Ferocious, Forceful, Fantastic Bugs

In nine days, the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice, will be marked on calendars in the northern hemisphere.  We've had more than six inches of snow blanket the ground in the last 48 hours with more currently falling.  Below normal temperatures for several days this week and high winds formed sizable drifts.  At night animals are on the move as evidenced by their tracks and trails left in the snow, but there is a huge population of critters not visible this time of year.

Some of them are downright pesky and not missed at all, even though we know they are essential in the chain of life.  Others as evidenced by Insect Superpowers: 18 real bugs that smash, zap, hypnotize, sting, and devour! (Chronicle Books, November 5, 2019) written by Kate Messner with illustrations by Jillian Nickell are not only vital but display capabilities similar to champions of comics.  Their skills are astounding.

AN INSECT FAMILY TREE
All living organisms are identified using a system called biological classification, where they're organized based on common characteristics.  This organization starts big---by asking questions like, "Is it a plant, animal, or something else?"---and it gets more specific as it goes along.

Each category,

domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species

are explained in their most basic form and one insect, the Monarch Butterfly is used as an example, citing all eight classifications.  After these four pages, the superpower descriptors are divided into chapter headings,

Fast & Fierce
Great Imposters
Big & Tough
Masters of Chemical Weaponry
Engineers & Architects and
Amazing Ants.

Within these chapters each featured insect is given a superpower name based upon their performances.

You would think with a name like robber fly this insect is some kind of super sleuth but it's a speed demon when in flight.  If you are its unfortunate prey, you are doomed to become a liquid form of food.  Did you know the six-spotted tiger beetle can move faster than five miles per hour?  There is a bug clever enough to mimic an orchid and lure in unsuspecting food.  Its powerful jaws allow it to feast on other insects three times its size.  If you think the only reason fireflies, especially the females, flash their light is to find a mate, you'll be shocked by the behavior of one species.  If you are a male Photinus ignitus, take flight and avoid the light.

There is a grasshopper, Little Barrier Island giant weta, residing in New Zealand.  As the

heaviest insect in the world 

it tips the scale at 35 grams or .077 pounds.  That's one big bug!  It scares rats away by lifting its wicked-looking hind legs.  The black and white shell of the Texas Ironclad beetle is so hard a drill is sometimes necessary to pierce its shell when scientists are studying a deceased bug.  And you won't believe what someone did to the shell of one of these living beetles.  Can you imagine a bug that can shoot a toxic mixture out its rear at five hundred to one thousand bursts per second?  Beware the African bombardier beetle.  If you were a specific termite living in Australia your face is your best weapon, shooting out a gooey glue to immobilize attacking ants.

There is a bug that builds holes in sand to trap food, one that farms fungus and another that confuses its predator by emitting its own sonar sound.  Many of us are aware ant bites can be itchy and achy but one ant, the Bullet ant, has an extremely painful sting.  The final noted insect, Siafu ant, has terrifying jaws.  They travel in troops of millions . . . yes, millions.  Nothing is safe in their path.  The talents of these insects are terrifying, especially to other insects and wild and domestic creatures, but you can't, nonetheless, resist being astonished and give them their due respect.


Through her careful research, author Kate Messner presents facts in multiple ways to appeal to a variety of readers.  For each insect we learn their:

common name,
aliases,
super-scientific name,
trademark features,
size (metric),
secret hideout, 
superpower,
favorite food,
allies and
archenemy.

By selecting these words, she is keeping to the superhero theme.  In other text boxes each insect's characteristics and defining actions are portrayed.  Sometimes a probable scenario is showcased with step-by-step action.  Captivating anecdotes provide unforgettable information.  Here are some passages.

THE DECAPITATOR
A raiding gang
of Asian giant
hornets have been
known to wipe out
a nest of tens
of thousands of 
honeybees in a 
couple of hours. 

The hornets use their powerful mandibles to tear
the bees apart, often ripping off heads, legs, and 
wings.  Then the hornets carry the bees' larvae
back to the nest, chew them into balls, and feed
them to the hornet larvae.


The front and back of the open book case has huge reader appeal.  The layout and design are an introduction to the comic book, graphic novel, use of panels.  The image on the front is a display of six of the eighteen insects.  To the left, on the back, the Asian giant hornet is showcased within several text boxes along with striking images.  Information about Kate Messner and Jillian Nickell, which would normally appear on the back dust jacket flap, is shown here.

On the left front and back right of the end papers are superpower rays shooting out from the gutter in yellow and green hues.  The pages opposite these are first, the title page and second, at the end, the publication information.  These, in the front, are followed by two pages dedicated to the Contents.  

