Listen For Their Music

They appear when you least expect them.  There is the long-ago memory of holding a bouquet of fresh-cut zinnias while standing in my garden.  One landed on a flower to sip the nectar.  I stood, holding my breath.  There is the most recent recollection of digging up a new garden in the first few days of hot summer sun. Wearing a hat with netting to protect myself from the hordes of black flies, a sudden humming near my face had me freezing.  A hummingbird was there before my eyes.  Was I like some giant flower?  Was it coming to say hello? Or perhaps, and thankfully, it was coming to consume some of those flies.

In northern Michigan they are only here during our short summer months, but their tiny presence is a reminder of how resilient even the smallest beings are.  Hummingbird (Candlewick Press, May 7, 2019) written by Nicola Davies with illustrations by Jane Ray is a narrative piece of nonfiction.  It's a blend of the annual migration of hummingbirds and how they encounter humans during their trek.  It's a tribute to one of nature's jewels.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds are tiny---they weigh less than a nickel---but every spring they fly up to 2000 miles from Mexico and Central America to spend the summer in the United States and Canada, where they build their nests and have their babies.

Let this bit of information sink into your mind.  Think about it the next time you have change in your hand.  That nickel you hold is more than the weight of a hummingbird.  Wow!

A grandmother and her granddaughter wait in a garden for their arrival.  Holding bowls of sugar water, the duo, hardly daring to breathe, watch as the hummingbirds hum to take sips.

Tz' unun! Tz'unun! 

The elder remarks to the child the birds will soon leave to go north, just like her granddaughter. 

A lone sailor at sea watches a plane pass as a hummingbird rests in the ship's rigging for the night.  These birds will lose a great deal of weight during their flight.  Farther along the route siblings wait for the visitors.  In addition to the feeders of sugar water, they have a bug dispenser to provide protein for the hummingbirds.

It takes hummingbirds until May to arrive in southern Canada.  Individuals and families watch them claim their share of nectar and sugar water placed by humans.  Their nests are as tiny as they are.  If you crack open a walnut, half the shell is the size of a hummingbird nest.

Do you remember the little girl with her grandmother?  One day in a park in New York City, she realizes the truth of something Granny told her.  Later, as the chill of autumn comes, so does a letter, a package and an annual guest.


In her writing Nicola Davies provides information which heightens our interest and need to preserve these precious birds and their habitats.  By including several stories of human interactions, she makes life on this planet an act of togetherness.  We humans are enriched by the existence and appearance of hummingbirds.  Here is passage with the accompanying fact.

Hummingbirds must fly south.  The trip is long and hard for such small bodies, and many of them won't reach their destination.

Roads, houses, and cities built by humans
mean that there are now fewer places for
hummingbirds to refuel on their trip.


Stunning illustrations rendered in watercolor and watercolor pencil with gold ink

begin on the matching dust jacket and book case.  Realistic, delicate and intricate elements bring readers closely into the realm of the ruby-throated hummingbird.  The male feeding and the female sitting on their nest gives us a unique perspective of the continuation of these birds' marvelous life cycles.  The breathtaking color of the flora and the birds is elevated by the cream canvas.

To the left of the spine in golden yellow, on the back, the floral scene continues.  It frames text inviting readers to follow a remarkable yearly journey.  On the opening and closing endpapers illustrator Jane Ray has placed a variety of hummingbirds among greenery and flowers.  Some are resting and others are in flight.  These elements appear varnished against the background.  This follows the text---

Their feathers flash in the slants of light.

(This technique is used throughout the book.)

An informative and beautiful map, prior to the title and verso pages highlights the residences of the ruby-throated hummingbird in the summer and winter.  A single setting stretches over two pages for the verso and title.  A tree, leafy branches and flowers border the text.  In the lower right-hand corner blossoms welcome a male hummingbird with their scent and nectar.

Each page turn reveals a double-page picture or several full-page pictures and even smaller images to accentuate the text and pacing.  Each visual is full of lush and luminous items contributing to elegant views of these birds and the humans along their path.  At times in a single illustration Jane Ray alters her perspective giving us a larger point of view on one side before bringing us close on the opposite page.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations spans two pages.  It is a close-up view of Granny's garden.  Spread along the sides, top and bottom are a glorious array of flowers, and leaves.  Rays of pale, golden sunlight radiate in the center of the two pages.  Hummingbirds on both pages seek the flowers.  Along the bottom of the right side, the granddaughter's hand provides a resting place of a male hummingbird.  To her right, Granny holds a bowl of sugar water.  Several hummingbirds are gathered there.


Through carefully chosen words and striking artwork readers are transported into the world of hummingbirds on their travels each year and how they survive.  The humans, as shown here, welcome them and assist them . . . as we should.  Hummingbird written by Nicola Davies with illustrations by Jane Ray is a title you will want in your personal and professional collections.  It, like its subject, is a gem.

