A Bit Of Board Book Brilliance

You should never underestimate the power of those books conceived to be the first ones held in tiny hands.  The best of them fascinate readers of all ages.  Using less space and length than other titles, their words, art, and layout are designed with intention to convey specific concepts, often with humor, beauty, and cleverness.

These books caught my attention in 2020.  The first two I might have missed except for Elizabeth Bird, currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and author of the School Library Journal, A Fuse #8 Production, 31 Days, 31 Lists: 2020 Board Books.  The other eight were already a part of or destined to become a part of my personal collection.

Let's start with laughter.  We can never have too much, for it is truly a healer of heart and soul.  And shared with children, laughter is one of the best moments in the world.  As soon as you read the title of I Love My Tutu Too! (Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic, March 3. 2020) written and illustrated by Ross Burach, you'll start to smile.  There is something about the word tutu that starts the giggle machine.  

ONE tutu.

I love my tutu!

Before the laughter has a chance to subside, the roly-poly penguin is joined by an equally roly-poly bear who says:

I love my tutu too.

Their conversation proceeds in short rhyming statements.  Now there are two tutus.

New creatures continue to chime in with their love of tutus.  Each time a new animal joins the group, the count goes up. Before you know it, there are ten lively, animated animals standing before you in tutus.  Then, they do exactly what wearing a tutu invites you to do.

Two things are readily apparent about Ross Burach when reading this book.  First, he has a firm grasp on humor and its portrayal.  Second, he knows children.  His word play through alliteration, homonyms, and rhyming is perfection. Here are two companion passages.

FOUR tutus!

We need MORE tutus!

But who?

I know a gnu with

a new tutu.

You do?

I do.

Who knew?

The art in each of the images rendered in pencil, crayon, and digital coloring is bold, bright, and colorful.  The front book case cover is one of the more subtle scenes but look at the facial expression on that penguin.  There is a lot of happiness and anticipation in that glance. Each of the subsequent animals maintains the wide-eyed look, the arms spread on either side and legs and feet poised for action.

Although the backgrounds change, each large number in the counting is in pink and placed on the right page, opposite the latest conversation.  Sometimes a new chat is shown with the number.  Most of the text is placed in speech bubbles and in different colors according to the character speaking.  You won't believe the phone number the bear dials to reach the gnu!

One of my many favorite images is for the ewe in a tutu.  She is alone on the right, up on the toes of her back legs.  She is standing on one of three snow-capped purple mountain tops in the clouds.  Shouting to a pink sky she says:

YODEL-LAY-HEE-EWE!

She is wearing a tutu with a top and a bottom in pale green with white stars.

For your daily dose of hilarity, you'll want I Love My TuTu Too! written and illustrated by Ross Burach in your personal and professional collections.  It would make a superb participatory read aloud.  To learn more about Ross Burach and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Ross Burach has an account on Twitter.  Ross Burach was a guest of Judy Newman at Scholastic for an interview.

The talk in the world of astronomy now is the near meeting of Jupiter and Saturn on the winter solstice, December 21, 2020.  Sometimes we forget to glance skyward and enjoy the other displays except when something exceptional will occur.  Truth be told, there are spectacular constellations to see on every cloudless night, depending on the phase of the moon, throughout the year.  Animals in the Sky (Phaidon Press Inc., March 18, 2020) written and illustrated by Sara Gillingham (How to Grow a Friend and How To Mend a Heart) is a stunning and clever look at the night skies.

Every night, when the sky is clear,

it's filled with twinkling stars.

But did you know that it's full of pictures, too?

We are told if you draw lines between the most noticeable of the stars, they become animals.  Seven of these animal constellations are featured.  The format for the presentation of each is the same.

On the first image, we are given a clue as to the identity of the animal followed by a question.  The animal is drawn in its star shape.  When we open the two-page gatefold, the animal reveals its name on the left along with a realistic portrait over the star shape.  Opposite the animal is a fact about stars, constellations, or the brightest star in each showcased constellation.

At the close of the book the seven constellations are shown together.  A final two-page gatefold shows ten other constellations to locate.  The reader is directed to ask an adult for help or to consult a star map.

It is the repeat composition for each animal that invites and engages readers.  Sara Gillingham supplies clues which will appeal to the youngest of readers.  They will hardly be able to wait to open the gatefold.  Here is the text for one of the animals.

I have fins and gills,

and a tail to help me swim.

I live in the ocean in a 

big group called a school!

What animal in the sky am I?

I am the Southern Fish!

Here I am in the sky.

The limited color palette seen on the front book case cover is used throughout the book.  Wide two-tone turquoise borders with a fine golden line frame the night skies in dark blue on each page.  The animals are colored in turquoise and golden brown or a combination of the two.  Sometimes the sky color is used as a part of the animal.  There is decorative linework above and below the clue text.

One of my favorite depictions is for the Big Dog.  His body is turquoise on the blue sky.  The stars and golden lines are outlined inside his body.  Golden shading textures his fur, ear, nose and eye.  The Big Dog is wearing an ornate collar.

For those seeking to introduce children to the wonders of the night sky and sharing those moments, Animals in the Sky written and illustrated by Sara Gillingham is a title you must have on your personal and professional bookshelves.  To learn more about Sara Gillingham and her other work, please access her website by following the link attached to her name.  Sara Gillingham has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view multiple interior pages.

Our planet, Earth, is the only one we have.  The more we know about her, the better able we are to take action to protect her and the abundant life in every corner of the land, air, and water.  Our World: A First Book Of Geography (Phaidon Press Inc., July 22, 2020) written by Sue Lowell Gallion with pictures by Lisk Feng is a factual and pictorial representation of places all over our planet.  In a glorious burst of ingenuity, it is designed, when opened, to form a globe.

Many places to explore,

From mountain peaks to ocean floor,

Look around you, step outside . . .

With thirteen page turns we are treated to a marvelous view of a space in our world.  Each space is described through rhyming, connected verse on the left. On the right, accompanying these phrases, are more detailed explanations of the areas.

We learn how weather and climate affect the type of trees found.  We learn about the multitude of living creatures that call the grasslands home.  In the rainforests some animals live high in the trees and never touch the ground.  Plants and animals adapt in amazing ways to survive in deserts.

At the South and North Poles melting ice is causing rising temperatures and water levels.  Can you name a place on the planet called the tundra?  Can you imagine a place in the oceans deeper than our tallest mountain?  Water cycles up and down and all around our world.  Seven continents rest among oceans and seas.  Our planet, whether seen by an astronaut in space or by us gazing outside a window in our homes, is teeming with life each day as it spins.

This is a book to read more than once.  Author Sue Lowell Gallion has first penned a poem to guide us from one portion of our planet to the next.  Then she selects essential facts to place in the more detailed paragraphs.  Within those paragraphs, questions are sometimes asked readers.  Here is a portion of a passage.

Do you live up on a mountain or down in a valley?  Many

mountains were built over millions of years by blocks of land

pushing into each other. Others were formed by erupting volcanoes. . . .

With each turn of page, we are greeted with either a full-page circular image or a half-circle, crescent, depicting two different aspects of the same area.  For two of the topics, the circle is divided into three sections.  The full-color illustrations rendered by Lisk Feng are highly detailed welcoming readers to pause and enter the scene.  Depending on the spot, perspectives shift.  

One of my many favorite illustrations is for the discussion of mountains and valleys.  Across the top of the circle is a bright blue sky dotted with rows of clouds.  A giant mountain peak reaches into the center with smaller peaks to the left and the right.  Rolling green hills are layered in front of the mountain creating a green, tree-filled valley.  A single raptor flies left from the bottom.  We see what the bird sees.