Rendered in ink and copic marker the full-color illustrations by Jillian Nickell are vibrant and bold.  Panels for text are placed within, above and below illustrative panels.  Geometrically shaped panels house insects which look as though they are going to burst off the pages.

We are brought close to the action.  Sound effect words are large and highly expressive.  Small ribbons further emphasize superpowers with appropriate visuals as well as the insect's archenemy.  So well-portrayed are these insects, it's hard to believe they are not real superheroes, but readers will find themselves grateful they are not the size of humans.

One of my many favorite illustrations is the first page for the Hercules beetle.  Its superhero name is THE WEIGHT LIFTER.  Two text boxes in yellow present seven short facts.  Between these the beetle rises looking like a giant.  Blue and white rays spread out from the center in the background.  The enlarged beetle, which can be seven inches long (180mm), is standing tall and holding a large barbell in its mandibles.


Whether a reader is a fan of bugs or not, this book, Insect Superpowers: 18 real bugs that smash, zap, hypnotize, sting, and devour! written by Kate Messner with illustrations by Jillian Nickell, will keep them reading, probably in a single sitting.  At the close of the book, a question,

Could super insects take over the world someday?

leads to a discussion by the author.  This is followed by a list of books and websites.  These bugs are a part of our world.  The more we know about them, the easier it is to understand their purpose.  This book is a wonderful resource for your personal and professional collections.  It's easy to see this book as a read aloud in a classroom setting or a book group or as a part of an insect unit.

To learn more about Kate Messner and Jillian Nickell and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Kate Messner has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  Jillian Nickell has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.


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

It Only Takes . . .

It only takes one.  One shy glance, one delectable taste, one resonating note, one gentle touch or one sweet smell to effect a change.  We never know how a simple act, freely given, can alter someone's life.

In those sensory moments, short or long, small or large, we are joined with another being.  It is a force for good.  One Hug (Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, December 10, 2019) written by Katrina Moore with illustrations by Julia Woolf explores a memorable day in the life of a family.  All kinds of hugs convey a range of emotions centered in love.

One hug.

A boy's day begins with a hug from his mother as they watch a plane pass by his bedroom window.  The hugging continues with an embrace from his father.  The boy hugs his sister right out of her bed.  Special hugs are given to the boy from his canine companion.

Each member of the family is busy, moving items from their home to their back yard.  Is it a picnic?  Is it a sleepover?  The letters on a banner spell WELCOME.  Soon shouts of happiness announce a long-awaited arrival.

A grandmother hugs her daughter.  An uncle hugs and whirls his nephew around as three cousins laugh and jump for joy.  The boy's sister, hesitant, joins the hugging jamboree when given some extra tender care.

A shared meal, catching-up conversations and the gentle capture of fireflies spread warmth inside the family members' hearts and a gentle glow outside as dusk descends.  Pajama-clad children build blanket beds inside a tent.  A grandmother's song envelops the nestled gals and guys as they end their day looking at a star-studded sky.


In her debut picture book, author Katrina Moore meticulously builds a narrative featuring enthusiastic embraces within a family.  Her selection of words creates a symphony of rhyming sounds; read aloud it sounds like a song.  Repetition of a refrain is a connecting chorus.  Here are two sentences.

Chasing, racing, to and fro,
sometimes hugs are on the go!

Open arms that swoop around,
some hugs whoosh you off the ground.


When you look at the open dust jacket (I'm working with an F & G. My hard copy is arriving soon.), one word comes to mind, bliss.  It is a bliss born of the embrace between a grandmother and her grandson reunited at last.  It is a bliss born of running at night among fireflies.  Notice the use of circles and loops in the design.  That's what hugs do.  By placing the grandmother and her grandson on the "o" it's as if they are seated on a crescent moon.  It makes a reference to the expression "over the moon."  All the elements on the blue are varnished.

To the left, on the back, the boy and his sister are standing together.  The boy holds his dog in his arms.  His sister is reaching out to hug the dog.  On the title page an interior image of the boy and his sister laughing and hugging is enlarged and placed between the text.

Rendered using

ArtPrint printers ink by Seawhite of Brighton and Photoshop

these digital illustrations by Julia Woolf depict all the delight found in a family whose affection for each other is expressed by hugging.  The close-up portraits of the family's faces when they are hugging supply readers with the sure knowledge of the shared contentment.  Careful readers will also find humor shown on some of those same faces.

Full color pictures are layered with the people and specific elements slightly darker than the background.  Details in the visuals show the blend of two cultures.  Julia Woolf shifts the sizes of the illustrations from full-page pictures, double-page pictures and several grouped together on a single page to heighten the cadence created by the narrative.