To learn more about Nicola Davies and Jane Ray and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  At Penguin Random House and Candlewick Press, you can view interior images.  Nicola Davies has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Jane Ray has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. I hope you enjoy the video of Jane Ray speaking about her work.

 





Please take a few moments to view the titles selected this week by other participants in the 2019 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge hosted by educator Alyson Beecher at Kid Lit Frenzy.

A Plot Twisted

Wherever you go there will always be those individuals who take pleasure in playing pranks on others.  These tricks range in complexity from a jump and shouted boo to an elaborate deception taking days, or even weeks, to put in motion.  Responses of the recipients of these high jinks range from reluctant admiration, irritation, discomfort, fear or to thoughts of retaliation or justice.  The bottom line, truthfully, is no one likes to be the target of another's shenanigans.

When we see antics like this in action, we have an opportunity to offer support to the unfortunate individual or individuals because, more often than not, there is a very fine line between practical jokes and bullying.  Let's Scare Bear (Holiday House, July 9, 2019), debut picture book written and illustrated by Yuko Katakawa, uses a 

a tale in the Japanese oral tradition known as rakugo

to shape an original and lively look at behavior of individuals.  It, like life, gives readers wisdom in making choices and in determining their reactions.

Manju cake!
Chewy! Sweet! A treat to eat! 

Four gathered friends, who loved manju cake, were about to enjoy this delectable delicacy, until loud noises interrupted them.  It was Bear.  This large, courageous animal of the woodland realm happened to be walking past their tree.

Mouse, who could be viewed as the opposite of Bear, in most respects, wanted to scare him.  Fox decided to scare Bear first.  The display of his teeth was nothing compared to Bear's big open mouth lined with rows of sharp pearly whites.

Spider's web and Snake's squeeze were no match for Bear's strength.  When Mouse decided to utter a boo, it sounded like a peep.  Bear couldn't help himself.  He laughed.  He turned to Mouse, Snake, Spider and Fox and told them there was only one thing which terrified him.

After their failed attempts, the companions could hardly wait to hear what scared this forest champion.  His reply and frightened reaction to hearing the words were unbelievable.  He rushed to his cave to seek shelter.  The foursome rushed back to their tree.  What they did next was precisely what Bear wanted.  By changing one letter in the word scare, Mouse, Snake, Spider and Fox could have results more favorable to everyone.


A delightful blend of narrative, dialogue and sound effects in the writing of Yuko Katakawa captivates readers from beginning to end.  The use of illuminating adjectives and expressive verbs further engages readers in the characters' exploits.  Yuko Katakawa's keen sense of humor is seen in the twist she supplies to the scare tactics of Mouse, Snake, Spider and Fox.  She makes it clear tricksters are open to being tricked in return.  Here is a passage.

"I'll go first," said Fox.

Fox flashed his
knife-sharp teeth
at Bear.

Bear flashed his knife-sharp teeth back at
Fox and laughed.


Using mixed media on all her illustrations Yuko Katakawa gives us a first look at her considerable talent with her dust jacket. (I am working with an F & G.  I don't have my personal copy yet.) Inside Bear's den we can see his umbrella carefully placed in a jar near his entrance.  We are introduced to the forest friends, Fox wearing his jacket, Mouse in overalls, Spider wrapped in her webbing and Snake wearing her glasses with a red bow on her tail.  Will careful readers see beyond Bear's pretended fear?  Will they notice the placement of his paws?  On the other side of a spine with the same pattern found on the opening and closing endpapers are three small images of the foursome.

To the left, on the back, of the dust jacket on a pale golden yellow canvas the friends are exhibiting in these illustrations three stages of emotions.  They go from glee, to despair and to exhaustion.  On the opening and closing endpapers are an intricate, tiny diamond pattern.  In each diamond is a daisy.  The shades of red, white and yellow create a sense of peace.

A half circles pattern in a light teal and white provides a background for the verso and dedication at the front and the author's note at the back.  On the title page on a white canvas Mouse is pouring tea in cups in anticipation of the sweet treats and companionship.  The heavier and matte-finished paper is ideal for the illustrative style and themes present in this story.

Each visual spans a double page or full pages.  The size contributes to the pacing and drama of the story.  Yuko Katakawa shifts her point of view for the same purposes.  We are inside the tree with the friends, farther away, then close and then farther away again before returning to close.  It's as if we are there with them.

Readers will be fascinated with the details in the illustrations.  The patterns on the tea cups, the manju cakes, the clothing worn by the characters, all of the facial expressions and body positions and the extra text found in Spider's webs heighten the narrative.  They contribute to the wonderful enchantment of this new folktale.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture.  On a canvas of green grass along the bottom with a pale rosy sky above Bear has declared his greatest fear.  On the left, bent over and on the ground in fear is Bear.  His paws cover his face as he trembles in dread.  The four companions on the right are shocked by his announcement.  Fox, holding his tilted head, can't believe it.  Snake coiled on Fox's head is questioning this with the shape of her tongue.  Mouse falling through the air is also questioning this with the shape of his tail.  Spider and her web need answers, too.  Readers will undoubtedly laugh out loud.