Let me ask you this.  Who wouldn't want a book that turns into a globe?  Our World: A First Book Of Geography written by Sue Lowell Gallion with pictures by Lisk Feng is a must have for your personal and professional collections.  It's an introduction.  It's a conversation and research promoter.  You'll want to have multiple copies available.  To learn more about Sue Lowell Gallion and Lisk Feng and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  Sue Lowell Gallion has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Lisk Feng has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, SoundCloud, Tumblr, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can see multiple interior images.  There are interviews with Sue Lowell Gallion at PictureBookBuilders, InkyGirl (Lisk Feng, too), Kathy Temean, Writing and Illustrating, Vivan Kirkfield's site, and Maria Marshall's site. Lisk Feng is a guest at Digital Arts.  Author illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi talks about this book in this video. 

Sunny days get sunnier when you are holding a book conceived by Aaron Becker.  In a companion to his stunning You Are Light (Candlewick Studio, an imprint of Candlewick Press, March 26, 2019), My Favorite Color: I Can Only Pick One? (Candlewick Studio, an imprint of Candlewick Press, September 8, 2020) is equally extraordinary using die-cuts and frosted acetate to dazzle readers' senses.  It proposes possibilities when trying to select one color as your favorite.

My favorite color is yellow.

Yellow, like the sun in a clear blue sky.

Thinking about the blue sky has the narrator switching their favorite color to blue.  When they think of another color combination with blue, consideration is given to the other color, green.  The musings start in earnest.  

The hues in a sunset and the shades found in the coming dusk have a lot to offer.  No, yellow is the narrator's favorite color.  And two other colors, not yet named, are chosen as favorites.  Clearly, selecting one color, only one color, is a decision for another day, if ever.

It's the simple conversational statements made by Aaron Becker which will draw readers willingly into the book.  The thought processes of trying to select a favorite color connect us all.  We think we've made a decision, then another example, another array of hues tempts us away from our choice.  Aaron Becker's descriptions of those other choices will have you sighing with their truths.  He sees color with a poet's heart.

Readers will be fascinated by the die-cut squares of color shown on the front and the die-cut windows on the back of the book case cover.  The layout and design of the squares on each page ask us to hold the book up to the light to see what is revealed.  Sometimes we see certain shades, but when another color is added it shifts the shades.  And sometimes there will be die-cuts and solid squares on the same page to give us a wider range of results.

I think they are all my favorite illustrations.

I expect this book, My Favorite Color: I Can Only Pick One? written and illustrated by Aaron Becker, to have the well-loved look quickly.  You'll want to have multiple copies in both your personal and professional collections.  It will encourage discussions about favorite colors and the variety of colors seen in certain settings.  To learn more about Aaron Becker and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Aaron Becker has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view an interior illustration and download a teacher's guide.  Aaron Becker is a guest at Nick Patton's Picturebooking, featuring this title.  Enjoy the video.

When explaining forms and how to find them, the more interesting you make the delivery the more relevant it is for readers.  We tend to remember fun.  This Is A Book Of Shapes written and illustrated by Kenneth Kraegel will take readers by surprise and have them bursting out laughing.  

This is a circle.

This is a square.

This is a triangle.

Given the first three sentences in the book are declaring three shapes along with pictures of each, you would think the fourth page turn would be another shape.  You would be wrong.  Instead, we are told an emu is pushing a wagon down a hill.  That wagon is brimming with pancakes.  What? 

This is so unexpected readers will be puzzled for a few seconds before they start grinning and giggling.  This technique is used two more times before we are treated to a different hilarious twist.  The comedy continues with the consecutive commentary and conclusion. 

Clearly Kenneth Kraegel has an amazing sense of humor.  Readers like surprises, especially funny surprises.  The pacing is pure perfection.  Just when we think we have figured out the cadence of this narrative, Kenneth Kraegel throws us off course.  

The illustrations, as you can tell from the front of the book case cover, are vivid and playful.  The shapes and the descriptive text are placed on a crisp white background, shapes and text on opposite pages.  Each shape is a different color, green, red, blue, purple, orange, yellow, turquoise, and a mix of purple and blue.  The surprise insertions, double-page-pictures, are highly animated and in full color.  The final double-page image features all the animals and the shapes in a scenic setting.

One of my favorite images is of the rhinoceros.  He is speeding down a path in the desert dotted with cactus.  The rhinoceros is on a skateboard and wearing orange goggles.  He is also wearing a fully-functioning jet pack.  I dare you to look at this and not laugh.

Children and children at heart are going to enjoy reading This Is A Book Of Shapes written and illustrated by Kenneth Kraegel.  It might be fun to introduce other shapes and invent other surprise scenarios.  Kenneth Kraegel has accounts on Facebook and Instagram.  At the publisher's website you can download an activity kit.  This title and Kenneth Kraegel are featured at author, reviewer, and blogger Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  Enjoy the video.

This is a Book of Shapes, presented by author Kenneth Kraegel from Candlewick Press on Vimeo.

If there is any sort of rhythm to the words in a book, children will quickly and easily notice it.  If it is during a story time they will start to move; some of them might even begin to hum.  The Twelve Birdies of Christmas (Sleeping Bear Press, August 15, 2020) written and illustrated by Jennifer Sattler is a fresh take on a well-known Christmas carol.

ON the first day of Christmas

my true love gave to me . . .

1 

birdie in a 

Santa Claus

beard. 

Those first words with the accompanying portrait of a tall green bird with red polka-dots, legs and feet and a beard carrying a red sack will be the beginning of a chorus of snickers.  For the remaining days and numbers, readers will need to reference the initial words as they move forward.  Several times between one and twelve, words are substituted for the original words.

There are purple doves.  What word do you think replaces rings?  To conclude the book, we come full circle with three additional familiar words.  On the final page are the original verses.

Jennifer Sattler replaces the appropriate number of words to elevate the merriment.  These new words and her interpretation of the earlier words allow for loads of humor in her artwork.  On the front and back of the book case cover we can see how she depicts her quirky birds.

For all the birds and their numbers, they are placed on a white canvas.  It is her attention to detail which will connect with readers.  One of the purple doves is holding a candy cane as the duo lovingly touch foreheads.  The four calling birds are using cell phones.  One is wearing a Santa hat, another has a bow with a holly pattern on it, a third has a winter scarf, and the fourth has ornaments near its feet.  Of the seven swans a-swimming, four are wearing underwater gear.  The facial expressions, especially the eyes, and body positions are downright jolly on all the animals.

One of my favorite pictures is for 

8 BIRDIES A-MILKING. 

The eight birds of all shapes and sizes, one wearing reindeer antlers and another wearing ornaments on its head feathers, are around a green table.  They are drinking milk out of glasses, many with straws.  A plate of Christmas cookies is on the table.  They all look so happy.

Who can resist counting, singing, and laughing?  The Twelve Birdies of Christmas written and illustrated by Jennifer Sattler is pure fun.  This would be super for a creative drama activity.  To learn more about Jennifer Sattler and her other work, please visit her website by following the link attached to her name. Jennifer Sattler has an account on Facebook and Instagram.  In the video below, she reads this book aloud.

In March of 2018 Christopher Silas Neal released a new concept book series.  He begins with Animal Colors and Animal Shapes, both published by Little Bee Books.  These books are wonderfully innovative.  In the first, two animals are named with a coordinating color to fashion a third animal by mixing names and colors.  For example:

When a

BLUE RHINO

and a

GREEN TORTOISE

mix,

they make a . . .