One of my many favorite illustrations is on a single page.  It's nighttime.  From the left a trunk of a tree forms a triangle in the upper corner.  A full moon shimmers as fireflies flutter on either side of the open-door tent.  The five children, now wearing pajamas, are getting ready to sleep in the tent.  The two boys are playing with their pillows and laughing.  A girl is laughing and dancing on the grass.  Another girl is hanging a lantern inside the tent.  The littlest girl, the boy's sister, is seated and yawning.  This is a picture you'll want to hug.


You can't read One Hug written by Katrina Moore with illustrations by Julia Woolf without smiling.  The charm of the combination of rhythmic words and images full of merriment surrounds you from beginning to end and long after the story is finished.  For a story time full of mirth pair this with The Runaway Hug, Hug Machine or Hug It Out!  I can't imagine a professional or personal collection without a copy of this book.

To learn more about Katrina Moore and Julia Woolf and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  Katrina Moore has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Julia Woolf has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  At Harper Stacks Katrina Moore writes about one of her students and the beginning of this book.  Katrina Moore is featured at 12 x 12 Twelve Picture Books Twelve Months and KidLit411.  The cover reveal is hosted by teacher librarian Matthew C. Winner here.  At the publisher's website there are two pages of printable activities.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like . . . 2019 #5

It is the first and one of eight names celebrated in a poem nearly two hundred years old.  It is sung joyfully in several seasonal carols.  In fact, portions of the poem and songs containing this name have been committed to memory by even the youngest among us.  It might be said these verses are as well-known as The Alphabet Song.

This name, and the being that responds to it, are attached to an important event in the lore of Christmas.  On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus fills a sleigh full of gifts to bring to children throughout the world.  This sleigh is pulled by a team of nine reindeer, but no one knows why until now.  Dasher (Candlewick Press, September 10, 2019) written and illustrated by Matt Tavares is an original explanatory tale radiating Christmas magic.  When a dream fills a heart, that heart will find a way to fulfill that dream.

YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THE STORY of how a certain red-nosed reindeer was chosen to guide Santa's sleigh one foggy Christmas Eve.  You've probably heard of the eight other reindeer too.  Maybe you can even remember all their names.

The narrator continues by telling readers this was not always true.  Originally Santa's sleigh was pulled by a single horse that went by the name of Silverbell.  As time went on the number of children and gifts to deliver grew in number.  Silverbell needed help.  A young doe, a reindeer called Dasher, needed to escape.

Dasher, her parents and siblings were captive in a circus, the J. P. Finnegan's Traveling Circus and Menagerie.  Daily they spent hours in the heat from the sun as crowds pressed around them and long nights hauling the circus wagons to the next destination.  To lessen their misery their mother told them stories of a place with clear, brisk air and snow covering the ground to cushion their hooves.  Reindeer were free there as the North Star shown down on them at night.

Dasher longed to live in this place, but Mr. Finnegan was not likely to let any of the reindeer leave without dire consequences.  The one thing Dasher enjoyed about being in the circus was the children but still, night after night, her longing increased as she watched the North Star.

One wild and windy evening, fate gave Dasher an opportunity.  Bravery made her bold and she bolted from the enclosure.  No matter how long she followed the North Star, it still seemed far, far away.  (Sometimes when we follow our dreams, a wish gives us hope to hold.)  Dasher's wish brought the sound of sleigh bells, a man dressed in red and white fur and a horse, a horse named Silverbell.

During their conversation, the man and Dasher reached an agreement.  It was a night of many firsts for the young reindeer.  On Christmas morning and in the following days, Dasher's heart nearly burst with happiness at living in the land from her mother's stories.  Before a year passed, Dasher's biggest desire became a reality and one of the most enchanting chapters in Christmas traditions.


With his preface author Matt Tavares reaches out to readers connecting us to what we know and welcoming us into a fascinating and lasting revelation.  Like Dasher, who among us has not felt trapped by circumstances and dreamed of a better place, a place fashioned by truth and a mother's stories?  Matt Tavares increases our bond with Dasher and his family through his choice of descriptive words.  We feel the heat of their days and the work they endure at night.  We are soothed by Dasher's mother's tales of the land under the North Star.  We feel Dasher's yearning.

The repetition of specific words ties portions of the story together.  These words sustain the dream in Dasher's heart and in our collective minds as readers.  They further attach us to this reindeer as her story unfolds.  We can feel a gentle tension growing until we read seven very special words about a sound coming from the woods on a snowy night.  Here is a passage.

Dasher could hear rustling from inside Mr. Finnegan's trailer.
She glanced up at the North Star.  She looked back at her sleeping
family.  She knew that this might be her only chance.  Her heart
pounded.  She took a deep breath.


