's left arm is raised toward Moon's smiling mouth.  The opening and closing endpapers are a pale dusty blue.  On the dedication page Stacy McAnulty, Stevie Lewis and Moon have statements.  Moon's appearance on the title page looks as though secrets are about to be shared.

Rendered using

colored pencils and digital tools

the illustrations by Stevie Lewis alternate between full-page and double-page pictures.  Regardless of their size, each element contributes to the sheer delight Moon conveys in telling us about the friendship with Earth.  If what we are told is less than happy news, an emotion is appropriately presented. Earth looks a little worried by all the man-made satellites zooming around her.  This is followed by Moon in three different positions around Earth chatting about facts while swirling colorful celebratory ribbons.

Readers will find that the images heighten the narrative.  In the portion about cows, nursery rhymes, jumping and distance, the humor of the words is depicted in multiple cows in space wearing helmets.  When showing how Earth would function without Moon's gravity, Earth looks like she's been on a merry-go-round too long.

One of my many favorite illustrations spans two pages.  Earth is centered on either side of the gutter in a starry sky.  Around Earth are the eight phases of Moon.  The text reads:

But you probably noticed I look different every night.
Fun, right?

Check out
my PHASES!

For each phase Stevie Lewis gives Moon a new facial expression.  The phases are labeled, and one contains a fun fact.


This new entry in an engaging, entertaining and enlightening series, Moon!: Earth's Best Friend written by Moon (with Stacy McAnulty) and illustrated by Moon (and Stevie Lewis), is fabulous.  Moon's point of view in describing attributes of this perpetual union makes this book a stellar choice for a space, planet, Earth, Moon or bedtime themes.  I can't imagine a professional or personal collection without a copy of this title.  At the close of the book is a short author's note to Fellow Moon Gazers, a Two Truths and a Myth with Moon, Moon by the Numbers, All in a Name (different kinds of moons) and Sources.

To learn more about Stacy McAnulty and Stevie Lewis, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Stacy McAnulty has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Stevie Lewis has accounts on Instagram and Tumblr.  I believe you will find this interview of Stevie Lewis on She Explores very interesting and also this one at 24 Carrot Writing.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.


You'll want to take a few moments to view the other titles selected this week by participants in the 2019 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge by visiting Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator, Alyson Beecher.

Upon His Arrival

Sometimes the world doesn't change but a perception of the world does.  It may seem almost magical when this happens, but one individual can alter the viewpoints of many by simply being themselves or by a quirk of fate.  We never know when this will happen.  We will remember it.

The other very important thing to consider is we not only have this memory, but now we are seeking with anticipation different perceptions of the same thing, things we encounter every single day.  Bear Came Along (Little, Brown And Company, June 4, 2019) written by Richard T. Morris with illustrations by LeUyen Pham is another outstanding collaboration by the team that brought us Sheep 101 (Little, Brown And Company, March 13, 2018).  In this title, Bear Came Along, the actions of one alter the awareness of many.  It's safe to say life along the river is newly defined in a day.

Once there was a river
that flowed night and day,

but it didn't know
it was a river . . .

until . . .

A bear meanders out of the woods, climbs on a log overhanging the river, reaches toward the water and promptly falls.  Completely soaked he fails to realize he's on an adventure until a nearby frog stops watching and begins hopping.  She hops right on top of Bear.

Bear climbs on the log as Frog, needing a friend, joins him.  When the Turtles appear, they issue warnings instead of fun-filled possibilities.  Beaver, a born captain, climbs aboard.  So now we have an adventure with growing friendships, happiness happening and a great guide who lacks knowledge of altered courses.

Two rambunctious raccoons leap from treetops to join the group racing down the river; all are oblivious of everything except for the scenery passing by them on both sides.  Unable to stop they bump into Duck who is lovingly accepted as a passenger.  Duck (and the entire group) has no idea of what they will see on this wild excursion until they make a shocking discovery.  They are at the edge of a waterfall!

Like a chain made of friendship, they cling to each other as they drop.  SPLOSH!  One bear, one frog, two turtles, one beaver, two raccoons and a duck will remember this day.  They are not alone in their remembering.


