The Stuff of Remembering

We cling to happy (and not so happy) memories of special places, events and people.  We tuck them into the sacred corners of our mind to inspire and educate us, to rekindle passionate pursuits, and to keep the sparks of love and hope ignited.  Collectively these moments comprise the story of our lives.  They are how we connect to each other.

Many of us, at any age, can be forgetful but when you see an elderly person struggle and search for words during a conversation, you realize how disheartening the loss of memory is for them and for those who love them. Elly Swartz, author of  Finding Perfect (Farrar Straus Giroux, October 18, 2016) and Smart Cookie (Scholastic Press, January 30, 2018) has penned another exceptional middle grade novel about a twelve-year-old girl, Maggie, filled with anxiety and a fear of forgetting.  It is an illuminating look at the power of our minds and the importance of family.



1
Baby Girl
Baby Girl is the name written on her birth certificate,
but I think that's a bit sad.  Mom calls her Isabelle.
That feels way too formal for a silky-soft, chubby
day-old baby who smells like powder.  So I name
her Izzie.

Maggie's family is fostering a newborn until the birth parents reach a decision on the fate of their child.  She, her two brothers, Dillon (older) and Charlie (younger) and her parents have been counseled to keep in mind, this little girl is in their care for only the briefest amount of time.  To Maggie, she's already her very own little sister.  On the first morning of Izzie's stay with the family, we are given a glimmer of Maggie's growing problem.

Chapter by chapter we are more fully acquainted with the members of Maggie's family including their Labrador retriever, Batman.  Dillon is laser-focused on his basketball skills.  Young Charlie spouts trivia like he's practicing for a spot on Jeopardy.  Maggie is one of the best trap-shooters on her all-girl squad which happens to be coached by her father.  Maggie has a huge heart, looking out for those who can't protect themselves, like an eastern painted turtle she rescues from the shooting range.  She takes him home, smuggled in her pocket, and names him Bert.

This family is cemented together by love reflected in the actions of grandparents and parents.  A year ago, Nana, the children's grandmother died.  There was one horrible day when she didn't recognize Maggie anymore.  Dinners begin with a round table of declarations of what made members, happy, sad or mad.  Dinners do sometimes include their grandfather who lives near them.  There is a constant exchange of conversation between siblings and adults with the children.  And yet, amid all this, Maggie is in trouble.

Maggie is full of fear.  She is terrified of forgetting like her grandmother.  To alleviate her fear, she saves everything.  Her bedroom closet is stacked with cardboard boxes and under her bed more boxes hold items tied to memories.  Her locker at school is nearly overflowing.  She has been able to keep this need to save a secret until two episodes of uncontrolled anger, first at Charlie and then her mother, draw her parents attention. 

Amid the trips to the psychologist to create and follow through on a plan for Maggie to re-think her fear of forgetting, everyday life happens all around her.  Changes are made on the all-girls trap squad as the state meet approaches.  A new friendship is formed as a former friendship fades.  Anger rears its ugly head again.  A loss through carelessness sends the family in seek-and-find mode for days.  There is heartbreak and hope in abundance.  When Maggie's faced with a dilemma during the state meet, you'll have to remind yourself to breathe but breathe you will because we all are stronger together.


As soon as you begin reading you are reminded of Elly Swartz's innate ability to take us into the mind of her characters.  This narrative in the first-person of Maggie is a deeply personal blend of thoughts, dialogue and notes in a journal.  Through Maggie's words, silent, spoken or written, we meet a girl with a large capacity for compassion.

So in two days, two weeks, or a month, we'll need to return our little bundle to Rita and the agency.
Like a library book.
But I don't want to tell Charlie that.
Because to me, she feels like my baby sister.
Even if it's for just a few days.

Within the initial story Elly Swartz begins to leave careful clues about Maggie's growing fear; her need to keep items as physical ties to memories.  We feel the start of something building, layer by layer.  It increases until to our dismay, and Maggie's dread, it's out of control.  It's hard to watch this unfold in this twelve-year-old girl's life. 

When Nana died last year, I added a tassel from her favorite pomegranate-red scarf.  And since then, I've added five gum wrappers, three bendy straws, sticks from a hike up Ridge Mountain, Wade Pond, and a walk with Charlie, a yellow plastic fork, half a red, white, and blue plate with a picture of fireworks on it, and a butterscotch candy wrapper.  I've also filled the seven boxes in the closet, the three other under my bed, and most of my school locker.
Today, I drop in one teeny-tiny yellow sock.
A little piece of Izzie. 
For me.
To keep. 

The chapters are short but thoughtfully written.  Chapter headings reveal key moments within those pages.  Each one ends with words you want to remember.  Each one begins with the next moment in Maggie's day to day world.  Here is a passage from the end of a chapter and the beginning of the next chapter.