How can you look at the front of the dust jacket and not feel the spell of this picture weaving around you?  In the calm of a stormy, snowy night the moon is sending rays through parting clouds.  In this play of light and nighttime shadow stands Santa Claus with his sleigh pulled by a horse.  Is that Dasher coming from the evergreen on the right?  There is much mystery and possibilities in this scene.  The title is embossed in burnished golden foil.

To the left, on the back, on a pale blue canvas, a smaller version of a double-page interior picture is framed in fine red lines.  It is an illustration certain to have readers, young and old alike, smiling with the thrill of the moment.  This visual, like many in this book, is a portrait of the power of faith, hope and wishes come true.  On the book case, from one side to the other, is a gorgeous night sky.  On the front the North Star is shining big and bright; so close we can touch it.

The red used throughout the book covers the opening and closing endpapers.  Prior to the title page, Matt Tavares frames his introduction in those same fine red lines.  This is placed in a setting of a cold wintry night with the North Star directly overhead.  Along the bottom, walking in the snow, are two reindeer.  With a page turn the verso and title pages feature a double-page image.  It's a panoramic view, from slightly above, of the circus with its tents, wagons and the pen encircling Dasher and her family.  It depicts the heat and dust and desperation.

Using

watercolor, gouache, pencil, and pastel

Matt Tavares brings us completely into Dasher's world with his pictures.  Some are on single pages bordered by fine red lines opposite pages of white for text and a small North Star in gold beneath the words.  For a few we are brought close to the scene.  We could be standing with the children feeding Dasher carrots.  In only one picture does Matt Tavares break the frame with an element.

All the pictures are intensely atmospheric, but the double-page pictures evoke strong emotions of weariness, wanting, wishing and then the delight of a wonderful shift in the story.  When Matt Tavares creates his art, it's as if any one of them could come to life at any moment.  We want to reach out or step into the visual.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is deep in the woods.  On the left in the darkness the text is placed in a framed box with the tiny North Star.  On the right in the light of the moon's rays, Santa is standing and talking with Silverbell in front of the sleigh loaded with gifts.  They are framed by leaves and evergreen branches.  Standing in the foreground, watching and listening is Dasher.  Looking at this picture, even without the text, you can sense a turning point.


Dasher written and illustrated by Matt Tavares is well on its way to becoming a holiday classic.  Everything about it, every tiny detail, is exquisite bookmaking.  This is a story of Christmas to share as often as you can, year after year.  I give this my highest recommendation and hope you'll add it to your personal and professional holiday collections.

To learn more about Matt Tavares and his other work, please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  Matt Tavares has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. At the publisher's website is an activity kit.  At Penguin Random House you can view interior images.  Matt Tavares wrote a lovely post about the process for this book at the Nerdy Book Club.  At Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher's site, Watch. Connect. Read., please enjoy the chat between him and Matt Tavares for the book trailer premiere.

Mock Caldecott 2020

This year for the Mock Caldecott project, educator Katherine Sokolowski who blogs at Read. Write. Reflect and maintains an account on Twitter, started a conversation about our collaboration.  This is the eighth year we've worked together and we've refined our efforts.  It's always been fun for our students and us.

Katherine: Margie, according to my blog we began to host a Mock Caldecott together in 2013. Does it seem that long ago to you? It feels like we just begun, but when I see that my class’s 2014 winner was Journey by Aaron Becker, I realize that it has been awhile.


Margie:  I agree, Katherine. Hosting the Mock Caldecott with you seems like we just started it but also like we’ve been doing it longer.  All during the year, I keep titles in mind to use in this activity. It’s a time to share what we’ve enjoyed with each other and now, your students.  I love looking closely at books and their illustrators.

Guess what?  I just did an email search and our first Google document for the Mock Caldecott was on December 5, 2012!  It was an initial list with 40 titles. I have been reading through our email exchanges and laughing out loud.  We had a really hard time scheduling Skypes with the fifth grade classes here that year because we kept having snow days and the time difference was a factor, too.  And we had not even met in real life yet.


Katherine: Holy moly, I remember the snow days! You guys had so many that year. I also looked through my posts and notes on the Mock Caldecott over the years. A lot has changed. We began when I was in my third year of teaching fifth grade, my seventeenth in teaching. It’s interesting to me that this year is the fourth year of doing this activity with my seventh graders, which equals the amount of years we held the Mock Caldecott with my fifth graders. You’ve switched jobs and locations throughout this journey as well.

Margie:  Yes, we did have a bunch of snow days that year and the next year, too.  (I believe the district had thirteen last year which, since I’ve been in northern Michigan, is a record.) I don’t know why, but I feel as though we started this collaboration before I took early retirement but, probably not.  I do know we collaborated on this when my two principals (elementary and middle) and I wrote a grant to have me continue teaming with teachers on reading and literacy in my last district for two years after my retirement.  I was the last certified librarian in the district.