One of the first of many elements you notice in this narrative penned by Richard T. Morris is the excellent use of pacing.  The key word, until, links each of the animals' lack of understanding and discovery together. Readers will see the pattern fashioned by this technique.  They will come to realize, like the animals, how richer the lives of the animals are in the presence of each other.  The river starts the story, keeps it flowing and brings it to a conclusion that is not an ending but a beginning.  This is a brilliant circle story.  Here is a passage.

the Raccoons dropped in.

The Raccoons were so excited
about the twists and turns ahead,
but they didn't know they had to be careful . . .
until . . .


Seeing the partial face of Bear at the bottom of the front of the dust jacket, with the river and evergreen forest behind him, leads readers to ask what could possibly happen next.  Why is he there?  What is he thinking?  There are many potential scenarios.  It's when the dust jacket is opened the story thread grows.  On the other side of the spine, the forest and river continue but careful readers will see hidden among the trees, among the reeds and river, the other animal characters in the narrative.  They are not aware of each other, but it's as if they are waiting, too.

On the book case the river acts as a canvas.  Bear remains the same with the text looking watery.  To the left of the spine, we can see portions of the other animals.  There is a marked change in their expressions.

On the opening and closing endpapers we are treated to an exquisite bird's-eye view of the river winding through the forest landscape.  On the first scene shades of black are painted on a creamy white canvas.  A portion in the center is darker than the outlying areas. The bright blue river provides a pleasing contrast.  The characters are tucked into the scene in the order in which they appear.  The second view is a colorful, beautiful reflection of the story and its results.  It's enchanting!

Rendered in

watercolor, ink, and gouache on hot-press illustration board 

the artwork by LeUyen Pham makes you feel as though you are holding something rich and rare in your hands.  She makes use of every bit of space.  On the title page a double-page picture shows Bear coming to the river.  With a page turn another double-page picture shifts the perspective giving us a larger view of the river and Bear.  Then the point-of-view changes again to bring us back close to Bear as he stretches to the river from the log.  These varying contexts pair beautifully with the narrative.

The details in each image will have readers pausing.  The illustration sizes also ask readers to savor the story.  The use of portions of animals and portions of scenes is wonderful.  Sometimes the text is placed directly on the visual; other times it is within its own small rectangle.  The word until is larger and bolder.

Two double-page wordless pictures in a row are pure perfection.  A vertical image will have readers gasping.  Each time an animal is introduced readers will find a place for them in their collective hearts.  Their personalities shine in every line LeUyen Pham makes.  And yes, there is humor throughout the artwork.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is on a single page, edge to edge.  We are very close to the animals crowded on the log.  We see portions of each of the seven.  Bear's face is looking a tad bit worried, Raccoons are thrilled with the ride on either side of Bear, Frog in front of Bear is hugging Duck, Beaver is totally jazzed with this ride to the right of Duck and the Turtles to the left of Duck are scared.  This is not a quiet snapshot, but one filled with a range of emotions.  I can't look at it without smiling.


This book, Bear Came Along written by Richard T. Morris with illustrations by LeUyen Pham, is definitely a 2019 title to include in your professional and personal collections.  It is to be read aloud.  It is to be shared often.  It is to be gifted.  It is about how we are distinct individuals but are joined by something larger than our differences.  It is important for you to read the author and illustrator notes at the end.

To learn more about LeUyen Pham, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  LeUyen Pham is a guest at teacher librarian, Matthew Winner's The Children's Book Podcast.  At the publisher's website you are treated to a video book chat with LeUyen Pham about this title (She reveals some marvelous meanings about her illustrations.) and a downloadable storytime kit.

Update:  On January 27, 2020 during the American Library Association Youth Media Awards, this title's illustrator LeUyen Pham was awarded a Caldecott Honor award.  This is her response.

From Your Soul

Striving to make a dream come true takes dedication, determination, desire and a great deal of practice.  Given the chance to exhibit the results of your endeavors is exciting.  When other members of your family with the same interests are a part of the event, your eagerness is magnified. 

You would think that an individual close to you (really close to you), would be supportive.  In fact, you should be able to count on them as your most ardent cheerleader.  Linus The Little Yellow Pencil (Disney Hyperion, June 4, 2019) written and illustrated by Scott Magoon follows the creative ups and downs of an artist with a pessimistic critic.  It's not easy to stay on point in those kinds of conditions.