"I got a call from Rita," Mom says.  "The birth parents have selected an adoptive couple, and I need to bring Isabelle back to Rita's office so they can give her to her forever family."
"When?"
"Saturday."
So now I know.
Forever ends tomorrow.

The panic rises from the place that holds my forever good-byes.
To Nana.
And now, Izzie.
I hug this little human who smells like powder, and a tear slips out.  I don't want to let her go. Don't want to be forgotten.

As she did in her two previous books, Elly Swartz places true-to-life characters addressing tough situations in this title.  She provides us with the opportunity to learn with the people residing in her pages.  We laugh with them, and cry with them.  This is how books leave a mark on our hearts.


Whether you read this book, Give and Take written by Elly Swartz in one sitting or a little at a time, individually, with an entire class as a read aloud or with a book group, you will be moved by the story of Maggie, her family and friends.  At the close of the book Elly Swartz includes Maggie's Playlist, A Note on Hoarding in Children from Dr. Kathleen Trainor, Clinical Psychologist, an author's note, and information on hoarding in children, adoption and short-term foster care and eastern painted turtles.  This book needs to find a place on your professional and personal bookshelves. 

To learn more about Elly Swartz and her other work, please visit her website by following the link attached to her name.  Elly has a page dedicated to this title on her website.  It includes a curriculum guide and a journaling activity.  Elly Swartz has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can read an excerpt.  The cover is revealed along with a chat at Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher's site, Watch. Connect. Read.

Days Of The Year Divided By Four Equals Fabulous Fun

Autumnal winds have been howling for days.  Roads and pathways swirl with golden pine needles and leaves fashioning a natural carpet.  Large expanses of hillsides turn a rainbow of rich colors overnight.  Rains saturate the land.  It's autumn in northern Michigan.

Jack Frost is playing tag with the nighttime temperatures, promising he'll soon be the victor.  For those who enjoy the four seasons, this time of year is a favorite of many.  It's a blend of the best of summer and winter.  In a recent release, Come Next Season (Farrar Straus Giroux, an imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC, October 1, 2019) written by Kim Norman with pictures by Daniel Miyares, each season is celebrated through the eyes and memorable activities of children.

Come summer,
we'll visit the lake.

Before splashing into the sparkling water below after letting go of the rope swing, a cry of sheer abandon is released. Blueberry bushes are full of fruity feasts.  Outdoor picnic dinners feature mosquitoes and freshly cooked corn on the cob.  At night cooler temperatures are drawn inside by the humming pull of a floor fan.

When trees wear the colorful clothing of fall, squirrels scamper to collect winter hordes.  Children jump among the leaves and like the squirrels gather fallen nuts.  The gathered pecans are enjoyed inside after a day of delight outside. 

A weatherman's declaration of a storm promotes quiet hours working a puzzle until bedtime.  Then the soft chatter of shared memories of snowy pursuits between siblings is like a lullaby.  They acknowledge the hidden treasures beneath the white, cold blanket, a possibility of blooming flowers.

With spring a visit to an uncle's farm is an opportunity to welcome all the new babies, piglets and chicks and puppies.  A brother and sister send a pleading gaze to their mother.  A whispered conversation to a new individual on the way home promises adventures at the lake when a new season begins.


With each joyful lyrical series of sentences Kim Norman recalls experiences shared by those fortunate to be living in parts of the world with four distinctive seasons.  The activities of the siblings and their parents are indicative of a simple way of life; a life spent enjoying the out-of-doors.  The descriptions are sensory creating a participatory story for readers.  The inclusion of some dialogue adds to the intimacy.  Here is a passage.

A tree will tap the window
with branchy fingers that will turn bony and bare . . .  

come Winter.


When you open the dust jacket, the scene on the front extends over the spine with clouds and the crystal blue sky.  The white beneath the tree on the front also expands to the left edge of the open jacket.  What readers will appreciate the most about Daniel Miyares's interpretative front is his use of color on the tree's foliage.  He gives us a breathtaking view of it in the various seasons.  We are also introduced to the sister and brother.  On the back of the jacket we read the words:

Every
season
is full of its own
magic.

My hardcover copy has not arrived yet, so I am working with an F & G. If you go to Daniel Miyares's Instagram account, you can get a glimpse of the stunning book case.  It highlights the changing hues on trees in the seasons by displaying large leaves blowing across the case.

On the opening and closing endpapers Daniel Miyares begins and concludes the story without words.  On the first we see an adult loading luggage into the family car as the children play basketball, shooting at a hoop attached to their garage.  By the trees, sky and yellow glow on the house, we know summer has arrived.  On the second endpapers you will be hard pressed not to laugh out loud at the wonderful happiness expressed as the family returns to the lake the following summer.

On the verso and title pages, the family car is cruising down the road toward the lake.  In this scene the daughter has her elbow outside a half-open window, her hair billowing in the breeze.  The illustrations in this title are double-page pictures, full-page pictures or two pictures grouped on a single page.