Switching jobs and locations is an understatement.  In the search for a job, a promised job and an actual job, I moved 4 times in three years.  Between houses three and four, I moved three times. Mulan and I even lived in a hotel for nine days.  I’ve volunteered in two different elementary schools and worked in two different public libraries. BUT, and this is an important but . . .we’ve always done the Mock Caldecott, either with other students or with me alone.  And that’s saying something about our dedication to students and picture books.

Katherine: Yep. Our jobs and lives are so different than when we started this, but you are correct, we’ve always come together to celebrate books and kids. So cool!! I know there have been many years where we’ve struggled to narrow it to a list of twenty, and sometimes we just gave up and had more than twenty. What are you looking for when you pick a book to add to our list? It’s hard, there are always so many good ones to choose from, we are blessed.

Margie: I know this isn’t the first thing upon which I should base my selections but after an initial reading, I must have some kind of emotional attachment to the book.  I need a connection. I also think a lot about how children will feel when they read a particular book. And any book for me, no matter the type, has to have a sliver of hope.  I then go to the American Library Association  Caldecott Medal Home Page.  I refresh my memory of the qualifications and narrow my choices.  I love to reread books, studying the artwork and looking at added details placed there by the illustrators.  This year someone on social media mentioned this website at the University of Minnesota which focuses on artwork in children’s literature.

Katherine: I’m the same way. While I know the ALA’s qualifications, I also have my students in mind when I look at what books I’m selecting for our Mock Caldecott. For example, this year I knew I thought Quintero’s  My Papi Rides a Motorcycle would be a book that would fit the Caldecott criteria, but the reason I wanted it on the list originally was I knew my students would love it. I shared that one with them earlier in the year, but we revisited it this past Friday to look at it for this project and were all mesmerized by the page where she’s on the motorcycle with her dad and you’re looking at them from above. It’s breathtaking.

Margie:  I love that bird’s eye view, too.  The colors are explosive. I actually bought this book in English and Spanish.  One of several books which had me gasping aloud is Bear Came Along.  Several double-page wordless images and a vertical illustration are stunning.  The other detail I enjoy in this book, in addition to the layout, perspective and color palette in those pictures, is the humor visible in the facial expressions.  I love to laugh with children.

Katherine: Me too. One of the things I love about teaching middle school kids is sharing picture books with them and laughing together. At the beginning of the year they’re surprised that we will read picture books everyday. Then they begin expecting it and they find a joy in us reading the books together


Which brings me to our list. I’m so excited about these books we’ve chosen for this year’s Mock Caldecott! (Our list can be found below.) I’ve already started sharing these titles with my students. We’re ready to read them over the next few weeks and then Skype with you right before the ALA Youth Media Awards on January 27th. Thanks for joining me for another year!

Margie:  I’m with you.  Whether we’ve included a winner or honor recipient always elevates the excitement.  And I completely enjoy chatting with your students about our choices. Thank YOU for continuing this project with me.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like . . . 2019 #4

Two words, Christmas spirit, can have multiple meanings depending on the context in which they are used.  If we are speaking of the classic Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, ghostly visits figure into the discussion.  There are those who express their enthusiasm for the season by decorating their homes, places of work and even their vehicles.  They are apt to wear clothing and jewelry in keeping with celebrations.  People will play, sing or hum music or songs to convey their holiday happiness.

Another indication of the Christmas spirit, which many reveal throughout the year, are acts of kindness and giving without any expectation of acknowledgement. Little Robin's Christmas (Nosy Crow, an imprint of Candlewick Press, September 10, 2019) written and illustrated by Jan Fearnley is indeed a tale representative of this holiday and its true meaning.  Readers, especially readers residing in the state of Michigan, will instantly realize this as an origin story, too.

Once upon a time, there was a little brown bird.  His name was Little Robin, and this is his story.

Little Robin had seven different vests to keep him cozy and comfy.  It was seven days before Christmas.  He intended to wear one each day.

On the first day he put on his white vest.  Arriving at the pond to skate, Frog was found shivering with cold.  Little Robin gave him his vest.  Little Robin thought about the six remaining vests he had to protect him from the winter weather.

On each of the six remaining days Little Robin put on his green, pink, yellow, blue, purple and orange vests.  Each time he donned these vests to keep him warm, he met a forest friend.  Hedgehog, Mole, Squirrel, Rabbit, Otter's baby and a little mouse needed those vest more than he did.  By the time Christmas Eve arrived Little Robin was far from home and he had no more vests.