The family art show was coming up, and only the art with the most heart would win the grand prize.

Linus, the little yellow pencil, is entering the contest for the first time.  Ernie is Linus's eraser.  He has a hard time finding anything good to say about Linus's drawing.  Ernie is first worried and then very angry.  Linus, in his opinion, has no talent.

Every dot, line and object Linus draws are erased by Ernie.  Now Linus has nothing for the contest.  He watches his family preparing for the exhibition.  Brush is happily painting as Ink, Red Paint and Orange Paint comment.  Linus is a tad bit jealous.  Pen and Crayons are passionately pursing their entries.  

Ernie's lack of confidence in Linus seeps into his psyche.  His happy-go-lucky spirit is fading.  When Ernie suggests they not go to the show, it is heart-breaking.  Both Linus and Ernie are starting to wonder if each other are right.  With nowhere left to go, Linus enters a nearby cave.

Inside the cave, Linus meets a being who has a distinct kinship with him.  During their conversation woes are expressed and advice is given.  Popping out of the cave, Linus is a changed little yellow pencil,

sharper than ever, 

he works with renewed vigor until an idea pops into his mind.  It's a concept with a collaborative twist.  The evening of the family art show is one everyone will remember.

Using carefully constructed simple sentences with a mix of dialogue and characters' thoughts, Scott Magoon writes a story mirroring situations and emotions in which readers will identify.  He clearly portrays the battle between loving what you do and being brave enough to keep doing it.  Readers will appreciate the wordplay within the narrative; especially the double meanings.  Here is a passage plus a little bit more.

Linus drew more, but Ernie flipped.

"You can't even make a stick figure?!"

"Oh, I don't know," said Linus.  "I like this one."

"No, trust me," said Ernie.

So Linus tried again . . .

and again.

But it was no use.

Ernie didn't like a single mark Linus made.

Rubba-dubba-rubb went Ernie.

And Linus's lines were gone.

When readers look at the smiling face of Linus on the front of the dust jacket, it is their understanding this little yellow pencil enjoys what he does.  Every portion of this illustration is lifelike, asking us to reach out and touch the page.  We can see texture, but the text is raised so we can feel it, too.  You can see faint images used as a background.  These are Linus's drawings.  

It is when the dust jacket is opened the other end of this pencil comes into view on the back, to the left.  It is cranky, doubting Ernie, enlarged just like Linus.  The line drawn by Linus is being erased.  Eraser bits fall to the left of Ernie.  The text on the back reads:

What 

will

draw

them

together?

A yellow post-it-note in the lower, left-hand corner shows a zebra sketch.  The ISBN covers most of the zebra's body.  (Clever, Scott Magoon, clever)

From left to right and crossing the spine are small colored squares on the book case.  Some are in rows; others are placed on top of these loose rows.  Inside the squares are examples of artwork after Linus's idea grew in his mind.  In the lower, right-hand corner on the front the title has been written in a yellow square.

On the opening endpapers a large drawn squiggle moves from left to right, nearly top to bottom, on a yellow canvas.  In black and white on the closing endpapers a burst of artwork in rays shines from the upper, right-hand corner to the far-left side.  This is a glorious example of Linus's grand design.

Using scanned paper texture and Photoshop Scott Magoon's illustrations are a marvelous medley of characters and artistic styles.  Items found in artist's studios and on their tables are brought to life with dots and lines and ingenuity.  Drawing notebooks and a worktable provide a canvas for the papers and artwork.  The depiction of Linus in the cave is superb.  (Look at Ernie's face!)

The picture sizes are nearly all double-page visuals.  The perspective shifts in sync with the narrative.  Emotion is embedded in every single one.  These tools of the artists' trade are fully animated expressing and experiencing human qualities.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is on a single page.  It highlights a good portion of the text previously noted.  On a plain creamy yellow background, Linus has drawn a stick figure in the lower, left-hand corner.  There is a grassy area at the bottom with lines rising from the ground.  A stick is standing in the middle of this area.  Three branches with leaves extend from the stick.  A smiling face is in the center with an eye and eyebrow on either side and a smile curving underneath.  Ernie is erasing the grassy area on the right.  Linus is trying to draw a swirling line, but he is clearly unhappy.