For the beginning of the narrative on each season, we are shown gorgeous bird's-eye views or panoramic expanses with several perspectives within each image.  Readers will take pleasure in noting some of the included details; the sister putting a corn husk on her brother's head, the picture of the puzzle they are putting together on a snowy day or the brother's favorite toy.  Daniel Miyares has included yellow, however small, in every image. 

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is the first one.  It is a double-page picture.  The girl has just released her hold on the rope swing over the lake.  She is soaring toward the surface.  You can almost hear the splash soon to follow.  The color palette is a lovely blend of blue, white, shades of vibrant green on the oak leaves, brown on the tree branches, rope and the girl's hair with the vivid dark pink of her swimsuit.


For readers looking to highlight the wonder of the changing seasons, to showcase one of the seasons or to give insight on how to enjoy all Mother Nature has to offer, Come Next Season written by Kim Norman with pictures by Daniel Miyares is a most excellent choice.  Readers will feel the definitive words of Kim Norman and the lively, full-color art of Daniel Miyares transport them into the world of this family.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Kim Norman and Daniel Miyares and their other work, please access their respective websites by following the links attached to their names.  Kim Norman has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.  Daniel Miyares has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  Daniel Miyares is featured on Picture Book Spotlight on March 4, 2019.  Please visit the publisher's website to enjoy several interior images.

Portraits Of America

In the course of American history, there will always be women and men whose names are synonymous with their accomplishments. Their achievements, some over the course of their lives or for others one shining moment, will not be erased by time.  From generation to generation who they are and what they do are remembered.

As often quoted, many of them will find a firm place in the psyche of Americans for how they make people feel.  One man who presented everyday, and at times extraordinary, circumstances continues to give us a view of his truth.  Hi, I'm Norman: The Story of American Illustrator NORMAN ROCKWELL (A Paula Wiseman Book, Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, October 1, 2019) written by Robert Burleigh with art by Wendell Minor is a personal look at this remarkable man and his love of making art with paints and brushes.

Hi, I'm Norman.  Norman Rockwell.  Come on in.

Norman Rockwell, as an adult, invites readers into his studio.  It's a welcoming place for him to concentrate on his work but this is not the first place Norman, as he tells us, made art.  He has fond memories of drawing with pencil and paper on the family dining room table as his father reads aloud.  The characters in the book are his subjects.

Never one to join in the more athletic activities of the boys in his neighborhood, his workspace is the sidewalk.  The boys ask him to draw something and he does, taking chalk from his pocket.  In grade school, one of his teachers has him draw scenes on the chalkboard regarding whatever they are studying.  (Academics is not his forte, but drawing is his gift.)

When attending art school, it is challenging at times for Norman, but he is determined, improving and improving more.  He takes his learned skills and paints whatever he can to earn money.  (Did you know he placed

100% in gold at the top of his easel?)

He works until whatever he does cannot not be improved.

At the age of twenty-two he takes some of his work to the Saturday Evening Post.  They are looking for cover illustrations.  On the spot all five of Norman's illustrations are accepted. Norman eventually does more than 300 covers for the Saturday Evening Post.

Norman likes to doodle into existence his ideas for his work.  Then he combines his drawings to tell a story.  He uses models, even animals.  (The turkey incident is tricky.)

Life through Norman's eyes is at its best, but he does not shy away from the harder aspects people, regular people, face during war or as in one of his more famous paintings of Ruby Bridges (The Problem We All Live With) walking to school guarded by four U. S. Marshalls.  Norman closes his discussion with readers by returning to work on a commemorative painting of himself wrapping a Happy Birthday ribbon around the Liberty Bell.


There is an openness evident as soon as you begin this book written by Robert Burleigh.  You get a very real sense of the passion Norman has for his work as we journey with him from boyhood to his becoming a skillful artist.  The research done by this author comes through in every conversational sentence Norman presents to us.  It's as if we are standing with him in his studio and he is painting a picture of his life through his words.  When Robert Burleigh takes a five-word sentence from earlier in the book and uses it again to bring all the parts of Norman's life together, it's wonderful.  Here are two passages.

I can still picture the room where the art students
worked:  the gray light drifting down through the 
skylights, the smudged walls, and the floors littered
with rags and hardened paint.  But who cares?  If you
love something, you take the bad with it too, right?

Funny, but I sometimes felt I was chasing and at the same time being
chased.  Chasing my dream of becoming a great artist.  But also being chased
by the fear that I wasn't good enough.


On the matching dust jacket and book case, artist Wendell Minor, in a stroke of design genius, gives us two perspectives in this single visual.  Norman is looking at us as he paints the picture we see behind his right shoulder.  His personality, his love of his painting, shines on the features of his face.  Portions of this illustration are varnished.

To the left of the spine, on the back, we see Norman as a boy drawing with chalk on the sidewalk.  Two of the other boys are seated and kneeling near him, watching closely as a lion takes shape before their eyes.  A contented cat sits outside on a window ledge.