Chilled with cold and huddled on a roof covered with snow, Little Robin fell sound asleep.  He did not hear sounds only heard on Christmas Eve.  Soon he found himself in the company of two people known to embody the Christmas spirit.  One of them using thread from a special coat made Little Robin one final vest.  He is still wearing it to this day.


When you read an origin story like Little Robin's Christmas, you can't help but wonder how author Jan Fearnley initially had the idea for this tale.  What prompted her to write how robins have red breasts and link it to the giving associated with Christmas?  To begin, her use of once upon a time sets a tone of storytelling magic.

She continues with establishing and maintaining a rhythm in the donning of the vests each day, having Little Robin wander to another part of the forest and of his generosity in giving away his vests to those who are cold.  Each time another number, smaller, enters Little Robin's thoughts the pattern is reinforced.  The mix of narrative and conversation invites us deeper into the story.  Here are several passages. 

"Brrrrrrr! The ground's too hard to dig,
and I'm chilly!" Mole complained.

So Little Robin gave his pink vest to Mole.

It was a little tight, but Mole didn't mind.
He was nice and warm.

Four vests left, thought Little Robin.


Even though the two scenes shown on the open and matching dust jacket and book case look like a winter wonderland, they radiate warmth.  The warmth is found in the red vest Little Robin is wearing and in the tiny heart acting as a dot for the "i" in Christmas.  On the front all the intricate lines are embossed in silver foil.  It glistens like sunlight on snow. 

To the left, on the back, an interior image is shown.  The little mouse, now wearing Little Robin's orange and last vest, is embracing the compassionate bird.  This illustration is more panoramic with rolling hills, topped with evergreens, in the distance.

On the opening and closing endpapers, the red shade seen on the spine patterned with snowflakes is repeated. On the initial title page, Little Robin wearing his red vest is flying to the right.  On the formal title page, a double-page picture places Little Robin on a tree branch on the right side.  He is singing without any vest and overlooking people and the forest animals engaged in winter activities. 

Rendered in mixed media the illustrations joyfully depict each element of the story.  Jan Fearnley changes the size of the pictures and their perspective to accentuate the pacing.  The warmhearted nature of Little Robin is always visible as is the joy the other animals have for him when they are wearing his vests.  And there is no doubt as to the cold each animal is experiencing before Little Robin gives them his vest.  In each image the eyes of the characters truly shine with emotion.  Readers will appreciate all the extra details Jan Fearnley includes in her visuals.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is on a single page.  There is a liberal amount of white space surrounding a loose circular image.  It is the inside of Squirrel's home.  Squirrel, now wearing Little Robin's yellow vest, is sound asleep on a nest of autumn leaves.  Acorns are scattered among the leaves.  Little Robin is perched on top of Squirrel reaching out a wing in comfort.  Behind Little Robin in the opening to the nest is a wash of blue hues with white snowflakes falling.


I have read Little Robin's Christmas written and illustrated by Jan Fearnley repeatedly.  Each time I study the illustrations and discover some new tiny detail.  I booktalked it to a friend today during a phone conversation and they loved it.  This book opens the possibility of a variety of discussions and activities.  I highly recommend it for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Jan Fearnley and her other work, please follow the links attached to her name to access her website and blog.  In reading her blog, you will discover this book, in another form, was published twenty years ago.  In the UK it is titled Little Robin Red Vest.  Jan Fearnley has accounts on Facebook and Twitter.  You can view interior images at Nosy Crow and Penguin Random House.

Abhorrent Animals Endure

When you are out and about in the wild and come upon something out of the ordinary with a high ick factor, you usually tend to give it a wide berth.  You avoid it not only because of its physical appearance but these characteristics are likely to be a danger signal.  This is one of those win-win situations.  Both you and the critter are spared any adverse results.

If you know why this particular creature looks as they do, there's a chance you will find them fascinating.  Gross As A Snot Otter: Discovering the World's Most Disgusting Animals (The World Of Weird Animals) (Alfred A. Knopf, October 29, 2019) written by Jess Keating with illustrations by David DeGrand is the fourth title in this series penned and pictured by this talented team.  It explores seventeen animals with less than appealing exterior features.

Disgusting. Vile.

Repugnant. GROSS.

Gross animals are everywhere, but there's more

to these creatures than just "Eww!" and "Yuck!"

Turn the page, but be

warned, this book is not

for the squeamish . . .

As we meet the title animal, we realize their outer body is coated in mucus.  This mucus protects them on multiple levels.  The weird fact is they use their lungs to control how they float, and their skin is the source of the majority of their oxygen.

Try not to be shocked by the knowledge that zombie worms love to eat whale bones AND the males live inside the female bodies.  If you live in the area where a dumpy tree frog resides you might be checking the rim of your toilet bowl.  They enjoy hanging out there.  For all you giraffe fans, try not being appalled by the behavior of male giraffes when testing the readiness of a female to mate.  (Although on a purely scientific level, it's pure genius.)