As an introduction to a Japanese oral tradition, the art of storytelling, a discussion on bullying, tricksters in folktales or as a highly entertaining story, Let's Scare Bear written and illustrated by Yuko Katakawa is a marvelous selection.  This is guaranteed to be a storytime favorite no matter the age of the listener or reader.  I highly recommend this for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Yuko Katakawa and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Yuko Katakawa has an active account on Instagram. 

Centered

If you are the youngest or the oldest in your family, at school or your workplace or even in an array of places in the public arena, you know there are advantages and disadvantages in both circumstances.  These benefits and detriments will shift and change with time.  It's a distinct possibility when younger you often wish to be older or bigger, but once you are older and bigger, you can't turn back the clock.  Eventually we all discover each age and our place in it is to be appreciated.

Regardless of where you are or who you are with, if there are more than two, there is at least one who cannot claim to be the youngest or oldest.  This individual is in a distinct position.  Bunny in the Middle (Christy Ottaviano Books, Henry Holt and Company, July 2, 2019) lovingly created by author Anika A. Denise with illustrations by her husband Christopher Denise is an endearing tribute to all children whose years number not lower or higher than the others but are perfectly in-between the two.

When you're in the middle . . .
you're not the oldest
and you're not the youngest.  

You have the ability to help and the promise of help when you need it.  Sometimes being in the middle demands you take a stand to protect what you have.  Other times being in the middle requires you to give up something you value.  You have the gift of knowing.

You, as an in-between being, will be looked to as a leader.  In other instances, it is better to follow.  With this understanding comes the wisdom to be alone when necessary. 

There are unavoidable situations as a middle individual.  It's not often you get brand new things when those from older sibling will suffice.  Having your own room is entirely out of the question.  (Sometimes you wonder if sharing isn't your secret middle name.)

All these occasions can be experienced with compassion because as a middle you have more than one thing the youngest and oldest don't have.  This knowledge gives you the best of both worlds.  It gives you what every heart desires.


Using eleven wonderfully paced and spaced sentences Anika A. Denise composes a story of comfort and contentment.  With great care she presents instances in which readers will readily identify not only as a middle, but as the youngest or oldest.  Her word choices present a melodic, soothing cadence. Here is a single sentence.

When you're in the middle . . .

you know when to hold on,

when to let go . . .

and how to solve sticky situations.


You simply cannot look at the matching dust jacket and book case without inwardly or outwardly sighing.  These three bunnies balancing on a log bridge are utterly enchanting.  Their clothing, body positions and facial expressions are inviting.  We want to join them as part of this picturesque summer afternoon.  The soft texture and intricate details in the artwork here (and throughout the book) by Christopher Denise further enhance each moment.  This illustration continues along the spine.

To the left, on the back, on a sky-blue canvas, the siblings are seated together in a large overstuffed floral-patterned armchair.  The oldest is reading a copy of Hop Stars.  The middle child is looking at readers and waving one paw.  Looking at a stuffed teddy bear dropped on the floor, is the youngest child.

The opening and closing endpapers are a glorious summer scene in a lush green meadow filled with daisies.  The characters are placed near the top of the pages.  In the first on the left the youngest and middle are together looking intently at a butterfly.  The oldest one, on the right, with one paw casually on her hip, is watching them. On the closing endpapers the butterfly has moved to the right.  The youngest bunny is still on the left but is now holding a bouquet of daisies.  The middle and oldest child are watching the butterfly.  They are each holding a few blossoms.

The illustrations were rendered

with paper and pencil, Adobe Photoshop; and Procreate on iMac and iPad.  The artist also used an Apple Pencil and Wacom tablet.

On heavier paper, using white space with excellence, the images span two pages and single pages.  Each one welcomes readers to pause and become further acquainted with the characters and the settings in which they live.  Christopher Denise varies his points of view to enhance the text and pacing.  He brings us close to the bunnies but then moves back to let us see the larger area where they reside.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations (I love them all!) is for the final phrase in the sentence previously noted.  The three bunnies have made pink frosting for the baked cupcakes.  We are close to them.  On the right there is a portion of the interior of their home with sunlight shining in a window.  Otherwise the canvas is mostly white with some pale, pale green as light reflecting from the walls.  On the left, wearing the newly acquired white chef's hat is the youngest bunny standing on a chair and ready to scoop out frosting with one paw.  A red-and-white checkered towel and sifter is near her.  The large bowl crosses the gutter and extends nearly to the right edge.  There standing on a chair behind the bowl is the middle bunny with closed eyes, holding a wooden spoon and licking the pink frosting on it.  Bending over the bowl with a spatula in her paw is the oldest bunny on the far right and more in the foreground.