On the opening endpapers Wendell Minor features a younger Norman, standing in a field, looking directly at readers as he gently holds a frog.  An older Norman, the narrator of this book, is riding his bike down the street in Stockbridge, Massachusetts where he moved in 1953 on the closing endpapers.  These two images, other than those on the jacket and case, show Norman as he showed others, extraordinary in their ordinariness.

Each illustration,

rendered in watercolor, gouache, and pencil

in Wendell Minor's unmistakable style stands alone but is also an intricate part of the exquisite whole these combined visuals create in this book.  On the title page a young Norman carrying a fishing pole is standing with his dog on grass and wildflowers with a circular pastoral scene behind him.  On the verso and dedication pages an older Norman is shown standing in the entrance to his studio with the building and lush green grass, shrubs and trees framing him as they fill the page and a third visual.

With every page turn we see either groups of smaller illustrations, a small framed illustration, a full-page picture, or double-page visual, most in full color, but sometimes Norman as narrator is shown in black and white near another image.  Every detail is finely fashioned with delicate or broader brushstrokes dictated by the elements in the illustration.  Sometimes Wendell Minor has us outside looking in at Norman working or next to him in front of his easel.  The use of light and shadow, as always in his work, is marvelous.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a single-page picture.  It is a close-up of a window with a pigeon on the outside of the sill.  Through the window we can see a young-adult Norman seated in a chair in front of his easel.  He is wearing a smock, holding his palette in his left-hand and painting with a brush in his right hand.  His subject is a boy, dressed in winter garb, skating across the ice and holding a hockey stick.  You can plainly see the 100% at the top of his easel.


To have two great creators themselves working on this book, Hi, I'm Norman: The Story of American Illustrator NORMAN ROCKWELL, elevates this tribute of an American icon.  Robert Burleigh gives us intimate insights through Norman's voice due to his research.  Wendell Minor paints with the same sure knowledge through his study of Norman Rockwell.  In their notes at the close of the book, their respect for Norman Rockwell is clear as is their gratitude for being able to tell his story in this title.  In addition to their notes there is extensive back matter.  There is a two-page continuation of facts about Norman Rockwell's life.  There is a list of Rockwell's paintings rendered by Wendell Minor in order of their appearance in this book.  There is an important date timeline.  Five of Norman Rockwell's paintings are shown:  Checkers, Freedom from Fear, Art Critic, The Problem We All Live With and Liberty Bell.  There is a bibliography of books and some Norman Rockwell quotes.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Robert Burleigh and Wendell Minor and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Wendell Minor has accounts on Facebook and Twitter. (One of Wendell Minor's biggest fans is his lovely wife, Florence, who is also an author.  She has an account on Instagram where you can see his work.)  At the Norman Rockwell Museum website this book is showcased with interior artwork images.  At the publisher's website you can view other interior images, mainly from the beginning of the book.  Please take a few moments to watch this video of Wendell Minor talking about his work on this book.




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

Color Them Courageous

When the crest of the hill is reached each day, a breathtaking panorama spreads before you.  A vast stretch of water extends farther than your eyes can see.  In places, without land, the sky meets the water.  Lake Michigan, here at the tip of the Mitt, is a reflection of the moods of the sky, giving viewers hues of blue and sometimes imbued with gray.

To see this, really see it, causes a shift in your attitude.  It supplies you with calm and strength.  It reaches out to you, lending you its power.  And make no mistake, this body of water is powerful.  For this reason, this book, The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family (Little, Brown and Company, September 10, 2019) written by Ibtihaj Muhammad with S. K. Ali and with art by Hatem Aly, made a mark on my heart.  When your eyes blur with tears reading a book, you know it's touched you emotionally.

MAMA HOLDS OUT THE PINK.  MAMA LOVES PINK.

But Asiya shakes her head.

I know why.

The young narrator's older sister is selecting her first-day hijab.  She knows Asiya will favor the bright blue hijab because it's like the ocean and the sky blending as one.  When they leave for school the next day, Faizah knows it will be 

the most beautiful first day of school ever

because she is carrying her new backpack and wearing her light-up shoes but Asiya is wearing her bright blue hijab.

Faizah counts fourteen steps to cross the street, and gazes after her sister, who looks like royalty, as she greets her friends entering sixth grade with her.  In her heart of hearts, Faizah knows her first-day hijab will be the same color as her older sister's hijab.  In line with the younger students, a girl turns to Faizah, whispering a question about her sister's hijab.

For every thought, word or reply spoken during this first day, Faizah counters in her mind with a response further describing her sister's hijab and comparing it to the sky and the ocean.  She also remembers the guidance given by their mother on the importance of wearing a hijab on the first day.  Cruel laughter before school, and taunts at recess do not deter Faizah nor her older sister, Asiya.  