TURQUOISE RHORTOISE

The initial text is placed on the left and the animals are on the right, both on single pages.  The special critter is placed on double-pages in an appropriate setting.  At the end all the newly made animals are combined to make a whimsical, one-of-a-kind creature.  On the final two pages, eight color combinations are shown. 

In the second book, the successful technique continues with mixing animals and shapes.  For example:

WHEN A NOISY

WOODPECKER

MEETS A

TRAPEZOID,

THEY BECOME A  . . .

TAP-TAP-EZOID

In this book, the animal is shown with the text on the left.  The shape is on the right side.  The new shape-sation can be viewed within a two-page picture.  The shape is featured along with the animal in action in wonderful settings.  At the end of the book, all the shapes are placed like constellations in a night sky.  The text reads:

 

GOOD NIGHT-AGON

A cat is curled in the right-hand corner sleeping.

Animal Numbers (Little Bee Books, October 6, 2020) written and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal takes a little different approach.  Animals meet numbers and a certain physical characteristic on their body decreases or increases by that number.  Their name changes, also.  Here is the beginning.

WHEN A

BUNNY MEETS

NUMBER ONE,

THEY BECOME A . . .

ONE-Y

The brown bunny is looking up at the number 1.  He is not happy.  He is minus one ear.  For the remainder of the blends, the new physical features on the animal are exhibited within a double-page picture.  Here is another one:

WHEN A LOUD

DINOSAUR MEETS 

NUMBER FOUR

THEY BECOME A . . .

DINO-FOUR

The dinosaur roaring through large exotic plants and four erupting volcanoes has four heads.  Four pterodactyls fly in the distance. Four long-necked dinosaurs are in the background.  In each illustration specific elements are shown in the same number being discussed.  This reinforces the number and invites participation by the reader to look for other groups of that number.

One of my favorite illustrations is for the number six.  A chipmunk meets the number six.  A chipmunk is holding an acorn with another by its tail beneath the text.  Four other acorns are scattered around the number six on the right.  With a page turn we see a chipmunk's face up close, very close.  It is framed by branches, nearly bare, with some autumn oak leaves.  The chipmunk's mouth is stretched to the max and open revealing six acorns stuffed inside.  (I might have burst out laughing when I saw this.)

Animal Sounds (Little Bee Books, October 6, 2020) written and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal maintains the layout and design, but the words are different to reflect the subject.  The word If begins the statement.  Verbs says and goes are used.  The first one reads as follows:

IF A BEAR SAYS

GROWL, AND A

FLY GOES BUZZ,

A BEAR-FLY

SAYS . . .

GRUZZZZZZ

The first image is a close-up of a bear's face, filling the entire page.  He is looking down, a bit cross-eyed, at his nose.  A single fly rests there.  With a page turn we see six flies buzzing around a tiny bear with fly wings.  He is buzzing along with the others.

Near the end of the book, we are asked what happens when all the sounds mix together.  It's a boisterous blend, a line of sounds through the middle of two white pages.  With an extra dose of comedy, one final animal is featured making a sound sure to generate loads of laughter.

One of my favorite pictures questions what results when a horse neighs and a duck quacks.  This horse-duck says:

NUACK, NUACK

With a shade of green, duck green, for its body two horse legs stand in a pond.  The tail is that of a duck.  The chest, neck and head are large like a horse but instead of a mouth, there is a duck's bill.  Cattails grow in clumps in the water and along the shore.  Three surprised ducks are startled by this new creation.  One takes flight.  Eight ducks fly in separate groups in the distance.  

These two books, Animal Numbers and Animal Sounds written and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal, are fabulous additions to this distinctive series.  Children, of all ages, and those adults working with them will enjoy reading these books repeatedly.  They are fresh with every reading.  They welcome participation.  I highly recommend all four books for your personal and professional collections.  To learn more about Christopher Silas Neal and his other work, please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  Christopher Silas Neal has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr and Twitter.  You can view interior images at the publisher's website here, here, here, and here for the four books.  There are also images at Simon & Schuster here, here, here, and here.

Worth The Wait

Upon waking each morning, many of us have daily ambitions.  Our choices hopefully aim us toward our desired direction.  Although life being what it is, our paths are rarely in a straight line. They are a series of zigs and zags and steps forward and back and back and forward again.

Whether we reach our aspirations for the day, with the fading light and start of night, we all, eventually, crave similar things.  Two autumnal titles draw our attention to this special time.  The first, A Story for Small Bear (Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, October 13, 2020) written by Alice B. McGinty with illustrations by Richard Jones, follows a cub trying to accomplish all that is required so she can receive her heart's desire.

When a late autumn wind

swirled into their den after noontime nap,

Small Bear shivered.  Brrrrr.

Mama knew today was the day to start their winter rest.  First, there was work to be done.  Small Bear needed to help for her wish to come true.  Small Bear had to remain focused. 

Spruce sprigs were gathered to add comfort to their cave.  Small Bear noticed and climbed into her favorite cozy hollow in the spruce tree.  She did not want to leave.  Remember the bitter wind, it blew, reminding her of what the day's end would bring.

There were two more stops.  There were two more tasks.  There were two more distractions.  

Brrrrr.

Small Bear did not want to leave but the icy wind pushed her to find Mama.  Mother and daughter walked to their den.  Inside, Small Bear asked Mama a question.  Her gentle but strong voice beginning with 

Once there lived . . .

was the answer Small Bear wanted to hear.  A promise was kept.

Using a combination of narrative and dialogue, author Alice B. McGinty weaves a tale of family, preparation, and the power of story.  Lyrical, descriptive phrases guide the characters and readers through the final day before a winter's rest begins.  Repetition of specific words and phrases supplies readers with a serene, but at times playful cadence.  Here is a passage.

No dilly.

She knew that's what Mama would say.

Still, she rolled and wriggled and played some more.

No dally, Small Bear thought.

But it was so hard to leave!

The textured, full color images on the open and matching dust jacket and book case ask readers to reach out to the characters, to join them.  On the front, framed by late summer and autumn flowers and leaves, Mama and Small Bear present the perfect picture of parental care.  By placing the bolder colors in the foreground with softer colors in the background, we are drawn into this moment of intimacy within a larger domain.

To the left of the spine, on the back, a portion of an interior illustration is used.  Small Bear is high in a tree, enjoying the acorns.  She has her head turned over her shoulder, watching the sun fading.  Beneath her the words read:

Small Bear wants to play---

but wind is biting,

winter knocking. . . .

Will she save time for stories?

On the pale cream canvas on the opening endpapers leaves in year-end colors are scattered.  The closing endpapers are a reflection of the change in the seasons.  Snowflakes of all sizes fall on a light turquoise background.  A close-up of a meadow scene with a bunny and a bird is placed between the text on the title page.

Rendered

in acrylic and watercolor paint and edited in Adobe Photoshop

the illustrations by Richard Jones highly complement the text, elevating it in realistic, soothing, and marvelous scenes.  We are treated to double-page pictures, edge to edge, full-page images with rounded corners and some elements breaking the frame, smaller visuals in unusual shapes or gathered in geometric forms on two pages to provide pacing.  Perspective is altered to place the characters in their proper settings, but we are never far and sometimes very close to Small Bear and her endeavors.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture.  Small Bear is swimming in the river.  On the left the river winds between two shores, one filled with meadow flowers and the other a small grove of trees.  Mama is ambling to the left in the trees.  Close to us on the right Small Bear moves her paws splashing.  Water birds take flight above her.  The sky mirrors the time of day.