As Anika states in the end flap

"We created Bunny in the Middle . . . to celebrate the unique, sometimes challenging experience of being in the middle.  Middle kids are often sensitive, thoughtful, brave, peacemakers, risk-takers . . . the dear ones. 

Anika A. Denise as author and Christopher Denise as artist have completely and with much affection given us a book that wraps us in a hug.  No matter where you are, youngest, middle or oldest, you will be charmed by these three bunnies and especially by the one in the middle.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.  This is a book to share repeatedly.

To learn more about Anika A. Denise and Christopher Denise, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Both have links to blogs from their websites.  Anika A. Denise has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Christopher Denise has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. Anika A. Denise is interviewed at Critter Lit.  At the publisher's website several interior images are there for you to view.

The Benefits of Being You

Most people reach a point in their lives when despite their excitement for a future event, they've learned to not wish their days away.  Once in a while though, in the midst of a hot and humid week, thoughts of cooler and clearer weather drift into your thinking.  Autumn follows summer bringing clarity.  It also includes a favorite holiday enjoyed by many.

On October 31 Halloween allows costumed trick-or-treaters to go door to door hoping for generous neighbors.  In the realm of children's books there are beings who are not costumed.  They don't pretend to be ghosts, witches, superheroes, robots, famous or fictional personalities because that's who they are.  The Itty-Bitty Witch (Two Lions, July 16, 2019) written by Trisha Speed Shaskan with illustrations by Xindi Yan is a warmhearted story of using what others see as a fault to seize the day.

Betty Ann Batsworth couldn't wait to get to her classroom. It was her first day as a first-grade witch.

When Betty walked into her classroom with her kinder-broom instead of a first-grade broom, she was teased and given the nickname of Itty Bitty.  She said her name was Betty but inside she was starting to shrink.  When her teacher Ms. Fit explained the Halloween Dash to her students, Betty knew she had to win.  Then they would call her Betty instead of Itty Bitty.

The very next day the practice for the race began.  Betty struggled because her broom was shorter.  She was left behind.  She thought a running start might help but it was a disaster.  She felt herself getting smaller inside.

For an entire month, Betty challenged herself but nothing, even arm-flapping, worked.  When Ms. Fit showed them the route the dash would take, Betty made up a poem to remember.  The teasing continued.  Betty informed one of her fellow students that she was not Itty Bitty but Betty. She did not feel big in her heart of hearts.

On the night of the Halloween Dash Betty had a great start, but her lead was short-lived.  She chanted the poem.  When she tried to follow the others past the cave, she nearly fell off her broom.  What should she do?  Sometimes we make our own magic.


Readers will find themselves entering into Betty's classroom willingly through the clever and compassionate writing of Trisha Speed Shaskan.  They will find themselves grinning at the last names given to the students.  Through dialogue, first-person thinking and narrative, we find ourselves identifying with and cheering for Betty Ann Batsworth.

For each attempt at becoming better at flying and the resulting teasing of some but not all her fellow witches, Trisha Speed Shaskan repeats how Betty feels inside, itty-bitty.  This makes the ending even more lively and uplifting.  What readers will appreciate is no matter how Betty feels, she does not give up.  She keeps thinking and having ideas.  Here is a passage.

Betty tried for speed.
She nose-dived.

WHOOSH!
UH-OH!
OOPS!

"Oh, Itty Bitty!" Sam said.
"It's Betty!" Betty said.
But she felt itty-bitty inside.


When you open the dust jacket you are treated to a two-page scene on a full-moon night.  (I am working with an F & G.) Betty Ann Batsworth looks simply enchanting and lovable tucked inside the hollow log with the jack-o-lantern hanging to give her light for her work.  The bats and wide-eyed frog along with sparkles of magical light complete our close-up view of her.

The log continues over the spine with a large evergreen tree extending beyond the top of the right-side of the back portion of the jacket.  A full moon is framed by boughs from this tree.  Another large tree reaches in from the left.  Behind the ground along the bottom, a river winds through rolling hills.  Across the sky, in the distance, four witches fly.

Artist Xindi Yan does not waste any space and begins her visual interpretation on the title page with students walking by a scarecrow with a jack-o-lantern head and holding a sign reading:

Welcome 1st Years!

The verso and first pages are a two-page picture of the darkened hallway outside the classroom.  One of the eerie items in this hallway is a huge caged eyeball hanging from the ceiling.  Through the doorway light drifts out, highlighting Betty.  Inside a skeleton of a dragon is suspended and in front of a large medieval-style window.

Each illustration rendered digitally spans two pages, full pages or smaller images are grouped on a single page.  Readers will pause at every page turn to admire all the atmospheric details; bats, plants, snakes, ghosts, headstones, and jack-o-lanterns.  Careful readers will notice how the moon gets closer and closer to becoming a full moon on Halloween.  The rich color palette provides added emphasis on the place and time of the story.  The wide-eyed looks on all the characters, especially Betty, will endear readers to them and her.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is when Ms. Fit is showing her students the Halloween Dash course one night.  On the left of the double-page picture deep in the woods and above headstones is the map of the route.  Two bats are holding it in place.  The students are making their way down a large fallen log which acts as a bridge over the river.  In the distance are those rolling hills, mountains and a nearly full moon is shining down on the landscape.  Floating jack-o-lanterns light the path for Ms. Fit and her witches.  This is delightfully shivery and fun.