After school Faizah waits for Asiya, and listens for whispers, laughter or taunts.  There are none.  Together the sisters walk hand-in-hand to their home.  As they look at each other, Faizah feels her sister's strength envelope her; a strength born of faith.

When you begin this story written by Ibtihaj Muhammad with S. K. Ali  you immediately understand the depth of the bond between the sisters.  By having the younger sister, Faizah, tell us about the first day of school, we are able to experience all the emotions she feels.  It is an intimate portrayal.

The storytelling rhythm supplied by the whispers, laughter and taunts coupled with Faizah's thoughts and her mother's wisdom are moving and powerful for all readers of all ages.  The symbolism of the hijab in comparison to the sky and ocean is marvelous.  There is also a wonderful light-heartedness and joy in Faizah's counting of her steps from one place to the next. Here is a passage.

Asiya's hijab isn't a laugh.

Asiya's hijab is like the ocean waving to the sky.

It's always there, strong and friendly.

Some people won't understand your hijab, Mama had said.

But if you understand who you are, one day they will too.

The illustrations rendered by artist Hatem Aly are beautiful in their depiction, interpretation and elevation of this story. The design of extending Asiya's hijab into an ocean with waves on the front of the matching dust jacket and book case and then changing it to a sky with clouds on the back is brilliant.  In the white space above the sky on the back sits a glowing sun with words introducing the essence of the story.  The ISBN is placed inside one of the clouds.  The look of self-confidence on Asiya's face and the gaze of adoration on Faizah's face are our first glimpse of the tie between these sisters.  Placing Faizah in the paper boat made of notebook paper is pure wonderfulness.  The title text on the front of the jacket is varnished and raised.

These pictures were made

digitally; the textures were done with ink washes and pencil on watercolor paper.  

The opening and closing endpapers begin and offer a continuation of the story.  On the first Faizah, Asiya and their mother are going to the shop to purchase the hijab.  On the last, the girls are near a school bus with their parents waving in the yard of their home.  On the dedication page opposite the title text, they are inside the shop looking at the display of hijabs.

The images are double-page pictures with a few full-page visuals.  Hatem Aly alters his perspective for dramatic effect.  The close-ups of Asiya in her hijab are lovely.  At times the surrounding elements are softer and lighter in color to allow the characters to draw our focus.

To show those students laughing and taunting with yells with no details is fantastic.  They are presented as a blend of darker purples, almost like shadows.  This gives them no power over Asiya, Faizah or Asiya's friends.  It is in keeping with their mother's words of advice. 

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is when Faizah is drawing in her classroom.  The girl who whispered a question to her in line is sitting next to her admiring her picture.  Their teacher is looking over their shoulders.  The girls and the teacher are on the right of this double-page picture.  On the left, crossing the gutter and for a portion of the right is Faizah's drawing.  Gorgeous shades of turquoise billow from a golden grass which is an extension of the girl's table.  On the turquoise is a picnic blanket spread with a feast.  Faizah and Asiya are seated together, each wearing a bright blue hijab with crowns above their heads like princesses.  There are white etchings in the turquoise of accents in the clouds, birds and grass.  It almost looks like scratchboard.

I freely admit the first time reading this book, The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family written by Ibtihaj Muhammad with S. K. Ali and with art by Hatem Aly, tears filled my eyes for several reasons.  This story of family and faith is very moving.  That children are the subject of whispers, laughter and taunts because of their clothing, skin color or faith has always been heartbreaking.  My hope is that those broken people who do this to people will heal and see the beauty within others regardless of their clothing, skin color or faith.  I believe this book will help to mend and provide valuable insight.   I can't imagine a collection, personal or professional, without a copy of this book.

To learn more about Ibtihaj Muhammad, S. K. Ali and Hatem Aly and their other work, please visit their respective websites by following the links attached to their names.  Ibtihaj Muhammad has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  S. K. Ali has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. Hatem Aly has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  For articles and interviews with Ibtihaj Muhammad please follow links to WBUR, BUSTLE, and the TODAY show.

Comical Companions Continue . . . Again

Yesterday as I read a story aloud, a patron and I were giggling as we huddled over the book.  This is one more incident proving the transformative and restorative power of children's books.  Their influence is undeniable regardless of a person's age.

Children's books can supply deep insight by elevating the everyday into classic, memorable moments.  The characters and their words in these books become a part of shared conversations with readers and listeners.  Hopefully, there will never come a day when Let the wild rumpus start won't call to mind the name of a boy and the book he calls home.

Children's books portray what normally would be impossible or absurd and make it believable.  They alter your perspectives so you can share the comedy of a talking worm and talking snail being best friends.  Several years ago we met two hilarious creatures who rarely stray far from the ground in Snail & Worm: Three Stories About Two Friends (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, May 3, 2016).  They returned to delight us in Snail & Worm Again: Three Stories About Two Friends (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, March 28, 2017) which garnered a Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor Award in 2018.  For the sake of readers who've fallen in love with this humorous duo (and those who've just met them on a recent Sunday afternoon), Snail & Worm All Day: Three Stories About Two Friends (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, September 24, 2019) written and illustrated by Tina Kugler is a joyful respite.