It's guaranteed you'll never look at those cute little forest friends the same way again after reading about the Siberian chipmunk.  If you think your canine companion rolls in disgusting stuff, these critters take it to a whole new level.  Did you know hagfish slime is brimming with protein?  Do you know what scientists are thinking of doing with that slime?  

The next time or perhaps the first time you lounge on the sandy beach along the Caribbean, remember it might be composed of parrotfish poop.  Wow! The wingspan of the marabou stork is twelve feet.  Their bald heads are perfect for circumventing a mess as they dive into a carrion snack.

You won't believe where the babies of a Surinam toad reside until they are tiny toadlets.  Let's just say it's "handy" for them.  The next time someone farts I believe they will think of herring known to swim in groups but also to communicate with flatulence.  Just in case the previous details of truth here are not gross enough, think about the final animal showcased.  The sea cucumber can expel its guts; out the front or out the back of its body.  It's mind-boggling to learn they can regrow what they've lost.  Yes, these beings are repulsive, but they are a part of an ecological balance and we are essential to their existence.  We are a team and winning equals life for all.

When it comes to searching for the most captivating facts about animals and writing a narrative to expose that information for readers, Jess Keating is a master.  Jess Keating combines truth, wit and literary techniques like alliteration.  Take for example, the first sentence in her first entry.  

If you're disgusting and you know it, hide under a rock!

In this statement a musical lyric is fractured to share knowledge.  Word play is used to introduce extra information in the second paragraph.  Titles like 

Miraculous Maggots?, Pee Break!, Super Slime or Bubbles or Boogers?

are certain to capture readers' attention.  Here are two partial passages for the marabou stork.

MARABOU STORK legs are gray-brown, so why do they typically look white?  The white color is due to what scientists call whitewash, which is a fancy way of saying that this stork poops on its own legs!

The Bad and the Beautiful

Many birds have beautifully colored feathers on their heads, but marabou storks have no room for such decor.  This bird's bald head isn't just striking, it's downright practical.

Jess Keating continues to educate us by providing a column on the right of each entry which includes the animal's name, species name, size, diet, habitat, and predators and threats.  Any time a word is shown which readers might not have previously seen or is important to the text, it is made bold.

When readers look at the open and matching dust jacket and book case, they are well aware, even if this is the first book in this series they are reading, this is an extraordinary book.  This is a book focused on the topic presenting a combination of real photographs and comedic cartoons drawn by David DeGrand.  To the left, on the back, under these words:

It's not easy being GROSS.

You have to work pretty hard to be this revolting.

three animals are showcased.  One is covered in goo, the other is vomiting and the third one is slobbering as it chews thorny acacia leaves.

On the left side of each animal's discussion is a photograph outlined loosely with a wavy frame.  Opposite this, on the right are the three areas of text.  Accompanying the text is a humorous drawing by David DeGrand which draws our attention to a specific detail.  Male zombie worms are shown ready to move inside a female in a homey setting with a doorway, a picture on the wall and windows.  A dumpy tree frog, that mainly resides in Australia, is portrayed climbing from a toilet bowl and exclaiming Crikey!  

One of my favorite pictures highlights the parrotfish.  It is pooping out what will be white sand on a Caribbean beach.  In its front fins it holds a newspaper titled The Fishington Post.  The expression on its face is a blend of concern and contentment.

No one but Jess Keating and David DeGrand could make repulsive animals as engaging as this team does in the fourth book in the series, Gross As A Snot Otter: Discovering the World's Most Disgusting Animals (The World of Weird Animals).  This book, like the previous titles, can be read in a single sitting in entertaining gulps or as an animal a day.  At the close of the book Jess Keating discusses more about what the term disgusting means and how it is interpreted.  This is followed by 

Say What?!  A Glossary of Useful Words.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.  With the holiday season approaching this would make for a wonderful present, as would the other books in the series.

To learn more about Jess Keating and David DeGrand and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Jess's website is a goldmine of resources.  Jess Keating has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  David DeGrand has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  The cover reveal for this book is found at Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher's site, Watch. Connect. Read.  It's a super post about cover design and the decisions made by all participants.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  For links about the previous three titles and a book trailer premiere at this blog, follow this link.

To view the titles selected this week by other participant in the 2019 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge, visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator, Alyson Beecher.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like . . . 2019 #3

On this first Tuesday of December many people around the world are making preparations to celebrate holidays during this month.  These holidays have deep historical roots based upon religious beliefs and traditional customs observed for generations.  The challenges more people than we can imagine face during these plans and festivities differ in degrees of difficulty.