Readers are going to read this over and over, and listeners will request it read to them repeatedly.  The Itty-Bitty Witch written by Trisha Speed Shaskan with illustrations by Xindi Yan is going to be a fabulous seasonal title.  It brightens the way for those who feel as though they are diminished.  It asks those who might tease others to stop and think.  It features students who don't tease but decide to cheer for others.  You'll want to have a copy for your professional and personal collections.  You might want to purchase multiple copies to give away on Halloween instead of sweet treats.

To learn more about Trisha Speed Shaskan and Xindi Yan and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Trisha Speed Shaskan has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Xindi Yan has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Please take a few moments to watch the charming book trailer premiere at Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries John Schumacher's Watch. Connect. Read.  John chats with both Trisha and Xindi.

UPDATE:  On October 7, 2019, the illustrator posted a video about the process for creating the images.  

Abundantly Astonishing

With the advent of lots of rain and the warm temperatures, summer is in full bloom in northern Michigan.  There is an abundance of critters of all shapes and sizes and flowers, shrubs and trees in the wild.  Gardeners are giddy with their flourishing vegetables, annuals and perennials.  The air is literally humming with the sounds of life, buzzing honeybees, chirping crickets, melodious birdsong and the unmistakable huffs of startled rabbits and deer.

The more we know about those creatures sharing this planet with us, the better we can protect and respect them.  Author illustrator Owen Davey released two new titles in his popular series about animals, Bonkers About Beetles (Flying Eye Books, May 1, 2018 UK and Nobrow, June 5, 2018 US) (National Science Teachers Association, 2019 Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12) and Fanatical About Frogs (Flying Eye Books, March 1, 2019 UK and Nobrow, June 18, 2019 US).  Both books are entertaining and informative with stunning images.

WHAT ARE BEETLES?
Beetles are a group of insects.  They have six
legs, three body segments and two feelers sticking
out of their heads.  Beetles are different from
most other insects in that their forewings form
a hard or leathery protective case over their backs.

With the exception of Antarctica, beetles reside on every continent, living on land and in the water.  Of these beetles some are predators, others are herbivores, and some enjoy both animals and plants.  There is another category of beetles known to feast on animals and plants that are dead.

Did you know beetles don't have lungs?  They breathe through spiracles.  Most beetles have a pronotum, antennae, elytra, horns, legs, eyes, rostrum, flight wings, mandibles and a mouth.  The elytra are a sturdier wing giving protection to the flight wings.  (The three body segments are labeled with these ten parts noted in those three sections by a number.)

The changes from egg to adult in a beetle can take as long as fifty years.  Where do you think the dung beetle lays a single egg?  Fireflies are featured for their use of light.  Depending on the specie they have a variety of flash and flight patterns.  This light attracts and acts as a warning.

There are beetles who point their heads to the ground with their bottoms up so water runs into their mouths before the heat of the desert glows hot and dry.  Beetles mimic color of other animals to protect themselves and to infiltrate other insects' colonies to feed on them.  They blend in their surroundings for survival, pretend to be dead, make loud noises, sting, stink and carry weaponry on their bodies.

In a feature on seven-spot ladybugs we discover they are loved in part for their appetite of aphids.  Their black and red coloring shouts to predators, I am toxic. Of the more than

6,000 described species of ladybugs around the world

one has the letter M on its pronotum.

The male Harlequin beetle has legs longer than its body giving him warrior status when necessary.  There is a beetle as big as an adult hand and one smaller than the punctuation period.  To help the hundreds of beetle species under threat you might consider building a bug hotel.  (A colorful and captioned diagram acts as a guide.)


WHAT ARE FROGS?
Frogs are amphibians, which are animals that usually switch between living in water and living on land during different stages of their life cycle.  Frogs have short bodies, no tails and their back legs are typically longer than their front legs, usually with some webbing between their toes.

Did you know that all toads are frogs, but not all frogs are toads?  Just like beetles, frogs inhabit each continent with the exception of Antarctica.  Frogs have tympanum (a covering over their eardrum), nictitating membrane (a protective inner eyelid), eyes, warts (some), feet, adhesive pads (some), legs and tubercle (some).

There is a frog with no lungs, breathing through its skin.  There is a frog after shedding its skin, consumes it.  There is a frog capable of creating a type of sunscreen and applying it everywhere.

Frogs' tongues are amazing!  They roll toward the back of their throat until they're needed.  The spit on their tongues changes textures before and during use to ensnare their food.  Like other animals the coloring of frogs can save their lives and hide them or shout about their poisonous nature.  If their hues are a warning, they are called aposematic.