Best Day Ever

Hello!
Hi! 
Guess what?
It is the best day ever!

When Snail starts to list all the reasons this is the best day ever, Worm is puzzled.  Those three events are not good things.  Snail proceeds to clarify. It's not his best day ever but three other animals are having best days ever for a variety of developments.  These explanations make a lot more sense to Worm, then Snail delivers a punchline certain to have readers bursting out laughing.

In the next story Snail is sauntering along at well . . . a snail's pace.  He comes upon a large mound with a dark opening.  In his mind, it's a cave.  With his usual innocence, he calls out a greeting.  Four legs and a head appear.

Snail panics, thinking it's a dragon about to consume him.  All the turtle wants to do is sleep, so he withdraws into his shell.  Snail is yelling for help when Worm appears.  No matter what Worm says, Snail does not understand.  What he says and does continues the comedy.  Worm, like a true friend, is ever the patient pal.

Night descends in the third story with Snail asking Worm to tell him a story.  He can't get to sleep.  In the course of their conversation, a give and take of questions and answers, the last tale is told.  Doubts are alleviated and friendship wins the day.

Good night.


By the second page turn readers' hearts are filling up with mirth at the verbal exchange between Worm and Snail, even if this is the first time you've met them.  Tina Kugler continually exhibits a masterful skill in her word selection and pacing.  We are constantly engaged in the conversations of these two friends, but we are also questioning Snail's thought processes and admiring Worm's dedication and capacity for compassion.  These three stories, told entirely in dialogue, exhibit the depth of their friendship and reveal their very distinct personalities. Here is a passage.

Are you in the story too?
I will be lonely if
I am in a story
all by myself.

All right.
I will be in the story too.

How can you tell the
story if you are also
in the story?

Maybe we can tell 
the story together?


When you open the dust jacket and look at the matching book case underneath, you know, without a sliver of doubt, the book is brimming with happiness.  First the color palette mirrors our natural world at its vibrant best.  The rich golden yellow background helps the varied greens, orange of Snail's shell, the red shades, the rich plum and of course, Worm's pink, pop off the pages.  The design on the front and back of the dust jacket extends to the edges of the flaps. 

To the left, on the back, artist Tina Kugler has placed large tree and plant leaves with the etching of a delicate series of leaves in red.  Worm peeks out from the ISBN, as if in greeting.  Snail is tucked into the lower corner of the left book flap edge.

A gorgeous teal canvas covers the opening and closing endpapers.  White outlines of leaf blades, stems and flowers are intricately drawn across both pages.  It's as if they've been preserved between pages after a walk in the world of Snail and Worm, so we can view them again and again.

The illustrations rendered with acrylic on pastel paper, collage, and digital media are a cheerful mix of color and comedy.  The ability of Tina Kugler to convey a mood or thought with the eyes of Worm or Snail, circles with dots, is uncanny.  The title of each story is embedded in the first image.

The picture sizes vary from full-page pictures with white space as frames to ovals or rectangles, two or three to a page, full-page visuals, edge to edge or double-page images.  Each one contributes to the pacing.  Many times, elements will break the framing to add balance and appeal.

One of my many, many favorite pictures is on a full page, edge to edge.  Snail is speaking about the best day ever for Frog.  On a pale, pale blue sky a bunch of cattails branch from the upper, right corner.  On one of them sits a frog watching the water.  On another leaf over the water in the lower, left corner is Snail and Worm is below him.  They, too, are looking at the water.  Fish are swimming as Frog blows bubbles under water.  It's her best day ever for learning how to do this.


When you open a book with Snail and Worm as characters, you know you're about to laugh and have your heart swell with the goodness of their friendship.  In Snail & Worm All Day: Three Stories About Two Friends written and illustrated by Tina Kugler we encounter their trademark comedy and the endearing warmth of their attributes.  You'll definitely want a copy of this title (along with the previous two) in both your personal and professional collections.

To discover more about Tina Kugler and her other work, please visit her website by following the link attached to her name.  Tina has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  There are wonderful sneak peeks at her artwork on her Instagram feed.
   

To Create Change

We need to stop ourselves each and every morning and remember today is a day when one person, maybe you or me, will change the world for the better for at least one other person. We are never fully aware of how a look, a word or a gesture of kindness can shift a day, or a lifetime, for someone.  Close to ten years ago when I was assigned as the librarian in both an elementary school library and a middle school library, I was checking my email early in the morning.

It was one of those days when you question the course of your life's work.  In my email was a message from a former student, then in his early thirties.  It was a note expressing his gratitude to me for treating him with respect and understanding when he came to the library during his middle school years.