Play comes naturally for this little bear, but the words of her mother guide her toward her one wish before they sleep.  The strength of tale-telling rings true in A Story for Small Bear written by Alice B. McGinty with artwork by Richard Jones.  For a quiet time, bedtime, discussing the benefits of sharing tasks, or for the changing seasons, this book is one you will want to have on your personal and professional bookshelves.

To learn more about Alice B. McGinty and Richard Jones and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  At Alice B. McGinty's website is a parenting guide to use along with this book.  At Richard Jones' website he has pictures from the book for you to see.  Alice B. McGinty has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Richard Jones has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At a publisher's website you can see the opening endpapers, the verso and title pages, and the first two pages.

Some of those things we hold closest to our hearts are as varied and individualistic as we all are.  Others are daily moments we share in common with a multitude of people.  It is in those common hours we find what makes us a part of a larger whole.  Mr. Brown's Bad Day (Candlewick Press, Nosy Crow. November 10, 2020) written by Lou Peacock with illustrations by Alison Friend is a comical and ultimately endearing day in the life of a distinguished tiger gentleman.

Mr. Brown was a very important businessman.

He always carried a very important briefcase,

and he worked in a very important office.

Mr. Brown made numerous financial decisions daily.  He was in and out of meetings.  Every minute was packed with very important activities.  Regardless of the hustle and bustle of working in the very important office, Mr. Brown never missed taking a break for lunch and bringing his very important briefcase with him.

One day as Mr. Brown was seated on a bench in the park eating his lunch, he did not see a baby grab his very important briefcase and take it away.  When he discovered it was missing, he was frantic.  Luckily, he saw the baby with the briefcase.  He followed it at a brisk walk.

In a quirk of fate, the very important briefcase was snagged on the cart of an ice cream peddler.  As the peddler paused his bicycle, Mr. Brown thought he was getting close to his very important briefcase. Yikes!  The very important briefcase is on the move again courtesy of a student on a field trip.  Every time Mr. Brown gets near his very important briefcase, it moves.  Dapper Mr. Brown is getting very frazzled.

Mr. Brown's day is not good.  Finally, looking worse for the wear, Mr. Brown catches up to the students and their teacher, roaring about his very important briefcase with invaluable items inside.  In the dark Mr. Brown walks home with his cherished possession and its contents.  Once there, he checks inside his very important briefcase.  Time for bed, Mr. Brown.

The sheer fun of this book by author Lou Peacock is how she wraps readers into the wild chase of Mr. Brown trying to retrieve his very important briefcase.  The use of the words very important and the words fortunately and unfortunately repeatedly generates hilarious tension.  We are so involved in the retrieval of the briefcase; the conclusion is the sweetest of surprises.  The blend of text and dialogue is exactly right bringing us deeper into Mr. Brown's dilemma.  Here is a passage.

Fortunately for Mr. Brown, the line was moving quickly  . . .

but unfortunately for Mr. Brown,

when the schoolchildren got off the ride,

they took Mr. Brown's very important

briefcase with them.

And then they went to catch the bus.

When readers look at the open and matching dust jacket and book case, they see from left to right a foreshadowing of events to come.  Against the blue building on the city sidewalk is the teacher and three students.  The teacher is a smartly dressed zebra with a kitten and alligator youngster trailing behind her.  On the front the pup is trying to warn Mr. Brown about the next disastrous step he is about to take.  There are three pigeons, two in flight, on the back.  As if the banana peel is not bad enough, notice the fourth pigeon above the W in the title text.  All the elements on the front of the dust jacket except for the sidewalk and building are varnished.

In lighter hues of blue, lightly shaded and outlines of buildings provide readers with a view of Mr. Brown's city on the opening and closing endpapers.  Light clouds, nearly like fog, cover the blue sky.  On the initial title page are three pigeons resting on the ground, looking for food.  On the formal title, verso and dedication pages, the cityscape is in the background.  Vehicles and city inhabitants move down the street and on the sidewalk.  Mr. Brown walks toward the right side of the double-page picture.  The author's and illustrator's names are placed on the side of a truck like a business name.

Mixed media

illustrations by Alison Friend cheerfully and humorously depict every portion of Mr. Brown's day.  The animals are highly animated with facial expressions revealing their moods.  Full-color images span two pages, single pages and sometimes two horizontal pictures are on a single page.  Readers will find themselves looking for extra details and additional pastimes within the visuals.  Alison Friend alters the perspective in keeping with the narrative as when Mr. Brown and others are standing on the ground looking up at the Ferris wheel ride as his very important briefcase goes higher and higher.  It is as if we are seated on the Ferris wheel looking down.

One of my many, many favorite pictures is a two-page picture when Mr. Brown is pursuing the baby elephant who picked up his briefcase.  The park path winds across from the upper left-hand corner to the lower, right-hand corner.  Mr. Brown is walking across the bridge in the upper, left-hand corner.  Along the way all kinds of children and their parents are engaged in a variety of pursuits.  A dropped ice cream cone (the baby elephant's) is being consumed by pigeons.  An alligator is soaking its feet in the park pond.  You can't look at this picture without smiling.

This book, Mr. Brown's Bad Day written by Lou Peacock with illustrations by Alison Friend, is a day to remember.  We come to understand through a delightfully funny series of mishaps why the very important briefcase has that designation.  I know readers will want to read or hear this book again and again.  I highly recommend it for your professional and personal collections.  Good night.  Sweet dreams.

To learn more about Lou Peacock, the link attached to her name takes you to the Nosy Crow page dedicated to her.  The link attached to Alison Friend's name takes you to her agency page.  Alison Friend has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website and Penguin Random House you can see interior images.

The Coolness Of Cold

Red skies glow through a flock of sheep-like clouds scattered before an incoming front.  Snow, accumulating snow, is set to arrive within the next couple of days.  Although it is not officially winter, more cold and snow are welcome to those who enjoy all four seasons.  

This portion of the year brings special and specific benefits.  When Winter Comes: Discovering Wildlife in Our Snowy Woods (Little Bigfoot, an imprint of Sasquatch Books, October 13, 2020) written by Aimee M. Bissonette with illustrations by Erin Hourigan reveals those advantages and some mysteries to readers.  Let's follow a family enjoying a winter world and all it offers to them.

When winter comes,

and deep snow blankets the woods,

and ice forms cold and smooth on

the lakes,

thick enough for us to skate on,

some people think our woods 

are empty.

The woods are not empty.  They are still full of nature's inhabitants.  A fallen, hollow log, coated in snow, harbors some insects, amphibians, and other creeping crawlers like snails or slugs.

Under the deep mounds of snow traversed by the family wearing snowshoes, there are tunnels in the protected earth.  Meadow mice scurry on their highways in search of food.  At night when predators roam, they can hide in safety there.

Under the lake's ice, fish move slowly.  Turtles rest in its mud at the bottom.  Above the ground, covered tree branches provide another haven.  In their sheltering boughs, birds are protected from the wild winter winds.  

The members of this family understand that some animals sleep in winter, others hunt, and others run from hunters.  They know the animals by their tracks.  They know the animals by the sounds they make at night.  Each day as they play in the woods, they know they are not alone but are companions with its inhabitants.