Starry night reed frogs change their entire color.  They are white during the day and black during the night hours.  To beat the heat the Main's frog fashions

a waterproof cocoon around their bodies

and stays underground.

The sounds of frogs are as varied as the species.  Some are beyond the ability of humans to hear them.  An American bull frog can sound like a cow or scream like a human.  You won't believe why frogs are commonly said to make the ribbit sound.  Most frogs begin as eggs, then tadpoles, froglets and then are adults.  Where the eggs are placed depends on the frogs.  Some of these spots are impressive.

A featured frog is the bright red-eyed treefrog who enjoys the nighttime best.  To stay safe during the day, they shape themselves to hide all their vivid shades.

Male red-eyed treefrogs shake their butts to win an argument.  (Who knew?)

Going from smooth to spiky is a trait of the Mutable Rainfrog.  Can you imagine walking along in central Africa and coming across a foot-long Goliath Frog?  One of the smallest frogs was only discovered nineteen years ago.  (It's about as big as my pinkie fingernail.)  There are frogs that cover thirteen feet in one jump.  Frogs like beetles need our help.  We need to observe them, but let them leave (and live) without our interference.


In both books Owen Davey begins with a table of contents highlighting an up-close-and-personal visual of a subject in his title.  He invites readers by defining what their physical characteristics are and showcasing their favorite foods; some of which are surprising.  Two pages are dedicated to detailed portraits carefully labeled.  Sections are included focusing on birth to adulthood.  Certain species are given features.  Each book includes chapters titled:

Weird and Wonderful
Little and Large
To Scale
And the Award Goes to . . .
__________Mythology
Conservation and an
Index.

Owen Davey writes to engage people's curiosity.  He piques our interest with unique facts and maintains this relationship with readers throughout the books using conversational and clever word choice as he informs us in his phrases, sentences and paragraphs.  You will also find humor.  Here are two passages, one from each book.

AND THE AWARD GOES TO . . .
The award for the strongest beetle
goes to the horned dung beetle.
This brawny beetle can pull 1,141
times its own body weight.  For a 
human, that would mean the ability
to drag an entire airplane filled 
with vacationers and their
luggage.  These beetles use their
immense strength to drive rivals
away from females.

The award for the loudest frog goes to the
Puerto Rican common coqui frog.  Males
call through the night with a noise as loud
as a lawn mower.  Their call has two distinct
tones that give the frog its name---"co" and
"kee."  The first tone drives away rival males
and the second tone is for enticing females.


One of the first things readers notice about the book cases of these books is their distinctive color palettes, the design and layout of the elements on the front, the texture of cloth (paper) on the book cases and the embossed titles.  The back of the books serves as end flaps on a dust jacket.  They challenge readers to continue with intriguing facts.  Smaller images but still graphically enchanting are centered between the text.

The matching opening and closing endpapers showcase a variety of shapes and sizes of each species.  Each page turn reveals a striking array of illustrations.  Owen Davey varies his sizes and the elements in each picture.  Some span two pages in a horizontal column.  Others move from left to right over the gutter to create a vertical column for a group of smaller visuals. Double-page pictures offer dramatic depictions.

His artwork shows every exquisite detail.  In a separate circle we might move in very close to see how the two sets of jaws on a beetle work. We are enchanted with the four flash and flight patterns of fireflies moving over a darkened landscape in purple hues and black.  We seek the rave beetle carefully hidden among the ants.  We marvel at the eye of the red-eyed treefrog and its nictitating membrane.  The two rows of poison dart frogs are deadly but beautiful.  It's hard not to gasp at the life-size picture of the Goliath frog.

Two of my favorite illustrations, one in each book, have to do with camouflage.  On a full-page picture we are asked to locate the longhorn beetle on a tree.  Shades of brown, green and black create a breathtaking view of the wonders of nature.  Four frogs in four horizontal panels depict how they can blend with a leaf, moss or mimic bird poop.


As he did in his first titles, Mad About Monkeys, Smart About Sharks and Crazy About Cats, Owen Davey has written and illustrated two stellar titles, Bonkers About Beetles and Fanatical About Frogs.  These books (this series) is the finest in nonfiction reaching readers in a range of ages.  I highly recommend both for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Owen Davey and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  At his website you can view multiple images from each book by selecting the appropriate illustration.  Owen Davey maintains accounts on Instagram and Twitter. For Bonkers About Beetles you can view images at Penguin Random House and Nobrow.  For Fanatical About Frogs you can view images at Penguin Random House and Nobrow.  You can read a little bit about Owen Davey's process at Flying Eye Books.  He is interviewed at Digital Arts.  Enjoy the videos.

Bonkers About Beetles - Owen Davey from Modik on Vimeo.


Fanatical About Frogs teaser - Flying Eye Books from Persistent Peril on Vimeo.


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

Namely . . .