Earlier this week a friend on Twitter sent out this tweet to his followers.

A kid, quietly came up to me after school , and told me that I was the first person to ever tell him that he is awesome. How does a kid go 10+ years without ever hearing that? 😭😭😭😭😭

— Colby Sharp (@colbysharp) October 1, 2019

We simply cannot predict how we live our life affects others.  If we work together inspiring each other to be our best selves, who knows what we will accomplish.

Perhaps, our beautiful world will become more marvelous for the larger community of all its inhabitants.  Our House Is On Fire: Greta Thunberg's Call to Save the Planet (Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, September 24, 2019) written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter (The world is not a rectangle: A Portrait Of Architect Zaha Hadid ) is a timely look at the young woman championing for the only planet we have, Earth.  She has generated an international awakening and awareness.

Greta is a quiet girl who led a quiet life

in the city of Stockholm.

Her dog Roxy was her friend.

For most of her life, Greta saw herself as alone, unseen by her classmates.  One day at school a teacher spoke to her students about climate change.  As Greta heard her teacher's words something inside her shifted.  

She educated herself further by reading and watching films about our world and how it was warming at an alarming rate.  Greta was focused on this topic and this topic only.  She watched as specific areas were damaged and threatened by all the events happening then (and now).  The polar ice melting, the raging storms, the death of coral reefs, specie extinctions, extreme flooding, droughts and fires shocked her.

Greta was deeply saddened by the state of the planet's and its residents' status.  The more she thought about it, the unhappier she became.  Finally, she knew she had to do something for herself and Earth.  She began her strike from school for climate.  She had the support of her parents.

Greta positioned herself outside the Swedish parliament with her sign reading School Strike For Climate every Friday.  At first no one noticed.  She sat there in all kinds of weather.  Finally, people did notice.  She was no longer alone.  Other students in Stockholm joined her.  

Other students around the world joined her.  Greta spoke at world gatherings of adults focusing on climate change.  Her words, based on science, rang true.  A single voice made a difference.  A single voice became a chorus resonating around the world and is still growing. 

As in many of her books, Jeanette Winter, through research presents a true picture of Greta Thunberg's shift from frightened to focused.  We feel her isolation through word choices and use of language.  The repetition of two words over eight sentences builds toward her very real fear.  This makes her decision to strike all the more courageous and inspiring and also heartbreaking.  She was only fifteen when she started striking.  Many quotations from her speeches and journalists are present in this book.

As Jeanette Winter continues to write Greta's story, we are aware of the power of children.  We are aware of each generation's duty to better the world for the next generation.  The closing question penned by Jeanette Winter is for all readers of all ages.  Here is a passage from the narrative.

The quiet girl who always felt invisible was asked to speak to

very important people at the United Nations climate talks in Poland.

Greta only spoke when she thought it was necessary.

The matching illustration spanning both sides, left to right, of the dust jacket and book case speaks volumes.  The children from around the world, the bright colors of their clothing and signs, joining Greta demand our attention as if we can hear their voices chanting.  This first picture shows how one person can and has made a difference.  

On the opening and closing endpapers is a lighter shade of teal than that seen on the jacket and case.  Prior to the title page Greta stands alone on a crisp white background with one of her quotes above her:

"You are never too small to make a difference."

On the title page the five first words of the title text span left to right in huge reddish-textured print.  This is an important design decision as the final question is also enlarged across two pages in blueish-textured print at the book's close.

Each of Jeanette Winter's signature visuals spans a single page framed in a large white border, a full-page, edge to edge, or in one dramatic double-page picture.  She alters her perspective to strengthen her narrative.  By including Greta's rescue dog, Roxy, in many of the images we see Greta's empathy for those in need.  We understand her true heart.  For those special eight pages of Greta and Roxy watching each disaster, their facial expressions and body positions convey a wealth of emotions.

One of my many favorite illustrations expresses the depth of Greta's sadness.  Around Greta in the center of the page, seated with her knees drawn to her chest and hugged by her arms, swirls a world of despair.  Behind her is a purple sky with darker mountains and waves of varying blues.  Directly in front of her is a lavender portion with cracks.  Rain falls.  Roxy lays at her feet, eyes watching Greta's bowed head.  This is a poignant scene.  It is also moving to realize how this young woman raised herself up and galvanized an entire world.

Certain to promote discussions and further research, Our House Is On Fire: Greta Thunberg's Call to Save the Planet written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter is an important title and most worthy of a place on your personal and professional bookshelves.  On the final page author Jeanette Winter speaks about the initial march on March 15, 2019 and the countries that participated.  Nine research sources are noted along with bibliographic information about the quotes used in this book.  The noted resources are excellent.  Jeanette Winter's final words are:

When I heard her speeches, I felt Greta was speaking for me.  And I'm eighty years old.