Like the winner of the art show, this book, Linus The Little Yellow Pencil written and illustrated by Scott Magoon, has the most heart.  It's not only about following your heart but also about helping someone else to see the art in their heart.  It's a hopeful, lively look at staying true to your calling but to be willing and brave enough to change.  I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal collections. (The dedication is simply lovely.)

To learn more about Scott Magoon and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  He has a great deal of information and resources about this title.  Scott has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Scott Magoon is interviewed at Creative North Shore, The Write Space and Critter Lit.   

Topsy-Turvy

If you've ever read a book aloud requiring audience participation, you know they are a huge hit with the storytime crowd.  When you are asked to do or say something by the characters or the narrator, it heightens the feeling of being a part of the tale.  Soon listeners will be eagerly calling out their ideas and leaning in, even closer than normal, to see the results of fulfilled requests.

If you've never read a book aloud requiring audience participation, don't hesitate any longer.  You and your listeners will enjoy the entreaties and humor found in Abner & Ian Get Right-Side Up (Little, Brown and Company, May 14, 2019) written by Dave Eggers with art by Laura Park.  The commentary by the unfortunate duo will have you laughing out loud.

Uh-oh.
What?

The duck, Abner, quickly points out their position on their respective pages.  Instead of standing on the ground, they are sticking out from the left and right sides.  They are hanging sideways. Ian, a prairie dog, is sure his companion will have an idea. Abner does not know how to fix this.  He suggests they ask

that kid

to assist them.

Even though Ian thinks the kid smells a little funky, Abner asks him to shake the book and then turn the page.  He's confident this will work based on previous practices.  Amazingly Ian agrees.   Next a first-class dilemma ensues.  The friends converse back and forth about who will signal the reader to shake the book.  When Abner concedes, Ian keeps saying anything but the appropriate word.  He prolongs their situation longer by wondering if the child is ready to participate.  Finally, Ian yells

NOW!

Much to their dismay, they are currently hanging from the top of the page.  Ian is revealing personal traits which Abner initially finds intriguing.  This does nothing to solve their problem.  Abner issues new instructions to the kid hoping to end this state of affairs.  The outcome is shocking for them and for readers.

Abner is not sure the kid can accomplish what is needed.  Ian wants him to try once more.  Just when you think it can't get stranger, it does.  The kid is asked yet again to shake the book like a wild child.  The effect is weirder.  Now Abner is sure this is being done intentionally.  Ian disagrees.

Shaking and turning and shaking and turning continue until Ian calls a halt.  Despite Abner's frustration, Ian has an idea.  If it works, it will be a miracle.  Do you believe in miracles? 


Told entirely in dialogue author Dave Eggers has designed the story like a comedy routine.  The personalities of Abner and Ian shine in their attitudes at their predicament.  One is ready for action with a let's-get-this-show-on-the-road mindset, the other is more contemplative with an optimistic and calm outlook.  This contrast elevates the hilarity.  Here is a passage.

The kid said yes.  Are you satisfied?

I am.  I think reassurances like
that are so helpful to the smooth
functioning of systems, and
greatly increase the probability of
success in an endeavor like this. 


Drawn with pencil and colored with a computer by Laura Park all the illustrations accentuate the discussions and consequences with utmost wit.  When we are introduced to the twosome on the front of the book case (I am working with an F & G.) we notice immediately something is amiss.  Abner and Ian are both wondering what is wrong.  (On the back is information you are likely to find on the front and back flaps of a dust jacket.)

A page turn reveals a stage with curtains on the sides and along the top.  A silhouette of a home and tree is seen in the background.  This scene is expanded with the first page turn.  It is in each illustration.  It does not change (usually); only Abner and Ian do.

 What raises the humor is the clothing worn by the characters, their facial expressions and body postures.  Their hands are very expressive.  Ian expresses his confidence in the kid with thumbs up.  Every time they move, Abner's scarf points toward the ground.  Abner's and Ian's colors appear to remain the same but the background shifts to a variety of solid shades to heighten interest and provide pacing.