When reading the expressive words penned by Aimee M. Bissonette, we find ourselves enjoying winter in the woods along with the family.  Realizing which animals are near is like discovering a secret held by the season.  A rhythm is fashioned from the repetition of the words we know.  Aimee M. Bissonette frequently uses alliteration in her phrases, elevating her cadence.  Here is another passage.

We know the frozen lake where we come to ice fish

hosts a slushy slumber party of

sleepily swimming rainbow trout.

What one word comes to mind when looking at the front, right, of the matching and open dust jacket and book case?  For me, that one word is contentment.  One of the best parts of being outdoors in winter is the hushed but hopeful quality of the atmosphere.  Here, in this first scene, we are a part of that ambience.  It is as if we can feel the curiosity of the wildlife and the anticipation of the family at the same time.  In this frozen moment, all is as it should be.  

To the left, on the back, an interior image from the book is used.  It shows the family's A-Frame home in a meadow surrounded by evergreens with mountains in the distance.  Bird feeders are full of our feathered friends.  A parent and child watch.

On the opening and closing endpapers a muted hue of deep blue is swirled with snow.  Among the swirls are forest animals.  Some are resting and others are in motion.  A smaller illustration on the title page features the family seated on a log at the lake, putting on their ice skates.  In the foreground a rabbit and a mouse linger.  

Each detailed, two-page illustration is a wondrous display of nature, its animal and human residents living together.  Illustrator Erin Hourigan creates panoramic views you want to enter.  When we are close to the people or animals, it is as if we are there with them in the moment.  The people are animated and joyful.  The animals are carefully represented realistically.  Sometimes cutaways supply us with perspectives of activities above and below the surface.  

One of my many favorite pictures is toward the end of the book.  In this spot, we move close to the beings represented.  On the left side of the illustration a white-tailed male deer, wearing a rack of antlers, stands still in front of snow-covered evergreens as if just stepping from the sanctuary of the woods.  In front of him the parents and children are moving toward a hill for sledding.  The mother and one child are pulling sleds.  The child is slightly turned back and sees the deer.  The father is carrying the younger child on his shoulders.  

In this book, When Winter Comes: Discovering Wildlife in Our Snowy Woods written by Aimee M. Bissonette with artwork by Erin Hourigan, we are reminded of the wondrous world we share with its other residents.  We truly are never alone.  Life is all around us.  This will be a wonderful addition to your personal and professional collections to use for discussions on the seasons, wildlife in winter, and the value of conservation.

By following the link attached to the name of Aimee M. Bissonette and Erin Hourigan, you can learn more about them and their other work at their websites.  Aimee M. Bissonette has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Erin Hourigan has accounts on Facebook and Instagram.  At Penguin Random House you can view interior images.

There are two important sections of our planet where cold and snow linger longer than any other place.  These locations are essential to maintaining a healthy balance for the continuation of Earth's survival.  They each have distinguishing characteristics with unique plants and animals.  ICE!: Poems About Polar Life (Holiday House, December 1, 2020) written and illustrated by Douglas Florian explores both the Arctic in the north and Antarctica in the south.  Witty wisdom and humor are prevalent in all the poems accompanied by whimsical, signature artwork.

THE POLAR REGIONS

Two polar regions on our Earth, 

and not a third or fourth.  . . .

This is the first sentence in the first of twenty-one poems about the polar regions, Antarctica and the Arctic.  The majority of the poems focus on the animals living in these areas.  Beneath the poems, paragraphs provide facts about each topic.

For these regions the sun, usually warming, is reflected from the snow and ice and maintains the chilly temperatures.  Regardless, ten species of whales are found in Antarctica.  You won't believe what variety of life lives hundreds of years there.  Emperor penguins are the largest penguins on our planet, with the males as protectors of the eggs until they hatch.

Up north in the Arctic climate change is affecting the ice, ice valuable to life there and, ultimately, to all of Earth.  On the Arctic tundra plant and animal life strives to thrive.  Polar bears wearing layers of fur wait for seals, blue whales consuming millions of krill daily are endangered, and Arctic foxes with thicker, bushier tails curl and take cover under those tails against the bitter cold and high winds.

Guess which animal has a special air sac to help them float or which animal can run up to forty miles per hour in spurts to avoid being eaten or which one has "flutings."  Having a hairy nose comes in handy when a moose roams in water.  Teaming up works well for gray wolves when they are hunting.  Caribou hollow hooves cleverly act as both snowshoes and shovels.

As we are entertained with the playful poems and artwork and are astonished by the characteristics of the selected animals, the book closes with a warning about climate change.  This is a difficulty needing a resolution.  We all must do our part.

Admittedly Douglas Florian is a master wordsmith. Each of these twenty-one poems demonstrates his love of language.  His word play is engaging and captivating.  He likens the polar regions to refrigerators.  He replaces words with partial words.  

It's not a place I'd like to live

but an ICE place to visit.

Repetition of a key word identifies the subject without ever mentioning the identifying word.  His rhyming, when used, is beautiful to behold.  Careful readers will spot the use of a homonym.  Within these poems, readers can also glean facts.  Here is a poem in its entirety. 

BLUE WHALE

The largest animal ever on Earth.

Wide as an airplane in its girth.

And head to tail it's just as long.

But yet it stops to sing a song.

And though a blue whale cannot fly,

it loves to leap up toward the sky.

The bones in each flipper resemble a hand,

which means that its ancestors lived on land.

The whale's a tale of evolution---

without an airplane's air pollution.

Rendered with

colored pencils and oil pastels

the illustrations first seen on the open and matching dust jacket and book case by Douglas Florian radiate a childlike quality, but meticulous observers will see the deft placement of prominent characteristics and references to the poems.  The color palette on the front is indeed frosty.  To the left, on the back, an orange canvas (like the shade shown on the front) frames a square image.  Here we see a smaller version of an interior picture of a caribou.  Hats are hanging on its antlers.  And its hooves are wearing boots in reference to their width and capabilities.

A bright blue covers the opening and closing endpapers.  A male emperor penguin shelters a newly hatched chick on the title page prior to the contents' text placed on vivid yellow.  Opposite each poem and factual paragraph is a single, full-page visual.

Highly animated, the pictures paint quirky portraits of the subjects.  The canvases on which the elements are placed mirror the frigid temperatures and biting winds.  A sneezing polar bear, an Arctic fox's barely visible face under its busy tail, an Arctic hare carrying an umbrella and seals wearing party hats and blowing on blowout whistles are only a few of the intriguing, humorous depictions.

One of my many favorite illustrations is for the gray wolf.  It is one of the simpler images.  The sky is a darker blue.  A huge yellow moon nearly fills the entire sky.  It rests on a hill.  On top of the hill, facing left and in front of the moon, is a wolf, head raised to howl.  Facing right is the face of the moon.  The moon is howling too.

Your personal and professional collections need this book.  At the close of ICE!: Poems About Polar Life written and illustrated by Douglas Florian, we are treated to a page of information about Douglas Florian, and a bibliography divided into books and internet sources.  This thoroughly spellbinding title will be an excellent and happy introduction, and a promoter of research and discussions.

To learn more about the artwork of Douglas Florian, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Douglas Florian has an account on Instagram.  At the publisher's website there is a two-page educator's guide.  At Penguin Random House you can view portions of the interior including the contents.  I hope you enjoy this recent video with Douglas Florian speaking about poetry.

Shaping Into Special

Each day our world is shaped by our perspectives.  If we seek the extraordinary in the ordinary, we will find it.  It is not easy, but something to be refined with purpose and persistence over time.  