One of the greatest hardships is to have those we love separated from us not by their passing, geographical boundaries, or unforeseen circumstances but by walls built by the hands of humans.  Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story from the Border (Farrar Straus Giroux, September 10, 2019) written by Mitali Perkins with illustrations by Sara Palacios is a tale of ingenuity; this cleverness a result of what children do best.  They are keen observers.  They hope.

Abuela stars in all of Mama's stories, but my only memory is a voice calling me "angelita."

Five years have passed since this little girl heard her grandmother's affectionate word for her.  Today Maria and her younger brother Juan are traveling to the border separating Mexico from the United States with their mother.  It is La Posada Sin Fronteras. 

Mama is knitting the finishing touches on a scarf Maria has made for her grandmother to wear home.  Juan carries a picture he drew on cardboard for his grandmother.  It is of Mary and Joseph unable to find room in the inn.

When the bus carrying friends and family members arrives at the border two large fences, with a space in-between them, stretch into the ocean.  A limited number of people for a limited amount of time are allowed by border patrol officers to pass through the gate of the first fence to find their loved ones who have arrived from Mexico.

When the time arrives for Maria, Juan and their mother to meet Abuela, they are excited to see her and share words of news and affection in person.  A priest reads the story of Christmas and leads those present in carols.  When their time is up, Maria tries to push the scarf through the small holes in the fence.  A guard forbids it, returning the scarf to her.

Outside the gate Juan bursts into tears realizing he did not give his picture to Abuela.  Looking at the area around her and watching several seagulls gives Maria an idea.  Wind and suggestions of encouragement assist her endeavors.  Love soars.


With her words, author Mitali Perkins pens a story of abiding affection, family and persistence.  Simple conversational sentences in Maria's voice take us willingly on her family's journey to the border.  The mix of narrative and dialogue lends authenticity to the story.  The selection of specific words takes us deeply into these memorable moments.  Here is a passage.

Mama's words trip over Abuela's. Cousins, chickens, corn---everything in the village has grown.  Abuela drops kisses on our fingers. (Only fingers will fit through the fence, as people reach for each other.)  She is short, brown, plump, and jolly.  Hugging her would feel like hugging a chunk of cookie dough.


On the right of the open and matching dust jacket and book case, readers see a scene filled with joy; the joy is one of excitement at seeing a missed grandmother and for the gifts being made for her.  The tiny prints and patterns on the pillow, lampshade and rug are a reflection of the culture from which this family comes.  The heart pillow speaks to the strength of love in this family.

The background on the wall in the home is continued as a canvas to the left, on the back.  Within a large oval with a loose border, artist Sara Palacios has placed an image of the sandy beach, the ocean, a blue sky with wisps of clouds, seagulls, the white lighthouse on the Mexican side of the wall and palm trees.  Into this setting she shows Juan happily cheering his sister as she runs in her efforts to bring his gift to Abuela.

On the opening and closing endpapers Sara Palacios has given readers a beach view of sand, palm trees, ocean, sky and seagulls. These endpapers in the front host the title page on the right.  At the conclusion of the book, they supply a space for the publication information on the left.

Sara Palacios alternates her picture sizes from full-page pictures to double-page pictures, to smaller visuals for dramatic effect and a group of three double-page horizontal illustrations to highlight the passage of time in quick sequence.  Her perspective shifts from more panoramic positions, straight at readers, to panoramic places with a bird's eye view.  She brings us close to Maria's family to make us a part of their story.  The expressions on all the people's faces reflect their happiness and everyday tendencies, too, such as the siblings of another family teasing each other.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a single-page picture. Abuela is close to the fence on her side.  Juan, Mama and Maria are walking toward her and nearly at the fence.  All their faces are full of joy.  Mouths are open and smiling calling out words of love and greeting.  Maria proudly wears the scarf.  Juan is carrying the picture.  Mama has her knitting bag over one shoulder and carries her purse in her other hand.  Other families to the left of them are calling out to loved ones.  Pure bliss pours from this page.


Whether readers are familiar with Las Posadas or not, this book, Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story from the Border written by Mitali Perkins with illustrations by Sara Palacios, tells of a single day during this holiday and one family's minutes during an amazing achievement. This title offers the opportunity to discuss different holiday celebrations around the world and brings this holiday closer to children in the United States.  There are numerous possibilities for additional activities and research.  An Author's Note offers further information. I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Mitali Perkins (This is her debut picture book.) and Sara Palacios and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites. Mitali Perkins includes many references for this book on her website.  Mitali Perkins has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Sara Palacios has an account on Instagram.  At the publisher's website you can view interior illustrations. The cover, short sentences from the author and illustrator and process art are revealed by teacher librarian Matthew C. Winner on his blog.