One of my many favorite illustrations is for a shocking plight after one of the kid's shakes.  The ground stretches left to right as usual; the house and tree on the left and a small mound on the right.  Abner and Ian are not sticking out on the left and right sides.  They are not hanging from the top of the page.  We can only see a portion of their bodies.  (And that's all I'm going to say.)


You will find yourself smiling, grinning and giggling over and over again, no matter how many times you read Abner & Ian Get Right-Side Up written by Dave Eggers with art by Laura Park.  Trust me when I say you will be reading this more than once per sitting.  This is storytime gold.  You might want to have more than one copy for your professional collections and certainly a copy of your own for home.

To learn more about Dave Eggers and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Laura Park has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.

Preserved Grandeur

The memory of certain beauty, no matter how many decades pass, never leaves.  When you stand on the edge of the Grand Canyon gazing at the vista spread before you, you have to remind yourself to breathe.  An early morning drive through the Great Smoky Mountains feels like you've entered another place in another time, a place when magic is possible.  If you time it right, you'll be looking up more than one hundred feet as Old Faithful, a geyser, erupts in Yellowstone.  Lupines as far as the eye can see, carpet a landscape in Rocky Mountain National Park.  In the silence of a sunrise as the world awaits, the Grand Teton range stands like ancient sentinels, guardians of the world spread before them.

The designation of national parks throughout the United States protects diverse ecosystems.  They provide protected spaces in a variety of geographic locations for more than 300 million visitors each year.  You Are Home: An Ode to the National Parks (Atheneum Books For Young Readers, June 4, 2019) written and illustrated by Evan Turk is a spectacular and intimate journey to twenty-three of the parks.

To the chipmunk in her burrow,
sleeping beneath the leaves to keep warm;

Traveling from the Shenandoah in Virginia, we see giants plow through snow in Yellowstone in winter.  The bison brave weather in all the seasons.  Wildflowers swaying in breezes and pronghorn grazing on grasses are seen in Colorado at the Great Sand Dunes.  All these animals and the flora around them call these places home.

Bobcats, fireflies, and elk roam these locations, their relatives residents for generations.  Whether you come from city streets or sprawling farmlands, this is home.  For people calling this home for the first time and for people calling it home before anyone else, this land is for all to enjoy.

Rock formations like alien architecture, mountaintops like stairways to the stars, trees towering like they belong in a land of giants and coral reefs creating castles for marine life, are only some of the majestic sights to be scene in our national parks.  Wherever you travel, whatever you see, hear, smell, taste or touch, all these things in these preserved regions are home to you and many others.  These national parks are constantly in motion through the activities of the wildlife, the flow of water, the erosion of rocks and soil and the changing views throughout the seasons.

Even with changes something remains the same.  It is a melody sung in every corner of every national park.  You can feel its notes playing in your soul, connecting you to that which surrounds you.  It is a single word with the warmth, serenity and comfort of an embrace.


The poetic phrases penned by Evan Turk are a soothing symphony; taking us on a journey through the best this planet has to offer us.  Each combination of words appeals to our senses as we become acquainted with the flora, fauna and scenic vistas.  Regardless of where we originate, Evan Turk ties us to these national parks, allowing us to call one or all home.  Here is a passage.

to the herds of elk
trumpeting the arrival of fall;

to the forests of twinkling aspen
turned golden by the shortening days:

you are home.

When you open the dust jacket two magnificent scenes are spread before you.  We stand with two others looking over flowers, water, hills and mountains in California before our eyes turn to the left, on the back.  (The three-word title on the front is embossed in gold.)  We are in Virginia with the rolling hills of a valley spread before us.  In the lower right-hand corner, the chipmunk from the first passage watches.  Accolades for three of Evan's other titles appear in a framed rectangle superimposed on this view.  The background for the text is like vellum.  It's partially transparent.

The book case in rich colors of red, purple, orange and green portray a view of a canyon with a river in turquoise like a ribbon winding through the steep walls.  This is more of an abstract depiction but stunning, nonetheless.  On the opening and closing endpapers, we visit first Acadia and then Olympic.  In the first a setting sun radiates golden light on water and a rugged shoreline.  In the second night fashions shadows of tall rocky spires against a star-studded sky.  