Never has the genius of a master storyteller been more apparent than in this newest release.  Sun Flower Lion (Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, September 22, 2020) written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes takes the familiar fashioning it into an original memorable tale.  This tale encourages readers to look for stories in their everyday surroundings. 

CHAPTER 

1

This is the sun.

Can you see it?

When the unseen narrator assumes you have seen the sun, they follow with a simple but profound description and comparison.  This leads us to the next two-page chapter.

Here a statement and a question lead to the description of a flower.  At the close of the chapter, the reader is asked to look closer at the flower.  Does it not look like a lion, a small lion?

Introduced to the lion, we watch him enjoy both the flower and the sun. He tires because of his youth, falling asleep.  In his dream, the flower multiplies into something delicious.  Although he consumes everything in his dream, upon waking, he is hungry.  

In the closing two chapters, one a single page and the other three pages, readers are again asked a question and given an answer.  We, through the narrator, shadow the lion as he finds his way home.  Like the smallest beings in many walks of life, the small lion's day and close of day are defined by his youth.

Kevin Henkes has a gift for making us a part of his stories.  Spare language invites readers into the pages of this book.  Here when the unseen narrator seeks our observations, we step into the realm of sun, flower and lion.  Impeccable pacing is present through the pause found between the six short chapters. Here is a passage.

The flower is growing.

It is growing on the hill.

It looks like a little lion.   

Upon opening the dust jacket, we are shown the limited color palette, black, white, and yellow, used throughout the book.  On the front Kevin Henkes presents all three elements of this narrative, the sun, the flower, and the small lion in a scene.  To the left, on the back, they are placed in a wide strip of yellow bordered on the top and bottom by black.  Each of them, left to right are depicted individually and separately.  On both, the front and the back, the scalloped yellow edging is varnished as well as the lion's tail.

On the book case on the yellow canvas, on both the front and the back, is an enlarged view of the lion's head.  A wide-textured black strip covers the spine.  Rows of the sun, flower, and lion's head without the facial features, pattern the opening and closing endpapers on the same pale-yellow background.

Rendered in 

brush and ink 

the illustrations are framed in thin black lines bordered by large expanses of white.  The chapter-heading pages are on the pale yellow with the text in the center on white.  The sizes of the illustrations vary to place emphasis on the pacing.  There is one two-page picture at the end certain to elicit sighs from readers.  It is fascinating how much emotion Kevin Henkes places in his artwork with the angle of a brush stroke.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is at the end of the third chapter.  It is a single-page square image.  Here the little lion is resting on a grassy hill.  He is facing toward the left, eyes closed.  On the downward slope of the hill, the flower is leaning to the right.  Over the little lion on the hilltop and the flower, the sun shines.  All we see of the sun is the lower curve peeking down from the top edge.

This book, Sun Flower Lion written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes, is like holding untold wealth in your hands.  This gem will be read repeatedly, continuing to gently invite readers into the narrative.  It will have readers wondering what other three similar things they can find to form an original new story.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Kevin Henkes and his other work, please take a few moments to visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  This book is featured by author, reviewer, and blogger Julie Danielson on her site, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  Interior images are shared.  I hope you enjoy the book trailer.

(Merry Makers is offering a sun flower lion doll.)

In a bright, cheerful ode to our natural world, Round (Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, September 29, 2020) written by Jennifer Ward with illustrations by Lisa Congdon asks us to rethink what the word round means to us.  In an Author's Note on the dedication and verso page, we are challenged to identify other examples of round.  The wonder of this book is twofold; we journey into a search for round as a circle and round in its other forms.  

Up round.

Down round.

Nature all around is round.

Recognized round can be temporary.  What coils in a circle, but moves in a wavy line?  At times round holds other shapes of round not quite a circle.  When was the last time you peeked at a robin's nest?

Take a few moments to stop by a pond.  Stationary shapes there are round, as are those brought by action.  At times round is slow.  Sometimes round portrays youth or is tiny markers on a lady.  What kinds of light are round?

Round can be loud or quiet.  Within seconds it can alter its shape like raindrops.  If we stop to examine a round form, we might discover its composition is a multitude of round grouped together.  Objects can move around in a round path.

What tiny round packed together makes a larger round?  When you hear the hoot of an owl what variety of round might you find?  As we travel toward the end of the book, the end of a season, or the end of a day, readers will find themselves calmly marveling at all the round to be found.

Through her verbal representations, author Jennifer Ward reveals her astute skills of observation.  With her rhyming of the first words in each couplet, followed by the word round, we find ourselves turning the pages to continue the musical exploration of her narrative.  Jennifer Ward welcomes willing readers into the fascination to be detected in all seasons of the year wherever we go.  Here are two more couplets.  What are they?

Glowing round.

Growing round.

Dripping round.

Slipping round.

Truthfully, I exclaimed "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness" when opening the dust jacket and peering at the book case underneath.  The color choices on the open dust jacket conjure visions of (mostly) spring and summer bursting forth with breathtaking hues.  Elements on the dust jacket are to be found within the pages of the book.  On the other side of the spine, to the left, on the back, there is some repetition, but many of the items are new.

On the open book case, the canvas is black instead of white.  Here we see round at night, in the autumn, and in the winter.  It's a different world, but alive with forms of round.  There are objects and animals here not shown on the dust jacket, but they, too, are found inside the book.

On the opening and closing endpapers, there are similarities and differences.  On the first set, the drawings are in a rusty orange on white.  The animals here are awake.  On the second set, the lines are a midnight blue on white.  Readers will know it is night by the animals' positions and eyes.  

This artwork by Lisa Congdon rendered

digitally

is a gorgeous depiction of round.  On the verso and title pages, a double-page picture of large blossoms holds the text.  They are in shades of pink, orange, and red.  In the body of the book, page turns disclose double-page visuals with two actions or examples within the picture.  Most of the perspectives bring us close to the featured round.  In many of them an animal focuses on the round.  A fox and squirrel appear in three images each.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is for one of the couplets showcased previously.  It is night.  The canvas is black.  On the left in six small circles of light, fireflies light up their immediate area.  To the right, a crescent moon, close enough to touch, hangs in the sky.

You'll hardly be able to wait to go outside and start finding round after reading this title.  Round written by Jennifer Ward with artwork by Lisa Congdon is fantastic!  For a story time on shapes, nature, seasonal changes, or to promote skills of observation, this title is an excellent choice.  Your personal and professional collections need this book.

To learn more about Jennifer Ward and Lisa Congdon and their other work, please follow the link attached to their name to access their respective websites.  Jennifer Ward has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Lisa Congdon has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.

Glimmers In The Gloom

On dark days and even darker nights, we seek light, however faint it may be.  We lift our faces up to search the sky for stars or a portion of the moon.  We look for lights shining in windows of homes, even if it is the flame from a single candle. Light need not be from stars, the moon, or devices made by humans.  

Light can be found in a generous heart, the warmth of a gaze or a quick, easy smile.  Ella's Night Lights (Candlewick Press, November 24, 2020) written and illustrated by Lucy Fleming follows a whimsical being of the forest.  Although she can only move about at night, this does not diminish her purpose.

Nestled in a little nook

of an old oak tree

lived a teeny-tiny girl.

Her name was Ella.

Ella's delicate wings kept her inside during daylight hours.  Her greatest desire was to see a sunrise.  She loved light.

At night when Ella left her home, she gathered every bit of light she found.  She did not keep it for herself.  It was freely given to those who needed to navigate through darkness.

Each time she gave away light, she whispered a poem to the recipient.  She believed at one time or another; light was needed by someone.  One night Sable, a fox, welcomed Ella's light.  The duo became friends, gathering and sharing light together.