At our births we are given names for reasons our parents may or may not reveal.  We are named in honor of family members, friends, events, and all kinds of favorite things.  As we progress through our lives an assortment of nicknames follows us.  These, too, represent a wide range of reasons.  They might reference a physical characteristic, a personality trait or something we've done or are about to do. 

Sometimes these names and nicknames astonishingly fit us perfectly.  Other times, they definitely do not.  We have a choice how we will respond to our names and nicknames.  I'm A Baked Potato! (Chronicle Books, May 7, 2019) written by Elise Primavera with art by Juana Medina is about a dog adopted by a lady who has a taste for a very specific kind of food. 

There was a lady who love baked potatoes.
She ate one every day.

Concerned she might not have a potato in stock for baking, she had her own garden of potatoes in her backyard.  Dogs were also loved by this lady.  She brought one home with her.  Holding this dog in her arms, she realized this dog had all the characteristics of . . . a baked potato.  He was her very own special baked potato. 

He was called this multiple times during the day.  This lady and her dog were inseparable, sharing meals and her snuggly bed.  The lady knew she loved this dog more than she loved baked potatoes.

One day the lady left the house.  The dog left, too.  He looked and looked for her.  As he wandered through the community he came to a small house.  A grumpy big dog lived there.  When the lady's dog told him he was a baked potato, the cranky canine said he looked more like a groundhog. 

As he continued to search, it started to rain.  He needed to find his lady.  Two more animals met the dog.  The first was deceptive and hungry.  Apparently, the little dog was a bunny rabbit.  The second arrived in the nick of time offering explanations and wisdom.

Using one of his best assets, the little dog left the happier home, and ran through the rain past the first two houses.  He followed his nose and his heart, listening until he heard two familiar words.  Knowing who you are makes home a sanctuary to be savored.


Author Elise Primavera conversationally begins this story chatting about a woman with a love for baked potatoes and dogs but the humor is revealed when the woman equates her new pooch pal with her favorite food.  Elise Primavera fashions a rhythm by describing the three traits the dog has in common with baked potatoes, the three times during the day she calls him Baked Potato and how attached the two are to one another.  This cadence continues throughout the story. 

To accentuate pacing and provide readers with a more personal experience a combination of narrative and dialogue is used.  Descriptive verbs place emphasis on personalities and emotions of the characters.  Here is a passage.

The sky became dark.  The air became cold.
The dog became worried.

It began to rain.

The dog thought of how it felt to be held in the lady's arms.
He thought of how right now they'd be sharing a meal together by the fire.
He thought of the bed where she let him sleep under the covers.

"The lady!" he called.  "Where are you?"


On the open and matching dust jacket and book case the little dog's expression combined with the book's title will have readers speculating about the tale and eager to begin reading the book.  They will probably be laughing, too.  The blend of brush strokes and bold lines on Baked Potato ask you to reach out and hug him.  Placing him on a creamy canvas with red font is an excellent design decision.  The title text is varnished.  If the light catches the dust jacket you can see an addition.  A pattern of tiny varnished baked potatoes on plates is a part of the background.  Genius.

To the left, on the back, in the center is a smaller image of the fireplace in the lady's home.  The little dog is curled in contentment in front of the fire.  The opening and closing endpapers are eight rows, red on red, of elements to be found in other homes.  All kinds of dogs are mixed in with these items.  It will have readers wondering about those pets and their people.

The illustrations by Juana Medina rendered digitally using Procreate are brimming with details and textures.  The lady has a baked potato weathervane on the roof of her home, baked potatoes are on the fabric of her bedspread and the inside of each house has family photographs readers will find interesting. The artwork is full-page pictures, a group of smaller visuals on a single page and two-page images.  At the end of the book the dedication and publication information pages appear like a framed photograph.  The animals Baked Potato encounters are featured along with him in a setting with several trees and potato plants.  Will readers notice the other teeny tiny visitor that also appeared in the first image?

One of my many favorite illustrations is when the lady first brings the dog home.  It is on a single page.  The lady is cuddling the dog in her arms and looking at him as she notices how much he resembles her favorite food.  The look on the dog's face is serene but also a little bit curious. 


As soon as you show this book to listeners and readers, the smiles, giggles and grins will begin.  I'm A Baked Potato! written by Elise Primavera with art by Juana Medina is a humorous look at names, nicknames and home and how their definitions shift.  Readers will fall in love with this dog and his lady.  You will want to have this in your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Elise Primavera and Juana Medina and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Elise Primavera has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  Juana Medina has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.

A Collective Effort

When a task presents itself to an individual; a mental assessment begins.  A list of essential endeavors is made.  Dependent on the nature of the work, tools might be necessary.  One of the hardest decisions is whether this undertaking can be completed alone or if help is vital to success.  