For the title page the scene on the back of the dust jacket is extended to the left on another page providing a place for the dedication and publication information.  All the illustrations are rendered in pastel on black paper and most span two pages.   Single page pictures emphasize the pacing of the narrative.  Whether Evan Turk takes you close to a sleeping chipmunk or to watch others walk through the Arches or among soaring birds in the Everglades, each image is heart-stopping gorgeous.  

The color palette, time of day and season of the year are presented with polished skill.  Each visual conveys not only a particular park but the passion of this author and illustrator for his art.  With each page turn you find yourself inwardly gasping at the Earth's elegance before you.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is in Yellowstone (the first National Park).  To the left rolling hills studded with trees are snow-covered.  The air is filled with snow.  A river winds through the landscape along the bottom.  Bison are grazing.  On the right the animals are closer to us and in the foreground, ready to move.  Behind them a darker, snow-covered view moves to the top of the page and to the right.  There is a very real sense of majesty in every element of this picture.

After you've read You Are Home: An Ode to the National Parks written and illustrated by Evan Turk, you'll go back to read it repeatedly but only after you've paused in stunned silence first.  This is a showpiece, a work of art.  At the conclusion of the book, Evan Turk has two pages of notes, including a portion about the art.  It is followed by a map of the National Parks Of The United States with thumbprints of those parks featured in this title on the right. There is one final page titled:

More About The Parks And Animals In This Book.

Make sure you have a copy of this book for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Evan Turk and his other work, please follow the link attached to this name to access his website.  Evan Turk highlights interior images from this title.  He has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Evan writes a guest post on The TeachingBooks.net blog about this book.  The cover reveal is hosted by teacher librarian Matthew Winner.  Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher, premieres the book trailer at Watch. Connect. Read.  Evan Turk is interviewed at The Booking Biz.  This title is highlighted by author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  At the publisher's website you can view interior pictures.

UPDATE:  Evan Turk is interviewed at Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb on June 27, 2019.

This book is so important and lovely, I am happy to give away a copy to one fortunate winner.  Good luck!

Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to view the other titles selected this week by those participating in the 2019 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.

Considering A Choice

There is nothing as desirable as the last of a whole lot of things.  It does not matter if it's the last for a day, month, season, year or possibly forever.  We all understand how vital the remaining minutes of light before night comes are when something needs to be done outside.  Is there anything more delicious than the final scoop of your favorite ice cream?  The world is bathed in magic on full moon nights.  It's hard to wait an entire month for the next one to appear.  It could also be cloudy!  The conclusion of summer vacation is bittersweet.  It's full of wonderful memories but signals the end of a welcome season, and for many a return to a more restricted schedule.

When faced with a last item, the situation is more complicated when appreciation turns into desire and that desire is denied for a variety of reasons.  The Last Peach (Roaring Brook Press, April 2, 2019) written and illustrated by Gus Gordon explores this dilemma with considerable insight.  Two bugs find themselves debating multiple issues after their magnificent discovery.

Oh my, now THAT is a fine peach!

Yes, indeed, the finest! 

After extolling the virtues of the peach, the bugs decide it must be eaten . . . immediately.  When they are ordered to stop because it is the final fruit of the season, they pause with reluctance.  This pause is short-lived.  As they are about to consume the peach in earnest, another bug interrupts.  It might only be good on the outside.

The duo reaches an alternative to full-blown consumption, but they talk themselves out of that approach. With their imaginations working overtime, they wonder about the magical qualities of the peach.  They wonder if they should share the peach.  They even suppose what the peach would say if it could speak.

Their musings proceed to over-the-top status when a poem is penned for the fruit.  Quiet, respectful gazing at the peach by both suddenly turns into a bitter feud.  Perhaps only one of them deserves the peach.  As suddenly as the argument starts, it stops.

With the consistency of a swinging pendulum on a clock, the bugs' minds switch back to the beginning.  The perfection of the peach outweighs any of their cravings.  They bid it adieu.  What?!  What kind of ending is this?  A page turn reveals a most hilarious turn of events.