On another night another forest being was frightened.  Ella offered light. Night after night, Ella and her new friends frolicked in fun until the sun started to rise. Sable wanted to bring as much happiness to Ella as she brought to others.  The fox and the forest friends fashioned something unexpected for Ella; like her they found light in darkness.

This tender and loving story resonates through the narrative penned by Lucy Fleming.  Through her use of alliteration Lucy Fleming draws us into the nights spent by Ella.  The repetition of the rhyming, reassuring poem ties portions of the story together.

All of us can identify with being or feeling small and of having a deep desire.  Lucy Fleming, through Ella, allows us to understand the strength found in sharing light and our light.  Ella is a shining example of placing others before yourself.  Here, the shared hope comes back to Ella.  This is another passage.

When Ella awoke at night

and the moon was high,

she flittered and flew, collecting light.

She was drawn to everything that

glowed and glimmered

in the darkness. 

The enchanting scene shown on the front, right, of the matching dust jacket and book case gives us a glimpse of the magic found within the pages of this book.  Ella's two best forest friends are shown gathering and enjoying light with her.  The swirl of stars and dust represent the sharing of the gathered light.  On the front of the dust jacket the light shimmers.  

The image on the front, right, spreads over the spine to continue on the left, back.  The hill over the spine sloops down to a small valley before rising again.  There are some trees in the foreground on the right.  On the left, a large tree extends from the corner to the top, some branches reaching toward the full moon sitting just above the valley.  What a gorgeous, glorious illustration this is! (The entire picture continues flap edge to flap edge.)

The opening and closing endpapers are a golden yellow.  Etched in white are stars and other night flyers, moths.  The verso, dedication and title pages are a single illustration.  It is a panoramic view of the winter world, a vast meadow bordered by forests.  A star streaks across the night sky.

Rendered digitally, these illustrations, double-page pictures, full-page pictures, and smaller pictures grouped on a single page, show a winter world hushed in the darkness. Whether we are close to Ella or given a larger perspective of her night journeys, each intricate detail contributes to the charm of the setting and tale.  We want to stop to enjoy all the individual elements.  As Ella collects light, it follows her everywhere.  This presents the truth of light being drawn to light.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a full-page image.  The canvas is a starry sky with a lighter purple shade toward the bottom.  In the left-hand corner is a bit of branches from a tree.  A crescent moon hangs above these branches.  In the sky are Luna, Ella, and Sable, left to right.  Each of them is holding a balloon of light with a central glow. Luna and Ella are in flight.  Sable is leaping straight up.

Delightful from beginning to end, resonating long after the covers are closed, Ella's Night Lights written and illustrated by Lucy Fleming is a story of giving and receiving.  Readers will be wrapped in its warmth of friendship found.  You'll want to use this title for a storytime on being a friend, winter, bedtime, and sharing your talents.  Be sure to have a copy on your personal and professional bookshelves.

To learn more about Lucy Fleming and her other work, follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Lucy Fleming has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view an interior illustration.  I hope you enjoy this video with Lucy Fleming talking about this book and her creative process.

Focusing On Fabulous Flora

In all seasons of the year, they provide vivid sensory experiences for all the planet's inhabitants.  The survival of all species needing air is determined by their existence.  There is hardly a facet of human lives untouched by them.  It's astounding the links they provide in the chains of our everyday moments.

For those who think they know how valuable plants are to humans, prepare to be amazed.  I Ate Sunshine For Breakfast: A Celebration of Plants Around the World (Flying Eye Books, March 18, 2020) written by Michael Holland FLS with illustrations by Philip Giordano is a joyous gift for readers' minds and eyes.  It is a journey through an unimaginable world with words and visuals to savor for the rest of your lives.

Part One

ALL ABOUT PLANTS

Plants are essential to your world.  Without

them, no other living thing would be able to 

survive.  This book will help you to become more

acquainted with your leafy neighbors, from

how they grow, to fossilization and everything

in-between.  With over 400,000 species on our

planet to discover, let's find out all about 

these incredible organisms!

This first of four parts has ten two-page sections.  Some of the section titles are:

Why do plants matter?

Leaves: a food factory

Flower power and

Seeds on the move.

Within this first part, there are three DIY projects, extending your knowledge through application and play.  You will be dazzled by the presentation of introductory and basic facts.  Seeds need certain conditions to germinate, but if those conditions are not present, they change.  In areas such as Australia or South Africa with frequent fires, the heat melts fruit to set the seeds free, or smoke tells them it is time to sprout.  Did you know blue-green algae was around millions of years ago?  It still works to send out oxygen.  This tiny, tiny plant can multiple to span 

thousands of miles.

In the second part, World Of Plants, there are two DIY activities.  One of them instructs you how to observe the freezing process and the differences between deciduous and evergreen trees during this process.  You'll learn about plant families like the Cucumber Family which includes pumpkins.  Evolution and adaption are explained.  Did you ever hear of 

The Great Dying? 

Did you know tightly packed spines on cactus reflect the sun, protecting them?  There are plants that steal the sugary sap from other plants!  You will be shocked at the percentage of plants that are poisonous!

The title of the book is further explained in part three, From Breakfast Until Bedtime.  Eleven sections and four DIY tasks add up to fascinating facts about plants as part of our food, caring for our teeth, how we clean, what we wear, and how we make art.  Plants are crucial to constructing homes and relevant to sports.  Did you know the oldest building made of wood stands in Japan?  It was built in the year 700.  Plants can either attract us or repeal us with their odors.  A plant is so smelly it is banned in Southeast Asia.  Phew! 

In the final part, The Power of Plants, if we are still not aware of plants' impact on us, this portion offers specific and further examples.  There are plants which can take gold and silver from the soil and store it.  We than extract it through

phytomining. 

Did you know you can light a bulb using two potatoes?  You'll enjoy this DIY experiment.  Maori hunters used plants at night in a remarkable manner.  (I'll be thinking about this for a long time.)  For those interested in the healing properties of plants, there are some plants used for generations for curative purposes, but the bark of the white birch has been examined in the last several decades for its potential use as an anti-cancer medication.  Plants are symbolic on flags and crests around the world.  Countries and states have national plants and flowers.  Plants are fuel.  We need to protect and preserve them from all forms of pollution.  Did you know earthworms hindered by pesticides when consumed by birds poison them, too?  This fourth part concludes with acknowledgements of the champion plants in a variety of categories.

Whether you read this book in a single sitting, part by part, or section by section, author Michael Holland displays his considerable knowledge conversationally and concisely.  His presentation is thoughtful and follows an understandable progression.  Everything is labeled carefully.  Scientific and common names are used.  Throughout the book, sometimes within a two-page explanation, he includes Did You Know? extra facts.  These have a definite "wow" factor.  In the DIY portions, the instructions are clear, usually advising readers to do them with an adult present or assisting.  Here is a passage.

Power Of Plants

Smart Plant Technology

Home-made torch

If you 're lost outside in Polynesia

on a dark night, the candlenut tree

(Aleurites moluccana) from Samoa

can double up as a handy torch!

By threading its oily seeds together

on a coconut leaf, the plant can be

ignited and makes a very bright,

long-lasting torch.  The black soot

that is left when the seeds burn is

collected and used to make an ink

used for tattoos.