One of the older folktales with animal characters in which one is seeking assistance from others is The Little Red Hen. She asks multiple times, at various stages in her project, for help, but none is given.  It is only when she is completely done, affirmative replies are offered in response to her final request.  It is too late.  A lively, recent variant on this classic story is The Little Green Hen (Candlewick Press, March 19, 2019) written and illustrated by Alison Murray.  This hen's interest is not in the culinary arts.

Once, on top of a hill,

grew a beautiful, old, and

very fruitful

apple tree.

There was a hollow in the trunk of this tree where a little green hen resided.  She tended this apple tree.  She pruned, practiced pest control and planted.  When the apple seeds she planted turned into saplings, she needed help.  Her single apple tree was now part of an orchard.

For pruning she sought assistance from Peacock.  He said no, but Dog said yes.  Dogs and sticks go together very well.  Fox refused pest control duty, but the smallest of brown sparrows agreed.  There were still plenty of seeds to plant.  A ginger cat who preferred sleeping was not an option.  Squirrel offered his digging and concealing skills.

This foursome worked through three seasons, spring, summer and fall.  They shared in the abundance the orchard provided them.  They happily lived in the hollow of the apple tree trunk.  Then the rains came. It kept on raining.  The Little Green Hen, Dog, the smallest of brown sparrows and Squirrel stayed snug and dry, but Peacock, Fox and Cat were in trouble.  

They were all on Cat's lounging log floating in the flood.  They soon spotted the apple tree with hope in their hearts.  This hen was no ordinary hen.  She had hope in her heart, too.  Some visions for a future are best realized together.

With one word, once, Alison Murray has us gathered around to listen to the tale she will tell.  We know the outcome will be different.  There is an apple tree and the hen is green.  Alison Murray uses the storyteller's three enumerating the hen's tasks of pruning, pest control and planting. 

The first splendid switch comes when the hen asks for help, and a negative reply is countered with a positive response three times.  Alison Murray enhances the story by giving reasons for each character's answers; the peacock is preening, the fox would rather eat the Little Green Hen and the smallest of brown sparrows 

was partial to pesky bugs.

The second switch is the flood, the Little Red Hen's answer to a request for help and the change in attitude of Peacock, Fox and Cat.  It is through the flood and the Little Green Hen's tasks that Alison Murray invites readers to speculate about our environment and to see ourselves as caretakers.  Here is a passage.

"And who will help me sow the apple seeds?"

"Not I," said the fat ginger cat,

who was far too busy lounging

on a log in the sun. 

The vibrant, eye-catching color combinations on the open and matching dust jacket and book case are true attention-grabbers.  The brilliant shades of green and blue with red and spots of pink and orange on the front along with the happy expression on the Little Green Hen's face ask readers to open the case.  The hues on the front continue on the spine blending with the image to the left, on the back.

Here the four friends, the Little Green Hen, Dog, Squirrel and the smallest of brown sparrows are gathered in the hollow of the apple tree trunk.  One pesky pest is with them, too.  They are all looking to the left in surprise.  A sky-blue background is showing on the left and peeking through leaves above the companions.  The color of the apple tree trunk is in shades of purple and brown.

On the opening and closing endpapers Alison Murray has placed a beautiful green and cream pattern which is similar to the whorls seen in tree bark.  On the initial title page, the Little Green Hen has her beak around the stem of a large apple.  The title text is inside the apple.  This is a close-up.  On the more formal title and verso pages green leaves and apple blossoms on the left and the Little Green Hen seated on a branch near a large apple on the right give readers a larger view.

Each image digitally rendered conveys a can-do and uplifting atmosphere.  The placement of the elements, the bold lines and color choices work together to accomplish this wonderfully.  Some of the illustrations span two pages, single pages or are grouped two to a page.  The layout and design are marvelous.  To show the passage of the three seasons, two pages are divided with three vertical panels.

There is never any doubt as to the emotional status of the characters.  This is conveyed mainly through the eyes; a lifting or lowering of eyebrows, closed eyes, wide, happy eyes or worried looks.  This brings readers directly into the narrative.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is the two pages with the three vertical seasonal panels.  In the first one, on the left, against a pale blue sky is the top of the apple tree at the bottom.  Sitting in the blossoming branches is the sparrow chasing away a pesky pest.  In the center is the tree standing tall and covered in green apples on a lighter green canvas with the Little Green Hen tending to a sapling.  On the right against a pale red background is the apple tree at the top with Dog leaning against the tree and apples in a basket near him.  At the bottom in the top of the apple tree is Squirrel happily reaching for an apple.  Has Squirrel been tossing apples into the basket?

For a folktale or fable theme, for a unit on variants, for attention directed toward stewardship and ecology or for the wonder of a fantastic story, The Little Green Hen written and illustrated by Alison Murray is an excellent choice.  The blend of images and words is exemplary.  Whether read one-on-one or with a group, you will be requested to read it again.  You can pair it with The Little Red Pen in a fractured study.  Alison Murray has also retold other tales; Hare and Tortoise and Dino Duckling.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Alison Murray and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Alison Murray has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.