Told entirely in dialogue author Gus Gordon spins a tale replete with some of life's biggest questions.  Through the back-and-forth discourse of the two bugs we see them wrestling with possibilities.  Humor plays a big part in their contemplations.  Here is a passage.

It might be a magical peach!  What if we ate it and could suddenly do magical things?

LIKE FLY! 

YES!

Hang on, we can already fly . . .

Oh, yeah.


Everything about these two insects, when we first see them on the front of the matching dust jacket and book case, depicts hilarious.  Look at their bodies dressed in shirts with one wearing a hat.  Notice their long noses, expressive body positions, and, dare I say it, bug-eyed looks.  Their bodies and the text on the jacket are varnished.

To the left, on the back, a green from the foliage is used as the canvas.  Within a small circle the duo is looking directly at readers. Their arms are lifted in greeting.  On the opening and closing endpapers, artist Gus Gordon has illustrated in three rows of six, left to right, eighteen peaches.  They appear lifelike and as if categorized in a botany catalog.  They are gorgeous.

On the verso a red beetle (with seven legs) stops above the informational text and under the dedication.  On the right, the last peach hangs from the top of the title page above the text.  Rendered in predominantly collage, the illustrations, with the exception of two wordless, double-page pictures, are full-page visuals on the left.  The narrative is placed on the right.

During their conversations, to emphasize pacing and emotional moments, the points of view shift from image to image.  We are taken very close to the bugs; only seeing the upper portion of their bodies.  We are then given a wider scene including branches, leaves, flowers and the peach.  Readers will enjoy seeing other bugs come and go in the illustrations.  One might be wearing a hat, a bow tie, eyeglasses or overalls.  It's interesting to observe the red shirt of the one bug from picture to picture.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a wider perspective of the two bugs and the peach.  Rounded, oval-shaped leaves frame the sides.  Leaves and flowers stretch from the bottom of the page.  That red beetle is crossing a large leaf along the bottom.  Nearly in the center and extending from the left side is a long leaf.  The companions are standing on it with their backs to us.  Deep in a discussion, they look at the peach, a portion hanging down from the top.


It is easy to imagine the laughter resonating in the room when The Last Peach written and illustrated by Gus Gordon is either read silently by one or listened to by many during a storytime.  Be sure to read it using voices.  It invites creative drama either as a readers' theater or a puppet show.  You'll want to have a copy of this on your personal and professional shelves especially for a theme on decisions, perspective or insects.

To discover more about Gus Gordon and his other work, please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  Gus Gordon maintains an account on Instagram.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  Gus Gordon is interviewed at Kids' Book Review, and Creative Kids Tales.

A Ride To Remember

For however long they are in our lives, their influence grows.  The memory of lessons learned from them and moments shared with them remain with us for as long as we live.  Our fathers, or those men who are father figures in our families, leave this legacy with us hoping the best of it will become a part of who we are.

Their words, actions and time spent with us help to define and direct our intentions as adults.  My Papi Has A Motorcycle (Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, May 14, 2019) written by Isabel Quintero with illustrations by Zeke Pena is a joyous homage to a father's daily ritual with his daughter.  It honors their shared experiences.

My papi has a motorcycle.
From him I've learned words like
carburetor and carino, drill and 
dedication.

At the end of every day, as soon as she hears his truck in their driveway, she rushes to meet him.  She carries two helmets for their motorcycle ride through their neighborhood.  He is exhausted from his day working as a carpenter, but he is never too tired to spend this time with her.

As he revs the engine on his bike, Papi calls to his daughter to hold on.  She does as they speed into a sky brilliant with the setting sun.  They weave through familiar streets past familiar buildings.  They greet the librarian as he leaves the market.  A boy calls out

DAISY!

Murals depicting the city and people's history fill her vision.  A tasty raspados shop, to their disappointment, is closed.  They roar away, heading to their evening's destination.  They pass by her grandparents' home, a lemon tree in the yard growing from seeds planted decades ago.  Too soon they come to her father's construction site.  After greetings are exchanged, they continue to zoom along the street, reaching Daisy's favorite part of the trip, a large curve with echoes of past races fueling her imagination.