The vibrant, cheerful case of this title beckons to readers.  You'll take a few moments to identify the numerous plants, animals, and seeds shown with splendor by artist Philip Giordano in his signature style.  Readers will enjoy running their fingers over the front to feel the textures through embossing and cut-outs.  On the other side of the spine, the back, using the same canvas color as on the front, more flora and fauna are portrayed along the bottom.  Above is text normally viewed on the front flap of a dust jacket.  There is an endorsement from Tim Smit, co-founder of The Eden Project.  Careful readers will notice a small square creature with wings.  This is your guide throughout the book.  Look for it (and other insect pals) on nearly every page.

On the opening endpapers plants, plant leaves, and seeds in shades of green on yellow look like botanical artwork.  On the closing endpapers the vividness of the color palette will leave readers gasping.  On a darker, but muted, peach background flowers burst forth in all their beauty.  They are joined by several insects.  No page is left unadorned by Philip Giordano.  Even the glossary and index are framed with plentiful, colorful plants.

The Contents has a double-page picture across most of the top half.  It is a pastoral scene with varying perspectives.  Each of the four parts have a glorious double-page picture.  For each section, the images in different perspectives define and enhance the text.  We are given up-close and personal views.  Plants are labeled with their common name.  Humor comes in the form of a worm wearing a hat or the smiles on insect faces.  Often, we are shown a microscopic view such as chloroplasts on an oak leaf.

To delineate from the main parts and sections, the DIY projects are done in green, black and white only.   They have a list of what you will need and numbered steps.  Our guide, Square, is always there.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is for Watery World.  It is a two-page illustration.  Across the top is either a sunset or sunrise sky in golden orange.  A red sun sits on the horizon.  Just past the gutter on the left, a turtle sits on a piling.  A rope from this piling extends to the right, tied to a boat.  Swans and other smaller birds are resting on or near the water.  The water, in a rich, midnight blue stretches to the bottom of the page.  This is filled with close-ups of water plants and animals.  We are shown how they appear on the surface of water and what is seen below the surface.  The color choices here are marvelous.  (They are throughout the book.)

This book, I Ate Sunshine For Breakfast: A Celebration of Plants Around the World by Michael Holland FLS with illustrations by Philip Giordano, is one to enjoy repeatedly.  It can be used for those with an interest in botany, units of study on plants, for research, and to promote discussions on preserving and protecting our planet and its residents. I can't imagine a collection, personal or professional, without a copy of this book.  

To learn more about Michael Holland and Philip Giordano and their other work, please visit their websites by following the link attached to their names. There are multiple images from this book to view at Philip Giordano's site.  Michael Holland has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Philip Giordano has accounts on Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view more interior visuals.  Philip Giordano is interviewed at Nobrow about this book.  It is interesting and insightful.  You will love it! There are interior images and downloadable DIY pages here, also.  At Penguin Random House you can see interior illustrations.  

For The Children

In the first meeting with my first principal in my first school, something he said has stayed with me for more than four decades.  This was the first year for this principal in this building. He looked at an over-abundance of new staff seated around the conference table.  The first thing he said to us was "without the children, we would not need you."  He wanted us to know the students came first.  

For me, not only did students come first, but I tried to look at them and say, "What if this was my child?"  I wanted them to have every advantage, every opportunity, and every respect I had to offer.  This is why certain books move me deeply.  With every reading of All Because You Matter (Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc., October 6, 2020) written by Tami Charles with illustrations by Bryan Collier, I find tears welling in my eyes.  Every single child deserves to be enveloped with the love and positivity pouring from the pages of this book.

They say that matter

is all things

that make up the universe:

   energy

      stars,

         space . . .

If that's the case,

then you, dear child, matter.

The voice continues to tell the child how in a time before they were a hope, people were shaping a world to welcome this child.  In this world they used their strength, physical and mental, to benefit those who were not yet born.  Everything they did was for the future.

On the evening of the birth of this child stars signaled the worth of this birth and every moment that was to follow.  Moments were chronicled, moments like first steps, first words, and the opening of a first book.  The combination of all elements in this book were to lift him up.  But . . .

There will not always be affirmation in this world.  Your name, the way you dress, how you complete your schoolwork, and how you and others like you are viewed will have you questioning your value.  You will ponder.  You will doubt.

Then this precious child is reminded about those from whom he came.  He is reminded about the depth of their accomplishments and character.  He is reminded of the night he was born and how the stars shone.  He is reminded that since the beginning of the beginning he and a multitude of others before and after him have always mattered.

Every carefully chosen word of author Tami Charles works toward a loving whole.  She desires readers of this book to know they are important regardless of anything else they may see, hear, or read.  She, sentence by sentence, fashions a verbal representation of this truth.  By repeating specific words from the beginning of her narrative on the final pages she brings us full circle.  Here is a passage.

The words and pictures

coming together like

sweet jam on toast,

musica blasting through barrios,

sun in blue sky . . .

all because you matter.

How could you not love the child featured on the front of the open dust jacket?  Look at that beautiful face, so full of promise.  A collage of petals frame either side of him.  Illustrator Bryan Collier states in a note he begins with a single petal symbolizing a beginning and layers these to create blossoms.  You can see faces in some of them.  These depict those who have always believed you matter.

The collage of petals continues to the left of the spine, on the back of the dust jacket.  It makes a valley in the center of the page.  Across the starry sky, a single star streaks from left to right. 

On the book case an interior image is expanded.  It conveys a time when the child speculates on whether he will ever have value.  He thinks this as his Pop Pop prays for those children gone:

Trayvon,

Tamir,

Philando.

On the opening and closing endpapers the collage of petals in various hues of blue form a canvas.  They are replete with stars.  On the first a single star speeds from left to right on the right side.  On the second a moon hangs on the left side, a sliver beginning to show. Petals in a wallpaper pattern with blues and purple form a background for the verso and title pages.  

Each illustration

created with collage and Winsor & Newton watercolor paint on 300lb. Arches watercolor paper 

usually spanning two pages, with a portion left for a column for text, is a glorious representation and enhancement of the text.  The color palette is luminous.  The faces on the people are exquisite.  You expect them to walk off the pages.  Each element in these pictures is a meticulously placed piece.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is toward the beginning of the book.  The picture covers the entire left side, crosses the gutter and fills the left side of the right half.  The text appears on the wallpaper-textured right side.  The illustration features an African tribal chieftain with his left arm raised, fist clenched.  His face reflects calm, purpose, and strength.  Fanning to the left, above, and right of him are layers of petals, many of them have their tips folded down.  There are many patterns, colors, and people on them.  On the far left is a golden sky, hills, and pyramids.  On the right is the starry sky with the silver of moon.  

Thinking about this book, you cannot imagine a better pairing than this author and illustrator.  For All Because You Matter written by Tami Charles with artwork by Bryan Collier, each one of them painstakingly added words and brush strokes and collage to make this stunning book for children, their parents and other adults who hold them in great affection.  At the close of the book both Tami Charles and Bryan Collier include notes for readers.  This book comes with my highest recommendation for your personal and professional collections.  (I am adding my accolades to many others, professional and personal.)

To learn more about Tami Charles and Bryan Collier and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their respective web sites.  Tami Charles has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.  Bryan Collier has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images and read the notes found at the end of the book.  On the Scholastic blog there is more from Tami Charles you might enjoy.  At Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher's site, Watch. Connect. Read., Tami Charles and Bryan Collier talk about this book.  This book and Tami Charles are featured on The Children's Book Podcast with teacher librarian Matthew Winner.  At We Need Diverse Books the book trailer is premiered.  Tami Charles and Bryan Collier are also guests at Politics and Prose Bookstore.