If you desire to view interior illustrations from this title please visit the publisher's website.  Here is an article in Publishers Weekly titled Greta Thunberg's Call for Action Fast Tracks a Picture Book Bio.  Jeanette Winter is featured in an interview at A Mighty Girl website.  Here is the link to the Global Climate Strike on September 17 and September 24, 2019.  Here is the link to Fridays for Future which includes many of Greta's speeches.  

You will want to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to take note of the other titles selected this week by participants in the 2019 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.

One For You, One For Me, One For Everyone

It's one of their many abilities humans find uncanny.  (If we are wise, we pay attention.)  They do not make this decision without careful thought.  A variety of questions and the answers are weighed in their minds.  Then a selection is made.  This choice, when a dog chooses you, will create the best kind of life possible for two individuals.  It's an opportunity to explore possibilities you never imagined.

Some will look at you and your canine companion remarking on similarities in physical traits and unique characteristics.  You will be called a perfect pair. Considering the individual (the dog) responsible for this match, this is to be expected.  As revealed in Mr. Scruff (Candlewick Press, September 24, 2019) written and illustrated by Simon James, this perspective of perfection is not always true.

This is Polly.
She belongs to Molly.

As you might expect Polly, a poodle, and Molly, her human, both have curly hair.  A dachshund and his professorial-looking gentleman both tend to walk with their noses in the air.  Vinnie, a long-haired and well-loved street musician, has a sheepdog for a best pooch pal.  Each of these dogs and their humans have names that rhyme, and they tend to act and look alike.

Then we meet Mr. Scruff.  He's alone at a shelter, waiting for his ideal match.  (Do you think someone rhyming with Mr. Scruff will arrive?)

Mick, a little guy wearing a red bandana, rides in the side car of his motorcycle-loving human, Rick.  Another twosome enjoys fine dining.  Mr. Scruff is still alone.  Or is he?  A little boy stands in front of his cage.  His name is Jim.  Jim does not rhyme with Mr. Scruff.

They instantly love each other despite Jim's parents pointing out their size and age difference.  Mr. Scruff is big and old.  Jim, wise for his years, supplies a most excellent response to his parents.  True to both their instincts, Mr. Scruff and Jim are the best of friends.  Now, at this point, you might believe this story has come to its conclusion,

But wait a minute.

There is another human looking for a dog at the shelter.  There is another dog at the shelter needing a human.  And their names are . . .


With each reading the excellence of word choices and pacing shines brighter and brighter.  Simon James uses rhyming as an invitation to participate but then he breaks that cadence to further define perfect.  (Perfection we learn, like beauty, is in the eye and the heart of the beholder.)  Simon James cleverly repeats certain key phrases to add emphasis to the extended meaning of perfect.  By blending the voice of the unseen narrator with the dialogue of the parents, Jim and the final human, we become more a part of the story. Here is a passage.

But things are looking rough
for poor old Mr. Scruff.

Wait a minute!  Who's this? (page turn)

It's Jim!  


Rendered in ink and watercolor all the images by Simon James, beginning on the matching and open dust jacket and book case, are charming, hopeful and a little bit humorous.  On the front of the jacket and case, the lush park scene softens to draw our focus to Mr. Scruff and Jim.  Here we can see their size and age difference but also the complete adoration they have for each other. 

To the left, on the back, on a canvas of pristine white is Eric the dachshund with his human, Derek.  Their noses are still in the air.  Derek's briefcase is loaded with papers, some nearly falling out the sides.  On the jacket the dogs and their humans are varnished as is the text on the front.

On the left of the opening endpapers and on the right of the closing endpapers the seven dogs mentioned in the story are featured.  The title page with Mr. Scruff sitting next to his bed, bowl and ball is opposite the first endpapers.  On the back a single paw print is placed near the center of the page on the left.

When most of the dogs are introduced, they appear on a white background followed by a full-page picture.  White space supplies framing for many of the illustrations accentuating the characters.  There is only one double-page picture.  The line work of Simon James and his skill with light and shadow are exemplary.  The facial features of the dogs and their humans will have readers giggling and nodding knowingly. 

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is on a single page, edge to edge, except for a space at the bottom for the text.  The text reads:

It's Jim!

We are inside the shelter, looking at the large cage housing Mr. Scruff.  He is standing in front of his bed, bowl and ball.  Off to either side of his pen are items for maintaining cleanliness in the shelter.  Jim stands before the wire wall looking at Mr. Scruff.  Mr. Scruff is looking directly at readers with a puzzled look on his face.  It's as if he is momentarily questioning the lack of rhyming between Mr. Scruff and Jim.


It's guaranteed this book, Mr. Scruff written and illustrated by Simon James, will be a storytime favorite.  The use of language, the page turns, and the pictures equals picture book magic.  You will be grinning and giggling along with other readers. I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Simon James and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Simon James has accounts on Facebook and Instagram.  There is a lot of art on his Instagram feed, process and final art.  At Candlewick Press and Penguin Random House you can view interior pictures.