As they travel home the separate shops blend into a breathtaking blur of color.  Their street, and then their driveway, come into view.  A mother, a younger brother, a daughter and her papi close this ritual with a delectable treat.  Perhaps it will become a part of their daily ride on a polished blue motorcycle through a city changing but remaining the same in a young girl's heart.


Readers will feel the exhilaration, along with Daisy, of this daily motorcycle ride through the vivid descriptions written by Isabel Quintero.  Isabel Quintero mentions the sawdust on Papi and the smell he carries with him after working.  She remarks how carefully Papi tucks his daughter's ponytail under her helmet.  She likens the duo on the bike to a

celestial thing soaring on asphalt.

These are details which connect all of us to this story.  We remember sensory elements such as these from our own experiences.

Writing the narrative using English and Spanish words enriches this tribute for all readers.  We can enter Daisy's world for the time in which the pages are turned, and it remains with its lingering beauty. Isabel Quintero gives us single sentences you want to carry with you always. Here is another passage and a single sentence.

We pass Joy's Market where Mami buys my gummy bears.
Mr. Garcia, our librarian, is walking out the door and nods at us.
We nod back.  This is how we always greet each other.

Even in all that noise, my papi's voice touches everything.


When you see the expression on the face of Daisy on the front of the matching dust jacket and book case, you know, without a doubt how contented she is.  It's the combination of her smile and closed eyes.  The look Papi is giving her is one of devoted affection.  To the left, on the back, on a continuation of the canvas color, the duo is seen vrooooomm- ing down the road, leaning into each other and the speed of the bike.

On the opening and closing endpapers (and throughout the book) artist Zeke Pena has drawn,

with a Wacom Cintiq 13HD with a mix of hand-painted watercolor texture,

a bird's eye view of the circular route with buildings and homes, the landscaping and mountains in the background.  It is blue on blue.  On the first set, on the right, an illustration of Daisy, in full color and holding in her upraised right hand a toy motorcycle with a unicorn riding on it, is shown.  This is also the title page.  The cityscape on the closing endpapers becomes the verso and dedication pages with the text placed appropriately.

The matte-finished paper heightens the sensory reading of this story.  The images created by Zeke Pena in a colorful palette range in size and placement accentuating the narrative and pacing.  Illustrations are layered.  Some are framed in fine black lines within larger pictures.  There are numerous elements in each one to capture readers' attentions.  I love that Daisy is reading Lowriders (Lowriders in Space).  Spanish words are also used as conversation in structured balloons outside of the main text.  From their context and English words comprehension is easy.

One of the most pleasing aspects, of many, are the altered points of view in the pictures.  Sometimes they shift multiple times in two adjoining pages.  We might focus on only eyes or look at feet and legs from a dog's perspective.  Other times we look down from above.   The feeling throughout the entire book is one of delight, pride, warmth and affection.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is at the beginning of the book.  Papi is kneeling and fastening the strap on Daisy's helmet before their ride.  He has a slight smile on his face.  You can tell she is ready to burst with excitement, but she patiently waits, arms at her sides and grinning, as he helps her.  Within this image is another one that is framed and to the right.  Papi is lifting her up onto the seat of his motorcycle.  All we can see are the upper portions of their bodies.  He questions LISTA? and she answers SI!


No matter how many times My Papi Has A Motorcycle written by Isabel Quintero with illustrations by Zeke Pena is read, readers will enjoy it more with every reading.  The love embedded in the words and illustrations reaches out and wraps around you.  The genuine affection between Daisy and Papi and the fondness Daisy has for her community remains.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.  You might like to order the Spanish and English editions.   I did.

To discover more about Isabel Quintero and Zeke Pena and their other work, please access their respective websites by following the links attached to their names.  Isabel Quintero has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Zeke Pena has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  At author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, you can view additional illustrations.  Both Isabel Quintero and Zeke Pena participate in interviews at Publishers Weekly and at The Horn Book.  Zeke Pena is interviewed about this book at Let's Talk Picture Books.  You can see the opening endpapers at the publisher's website.  You might discover some ideas to use in your classroom with this book at The Classroom Bookshelf, School Library Journal.

UPDATE:  I think you'll enjoy this NPR Sunday Weekend Edition interview with both Isabel Quintero and Zeke Pena on August 25, 2019.